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Irish Sea Shipping

The aim of the Irish Ships and Shipping site is to record ships and shipping of Irish interest with photos, details and stories from all interested parties. Of particular interest would be any photos or stories of Irish Shipping Ltd., its ships, and the men who worked them

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North West Charter Skippers Association  

Our Powerboat club, which is based on Achill Island, Co. Mayo, was established in June 2008.

In May of that year a group of boating enthusiasts from the Achill and Belmullet areas came together to take part in a local fun boating weekend on Achill, which was organised by a local enthusiast.

From the success of this event and the huge interest shown and also considering the increasing amount of boating activity around the island, it was clear that Achill would be a prime location for the establishment of a Powerboat Club.

After liaising with and receiving a substantial amount of advice and help from Denis Dillon (National Powerboat Officer) for the ISA, our club ‘Achill-Belmullet Powerboat Club’ was born!

Our aim is to provide powerboat users in the west and others in the vicinity with the following facilities:
To come together and enjoy their mutual interest through participating in organised fun-filled events and outings.
To share their knowledge and experience with others.
To extend their expertise in boating through taking part in various training days that are organised within our club.
To plan and develop a Clubhouse with mooring and marina facilities as to cater for all types of leisure craft.
To plan for the future of boating for the West Coast of Ireland.

(Details courtesy of Achill-Belmullet Powerboat Club) 

Achill-Belmullet Powerboat Club

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Glenans Irish Sailing Club is a non-profit sailing school affiliated to, but now independent of the larger French Les Glénans sailing school. They offer courses in cruisers, catamarans, dinghies and windsurfing. The sailing bases are on Collanmore Island in Clew Bay, and at a converted railway station in Baltimore, Co. Cork.

As a non-profit organisation, Glenans members have a great commitment to sailing. Properly known as Glenans Irish Sailing Club (GISC), it was founded in 1969 when the first base in Baltimore was opened. The club operates largely using volunteer instructors, backed by a small professional staff on the bases and in the Baltimore office.

The club provides instructor courses approved by the Irish Sailing Association (ISA). Sailing courses are available from May to October, with some weekend courses outside the main period. Course participants automatically become members of the club.

GISC Office – The Station House, Baltimore, Co. Cork. Tel: +353 (0) 28 20630. fax: +353 (0) 28 20312, email: [email protected]

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West Cork Sailing & Powerboat Centre – 1998 to 2009

In 1998 we discovered an old breezeblock shed next to Adrigole pier and slipway. We thought the location of a building by the edge of a sheltered harbour, surrounded in hills and mountains was perfect for a sailing school.

So, West Cork Sailing Centre was set up and our first 8 dinghies bought.  We operated for two years from the old shed, with no running water. Customers enjoyed the atmosphere, quality of equipment and expert tuition, and recommended us to their friends and family to provide us with more bookings.

In 2000 we got planning permission for our new centre and construction started in December of 2000. Paddy Bat and his team of builders worked hard to complete the building for June of 2001.

The luxury of hot showers, toilets and underfloor heating was wonderful.

The new building has lecture room, offices and cafe area, so The Boat House Cafe was opened for passing customers to enjoy a cappuchino while watching the boats sail by. In 2002 we received our Wine Licence.

2004 was a very busy summer and one of our children was very ill, so we closed the cafe to passing trade at the end of the summer and the comfortable dining area is now for our sailors only. We provide a buffet lunch with lovely home made soup to our sailors every day.

In 2004, the fleet increased to 40 boats and a team of ten instructors working in the summer. The cafe is now known as the Bistro and is now only open to our customers or parties.  This gives our customers their own relaxing lounge room to catch up on the days events at lunch time and at the end of the day.

The local area has taken a great interest in the development of sailing and to try and increase the availability of boats to the area we have linked up with Bere Island Sailing Club with three 20ft Sun 2000's from Jeaneau, which are in our fleet.  We also take care of Beara Community Schools fleet of six Toppers.

2005 and our dream boat joins the fleet – A Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 Legende. She is just perfect for comfortable sail training. So, we now offer the ISA Cruising Scheme training courses – Yachtmaster, Day Skipper and Competent Crew. The centre also became RYA approved to provide dinghy, keelboat, powerboat and cruising RYA certificates to our UK customers.

In September 2006 the Commercial Yachtmaster Intensive training course was launched and the centre is now busy throughout each winter training complete beginners to become Yachtmasters on a six-month course.

It is now 2008 and we have a total fleet of 50 boats, kayaks, dinghies, keelboats, powerboats and yacht.

The future is bright, as we plan to build the West Cork Adventure Centre with high ropes, low ropes, indoor climbing, archery, underground mazes, orienteering, climbing and much more. All inconjunction with the development of accommodation designed specifically for the outdoor enthusiast. So watch this space as this new dream develops.

We are open to new projects and ways of developing sailing within the area, so if you have any ideas please get in touch.

We hope to see you on the water with us soon.

Gail and Niall Mac Allister

THE NEW BUILDING HAS:
DINING ROOM- with Balcony overlooking harbour and Hungry Hill
HOT SHOWERS - peel your wet suit off in a hot shower!
HEATED CHANGING ROOMS - luxury
HEATED CLASSROOMS - with French doors out to pier
HEATED DRYING ROOM - dry wet suits

Open Hours: September to June – 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and July to August – 10am to 5pm, every day

West Cork Sailing Centre, The Boat House, Adrigole, Beara, Co Cork. Tel: + 353 (0)27 60132, Email: [email protected] 

Strangford Sailing Club, Strangford, Co. Down, N. Ireland. Tel: (028) 4488 1404

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Strangford Lough Yacht Club is situated in Whiterock Bay in Killinchy, between Comber and Killyleagh. It is in an area of outstanding beauty and on the finest sailing waters in Ireland.

SLYC hosts a variety of dinghies and keelboats which race competitvely during the sailing season. These include Rivers, Glens, Clippers, Flying Fifteens, Sonatas, Cruisers and a large dinghy fleet.

Strangford Lough Yacht Club boasts a large number of facilities for our members and visitors.

The club house has a bar and restaurant facilities, along with many other facilities for the boat owners. Situated in Whiterock, the Club commands unbeatable views across Strangford Lough. The Club provides a very active social, educational and sailing programme that maximises the facilities of the club.

Strangford Lough Yacht Club, Whiterock, Killinchy BT23 6PY, N. Ireland. Tel: 02897 541883, fax: 02897 541883, email: [email protected]

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Royal Ulster Yacht Club is located in Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland on the south shore of Belfast Lough.

The Club was established in 1866 as the Ulster Yacht Club, on the impetus of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava. In 1869 it received a Royal warrant. The land for the clubhouse was purchased in 1897 and built by architect Vincent Craig (brother of James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon).

The 'boating grocer', Sir Thomas Lipton, being blackballed from the Royal Yacht Squadron, launched his America's Cup bid from the RUYC in 1898. Lipton continued to sail from the Royal Ulster until 1929; his legacy being the Lipton Room.

Today the Club's patron is Her Majesty The Queen (a position Her Majesty has held since 1953) and the Commodore is Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

RUYC was visited by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in 1961, with Prince Philip competing in the Regatta. Prince Philip returned to the Club in 2006.

The club is one of the clubs on the lough that form part of the Belfast Lough Yachting Conference.

(Details courtesy of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club) 

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The Quoile Yacht Club was founded in Downpatrick at the Quoile Quay, on the then tidal Quoile River, in 1958. When, in 1962, the Ministry of Agriculture built a barrier at Castle Island, to alleviate the regular damaging flooding to which Downpatrick was subjected in times of high tide and heavy rain, they agreed to relocate the club to the seaward side of the barrier. The site was excavated and levelled, and a slipway provided. Thus the Club was reborn on its present site, with sheltered deepwater moorings, space for caravans, clubhouse and parking. After 40 years of investment and improvement the Quoile can boast the best facilities on Strangford Lough.

Quoile Yacht Club, 21 Castle Island Road, Downpatrick, Co. Down BT30 7LD, N. Ireland. Tel: 028 4461 2266, Club Secretary email: [email protected]

(Details courtesy of Quoile Yacht Club) 

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