#FerryNews - On the October Bank Holiday Monday, almost all Irish Ferries ships docked in Dublin Port from where one of the ferries earlier in the month had also been kept busy in between changing routes, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The presence of four of five of the fleet, albeit not all together at the same time, was still a unique occasion in the capital's port. Each ferry took up berths throughout the course of the day, though not the Dublin Swift, which in early October had completed its first summer season serving Holyhead. During its debut in late April, the catamaran encountered a brief technical clitch when observed briefly coming to a halt off the Dublin Bay Bouy, however the maiden crossing to Holyhead was successfully completed.
Again, further technical issues led to cancelled sailings just days before the fast-craft stood down as scheduled last month. The Dublin Swift has since been in winter layover in the capital but in late October relocated to berth in Belfast, Afloat will have more to report. The craft is the only Ireland-UK cross channel fastferry and is to resume service in April 2019.
As for the Bank Holiday Monday's four-ferry line up, flagship, Ulysses was the first to arrive into the capital during dusk, having completed a routine crossing from Holyhead. Several hours later, the north Wales route fleetmate, Epsilon, a chartered-in ropax followed suit to dock at Dublin Ferryport Terminal 1. The more freight orientated ferry, with limited passenger facilities provides a 'Economy' no frills service at weekends on the year-round Dublin-Cherbourg link. In addition to those served by cruiseferry (see below: Oscar Wilde) where the schedule is until 16th December 2018.
It is from Dublin Port's main Terminal, Afloat reported last week, Ulysses encountered technical issues too. This led to a short out-of-service break to enable work be carried out within the port before resuming service as scheduled on the first day of November. Yesterday's afternoon sailing from Holyhead, however was cancelled due to a MES (marine evacuation system) deployment which took place in Dublin Port.
Returning to the Bank Holiday and at around noon the third Irish Ferries ship to Dublin Port was unusually Oscar Wilde, given the time of year. As otherwise, the Rosslare based French routes cruiseferry, would based from previous years continue connecting Cherbourg up to mid December. The second Rosslare service to Roscoff which is seasonal has ceased for this year.
Instead, Oscar Wilde throughout last month operated additional sailings on the north Wales route, partnering Ulysses and Epsilon as a three ship-service. The overnight cruiseferry, however managed to maintain direct links to France, but from Dublin Port (see more below).
The fourth and final ferry representative of the Irish Ferries fleet, Isle of Inishmore made a leisurely late morning arrival on the Bank Holiday Monday to Dublin Port, having sailed off the Leinster coast from routine south Wales route duties. The timing of the cruiseferry onto the Dublin-Holyhead route seems to be planned in advance, as Isle of Inishmore took over that same day the night sailing rostered to Ulysses which had technical reasons as mentioned above.
Isle of Inishmore however only spent a few days last week on the Holyhead route but during that time, Oscar Wilde returned to Rosslare to stand in on the Pembroke service. In addition the cruiseferry made a brief reprieve of the Rosslare-Cherbourg route by operating a round trip last week, but again at the expense, this time of a scheduled sailing directly from Dublin. This forced customers to drive to Wexford where it is understood that that sailing was delayed to another day.
In recent days, Oscar Wilde it must be noted, has reappeared in Dublin Port and operating this time only to France, to Cherbourg on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This leaves Epsilon serving at weekends a round trip from Dublin (Saturday's) to Normandy in between weekday sailings to Wales.
As Afloat previously reported the much delayed delivery of the €144m newbuild W.B. Yeats from German shipyard, FSG, which was to have made a debut in early summer, then July on the Dublin-Cherbourg route, finally began sea trials last week in the Baltic Sea.
The giant cruiseferry of 54,975 gross tonnage was also to have transferred to Dublin-Holyhead in September, thus releasing Epsilon to concentrate on the Dublin-Cherbourg over the winter months.
Following the completion of builders sea trails off the Danish Island of Bornholm, will W.B. Yeats finally make a debut on the Dublin-Holyhead route in time for next month's busy festive season? In previous years, either Rosslare based ferries, Isle of Inishmore and Oscar Wilde have boosted additional capacity on the core Ireland-Wales route to cope with demand.
To keep abreast of sailing updates across the ferry network, click here and ferry repositioning of routes.
