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Displaying items by tag: Liverpool Docks

Newly appointed Isle of Man Steam Packet MD says securing the Liverpool ferry route is vital.

As Manx Radio reports, the excessive cost of the new ferry terminal in Liverpool is worrying but will be worth it to secure the future of the Merseyside route.

That's the view of the Steam Packet Company's new managing director after it was announced an additional £13.8m is needed for the project.

It takes the spend to more than £52m - the construction is being overseen by the Department of Infrastructure rather than the ferry operator.

But Brian Thomson says all Manx residents have a right to be concerned. 

Click this link to listen to a podcast from the MD including news of the finally reopened Irish route to Dublin Port.   

Published in Ferry

#FERRY NEWS-Seatruck Progress (5,300 dwt) the new freight-only ro-ro, due to enter Seatruck Ferries Dublin-Liverpool service this month, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, sailed past Dublin Bay on Tuesday. She continued her overnight delivery voyage to arrive in Liverpool yesterday, fresh from German builders, FGS Flensburg, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As the newbuild approached Dublin Bay, she set a course to the east of the Burford Bank buoys where she continued her voyage to Liverpool, entering the Bootle docks through Langton Lock.

The Douglas registered ro-ro is to be joined by her fleetmate, Seatruck Power on the central corridor service next February. Each of the 21-knot quartet measure 142m long, have a beam of 24m and cater for 2,166 lane freight-metres with the use of an added upper fourth deck.

The increased capacity will enable un-accompanied trailer units to reach 70 on each of the sailings, which are currently served by smaller 'P' series ro-ro's Clipper Point and Clipper Pennant. These vessels were also commissioned by Seatruck from Spanish shipyards and entered servvice several years ago. 

Seatruck which is a subsidiary of the Danish-owned Clipper Group, is set to expand the fleet as the Irish Sea's only freight-only operator with  a futher  pair of the same class from FGS, which are due for delivery in the first-half of 2012. According to Seatruck, these newbuilds are likely to be deployed on the company's other Irish Sea routes.

Published in Ferry

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!