#NorthSea - P&O Ferries in early January announced that it has seen an 11% year-on-year increase in HGVs crossing between the UK and the continent on its Hull-Rotterdam route, reports Ships Monthly.

The level of trade on this P&O Dutch route amounts to more than 5,000 extra vehicles being carried on the North Sea route during 2015, contributing to a total of 52,000 HGVs.

The route is operated by the giant 59,925 tonnes sisters Pride of Hull and Pride of Rotterdam, among the largest passenger ferries in Europe providing first class facilities for truck drivers too. They each carry 1,360 passengers, 205 cars and 263 trailers. For more on the P&O story, click here and freight boost on their premier Dover-Calais service.

Afloat adds, that leadship Pride of Hull features an 'Irish Bar' and was built in the same year of Irish Ferries, flagship, Ulysses of 50, 938 tonnes. She is the fifth largest ferry in tonnage terms to operate in UK waters.

As previously reported, Ulysses had gone to A&P Falmouth for annual refit and which has since been completed. The cruiseferry departed the Cornish facility last night and at time of writing is bound for Dublin Port having transitted St. Georges Channel.

#DoverCalais - P&O Ferries has recorded its highest ever freight volumes on the English Channel in 2015, reports ShipTechnology.

Freight transportation comprises two-thirds of P&O Ferries' business. The ferry operator's six ships transported 1,340,317 units of freight across the English Channel, an increase of 22% of freight transportation in the year.

About 367,000 units of freight were ferried across the English Channel between July and September accounting for a 30% increase in the same period last year.

To read more, ShipTechnology has more here.

The increase in freight volumes on the premier Strait of Dover service is in stark contrast to the changing fortunes of P&O Ferries seasonal-only Larne-Troon route.

As reported yesterday on Afloat, the route will not reopen in 2016 and was confirmed closed.

The operator citing continuing losses and insufficient revenue from ticket sales to cover the annual vessel (see, fast-craft Express not to be chartered in 2016). In addition to port operating costs. 

#NewRoute - The Belfast Telegraph reports on an application for a new ferry on Carlingford Lough running between Greencastle on the northern shores of the lough and Greenore in Co Louth was approved in June 2015, ignoring the concerns of the majority of residents.

The justification was that this project is of "national economic importance".

The proposal is riddled with flaws and now, says the report after the council set 25 conditions in June along with the approval, the applicant has just submitted his second tranche of applications to rescind/amend six of these 25.

Greencastle is on the mouth of Carlingford Lough and boasts many designations such as RAMSAR, OSPAR, SPA, ASSI, SSSI and AONB. Wildlife include seahorses, seals, terns, badgers, otters and bats that are all protected and are found within 100 metres of the site of the proposal.

To read more, click here 

#StenaRefits - Almost £5m is to be spent by Stena Line in refitting its Irish Sea ferries fleet at Harland & Wolff, reveals The Belfast Telegraph.

Over the next two months, seven Stena Line vessels (likewise of refits in 2015) will visit the shipyard on a carefully sequenced timetable to facilitate a range of specialist works.

These include annual inspections, passenger facility upgrade work as well as ongoing technical enhancements and this work will also carried out by Harland & Wolff. 

Paul Grant, Stena route manager, said the "refits are very important to ensure the smooth and safe running of our expanding fleet of ships. The decision to place the majority of our refit contract work with Harland & Wolff allows us to play our part in helping to support local business".

To read what more the route manager has to say on the refit programme, click here. In addition to last year's refit of Stena Group's 117,000dwt crude oil ice-class 'Aframax' tanker, Stena Arctica.

#FerryService2016? – A new ferry operator sought for the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route this year remains to be seen following Stena Line's closure of the service in 2014 and with only months away before the summer season begins, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Stena finally confirmed in early 2015 to permanently close the historic route dating to 1835, by consolidating existing operations in neighbouring Dublin Port where since 1995 the company have also run a service to Holyhead.

Responding to Afloat.ie, a spokesperson for Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company said at this moment they could not make any further comment on a ferry service in 2016, but they added they hoped to be in a position to make a comment sometime early this year.

It is almost a year ago when DLHC received seven expressions of interest from operators to provide a seasonal-only ferry service to Holyhead following an e-Tender advert.

Commenting then on the expressions of interest recieved, DLHC and said they 'will now consider these' and added 'final configurations would be a matter for discussion and agreement with a new provider, and would be in keeping and take account of the Harbour Company's Masterplan'.

According to a document from the advert, a berth is available which is 140 metres long and with a maximum depth of 5.8 metres. In addition the berthing facility is described as having a shore to ship ramp, which can easily be modified to facilitate the configuration of a new vessel.

Afloat.ie adds that St. Michaels Pier has two berths, one is custom-built to only accommodate the specialist requirements of the HSS Stena Explorer when the highspeed fast-craft was withdrawn from service in September 2014. There are plans to remove this berth which requires planning permission for its dismantling.

The second conventional berth on St. Michaels Pier was also used by Stena Line when a smaller 'Lynx' fast-ferry craft, Stena Lynx III had also operated the Ireland-Wales route in recent years.

The Stena Lynx III had served shoulder seasons when HSS Stena Explorer reduced operating its full year-round service until 2011. It was in that same year the ‘Lynx’ was sold to overseas owners in Asia.

#RouteClosure - P&O Ferries has announced the closure of the Larne-Troon route following a comprehensive reviews of its options.

The decision to close its loss-making Northern Ireland-Scotland route is with immediate effect, however the company through this media statement has confirmed it will continue to operate its full Larne-Cairnryan route services throughout 2016 and into the future.

P&O Ferries has proudly operated this additional seasonal route since 2003, but the stark reality is that the company is continuing to make losses. Sadly the income from ticket sales is not sufficient to cover the annual vessel (fast-craft Express not to be chartered in 2016, as previously reported on Afloat) and port operating costs.

In a final attempt to make the route economic the company reduced the service in the off-peak months last year, whilst maintaining the full service in the peak months of July and August. Whilst this measure did significantly reduce the operating costs, the route remained loss-making.

Since the last sailing at the end of September, P&O Ferries has continued to negotiate with a number of suppliers and other organisations, including the search for a lower cost chartered fast-craft to be able to continue, but we have been unable to develop a solution for the company.

There will be no redundancies, with all permanent staff being found alternative roles within the company.

For customers, the company has confirmed that in 2016 the P&O Larne-Cairnryan service will continue to operate up to seven sailings each way every day of the year. These operations are to maintain its reliable service for freight, tourist and domestic customers, on what is still the shortest and most frequent crossing on the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The purpose-built European Highlander and European Causeway vessels will also be undergoing £500,000 of on-board improvements over the next 18 months, and before Easter this year will be adding over 50 seats to each ship. In addition to upgrading or updating a number of the passenger areas and facilities, including the provision of ‘Free Wi-Fi that Works’, and using more locally sourced produce and recipes for the food courts.

The company believes that this decision will enable a more secure future for its employees and for its customers on the Northern Corridor.

#FerryPort40th - The UK ferryport of Portsmouth celebrates its 40th anniversary this year as the Hampshire port opened in 1976.

Over those four decades the English Channel port has grown beyond all initial expectations having begun in June of that year with a small four acre site and with just a choice of two routes and one ‘linkspan' for passengers to board ferries.

Now Portsmouth International Port occupies a 17.6 hectare site, much of it on reclaimed land and from where three ferry companies operate. Brittany Ferries (France), Condor Ferries (Channel Islands) and Wightlink (Isle of Wight) combined offer crossings to more destinations than any other UK port. 

During the busier summer season, Portsmouth International Port will be celebrating the landmark birthday with a series of special events. Staff are also asking passengers to contribute their memories, photographs and home movies of the early days of what is now widely known as “Britain's Best Connected Port”.

The port was built by Portsmouth City Council right next to the M275, the port quickly gained the title because of its closeness to London, with a much larger range of connections on the continent than any other UK port. With no need for passengers and freight coming from the Midlands, West and North to navigate through the congested capital.

Despite the growth of package holidays and cheap air travel, Portsmouth continues to play an important role - as a gateway to the continent for more than 2 million passengers every year.

The south coast port is also increasingly popular as a destination for cruise ships (and as Afloat adds on occasions calling to Irish ports). Around 12 cruise operators bring tens of thousands of holidaymakers arriving every year to visit the port and the wider region.

It’s not all about ferry and cruiseships, as the port has also played a role in how changes in taste during the last four decades are reflected in the fresh produce that arrives daily at Portsmouth International Port.

Bananas have always been a mainstay of the operation, with more than 70% of the delicious fruit eaten in the UK now coming through Portsmouth.

In recent years though increasing amounts of more exotic fruits and vegetables have been arriving from all over the world. Back in 1976 it’s unlikely that anyone would have guessed that mangoes would be frequently seen at Portsmouth, heading to supermarket shelves.

#DouglasLinkspan - Work is to be carried out on a major refurbishment of the Manx government-owned linkspan in Douglas Harbour, reports IOM Today.

The Department of Infrastructure says that the large hydraulic cylinders that operate the structure have been in place for almost 16 years and are nearing the end of their operational life.

Subject to favourable weather and tidal conditions, a new cylinder will be fitted before the end of January.

The unit that is removed will then be reconditioned by the manufacturers and reinstalled in place of the second original cylinder later this year. The initial phase of the scheme is expected to take up to four days.

While this work takes place the Ben my Chree will use the Isle of Man Steam Packet linkspan. For more details click here.

Afloat adds that the ropax ferry serves the island's main route to the Port of Heysham. An obstruction at the entrance to the Lancashire port was cleared last week. 

#NewPortaFERRY -A newbuild for the Strangford-Portaferry service under construction at Cammel Laird, Birkenhead as previously reported on Afloat.ie is expected to deliver the 28 car / 260 passenger ferry in August this year.

According to Cammel Laird’s winter edition newsletter, the project is running on schedule with 75% of the vessel structurally complete. The yard facing opposite Liverpool’s famous waterfront on the Mersey, saw Northern Ireland Minister for Regional Development Michelle McIlveen view the progress on the newbuild Strangford Ferry which is to serve the lough route at the Narrows.

The Minister said: “It is really impressive to see the progress being made by Cammell Laird on the new ferry. The build is on schedule and I look forward to seeing the new vessel in operation by late summer 2016. This £6 million investment by the NI Executive will see the replacement of the existing MV Strangford, which is now over 40 years old. The new modern ferry has been designed specifically for this important route and will provide a more reliable and efficient ferry service for the public in the years ahead.”

The newbuild’s pipework and machinery is now being fitted, with all key equipment now on site and undergoing installation. This includes 2 Cummins engines, 2 Voith propulsion units, 2 Cummins generator sets, a Hamworthy Sewage Treatment Plant, and a full Desmi pump set.

A passenger Lounge, changing rooms, crew mess and wheelhouse have now been installed. There are currently 50 workers on the project, with over 20% of this number being made up by apprentices. A further 4 second year apprentices are expected to have joined the project in the new year to gain some invaluable new-build experience.

The newbuild met her ‘sister’, Portaferry II, for the first time in November when the vessel returned to the Mersey for her first dry docking in 14 years since being launched onto the Mersey.

Afloat, adds that this also took place on the Wirral Peninsula, when the newbuild was then completed at the nearby McTay Marine yard at Bromborough.

While the new ferry is a completely new design, many of the successful design features on the Portaferry II are reflected in it notably having the same car and passenger capacity. The two ferries will together run on the Strangford-Portaferry service operated by Transport NI.

Afloat also adds that taking place of Portaferry II's roster on the short estuary crossing is the reserve ferry, Strangford. 

#RouteConfirmed – The Ardrossan-Campbeltown summer-only ferry route as reported on Afloat since the service was launched in south-west Scotland in 2013 and on a trial pilot basis will be made 'permanent', writes Jehan Ashmore.

There were calls by campaigners to have the service as part of the permanent summer ferry route network by CalMac, a state run company under Transport Scotland.

Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay made the announcement last month following the successful pilot service, which ran between Ayrshire and the Mull of Kintyre over the past three summers. Mr Mackay said: “I’m very pleased to announce the ferry link between Ardrossan and Campbeltown will become a permanent feature of the CalMac summer timetable.

“The pilot service proved incredibly popular and I’m sure this announcement will be welcomed by passengers and the communities at either side of the route.

The service when launched on the Firth of Clyde was designed to stimulate tourism between these regions and became the first new route by CalMac in almost twenty years. Route ferry Isle of Arran (1984/3,296grt) in total transported an average of over 10,000 passengers and 2,000 cars per year with last year’s season concluding at the end of September.

In addition the veteran vessel provided an extension of summer relief duties between Ardrossan to Brodick (Isle of Arann). The year-round route is also served by Caledonian Isles (1993/5,221grt).

The new permanent ‘Mull of Kintyre’ service will be part of an enhanced summer timetable for CalMac services. Operations for the 2016 season will begin with Ardrossan-Campbeltown sailings on 28 April. The season runs throughout the summer and up to 25 September.