Safety always comes first on the water. Whether you are racing, cruising or enjoying a day sail, your first priority should always be protecting yourself, your crew and your vessel. Floating or lost fishing gear such as nets, ropes, pot lines and sections of trawl gear can present a serious hazard to yachts and motor vessels. Entanglement can disable a boat by fouling the propeller or rudder, potentially leaving a crew without manoeuvrability at a critical moment. Even near misses can provide valuable information that helps improve safety for everyone using our waters.
Irish Sailing are encouraging sailors to report not only entanglements, but also sightings of drifting or poorly marked fishing gear. Every report helps build a clearer picture of where these hazards are most commonly found. Information is recorded anonymously and mapped to help raise awareness across the sailing community. Consistent reporting, even of isolated sightings, contributes to long-term data that can help drive improvements and inform future discussions around safer marking of fishing gear. Reports should include the location, date, time, weather conditions and, where possible, photographs of the hazard.
Irish Sailing encourages all sailors to play their part in helping improve safety on the water. By reporting hazards responsibly, we can help protect fellow sailors, other water users and the fishing community, while contributing to safer navigation for everyone. Most importantly, remember that no piece of equipment is worth risking lives for. Prioritise the safety of your crew, secure your vessel if an incident occurs, and seek assistance if required before making a report once safely ashore.