| P&O Irish Sea Larne - Cairnryan Service | |
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Left: European
Causeway passes Cairn Point outward with her 1030 departure from Cairnryan
to Larne. Believe it or not but European Causeway is now entering her fifth year on the North Channel service. Back in August 2000 when she entered service she brought in a new dawn of fast conventional ferry travel on the North Channel that secured P&O's dominance as the leading freight carrier between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Photo: Joe Canavan (click to enlarge) |
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European Causeway's sister ship, European
Highlander is pictured arriving at Cairnryan with the 1030 service
from Larne. She is making her swing prior to running stern first
into the twin level berth at the southern side of the pier. Together the two P&O conventional ferries offer 7 sailings per day from each port with a 2 hour crossing time Photo: Joe Canavan (click to enlarge) |
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New on the Loch Ryan scene for 2005 is fast craft
Express which makes one call at Cairnryan per day in the shoulder
season (March - June and September - October) with a second trip added
into her schedules during the high summer season (July and August).
Express is pictured here arriving at Cairnryan with the 1300
sailing from Larne after another 1 hour crossing. Photo: Joe Canavan (click to enlarge) |
| Stena Line UK Belfast - Stranraer service | |
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Included by virtue of her single visit to Larne
harbour for an underwater hull survey carried out by divers at Curran Quay
on the 5/1/01 is Stena Line's HSS fast craft Stena Voyager.
Here she is making her way out of Loch Ryan with her 1000 service from
Stranraer to Belfast, one of five high speed calls she makes to Scotland
every day. The HSS vessels always provoke strong debate among ferry industry professionals and enthusiasts alike but this one successfully grew Stena's passenger share and in so doing is probably the most well known North Channel ferry of all time. Photo: Joe Canavan (click to enlarge) |
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The Stena Caledonia is pictured approaching
Stranraer harbour with her 1015 sailing from Belfast. She is now
almost a 20 year veteran of North Channel service since she made her
permanent move to Stranraer at the beginning of 1986. Previously known in her Larne - Stranraer days under her old name of St David the ship sees quieter times now providing two round sailings per day as a back up vessel to the HSS carrying mostly unaccompanied freight. This is in stark contrast to her former front line role in the hey days of the Larne - Stranraer route. Photo: Joe Canavan (click to enlarge) |
| The Substitutes | |
| To date, 2005 has saw a few other ferry visitors calling to the Loch Ryan ports as short term replacement vessels to the five main players listed above. | |
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European Mariner was brought into service on
the Larne - Cairnryan route on the 10/1/05 and operated one round voyage
to cover the dry docking of European Highlander. The
European Highlander was away at A&P Birkenhead for repairs after she
had ran aground on the 8/1/05 very close to the spot where this photo was
taken. In this picture European Mariner is seen arriving at Cairnryan after a 1200 sailing from Larne on 25/7/04. Photo: Larne Ferry Web (click to enlarge) |
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Stena Explorer did the honours on the
Belfast - Stranraer route this year providing cover for Stena Voyager's
refit from 27/1/05 to 9/2/05. Stena
Explorer is pictured here departing Stranraer with the 1445 to Belfast
on the 17/1/04. |
| With European Causeway, European Highlander and Stena Caledonia still to dry dock this year perhaps there will be more ships added to the list? | |