Afloat highlights the above busy scene as a trio of ferries and all from the same operator gathered recently in Rosslare Europort, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Most notably among the Stena Line ferries was the arrival of Stena Vinga (on right) which for the first time arrived to the Co. Wexford port. The ropax vessel is serving in the role of Irish Sea winter relief ferry while on 'loan' from Stena's fleet based in Scandinavia.

According to the operator's timetable, the temporary replacement ferry (firstly standing in on the Rosslare-Cherbourg service ) is to remain operating on the Ireland-France connection until the route's routine ropax Stena Horizon returns on 28 October. This is to involve an inbound sailing from Normandy. 

Normally Stena Vinga operates the Gothenburg-Frederikhavn route that links the west Swedish city (homeport headquarters of Stena Line) and the east Danish port. This route is only 15 minutes longer than the Rosslare-Fishguard route served by the veteran vessel Stena Europe which too ran in Scandinavia firstly for Sessan Line. 

On this day last week Stena Vinga began Rosslare-Cherbourg sailings albeit with much reduced passenger and freight capacity though this does note pose an issue given it is a much quieter time of the year coupled with Covid-19 restrictions.

Stena Vinga's transfer to the Ireland-France connection had led to the continental route's Stena Horizon deployed to the Dublin-Holyhead route. This allowed the ropax to take over the roster of Stena Estrid the leadship of the new 'E' -Flexer series.

The newbuild built in China had only entered service in January is currently covering Belfast-Cairnryan crossings. This is to enable Stena Superfast VII dry-dock for annual maintanence at Harland & Wolff.

Stena Vinga replaced a previous relief ferry Stena Nordica which recently carried out such duties including its former routine route of Dublin-Holyhead and beforehand Belfast-Liverpool, a first for this ropax despite until then serving all of Stena's Irish Sea network.