Stena ship

Cookie_Monster

There has been a rather large Stena ship sitting in Dublin bay for the last couple of days, anyone know what it's about?

Not the Adventurer or the much smaller secondary ship that usually operates out of the port. In as a replacement while one is on refit perhaps or is it possible a replacement for the smaller one as the HSS has cut capacity by 50%?

Colm R

I've seen this. It looks like the one that operates the Rosslare Pembroke route, however I am not certain about this.

Alun

They've put on extra sailings out of Dublin Port serviced by the Stena Nordica. Not sure why, but looking at the sailing times, the Adventurer seems to be out of action for 2 weeks during march, so maybe it's down to refurbishment / refit activities.

L1011

Wikipedia states that its doing refit cover for the Stena Seatrader. Trust that as much as you want...

Cookie_Monster

Seemingly it is infact a replacement for the Seatrader, from Stena

With the reduction of cargo capacity from Dun Laoghaire with the HSS cutback to one sailing a day it makes sense to have a much larger ship in place to deal with the re-directed freight

Must have just tunred up a few days early:)

OT slightly I wonder what will replace the Explorer when she goes for refit in March, can Dun Laoghaire still cope with a standard Ropax ferry?

SickCert

It was here earlier in the year.

http://sickcert.fotopic.net/c1447906.html

From talk on other boards and the Stena website, its here for good.

You may remember it as THIS

Cookie_Monster

SickCert wrote: »

It was here earlier in the year.
http://sickcert.fotopic.net/c1447906.html

I take it that it been sold to Stena then, did P&O replace it with something else, there is still a P&O ship plying the route isin't there?

SickCert wrote: »

From talk on other boards and the Stena website, its here for good.

Thats the impression I got as well.

SickCert wrote: »

You may remember it as THIS

Looks better in white:)

Tabnabs

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

OT slightly I wonder what will replace the Explorer when she goes for refit in March, can Dun Laoghaire still cope with a standard Ropax ferry?

Stena have three HSS type vessels. The Dun Laoghaire one, a Belfast one and a "spare" one which used to run out of Harwich, but is now mothballed in Belfast (or was there last I heard), but is stripped out and up for sale and so cannot be put into use.

When the DL boat goes for annual refit, they close the route and when the Belfast HSS goes for refit after, they transfer the DL HSS up there to cover that route. Just goes to show how important/profitable the DL-HH route is...

There is a linkspan for a conventional ferry in DL, however, it has not been used in many years and is probably well past its sell by date and also the size of ferries it was designed to operate with are no longer in use by Stena (or most other Northern European ferry companies).

Cookie_Monster

Dyflin wrote: »

Stena have three HSS type vessels. The Dun Laoghaire one, a Belfast one and a "spare" one which used to run out of Harwich, but is now mothballed in Belfast (or was there last I heard), but is stripped out and up for sale and so cannot be put into use.

There is actually a forth that operates in Denmark/Finland too though it is only a 900 class unlike the 3 1500's mentioned above. They were also due to have an additional 1/2 900's but the shipyard went bust before the keels were laid down

Dyflin wrote: »

When the DL boat goes for annual refit, they close the route and when the Belfast HSS goes for refit after, they transfer the DL HSS up there to cover that route. Just goes to show how important/profitable the DL-HH route is...

Thats poor to say the least. Though I suppose at least there is significant cover in Dublin to cope.

Cookie_Monster

I have a further question in regards to this ship;

I see it every morning sitting in the bay, on my way to work at about 8.30 or so and frequently see it from the office in the bay up to 10.30 or 11.

How long does it sit there every morning? I'd be well annoyed having to be stuck on it for 3-4 hours, could they not just dock it earlier/leave Wales later or are there some terrible scheduling issues/reaons for this?

SickCert

I think it unloads then heads back out to anchor while the Adventurer is at the berth.

Cookie_Monster

SickCert wrote: »

I think it unloads then heads back out to anchor while the Adventurer is at the berth.

Bizarre!

I suppose it would make sense if that was the case, lack of space in the port and all that, but seems strange to do it that way really.

Edit: though the Adventurer and Ulysees both have left and cleared by 8.45 or so so why stay out for a further 2-3 hours?