Displaying items by tag: 'Europe' in service

20th February 2024

Pembrokeshire Ferry to Resume Rosslare Route Service Tonight after Almost Six-Week Absence

Passengers, particularly Welsh rugby fans travelling by ‘foot’ for this Saturday’s match with Ireland, in Dublin, have got good news as the Stena Line owned port of Fishguard is to see their ferry back on the run after a five-and-a-half-week disruption in service.

The south Wales-Ireland route, formerly served until last year by the popular Stena Europe as Afloat referred earlier today, (see related Stena CEO story), will reports the Western Telegraph, travel but from the Irish port of Rosslare to Fishguard at 7.30pm (19.30hrs) this evening on the first crossing in more than a month as the St. Georges Channel ferry service resumes. (At the time of writing, Afloat can confirm the Stena Europe has departed Rosslare).

Stena Europe is being used as a temporary vessel while Fishguard Port undergoes maintenance work to a linkspan berth. The work means that the Stena Nordica, which was announced a year ago as the ‘permanent’ ferry since its introduction in July last year, was operating between Fishguard and Rosslare is unable to berth in Fishguard at the moment.

The ropax ferry since January has been been put on the Dublin to Holyhead route while the work takes place, allowing also for that route’s secondary ferry, Stena Estrid to provide relief cover for the Belfast-Birkenhead E-flexer twins to go for annual overhaul dry-dockings.

The only one ferry that is able to berth at Fishguard in its current configuration is the Stena Europe, however the veteran vessel dating to 1981 had to go for repairs at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, from where the ferry has been for the most part of these past weeks, then a stint afterwards at Liverpool Docks. Afloat had tracked the ferry relocate having crossed the Mersey with the assistance of a pair of tugs to enable berthing within the docks that would later include shifting to Canada Dock.

Now that the Stena Europe has returned to Fishguard after the long delay due to unforeseen mechanical issues, but Stena has confirmed that the ferry has taken over the route from today.

As previously reported, Stena Europe covered the Fishguard-Rosslare run for 21 years, until 13 July last year followed by a trip to A&P Falmouth that afterwards led to a short charter on the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco.

“Stena Line can confirm that Stena Europe will enter service on the Rosslare-Fishguard route at 7.30pm on Tuesday, February 20,” said a company spokesperson. “We apologise for the delay to the resumption of this service, and we look forward to welcoming our customers onboard.”

More on the story here as the Stena Europe will also be a most welcome sight for ferry fans on both sides of the southern corridor route, though the ferry will be replaced again when Stena Nordica makes its presence with a night-sailing departing the Welsh port on St. David’s Day, 1st March.

Afloat however understands Stena Nordica is to be off-service again but on a temporary basis on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route joining the Stena Vision as the Ireland-France route's secondary ferry, ropax Stena Horizon is currently running Stena's new Dublin-Birkenhead 'freight' route but is scheduled to return to the continental service in April.

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

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