| European Causeway |
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European Causeway's first Mersey visit was
in July 2004 after having her previous 3 dry dockings at Harland and
Wolff, Belfast. She is pictured here in A&P Birkenhead's number 5
dry dock on 29 July 2004. |
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The following year also saw European Causeway
on the Mersey and she is pictured here inbound to Birkenhead for dry
docking on 11 July 2005. This year the ship repair yard had to
replace the starboard half of the vessel's forward cowcatcher which had
fallen off in stormy weather the previous winter. |
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Work on the European Highlander is completed
in the West Float at Birkenhead following her dry-docking and other major
overhaul work in Bidston dry dock. |
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European Highlander passes European
Leader off New Brighton. Highlander was heading for the
dry dock at Cammell Laird's yard and Leader was arriving on an
overnight sailing from Dublin. |
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European Mariner is assisted by Adsteam's
tug Trafalgar as she is moved from dry-dock at A&P's yard at Birkenhead to
complete her overhaul in Alexandra Dock. Dawn Merchant passes
in mid river on a voyage from Dublin. |
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European Leader arrives for overhaul at A&P,
Birkenhead as Norbank sails on her daylight sailing to Dublin. |
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Stena Leader arrives for overhaul at
Birkenhead in 2004. |
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Pride of Rathlin is shown passing Brave
Merchant berthed in Canada Dock. Pride of Rathlin
proceeded up river to dock at Birkenhead where she was overhauled. |
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Stena Caledonia is moved out of dry dock
into the River Mersey during her refit in 2005. She is in the process of being
transferred into the wet basin at Birkenhead for final completion of her
refit afloat. |
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Fast ferry Express is flooded up in
Birkenhead dry dock number 5 on 12/3/05 prior to delivery to Larne for the
first time on the 13/3/05. She opened 2005's fast ferry schedules on
the North Channel services from Larne to Troon and Cairnryan on the
18/3/05, replacing previous incumbent Superstar Express. |
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European Pioneer is pictured outward from the Mersey after
completing her refit at Birkenhead on 6/8/03. At this refit the
vessel had badly corroded vehicle decks re-laid with new thin sandwich
plating. The European Pioneer is outward to Fleetwood
to take up service in place of European Leader and is being passed
by Superseacat Two. |
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The end of an era, after a career with P&O and its
predecessor, Townsend Thoresen, that stretched back until 1976 the
European Pathfinder (ex Panther, ex European Clearway)
is taken into the wet dock at A&P Birkenhead to await sale.
She is pictured here on in July 2002 passing into the wet dock at
Birkenhead for lay up. She didn't leave the Mersey again until Trans Europa Ferries bought her in December 2002. |
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Another end of an era as Captains Hywel Jones and Brian Gordon bring
European Navigator into dry dock at A&P Birkenhead on 2/2/03 for a
final refit prior to her being sold from the P&O Irish Sea fleet.
Under the name Viking Trader the vessel made her Larne debut in
1987 as relief ship on the Larne - Cairnryan route, but she was later to
become a familiar face on the Larne - Fleetwood route for many years under
the names Viking Trader, Leopard and European Navigator.
She was subsequently sold for further service in the Red Sea as Black
Iris. |
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Stena Seafarer is pictured departing the
Langton Dock
after a short dry docking at Canada dry dock on 4/7/05. She was getting some
maintenance work carried out to her before she was required to move onto
the Stena Leader's usual sailing pattern to cover the annual
overhaul of the Leader. |
