Afloat.ie Team
Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.
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Lough Derg RNLI were requested to launch on Thursday afternoon (18 April) by Valentia Coast Guard to assist two people on a 36ft cruiser reported aground inside Navigation Mark H at Gortmore Point. The inshore lifeboat Jean Spier launched at…
Kilmore Quay RNLI launched on Friday afternoon (19 April) to assist five people aboard an angling charter boat southeast of the Saltee Islands when rope had become entangled in the propeller. A number of the responding volunteer lifeboat crew left…
Irish Crew on Volvo 70 Tschuss 2 Break Round Isle Of Wight IRC Speed Sailing Record
19th April 2024 RORC
The Volvo 70 Tschuss 2, skippered by Johnny Mordaunt and with a large Irish crew onboard, has broken the Round Isle Of Wight sailing record with a corrected time of six hours, 22 minutes, and 25 seconds. Wednesday's record bid was…
Royal Cork's Antix Takes Corinthian Win at the Royal Southern Yacht Club's Cape 31 Regatta
19th April 2024 Cape 31
The Irish O'Leary team Antix secured their first win of the Cape 31 Corinthian/1 professional division, emerging as the new champions in what turned out to be a thrilling weekend of racing. The Royal Southern Yacht Club's April Regatta played…
Portaferry RNLI Assists Fishing Vessel with Engine Failure at Strangford Lough Entrance
19th April 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Portaferry RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched on Monday evening to assist a 6-meter fishing vessel which had suffered engine failure close to the Bar Buoy at the entrance into Strangford Lough. Belfast Coastguard requested the launch of the lifeboat at…
Scottish Government Expresses Confidence Rockall Dispute With Ireland Could be Resolved, TG4 Documentary Reports
19th April 2024 Island News
A long-running dispute over fishing rights around Rockall could be resolved following fresh discussions with the Irish authorities, the Scottish Government has told TG4. In a statement to the broadcaster’s investigative series, Iniúchadh TG4, a Scottish government spokesperson said that…
Irish Sailing Youth Nationals: ILCA 4 Class to Compete for Trophies in Upcoming Event at Lough Ree Yacht Club
19th April 2024 Laser
In the aftermath of Storm Kathleen, the ILCA 4 Class was left without any competitive sailing at the Irish Sailing Youth Nationals held at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in early April. However, ILCA Ireland has stepped up to the…
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…