when will irish ferries play their hand

[market knowledge]

in respect of new ship deployment
net impact next summer 1x extra ship as epsilon stays till at least nov
where does new ship go
if Holyhead where does epsilon go

[IFPete]

I would see Epsilon operating Dublin - Cherbourg X 3 weekly with additional sailings to Holyhead as required.

[PaddyL]

We may get some clues with 2018 French timetable is released in late August.

The newbuild is now due Mid 2018 rather than Spring 2018 also.  So not impossible further delays could see it miss summer.

[Niall]

That's correct Paddy as Ekol's newbuild FADIQ is just over half constructed inside the building hall at FSG. Irish Ferries newbuild comes next.

[IFPete]

Its going to be tight for the new ship to make it before the end of May 2018 with only 10 months to go given the fact that building has not yet started.

[RorieLen]

I think it has been confirmed the ship won't be ready for May 2018...

[PaddyL]

I think it has been confirmed the ship won't be ready for May 2018...

Yes -  now mid 2018 and growing.

[FerryMan]

Has the building not already started by Gdansk Shipyard Group? What sections are these?

http://www.polandatsea.com/marine-projects-to-build-superstructure-for-new-ferry-under-construction-at-fsg/

[NathanBrady]

I bet da new boat will arrive just when epsilon goes.

[Steven]

Has the building not already started by Gdansk Shipyard Group? What sections are these?

http://www.polandatsea.com/marine-projects-to-build-superstructure-for-new-ferry-under-construction-at-fsg/

That doesn't actually say building has started though, just that it was expected to start during the first quarter. 

The first steel has been cut in any case, but its no good having bits of a ship ready when there is nowhere to put them together, which itself takes time.  For example, the tiny Rathlin Express was supplied to Arklow Marine as a flatpack kit, but stilll took 9 months to put together!  Obviously thats a totally different vessel at a yard with totally different capability, but I mention it to demonstrate that just because some prefabrication has started it doesn't mean the vessel is anywhere near starting to be put together.  FSG don't hang about though.

Personally I suspect we will not see the new vessel in service until towards the end of 2018.  Putting a new vessel into service in the middle of the summer peak for example may not be such a good idea, though Epsilon could act as a backup while still there.