Seatruck’s 122m long freighter ARROW, currently on long-term charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet, returned to lay-up Larne earlier today. The 65-unit vessel is currently berthed at the Continental Quay. The Steam Packet retains ARROW as a backup unit for times when additional conventional ferry capacity is required to supplement their own RoPax BEN-MY_CHREE and the fast-craft MANANNAN. When not in use by the Steam Packet ARROW is available for short-term charter to other operators. This has seen her in service with Northlink, Condor Ferries, and even Stena Line this year. When not in use she lays-up in Larne where there is sufficient spare capacity for her while being close enough to the Isle of Man to be activated at short notice should one of the regular vessels experience problems.
Sister-ship CLIPPER RANGER is to be replaced by one of SEATRUCK PANORAMA or CLIPPER PENNANT on Seatruck’s Dublin to Liverpool route from next week. CLIPPER PENNANT herself will be released from the Warrenpoint to Heysham route by newly renamed and repainted SEATRUCK PRECISION over the weekend. The latter left Cammell-Laird Birkenhead for Seatruck’s Liverpool terminal at around 8pm this evening. It is not yet clear what the next deployment will be for the other of the two vessels. SEATRUCK PANORAMA at the time of writing remains in the wet-basin at Cammell-Laird.