Blame has been put directly to the Northern Ireland Protocol for narrowing down the options of captains, as vessels get hit by storms in the Irish Sea.

With Storm Isha just over, the News Letter also reported the the severe weather was a notch away from been of ‘Hurricane’ force conditions.

A passenger/freight ro-ro ferry Stena Estrid during Storm Isha as Afloat reported sailing from Birkenhead (Liverpool), spent about 10-11 hours doing circuits in the sea, which took place off the mouth of Belfast Lough.

The E-Flexer class ferry had departed Birkenhead in the morning, was still at sea overnight off the Ulster coast amid the seriously rough conditions created by Storm Isha.

The entire crossing from Merseyside to the Lagan was meant to take only around an eight-hour passage, but the ferry left port at 10.30am on Sunday and did not berth until 4.30am on Monday.

John Martin of the Road Haulage Association, which represents the interests of freight firms, told the News Letter that Storm Isha will have cost shippers dearly.

In addition under the current post-Brexit arrangements, this makes it much harder for freight-vessels bound for the North, to instead then having to divert to ports in the Republic.

More here on this story.