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<\/a>The event started informally in Coosan for IWAI Athlone and in Carrick-on-Shannon\u00a0for IWAI Carrick with a social gathering. The official start of the\u00a0Rally\u00a0was in Lanesboro. \u00a0The opening cheese and wine reception and ecumenical service was held in a marquee on the boardwalk and the boaters were very impressed with the amazing facilities developed by the Ballyleague Development Association. Many commented that it was a balmy evening and it felt like summer in Paris along the Seine.<\/p>\nThe next day the local community organised a food and craft fair with all proceeds going to Cancer Care. The\u00a0Rally\u00a0actively participated and raised over \u20ac300 for Cancer Care and supported the locals community effort. The following morning to mark and celebrate the Balleague\u2019s community’s projects all the children on the\u00a0Shannon Boat Rally\u00a0planted a tree on the green area and dedicated it to all the environmental initiatives of the community.<\/p>\n
Our next destination was Portrun and to reach our mooring place, all the boats travelled in convoy through the Steamer Channel. This is not marked on the general charts. This area has been electronically surveyed in 2012 and\u00a02016\u00a0by the Charts Special Interest Group, an IWAI group of people who have come together to produce accurate charts of our waterways and distribute the digital charts for all parties interested on our waterways. For any boater on the Shannon Boat Rally using the steamer channel for the first time, this was an adventure. This channel is the line that commercial barges used in the 19th and early 20th centuries.<\/p>\n The local Portrun community have spent considerable time and efforts in making their area beautiful. Some of them joined us for our coffee morning and skippers briefing. At our Portrun coffee morning we launched\u00a0The Mid-Shannon\u00a0Waterway:<\/b>\u00a0A pictorial book of designated and tranquil moorings.<\/i>\u00a0by Donal Boland (James & Mary).\u00a0The book contains details of 10 designated moorings and a further 20 tranquil moorings which can be visited between Athlone and Portumna. This is a book any boater would love to have and reminds us of how tranquil and secluded the river\u00a0Shannon\u00a0is and we hope it will encourage more visitors to our waterways. \u00a0Huge congratulations goes to all the small communities along the river\u00a0Shannon\u00a0and Lough Ree who work hard at maintaining their waterway amenity that will certainly attract boaters, walkers and other activities to their community.<\/p>\n Our next destination was Hodson Bay. We held events in the Hodson Bay Hotel and in Athlone Golf Club. \u00a0Both responded very generously in hosting our events. Both are amazing facilities on the shores of Lough Ree and with the advent of Baysports this destination was very popular with all the families on the\u00a0Rally. The only complaint from our boating visitors was the disappointing state of the car park since the winter flooding. Much of the black daub silt from the flooding is still in the carpark and is hazardous. We understand Roscommon County Council have plans in train for the Roadway and carpark and we look forward to seeing these implemented.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Rally\u00a0then sailed to Lough Ree Yacht Club and used the club for our base for the next two days for all our competitions and activities. We were treated to a sneak preview of Dr. Harmon’s new book on historic places to visit in and around Lough Ree. This guide book is nearing completion and we look forward to its publication.<\/p>\n The RNLI visited the\u00a0Rally\u00a0and provided an afternoon checking life jackets and the gas mechanisms that help the life belts automatically inflate if you fall into the water. Fifty five people have drowned in our waterways this year and the RNLI are working closely with the Inland Waterways Association to promote safety on the water. This is a message close to our hearts and a campaign we are happy to support.<\/p>\n Boaters on the\u00a0rally\u00a0enjoyed two very enjoyable nights in the yacht club with a fancy dress competition and a talent competition. All agreed that it was as much fun for those that took part as it was for those in the audience. During the day we participated in our commando competition for all those obstacle course lovers where teams of six both young and not so young pitted their skills against one another. The next event required a strict dress code of white and green. All those attending the\u00a0rally\u00a0were asked to dress in green tee shirts and the organising committee dressed in white tee shirts. We attempted to replicate the Inland Waterways flag by people power. This was captured in drone footage by Paul Larkin and we all had great fun forming and reforming the flag and making it appear to blow in the wind. This drone coverage is temporarily available on YouTube under IWAI 56th\u00a0Shannon\u00a0Boat\u00a0Rally.<\/p>\n Our next adventure was the highlight of the\u00a0boat\u00a0Rally\u00a0as we formed a Rosette on water in Ballykeeran Lough with our boats and anchored out for the night. They weather was beautiful and we used the centre of the circle for swimming races, canoeing races and splashing about. This was also captured by Paul Larkin with drone footage. The coverage is very spectacular and we are happy to make this footage available to the Athlone Municipal District for promotion of the\u00a0Shannon.<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n