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.
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.
25 years after Sealink became Stena Line, we take a brief look at the changes that have occurred in Stena Line Uk & Ireland’s first quarter century.
NI Ferry Site has learned that IBN BATOUTA, the former STENA ANTRIM and ST CHRISTOPHER which hasn’t seen service for 6 years, is currently under tow from Durres in Albania to Turkey. At present it is uncertain whether the former North Channel and English Channel favourite is to be refurbished or scrapped.
Reports from Spain indicate that former North Channel favourite, Le Rif (ex Stena Galloway, Galloway Princess) has yet to enter the Andalucia dry dock at Cernaval’s Mario Lopez shipyard in Malaga, despite it being a month since her arrival in the Spanish port. It appears that the delay has been due to the ship requiring more work than previously thought to prepare her for entering the dry-dock for a €2.5m refurbishment concentrating mostly on her hull and mechanicals. It is understood that onboard power is currently being provided by a generator on the dock side. With the above in mind, and the fact that the ship will need to be re-certified by the appropriate authorities, it is very unlikely that Le Rif will enter service before the end of 2016. Reports on local sites last week suggested Le Rif was to enter the dry-dock before the end of August, but at the time of writing, her … Read more
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 service (hopefully) beckons for the former North Channel favourite It has been confirmed that the purchasers, at auction, of the former COMANAV ferry Ibn Batouta (better known as the former Stena Antrim and St Christopher) was Albanian operator Red Star Ferries. Red Star Ferries currently operate from the Italian port of Brindisi to the Albanian ports of Durres and Vlore, with the elderly Red Star 1 (ex, Viking III, originally built 1965). It is rumoured that Ibn Batouta has been acquired to operate one of the existing Brindisi to Durres or Vlore routes, though it is understood that the Vlore route has less traffic and so it may be more likely she will operate to Durres instead. It is believed that the vessel is currently (or about to) undergo an intensive refit at Bijela (Montenegro), which will involve her capacity being enhanced, and recertification. Certainly, an intensive refurbishment will be required, with the long layover in Algercias having … Read more
Profile of the Baleària ferry POETA LÓPEZ ANGLADA, the former STENA NAVIGATOR. Includes an overview of her history, technical data, deck plans, and photographs.
Could the former Stena Galloway be heading for scrap? Following the bankruptcy of her owners last year, the Le Rif (ex Stena Galloway, Galloway Princess) is to be sold at auction, the proceeds of which will be used to settle unpaid bills. Bids are to start at 4.6 million Moroccan Dirham, equivalent to about £300k. NIFerrySite believes that Le Rif suffered a major technical failure before she was laid up, and has deteriorated inside in the meantime with no-one to look after her. Unfortunately, given the condition of the vessel and the low start price, her most likely buyer is probably a ship breaker. Launched in 1980 as Galloway Princess, Le Rif was the first of the final 4 passenger ferries built by Harland and Wolff, and consequently also one of the final ships ordered by Sealink before privatisation. EDIT: Click here to see the latest (as of July 2016) … Read more
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
In particularly sad news for Belfast and Northern Ireland, one of the final passenger vessels built by Harland and Wolff could soon be headed to a beach somewhere for scrapping. The Ibn Batouta (ex Stena Antrim, St Christopher) is one of 4 ferries which have been laid up in Algericas for over 2 years following the failure of owners COMARIT. The port authority is now pushing for them to be declared abandoned so they can be removed and auctioned to the highest bidder. The most likely destination considering the age and condition of the 4 ships is for scrap. Between 1991 and 1996 Stena Antrim served to Stranraer, first from Larne and then from Belfast when Stena moved there in 1995. Of the other veseels (Al Mansour, Banasa, and Boughaz) Al Mansour also served in Irish waters as Stena Nautica for both Sealink and B&I line between Fishguard and Wales. … Read more
The former Stena Navigator (ex Seafrance Manet (SeaFrance), Stena Parisien (Sealink Stena Line), Champs Elysees (SNCF/Sealink) which left the Belfast – Stranraer service when the Stena Superfast‘s entered service has been renamed again. Until November she had been operating as Balearia’s Daniya (Arabic for Denia) between Denia – San Antonio – Palma, and Denia – San Antonio – Barcelona, however following a change of route to Ceuta – Algeciras she was renamed Poeta López Anglada in November. The ship has retained much of its Stena decor, including the “Curious George” children’s play area and “Barista” coffee lounge. Currently Poeta López Anglada is operating the 2 hour voyage between Alcudia (Majorca) and Ciuadela de Menorca (Minorca) Monday to Saturday, and operates between Barcelona and Menorca at weekends after a further change of route in December. Link to ships profile on the Balearia website
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