#WeatherBound – Following yesterday's 30th anniversary of the East-Link Toll Lift Bridge as previously reported, the UK flagged STV Stavros S. Niarchos and OPV L.E. Aisling (P23) both made transits through the Liffey road crossing this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The departing vessels had moored at neighbouring berths along Sir John Rogersons Quay, from where the Naval Service 'Emer' class OPV firstly vacated having arrived in Dublin Port the previous day.

Within the hour so did the sale-listed STV Stavros S. Niarchos which cast off lines to head downriver having had to delay her departure yesterday due to weather bound conditions. The sail-training vessel is heading for Warrenpoint.

At 60m (197ft) long she is the largest brig built for over a century in the UK when completed in 2000. The brig is the main vessel of the sail training fleet run by the Tall Ships Youth Trust which offers sailing experience for those aged from 18 to 80. She arrived to the capital from last week and to embark new sailing recruits for a voyage that terminates in Liverpool.

As reported before on Afloat.ie, she flies the Stena houseflag as the three-masted vessel is unique among Northern Marine Management (part of the Stena Group) pool of around 130 vessels that include ro-ro tonnage to very large crude carrier (VLCC) tankers.

#TallshipImposter –At first glance anyone along the Liffey this afternoon could be forgiven to conclude Jeanie Johnston was returning from dry-dock to her dedicated northside Liffey berth, however as a tallship sailed up Dublin's city quays she instead notably berthed at the south quays and dismissed any such theory, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Custom House Quay berth is where Jeanie Johnston is normally stationed as a static museum ship however her dry-docking period has been extended. Originally, the replica barque was due to return next week from Dublin Graving Docks, though on-going maintenance works has re-scheduled her reopening date as a tourist attraction to 1 November.

So what is the identity of this other tallship?... Afloat.ie can reveal she is the STV Stavros S Niarchos, a sail-training vessel and likewise of Jeanie Johnston is also rigged as an 19th century ship but based on that of a brig.

She is visiting Dublin Port on her own business having completed a voyage overnight from Waterford. Her arrival this afternoon followed an en route anchorage off Scotsmens Bay until she berthed in the capital this afternoon at Sir John Rogerson's Quay.

The 60m (200ft) long UK tallship operated by The Tall Ships Youth Trust is understood to have concluded a voyage in the capital and is to embark new sailors on another cruise to Liverpool.

The 493 tonnes vessel was scheduled to depart for Merseyside on Monday, however it would appear this has been changed to the following Tuesday, in which the next voyage of 6 nights taking en route ports is catered for those aged 18 and 80 young! year olds.

The cost of the voyage which requires no sailing experience is £179 sterling (excluding other charges) and where all those who sail with her get to experience setting 18 sails across 5 yards of the masts.

The Trust which was formerly The Sail Training Association, is a registered charity founded in 1956 that is dedicated to the personal development of young people through the crewing of ocean going sail training vessels.

Having taken 100,000 trainees to sea and sailed 1.9 million nautical miles, the Stavros S Niarchos which was completed in 2000 at Appledore Shipbuilders, Devon is currently sale-listed.

As a sail training vessel would the brig be suited as Asgard II's replacement?

#StenaTALLship – Stavros S. Niarchos a brig operating for Tall Ships Youth Trust which visited Dublin Port earlier this month has returned again and as of this afternoon she departed on a passage bound for Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, writes Jehan Ashmore.

At 197ft long the brig was the largest built in Britain for over a century when launched in 2000 from the then owned Appledore Shipbuilders yard in Bidna, which lies downriver of Bideford in North Devon.

The brig flies the Stena Group houseflag as she is one of more than 130 vessels managed by a subsidiary of the Swedish shipping giant through the Clydebank based Northern Marine Management.

Recently the former Celtic Link operated ro-pax which was taken over by Stena Line has been renamed Stena Horizon (2006/27,522grt) and she becomes under the NMM operated fleet. The 940 passenger capacity vessel continues to serve to the thrice weekly round-trip sailing schedule of the Rosslare-Cherbourg route.

The Italian flagged Stena Horizon is currently berthed in Rosslare Harbour this evening as is her fleetmate, Stena Europe which sails on the company's established service to Fishguard. The St. Georges Channel route commenced in 1906 and originaly operated by railway companies from both sides of the Irish Sea.

The present-day service to Wales offers an alternative 'landbridge' service to the continent via the UK from where the operator's only ferry service to Europe is Harwich-Hook van Holland.

Ironically, the 1981 built Stena Europe previously served on the UK-Dutch route between 1997 until she was transferred to the Wexford-Pembrokeshire link in 2002.

#StenaTALLship – Stavros S. Niarchos a brig operating for Tall Ships Youth Trust departed Dublin Port this afternoon, having berthed at Sir John Rogersons Quay, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 197ft brig which was the largest built in Britain for over a century was launched in 2000 from the Appledore Shipyard in North Devon.

She arrived to Dublin Port having made a passage on 30 March from Liverpool from where she spent a winter lay-up in the Canning Half Tide Dock.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, she is one of more than 130 vessels managed by Clydebank based Northern Marine Management, a part of the Stena Group.

Over the years she has visited Irish ports to where she is not the only vessel in port to fly the Stena houseflag, notably at ferryports such as Dun Laoghaire Harbour with its fast-craft HSS Stena Explorer operating to Holyhead which is to resume service on 9 April.

In the meantime, tonight marks Stena Line's first ever direct Ireland-continental sailing as the former Celtic Link Ferries ro-pax, Celtic Horizon sets sail this evening at 21.30 on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route.

It is understood that the 940 passenger capacity ferry will be renamed next week the Stena Horizon.