Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

The RYA is offering guidance and advice to Affiliated Clubs and Recognised Training Centres to assist with emergency financial planning. The financial planning club guidance includes advice on reviewing income and expenditure, how to utilise savings, plus ideas to help…

The RYA Northern Ireland has welcomed the announcement of a £500,000 Hardship Fund for the sports sector in Northern Ireland. As announced last Tuesday 14 April by Stormont Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, sports clubs and sporting organisations from the voluntary…

People may not be able to go to sea at present due to the Government restrictions but dolphins and porpoises clearly can’t read and so we are seeing reports of their activity in Belfast Lough. Recent sightings include about eight…

A new TV series beginning tomorrow night (Tuesday 14 April) on BBC One Northern Ireland puts Belfast Harbour in the starring role. Today’s Belfast Telegraph features the three-part documentary, Belfast Harbour: Cruises, Cranes and Cargo, which was filmed in the…

In Belfast’s world-famous Harland and Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built, the horn which hasn’t been sounded for more than twenty years, reverberated loud and clear across the city on Thursday night at 8 pm in appreciation of NHS…

Larne RNLI searched for a dog today (Thursday 9 April) when it was reported missing after falling over a cliff near Muck Island, close to Islandmagee in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch by…

Ballyholme Yacht Club was to have been the venue in early July for the huge Laser Radial European Championships but the Iatest news from the EurILCA team is that due to the COVID-19 situation and expected restrictions on travel during…

Ports and airports need urgent help to endure the coronavirus crisis, Northern Ireland’s Stormont ministers said. They asked Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to introduce special measures. Commercial air travel has dwindled with the demise of Flybe and easyJet’s decision to…

Loughs Agency chief executive Sharon McMahon has contacted anglers, angling clubs, fisheries and angling governing bodies to update them on the impact of Covid-19. The letter urges the angling community to follow the guidance provided and to keep up to date…

Betty Amstrong explores past boatbuilding ventures in Ballyholme in the seaside town of Bangor on Belfast Lough. Did you know that before Enrico Caproni built his famous ‘Palais de Dance’ in 1928 on Seacliff Road that there was a shipyard…

The clapping for carers expression of support during the COVID-19 emergency was repeated at 8 pm last night across Northern Ireland and included applause for NHS workers, as well as the frontline staff who work in the docks – hauliers,…

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…