Irish Ferries’ ISLE OF INISHMORE arrived at Fayard shipyard, Odense (Denmark), on the morning of May 15. The ship sailed there from dry-docking in Brest where she had been much longer than the initially expected 20 days undergoing maintenance. The visit to Fayard is to prepare ISLE OF INISHMORE for service on the Dover – Calais route.
In their latest trading update, Irish Ferries stated a “summer” start date for their new Calais route rather than June as they previously said. According to the online booking engine, however, services will begin on June 29.
Access Modifications
At the time of writing, ISLE OF INISHMORE remains at Fayard. Both her bow and stern access have been modified in Denmark, and her large stern ramp has been totally removed.
It has been replaced with sliding doors and a large amount of steelwork in order to allow a good fit at Dover.
At the bow end, ISLE OF INISHMORE has gained a “cow-catcher” for berthing at Calais. This steel framework gives the shore-to-ship ramp at the French port somewhere to rest so the ship can discharge and load at the port.
Presently, ISLE OF INISHMORE is expected to inaugurate Irish Ferries Dover – Calais service on June 29.
Initially she will be the only ship on the route, but the company have stated an intention to add further tonnage at a later date.
