Stena Line fleet movements

[RorieLen]

I think it is unfair to paint 'foreign labour' in a bad light. The housekeeping staff are generally polite, efficient, and are well trained, so I don't think it is right to try and paint them in a bad light.

I never said anything to paint what you call 'foreign labour' in a bad light and I hope you aren't accusing me of doing so.

[Steven]

I think it is unfair to paint 'foreign labour' in a bad light. The housekeeping staff are generally polite, efficient, and are well trained, so I don't think it is right to try and paint them in a bad light.

I never said anything to paint what you call 'foreign labour' in a bad light and I hope you aren't accusing me of doing so.

To be fair to Rorie, the reference to non-eu labour was to the fact that those staff are onboard all of the time, which would imply that they had may as well man the facilities as they are onboard regardless of passenger levels.  Nothing to do with their nationality.  Fact is, some UK born crew are sub-par, in the same way that crew from any nationality can be. I think we need to be clear here and say that the vast majority of crew, regardless of nationality, do a great job.

Five large vessels, and one freighter in Dover, that's a lot of jobs! The outsourced crew are brought in like Stena do on the North Sea to do many of the jobs locals wouldn't be too fond of doing. The late Pim de Lange defended Stena's extensive use of 'foreign labour' on the North Sea, and also wasn't too shy about voicing his views on local labour, "Quite fat and covered in tattoos". I have never heard Helen Deeble or Brian Rees of P&O use that terminology to describe local labour!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313707/Stena-Line-boss-Pim-De-Lange-British-sailors-fat-covered-tattoos.html


Just to clarify, all the officers and nearly all the pursers on P&O Irish Sea are British, Irish, Northern Irish, or Dutch, and they are quite well paid.

I think it is unfair to paint 'foreign labour' in a bad light. The housekeeping staff are generally polite, efficient, and are well trained, so I don't think it is right to try and paint them in a bad light.

As for Mr de Lange's comments, have you read the original interview (which is in Dutch), or just the abbreviated and out of context parts which the Daily Mail and RMT have chosen to publish?  Without an understanding of the nuances of the Dutch language (and I am told there are many) it is impossible to know what the context/meaning of those comments where.

In reference to only employing foreigners to do the jobs locals won't, others employ locals to do them elsewhere.  Personally I feel that local labour (in many industries and not just shipping) would do well to adopt the work ethic and passion for the role that many of their non-local colleagues have.

Anyway, we (yet again) are getting off topic.

[Collision-course]

Stena Flavia has gained full Stena Line branding during its latest repaint.

[Steven]

A contact in the haulage industry has told me that for an additional fee Stena Line are now allowing up to 4 accompanied units to reserve a place so they are first off the ship (sounds a bit like the premium ticket option for passengers).  Apparently this is only available on the Belfast to Cairnryan and Dublin to Holyhead routes.


Separately, Stena are to increase the number of sailings offered on their Baltic sea routes.  From the end of this month Stena Flavia will increase her sailings between Nynäshamn and Ventspils from two to three per week in each direction.  Additionally from May 16th, Stena Baltica will have an additional weekly crossing between Gdynia and Karlskrona, offering in total five departures in both directions.  The timetables of Stena Spirit and Stena Vision will remain as they are however.

[Steven]

Stena Performer is rather unusually moored at Belfast's Albert Quay (the site of the old Stena and current IOMSPCo facilities) this weekend.  I believe this makes her the largest ship by gross tonnage to ever moor there.  Performer (like Ben-My-Chree) is designed to operate into Heysham and so the relatively shallow water compared to the other Belfast ferry facilities does not pose a problem for her.  I have attached a picture I took of her at Albert Quay earlier today.

[giftgrub]

Stena Europe overnighted in Rosslare last night after a technical issue, local sources indicate one of the stern doors had an issue.

Former Stena Nordica currently Malo Seaways still in Dunkerque but is in the process of being repainted into the GNV White hull with super sized blue text for GNV, now expected to depart for warmer waters towards the end of May. Images at end of link below

http://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/mv-malo-seaways-past-and-present/

And Sunny the former Trelleborg has arrived in Pireaus, just as another former Sealink/Stena ship the Hengist sank in the port, seems to be heading for this shipyard, just might have another career after all

http://www.spanopoulos-group.com/

[Steven]

Stena Nordica is now in full GNV livery.  She will be handed back to Stena RoRo in the next week or two, before delivery to GNV and a new chapter in her career.

[rubberduck]

still hear that Europe will go shortly...and that a fast ship will replace her. Anyone heard the same?.

[welsh weather]

Do you mean like a cat? If so no as the Irish Ocean there has too much swell. They had enough issues with the lynx

[seaman]

Fastcrafts are history within Stena fleet shortly, look att the Stena Carisma HSS 900 that ran between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn. It has been laid up in the Gothenburg port for 3 years now... And it might as well be withdrawn completely soon.

If i am gonna be more realistic. Maybe Jutlandica and Europe could switch routes with each other maybe... After all, the Scanrail was replaced by Ask/Stena Gothica built in 1982...  And freight volumes wouldn't be so much lower with Stena Europe instead when the most of the freight is being transported with the Gothica like nowdays...

[RorieLen]

If i am gonna be more realistic. Maybe Jutlandica and Europe could switch routes with each other maybe... After all, the Scanrail was replaced by Ask/Stena Gothica built in 1982...  And freight volumes wouldn't be so much lower with Stena Europe instead when the most of the freight is being transported with the Gothica like nowdays...

I don't think that's realistic at all to be honest. Goteborg-Fredrikshavn is a major freight route whereas Fishguard-Rosslare simply isn't any more. They need a vessel with large freight capacity running between Sweden and Denmark, whereas the amount of freight space she has would be wasted on St George's Channel.

As if to emphasise how the Jutlandica is a vital asset to th Goteborg-Fredrikshavn route I was reading this on Stena Line's Freight website (freight news April 2016) in a piece about 20 years since the Jutlandica entered service:

"On the front cover... there was an article about Stena Jutlandica – at that time the largest ship in our fleet. This brand new ship was put into service on our route from Gothenburg to Frederikshavn as a freight ship for most of the year to cover our freight customers increasing demand for more capacity. Stena Jutlandica should represent the type of ship which we at Stena Line believed would rapidly become extremely important for the ferry industry. This turned out to be a good prediction and decision; the ship has fully proven to have the right constellation for this service and the traffic has increased ever since."

[welsh weather]

The reason the HSS's have been pulled out is because the amount of fuel they drink. For example the Stena Lynx between Fishguard and Rosslare cost the same in fuel in one crossing than the Stena Europe made in one day. She also didn't make as much money as passengers were less likely to use her as she was uncomfortable. She also had some noise issues which would make a audible humming sound when coming into Fishguard which could be heard on the high street

[MVW85]

They will keep the Europe going for the next year or two providing she passes her MCA inspections. Im sure the plan will be more apparent when the New Builds are finished. Could well see the Mersey And the Lagan sailing to Fishguard and Cherbourg respectively. Remember the Horizon is on Charter too so she wont be staying with the company but in the Lagan and Mersey you will have two ships already integrated in the Stena Line feet and are branded into the Stena Line way. Freight is already up on The Birkenhead - Belfast route and if the rumours are true then 2 of the new builds will be ear marked for there.

[Steven]

It certainly appears Europe will be around for another couple of years, especially given the amount of work undertaken on her this year.  After that, who knows. Birkenhead certainly appears to be the most likely place to get two of the new builds - using Lagan and Mersey to replace the tonnage at Rosslare would make sense on a lot of levels, apart from perhaps  peak capacity to Fishguard.  I do wonder though if the increased takings over those periods are enough to justify the increased operating costs of operating a larger vessel all year round.  Theres also the fact that a Visentini has a lot of freight capacity which would be under utilised at Fishguard.

Anyway, on to fleet news.  There was a small vehicle fire onboard Stena Superfast VIII yesterday.  Whilst passengers were mustered (as you would expect), the crew where able to extinguish the fire themselves, and services continued as normal.

[Matt73]

It certainly appears Europe will be around for another couple of years, especially given the amount of work undertaken on her this year.  After that, who knows. Birkenhead certainly appears to be the most likely place to get two of the new builds - using Lagan and Mersey to replace the tonnage at Rosslare would make sense on a lot of levels, apart from perhaps  peak capacity to Fishguard.  I do wonder though if the increased takings over those periods are enough to justify the increased operating costs of operating a larger vessel all year round.  Theres also the fact that a Visentini has a lot of freight capacity which would be under utilised at Fishguard.

Anyway, on to fleet news.  There was a small vehicle fire onboard Stena Superfast VIII yesterday.  Whilst passengers were mustered (as you would expect), the crew where able to extinguish the fire themselves, and services continued as normal.

Thanks for this as ever, Steven.

You're remarks about the Europe and operating one of the Visentini ships at Fishguard brings me back to the long-term future of the service from Fishguard-Rosslare.  I do recall exchanges on this forum a few years ago about a potential service from Bristol (Avonmouth) to Cork.  It was was also reported that a move to Pemborke, or Swansea, had been examined by Stena but ruled out.  Will anything every come of a new service, given that it seems highly unlikely that the roads to and from Fishguard will ever be good enough to draw larger numbers of freight to the service? 

I know that the redevelopment of Fishguard harbour is on the cards but, being a cynical so-and-so, I had always seen that as a means to soften the blow of an eventual withdrawal of the ferry service even with the proposals including a new ferry berth.  If Stena could take the decision to shut Stranraer after a hundred years, I do not see them being terribly sentimental about the future of Fishguard-Rosslare.  In addition, in James Sherwood's memoirs it is interesting that he specifically refers to Fishguard-Rosslare as being a loss making route; he crows about how Stena never saw Sealink's books before buying the company and how he forced them to pay over the odds for it. 

Apologies to all if this appears to be going over old ground!

Matt