Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Irish Offshore Sailing has extended its sail training and yacht racing programmes for 2020 with a full range of motor cruising courses on a specially fitted-out and coded motor yacht. Skippered by Yachtmaster Instructor Peter Beamish, the training boat is…

At year’s end, the Sailors of the Month adjudicators survey the overall scene in search of an outstanding and innovative event which has added to the variety of the Irish sailing programme. In 2019 this role was well filled by…

A National Yacht Club crew from Dublin Bay have finished fourth in class and fourth monohull in the 2019 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).  As previously reported on Afloat, the NYC crew made the crossing in the 80-foot Swan yacht…

The well attended Royal Cork Yacht Club Laying Up Supper last weekend featured some important club annual awards presentations by Admiral Pat Farnan witnessed this year by special guests from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes writes Bob Bateman. Neighbouring Cork…

Newly updated 2020 editions of the UK Cruising Association’s three main inland waterways cruising guides for France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany have been published by the CA’s European Inland Waterways Section (EIWS) in time for the Christmas season. All…

With the majority of boats now docked in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and crews busy making preparations for their 2,700 nm Atlantic ahead of start of the ARC next Sunday - 24th November - it was time to mark…

The Revenue Commissioners will prepare guidance material for their website and update relevant tax and duty manuals in advance of the upcoming ban on the use of green diesel for private pleasure craft, it is understood. That’s according to the…

With only seven weeks until the ban on the use of green diesel for private pleasure craft comes into force, the Revenue Commissioners have yet to formally declare to oil suppliers what changes are required under the new legislation, according…

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) will bring together a diverse group of boats and crews to sail with the historic ocean rally celebrating its 34th edition in 2019 and while there are no Irish entries among the fleet for…

As professional services giant PwC highlights in its Budget insights summary, the Finance Bill published last Thursday introduces measures to bring Ireland in line with EU law with respect to the use of marked gas oil for private pleasure navigation.…

Exploration and Discovery is the theme for the 2020 Irish Sailing Cruising Conference at the National Yacht Club on 15th February 2020 at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in County Dublin. Met Eireann Meteorologist and Wave Expert, Sarah Gallagher, will be talking about…

The Cruising Association of Ireland’s popular “Three Bridges Lifted” Rally to Dublin Port in September was a festive occasion in a weekend of exceptionally good weather, and a large fleet celebrated the camaraderie of seafaring and boats and cruising until…

Two centuries after the “white continent” was recorded officially for the first time by an expedition led by Irishman Edward Bransfield, Kerry round-the-world offshore racer Damian Foxall plans to explore Antarctica by sail. Kerry-born Foxall will be accompanied on his…

John Leahy, Honorary Secretary Cruising Association of Ireland, reports on this year’s "Three Bridges Liffey Cruise" The Cruising Association of Ireland’s “Three Bridges Liffey” cruise is an annual end of season mini social cruise which attracts a large number of…

It is ironic that the internationally-recognised abbreviated sail number identification on Irish racing boats should be IRL writes W M Nixon. For in global tech-speak, IRL is the acronym of “In Real Life”. If the rather intriguing way of existence…

The Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) has established a Challenge Grant to encourage ambitious cruising expeditions for environmental conservation or challenging oceangoing adventures and is now accepting applications for the 2020 season! The OCC Challenge Grant programme consists of two categories,…