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Displaying items by tag: Delayed

On Merseyside, the new Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. ferry terminal in Liverpool won’t be open in time for this year’s TT.

The £70 million facility at the Princes Half-Tide Dock, where work began in 2019 has been plagued with delays coupled with soaring costs to develop the infrastructure ever since.

According to the Manx Government, which now says it wants to ensure a 'smooth transition' to the new facility and avoid the busiest time of year for the tourism industry.

As Afloat reported fast-craft Manannan which began berthing trials in March, are continuing to take place at the single-berth linkspan facility of the riverside terminal.

Commenting on the new terminal, Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said: ‘Ensuring the safety of passengers by enabling the captains to become familiar with the demands of the new berth is of the utmost importance, and it’s therefore vital that the operational requirements of the Steam Packet and its staff are taken into full consideration.

More ManxRadio has a report on this development.

Published in Ferry

#ferries - In another statement issued by Brittany Ferries, the operator has announced it is aware of press reports regarding financial setbacks at FSG, the German shipyard where its next ship, Honfleur is under construction.

The statement continued, FSG has made clear that these setbacks are a consequence of financial penalties imposed for late delivery of Irish Ferries newest ship, W.B. Yeats.

Regrettably, it is now clear that Brittany Ferries Honfleur, (which features the innovative LPG power plant), will not be delivered in time for the 2019 summer season, as scheduled. Everyone is disappointed by this news.

Brittany Ferries awaits a concrete proposal from FSG to secure the contract to deliver Honfleur. The company hopes this will come in the very near future and will communicate in more detail at that time.

Passengers who have booked travel on Honfleur from 9 July, will automatically be transferred to Brittany Ferries Normandie. The company apologises for any inconvenience and disappointment that this change will cause.

Published in Brittany Ferries
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Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!