Stena Forerunner | Stena Line

By: Steven Tarbox
Date:
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STENA FORERUNNER seen arriving at VT1 from anchor on her first day of service 27.08.18. Copyright © Scott Mackey.
STENA FORERUNNER seen arriving at VT2 from anchor on her first day of service 27.08.18. Copyright © Scott Mackey.

Overview of Stena Forerunner

STENA FORERUNNER is a large RoRo freighter ordered as one of a trio of Stena 4-Runner Mk II vessels in 1999 from the Dalian ‘old’ Shipyard in China.  She was the final of the trio of enlarged Mk II vessels to be delivered.  Her sister-vessels are STENA FORETELLER and STENA FORECASTER.  As-built she has the capacity for some 3,000 lane metres of freight, however, there is the provision in the design for this to be extended to 4,150 lane metres through the addition of an additional deck above the existing weather deck should it be required in the future.  

As all versions of the 4-Runner class are designed for flexibility in their cargo handling capability, headroom on the main deck is a generous 6.8m, increasing to some 8.1m metres in the after-most part.  This means STENA FORERUNNER and her sisters can handle MAFI’s, cassettes, containers, and other outsized loads as well as normal trailers in both commercial and military scenarios.

STENA FORERUNNER seen at Schiedam on Jan 12th, 2018. Copyright © Rob de Visser.
STENA FORERUNNER seen at Schiedam on Jan 12th, 2018. Copyright © Rob de Visser.

The Stena 4-Runner Mk II class are capable of a service speed of 18 knots using just two of their four Wärtsilä-built Sulzer 8-cylinder ZA 40S diesel main engines. Service speed increases to 20 knots using three of the main engines, and tops out at 22.5 knots when using all four main engines. This is half a knot more than the smaller 4-Runner Mk I class despite the exact same engines being specified, a characteristic attributed to the longer hull on the Mk II design being more efficient through the water.

STENA FORERUNNER. Stena Line.
STENA FORERUNNER. Stena Line.

In early-2015 STENA FORERUNNER became the first vessel in the Stena RoRo fleet to be fitted with exhaust scrubbers, when a “hybrid-ready” open loop system was fitted to two of her four main engines.  From October 2003 to early-January 2018 STENA FORERUNNER was chartered to Transfennica.  On returning to Stena she was deployed on the UK to Holland service between Harwich and Rotterdam (Europoort) for Stena subsidiary Stena Line.

STENA FORERUNNER seen fresh from her refit, 24.07.18. Copyright © Rob de VIsser.
STENA FORERUNNER seen fresh from her refit, 24.07.18. Copyright © Rob de VIsser.

On August 1st 2018 Stena Line announced that STENA FORERUNNER would be transferring to the Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead) service from the end of August in place of STENA PRECISION.  She is expected to return to the North Sea early in 2019, likely replaced with one of her sister or near-sister ships of the Stena 4-Runner Mk I or Mk II class. STENA FORERUNNER‘s first voyage between Belfast and Birkenhead on 27th August 2018 arrived almost 12 hours late at around 11am on the 28th due to what was reported to be issues with her starboard propulsion.  This was rectified alongside after arrival at Birkenhead however, with the vessel going to anchor before resuming service with the 03:30 departure back to Belfast the following day having missed just one round trip.

STENA FORERUNNER arrives in Birkenhead for the first time on the morning of August 28th 2018. She was late arriving in the port due to a problem with her starboard gearbox coupling which meant she could only make use of one of her two propeller shafts. She is seen turning to berth at 12 Quays North with the City of Liverpool in the Background. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr.
STENA FORERUNNER arrives in Birkenhead for the first time on the morning of August 28th 2018. She was late arriving in the port due to a problem with her starboard gearbox coupling which meant she could only make use of one of her two propeller shafts. She is seen turning to berth at 12 Quays North with the City of Liverpool in the Background. Copyright © Das Boot 160. Flickr.

On Saturday 5th January 2019 after discharging at Birkenhead, STENA FORERUNNER sailed for Rosslare instead of laying over for the weekend as usual. This was to cover the absence of STENA NORDICA which had been due to enter service as relief vessel on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route earlier in the week but had been delayed despite arriving in Ireland on time. In 2017 part-sister STENA CARRIER had been the relief vessel on the Cherbourg route. STENA FORERUNNER returned to the Birkenhead route in time to resume her normal schedule on Monday 7th.

Replacement at Belfast

When she was introduced Stena Line stated that they intended to replace STENA FORERUNNER at Belfast with a “similar” vessel in “early-2019”, releasing her to return to her previous North Sea route. As a result of this STENA FORERUNNER retained her Dutch registry and crew during her spell on the Irish Sea, unlike STENA SCOTIA which transferred to Belfast from the North Sea at a similar time. STENA FORERUNNER left Belfast for the last time on Friday 8th February on what was her final crossing to Birkenhead. She arrived in Birkenhead the following day, and was later joined by her replacement STENA FORECASTER. STENA FORERUNNER left Birkenhead for Rotterdam at around midday the same day.

Stena Forerunner Technical Data

Side profile drawing of STENA FORERUNNER. Copyright © Steven Tarbox
Side profile drawing of STENA FORERUNNER. Copyright © Steven Tarbox
NameSTENA FORERUNNER
IMO Number9227259
ClassStena 4-Runner Mk II
DesignStena Teknik
Knud E. Hansen
Deltamarin
Steem Friis Design A/S (interior layout)
ClassificationDNV-GL1A1 General cargo carrier RO/RO Clean Container DG(P) E0 Ice(1A) ICS NAUT(OC)

Roll-on/Roll-off Carrier

Ice Class 1A
ShipyardDalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (Dalian Shipyard), Dalian, Liaoning province, China
OwnerStena RoRo
OperatorStena Line
Yard Number#RO123-3
Keel laid27.12.2000
Launched24.04.2001
Completed29.08.2003
Length (Between Perpendiculars)195.3m (179.2m)
Breadth25.6m
Draught6.6m
Gross Tonnage24,688
Deadweight12,300
Machinery Four Wärtsilä built Sulzer 8 ZA 40S marine diesel engines, driving Renk NDSHL-3000 dual-input-single-output reduction gearboxes with power take-off, in pairs.

Two KaMeWa controllable pitch propellers

Two Rolls Royce/KaMeWa TT2000 bow thrusters

Two Wärtsilä-Sulzer 9L20C diesel generator engines

One MAN D 2842 LE emergency generator

Flume tank stabiliser system
Main engine power 24,000 kW
Capacity3,000 lane metres of freight
(1,190lm on main deck, 1,280lm on weather deck, and 530lm on the tank top)12 drivers (all in single berth cabins)
Flag
NL flag
The Netherlands (Hoek van Holland)
Sister Ships (Stena 4-Runner Mk II class) STENA FORETELLER

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