Afloat.ie Team
Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.
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LE George Bernard Shaw Benefits From New Ship Fender Installation at Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Carlisle Pier
18th March 2024 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
The Navy's LE George Bernard Shaw was one of the first arrivals of the season to use the new ship fender installation at Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Carlisle Pier. As regular Afloat readers recall, the installation in August 2023 of nine new…
Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) has announced the rules for its 2024 Boat of the Year (BOTY) competition with the introduction of a new ECHO trophy for the first time. The BOTY competition is based on a boat's performance in the…
Strong Maritime Presence at Dun Laoghaire's St Patrick's Day Parade
18th March 2024 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
There was a strong maritime presence for the rebirth of Dun Laoghaire's St Patrick's Day Parade, which attracted up to 30,000 people to Ireland's biggest boating centre in the spring sunshine. Among the 46 groups participating was the Irish Navy,…
Irish Sailors Competing in Etchells World Championships in Fremantle, Australia
18th March 2024 Etchells
Irish sailors are currently participating in the 2024 Etchells World Championships in Fremantle, Western Australia. The event has attracted a star-studded 42-boat fleet, which includes America's Cup veteran John Bertrand and Dragon Gold Cup champion Lawrie Smith of Glandore Harbour…
Shannon Navigation: Temporary Closure of All Locks and Bridges on North Shannon This Thursday
17th March 2024 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that all locks and bridges within the North Shannon region will be closed for one day on Thursday 21 March to facilitate mandatory staff training. The cross-border…
Powering Prosperity – Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy
17th March 2024 Power From the Sea
Powering Prosperity – Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, the first strategy of its kind for Ireland, aims to build a successful, vibrant and impactful offshore wind energy industry in Ireland. This will ensure that the sector creates as much value…
Eucon have announced the addition of a sixth ship to their fleet keeping Europe and Ireland well connected. The additional vessel, the MV Ranger, will be welcomed into their fleet this Wednesday 20 March, expanding their sailing frequency, capacity, flexibility…
Mary Immaculate College & Explorers Education Programme Get ‘Wild About Wildlife’ Promoting Marine Biodiversity
17th March 2024 Marine Science
The Marine Institute has launched an updated edition of the Explorers Education Programme’s Wild About Wildlife on the Seashore workbook, which has also been translated into Irish, and is being used as a key teaching resource for student teachers at…
Annual maintenance dredging at Warrenpoint Harbour in County Down will continue until the end of March and possibly into April. According to Afloat reader Lee Maginnis, residents and visitors to Warrenpoint and, indeed, Omeath have been treated to the sight…
The National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire is offering a pre-race coaching series to help Water Wags sailors preparing for evening racing on Dublin Bay. This series will be led by the club head coach and may receive the input…
Irish Sailors Celebrate 100 Years of Ireland's Participation at the Olympic Games
16th March 2024 Olympic
Irish Olympic sailing was well represented by 20 sailors when the Olympic Federation of Ireland and the Irish Olympians Association celebrated 100 years of Ireland's participation at the Olympic Games (1924 - 2024) on March 13th. The evening marked the…
IRC rating's 40th anniversary year sees the GBR IRC National Championship leave the Solent for the first time; in 2024, it will be held at 'International' Poole Regatta over the spring bank holiday, 25-27 May, with three days of racing…
Kick Off Your St Patrick’s Weekend at NYC Cruising Club Boat Show This Saturday
15th March 2024 National YC
Kick off your St Patrick’s Weekend at the National Yacht Club’s Cruising Club Boat Show on Saturday 16 March from 11am. See a live demonstration on life-raft deployment and entering presented by Solas Marine Services. The RNLI’s sea safety team…
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club to Host 2026 GP14 Worlds as Championships Returns to Ireland For Second Time in Four Years
15th March 2024 GP14
Ireland will stage the GP14 World Championships for the second time in four years following a decision by the International Committee to relocate the 2026 World Championship from Sri Lanka. Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club, Belfast, has agreed to…
Tom Dolan overcame a torn spinnaker to finish in 11th place on the 370-mile offshore race of the Solo Guy Cotten-Concarneau, the Irish solo skipper’s first offshore race of the 2024 season. The spinnaker tear happened within the first couple…
Ireland’s Boating Season Officially Reopens on the Waterways from March 17th
15th March 2024 Inland Waterways
Ireland’s inland boating season officially reopens from March 17th, in line with other European countries, with all services and facilities once again accessible at the extensive range of moorings and harbours across Ireland. Over 15,000 registered boats avail of Ireland’s…
It seems a new comedy movie, working title "Carry On Smuggling", may be in the early stages of production in West Cork. Articulated trucks being sent down one-lane cul de sacs near supposed "secret coves" that everyone happens to know…
The first keynote speaker at February's well-attended Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) Conference at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire was Dr Jason Smithwick (technical director of RORC). Jason outlined the composition of the IRC Technical Committee and…
The 40th edition of the Primo Cup was recently held at Yacht Club De Monaco, where fifty J70s competed. Other fleets included Cape 31, Smeralda 888 and Longtze Premier, representing over ten countries. In the J70 class, Ireland’s Team Wildcard,…
An Aran island family with several generations of volunteering with the RNLI lifeboat are featured in the first episode of a special series of RTÉ Radio 1’s Seascapes to mark the RNLI’s bicentenary. The three-part series also carries an interview…