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29th November 2006

Presently trading across the Strait of Gibraltar between Algeciras and Ceuta as Avemar Dos, the former Superstar Express was involved in a collision at sea with the Moroccan registered ferry Atlas, which also trades into the Spanish port of Algeciras.  The aluminum built Avemar Dos came off worse in the collision with severe damage caused to her superstructure on her port side and there were a number of people injured onboard.  

Pictures of the damage can be seen in the photographs on the following web pages:
http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/94565/overview
http://www.fotosdebarcos.com/viewtopic.php?t=4576&start=8&sid=715cae40ce309fc3fd75b885dfd717b7

18th November 2006

The freight vessel Lina Trader better known as the Larne - Cairnryan route's European Trader has recently been sold for scrap in India.  Featured on this page in September (see story dated 14/9/06 below) the Lina Trader was recently serving in the Red Sea for El Salam Maritime on the Egypt - Saudi Arabia pilgrim trade.  Her name has recently been amended to Lina in preparation for the voyage to the breakers.

During 2005, in addition to the Lina Trader, the El Salam fleet also included two other former Larne - Cairnryan ferries, the Free Enterprise IV and Pride of Ailsa.  The three ferries remarkably finding themselves once again together as fleet mates half a world away after serving Larne - Cairnryan for a combined total of 19 years. However, in the space of just over one year the three vessels are now gone; the former Pride of Ailsa being sunk in a collision on the 17/10/05 off Port Tawfiq, Egypt; the former FEIV was scrapped earlier in 2006 and now the former European Trader is also off to the breakers, ending local interest in the El Salam fleet.

16th November 2006

The former Larne - Stranraer freight vessel Dalriada currently serving in Indonesia was burned out from end to end when she caught fire at Merak Port in Java on the 16/11/06.  The complete news report from a local source is reproduced below.  Pictures of the incident are available here: http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=147548

Indonesian ferry catches fire, no one injured

 People's Daily 10:10 16/11/06

A shuttle ferry serving the busy Java-Sumatra route was completely on fire Thursday morning, but all 135 passengers and crew were evacuated safely.

All cargo and vehicles were burned out as firemen struggled to extinguish the fire on the J.L. Lampung ferry at the Merak Port on the western tip of Java island, reported the Detikcom news website.

"All passengers have been evacuated but vehicles were burned out," port official Ade Syamsuri was quoted as saying.  Firemen used another ship to approach the ferry in their efforts to put out the fire, he said.

The cause of the accident remains unknown.

Source: Xinhua

14th September 2006

Since leaving Larne in 2001 the former European Trader has had a interesting life which first saw her move to the Western Isles of Scotland prior to sale to Egypt.

The ship completed her final sailing on the Larne - Cairnryan route with the 0730 from Cairnryan on the 14/4/01 before being taken round to Belfast for lay up pending sale.  She was sold and moved to the Ullapool to Stronoway on the Isle of Lewis in June 2001 under her new name Taygran Trader.  This service by Taygran Shipping was in direct competition to the established Caledonian MacBrayne service to the Isle of Lewis and ultimately led Caledonian MacBrayne to add their own dedicated freight ship, which currently is the Muirneag, better known as the old Larne - Ardrossan ferry Belard.

This bold move by Taygran to enter into competition with Caledonian MacBrayne in a limited market eventually led to Taygran losing out and they closed with a number of debts hanging over them which included non-payment of harbour dues and a repair bill from Harland and Wolff for work they had done to the 'Trader prior to her move to Stornoway.  Taygran Trader was laid up in Leith in September 2001 and was sold the following December to El Salam Maritime of Egypt becoming Lina Trader.

The ship joined former Larne ferries Pride of Ailsa and Free Enterprise IV in the Egyptian's fleet.  She was altered for her new trade which included ferrying pilgrims across the Red Sea.  With no need of an upper freight deck in an area without the shore ramps to make use of it this area was converted to passenger accommodation and extended aft beyond the funnels.  The two pictures below sent in by Will Murray show her in her new form the pictures were taken on two separate occasions in summer 2006.
 

27th May 2006

Since her regular annual stints helping out on thee Larne - Stranraer service during overhauls  and  breakdowns the former Stena Sailer / St  Cybi spent her post Sealink career soaking up the warmer weather in Greek waters as the Theseus.  Heavily altered after her sale from the Sealink fleet in 1992 for her new role in Greece, the St Cybi gained additional passenger accommodation but in recent years she spent her time laid up out of service at Piraeus.  With no prospect of a sale or further trading she was recently sold for scrap and left Piraeus under tow for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey on the 28/5/06.

8th May 2006

Former Larne - Liverpool ship Northern Star has made a return to the Irish Sea for Celtic Link Ferries on their new venture between Dublin and Liverpool.

Celtic Link Ferries was founded by a group of Wexford haulage companies in late 2004 and they took control of the former P&O route between Rosslare and Cherbourg in January 2005 when P&O decided they no longer wished to continue the service. 

Buoyed up by their comparative success at Rosslare, the company have expanded into central corridor operations between Dublin and Liverpool.  They commenced operations with the Northern Star, newly renamed Celtic Star, on the 8/5/06 with the 2130 service ex Dublin.  The timetable sees the ship operate a daily round trip Tuesdays - Saturdays with sailings at 0930 ex Dublin and 2130 ex Liverpool.  Sunday is spent laid up at Dublin with a 2130 service to Liverpool that night while Monday is spent laid up in Liverpool prior to a 2130 sailing in the evening to Dublin.

The name Celtic Star was painted on the ship for her entry into service on the Dublin route for Celtic Link Ferries.  This resurrects the vessel's old name which was carried while P&O had her chartered for use on Dublin - Liverpool between 1999 and 2002 prior to them renaming her Northern Star and subsequent transfer to the Larne - Liverpool route in January 2002.

Since her withdrawal from P&O service upon the closure of the Larne - Liverpool route in December 2002, Northern Star has seen service in the North Sea for Dart Line between Dartford and Vlissingen as well as most recently in the Mediterranean for Contunav between Livorno and Tunis.

Caribbean Connections

26th April 2006

At first glance you wouldn't think Larne has anything in common with the islands of the Caribbean Sea, in fact you would probably say the two places are completely the opposite.  Spectacular sandy beaches and lovely weather for one place while the other is, well, my home and doesn't have quite the same sandy beaches or great weather. 

One shipping link the two places do have in common is a well known former Larne ferry now busily working away sailing between the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.  Currently trading as Neptunia, the former Larne - Stranraer vessel, better known in these climes as Darnia, was photographed at Fort de France on the 26/4/06 by Jenny and John Williamson during their holiday.

The 1977 built freighter has weathered well despite her many years of toil.  Serving Larne - Stranraer, almost exclusively, from August 1978 until February 1991 the Darnia went on to spend time working in the Baltic, the English Channel and now she is half a world away in the Caribbean.

15th April 2006

It is with increasing regularity that this online journal must record the sad news of an old ferry with Larne connections coming to the end of her working life.  Following on from the scrapping of Larne - Cairnryan vessel Free Enterprise IV in March, her one time Larne - Stranraer rival, Antrim Princess has also passed for scrap. 

Built on the Tyne in 1967 for British Railways, Antrim Princess was very much a trendsetter and brought many firsts for the British Railways fleet of the time.  She was their first cross channel ferry fitted with a bow visor and the first of a new breed of diesel powered ships in the fleet replacing the steam turbine installations preferred in the majority of her older fleet companions.  Entering service on the Larne - Stranraer route in December 1967, the vessel had a long and successful career on the North Channel until October 1985.

Her biggest claim to fame was her near disastrous engine room fire which occurred on the 9th of December 1983 while on passage to Stranraer and only a few miles out from Larne.  The fire in her main switchboard knocked out both her engines and her steering leaving the ship drifting in 60 mile per hour winds which were slowly driving her to within half a mile of the eastern shore of Islandmagee.

In a spectacular air rescue 128 passengers and non-essential crew members were evacuated from the ship by helicopters and landed ashore.  Meanwhile back aboard the Antrim Princess her remaining crew fought the fire and managed to restore partial power to the ship.  The naval tug Rollicker got a line aboard the ferry and the next day was able to tow her safely to Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast for repairs.

Following her withdrawal from the Larne route, Antrim Princess was transferred to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company becoming the Tynwald.  She served the Isle of Man until 1990 and was sold for further service as Lauro Express serving routes out of ports on the west coast of Italy to the islands of Sardinia and Corsica as well as the long haul trans Mediterranean route to Tunis .  Most recently she was trading as Guiseppe D'Abundo up until her final charter ended in September 2005.  Following a few months laid up in Naples the ship was sold for scrap in April 2006 (although by 2/5/06 a picture on shipspotting.com revealed she was still in Naples awaiting her final voyage to the breakers).

17th March 2006

Since leaving these shores on the 20/7/02 for further service across the English Channel the former European Endeavour is still providing a reliable service for her owners Trans Europa Ferries.  Larne Ferry Web reader Nigel Thornton forwarded some pictures of her arriving at Ramsgate at 1400 from Ostend on the 17/3/06.
 

Spot the Saint

14th March 2006

A chance view of Genoa harbour on the 14/3/06 revealed quite an unexpected sight tucked up in an out of the way corner.  Quite unbelievingly it was none other than the familiar outline of a saint class ferry, well known in service from Larne in days gone by on the Sealink Stena Line service to Stranraer.  The one in shot is Ibn Batouta known better around Larne as the former Stena Antrim and before that in her English Channel guise of St Christopher.  Sold from the Stena Line fleet in 1998, the vessel passed to Limadet of Morocco for service across the Strait of Gibraltar on the Algecrias to Tangier route and presumably she was making this visit to Genoa for a refit.

Many thanks to Nigel Thornton for passing on his daughter's handiwork.
 

Free Enterprise IV Scrapped

8th March 2006

Free Enterprise IV, the Larne - Cairnryan favourite for 10 years from 1976 to 1986, finally has bowed out of service and has headed for the breakers in India.  The ship, which for quite some time held the record for the fastest Larne - Cairnryan crossing prior to the advent of fast craft Jetliner in 1996, was sold by her Egyptian owners El Salam Maritime of Egypt in February this year and arrived at Alang beach for breaking on 8/3/06.

The Dutch built ship was the first of 5 sister ships built for Townsend Car Ferries (later Townsend Thoresen) between 1969 and 1974.  Initially serving Townsend Thoresen routes based in Dover the ship moved to the North Channel service for the summer of 1976 proving to be a popular addition with the travelling public.  For 10 years she remained predominantly at Larne but generally spent the quieter winter months sailing on the Felixstowe - Zeebrugge route on overhaul cover.  Replaced at Larne in July 1986 by Ionic Ferry (II) the vessel returned to Dover service for a year prior to being sold from the fleet in 1987.  After her service in British waters she was to see further service in the Baltic and would later end up in the Red Sea on service between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The FE4 recently caused quite a stir in the local Larne press after an article in the Larne Times mistakenly identified the vessel as the El Salam ship Al Salam Boccaccio 98, which sank in the Red Sea on the 2/2/06 with heavy loss of life.  Local ferry expert Gary Andrews put the paper right the following week correctly stating that the former Larne based Free Enterprise IV operated for El Salam as the Tag Al Salam and was not in fact the doomed ship after all.  However it seems that at the time of the loss of Al Salam Boccaccio 98, El Salam were making preparations to sell the Tag Al Salam for scrap, thus bringing to a close an illustrious 36 year career of ferry operations in Northern Europe and Africa.

Ailsa Princess To Sail Again

24th February 2006

Former Larne - Stranraer ferry Ailsa Princess looks set to see service once again.  The vessel had been laid up in Piraeus since February 2005 under the name Express Adonis and with a certain amount of cannibalism of her onboard equipment for spare parts for other ferries it seemed she would end up scrapped.  However this has not been the case and she was sold in January 2006 to Indian owners.  Despite India's prevalence in the scrap market it appears that the new owners are not scrap dealers but have some further use for the vessel.  She was renamed New Caribbean Princess at Piraeus around the 20/1/06, reviving her Princess origins on the Stranraer route.  Hopefully further news on the vessel's future will soon come to light

Rathlin Sails

23rd January 2006

Ever since her parting good bye after 8 years service at Larne on the 11/9/00, news of the former Pride of Rathlin has been difficult to come by.  However a webpage has recently come to light that shows a small picture of the ship in her new guise of BSP III.

http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/cetak/2005/1005/25/mudik02.htm

As for what the text says I have no idea (translations are welcome) but the small picture on the page showing the view overlooking the aft end of a ferry unmistakably shows the poop deck of the former Pride of Rathlin, proving that the stalwart continues to sail after all.

Thanks to Gary Andrews for passing on the link.