Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Lough Erne: Halloween Fireworks Display in Enniskillen This Weekend
29th October 2026 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on Lough Erne that a fireworks display will take place at Castle Island in Enniskillen this Friday 30 October, weather permitting. To facilitate the event and ensure public safety, the following…
Those of us whose childhoods were shaped by living in Bangor on the south shore of Belfast Lough find it sufficiently bewildering to take on board the fact that what was once a seaside borough town of perfect size has…
East Antrim Boat Club will celebrate Mel Morris and Ger Owens’ GP14 World Championship victory at its Champions Night in Larne on Saturday, 14 November. The club has extended an invitation to members of the GP14 class to join the…
Major Milestone in Visitor Engagement for Portrush Coastal Zone
26th October 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
A record-breaking number of visitors came through the doors of the Portrush Coastal Zone in 2026 to learn about Northern Ireland’s marine environment, new figures have revealed. A total of 61,315 visitors visited the centre, which features interactive exhibits about…
Antrim Contractor Appointed by Port of Dover for £53m Western Docks Revival Project
25th October 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
The appointment of a Northern Ireland company by the Port of Dover for a £53m project sees construction firm McLaughlin & Harvey secure two places on a new contractor framework at the UK's busiest ferry port. The development of the…
Ulster Wildlife's work to restore the endangered European native oyster (Ostrea edulis) to Northern Ireland's coastal waters has won Biodiversity Initiative of the Year at the 2026 All-Ireland Sustainability Awards. The award recognises a restoration programme that has established four…
Royal Cork Yacht Club's Dylan O’Sullivan finished eighth as Ireland's official representative in the Junior Gold Cup in Bermuda, where Strangford Lough Yacht Club's Ollie Gundersen also competed, finishing 22nd after receiving a wildcard entry. The two young sailors joined…
First Barge With Structures for New Narrow Water Bridge Berths at Warrenpoint Harbour
21st October 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
A major milestone in the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge in Northern Ireland took place today, with the arrival to Warrenpoint Harbour of the first barge carrying major steel components from Belgium. The bridge contractor BAM UK & Ireland…
Enniskillen RNLI volunteers assisted six people during two separate callouts on Lower Lough Erne over 48 hours after mechanical problems left two boats requiring assistance. Enniskillen RNLI's inshore lifeboat, John and Jean Lewis, was launched twice on Tuesday, 6 October,…
Stena Line recently was awarded the accolade of Best Ferry Company at the 34th North Ireland Travel & Tourism Awards. Representatives from every sector of the Northern Ireland travel industry attended the high-profile event hosted by comedian and BBC presenter…
Irish sailors Grattan Roberts and Oisín McClelland have won the 2026 52 SUPER SERIES season championship aboard Harm Müller-Spreer's German-flagged Platoon Aviation, completing a five-regatta campaign with a 30-point advantage over their nearest rivals. The championship was decided on Saturday…
Ballyholme's Leo West-Hurst Takes Topper Traveller Series Win at Royal Cork
4th October 2026 Royal Cork YC
Leo West-Hurst of Ballyholme Yacht Club produced three race wins to take the 41-boat Topper 5.3 division at the Topper Ireland Traveller Series meeting at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Sunday (October 4). Four races were sailed at Crosshaven, bringing…
Portrush Lifeboat Launches to Reports of Kayakers in Difficulty Off White Rocks
4th October 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
Portrush RNLI was requested to launch by the coastguard at lunchtime on Sunday (4 October) to reports of kayakers in difficulty at White Rocks on Northern Ireland’s North Coast. The two persons with their inflatable kayak had entered the water…
Portrush Lifeboat in Daybreak Launch to Fishing Vessel in Difficulty at Inishowen
1st October 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
Portrush RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch by the coastguard early on Thursday morning (1 October) to reports of a fishing vessel in difficulty at Inishowen. The vessel with five persons on board had run aground and Greencastle Coastguard…
Stormont Announces £700k Support Scheme for Lough Neagh Eel Fishery
27th September 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
Lough Neagh eel fishers and hauliers are to receive a £700,000 financial support package in a bid to support a sustainable industry while conserving eel stocks, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has announced. The Lough Neagh Eel Fishery Transition Scheme will…
Irish sailor Pete Hogan spent 60 days this summer circumnavigating Great Britain in his 1982 Jeanneau Symphonie, sailing around half of the 1,600-nautical-mile voyage single-handed. From Scotland and the North Sea to Whitby, Dover and the English south coast, he…
