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Displaying items by tag: pontoon

Close to where the ferry pulls in to Strangford Village a new pontoon facilty enables visiting boats to berth.

Published in Irish Marinas
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Situated at the head of the Quoile River estuary on Castle Island. There is a short stay pontoon with water hose at Quoile Yacht Club. Visitors can anchor off the moored yachts between Castle and Gibbs Islands. No overnight berthing at the pontoon without permission.

Published in Irish Marinas

Down Cruising Club is a small, friendly club of approximately 100 members, who are interested in all aspects of boating and cruising on Strangford Lough. The club is fortunate to be based at Ballydorn, on Strangford Lough, and to enjoy the unique facility of club headquarters in the form of the lightship "Petrel"

Visitors to Strangford Lough are advised to examine the up to date chart of the area and keep a close watch for the many perches, some of which are marked and some of which may not be marked. They are also advised to keep a close eye on tides when embarking and disembarking from the lightship pontoon.

On arrival DCC says a visiting skipper must report to the Bar Steward (VHF Ch 16 – Lightship Petrel) or a DCC Flag Officer/Council Member as soon as possible (contact details on Visitors' Information Notice on deck). Berthing instructions will be given according to the size and type of vessel if a berth is available.

Published in Irish Marinas

Strangford Lough Yacht Club is situated in Whiterock Bay in Killinchy, between Comber and Killyleagh. It has a sturdy pontoon linked to the clubhouse that is popular with visiting and local craft alike.

Published in Irish Marinas

A temporary floating pontoon for visiting boats is present during the summer season that makes it easier for boaters to enjoy this extensive harbour with good anchorage. The pontoon is suitable for up to seven or eight boats and is used by a mix of cruising boats, ribs and local fishing boats.

Published in Irish Marinas

Glengarriff harbour has a small pontoon to assist with embarkation at the quayside

Published in Irish Marinas
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A small temporary pontoon measuring 50-foot long at the local harbour

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Although a town marina for Schull gets ever closer for the moment boaters make do with a quay and a 40-foot long pontoon in Schull Harbour, primarily used by small boats. It is a facility that makes embarkation and disembarkation easier.

Published in Irish Marinas
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Cape Clear's North Harbour has a temporary pontoon for embarkation and disembarkation

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A quay with a substantial floating pontoon below the Islanders Rest Hotel and a landing slip a short distance to the east provide access for boaters during the summer season. This makes it easy for boaters to embark and disembark on the island. The pontoon is suitable for up to seven or eight boats and used by a mix of cruising boats, ribs and local fishing boats.

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Irish Sailing Classes and Association – There’s no shortage of one-design classes from which to choose and each gives its enthusiasts great competition, fun and camaraderie, writes Graham Smith in this review of the classes. 

One-design racing is where it all starts. It is, after all, where all the top sailors earned their stripes, battling away for line honours without a thought for a handicapper’s calculator wiping away a hard-fought victory!

Indeed, you could count on less than one hand the number of top Irish sailors who didn’t cut their teeth in a one-design dinghy! Just think of Cudmore, Barrington, Watson, Wilkins, Hennessy and Dix to name a few and you realise that they honed their skills in everything from Enterprises to Lasers and a lot in between.

At present count, there are a little over 30 one-design classes in Ireland, split almost evenly between dinghies and keelboats, a statistic which might raise a few eyebrows. They range from the long-established Mermaids, IDRA14s and Dragons to the newer additions like Fevas, Topaz and RS Elite. They all fill a particular need and give their owners and crews considerable enjoyment.

Many have attracted their World or European Championships to Irish waters over the years and while 2009 is notable for a lack of such events here, the following year will see the Etchells Worlds at Howth and perhaps a few other international regattas too.

In addition to the review, we asked each class to complete a questionnaire giving details of their fleet numbers, whether they were on a growth pattern or holding their own, so we could highlight those ‘on the up’ and those remaining static in terms of numbers. The older traditional designs, as you might imagine, fall into the latter category, although that’s not a negative!

CLASS REVIEW  The State of the Classes – League Table (as at February 2009)

S = Static; U = Up/growing

275     Optimist   U

200+   Laser   S

189     Mermaid   S

160     Flying Fifteen   S

130     RS Feva   U

115     Shannon One Design    U

100+   Mirror   S

100+   Topper   U

99       Topaz   U

94       Laser SB3   U

87       GP14   U

85       Squib   S

70       Fireball   S

70       Ruffian   S

60       J24   S

60       Shipman   S

52       Dragon   S

50       RS400/200   S

50       420    U

43       Multihulls    U

42       Dragon    S

40       Water Wags    U

40       Wayfarer    S

34       IDRA14    U

33       Puppeteer    U

28       Etchells    S

27       E-Boat    U

26       Glen    S

25       Enterprise    S

18       Sigma 33    S

18       Howth 17    U

13       RS Elite    U