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Displaying items by tag: Increased Sailings

Irish Ferries services have been strengthened on a key Irish Sea route with the return of two daily sailings, reports NorthWalesLive.

The operator have restored a morning and evening service from Holyhead to Dublin which will be operated by the MV Epsilon.

The ship is under charter to Irish Ferries and it had been thought was being returned to its owner this year when the sailings were not included in the summer timetable.

In December a North Wales Live reader found there was no Irish Ferries morning sailing when he tried to book a ferry for his vehicle from Holyhead to Dublin next July with a mid afternoon return.

But both are now available to book and are shown as being operated by the Epsilon.

The ship is currently operating alongside the larger Ulysses vessel on the key route. Both ships will be joined later this spring by the fastcraft Dublin Swift. Irish Ferries have made no announcement about the updated timetable.

The revised timetable may be an indication traffic levels on the Irish Sea are returning to something approaching pre-Covid and pre-Brexit levels.

More here on this story.

Published in Irish Ferries
Tagged under

Deputy Alan Dillon, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Tourism & Sport, welcomed confirmation from Rural & Community Development Minister, Heather Humphreys TD, that her Department will be increasing daily ferry sailings to Clare Island.

A tender recently issued by her Department only required a minimum of two return services daily. This meant that something as simple as a medical appointment might require an islander having to sacrifice an entire day to travel to the mainland.

The ferry service will now be increased to four return sailings daily, which should prove a real game changer for people living on the island. In addition to increasing tourism opportunities.

More here reports Mayo Advertiser that follows a campaign by islanders to improve the service

Published in Ferry

Ferry company Stena Line has boosted the frequency of its sailings between Fishguard – Rosslare from 14 sailings to 24 every week.

The increase in frequency began yesterday and is good news for the company’s Welsh port of Fishguard, which had seen services reduced due to lower demand from freight and passengers, as a consequence of both the COVID-19 lockdowns and Brexit.

With the easing of lockdown restrictions, and a hope that international tourist travel will resume shortly, Stena Line is anticipating a busy summer. The Fishguard – Rosslare route is particularly popular with tourists as it offers the most convenient option with the shortest crossings between Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The ‘car-cation’ is expected to be the preferred travel mode this year as more people opt for driving holidays in Britain and Ireland, and where better than the picturesque Welsh coast or Ireland’s ‘sunny South East’.

Paul Grant, Trade Director Irish Sea, says: “It has been a very difficult start to the year for the port of Fishguard and the route across to Rosslare. While the Irish port has boomed due to direct services to France, our Welsh port has been quiet.

“As trade flows between Britain and Ireland begin to pick-up we’re anticipating that confidence will recover for land-bridge freight movements. Shorter, faster and more frequent routes are always popular with hauliers and their customers. In addition, we know that there is a lot of pent up demand for travel and the return of Duty Free onboard will offer even greater value for passengers traveling with Stena Line.”

Published in Stena Line
Tagged under

Freight ferry cargo levels continue to improve with Seatruck as a result the Irish Sea operator has announced the re-introduction of the 15:30 sailing ex Dublin Port on Thursday's and the 03:30 sailing ex Liverpool on Friday's.

This additional round-trip came in practise last Thursday with the ex Dublin sailing.

Seatruck have already reinstated Tuesday morning sailings onto the Warrenpoint – Heysham route.  The operator say they continue to monitor cargo levels and evaluate customer feedback to determine the number of sailings required on each route.

The 'P' class vessels (currently operating on the Dublin-Heysham and Dublin-Liverpool routes) can accommodate 12 passengers in single cabins.

As for the 'FSG' class (currently operating on the Dublin-Liverpool and Warrenpoint-Heysham routes) continue to operate with a maximum of 6 passengers per vessel, allowing drivers to have a single cabin for the duration of the voyage.

For further information contact the relevant port for booking information.

In regards to the latest schedule information,  follow the link HERE to the 7-day live schedule or download the Seatruck schedule App.

In March due to Covid-19 there was a temporary stop in carrying HGV drivers and passengers on board.

Currently in Dublin Port is Seatruck Power (as pictured above).

In addition Afloat also tracked Seatruck Panorama having left Dublin Bay and ahead further into the Irish Sea is a another 'P' class, Clipper Pennant.  

Both these ro-ro freight-ferries this afternoon are bound for Merseyside. 

Published in Ferry

#freightferry - Irish Sea freight-only ro-ro operator, Seatruck Ferries has from today increased capacity by adding Tuesday morning sailings on the core Dublin-Liverpool route, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Due to increased demand, Seatruck Ferries new Tuesday morning sailings on the busy central corridor route, will take the service total to 40 sailings per week.

The particular vessel operating this morning's sailing from Dublin Port is the Seatruck Power. The ro-ro freighter which was completed by FSG, Germany in 2012 has a capacity for 150 freight units spread across 2,166 lane metres.

In total, the operator now offers Irish Sea customers 74 sailings per week, allowing for greater flexibility in the shipment of unaccompanied trailers.

The company also operate Dublin-Heysham and Warrenpoint-Heysham. Among the 10-strong fleet is the 65 unit freight ferry Arrow that is on charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co.

The ship which acts as a relief vessel is currently away from Manx waters due to the dry-docking of a freighter from Condor Ferries, the main operator serving the Channel Islands.

Published in Ferry

Royal Irish Yacht Club - Frequently Asked Questions

The Royal Irish Yacht Club is situated in a central location in Dun Laoghaire Harbour with excellent access and visiting sailors can be sure of a special welcome. The clubhouse is located in the prime middle ground of the harbour in front of the town marina and it is Dun Laoghaire's oldest yacht club. 

What's a brief history of the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

The yacht club was founded in 1831, with the Marquess of Anglesey, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo being its first Commodore. 

John Skipton Mulvany designed the clubhouse, which still retains a number of original architectural features since being opened in 1851.

It was granted an ensign by the Admiralty of a white ensign with the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Ireland beneath the Union Jack in canton.

Many prominent names feature among the past members of the Club. The first Duke of Wellington was elected in 1833, followed by other illustrious men including the eccentric Admiral Sir Charles Napier, Sir Dominic Corrigan the distinguished physician, Sir Thomas Lipton, novelist, George A. Birmingham, yachtsman and author, Conor O'Brien, and famous naval historian and author, Patrick O Brian. 

In the club's constitution, it was unique among yacht clubs in that it required yacht owners to provide the club's commodore with information about the coast and any deep-sea fisheries they encountered on all of their voyages.

In 1846, the club was granted permission to use the Royal prefix by Queen Victoria. The club built a new clubhouse in 1851. Despite the Republic of Ireland breaking away from the United Kingdom, the Royal Irish Yacht Club elected to retain its Royal title.

In 1848, a yachting trophy called "Her Majesty's Plate" was established by Queen Victoria to be contested at Kingstown where the Royal Irish Yacht Club is based. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland at the time, George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon suggested it should be contested by the Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Royal St. George Yacht Club in an annual regatta, a suggestion that was approved by both clubs with the Royal St. George hosting the first competitive regatta.

The RIYC celebrated its 185th Anniversary in 2016 with the staging of several special events in addition to being well represented afloat, both nationally and internationally. It was the year the club was also awarded Irish Yacht Club of the Year as Afloat's W M Nixon details here.

The building is now a listed structure and retains to this day all its original architectural features combined with state of the art facilities for sailors both ashore and afloat.

What is the Royal Irish Yacht Club's emblem?

The Club's emblem shows a harp with the figure of Nice, the Greek winged goddess of victory, surmounted by a crown. This emblem has remained unchanged since the foundation of the Club; a symbol of continuity and respect for the history and tradition of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

What is the Royal Irish Yacht Club's ensign?

The RIYC's original white ensign was granted by Royal Warrant in 1831. Though the Royal Irish Yacht Club later changed the ensign to remove the St George's Cross and replace the Union Jack with the tricolour of the Republic of Ireland, the original ensign may still be used by British members of the Royal Irish Yacht Club

Who is the Commodore of the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

The current Commodore is Jerry Dowling, and the Vice-Commodore is Tim Carpenter.

The RIYC Flag Officers are: 

What reciprocal club arrangements does the Royal Irish Yacht Club have?  

As one of Ireland's leading club's, the Royal Irish Yacht Club has significant reciprocal arrangements with yacht clubs across Ireland and the UK, Europe, USA and Canada and the rest of the World. If you are visiting from another Club, please have with a letter of introduction from your Club or introduce yourself to the Club Secretary or to a member of management staff, who will show you the Club's facilities.

What car parking does the Royal Irish Yacht Club have at its Dun Laoghaire clubhouse?

The RIYC has car parking outside of its clubhouse for the use of its members. Paid public car parking is available next door to the club at the marina car park. There is also paid parking on offer within the harbour area at the Coatl Harbour (a 5-minute walk) and at an underground car park adjacent to the Royal St. George Yacht Club (a 3-minute walk). Look for parking signs. Clamping is in operation in the harbour area.

What facilities does the Royal Irish Yacht Clubhouse offer? 

The Royal Irish Yacht Club offers a relaxed, warm and welcoming atmosphere in one of the best situated and appointed clubhouses in these islands. Its prestige in yachting circles is high and its annual regatta remains one of the most attractive events in the sailing calendar. It offers both casual and formal dining with an extensive wine list and full bar facilities. The Club caters for parties, informal events, educational seminars, themed dinners and all occasions. The RIYC has a number of venues within the Club each of which provides a different ambience to match particular needs.

What are the Royal Irish Yacht Club's Boathouse facilities?

The RIYC boathouse team run the launch service to the club's swinging moorings, provide lifting for dry-sailed boats, lift and scrub boats, as well as maintaining the fabric of the deck, pontoon infrastructure, and swinging moorings. They also maintain the club crane, the only such mobile crane of the Dun Laoghaire Yacht Clubs.

What facilities are offered for junior sailing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

One of the missions of the Royal Irish Yacht Club is to promote sailing as a passion for life by encouraging children and young adults to learn how to sail through its summer courses and class-specific training throughout the year. 

RIYC has an active junior section. Its summer sailing courses are very popular and the club regularly has over 50 children attending courses in any week. The aim is for those children to develop lifelong friendships through sailing with other children in the club, and across the other clubs in the bay.
 
Many RIYC children go on to compete for the club at regional and national championships and some have gone on to represent Ireland at international competitions and the Olympic Regatta itself.
 
In supporting its young sailors and the wider sailing community, the RIYC regularly hosts junior sailing events including national and regional championships in classes such as the Optmist, Feva and 29er.
 
Competition is not everything though and as the club website states:  "Many of our junior sailors have gone on the become sailing instructors and enjoy teaching both in Ireland and abroad.  Ultimately, we take most pleasure from the number of junior sailors who become adult sailors and enjoy a lifetime of sailing with the club".