The Old B+I - Where are those boats now?

SickCert

KC61 wrote: »

This thread has got my curiousity going again. Delving deep into my book archive, and finally locating my copy of "Sealink" by Brian Haresnape published in 1982 by Ian Allan, I can confirm that the capacity of the St Columba (built in 1977) was a whopping 2,400 passengers and 334 cars. Nothing in the Sealink fleet came anywhere close. In fact not even the Ulysses can carry that many passengers!! Top speed was 19.5 kts, with a length of 129.2m and breadth of 21.2m.

The St. David could only carry 1,000 passengers with 309 cars and was built for the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route when there were in fact two ships on the route! It was one of a set of four identical ships built in 1979-1981 - the others being St Anselm & St Christopher (Dover-Calais), and the Galloway Princess (Stranraer-Larne).

Once the Cinema opened, it was OK as most the people were gone for 2hrs!
The St.D was spread over 1 1/2 decks while Columba had two full decks for the passengers.
Between the Columba and the Leinster ~ they both bumped over the Irish sea regardless of conditions.

SickCert

While were talking old times heres the Cambria off Majorca in 2008, excuse the shot i was at full 10x zoom.

101sean

Back in the 70s I can recall some of them having first class lounges which we always paid the small supplement for. The first time I travelled on my own, in 1978 I think, I caught a boat train from Euston (just me in a compartment with my bag and a pack of McEwans :rolleyes:) I paid the extra and recall somewhat sheepishly walking up the first class access past what semed like hundreds of other foot passengers glaring at me

DWCommuter

101sean wrote: »

Back in the 70s I can recall some of them having first class lounges which we always paid the small supplement for. The first time I travelled on my own, in 1978 I think, I caught a boat train from Euston (just me in a compartment with my bag and a pack of McEwans :rolleyes:) I paid the extra and recall somewhat sheepishly walking up the first class access past what semed like hundreds of other foot passengers glaring at me

I certainly remember the Connacht on the Liverpool run having a first class lounge that you could pay for on board. Large reclining seats in a very quiet area. (Fuzzy RTE reception on TVs that were turned down) But apparently the real craic and atmosphere was in the bar at the stern.:D

SickCert

Guys read this http://www.abctales.com/story/jxmartin/southern-ireland-twenty-years-ago

Victor

SickCert wrote: »

Guys read this http://www.abctales.com/story/jxmartin/southern-ireland-twenty-years-ago

And they bemoan the amount of drinking Irish people do.

KC61

The St Columba had a Pullman Lounge.

Cookie_Monster

SickCert wrote: »

Guys read this http://www.abctales.com/story/jxmartin/southern-ireland-twenty-years-ago

Whats 197L



I thought we had pounds back then

zagmund

SickCert wrote: »

Guys read this http://www.abctales.com/story/jxmartin/southern-ireland-twenty-years-ago

That's a great read. I had memories of the St Columba from going over and back to London (and further on interrails) during student summers in the 80s, but his description brought it back vividly. The 'steerage' gangways, the people sitting in the corridors, standing up on the upper deck around the funnel watching land either coming or going, and so much more.

It makes for great reading - what is this B&B concept he talks of ? Aren't they all extinct by now ? I remember them alright, but the scene he paints is so true to the way it used to be. I wonder what Eileen Kelly (Mrs.) is up to these days and if the B&B is still going ? We used to have one or two around here (Booterstown) and the only thing I can think of is that they used to get passing trade from the ferries in DL. In fact I remember one day meeting some exhausted looking cyclists looking a bit bewildered while I was out for a walk. Long story short, they were off the ferry, were shattered, nowhere to stay, thought there was a B&B nearby but it was shut, can't cycle further, can't find anywhere to stay. Cue the first and last night of Zags Motel when then kipped down on the living room floor.

To bring it back on topic - I've a shot of the St Columba at sunset in DL harbour - I always thought it was terribly arty. I'll scan and upload it if I can find the album.

Good times . . .

z

p.s. definitely off topic, but I remember getting some monster Stena ferry from Helsingor to Helsingborg and being amazed at how fast the turn around was - they were loading cars on one ramp and off-loading on another. We see it all the time now, but I remember thinking how it compared to practices in DL at the time when it used to take what seemed like hours to empty the ferry and then more hours to fill it again. Using two ramps just seemed so logical.

Victor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Whats 197L



I thought we had pounds back then

A "£" is a stylised "L". Perhaps his keyboard didn't have a "£" symbol.

IIMII

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The Naomh Éanna was not a car ferry unlike the Carvair which was a car ferry

It was in fact a COW Ferry which sounds the same in certain parts of Dublin I suppose.

Below is a photo of a "Hare Krishna Ferry" which is neither a cow ferry nor a car ferry I will have ye know. This really excellent inland boat blog is here..... to complement the seagoing one.

http://irishwaterways.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/hare-krishna-ferry-01_resize.jpg

Ha!

No, whether it was an official ferry or not, it did take cars. I remember that much...! Other things might be hazy but not that. As far as remember it was the only way to get cars onto the island back then

L1011

Islands would get cars in whatever way they could, on Arranmore pre-84 people used to drive on to the decks of trawlers using planks as ramps - one of the pubs still has a framed photo of my grandfathers Cortina getting delivered that the Irish Times ran!