The latest news from Scottish and Northern Irish waters produced by Yachting Life & Afloat.
Harland & Wolff Awarded of Major Wind Turbine Generator Fabrication Contract
16 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Harland & Wolff, the iconic shipyard with over 160 years of maritime and offshore engineering pedigree has announced it has been awarded a contract by Saipem Limited for the fabrication and load-out of eight wind turbine generator (WTG) jacket foundations.…
Foyle Search & Rescue Upgrades Drone Programme to Include Thermal Imaging Device
14 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last month Foyle Search and Rescue announced the refresh and upgrade of its drone programme following a £39,000 donation from supporters in the local video games industry. It operates on the River Foyle, which flows through the City of Derry…
Donaghdee Finn Sailor McClelland Yet to Find Form at Euro Championships
14 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Donaghadee's Olympic campaigner Oisin McClelland has had a difficult start to the opening four races of the 2021 Open and U23 Finn European Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal and is currently placed in the bottom quarter of his 49-boat fleet. The…
Royal Ulster Yacht Club Racing Rules Refresh with Bill O'Hara
13 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In anticipation of an eagerly awaited easing of the Lockdown in Northern Ireland, and looking forward to a return to racing, the Royal Ulster Yacht Club Sailing Committee has arranged for Bill O'Hara, OBE, to lead a Zoom session to…
The Duke of Edinburgh's Links to Irish Sailing Were Many & Varied
13 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
When the Duke of Edinburgh died aged 99 on Friday, it took a while before the hundreds of public appreciations of his remarkable life began to mention the fact that sailing played a very important role in it. Yet although…
Dog Chasing Seagulls Ends Up With Coastguard Call Out at Portaferry
12 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Yesterday afternoon (11th April) Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Team had what turned out to be an Accident Prevention call out. At Cloughey on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula in Co Down, a dog had entered the water to chase…
Lough Neagh Solo Sailor Brought Back to Harbour at Kinnego Bay
12 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Lough Neagh Rescue was paged on the 9th April to the aid of a lone yachtsman whose vessel had engine difficulties just outside Kinnego Bay on the southern shore of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. On scene, the lifeboats found…
Update on Access to Waterways Ireland Navigations in Northern Ireland
9 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Following yesterday’s update on the upcoming easing of Level 5 restrictions on waterways in the Republic, Waterways Ireland has issued an advisory on access to navigations and availability of services in Northern Ireland. As in the rest of the island…
Stornoway Port Doubles Yacht Berths in £11m Investment in Newton Basin/Goat Island Development
9 April 2021 Scottish Waters
Stornoway Port Authority, the primary port for the Outer Hebrides on the West coast of Scotland, will significantly increase the number of available berths for visiting leisure craft. As part of the wider £11 million Newton Basin/Goat Island development, the…
Harland & Wolff Shipyard Celebrate 160 Year Anniversary
9 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Harland & Wolff, the national strategic asset, with four leading shipyards and fabrication facilities based in Belfast, Appledore, and Scotland is proud to be celebrating its 160th anniversary. Founded on April 11 1861 by Sir Edward James Harland and Gustav…
The PSNI has confirmed that a man's body was recovered from a river in Co Fermanagh after what is believed to have been a tragic jet ski accident, reports Belfast Live. The Emergency services attended the scene on the River…
Seven Taken to Safety From Guns Island by Portaferry RNLI & Coastguard Teams
5 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Team was paged on Saturday along with Newcastle Coastguard after a report that seven people were stranded by the tide on Guns Island, off the southeastern County Down coast near Ballyhornan. Two Coastguard Rescue officers in water…
Lough Neagh Rescue Tow Powerless Motor Cruiser Back to Ballyronan Marina
5 April 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Lough Neagh Rescue was called last Friday evening to a 24ft cruiser that had lost power. The vessel was located about 1.5 nautical miles to the east of Ballyronan on the west side of Lough Neagh. Lifeboats were launched and…
Coastguard and Lifeboat rescue teams have been extremely busy over the Easter Weekend and of course, answer distress calls without hesitation. But Belfast Coastguard Operations Centre has reported a hoax call. Both Bangor and Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Teams were tasked…
Larne RNLI Encourages Coastal Caution Over the Easter Holidays
31 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
With the Easter holidays now begun in Northern Ireland, Larne RNLI is encouraging anyone planning to visit the coast to know the risks to protect themselves and their families and to heed key sea safety advice. Larne RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat…
NI Surf Pro Al Mennie Battles Blaze on North Coast Beach
31 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland surfing pro Al Mennie was among the volunteers who joined fire fighters battling a gorse blaze on Castlerock Beach in Co Derry last night (Tuesday 30 March). As the Belfast Telegraph reports, 40-year-old Mennie was out catching the…
Compulsory Carriage of Flares by Recreational Boaters is Outdated Says RYA
29 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) in the UK has responded to a consultation, launched by the Department of Transport (DfT), on the disposal of pyrotechnic flares. The consultation sought views on the safe disposal of marine pyrotechnics, looking for a…
Licences Required to Deal with Cormorants Predating on Salmon Smolts in Northern Ireland, Loughs Agency Advises
28 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Loughs Agency says it shares its stakeholders’ concerns about the impact of cormorants predating on juvenile salmon during the annual smolt migration. Unlike other salmon predators, cormorants are a protected species under Article 4 of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland)…
Top Engineers Tasked with Evaluating Options for Irish Sea Road-Rail Crossing
28 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Two ex-presidents of the UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) have been tasked with carrying out a study on the feasibility of an Irish Sea crossing between Britain and Northern Ireland. As industry publication New Civil Engineer reports, Douglas Oakervee…
Enthusiastic Cockle Island Boat Club Prepares for April Lift-In of Boats at Groomsport
27 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
One of the smallest clubs in Northern Ireland, Cockle Island Boat Club at Groomsport on the North Down coast certainly isn't lacking in enthusiasm. A Lift - In of about 20 boats is planned for Thursday 15th April with a…
RYANI Gives Statement on Easing of Restrictions in Northern Ireland From 1 April
25 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The RYANI has broadly welcomed the news of easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland from 1 April, as announced last week by First Minister Arlene Foster. The sailing and boating body saidL: “This is very welcome news and follows…
IRC Two-Handed Division is Expected to be Big for RORC Season Opener
25 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The ‘stay at home’ rule in the UK will end on the 29th March allowing the Royal Ocean Racing Club to organise a Spring Series of racing in April and early May. With some government restrictions still in place, three…
River Class History Book Reprint Due to Demand
24 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, James Nixon's Strangford Lough Yacht Club's River Class history was published in December last and has proved so popular that a re-print of another 100 copies has been ordered. Already 50 of these have been…
Four Out of Five British Boat Owners May Quit Long-Term Cruising in EU Waters
24 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A survey carried out amongst Cruising Association (CA) members who keep their boats on the rivers and canals of Schengen countries has revealed that 80% are likely to sell their boats and give up cruising altogether, or move their base…
Seven Sailing Clubs in Northern Ireland Get Sports Sustainability Funding
23 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Seven sailing clubs in Northern Ireland have been awarded funding totalling £174,343 through the Department of Communities Sports Sustainability Fund. They are Ballyholme who got the largest sum at £49,138, Carlingford Lough - £3,957, Carrickfergus SC - £29,716, Down Cruising…
“It Could Easily Be You” Warn Those Who Have Been Rescued by HM Coastguard (Video)
23 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Coastguards across the UK are warning those planning to go anywhere near the coast or beaches over the Easter period to be on their guard. Conditions at sea or on coastal land can change very quickly and unexpectedly, making it…
Humboldt Penguins Arrive at Exploris Aquarium on Strangford Lough
23 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry on Strangford Lough has welcomed new residents. Fourteen Humboldt Penguins from the Curraghs Wildlife Park in the Isle of Man are settling well in their new home. Exploris illustrates and exhibits the large variety of animals…
RNLI Northern Ireland Lifeguards Ready for a Summer of ‘Staycations’
23 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The RNLI has been working with partners behind the scenes through the challenges of lockdown to recruit, train and prepare their lifeguards for what is expected to be another busy summer on Northern Ireland’s beaches. The charity will deliver their…
Northern Ireland Dinghy Sailors Battling for Final Spots at 2021 Olympic Games
22 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Three Northern Ireland sailors are all battling for a place at the Tokyo Olympic Regatta with qualification events taking place this week and in the next few weeks. Ryan Seaton, Oisin McClelland and Liam Glynn have been training for over…
49er Sailor Ryan Seaton Could Miss Birth of Child Trying to Qualify for Tokyo Olympics
21 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland Olympic sailor Ryan Seaton of Carrickfergus Sailing Club is set to miss the birth of his first child in his bid to reach the Olympic Games in Tokyo. As Afloat previously reported, Seaton and team-mate Seafra Guilfoyle along…
Britain's Round the Island Race Celebrates 90 Years on July 3
19 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Entries for the world-famous Round the Island Race opened at 00.01 this morning, 19 March. Organised by the much-respected Island Sailing Club, the Round the Island has always been one of the UK’s largest participation sporting events and regularly attracts…
RYA Northern Ireland Seek Further Clarity on Red Diesel Withdrawal from Recreational Boaters
16 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Royal Yachting Association of Northern Ireland (RYA Northern Ireland), together with British Marine and the Cruising Association, met yesterday with representatives from HM Revenue and Customs and HM Treasury to discuss the difficulties for private pleasure craft in Northern…
Newcastle RNLI Volunteers Return to the Water for Training Exercises
16 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The volunteer crew at Newcastle RNLI in Co Down returned to sea recently after normal training exercises had to be curtailed due to Covid-19. While the station has remained fully operational throughout the pandemic and volunteers have remained on call…
Where's the White Diesel? No Options for Leisure Boaters in Northern Ireland Says Cruising Association
16 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
From 30 June non-commercial vessels wishing to refuel in Northern Ireland must do so with white diesel. What’s the snag? There are no marine white diesel pumps in Northern Ireland, and demand is insufficient for commercial operators to make provision…
British Marine & RYA Highlight New Costs of Trading Second-Hand Boats Between the UK & EU
8 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Following the release of the UK - EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement British Marine and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) have been working to understand the impact of various aspects of the agreement on both the marine industry and recreational…
RNLI Carrybridge Tows Vessel with Engine Difficulties on Lough Erne
8 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Only a few days after Carrybridge RNLI which operates on Upper Lough Erne, received a generous donation from the Enniskillen Royal Boat Club, its Atlantic 85 Inshore lifeboat answered a shout yesterday (7th) to help a vessel with two people onboard…
Enniskillen Royal Boat Club Rowers Donate to Carrybridge RNLI on Lough Erne
7 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It’s 580 km from Malin Head to Mizen Head and this was the distance covered by members of the Enniskillen Royal Boat Club in a fund-raising virtual row in aid of the Carrybridge RNLI on Lough Erne and Action Mental…
RYA Northern Ireland Seeks Red Diesel Meeting With HM Customs
5 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Hundreds of recreational boat owners in Northern Ireland could be affected by an HM Treasury decision outlining that from June they will be required to use white diesel instead of red. As part of the Spring Budget announcement, the UK…
Northern Ireland recreational boaters will no longer be able to use red diesel for propelling their craft. This is despite the British Chancellor Rishi Sunak announcing on Wednesday, as Afloat reported here, that UK sailors will still be able to use…
Use of Red Diesel to be Maintained for all Commercial Boat Operators & for Private Pleasure Craft Users in Great Britain
3 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Use of red diesel will be maintained for all commercial boat operators and for private pleasure craft users in Great Britain following the UK's Spring Budget 2021 announcement. Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine called it a 'Red-letter day' for…
Reopening of the Marine Industry in England Begins with Covid Matrix Published
2 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Following the Prime Minister's announcement on Monday 22 February outlining the roadmap of when restrictions are likely to be eased across England, British Marine met with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to clarify the guidance specific…
Coastguard Teams in Mud & Water Rescue Training in Strangford Lough
1 March 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry Coastguard Rescue team was joined by the Bangor team for joint mud and water rescue training in Strangford Lough on Sunday, 28th February. The Dorn at Ardkeen was the location for the mud training. The word Dorn, from the…
Construction Stops on Northern Ireland’s Post-Brexit Port Inspection Facilities
27 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
NI’s Agriculture Minister has cited “practical difficulties” with the Northern Ireland Protocol in his decision to order a halt on construction of post-Brexit port inspection facilities. According to Politico, acting DAERA Minister Gordon Lyons has also told NI ports not…
Ireland's Eight America's Cup Challenges Are Now Remote History
27 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
When the "low black schooner" America won what was to become an historic race around the Isle of Wight on Friday 22nd August 1851 from a small fleet of varied English yachts, thereby winning a silver ewer which was eventually…
Virtual RYA Dinghy Show This Weekend Includes Irish Interest
26 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A full agenda of expert talks and coaching sessions is promised this weekend at the RYA Virtual RYA Dinghy Show, plus two exhibition halls hosting just over 100 exhibitors. The RYA has brought together world-class dinghy sailors and leading experts who'll…
RNLI are Recruiting Lifeguards for the Causeways Coast & County Down Beaches
25 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RNLI Portrush has posted that RNLI Lifeguards are recruiting and applications are open for 2021. If you have a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard qualification and are interested in joining a dynamic, well-trained team responsible for keeping beach users safe around…
Funding Available for UK Seabin Installation Worth Over £5,000
22 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Seabin Project is providing funding for a Seabin and its installation in the UK, ideally in the London area to support cleaning up the capital’s waterways. This funding package is worth over £5,000. An award-winning piece of technology, the…
Donaghadee Harbour Recreation Area Proposals Receive Mixed Response
21 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The opinion is divided in Donaghadee about the Ards and North Down Borough Council plans to create within the harbour a 'recreational area' outside of the inner portion but still within harbour limits. The recreational area would be a safe…
Strangford Lough Crime Thriller 'Bloodlands' Airs on BBC1
21 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Bloodlands is a new crime thriller following DCI Tom Brannick, played by Co Antrim born actor James Nesbitt and filmed in Northern Ireland, principally in Strangford Lough. It's a classic Jed Mercurio executive produced thriller written by Chris Brandon who…
June's Bangor Town Sailing Regatta on Belfast Lough is Cancelled
19 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland's biggest sailing event, Bangor Town Regatta, scheduled for June has been cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The Belfast Lough biennial event has sadly joined the queue of cancelled sailing events this year. Chairman of the BTR Organising…
Ireland-Scotland Rail & Road Link Across North Channel is on the Agenda Again
15 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The notion of a rail and possibly road tunnel linking Northern Ireland and Scotland is once again a matter of speculation, and a Discussion Paper will be published by the British Government “within weeks”. Eleven months ago, before Brexit had…
Canada Consults with NI Museum Records in Mission to Clean Oil Leak from Wreck of Belfast-Built Ship
15 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
An operation to clean up an oil leak from a shipwreck in Canadian waters has consulted archives in Northern Ireland where the vessel was built in the late 1940s. As the Belfast Telegraph reports, the MV Schiedyk sank in January…
RRS Sir David Attenborough off the North Coast of Ireland Today
15 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
If you're on the North Coast of Ireland today keep an eye out for the RRS Sir David Attenborough says RSPB Rathlin Island Reserve. This ship is the UK's brand new polar research vessel, and it will be off the…
As part of the Northern Ireland Science Festival this year, the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) is offering two Virtual Dives which will take you on an underwater journey above the seabed in Strangford Lough. The dates are…
Belfast Coastguard Rescue Team responded yesterday (8th February) to reports of a car which had left the road near Newtownards Sailing Club, just a few miles outside the town on the loughshore road to Portaferry There were three people inside.…
AheadAfter Clyde Cruising Club decided to move the Scottish Series to the Clyde for 2021, the CCC team is working on the race programme. And in a recent communication to those boat owners having registered interest, a 'location survey' asks…
Easterly Storm Damage at Annalong Harbour, Ulster's Last Schooner Port
7 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Annalong Harbour lies on the South Down coast with the Mourne Mountains' stunning backdrop and was famous as a centre of the herring industry. As reported by BBC News, it was also an export point for the famous Mourne Granite…[…]
UK Boaters Sailing EU Waters In for Strange Year, RYA Warns
7 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
“All sorts of strange things” will emerge this year for UK sailors in EU waters as post-Brexit issues remain to be ironed out. As Sailing Today reports, RYA cruising manager Stuart Carruthers has outlined some harsh truths for British boat…
Six Irish Sailors Appointed to World Sailing Committees
3 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As well as Ireland’s role at the top of World Sailing with Cork's Marcus Spillane elected as Vice President and Baltimore Sailing Club's Fiona Bolger on its council, six Irish sailors have been appointed to World Sailing Committees today and…
Tommy Watson was a popular senior member of the Down Cruising Club, known to many sailors in its hospitable home on the Lightship Petrel, which is permanently moored alongside – complete with pontoons – in the hidden anchorage of Ballydorn…
Portrush Lifeboat Launches to Surfers in Difficulty at East Strand
1 February 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI’s volunteers rescued two surfers who got into difficulty while surfing at Co Antrim’s East Strand earlier today (Monday 1 February). The inshore lifeboat launched before 1.30pm following a number of 999 calls to both the coastguard and the…
Scottish Series 2021 Moves Venue & Cancels Shoreside Entertainment In Bid to Stage Scotland's Biggest Sailing Event in May
31 January 2021 Scottish Waters
In order to protect the Scottish Series from another year of cancellation, the Clyde Cruising Club has stripped its May regatta right back to a racing event-based over multiple locations on the Clyde. In the face of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions,…
Queen's Parade on Bangor Seafront Set for Redevelopment
31 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Queen's Parade on the seafront in Bangor on Belfast Lough has been largely derelict for well over twenty years. But just this week the Ards and North Down Borough Council approved a £50m scheme for large scale redevelopment of the…
Irish Flying Fifteens Invited to the Clyde for UK National Championships
31 January 2021 Scottish Waters
Scottish club Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club is keen to recruit Irish Flying Fifteen entries for its staging of the UK National Championships from 24th - 27th June 2021. Ireland has a strong tradition of attending the UK event, particularly when…
Donaghadee Harbour 200th Birthday Celebrations Set for August
30 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Plans are afoot to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the building of the present harbour at Donaghadee, a small port on the north coast of County Down, but unearthing the Time Capsule, buried 24 feet below the pier during construction,…
Support Scheme for Scottish Marine Tourism Businesses Opens for Applications Next Week
28 January 2021 Scottish Waters
A £2.5m fund to help marine tourism businesses in Scotland restart operations in 2021 will be open for applications from next week, according to Marine Industry News. The Marine and Outdoor Tourism Restart Fund is part of an overall £104.3m…
Electric Foiling Workboat Concept Unveiled By Artemis Technologies
27 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Belfast Lough based Artemis Technologies has moved to the next phase in the development of its Artemis eFoilerTM electric propulsion system, announcing plans to launch a technology demonstrator in 2021. Announced by Artemis Technologies COO, Prof. Mark Gillan, during a…
Ongoing Restrictions Means Clyde Cruising Club to Discuss May's 2021 Scottish Series Regatta - 95 Boats Already Entered
27 January 2021 Scottish Waters
Following the earliest ever opening of registration for the Clyde Cruising Club's Scottish Series 2021, ninety-five boats had entered by Monday last for the event scheduled for 28th till 31st May at Tarbert on Loch Fyne in South West Argyll,…
Donaghadee Lifeboat Takes Ill Seaman off Cargo Ship at Mouth of Belfast Lough
25 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Saturday (23rd) Donaghadee's Trent class lifeboat, Saxon, with RNLI Doctor Andrew Jackson on board answered a call by HM Coastguard to attend a cargo ship at the mouth of Belfast Lough. Donaghadee lies on the north County Down coast…
Paul Rowan was a renowned member of the GP14 class, a staunch supporter of East Antrim Boat Club at Larne and a talented helmsman sadly passed away on Saturday (23rd Jan). Paul was a highly successful sailor despite carrying a…
Ocean Cruising Club Award for Solo One-Armed Sailor Gary Crothers of Derry
24 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) has awarded Northern Ireland one-armed solo sailor Garry Crothers its 2020 Seamanship Award. Despite a pandemic raging throughout the year, the OCC found numerous achievements to recognise in the cruising world including the Derry sailor's summertime transatlantic…
SoundYard Added to Belfast's Maritime Heritage Experience
22 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Maritime Mile is an initiative developed by Maritime Belfast Trust and is a curated experience that connects and celebrates Belfast's vibrant heritage waterfront. It was set up originally to deliver the Titanic Belfast Visitor attraction and now includes many…
Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Review Advocates Marine Co-operation - But No Mention of Rockall
22 January 2021 Scottish Waters
A newly published Ireland-Scotland bilateral review advocates economic co-operation in areas including the marine and renewable energy. However, the issue of Rockall is not mentioned, although access flared up as an issue in early January when a Donegal vessel was…
Andrew 'Hammy' Baker Elected New Irish Flying Fifteen Class President
20 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Flying Fifteen Association of Ireland (FFAI) hosted their delayed AGM on the Zoom platform last Wednesday night (13th Jan) with a virtual attendance from Dun Laoghaire, Strangford Lough and Dunmore East and, refreshingly, Galway, where there is a significant…
Belfast Coastguard Alerted to Car on Portaferry Shore
14 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Portaferry Coastguard Rescue team was alerted by Belfast Coastguard yesterday to attend the scene of a serious incident when a car had left the Portaferry Road near Newtownards and ended up on the shore. The road which runs from…
Fresh Seafood Deliveries from Scotland to EU Stopped Amid Post-Brexit Backlog
13 January 2021 Scottish Waters
A crisis in Scotland’s fishing industry since the end of the Brexit transition period has only worsened as a leading logistics provider has called a halt to deliveries of fresh seafood to the EU amid a raft of delays. As…
Bangor RNLI's Safety Man Peter Bullick Awarded Long Service Medal
12 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Peter Bullick is well known in sailing circles in Northern Ireland and has long been a familiar face associated with volunteering for the RNLI. He enjoys cruising to the west coast of Scotland and has ventured as far as St…
The Scottish shipyard that was contracted to build a pair of duel-fuel ferries, Ferguson Marine is being closed down for a week with immediate effect. Bosses say they have temporarily closed their Port Glasgow yard and Greenock warehouse with immediate effect.…
RYA Postpones April's 2021 Youth National Championships
11 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Royal Yachting Association has decided that in light of the current Covid-19 situation it is in the best interests of all parties to postpone its 2021 British Youth Sailing National Championships. The regatta, the UK’s premier youth racing event,…
Lough Neagh Rescue Warns Over Dangers of Jumping Through Frozen Ice
10 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Extremely low temperatures in Northern Ireland (it was -10.5 degrees in Katesbridge in County Down) caused many waterways and lakes and even Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough to ice over. Lough Neagh Rescue has reported that it received many calls…
Restrictions on where Northern Ireland Fishing Boats Can Land Catch Has Created a 'Hard Border'
8 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The BBC has reported that fishermen in the north-west are saying that Post-Brexit restrictions on where Northern Ireland boats can land their catch in the Republic of Ireland have "created a hard border on the island", A new Irish government…
Coastguard Discovers Dolphin Washed Up on Crawfordsburn Beach, Belfast Lough
7 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Wednesday (January 6th) Bangor Coastguard Team answered a report of a cetacean washed up on Crawfordsburn Beach on Belfast Lough. It was identified on social media as a Common Dolphin and it was suggested that the find should be…
Young Northern Ireland Sailors Awarded Funding by Mary Peters Trust
6 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Five young sailors have been given a unique chance to boost their training and skills after they were awarded funding from the Mary Peters Trust. The Trust aims to help aspiring young athletes, whatever their sport or social background, to…
Early One Design Class Interest in July's New Format Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Strong
6 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A positive 25 one design entries received so far into ten divisions of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2021 has been welcomed by organisers as the combined Dun Laoghaire clubs regatta rolls out its new COVID-compliant format event that splits the…
Lough Erne Sea Plane Tenders To Feature on BBC NI Newsline Tonight
2 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Lough Erne Yacht Club on the Lower Lough is situated about six miles north of Enniskillen on Goblusk Bay and occupies a former WW2 RAF site built in 1941 for Catalina Flying Boats. It has the enviable facility of being…
GP14 Ventura – Another Classic Dinghy Soon to be Back Afloat
1 January 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Think of the GP14 class in Ireland and among those uppermost in your mind, (depending on your age!) would be the late Ernie Mawhinney's Ventura, one of the earliest in the class at number 796. Ventura means 'fortune, chance or…
Irish Olympic Finn Sailor & Race Officer Bill O'Hara Awarded OBE in New Year's Honours List
31 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Among those in the New Years Honours List for 2021 is Bangor, County Down man Bill O'Hara who has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to Sailing. A long-time member of Ballyholme and Royal Ulster…
100-Year-Old River Class History is Published
30 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
John McVea, class captain of the now 100-year-old River Class which sails regularly at Strangford Lough Yacht Club, had been looking forward to a 2020 season of centenary celebrations. Covid 19 put paid to that, but one achievement which has…
Scottish Sailing Tourism to Get a Boost from Restart Funding Scheme
29 December 2020 Scottish Waters
Scotland’s struggling aquatic tourism sector is set to be boosted by a £2.5m pandemic support package from the devolved government, as Marine Industry News reports. Sail Scotland and Wild Scotland have secured the £2.5m restart grant scheme aimed at supporting…
The Name of the Late Don Clarke of Strangford Lough Yacht Club Will be on the New Clifden Lifeboat
27 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It's a long way from Whiterock on Strangford Lough to Clifden in County Galway where the new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat will be stationed in 2022. It will be the second such vessel to be part of the charity's 'Launch…
Oysters’ Return to Belfast Lough Surprises Scientists
27 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Marine scientists have been baffled by the unexpected return of wild oysters to Belfast Lough, as the Guardian reports. The threatened shellfish species was last recorded in the Northern Ireland lough in the late 1800s before overfishing destroyed the native population.…
New Lease of Life for 32-Year-Old GP14 Dinghy in Restoration Project
26 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Nigel McNeely was a motorboat man who had also enjoyed sailing a Leisure 17. But with two young boys reaching the age at which they could learn to sail, Nigel bought a second-hand GP14 called Alchemellia (no 12819) originally owned…
Single-Handers Race for Christmas Regatta Honours at East Antrim Boat Club
24 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Seventeen single-handers took advantage of a favourable day on Sunday last (20th) to hold a Christmas Regatta at East Antrim Boat Club on Larne Lough before the shut down in Northern Ireland on Boxing Day. The fleet consisted of two…
2021 British Topper Nationals Heads for Ballyholme Yacht Club Next July
24 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough will host the British Topper Nationals, scheduled for early August next year, a few days after the World Championships in Cork Harbour. With the Irish Nationals in Northern Ireland at Strangford Lough Yacht Club in…
Cadet Sailing Event at Ballyholme Before New COVID Restrictions Begin in Northern Ireland
23 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Thirty young sailors managed a final outing at Ballyholme yesterday (December 22nd) before Covid 19 restrictions would put paid to their activities at the Club for six weeks. And the event was blessed with a bright sunny day, albeit with…
Lough Neagh Tourism Projects get €66k Funding Commitment
23 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has agreed funding of £66,000 for tourism projects by the Lough Neagh Partnership over the next three years, as the News Letter reports. Current projects at the north end of Lough Neagh include a new…
Northern Ireland Marinas to Close From December 26 in Covid-19 Clampdown
22 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
From 26 December Northern Ireland marinas will close and all sport including sailing event an elite level must stop the Northern Ireland Executive has ruled. In response to the significant challenges facing the health service due to the Covid-19 pandemic,…
Larne Harbour is Base for 'MPI Resolution', World's First Purpose-Built Vessel for Offshore Wind Turbine Installation
21 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Larne Harbour on the east coast of Antrim in Northern Ireland is currently the base for the MPI Resolution, the world's first purpose-built vessel for installing offshore wind turbines, foundations, and transition pieces. The ship is working out of Larne…
East Antrim Boat Club Appoints Lucy Whitford as Commodore
21 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
East Antrim Boat Club in Larne has appointed Lucy Whitford as Commodore, only the third lady in the Club's 70-year history to enjoy that position. The others were Lilian Stewart and Anne Morris. Although Lucy is a regular sailor, and…
RYA Northern Ireland’s 2021 Cruising Conference Goes Virtual
19 December 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The countdown is on for the virtual RYA Northern Ireland Cruising Conference 2021, which will take place online over three separate evenings in the new year. The conference, which will be hosted via Zoom, will run on Tuesdays 19 and…
