Belfast Lough
Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team on Belfast Lough was tasked on Friday afternoon after a member of the public contacted the Belfast Coastguard Operations Centre raising concern about an inflatable canoe with two people on board. The team arrived on scene at the 'Long…
Yet another event at Ballyholme has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. Richard Swanston, one of Ballyholme’s long time members and Chair of Irish Multihull Association, tells me that the May Weekend of Speed had to be withdrawn from…
People may not be able to go to sea at present due to the Government restrictions but dolphins and porpoises clearly can’t read and so we are seeing reports of their activity in Belfast Lough. Recent sightings include about eight…
Bangor Harbour Slipway Closed, Paddleboards, Jet Skis & Kayaks Forbidden
16th April 2020 Belfast Lough
In the ongoing closures of marinas and harbours around the North Down Coast, Bangor Harbour’s Slipway on Belfast Lough has been closed to all activity except the launching of the lifeboat. The recent Notice to Mariners issued by the Harbour…
A new TV series beginning tomorrow night (Tuesday 14 April) on BBC One Northern Ireland puts Belfast Harbour in the starring role. Today’s Belfast Telegraph features the three-part documentary, Belfast Harbour: Cruises, Cranes and Cargo, which was filmed in the…
Ballyholme Yacht Club was to have been the venue in early July for the huge Laser Radial European Championships but the Iatest news from the EurILCA team is that due to the COVID-19 situation and expected restrictions on travel during…
The yacht Aries has been sheltering in Ballyholme Bay from the strong southerly and while Bangor Marina is closed due to COVID-19. Aries is a one-off 43 ft steel ketch owned by Simon Layton, a former UKSA instructor and friend…
Betty Amstrong explores past boatbuilding ventures in Ballyholme in the seaside town of Bangor on Belfast Lough. Did you know that before Enrico Caproni built his famous ‘Palais de Dance’ in 1928 on Seacliff Road that there was a shipyard…
The clapping for carers expression of support during the COVID-19 emergency was repeated at 8 pm last night across Northern Ireland and included applause for NHS workers, as well as the frontline staff who work in the docks – hauliers,…
Carrickfergus Marina on Belfast Lough & Smaller Antrim Coast Harbours Close
31st March 2020 Belfast Lough
The 320 berth Carrickfergus Marina on Belfast Lough and smaller harbours and launching facilities on the Antrim Coast and on the River Bann owned by Mid and East Antrim Council are the latest to hit the buffers due to Covid-19…
A former boss of a Belfast Harbour based shipping company has come out of retirement and gone back to work to help out during the coronavirus pandemic. Ex-William Reid director Alan Dunlop made the decision to return after four employees…
Cruise Liner Bound For Belfast Rerouted From Italian Ports Over Nationwide Covid-19 Lockdown
13th March 2020 Coronavirus and Boating
A cruise liner bound for Belfast in May has had its itinerary changed to avoid two upcoming port calls in Italy, following that country’s extraordinary national lockdown measures to control the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Belfast Telegraph, the MSC…
Double Olympic Champion Skipper In Bid to Make UK World Leader in Eco-Friendly Ferries
10th March 2020 Belfast Lough
An Olympian with two gold medals is skippering a bid to make (Belfast Harbour) the UK a world leader in zero-emissions passenger ferries. Sailing champion Iain Percy is combining his own know-how from designing America’s Cup racing yachts with expertise…
The six RS Elites entered for Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough now warrant their own class and with three days of the early bird entry left, there is still time for more to join them at the bargain rate.…
200 Applications for Laser Radial Youth European Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club
25th February 2020 Laser
Preparations are well underway for the Laser Radial Youth European Championships to be held at Ballyholme Yacht Club this summer from 5th to 11th July 2020. Over 200 applications have been received from across the world already - although this…
Belfast Lough Artemis Maritime Tech Firm Announces New Foiler System Parts Partnership
24th February 2020 Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough-based Artemis Technologies - a world-leading high-performance maritime design and applied technologies company - has announced a partnership with Creative Composites in Lisburn to make parts for a revolutionary new foiler system – the world’s first commercially viable electric…