Stena Line fleet movements

[FlyingCello]

True. Wouldnt putting some other form of "engine" in the hss" be an option? Smaller turbines, conventional engines for example? I have wondered sometimes how removable the turbines would be.

Fair question...but I suspect it would be a major job to re-engineer the hulls to accept anything else. The engines will be mounted on some form of plinth or jig, which will be specific to them. The hullform is probably also optimised around the current engines. Then there is the plumbing (air intakes and exhausts) through the hull...all of this will need to be modified. Then a big issue would be weight and balance...a big diesel would probably be much heavier (not to mention physically larger) than the equivalent turbine, so the vessel would be inadequately trimmed. Also, a diesel would need a mighty big gearbox to provide the right shaft speed for the pumpjets.
The HSS will have been designed specifically around the propulsion package that was installed. So to fit another form of propulsion would at very least 'de-optimise' the vessel. And then it has to be cost-justified...probably a difficult sell!

The HSS is a fabulous piece of engineering...I have been on it when the captain announed we were travelling at 60 knots! And smooth as silk. It really did have a place with oil at $30 / barrel, but sadly, it's out of step with todays world. We should be thankful we were one of three routes to enjoy the HSS1500. Saying that, there's still nothing to beat the feel of salt air in your face, on the open deck of an 'old-fashioned' ship, and feeling the vibration of a marine diesel in your feet. We should be glad we have the Superfasts now!

[DublinPeter]

The HSS is ugly/beautiful debate is always a good one :)

She's on her way back to Holyhead now, should be back in a couple of hours. Mechanically all is good, she's doing nearly 40 knots down the coast of Northern Ireland at the moment! I'm still amazed (and delighted) that she lives to fight another year in 2013.

Pete

[warren12]

Just over 40 knots now..

Pity she only goes 25 knots service speed.. Miss the days she was at 40 knot service speed.

[giftgrub]

Great to see they can still work the engines every now and again.

Some great images of the Explorer leaving Belfast on the ever reliable Scott Mackey flickr site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottmackey

Also some reports on FONE that the Stena Nordica will be providing refit cover for the Stena Europe and the Stena Superfast VII & VIII in January/ February 2013, one assumes the Stena Scotia will cover for the Nordica on Dublin - Holyhead if this is correct.

And also on Stena's Facebook site it was mentioned that the cabins are to be refurbished on the next overhaul/refit, which would be interesting.
from Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/StenaLineUKIE
"thanks for your feedback, which we will take into account during our refit of the Stena Europe cabins in January."

[warren12]

Excellent pics... Probably the last time they'll both be seen together..

Is there any insiders of Stena on this forum? Wonder if there is any debate at all about the Voyager returning to service from Belfast.

Im no business know it all but Stena must have lost money this year on the service with the superfasts to P&O when they had theyre express on..

If only the Voyager came back for a seasonal service.. Now that the port in Loch Ryan is 8 miles north from Cairnryan, Im sure she could complete the journey in 1 hour.

[giftgrub]

Unfortunately it looks like the next trip for the HSS Voyager is to the scrap yard where is will be turned in to raw aluminium with the VT4 HSS berth converted for the Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey.

The cost of running the HSS at full speed is horrendous and the Superfasts are much more efficient than the HSS.

To give you some idea, in the book Stena Line - The Story of a Ferry company the bunkering for the HSS in one 24 hr period is 480 tonnes, as far as I know the cost of a round trip for the Superfast is 10 tonnes of fuel, thats a total of 6 round trips a day for the two Superfasts, total fuel used 60 tonnes a saving of 420 tonnes of fuel in a 24 hr period.

Obviously running the HSS at a slower speed saves a lot of fuel but the Superfasts are not going to be leaving anytime soon.


http://www.breakwater.se/product_info.php?products_id=263

[warren12]

Good point.

Weird to see the way Holyhead gets another season but the Belfast route hasnt been considered.

I was speaking to a crew member on the Navigator on one of the ships last days and in todays climate it costs Stena£10,000-£15,000 in fuel for one round trip compared to £2,000 for the conventional ferries.

[giftgrub]

With the January refit season fast approaching, it is going to be the Stena Nordica providing cover for the Stena Europe and Stena Superfasts VII & VIII, however the Stena Scotia is unlikely to provide cover for the Stena Nordica as it does not have any passenger capacity, it is rumoured that one of the Birkenhead vessels will cover for the Nordica on the Dublin - Holyhead route with another vessel to be chartered to cover the Stena Lagan or Mersey.

The Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia have also been listed for sale despite only recently getting the new Stena branding.

http://www.mondialbroker.com/detail.taf?B=349400&K=BPS

Another fact from reading the new book Stena Line - The story of a ferry company, in 1992 the two top performing routes in the Stena Route network were Gothenburg - Fredrickshavn and Rosslare - Fishguard !!

[Matt73]

Is the book you refer to available for sale anywhere?

Thanks

Matt

[giftgrub]

The book Stena Line - The Story of a ferry company is available from a Swedish website in English text.

http://www.breakwater.se/product_info.php?products_id=263

I was unable to buy it direct from their website, but emailed them and they arranged for me to pay them directly and they dispatched the book on a Monday, I got it on the following Friday. It cost €53 delivered which is expensive but it is a 400+ page book with lots of information.

It was published primarily for in house use to celebrate their 50th anniversary but is available for purchase in either Swedish or English, just make sure you order the English version.

[giftgrub]

It is mentioned on FONE that the Stena Lagan will be providing cover for the Stena Nordica during the refit season on the Dublin - Holyhead route, and the Finnarrow will be chartered to cover for the Stena Lagan on Belfast - Birkenhead.

The Finnarrow is a vessel well known to Stena Line as it was previously chartered for the Karlskrona - Gydnia and Harwich - Hoek routes.

It will be interesting to see how the Stena Lagan performs on the Dublin - Holyhead route as it is stern loading only and Stena have quite a few of these Visentini built vessels in their fleet !!

[media width=600]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d86n1uluY5o[/media]

[giftgrub]

Originally posted on FONE is this very interesting interview with a Stena Line manager in relation to the Harwich operation.

http://www.eadt.co.uk/business/insight/harwich_stena_line_remains_buoyant_amid_choppy_waters_1_1744803

FERRY firms everywhere are facing the challenges of high fuel costs, a recession-fuelled slowdown, and new environmental requirements............ (click above link to read more)

[media width=600]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUFTHx9Ow3E[/media]

[giftgrub]

Could the Stena Baltica  be heading in this direction soon.

http://www.stenasealine.com/

The Stena Spirit is heading for dry dock soon and will not be replaced on the Karlskrona route to the Stena Vision will cover that route on its own.

http://www.stenalinefreight.com/ferry/press/pressreleaser/dry-docking-stena-spirit-2013/~/media/Spirit%20Shipyard%202013.ashx

The Sassinitz is currently being rebranded to Stena Line from Scandlines - a work in progress image below

[giftgrub]

Stena Line have changed around the refit cover schedule for Jan- Feb on the Irish Sea.

The Finnarrow will now replace the Stena Nordica on the Dublin - Holyhead route allowing the Nordica to cover for the Stena Europe and Stena Superfast VII & VIII refits/overhauls. The Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey will remain on the Belfast - Birkenhead routes.

[bfm003]

So whats going to cover for the Stena Adventurer when she goes to drydock in April?