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Rosslare Europort are looking for operatives, very broad job description from customer service work, mooring vessels, marshalling, loading/loading and maintenance.

More details here[url].

So let`s think a realistic example - a student from his parents-house in Londonderry is study in University of Edinburgh. With Molslinjen-Kombardo-system it would take CIRCA 5 hours door-to-door for 13 Euro (99 DKK) - as from Holstebro or Skive to Copenhagen. This is no problem to pay it for him (or his parents) every friday and sunday and then enjoy all weekends together with family, old school-friends, mothers kitchen, mothers washing-machine etc. .

But today with Stena Line or P&O ???
It would costs MUCH more money - more than 64,- Euro (rome2Rio) and a lot of more time too - longer than 10 hours - and minimum 3 changes are needed. Also with flight-combination without baggage it is minimum 60,- and takes 5 hours and 3 changes.
So the result is: Today all these people can only pay travelling home christmas, easter or at birthday. To pay 26,- Euro each weekend is possible for nearly all people - but to pay 120 or 130 Euro each weekend is not possible and travel with 3 changes is very uncomfortable also.

I think you mean Derry ;)

I know this is a ferry enthusiasts forum, but we need to be realistic here with the state of the market. Not sure where you are getting your flight information from, EasyJet, Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly from Edinburgh to the two Belfast airports, one bus from either to Derry. You could get Ryanair from £30 return.

If someone is home for a weekend, time will be a massive factor in their travel plans.

Why they have not changed around 2010 the HSS-engines with new more fuel-saving engines as it is usually with older used airplanes also ?

The reality is, even if the HSS was re-engined (I doubt it was that straight forward), I can't see them being economical. There were also speed restrictions on the HSS in Belfast Lough.

Look at the Pont Aven, she's a lot newer entered service in 2004, has a top speed of 27kts, and she never hits full speed these days. The fuel cost is the issue, no matter what engine she has.

The Peacocks left the old ship yard over the weekend for breaking in Belgium, some excellent photos of them under tow on the Port of Cork's twitter/X/what ever it's called now.

https://twitter.com/PortofCork/status/1782367547288940557

[MOD NOTE]

MOD NOTE: I have removed some irrelevant posts from this, members shouldn't split threads when replying reply.

Hi all,

My general approach to moderation has been to let things flow, if a thread goes slightly off topic, it's not that big a deal.

If you do feel a post is going down an off topic rabbit hole, or a topic isn't really relevant, just report it and include a comment with why you're unhappy with it, and I will address it.

Kieran

No. 3,4,5&6 Life Boats corroded keel structure & hanging brackets (UTM Report ALF-23435 December 2023) to be repaired. Flag Exemption letter RCS 13826-12-007-2024 dated 2024.01.09 allows for reduction in LSA numbers to 632 along with mitigating arrangements to be made.


Also as pointed out by forum member boathansm previously the passenger certificate has expired on the 15th April so lucky that everything went to plan in the end.

Some excellent investigation work there!

Your not comparing like with like though. Molslinjen are geared towards passengers, most Irish Sea routes have a far bigger freight requirement (and people aren't travelling a massive distance in Denmark from the ports).  Cairnryan is 8 hours drive/train from London, or an hour and a half on a plane – what are people going to choose?
And apart from the Swift, fast ferries have disappeared from the Irish Sea.

The Irish Sea has changed massively since airline deregulation in Europe (and in the last few years, Brexit has changed operations out of Rosslare and Cork).

Dublin – London is one of the busiest air routes in the world, time is massive factor here for most passangers.

The Naval Service's two inshore patrol vessels (which were purchased from New Zealand) have been named the LÉ Aoibhinn and the LÉ Gobnait. They are currently undergoing a programme of works and preparation at the Naval HQ in Haulbowline including crew familiarisation and training, before them becoming operational. They are planned to replace "Peacocks" - Orla and Ciara

Nice to see the naval service return to naming ships after saints/mythical figures. The Beckett Class are affectionally known as the Dead Poet Class in the Haulbowline!

There also appears to be some (slow) movement on Eithne's replacement - procurement documents were published at the end of January.

Sad to see her go - she had two lives in Cork at the Connacht and Duchess Anne (As well as being built in Rushbrooke). After 45 years she's had a decent career!

Some lovely onboard photos of her on HHVFerry.

With it coming up to the 20th anniversary of Brittany Ferries Pont Aven's first arrival in Cork harbour on 3rd April 2004. Here's some scans of photos I took on that Saturday 20 years ago.

Love seeing Jerry giving her the water cannon salute!

The big problem with online platforms, be it Tripadvisor or social media – is people are a lot more vocal when things go wrong than when they go well, so they all need to be taken with a grain of salt, but that's not a great ranking.

I imagine ICG do their own surveys though to track areas that need improvements and calculates an Net Promoter Score?

Five defects, zero of which are reasons for delaying return to service, means all is ok on board.

There were 5 deficiencies, which are basically areas to be improved, and none were grounds for detention.
All ships register deficiencies occasionally on inspection.

That's some high pressure water jet!

I suspect that's sand blasting!

Unity Line are suspending Former Irish Ferries vessel's Epsilon's sailings until further notice.Sounds like she ran aground near Trelleborg, Sweden this morning.

Apart from her looking top heavy, I'm not sure I'd like to be trying to dock her in high winds!

That glass...the interior of that glass assembly over the bridge is impressive to be fair though.