Messages

Apparently BF are to introduce another crossing from Rosslare to Cherbourg using the Commodore Clipper, a ferry closely related to Stena Vinga (but without additional deck) which did not have great success with the sea conditions (but added deck does change the ship's handling).

https://theferryforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2823&start=25

Looks like the Mercy Ships vessel will be an MSC/GNV influenced / based design this time around, though images in the articles look very much like the Global Mercy.

https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/middle-east-africa/msc-supports-new-purpose-built-mercy-ships-hospital-ship

https://www.mscfoundation.org/programmes/mercy-ships

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/the-msc-foundation-the-msc-group-and-mercy-ships-international-join-forces-to-build-a-new-hospital-ship/

https://maritime-executive.com/article/mercy-ships-plans-to-build-hospital-ship-with-kickstart-donation-from-msc

Stena Vision is due to be off service on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route with her last sailing scheduled for Monday 22nd April from Rosslare. According to Stena's live freight timetable, she is expected to resume on Tuesday 7th May from Cherbourg.

It is believed she is expected to go for dry docking to resolve a technical problem with one of her rudders. Stena Horizon will maintain the French route alone during her absence.

Stena Vision heading to Rotterdam for drydock and repairs.

Image of the Stena Europe being repainted on the port side last week, as its has now been turned around one assumes starboard side is getting same treatment.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33847785@N00/53666447669/


https://www.flickr.com/photos/33847785@N00/53659972216/

Some more info on the Source Galileo agreement

https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/rosslare-europort-and-source-galileo-sign-deal-on-offshore-wind-projects/a1036818470.html

At first maybe not ferry related, however Stena RoRo have been the technical partner for Mercy Ships for a long time and the Global Mercy is based on the Stena Seabird design which gave us the Stena Britannica / Hollandica design.

https://stenaroro.com/cases/global-mercy/

So if Mercy Ships are going to order a new hospital ship, will they decide to go for an Elexer based hospital ship, which could be the ultimate in Stenability.

https://youtu.be/iyUTSx7JgkY?si=wXlsz1ZYxucGgeB2

More development in Rosslare, this is in relation to the offshore wind side of things.


https://sourcegalileo.com/news/source-galileo-and-rosslare-europort-sign-agreement-develop-offshore-wind-projects

Stena Europe being turned around in Falmouth this afternoon as painting works continue on the vessel.

It has arrived, at long last, that was some delivery voyage.

Some of the details on the Stena Europes missing lifeboats on the DNV register

https://vesselregister.dnv.com/vesselregister/details/12420

No. 3,4,5&6 Life Boats corroded keel structure & hanging brackets (UTM Report ALF-23435 December 2023) to be repaired. Flag Exemption letter RCS 13826-12-007-2024 dated 2024.01.09 allows for reduction in LSA numbers to 632 along with mitigating arrangements to be made.


Also as pointed out by forum member boathansm previously the passenger certificate has expired on the 15th April so lucky that everything went to plan in the end.

I can understand that there are a lot of personally memories about these old ferries from the 70ies for people who was travelling onboard. But on the other side - these old "Made in Germany quality" ferries has reached an age of 50 (!) years in operation - what is much much longer than what was expected and is usually normal lifetime for ferries. I am sure that a lot of ferries built in this century will not be longer in use than max. ca. 40 years... .

100% past the expected lifespan, but no harm in remembering them. Quite revolutionary at the time of their introduction.

Image using webcam zoom,  Swift clearly visible heading to Drydock

Europe no longer scheduled to enter drydock no 2, so Swift will be on its own.

Swift has arrived in Falmouth, visible in image to left of Stena Europe.

Dublin Swift has left Cardiff bay, next stop Falmouth

Got a repaint before beaching to remove Warner Bros branding

Scroll to the end of link below

https://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/mv-st-brendan-past-and-present/

Also link below to the first of the Rickmers quartet to be beached the former Stena Nordica which sailed alongside the Stena Normandica from Rosslare for B&I while Normandica sailed for Sealink.

https://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/mv-reine-astrid/