Afloat.ie Team
Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.
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Jails, Morgues, No Deck 13 - The New York Times on The Hidden Secrets of Cruise Ships
19th April 2024 Cruise Liners
Water parks, tattoo parlours, a jail and a morgue – these are some of the “hidden features” on cruise ships, The New York Times reports. An “entire ecosystem, often below passenger decks” is “shrouded in mystery”, the newspaper reports. “The…
Dubarry Launches New Palermo Range of Trainers for On and Off-Water Performance
19th April 2024 Marine Clothing
Irish outdoor clothing and footwear brand Dubarry has announced the launch of its new Palermo range of trainers, designed to offer both on and off-the-water performance. Dubarry says the Palermo combines the classic sneaker style with modern materials to provide…
British Marine, the membership organisation leading the UK leisure, superyacht, and small commercial marine industry, today released its annual economic report titled "The Economic Benefits of the Leisure, Superyacht & Small Commercial Marine Industry, 2022-23." Building upon its annual KPI…
Irish Team Selected From Six Clubs for the 2024 International 420 Open European Championships
19th April 2024 420
The Irish 420 Dinghy Class Association announces the pairings to represent Ireland at the 2024 Open International 420 European Championships. Unlike some other youth boats, the 420 Worlds and Junior Europeans are closed events due to the sheer numbers of boats…
Erne System: Closure of Enniskillen’s Henry Street Jetty for Angling Event Next Week
19th April 2024 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on users of the Erne System in Northern Ireland that the downstream section of the Henry Street Floating Jetty in Enniskillen will be closed from this Sunday 21 to next Friday 26 April. This…
Explore Irish Waters in Style with the Antares Outboard Range from Beneteau - Available Now at BJ Marine
18th April 2024 BJ Marine
The biggest growth area for boating in Irish waters in recent seasons has been on outboard cruisers, and the Antares range from Beneteau has delivered massively, writes BJ Marine General Manager James Kirwan. Whether for day boating, fishing, coastal cruising or…
Greece says it plans to become the first EU state to ban bottom trawling in all of its marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the announcement this week at the “Our Ocean” conference in…
Three European agencies have initiated the first Coast Guard “capacity building” and training exchange at European level. The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) are working…
Alinghi Red Bull Racing Base has officially presented its race yacht, BoatOne, in a grand ceremony that featured a human tower constructed by the traditional Castellers. The milestone marks a significant shift to the final competition phase of the campaign…
Irish Sailing Squad to Compete in Full Force at French Olympic Week
18th April 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Next week, a full Irish Sailing squad will race in all three Paris 2024 qualified disciplines at the French Olympic Week on the Cote D'Azur. The event will feature 824 sailors on 660 boats from 90 nations competing in ten…
Launch of Green Shipping Corridors Research Call at Transport Research Arena Conference in Dublin
17th April 2024 Ports & Shipping
The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) of the Marine Institute and Innovate UK hosted a networking reception in Dublin on Monday (15 April) to advance their joint plans to create green shipping corridors between Ireland and the UK. The event…
Rowing Ireland has announced the athletes that will represent Ireland at the European Championships. Racing will take place from the 25th April – 28th April in Szeged, Hungary. The Szeged National Canoeing and Rowing Olympic Centre has an eight-lane rowing…
The Department of Transport has been advised by Dublin Array that they will be conducting geophysical, geotechnical and environmental surveys for the Dublin Array offshore wind farm project. Site investigation operations for the wind farm and the Expert Corridor Route…
Rosslare Harbour RNLI came to the aid of a sailor who got into difficulty off the Wexford coast on Monday morning (15 April). The volunteer crew were alerted at the request of the Irish Coast Guard after a concerned member…
Discover SUP Hosts Second Running of The Eye Race in 2024 Irish Winter SUP Race Series
17th April 2024 Howth YC
Discover SUP hosted the second running of The Eye Race, the final event in the 2023-2024 Irish Winter SUP Race Series, on April 13th, 2024. The race, which took place in the waters of Howth Sound and Ireland's Eye, Dublin,…
Ireland’s Commitment Recognised as UNESCO Acknowledge Importance of Our Shared Ocean
17th April 2024 Marine Planning
Ireland’s commitment to strategic partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS), through Our Shared Ocean was highlighted throughout the UN Ocean Decade Conference, which took place in Barcelona last week. In her opening remarks to the Conference, UNESCO Director General…
Rosalin ‘Rosie’ Kuiper says Team Holcim-PRB will be on the starting line in Kiel, Germany and ready to race in The Ocean Race Europe in the summer of 2025. The Dutch sailor, who competed around the world in The Ocean…
The European Union has pledged €3.5 billion to protect the world’s oceans, as Silicon Republic reports. A raft of commitments to support marine protected areas (MPAs), improve ocean observation programmes and more was made at the Our Ocean Conference in Athens,…
The anticipation had been building for weeks, and as a group of 39 of the country's more experienced Optimist sailors headed for the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven from April 4th to 7th, excited at the prospect of four…
J109, Hanse 341, Starlight 35, Jeanneau & Sun Odyssey 36i All Sold By Leinster Boats This Spring
16th April 2024 Leinster Boats
The Spring 2024 yacht sales period has been strong for Leinster Boats, with yacht sales completed despite the weather. Recent Spring sales sales include: J109, Hanse 341, Starlight 35 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i Happy buyers now have their plans set for the…