Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

The successful ten-year restoration of the 1926 Baltimore-built 56ft trading ketch Ilen, originally constructed by Tom Moynihan and his shipwrights in West Cork to designs by pioneering global circumnavigator Conor O’Brien of Limerick, has been a continuing story in Afloat.ie…

#Lecture - In this centenary year of the great disaster that struck RMS Leinster, the Dun Laoghaire Borough Historical Society is hosting next week an illustrated lecture titled "The Sinking of the Leinster". Presenter Cormac Lowth will outline the disaster…

The fourth edition of the Vintage Yachting Games takes place in Copenhagen from 16-22 September 2018. The Vintage Yachting Games provide an opportunity for a high-level international regatta for the classes which were once Olympic Games equipment or Paralympic Games…

The term ‘vintage’ is rarely used in respect of racing dinghies, however, in 1920 the Olympic Federation were felt that a suitable dinghy should be used in addition to the 40m.2, 30m.2, 15m., 12m., 10m., 8m., 7m., and 6m. keelboat…

After the near gale force racing conditions and white-knuckle sailing experience of 2017, this year’s IDRA 14 Nationals held at Carlingford Sailing Club 9th–11th August proved a more nuanced and tactical racing experience for the 15 boats that competed over…

#HistoricBoats - Waterways Ireland is seeking tenders to restore a legacy canal barge as an office space for Dublin’s Silicon Docks. According to the tender document, Waterways Ireland intends to clean out the vessel, further inspect its structural condition and…

The historic 12-foot class will hold its fourth championship of recent years in Dun Laoghaire for both International 12 foot Dinghies and Dublin Bay Sailing Club 12 footers. Racing will take place in Dun Laoghaire hosted by the Royal St…

Last Saturday in Cork Harbour saw the fourth Annual sailing of The Rankin Regatta Race since boat owners got together to form the group in 2014. Twelve sailing Rankins took to the water for the first gun and a hotly…

#HeritageWeek - Its that time of year again as National Heritage Week (18-26 August) begins tomorrow. Numerous events on land will be held across the country in addition to those of a nautical theme and directly taking place at sea.…

The historic 45ft ketch Aigh Vie, built in the Isle of Man in 1916 as an anonymous gift for a fishing skipper who had saved many lives after the sinking of the Transatlantic liner Lusitania in May 1915, is now…

Howth Yacht Club will find itself in double focus this coming weekend, with the Club's historic 1898-founded Howth 17s staging their Annual Championship off the peninsula port, while down in the Solent on Sunday 12th August, leading HYC member Conor…

There is a new World Champion following the running of the Crosbie Cup / Heir Island Sloop World Championships in Baltimore Harbour in West Cork at the weekend. David Townend having achieved four race wins and two seconds secured the…

In the midst of high summer, with life slowed by the all-pervading heat, it is almost impossible to contemplate the sheer horror of total conflict as experienced in the industrialised attacks of the Great War of 1914-18 writes W M…

The many strands of Arklow’s maritime life, and its seafaring and boat-building traditions, have been getting together this week to celebrate the achievement of Darryl Hughes’ veteran ketch Maybird writes W M Nixon. Last week, the 1937-vintage Arklow-built Maybird became…

Fifty years after her first single-handed global circumnavigation, the 36ft cutter Lively Lady is once again back in the water in an as new condition having recently undergone a long and extensive refit at Hayling Yacht Company by volunteers from…

11 International teams will make Antrim their home for the International Contest of Seamanship tomorrow. As Afloat.ie reported previously in March, 200 young people from USA, Russia, St Petersburg, Belgium, Ghent, GB, Ireland, Quebec, France, Denmark, Canada and Northern Ireland…