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Displaying items by tag: Seatruck Reveal 3rd vessel

#ThirdFreightFerry - Seatruck Ferries have confirmed to Afloat.ie as to the identity of the third vessel to be introduced on the Dublin – Liverpool route. She is the Clipper Ranger which is scheduled to take up service early next week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The introduction of this third freight-ferry as previously reported is to bring additional midweek departures on much needed peak capacity sailings. The Ireland-England route according to Seatruck is attracting increasing support from unaccompanied traffic.

Clipper Ranger is a 'R' class freight-ferry with capacity for 65 units and 1,057 lane metres. She is to operate six sailings mid-week (three in each direction).

The move to add Clipper Ranger is in direct response to the demand and feedback from freight customers changing needs of the Irish market. Driver shortages are causing operators to reassess their traditional accompanied method.

She will join the route’s FSG ‘Heysham-max’ class sisters Seatruck Progress and Seatruck Power, each with 150 units and 2,166 lane metres. Together the trio of freight ferries will operate 30 departures each week.

For more including news on the Dublin-Heysham route, click to the previous report.

Published in Ferry

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.