NEWS BULLETIN - JANUARY 2007

NORMANDIE EXPRESS has been purchased by the company which is reported to be paying $38m  for teh vessel which has operated under charter from High Speed Catamarans of New Zealand.

A rescue helicopter from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose airlifted seven people to safety on Monday January 29 after an Irish fishing vessel sank off the Isles of Scilly.

Five of the seven strong crew of the Irish registered trawler Discovery from Castletownbere, County Cork, were able to scramble into a liferaft. But they could only watch helplessly as waves pushed them away from two men still in the sea, including the vessel's skipper Captain Noel O'Sullivan.

Although half filled with water and only partially inflated, Mr O'Sullivan and another crewman were forced to take refuge a second liferaft, for two hours.

With no time to don a survival suit for protection and knowing they were 150 miles west of the Scillies, he said that he soon began to despair.

However, the lives of the seven fishermen were saved in an international rescue operation 150 miles west of the Scilly Isles. The Coastguard and RAF Kinloss co-ordinated the rescue and scrambled two Royal Navy Sea King Helicopters from 771 Squadron who are based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall.

The seven saved in yesterdays mission brings the total number of lives saved or assisted by 771 Squadron to 40 people in 2007. A total of 180 lives were saved in 2006 with 6 of these on missions in January – so it’s been a very busy month for the squadron.

Most of the crew managed to find safety in their life rafts as their boat sank. However, the skipper and first mate spent two hours in the sea before being rescued. A large tanker the FRONT DEFENDER found the life rafts and managed to get the seven fishermen onboard. The first Navy helicopter on scene sent down a crewman to check out the fishermen medically. Once assessed, the team then winched the fishermen up into the helicopter and flew them back to Culdrose, near Helston.

Lieutenant Commander Martin ‘Oz’ Rhodes of 771 Squadron said: "This has been a very busy few weeks for the Royal Naval helicopters of

771 Squadron. When compared with the last 2 years, January 2007 has seen more than double the lives saved. This has predominantly been due to the extended period of bad weather, the growth in people visiting the area and the increase in appeal that Cornwall has for the more adventurous sports enthusiasts.

This combined with the large area that 771 NAS has responsibility for, ensures that the Squadron is kept busy and maintains the experience levels needed for the more demanding rescues, such as the MVC Napoli, that we sometimes encounter."

STENA LINE

HSS STENA DISCOVERY is laid up at Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Given that some appropriate fenders etc have been installed it appears to be her fairly long-term lay-up location.

HSS STENA EXPLORER took up service on the Belfast - Stranraer service on Tuesday January 30 releasing HSS STENA VOYAGER for dry docking at Harland and Wolff. STENA VOYAGER is due back in service on the Belfast - Stranraer route on February 20.

STENA ADVENTURER - last sailing before dry docking 08:30 from Dublin on Friday February 02. She resumes service with 21:15 Dublin to Holyhead sailing on February 05, 2007.

WORLD SHIP SOCIETY

Three Rare Opportunities to Sail Aboard TSS THE TOPAZ (ex EMPRESS OF BRITAIN)

PeaceBoat has made available to WSS members three segments of the ship’s upcoming World Cruise:

• Venice, Italy to Bridgetown, Barbados via Casablanca, Morocco and Las Palmas, Canary Islands:  April 11, 2007 to April 27, 2007; double cabin rates from $2,300 p.p; single cabins from $2,800.
• Barbados to Acapulco, Mexico via La Guaira, Venezuela; Cristobal, Panama; Panama Canal transit; Acajutla, El Salvador: April 27^th to May 10^th; double cabin rates from $1,800 p.p; single cabins from $2,200.
• Acapulco to Vancouver, Canada direct: May 10^th to May 18^th; double cabin rates from $1,300 p.p; single cabins from $1,600.

Note:  All rates are cruise only and include port taxes and gratuities; airfare is additional; four-berth cabins for shared occupancy are available at reduced rates.

THE TOPAZ is one of the last classic steamships in passenger service.  She has had a storied career that includes service as a transatlantic liner, part-time cruise ship, full-time cruise ship, and missionary ship.  She entered transatlantic service in 1956 as Canadian Pacific’s EMPRESS OF BRITAIN and later sailed as Greek Line’s QUEEN ANNA MARIA, Carnival’s CARNIVALE and FIESTA MARINA, and Epirotiki’s OLYMPIC.  While much of her has been redecorated over the years, her layout is quite original and traces of her Canadian Pacific paneled, brass, and etched glass interiors abound. 

As THE TOPAZ, she now sails for the Japan-based PeaceBoat, an organization committed to peace, human rights, sustainable development and the environment.   The majority of her passengers hail from Japan and cuisine is generally oriented towards Japanese tastes.  Although life onboard is conducted primarily in Japanese, many staff are multi-lingual and knowledge of Japanese is not necessary.

Preparations are under way to lift off more than 2,000 containers from the cargo ship MSC NAPOLI as she lists heavily a mile off Sidmouth, Devon. Specialist crane barges are expected alongside the vessel and will lift off the containers in an operation which could take several months.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has warned scavengers they face arrest if they take goods that wash up ashore.

The RSPCA said many oil-covered birds it had found could die. Meanwhile, salvage teams are continuing to pump out 3,500 tonnes of oil from the ship's fuel tanks. So far more than 1,700 tonnes of fuel oil has been pumped into awaiting tanker.

The containers, which are holding many goods from BMW motorcycles to nappies, as well as fuel oil, will be lifted off in priority order.

Mark Clark, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokesman, said of the task of removing the containers: "It's a bit like a game of jenga because you have to remove all the items very, very carefully without everything else falling."

A group of maritime and local history enthusiasts are proposing to purchase the Weaver Packet JAMES JACKSON GRUNDY and return her to to a berth alongside the Salt Museum in Northwich, Cheshire to commemorate the heritage of her local builders Yarwoods, her original owners ICI and the town itself and River Weaver. She would not just be a static exhibit but would also sail on the Mersey and the Weaver with exhibitions.

JJG was completed in 1948 as the first of eight motorised packets for ICI to carry its salt and chemical products down the Weaver to ships loading in Liverpool and Birkenhead. When the trade ceased, she was sold in 1980 to Northwich Sea Cadets as their HQ ship & renamed TS WITCH.

In 2001 she was sold her present owners who have restored her to full working order and she in presently berthed in Liverpool.

An Appeal Fund has been launched and a Committee formed. The project already has the support of the Salt Museum and of several organisations associated with the Weaver Valley Partnership. Further details can be found on their website www.jjgrundy.org.uk

The recent decision by Cork Swansea Ferries to suspend its Cork/Swansea service in 2007 was strongly condemned by county councillors this week, who asked for more answers as to how the company apparently sold their existing ferry before they had found one to replace it.

Numerous councillors speaking at this Monday's council meeting suggested that there is much more to this story than meets the eye and, at their behest, acting county manager Theresa White agreed to ask Cork Swansea Ferries for some answers.

Councillor Jim Daly, who raised the issue, described the ferry as "the direct route to the heart of holiday Ireland", and highlighted numerous incidents of neglect of county Cork by tourism support services.

There is no tourism officer for West Cork at the moment, he pointed out, and West Cork has no representative on a newly formed board dedicated to promoting tourism in the south of Ireland.

Councillor Tom Sheahan termed the ferry service "absolutely vital" for tourism throughout the county and councillor PJ Sheehan said: "The 12 months suspension will put some of the major tourist centres in the Cork/Kerry area under severe financial pressure. Any few ferry tourists that are coming to Ireland will now be forced to come into Rosslare and Dublin."

Responding to the announcement by the company, tourism minister John O'Donoghue has said that the ferry accounted for just 3% of tourist numbers to the area - a figure vehemently disputed this Monday by the councillors who live in the area.

"That is a ludicrous statement to make," Mr Sheehan said. "There are three or four hundred cars coming off of every ferry. Farming and fishing are bedevilled with red tape and bureaucracy and, now, our last natural industry is under threat."

A number of councillors, including Tomas Ryan, recalled the intervention a number of years back by the local authorities in Cork and Swansea when the ferry service was previously under threat. Then, the local authorities got the company on its feet and handed it back.

The agreement at the time was that the council would be kept informed of any difficulties, Mr Ryan pointed out.

"It's a crying shame that this was allowed to happen. "The plight of the Munster fans - who regularly pack the service after all flights are full - travelling to Welsh fixtures was highlighted by councillors John Mulvihill and Liam O'Doherty. Councillors Kevin Murphy described the board's actions as "grossly irresponsible" and councillor Alan Coleman said: "This was a commercially irresponsible decisions; having sold the boat they then created the impression that they had another boat in place. As late as Christmas they told the port of Cork that they had another boat in place."

Councillor Michael McGrath described the actions of the board as "a cock-up of major proportions" and noted: "I do get the sense that we haven't got the full picture." Minister for Health Mary Harney is apparently no longer responsible for issues of health, Councillor Noel Buckley said; Noel Dempsey, the Minister for Communications, hasn't any responsibility for the closure of post offices and, now, the Minister for Transport seems to have washed his hands of this issue.

Ms White promised to contact her counterparts in Cork city and in Swansea and to investigate the matter further. [The Corkman - January 25, 2025].

Swansea Cork Ferries bosses are promising the service will be back next year. They pulled the plug on it earlier this month after failing to find a new vessel for the route.

The move will cost both areas millions in lost income. But the company insists it remains determined to acquire a suitable ship so it can come back strongly in 2008.

"We are actively pursuing a new vessel in time for the 2008 season," said a company spokesman.

However, he ruled out the possibility of any early purchase leading to a resumption this year. "The reality of the situation is that it is too late for 2007," he said.

Any purchase would have to be accompanied by a planned new marketing strategy. He insisted, though, that every avenue would be pursued to make next year a reality.

The company says it has also been encouraged by the involvement of bodies such as Swansea Council and the Assembly in moves to get the venture back up and running again. Both have expressed concern at the service's demise and the loss of 30 jobs.

"The fact they are showing interest is very important to the company," said the spokesman.

A Swansea Council spokesman said: "We are liaising closely with our partners in the Assembly and are making every attempt to convene a meeting with the ferry company to explore how we can support them and ensure that the service returns as soon as possible."

An Assembly spokesman said: "We are in communication with management of Swansea Cork Ferries to discuss how we can help over the job losses."The sudden announcement that the company had been unable to buy a replacement vessel for the mv Superferry, which had come to the end of the line, sent shock waves through local communities.

The service was launched in 1987 and carried more than three million passengers over the years.

The company took the Superferry out of commission, saying it was past its best and had limited freight capacity.

Their plans to replace it in time for the 2007 season - due to start on Friday, March 16 - foundered when negotiations to buy a replacement ship collapsed over Christmas.

Fears over the future of the route were first raised last August when the company announced it was ending the 2006 season early and selling its only ship. [South Wales Evening Post - January 27]

Irish Ferries has purchased a newer, more luxurious Passenger/Ro-Ro cruise ferry which will replace their present vessel `Normandy' on the Ireland - France routes. Currently operating under the name m/s `Kronprins Harald', the vessel was bought from Norwegian ferry operator Color Line. The total cost will be €45million, including modifications and delivery.

Under an arrangement reached, the ship will remain in operation with Color Line on charter until the end of Summer 2007. Irish Ferries expects to take delivery of the vessel in October `07 after which some modifications will be made to adapt it for use in the company's area of operation and prior to her entering service out of Rosslare before the end of the year, operating under a new name which is yet to be decided.

Built in Turku, Finland in 1987, it has operated on the Oslo - Kiel route facilitating the overnight cruise market with which it has built a strong reputation.

Built to very high standards and maintained in excellent condition, the vessel represents what Irish Ferries describe as `outstanding value' in terms of the quality and range of on-board facilities.

Marketing Director, Tony Kelly said, "Bigger, better and faster than the vessel it will replace, with greater car and freight capacity, more berths and a wider choice of stylish cabin accommodation, our latest acquisition will bring new standards of comfort and luxury to our long established Ireland – France service"

At 31,914 gross registered tonnes, the `Kronprins Harald' is substantially larger than the `Normandy'. With sleeker lines and excellent sea keeping qualities, it will have a faster speed of 21.5 knots delivered by four more powerful engines.

With eleven decks, it will carry up to 1,458 passengers and 580 cars - an increase of 160 cars / 40%. Its extra vehicle lane metres (1,220 versus 645) will be reflected in significantly greater freight vehicle capacity ( 62 units versus 43 ). Other good news for car and freight drivers alike is the fact that cars will have their own deck separate from the freight deck.

Comfort-wise, the `Kronprins Harald' has a larger number of berths (1,376 versus 1,126) and a vastly greater number of 4-berth family cabins ( 252 versus 83 ). Cabins are significantly more spacious and include deluxe five-star suites and some specially adapted for the disabled.

All cabins are situated on the upper decks high above the water line. Each will come with en suite shower and toilet facilities and most have their own television and bureau – comfort features that Irish Ferries believe will be a major advantage in marketing the service.

Other facilities on the vessel include waiter and self- service restaurants, cafés, lounge bars, top deck open-air bar, night club, children's play areas, conference suites and meeting rooms, cinema and shopping area.

With France still ranked as one of Europe's top holiday destinations - and with the increasing cost, delays and inconvenience being experienced by air travellers - Irish Ferries is anticipating a swing back to motoring holidays which this vessel is geared to accommodate.

Similarly, Irish Ferries believes that this vessel will also deliver an increased tourism dividend for Ireland, particularly from French, German and other Continental visitors. It will help deliver over €70 million of direct and indirect benefit, particularly in regions outside Dublin where own-car tourists are crucial to the local economies. This will be a significant element of the estimated €500 million in tourism-related benefit alone which the Irish Ferries' route network brings to the Irish economy each year.

In their drive to increase carryings, Irish Ferries will compete with an attractive range of travel packages that will utilise the additional capacity, superior accommodation and cruise-style features of the vessel.

Irish Continental Group plc, has announced that P&O European Ferries Ltd ('P&O') has exercised its option to extend the charter of the 1986 built cruise ferry PRIDE OF BILBAO from October 15, 2024 to 15th October 2010. P&O retains one further option to extend the charter from 2010 to 2013. P&O have also extended the charter of the KAITAKI (ISLE OF INNISFREE) until 2010 which is currently subchartered to Toll Shipping (Interisland Line) of New Zealand.

NORMANDY - It is no secret that the company intends to replace the vessel this year. The following report appeared in the Irish Times this week:

For many it brings back memories of 17 hours sharing a grotty cabin en route to a family holiday in France. However, this may not be the case for much longer as Irish Ferries gets ready to replace the 25-year-old MV Normandy, and those unwilling to fly may soon be making the trip across the Celtic Sea on a modern ship with up-to-date facilities.

Earlier this week Irish Continental Group (ICG), owner of Irish Ferries, said rival operator P&O had exercised its option to extend the charter of the second of two ships, the Pride of Bilbao, leased out to the company until 2010. This, combined with another agreement reached late last year, is expected to generate about ?10 million for the company, as well as paving the way for the sale of the Normandy.

Tony Kelly, marketing manager for Irish Ferries, said that now the chartering issue was out of the way, ICG would be looking at how to improve its Ireland to France offering.

According to some, such an action would be best served by replacing the vessel altogether - something that is expected to take place later this year. Known for its outdated and tatty furnishings, crowded communal areas and industrial catering, the Normandy last year carried 200,000 passengers between Rosslare and either Roscoff or Cherbourg.

During any 12-month period the ship covers about 75,000 miles, meaning that in the nine years it has been operating on the route is has covered about 675,000 miles.

At 25 years old it is no longer the youngest of ships and with increased competition from low cost airlines and other ferry operators, analysts believe Irish Ferries needs to do something to improve its offering. The group in September reported a 10 per cent decline in passengers, a trend that has been troubling the company for a while.

However, ICG is unlikely to purchase a new ship to replace the Normandy as shipyards are currently busy and such a commission would take too long.

Instead it is expected to buy a second-hand vessel at a total cost of about €30 million following the sale of the Normandy, which will fetch between €15 and €20 million. Selling it should not be a problem, as demand for such ships is high in the Far East, where they operate until they are about 50-years-old, compared with 30 in Europe.

The Ulysses, which ICG bought in 2001, cost just under €100 million. A night operating ship such as the Normandy would cost significantly more.

ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY

DOUGLAS HARBOUR - NOVEMBER 2006 TRAFFIC FIGURES

Passenger figures compiled by the Harbours Division for November 2006 at 25,990 show a 23.1% increase on the figure for the same period in 2005 which was 21,108.

The year to date figure at 562,696 passengers shows a 1.2% decrease over the same period in 2005 which was 569,738.

During November, car and motorcycle traffic through Douglas Harbour increased by 16.1% from 7,331 vehicles to 8,511 vehicles.

The year to date figure at 161,560 vehicles shows a 1.2% decrease over the same period in 2005 which was 163,453.

Scheduled Routes show the following changes in passenger numbers for November:-

MARITIME & COASTGUARD AGENCY

MSC NAPOLI - the container ship abandoned by her crew during Thursday's storm has been beached off in Lyme Bay off Branscombe, Devon. The ship had been abandoned by her crew off Cornwall in appalling conditions when she began to show signs of structural failure. The crew of 26 were rescued by Royal Navy helicopters operating from RNAS Culdrose.

It had been planned for salvage tugs to tow the ship to Portland Harbour. However, deteriorating weather conditions and worsening cracks in the ship's hull which has started to settle at the stern has led to the decision to beach the vessel and ballast it down off Branscombe, east of Sidmouth.

PENINSULAR & ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY

EXPRESS - charter of the Incat fast craft from Los Cipreses SA has been extended to 2010. Her scheduled service for 2007 commenced on March 15, however, she will be operating a number of special sailings in connection with the Scotland v Ireland Six Nation Rugby Game [Click Here] Sailings are ex Larne March 09 at 11:00 and March 11 at 08:00 and 16:30 and  ex Troon at 09:00 on March 09 and 12:00 and 17:30 on March 11.

EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER & EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY - P&O Irish Sea have cleaned up in this year's 'Loo of the Year' Awards, collecting three top accolades for their restroom facilities and cleaning services on their Cairnryan to Larne service.

They receiving a five star accolade for standards of cleanliness and hygiene on board both the European Highlander and European Causeway superferries and won a second award in the National category for Land Sea and Air. To round things off they received the prestigious National award for Northern Ireland Attendant of the Year (Internal cleaning team)

The annual Loo of the Year Awards competition, established in 1987, is designed to encourage the provision of higher standards of 'away from home' toilets in all non- domestic locations.

To ensure a constantly high standard of service an unannounced inspector visited the facilities in question to gain a true impression and ensure fair judgement. They were judged on a range of criteria, including signage and decor, fixtures and fittings and overall standard of cleanliness and management.

David Blair of P&O Irish Sea stated, "I am thrilled to receive our awards on behalf of all my colleges at P&O Irish Sea as recognition of our hard work and commitment to ensuring our customer's needs are fulfilled. "We take great pride in providing a high standard of service for customers travelling on board our superferries and are pleased our dedication has paid off. But we are not resting on our laurels and will continue to ensure that we provide that 'at home' service to all our guests".

PORT OF CORK

CONTAINER TRAFFIC SURGES AS PORT OF CORK CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN 2006.

The Port of Cork returned another impressive performance in 2006 with traffic reaching  10.3 million tonnes for only the third time in its history. This is the first time ever that the Port has recorded traffic in excess of 10 million tonnes for 2 years in a row. The star performer was the port’s container traffic which grew by 10.6 % increasing from 167,000 TEU’s to a record 185,000 TEU’s. Commenting on this magnificent performance, Dermot O’Mahoney, Chairman, Port of Cork Company said that he was very pleased that the Port had again handled over 10 million tonnes of cargo in 2006 confirming Cork’s position as the premier Port on the south coast of Ireland.

The Port of Cork’s Tivoli Container Terminal is the second busiest in Ireland in terms of the number of containers handled. Last year 107,000 boxes were shipped through the terminal with most of the traffic passing through the mainland European ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Zeebrugee on services operated by BG Freightline, Eucon Shipping & Transport, Eurofeeder, Samskip, APL, Lys-line and X-press container line. Additionally, the Grimaldi-Euromed service offers weekly connections linking Cork with Scandinavia, North West Europe and the Mediterranean. The port continues to invest in facilities at our Tivoli Container Terminal to ensure a high level of service for customers at the terminal. 

Of the total throughput at the Port of Cork, oil traffic accounts for 57.3 % of cargos handled and in 2006 accounted for 5.9 million tonnes, the bulk of which is for Conoco Philips’ Whitegate Oil Refinery.

Non-oil traffic performed very well in 2006, showing an increase of 224,000 tonnes or 5.4 % when compared with the same period in 2005. Increases were recorded in commodities such as salt, cement, iron and steel scrap and ore concentrates. Imports of agri-products grew strongly during 2006, with cereals increasing by 20,000 tonnes to reach 158,000 tonnes and imports of animal feeds increasing from 522,000 tonnes to 652,000 tonnes.

The Port’s facilities for the importation of trade cars are used by Ford, Opel, Fiat, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Citroen, Chrysler and Skoda. The number of vehicles handled in 2006 reached 72,000 units, an increase of 16.4 % over the same period in 2005. Trade cars are handled at both Tivoli and Ringaskiddy.

The Port of Cork hosted a record number of cruise vessels in 2006 with 38 cruise ships visiting Cork Harbour. The visiting liners brought 33,000 passengers to the region to experience the many and varied tourist attractions on offer. The port completed an investment of €3.6 million in upgrading the Cobh Cruise Terminal in April 2006. This investment enabled passengers on the larger vessels to disembark in the picturesque town of Cobh. This project will make it possible for Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas – the biggest cruise liner to visit any Irish port, to call to Cobh on 3 separate occasions in 2007.

The port’s ferry traffic performed satisfactorily during the year despite continuing intensive competition from low cost airlines. Overall passenger traffic declined by 11.4% to 158,000 passengers while tourist cars reduced by 12.6 % to 47,000 vehicles. Dermot O’Mahoney expressed his disappointment that Swansea Cork Ferries had been unable to locate a replacement vessel for SUPERFERRY which was sold last October and he hopes that the ferry company will find an alternative vessel to enable sailings to resume on the Cork to Swansea route. Brittany Ferries’ will resume sailings on their Cork to Roscoff route on 31 March 2007.

Looking ahead to 2007, Mr. O’Mahoney said that the Port of Cork will continue to meet future challenges by maintaining the Port’s high level of facilities and services. Mr. O’Mahoney also stated that the Port would continue to offer competitive services by working in conjunction with stevedores and trade unions to ensure the availability of these services to Port users at very competitive rates. Finally, Mr. O’Mahoney stated that he would like to thank all the employees of the Port of Cork Company for their loyalty and commitment over the past 12 months.

The Swedish ferry company Stena Line is expecting to post a profit of SEK 525m ($77.3m) for 2006. The positive figure is mostly a result of increased passenger numbers in the fourth quarter, it said. It did not give a comparative figure for 2005.

In November it announced a modest 2% growth in freight volumes for the first nine months of 2006. Stena said its Irish Sea routes experienced the biggest growth of its European services with a 5% increase in freighttraffic. In total, its ferries carried 369,800 freight units over the Irish Sea in the January to September 2006 period.

HSS STENA DISCOVERY her departure from Hoek van Holland was delayed due to this week's storms. She is now expected to depart on January 21 around 20:00 and arrive at Belfast the following evening.

SWANSEA-CORK FERRIES

The repercussions of the decision of Swansea-Cork Ferries not to operate in 2007 continue. Council leaders in Swansea are being urged to work with the Assembly  to make sure there is a ferry to Cork this year. The Swansea-Cork Ferry Company last week announced it would not be running the service to Ireland in 2007.

Assembly members have been working with their political counterparts in Ireland to try to persuade the firm to reinstate the service. Plaid Cymru group leader Darren Price says he hopes a deal can still be done.

He added: "The news is a huge blow not only to those who have lost their jobs, but also to the Swansea tourism sector and economy. "I do hope the council, in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly Government, will enter talks with the company and the Irish Government in trying to ensure the service is reinstated as soon as possible. "Swansea cannot afford to lose yet another service." [COMMENT: As the withdrawal of the service has been due to the unavailability of a vessel - it is difficult to understand how the politicians can resolve the situation unless they know where a suitable ship is lying!]

The Cork Independent reported:

A number of parties have made representations to the Port of Cork, expressing their interest in reviving the Swansea Cork ferries route. According to a spokesperson for the Port of Cork, a number of third party individuals have already approached the offices on behalf of a number of unknown parties.

Provided these individuals have the provisions to operate the service and think it is viable, a new company could take over tile route in the near future. Despite speculation that Celtic Link Ferries are to revive the route, the company strongly denies that they have an interest in operating the service. The company already operates crossing from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Dublin to Liverpool and is soon to start operating a route from Cherbourg to Portsmouth.

A spokesperson for the company outlined yesterday (Wednesday, Janurary 17th) considering this already heavy load, that in the short term, Celtic Link Ferries will definitely not be adding a crossing from Ringaskiddy to Swansea to their schedule. Continuing he outlined the difficulty in obtaining a ferry which would be suitable for the crossing, considering the unique characteristics of Swansea port. "Maybe in a year or two we would consider taking on the route, but we'll need a ship first," he said adding, "right now, there are just no ships available."

The Kingdom Reported:

The Mayor of Killarney has slated the stance adopted by Tourism Minister, John O'Donoghue, following the shock loss of the Swansea-Cork ferry service which will have a devastating impact on Kerry tourism.

Cllr Sheila Casey, who works in the tourism industry, has called on the government to assist the company in either purchasing or leasing a ship for the 2007 season.

And she criticised what she termed "the dismissive attitude" of Minister O'Donoghue who said the service represented no more than three per cent of overall tourism business in the area.

Mayor Casey described his comments as being well off the mark. "What he said was an insult to the staff on the Swansea-Cork Ferries and also to the people of Kerry and Cork," she blasted.

"This is not a question of a company looking for state aid - that is not the issue. This will have a huge impact in the Kerry and Cork region as the service was one of the key means of access to Kerry and West Cork," the mayor stated.

"This will now mean that British visitors will now use the Rosslare service and the east coast would be the beneficiary while Kerry and Cork would lose out," she said.

Mayor Casey said the ferry service is estimated to be worth between €35 million and €60 million a year to the local economy in Kerry and other parts of the south west.

"If this service is lost for 2007, it will be very difficult to restore in 2008," she stressed. "The government must act now if confidence in the route is to be maintained and before damage to the reputation of the operating company becomes irreparable," Cllr Casey added.

UNITED STATES NAVY

USS MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL  The commanding officer of a US submarine has been formally reprimanded after two sailors were killed in an incident off the Devon coast.
 
Edwin Ruff, commander of the USS MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL, has received a punitive letter of reprimand from the US Navy after the fatal accident on December 29.
 
Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas Higgins, aged 45, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Holtz, aged 30, died as the submarine set sail from Plymouth.
 
They were washed off the deck of the 362ft submarine by heavy seas. Two other sailors were also swept into water but survived.
 
Lieutenant Chris Servello, a spokesman for the Navy's Sixth Fleet, said Rear Admiral Jeff Fowler had ruled that the punishments were necessary.
 
The submarine's executive officer Lieutenant Commander Peter Young. has also been reprimanded. Charges were considered but dismissed against three other sailors - two officers and a chief petty officer.
 
 "The facts of the investigation led the admiral to determine non-judicial punishment was warranted," Lt Servello said.
 
A US Navy captain with submarine experience has been appointed to lead a preliminary investigation. Findings from a second, safety investigation designed to avoid future risks have not been released.
 
The US Navy has also not disclosed what specific actions or lack of actions led to the reprimands.
 
Lt Servello said: "The team reviewed the incidents of the day, looked at the weather, interviewed crew members and witnesses in Plymouth harbour, then reported their findings to the admiral".
 
A punitive letter of reprimand is a fault-finding document. Non-punitive letters of reprimand note a deficiency, but are not considered punishment.
 
Earlier this month a file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
 
However, the CPS has decided that all investigations into the deaths of the sailors will be carried out by the US authorities and the US military.
 
The accident happened while a British pilot - who manoeuvred the vessel through Plymouth Sound - was being transferred from the submarine to a smaller ship.
 
All four men, who were on safety lines, were plucked from the rough seas by British personnel from escort vessels and by US sailors aboard the submarine. They were taken to Derriford Hospital, where Higgins and Holtz were declared dead. [Western Morning News].

The company has announced that the second vessel due for the Dublin - Liverpool service is expected to arrive in Dublin on Thursday January 18, 2007. The new ship CELTIC SUN (ex MEDITERRANEAN TRAILER, CARMEN B) has a capacity of 110 trailers and 12 drivers.

The first sailing of the new Cherbourg to Portsmouth service operated by CELTIC MIST is expected to take place early in February. It had been intended to commence operations on January 15, however, the launch has been delayed due to the need for it to be inspected by the British and French authorities.

CELTIC MIST has been extensively refitted by Jay Management in Piraeus. The 1987-built, 23,160 gt ro-pax vessel was formerly the DFDS-owned KLAIPEDA. She has been fitted with new cabins and other hotel  facilities to allow it to carry up to 190 passengers compared with 12 previously.

The vessel, which will have capacity for 120 freight units, will make one round trip daily, leaving Cherbourg at 23:30 hrs to arrive in Portsmouth at 05:30 hrs and returning from Portsmouth at 14:30 hrs from Sunday to Friday and 09:30 hrs on Saturdays.

Celtic Link, is owned by the O'Flaherty brothers, best known for their Saltees Fish business at Kilmore Quay in Co Wexford.

PRIDE OF BILBAO - P&O is expected to be made its intentions clear within the next few weeks on whether it will retain the vessel. The charter from Irish Ferries ends in October and the company has to be given notice if P&O decides not to retain it.

TAX PAYER FOOTS THE BILL

It appears that the Irish taxpayer is to contribute €4.3 million towards the cost of Irish Ferries making over 500 Irish seafarers redundant last year and replacing them with lower-paid workers from Eastern Europe.

The payment is due to the company under the statutory redundancy rebate scheme, which allows employers to reclaim a portion of their redundancy payments to workers.

In its most recent accounts, Irish Ferries stated that the redundancy package cost the group €29.1 million net of the Exchequer rebate, which it estimated at €4.1 million.

However, the decision to pay the company's claim was delayed for almost a year as the matter was referred to the Attorney General's Office to decide whether the redundancies were genuine within the terms of the relevant legislation.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said the decision to pay the rebate was made on the basis of fact and law after consideration by the Attorney General's office. A spokesperson added that there was no scope for Ministerial discretion.

The President of SIPTU, Jack O'Connor, said that he was disgusted but not surprised by the decision. 

He said that when push came to shove in a dispute between employers and workers, he would never be in any doubt about which side the present Minister, Micheál Martin, would come down on.

If the redundancies had been found not to be genuine, former employees could have faced a massive tax bill, because their redundancy payments would have been treated as ordinary income.

P&O Irish Sea, 'Irish Sea Shipping Line of the Year 2006', is increasing capacity on the company's Dublin Liverpool service from late February 2007.

Charlie Greene, General Manager Republic of Ireland, making the announcement comments: "Since we introduced MV Triumph on the route in July 2006, the increase of business has been significant and we have already reached capacity on the current vessel. To ensure that we continue to satisfy customer demand we are introducing the larger MV GLOBAL FREIGHTER in February, enabling us to almost double current capacity on mid afternoon sailings from Dublin"

P&O Irish Sea enjoyed an 8% growth in traffic between Dublin and Liverpool in 2006 and expect that 2007 will continue to see growth on a route that has a good reputation for service and reliability.

Charlie Greene adds: "We are keenly aware that all our existing and new customers value quality and frequency of service, and more than ever require the ability to fully utilise their equipment. We believe that the introduction of the GLOBAL FREIGHTER to run alongside our popular RoPax vessels NORBAY and NORBANK will represent an effective service offering, which will satisfy our customer demands on the Dublin - Liverpool route."

The incident happened as the HSS was leaving Belfast on the 22:10 sailing for Stranraer, and involved a portside collision with the berth, causing the door to fall off into the water.

Stena then called upon marine salvage experts and divers to retrieve the door from the bottom of the harbour.

In the meantime, the vessel was fitted with a spare door, and Stena said repair work was expected to take two days.

A spokesman for Stena Line said: "An investigation into how this occurred is now underway.

"At no time was there any risk to the safety of passengers who disembarked and were accommodated on an alternative ferry sailing. "Remedial work is now in progress to enable the Stena Voyager to resume service as quickly as possible."

The company sold the 35-year-old vessel last October, primarily because of advanced age, and has not found any replacement. Swansea Cork Ferries was established in 1987, following the withdrawal of the B and I sailing service from Cork. Since then, it has carried more than three million passengers.

Fine Gael Deputy Jim O'Keeffe, said the news was unexpected and would deal a crushing blow to tourism generally, but especially to the West Cork region. "I wonder did Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue know about the difficulties facing the company? I am now calling on the minister to make a full statement on the matter and I would especially like to know what steps the minister intends to take to solve this crisis," Mr O'Keeffe said.

Mr Conor Healy, chief executive Cork Chamber of Commerce, said the service had contributed greatly over many years to the success of tourism in the Cork region.

"This will cause a major upset to our tourism economy especially at a time when there are renewed efforts to promote tourism in the Cork region," he said.

Every effort should be made by those in authority to ensure there was a resumption of the service as quickly as possible, he said. The freight capacity limitations were also quoted by the company as a major inhibition on the growth of the business.

Swansea Cork Ferries said it started seeking a replacement vessel last October and had identified two vessels whose configuration suited conditions on the Wales- South West of Ireland route.

In November last, the company successfully bid for the purchase of a modern ferry for a consideration in excess of €30 million. The seller was unable to fulfil all of the sale conditions and the deal collapsed during Christmas week, the company stated yesterday.

Since then, Swansea Cork Ferries has made an unsuccessful bid for an alternative ship and has sought temporary charter arrangements, but to no avail.

"The service cannot proceed for the 2007 season and as a very regrettable consequence, 30 staff members will be made redundant. All company creditors have been discharged and any outstanding accounts will be paid in full," the company stated.

The company spokesman said the decision to suspend the service was taken with great regret.

Going anywhere on a cold winter's day can be an effort. Perhaps that  is why a pair of Turnstones have decided to hitch a lift on a ferry each day rather than fly across an estuary.

The birds, named Fred and Freda, seem unwilling to fly the three miles from their roost in Falmouth, Cornwall, to their feeding ground at St Mawes, even though they migrate long distances.

The non-paying passengers regularly join the first ferry from the Prince of Wales Pier, Falmouth, at 8.15am and reappear at St Mawes Harbour in time for the last return crossing at 3.45pm.

John Brown, skipper of the Queen of Falmouth ferry, said. "If the winds are light they travel on the bow and if the weather is bad they come in and shelter on the top deck."

He added that he was "100 per cent certain" that the birds were the same ones. Turnstones (Arenari interpres) are mottled wading birds and breed in the Arctic.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said birds would do as little as they needed to do to obtain food. A spokesman said: "They are probably using the ferry as a high-tide roost and popping off to feed when it is near to the rocky shoreline."

P&O are chartering the GLOBAL FREIGHTER to replace the RR TRIUMPH on their Liverpool - Dublin route offering a significant increase in capacity. This is a Stena Searunner class of vessel.

A new link span for loading and unloading onto bigger roll on-roll off ferries is being installed.

Hard standing for another 150 trailers is on the way. Car parking and setting down and pick-up points are also getting an upgrade. "A lot of money is being spent," said port general manager Graham Maclean. "Almost from day one our new owners saw the potential for development at Heysham."

The port is now part of the Peel Group, operating within its Mersey Docks and Harbour subsidiary.

The link span - at 94 metres long with a 10 metre wide carriageway - will be the biggest in Europe. It replaces an existing 37-year-old facility. Meanwhile freight ferry firm Seatruck, which operates from Heysham to Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland, is considering a further boost for the port. The company is already committed to bringing in two purpose built ships -

'Heyshammax' ships specially designed to make maximum use of the facilities at Heysham. The two vessels - the CLIPPER POINT and CLIPPER PACE - are costing about £50 million together.

Trade is currently booming however with Seatruck temporarily running three vessels on the route. Now the firm is considering bringing a third 'Heyshammax' into permanent service.

"Irish Sea trade is growing rapidly," said Seatruck general manager Alistair Eagles.

Three new 'Heyshammaxes' would see company trade doubling to about 200,000 trailers a year. "If this goes ahead, it will be a major development and investment for us," Mr Eagles added.

Electronic toll collection on a bridge and ferry on the Devon and Cornwall border will not go public until at least the middle of January.

Teething problems with new electronic tags on Tamar Bridge and Torpoint ferries mean trials of the system are continuing longer than expected.

Managers had hoped to have the system ready for public use before Christmas. The £4m TamarTag scheme is replacing the 15-year-old system of discount vouchers for frequent users.

The system, which involves having tags on windscreens, will mean regular drivers using the routes are charged automatically as they cross.

Roadside equipment will detect the tags and debit a pre-paid account. About 400 tags are involved in the trial, with the roadside equipment just being operated on one bridge lane and one ferry.

Bridge manager David List said: "The whole point of the trial is to make sure the system is reliable enough to put it out to the general public.

"We have had a few issues at both the bridge and ferry locations which we want to refine. It's mostly software that has to be tweaked a bit to reduce the error level we have at the moment."

Mr List said the ferry tag reading operation saw the crossing operators pioneering the use of hand-held equipment for that type of technology.

ULYSSES is due to arrive in back at Dublin berth 49 around 17.30 - 18.00 and take up the Dublin - Holyhead route on Thursday January 04 @ 20.55.

ISLE OF INISHMORE will berth on 51a around 17.20 on Thursday 4th  January discharge a main deck stowage and sail to Belfast.