Displaying items by tag: Plug In Electric Ferry

19th April 2015

Time to Meet Mother Ship When Driving Hyprid On Holiday

#PlugInFerry - Within a decade, you could be driving to Dover for the summer getaway in a hybrid car — and when you get there to the continent, you could be boarding a plug-in electric ferry, so writes The Times.co.uk.

According to ABB, the European engineering giant, hybrid electric vessels are coming on stream and plug-in hybrid technology could begin to rule the waves.

Offshore supply ships and deep-sea drilling vessels in the oil and gas industry are already embracing the new technologies, according to Heikki Soljama, the managing director of ABB ports and marine. "There are similarities with the car industry, where in the foreseeable future we do not see.... to find out what more, visit the newspaper's link here.

Afloat adds that notably ferry followers in particular may recognise the profile of the ferry in photo accompanying the Times piece. The ferry in question is SeaFrance Moliere, alas the current Stena Superfast X.

She is seen here in a former guise in the Port of Dover when she served SeaFrance, the French operator that no longer exists, though her fleetmates remain in service for successor MyFerrylink.com.

This Dover-Calais operator is owned by Eurotunnel /SCOP that runs in the highly competitive premier UK-France short sea-service that is also served by P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways.

The collapse of SeaFrance led to her eventual return to the same route albeit on charter to DFDS Seaways/LD Lines joint venture under the name Dieppe Seaways.

Stena had chartered the ferry to DFDS however this ceased in late 2014. This was followed as her Irish Sea entry as Stena Superfast X last month and directly replacing Stena Nordica.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, DFDS are expected to launch the former 'Nordica' as their Malo Seaways on the Strait of Dover route.

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.