Larne – Stranraer

Sealink Saints get a fantastic new lease of life – Part 2 (St Christopher / Stena Antrim / Ibn Batouta / European Star)

One-time Sealink crew member, Patrick Heard, visited the former ST CHRISTOPHER / STENA ANTRIM on her new route between Italy and Albania recently. In this article we share some of his photos and an update on the second Sealink ‘Saint’ that has been given a new lease of life.

Sealink Saints get a fantastic new lease of life – part 1 (Galloway Princess / Stena Galloway / Le Rif / Morocco Sun)

Ferry photographer and writer, Matt Davies took a trip on the first of the four near-sisters built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for Sealink. In this article we share some of his photos and take a look at the first Sealink ‘Saint’ to be given a new lease of life in recent times.

Old and New(er)! STENA NAVIGATOR approaches one of the ships which was to replace her, STENA SUPERFAST VII, seen here berthed at Loch Ryan Port. Coincidentally, STENA NAVIGATOR had been displaced on the Dover - Calais route by another Superfast VII class ship, SEAFRANCE MOLIERE, the former Superfast X and present STENA SUPERFAST X. Copyright © Scott Mackey.

Stena Line – 25 Years in Belfast: Cairnryan, Heysham, and Birkenhead

In the second of today's features celebrating 25 years of Stena Line in Belfast, we take a look at developments from 2010 onwards.

A misty and murky early morning in April 1999 with HSS Stena Voyager and Stena Galloway at the Belfast terminal. © Scott Mackey.

Stena Line – 25 Years in Belfast: The Stranraer years

Twenty five years after Stena Line relocated from Larne to Belfast, we take a look at the ships which served the Belfast - Stranraer route.

Stena Galloway departs Belfast with Stena Caledonia in the background. Taken on June 16th 1999. Copyright © Alan Geddes.

Former ferries of NI Part 1: From Sealink to Stena Line

A photographic look back at some of the ferries which have operated to or within Northern Ireland, including those which operated both for present operators and those which no longer exist. This first part looks at Sealink, Sealink Stena, Stena Sealink, and Stena Line.

Belfast Telegraph article about boiled puffin being served onboard the Larne - Stranraer refit relief vessel NORRONA. NIFS Archive

Blast From The Past: Puffin on the North Channel!

A look back at the NORRONA on the Larne to Stranraer service as a relief vessel of Stena Sealink Line. Features articles about a rather interesting restaurant menu and a rather lengthy crossing.

PR (Stena): Stranraer Museum Recognises Stena Galloway Community Contribution

Captain Robin White and past crew members of the Stena Galloway, formerly the Galloway Princess ferry, which made the daily ferry crossing between Stranraer to Larne for over two decades, joined representative of Dumfries & Galloway Council at a special ceremony held at Stranraer Museum today (Wed 19th Oct). To mark the special link between the vessel and the town of Stranraer over many years, Stranraer Museum kindly agreed to put on permanent display the nameplate of a British Rail locomotive name in honour of the Stena Galloway, as a lasting reminder of the special bond that existed between the ship and the town and people of Stranraer. The British Rail engine was built in Crew and entered service in 1965 as Engine D1973.  The locomotive engine spent most of its working life based in Scotland located at either Inverness or Eastfield in Glasgow.  The locomotive engine was called the ... Read more

Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII passing in Belfast Lough. Copyright © Alan Geddes.

Stena in Belfast – Celebrating 20 years of Stena Line operating from Belfast.

20th anniversary of Stena Line switching the historic Larne – Stranraer service to Belfast. Today marks 20 years from the last sailing of what was then Stena Sealink Line, into the Port of Larne from Scotland, with tomorrow the anniversary of the first Stena ferry sailing from Belfast. Few could have predicted at the time that 20 years, and 2 bespoke Belfast-Scotland terminals later, Stena Line would also offer services from Belfast to Birkenhead and Heysham, as well as operating a pair of 203 metre long ferries to Scotland from Belfast.  Just six weeks after the switch, on the 31st December 1995, the “Sealink” name would disappear altogether with all UK operations being rebranded as “Stena Line”. Of course, things have also changed dramatically at Larne. No longer Northern Ireland’s premier ferry port, Stena’s rise at Belfast has been somewhat mirrored by P&O’s decline at Larne. The services to Fleetwood and ... Read more

Further update on the former Stena Antrim

From reading Spanish news reports it would appear that the former Stena Antrim (ex St Christopher, now Ibn Battouta) has been declared abandoned along with 3 other ships previously owned by the failed COMARIT/COMANAV ferry operation.  A demand for EUR 386,191.58 in fees owed to the port has been made to be paid within 15 days (of the 21st of March) it seems, or the ships will presumably be sold at auction.  As previously reported on this site the 4 ships have lain idle at Algericas  for almost 3 years now, and with COMARIT/COMANAV bankrupt (though I understand some legal proceedings are still underway) its hard to see where the money is going to come from.  Another of the ships, Al Mansour, also served on the Irish Sea briefly for B&I line between Rosslare and Pembroke, though she will be remembered by many as RMT’s Reine Astrid operating from Ostend to ... Read more

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