Bore Song, the 25,586 gross tonnage ro-ro freight ferry that Stena Line has chartered for Irish Sea service, completed its repositioning voyage from Lübeck, Germany, to Dublin Port this afternoon, writes Jehan Ashmore.
On arrival in Dublin Bay at 1330 hours off the Muglins Lighthouse, Dalkey, the port’s pilot cutter, DPC Tolka, transferred a pilot to the Bore Song in the southern approaches to the bay.
The near-3,000 freight-lane-meter-capacity vessel owned by Bore Ltd. of Helsinki, Finland, is to operate as the ‘permanent’ vessel on Stena Line’s newly opened Dublin-Birkenhead route. The introduction of such a ship on this basis will give hauliers confidence and security of capacity.
Afloat sought a timeframe for the charter, which begins next week, 15 April; however, Stena declined to make any further comment on the specific details of the arrangement involved in the use of the 210 trailer unit vessel built in 2011 by FSG, Flensburg, Germany.
The central corridor route linking Ireland and England is currently served by Stena Nordica and was previously run by Stena Horizon, which launched the freight-only route in mid-February following the withdrawal in December of the P&O Ferries route, albeit based out of Liverpool Dock, linking the Irish capital.
Earlier in the week, Afloat tracked the Bore Song between Denmark and Sweden, offshore of Varberg, a former Stena Line port on the Kattegat, and then caught up with the vessel in the southern North Sea.
At that time, Wednesday evening, when in the westbound shipping lane approaching the Strait of Dover, offshore of Ramsgate, Kent, was in the vicinity, the Finnwave, another ro-ro freight ferry that had departed Zeebrugge, Belgium, and is operated by Finnlines (Grimaldi Group), was bound for Rosslare Europort.
It was not until yesterday, 2100, that Bore Song had reached the other end of the English Channel, off Land’s End, Cornwall, before heading into the Celtic Sea.
On arrival at Dublin Port, the tug Beaufort, which had been waiting at the former ESB Poolbeg oil jetty, moved away to assist the 195-metre vessel into berth at Terminal 5, which flanks the port’s eastern estate on the north side of the Liffey. The terminal was where P&O operated but is now also used by CLdN Ro Ro S.A., which also operates upriver out of Terminal 3 and at berths along Ocean Pier.
Tonight, Bore Song is scheduled to depart, so to carry out further berthing trails at Birkenhead (Twelve Quays) Terminal, Stena’s north-west England hub-port, with passenger and freight routes to Belfast.
With the Bore Song in Irish waters, it was observed that the freighter retained its owner’s livery scheme; however, given that this ro-ro is the permanent vessel, Stena Line will no doubt at the very least change the funnel colours.
Bore Song’s owners, Bore Ltd are part of the Dutch Spliethoff Group, which includes Transfennica, whose con-ro Timca was until last month on a short-term charter to the ICG/Irish Ferries routes of Dublin-Holyhead and from the Irish capital connecting Cherbourg, France.
The Timca is one of six of the ‘Splietoff’ class con-ro vessels built in Poland.
From 2022, Bore Song was chartered to Transfennica, operating from Lübeck to Paldiski, Estonia, where the route on the Baltic Sea remains in the service of twin, Bore Sea.
