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NEWS BULLETIN - FEBRUARY
2007
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February 10 |
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CORNWALL FERRIES GROUP
ST MAWES FERRY
A spruced-up QUEEN OF FALMOUTH has taken to the
water after the St Mawes Ferry Company started the year with a new
sponsor and a new look.
A sponsorship deal between the ferry company
and the West Briton newpaper has resulted in a refit of the 57ft ferry,
which runs on a daily basis between Falmouth and St Mawes.
"She not only looks so much better, but will
also seem faster, smoother and not so noisy to our passengers," said
Garrick Royles, the ferry company's operations manager.
The QUEEN OF FALMOUTH, which averages eight
knots on the picturesque crossing, has had a new toilet, new shaft
system and propellers fitted, costing a total of £10,000.
Lisa Nicholls, assistant marketing manager at
the West Briton, said: "We are always trying to raise awareness of the
newspaper to local people and visitors alike and to make sure that we
are always at the heart of all things local.
"To sponsor the QUEEN OF FALMOUTH, which
provides a great commuter service for people living on the Roseland and
working in Falmouth, is maintaining our local connections and spending
money on a worthwhile Cornish service.
"On top of that, we thought to sponsor a ferry
rather than a bus or train was quite unusual."
The QUEEN OF FALMOUTH is a remarkable survivor.
She was built in 1937 to run excursions from Rothesay as the MAID OF
BUTE. She has since run from Fort William, then on the Firth of Forth as
the MAID OF THE FORTH, and then from Southend and Plymouth.
IRISH FERRIES
NORMANDY: A 36-year-old Lithuanian crewmember
of the Normandy ferry was airlifted to hospital on February 08.
The rescue operation took place off St. Anns
Head after the man reported feeling severe abdominal pains while en
route from Rosslare Harbour to Cherbourg.
An RAF rescue helicopter winched him up from
the Irish Ferries vessel at around 05:00, in high seas.
The crewman was reported to be to be in a
stable condition in hospital in Pembrokeshire.
The rescue disrupted the timetable and led to
the vessel arriving in Cherbourg at 03:00 on February 09. Departing
again at 04:00 she was due back in Rosslare at 22:00 on Friday February
09 in time to operate the 23:00 Rosslare to Cherbourg sailing.
However, forecast extreme weather conditions
and a 9m high swell off Land's End led to the cancellation of the 23:00
sailing on February 09 and the return 21:00 sailing to Rosslare on
Saturday February 10.
The next sailing scheduled on the route is the
17.00 hrs departure from Rosslare to Cherbourg on Sunday 11th
February,2007. The next sailing scheduled from Cherbourg to Rosslare is
at 21.00 hrs on Tuesday 13th February.
ISLE OF MAN STEAM
PACKET COMPANY
SEA EXPRESS I - remains in Cammell
Laird wet basin Birkenhead. There are various rumours doing the rounds
which suggest that she may or may not be repaired - depending on which
rumour one believes! Reading through various reports which have appeared
in the press and on line it is clear that despite perhaps one or two
claims to the contrary the crew performed well in a difficult situation.
The fact that everyone disembarked virtually unscathed being a tribute
to their professionalism.
EXPRESS - There are rumours that P&O's
Express may operate some services until SUPERSEACAT TWO is ready for
service. EXPRESS is currently refitting at A&P Falmouth.
KNOTT END FERRY
GOING NOWHERE ... AGAIN: The Fleetwood to Knott
End ferry at its berth. The boat has only seen six weeks' service since
it arrived 17 months ago
The much-troubled Fleetwood to Knott End ferry
has been hit with yet another problem - it does not like shallow water.
This is the latest damning setback for the
ill-starred boat which cost £350,000, but has only seen six weeks
service since it arrived 17 months ago.
Consultants who have done the latest series of
repairs to the boat have said it should operate in at least eight feet
of water to avoid more problems with silt clogging the propulsion system
Now Wyre Council has had to prepare a special
timetable to cope with the restriction. They say due to water levels the
service will be affected on a couple of occasions each month. But Over
Wyre county councillor Bob Mutch fears many more postponements. He said:
"With that stipulation, with that amount of water, it isn't even going
to be a half service.
"I used to travel to work on the old ferry and
it had to be sand almost all the way across before they would stop.
"It will be a non-starter with that engine.
They're only going to have the same problem. I'm disappointed with the
whole thing.
"The county council didn't consult with any
local people and it has fallen back on them and will continue to do so.
"I can't think it will run a reasonable
service."
Coun Keith Tebbs, Wyre Council portfolio holder
for living economy, said he would be investigating what this would mean
for the service. Questions He said: "It will be going in my report to
full council next Thursday. I'm sure I'm going to be asked questions
about it, especially by the Fleetwood members."
A spokesman for Wyre said a report from
consultants Taylor Marine of Liverpool had indicated the boat needed an
absolute minimum of 1.2 metres (3.9ft) of water to float.
He added: "We were aware of that, but they
recommend that for the steering system to work efficiently and ensure
proper boat handling, the ferry should not operate where the water is
less than 2.4 metres (7.8ft) deep. "When the vessel is operated in
future that recommendation will be the bench mark. It means the boat
will not be able to operate when tides are particularly low.
"These times can be predicted and mean that a
couple of times every four weeks the boat will not be able to work
around 8.30 to 9am and 5.30 to 6.30pm.
"This information has been built into a
timetable which has been prepared by Wyre and is set to receive approval
from Lancashire County Council." The ferry has suffered because its
jet-propulsion system has not been able to cope with the muddy
conditions in the River Wyre. Grit has been sucked into the system,
bringing a series of expensive repairs. Including subsidies it has cost
£500,000 to put the boat in service in a deal which sees Lancashire
County Council and Wyre guaranteeing the service for the next 10 years.
[
Evening Gazette February 08, 2025]
MAERSK GROUP
SVITZER
WIJSMULLER A/S
The Competition Commission (CC) will require SvitzerWijsmuller A/S
to sell off one of the harbour towage operations in Liverpool, if it
goes ahead with the anticipated acquisition of Adsteam Marine Ltd.
In its final report published this week at
www.competition-commission.org.uk,
the CC has decided that the acquisition may be expected to result in a
substantial lessening of competition for towage services in Liverpool,
although it has not identified similar problems anywhere else in the UK.
This confirms the provisional findings which were published in
December last year. Svitzer Marine Ltd (Svitzer), the UK subsidiary of
SvitzerWijsmuller A/S, operates 41 tugs and provides services in seven
port areas and at six terminals in the UK. Adsteam UK Ltd (Adsteam), the
UK subsidiary of Adsteam Marine Ltd, provides harbour and terminal
towage services in six of the UK's major deep-water port areas and their
adjacent waterways.
Liverpool is the only port where Svitzer and Adsteam currently
provide competing towage services.
NATIONAL MUSEUMS LIVERPOOL
TITANIC, LUSITANIA AND EMPRESS
The human cost of three terrible sea disasters
involving Liverpool-registered ships is explored in a new permanent
exhibition at Merseyside Maritime
Museum which opened on Saturday february 10, 2007.
Titanic,
Lusitania and the Forgotten Empress looks at the trio of
maritime catastrophes that shook the world between 1912 and 1915 –
including one which is now almost forgotten. There was appalling
loss of life in all three sinkings.
TITANIC became
probably the most famous shipwreck in seafaring history when she was
sunk by an iceberg on her maiden voyage in April 1912. More than
1,500 people died.
LUSITANIA
came close behind her in terms of notoriety as the luxury liner was
torpedoed by a German U-boat in May 1915 off Ireland – an event many
believe
eventually
brought the United States into the First World War. A total of 1,201
people died.
In between, the sinking of the EMPRESS OF IRELAND
following a collision in fog in May 1914 grabbed headlines but then
slipped from the collective memory. More than 1,000 died in the
disaster in the St Lawrence River, off Quebec, Canada. .
Fascinating exhibits, displays and films draw the
visitor into each tragedy, revealing details of personal suffering
as well as individuals surviving the wrecks.
Dr Alan Scarth, exhibition curator, says: “The
TITANIC and LUSITANIA displays have always been among the most
popular in the museum. When we relocated the exhibits we decided to
include the EMPRESS OF IRELAND which, in terms of loss of life,
almost
equalled the two better-known disasters.”
The original builders’ model of the TITANIC has been
moved into a new free-standing case which enables visitors to walk
around the 20 ft-long model for the first time
in many years.
This model was originally used to promote the White Star liner at
trade exhibitions and other public events.
Exhibits linked to the disaster include what is
believed to be the only surviving item of clothing worn on the night
of the disaster.
The white cotton apron belonged to Laura Mabel
Francatelli, who was among survivors in Emergency Lifeboat 1.
There
are personal items linked to some of the 90 TITANIC crew members who
came from Liverpool. William McMurray was a steward who lived in
Kensington, Liverpool. His
young
daughter May wrote him a poignant letter the day before the tragedy,
saying how much she missed him.
Thirty-year-old Fred Clarke, of Tunstall Street, Liverpool, was the
bass
violist in
the legendary orchestra which played Nearer My God To Thee
as the great ship went down. None of the musicians
survived.
Other
personalities involved in the TITANIC disaster were Captain Edward
Smith, who
lived
in Crosby, and chief officer Henry
Wilde,
also
from the city.
Leslie
Morton, aged 18,
originally
from Birkenhead, was the lookout on the LUSITANIA who first saw the
torpedo heading for the liner. Both he and his 19-year-old brother
Clifford survived the sinking.
Captain William Turner stayed on the stricken ship
until the end but survived and lived on in Crosby. LUSITANIA
exhibits include a cushion from the 1st class smoking
room, a deckchair and personal possessions.
Captain Henry Kendall of the EMPRESS OF
IRELAND, who lived in Blundellsands, had been in the news before. In
1910, as captain of the MONTROSE, he spotted fugitive murderer Dr
Crippen trying to flee with his mistress Ethel le Neve. The story
goes that Crippen put a curse on Kendall for his role in the
killer’s arrest and the Empress disaster was the result.
Exhibits include a blanket in which junior second
engineer Robert Brennan was wrapped after being saved from the
wreck. There are souvenirs of the liner and a written report of the
sinking.
Fittingly, the display includes a
19ft model of the BERENGARIA, flagship of the Cunard fleet. She was
originally the German liner Imperator and was handed over to Britain
as part of war reparations – compensation for losses such as
LUSITANIA.
PENINSULAR & ORIENTAL STEAM
NAVIGATION COMPANY
JETLINER - the former Irish Sea fast craft is
now in service with the Sri Lankan Navy.
ROYAL NAVY
More than 11,500 jobs would be at risk in
the West Country if the Ministry of Defence made cuts at Devonport Naval
Base, campaigners warned last night.Details of the jobs body blow, which
would hit Plymouth badly and ripple throughout the Westcountry, emerged
as the campaign to save the Royal Navy base and neighbouring dockyard
stepped up a gear, by targeting other government departments and not
just the MoD.
The Ministry is weighing up
cuts or even a closure at one of its three bases in an effort to reduce
the running costs of its post-Cold War surface fleet.
Yesterday, politicians and economic leaders released a hard-hitting
document that said it made "no sense whatsoever" for
Plymouth
to suffer the most from the fallout.
If the fleet of Devonport-based battleships were to be reduced, the
region would require a substantial amount of recovery money from many
government departments, undermining Whitehall's aim of cutting costs.
Jane Henderson, chief executive of the South West Regional Development
Agency, said: "The Naval Base Review has the potential to impact not
just on Plymouth but on the wider region.
"Plymouth contributes some four to five per cent to the region's economy
(in the wider South West) and is planned to be a key contributor to
regional economic growth."
The Case for Devonport states that within the number of 11,500 jobs in
jeopardy, 5,000 would be service personnel, 1,950 would go at the naval
base, 2,700 would be lost at dockyard operator DML and 1,750 from
companies that rely on the military operations. Some commentators
suggest this is a soft estimate as a full closure would be have an even
greater impact.
It added that the region would be £225 million less well off every year
until replacement, well-paid jobs could be found.
The announcement by Defence Secretary Des Browne in September of the
in-depth review effectively triggered a beauty parade between Devonport,
Portsmouth and Faslane, near Glasgow. As the recognised home of
nuclear-powered submarines, the Scottish dockyard is likely to escape
the cull unscathed.
The Case for Devonport claims that the Westcountry remains one of most
impoverished regional economies in the UK, symbolised by Cornwall
continuing to receive massive handouts from the European Union. Parts of
Plymouth and Devon have also been lavished with aid.
As such, it argues that any cutbacks at Plymouth would fly in the face
of government departments committing hundreds of millions of pounds on
reviving the region.
It says reductions at Portsmouth would be cushioned by the buoyant South
East economy, the second most prosperous region in the country after
London.
Westcountry MPs, SWRDA and bosses of DML, the region's biggest private
sector employer, whose fortunes are inextricably linked to the future of
the naval base, will hammer home the message to all government
departments over the coming weeks.
Leading the rallying cry at the launch of the document, Tudor Evans,
leader of Plymouth City Council, said: "Before, our message was aimed at
the MoD, today it's aimed at every other minister in government,
particularly at the time of a comprehensive spending review.
"If they get behind Plymouth, there's more money for them to spend as
otherwise they'll have to spend it on propping up Plymouth. What better
time to tell the Housing Minister? What better time to tell the
Education Minister of the extra money they will have to spend on raising
the skill levels in Plymouth as a result of this decision?"
While a decision on whether any of the three dockyards will be closed or
cut back significantly is not expected until the summer, it is thought
the next six weeks will be crucial in making the case to ministers.
The Case for Devonport, which is supported by Cornwall and Devon county
councils, has so far stuck to the cold facts, resisting the emotional
argument favoured by Portsmouth which has played to its supposed "home
of the Navy" credentials.
Portsmouth has recently paid for a full-page advertisement in the MPs'
in-house magazine, underlining its naval heritage.
Though Plymouth can boast the largest naval base in Western Europe and
its own maritime heroes, regional leaders are keen to make the point
that scaling back operations in the Hampshire city as opposed to
Plymouth would save the taxpayer £75 million.
The report suggests it could take the region
more than a decade to recover from a reduction of the Devonport fleet.
[WESTERN MORNING NEWS - FEBRUARY 10
STENA LINE
STENA LINE EXPERIENCES INCREASE IN FREIGHT VOLUMES
The world’s leading ferry company Stena Line has published its
volumes for 2006, revealing a two per cent increase in freight
traffic compared to the previous year.
Although passenger volumes dipped by one per cent and non-freight
vehicles by two per cent, Stena Line CEO Gunnar Blomdahl is happy
with the company’s performance.
“We are pleased with our business in 2006, during which our
performance turned around in the latter part of the year following a
poor start,” said Gunnar. “In fact, passenger and vehicle volumes
were up one per cent in the last quarter of the year which is
encouraging.
“We had more, longer, dock maintenance periods in 2006 and we
changed the timetables on certain routes, which explains the slight
dip in private travel over the full year,” he continued.
Stena Line’s freight business has expanded in recent years and
progress was again seen in 2006. The greatest increases were on the
Karlskrona to Gdynia (+19 %), Dublin to Holyhead (+12 %), Rosslare
to Fishguard (+12 %) and Göteborg-Travemünde (+8 %) routes.
“Stena Line’s strength is in its combination of passenger and
freight business,” explained Gunnar Blomdahl. “This combination is
one of the reasons why our financial results for 2006 exceeded
expectations.
“When we invest in new vessels we focus on developing solutions that
suit both passengers and freight business. One example is our
investment of almost £300 MILLION in new Superferries from Aker,
with fully developed concepts for both freight and passengers,” he
said.
Stena line is constantly investing to stimulate travel and improve
quality. Such investments include the renovation and modernisation
of ferries in which the company has, in recent years, invested
almost £60 MILLION in restaurants, bars and cabins.
In
addition to modernisation onboard, the company continues to develop
its various services and products onboard and ashore. Two recent
examples include the opportunity for customers to connect to the
internet via WiFi on most ferries and the new EFP (Economy, Flexi
and Premium) pricing system that’s been developed to make it easier
for customers to book their ferry travel.
“We’ve come a long way with our development work in several areas
and in many ways we are a new Stena Line,” said Gunnar Blomdahl,
“but we will continue to invest in the business and develop products
and services onboard and ashore.
“Constantly renewing and thinking outside the box is crucial to
exceed customers’ expectations and to continue being an attractive
company with attractive products,” he concluded.
Volumes,
Stena Line January - December 2006
(figures in brackets represent the difference in per cent compared
to the same period in 2005)
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Passengers |
Vehicles |
Freight
units |
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Stena Line Scandinavia |
12 014 300 (-1%) |
2 181
600 (-2%) |
936 000
(+3%) |
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Stena Line Irish Sea |
3 040 100 (-1%) |
655 600
(0%) |
496 100
(+2%) |
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Stena Line North Sea |
805 300 (0%) |
153 200
(-4%) |
356 200
(0%) |
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Stena Line Total |
15 859 800 (-1%) |
2 990
400 (-2%) |
1 788
300 (+2%) |
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STENA SEAFARER departed from Camell Laird on Saturday
February 10. 2007.
VILLE DE BORDEAUX
The Airbus wing carrier recently reported on
charter to LD Lines is now reported on charter to the car carriers UECC.
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February 07 |
Acknowledgements: Gary
Andrews, Ian Collard and
"others" |
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GOUMAS SHIPPING
ALASKA RAINBOW
- which collided with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's SEA EXPRESS
I on Saturday February 03, 2007, berth at East Float late on Monday
February 05 after spending two days at the Bar anchorage following the
collision. A few scrapes and traces of what appeared to be SEI paint
were apparent on her hull.
ISLE OF MAN STEAM
PACKET COMPANY
TYNWALD - the former Sealink ANTRIM PRINCESS
has been scrapped in India under the name STELLA.
SEA EXPRESS I remains in the Cammell Laird wet
basin following her removal to the basin on Monday February 05. The
company issued the following press release on February 06:
Following the incident involving the Steam Packet Company vessel Sea
Express 1 at 11.40am on Saturday 03/02/07 all 53 vehicles have now been
removed from the ship. The Company will make every effort possible to
return vehicles to owners as quickly as possible.
The Steam Packet Company is actively seeking
to charter a replacement vessel which can be used on the Douglas to
Liverpool route until Superseacat 2 returns before Easter. At present
all passengers currently booked on the Douglas to Liverpool route have
been transferred on to the twice daily return crossings from Douglas to
Heysham on the MV Ben-my-Chree. All passengers affected will be
contacted directly by the company and coach transfers between Liverpool
and Heysham will be arranged for foot
passengers.
The company is fully cooperating with the
Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) which is investigating the
incident. No further comments about the specific details of the incident
can be made until the MAIB report has been completed.
MSC NAPOLI
The last
of the fuel oil from the stricken cargo ship MSC
NAPOLI was pumped off this week..
Officials said more than
3,500 tonnes of fuel oil had been pumped from the stranded ship's four
main fuel tanks, leaving them empty.
The final 400 tonnes are to pumped from the reserve tanks this week.
Tony Redding, spokesman for the Napoli's managing owners Zodiac, said
the operation to remove the fuel oil from the 62,000-tonne ship had
progressed significantly over last weekend.
"The vessel had been carrying 3,550 tonnes of fuel oil when it was
beached two weeks ago and by 8am Sunday, that had all been removed from
the ship's four main tanks.
"The two reserve tanks contain around 200 tonnes of fuel oil each and
will be pumped off on Monday morning, although it shouldn't take too
long to complete that task."
Mr Redding said operations to remove containers from the stricken ship
were also progressing.
The Napoli was carrying more than 2,300 containers when it was
deliberately beached to protect it from ferocious storms. More than 100
of them went overboard, with many washing up on Branscombe beach,
attracting thousands of bounty hunters to the area.
Last week, containers began to be unloaded from the stern of the Napoli
by crane barge before being transferred to a shuttle barge and taken to
Portland.
Mr Redding said: "Around 190 containers have now been craned off the
Napoli and transported up the east of the coastline to Portland."
Authorities have already speculated that the operation to remove all the
containers and deal with the listing vessel itself - whether to refloat
her or cut her up in situ - could take a year.
Meanwhile, the RSPCA has said some of the birds contaminated by oil from
the vessel could be released back into the wild by the end of the month.
The charity collected 988 birds in the wake of a spill from the vessel.
UPDATE -
FEBRUARY 07
Late on February 06 the salvors of the MSC
Napoli in agreement with the MCA moved the `Bigfoot barge back to
Portland Port and away from the vessel whilst there remains the prospect
of poorer weather and bigger sea swells in the immediate area of the
wreck for at least the next 72 hours.
The condition of the ship remains the same.
Pumping equipment is in place within the engine room and is now removing
the remaining oils from tanks within the ships engine spaces.
314 containers have been removed so far. Of the 69 safely removed
yesterday, 13 contained dangerous goods which remain a priority for
removal.
Robin Middleton, Secretary of States Representative in Maritime Salvage
and Intervention said
No further containers will be removed from the ship during the bad
weather. It is likely that more containers will be lost from the ship
during this bad weather. The oil removal operation will continue as long
as safety is not compromised.
Contingency plans remain in place right around the coastline and working
in close co-operation with all the local authorities and the Police and
Coastguard, any containers that may be washed ashore will be marked and
secured as soon as they arrive on the beach. Aerial surveillance flights
continue and these reconnaissance missions will also help us pinpoint
any missing containers.
Security officers are on standby in the various locations to identify
and secure any containers that may come ashore on behalf of the Receiver
of Wreck. It is vital that members of the public do not approach any
container or touch any contents but inform the appropriate authorities
immediately.
The normal arrangements in terms of recovery of wreck material through
voluntary salvage DO NOT APPLY in the case of the MSC Napoli. The reason
for this is that comprehensive salvage contracts have already been
placed by the owners of the ship (and the consignors) to recover all
items from the vessel, including those lost overboard and washed ashore.
If more containers wash up off the East Devon coast MCGA will ensure
with Devon and Cornwall Police that strategic points are manned to only
allow access for local residents and businesses.
PEEL PORTS
HEYSHAM
The new #1 linkspan has been installed
by the MERSEY MAMMOTH and should be in use by Monday, February 12.
WIRRAL WATERS
A giving a detailed over view of the proposed
redevelopment of the East Float and Vittoria Dock at Birkenhead can be
found at
www.wirralwaters.com. Broadband users can even take a virtual
reality boat ride through the complex. There will be a public meeting
with regard to the Wirral Waters development at the Lauries Centre,
Claugton Road, Birkenhead at 19:30 on Friday February 09, 2007.
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February 05 |
Acknowledgements: Gary
Andrews, Ian Collard and
"others" |
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IRISH FERRIES
NORMANDY departed Belfast shortly after 14:00
on Monday February 05 following her overhaul at Harland and Wolff. Her
overhaul had ran a few days longer than planned and as a result she will
now not resume Cherbourg sailings until Wednesday (She had originally
been due to return on Sunday. This was later revised to Monday - but now
the first sailing will be Wednesday)
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY
SEA EXPRESS I was moved from Prince's Landing
Stage on Monday February 05, 2005.
The 74m Incat was taken across the river by
tugs SVITZER BIDSTON, lead tug, accompanied by OAKGARTH and THORNGARTH.
The move commenced at around 10:30 and was completed by around noon. She
is now in the Cammell Laird wet basin at Birkenhead.
The company has announced that the Douglas -
Liverpool service is now suspended with all traffic being diverted via
Heysham. A coach will be available for foot passenger transfers.
COMPANY
STATEMENT:
Following the incident involving the Steam Packet Company vessel Sea
Express 1 at 11.40am on Saturday 03/02/ 07 the ship has now been
transferred to the Birkenhead wet basin by Svitzer-Wijsmuller Salvage
BV, a Dutch salvage company appointed to handle the salvage operation.
The vessel will remain
in the wet basin before being transferred to a suitable dry-dock for
repair.
All 274 passengers and
20 crew were successfully evacuated on Saturday, however 53 vehicles
remain on the vessel and it is expected that they will be removed from
the vessel later today. Every effort is being made to contact vehicle
owners today to update them on the situation.
The weekend passenger
ferry service between Douglas and Liverpool has been temporarily
suspended until a suitable replacement vessel for the Sea Express 1 can
be arranged. The twice daily return Douglas to Heysham service remains
in operation as normal, and can easily accommodate all normal passenger
demand.
Customers booked on the
Douglas to Liverpool route have been transferred onto the nearest
alternative Douglas to Heysham sailing or return. All passengers
affected will be contacted directly by the company. Coach transfers
between Liverpool and Heysham will be arranged for foot passengers.
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February 04 |
Acknowledgements: Gary
Andrews, David Fairclough, "RiverSpy" and
"others" |
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IRELAND - AMERICA DIRECT
SHIPPING LINK
North Atlantic
Trade and Transport Study launched in Belfast
31st January 2007
Lack of Direct
Sailings from Ireland
to North
America Leads
to Loss of Competitive Advantage for Irish Exporters North and South,
according to a new All Ireland
study.
· The study points
to the need for major ports investment.
· No Irish port able
to handle Trans-Atlantic ships.
· Irish Exporters
Association, call for the new NDP to be revisited, to allocate the
necessary funding for port expansion to handle larger ships.
Goods from Ireland,
the closest European land to North America,
must first go east to either British or Continental ports, because of
the lack of direct sailings from Ireland.
This is putting exporters from the Republic
of Ireland
and Northern
Ireland at a
competitive disadvantage according to Mr Joe Lynch, President of the
Irish Exporters Association.
Mr Lynch was
speaking in Belfast on January 31, 2025 at the launch of the North
Atlantic Trade and Transport Study which was commissioned by the
Institute of International Trade of Ireland.
According to Mr
Lynch, "the study concludes that a minimum 'guaranteed' cargo, necessary
to secure a direct call to Ireland
by ship, already exists. This fact, however, is not sufficient to secure
a direct call because none of the Irish ports have the necessary draught
and quay facilities to accommodate trans-Atlantic ships,"
The North American
market is of critical importance for manufacturing exporters in Northern Ireland
and in the Republic. Mr Lynch said that North America
accounts for 19% of the total value of merchandise exports and 13% of
imports in the Republic. For Northern Ireland
the percentages are remarkable similar with North America
accounting for 20% by value of merchandise exports and 14% of imports.
That makes North America the largest market outside the European Union
for Ireland as a whole, with trade last year of 35 Billion euros and one
with a high growth potential.
The current system
utilising feeder shipping lines primarily via Continental ports does not
meet the needs of Irish exporters and importers. Trans-shipment time via
Rotterdam
is now taking 17 days on average , double that of 5 years ago.
"The longer transit
time and additional costs associated, place Irish manufacturing firms at
a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis their competitors in Europe
and the UK,
who can avail of direct shipping services," said Mr Lynch.
"The situation is
expected to rapidly deteriorate , as ship sizes generally are increasing
past the capacity of Irish ports.'', he stated.
"Under these
circumstances it is quite unbelievable that the new National Development
Plan, the most extensive national plan in the history of the state,
failed to allocate any Exchequer funds for Port development".
The 480 million
nominally shown in the Plan , is stated to come from:
Ø raising port dues
levied on exporters and importers
Ø selling off port
assets
Ø joint - venturing
with the private sector
For an island nation
depending on it's seaports for 90% of its trade, this is a remarkable
omission. It is and even more remarkable omission in the context of a
Plan which sets out to support economic growth and sustainable
development over the decades ahead, and which it states can only be
implemented if the economy generates the necessary resources.
Mr Lynch further
stated;
'This is not
spending for spendings sake. It is expenditure which the ports generally
have not the wherewithal to make from their own resources, but is vital
if we are to secure the gains made by exporters and equip our ports to
face the challenges ahead and in particular underpin the future
competitiveness of our manufacturing export sector.'
Sir George Quigley,
Chairman of Bombardier launching the "North
Atlantic
Trade & Transport Study" said
"Successful
exporters and their host locations do not win their spurs easily.
Competitiveness- in all its multifaceted dimensions- is key. And one of
those dimensions is the efficiency with which exporters can connect with
their customers. Exporters on this island ought to be highly competitive
on this score so far as their North American customers are concerned.
Being on
Europe's
outer periphery and closer to North America,
we should have the edge over the rest of Europe.
But we are not able to capitalise on our geographical advantage because
there are no direct Lift on Lift off or Roll on or Roll off shipping
services from the Island
to North
America.
Everything has to be transhipped through a port in Great Britain
or on the continent."
"I am delighted that
the report published today identifies how that position might be
rectified as far as Roll on Roll off freight is concerned. That would be
particularly useful for Northern Ireland,
where much of the island's Roll on Roll of freight id generated.
"The Solution for
Lift on Lift off fright may be more difficult but, here again, the
Report provides very helpful pointers towards ways in which some of the
difficulties associated with current transhipment arrangements can be
mitigated"
"Even if it had done
nothing else, this study would have performed a key service by drawing
attention to the crucial significance of port development. There is
little point in fine tuning out internal infrastructure on the island
and neglecting the gateways which are simply indispensable for what must
become our increasingly deeper integration into the global economy"
Mr Lynch concluded
by saying that this study represents cross-border cooperation at its
best.
"A look at the
sponsors of the study confirms that no matter what part of this island
you call home that international trade is important," he said. The
sponsors and steering committee of the study were Bombardier Aerospace,
Dublin Port Company, Forfás, Inter-Trade Ireland, Invest Northern
Ireland, Port of Belfast, Port of Waterford, Waterford Crystal, PepisCo
and Diageo.
IRISH FERRIES
NORMANDY - the
17:00 sailing to Cherbourg on Sunday February 04, 2025 has been
rescheduled to 17:00 on Monday February 05. The rescheduling is due to
the NORMANDY being delayed in dry dock.
All bookings on Sunday's departure have been
transferred to Monday's sailing.
ISLE OF
MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY
SEA EXPRESS I [February
04 photographs] had regained a somewhat better trim, though
still significantly down by the starboard stern quarter on Sunday
morning. The ship having been in collision with the Greek bulk carrier
ALASKA RAINBOW the previous day.
The tug SVITZER BIDSTON had returned to
the stage to join fleet mate OAKGARTH. SEA EXPRESS I did not look to be
in quite such a precarious position as she had done on Saturday evening.
A salvage contract with Svitzer-Weismuller is understood to have been
agreed.
On Saturday it was understood that there
was to be an attempt to move her on Sunday morning, however, this did
not materialise and it could be up to mid week before a move is
attempted. At present all the dry docks at Cammell Laird are occupied.
During Sunday afternoon Yokohama fenders
were inserted between the ship and the stage to provide more space
for divers who were due to carry out an inspection during the early
evening at low water.
The starboard engine and jet room are
flooded and according to information received the vessel was lucky
to have remained afloat. On Sunday afternoon damage which is just
25mm above the waterline was being welded.
SEA EXPRESS I can only be moved in still waters and it is deemed too
dangerous to go in 'locks' due to possible contact damage which
could cause
engine room bulkhead failure.
Apparently thanks to prompt action of the tugs yesterday a
much greater mishap was avoided as there existed a danger that she
might have been carried upstream into the Twelve Quays river
terminal after all power was lost.
Irish Sea Shipping correspondent David Fairclough spoke
to two passengers on who had travelled on board Sea Express I on
Saturday February 04, 2007.
David writes:
"Chatting to two passengers on Sunday morning who had
been onboard conveyed again the panic onboard for a minute. The guy said
to me that the first hit was the bridge wing which knocked him off his
feet in the bar area, there were the sounds of scrapping metal and then
a second bump - presumably the hull gash. The life raft support on the
roof, at the rear of the bridge is bent over consistent with this.
He said people screamed, instinctively a lot of
people moved to the port side as she listed over to starboard, they
thought it would right her. A lady with a megaphone was crying as she
screamed "Don't panic", people helped themselves to lifejackets before
they were instructed to wear them as a precaution. He described it as
difficult to move to the port side due to the steep angle of the list."
STOP PRESS:
Information received suggests its quite a large hole perhaps in the
region of 6m x 2m.
LOUIS DREYFUS LINES
VILLE DE BORDEAUX which carries Airbus A380 wings from Mostyn
has been chartered until February 25 to operate between Rosslare
and Le Havre. The ship is jointly owned and operated by Louis
Dreyus and Leif Høegh.
MERSEY FERRIES
Whilst the damaged SEA EXPRESS I remains alongside
Prince's Landing Stage, Mersey Ferries services are suspended.
STENA LINE
STENA ADVENTURER is dry docking over this weekend at
Cammell Laird (Northwestern), Birkenhead.
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February 03 |
Acknowledgements: Gary
Andrews, Ian Collard, David Fairclough and
"others" |
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ARMADA
ARGENTINA
ARA LIBERTAD - The Argentine Navy sail
training ship is scheduled to visit Cork this June. SeaWaves Naval web
site shows her arrival on June 17, 2007.
PORT OF BELFAST
The Port of Belfast has published trade
figures revealing that 2006 was the Port’s busiest year ever, with
almost 17.5m tonnes of goods handled. The record performance was driven
primarily by a 9% jump in containerized traffic, accounting for an
additional 200,000 tonnes of cargo.
There were also significant increases in
several bulk cargo sectors such as steel (up 35%) and cement (up 30%)
reflecting the island’s buoyant construction sector. Paper products were
also up by 21% and animal feed / grain rose by 8%, increasingly
servicing customers in the Republic of Ireland.
In terms of quantity, the Port’s most
important trade remained Roll-Ro / Roll-Off freight traffic which
increased in 2006 to almost 4.6m tonnes.
Commenting on the figures, Joe O’Neill, the
Port’s Commercial Director said:
“In the past few years the Port of Belfast
has made very significant investments in dedicated facilities to handle
products such as steel, paper and animal feeds, attracting substantial
new trade and business to the Port.
“Containerised traffic, however, is likely
to be the strongest growing sector of the Port’s business over the long
term, reflecting the expansion of the global economy – particularly the
emergence of China as a major economic force and the continuing strength
of the Celtic Tiger.
“Last year Belfast handled an additional
12,000 containers - a significant proportion of which were generated by
businesses in the Republic of Ireland. Given that southern ports are
beginning to experience capacity constraints in this sector, the Port of
Belfast is well positioned to take up the slack.”
Not all aspects of the Port’s business,
however, grew in 2006. Although the numbers of freight vehicles and
passenger vehicles using ferry services operating from the Port
increased to over 650,000, there was a 2.5% decrease in ferry passengers
to just over 1.2m.
The amount of liquid bulk handled by the
Port also fell by 7%, largely due to other ports opening new bitumen and
refined oil facilities.
Mr O’Neill commented:
“Although overall passenger numbers have
decreased slightly Belfast is still Ireland’s busiest ferry port. The
number of vehicles carried by ferries grew and on some routes there was
actually an increase in passenger numbers. Indeed, concerns over the
environmental impact of aviation travel may help operators build upon
that trend.
“Plus, last year was the Port’s most
successful ever cruise season, with 28 ships calling with over 30,000
passengers and crew.
“2006 was a great year for the Port, but
this is and remains a highly competitive sector. The Port has identified
a number of major infrastructure investments as part of a £140m
programme over the next five years which we believe will maintain
Belfast’s position as the most efficient and modern port on the island.”
The
Port of
Belfast is the only port north of Dublin with the capability to
accommodate all types of traffic – Roll-On / Roll-Off, Containers, Dry
and Liquid Bulk, Break Bulk and passengers .
CAMMELL LAIRD
(NORTHWESTERN) SHIPREPAIRERS & SHIPBUILDERS LTD
BIBBY SAPPHIRE is presently under going deep
water Dive Trials out in the Atlantic.
She has pulled into Falmouth for stores and
crew change and Cammell Laird [Northwestern] are doing some minor
modifications to the Diving Bell deployment system to assist in
rough weather retrieval.
She is expected to depart early next week for
more deep water trials in the Atlantic
DUBLIN PORT
The strike by maintenance workers at Dublin Port
has ended after management and unions agreed to
refer the dispute to the Labour Court.
A training programme to deploy
shore-based staff on tug boats, which is at the
centre of the dispute, has been suspended pending
the court hearing.
All staff will return to
work, including nine who were suspended during the
row.
The move comes three weeks
after the dispute began and has averted an all-out
picket which had been sanctioned by the Congress of
Trade Unions for next Tuesday.
Dublin Port Company
has welcomed the settlement agreement.
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY
SEA
EXPRESS I was in collision with the Greek registered bulker ALASKA
RAINBOW around on the morning of Saturday February 03, 2025 whilst on
approach to Prince's Landing Stage in dense fog.
The 74m Incat vessel
was severely damaged and was brought to the stage by tugs in a
sinking condition. As well as hull damage her starboard bridge wing
shows significant impact damage.
Fortunately non of the 218 passengers or 20
crew were injured in the collision. Passengers were quickly
disembarked at the section of Prince's Landing Stage currently being
used by Mersey Ferries. SEI was then turned around - but discharge
of vehicles has proved impossible due to her vehicle deck being
below the level of the link span as she is significantly down by the
stern.
There was a full emergency
response with several fire tenders present, counter pollution and
salvage experts in attendance.
By Saturday evening the situation had been
stabilised with SVITZER BOOTLE and ADSTEAM WATERLOO being released.
The tug OAKGARTH remained on stanby. [Click
Here] for photographs and further information.
COMPANY
STATEMENT:
The following appeared on the company
web site:
At approx 11:20hrs today
03/02/07 Isle of Man Steam Packet fast craft Sea Express 1 reported
a collision with a Liverpool tug (?) (There
appears to be some confusion here! A later statement published on
the Manx Radio web site confirms it as as ALASKAN RAINBOW )
in close proximity to the Landing Stage.
Damage has been sustained to Sea Express 1 starboard side but there
are no injuries sustained by passengers all whom have been
disembarked safely at Liverpool where the craft berthed with the
assistance of tugs.
There were 218 passengers and 20 crew on board all of whom are safe.
The Liverpool Coastguard, MCA and Marine Administration have all
been informed.
Weather conditions were calm sea but thick freezing fog.
MSC NAPOLI
The hull of the massive cargo ship beached off the
Westcountry coast has fractured completely, experts believe,
increasing the threat of pollution.
The 62,000-tonne
MSC
NAPOLI was deliberately grounded in
Lyme Bay, off the South Devon coast, two weeks ago
after cracks appeared on both sides of her hull during a severe
storm when she was passing off the Cornish coast..
Now Robin Middleton, the Government's representative in charge of
the effort to save the ship and its cargo, has revealed that the
damage is worse than initially thought.
"The fracture goes right the way from one side, right the way round
the hull to the other," Mr Middleton, the Secretary of State's
Representative (SOSREP), said. "We can't assess it at the moment
because it is on the bottom but we think it has gone."
He said two ducts running the length of the British-registered
Napoli, which are crucial to its integrity, were likely to have been
broken. All that is stopping the Napoli from breaking in half and
spilling its cargo into the sea are metal, box-section supports
which run along the line of the deck.
Mr Middleton said: "As you can imagine, we are
looking at that very closely and the moment that starts to go we
have got a big problem. It is obvious that the stern is lower (than
the bow) and any sign that those box sections might be buckling is
the time to get the hell off it and start dragging it in. But there
is still a lot of strength left in the hull. She might live to fight
another day."
Jim Portus, chief executive of the South Western Fish Producers'
Organisation, said the break-up of the vessel would be devastating.
"It would be the horror of all horrors," he added. "It could wipe
millions of pounds from the local fishing economy. We have just got
to hope it doesn't happen."
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said the salvage effort had
been "pretty lucky" with the weather so far but that "adverse
conditions" were likely.
"We are all prepared to act if the situation deteriorates and that
is why every effort is being made to get as much of the oil and as
many of the containers off the vessel as quickly as possible to
minimise any potential environmental impact," he added.
"Given the condition of the ship and the unpredictable nature of the
weather, contingency plans had to be put into place in case the
situation does get worse. We hope that we won't ever have to use
them."
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