Displaying items by tag: Stena Forerunner

30th August 2018

Belfast Harbour Welcomes Stena Forerunner to Increase Capacity On Liverpool Route

#FerryNews - Captain Marcel Schaar of the ro-ro freightferry Stena Forerunner was welcomed to Belfast Harbour this week by the port's CEO Joe O’Neill and Anna Breen, Stena Line's Freight Commercial Manager (Irish Sea North).

The inaugural call of the 4Runner Mk II class freighter was marked by a plaque ceremony ahead of the ferry’s first sailing from Belfast to Liverpool.

The 3,000 lane metre Stena Forerunner (tracked by Afloat from the North Sea at the weekend: see related safety award) has been introduced as a result to growing market demand. In addition the need for increased capacity will increase weekly freight capacity on the service by almost 10%.

Paul Grant, Stena Line Trade Director commented: “We are delighted to welcome the Stena Forerunner to Belfast and the introduction and investment of this larger vessel demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the freight market. This year we’re experiencing strong growth of 6% on the Belfast to Liverpool route and future plans include the introduction of two new build ferries on this service during spring 2020 and early 2021.”

Afloat adds the introduction of Stena Forerunner, which previously operated Harwich-Rotterdam follows the deployment earlier this month of another North Sea freightferry, Stena Scotia, see related coverage. The 1,692 lane metre capacity vessel which incidentally served the Irish Sea returned to familiar waters initially to cover sister Stena Hibernia when drydocked in Harland & Wolff.

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Extra Freight Capacity As Stena Set to Introduce '4-Runner' Class to Belfast–Liverpool Service

#FerryNews - Responding to growing market-led demand, Stena Line is planning to upweight its freight capacity on the busy Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead) route this month.

The operator will initially deploy the 3,000 lane metre Stena Forerunner, before replacing it with a similar ship early in 2019. At which point the Stena Forerunner will return to service in the North Sea, where Afloat adds a half sister Stena Carrier is currently operating, having called earlier this summer to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The planned deployment Afloat adds follows another freightferry Stena Scotia that has already transferred to the Irish Sea but onto the Belfast-Heysham route.

Stena Line’s CEO Niclas Mårtensson said: “Demand for freight capacity from Belfast continues to increase and we believe it is vital that Stena Line provides the necessary capacity and frequency to enable that expansion to flourish. Stena Line will continue to operate seven vessels on its three routes to and from Belfast serving Cairnryan, Heysham and Liverpool and the introduction of the Stena Forerunner will provide us with greater capacity and flexibility to service market demand.

Paul Grant, Stena Line Trade Director commented: “This latest investment by Stena Line yet again highlights our commitment to the freight market. This year we’re experiencing strong growth of 6% on our Belfast – Liverpool route. Future plans for the introduction of two new build ferries on this service during spring 2020 and early 2021, combine to demonstrate a significant long-term commitment to the region by Stena Line. Belfast is now firmly established as the preferred hub for Northern Ireland freight. Stena Line’s unique ability to offer reliability, frequency and choice of routes for the accompanied and unaccompanied segments from a single location is a big advantage for the freight industry.”

When Stena Line initially deploys the 210-trailer unit Stena Forerunner on the Belfast-Liverpool route it will increase weekly freight capacity on the service by almost 10%. They will replace it with a similar ship early in 2019 at which point the Stena Forerunner will return to service in the North Sea (where Afloat adds this ship is at present serving the route to Rotterdam).

Björn Petrusson, Stena Line’s Chief Commercial Officer, North Sea and Irish Sea commented: “Stena Line is actively seeking relief tonnage for the North Sea during this period as we are fully aware that a reduction in the number of ships, though temporary, is not the optimal solution for our customers there.”

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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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