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Displaying items by tag: Renting

#BUYING A BOAT - With the current economy making everyone think twice before they spend, the question of whether to buy or rent a boat is one being asked more and more often in the marketplace. But what should you consider before you make that decision?

Moose Landing Marina in Maine outlines the main points to be mindful of when you're on the look-out for a new vessel.

First things first is to figure out how often you plan on using your boat. If it's only a few times a year, then perhaps renting would be the most cost-effective option. But if you plan to take it out every week, spending more up front would surely bring you bigger savings in the long run.

If you're new to boating, evaluating the costs will surely be a primary concern. It might be prudent to consider renting for a time while you get your feet wet.

Maintenance should also be considered, as when you buy a boat you're also taking responsibility for its upkeep - making sure all fixtures and fittings are up to scratch and the engine is in clean running order.

Find out more on whether to rent or buy a new boat HERE.

Published in Marketplace

The Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) Information

The creation of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) began in a very low key way in the autumn of 2002 with an exploratory meeting between Denis Kiely, Jim Donegan and Fintan Cairns in the Granville Hotel in Waterford, and the first conference was held in February 2003 in Kilkenny.

While numbers of cruiser-racers were large, their specific locations were widespread, but there was simply no denying the numerical strength and majority power of the Cork-Dublin axis. To get what was then a very novel concept up and running, this strength of numbers had to be acknowledged, and the first National Championship in 2003 reflected this, as it was staged in Howth.

ICRA was run by a dedicated group of volunteers each of whom brought their special talents to the organisation. Jim Donegan, the elder statesman, was so much more interested in the wellbeing of the new organisation than in personal advancement that he insisted on Fintan Cairns being the first Commodore, while the distinguished Cork sailor was more than content to be Vice Commodore.

ICRA National Championships

Initially, the highlight of the ICRA season was the National Championship, which is essentially self-limiting, as it is restricted to boats which have or would be eligible for an IRC Rating. Boats not actually rated but eligible were catered for by ICRA’s ace number-cruncher Denis Kiely, who took Ireland’s long-established native rating system ECHO to new heights, thereby providing for extra entries which brought fleet numbers at most annual national championships to comfortably above the hundred mark, particularly at the height of the boom years. 

ICRA Boat of the Year (Winners 2004-2019)