Ulysses | Irish Ferries

ULYSSES seen arriving in Dublin Bay, March 20, 2016. Copyright © Robbie Cox.

Your guide to Irish Ferries’ Ulysses which operates the Dublin to Holyhead service including history, technical data, deck plan, photos.

HSS Stena Explorer latest: Tug Bluster expected in Holyhead this evening.

Stena Explorer docking in Dun Laoghaire. By StenaLine-StenaExplorer-DunLoaghaire-2008-04-07_5.jpg: Benjamin.nagel derivative work: Wexcan  Talk [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It has been confirmed that the anchor handling tug, Bluster, is expected to arrive in Holyhead this evening, with the task of towing the remaining Stena HSS 1500 vessel Stena Explorer to Turkey.  Speculation as to what future awaits the vessel has been rife online, with some expectant that the vessel will proceed straight to scrapping at Aliaga, rather than to Istanbul for conversion to static use as previously announced.  No departure date for the remaining HSS 1500 vessel has been announced, however it is expected that she will leave Holyhead for the last time in the near future. It is known that HSS Stena Explorer‘s engines have been started regularly, and it is expected that she may move under her own power one last time, in order to leave her inner harbour berth at Holyhead before being towed by the Dutch tug Bluster the rest of the way to Turkey.  HSS Stena Explorer was … Read more

HSS Stena Explorer sold for static use

HSS Stena Explorer pictured with HSS Stena Discovery in Belfast, back in 2008. Copyright © Alan Geddes.

Former Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead ferry HSS Stena Explorer reportedly sold to Turkey. Brokerage and HSC specialists Maatsuyker this morning reported via twitter that Stena’s HSS Stena Explorer has been sold for static use in Istanbul, Turkey. Stena Explorer was of course the first of 3 HSS1500 class craft built by Aker Finnyards for Stena Line, and is the sole survivor of the class. Her sisters, Stena Voyager (which previously operated Belfast – Stranraer), and Stena Discovery (which originally operated Harwich – Hoek van Holland, and latterly named HSS Discovery) have already been “recycled” in Sweden and Turkey respectively.  All 3 HSS1500 class have been regular visitors to Belfast in the past, with Harland & Wolff appointed as the sole dry-docking facility for the class. End of an era today as the surviving HSS 1500, Stena Explorer, is sold. — Maatsuyker HSC (@MaatsuykerHsc) October 23, 2015 HSS Stena Explorer has been laid up in Holyhead … Read more