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Autumn Gales Cause Express Cancellations

28th September 2005

Foul weather caused the cancellation of the 1300 sailing of Express from Larne to Cairnryan and the corresponding return sailing departing Cairnryan at 1515 on 23/9/05, although Troon sailings operated on schedule.  In an effort to keep cancellations to a minimum, Larne tug Sarah McLoughlin was taken across the North Channel on 25/9/05 and stationed at Stranraer's West Pier, on stand by to assist Express at Cairnryan.  Despite this, further late running and cancellations were to follow over the following few days. 

High winds on the 26/9/05 caused the cancellation of the 0715 sailing to Troon but with large loads of passengers and cars travelling from Northern Ireland, the 1300 sailing to Cairnryan did operate departing Larne at 1800 when winds had moderated.  Express returned to Larne light ship at 2100 and reloaded for Troon, departing again at 2130.  The fast craft returned to Larne, again light ship at 0230.  Her inbound load from Troon already having been diverted to the European Highlander and European Causeway sailings from Cairnryan at 2000 and 2359.

On 27/9/05, the morning sailing to Troon at 0715 was once again cancelled for the second day running due to high winds although subsequent sailings that day to Cairnryan at 1300 and Troon at 1730 did sail as usual.  A third day of strong winds on 28/9/05 caused the cancellation of all sailings by Express on that day, but a reduction in the wind on the 29/9/05 allowed the Express to return to normal running and tug Sarah McLoughlin to return back home to Larne from her temporary base at Loch Ryan.

26th September 2005

A new website has recently appeared about the future development at Cairnryan harbour to accommodate the North Channel ferry services of P&O and Stena Line. 

http://www.cairnryanportdevelopment.co.uk/

Although no building work has yet begun at Cairnryan, this website is definitely one to keep an eye on to stay updated with how the plans for the new port progresses through the myriad of planning orders and consultation bodies prior to the physical building work commencing.

Further Express Cancellations

25th September 2005

Foul weather caused the cancellation of the 1300 sailing of Express from Larne to Cairnryan and the corresponding return sailing departing Cairnryan at 1515 on 23/9/05.  In an effort to keep cancellations to a minimum, Larne tug Sarah McLoughlin was taken across the North Channel on 25/9/05 and stationed at Stranraer's West Pier.  She will remain there on stand by to assist Express at Cairnryan should there be any foul weather in the next few days.

19th September 2005

Fast ferry Express missed her 1300 sailing ex Larne and the corresponding return voyage at 1515 ex Cairnryan due to bad weather on 19/9/05.  Her Troon round voyages at 0715 ex Larne and 1730 ex Larne sailed as usual.

14th September 2005

Oil tanker Timashevsk paid a visit to Ballylumford with a cargo of fuel oil for the power station from 12/9/05 to 14/9/05.  Click here for a brief photo feature of the tanker's visit.

10th September 2005

P&O's North Channel fast ferry Express took some time off her usual duties to undergo some scheduled maintenance to one of her main engines.  The engine was taken off line on 7/9/05 after the morning arrival from Troon at 1200 with the vessel continuing in service operating at reduced power for the remainder of the day and into the next day.  She was eventually withdrawn from service after the morning arrival from Troon on 8/9/05 and underwent maintenance lay up at her Chaine Quay berth in Larne.  The fast craft was back in action again with the 0715 departure to Troon on the 10/9/05 with engine repairs completed, just in time to take a large load of travelling football fans to Scotland to see a match in Glasgow.

Extra Cairnryan Sunday Trips Finish

4th September 2005

The extra Sunday morning sailings for the summer season at 1030 and 1330 on the Larne to Cairnryan route by European Causeway and European Highlander ended on the 4/9/05.  The Sunday timetable reverts to the usual single sailing at 1200 by European Causeway ex Larne and 1330 ex Cairnryan by European Highlander from Sunday 11/9/05.

31st August 2005

Coastal cargo vessel Ranafjord arrived at Larne at 0845 on 30/8/05 with a cargo of approx. 2400tons of dolomite chippings from Norway.  The vessel was discharged over the following two days at Olderfleet Quay using the port's mobile grab crane.  Once discharge was completed Ranafjord departed on 31/8/05 at 1430 bound for Campbeltown to pick up a timber cargo.

29th August 2005

Over the weekend of Saturday 27/8/05 to bank holiday Monday 29/8/05, Fleetwood services returned to normal after disruptions caused by late running sailings earlier in the week.  Stena Pioneer, sailing on the usual schedule of Stena Seafarer, was first to return to her usual sailing schedule.  She arrived at Larne on 27/8/05 at 1300 on the Seafarer's normal slot and laid up until the following morning when she picked up her usual 1000 sailing to Fleetwood.

Stena Leader was next to get back on track and swapped to her usual run on 28/8/05.  She arrived in Larne at 0530 on the Stena Pioneer's normal schedule and carried out maintenance during the rest of the day before picking up her normal run at 2200 that evening.

Last to return to her normal schedule was Stena Seafarer.  She had been sailing the normal sailing pattern of Stena Leader and completed this with a fast run on the 28/8/05, which arrived in Larne 3½ hours early at 1430 instead of 1800.  The ship discharged and sailed at 1545 for Belfast where she covered a maintenance lay over of HSS fast ferry Stena Voyager.  Working with erstwhile fleet companion Stena Caledonia, the Stena Seafarer sailed one round voyage to Stranraer, departing Belfast at 2000 on 28/8/05 and returning from Stranraer at 0455 the following day.  After this trip she relocated to Larne and picked up her usual 1600 sailing to Fleetwood on Monday 29/8/05.

Express Involved in Sea Search

28th August 2005

Larne - Troon fast ferry Express was called in to assist in the search for a missing yacht off the coast of Arran on 28/8/05.  She vessel was on her usual morning Larne - Troon round sailing when she was tasked to the scene to assist the search.  The fast craft was released from the search and returned to Larne at 1430 with her passengers inbound from Troon.  Her usual 1300 sailing to Cairnryan was cancelled and the traffic transferred to the 1330 sailing of European Highlander.  Once Express discharged her passengers and cars in Larne she sailed light to Cairnryan to pick up her schedule with the 1515 sailing to Larne.

28th August 2005

European Mariner continued on windmill charter work over the weekend of the 27/8/05 and 28/8/05.  The vessel had her busiest spell on the charter work so far when she carried out two round voyages to Campbeltown over the two day spell.  The first sailing left Larne at 0930 on Saturday 27/8/05 as soon as European Mariner had discharged from her Troon freight sailing.  This service returned to Larne at 2000 that evening with the cargo being discharged on Curran Quay.

The second trip of the weekend departed Larne at 0600 on Sunday 28/8/05 returning from Campbeltown at 1730.  High winds in the harbour necessitated the use of tug Sarah McLoughlin, freshly returned from her Cairnryan stint, to assist European Mariner to berth.  The windmill components were discharged and European Mariner was immediately reloaded with freight to sail on schedule with her usual 1900 service to Troon.

25th August 2005

Larne - Fleetwood sailings were disrupted on the 24/8/05 when Stena Pioneer fell behind schedule.  This caused delays at Fleetwood resulting in the three vessels falling one slot behind schedule.  Stena Pioneer is sailing on the usual sailing pattern of the Stena Seafarer, Stena Seafarer is on the Stena Leader's run and Stena Leader is sailing the roster normally operated by Stena Pioneer.

Also on the 24/8/05, Express cancelled her Cairnryan round voyage due to a late arrival in from Troon.  The vessel arrived in Larne at 1330 instead of the usual 1155 and was later seen undergoing trials off the Larne coast before picking up her evening Troon sailing from Larne at 1730.  Cairnryan traffic caught up in the cancellation was transferred to European Causeway and European Highlander.  The Larne fast craft also experienced minor delays to her schedule on the following day, 25/8/05.

A new addition to Loch Ryan is Larne tug Sarah McLoughlin.  She crossed over to her new temporary base at Stranraer's West Pier on 22/8/05 and is on standby to assist Express at Cairnryan during any forthcoming periods of inclement weather.

21st August 2005

After spending from Monday 15/8/05 laid up at Stena Line's lay by berth at Albert Quay in Belfast undergoing engine repairs, Stena Pioneer departed Belfast at 1945 on Thursday 18/8/05 bound for Larne.  She was assisted on departure from Belfast by the tugs Norton Cross and Willowgarth.  On arrival at Larne at 2130, she dropped her anchor a mile north of number one buoy and stayed out for the night before entering service on Friday 19/8/05, sailing on the Stena Seafarer's usual schedule with the 1600 from Larne.

The vessel then missed the tide at Fleetwood the following morning and didn't return to Larne until 1730 on Saturday 20/8/05.  She discharged her cargo and then went to anchor to allow the Stena Leader to berth with her own inbound sailing at 2045.

Stena Pioneer then picked up her usual sailing schedule on Sunday 21/8/05 sailing from Larne at 0815.  This allowed Stena Seafarer to return to her own sailing pattern after arriving at Larne at 0845 on 21/8/05 with her last trip in place of Stena Pioneer.

Stern In Causeway

21st August 2005

Its rare to see the Cairnryan conventional vessels stern in at Larne now-a-days but European Causeway offered the opportunity to see one moored stern in at MacKean Quay on Saturday 20/8/05.  She turned round on the berth after discharging from her 2000 sailing ex Cairnryan to allow maintenance work to be done on her port side MES.  The vessel returned to the usual way round the following morning in time to load for her 0730 sailing to Cairnryan on Sunday 21/8/05.

More Mariner Windmills

20th August 2005

European Mariner completed another windmill run to Campbeltown on Saturday 20/8/05.  She departed after discharging from her inbound Troon trip and returned with the windmill components at 2100.  They were discharged at Curran Quay the following morning.

Dredger Barge Departs

18th August 2005

The dredger barge Aoibheann finally departed Larne's Phoenix Quay on Thursday 18/8/05 at 1030, after completing excavation works at the new sewer outfall pipe.  She departed under tow of the tug Barrow Sand bound for Dublin and further work at the Skerries.

15th August 2005

The curse of just out of dry dock technical problems struck Stena Pioneer on 14/8/05 while on passage to Larne with her 2200 sailing ex Fleetwood.  The vessel had engine trouble and arrived in Larne 4½ hours late at 1130 with the assistance of the local tugs Sarah McLoughlin and Donna McLoughlin.  The vessel berthed on Curran Quay once European Mariner had vacated the berth after discharging a windmill cargo from Campbeltown.

Stena Seafarer, which was laid up at Larne during the weekend for maintenance, was hastily brought into service to cover for the Stena Pioneer and she departed at 1000 from Larne on 14/8/05.  Stena Seafarer's own sailing at 1600 ex Larne was subsequently cancelled.

Stena Pioneer remained out of service on Curran Quay for the remainder of the day.  She eventually departed Larne on 15/8/05 at 1250 bound for Belfast to undergo repairs.  Until Stena Pioneer's return to service the Stena Seafarer will continue to cover her absence on the 1000 ex Larne and 2200 ex Fleetwood cycle, with Stena Seafarer's own sailings at 1600 ex Larne and 0300 ex Fleetwood being cancelled.

With Stena Pioneer requiring the use of Curran Quay for two days, the European Mariner had to fit in around other ships to get time for her own cargo loading and discharging operations at other berths in the harbour.  She used Continental Quay in between Stena's Fleetwood sailings to load for her 1900 sailing to Troon on 14/8/05, while the inbound Troon sailing on 15/8/05 was discharged at Chaine Quay once Express had vacated the berth at 0715. 

12th August 2005

Larne to Fleetwood services were brought back to full capacity with the return of Stena Pioneer from her annual overhaul at Birkenhead.  The vessel departed dry dock around 1600 on 11/8/05 and was originally scheduled to sail to Fleetwood to load cargo for her first sailing to Larne after her dry docking.  However, a technical problem on her way out the Mersey prevented her from  making Fleetwood on time to load for Larne and the ship was diverted light ship direct to Larne where she arrived at 0600 on 12/8/05. 

Stena Seafarer, which was covering the absence of Stena Pioneer on the 1000 ex Larne and 2200 ex Fleetwood cycle, moved back onto her usual sailing schedule beginning with the 1600 sailing from Larne on 11/8/05.  The usual 1000 sailing from Larne on 11/8/05 was cancelled to allow Seafarer and Pioneer to get back on their usual schedules.

Mariner Brings in the Windmills

6th August 2005

With her Cairnryan overhaul stint completed, the European Mariner was pressed into some further weekend employment with a round trip to Campbeltown on 6/8/05.  She departed Larne at 0800 after discharging from her inbound Troon freight service and returned with a load of windfarm components on board at 2230 the same evening.  The cargo was discharged the following morning and the ship returned to her Troon freight schedule with her usual 1900 sailing later on that evening.

31st July 2005

Beginning on Sunday 31/7/05, and on every subsequent Sunday until September, the European Causeway and European Highlander will operate an extra sailing on the Larne - Cairnryan route.  Ex Larne sailings are now at 1030 and 1330 instead of a single sailing at 1200.  Vessels also sail at 1030 from Cairnryan on Sundays in addition to the usual 1330 service.  All other sailings run to the usual timetable.

25th July 2005

Stena Line dry dockings continued to make progress with Stena Leader returning to service after annual overhaul resplendent in a new coat of paint.  The vessel's first sailing after dry docking was the 1000 service ex Fleetwood on 24/7/05.  Taking her place in the Birkenhead dry dock is Stena Pioneer, which stood down from service to go to dry dock after discharging in Fleetwood from the 1500 sailing ex Larne on 24/7/05, delayed from 1000 due to extremely low tides in Fleetwood.

To cover the absence of Stena Pioneer, Stena Seafarer swapped from the Stena Leader's usual sailing cycle over to the Stena Pioneer's roster.  Stena Seafarer's final sailing in place of Stena Leader was the 0015 sailing ex Larne on 24/7/05, she then lay in Fleetwood all day before picking up Stena Pioneer's roster with the 2200 sailing to Larne later that same evening.

The Larne - Cairnryan service returned to normal on the 25/7/05 when European Causeway returned to service after her annual overhaul.  The vessel arrived in Larne at 1400 light ship from dry dock and took her first sailing to Cairnryan at 1630.  The European Causeway's return to service means that European Mariner's back up runs to Cairnryan with trailers have ended, with the final sailing being the 1330 sailing from Cairnryan on the 25/7/05.

Fast Ferry Delays

24th July 2005

P&O fast ferry Express experienced technical difficulties that led to the cancellation of a number of sailings and long delays to others over a 3 day period from 20/7/05 to 22/7/05.

Ferry passengers were faced with the first delayed crossing on the 20/7/05 when the 0715 sailing of Express to Troon was cancelled due to a problem with one of the craft's water jets.   Passengers in Larne who still wished to travel were transferred to the 0730 sailing of European Highlander to Cairnryan which sailed at 0830, while passengers in Troon waiting for the 1005 sailing to Larne were diverted to Cairnryan.

A diver was needed to make the repairs to Express and these were completed in time for the fast craft to sail at 1420 to Cairnryan with a delayed 1300 service.  However on passage the technical problem reoccurred and the fast craft was unable to berth at Cairnryan.  No tugs were available in Loch Ryan to assist the vessel alongside at Cairnryan and she diverted to Troon where tugs were available.  The fast ferry eventually discharged her load in the early evening and arrived in Larne light ship at 2230 for further repairs, the 2020 sailing ex Troon also subsequently being cancelled.

Further repairs were carried out overnight and Express sailed on the 21/7/05, although was running behind time, eventually finishing the day around 4 hours late.  These delays also caused problems for European Highlander, which was behind schedule carrying large loads of delayed passengers and their cars.  To free up space on the European Highlander, as much freight as possible was transferred to European Mariner, temporarily on the Cairnryan service covering for the overhaul of European Causeway.

With the recurring problems of the previous two days, on 22/7/05 Larne tug Sarah McLoughlin crossed to Cairnryan to be available should Express need assistance berthing at the Loch Ryan port.  By the 23/7/05 the technical problems were eventually ironed out and Express was back running at full power with Sarah McLoughlin standing down and returning to Larne on 24/7/05.

18th July 2005

A special photo feature showing the arrival of Van Gogh at Larne on 18/7/05 can be found by clicking here

11th July 2005

Larne to Fleetwood services dropped back to a two ship operation on the 9th of July when Stena Leader stood down from service to go to dry dock for her annual overhaul.  The vessel's final sailing in service was the 2200 sailing from Larne on the 8/7/05.  After discharging her cargo at Fleetwood the following morning, Stena Leader departed Fleetwood for dry docking at the former A&P Birkenhead ship repair facility on Merseyside, arriving on the tide at around 1300.

Replacing the Stena Leader is Stena Seafarer, which has moved on to the Stena Leader's usual roster sailing at 1000 ex Fleetwood  and 2200 ex Larne.  While the Stena Seafarer is covering the Stena Leader the usual sailings operated by Stena Seafarer at 0300 ex Fleetwood and 1600 ex Larne  are cancelled.  The final sailing was the 0300 ex Fleetwood on the 9/7/05 which departed at 0500.  On arrival in Larne at 1230, Stena Seafarer then remained in Larne all day until 2200 when she sailed on the first sailing in place of Stena Leader.

Cairnryan operations by P&O are also operating a reduced timetable due to the dry docking of European Causeway.  The Causeway stood down from service after her 2000 sailing from Larne on 10/7/05.  After discharging in Cairnryan, the 5 year old vessel departed for dry docking at Birkenhead for her annual overhaul.  Partial cover for the absence European Causeway from the Cairnryan route is being provided by European Highlander operating up to 4 round voyages per day and Larne - Troon vessel European Mariner providing up to two round voyages per day in between her usual Larne - Troon trips.  The timetable of fast craft Express remains unchanged by the dry dock arrangements.

Timetabled Larne - Cairnryan trips are summarised below:

Sailings from Larne:

Sailings from Cairnryan:

Photos of recent movements of Larne based ferries in the Mersey taken by Michael Bracken are laid out below.

Stena Leader: http://www.irishseashipping.com/photofeatures/shipco/stena/leader090705/leader090705.htm

European Causeway: http://www.irishseashipping.com/photofeatures/shipco/pando/causeway110705/causeway110705.htm

Stena Seafarer: (June 19th) http://www.irishseashipping.com/photofeatures/shipco/stena/seafarer190605/seafarer190605.htm

5th July 2005

The MacKean quay ramp failed at 1830 on 5/7/05 when European Causeway arrived at the berth with her usual 1630 sailing from Cairnryan.  The technical problems with the linkspan prevented European Causeway from unloading her cargo and the vessel was required to wait alongside until Curran quay became available when European Mariner sailed to Troon at 1900.  After 1900 European Causeway shifted berth and discharged her cargo over the single tier ramp at Curran quay.  Once unloading was completed, the ever efficient Larne Harbour fitters had repaired the MacKean quay ramp allowing European Causeway to shift back to her usual berth to commence loading at 2100.

The ramp failure and shifting between berths caused almost a 2 hour delay to European Causeway's schedules and she didn't depart with her 2000 sailing to Cairnryan until 2140 passing the European Highlander, inbound with the 2000 ex Cairnryan, in the approaches to Larne Harbour.  By the following day, 6/7/05,  European Causeway had recovered her 2 hour delay and was back on schedule once more.

5th July 2005

Stena Seafarer sailed to the Mersey for a second brief dry docking in three weeks on 2/7/05.  She sailed from Fleetwood to Liverpool early in the morning of the 2/7/05 after discharging from her earlier arrival from Larne.  She arrived in the dry dock in Liverpool's Canada dock system around 0900.  After the dry dock work was completed, Stena Seafarer undocked around 1330 on 4/7/05 and sailed from Liverpool to anchor off Fleetwood.  Once Stena Pioneer cleared the port with her 2200 sailing from Fleetwood to Larne, Stena Seafarer lifted her anchor and sailed into Fleetwood, re-entering service with her 0300 sailing to Larne on 5/7/05.