An Irishman's boating diary
Picking Up A Mooring Buoy singlehanded or with a crew needn’t be difficult. When I first tried picking up a mooring buoy I got it completely wrong. But now I know the right way when picking up a mooring ball or buoy. It’s not at all difficult, and this video makes it so easy.
Oh PS: If you would like to buy our book “Driftwood from the Shannon to the Marne” the story of our sea journey from Ireland to the French canals, follow this link: https://www.driftwood.tv/shop and thank you.
The best boating Europe has to offer is here in Ireland. The River Shannon is probably the best boating in Europe. With dozens of beautiful lakes, free moorings, only 6 locks in 365Klm of river. It’s clearly the best Boating Europe has to offer. Oh did I mention the fishing, the great food and the Guinness too?
The winter of 20/21 has been the longest on record, or at least it seems that way. Boating has not been an option, but at least the end is in sight now. Meanwhile this is what we’ve been up to.
I think that we may have been in lockdown for too long, and that this is the sort of thing that can happen as a result! Hope you enjoy it 😉 H&M
Victron Inverter Charger Installation on a boat or RV. Just how useful is a Victron Inverter Charger? How can an inverter charger install make your off grid life more comfortable? How easy is it to fit one? Here’s a step by step guide.
Winter boating on the River Shannon, and we take a look at the Bord Na Mona light railway. Soon this railway will be no more and will disappear into history. Lets hope that we have preserved a little bit of it here to jog those memories.
It may help to love them more or loath them less if you understand the science behind their users: You see it’s all about sex. Read on and you’ll see why!
In Strokestown in Co Roscommon there is a large population of beautiful Peacocks. These magnificent birds wander about the town as if they own the place. But what a sight it is to see one of them displaying their full train of feathers.
It certainly is an impressive sight. And so it should be too, after all it is intended to impress. Not to impress you or me but to impress the female Peahens. You see the male Peacock is just trying to attract a mate.
So what has that to do with jet skis? Well maybe you’re starting to get the picture now. You see there is a very good reason why the young male jet skiers, doesn’t strut his stuff where he can’t be seen.
Oh no, Jet skiers almost always, don their tightfitting rubber suits, and display their skill wherever there is an audience. Like a marina, or just that quiet mooring that, up until now, you were enjoying. In much the same way as the Peacock only displays his train of feathers when there is a suitable female about.
As the Jet skier bounces about creating ever bigger and bigger splashes he is, (maybe on some subconscious level) trying to impress the female of his species.
If successful, the jet skier will mate with a suitable admirer and produce offspring that will themselves one day strut their stuff outside a marina on their own jet ski. 😉
Boating in Ireland isn’t only for the summer months. Cruising the Shannon river in Ireland is always a haphazard affair when it comes to the weather. But boating on the river Shannon is one of the few holidays you can enjoy even in poor weather. So join us as we go boating in Ireland in autumn.
On Tuesday 27th-Sep-20 Virgin Media One contacted us to ask if they could use footage from the Driftwood Boat Blog in a feature they were doing on the Six O’Clock Show that evening. The feature was about the River Shannon and we were delighted to allow them to use the footage. We were also very honoured that they felt our video was up to TV standards and so we gave ourselves a wee pat on the back!!!
A Shannon River Cruise to Richmond Harbour at the Royal Canal terminus. A chance to discover some new locations to explore the next time you go on a Shannon river cruise. The river Shannon is a boaters paradise with hundreds of little ‘off channel’ locations to discover. We’ll go through a number of Shannon River locks and a some smaller ones on the Royal Canal too. Join us on one of the best river Shannon cruises ever.
The Shannon Pot in Co Cavan is not just the source of the river Shannon, it’s the source of many legends and stories too. People have visited the Shannon Pot since it was first discovered by ancient man. The Celts believed that the pot was a portal to the spirit world and that it was home to the “Salmon of Knowledge”. Even the River Shannon itself owes its name to this mystical place.
Join us on a super Shannon River cruise to Kilglass Lough, one of the famed Carnadoe lakes. There is a narrow passage in the reeds on the western shore of Lough Boderg that leads you on a wonderful Shannon River cruise of discovery, filled with reed lined, un-spoilt natural beauty. This is a special place, reserved only for the boater who is prepared to take the time to go off the main Shannon River in search of timeless tranquillity. This is probably one of the best river cruises in Europe. So treat yourself by joining us on this River Shannon cruise to Kilglass Lough