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Jehan Ashmore

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

The Lough Foyle ferry, operated by Frazer Ferries, is to sail throughout the Easter holidays, including Easter Sunday and Monday. Above, Frazer Strangford on a crossing from Greencastle is seen approaching Magilligan Point.

Lough Foyle Ferry Service Starts With the Easter Holiday Break

25th March 2024 Foyle Port
The Lough Foyle ferry route operated by Frazer Ferries, resumes for the Easter Holiday this Wednesday, 27 March and continues to Sunday 7, April, writes Jehan Ashmore. Crossings for the Easter break take place for 12 days, with 20-minute daily…
One of four P60 class offshore patrol vessels, LÉ James Joyce, is part of the maintenance contract with Wärtsilä, in which the Department of Defence has refused, at present, to reveal how much it is paying the Finnish company to get the quartet operational.

Taxpayer Picks Up €13m Bill for Naval Service Outsourcing Maintenance of P60 Class Vessels

23rd March 2024 Navy
Taxpayers are paying nearly four times as much to employ an overseas company to get stricken Naval Service patrol ships operating, than they would have if the Navy's engineering experts had not quit for better pay and conditions in the…
An agreement has been reached between the IOM Steam Packet following a solution found through negotiations with the union Nautilus. Above flagship, Manxman berthed in Douglas, where the ferry company, has strong ties with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) which recently celebrated its 200th anniversary.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Reaches Agreement with Officers' Union Nautilus Over Live Aboard Terms

23rd March 2024 Ferry
An agreement has been reached says the Isle of Man Steam Packet, with the union representing its officers, in resolving the issue regarding terms which the ferry operator said they must live aboard the fleet at times. According to Manx…
Making a repositioning passage off the Leinster coast, Frazer Mariner, following annual survey at New Ross Boatyard, is currently today bound for Carlingford Lough, where the Frazer Ferries company operates one of four routes on the island of Ireland. Above the 20 car/100 passenger ferry transits Dalkey Sound, south of Dublin Bay as part of the return leg, having also covered in for the company’s Passage East ferry service in Waterford estuary. In the background, container ships Amelie Borchard and Ranger, while in the centre is Transfennica’s con-ro carrier, Timca on short-term charter to ICG/ Irish Ferries inbound to the capital from Holyhead, north Wales.

Coastal Ferry Fresh from Survey in South-East Returns Home to Scenic Carlingford Lough

22nd March 2024 Ferry
A small coastal ferry, Frazer Mariner, with a bridge amidships above the vehicle deck, is this afternoon on a repositioning passage from the south-east bound for Carlingford Lough, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 20-car, 100-passenger ferry had made an en-route call…
The ro-ro freight-only vessel MV Bore Song is to operate on Stena Line’s new Dublin-Liverpool (Birkenhead) route for unaccompanied freight traffic. The ship to be introduced in mid-April will boost freight capacity on the route by 30% and replace the ropax Stena Horizon, which had been operating in freight mode only and temporarily, as the company searched for a longer-term solution with the introduction, AFLOAT add of the 25,586 tons ship built in 2011 by FGS, Flensburg, Germany, for Bore Shipowners of Finland. In more recent years, the ship served Transfennica, whose Timca is currently on short-term charter to competitor, Irish Ferries running also out of Dublin but to Holyhead, north Wales.

Stena Line to Boost Capacity on Dublin-Liverpool (Birkenhead) Route with Dedicated Freight-Only Vessel

22nd March 2024 Stena Line
Stena Line has secured a freight only ro-ro vessel, Bore Song, to operate on its Dublin-Liverpool (Birkenhead) route with the ship boosting freight capacity on the Irish Sea route by 30%. The Swedish operator of the Dublin-Liverpool dedicated freight service has…
Transfennica’s Timca on charter for Irish Ferries, above departing Dublin (serving routes to Wales and France), is a freight-only container/ro-ro (con-ro) carrier; however, its capability to convey 640 TEU containers (see cell guides, left/aft of the superstructure) is made redundant, given the ferry operator does not carry this cargo mode. An ICG container division, EUCON, however, uses lo-lo vessels, which has increased with a sixth such ship, MV Ranger, which started service after departing Rotterdam (Waalhaven) on Wednesday and which arrived in Dublin Bay this morning.

Transfennica’s Timca Trades on Yet Awaits Norbay’s Rosslare Route Return

22nd March 2024 Irish Ferries
Transfennica's Timca, on short-term freight charter for ICG's Irish Ferries Dublin-Wales/France routes, is due to end when Norbay returns to Rosslare this weekend, releasing Oscar Wilde, if all goes according to plan, writes Jehan Ashmore. Since late February, the chartering…
Manx flagged catamaran Manannan of the Isle of Man Steam Packet is set to return to seasonal service, among them Dublin-Douglas route duties, but not until a safety inspection is carried out by Irish marine authorities as the fast-ferry is in the Irish capital today.

Manx Cat Calls to Dublin Port following Recent Berthing Trials at Liverpool’s New Ferry Terminal

21st March 2024 Dublin Port
Observed entering Dublin Bay this morning was the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s Manannan, having departed Douglas Harbour, but the fast-ferry was not in service, writes Jehan Ashmore. The reason for the call by the 98m catamaran craft to Dublin…
The annual ESPO Award on Social Integration of Ports' theme for this year’s edition is “port projects or strategies in the field of circular economy that benefit the city and/or the surrounding community.

ESPO Award 2024 Will Reward ‘Circular Economy’ Projects in Europe's Ports - Competition is Open

21st March 2024 Ports & Shipping
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award on Social Integration of Ports is entering its 16th edition. The theme of this year’s edition is “port projects or strategies in the field of circular economy that benefit the city and/or the…
Manannan, fast-ferry of the Isle of Man Steam Packet during last week’s berthing trials at the new Liverpool ferry terminal

Isle of Man Government Lease for New Liverpool Ferry Terminal Not Yet Signed

21st March 2024 Ferry
The Isle of Man Government says it hasn't signed a lease with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. for the new £70m ferry terminal in the Port of Liverpool yet. In the Tynwald (parliament) this week, Treasury Minister, Alex Allinson…

Stena Line Launches Newly Refurbished Ferries on North Sea Route of Harwich-Hook van Holland

20th March 2024 Stena Line
Stena Line in response to changing needs of its customers has carried out a major renewal of its North Sea ferries, Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica which operate the Harwich-Hook van Holland route.  The unique transformation, which took just 18…
Newbuild MV Arklow Resolve preparing for sea trials when under tow from the Royal Bodewes shipyard near Groningen to Delfzijl on the Ems Estuary, which borders Germany. This morning, the EcoTrader 6,800 dwt class cargo ship carried out trials in the Wadden Sea, where ferries go back and forth to Borkum, the largest of the East Frisian Islands in the North Sea, which is due north of the Dutch province of Groningen.

Arklow Resolve Underway in the Wadden Sea for Shipbuilder Sea Trials While Ferries Go Back & Forth

20th March 2024 Arklow Shipping
Newbuild MV Arklow Resolve departed the Dutch north-east port of Eemshaven for the Wadden Sea on the southern North Sea for shipbuilder sea trials this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore. This is Arklow Shipping Ltd.'s latest newbuild, which represents the fifth…
Construction of an enhanced visitor experience facilities at Loop Head Lighthouse in Co. Clare has been approved by An Bord Pleánala.

An Bord Pleánala Approves Construction of Enhanced Visitor Experience at Loop Head Lighthouse

20th March 2024 Lighthouses
Irish Lights has welcomed the announcement of the approval by An Bord Pleánala for the construction of an enhanced visitor experience facilities at Loop Head Lighthouse in Co. Clare. "We are delighted that approval has been granted for the enhancement…
P&O scandal: Since the mass sacking two years ago, P&O Ferries has continued to use low-paid crew on short-term contracts, employed via an agency. Afloat adds the second year anniversary took place on St. Patrick’s Day, 2022 saw P&O Ferries sack almost 800 seafarers and staff from the ferry operator’s routes of UK to Ireland, France and the Netherlands, and replaced them with agency staff on less than the minimum wage. Above the operator’s famous house-flag on the ropax, Norbay which is on charter to ICG/Irish Ferries, but had gone for planned bi-annual dry-docking at A&P Falmouth, is due to re-enter service on the Rosslare-Pembroke route tomorrow, 20 March.

UK Government Ministers Have Done Nothing to Stop Repeat of P&O Ferries Scandal, Unions Say

19th March 2024 Ferry
Trade unions in the UK have called for proper legal protection for seafarers on the second anniversary of the P&O Ferries mass sudden sackings scandal, warning that government ministers have “done nothing” to stop other ferry firms from following suit.…
MV Isle of Islay, after launching in Turkey at the weekend. The newbuild is the first of twin ferries to serve its island namesake and neighbouring Jura, when it is to enter service in October for operator CalMac.

First of Two Newbuilds for CalMac’s Islay Services Successfully Launched at Shipyard in Turkey

19th March 2024 Shipyards
The first newbuild ferry of two to serve Scottish west coast islands, Islay and Jura has been successfully launched at a shipyard in Turkey. At the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, the MV Isle of Islay was launched on…
The sole active Naval Service patrol ship, LÉ George Bernard Shaw, was unavailable to take part in a large drug search off the Cork coast last weekend. During that time, the vessel was taking part in St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the south shore of Dublin Bay.

Sole Active Naval Service Ship Unavailable for Cork Drugs Search due to St Patrick’s Day Call in Dun Laoghaire Harbour

19th March 2024 Navy
LÉ George Bernard Shaw, the sole operational ship of the Naval Service, was unavailable to take part in a large drug search off the Cork coast this weekend as it formed part of St. Patrick’s Day festivities held in Dun…
LÉ George Bernard Shaw (P64) is to sail into Dún Laoghaire Harbour for the St Patrick’s weekend. The crew will also be taking part in the town’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, on Sunday at 11am. The Naval Service Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) will be open to the public for guided tours by crew from 12–3 p.m. on Saturday 16th and 1.30-4pm on Sunday 17th. They are free of charge, no booking is required, & last approx. 20 minutes. AFLOAT adds that this is the fourth and final of the P60 class which entered service in 2016, and has a crew of 44, including six officers.

L.É. George Bernard Shaw to Visit Dún Laoghaire Harbour for St. Patrick’s Weekend

14th March 2024 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
Dún Laoghaire Harbour this Friday is to welcome the Naval Service OPV LÉ George Bernard Shaw (P64) ahead of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations. The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) is named after the renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw, who had…
Fast-ferry Manannan during berthing trials at the new Isle of Man Steam Packet Terminal in Liverpool. According to the IOM Government, the start date of the first scheduled public sailing to arrive at the new terminal will follow the completion of the trials and be confirmed by the Steam Packet in due course.

Isle of Man Steam Packet’s Manannan Successfully Completes Berth Trials at New Liverpool Ferry Terminal

14th March 2024 Ferry
The Isle of Man Steam Packet’s fast-ferry Manannan made its first berthing trials on Merseyside’s new £70 million ferry terminal at Liverpool, from where they will connect Douglas. The 1998 built Manannan, which operates seasonal services, undertook the exercise yesterday…
At the Port of Sligo this morning, a general cargo ship, Wilson Lahn at the Deepwater Quay to load fishmeal, while another Wilson ASA operated cargo ship, Wilson Mosel, which last night completed loading the same cargo, is also seen at dawn, departing and bound for Norway. The scene of two ships at once at the north-west port follows the same scenario on 11 February, when more vessels of the Bergan-based operator, Wilson Ruhr, departed the port and also went to Norway, while Wilson Elbe was inbound. Up until then, a two-ship scene was a rare sight at the small regional port.

Busy Times at the Port of Sligo as Wilson ASA Cargo Ship Trio Load Fishmeal

11th March 2024 Ports & Shipping
While tracking vessels in the north-west today, among them passenger ferry Aran Islands Express, a trio of general cargo ships operated by Wilson ASA have been trading in the Port of Sligo at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore The operator…
Aran Islands Express, which has completed an overhaul at Mooney Boat, Killybegs, Co. Donegal, AFLOAT tracked this morning depart on its return passage to Co. Clare to resume 'seasonal’ ferry services for Doolin Ferry Co. In addition, this summer, the company is to introduce a new, larger passenger ferry, setting new standards of facilities on routes to the Atlantic archipelago.

Aran Islands Express Sets Sail Fresh From Overhaul as St. Patrick’s Day Fast Approaches

11th March 2024 Ferry
Doolin Ferry Co.’s 294-passenger Aran Islands Express this morning departed Killybegs, Co. Donegal, fresh from overhaul in readiness for St. Patrick’s Day and this year's season, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked Aran Islands Express, having left Mooney Boats, the boat-builder,…
Whisky Festival: In a campaign to have additional CalMac capacity to Islay, the Fèis Ìle Committee says that despite other island festivals in the summer season having additional ferry support, they have

World Famous Islay Whisky Festival at Risk Over Lack of CalMac Capacity

10th March 2024 Ferry
The organisers of one of the world's most famous whisky festivals in Scotland say it has been put at risk after being left "high and dry" due to the ongoing ferry fiasco at CalMac. Visitors to Islay, off the south-west…
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