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Displaying items by tag: Seatruck newbuilds

#FINAL FREIGHT-FERRY Seatruck Precision has become the final newbuild of a quartet of ro-ro freight-only ferries to enter Irish Sea service for Seatruck Ferries, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 18,920 tonnes newbuild completed her maiden 'commercial' round-trip, departing Liverpool on Tuesday and returning overnight from Dublin with an arrival on Merseyside early yesterday morning.

She was built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FGS), Germany along with her sisters with each having a freight capacity of 2,166 lane metres spread over four decks, carrying 151 (un-accompanied) trailer units. An increase of 36 trailers compared to the quartet of older 'P' class ships.

The FGS quartet are called the 'Heyham'-max series, as they are the largest-ever vessels designed to use the tight confines of the Lancashire port. It is believed that the latest newbuild will be deployed out of the port joining Seatruck Performance, the third newbuild of the series which runs on the route to Dublin.

The remaining pair, Seatruck Power and leadship of the series Seatruck Progress operate on the Dublin-Liverpool route. However as the latter vessel is currently moored at Cammell Laird shiprepair facility in Birkenhead, the newbuild is deputising in her place on the central corridor route.

Seatruck also operate Heysham-Warrenpoint and in May a new route Heysham-Belfast began service.

Published in Ferry

#FERRY NEWS – The final of the quartet of new ro-ro freight vessels, Seatruck Precision was launched last week from the FSG Flensburg Yard, Germany, according to the Irish Trucker.

The compact and energy-efficient vessel, which has a capacity of up to 151 trailers was named by Mrs Lynn McBurney, wife of Seatruck customer Norman McBurney, founder of McBurney Transport - one of Ireland's largest independent haulage companies.

Seatruck Precision in June will join her three sisters on Seatruck's unaccompanied freight routes across the Irish Sea. The first newbuilding, Seatruck Progress (click HERE) operates on the Dublin-Liverpool – route. The second newbuild, Seatruck Power, joined the central corridor route in February while the third newcomer, Seatruck Performance which was launched in January, is to start operating in the Irish Sea next month.

For more on this story in the Irish Trucker click HERE.

Published in Ferry

The GP14 is a popular sailing dinghy, with well over 14,000 boats built.

The class is active in the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and parts of north-eastern USA, and the GP14 can be used for both racing and cruising. 

Designed by Jack Holt in 1949, with the assistance of the Dovey Yacht Club in Aberdyfi. The idea behind the design was to build a General Purpose (GP) 14-foot dinghy which could be sailed or rowed, capable of also being powered effectively by a small outboard motor, able to be towed behind a small family car and able to be launched and recovered reasonably easily, and stable enough to be able to lie to moorings or anchor when required. Racing soon followed, initially with some degree of opposition from Yachting World, who had commissioned the design, and the boat soon turned out to be an outstanding racing design also.

The boat was initially designed with a main and small jib as a comfortable family dinghy. In a design philosophy that is both practical and highly redolent of social attitudes of the day the intention was that she should accommodate a family comprising parents plus two children, and specifically that the jib should be modest enough for "Mum" or older children to handle, while she should perform well enough to give "Dad" some excitement when not taking the family out. While this rig is still available, and can be useful when using the boat to teach sailing, or for family sailing, and has some popularity for cruising, the boat is more commonly seen with the full modern rig of a mainsail, genoa and spinnaker. Australian boats also routinely use trapezes.

GP14 Ireland Event Dates 2023

  • O'Tiarnaigh (Apr 22-23) Blessington Sailing Club
  • Ulsters (May 20-21) East Antrim Boat Club
  • Munsters (Jun 17-18) Tralee Bay Sailing Club
  • Leinsters (Jul 7-9) Dun Laoghaire Regatta
  • SOYC (Aug 19-20) Rush Sailing Club
  • Nationals (Sep 1-3) Sutton Dinghy Club
  • Hot Toddy (Sep 30-Oct 1) Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

 

At A Glance – GP14 Dinghy Specifications

Crew 2
Draft 1,200 mm (47 in)
Hull weight 132.9 kg
LOA 4.27 m (14 ft)
Beam 1.54 m
Spinnaker area 8.4 m2
Upwind sail area 12.85 m2

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