2014 - 2015 Central and Southern Corridor

Started by giftgrub, March 10, 2014, 12:24:52 AM

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Steven

Did some digging around the net and I'm pretty sure Endeavour never got fins as she was criticised a number of times after her rebuild for not having fin stabilisers.

Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

TC

I'm going Dublin to Liverpool, possibly on the Endeavour. If so i'll check out at Guest Services. Hear it from the horses mouth so to speak. To be honest I'm more towards she didn't get fins, from what I remember, the repaint was carried out in Spain, she sailed Dublin - Liverpool for a while (2007), then had the work for Dover. Cow-catcher ect.

Given she was freight, and how she staggered around Dover in a few photos, and at the time P&O's fondness of speedy refits (more touch ups, priming, and painting over streaks of rust, and flaking chunks of paint - that often would reappear few months down the line!) it wouldn't surprise me if she didn't receive them. I don't think Allegra was ever given them.

I have sailed on the Endeavour a time or two and she is rather clean and pleasant. I heard a review on Direct Ferries where a passenger was impressed greatly with the sea keeping abilities, and seemed fairly pleased with what he defined as a comfortable crossing. I haven't been on her in bad weather, so I'm not an expert, guess it depends on that persons definition of comfortable. One thing you will notice is... the hand rails on the outer decks are quite low (I'm not a great fan of these rails), lower than Norbank and the majority of ferries I have been on.   

I haven't sailed Stena for about three years, P&O all the way, and its been interesting seeing developments, and the routes steady growth, and increasing popularity with freight and the average joe-blog.

Work still needs to be done to bring the vessels more up to Stena's grade, but given P&O's Dublin to Liverpool lower fares, and the included meals, drinks ect. All in all I'll settle without Curious George, the Metropolitan Bar, and endless pictures of Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles ect! I hope...

On a side note its nice to see how Stena Mersey and Lagan are turning heads. Soon Stena Horizon might be!       

Steven

The free meals and drinks is the one thing I miss from the Norse Merchant days, though given their troubles with catering at times sometimes it wasn't such a good thing!  I'm not usually one to pass up on a free fry!
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

HSS

Quote from: TC on April 02, 2014, 01:14:57 AM
I'm going Dublin to Liverpool, possibly on the Endeavour. If so i'll check out at Guest Services. Hear it from the horses mouth so to speak. To be honest I'm more towards she didn't get fins, from what I remember, the repaint was carried out in Spain, she sailed Dublin - Liverpool for a while (2007), then had the work for Dover. Cow-catcher ect.

Given she was freight, and how she staggered around Dover in a few photos, and at the time P&O's fondness of speedy refits (more touch ups, priming, and painting over streaks of rust, and flaking chunks of paint - that often would reappear few months down the line!) it wouldn't surprise me if she didn't receive them. I don't think Allegra was ever given them.

I have sailed on the Endeavour a time or two and she is rather clean and pleasant. I heard a review on Direct Ferries where a passenger was impressed greatly with the sea keeping abilities, and seemed fairly pleased with what he defined as a comfortable crossing. I haven't been on her in bad weather, so I'm not an expert, guess it depends on that persons definition of comfortable. One thing you will notice is... the hand rails on the outer decks are quite low (I'm not a great fan of these rails), lower than Norbank and the majority of ferries I have been on.   

I haven't sailed Stena for about three years, P&O all the way, and its been interesting seeing developments, and the routes steady growth, and increasing popularity with freight and the average joe-blog.

Work still needs to be done to bring the vessels more up to Stena's grade, but given P&O's Dublin to Liverpool lower fares, and the included meals, drinks ect. All in all I'll settle without Curious George, the Metropolitan Bar, and endless pictures of Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles ect! I hope...

On a side note its nice to see how Stena Mersey and Lagan are turning heads. Soon Stena Horizon might be!     

P&O Dublin to Liverpool is one route I have not been on yet, I always go Stena/IF Holyhead. Was thinking of taking a trip this year so let us know how you get on!

TC

It seems I'll be going out on the Endeavour and coming back on one of the 'van der Giessen de Noord' twins. I'll stick some pics on a thread of the Endeavours interior.

I think its a bit of a shame the Allegra was sent 'down under'. To be honest I was hoping she might make an appearance on the Irish Sea. I would have thought she would be ideal on Rosslare to Cherbourg, or even operating as a third ship from Liverpool to Belfast. Would have been a great sight seeing the Endeavour wearing the P&O navy livery, with the house flag on the funnel, and Allegra supporting the full Stena livery with the 'S' on her funnel. Would have made a nice comparison.     

jonno

I think Epsilon is too long for Pembs, It's not advertised but 600ft is their max, MHPA advertise 150mtrs... Also her draft is over their 6.5m maximum.... Mind you Milford are about to spend on their facilities which may include more berth armouring and a dolphin extension...

I wouldn't be surprised if BF try to use Bretagne on an Irish route to alleviate the need for scrubbers, LD service Spain already albeit via St Naz.

Steven

Quote from: jonno on April 16, 2014, 11:07:15 PM
I think Epsilon is too long for Pembs, It's not advertised but 600ft is their max, MHPA advertise 150mtrs... Also her draft is over their 6.5m maximum.... Mind you Milford are about to spend on their facilities which may include more berth armouring and a dolphin extension...

I wouldn't be surprised if BF try to use Bretagne on an Irish route to alleviate the need for scrubbers, LD service Spain already albeit via St Naz.

Epsilon is only 4m longer than Isle of Inishmore, and likewise Oscar Wilde fits Pembroke with a draught of 6.5m which although is less than Epsilon is right on the official limit you posted and 0.5m over what the website says the ferry terminal can handle on the ferry terminal page.  Given parts Did Epsilon not have berthing trials at Pembroke anyway?

I would be more inclined to believe these figures below BTW
http://www.mhpa.co.uk/pembroke-port/?full=1
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

jonno

Steve, if you click on the sub heading for the ferry terminal it states 150m X 6.0... Which again is inaccurate.

When the weather is poor, the port are concerned regarding IOI when she makes her starboard turn around Thorn Island, the currents around Mill Bay and Angle are dicey particularly when coupled with a surge. There isn't much sea room between the buoys... Almost immediately she then has to navigate between the outriggers for Valero and LNG, if these two have tankers moored, it's very narrow. Once at the head of the Cleddau when she manoeuvres to moor, again it's very narrow between the buoys and the bed rises very very quickly.

I think many of the crossings in poor weather are cancelled due to this rather than rough seas, hence the reason we still see the Europe sailing. Realistically IoI is at the top end of permissible length.

Steven

Quote from: jonnsnk=topic=551.msg7235#msg7235 date=1397766523
Steve, if you click on the sub heading for the ferry terminal it states 150m X 6.0... Which again is inaccurate.

When the weather is poor, the port are concerned regarding IOI when she makes her starboard turn around Thorn Island, the currents around Mill Bay and Angle are dicey particularly when coupled with a surge. There isn't much sea room between the buoys... Almost immediately she then has to navigate between the outriggers for Valero and LNG, if these two have tankers moored, it's very narrow. Once at the head of the Cleddau when she manoeuvres to moor, again it's very narrow between the buoys and the bed rises very very quickly.

I think many of the crossings in poor weather are cancelled due to this rather than rough seas, hence the reason we still see the Europe sailing. Realistically IoI is at the top end of permissible length.
I already did look at the info on the ferry subheading but disregarded it as it was so clearly inaccurate hence why I said I was more inclined to believe the figures in the link.  It sounds like a far from ideal approach from your description though.  How do the car carriers cope, is gate 4 significantly better located or anything?  Again like up on the North Channel with Larne it seems the ports (Pembroke/Milford Haven and Swansea) have failed to keep up with ship size.  By the sounds of things IF could loose even more sailings with Epsilon running to Pembroke then.  A Stena Nordica sized ship would probably be ideal for IF!
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

FerryMan

Quote from: Steven on April 17, 2014, 05:44:02 PM
Quote from: jonno on April 16, 2014, 11:07:15 PM
Given parts Did Epsilon not have berthing trials at Pembroke anyway?

AFAIK Epsilon did a berthing trial at Pembroke in February.
Ferry Master

jonno

Quote from: Steven on April 19, 2014, 07:57:06 PM
Quote from: jonnsnk=topic=551.msg7235#msg7235 date=1397766523
Steve, if you click on the sub heading for the ferry terminal it states 150m X 6.0... Which again is inaccurate.

When the weather is poor, the port are concerned regarding IOI when she makes her starboard turn around Thorn Island, the currents around Mill Bay and Angle are dicey particularly when coupled with a surge. There isn't much sea room between the buoys... Almost immediately she then has to navigate between the outriggers for Valero and LNG, if these two have tankers moored, it's very narrow. Once at the head of the Cleddau when she manoeuvres to moor, again it's very narrow between the buoys and the bed rises very very quickly.

I think many of the crossings in poor weather are cancelled due to this rather than rough seas, hence the reason we still see the Europe sailing. Realistically IoI is at the top end of permissible length.
I already did look at the info on the ferry subheading but disregarded it as it was so clearly inaccurate hence why I said I was more inclined to believe the figures in the link.  It sounds like a far from ideal approach from your description though.  How do the car carriers cope, is gate 4 significantly better located or anything?  Again like up on the North Channel with Larne it seems the ports (Pembroke/Milford Haven and Swansea) have failed to keep up with ship size.  By the sounds of things IF could loose even more sailings with Epsilon running to Pembroke then.  A Stena Nordica sized ship would probably be ideal for IF!

If MHPA were to relocate the linkspan to where they want to build their cruise line terminal in Milford they would be able to handle Ropax of any size. Gate four is far closer to the harbour entrance which is naturally deep, similar to Poole... A berth offering similar to what is available at Cherbourg next to their sub and Titanic museum is plausible.

Don't know much about car carriers, Steve, I've never seen one either moored or pass me when I've been standing on LNGs outriggers.

Steven

My mistake, I read Carr as car.  Seems there may be options to inprove access but they would require a lot of investment from the port authority.  Given that they can still handle a pretty large ship in Inishmore (albeit just) there probably isn't much appetite for such investment though. 
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

jonno

Quote from: Steven on April 21, 2014, 10:04:47 AM
My mistake, I read Carr as car.  Seems there may be options to inprove access but they would require a lot of investment from the port authority.  Given that they can still handle a pretty large ship in Inishmore (albeit just) there probably isn't much appetite for such investment though.

There is also a lot of political to-ing and fro-ing. Even though Pembroke Dock is ran by MHPA, it's a separate town on the other bank with different MPs and can only be accessed by paying the toll to cross the Cleddau bridge if travelling from the north. The ferry travels through the Haven to reach what is essentially a separate port... Milford Haven is where the action is and where the investment is planned. On the one hand they want to work together to work toward a possible application for MoS funding in the future, on the other hand they are worlds apart on who should fund the infrastructure. The A477 serves the two towns of Pembroke and Pembroke dock whereas to access Milford Haven you travel along the A40 and must negotiate Haverfordwest. On a map they all look part of the whole but politically and logistically they are quite different.

Steven

Quote from: jonno on April 21, 2014, 02:26:11 PM
Quote from: Steven on April 21, 2014, 10:04:47 AM
My mistake, I read Carr as car.  Seems there may be options to inprove access but they would require a lot of investment from the port authority.  Given that they can still handle a pretty large ship in Inishmore (albeit just) there probably isn't much appetite for such investment though.

There is also a lot of political to-ing and fro-ing. Even though Pembroke Dock is ran by MHPA, it's a separate town on the other bank with different MPs and can only be accessed by paying the toll to cross the Cleddau bridge if travelling from the north. The ferry travels through the Haven to reach what is essentially a separate port... Milford Haven is where the action is and where the investment is planned. On the one hand they want to work together to work toward a possible application for MoS funding in the future, on the other hand they are worlds apart on who should fund the infrastructure. The A477 serves the two towns of Pembroke and Pembroke dock whereas to access Milford Haven you travel along the A40 and must negotiate Haverfordwest. On a map they all look part of the whole but politically and logistically they are quite different.

Bit of a nightmare then!  With Epsilon scheduled to cover Oscar in January we shall see how well she fits the route then.
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

IFPete

Road Access to Milford Haven is through built up area north of the Estuary, Not anything like as easy as Pembroke Dock,

A477 to Pembroke Dock is also in process of bring upgraded with a lot of the curves being removed.