#ArrowHead – Seatruck Ferries have the 65-trailer Arrow covering in on the Dublin-Liverpool route until the vessel is to be withdrawn tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Arrow will complete her duties for Seatruck when she sails from Dublin Port tomorrow morning bound for Liverpool from where she had been in lay-over mode since mid-December. In the previous month, a sister the R-class 1,057 freight lane metre, Clipper Ranger was introduced on the route as the third ship following customer demand for additional mid-week unaccompanied trailer sailings.

Currently Clipper Ranger is in drydock at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead and is scheduled to be back in service on the central Irish Sea route next week. Also serving the route are the 150-trailer FSG class sisters Seatruck Power and Seatruck Progress each with a 2,166 freight lane metre capacity.

The Arrow during its stint this month for Seatruck was chartered back from the Isle of Man Steam Packet which almost two years had begun a long-term charter. The Steam-Packet have Arrow to give added flexibility to cover scheduled maintenance periods and if required enhanced level of backup supporting ropax Ben-My-Chree.

Their fastferry, Manannan is also berthed at the Birkenhead drydock facility in preparation to resume seasonal duties in the Spring.

Last month Arrow returned to Merseyside having provided back-up for conventional tonnage of Channel Islands operator Condor Ferries over the festive season.

Likewise of the Steam-Packet they have a fast-ferry, but differ in that they have two such craft serving Guernsey and Jersey.