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Displaying items by tag: Boatel

#InlandWaters - Waterways Ireland was on hand to welcome Mary McInerney and Jorgen Bjerknes’ new ‘boatel’ on arrival in Enniskillen earlier this week as part of their tour of the Erne System.

Based between Carrick-on-Shannon and Enniskillen, the married couple launched their converted barge Lovely Leitrim – which also operates as a private party venue and pop-up restaurant – in April this year, according to The Irish Times.

Lovely Leitrim is one of eight new businesses supported and licensed by Waterways Ireland in the past 12 months, a number that includes Water Taxi NI and Erne Boat Hire on the same waterways.

The other six start-ups are based on the River Shannon, the Shannon Erne Waterway and the Grand Canal.

Speaking on Monday 26 September, Waterways Ireland head of property Sinead Mallon said: “It's great to have welcomed two new businesses on the Erne system this year and we look forward to hearing from other entrepreneurs with their business ideas.”

Waterways Ireland invites people with new business ideas or existing business who wish to consider relocating to the Erne System to start discussions with the property and legal team by completing a Commercial Operating Licence form available online at www.waterwaysireland.org

Published in Inland Waterways

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.