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Ferry Services, shipping and Maritime Discussion

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43055

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Irish Ferries Epsilon seems to be taking a bit of a different route recently between Dublin and Holyhead extending the journey to 5 hours. Marine Traffic shows the ship heading north on departures and turning when almost level with Warrenpoint.

Irish Ferries ship taking twice as long to make Dublin to Holyhead crossing​

The ship has been taking a scenic route over the past few days which means journeys are taking five hours

An Irish Ferries crossing from Holyhead to Dublin is taking five hours to complete - almost twice as long as normal.
The journey normally takes between two and two-and-a-half hours but a statement on the Irish Ferries website blamed "operational issues" for the delay on its Epsilon ferry.

As a result the vessel is being forced to make a significant detour to make the crossing over the Irish Sea.

Irish Ferries declined to comment further on the reason for the longer crossing.
Epsilon is one of three Irish Ferries ships that run a service between Holyhead and Dublin.


The other two ships - Ulysses and Swift - are operating as normal.
 
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Gloster

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About thirty years ago I encountered a similar situation on the Hirtshals-Kristiansand service, which apparently hugged the coast around the north of Denmark, nipped across to Sweden, up the Swedish coast, back across to Norway and along the coast. The reason, so I was told, was that there were insufficient lifeboats to allow the ferry to leave ‘coastal waters’.
 

unlevel42

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Irish Ferries Epsilon seems to be taking a bit of a different route recently between Dublin and Holyhead extending the journey to 5 hours. Marine Traffic shows the ship heading north on departures and turning when almost level with Warrenpoint.
Many ferry journeys I have been on have been diverted from their 'normal' route because of weather and/or sea conditions.
Decades ago I used to sneak into the first class dining rooms on the Irish sea ferries and report back on how the tables were laid out.
Wine glasses upright- calm.
Wine glasses upside down- slight.
Wine glasses flat and interlaced in three- rough.
No wine glasses- stormy.
No cutlery- bad. Good food in second class.
No Tables- **********.
The route from Holyhead was often meant taking a beating going south west and the north east toward Warren Point then hug the coast south.
The Cal Mac officers would often cite old storms causing cross swells as the reason for going off course. The ship can manage but the passengers can't.
 

43055

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About thirty years ago I encountered a similar situation on the Hirtshals-Kristiansand service, which apparently hugged the coast around the north of Denmark, nipped across to Sweden, up the Swedish coast, back across to Norway and along the coast. The reason, so I was told, was that there were insufficient lifeboats to allow the ferry to leave ‘coastal waters’.
That is what it sounds like. Another forum mentions that there was a problem with one of the lifeboats.
 

43055

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Have there been any interesting movements of vessels either within companies own fleets or through charters etc to help compensate for the the carnage on p&o at the moment? Just curious
The only one that I can think of is the Stena Nordica which has been helping out on the Belfast to Cairnryan route alongside the normal Stena Superfast's. This has lead to Stena Europe moving to the Dublin to Holyhead route due to other vessels in dry dock meaning the Fishguard route being temporary suspended.
 

cactustwirly

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Have there been any interesting movements of vessels either within companies own fleets or through charters etc to help compensate for the the carnage on p&o at the moment? Just curious

Irish Ferries have chartered a new ferry for Dover to Calais. It's a sister ship of the European Endeavour from Spain.
 

BayPaul

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Irish Ferries have chartered a new ferry for Dover to Calais. It's a sister ship of the European Endeavour from Spain.
That charter was actually arranged before the whole P&O fiasco - Irish ferries had a goal of having 3 ships on the route, which is basically the minimum needed to be a serious player in the market. The timing was certainly serendipitous though!
 

route101

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I used the Portsmouth to Caen service with Brittany ferries few weeks back as a foot passenger. Portsmouth Ferry terminal is easy to reach by foot and at the other end so was Caen.
 

43055

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I wasn't actually aware that Irish ferries operated from Dover but good to know that they have put this in place
Irish Ferries started running between Dover and Calais on the 29th June last year with the Isle of Inishmore. Since then the former DFDS Calais Seaways has joined as Isle of Innisfree last December and now Isle of Inisheer (previously operated out of Dover as the Northern Merchant) is about join the route.
 

flymo

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Geordie back from exile.
Used Northlink Ferries for the first time over Easter weekend and took a quick return trip from Aberdeen to Shetland, both crossings on the the MV Hjaltland as a foot passenger with neither leg calling at Kirkwall. Boarding was easy and booked a sleeping pod both ways with brekkie included. The crossings were not too busy, but going to Lerwick (Good Friday) was busier than coming back on Saturday.

The northbound crossing was fairly calm but the return was a but bumpier with larger swells. All in all I'd give the experience 9/10 but would not really want to repeat it anytime soon.
 

Cloud Strife

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I want approached the restaurant on the the Aberdeen to Northern isles Orkney and Shetland service on a very rough evening in the middle of winter. The place was empty and no food was actually on display but the venue itself was open and staff were there. A question of was I ok from the staff was followed by a response from me that I wanted to eat. Momentary panic and then they disappeared into the kitchen and came back with the chef who said you're the only person who's showing the remotest interesting food tonight, ignore the menu what would you like?

I've had the same many years ago. The boat went out with the warning that they expected the crossing to be a bit rough, but it actually turned out to be much worse than expected. But the boat was perfectly stable and moving in a very predictable manner. The only bothersome part was drinking pints, so it was a bit of a hassle to get to the toilet.

My grandfather taught me that as long as the boat is moving in the same way predictably, then there's really nothing to fear.

Now, what on earth is going on with P&O? I've just read that their insurers consider them to be the highest possible risk, which is absolutely crazy.
 
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