#TallshipsDrogheda - The Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda which has drawn thousands of visitors to Boyneside received a major boost with the official announcement that Maxol, has come on board as the festival's main sponsor.

Last year over 37,500 people of all ages visited the festival which offered many attractions along Drogheda Port, including vintage vessels, the Drogheda Motor Show, artisan food market, maritime history, live entertainment, pirate battles and the Boyne Swim.

Expectations are high that this year's festival, which takes place in Drogheda from Friday-Sunday, June 19-21, will surpass that attendance figure with full programme details to be announced later this month.

Involved since its establishment, Louth County Council, is now a main funder and programme manager of the Festival which is hosted in conjunction with Drogheda Port. Both the Council and Port warmly welcomed Maxol's major commitment to The Irish Maritime Festival.

Denis Moynihan, Chairman of the port, said "On behalf of Drogheda Port Company, I welcome the Maxol Group to the growing Irish Maritime Festival family. In playing a vital role in this annual festival, Drogheda Port welcomes the renewed focus on the town's unique maritime culture and heritage.

He added, "the Festival is a considerable co-operative undertaking each year and we look forward to what will be the biggest and best festival yet."

#VoyagePackage - Sail Training Ireland in association with Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club in Ringsend, Dublin Port, are offering a special package of benefits including memberships and a voyage.

To celebrate the launch of this initiative two tall ships 'Maybe' and 'Spirit of Oysterhaven' will be in Poolbeg on April 26th and open to visitors.

New members will be invited to join current members at a reception in Poolbeg to visit the ketches, relax and enjoy music, refreshments and finger food.

The voyage available as part of the package (€200) is on board Maybe, a Dutch ketch dating from 1929, which over a four day period (April 27-30) is to sail from Dublin to Liverpool.

The aim is to develop a group of enthusiastic tall ship sailors that take part in regular club sailing and racing as well as collectively organising Tall Ship voyages and activities each year (with our help).

This is a unique opportunity to experience Tall Ship Voyages, and become part of a regular community of sailors in the heart of Dublin City.

For details of the Sail Training Ireland /PYBC offer, age group and application forms click here. Noting, the offer is only open until 20th April.

#springafloat – Spring Afloat hits the newsstands with all the latest news and views on the Irish sailing and boating scene. To celebrate the arrival of the Tall Ships to Belfast in July, the German sailing ship Alexander von Humboldt graces Afloat's front cover as plans for a new Irish Tall Ship gather pace. There's pages of news with updates on; the ISA's new Olympic fund; Lifejacket safety issues; Old Gaffers' cruise; Belfast launches Tall Ships; National sailing league, anyone?; Anthony O'Leary & Commodore's Cup Team take 'Sailor of the Year' accolade; Ilen uniting community; Council wants DL control; New Baltimore pontoon; Greystones club houses; Stena leaves Dun Laoghaire and lots lots more

Scroll down for more details of the content inside this issue. Buy your copy now!

Maritime web awards

Who's making waves online?

Visit Derry

Sail Ireland's North West and discover Donegal's rugged coastline

A Tall Ship for Ireland

The Tall Ships return to Ireland in style this summer with a major fleet assembly in Belfast.

Racing Round–up Autumn league

A brand new dinghy week, a decision to modernise the Squib, UCC success in Schull plus moves to re–ignite dinghy sailing on the capital's waters

Astrid - The Mayday Call

Sailor John Leahy tells how he alerted the rescue services

Inland Waters 

Ulster canal restoration underway

Brokerage

The latest boats and equipment in Ireland's marine marketplace

Classifieds

A selection of Afloat.ie's online classified adverts

Dubarry Nautical Crossword

A nautical crossword with a great boating prize of Dubarry deck shoes

Soundings

An assembly worthy of Rembrandt at the Royal College of Surgeons

#tallshipsbelfast – Sailing and maritime charities are to raise cash from the big summer Tall Ships Spectacular in Belfast this July. The Tall Ships Company Ltd has appointed five key charities who will benefit from the event, according to the Belfast Telegraph. The charities are RNLI Lifeboats, Ocean Youth Trust, The Mission to Seafarers, Sea Cadet Corps and Belfast Lough Sailability.

This is the first time individual charities will be working as a collective and will be holding a variety of fundraising activities leading up to and during the three day extravaganza in Belfast from 2nd to 5th of July.

"It's an amazing event for any city to have," said Gerry Copeland, Belfast City Council City Events Manager.

"In 2009 at the Tall Ships event there were half a million people, and we expect another half a million people at this event."

He added: "Because the ships leave Belfast on 5 July to make their way to Norway, we expect another half a million people along the Antrim coast and the Causeway coast."

The ships will be berthed in and around Belfast Harbour and the Titanic Quarter area.

Meanwhile, an organisation known as the Atlantic Youth Trust has drawn up a plan for a 40m sail training ship for Ireland as the country considers what type of Tall Ship would be best for Ireland.

#DamagedJeanie – Jeanie Johnston, the replica famine tallship is undergoing repairs for water damage caused by sitting on Dublin's quayside for the last five years, writes The Sunday Times.

The ship, owned by the soon-to-be-defunct Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), was as previously reported on Afloat.ie dry docked for the first time late last year because of fears about its condition.

The ship, which operates as a museum, currently has scaffolding around its hull as damaged timber is repaired, which Afloat also reported on after she vacated Dublin Graving Docks Ltd last November.

Last week, the DDDA said the ship could not be repaired until now because of a shortage of money. "While regular dry docking is recommended, this was not possible for some years when the authority was in dire financial circumstances," it said. "The authority is currently undertaking a review of the future maintenance requirements. Repairs above the water line are ongoing."

Last week the finance committee of Dublin City Council heard concerns about the future of the Jeanie Johnston once the DDDA is wound up. For much more on this saga, click here. 

In addition click close-up photo taken last December shows scaffolding concentrated around her rotting damaged stern quarter.

#Tallships – From 2 to 5 July 2015 tall ships from across the world will anchor in Belfast port for the start of The Tall Ships Races 2015.

Organised by Sail Training International, The Tall Ships Races will be welcomed by the annual Lidl Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival. This is the third time that Belfast has hosted the races, having previously welcomed the ships in 1991 and 2009.

Both previous visits were incredibly popular; in 2009 around 800,000 spectators came to the four-day event, when a flotilla of 40 ships berthed along the city's quays.

In 2015 Belfast hopes to attract 500,000 people, with another 500,000 watching the ships arrive and leave along the Northern Ireland and Irish coasts. The ships will be berthed in and around Belfast Harbour and the Titanic Quarter area.

Belfast Tall Ships 2015 Ltd has been set up to manage the event, with funding from Belfast City Council, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast Harbour and the Department of Social Development.

In 2009 we welcomed over 40 vessels and the 2015 event promises to be even bigger! Belfast is expecting up to 80 Tall Ships in Belfast from Thursday 2 July to Sunday 5 July for the Tall Ships Races 2015.

A number of ships have already been signed up for the race, including some Class A vessels. A Class A is an all square rigged vessel or a vessel over 40 metres in length regardless of rig.

After the Tall Ships leave Belfast on 5 July, they will visit the following ports:

Aalesund, Norway 15 - 18 July
Kristiansand, Norway 25 - 28 July
Aalborg, Denmark 1 - 4 August.

#tallships – Sail Training Ireland host its third Annual Launch and Prize Giving Event in the Mansion House in Dublin, courtesy of Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke tomorrow. Master of Ceremonies is Afloat.ie's William M. Nixon who recently blogged on the topic of a New Tall Ship for Ireland. 

Having formed in 2011 to replace Coiste an Asgard as Ireland's umbrella organisation for Sail Training Activities, the charity is now on firm ground going into the 2015 voyage season and is supported jointly by Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council. See programmes and timetables as attachments downloadable below as pdf files.

Since their foundation Sail training Ireland has facilitated well over 500 young people to undertake voyages at sea on Tall Ships and other Sailing Vessels. President Michael D. Higgins is Patron.

Tomorrow there will be some significant award winners listed here:

Trainee of the year award: Andrew Crowley:

Volunteer of the year award: Jonathan O'Brien

Special Contribution Award: Turlough Kennedy:

Special Achievement Award: Fiona Armson

Watch-leader of the Year: Sara Mason

Perpetual Asgard Award: For an outstanding contribution to, or achievement in Sail Training by an individual or group: Atlantic Youth Trust Foroige Trainee Group: Michael Collins, Dean Mc Keon.

The 2015 season looks to be very active due to the International Tall Ships Races Festival taking place in Belfast from July 2nd-5th. This results in a lot of activity in the Irish Sea and many ships and voyages taking place in the area.  During the Mansion House event, Sail Training Ireland will announce a voyage programme with capacity for near 300 trainees and a number of very exciting funded programmes.

The most exciting funding schemes for the charity are:

EU Commission "Youth Exchange" projects, under the new Erasmus + scheme- in partnership with Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust. These take place over 2 x 2 week voyages in June. One for 16-17 year olds and the other for over 18s. On the Dutch Tall Ship Morgenster.

Peace and Reconciliation Funded "Sea-Connections" voyages (North-South) in Partnership with Atlantic Youth Trust. This will create 6 voyages, with 5 trainees from each side of the border on each voyage. The 6 voyages together will result in a circumnavigation of Ireland.

A project which is under development in collaboration with An Garda Siochana and The Irish Naval Service using Lottery Funding through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. This is aimed at young people in the City of Dublin.

The Drogheda Sail Training Bursary Scheme is in its third year and will fund 20 young trainees from the area with the support of a number of local sponsors, through Drogheda Port Company.

The Belfast Tall Ships Races Festival will also support almost 100 young people to undertake a voyage to Norway as part of the Races. There will also likely be many other young people partaking in this race by their own means.

Many of the above voyages take place on Spirit of Oysterhaven, Ireland's only operational non-naval Sail Training Vessel. This beautiful 70 foot Classic Schooner was completely refit for purpose and is in it's second full season. This year the vessel looks likely to reach full capacity, which raises the question about the need for further Sail Training vessels in Ireland. A

Outside of the very exciting Belfast Tall Ships Races Festival, which expects record numbers of ships and at least 15 or 20 of the Large Square Riggers (Class A's), there are a number of other local Maritime Festivals which will host Tall Ships and with whom Sail Training Ireland work closely. Namely The Dublin Port River Festival (May 30th - June 1st) and The Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda (June 19th-21st). Each of these will have a fleet of 6-8 Small and Tall Ships visiting during the Month of June. Ships visiting Dublin can be seen in the attached document.

Further to this, Sail Training Ireland is working closely with The Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust in Liverpool (MAST) to develop an annual programme of Tall Ship Voyages around the Irish Sea, connecting the various cities and festivals and creating an "Annual Irish Sea Initiative".

Noted Guests:

Chairman is Seamus McLoughlin (Former Head of Operations of Dublin Port Company) 

Previous Chair: Kalanne O'Leary (Trustee of Sail Training International)

Amongst our Directors present will be Commodore Hugh Tully, Flag Officer Commanding The Naval Service Brendan Kenny, Assistant Chief Executive of Dublin City Council may attend

Assistant Garda Commissioner John Twomey may attend Charlie Murphy, Communications Manager of Dublin Port Company will attend Sean Flood – Retired Director and International Sail Training Ambassador

Speakers

William M. Nixon Master of Ceremonies

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke

Seamus McLoughlin Chairman, Sail Training Ireland

Andrew Crowley Spirit of Oysterhaven Trust / Trainee of the Year.

Introducing a video of Spirit of Oysterhaven.

Foroige Trainees Introducing a Video

Neil O'Hagan Atlantic Youth Trust

Announcing the Peace and Reconciliation Voyage Scheme

Carolanna Foley Drogheda Voyage Scheme Account

Oliver Hart Spirit of Oysterhaven Trust

#RadioDocumentary - A Newstalk documentary by radio producer and archaeologist Jane Ruffino looks at the past, present and future of the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship in "The Dream of Jeanie" which was broadcast this weekend.

The barque, Jeanie Johnston, a 19^th replica famine and emigrant museum ship has been part of Dublin’s skyline since 2004, a year after her voyage to the eastern seaboard of the USA and Canada.

She was built at the turn of this century, in Blennerville just outside of Tralee, Co Kerry, a project that took nine years to complete. Originally planned at a cost of £4m, the final cost was nearly €14m, and for a long time, was used as shorthand for poor planning and parochial thinking.

The one-hour radio documentary interviews prominent crew members and those involved in her construction and how the Jeanie came to be in Dublin, plus asks should there more done to get her back to sea?

John O'Neill, manager of Aiseanna Mara Teoranta, which operates the vessel on behalf of owners, Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) discussed her future which as previously reported on Afloat.ie had undergone a dry-docking maintenance programme last October.

As the Jeanie has not been to sea for some time, there remains further work to do before she is fit to return to sailing, including as also reported, the replacing of timbers at the stern transom.

Despite this work which is been carried out while moored at her usual Liffey city centre berth at Custom House Quay, visitors can still come on board for 50 minute guided tours.

O'Neill added, there’s also the need to have the Jeanie re-certified as an a sea-going vessel which is done under survey with the Department of the Marine.

There is also the issue of scheduling and timing towards bringing her back to sailing again, which O'Neill explained is always their ambition.

In the meantime while running as a museum which has seen increased visitors last year, this has helped to self-fund the vessel in her current role with the aim towards that of a sail-training vessel.

If you missed the ‘The Dream of Jeanie’ which was first broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm there’s still a chance to hear online with a podcast available by clicking HERE.

Belfast Tall Ships is offering 80 people from Northern Ireland the chance to become trainee crew members as part of celebratinos next July when  tall ships from across the globe will anchor in Belfast for the start of The Lidl sponsored Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival, Belfast's biggest ever event.

The vessels will dock in Belfast from 2 July before departing on 5 July, for Ålesund in Norway. You can view the full route map on the Sail Training International website.

Belfast Tall Ships is offering the places on a ten-day voyage.

This unique opportunity is open to all ages and anyone can take part in a voyage. Contact the festival organisers for more information or send your details to Sail Training Ireland

Imagine the sense of accomplishment when you arrive in Ålesund having sailed 690 miles across the North Sea! Once there, you'll have a few days to celebrate your achievement with other crew and participate in the local social activities before returning home to Belfast.

Anyone can sail and no experience is necessary as some training will be provided.

You can watch a short video to see what it's like to be a crew trainee.

To register your expression of interest go to here

#JeanieJetfoil – Jeanie Johnston, the replica 19th barque famine and emigrant museum ship reopened yesterday for guided tours at her dedicated Custom House Quay berth at Dublin City Moorings, writes Jehan Ashmore.

A month ago today the Dublin Docklands Development Authority owned barque departed her berth for a night-time tow that led eventually to entering a dry-dock downriver for essential maintenance. Now that the spruced-up replica of the original built in Canada in 1847 has returned, visitors can hear the story of how Irish emigrants fled the famine to seek a better life in the New World.

Along this same stretch of Liffey quayside is where in complete contrast the B+I Line (est. 1836 and state owned since 1965) launched a pioneering and bold 'Jet-Foil' operated fast-ferry service to Liverpool in 1980.

The Boeing built 257 passenger-only Jet-Foil craft Cu Na Mara (click PHOTO) connected the city-to-city crossing in only 3 hours. The Jet-Foil made daily daylight sailings in both directions.

Cu Na Mara meaning 'Hound of the Sea' set a record on the 126 nautical mile route with a time of 2 hours 50 minutes. The service only lasted for two years though it is understood the craft still operates in Japanese waters.

Unlike the Jeanie Johnston (including the replica) which crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the Cu Na Mara was transferred from the Boeing facility in Seattle on the U.S. west (Pacific) coast and loaded onto containership Antonia Johnston for a delivery voyage to Dublin Port.

As previously reported, a B+I Line reunion next Saturday 15 November for crew and shore personnel is to be held in the Clifton Court Hotel, Eden Quay, Dublin. For information contact Noel Byrne 086 3130697, by email: [email protected] or Morris Ward on 087 7409249