Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Seal Rescue Ireland has been awarded €15,000 in funding for its animal welfare efforts going into 2019. The Courtown, Co Wexford-based organisation is one of 108 that received funding awards from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that…

Ireland’s hottest surfing spot is… Dublin? It might not be Mullaghmore, but many surfers swear by the waves off Dollymount Strand in Dublin Bay, widely believed to the the longest in Ireland. Local kitesurfers already know the score — the…

#Optimist - The International Optimist Dinghy Association of Ireland (IODAI) is seeking expressions of interest from coaches interested in coaching the Irish Optimist teams at international events in 2019. The IODAI is recruiting suitable qualified and well organised sailing coaches…

Dublin Bay Sailing Club has announced its key dates for the 2019 sailing season, which kicks off right after Easter. Tuesday races will begin on 23 April with the last races taking place on 27 August. Thursday racing takes place…

Young sailors can make the most of the Christmas holidays with the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School’s junior club powerboat course. The two-day course runs next week on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 December from 10am to 5pm each…

Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s annual Christmas Eve ceremony to remember the 15 volunteer lifeboat crew who died on service in Dublin Bay on 24 December 1895 will take place at noon this coming Monday. The short ceremony at the end of the…

#Fishing - Trawling by fishing vessels over 18 metres will be banned within Ireland’s six-mile limit from 1 January 2020, the Government has announced. Marine Minister Michael Creed yesterday (Friday 21 December) revealed his decision following a review conducted earlier…

What would Christmas be like without sailing? Such a state of deprivation just doesn’t bear thinking about writes W M Nixon. But thanks to the wonders of modern communication - which at other times can be too much of a…

Following Afloat.ie's update on Gregor McGuckin’s Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance this week, Golden Globe Race organisers now say two groups have expressed interest in salvaging the yacht currently drifting some 1,200 miles West of Fremantle. The main attraction it…

The Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI, in the run-up to the Christmas period, are reminding the public to look after their personal safety when engaged in any water or coastal based activities. They have issued a joint safety message…

#DublinPort - A major operator in Dublin Port, Stena Line has set a new company record for freight on its service to Holyhead, carrying a total of over 250,000 units in 2018. The milestone was achieved today, when Patrick van…

#FerryNews - According to the Irish Ferries website, online bookings for W.B. Yeats, indicate that the brand new €144m luxury cruiseferry is to enter service a month after Christmas Day, but firstly on the Dublin-Holyhead route, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat…

Waterways Ireland has issued a notice for masters and owners of vessels that the Department of Finance intends changing the law regarding the use of marked gas oil, or MGO, in private pleasure craft from 1 January 2020. The change…

#BelfastLough - A famous icon of Belfast, Harland & Wolff is up for sale as its Norwegian parent company Fred Olsen carries out a major restructuring. The former shipbuilder behind the Titanic reports The Belfast Telegraph, has diversified into renewable…

#NavalService -  Fishing boats, both Irish-registered have been detained in the Irish Sea for alleged breaches of fishing rules. It was part of an overnight operation The Irish Examiner writes by the Naval Service patrol vessel LE Eithne when officers…

Olympic Helmsman Mark Mansfield, who is a Consultant for UK Sailmakers Ireland, gives his ten top tips on sailing fast – and in control – downwind. This article follows his previous tips on upwind helming Tip #1 Downwind steering in strong winds, while running,…

#WaterSafety - For many in Ireland a festive dip in the sea is part of a Christmas tradition. But the RNLI reminds anyone planning for a seaside swim next week that the sea is at its coldest, and potentially most…

#DublinPort - On the same day of W.B. Yeats maiden delivery voyage to its Irish homeport of Dublin Port today, having docked first at the main ferry terminal, the 54,000 tonnes newbuild by mid-afternoon shifted berths, writes Jehan Ashmore The…

#ferrynews - The operator Scenic Carlingford Ferry have shared an amazing view this week of Holyhead in Wales, as captured in a photo by the ferry's skipper Ivan. This stunning view, The Dundalk Democrat features, shows two mounds of land…

Hello and welcome to my weekly Podcast …. Tom MacSweeney here …. The reality of Ireland as an island nation is becoming more publicly apparent with each passing day as the possibility of a ‘no deal’ Brexit looms closer. Our…