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Oscar 1st sailing Dublin - Holyhead over the Christmas is Friday 22nd December at 10.45, like the last number of years she will only carry foot passengers if the Swift is cancelled.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/stena-line-and-doyle-shipping-in-court-over-contract-termination-1.3281964

Ulysses arrived from Holyhead to Dublin on Monday morning at 05.55. She did not sail back to Holyhead until Tuesday morning at 08.05 sailing.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/251149/japans-patriot-battalion-soldiers-validate-their-expeditionary-capabilities

A recent article on the Westpac use for the US military.

Epsilon has been taken out of service on the Holyhead - Dublin route since her arrival over the Christmas / New year once one of the other vessels in the fleet Oscar this year arrives onto the route. She normally comes back onto the route during dry docking of Ulysses.

No she is not down to return to the route at all next year.

Let's see what October brings. They are not going to keep a ship & crew for one round trip to France a week.

Epsilon has been taken out of service on the Holyhead - Dublin route since her arrival over the Christmas / New year once one of the other vessels in the fleet Oscar this year arrives onto the route. She normally comes back onto the route during dry docking of Ulysses.

Has the building not already started by Gdansk Shipyard Group? What sections are these?

http://www.polandatsea.com/marine-projects-to-build-superstructure-for-new-ferry-under-construction-at-fsg/

I see on marine traffic Oscar Wilde is now heading for Zeebrugge.

http://otp.investis.com/clients/uk/icg1/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=500&newsid=800794

Irish Continental Group plc : Westpac Express Charter Extension

Released : 30 Sep 2016 07:02

Irish Continental Group PLC ("ICG") is pleased to announce that, further to the announcement issued on 2 June 2016, the Charter to Sealift LLC of the High Speed Craft "Westpac Express" has been fixed for a further period of 12 months to October 2017. Sealift LLC in turn have chartered the Vessel to Military Sealift Command, a U.S government organisation. The charter is subject to usual US government procurement regulations.

The vessel was built in 2001 by Austal Ships, Australia. It has a gross tonnage of 8,403 tonne, passenger capacity of 900 and a car carrying capacity of 182 units.

END

30 September 2016

Enquiries:

Eamonn Rothwell   Chief Executive Officer   +353 1 607 5628
David Ledwidge   Chief Financial Officer   +353 1 607 5628

https://t.co/foeNgE4794  Model of the new vessel from twitter

http://otp.investis.com/clients/uk/icg1/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=500&newsid=704936

Irish Continental Group plc : Acquisition of Vessel
Released : 15 Apr 2016

Irish Continental Group PLC acquires "Westpac Express".

Irish Continental Group PLC ("ICG") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement for the purchase of the High Speed Craft "Westpac Express" from BALI Westpac 2006, LLC for $13.25m. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, title to the vessel will transfer to ICG on delivery which is expected by late May.

Upon delivery, the vessel will be bareboat chartered to a third party (Sealift Inc) for a firm period of four months with four further one year option periods and a final seven month option at the Charterer's option.

The vessel was built in 2001 by Austal Ships, Australia. It has a gross tonnage of 8,403 tonne, passenger capacity of 900 and a car carrying capacity of 182 units.

END

15 April 2016

Enquiries:

Eamonn Rothwell   Chief Executive Officer   +353 1 607 5628
David Ledwidge   Chief Financial Officer   +353 1 607 5628

Running Horizon to Holyhead is like Itish Ferries running Epsilon. It's proven to work.  In order to refit all vessels they are going to have to do more than one change anyway surely?

Stena tug drivers load/unload for Irish Ferries in Holyhead port so they are use to this type stern only loading vessel already. So Irish Ferries did all the ground work for Stena on the Holyhead route.

Err, no.  Stena did run Stena Forwarder back in the day after all!

I think Stena Forwarder was on the run from 2001 – 2003. How many ops staff would remember how to load a vessel they last had on the run 13 years ago.

Running Horizon to Holyhead is like Itish Ferries running Epsilon. It's proven to work.  In order to refit all vessels they are going to have to do more than one change anyway surely?

Stena tug drivers load/unload for Irish Ferries in Holyhead port so they are use to this type stern only loading vessel already. So Irish Ferries did all the ground work for Stena on the Holyhead route.

Any ideas if and when the epsilon will be in dry dock and where.

I see Epsilon is not on the online booking system for 10 days in April. Last crossing Holyhead to Dublin at 08:00 9th April & first crossing 19th April Dublin  to Holyhead at 01:55. she is not doing a Cherbourg crossing both weekends.

Any idea where she is heading?