Update: 14.10.18: CLIPPER PENNANT is now on a short-term charter to DFDS, acting as cover on the Immingham to Cuxhaven route prior to her charter to Canary Bridge Seaways. CLIPPER RANGER came out of dry-dock on Monday 08.10.18 having entered it the previous week. She is currently at anchor off the Liverpool Bar.
Seatruck CEO Alistair Eagles has confirmed to Shippax that former Warrenpoint – Heysham vessel CLIPPER PENNANT will be going on charter to Canary Bridge Seaways, the new joint venture between Fred Olsen Express and Balearia. The thrice weekly service between the Spanish mainland and the Canary Islands will use two vessels – the identity of the second vessel is not yet known.
CLIPPER PENNANT recently transferred to the Liverpool – Dublin route in order to replace CLIPPER RANGER and upgrade capacity. The Warrenpoint route is now served by the larger SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE and SEATRUCK PRECISION which returned from charter to Stena Line at the end of last month. Pennant will be replaced on the Liverpool route by sister vessel CLIPPER POINT. This means the full Liverpool lineup going forward will be SEATRUCK POWER, SEATRUCK PROGRESS, SEATRUCK PACE, and CLIPPER POINT. The remaining P-Class vessel SEATRUCK PANORAMA, which at the time of writing she is in dry dock at Cammell-Laird Birkenhead, will serve the Dublin – Heysham route. Panorama was also displaced from the Warrenpoint – Heysham route by the return of SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE and SEATRUCK PRECISION.
Where next for Clipper Ranger?
CLIPPER RANGER, which is the smallest vessel in the current Seatruck operational fleet, is currently at Cammell-Laird’s Bidston Repair Berth in the Birkenhead dock system. Older readers may remember the Bidston Repair Berth as the former dry dock of now defunct ship repairers Wright & Beyer. At present it is still not clear what her next deployment will be, but it is likely she will join her three sister vessels in going out on charter to another operator. One of those sisters, ARROW, which is on charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet has recently been sub-chartered to Northlink until early October to provide additional capacity.
