when new stena ships arrive

Started by market knowledge, February 19, 2017, 07:29:04 PM

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market knowledge

do we think stena lagan and Mersey will switch and service  a new birkinhead Dublin service

PaddyL

Quote from: market knowledge on February 19, 2017, 07:29:04 PM
do we think stena lagan and Mersey will switch and service  a new birkinhead Dublin service

Stena have always had aspirations for that but who knows what way market will be then.

Davy Jones

More to the point, what will happen at the berths? If they keep the arrangement of the third freight ship on belfast-liverpool, would 12 Quays be able to handle it all?

Are the new builds double deck loading with bow doors? (I would expect so), in which case the pontoon at 12 Quays is going to be an issue. Will the floating pontoon be able to take the extra infrastructure for DD loading? Similar questions at belfast as well.

However, loading efficency would go up, so berthing time saved there.

PaddyL

Quote from: Davy Jones on February 20, 2017, 03:37:33 PM
More to the point, what will happen at the berths? If they keep the arrangement of the third freight ship on belfast-liverpool, would 12 Quays be able to handle it all?

Are the new builds double deck loading with bow doors? (I would expect so), in which case the pontoon at 12 Quays is going to be an issue. Will the floating pontoon be able to take the extra infrastructure for DD loading? Similar questions at belfast as well.

However, loading efficency would go up, so berthing time saved there.

Stena have said they are working on providing all required port infrastructure though I imagine this presents challenges especially at 12 Quays.

The plan appears to be for 2 ships to replace 3 so all things being equal it would just go back to the old days of a Belfast berth and Dublin berth.

Steven

Quote from: Davy Jones on February 20, 2017, 03:37:33 PM
More to the point, what will happen at the berths? If they keep the arrangement of the third freight ship on belfast-liverpool, would 12 Quays be able to handle it all?

Are the new builds double deck loading with bow doors? (I would expect so), in which case the pontoon at 12 Quays is going to be an issue. Will the floating pontoon be able to take the extra infrastructure for DD loading? Similar questions at belfast as well.

However, loading efficency would go up, so berthing time saved there.

As Paddy says, Stena are working on the infrastructure.  The new builds will be twin deck through loading, though whether provisions are made for loading all 3 decks from a single level isn't known yet (being Stena you'd assume they'll design things to be as flexible as possible to allow easy redepoloyment).  12 quays will be challenging, though I assume Peel Ports and Stena have some sort of plan to allow an extra 50% freight per sailing to be turned around.  Belfast will be interesting - will the opportunity be taken to finally merge the passenger operations, either at VT4 or VT1/2? 

Quote from: market knowledge on February 19, 2017, 07:29:04 PM
do we think stena lagan and Mersey will switch and service  a new birkinhead Dublin service
Part of me wonders if this is why Dublin didn't get one of the new buildings to replace Stena Superfast X.  There have been rumours on and off for years now about Stena starting a possible Dublin to Liverpool service for freight as you probably know.  Such a service is bound to have an impact on Holyhead, though it wouldn't necessarily involve Mersey and Lagan (I do wonder if it would be sensible to make such a service for freight only given the longer crossing time and to keep demand at Holyhead for accompanied traffic alongside the passenger service).  Assuming Stena manage to hang on to the 2 Seatruck FSG's (by no means certain), they'll have a spare freighter as well.  Always fancied Nordica for a Liverpool service, but she's otherwise spoken for now.
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

Chief

In relation to the North Channel - where has the P & O European Highlander gone? It has not shown up in Marine Traffic for a few weeks.

PaddyL

Quote from: Chief on April 18, 2017, 11:01:11 AM
In relation to the North Channel - where has the P & O European Highlander gone? It has not shown up in Marine Traffic for a few weeks.

She has been missing there for a while but very much business as usual. 

Steven

To be honest Marine Traffic may be free but it isn't the most reliable service.  As well as the odd disappearance (and renaming) I've seen vessels break the sound barrier!
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline