Jehan Ashmore
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.
Ambition Achieved as Ambassador Cruise Line's Second Ship 'Maiden Call' to Port of Cork Also Starts Season
4th April 2024 Cruise Liners
Ambition, one of two cruise ships of UK operator Ambassador Cruise Line, overnight sailed from Belfast Harbour to arrive this morning at the Port of Cork, where it made a maiden visit to Cobh, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked yesterday…
Mainport Edge in Turkey for Upgrade As New Survey Support Ship for Charter Market to Offshore Energy Sector
4th April 2024 Shipyards
Mainport Edge, the name of the Cork-based Irish Mainport Holdings (IMH) newly acquired survey support ship from a shipyard in China last year and since relocated to Europe, is where further upgrade works continue, writes Jehan Ashmore. As Afloat previously…
Boss of CalMac Steps Down 'With Immediate Effect' after Scottish Ferry Operator's Leadership Review
3rd April 2024 Ferry
Caledonian MacBrayne's (CalMac) chief executive is stepping down as the Scottish state-owned ferry operator faces ongoing challenges with its aging fleet. The ferry company announced on Wednesday (3 April) that Robbie Drummond is stepping down with immediate effect from the…
Marine Advisers to Help Select Replacement for Naval Service Former Flagship LÉ Eithne
3rd April 2024 Navy
Advisers from the marine sector have been appointed to help procure a multi-role vessel (MRV) to replace the former flagship of the Naval Service, the LÉ Eithne which was decommissioned in 2022. According to the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, who is…
Suction Sail Assisted Cargo Ship Calls to Port of Cork Sees Same Technology Benefit Airbus On Board Ro-Ro Across the Atlantic
3rd April 2024 Ports & Shipping
Dock operatives of Ronayne Shipping, part of Irish Mainport Holdings, were discharging fertilizer in the Port of Cork recently from a short-sea cargo ship that had distinctive towers mounted at the stern, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 2,850-dwt vessel, Eems Traveller,…
EU Transport Sector Calls for Robust Funding Instrument to Continue Its Strategic Role for Europe
3rd April 2024 Ports & Shipping
European transport organisations (totalling 44), representing the key spectrum of Europe’s transport network, operators and stakeholders, are again joining forces in a campaign to call the Council and the European Parliament for a robust transport funding instrument in the upcoming…
ESPO Congratulates Eco-Port Member Port of Dover with Third 'Port Environmental Review System' (PERS) Certification
2nd April 2024 Ports & Shipping
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has congratulated the Port of Dover (UK) for being certified through the EcoPorts’ environmental management standard (PERS). The ferry port of Dover is a long-standing EcoPorts member, being in the Network since 2003 and…
Trinity House, the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, and the Channel Islands, has appointed Lance Batchelor as the Chair of its Lighthouse Board, succeeding Sir Alan Massey. Since becoming an Elder Brother in 2022, Lance has been sitting as…
Passengers for Isle of Man Steam Packet Company - Highest Since 2017's TT Centenary Anniversary
2nd April 2024 Ferry
The ferry operator, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, has confirmed that final 2023 passenger statistics show the highest number of passengers and vehicles carried since 2007, TT’s 100th anniversary. In 2023, the Company transported 623,037 passengers and 196,430…
Stena Horizon Has Celtic Link Roots to A Decade Ago on the Rosslare-Cherbourg Route
31st March 2024 Stena Line
Stena Horizon, which recently left Stena Line’s newly opened freight-only Dublin-Liverpool (Birkenhead) route for annual dry-docking, had completed a previous career on this date a decade ago with an Irish ferry company, writes Jehan Ashmore. Operating albeit in freight mode,…
Ferry Fiasco Continues as Scottish Shipyard Chief Sacked Amidst New Delays
27th March 2024 Shipyards
The chief executive of the Scottish government-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman, who has been at the center of continuing concern over the escalating costs of an ongoing ferry fiasco, has had his contract terminated. The development comes after Mr.…
The chairman of the Isle of Man Steam Packet has said a "clear government statement" is needed on whether the firm can sell its current backup ferry. The Steam Packet outlined plans to sell the 26-year-old ropax Ben-My-Chree in its…
Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) at 'Connecting Europe Days' Brussels (2nd-5th April)
27th March 2024 Ports & Shipping
The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) will be at the Connecting Europe Days 2024, Europe’s mobility flagship event, held at the Square in Brussels, Belgium. Representatives from the IMDO will be at stand 49 during the two days of the…
Brittany Ferries Flagship ‘Pont-Aven’ On Its 20th Year Returns to Service the Cork-Roscoff Route
26th March 2024 Brittany Ferries
Pont-Aven Brittany Ferries impressive flagship at the weekend resumed its first Roscoff-Cork round-trip this season, in the 20th anniversary year since its introduction on the Ireland-France route and UK-France/Spain links, writes Jehan Ashmore. During Pont-Aven’s return leg to France on…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…