The latest news from Scottish and Northern Irish waters produced by Yachting Life & Afloat.
Ron Hutchieson's Generous Multiple Roles are a Historic Sailing Era in Themselves
15 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The retirement this month of noted northern sailor Ron Hutchieson as Chairman of Irish Sailing's Racing Rules & Appeals Board brings to a conclusion an exceptionally long period of devoted and very effective honorary official service to sailing and its…
Royal Ulster Yacht Excession Heads for Fastnet 450 Race & Cork 300 Celebrations
14 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
John Harrington will carry the flag again for Royal Ulster Yacht Club, as he is off again south in the IMX38 eXcession! In a racing schedule arranged with military precision, John and a football team sized crew will tackle the…
UK Business Minister Visits Belfast Maritime Consortium
11 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Belfast Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies, has hosted a visit to the city by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP. Representatives of the 13-partner syndicate met the…
Cruising Association of Ireland Cruise to Northern Waters
11 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In a few days, a large fleet of 17 boats from the Cruising Association of Ireland will arrive in Belfast Lough. It's three years since they last cruised here in Northern Ireland. The contingent will include two boats from the…
Britain’s Coastguard Responds To Record Number Of Incidents At UK Coasts
10 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
HM Coastguard dealt with 340 individual incidents across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday (8 August), representing its highest number of call-outs in a single day for well over four years. Packed coastlines and beaches kept coastguard personnel…
Britain’s Coastguard Responds To Record Number Of Incidents At UK Coasts
10 August 2020 Scottish Waters
HM Coastguard dealt with 340 individual incidents across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday (8 August), representing its highest number of call-outs in a single day for well over four years. Packed coastlines and beaches kept coastguard personnel…
Harrington's Royal Ulster Yacht 'Excession' Makes ISORA Debut at Dun Laoghaire
10 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
When John Harington's IMX 38 Excession made the Dun Laoghaire Harbour startline on Saturday morning, he became the first Northern Ireland yacht to compete in ISORA racing in many years, The enthusiastic Royal Ulster Yacht Club crew from Bangor on…
Elderly Man Rescued After Fall In Cave Near Giant’s Causeway
9 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Coastguard units from Coleraine and Ballycastle were tasked to rescue a man in his 70s who had fallen in a cave close to the Giant’s Causeway on Friday (7 August). The casualty had sustained a knee injury and was being…
Larne Lifeboat Rescues Three After RIB Breakdown
9 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Two adults and a child were rescued this morning (Sunday 9 August) by Larne RNLI after their small RIB broke down near Magheramore in Co Antrim. The volunteer crew launched the smaller in-shore lifeboat, Terry, at 11.05am and made their…
An unusual visitor to Glenarm Marina in County Antrim recently was the rowing boat of the GB Row Challenge. After what must have been an uncomfortable time lying in the open in Glenarm Harbour in a north-westerly, the GB Row…
RYA Northern Ireland's Open Pathway Training Events
9 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In the run-up to the return of Topper and Laser dinghy events, RYA Northern Ireland has arranged a series of Open Pathway training events during this month. The RYANI Open Pathway Training (OPT) is aimed primarily at those sailors who…
Strangford Sailing Club Members Return Safely To Boating
7 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As lockdown eased in Northern Ireland, Strangford Sailing Club’s Commodore Tony McLaughlin was busy working with his committee members on a plan of how to safely reopen in line with UK Government advice. He explains the measures the club took…
Boat Vandals In Co Down Harbour ‘Putting Lives At Risk’
6 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A spate of boat vandalism at Newcastle Harbour in Co Down is putting lives at risk, a former coastguard chief claims. John Lowry told the Belfast Telegraph that a number of boats in the Northern Ireland harbour have been damaged…
Renowned Northern Sailor & Arctic Explorer Brian Black Dies in Tragic Accident
4 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Brian Black, the multi-media communicator, Arctic sailor, and environmentalist, died today (Tuesday) after a tragic accident at noon when his car plunged off the pier at his home village of Strangford in County Down. Originally best-known as a presenter with…
Ballyholme Yacht Club‘s ‘Regatta’ last weekend went a long way in these ‘new normal’ times, to fulfil the usual criteria for a standard regatta, but minus the visitors and the usual socialising and tea and buns afterwards. It was a…
Woman Rescued From Water After Fall While Coasteering Near Giant’s Causeway
2 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launched to the rescue of a 50-year-old woman who fell into the water while with a coasteering group at Dunseverick near the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland yesterday afternoon (Saturday 1 August). The volunteer crew applied…
Recently the Brompton inflatable goose featured in a story about open sea swimmers near Bangor on Belfast Lough. Now round the corner from Brompton, the Helen’s Baywatch swimmers have a real ‘Goose’ to swim with! The reddish-brown female eider duck…
Applications Open For Young NI Sailors To ‘Win Their Own Kit’ From John Merricks Trust
29 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Young sailors and windsurfers in Northern Ireland could follow in the wake of Donaghadee’s Charlie O’Malley by applying for a junior pathway boat or board in the final year of the RYA’s partnership with the John Merricks Sailing Trust. Brand…
Royal Ulster Yacht Club Members in Lough Ree Rescue on the River Shannon
29 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Royal Ulster Yacht Club members John and Sally McKee played a crucial part in their motor cruiser in a dramatic incident on the Shannon waterway last Saturday. A private cruiser from Limerick was making a passage northwards on Lough Ree…
All Change for Ballyholme Yacht Club Regatta This Weekend
29 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough has taken a big step and will hold a two-day club regatta this weekend, (1st and 2nd August), for members only, but it will be an adapted ‘regatta’, run to the new normal within…
Thunder Child II Visits Famous Corryvreckan Whirlpools & Standing Waves
29 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Cork Harbour Boat manufacturer Safehaven Marine undertook an 800nm four-day cruise in Thunder Child II to Scotland, living off the boat to visit a place called the Gulf of Corryvreckan. A pretty wild yet beautiful place writes Thunderchild's skipper, Frank…
Record Breaking Powerboat 'Thunder Child II' Tours North of Ireland Ports & Coastline
27 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It’s not often a record-breaker visits Bangor but Safehaven Marine’s Managing Director Frank Kowalski, who set the Round Ireland and Rockall Record in the original 17 metre XSV 17 demonstrator Thunder Child in 2017, brought his striking yellow hulled Thunder…
Belfast Lough Sailablity Postpones President’s Cup
26 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Belfast Lough Sailability was due to host the President’s Cup in August but sadly, due to COVID 19, this event has had to be postponed. This interprovincial regatta was Inaugurated by Paralympian John Twomey, promoted by Sailability Ireland and provides…
E-Sailing Proves Big Hit at Carlingford Lough Yacht Club
26 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Carlingford Lough YC hasn’t been idle during the lockdown as members have enjoyed a Virtual Regatta, starting in early April, thanks to the RYA who arranged for sailing clubs to have a free subscription. To date, the club has had…
The Cadets at Ballyholme Yacht Club in Bangor Co Down on Belfast Lough are split into two sections; the beginners called Dolphins and those who have completed Stage 3 – Sharks. In order to reduce the numbers on the slipway…
Bridge Starts To Be Used As IRC Welsh Championships Goes Ahead
21 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
After a great deal of work in conjunction with RYA Cymru Wales, and the Royal Dee Yacht Club, the IRC Welsh Championships will go ahead in a “stripped down” fashion but still provide challenging racing. As Afloat previously reported here,…
Stand up Paddleboarding in the mountains? Lough Shannagh (or the Lough of the Fox), is a corrie lake on the southern side of the Mournes in County Down and lies at 390m at the foot of Carn Mountain. It is…
Long Haul Travelling Gull Arrives in Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough
18 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough in County Down welcomes visitors from far and wide, but this Mediterranean gull must be one of the most interesting, having travelled from Poland, Spain, and France before flying into Bangor. Berth holder, wildlife expert…
Newcastle Lifeboat Brings Three To Safety In Two Separate Callouts
16 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The RNLI lifeboat crew in Newcastle, Co Down rescued three people over two callouts in the space of 24 hours earlier this week. The all-weather lifeboat first launched on Monday morning (13 July) to aid a boat with two people…
Cruising Association of Ireland Return to Belfast Lough for Cruise-in-Company Event
15 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It is just over three years since the Cruising Association of Ireland fleet visited Belfast Lough. And now another trip north is planned for the middle week of August. The CAI has managed to keep active through the COVID 19…
RYANI Wants Feedback On ‘Women On Water’ Programme
15 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland is calling for women across Northern Ireland to give feedback on its Women on Water programme. The governing body hopes to find out what boaters want through a development survey, which will help to shape future programmes.…
Oban RNLI in western Scotland has expressed sadness at the retirement of Dr Colin Wilson as a volunteer crew member. Dr Wilson has served the RNLI in Oban since 1990, first joining when the station had the Brede class lifeboat…
Cruising Association Welcomes Scottish Marking Order For Lobster Pot Buoys
14 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The UK’s Cruising Association’s Regulations and Technical Services group (RATS) has welcomed the move by the Scottish government to update its rules for marking lobster pots in Scottish waters. The best practice guidance, which came into force on 20 June,…
Cruising Association Welcomes Scottish Marking Order For Lobster Pot Buoys
14 July 2020 Scottish Waters
The UK’s Cruising Association’s Regulations and Technical Services group (RATS) has welcomed the move by the Scottish government to update its rules for marking lobster pots in Scottish waters. The best practice guidance, which came into force on 20 June,…
Full Steam Ahead for Sailing in Bangor on Belfast Lough
12 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Neighbouring clubs Royal Ulster and Ballyholme at Bangor in County Down on Belfast Lough are both due back on the water soon. The RUYC sailing committee has decided that in line with further guidance from the RYA that competitive sport…
Northern Ireland Beaches Plagued By Plastic Litter, New Survey Reveals
10 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Discarded plastic is the predominant form of litter on Northern Ireland’s beaches, according to a new survey by a local environmental group. As the Belfast Telegraph reports, the survey by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful estimates that plastic — most of…
Cadet Summer Sailors at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club Ready for the Off
9 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Cadet Summer Sailing at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough is proving popular with much interest in the scheme which starts on Monday next (13th July). Rear Commodore Sailing Jonny Millar, Cadet Officers John Driscoll and…
FunDay Fridays on the Water in Bangor on Belfast Lough
8 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Friday was the first of July’s FunDay Fridays on Belfast Lough, a three-way collaboration between Bangor Marina, SUP HubNI and Citizen Sea who are together providing a fabulously educational and active two-hour session where all the children will have…
Bangor Marina Awarded International Blue Flag for 2020 Season
7 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Ards and North Down coastal area has done well by winning awards for excellence in facilities, environmental management, environmental education, accessibility and safety. Bangor Marina has been awarded the internationally renowned Blue Flag for the 2020 season. The Blue…
Dinghy Racing Resumes at Strangford Sailing Club
6 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Strangford Sailing Club enjoys a stunning location on the northern shore of Strangford Lough Narrows in the Castleward Estate and has occupied that site for about 40 years. After the long layoff due to COVID 19, members have been back…
Last Thursday and Friday were busy days for Bangor Coastguard on Belfast Lough with an incident on both days. On Thursday evening the Coastguard and the Police Service investigated reports of concern for a kayaker seen the Ballywalter area in…
Rathlin Island Reopens to Visiting Boats on the North Coast
6 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Island of Rathlin in the Sea of Moyle off Ballycastle is now open to resident and visiting boat owners and overnighting is allowed. The ferry is also operating. This popular destination is six miles long, one mile wide, "L"…
The Brompton Goose & Sea Swimming on Belfast Lough
4 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland’s coastline is dotted with cold water swimmers who go out no matter what the weather or temperature. The group who swim near Jenny Watts Cave just past Wilson’s Point at Bangor on Belfast Lough are known as the…
RYA Northern Ireland Updates ‘Step 2’ Guidance For Boaters
4 July 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland has updated its guidance for boaters following recent announcements by the NI Executive. Sport Northern Ireland officials confirmed that the sport sector remains in Step 2 of the Roadmap to Recovery until further announcements. The situation in…
The opening up of Royal Ulster Yacht Club on Belfast Lough has been long-awaited and tomorrow (Friday 3rd July) is the big day. During the past week bar and waiting staff have undergone training on the new way of working.…
Daniel Smith (39) and his partner Becky Jeffery (29) were set to be married this Friday the 3rd of July, the day travel restrictions are to be eased and overnight accommodation is allowed in Scotland in the wake of the…
Portrush Lifeboat Runs Aground While Assisting Boat In Stormy Conditions
29 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat ran aground temporarily as it assisted an angling boat in difficulty in the Foyle Estuary yesterday afternoon (Sunday 28 June). The volunteer crew had launched at 3.40pm to reports of a 24ft angling boat in difficulty…
The rescue services were so busy over the weekend that they have related several incidents together. A jetskier needed medical assistance after coming off his jetski. Donaghadee Lifeboat brought the casualty from Millisle into Donaghadee harbour and was met by…
Portaferry Lifeboat Launches Twice In Three Days To Reports Of Strangford Lough Breakdowns
28 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry RNLI launched twice in three days to reports of broken down boats in the same area of Strangford Lough. Portaferry’s volunteer crew launched initially on Thursday evening (25 June) at 9.50pm to assist a five-metre cabin cruiser at the…
Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough was a casualty of COVID-19 this year, (in fact the regatta would have been on the water last week), but a 2021 date has now been set for Thursday 24th till Sunday 27th June.…
Bangor Marina Now Accepts Visitors Travelling From Any Part of Common Travel Area
27 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Kevin Baird, Harbour Master and Marina Manager in Bangor, has posted a substantial update to the state of harbour and marina opening dates in the North of Ireland and beyond. The situation continues to be fluid. Among the notable changes…
Standup Paddleboarding, Sea Swimming, Kayaking & Windsurfing To Have A Voice at Ballyholme Yacht Club
27 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballyholme Yacht Club is planning to form a Sub Committee to ensure members who are interested in Standup Paddleboarding, Sea Swimming, Kayaking and Windsurfing have a voice. Before the Lockdown the club had plans in place for a new Social…
Belfast to Build Zero Emissions Ferries Following £60m Funding Boost
26 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A Belfast Lough Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies has won a £33 million UK Government innovation grant to develop zero emissions ferries in the city, that will revolutionise the future of maritime transport. With further investment from consortium partners,…
Newcastle RNLI Rescue Man Who Trapped His Foot Under Wheel of Vehicle
25 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
This morning Newcastle RNLI were tasked along with their colleagues from Newcastle and Kilkeel Coastguard to assist a casualty who had trapped his foot under the vehicle with an incoming tide while in the process of trying to launch their…
Donaghadee Lifeboat Launches to Jet Skier at Millisle, Co. Down
25 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Donaghdee RNLI volunteer crew launched their all-weather lifeboat this afternoon at the request of UK Coastguard after reports of a person in the water following a jetski incident at Millisle, Co. Down. At 1.45 pm UK Coastguard requested Donaghadee RNLI…
Coleraine Coastguard Volunteer Tied Up By Masked Burglars
25 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A volunteer with Coleraine Coastguard returned home from a callout to a masked gang who dragged him out of his car before tying him up and burgling his home, as BBC News reports. HM Coastguard confirmed the incident in the…
Three months of improvement works at Strabane Canal and The Gribben have begun this week. William Doherty Construction Ltd is contracted to carry out the works, which commenced on Monday 22 June and entail extensive resurfacing of the 1.2km of…
RYA Northern Ireland Women on Water Goes Online
23 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Women on Water became Women online for a festival which should have been held at Carrickfergus Sailing Club but had to be redesigned due to COVID 19. The festival brought together like-minded women who have been involved in sailing from…
‘Upturned Boat’ Spotted Off Ardglass Turns Out To Be Dead Whale
22 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As Father’s Day (Sunday 21 June) wound down, Portaferry RNLI’s lifeboat volunteers were paged following reports of an upturned boat off Ardglass in Co Down, Northern Ireland. The crew launched promptly at 9.17pm in cloudy but good visibility conditions and…
Answering what was the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team’s third shout of the day yesterday (Sat 20th), after a telephone call from former Lifeboat Operations Manager Kevin Byers, a volunteer RNLI crew was tasked with rescuing three kayakers in Ballyholme Bay…
Portrush Lifeboat Rescues Paddleboarder From The Sea At Portstewart
21 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Both Portrush RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch by HM Coastguard yesterday afternoon (Saturday 20 June) to reports of person on an inflatable paddleboard in difficulty in the sea just off Portstewart on Northern Ireland’s North Coast. The inshore lifeboat…
East Antrim Boat Club Quick off the Mark To Make the Most of Lockdown Easing
21 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Members of the Larne club will welcome its General Committee’s decision to make the most of the lockdown easing, for hot on the heels of RYA NI advice that Step 2 of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Pathway to Recovery has…
Bangor Marina Ease COVID Restrictions on Belfast Lough
20 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
On 15th June the Northern Ireland Executive announced further relaxations to the Coronavirus Regulations and subsequently Bangor Marina updated its information yesterday on Northern Ireland Marinas and Harbours. These developments make some changes to the information here. From 26th June,…
Northern Ireland Sailors Stay Connected Through RYA NI's Virtual Forums
18 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Many sailors are slowly returning to the water as the lockdown eases, but they have kept in touch by taking part in RYA Northern Ireland’s virtual forums, learning more about support, opportunities for funding and other important updates. The club…
RYA Northern Ireland Releases Guidance For Boaters In ‘Step 2’ Out Of Lockdown
17 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland has released guidance for boaters after a Sport Northern Ireland update confirmed that outdoor activity has moved into Step 2 out of coronavirus lockdown. However, this is limited to outdoors only and indoor activity/advice remains as it…
Teenager Dies In Swimming Incident Off North Coast
17 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RTÉ News reports that a teenager has died after a group of sea swimmers got into difficulty off the North Coast in Northern Ireland yesterday afternoon, Tuesday 16 June. The young man was part of a group that was reportedly…
Royal Ulster's O'Tiarnaigh Enters IMX38 in Round Ireland Race
15 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballyholme's Ruan O’Tiarnaigh of Royal Ulster Yacht Club and Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough is the 44th entry into August's SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race. O'Tiarnaigh, originally of Sutton Dinghy Club on Dublin Bay, is a multi dinghy champion…
Offaly's Inland & Coastal Marina Systems Complete New Berths in The Hebrides
12 June 2020 Scottish Waters
Later this summer, local and visiting leisure craft to Stornoway Harbour in The Hebrides will be enjoying 75 new marina berths in its Newton Basin – increasing capacity for leisure craft to 155. The new facilities, designed and built by…
UK Sailing Clubs Struggle To Get Back On The Water
12 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
UK sailing clubs are still struggling to get back on the water under more relaxed coronavirus restrictions, according to SailWeb. While the blanket shutdown on sailing activity lifted in England four weeks ago, and rules amended in Wales, Scotland and…
Junior Strangford Lough Sailor Uses 3D Printers to Make PPE Equipment in Fight Against COVID-19
12 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Adam Fernor is a junior member of Strangford Lough Yacht Club and having not been able to sail his Laser dinghy during Lockdown, he joined a community of 8,000 volunteers, through 3D Crowd UK, who are using their 3D printers…
Man Fallen On Rocks At Portstewart Rescued By Portrush Lifeboats
11 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI’s lifeboats aided in the rescue of a young man who fell 30 feet onto rocks on the north coast last night (Wednesday 10 June). Both the inshore and all-weather lifeboats were launched as a precaution due to the…
Foyle Port Marina in the North West of Ireland is Now Open to Visitors
10 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Foyle Port Marina in the North West of Ireland is now open to visitors; however, the self-Isolating restrictions introduced on Monday 8th June by the Government will apply to vessels visiting from outside the UK and Ireland. These can be…
Some Northern Ireland Marinas & Harbours Open But Others Stay Closed
9 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The situation around the opening of marinas and harbours in Northern Ireland in COVID-19 appears fluid but the latest news is good for those wanting to relax, sail and visit. Bangor Harbour Master Kevin Baird says that Bangor, Carrickfergus, and…
Irish Diver Rory Golden Consulted on New Expedition to Recover Titanic's Wireless Marconi Telegraph
7 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Irish deep-sea diver Rory Golden is providing expertise to a new expedition to the Titanic which aims to recover the Marconi radio from the wreck, The Sunday Times reports. The wireless Marconi telegraph was instrumental in saving more than 705…
Harbours by their nature attract a myriad of marine wildlife and Bangor on Belfast Lough is no exception. Most people would associate Bangor with the guillemots that make their nests in holes in the marina wall but there is so…
Newcastle Sailor Luke McIlwaine Fifth In RYA eSailing Spring Club Championship
5 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Newcastle Yacht Club’s Luke McIlwaine has claimed fifth spot in the RYA eSailing Spring Club Championship after battling it out against nine other competitors. The other sailors came from right across the regional and home countries. Instead of taking to…
Cruising in the EU post 31 December 2020: Association Commences Lobbying
4 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A cruising issue that has been bubbling away for some time is the change in access rules for UK citizens travelling in the EU after the completion of our exit scheduled for the end of this year. At present, the…
Another water activity on the go again under Step 1 of the Northern Ireland Executive’s plan is Standup Paddleboarding. SuphubNI is a mobile venture based in Bangor on Belfast Lough run by Iain McCarthy and he is delighted to get…
Shannon-Erne Waterway: Roadmap for Re-Opening of the Locks
3 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Waterways Ireland is advising masters and users of the Shannon-Erne Waterway of the following information regarding the reopening of the Locks from 8th June 2020: Lock Operating Hours 8th June - 19th July 9am – 5pm daily 20th July -…
Bangor RNLI Want To Get In Touch With Paddle Board Teen Rescued From Belfast Lough
1 June 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Bangor RNLI is appealing to get in touch with the family of a teenage paddle boarder rescued at the weekend after he was blown out into Belfast Lough. The volunteer lifeboat crew were tasked on Friday afternoon (29 May) after…
Friends of 'Trasnagh' Island on the Shores of Strangford Lough
30 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
John McCann is a well-known farmer in Whiterock, on the west shore of Strangford Lough in County Down, and his late father, Thomas McCann farmed the land on which Strangford Lough Yacht Club now stands. John has a vision of…
RNLI Issues Important Safety Advice In Northern Ireland
30 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The RNLI has urged the Northern Ireland public to exercise caution when visiting the coast and be aware of the dangers while lifeguards are currently not deployed on the region’s beaches. Rollout of the normal seasonal lifeguard service was halted…
Lough Erne & Lower Bann Navigations Reopen on May 29th
28 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
More good news for boat owners on the Erne System, the Shannon Erne Waterway within Northern Ireland and the Lower Bann Navigation, in the form of a Marine Notice from Waterways Ireland. It is planned to open the navigations tomorrow…
Lough Erne Charter Boat Firm To Reopen on June 5th
28 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Cruise Ireland, the umbrella brand for Locaboat, Carrickcraft, Waveline and Linnsen Boating holidays, says it will open for business on the 5th June on Lough Erne following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland. It follows the Waterways Ireland…
You have probably heard of the Women on Water festival but as this will not happen this year, RYA Northern Ireland is running an alternative - a Women off Water event. In March, RYA Northern Ireland celebrated when they clinched…
Newcastle Yacht Club Sailor Ready for RYA eSailing Spring Championships
27 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Since the RYA announced the launch of the RYA eSailing Spring Club Championship at the start of April this year, thousands of club sailors have been taking their tactics and strategies onto the virtual waters in an attempt to represent…
Good news for those boaters keen to get back on the water in Ards and North Down in Northern Ireland. All the Harbours and slipways operated by Ards and North Down Council will be open from this morning (Wed 27th…
Northern Ireland Navigator Ian Moore on The New Rolex Fastnet Race Course
26 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
One big overall win has eluded Northern Ireland navigator Ian Moore - in nine attempts at the Rolex Fastnet Race Moore’s team has made the podium twice but failed to win the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s flagship race. Ian is fascinated…
’30,000 Gallons Of Slurry’ To Blame For Fisk Kill In Co Derry River
24 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister has confirmed that a fish kill in a tributary of the River Moyola last week was caused by a spillage of 30,000 gallons of slurry, as BBC News reports. The incident on the Grange River in…
Ballyholme Yacht Club Returns to the Waters of Belfast Lough
23 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In what will be a welcome decision by the Ballyholme Yacht Club, members will now be able to proceed, albeit slowly and patiently, towards a return to watersports. Commodore Aidan Pounder has emailed members with the news that SportNI has…
'Lack of Advice' Poses Questions For Northern Ireland Sailing Clubs Over COVID-19
21 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The latest statement from the Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland, the governing body for all water activities in Northern Ireland says “In the absence of any further guidance from Government Departments, our current interpretation is that this does permit all…
'Shaped By the Sea' Is Example of Northern Ireland's Literary Talent
21 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
There is a hidden wealth of literary talent in the North which deserves greater exposure and the book Shaped by the Sea produced by a team of volunteers in the East Antrim area is an excellent example writes Betty Armstrong…
The Lough Erne branch of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) welcomes the return to Lough Erne where boat owners with craft on the waterways can enjoy once more the beautiful scenery of this part of County Fermanagh, with…
Titanic’s Belfast & Dublin Links Remembered With Retrieval of Sunken Ship's Marconi Radio
20 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
An ambitious project to retrieve the most famous marine radio in the world from 2.5 miles down in the Atlantic has finally secured legal approval. The saving of the Marconi radio which sent out the distress signals from the sinking…
As well as Bangor Marina opening, also nearly back to normal is Carrickfergus across Belfast Lough, Glenarm on the Antrim Coast Road and the inland marina at Portglenone on the River Bann. In a Notice to Mariners Harbour Master Billy…
Permits Now Available For Loughs Agency Fisheries
20 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As of yesterday (Tuesday 19 May), permits are available for Loughs Agency permit waters on the River Foyle, River Finn (approx six miles) and Greenbraes Fishery. DAERA has also opened, with limitations, the Public Angling Estate in Northern Ireland — which in…
RYANI Welcomes Executive Announcement Permitting Outdoor Activity
19 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland has today welcomed the NI Executive announcement permitting outdoor activity. The announcement paves the way for the boating community to return to the water, where social distancing and other parameters can be strictly adhered to. The guidance…
Rescue Teams Called To Nearly 200 Incidents Over Weekend Around UK Coasts
19 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Coastguard rescue teams around Great Britain and Northern Ireland were called to nearly 200 incidents over the weekend, to come to the aid of those who found themselves in difficulty in the sea or at the coast. The 194 incidents…
Bangor Marina To Reopen to Boat Owners on Tuesday
18 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A good news story tonight for berth holders in Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough. In a Notice to Mariners issued this evening (Monday 18th May), Harbour Master Kevin Baird has stated that it is planned to open Bangor Marina tomorrow,…
Northern Ireland’s Return To Angling Has Come ‘Out Of The Blue’ For Fisheries Staff, Says MLA
17 May 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A South Antrim MLA says fisheries staff in Northern Ireland have not been given enough time to prepare for the safe return of angling in the region, as the Belfast Telegraph reports. Alliance’s John Blair was responding to the decision…
