Irish Sailing has renewed its appeal for sailors to report sightings of floating or poorly marked fishing gear as part of an ongoing campaign to improve safety afloat.
The governing body is asking racing, cruising and recreational sailors to report not only incidents where vessels become entangled in fishing gear, but also near misses and sightings of drifting nets, ropes, pot lines and other floating fishing equipment.
The latest reminder follows previous warnings about the hazards such debris can pose to yachts and motorboats, particularly where propellers or ruders become fouled, leaving vessels without manoeuvrability.
Irish Sailing says every report contributes to a growing database that helps identify locations where hazards are occurring. The information is recorded anonymously and mapped to build a clearer picture of recurring problem areas and to support future discussions on improving the marking of fishing gear.
Reports should include the location, date, time, prevailing weather conditions and, where possible, photographs of the hazard.
The organisation stresses that the safety of crew and vessel must always take priority over recovering equipment or documenting an incident.
Sailors are advised to secure their vessel, seek assistance if necessary and only submit a report once safely ashore.
Afloat previously highlighted the issue following a near miss in the Irish Sea and included details of the Irish Sailing reporting system. That report, including the reporting link, can be found here
