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A Harbour Seal photographed at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinnipeds, they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Baltic and North seas. Photo: AfloatA photograph of a Harbour Seal taken at Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, Ireland. Also known as the common seal, this species can be found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are the most widely distributed species of pinnipeds and can be found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Baltic and North Seas. Photo: Afloat

Displaying items by tag: CH Marine

Drifting conditions in Cork Harbour may have appeared beautiful to the onlooker but to the crews of the 52 boats competing in Royal Cork Yacht Club's CH Marine Autumn League it was very frustrating writes Bob Bateman.

Outside Cork Harbour Race Officer Peter Crowley managed to get one race for classes 1, 2 and 3 completed.

Inside the harbour it was a different story with the whitesail fleet getting a start outside White bay giving the fleets a beat into number 10 buoy.

CH MArine D2 2483Cork Harbour stalwart Michael Murphy (flask in hand) who is sailing in the same boat for 38 years. Photo: Bob Bateman

Bandit sailed by Richard Leonard got a great pin end start and led as far as Fort Carlisle where the Foul spring tide coupled with the fickle north west breeze put a stop to progress for everyone and Race Officer John Downing abandoned racing for the day.

The sportboat fleet fared no better using a laid windward leeward course and they also had to abandon racing.

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Published in CH Marine Chandlery

Ted Crosbie's X302 No Excuse took an early lead in the nine boat IRC two class of Royal Cork Yacht Club's CH Marine Autumn League in Cork Harbour writes Bob Bateman.

A grey, damp morning gave way to more pleasant conditions this afternoon for the first races where three race courses were set in ten to 15–knot winds, mainly from the west, with neap tides and high water about 15.00 hrs.

Sports boats (five 1720s and two J80s) sailed windward–leeward courses across the channel starting at Corkbeg buoy. 

The white sail divison had a round the cans course while classes 1,2,3 started down off Cuskinny to a laid weather mark off Cobh (passing "the Holy Ground") effectively a W/L course.

There were three rounds for class 1 and two rounds for classes 2 and 3.

As Afloat.ie reported previously, this year's league features a 'North Sails Ireland' team on the water before and during racing. The aim is to offer trim and set up advice before the start and then once the flag drops to film the racing and debrief in full in the clubhouse.

Results are posted here.

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Published in CH Marine Chandlery

Royal Cork Yacht Club is running an ICRA training initiative at its forthcoming CH Marine Autumn Series commencing on October 1st.

ICRA announced the availability of this grant at their annual conference earlier this year and it has enabled the Royal Cork to partner with sailmakers North Sails Ireland to run an on–the –water race training programme during their Autumn Series that is previewed by Afloat.ie here.

RCYC's Kieran O'Connell gave a brief outline 'North Sails Ireland will be active on the water before and during racing. The aim is to offer trim and set up advice before the start and then once the Flag drops to film the racing and debrief in full in the Club house the same day'

O'Connell added that 'this will be a great addition to this year’s CH Marine Autumn series at the Royal Cork and we would like to thank ICRA for their support and North Sails Ireland for working with us on this exciting new addition to the series'.

Published in Royal Cork YC

The CH Marine Autumn Series at Royal Cork Yacht Club is rapidly approaching, one of the premier highlights of the sailing season on the south coast, that always attracts large numbers of sailors from a wide variety of clubs from around Ireland.

CH Marine have sponsored this event for a number of years and have enabled the club to stage the popular event which is continuing to grow year after year and comes straight after the end of RCYC's September series, report here.

2017 Logo

This year the CH Marine Autumn Series will commence on Sunday, October 1st with the first two races and will follow with two races each Sunday in October finishing on Sunday October 29th. Racing will commence each day at 1055hrs, and will be followed each day by food, music and daily prize giving.

Notice of Race and Entry forms are downloadable for the CH Marine Autumn Series below.

Over the last few years there has been a great 1720 fleet building for the CH Marine Autumn Series, with 13 boats competing last year.

This year is looking like the 1720 class will not disappoint with a large number of early entries.

On the final day of racing the CH Marine Autumn Series dinner and overall prize giving will be held at the club commencing at 19.30hrs. 

Subject to availability, complimentary berthing on swinging moorings or marina berths will be provided to yachts visiting.

For marina berthing arrangements contact Mark Ring at Royal Cork office +353(0)214831023.

Published in Royal Cork YC

Leading Sailing Clothing Manufacturer Henri Lloyd is giving away a Breeze Holdall – very handy for boaters on the move – in this Afloat.ie competition below. 

New for 2017, the Henri Lloyd Breeze Sailing Holdall has been designed for the everyday traveller, both on land and on water and combines technical performance alongside everyday features.

Offering 50L of storage the bag has been construction from highly durable polyester, the bag features an internal silver lining which offers increased internal visibility. Whilst additional storage is offered via the two internal stow pockets and a handy external zipped pocket for ease of access. Transportation of the bag can be offered via a detachable adjustable padded shoulder strap, neoprene grab handles and also padded grab handles at either end of the bag.

An additional feature is the incorporation of loop for telescopic handle insertion.

The Breeze Holdall is available in a fresh colour palette, including marine, grey, new red and lime and priced at €65 from CH Marine and Viking Marine

Henri lloyd breeze holdall 2

To be in with a chance to win this prize, simply answer the question below

Question: Name two stockists of Henri Lloyd in Ireland?

Email your answer, together with your name, age and postal address to [email protected] using 'Henri Lloyd Holdall Competition' in the subject line.

_______________________________________________________________

Terms and Conditions

– Closing date for entries is midnight 15th July 2017

– Winners will be announced on 16th July 2017

– One entry per reader

– Upon submitting their entry the entrant acknowledges that their details will be used for Afloat.ie ezine and Henri Lloyd updates.

– Entrant must be over 18 years of age.

– Entry to the competition is free. No purchase is necessary.

– The promoter is excluded from liability for any loss, damage or injury which might occur to the winner arising from his or her acceptance of the prize.

– By entering this competition you are agreeing that any submissions made become the property of Afloat.ie

– The promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions.

– These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Ireland and subject to the jurisdiction of the Irish Courts. 

– Employees or agents of Afloat.ie, any associated group companies, prize sponsor and or agencies associated with this competition and their immediate families are ineligible to enter. Any such entries will be invalid.

– The judges decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

_______________________________________________________________

For more information:

@ Henri Lloyd website

@ Henri Lloyd Facebook

@ Henri Lloyd Twitter

Published in Marine Clothing

Congratulations to Conor Totterdell of County Dublin who is the winner of the Crewsaver Ergofit 190N Pro Auto Harness Light and Hood in the Afloat.ie/CH Marine Competition.

The competition was part of CH Marine's annual LIFEJACKET AWARENESS WEEK.

You can enter Afloat.ie's latest CH Marine competition to win one of six Mastervolt Battery Chargers here.

Published in CH Marine Chandlery
Tagged under

Finding a lifejacket for your child is not difficult but it in terms of water safety it is important to know how to choose the right jacket and what features you should look out for. As part of its Lifejacket Awareness Week, leading chandlery CH Marine has produced an innovative guide to lifejacket purchase for children. The guide is downloadable below as a PDF.

These days, there is a wide choice of designs for infants starting as young as just a few months old and here we list a few of our top tips, to help you make the right choice, giving you absolute confidence in your child’s safety on the water.

Paying attention to comfort, fit, colour and style will make your child love wearing their lifejacket.

When we talk of children’s lifejackets, we are generally talking about the age of 2 months - 6 years, regardless of whether your child can swim a few strokes or not. We must always assume that they can give no assistance in the water and therefore the lifejacket must totally support them and keep their airways clear. For this purpose, you need to choose a jacket that is an approved and classified lifejacket and not a buoyancy aid.

Read also:

Tom MacSweeney's lifejacket safety item in his podcast here

Win a Crewsaver Ergofit Pro Lifejacket Worth €205 In This Free To Enter CH Marine/Afloat.ie Competition here

Published in CH Marine Chandlery
Tagged under

Leading Irish Chandlery CH Marine is giving away six Waterproof portable battery chargers – very handy for boaters on the move – in this Afloat.ie competition below. 

The chargers are Mastervolt Easy Charge 1.1 Amp 6v/12v Portable Battery Chargers. The value of the charger is €60.00. 

The EasyCharge portable battery charger offers a rugged solution that can be used on the boat, car, motorcycle, and camper van. Waterproof to IP65 standard, the portable chargers have an intuitive control panel, and are available in 120V/60Hz and 230V/50Hz models of either 1.1 A or 4.3 A.

Users can quickly select between 6 V (ideal for toys, classic cars and motorcycles) and 12V operation. The units include 1.8m of DC cable that connects to either a 61cm lead with ring terminals, or a 61cm lead with alligator clips, for easy installation and a variety of applications; both leads are included in the package.

The battery chargers have the ability to charge wet, AGM and gel batteries, with a universal input (120-230 V) for 'total worldwide freedom'.

CHMarine Competition Mastervolt PortableBatteryCharger 2

To be in with a chance to win one of six prizes offered, simply answer the question below

Question: What are the locations of two CH Marine branches?

Email your answer, together with your name, age and postal address to [email protected] using 'CH Marine Mastervolt Battery Charger' in the subject line.

_______________________________________________________________

Terms and Conditions

– Closing date for entries is midnight 30th June 2017

– Winners will be announced on 1st July 2017

– One entry per reader

– Upon submitting their entry the entrant acknowledges that their details will be used for Afloat.ie ezine and CH Marine updates.

– Entrant must be over 18 years of age.

– Entry to the competition is free. No purchase is necessary.

– The promoter is excluded from liability for any loss, damage or injury which might occur to the winner arising from his or her acceptance of the prize.

– By entering this competition you are agreeing that any submissions made become the property of Afloat.ie

– The promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions.

– These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Ireland and subject to the jurisdiction of the Irish Courts. 

– Employees or agents of Afloat.ie, any associated group companies, prize sponsor and or agencies associated with this competition and their immediate families are ineligible to enter. Any such entries will be invalid.

– The judges decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

_______________________________________________________________

For more information:

@ CH Marine website

@ CH Marine Facebook

CH Marine NI Facebook

@ CH Marine Twitter

Published in CH Marine Chandlery

Leading Irish Chandlery CH Marine is giving away a Crewsaver Ergofit 190N Pro Auto Harness Light and Hood worth €205 in this free to enter Afloat.ie competition. 

The competition is part of CH Marine's annual LIFEJACKET AWARENESS WEEK that kicks off this Saturday, 27 May with lots of lifejacket info, special offers and support.

The Crewsaver Ergofit Pro Lifejacket features 190N buoyancy and automatic inflation comes with harness for attaching safety line, emergency light and spray hood.

Crewsaver’s ultimate lifejacket collection, ErgoFit, was launched in 2012 and has subsequently come to completely redefine safety, comfort and style afloat. The entire ErgoFit collection features an exceptionally high level of construction combined with the looks and practicality to suit the toughest marine environment and the most demanding consumer. 

 CH Marine lifejcket week

To be in with a chance to win the prize, answer the question below

Question: What are the locations of two CH Marine branches?

Email your answer, together with your name, age and postal address to [email protected] using 'CH Marine lifejacket' in the subject line.

_______________________________________________________________

Terms and Conditions

– Closing date for entries is midnight 09th June 2017

– Overall winner will be announced on 10th June 2017

– Upon submitting their entry the entrant acknowledges that their details will be used for Afloat.ie ezine and CH Marine updates.

– Entrant must be over 18 years of age.

– Entry to the competition is free. No purchase is necessary.

– The promoter is excluded from liability for any loss, damage or injury which might occur to the winner arising from his or her acceptance of the prize.

– By entering this competition you are agreeing that any submissions made become the property of Afloat.ie

– The promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions.

– These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Ireland and subject to the jurisdiction of the Irish Courts. 

– Employees or agents of Afloat.ie, any associated group companies, prize sponsor and or agencies associated with this competition and their immediate families are ineligible to enter. Any such entries will be invalid.

– The judges decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

_______________________________________________________________

For more information:

@ CH Marine website

@ CH Marine Facebook

CH Marine NI Facebook

@ CH Marine Twitter

Published in CH Marine Chandlery

CH Marine's annual LIFEJACKET AWARENESS WEEK kicks off this Saturday 27 May with lots of lifejacket info, special offers and support.

Given the recent results from a Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifejacket last month that found barely one fifth of lifejackets were free of faults, it's an important safety check to carry out.

 

Bring in your lifejacket to CH Marine for a free RNLI Lifejacket Clinic at its Cork branch THIS SATURDAY from 11am - 3pm.

Published in CH Marine Chandlery
Tagged under
Page 6 of 10

For all you need on the Marine Environment - covering the latest news and updates on marine science and wildlife, weather and climate, power from the sea and Ireland's coastal regions and communities - the place to be is Afloat.ie.

Coastal Notes

The Coastal Notes category covers a broad range of stories, events and developments that have an impact on Ireland's coastal regions and communities, whose lives and livelihoods are directly linked with the sea and Ireland's coastal waters.

Topics covered in Coastal Notes can be as varied as the rare finding of sea-life creatures, an historic shipwreck with secrets to tell, or even a trawler's net caught hauling much more than just fish.

Other angles focusing the attention of Coastal Notes are Ireland's maritime museums, which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of our nautical heritage, and those who harvest the sea using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety pose an issue, plying their trade along the rugged wild western seaboard.

Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied as the environment they come from, and which shape people's interaction with the natural world and our relationship with the sea.

Marine Wildlife

One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with Marine Wildlife. It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. And as boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify, even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat. Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse, it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to our location in the North Atlantic, there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe. From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals, the Marine Wildlife category documents the most interesting accounts around our shores. And we're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and video clips, too!

Also valuable is the unique perspective of all those who go afloat, from coastal sailing to sea angling to inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing, as what they encounter can be of great importance to organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). Thanks to their work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. But as impressive as the list is, the experts believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves, keep a sharp look out!

Weather

As an island in the North Atlantic, Ireland's fate is decided by Weather more so than many other European countries. When storm-force winds race across the Irish Sea, ferry and shipping services are cut off, disrupting our economy. When swollen waves crash on our shores, communities are flooded and fishermen brace for impact - both to their vessels and to their livelihoods.

Keeping abreast of the weather, therefore, is as important to leisure cruisers and fishing crews alike - for whom a small craft warning can mean the difference between life and death - as it is to the communities lining the coast, where timely weather alerts can help protect homes and lives.

Weather affects us all, and Afloat.ie will keep you informed on the hows and the whys.

Marine Science

Perhaps it's the work of the Irish research vessels RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager out in the Atlantic Ocean that best highlights the essential nature of Marine Science for the future growth of Ireland's emerging 'blue economy'.

From marine research to development and sustainable management, Ireland is developing a strong and well-deserved reputation as an emerging centre of excellence. Whether it's Wavebob ocean energy technology to aquaculture to weather buoys and oil exploration, the Marine Science category documents the work of Irish marine scientists and researchers and how they have secured prominent roles in many European and international marine science bodies.

Power From The Sea

The message from the experts is clear: offshore wind and wave energy is the future. And as Ireland looks towards the potential of the renewable energy sector, generating Power From The Sea will become a greater priority in the State's 'blue growth' strategy.

Developments and activities in existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector, and those of the energy exploration industry, point to the future of energy requirements for the whole world, not just in Ireland. And that's not to mention the supplementary industries that sea power projects can support in coastal communities.

Irish ports are already in a good position to capitalise on investments in offshore renewable energy services. And Power From The Sea can even be good for marine wildlife if done properly.

Aside from the green sector, our coastal waters also hold a wealth of oil and gas resources that numerous prospectors are hoping to exploit, even if people in coastal and island areas are as yet unsure of the potential benefits or pitfalls for their communities.

Changing Ocean Climate

Our ocean and climate are inextricably linked - the ocean plays a crucial role in the global climate system in a number of ways. These include absorbing excess heat from the atmosphere and absorbing 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activity. But our marine ecosystems are coming under increasing pressure due to climate change.

The Marine Institute, with its national and international partners, works to observe and understand how our ocean is changing and analyses, models and projects the impacts of our changing oceans. Advice and forecasting projections of our changing oceans and climate are essential to create effective policies and management decisions to safeguard our ocean.

Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, said, “Our ocean is fundamental to life on earth and affects so many facets of our everyday activities. One of the greatest challenges we face as a society is that of our changing climate. The strong international collaborations that the Marine Institute has built up over decades facilitates a shared focusing on our changing ocean climate and developing new and enhanced ways of monitoring it and tracking changes over time.

“Our knowledge and services help us to observe these patterns of change and identify the steps to safeguard our marine ecosystems for future generations.”

The Marine Institute’s annual ocean climate research survey, which has been running since 2004, facilitates long term monitoring of the deep water environment to the west of Ireland. This repeat survey, which takes place on board RV Celtic Explorer, enables scientists to establish baseline oceanic conditions in Irish waters that can be used as a benchmark for future changes.

Scientists collect data on temperature, salinity, water currents, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Atlantic Ocean. This high quality oceanographic data contributes to the Atlantic Ocean Observing System. Physical oceanographic data from the survey is submitted to the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and, in addition, the survey contributes to national research such as the VOCAB ocean acidification and biogeochemistry project, the ‘Clean Atlantic’ project on marine litter and the A4 marine climate change project.

Dr Caroline Cusack, who co-ordinates scientific activities on board the RV Celtic Explorer for the annual survey, said, “The generation of long-term series to monitor ocean climate is vital to allow us understand the likely impact of future changes in ocean climate on ecosystems and other marine resources.”

Other activities during the survey in 2019 included the deployment of oceanographic gliders, two Argo floats (Ireland’s contribution to EuroArgo) and four surface drifters (Interreg Atlantic Area Clean Atlantic project). The new Argo floats have the capacity to measure dissolved ocean and biogeochemical parameters from the ocean surface down to a depth of 2,000 metres continuously for up to four years, providing important information as to the health of our oceans.

During the 2019 survey, the RV Celtic Explorer retrieved a string of oceanographic sensors from the deep ocean at an adjacent subsurface moored station and deployed a replacement M6 weather buoy, as part of the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network (IMDBON).

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the IMDBON is managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann and is designed to improve weather forecasts and safety at sea around Ireland. The data buoys have instruments which collect weather and ocean data including wind speed and direction, pressure, air and sea surface temperature and wave statistics. This data provides vital information for weather forecasts, shipping bulletins, gale and swell warnings as well as data for general public information and research.

“It is only in the last 20 years, meteorologists and climatologists have really began to understood the pivotal role the ocean plays in determining our climate and weather,” said Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann. “The real-time information provided by the Irish data buoy network is particularly important for our mariners and rescue services. The M6 data buoy in the Atlantic provides vital information on swell waves generated by Atlantic storms. Even though the weather and winds may be calm around our shores, there could be some very high swells coming in from Atlantic storms.”