Local (NI) ferry news

All the latest local ferry news from Northern Ireland including news concerning the ferry services to Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, as well as internal services.  News of vessels visiting local waters is also covered here.

PR: Tipping point for Seatruck.

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Seatruck Panorama. Courtesy of Seatruck Ferries.

Records are tumbling on the Seatruck Ferries Warrenpoint to Heysham freight ferry service. 2016 saw the largest number of freight vehicles ever to use the twice daily service as the route achieved what is expected to be the largest percentage freight growth of any Northern Irish ferry service. 2017 has also started strongly with the largest ever number of unaccompanied freight trailers using the service in week 3. Seatruck specialise in the movement of unaccompanied trailers which helps transport operators to use both their equipment and drivers more efficiently. The recent opening of the Heysham M6 Link Road connecting junction 34 of the M6 directly with Heysham Port, at the other end of the Warrenpoint route is proving very attractive with operators who are now focusing on Heysham as a hub port for the Island of Ireland without the need for the lengthy transit through Wales or Scotland. The Warrenpoint … Read more

P&O handle highest volume of freight since 2011.

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EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER leaves Larne in the freshly applied new P&O livery, May 2015. Copyright © Gary Andrews.

P&O Cairnryan freight volumes recover. P&O Ferries have announced they handled the largest volume of freight in 5 years on the Larne to Cairnryan route during 2016. Some 206,700 freight units were handled on the route during the last 12 months, and increase of some 7.5% on 2015.  2011 was of course the year Stena introduced their Superfast twins on the competing Belfast to Cairnryan operation, and so P&O have now recovered their volumes to levels similar to those before Stena introduced their ‘new’ ships. 2016 was also the first ever year in which none of the 4,774 sailings scheduled from Larne was cancelled. 97% of those sailings departed within 10 minutes of their published time. Neal Mernock, P&O Ferries’ Director responsible for the Irish Sea, said: “This highly encouraging performance shows that the economy of Northern Ireland is continuing to grow, notwithstanding the uncertainty heralded by the Brexit vote … Read more

Stena Horizon to arrive in the morning.

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Stena Horizon arrives at Belfast for her dry-docking. Copyright © Steven Tarbox.

Stena Horizon to cover Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey on Birkenhead route. Stena Horizon left Rosslare bound for Belfast this evening, with arrival expected at around 9am tomorrow morning. She is expected to take up service on Wednesday evening, replacing Stena Lagan which will make the short journey across the river to Belfast Dry Dock for refit.  In the meantime, Stena Horizon looks set to be berthed at the Ship Repair Quay from Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening. NB: The above is taken from Marine Traffic and the Belfast Harbour website, and is of course subject to change! Stena Europe arrived in Rosslare earlier today, and is scheduled to return to service with the 09:00 sailing to Fishguard on Tuesday.   This will release Stena Nordica to operate the overnight sailing to Cherbourg in lieu of Stena Horizon which will be in Belfast covering Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey. Title image:  Stena Horizon arrives at Belfast for her 2016 dry-docking. … Read more

Stena Line Irish Sea 2017 refit/drydock update

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Stena Europe Dry Docked at Harland and Wolff for her 2017 refit 08/01/17. Copyright © Scott Mackey (Flickr).

Stena Europe to leave Belfast tomorrow. Stena Europe is due to leave Harland and Wolff tomorrow as the first Irish Sea vessel in the revised Stena Line livery, complete with green waves.  She is timetabled to resume Rosslare to Fishguard service with the 21:15 ex Rosslare on Monday. Stena Horizon is currently timetabled to take up the Belfast to Birkenhead service on Wednesday evening, following Stena Nordica taking up the 21:30 ex Rosslare to Cherbourg on Tuesday in Horizon’s place.  Horizon will release the regular Birkenhead ships Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey in turn for their own refits at Harland & Wolff. Title image: Stena Europe Dry Docked at Harland and Wolff for her 2017 refit 08/01/17.  Copyright © Scott Mackey

Stena kicks-off Irish Sea refit programme

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Stena Hibernia in Belfast Lough.

Stena Hibernia first of 9 Stena Line vessels to visit Harland and Wolff. Stena Line kicked off their 2017 Irish Sea refit programme today (Wednesday), with Stena Hibernia making the short journey across the River Lagan to Harland and Wolff’s ‘Belfast Dry Dock’. Stena Europe will be next to go for refit on Jan 4th, covered by Stena Nordica which is returning to the Irish Sea as the refit cover vessel this year. This follows spells on the English Channel and Mediterranean with DFDS and GNV respectively, following her displacement on the Dublin to Holyhead route by Stena Superfast X.  Stena Nordica is of course a part-sister ship to P&O’s European Causeway and European Highlander, having been built for P&O as European Ambassador. £7m contract It is expected that the Stena Line Irish Sea refit programme for 2017 will run until early next May. As reported previously, Harland and Wolff … Read more

Stena add additional freight sailing between Belfast and Birkenhead?

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A pretty full looking STENA PERFORMER departs Belfast for Birkenhead. Viewed from Stena Lagan's monkey island.

Looking at the live timetable on the Stena Line freight website this evening, it appears that an extra sailing has been added on Friday afternoon between Belfast and Birkenhead, returning Monday morning ex Birkenhead at 08:00. How this will work in practice remains to be seen though, as with an 08:00 departure from Birkenhead Stena Performer would not be able to operate the 15:30 from Belfast as she would not be back in time. More if/when I hear it (as there has been nothing official from Stena), but I assume some sort of rotation will be worked out with the Heysham ships (Stena Precision and the smaller Stena Hibernia). Edit 18/10/17:  Stena have officially announced these extra sailings which will add extra capacity in the run up to Christmas.  At present it looks as if Stena Performer, Stena Precision, and Stena Hibernia will take it in turns to operate as the third ship … Read more

Quick Strangford ferry update

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Northern Ireland's new ferry STRANGFORD II Registered Belfast built at Cammel Lairds was today launched (floated off) Lairds slip at 13:50 moving round to the wet basin dead tow, assisted by Smit Waterloo & Smit Sandon at 14:15. Once built is complete, she will undergo river trials before the official handover later this year. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/das_boot_160/

Strangford II floated out at Birkenhead The new Strangford ferry which is currently under construction at Cammell-Laird in Birkenhead passed an important milestone yesterday when she took to the water for the first time having been floated off at around 13:45.  She was then towed by Smit Sandon and Smit Waterloo to the wet basin were further work will be completed. The new ship has been named Strangford II and has Belfast as her port of registry, just like her eventual operating partner (and near sister ship) Portaferry II. Strangford II will replace the existing ‘second ship’ Strangford, which is now over 40 years old and nearing the end of her operational life, later this year. Title image: Northern Ireland’s new ferry STRANGFORD II Registered Belfast built at Cammel Lairds was today launched (floated off) Lairds slip at 13:50 moving round to the wet basin dead tow, assisted by Smit Waterloo & Smit Sandon … Read more

Manannan collides with pier at Douglas

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Manannan publicity image. Copyright © Isle of Man Steam Packet company

The Isle of Man Steam Packet company fast craft Manannan was involved in a collision with Victoria Pier at Douglas at around 10pm last night, as she arrived at the Manx port from Liverpool. In a statement issued by the company, CEO Clive Woodward blamed the collision on “systems control failure”. 5 people where taken to hospital with injuries, however no-one was seriously injured. The incident means that capacity to the Isle of Man over the Easter period will be limited, with the only passenger sailings likely to be operated by the ropax vessel Ben-My-Chree. The freight vessel Arrow has been recalled from a charter to Channel Islands operator Condor in order to allow Ben-My-Chree to carry more passengers and their cars in the absence of Manannan. Manannan is currently tied up at Douglas whilst the damaged sustained and the exact cause of the incident are investigated. This means that … Read more

PR: Stena Superfast VIII keeps Irish Sea refits on schedule.

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Stena Superfast VIII in H&W's Belfast Dry Dock dry-dock. Stena Line 2016

Stena Superfast VIII keeps Irish Sea refits on schedule. This week it’s the turn of Stena Superfast VIII to visit dry dock at Harland & Wolff in Belfast and so far the programme is well on schedule which should see the vessel return to her duties on Monday 15th Feb, Superfast V11 will then head to Dry Dock for a short visit and Superfast X will continue to run on the Belfast – Cairnryan route. During the refit all the relevant statutory surveys will be carried out commensurate with the vessel’s 15 years of service. The dry dock time is also being utilised to complete maintenance and checks on all areas that remain underwater during normal service such as rudders, stabilisers, bow and stern thrusters. A full paint system will be applied to both the underwater area as well as the upper outer accommodation areas before which all areas will be … Read more

Stena Horizon return to service delayed.

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Stena Horizon‘s refit period at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries appears to have been extended by at least 2 days.  Originally the 186m long vessel (which is a near sister of Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey) had been expected to leave Belfast on Wednesday morning. However, according to the current scheduled departure showing on Belfast Harbour’s website she is now due to leave on Friday morning instead. Stena Horizon of course is due to release Stena Superfast X from the Dublin to Holyhead route so she can come north to in turn release Stena Superfast VIII and Stena Superfast VII from the Belfast to Cairnryan service for their own refits at H&W.  As a result of the delay in completing Stena Horizon‘s refit, NIFS expect that the refit of Stena Superfast VIII may also be slightly delayed. Title image:  Stena Horizon in dry-dock at Belfast, January 2016. Copyright © Scott … Read more

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