2003 News Summary April

On Wednesday 11th June 2003 the relief lifeboat RNLB City of Belfast took up station at Larne to relieve the usual lifeboat RNLB Dr. John McSparran which is off for survey.

Relief Lifeboat RNLB City of Belfast berthed at Castle Quay in Larne, June 2003. Photo: Jimmy Dowey

Also on the 11th of June the coaster Ben Nevis departed Larne for South Uist with a cargo of concrete blocks. She had arrived on the evening of Monday the 9th of June. She is due to make another visit soon.

Coaster Ben Nevis (ex Ben Vane of Ramsey Steamship Co) departing Larne on the 11th of June 2003 for South Uist. Photo: Jimmy Dowey

Meanwhile, the European Seafarer spent the weekend in Larne, her usual work on the wind farm charters to Mostyn at the weekend seems to be finished for now. She spent Saturday and Sunday on Curran Quay with the European Mariner at anchor. The Seafarer took up her run with the 1600 ex Larne on the 15th of June while the Mariner returned with her usual 1900 Troon sailing that same evening.

Today (27/5/03) P&O released news that they and Stena Line had signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning a proposed buy out of a major part of P&O Irish Sea by Stena Line.

At this stage no deal has been signed and all the arrangements are still subject to contract, employee consultations and clearance by regulatory groups, so all of the following is subject to changes.

Set to be sold to Stena are the Dublin operations of P&O Irish Sea. This includes the Dublin to Liverpool route and the vessels Norbay and Norbank. Also included in this central corridor transaction is the Dublin to Mostyn route which will close. The vessels on the route, European Envoy and European Ambassador will be time chartered to Stena with a purchase option that can be exercised after a stipulated time period has elapsed.

P&O's other route into the North West of England between Larne and Fleetwood will also transfer to Stena Line if the proposals go through. The ships on this route European Pioneer, European Seafarer and European Leader will become Stena ships as part of the deal. A terminal user agreement is to be drawn up between P&O and Stena Line to allow Stena to continue operating this route to the port of Larne.

P&O routes from Larne to Troon and Larne to Cairnryan will be unaffected by these changes.

Meanwhile a second transaction regarding Cairnryan is also in an advanced stage of negotiations. Here P&O and Stena have agreed to form a joint venture company, with both companies owning an equal share. The joint venture company will buy out P&O's port interests at Cairnryan and then invest in the port by providing a new conventional ferry berth, an HSS berth and the associated infrastructure to accommodate both P&O's and Stena's North Channel ferry operations. Both companies will sign long term user agreements with the new jointly owned port authority.

Although no company has signed anything, this is far from set in stone. Only 3 years ago Stena were all set to return the Stena Galloway and Stena Caledonia to operate from Larne after leaving the port in 1995. Larne Ferry Web even stood on the poop deck of the Stena Galloway when she was at Larne's Continental Quay for berthing trials in spring of 2000. I, along with everyone else with a ounce of sense, were all ready to welcome Stena back, but the contract fell through and this U-turn undoubtedly saw the withdrawal from service of one of Larne's best servants, the Stena Galloway. I only hope that if these plans succeed in passing the obstacles that stand in its way that it brings advancement for the town and port of Larne.

The European Pioneer along with the other Larne to Fleetwood vessels European Seafarer and European Leader are set to be sold to Stena Line if new proposals involving P&O and Stena Line come to fruition. Also planned is major redevelopment to the port of Cairnryan as Stena plan to relocate their Stranraer operations to the port. Photo: LFW

P&O and Stena AB ('Stena') announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding ('MOU') concerning Stena's proposed acquisition of a significant part of P&O's ferry operations on the Irish Sea. The MOU also provides for the transfer of Stena's Stranraer port operations to P&O's port at Cairnryan, with Stena taking a 50% shareholding in the Cairnryan port.

The transaction is part of a wider restructuring of P&O Ferries to focus on higher yielding routes. The book value of the relevant assets is approximately £50 million and, subject to finalisation of the transaction, no significant gain or loss is expected to result for P&O. The proposals are subject to contract, employee consultation and regulatory clearances.

P&O proposes to sell to Stena five vessels and various port assets at Liverpool, Fleetwood and Dublin and to charter to Stena two other vessels. P&O also proposes to transfer to Stena the crew of the five vessels to be acquired by Stena, together with the relevant shore staff at Liverpool, Fleetwood and Dublin, and those shore staff at Larne dedicated to the Fleetwood-Larne service.

Consultations will be commencing with employee representatives about the possible closure of the Dublin-Mostyn service, of P&O's shoreside operations at the Port of Mostyn and the Fleetwood head office. P&O will continue to operate the Mostyn-Dublin service as normal until the proposals receive the necessary approvals.

P&O will continue to operate the following vessels on the Irish Sea, on the routes indicated:

European Causeway Larne - Cairnryan
European Highlander Larne - Cairnryan
Superstar Express Larne - Cairnryan & Larne-Troon
European Mariner Larne - Troon
European Diplomat Rosslare - Cherbourg

P&O and Stena propose to form a 50:50 joint venture to acquire P&O's port interests at Cairnryan and to finance the construction of new berths for both P&O and Stena. The Cairnryan redevelopment will be subject to relevant planning approvals. P&O will continue to own and operate the Port of Larne and this will be largely unaffected by these proposals.

1. At December 2002, P&O Ferries reported net operating assets of £627.1 million and an operating profit of £13.7 million. The effect on the ongoing operating profit of P&O Ferries is expected to be immaterial.

2. Finalisation of the transaction may include some potential route closure costs, the cost of buying in leased assets to be sold to Stena and transaction costs.

3. Stena Line is a privately owned international transport and travel service company and one of the world's largest ferry operators. It currently operates four routes on the Irish Sea : Fishguard - Rosslare, Holyhead - Dublin, Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire and Stranraer - Belfast.

Over the weekend 24/25th May 2003 the European Seafarer visited both Cairnryan and Campbeltown for berthing trials.

She left Larne at approx 1500 on the 24th for Cairnryan, where presumably she had berthing trials at the double decked conventional ferry berth. In the autumn last year she visited Cairnryan for maintenance lay over on several occasions. Confirmed visits were 5/6th October, 12/13th October, 16/17th November and 7/8th December 2002. On each occasion she was laid up on the north berth normally used by the Superstar Express. Berth congestion in Larne with usually the Troon vessel and the Liverpool vessel in port over the weekend in addition to the European Seafarer, meant that Cairnryan presented the closest free lay up berth.

European Pioneer also spent 4 days there from 21st - 24th September 2002 again for maintenance lay up.

This move seems to be leading to the European Seafarer providing refit cover on the Larne to Cairnryan route this coming summer.

A visit to Campbeltown for the Seafarer followed the Cairnryan trials. Last year the European Navigator transported windmills from Campbeltown to Rosslare and was a bit of a handful for Campbeltown's small berth. Measuring nearly double the length of the berth, the European Navigator couldn't put ropes ashore from the bow and instead had to hold her bow with her anchors. These caught underwater cables and tangled the ship up for a while when she was ready to depart.

By all accounts the berthing at Campbeltown last year was a bit tricky on the European Navigator. Since the European Seafarer is slightly longer and wider than the Navigator it would have been an even trickier manoeuvre with the larger vessel. No doubt it was an impressive piece of seamanship by the Seafarer's captain to get her in.

The European Seafarer took up her run again with the 1600 service to Fleetwood on Monday the 26th of May. Her usual 1600 on Sunday the 25th was cancelled due to the English bank holiday on the 26th. The Troon freight vessel European Mariner also took a break on Monday, her usual 1900 service on Sunday evening was cancelled and she spent the evening at anchor allowing the European Seafarer to berth at Curran Quay after she returned to Larne from her trials on Sunday afternoon.

European Seafarer arriving at Larne, she has underwent berthing trials at Campbeltown and Cairnryan over the weekend 23/24 May 2003. Photo: Steven Brown

The Cairnryan service stepped up a gear with an accelerated service being given which started on Monday the 19th of May. The usual 7 sailings per day by each conventional ferry on the Cairnryan route were increased to 8 by cutting the turn round time on the evening sailings. The 2000 departure from both sides was brought forward to 1930 with a corresponding arrival at 2115. The 2359 sailing stepped up to a 2215 departure time with a new arrival time of 2359. The extra sailing operated during the night with a new 0130 sailing arriving at 0315. The schedule then continued as normal with the 0415.

The extra sailings continued until Saturday the 24th of May then the schedule reverted back to usual. This resulted on the ships being on the wrong sailing patterns so an extra trip was carried out on Sunday morning at 1030 to get the two vessels on their usual rosters.

The accelerated schedule in full; turnrounds were usually only 1 hour with a 1 hour 45 minute crossing time:

Depart Larne / Cairnryan	Arrive Cairnryan / Larne
0130 **new sailing	0315
0415	0600
0730	0915
1030	1215
1330	1515
1630	1815
1930 ** instead of 2000	2115
2215 ** instead of 2359	2359

The European Causeway (above leaving Larne on the 0730 service on the 17th of May 2003) and the European Highlander (below arriving at Cairnryan at 1815 on the 24th April 2003) operated 8 sailings a day (4 round trips each) on the Larne to Cairnryan service between the 19th and 24th of May. This is the fastest ever conventional ferry service operated between Larne and Scotland. Both photos LFW

The coaster Stina arrived in Larne with 1000 tons of silver sand for Kilwaughter Limeworks. She berthed on Olderfleet quay in the afternoon. Discharging commenced the next day using mobile grab cranes. The Stina departed at 6pm once discharge was completed.

The Stina is 76.25 metres in length and is one of the biggest ships capable of berthing at Olderfleet Quay which has a maximum length restriction of 80 metres.

The Stina arriving at Larne on the occasion of her last visit to the port in October 2002. Photo: Jimmy Dowey

The former Larne ferry European Pathfinder, now named Begonia, is still undergoing major overhaul in Ostend. A new crank shaft has recently been delivered to the ship to replace the one in the port engine that broke during her final few weeks at Larne last summer. An extra 10 crew members have started working on board bringing the complement of workers on board up to 60. It is hoped she may be back in service around mid summer.

Over the May Day bank holiday the Troon and Cairnryan services both sailed as normal. Only alteration was on the Fleetwood service where the European Leader spent Saturday evening at Curran Quay undergoing maintenance. Her usual schedule was covered by the European Seafarer.

On her return trip to Larne on Sunday evening the European Seafarer arrived off Larne at 1730 and had to wait until 1900 to get a free berth. Once the European Mariner sailed to Troon the Seafarer moved in to discharge at Curran Quay, by this stage the European Leader had shifted to her normal Continental Quay berth to load and take up her usual 2200 service to Fleetwood.

The European Seafarer was then laid up at Curran Quay on Sunday night before heading out to anchor early in Monday morning to free the berth for the incoming European Mariner. The European Seafarer then picked up her usual roster with the 1600 ex Larne on Monday afternoon sailing from Continental Quay.

The coaster Haslo arrived in Larne on Tuesday evening at 2045 with another cargo of limestone chippings for the lime works at Kilwaughter just outside Larne. The vessel berthed on Olderfleet Quay and was unloaded by a mobile grab crane. She departed after discharge was complete on Friday the 25th of April.

It was almost dark for her arrival in Larne on the 22nd of April so the pictures weren't good. Instead, here is a fine picture of Haslo taken in daylight at Belfast harbour by Jimmy Dowey.

Over Easter the Cairnryan route and the Superstar Express service sailed as usual with no alterations.

On the Fleetwood route the European Seafarer finished for Easter on Friday the 18th of April. She berthed on Curran Quay for the holiday period and restarted her service with the 1600 service on Monday the 21st April.

The European Seafarer loading for her 1600 sailing to Fleetwood on Tuesday 22/4/03 after her Easter break.

The European Mariner's freight sailings to Troon were cancelled after her 0700 arrival on Saturday the 19th April. She discharged on Continental Quay (European Seafarer was on the normal Troon berth at Curran Quay) and then anchored off Larne for the rest of the holidays, she was able to use Continental Quay between the sailings of the Fleetwood vessels. She took up her schedules with the 1900 departure to Troon on Monday the 21st of April from Curran Quay.

A thunderey sky provides the backdrop for the European Mariner laid up on Curran Quay on 22/4/03.

Tuesday 15th April 2003 saw the inauguration of the new Larne to Troon fast ferry service started by the Superstar Express. The ship has been scheduled for 4 round trips per day the first and the last are to Troon with 2 further trips in the afternoon to Cairnryan. The latest schedule for the vessel (contrary to what has been put into the ferry guide) is:

Cairnryan trips are scheduled for the usual 1 hour crossing time while the Troon crossing has tentatively been scheduled for 1 hour 49 minutes.

One for the history books. The Superstar Express leaves Larne on the first ever Larne to Troon fast ferry sailing at 0740 on the 15th of April 2003.

The ship goes head to head with the Rapide operating the neighbouring Belfast to Troon route. The Superstar Express is being backed up by a marketing campaign using the slogan Vroom to Troon. A building facing the Sea Containers' terminal in Belfast has been emblazoned with the neon pink and blue advert like the one shown below.

P&O Irish Sea advert for the Superstar Express service to Troon and Cairnryan.

Vessel	Arrival Time	Origin	Berth	Departure Time	Destination	Berth	Notes
Superstar Express				0740	Troon	Chaine Quay
Superstar Express	1215	Troon	Chaine Quay	1245	Cairnryan	Chaine Quay
Superstar Express	1515	Cairnryan	Chaine Quay	1555	Cairnryan	Chaine Quay
Superstar Express	1830	Cairnryan	Chaine Quay	1905	Troon	Chaine Quay
Superstar Express	2325	Troon	Chaine Quay				Overnight lay up