#FerryNews - Irish Continental Group (ICG) announced today they are to sell their high-speed craft 'Jonathan Swift' which has served the Dublin-Holyhead for almost two decades to a Spanish operator.

ICG the Dublin based group (parent company of Irish Ferries) has entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) regarding the sell of the craft with Balearia Eurolineas Maritimas S.A.

In the statement from ICG, the agreed consideration of €15.5 million less brokers commission is payable in cash on delivery less a 10% deposit to be held in escrow. The HSC is to be delivered to the Mediterranean ferry company by the end of April this year.

Jonathan Swift which was commissioned by and delivered to ICG in 1999 has exclusively operated on the company's service between Dublin and Holyhead.

Afloat adds the HSC which is marketed as the 'Dublin Swift' is as previously reported undergoing routine drydocking in the UK (see piece focusing on Isle of Inishmore). According to the Irish Ferries website, Jonathan Swift is scheduled to return to service next week on Monday 5 February. 

A replacement HSC adds ICG will come from their fleet by the 2001 built HSC 'Westpac Express' (acquired in 2016) which was recently redelivered following a period of twenty months on external charter. The HSC is currently undergoing a refurbishment programme to bring her up to Irish Ferries passenger service standards.

The Jonathan Swift as delivered to the group in 1999 at a cost of €38.8m. The disposal will generate a book profit for ICG of approximately €14.0m.

The proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

#Overhauls – Ulysses, flagship of Irish Ferries returned to Dublin-Holyhead service yesterday while their high speed craft (HSC) Jonathan Swift went for annual overhaul at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead on Merseyside, writes Jehan Ashmore.

On foot of Ulysses repositioning voyage from A&P Falmouth, Cornwall back to Dublin (see, report on P&O HGV crossings) this saw the 800 passenger/200 car capacity 'Swift' make a departure bound for the shipyard and marine engineering facility.  

Following P&O Ferries recent announcement to confirm the Larne-Troon ‘seasonal route’ would not reopen in 2016, this further compounds Irish Ferries position as the sole operator of a year-round fast-ferry craft on Irish Sea 'cross channels' routes between Ireland and the UK.

Despite P&O's axeing of the Northern Ireland-Scotland connection, the company continues operating the year-round Larne-Cairnryan link provided by two ropax sisters in competition with route rivals, Stena Line. Likewise this operator on the North Channel runs a service between Belfast and Cairnryan and served by a pair of ‘Superfast’ sisters.

It is more than a year ago when Stena withdrew the Highspeed Sea-Service (HSS) craft Stena Explorer on the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route in September 2014. This led to Stena consolidate existing services on the Dublin-Holyhead route and by introducing Stena Superfast X in March 2015 alongside Stena Adventurer.

Competing on the central corridor, Irish Ferries Jonathan Swift built by Austal in Australia is an Auto-Express 86m catamaran christened by Ceclia Larkin in 1999. The craft is to remain for overhaul work at the Birkenhead facility until 28th January. This leaves the Dublin–Holyhead route in the hands of route regulars, Ulysses and ropax Epsilon during this slack time of the year.

Since providing capacity over the festive season and refit cover, Isle of Inishmore is to depart Dublin Port tonight and also bound for a Birkenhead overhaul. On completion she is return to normal Rosslare-Pembroke duties currently covered by Oscar Wilde. 

Also berthed at Cammell Laird's wet basin is the only other Irish Sea fast-ferry, the 820 passenger /200 car Manannan, albeit this craft operates the ‘seasonal-only’ UK-Manx link, Liverpool-Douglas for the Isle of Man Steam Packet. The InCat built 96m catamaran from Tasmania dating to 1998, also runs on other Steam Packet routes during busy spells and on summer months.