Jehan Ashmore

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

W.B. Yeats on the occasion of a first call to Rosslare Europort which took place in December, 2018. A repeat call to the Wexford ferryport occurred at the weekend in addition to a first visit to Pembroke Dock, Wales where the port authority confirmed to AFLOAT that berthing trials were made with a view to cover future dry-docks of the Rosslare route's ferry Isle of Inishmore.

W.B. Yeats Completes First Season on Ireland-France With Follow Up Dry-Docking in Dunkerque

14th October 2019 Ferry

W.B. Yeats has completed a first high-season on the year-round operated Dublin-Cherbourg route and the €144m cruiseferry built in 2018 made its inaugural dry-docking in France this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked W.B. Yeats to Dunkerque (East) and taking its…

Competing ferries on the Irish Sea that serve on 'land-bridge' routes via the UK.

Operators in the Ferry Industry Accused of 'Exploiting Ireland's Vulnerability to Brexit

14th October 2019 Ferry

Operators in the ferry industry, reports BreakingNews.ie, have been accused of exploiting Ireland's vulnerability to Brexit to get the consumer rules they want. In July, Irish Ferries, Stena Line and Brittany Ferries wrote to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar asking the government…

Northlink Ferries Hamnavoe which AFLOAT adds operates between the Scottish mainland and Orkney, where the impressive 449 foot 'sea-stack' of the Old Man of Hoy forms part of the island archipelago. The 600 passenger/92 car/20 lorry capacity ferry was built in 2002 by Aker Finnyards. The same Finnish shipyard launched in the previous year Irish Ferries Ulysses.

Scottish Government Award Serco £450m Contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services

13th October 2019 Ferry

International service company, the Serco Group plc has been selected by the Scottish Government as preferred bidder in the contract to continue managing and operating the lifeline of Northern Isles Ferry Services to the Orkney and Shetland islands. The passenger…

At the Port of Dover, AFLOAT adds in the foreground is a 'Darwin' class ferry of P&O Ferries, one of four ferry firms awarded contracts to transport medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In the background is newbuild cruiseship Spirit of Adventure (SAGA) which made its maiden calls to Ireland this season and Europa (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises), a previous caller to such waters.

£87m Paid by UK Government for No-Deal Brexit Ferry Contracts

12th October 2019 Ferry

BBC News reports that the UK government has awarded £86.6m of contracts to ferry companies to transport medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O and Stena Line will be able to deliver those supplies from 31…

Fastnet '79 Yacht Race Disaster: A Royal Navy helicopter rescues the crew of the yacht “Camargue” during the Atlantic storm in August 1979

Lecture: “Back to the Rock-Fastnet '79” Launches Series at the Poolbeg Y&BC, Ringsend, Dublin

12th October 2019 Dublin Bay

Once again the Friends of Glenua launch their annual winter season of lectures with the 2019/20 programme held in Dublin at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Ringsend. “Back to the Rock- Fastnet '79” is the title of the opening lecture in…

Prior to the launch of Scot Explorer, the second of three forest product carriers for operator, Scotline, at the Dutch shipyard of Royal Bodewes. A third and final sister to be built and named Scot Ranger recalls a predecessor of that same name which had called to Irish ports.

Second of Three Ship Order Launched for UK Forest Products Operator Which Serves Irish Ports

12th October 2019 Ports & Shipping

Scot Explorer became the latest launch for a UK shipping forests products operator, following a christening ceremony that was held at a Dutch shipyard yesterday, writes Jehan Ashmore. The launch (footage) of newbuild (NB 747) at the Royal Bodewes yard…

Stena Line said talks over use of its former Scottish ferryport at Stranraer, should conclude "very soon". Above AFLOAT adds is one of a pair of 'Superfast' ferries (Stena Superfast VII) that operate Belfast-Cairnryan. The port located on Loch Ryan (as above) is nearby to Stranraer which the operator served until 2011.

Lorry Park Negotiations at Former Scottish Ferryport Should Conclude 'Very Soon'

11th October 2019 Ferry

Operator, Stena Line has said it hopes to conclude negotiations "very soon" which could allow its former ferryport at Stranraer in Scotland to be used as a lorry park. The Scottish government revealed the plans in the event of a…

New Service? Rosslare Europort-Le Havre, France shipping route could benefit Waterford. Above: AFLOAT adds berthed is the trio of ferries that serve the Wexford ferryport on routes to Fishguard and Pembroke, Wales and Cherbourg, France. In addition there is already a route to Le Havre in the form of a 'freight'-only ro-ro vessel operated by Neptune Lines that began in 2017.

New Service? - Rosslare Europort to Le Havre, France Shipping Route Could Benefit Waterford

11th October 2019 Ferry

In Waterford, the Green Party has welcomed moves to open a new shipping route linking Rosslare Europort to Le Havre in France. An Irish delegation according to WaterfordLive, met with representatives of the French government and officials from the port…

The Johnston and Mooney families at the ceremonial launch of the MFV Amethyst in Killybegs.

Donegal Boatyard Makes Splash with Launch of Largest Vessel in Killybegs Since 1980

11th October 2019 Fishing

As the Donegal Democrat writes, when they do things in Killybegs, they like to make a big splash about it and that's certainly true when it came to the recent ceremonial launch of the largest vessel in the fishing port since 1980.…

Ropax Ben-My-Chree Afloat adds is seen berthed in Douglas Harbour

Manx Government to Guarantee Isle of Man Steam Packet Loan

11th October 2019 Ferry

The Manx government will be required to guarantee the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s loans when it builds its new ferries. Under the terms of the sea services agreement, the company must provide two new ships, with the first due…

Storm Lorenzo: Bulloch Harbour on Dublin Bay is located along the Dalkey coastline

Bulloch Harbour: High Court to Hear Campaigners Application Against Housing Proposal

11th October 2019 Dublin Bay

A hearing will be held in the High Court writes Dublin Gazette, on an application by local campaigners against a housing development at Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey next week. Earlier this year, the controversial development got the green light from An…

Stena Superfast X docked at the Welsh port which is in the heart of Holyhead which means there is no room to expand to create a holding space for lorries coming through customs.

UK's Second Biggest Ferry Port of Holyhead 'Absolutely Not' Ready for a No-Deal Brexit

9th October 2019 Ferry

The UK's second biggest roll-on roll-off ferry port of Holyhead is from where Gwynedd Shipping operate and say they are "absolutely" not ready for a no deal Brexit. Andrew Kinsella, Managing Director of the shipping company speaking on ITV News,…

Irish Sea ports of Liverpool, Heysham (above) and Sheerness (London Medway) which have received UK Government funding to enhance measures ahead of the expected departure from the EU on 31 October.

UK Ports Group Confirms Details of Government Brexit Funding

8th October 2019 Ports & Shipping

The Irish Sea ports of Liverpool and Heysham in addition Sheerness (London Medway) all part of the Peel Ports Group, have received funding to enhance measures they have already taken to improve resilience ahead of the UK’s expected departure from…

Scottish Finance Secretary, Derek Mackay has met with new recruits at the re-nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde

Workforce At Scottish Shipyard Ferguson Marine Boosted As it Battles to Complete Ferries

8th October 2019 Ports & Shipping

An increase in employment is a pledge at the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard which has resulted in 17 new jobs, with a further ten to be recruited, the Scottish Government announced today. The yard, reports The Scotsman, is in the…

The HSA said there were five recorded workplace deaths at ports and docks countrywide since January 2018. Three of these were at Dublin Port (above), one was at Rosslare Ferryport and one at Waterford.

‘Blitz’ of Safety Inspections at Docks and Ports after Five Deaths

8th October 2019 Irish Ports

There has been a “blitz”of safety inspections launched at docks around Irish ports in response to concerns about five workplace deaths since the start of last year. As The Irish Times reports, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) started the…

In this AFLOAT photo, Irish Ferries new cruiseferry W.B. Yeats is departing Dublin Port and bound for Holyhead earlier this year. The cruiseferry has since completed its first summer season on the Ireland-France service and will spend the winter on the Ireland-Wales route. As NorthWalesLive highlighted, W.B. Yeats will be in place on the Irish Sea for the current October 31 Brexit date when there are concerns over the potential impact at Holyhead.

W.B. Yeats: 'Largest & Most Luxurious Ferry' Returns On Holyhead-Dublin Route

7th October 2019 Ferry

Cruiseferry W.B. Yeats has returned on the Holyhead to Dublin route, writes NorthWalesLive. Irish Ferries' €150m vessel - dubbed the "largest and most luxurious ferry" to sail on the Irish Sea - initially arrived at the port at the end…

The Port of Cork in 2017 signed a memorandum of understanding with a US company to import gas through Cork Harbour.

Fracking Concerns Raised By TD in Port of Cork's Deal with US Firm for LNG Imports

7th October 2019 Port of Cork

According to the Port of Cork there is "a lot of groundwork to complete" when it comes to finalising a deal to import gas through Cork Harbour, so writes BreakingNews.ie In 2017, the Port of Cork signed a memorandum of…

Stena Europe has recently returned on Rosslare-Fishguard duties following a life-extending refit which AFLOAT adds will permit the oldest ferry on the Irish Sea to continue a career much longer on the St. Georges Channel route. AFLOAT also adds that the 1981 built former Scandinavian serving ferry made in mid-September the return voyage to Europe (firstly bound for Liverpool) having been dry-docked outside Europe at a shipyard in Tuzla which is located on the Asian side of Turkey.

Stena Europe Returns from Outside Europe With Scheduled Services on Rosslare-Fishguard Route

7th October 2019 Ferry

On completion of an extensive refit programme at an Asian shipyard located in Turkey and at a dock in Liverpool, the UK, the Stena Europe has recently resumed its scheduled sailing services on the Rosslare - Fishguard route. Afloat.ie adds…

The former director of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company has called for the release of its final accounts. Above AFLOAT adds is the HSS Stena Explorer berthed at the Irish port from where the fastferry's final sailing took place on 9 September 2014. Noting it was not until early in the following year that the operator Stena Line officially confirmed in February that they would not resume the seasonal-only service to Holyhead but consolidate out of Dublin Port with an existing year-round route to the same north Wales port.

Accounts at Dún Laoghaire Harbour Must be Published, Says Senator

7th October 2019 Dublin Bay

Financial accounts of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company must be published and presented to the Oireachtas without delay, a former director of the company has said. As The Irish Times reports, Independent Senator Victor Boyhan (see call for ferry return) who was a…

At just 6 years of age Monique from Cameroon lost her sight, stopping her from attending school. At the age of 9 a simple eye-operation on board Mercy Ships changed her life in less than 20 minutes.... to read more about her story see link below.

Operator Stena Line "Rounds Up for Charity" Mercy Ships

6th October 2019 Ferry

This is the third year in a row that Stena Line have launched a donation campaign in favour of the non-profit organisation Mercy Ships life-changing work, bringing free medical care to where it’s needed the most with their floating hospital…