Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#ShippingReview: Over the last fortnight Jehan Ashmore has reported from the shipping scene where Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar confirmed a successful Irish Presidency trilogue which dealt with the Maritime Labour Package. Celtic Link Ferries recorded an increase in both…

#SoldShip – The Belize flagged bulk-carrier Clipper Faith (1998/19,354grt) seized in Dublin Port in March as previously reported on Afloat.ie has been sold at auction for €4.8m reports RTE News. The crew who had not been paid since December 2012,…

#NewTanker – Cork based Ardmore Shipping has taken delivery of the newbuild Ardmore Seaventure from SPP Shipbuilding in Korea and the 49,999dwt tanker was immediately delivered to Cargill on a 12 month time charter arrangement. Ardmore Seaventure is classed as…

#WindFarmCraft- Wicklow based marine-plant specialist Island Shipping look back on their pair of wind-farm support vessels (WFSV) introduced in recent years and with added satisfaction. Following research of the 17m craft, they have performed particularly well with the best in…

#IrishShippingSector – Irish based shipping companies in 2012 experienced a challenging year with operations in both the domestic and international shipping markets, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). Against this turbulent backdrop, the number of vessels being owned,…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Irish Economy: Competitiveness -The latest IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2013 saw Ireland rise three places to number 17 in overall competitiveness rankings, with significant improvements…

#FlagDirective- Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar has confirmed another successful Irish Presidency trilogue with the European Parliament on the Flag State Directive, which covers marine issues. The trilogue which involved negotiations between the EU's Council, Commission and Parliament met last…

#ShippingReview: Over the last fortnight Jehan Ashmore has reported from the shipping scene where the fodder crisis, the worst in over 50 years has led to ports witness unprecedented levels of animal feed imports. New Zealand ferry operator Interislander which…

#PortRegulation – At the 10th a.g.m. of the European Sea Ports Organisation (EPSO) conference held in Varna, Romania, the main debate centred on the new ports policy regulation and communication of the European Commission, which were issued last week. Commission…

#NewESPOSecretary -At a meeting of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) held in the Romanian Black Sea port of Varna, the General Assembly of the organisation today appointed Isabelle Ryckbost as the new Secretary General. Ms Ryckbost succeeds Patrick Verhoeven…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Container Market: SCFI rates diverge - According to figures from the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI), spot box rates for long-haul cargoes from China are…

#EUPortsPolicy – Vice President Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Mobility and Transport, has announced the publication of a regulation proposal on market access to port services and financial transparency, as well as a new communication on ports policy. European Sea…

#MaritimeDay - Malta has recently hosted the 6th European Maritime Day, (see Afloat.ie's Water Rats), where a conference of experts from all maritime sectors from around Europe had gathered. Delegates discussed how to promote the tourism industry and maintain its…

Irish shipping and port activity rose by 2% in the first quarter of 2013 when compared to the corresponding period of 2012, according to the latest quarterly iShip Index published today by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). The upturn…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Irish Economy: Modest export growth - According to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), seasonally-adjusted exports for March rose by 4 per cent from…

#FodderShipments – As Irish Farmers struggle with one of the worst fodder crisis in over 50 years, ports across the country have seen unprecedented levels of animal feed imports, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). Most of the…