Floating pot marker rope as seen in Clew Bay

Discarded and lost fishing gear remains a serious and often invisible hazard for cruising sailors in Irish and nearby waters. A recent near‑miss in the St George’s Channel, when viewed alongside a previous Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) investigation off the West Cork coast, underlines how quickly these encounters can escalate and how critical early, practical responses can be. 

In the early hours of Wednesday 4 March, a cruising yacht was motoring north in very light winds in the St George’s Channel, en route from Milford Haven in Wales towards Bangor, Co Down. At just before 1 am, approximately midway between Wicklow Head and Bardsey Island (position 52°51.16’N 005°17.85’W), the crew felt a sudden thump, and the engine stopped immediately. While the engine would run in neutral, it could not be engaged in gear, indicating that something had fouled the saildrive. In darkness, all that was visible was a long “tail” trailing astern. With only light winds but relatively settled conditions, the crew were able to continue under sail at around 3-4 knots through the water, with reduced speed over the ground due to the tide. 

It was not until daylight and later arrival in Greystones Marina that the scale of the problem became clear. What had initially appeared to be a stray line was in fact the cod‑end of a trawl net, over 10 metres long and more than 3 metres wide, wrapped around the saildrive. A tow was required for the final approach to the harbour, and the yacht was safely secured later that afternoon. 

More here on Afloat

The attached document details all the changes and includes a map of where the CG stations are located and their respective working channels. This document is worth printing out and keeping in the boat’s chart table.

Photo and document credit Irish Coast Guard.

• Map of Ireland with new Coast Guard Channels. Print this out and keep it on your boat for when needed. Click here to download
• Marine Notice No 61 with all the related information. Click here to download

Hts = High Transmission site

Note: Channel 16 is not affected by these changes. Channel 67 is also available when required but may not be actively monitored at all times.

30,000 pleasure boats transit the Gibraltar Straits every year and 130 boats a year have a close encounter with an orca along the way. About 25 boats a year suffer significant rudder damage.

Ocean Cruising Club Member and Connecticut Port Officer, Bob Osborn, was welcomed to the Gibraltar Straits by a pod of orca in the summer of ’25. Within a few minutes he lost both his hydrovane rudder and 1/3rd of his main rudder. In this Webinar Bob interviews Rui Alves who runs the Orca reporting website orcas.pt. Bob describes his orca encounter, and Rui explains the statistics, the behaviour and how best to avoid and respond to attacks.

Links and Attachments

• Link to Webinar Recording

The Centenary of the Irish Cruising Club will not occur until 2029, but during the past year and more, Commodore Alan Markey and his energetic and effective management team have been guiding and leading this “homeless” sailing organisation in an impressive and efficient high-achieving style that merits special recognition here and now.

Alan Markey, Commodore of the Irish Cruising Club. The challenge of smoothly running such a diverse organisation clearly involves periods of serious thought. Photo: ICC

The “Sailing Club of the Year” is an informal contest which has been on the go in one form or another since 1979, and since 1986 – 40 years now – it has been under the umbrella of the Frank Keane Motor Group. The contemporary support of the Group’s totally-electric MG Motor marque is particularly appropriate for an award announcement this morning for an organisation whose members’ many activities place a high emphasis on a strong level of environmental awareness and protection. And their mode of voyaging across the high seas and along interesting coastlines is one of the longest-established examples of the regular use of renewable energy.

Continue reading in Afloat here

The latest “Sailing Club of the Year” was a world leader in gender equality

The mood of McIntyre Golden Globe entrants and managers who met for the first time over two days in Les Sables d’Olonne was a mix of excitement, emotion and pure passion. There was an air of urgency and apprehension for some. For the first time it hit all in attendance that this grand adventure is really happening, and soon! The sailors from 13 countries, including Ireland’s Pat Lawless, are all at different stages of preparedness. Some busy in refit or sailing could only attend by Zoom. There were many questions amongst each other, with the organisers and within themselves! Already nine of the original entrants have withdrawn their entry, beaten by time and money. The 26 remaining look strong, but it is still a battle to meet the strict qualifying and training requirements in this initial “Race to the Start”.

Click here to read more:
https://mailchi.mp/mcintyreadventure/2026-golden-globe-race-two-years-to-go-10343629

A product of the Tory Island School of Painting. Jim Dixon’s 1967 impression of Wallace Clark’s Wild Goose arriving in the old harbour on Tory Island

Is this an answer to one of your many Christmas present problems? Admittedly, with an auction guide price of €6,000 to €8000 at Whyte’s Auctioneers in Dublin, December 1st, 2025, this nautically-themed primitive work from Jim Dixon of the Tory Island school of naïve painting founded by Derek Hill would not be regarded by most of us as a cheap and cheerful solution to the Christmas challenge.

But when we remember that it might go up in value over the years, and add to that the fact that it combines so many narrative threads, then it might even qualify for the elite category of “Christmas Present for Myself”.

Please click here for more of this story by WM Nixon for Afloat:
https://afloat.ie/port-news/island-news/item/69513-tory-island-painting-brings-many-threads-together

The charity is now taking bookings for its range of voyages. Most of the charity’s voyages have generous funding available to reduce the cost to those who may not be able to avail of the opportunity because of their circumstances.

A key aim of the organisation is that the opportunity is open to all abilities. Success in this objective is demonstrated by the fact that 30% of participants in 2024 and 2025 had a disability or additional need of some kind.

We are deeply grateful to all our sponsors and supporters. Their generosity transforms lives. Without them, we simply could not provide the access or impact that defines the charity’s work. Every voyage we run, every young person we support, is made possible by their belief in what we do.

The 2026 voyage calendar is now live, and early booking is encouraged as places quickly fill each year. Bookings can be made on the Sail Training Ireland website on the following link: https://www.sailtrainingireland.com/voyages/

Cillian Dickson from Lough Ree Yacht Club and Louis Mulloy from Mayo Sailing Club, tell Dermot how five friends, one boat and 6 years of hard work has resulted in becoming world champions.

Click here to hear the clip
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22556699

Mr. Furey’s estate is now in the process of commemorating this landmark by establishing a permanent home for his boatbuilding papers at Roscommon County Library. To this end, such relevant materials as remained in Mr. Furey’s cottage following his June 2020 death aged 94 are now being permanently lodged with the library for cataloguing. The ultimate objective is an easily accessible resource where young talents wishing to follow in the master boatbuilder’s footsteps can learn from and be inspired by his life’s work.

Despite being almost entirely self-taught, Jimmy Furey clinker-built more than 20 Shannon One Design (SOD) dinghies between the early-1970s and mid-2000s.

Jimmy also made detailed scale models

“While Jimmy was opposed to the idea of any kind of formal museum display, he would have been delighted to see his expertise being used to energize future generations of craftsmen and women”, said a spokesperson for the estate.

Watch the 1988 RTÉ documentary which showcases the meticulous craftsmanship of building a Shannon One Design sailboat. The builder, a farmer and fisherman, combines traditional techniques with precise measurements. Witness the detailed process, from selecting timber to the final launch, in this captivating Irish craft tradition. https://youtu.be/0meQiENR4zA

To ensure the success of this initiative, the estate is now seeking the support of individuals or the various yacht clubs and sailing/modelmaking associations with which the late boatbuilder was affiliated. Given the high regard in which Mr. Furey was held in such circles, it is hoped those in possession of suitable additional materials will consider either permanently donating or loaning their items to the library for scanning.

Interested parties, eager to learn more, or who have ideas that could help put still more wind in this meaningful project’s sails, should email: JimmyFureyCentenary@gmail.com or call/text: 089 200 4349.