Stena Line fleet movements

Started by Collision-course, October 12, 2008, 04:54:51 PM

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giftgrub

The new Stena Transporter on its delivery voyage from Korea, was in Cape Town bunkering today.

Pictures from Shipspotting.com

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1251363

Collision-course

#106
The UK's Office Of Fair Trading has refered Stena Line's aquasition of DFDS Seaways Irish Sea operations to the competition Commission, it seems they believe that Stena Line would have not closed its Larne - Fleetwood service had it not aquired the DFDS services  , see http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/today?prid=774560 for further details.

maehara

Quoteit seems they believe that Stena Line would have not closed its Larne - Fleetwood service had it not aquired the DFDS services
Perhaps not, but given what happened to the DFDS Dublin routes I think it's a safe bet the same fate was in store for the Belfast routes if Stena hadn't taken them on.

Assuming the Fleetwood service was the smaller operation, preferable that it went (in terms of jobs lost etc) than the Liverpool / Heysham routes, I would've thought.

ScottMackey

There can be little doubt that the Larne-Fleetwood route would have closed given the age of the ships and their deteriorating mechanical condition, the difficulties involved in navigating the narrow and shallow Wyre channel leading to the port of Fleetwood and that Stena had been unable to come up with a viable design for new-build vessels that would be suitable for the route...

giftgrub

The former Stena Traveller ready for service as Highlanders for Marine Atlantic. New construction clearly visible at the rear of the superstructure expanding passenger capacity from 350 to 1,000 passengers.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=244513000

OLAU-fan_Robert

So strange, the new Stena Transporter in the old/former Stena-livery... :-?

Collision-course

I myself was somewhat surprised by the OFT referal of the Stena/DFDS deal , I suppose I should not have been as I have seen this before in the Bus industry , the Competition Commission has a long history of displaying a complete lack of understanding of how the transport industry operates , the CC is more suited to dealing with large retailers and manufacturers , the fact that they believe that both the Stena Line operation and the DFDS operation would have carried on as they were is a clear indication of this.
While I am sorry to see DFDS leave the Irish sea , I believe that Stena Line taking on some of the routes was the best option possible in the current climate , and as others have said the writing has been on the wall for the Larne - Fleetwood service for some time now , I would hope that the CC does not hold up the intergration of the DFDS services into Stena Lines operation by too much as a lenghty delay could force Stena Line to reconsider its position leading to the loss of further ships and jobs on the Irish Sea.

giftgrub

I see the Stena Europe has returned to the Rosslare route with no change to the exterior paintwork.

They might get around to updating the exterior graphics to "Making Good Time" when it goes back to H&W to have the engine replaced.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottmackey/5451316157/


giftgrub

Image of the Stena Europe after refit in H&W Belfast taken in Rosslare and posted on Marine Traffic.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=235004539

ScottMackey

STENA SEAFARER operated the 2230 ex Belfast and 0400 ex Stranraer Sunday evening/Monday morning as the STENA CALEDONIA's 1730 departure from Stranraer was held to operate at 2130, in order to enable Rugby Supporters to travel back from Murrayfield. HSS STENA VOYAGER returned to service (proper) on Friday with the 1145 ex Belfast and will operate two round trips daily until STENA CALEDONIA returns from refit, after which the HSS will sail most days at 1145 ex Belfast and 1955 ex Stranraer only.

STENA CALEDONIA will enter Harland and Wolff's Belfast Drydock early on Tuesday for a ten day refit which is expected to be her last overhaul at the yard where she was built 30 years ago. Her place will be taken by STENA SEAFARER on the Stranraer service on the following schedule;
1900 ex Belfast (except Sat when she operates at 2230)
2359 ex Stranraer
0430 ex Belfast
0930 ex Stranraer (except Sun when she operates at 0430)

STENA CALEDONIA resumes service with the 0330 ex Belfast on Friday 11th March.

giftgrub

The Britannica has been moved into drydock in Rementowa to complete the overhaul delayed by the fire.

Image below from Vesseltracker

http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/ShipPhotos/710189-Britannica-9235517.html

steven_shaw

Where was the fire, was there a lot of damage?

giftgrub

Picture in Post #99 of the Britannica on fire in the shipyard.

Collision-course

As noted elsewhere Stena Line are to aquire Superfast VII and Superfast VIII from Tallink on a 3-4 year charter for its Belfast - Cairnryan service with delivery expected in October and entering service in November.
The new Stena Transporter has entered service on the Hoek Van Holland - Killingsholme service displacing the Finnarrow which is to be returned to Finnlines as its charter is at an end.
Below from www.shipspotting.com , the Superfast VII and Superfast VIII , the Finnarrow and the new Stena Transporter.

ScottMackey

#119
and with all the focus on 'new' ships for the North Channel, the Stena Leader and Stena Pioneer continue to languish at Harland and Wolff while the Stena Seafarer covers for Stena Caledonia's refit.

Here's a photo of the three former Fleetwood sisters together at Belfast today