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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. 

On board the flagship Pont-Aven, having sailed from Plymouth, Devon, is seen approaching Saint-Malo, Brittany, especially to attend the Route du Rhum, with its wrap-around promenade deck, and on the right, my overnight cabin. In addition, the E-Flexer class Saint-Malo, departing its namesake port on 31 October, exactly one year after its inauguration ceremony, is seen bound for Portsmouth, and along with the same class, Guillaume de Normandie also operates on the English Channel but on the Caen (Ouistreham)-Portsmouth route.

Flagship Makes 'Secret' Service Sailing to Take Up Spectator Role in Route du Rhum

8th November 2026 Brittany Ferries
The pride of the Brittany Ferries fleet, flagship Pont-Aven, which operates the Cork-Roscoff route, ended its season earlier as planned so as to be at the start of the prestigious La Route du Rhum Race, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 41,000-gross-tonne cruise…
Stena Line's owners have reached an agreement to purchase the Norwegian shipping company Color Line, which operates some of the world’s largest cruise ferries on the premier Oslo to Kiel, Germany, routes. Above Afloat also adds the Color Hybrid, which runs the domestic route of Sandefjor-Stromstad in the southern Oslofjord.  

Owners of Stena Line Signs Agreement to Acquire Scandinavian Operator Color Line

27th October 2026 Stena Line
The industrial Group Stena AB, of Sweden, and the ferry owner of Stena Line have entered into an agreement to acquire the Norwegian shipping company Color Line, subject to regulatory approval. The transaction will bring together two companies with complementary…
Dover ferry line-up: The Isle of Inishmore of Irish Ferries and others from P&O Ferries and DFDS operate from the Eastern Docks, whereas the Co. Antrim-based contractor is to work at the £53m Western Docks Revival project. So far, a joint venture partnership between McLaughlin & Harvey and Boskalis Westminster has completed a major land reclamation project also at the docks, but more work is to be done through a subsidiary.

Antrim Contractor Appointed by Port of Dover for £53m Western Docks Revival Project

25th October 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
The appointment of a Northern Ireland company by the Port of Dover for a £53m project sees construction firm McLaughlin & Harvey secure two places on a new contractor framework at the UK's busiest ferry port. The development of the…
Next Monday, 26 October, in Saint-Malo, operator Brittany Ferries, in partnership with Adrena and Bureau Veritas Solutions, is to present its digital solutions at a stand held at the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe start village. This will be an opportunity to meet the teams, discover the technologies deployed on board, and gain an understanding of energy performance. Afloat captured this close-up of the E-Flexer class vessel Saint-Malo, which was last at Rosslare Europort nearly a year ago. It was redeployed between Ireland and Spain, then France, before resuming service from its namesake homeport and linking to Portsmouth.

Brittany Ferries Achieves Energy Savings with Presentation at Route du Rhum Village

24th October 2026 Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries has teamed up with Adrena and Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore to successfully demonstrate fuel savings of up to 6% through the deployment of an advanced digital twin-enabled routing solution. The AdrenaShip concept highlights the potential of…
The decision to raise a freight fuel surcharge, 'not taken lightly,' says the Steam Packet, whose ropax, Ben-My-Chree (aft deck), is as above at Dublin Port. The ferry was on charter to Stena Line during the closure of Holyhead in winter 2024/25, arising from Storm Darragh and a berthing incident that damaged the jetty.

Steam Packet Says Raising Freight Fuel Surcharge 'Not Taken Lightly'

23rd October 2026 Ferry
The ferry operator, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, says its decision to increase the fuel surcharge for freight service customers was not taken lightly. Speaking on Manx Radio, Managing Director Brian Thomson of the company recognises that any increase…
The Manx House of Keys (MHK) is to quiz the treasury minister over support for the haulier sector amid rising costs with freight ferry transportation. Above the company’s back-up freight ro-ro Arrow at Douglas which operates on the primary lifeline link to Heysham, England.

Haulier Says Isle of Man Steam Packet's Latest Fuel Surcharges Can't be Absorbed

23rd October 2026 Ferry
A Manx-based haulier says now it's impossible for his business to absorb the latest ferry fuel surcharge imposed by the government-owned Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Marty Kneen, an agricultural haulier owner, JW Kneen & Son said that the…
At dusk, as the sun set on the end of an era for the ropax Cotentin, which berthed at its homeport of Cherbourg on Saturday, and on Monday was handed over to new owners based outside Europe. The almost 20-year-old ship, upon withdrawal from service, shifted to the nearby Qui de France (as above), where Afloat tracked on (21 Oct), its renaming to Nefertitti, after a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten.

Ireland-France Routes Ropax Cotentin Sold to Interests in the Middle East

21st October 2026 Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries, only ropax, which was withdrawn from the Rosslare-Cherbourg link just last week, has been sold, along with its renaming taking place at the French port where it was originally registered, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat at the time of…
A former Scottish lighthouse and buoy tender the Fingal, now the Fingal Hotel, has been named Europe's Leading Boutique Hotel. It's seen at its homeport of Leith, near Edinburgh, along with its taxi service. During its career as a tender on behalf of Irish Lights, it called to Dun Laoghaire Harbour in the early 1990s.

Former Scottish Lighthouse Tender Now Floating Hotel Named 'Europe’s Leading Boutique Hotel'

26th October 2026 Lighthouses
A former Northern Lighthouse Board tender now a luxury floating hotel in Leith, Edinburgh, has been crowned Europe's leading boutique hotel at this year’s World Travel Awards. The NLV Fingal was built in the 1960s and was the last ship…
Hibernia Line hosted the French Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Céline Place and Irish Ambassador-Designate to France and Monaco, Alison Milton (pictured centre) at Ringaskiddy ferry terminal today along with the company’s Chief of Passenger Revenue Alison Bell, CEO Aidan Coffey, Chief Shipping, Officer Captain Paul Roche and Marketing Manager Alison Desmond.

Cork Based Ferry Company Welcomes French and Irish Ambassadors to Ringaskiddy

21st October 2026 Ferry
New startup ferry operator Hibernia Line, which launched the first direct Cork to Boulogne route in northern France in the summer, has welcomed the visit of ambassadors from France and Ireland today, writes Jehan Ashmore. The visit of the French…
A recruitment target will not be achieved, said Defence Minister Helen McEntee, following Budget 2027’s allocations to departments in Defence and Foreign Affairs. Above: Naval Service cadets celebrate at their ‘passing out’ (graduation) ceremony in July held at the Naval Base headquarters on Haulbowline Island, Cork Harbour.

Recruitment Target in Defence Forces Will Not Reach 11,500 Personnel by 2028 Despite Commitments

22nd October 2026 Navy
The Irish Defence Forces will not reach 11,500 troops by 2028, said the Minister for Defence, as it will break a key target promised by the organisation and government. In a report from the Commission on the Defence Forces, it…
A Defence Forces supplementary pension, which had been provided to members between the mandatory retirement age of 62 and the State pension age, was removed in 2013. Delegates also heard at the annual RACO conference, Naval Service Captain David Sutton highlight an “impending crisis” facing the organisation as more officers leave due to age.

'Looming Retention Crisis' Faces Defence Forces Over Removal of Supplementary Pension

22nd October 2026 Navy
A “looming retention crisis” faces the Defence Forces due to changes it made in 2013 for new recruits, which then removed a supplementary pension between retirement age and that of State pension age. The comment was made at the annual…
The oldest submarine of the Dutch ‘Walrus’ class, the decommissioned Walrus on a barge while under tow of Ems Warrior took place last week from Den Helder to Amsterdam for dismantling. The stealth-designed HNLMS Walrus had made visits to Ireland, at Dublin and Cork.

Decommissioned Dutch Navy Submarine that Visited Irish Ports Towed for Dismantling

21st October 2026 News Update
A Dutch tug has taken part in a special towage operation of the decommissioned submarine ‘Walrus’ class namesake from the Royal Netherlands Naval Base in Den Helder to Amsterdam for dismantling, writes Jehan Ashmore. The tug Ems Warrior, operated by…
The first barge carrying major steel components (towed by Multratug 29), for the landmark cross border Narrow Water Bridge has today arrived at Warrenpoint Harbour, Co. Down following a passage from Belgium. Afloat has identified the port of departure as Terneuzen in the south near the border with the Netherlands.

First Barge With Structures for New Narrow Water Bridge Berths at Warrenpoint Harbour

21st October 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
A major milestone in the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge in Northern Ireland took place today, with the arrival to Warrenpoint Harbour of the first barge carrying major steel components from Belgium. The bridge contractor BAM UK & Ireland…
At the launch of the Greek-Irish maritime exhibition: Ms Ciara O'Floinn, Ambassador of Ireland to Greece, Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Barry Saul, An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Catherine Gallagher, County Librarian, Mr Georgius Stilianopoulos, Ambassador of Greece to Ireland.

Exhibition at DLR LexIcon: Celebrates 10,000 Years of Greek & Irish Maritime Tradition

21st October 2026 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
A new exhibition, "10,000 Years of Greek and Irish Maritime Tradition," has been launched in dlr LexIcon Library in Dún Laoghaire, which explores the rich maritime heritage of two nations shaped by the sea. Hosting the exhibition is Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown…
Belfast Harbour is to host trials of zero-emission transport and energy systems (ZETEC) project

Funding for £15m Zero Emission Trials for Belfast Harbour is Secured

21st October 2026 Belfast Lough
Trials of zero-emission transport and energy systems are to take place at Belfast Harbour under a £15 million ($19.9 million) investment that was announced on 15 October. Belfast-based Artemis Technologies is leading the Zero Emissions Transport and Energy Cluster (ZETEC)…
The Barfleur yesterday (18 Nov) completed an 'uninterrupted' maiden round trip from Rosslare (as above), instead of being conducted from Cherbourg (due to weather disruption at the Irish port forcing the cancellation of sailings). Also, viewed from the 'foot' passenger bus, are vehicles discharging onto the upper tier of the double-linkspan.

Barfleur Finally Returns to France But Completes 'Uninterrupted' Maiden Round Trip from Ireland

19th October 2026 Brittany Ferries
After a delay of two days due to poor weather conditions, Brittany Ferries Barfleur finally resumed its first return crossing from Rosslare to Cherbourg, Normandy, at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Barfleur previously made its maiden sailing to the…
A major multi-agency fire safety exercise took place at the 12 Quays Terminal, Birkehead on Merseyside to test emergency services, involving Stena Line, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, HM Coastguard and Merseyside Police.

Multi-Agency Fire Safety Exercise to Strengthen Stena's Preparedness

16th October 2026 Stena Line
Ferry operator Stena Line has carried out a large-scale multi-agency emergency response exercise at its 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead, on Merseyside, serving Dublin and Belfast.  The exercise brought together maritime, emergency service, and port partners to test and strengthen…
Stena Line is to acquire the 21,000 gross tonnage ro-ro freight ferry Somerset, from CLdN, onto the Dublin-Liverpool link in December. It is to replace existing twins, Stena Hibernia and Stena Scotia, which are to be redeployed to a North Sea England-Dutch service.

Stena Line to Acquire CLdN's Somerset Set to Replace Dublin-Birkenhead Freight Twins

16th October 2026 Stena Line
Stena Line has reached an agreement to acquire a ro-ro freight ferry, the Somerset, from CLdN and is to serve on the Dublin Port-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route.  Subject to closure and transfer, the vessel would begin operating the central Irish Sea…
ESPO and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) have launched the Green Innovation Compass, a new knowledge platform to bring together European expertise and practical experience on port innovations, through both organisations' websites.

New 'Green Innovation Compass' Launched on European & Inland Port Organisations' Websites

16th October 2026 Ports & Shipping
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) are pleased to announce the new Green Innovation Compass. The knowledge platform brings together European expertise and practical experience on port innovations is now available through…
At the recent Connecting Europe Days, Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of ESPO (second from left) had a valuable exchange with EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas. EU leaders from today are meeting in Brussels for a summit to discuss, among other priorities, the EU’s long-term Transport budget for 2028-2034.

Joint Letter Calls on EU Member States Not to Cut Long-Term Transport Budget

16th October 2026 Ports & Shipping
European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit to discuss, among other priorities, the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034. In the run-up to the discussions, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), together with Europe’s transport sector, is…
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