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Displaying items by tag: Ferry tugs

As Storm Barra struck Dublin Bay this morning at around 0530hrs, bringing severe and damaging wind gusts as Met Eireann forecast along with issuing a Status Orange warning, a ferry in the capital port would just a few hours later require tug assistance, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The ferry Stena Adventurer when attempting to vacate the berth on a sailing bound for Holyhead, however got into difficulties. This led to the dispatch of Dublin Port Company (DPC) tugs Shackleton and Beaufort to safely bring the ferry temporarily to a nearby quay, albeit on the opposite side facing the river Liffey's northside ferry terminal.

In a statement sought from Afloat, Stena Line cited the reason to call in the tugs was because “the Stena Adventurer (which had) departed this morning on time but on entering the river the vessel was met by very heavy gusts which prevented the ship from leaving the river.

The vessel was then held alongside on the South Bank Berth (46/47) by tugs for a time until there was an appropriate lull in the weather, in accordance with standard safety protocols,and then the ship continued on its journey to Holyhead.”

Ferry Rides Out Storm 

Afloat subsequently tracked Stena Adventurer pass the Dublin Bay Buoy just after 10.00 and when bound for Holyhead, from where the outbound Stena Estrid had already departed on schedule from the north Wales port.

Stena Estrid which is the second ferry that serves Stena's Ireland-Wales route however upon arrival into Dublin Bay at around 12 noon, was unable to enter the port. Instead the ferry took a new course from off the North Burford Buoy and soon afterwards Afloat observed the ferry head towards The Muglins beacon lighthouse off Dalkey, marking the south of Dublin Bay.

During lunchtime the Stena Estrid remained off the east coast while offshore between Bray Head and Greystones Harbour before turning around in the opposite direction. The ferry is riding out the storm and is to make another attempt to enter Dublin Port, with the port expecting an arrival of 14.45hrs.

It wasn't just ferries subjected to Storm Barra, as no sooner had the DPC tug twins returned to their recently relocated station, when their services were required yet again and within an hour or so of their brief berthing.

This time it was the Seatruck Ferries ro-ro Seatruck Pace (see previous coverage) which having arrived from Heysham, sought the tugs aid when within the port's shipping fairway. The Shackleton was off the freight-only ferry's bow, while amidships off the port side was Beaufort, a name particularly apt given the stormy seas. The freighter finally berthed at around 11.20, despite the conditions the ship berthed under an hour late of its scheduled arrival.

According to Seatruck's website, however the corresponding return crossing this afternoon to the north-west English port has been cancelled and as well for a fleetmate, Seatruck Progress, whose sailing to Liverpool which was scheduled for earlier this morning.

As of this afternoon Stena Adventurer completed its sailing with an arrival in Holyhead with Irish Ferries Ulysses astern but at time of writing the ferry also from Dublin remains outside the Anglesey port.

Published in Dublin Bay

Esailing & Virtual Sailing information

The concept of e-sailing, or virtual sailing, is based on a computer game sailing challenge that has been around for more than a decade.

The research and development of software over this time means its popularity has taken off to the extent that it has now become a part of the sailing seascape and now allows people to take an 'active part' in some of the most famous regattas across the world such as the Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Sydney Hobart, Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup and some Olympic venues too, all from the comfort of their armchair.

The most popular model is the 'eSailing World Championship'. It is an annual esports competition, first held in 2018 and officially recognised by World Sailing, the sports governing body.

The eSailing World Championship is a yearly competition for virtual sailors competing on the Virtual Regatta Inshore game.

The contract to run the event was given to a private company, Virtual Regatta that had amassed tens of thousands of sailors playing offshore sailing routing game following major offshore races in real-time.

In April 2020, the company says on its website that it has 35,000 active players and 500,000 regattas sailed.

Virtual Regatta started in 2010 as a small team of passionate designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs gathered around the idea that virtual sailing sports games can mix with real races and real skippers.