Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Last week the Quay Marinas/Dean & Reddyhoff Bangor marina closed, a victim of the COVID-19 Government restrictions in Northern Ireland. As Afloat reported previously, the Five Anchor Marina on Belfast Lough announced that from this Spring it would become part…

All DAERA angling waters in Northern Ireland have been closed with immediate effect in efforts to control the spread of Covid-19, as the Newry Times reports. The confirmation comes from Edwin Poots, Stormont’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs,…

British boaters are being encouraged to support their local boating networks wherever possible during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As Boating Business reports, the RYA is asking people to think again before cancelling payments to sailing clubs, marinas, class associations and…

In a rapid spread of harbour and marina closures in Northern Irish waters, the next to suffer is Belfast Harbour Marina which is closed to visitors until further notice. The action has been taken in the light of current UK Government…

In a ramping up of curbs on the use of some harbours in County Down, Ards and North Down Council have issued a Notice to Berth Holders preventing the launching and mooring of vessels, apart from fishing boats, in its…

Following last night’s announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of a full lockdown in the UK over the next three weeks, Bangor Marina in Northern Ireland has closed and is asking customers to stay away for the duration of the…

Members of Cockle Island Boat Club in Groomsport near Bangor on Belfast Lough have had to cancel indefinitely the lift-in planned for 27th April and organised by Terry Graham, due to restrictions on the size of gatherings in the current…

Northern Ireland's biggest sailing event, Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough has been cancelled over Covid 19 concerns. A statement from the organising club, Royal Ulster, says: - “It is with deep regret that the Organising Committee of Bangor Town…

In line with the UK Government's latest advice, and the Royal Yachting Association's (RYA) announcement to suspend events in light of Coronavirus (COVID-19), The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has taken the decision to cancel the Easter Challenge which was…

Newry ship refurbisher MJM Marine has told its staff that redundancies “in large numbers” are unavoidable after all future orders were postponed indefinitely amid the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. The Belfast Telegraph reports on an internal communication to staff yesterday (Tuesday…

In a communication this morning, Richard Honeyford, Chief Operating Officer in RYA Northern Ireland, said that in line with the RYA, the local governing body will be suspending organised activity until 30th April writes Betty Armstrong. This includes all Youth…

Sea Cadets in Northern Ireland excel at football as well as rowing and sailing, demonstrated by the junior girls' five-a-Side team winning Gold at the National Finals in England recently. The junior team, aged 12 to 15, was made up…

The RYA Northern Ireland says it is keeping developments regarding the COVID-19 virus in Northern Ireland “under close review”. In a statement, the RYANI says it “will follow the guidelines set by the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Government, and…

It was just a little more than a week ago that Irish Sailing issued its first statement over the coronavirus outbreak to the effect that ‘all events were going ahead as scheduled’. Then last Thursday (12 March) it cancelled its…

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…

Yesterday the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, delivered his first Budget setting out the UK Government’s fiscal priorities. Speaking to MPs in the House of Commons, he pledged greater funding and resources for the NHS…