#Scotline – Scotline the short-sea timber products operator recently took a time-charter of Lady Ariane which berthed in Wicklow Port today, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The box shaped singledecker had sailed from the Swedish port of Varberg. The Scandinavian port that firmly established Scotline as an operator from the late 1970’s in the transportation of forest-product cargo of logs from Inverness.
In the present day, the company are responsible for transporting a high percentage of all softwood (packaged timber) into the UK through operating liner services. This includes operations to Ireland.
The time charter of Lady Ariane is from Dutch short-sea operator, Wijnne Barends. Also added to the fleet is Scot Leader which was recently acquired and brings the fleet total to 12 vessels.
In regards to Wijnne Barends they are based in Delfzijl. The North Sea port is where the asphalt/bitumen tanker Iver Ability is bound to.
The red-hulled ship anchored in Dublin drew much public attention following months spent offshore following a ‘reaction’ during transport of bitumen in Dublin Port last summer.
Iver Ability was monitored yesterday by Afloat while transiting the Strait of Dover. At it’s narrowest point the distance of the Strait is a mere 33.3 kilometres (20.7 miles).
On a daily basis there is around 400 vessels transiting through the Strait, the world’s busiest channel. Asides ships of many types there are ferries criss-crossing between the Port of Dover (see record freight) and the French ports of Calais and Dunkerque.
This afternoon the tanker is at anchorage of the West Frisian Islands. The archipelago lies off the approaches to the Ems Estuary that leads to Delfzijl.
