Notes from the Larne Ferry Web Archive- uploaded June 2003

European Seafarer was sent to dry dock in Liverpool on the 2nd of June 2002 after struggling for a week on the Larne to Troon route operating on only one engine. A crankshaft had buckled in one engine putting it out of action, it was the 7th of July 2002 before the ship returned to service once again.

The European Seafarer had engine trouble at the end of May beginning of June 2002 and was dry docked in June 2002 to have a replacement crankshaft fitted. Here she is leaving Larne on 18th of August 2002. Photo: LFW.

The European Mariner returned from dry dock to cover until the 16th of June when she departed on charter to Color Line. For the rest of the summer the European Seafarer's usual Larne to Fleetwood schedules were cancelled while she underwent repairs and then covered refits for the European Pioneer, European Leader and European Envoy.

On the Cairnryan route the European Pathfinder's port engine failed on the 12th of June and she was immediately relegated to 1 round trip per day (2130 ex Larne and return) instead of her usual 3. Despite super-human efforts from her engineers the engine couldn't be repaired with the resources available and she limped on until she was withdrawn from service on the 19th of July.

The European Seafarer wasn't the only vessel suffering from engine trouble, the Cairnryan route's European Pathfinder was also in trouble. Her port engine failed on the 12th of June 2002. She is pictured here entering Larne of the 12th of July 2002. Photo: LFW

The port was also gearing up for the arrival of the replacement ship for the European Pathfinder and European Endeavour, the new European Highlander, which arrived in the port after a 26 day delivery voyage from Japan on the 26th of June.

The Larne to Cairnryan fast ferry Jetliner was just back from a refit at Harland and Wolff in Belfast, lasting from 1st to 6th of June 1997. The overhaul concentrated on getting the vessel's four engines back into order to allow her to get back on a 60 minute crossing time instead of the 70-75 minute crossings previously.

The fast ferry Jetliner arriving at Cairnryan underwent engine repairs at the start of July 1997. Photo: Gary Andrews

Meanwhile, erstwhile fleet-mate, Pride of Rathlin stood down on the 7th of June and headed to dry docking in Falmouth and didn't return until the 27th of June 1997. Initially the European Endeavour stepped up the roster to cover while the European Trader in turn covered the European Endeavour. With the lack of high headroom capacity on the route with the absence of the Pride of Rathlin the European Endeavour was sent to Dublin and replaced by the Leopard (ex Viking Trader).

Vessel	Arrive Larne	Notes	Depart Larne	Notes
European Trader	0145	Tue - Sat only	0330	Tue - Sat only
Leopard	0645	Tue - Sat only	0800	Sun only
European Trader	0945	Daily	1130	Daily
Leopard	1345	Sun only	1500	Daily (1530 Sat & Sun)
European Trader	1745	Daily	1930	Daily
Leopard	2045	Daily arr 2145 Sat & Sun	2330	Mon - Fri only

This reduced the conventional ferry service from up to 9 sailings per day to a maximum of 5. On the return of the Pride of Rathlin to service on the 27th of June 1997 the Leopard was returned to Dublin and the European Endeavour was brought back to Larne. The Leopard was not the ideal relief ferry, being stern loading only via the main deck turn rounds were painfully slow.

The European Trader together with the Leopard kept the Larne to Cairnryan conventional ferry service going through the dry docking period of the Pride of Rathlin. Photo: Steven Brown.

The Larne to Ardrossan ferry, Lion (ex Merchant Valiant) also undertook berthing trials at Cairnryan in June 1997

The new freight ferry Dalriada (ex Stena Trailer) was introduced on to a rapidly expanding Larne to Stranraer service. Taken on charter from Stena Line she made her first departure from Stranraer on Tuesday the 24th of June 1971. The new freight ship had a service speed of 17 knots and replaced the chartered Baltic Ferry.

The vessel had a passenger certificate for 12 drivers and had three decks for cargo stowage. A lower hold forward of the engine room held 70 trade cars and was reached by a fixed ramp from the main deck which was sealed by a watertight door. The main deck had 5 lanes, each of the wing lanes held 4x12 metre trailers, the inside lanes each could hold 2x12 metre trailers and 3x15metre articulated lorries with a further 6x15 metre lorries in the running lane. The weather deck was reached by a hydraulic lift and could hold 15 rigid vehicles of approx. 8 metres long.

The ship initially sailed from Stranraer at 0900 each morning with a return from Larne in the evening, but this frequency was very soon doubled as demand outstripped capacity. Although chartered bare-boat the vessel was always commanded by a Stena Line master with the rest of the crew, including a liaison captain supplied by Sealink. Initially she was commanded by Captain Inger Blom who was later relieved by Erik Hammerstrom and Erik Rhinebecke.

The Dalriada, stalwart of the Larne to Stranraer route throughout the early 1970's was introduced into service at Larne on the 24th of June 1971. Photo: Roy Thorntonn Collection.

Gross Tonnage	1599 tons
Deadweight (max)	2540 tonnes
Length /m (ft)	105.9 (347' 9")
Breadth /m (ft)	16.0 (52' 7")
Draught /m (ft)	4.9 (16' 3")
Engines	2 x 8 cylinder and 2 x 9 cylinder Normo Gruppen diesels (one of each geared to each shaft)
Combined Engine Power/ hp	4600
Service Speed /knots	17
Passengers (max)	12
Cars	70 (trade cars in lower hold only)
Freight /lane metres	450
Built	1971
Builders	Brodrene Lothe A/S, Haugesund, Norway
Port of Registry	Göteborg (Gothenburg) Sweden
Notes	launched 27 February 1971 ex Stena Trailer on charter to Sealink from Stena Line Stena master: Capt. Inger Blom

Gary Andrews' Ferry News Archive, June 1997 (accessible via the files section of Ferries of Northern Europe)

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