Stena Lagan / Stena Mersey (Vessel Profile)

Profile of Stena Line's Visentini-built RoPax sister-ships STENA LAGAN (IMO: 9329849) and STENA MERSEY (IMO: 9329851), which operate on the Belfast - Liverpool route. Includes an overview of their history, technical specifications, and photographs of the vessels inside and out.

IMO Number: 9329849 / 9329851, Also known as: LAGAN SEAWAYS, LAGAN VIKING (II) / MERSEY SEAWAYS, MERSEY VIKING (II)

Constructed by: Cantiere Navale di Visentini Francesco & C., Donada [IT] #212/#213

Overview

STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY are two members of the prolific Visentini series of RoPax vessels. They were the lead vessels in the current “Flex Bow” hull design series, and feature the revised forward superstructure shape of EURO STAR VALENCIA and EURO STAR SALERNO, the previous 2 ships in the series. Flex Bow is a fuel efficient bow design developed by NAOS Design in cooperation with SVA Potsdam designed to reduce drag created by the hull as the vessel moves through the water, which helped LAGAN VIKING (ii) achieve some 25.5kts in her sea trials with just 21,600kW of engine power.

Mersey Viking at Birkenhead on 2nd April 2007. Roger Marks (Displayed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ ). — Mersey Viking at Birkenhead on 2nd April 2007. Photo Copyright © Roger Marks and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

STENA MERSEY and STENA LAGAN became Stena operated vessels along with the route they serve when Stena Line acquired most of the Irish Sea assets of DFDS in 2010/2011. Stena Line had originally chartered STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY from EPIC shipping, but they were purchased outright by Stena Line in 2012. Following their purchase the company spent a total of £4.6 million refurbishing the two vessels at Harland and Wolff in 2013 in addition to the £4 million they had spent on the same vessels the previous year.As a result the vessels are totally transformed and almost unrecognisable from their days under previous operators DFDS, Norfolk Line, and Norse Merchant Ferries on the same link – and from their 22 part-sister ships. Although the layout of the interior is broadly the same (with the exception of the shared restaurant space which is now split into the Met Bar and Grill, a separate truckers restaurant, and the Stena Plus premium lounge), the original (rather functional) Studio Ancora interior design and furnishings have almost totally been replaced by Stena’s favoured architects Figura Arkitekter.

Part of the "Stena Plus" lounge on Stena Mersey, taken during July 2015. Copyright © Steven Tarbox. — Part of the “Stena Plus” lounge on Stena Mersey, taken during July 2015. This area has since been converted back to bar/restaurant seating with the Stena Plus lounge relocated forward. Copyright © Steven Tarbox.

In terms of overall hull design, STENA MERSEY and STENA LAGAN are very similar to their predecessor vessels (also launched as LAGAN VIKING and MERSEY VIKING and lead vessels of the entire Visentini ro-pax series) even sharing the same overall dimensions, however the newer ships feature a revised, steeper angled and more efficient bow design to reduce drag and improve sea-keeping. They also have a larger passenger accommodation module and more space for vehicles (an additional 84 passenger cars and 9 trailers) than their predecessors. The Stena Group of companies currently own or operate more than half of all the Visentini RoPax vessels built. In order to guarantee passenger comfort, Stena Line operate these vessels on a reduced passenger certificate of 720. In early 2018 the Stena Plus lounges on both vessels were relocated and enlarged.

Stena Mersey pictured from Stena Lagan in July 2015, as both ships reach the half-way point of their journeys, off the Isle of Man. Copyright © Steven Tarbox

Interior photographs

For a look around inside Stena Mersey during July ’15, click here

Some interior views of Stena Lagan taken during November ’15 are displayed here

In early 2018 the Stena Plus lounge on both vessels was relocated forward. Updated photographs can be seen here.

Part of the — The forward of the “Met Bar and Grill” seating onboard Stena Mersey. Copyright © Steven Tarbox

Technical Data

Name	STENA LAGAN	STENA MERSEY
IMO Number	9329849	9329851
Design	NAOS Ship and Boat Design S.R.L, Trieste, Italy Design P241
Building Yard Classification	Cantiere Navale di Visentini Francesco & C., Donada, Italy Lloyds Register of shipping 100A1 roll-on-roll-off cargo/passenger ship
Hull Number	212	213
Interior design (as built)	Studio Ancora, Ancona, Italy (no longer trading)
Interior design (Stena Line)	Figura Arkitekter, Göteborg, Sweden
Owner
Previous owners	Epic Shipping, Hong Kong/UK (until 04/2012) Levantina Transporti, Italy (until 11/2008)
Current Operator
Completed	July 2005	November 2005
In service (original)	July 2005	November 2005
In service (Stena Line)	December 2010	December 2010
Call sign (Stena)	2BGR6	2BPR6
Previous names and operators (oldest first)	LAGAN VIKING (ii) (Norse Merchant Ferries/Norfolk Line)LAGAN SEAWAYS (DFDS)	MERSEY VIKING (ii) (Norse Merchant Ferries/Norfolk Line)MERSEY SEAWAYS (DFDS)
Length overall	186.46m
Beam	26m
Draft	6.6m
Gross Tonnage	27,510
Deadweight	7,000
Machinery	2 x MAN B&W 9L 48/60B – 10,800 kW each @ 500 rpm 3 x Caterpillar 3516B diesel generators 1825kW each, plus 2 shaft generators 2200kW 2 x KaMeWa 4.8m diameter CPP type propellers 2 x KaMeWa/Rolls Royce TT2000 AUX CP 1300kW bow thrusters 2 x Rolls Royce Fin stabilisers
Power(Max/Pme @ 75%)	21,600/16,200kW
Operational speed (Max/Normal)	24/20-22 kts
Capacity (max)	980
Capacity (current for Stena)	720 passengers (in 492 berths)
Vehicle decks	Decks 2,3 & 4 – 120 trailers (4.90 metres free height) Deck 6 – 85 cars (2.50 metres free height) 2240 total lane metres Access is via a stern door opening onto deck 3 with ramps between decks 3 and 4, and 3 and 6. Lower hold ramps between deck 3 and 2.
Onboard Facilities in use (Click here for the onboard gallery)	Stena Plus (chargeable extra) Metropolitan Bar and Grill Truckers restaurant Barista coffee-house Childrens play area Pod lounge Stena Shopping Cinema Teen Town (gaming machines) Guest Services Dog hotel and exercise area Free WiFi Family cabins Disabled cabins
Flag (Stena) Flag (DFDS/Norfolk Line/Norse Merchant Ferries)	United Kingdom (Belfast) Italy (Bari)

Refit video

Stena Line time-lapse video of the Stena Lagan refit at Harland & Wolff in 2012

Photographs

Lagan Seaways in her short-lives DFDS Seaways livery. Copyright © Das Boot 160 <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/das_boot_160/">Flickr. — Lagan Seaways in her short-lived DFDS Seaways livery. Copyright © Das Boot 160 Flickr.

Mersey Viking with her original funnel colours in March 2007. Copyright © Scott Mackey.

Stena Mersey pictured arriving at Birkenhead from Belfast in her transitional livery with Stena funnel colours. 16/8/2011. Copyright © Das Boot 160. — Stena Mersey pictured arriving at Birkenhead from Belfast in her transitional livery with Stena funnel colours. 16/8/2011. Copyright © Das Boot 160 Flickr.

Stena Mersey with one of the Belfast pilot boats during the Tall Ships 2015. Copyright © Ross McDonald.

STENA MERSEY approaches Birkenhead after another daytime sailing from Belfast. July 2015. Copyright © Steven Tarbox — **STENA MERSEY** approaches Birkenhead after another daytime sailing from Belfast. July 2015. Copyright © Steven Tarbox

Stena Mersey passing New Brighton on the River Mersey in September 2014. Copyright Gordon Hislip.

Lagan Viking in Norfolk Line livery (note the Maersk funnel colours), fresh from a dry-docking in 2008. Also pictured is the former Harwich-Hook of Holland HSS Stena Discovery, which was laid-up at Belfast awaiting sale. She was sold to South American interests but unfortunately never saw service again, having been caught up in an alleged fuel smuggling exercise. After a lengthy layover in the Caribbean, HSS Discovery was scrapped in Turkey during 2015. Albert Bridge [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Lagan Viking undergoing maintenance in Belfast, back in 2008. Ross [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Mersey Seaways pictured in 2011 before her route was taken over by Stena Line. Unlike her sister, Lagan Seaways, she never received a blue DFDS hull. © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ . — Mersey Seaways pictured in 2011 before her route was taken over by Stena Line. Unlike her sister, Lagan Seaways, she never received a blue DFDS hull. © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Lagan Seaways pictured in her short-lived full DFDS livery during 2011. The DFDS name would soon be painted out and the funnel colours replaced with those of Stena Line. © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ . — Lagan Seaways pictured in her short-lived full DFDS livery during 2011. The DFDS name would soon be painted out and the funnel colours replaced with those of Stena Line. © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Lagan Seaways pictured in 2011 after her route was taken over by Stena Line. Although not yet in Stena Line livery, the DFDS name has been painted out and the Stena funnel colours added. She would later receive another full repaint at Harland and Wolff and be renamed Stena Lagan. The blue paint in this picture was quite new as DFDS had only repainted the vessel shortly before agreeing to sell the route to Stena. © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ . — Lagan Seaways pictured later in 2011 after her route was taken over by Stena Line. Although not yet in Stena Line livery, the DFDS name has been painted out and the Stena funnel colours added. She would later receive another full repaint at Harland and Wolff and be renamed Stena Lagan. The blue paint in this picture was quite new as DFDS had only repainted the vessel shortly before agreeing to sell the route to Stena. © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

STENA MERSEY. Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 22nd February 2017 — STENA MERSEY. Press Eye – Northern Ireland – 22nd February 2017
Photographer – © Matt Mackey / Press Eye

Article Copyright © Steven Tarbox (NIFerrySite). With thanks to Scott Mackey, Captain Stephen Millar (Senior Master, Stena Lagan), David Keery (OBSM, Stena Mersey), Gary Andrews, Ross McDonald, Gordon Hislip, “Das Boot 160 photography”, Chris Brindle, and all of the other people who have contributed to or provided assistance for our articles and features on Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey since 2014.

Original article published: 26 Feb 2014
Last updated: 27th April 2018

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