#TradingCowes – A pair of short-sea traders based at Cowes, Isle of Wight have called to two Irish east coast ports that are some 30 nautical miles apart, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Vedette is docked in Dublin Port while at Wicklow the caller is the Velox. The cargoships are operated by Faversham Ships Ltd whose fleet of conventional & low air draft coastal vessels are suitable for dangerous cargoes, loading / discharging aground.

The origins of the UK shipping company stem from the acquisition of the small coaster Conformity from F.T. Everard & Sons, no longer in existance. Their ships were a familiar sight on Irish waters, notably those painted with pale yellow hulls.

The 86m Vedette (2001/3,800dwt) flying the Isle of Man flag had sailed across the Irish Sea from Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula west of Liverpool. She is berthed at the Deepwater Berth from where typical trades are scrap-metal.

The single hold general cargoship Vedette was built by Damen Shipyards, Bergum in the Netherlands. The same yard constructed the Irish flagged Huelin Dispatch (2012/3,760dwt) for Captain Frank Allen’s Dundalk Shipping Ltd.

The 89m tween-deck Huelin Dispatch is to the yard’s own design, the Combi Freighter 3850 series. After completing a survey in the dry-dock at Dublin during 2015 (since closed) the vessel is now into the second year of a renewed charter to Jersey based Channel Island Lines. She serves routes to the mainland base port of Southampton, conveying containers as well as hazardous shipments

During the drydocking of Huelin Dispatch, Faversham Ship’s Velox (2000/3,333dwt) the second caller to the Irish east today, was chartered-in to CIL to maintain serving Jersey and Guernsey. This also Dutch built short-sea trader from the Tille Shipyard in Kootsertille, has a slightly longer hull of 91m. She has occupied the same berth at Packet Pier from where Bounder had loaded cargo last weekend.

There are more connections with the Low Countries as the Cowes based shipping company has chartering operations through Faversham Ships Holland B.V. They are based in Capelle aan den Ijssel.

#IslandsCargoShip – Huelin Renouf Shipping, a freight-only company serving between the UK and Channel Islands has ceased trading this week and the operation of an Irish-flagged chartered cargoship, writes Jehan Ashmore.

According to a statement released by Huelin Renouf, the freight-only operator which has provided the service for almost eighty years, cited the decision to cease services with immediate effect on Monday, was not taken hastily or lightly.

Despite concerted efforts of company management to secure services with a number of potential purchasing parties, they have been unable to agree a sale of the business. Following this announcement there was to be an immediate winding up of proceedings and it is anticipated companies will be placed into liquidation, or in an England Administration, this week.

Huelin Renouf, had operated daily freight services between Southampton, Jersey, and Guernsey, and a twice weekly service to Alderney.

Since September, the Jersey based company has chartered Dundalk Shipping Ltd's registered Huelin Dispatch (2012/2,545grt), a brand new €8.8m Dutch built container 'Combi-Freighter' which as previously reported on Afloat.ie had the misfortune in striking a rock off Alderney while on her inaugural round trip cargo voyage.

The grounded Dundalk registered cargoship was assisted by rescue authorities and refloated, yet despite damage she reached Falmouth under her own power for repairs and returned to service.

The closure of Huelin Renouf, according to the Guernsey Press & Star has led to construction suppliers on the island fearing that the remaining shipping companies might not be able to cope with demand now that one of the largest freight services has gone bust.

Afloat.ie adds that the loss of Huelin-Renouf leaves only one main shipping operator serving the Channel Islands to the UK, that role been in the hands of Condor Ferries. This operator provides conventional ferry and fast-ferry services and a single ro-ro freight ship.

Unlike Huelin Renouf, Condor Ferries network of routes to UK ports also includes routes serving France to the Breton port of St. Malo.