Stena Horizon, the 27,500-tonne ropax that routinely operates Rosslare-Cherbourg, successfully carried out a berthing trial at Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, to allow for contingencies in the future.
The 186-metre-long Stena Horizon had called at Fishguard (Goodwick) at the end of February. Its presence at the Stena Line-operated port led to speculation that the Cypriot-flagged vessel might be used while the St. George's Channel route ferry Stena Nordica is in dry dock or covering other ferries for the same purpose.
Stena Horizon, which was completed 19 years ago by the Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Visentini near Venice, has a capacity for 970 passengers, 200 cars, and 2,250 lane meters of freight space. It has an average speed of 24 knots.
The ropax usually serves Stena’s Ireland-France route, however, had been cancelled due to a French port strike, which allowed for the berthing trials.
Western Telegraph has more on the novel newcomer’s brief call to the port.
The arrival to the South Wales port follows that of Stena Adventurer, which operated a temporary alternative route to Dublin, having been rerouted during the closure of all berths in Holyhead when Storm Daragh struck in December.
The North Wales port partially reopened with one berth in mid-January and to a 'revised' sailing schedule.
