12 Years Ago, March 1992

In March 1992, the Larne - Cairnryan route received a much needed boost in the form of the Pride of Ailsa.  The new vessel was newer and much larger than the existing Ionic Ferry and Europic Ferry, both of which had served together as the route's regular vessels from July 1986.  (The Europic had previously partnered the Free Enterprise IV from March 1983). 

Built for Townsend Thoresen in 1972 the Pride of Ailsa had started life named Free Enterprise VI and when built was practically a repeat of the Free Enterprise IV.  Under normal circumstances she would have been found working her owners popular Dover - Zeebrugge service but also was known to end up at Calais as well.  In 1985 she was enlarged at Bremerhaven, Germany in an ambitious project to increase the freight capacity of the ship.  Her superstructure was cut free of the hull and placed on the quayside while a new bow section was built.  The stern machinery compartment of the old hull was welded to the new bow and the superstructure placed back on top.  The new ship had two freight decks now instead of only one before and that roughly doubled her freight capacity.  Sister ship Free Enterprise VII was similarly treated once Free Enterprise VI's conversion was completed and the enlarged ship returned to service on the Dover - Zeebrugge route.  A name change to Pride of Sandwich followed in 1988 and she continued on the Zeebrugge route until its eventual closure to passengers in December 1991.  (The route continued in freight only form until 2003.)

Bringing the story back to Larne, by 1992 the P&O service to Cairnryan was losing ground rapidly to its rival service operating from Larne to Stranraer.  Added to that, promised for the summer season was a further rival in the form of the Seacat fast ferry service operating from Belfast to Stranraer.  With the withdrawal of the Zeebrugge route in December 1991 P&O had some spare tonnage to strengthen their hand on the Larne route.  After covering overhauls at Dover in early 1992 Pride of Sandwich was taken to Falmouth on the 28th of February for a refit to make her ready for a new stage of her career operating on the North Channel.

During the refit the Dover skywalk at the stern was cut away and the gallery decks on the upper car deck were removed to increase the headroom for freight.  A new gangway door was cut into the ship level with the upper car deck, the club class lounge was given a revamp and a children's play area was installed in the space previously used as a perfume shop.  The ship left Falmouth on the 12th of March after having been renamed Pride of Ailsa on the 5th.  The Ailsa entered service on the route with the 1530 service from Cairnryan to Larne on the 13th of March in place of Europic Ferry, which was retired for refit.

Above: The Pride of Ailsa at Larne's Continental Quay.  Photo: Joe McKay Below: Pictured inbound to Larne with a sailing from Cairnryan.  Photo: Dougie McIntyre

Sailing on the usual schedules of the Europic Ferry (0400, 1130 and 2000 ex Larne) the new Pride of Ailsa made a big impression and was a good match for the Stranraer service which had the 3 Saint class ferries, Stena Caledonia, Stena Antrim and Stena Galloway.  The ship also offered drive through loading, the first time the Cairnryan route had that since the Free Enterprise IV left in 1986.  She served this schedule until the end of March when the Europic Ferry returned to service with the new name European Freighter.  European Freighter slotted into a new freight roster sailing two round trips per day Mon - Fri, departures from Larne at 2000 and 0400 with returns from Cairnryan at 2359/0030 and 0800.  After her arrival with the 0800 sailing ex Cairnryan she retired to lay up on Ballylumford Oil Jetty until she returned to the berth to load for her 2000 service.  The Oil jetty was also her lay up berth at the weekends as well. 

The Pride of Ailsa adjusted her timings slightly to offer new services from Larne at 0200, 1030 and 1800 (corresponding returns from Cairnryan at 0600, 1430 and 2130) Mon - Fri reverting to the old schedule at weekends.  Ionic Ferry continued on the 0800, 1530 and 2300 cycle from Larne unaltered until June when she was retired from service on the arrival of the Pride of Ailsa's sister ship Pride of Rathlin (ex Free Enterprise VII 1973 - 1988 and Pride of Walmer 1988 - 1992)

Below are a few photos showing the Pride of Ailsa down the years, click photos to enlarge.  

Pictured as Pride of Sandwich off Dover, this shot was the official P&O photo of Pride of Ailsa too.  Some digital trickery changed the name but the white cliffs stayed as did the Dover sky walk at the stern  The blue stripe along the superstructure never was painted on the ship so maybe this even dated from her Townsend Thoresen days as Free Enterprise VI?  Photo: Roy Thornton Collection.	After arrival at Larne P&O got the photographer out to take this shot of her leaving the berth at Larne taken from the Islandmagee side.  This photo subsequently became used as the ship's postcard and P&O's PR spokesman at the time Dennis Grattan kindly sent me this copy of the card.
Bow in at Cairnryan in June 1996 after an 0800 service from Larne.  This was near the end of her spell at Larne and the ship was covering her sister Pride of Rathlin which was in dry dock.  The photo was taken from on board her replacement, the fast ferry Jetliner, which is in the process of docking at Cairnryan's north berth.  Photo: Joe McKay.	The Ailsa's three Stork Werkspoor engines churn the waters of Larne Harbour as she turns round to berth at Continental Quay after another sailing from Cairnryan.  Photo: Joe McKay

Some of the P&O publicity material and brochures from the time of the entry into service of Pride of Ailsa.  All from Gary Andrews' Collection.  Click Images to enlarge

Links:

Pride of Ailsa at LFW

Pride of Ailsa at faktaomfartyg

33 Years Ago, March 1971

In March 1971 after serving 5 years and a month on the Larne - Stranraer route the chartered ferry Stena Nordica was finally retired and handed back to her owners Stena Line. 

Spurred on by the success created by the introduction of the Caledonian Princess in 1961 the Stranraer route managers, Caledonian Steam Packet Company (Irish Services) Ltd. were faced only 2 years later with more traffic that their boat could carry.  A series of inadequate freight carriers were brought in over the following few summer seasons these ships offered car space but no passenger accommodation, all passengers had to travel on the Caledonian Princess and collect their cars at the other side.  This led to many complaints and it wasn't until they managed to get on charter the ultra modern Stena Nordica in January 1966 that the service had a second ferry that could cope with the demands of the crossing. 

Entering service after berthing trials on the 14th of February the Stena Nordica created a big impression.  Painted all white with a red dummy funnel the Stena Nordica was a bright addition to the Larne scene.  Only one year old and the second purpose built ship for world shipping giants Stena Line (the first was her sister Stena Danica) the vessel was light years ahead of her operating partner Caledonian Princess.  Carrying a maximum of 935 passengers and up to 129 cars the charter ship was smaller than the Caledonian Princess but offered bow and stern loading doors and had maximum headroom throughout the entire vehicle deck for lorry traffic - all very modern concepts for the time and ones that the Caledonian Princess lacked - she was stern loading only and only had headroom for lorries at the stern end of the vehicle deck. 

Just after the arrival of Stena Nordica at Larne the order was placed for what was to become Antrim Princess.  With experienced gained operating a bow visor on Stena Nordica the Antrim Princess was built with a visor too becoming the first British Railways vessel to have one.  It was expected that the arrival of the Antrim Princess would see the end of the Stena Nordica but she was retained and instead the Caledonian Princess left to serve at Rosslare.

The Stena Nordica stayed at Larne until 1971 and the imminent arrival of the Ailsa Princess from her builders.  Her main claim to fame at Larne was that she was the first ferry in recent times to sail into the harbour bow first and turn in the harbour.  This practice was abandoned in 1911 after the Princess Maud (I) collided with the quay in Larne pushing her bow 14  feet into the wooden structure.  This tore a hole in her hull and ended the practice of navigating bow first into Larne until the Stena Nordica began the practice once more during her spell at Larne under the command of her Stena master Captain Blom.

In the few weeks prior to her return to Stena Line the British Rail logo on Stena Nordica's funnel was repainted with the Stena emblem and she completed her charter on the 27th of March 1971.  She was returned to Sweden and entered service on the Gothenburg - Fredrikshavn route but didn't last long until Stena sold her in 1973 to Conferrys of Venezuela.  She was lost after going on fire and running aground in 1980.

Stena Nordica vital stats:

Links:

Stena Nordica on faktaomfartyg

Updated: 13/02/05

Back to History

Back to top