#BerthingTrials - Stena Superfast X made her first ever call to Dublin Port today, where berthing trials of the new Holyhead route ferry took place in the Irish capital, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The berthing trial-run at Ferry Terminal 2 saw the 1,200 passenger / 480 car capacity ferry complete the exercise before lunctime. She then departed for the return leg to her Wales homeport, where the 30,285 tons made her delivery voyage to Holyhead last week fresh from a major refit in Poland. 

She is to be named in Dublin Port next week at Berth 51, where a combined naming ceremony and official launch is to take place at that terminal. Superfast will partner the route's Stena Adventurer which too was named alongside Berth 51 in 2003, then the new two tier ro-ro ramp was also officially opened on that occasion.

With no fewer than 10 decks, Stena Superfast X will offer passenger facilities among them family lounges featuring X-Box stations. In addition, a dedicated lorry drivers lounge and almost 2kms of lane space to boost capacity for vehicles and freight traffic.

Stena Superfast X will make two return sailings daily, completing the crossing in 3 hours and 15 minutes. Together she and Stena Adventurer will operate 28 return sailings weekly.

The newcomer is the only Stena Irish Sea ferry to be registered in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Unlike predecessor 'Nordica' (soon to be displaced) and Stena Adventurer are both registered in London.

Superfast X will join an existing pair of Stena's Irish Sea serving sisters, Superfasts VII and VIII which in 2011 entered between Cairnryan-Belfast, from where they are registered.