Seatruck Precision | Seatruck Ferries

By: Steven Tarbox
Date:
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SEATRUCK PRECISION makes her way along the River Mersey from Cammell-Laird to Langton Lock, Liverpool. 5th September 2018. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr.
SEATRUCK PRECISION makes her way along the River Mersey from Cammell-Laird to Langton Lock, Liverpool. 5th September 2018. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr.

Seatruck Precision overview

SEATRUCK PRECISION‘s sister-ship SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE has moved to her own dedicated page here.

Design and Construction

SEATRUCK PRECISION is a freight only ferry which was designed and built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) specifically to operate into Heysham port on behalf of Seatruck Ferries. 

Due to the size of Heysham harbour, larger ships can not operate there, however the industry trend has been for vessels to get larger to increase efficiency.  This severely restricted the number of vessels which could operate within Heysham’s confines.  

As a result Seatruck Ferries and their parent Clipper Group were forced to commission a bespoke design in order to grow their business without the inefficiency and ongoing costs of adding additional vessels

3D model of the FSG class. Courtesy of Seatruck Ferries.
3D model of the FSG class. Courtesy of Seatruck Ferries.

Built as SEATRUCK PRECISION but renamed STENA PRECISION in 2012 as a consequence of her charter to Stena Line, she is one of four identical “Roro 2200” design sister ships (known as the FSG class) designed and built for Seatruck by the Flensburger shipyard in Germany. 

The class is designed specifically to maximise space for vehicles inside their restricted size, whilst maintaining a shallow draught due to the harbour at Heysham being quite shallow (in fact the harbour needs to be dredged often in order to prevent it from becoming silted up).  

YouTube video

Due to the way they are designed the Seatruck “FSG-Class” can carry 20% more freight.  Furthermore they consume 10% less fuel than the ships they replaced for Seatruck at Heysham (the P-series).  To achieve this the vessels are designed with four full-height freight decks instead of the more usual three.

SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE at Harland & Wolff's Ship Repair Quay 07.09.12, just prior to joining sister SEATRUCK PRECISION (behind) in dry dock for repainting and renaming for Stena Line service. Copyright © Scott Mackey.
SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE at Harland & Wolff’s Ship Repair Quay 07.09.12, just prior to joining sister SEATRUCK PRECISION (behind) in dry dock for repainting and renaming for Stena Line service. Copyright © Alan Geddes.

Stena Line Charter

From September 2012 until the end of August 2018 SEATRUCK PRECISION and sister-ship SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE were chartered to Stena Line for use on the Belfast to Heysham route.  Renamed STENA PRECISION and STENA PERFORMER they replaced STENA HIBERNIA and STENA SCOTIA which had less freight capacity, however in later years STENA HIBERNIA swapped routes with STENA PRECISION so the latter could increase capacity on the Belfast to Birkenhead link operating alongside STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY as the third-ship instead of the former.

Stena Precision, approaching Belfast. From Stena Nordica. Copyright © Steven Tarbox
STENA PRECISION, approaching Belfast. From STENA NORDICA. Copyright © Steven Tarbox

Return to Seatruck Service

On the 19th June 2018 Seatruck Ferries confirmed speculation that STENA PRECISION and STENA PERFORMER would return to them at the end of their charter period at the end of August.  On the 23rd August STENA PERFORMER entered the dry-dock at Cammell-Laird in Birkenhead, emerging on Tuesday 28th August renamed SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE and in full Seatruck Livery.  

In the meantime STENA SCOTIA replaced her on the Belfast to Heysham route having transferred from the North Sea, re-joining STENA HIBERNIA on her former route.  STENA PRECISION made her final crossing from Belfast to Birkenhead on Friday 24th August ’18.  After discharging her load early in the following morning as usual she made her way to the wet basin at Cammell-Laird, Birkenhead. 

STENA PRECISION, May 2017. Copyright © Scott Mackey
STENA PRECISION, May 2017. Copyright © Scott Mackey

On 31st August Seatruck Ferries posted a photograph to Facebook showing that painting had taken place alongside with her port side displaying her former name SEATRUCK PRECISION.  At around lunchtime the same day she finally made her way to Dry-Dock 5 at the same yard for her post-charter dry docking and transformation to be completed

SEATRUCK PRECISION undergoing repainting into Seatruck colours, alongside at Cammell-Laird Birkenhead 31.08.18. Seatruck Ferries.
SEATRUCK PRECISION undergoing repainting into Seatruck colours, alongside at Cammell-Laird Birkenhead 31.08.18. Seatruck Ferries.

STENA PRECISION was replaced on the Belfast to Liverpool (Birkenhead) service by STENA FORERUNNER, increasing freight capacity on that route by around 10%.  SEATRUCK PRECISION will replace the smaller “P-Class” vessel CLIPPER PENNANT on the Warrenpoint to Heysham route.  As a consequence of the arrival of SEATRUCK PRECISION and SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE Seatruck’s capacity on the Warrenpoint to Heysham service will increase by 30%.

STENA PRECISION becoming SEATRUCK PRECISION again in Cammel Laird dry-dock 5 after almost 6 years in Stena Line colours. September 1st 2018. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr.
STENA PRECISION becoming SEATRUCK PRECISION again in Cammel Laird dry-dock 5 after almost 6 years in Stena Line colours. September 1st 2018. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr.

Deck Plan

There is no deck plan currently available on NI Ferry Site, however we hope to add it in the near future.

A Look Inside: SEATRUCK PRECISION (as STENA PRECISION)

Seatruck Performance Technical Data

 

Seatruck FSG Class side profile drawing. Copyright © Steven Tarbox.
Seatruck FSG Class side profile drawing. Copyright © Steven Tarbox.

NAME

SEATRUCK PRECISION

IMO Number

9506239

Design

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft

(FSG Roro 2200)

Building Yard

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), Flensburg, Germany

Hull Number

752

Year Completed

2012

Owner

Seatruck Ferries clipper group logo Seatruck Ferries Ltd
(Clipper Group)

Operator

Seatruck Ferries clipper group logo Seatruck Ferries Ltd

Classification

DNV GL Det Norske Veritas

+1A1, General Cargo Carrier Ro-Ro, E0, DG-P, TMON

In service (original)

10th July 2012
(Liverpool – Dublin)

In service (Stena Line)

September 2012 – 25th August 2018

Call sign

2FM18

Length overall

142m

Beam

25m

Draft

5.2m

Gross Tonnage

19,772

Machinery

  • MAN logo 2 x MAN 7L48/60-CR main engines – 8,000 kW each
  • MAN logo 2 x MAN-Alpha VBS1180 propellers – 4.30 metres diameter
  • MHI logo 2 x Mitsubishi S12R-M(P)TA gensets – 840 kW each
  • Wartsila logo 2 x Wartsila CT200 bow thrusters – 1,000 kW each
  • 2 x twist flow full spade rudders with Costa bulb
  • MAN logo 1 x MAN D2866 LE203 11.9l emergency diesel generator engine
  • Flume tank stabilisation system

Power(Max/Pme  @ 75%)

16,000kW/12,000kW

Speed (Max/Operational)

21kts/18-20kts

Fuel consumption

63.59t/day @ 21kts (90% MCR)

Capacity

12 drivers in 6 double berth cabins.

21 crew (max 22 in 21 single crew cabins + 1 spare cabin).

Weather deck: 564 lm – open

Upper deck: 665 lm – 5.30 metres free height

Main deck: 661 lm – 5.30 metres free height

Tanktop deck: 276 lm – 5.00 metres free height

2,166 lane metres total

Cargo Access

Stern loading only (main deck)

Fixed ramp from Main Deck to Tank top – 4.0 m wide (Total length of ramp cover – 48.7 m)
Fixed internal ramp from Main Deck to Upper Deck – 6.5m wide
Fixed ramp from Upper Deck to Weather Deck – 4.0 m wide

Flag

Isle of man flag red ensign Isle of Man [UK 2nd Register] (Douglas)

Sister-ships

SEATRUCK PROGRESS

SEATRUCK POWER

SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE

 


The above article is Copyright © Steven Tarbox, all rights reserved.  Unauthorised reproduction or distribution is strictly prohibited.

Original Article: 26.02.14
Split from Seatruck Performance: 28.08.18
Re-write and update completed: 31.08.18
Last Updated: 14.01.18 (Prepared for 2019 layout and replaced Gutenberg gallery with responsive gallery)
04.11.19 (switched to tiled gallery and fixed mobile layout issues)
09.03.2021 (updated for AMP compatibility)


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