Recent posts
#1
The Merrion Lounge / Rosslare Port Operatives
Last post by Kieran - April 23, 2024, 11:24:27 PMRosslare Europort are looking for operatives, very broad job description from customer service work, mooring vessels, marshalling, loading/loading and maintenance.
More details here[url].
More details here[url].
#2
The News Board / Re: Stena Line fleet movements
Last post by scomac - April 23, 2024, 10:21:16 PMQuote from: giftgrub on April 23, 2024, 08:59:15 PMQuote from: scomac on April 18, 2024, 01:39:17 PMStena 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.
She will go to the Damen Shipyard at Schiedam.
#3
The News Board / Re: Stena Line fleet movements
Last post by giftgrub - April 23, 2024, 08:59:15 PMQuote from: scomac on April 18, 2024, 01:39:17 PMStena 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.
#4
Discussion Board / Re: Why are ferries to / from ...
Last post by Kieran - April 23, 2024, 07:37:37 PMQuote from: Ferriesbetterfastercheape on April 23, 2024, 05:17:03 PMSo let`s think a realistic example - a student from his parents-house in Londonderry is study in University of Edinburgh. With Molslinjen-Kombardo-system it would take CIRCA 5 hours door-to-door for 13 Euro (99 DKK) - as from Holstebro or Skive to Copenhagen. This is no problem to pay it for him (or his parents) every friday and sunday and then enjoy all weekends together with family, old school-friends, mothers kitchen, mothers washing-machine etc. .I think you mean Derry ;)
But today with Stena Line or P&O ???
It would costs MUCH more money - more than 64,- Euro (rome2Rio) and a lot of more time too - longer than 10 hours - and minimum 3 changes are needed. Also with flight-combination without baggage it is minimum 60,- and takes 5 hours and 3 changes.
So the result is: Today all these people can only pay travelling home christmas, easter or at birthday. To pay 26,- Euro each weekend is possible for nearly all people - but to pay 120 or 130 Euro each weekend is not possible and travel with 3 changes is very uncomfortable also.
I know this is a ferry enthusiasts forum, but we need to be realistic here with the state of the market. Not sure where you are getting your flight information from, EasyJet, Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly from Edinburgh to the two Belfast airports, one bus from either to Derry. You could get Ryanair from £30 return.
If someone is home for a weekend, time will be a massive factor in their travel plans.
Quote from: Ferriesbetterfastercheape on April 23, 2024, 05:17:03 PMWhy they have not changed around 2010 the HSS-engines with new more fuel-saving engines as it is usually with older used airplanes also ?The reality is, even if the HSS was re-engined (I doubt it was that straight forward), I can't see them being economical. There were also speed restrictions on the HSS in Belfast Lough.
Look at the Pont Aven, she's a lot newer entered service in 2004, has a top speed of 27kts, and she never hits full speed these days. The fuel cost is the issue, no matter what engine she has.
#5
Discussion Board / Re: Why are ferries to / from ...
Last post by Ferriesbetterfastercheape - April 23, 2024, 05:18:37 PMAnd Stena was a very positive ferry-company at the end of the 90ies - they had the biggest and most comfortable fast ferries with the 375-cars 1500-Pax HSS ferries. But then they decided generally for the opposite way - away from Passengers to mainly only slowly freight-transport. Not only anywhere in Irish Sea - but on all their ferry-routes generally - including closing of a number of routes. And some others as TT-Line, DFDS, P&O and Brittany was following mostly this (in my opinion complete wrong) strategy.
Why they have not changed around 2010 the HSS-engines with new more fuel-saving engines as it is usually with older used airplanes also ? And now in these years actually they could be the first pioneers with 100% biggest electric Catamarans - replacing now these HSS ferries from the 90ies with the next generation of again better and even bigger fast-ferries - and with own ferry-buses onboard also offer the best and cheapest travel-system in Ireland and UK ?
THIS WILL BE THE FUTURE OF SHORT-SEA-FERRY-BUSINESS - and not slowly small poor freight-orientated ferries with very limited service onboard as no restaurant, cook etc. onboard.
And if there are really big freight-volumes - then easy to operate parallel with efficiency cheap modern freighters as Stena NewMax.
So today we have this "old" freight-orientated ferry-companies mostly operating in winter with empty ghost-ships and in summer are some "rich" people paying astronomic-ticket-prices with the result that these companies makes gigantic financial profits - but the biggest majority of all ca. 500 Mio. Europeans can not pay these high ticket-prices. So these ferry-routes are operating - but in fact for the most people they are not really existing - because they just can not pay the ticket-prices for to use them. And this can not really be the sense - especially not in EU - where all countries and people shall be so far as possible on a similar level and life-standard.
But here in Ireland and UK only a few dozen owners, shareholders and managers from the ferry-companies are the big big big winners with making gigantic profits of all ferry-operations. Besides rental-car-companies and airlines who are very happy also that the ferry-prices are so extrem high that the people are forced to book any cheap flights only - they have in fact generally no other travel-option just because of financial reasons.
So freight is coming always anywhere from A to B - there are always 1000 options - also with 100% freight-routes as from Cldn o Boluda f.ex. or with Air-freight which becomes in long-term cheaper and cheaper also (more pilots from cheapest countries, newer planes needs much less fuel, bigger planes takes more freight - also A380 freight-rebuilts will come).
But the main-point is - that anywhere in Europe where the roads (and train-tracks) ends at any sea - there are cheap attractive fast ferries for ALL the 500 Mio. Europeans needed. And this is missing in Ireland and UK. So if any ferry-companies are not anymore interested in attractive cheap passenger-transport than new other companies are needed who want and can do this.
Just if we look to other travel-systems - you remember flights in the 70ies / 80ies / 90ies of last century ? There was mainly only the big old state-companies (Alitalia, Lufthansa, Sabena, KLM, British Airways, Finnair, SAS, Air France, Iberia etc.) with a very limited route-network and very very high ticket-prices - mainly only to pay for business-traveler. But today new modern cheap Airlines are offering 1000 more routes also to smallest Airports for everybody, also the poorest 18-years old teenager can pay the tickets from his pocket-money. THIS IS IN FACT A SIGN FOR A HIGH LIFE-QUALITY - all people can get much travelling for smallest money. And alone the biggest of them (Ryanair) has much much much more customers today than the 2nd biggest expensive "old" company-group (Lufthansa) with all their 10 brands and worldwide flights also counted together.
Or trains - was f.ex. up to 15-20 years very very expensive also in Germany, France etc. - as up today in UK. Then cheapest long-distance-buses, cheapest domestic flights and private much cheaper train-companies has pressed the train-ticket-prices massive down. And finally also the "Deutsche Bahn" has understand that biggest capacities for smallest ticket-prices is what all the people want and has bought hundreds of biggest longest ICE-trains (similar train-strategy-change in France, Swiss etc. also) and offers today much much more capacity and frequency for much much cheaper prices. So today the German people can travel - if they want so often - every week with Flixtrain for 7,98 or with ICE for 17,90 only with fast speed through complete Germany also.
Flixtrain has f.ex. taken much more than 100 old used Intercity- and Interregio-cars, has thrown out the ca. 60 old seats and built in exactly 100 new seats - only 2nd class - no dining-car etc. - much smaller and cheaper crew than in ICE-trains. So it is a kind of Ryanair on rails. With the result that these cheap trains are very very well booked year around - also weekdays in november or january - as Ryanair too. And more and more routes and trains are coming every 2, 3 years.
Mass-transport-Flixtrain from inside:
https://i0.wp.com/aviation.direct/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5580_Kopie.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1
Similar also with cruise-ships where always a lot of bigger and bigger new cheap mass-cruise-ships are coming with up to 7600 Pax onboard - and cheap prices for 300,-/400,- for 1 week.
And this is what is today still missing everywhere around Ireland and UK - cheapest attractive mass-transport on ferries - easy to pay for everybody. As foot-passenger in buses or with car, motorbike or motor-home. Any kind of a Ryanair-/ Easyjet- or Flixbus-ferry or copies of the cheap Molslinjen, Bornholmslinjen, Eckerö- and Vikingline would be needed.
#6
Discussion Board / Re: Why are ferries to / from ...
Last post by Ferriesbetterfastercheape - April 23, 2024, 05:17:03 PMSadly a very long answer...
Nowhere exists 100% identically conditions for any travel- traffic- and transport-solutions.
But think Belfast is Aarhus, Londonderry is Aalborg, Lisburn is Randers, Bangor is Herning, Craigavon is Skive, Sligo is Silkeborg, Dundalk is Holstebro etc. - and on the other side - from Cairnryan it is similar distance (as from Odden to Copenhagen) to the big city area Glasgow-Edingburgh with Perth, Dundee etc. also = similar population as Copenhagen. Think Perth is Helsingör, Dundee is Holbaek etc. . And then we have not counted all cities more far south direction Dumfries, Carlisle / Newcastle and the Midtlands (Leeds, Manchester etc.) - similar as the very big Dublin also on the Irish side.
Sure, London is very far away - but also alone only in all the other cities and regions both sides of the North Channel are more people living than compared in Denmark.
https://imengine.public.mhm.infomaker.io/?uuid=cb4ec429-d8ce-50d9-a685-8f4bd21a87f0&function=cropresize&type=preview&x=0&y=0&crop_w=0.999&crop_h=0.999&width=900&height=578&q=60
So there are BETTER conditions in Irish North-Channel than in Denmark for to operate biggest Pax-ferries with a lot of own ferry-buses for cheapest ticket-prices.
The MAIN-KEYS for the success in Denmark are
- lowest ticket-prices
- fast speed = short travel-time
- high frequency, often hourly departures and no lost time in ports, have self seen also cars arriving up to 2, 3 min before dep.-time was be taken onboard also seconds before lifting the ramp.
- door-to-door travelling, people can change the ferry-buses onboard for free, so in fact they have direct-connections from every city to every city = much more comfortable than with changes when travelling with flights or trains.
So let`s think a realistic example - a student from his parents-house in Londonderry is study in University of Edinburgh. With Molslinjen-Kombardo-system it would take CIRCA 5 hours door-to-door for 13 Euro (99 DKK) - as from Holstebro or Skive to Copenhagen. This is no problem to pay it for him (or his parents) every friday and sunday and then enjoy all weekends together with family, old school-friends, mothers kitchen, mothers washing-machine etc. .
But today with Stena Line or P&O ???
It would costs MUCH more money - more than 64,- Euro (rome2Rio) and a lot of more time too - longer than 10 hours - and minimum 3 changes are needed. Also with flight-combination without baggage it is minimum 60,- and takes 5 hours and 3 changes.
So the result is: Today all these people can only pay travelling home christmas, easter or at birthday. To pay 26,- Euro each weekend is possible for nearly all people - but to pay 120 or 130 Euro each weekend is not possible and travel with 3 changes is very uncomfortable also.
So with a very good integrated and comfortable door-to-door traffic-system for cheapest ticket-prices passenger-travel-figures in complete other much bigger dimensions are possible.
And - as in this example - also a lot of these flights would generally not anymore booked. Who is travelling still 5 hours with any uncomfortable train-bus-flight-combination - if there is in the same 5 hours a new comfortable express-coach with a nice 80 min break for eating relaxed in the restaurant or drink a coffee or beer onboard of a modern fast ferry ? And to give at the start of the trip the baggage to the bus-driver and get it back at the end simply. It is 1000-times more comfortable than to bring the baggage self from a train to the airport and than later wait at the luggage-belt and further into any bus (or in Edinburgh into the new tram) etc. - and wait 2 or 3-times anywhere for the next transportation-vehicle.
So why shall there be any reason in Ireland / UK for to take 8-times so high ticket-prices ?
With on top lower costs (fuelcosts and tax (25% !) etc. is very expensive in Denmark !) then this example-route in Denmark ?
In the past Molslinjen had also more freight-orientated ferries - but then they have switched to 100% fast-ferries and mainly Passangers only. So it is just a question of the company-strategy.
https://www.marine-marchande.net/Collection%20Le%20Mens/LeMens18/Mols-Mette.jpg
PART 2 is following !
Quote from: Kieran on April 22, 2024, 11:55:20 AMYour not comparing like with like though. Molslinjen are geared towards passengers, most Irish Sea routes have a far bigger freight requirement (and people aren't travelling a massive distance in Denmark from the ports). Cairnryan is 8 hours drive/train from London, or an hour and a half on a plane – what are people going to choose?
And apart from the Swift, fast ferries have disappeared from the Irish Sea.
Nowhere exists 100% identically conditions for any travel- traffic- and transport-solutions.
But think Belfast is Aarhus, Londonderry is Aalborg, Lisburn is Randers, Bangor is Herning, Craigavon is Skive, Sligo is Silkeborg, Dundalk is Holstebro etc. - and on the other side - from Cairnryan it is similar distance (as from Odden to Copenhagen) to the big city area Glasgow-Edingburgh with Perth, Dundee etc. also = similar population as Copenhagen. Think Perth is Helsingör, Dundee is Holbaek etc. . And then we have not counted all cities more far south direction Dumfries, Carlisle / Newcastle and the Midtlands (Leeds, Manchester etc.) - similar as the very big Dublin also on the Irish side.
Sure, London is very far away - but also alone only in all the other cities and regions both sides of the North Channel are more people living than compared in Denmark.
https://imengine.public.mhm.infomaker.io/?uuid=cb4ec429-d8ce-50d9-a685-8f4bd21a87f0&function=cropresize&type=preview&x=0&y=0&crop_w=0.999&crop_h=0.999&width=900&height=578&q=60
So there are BETTER conditions in Irish North-Channel than in Denmark for to operate biggest Pax-ferries with a lot of own ferry-buses for cheapest ticket-prices.
The MAIN-KEYS for the success in Denmark are
- lowest ticket-prices
- fast speed = short travel-time
- high frequency, often hourly departures and no lost time in ports, have self seen also cars arriving up to 2, 3 min before dep.-time was be taken onboard also seconds before lifting the ramp.
- door-to-door travelling, people can change the ferry-buses onboard for free, so in fact they have direct-connections from every city to every city = much more comfortable than with changes when travelling with flights or trains.
So let`s think a realistic example - a student from his parents-house in Londonderry is study in University of Edinburgh. With Molslinjen-Kombardo-system it would take CIRCA 5 hours door-to-door for 13 Euro (99 DKK) - as from Holstebro or Skive to Copenhagen. This is no problem to pay it for him (or his parents) every friday and sunday and then enjoy all weekends together with family, old school-friends, mothers kitchen, mothers washing-machine etc. .
But today with Stena Line or P&O ???
It would costs MUCH more money - more than 64,- Euro (rome2Rio) and a lot of more time too - longer than 10 hours - and minimum 3 changes are needed. Also with flight-combination without baggage it is minimum 60,- and takes 5 hours and 3 changes.
So the result is: Today all these people can only pay travelling home christmas, easter or at birthday. To pay 26,- Euro each weekend is possible for nearly all people - but to pay 120 or 130 Euro each weekend is not possible and travel with 3 changes is very uncomfortable also.
So with a very good integrated and comfortable door-to-door traffic-system for cheapest ticket-prices passenger-travel-figures in complete other much bigger dimensions are possible.
And - as in this example - also a lot of these flights would generally not anymore booked. Who is travelling still 5 hours with any uncomfortable train-bus-flight-combination - if there is in the same 5 hours a new comfortable express-coach with a nice 80 min break for eating relaxed in the restaurant or drink a coffee or beer onboard of a modern fast ferry ? And to give at the start of the trip the baggage to the bus-driver and get it back at the end simply. It is 1000-times more comfortable than to bring the baggage self from a train to the airport and than later wait at the luggage-belt and further into any bus (or in Edinburgh into the new tram) etc. - and wait 2 or 3-times anywhere for the next transportation-vehicle.
So why shall there be any reason in Ireland / UK for to take 8-times so high ticket-prices ?
With on top lower costs (fuelcosts and tax (25% !) etc. is very expensive in Denmark !) then this example-route in Denmark ?
In the past Molslinjen had also more freight-orientated ferries - but then they have switched to 100% fast-ferries and mainly Passangers only. So it is just a question of the company-strategy.
https://www.marine-marchande.net/Collection%20Le%20Mens/LeMens18/Mols-Mette.jpg
PART 2 is following !
#7
The Merrion Lounge / Re: Irish Naval Service update...
Last post by Kieran - April 23, 2024, 12:21:10 PMThe Peacocks left the old ship yard over the weekend for breaking in Belgium, some excellent photos of them under tow on the Port of Cork's twitter/X/what ever it's called now.
https://twitter.com/PortofCork/status/1782367547288940557
https://twitter.com/PortofCork/status/1782367547288940557
#8
The News Board / Re: Stena Line fleet movements
Last post by ferryfan - April 23, 2024, 11:48:30 AMBore Song arriving in Liverpool and making an impressive swing onto her berth at Twelve Quays
video from Mersey Shipping
https://youtu.be/kd0nepxiJgE?feature=shared
video from Mersey Shipping
https://youtu.be/kd0nepxiJgE?feature=shared
#9
Discussion Board / Re: Why are ferries to / from ...
Last post by Kieran - April 23, 2024, 10:51:19 AMMOD NOTE: I have removed some irrelevant posts from this, members shouldn't split threads when replying reply.
#10
The News Board / Re: Stena Line fleet movements
Last post by giftgrub - April 23, 2024, 07:49:16 AMImage 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/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33847785@N00/53666447669/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33847785@N00/53659972216/