#FerryÉconomie - Brittany Ferries are to expand their fleet and offer more no-frills 'économie' UK sailings to Le Havre and Bilbao with the launch in May of chartered ro-pax Baie de Seine, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Baie de Seine was the former Sirena Seaways which operated the final ferry link between the UK and Scandinavia until closed last year by DFDS Seaways on their Harwich-Esbjerg (Denmark) route.

The closure of the historic North Sea route will see the ro-pax operate for Brittany Ferries économie brand in which Etretat launched almost a year ago.

The second ro-pax to join Brittany Ferries 'no-frill's operations, Baie de Seine will serve Portsmouth-Le Havre route (four times a week) and Portsmouth-Bilbao route (once a week).

One of the core reasons for the closure of the North Sea route given by DFDS was the inability to sustain added costs accrued to the new EU Directive on Sulphur Emissions which came into effect at the start of 2015.

For her new role scrubbers are to be fitted to Baie de Seine so to enable her to burn low cost heavy fuel oil yet comply with new low sulphur emissions regulations.

The Brittany Ferries économie brand services are aimed to customers wishing to travel to France or Spain at what the company claim to be 'very reasonable fares' without the cruise-style experience normally provided by the operator.

Baie de Seine is certified to carry 610 passengers but the operator will reduce numbers to well below this capacity on the ro-pax which has limited facilities and space.

She is to join the second économie-branded ship, Etretat, which as alluded above launched the service last year during March. Prior to that the Visentini ro-pax served LD Lines Irish and UK services in addition to those of Celtic Link Ferries.

Mike Bevens, Group Commercial Director, comments: "We have been really pleased with the demand for our new no-frills service so this additional ship will provide a welcome boost in capacity and provide our customers with an even wider range of sailing times. Furthermore, it now brings the total number of services to Spain to seven a week, again providing more choice."

Customers can mix and match économie sailings with the company's other cruiseferry services to Normandy (to include fast-ferry on the Portsmouth-Cherbourg/lLe Havre), Brittany and northern Spain. In addition to the fexibility of travelling out by one route and returning by another. 

#ShipsSwap – Stena Nordica is due to leave the Dublin-Holyhead route next month in a swap that sees replacement 'Superfast X' which as previously reported had served on the Straits of Dover, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Stena Line are to transfer the outgoing 'Nordica' (see related report) to DFDS Seaways Dover-Calais route from where the newcomer Stena Superfast X had operated the UK-France link under the name Dieppe Seaways.

The 29,800 tonnes 'Superfast' ceased Straits of Dover sailings last November when a two-year charter from Stena Ro Ro had expired. She is to join the Dublin-Holyhead route's second ship Stena Adventurer in her new Irish Sea role.

The move is a consolidation and expansion of services by Stena Line out of Dublin Port following the announcement to close the neighbouring route from Dun Laoghaire to Wales.  

DFDS Seaways has confirmed that it will be adding the Nordica to the short-sea link following the ro-pax's final sailing for Stena scheduled on 8 March prior. In turn the Stena Superfast X is set to make her inaugural sailing in the early hours of the next day. 

The entry of Nordica will bring DFDS Seaways' France fleet back to five vessels since Dieppe Seaways stood down and went to layup in Dunkerque.

She is undergoing in Poland as reported on Afloat.ie a major refit and conversion by MacGregor at Romentowa's Nauta Yard in Gdynia.

Likewise the Nordica will be dry-docked for a refit and rebranding before joining the DFDS Seaways single route operated ferry, Calais Seaways. The 405 passenger newcomer is expected to be ready for business in the next couple of months.

Carsten Jensen, senior vice president at DFDS Seaways, commented: "We have been looking for a suitable fifth ship on our Dover-France routes to bring our Calais service back up to two vessels".

"The introduction of the Nordica, coupled with an engine upgrade on Calais Seaways, will help us restore a reliable daily service of up to 20 sailings between Dover and Calais, which is good news for our customers and good news for our loyal crew and operations teams too."

The newcomer is to serve the premier UK-continent link in which last month a case by the Competition Appeal Tribunal's ruling on the SCOP/Eurotunnel was welcomed by DFDS Seaways.

#DublinLEDShips - 'Dublin Ships' is the title given to a temporary public artwork commissioned as part of the Dublin City Public Art Programme that is currently running until July 2015.

The work by Cliona Harmey uses large LED screens located on the Scherzer Bridges at North Wall Quay close to the National Convention Centre.

Dublin Ships artwork is generated from live electronic signals which track the arrivals and departures of each ship in Dublin Port. The name of the ship is then transmitted in real-time to two large LED screens facing towards the city, and remains illuminated in black and white until the next ship either arrives in or leaves the port.

Afloat.'s Ferry News Correspondent, Jehan Ashmore, took recent photos of the LED screens on the bridge with the passing road quayside traffic below. At the time the screens boldly displayed the names of a pair of rival ferries currently operating services on the Dublin-Holyhead route.

The ferries were 'Ulysses' and 'Nordica' and all in LED technical glory! Ulysses is Irish Ferries 'flagship' on the Ireland-Wales link. On the adjoining screen was the 'Nordica', the Stena Line ferry which also operates on the Irish Sea 'central corridor' route.

However, such a display of the Nordica blazed in LED light will diminish to that just representing a visual image of the past!.. As the Stena Nordica (to give her full name) is to be replaced next month by 'Superfast X' as previously reported on Afloat.ie. 

As 'Dublin Ships' has clearly demonstrated by bringing to life the movements of ships in Dublin Port. In addition by using this medium to create a strong visual and cultural link between the port and the city in full view of Dublin's citizens, commuters and pedestrians.

The work juxtaposes the speed of instantaneous data with the speed of movement of real entities in space. Dublin Ships highlights the meanings and poetic qualities of ship names, which include allusions to maritime trade, cargoes, historical figures and distant places.

Harmey's work combines sculpture, with live data from transport and communication infrastructure.

Recent work has harvested both open satellite and real-time airline information to create works that engage with notions of time and information space. Her sculptural works are concerned with spatial, broadcast and environmental phenomena (flight data, light, atmospheric pressure).

#StenaSuperfastX – Stena Line's announcement last week to consolidate its Dublin-Holyhead route and close Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead HSS services, will be manifested by the debut of 'Superfast X' to Dublin Port in early March, writes Jehan Ashmore.

According to the operator's UK website, Stena Superfast X is to make her first sailing as the route's 'flagship' from Dublin Port to Holyhead in the early hours of Monday 9 March.

The Superfast X at 29,800 tonnes will directly replace the Stena Nordica.  The larger newcomer will  join the route's other existing second ship, Stena Adventurer of 44, 000 tonnes.

By introducing Superfast X, the ferry with a 1,200 passenger capacity compares starkly to Nordica which only handled 400. In addition freight capacity will be 2kms of lane metres.

In order to achieve these loading capabilities, work on Superfast X as previously reported by Afloat.ie, are reaching the final phases of a major refurbishment and internal reconfiguration by MacGregor.

This will see facilities for passenger space quadruple as decks eight, nine and most of deck 10 are exclusively for guests instead of the confined single deck facilities found on Stena Nordica.

The works on Superfast X, previously Dieppe Seaways, that ran DFDS Seaways Dover-Calais services are been carried out by MacGregor in association with the Romentowa shipyard in Gydnia, Poland.

This yard on the Baltic Sea is not to be confused with another Romentowa facility in the neighbouring port of Gdansk, where a further pair of 'Superfast' sisters, were extensively converted into Stena's Superfast VII and VIII. For a previous related report, click HERE. 

Following radical refits, the transformed pair where launched in 2011 on the new Belfast-Cairnryan route, following the closure of the Scottish port of Stranraer.

Nordica's is scheduled to make her final sailing from Holyhead on Sunday 8 March, by arrival late at night into Dublin Port. 

As mentioned above, the inaugural Superfast X sailing is scheduled to take over from Nordica's sailing roster during a transition in the Irish port.

#NewPortaFERRY – Cammell Laird, the Birkenhead based marine and specialist engineering company has been awarded a £5.7m project by the Northern Ireland's Department for Regional Development.

The news follows an open procurement exercise which attracted interest from shipyards across Europe.

The contract will see the firm construct a new car and passenger ferry to replace the MV Strangford operating the Strangford-Portaferry service on The Narrows at the entrance of Strangford Lough in Co. Down. The new ferry is due to be delivered by August 2016.

Mr Rob McBurney, Commercial Director of Cammell Laird, said: "We are very pleased to have been awarded the contract for the construction of the new Strangford Ferry. The company has a long tradition of ship building and we look forward to working with the Department over the coming years."

The new ferry will have capacity for 28 cars and 260 passengers and will share the ferry operation on a rotational basis with the MV Portaferry II. This will provide improved capacity and remove the need for a 7.5 tonne weight restriction that is in place when the MV Strangford is in service.

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy said: "The new ferry will replace the existing MV Strangford with a new modern ferry that has been designed specifically for this service. The new ferry will be built over the next 18 months and, when it comes into operation, will provide a more reliable and efficient ferry service.

"The Department for Regional Development currently operates a vehicle ferry service in Strangford Lough between Strangford and Portaferry with two vehicle ferries and a back-up passenger ferry. The new ferry will replace the existing MV Strangford which is over 40 years old and is approaching the end of its economically operational life."

The Department has engaged with a range of stakeholders, including the public, the Committee for Regional Development and local councils during the development of the ferry proposals.

A representative of the Department confirmed that the project team will continue to keep stakeholders informed during the construction of the new ferry.

The Minister added that good progress was also being made on the tender process for a new ferry for Rathlin. Tender documents have been issued to a shortlist of ship builders and they hope to award the contract in April.

#FerryDryDocking – Stena Europe (1981/24,828grt), the Rosslare-Fishguard ferry is this morning bound for Belfast, where she is to be given an annual overhaul in a dry-dock at Harland & Wolff, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The operator, Stena Line have taken the 'Europe' off-service on the southern Ireland-Wales route until the dry-docking is scheduled to be completed on 18 February.

An alternative replacement service with Irish Ferries is available on the Rosslare-Pembroke Dock. Passengers with bookings for Stena Line are advised to contact the operator on 053 91 61567 if they haven't already done so, for further details visit HERE.

According to the Stena website, the first sailing after the replacement service will be the 02.30 Fishguard – Rosslare on 18 February.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Irish Ferries transferred yesterday the Isle of Inishmore to the Rosslare-Pembroke, her routine route and follows almost two months service on the Dublin-Holyhead route.

During Isle of Inishmore's second month on the Dublin route in January, she was off-service to undergo overhaul at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead.

Her return brings her fresh into service, as she has already completed an overnight round trip on the Pembroke route.

#FrenchRoutes – This weekend's Dublin-Cherbourg round-trip sailings have been cancelled by Irish Ferries, it is not known as to why, though the route is scheduled to resume service next Saturday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Now in its second year, the Ireland-France service is otherwise operated by the chartered ro-pax Epsilon which is currently in Dublin Port. The 500 passenger and crew capacity ferry normally departs for France on Saturday afternoon's and returns to Ireland on Monday morning's.

The ferry is berthed close to the East-Link Bridge having arrived last Monday after making a repositioning passage in ballast from Rosslare (see related report).

A fleetmate, Isle of Inishmore which has been on the Dublin route since December to boost capacity over the festive season, recently returned fresh from annual overhaul to cover in for Epsilon.

Epsilon as well as the French route sails on the Dublin-Holyhead route, Tuesday's to Saturday's. It is understood the ro-pax is to resume service on the Welsh route but not until next Thursday's 01.55 sailing departing Dublin Port.

Following the overhaul of Isle of Inishmore at a dry-dock in Birkenhead, this yearly procedure would of normally led to her immediate return to routine sailings on the Rosslare-Pembroke route.

Isle of Inishmore's extended run on Dublin-Holyhead in lieu of Epsilon, saw the Rosslare ferry remain running alongside the central corridor route regulars Ulysses and Jonathan Swift. Both cruiseferry and fast-ferry had also undergone recent overhauls at the same Merseyside dry-dock facility, Cammell Laird.

This morning Isle of Inishmore took her final inward bound sailing to Dublin before she finally departed the port this afternoon for Rosslare. As she departed Dublin Bay she did not take the shorter coastal shipping lane to Rosslare, but instead rounded the South Burford buoy to head further offshore of the Kish Bank Lighthouse.

Isle of Inishmore took a more leisurely five hour passage to reach Rosslare having gone as far into the Irish Sea via the the East Kish, East Codling and Codling bank bouys. From that last bouy she set a south-westerly course heading for the Wexford port.

This evening's call was brief as she then departed again to allow for Oscar Wilde following a late arriving from Pembroke Dock. As a result the Isle of Inishmore's return to her usual route was delayed as she is to depart at a later than scheduled departure of 22.00 tonight.  

The 'Oscar' has been on the Rosslare –Pembroke since the Inishmore's transfer to the Dublin route almost two months ago.

Tonight Oscar Wilde departed Rosslare to undergo her turn of annual overhaul at A&P Falmouth.

Following dry-docking the cruiseferry is to resume seasonal sailings, firstly on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route beginning on 25 February. The Oscar's sailing roster will become busier as the high-season service to Roscoff starts in May.  

#FerryNews- A ferry on the Dublin-Holyhead route re-entered service last night following an incident at the Welsh port during the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

According to the Daily Post (which has more here) the Stena Line ferry was hit by a small barge within Holyhead Harbour on Sunday that had led to the cancellation of sailings.

A spokesperson for the operator said: "There were no injuries to crew or passengers but there was damage caused to the Stena Nordica".

A Marine Accident and Investigation Branch (MAIB) spokeswoman said: "The MAIB can confirm that the bunker barge 'Keewhit' struck the Stena Nordica ferry which was berthed in Holyhead harbour on Sunday.

"The MAIB is currently gathering information and will decide whether to investigate this incident in due course."

The ferry was taken out of service so repairs could be completed by (yesterday).

Afloat.ie can confirm the ferry remained in the outer harbour before resuming service last night with a sailing that arrived into Dublin Port.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Keewhit is a coastal short-sea tanker which regularly calls to the Anglesey port to fuel the operator's two-ferries serving on the Dublin route. In addition to calling to Rosslare Harbour to fuel further ferries.

Following the incident, Keewhit berthed in Holyhead at the inner harbour.

Also occupying this inner harbour is the HSS Stena Explorer. The fast-ferry has remained moored since her withdrawal from service in September on the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route.

The future of the 56 nautical mile route was finally confirmed this week as Stena Line announced that they would not be operating the Dun Laoghaire service anymore.

The end of the Holyhead route to Dun Laoghaire would instead be consolidated by the operators existing route using Dublin Port.

#StenaDunLaoghaire - Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company are to meet Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe following confirmation by Stena Line to end its ferry service at the south Co Dublin port, writes The Irish Times.

The move marks the end of almost two centuries of ferry traffic from Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead and 20 years of the Stena Line-run service after its contract runs out on April 14th.

Mr Donohoe told Fine Gael TD Mary Mitchell-O'Connor he was aware the news would be a major disappointment to the community in Dún Laoghaire. He said he shared her disappointment at the end of an era. "I worked in Stena Line in Dún Laoghaire for two summers and have an understanding of how important the service is not only to Dún Laoghaire harbour but also to the broader community."

Ms Mitchell-O'Connor called for a taskforce to be established on the harbour's future. "We need to find solutions and stop dithering," the Dún Laoghaire Deputy said. She urged the Minister to consider the harbour as a location for an international diaspora centre.
For more on this story, click HERE.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie the DLHC are seeking other providers to operate a seasonal ferry service on the route.

#RouteClosure - Stena Line has confirmed today a consolidation of its services from Holyhead to Dublin Port. This will see the closure of the neighbouring historic ferry service from the Welsh port to Dun Laoghaire Harbour. 

The company stated that it will be concentrating on expanding its existing ferry service at Dublin Port while at the same time confirming amid much speculation as previously reported on Afloat.ie that it is withdrawing its HSS Stena Explorer service from Dun Laoghaire Harbour. 

There has been a ferry service on this Irish Sea route for 170 years (since 1835).

Stena Line ceased the HSS fast-ferry operated summer season sailings as scheduled last September. However as previously reported, in November the operator made a surprise announcment in the cancellation of sailings over the Christmas and early New Year season.  

Ian Davies, Stena Line's Route Manager for Irish Sea South, said: "With two services operating approx. 10 miles apart we needed to make a decision in relation to what operation best serves the needs of our customers now and in the years ahead, and that operation is Dublin Port."

Stena Line has operated the HSS Stena Explorer into Dun Laoghaire since 1995 during which time the vessel has carried a mix of passengers, car and coach traffic. The Dun Laoghaire service was successful for several years following its introduction, carrying over 1.7 million passengers annually during its peak in 1998.

However, post the withdrawal of 'duty free' shopping, passenger and cars volumes declined dramatically and by 2014, less than 200,000 ferry passengers travelled through Dun Laoghaire Harbour. This represented a decline of over 90% in volume, making the route unsustainable.

During the same time period Stena Line has continued to make significant investment in larger better equipped vessels, and this, coupled with key improvements in road infrastructure and connectivity to Dublin, Belfast and further afield, has led to a significant uplift in both passenger and freight volumes through its evolving Dublin Port business.

Car and passenger volumes into Dublin Port overtook Dun Laoghaire as far back as 2008. Since then volumes through Dublin Port have continued to grow, as volumes through Dun Laoghaire have contracted thus providing Stena Line with a stark choice in relation to its future route network in the region.

Ian Davies added: "While we have enjoyed a very professional working relationship with Dun Laoghaire Harbour over many years, the economic realities of the current situation in relation to our business levels have left us with no choice but to close the service. Dublin continues to grow in importance, not only as the core freight port for Ireland but also as the key tourism gateway into Ireland."

"Ireland remains a strategically important region for us which is why Stena Line has invested over £250m across our Irish Sea business in the last five years alone. A number of economic indicators point to the continued recovery of the Irish and UK economies which has helped to stimulate renewed freight growth and returning tourism confidence in 2014. In 2014 we invested in a new Stena Line service to France from Rosslare and recently announced the arrival of the superferry Stena Superfast X into Dublin Port by late February."

Looking ahead, Stena Line is confident that this upward trend and to increasing its capacity on the Dublin Port service. The new vessel Superfast X  with space for up to 1, 200 passengers and 2 km of vehicle lane capacity will operate a year round sailing schedule.