Express Refit 2007

Normally out of use during the bad weather over the winter, P&O's fast craft Express has been far from slumbering away. Her winter staff have been hard at work making sure the vessel is in tip top shape for the 2007 summer season. During periods spent at lay up in Belfast and later at her Chaine Quay berth at Larne the engines have been given thorough overhauls with three of them completely stripped down and rebuilt. Hydraulic systems on board were also subject to much attention with the majority of the pipework being renewed and a new sprinkler system being put in.

The craft spent a two week spell undergoing dry docking at Falmouth in the company of some P&O fleet mates from Dover. Work carried out at the dry dock focussed on the exterior of the ship, this included attention to the vessel's water jets and the stern ramp. Finishing the job off was a wash down for the hull and a fresh coat of paint all over, including the vessel's underbelly.


Above and below: Four views of Express' forward section at various stages of repainting in dry dock at Falmouth in February 2007. New to the ship's livery this year is the company web address, painted in blue along each side of the hull.


Looking aft underneath Express in dry dock. The underbelly has been freshly painted white while the blue paint below the water line is getting repainted.	A tight squeeze, Captain Dave Stitson, who delivered Express for her dry docking didn't have much room to spare once the dry dock was pumped out

Two aft end views of Express in dry dock with the fast craft's water jets and stern ramp receiving attention.

The ship returned to Larne on the 21/2/07 via a stop in Rosslare for bunkers. The intention was at the time that the Express would be brought into service earlier than originally planned on charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company which was short of tonnage following their own fast craft being put out of service when she was in collision with a tanker on the River Mersey. This plan was subsequently aborted after her refit was completed allowing the crew to continue internal refurbishment of the passenger spaces at a more leisurely pace alongside her Larne berth.

Express at Rosslare for fuel on the 21/2/07 her way back from refit at Falmouth, in the company of Irish Ferries' Normandy. Photo: Brian Chambers Rosslare Europort News (click to enlarge)

Her annual MES trials were carried out on the 23/2/07 alongside Larne's Curran Quay. In a brisk south easterly breeze and intermittant drizzle, conditions for the drill very quickly became marginal as the slide became increasingly slippery and the raft got tossed about in the ever growing swell. The drill was cancelled after only a few people braved the slide down into the liferafts and Noleen McLoughlin later assisted the ship's own fast rescue craft retrieve the rafts at Phoenix Quay.




The six pictures above show the MES equipment at various stages of inflation just after it is launched from the Express. Photos: The Boatman (click to enlarge)

MES raft rbeing lifted ashore by crane at Phoenix Quay. Photo: The Boatman (click to enlarge)	Noleen McLoughlin towing in the slide for recovery. Photo: The Boatman (click to enlarge)

The fast craft made her first commercial voyage of 2007 on the 9/3/07. The first fare paying passengers getting the benefit of the newly refitted craft were a shipload of rugby fans travelling from Ireland to watch the Scotland versus Ireland international in Edinburgh. One round voyage to Troon was operated leaving Larne shortly after 1100 and arriving back at 1720. Two round trips to Troon were operated on the 11/3/07 to bring the rugby fans home and to take over football fans travelling to Glasgow to watch a match. These special sailings were operated ahead of her usual season, which is due to commence on the 16/3/07 with the 0715 crossing to Troon.


Express departing Larne for berthing trials at Troon and Cairnryan on 2/3/07. Photo: Larne Ferry Web (click to enlarge)	Express arriving in Larne from her first commercial sailing in 2007 on the 9/3/07. Photo: Larne Ferry Web (click to enlarge)