The sight of Stena Line’s HSS ‘Stena Voyager’ being towed stern first out of Belfast Lough on Sunday, May 5, was somewhat sobering; the futuristic craft, and indeed the travel service concept that helped to revolutionise the look of the ferry industry, bound for the recycler’s torch after just 15 years of commercial service between Belfast and Stranraer.

Rushed moves to deal with SO_x emissions will prove costly

In January 2015, new International Maritime Organisation and European Union regulations will require shipowners in northern Europe to use a marine fuel that has a sulphur content of less than 0.1 per cent. A United Kingdom Chamber of Shipping report, commissioned on behalf of several of the UK’s North Sea and Western Channel shipping operators, is the first of its kind to examine the full impact of the new regulations.

Headaches and challenges
As reported last month, Stena Line’s central and northern Irish services were in all kinds of problems when chartered relief ship ‘Finnarrow’ proceeded to berth at Holyhead on February 16 with her fin stabilisers still deployed. Damage was substantial, with the port fin penetrating the engine room causing flooding. Fins are usually retracted before the ship enters the port.

The 77 passengers, 43 crew and vehicles onboard were safely disembarked a short time after the ship was secured, while units of the local fire brigade were deployed to assist with pumping.

As an available dry-dock was located, operations at the port were disrupted as the ship blocked the berth normally used by Irish Ferries. The ship eventually left Holyhead under tow during the early hours of February 20, bound for dry-dock at Greenock, Scotland.

What is going on with ferries at the moment? There seems to be an inordinate number of casualties.

Hybrid ferries a world first for Scottish shipbuilding

Rather exciting news from Scotland, where the first of two cutting edge hybrid ferries was launched from the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow on December 17.
The ‘Hallaig’ is the first commercial ship in over five years to be fully built and delivered on the River Clyde, once the home of British shipbuilding.