NEWS BULLETIN - NOVEMBER 2006

KILMORE, supposedly Celtic Link's second ship, remains at Shanghai but her AIS is now showing destination as Masan, with an ETA of 30/11/06, 09.00. Masan is a city in South Korea which has a shipyard. Arrival at Dublin still seems a long way off!

FOYLE FERRY COMPANY

Union officials have presented a claim for over €200,000 in 'back-pay' for a group of Polish, Latvian and Russian crew members aboard MERCHANT BRAVERY.

The claim was lodged by Ken Fleming of the International Transport Federation (ITF) to Norfolk Lines, the company chartering the Merchant Bravery freighter in Dublin Port.

He claims some crew members earned as little as €2 an hour.However, a spokesperson for Norfolk Line said it was the responsibility of the companies that own and manage the ship to pay the wages.

Mr Fleming met with company bosses in Dublin yesterday and threatened to have the ship detained, a power which he has as an ITF inspector, if the workers were not properly paid.

Last night, a Norfolk Lines spokesperson said the firm paid a monthly rate to the owners of the ship.

While they were concerned about the low salaries, it was not their responsibility to pay crew members, he said. [Irish Independent]

"I was advised last week that Manxman was moved into the Pallion dry dock, on Tuesday. The purpose being to effect urgent hull repairs. Once again there are rumours that she has been sold for scrap, this time to either Italian or Egyptian interests. However such a move would require a Waste Management Licence and an MCA survey. These would specify extensive and costly hull repair work (which we have built into the costing schedule) and probably explain why previous alleged sales have fallen through – in only four years she has allegedly been sold to Nigeria, Bilbao, Nigeria (again), Rotterdam and Denmark. We are not complacent regarding this issue and meanwhile are pushing forward as quickly as possible with the anticipated bid whilst maintaining contact with MCA and Department for the Environment."

Northern Ireland Social Development Minister David Hanson MP has welcomed the vision for the future restoration of the SS NOMADIC announced by the Charitable Trust.

At its first meeting the Nomadic Charitable Trust Board agreed the following vision for the project:

"To restore the SS NOMADIC and make her accessible to the people of Northern Ireland such that she can play a role as a celebration of the Titanic and our maritime and industrial heritage and act as a catalyst for tourism and social and economic development".

The meeting was presented with an assessment of the current condition of the ship together with recommendations to deal with essential repairs and maintenance. Whilst the ship is generally in good condition the main urgent task is to protect the Nomadic from any further deterioration from rainwater ingress through leaking superstructure and the Board agreed to procure a temporary canvas cover to fit the entire vessel as quickly as possible. This cover will be designed to enable access to carry out other agreed work pending the ultimate reinstatement proposal which will be agreed by the Trust in due course.

The Charitable Trust undertook to try to carry out initial works to at least make the two lounges accessible to the public in the short term.

Chairman of the Trust, Denis Rooney, stated that:

"I am delighted to be heading such an expert and enthusiastic Board and feel confident that the Trust can meet the exciting and demanding challenge in making the most of this great asset." He went on to say that: "Funding will be the key which will determine how ambitious we can be and we look to the whole community to support us in whatever way they can".

The Charitable Trust has set up special committees to deal with key aspects of the restoration project. Roy Snowdon will head up the Technical Committee which will deal with all matters relating to the repairs, maintenance and mooring arrangements. Ian Savage will lead the committee dealing with the concept development of the project and the business plan. David Scott-Beddard will chair the Fund Raising Committee.

The Minister for Social Development Minister, David Hanson welcomed the vision statement of the Charitable Trust and reiterated that "much needs to be done from a fundraising point of view." He went on to say that:

"I am confident that the Trust can restore the SS Nomadic so that her wonderful history will help to promote Belfast and Northern Ireland as a marketable visitor attraction alongside that of the Titanic brand."

The SS NOMADIC will shortly be removed from the Harland & Wolff quay to Barnett's Dock where it will be moored for 18 months. Denis Rooney expressed the Trust's thanks to Harland & Wolff for their support to date and to the Belfast Harbour Commissioners for their kind offer of mooring facilities and other support.

PEEL PORTS

The Ravestein SKYLINE BARGE 15 which, until last week, was acting as a temporary landing stage for Mersey Ferries was removed on the afternoon of Tuesday November 28, 2006 and towed into the the docks. The linking bailey bridge had been removed at the end of last week. Mersey Ferries are now using the Prince's Landing Stage.

SCOTT LITHGOW LTD

The management of French ferry operator Brittany Ferries is preparing for major changes as a result of the retirement of the company's founder and chairman Alexis Gourvennec, who is reported to be seriously ill. Gourvennec has called for an extraordinary board meeting to be held on 1 December, which will decide on a new managerial organisation.

In his absence, Henri Jacob, 67, a member of the board of directors since the company was set up in 1972, has been appointed as temporary chairman.

New appointments will be made at the board meeting. Charismatic Alexis Gourvennec has been the driving force behind the company's remarkable growth and observers say it not be an easy task to find a replacement; for this reason questions are being asked about Brittany Ferries' future. The company is the dominant ferry operator on the Western Channel with a fleet of seven modern ferries and two high speed ships. The company operates seven ferry routes between northern France, England, Ireland and Spain, carrying about 2.7M passengers and 800,000 cars a year.

Dartmouth's Higher Ferry will be replaced in April 2009 by a multi-million pound replacement, doubling its capacity. The decision to replace the current ferry has been taken by parent company the Dartmouth to Kingswear Floating Bridge Company after the Marine Coastguard Agency informed them they would have to replace the whole bottom of the boat by 2009.

After examining costs and the age of the current boat, it was decided it would be better to replace it. The current ferry is now 46 years old, having been built at the Philip & Sons Noss Shipyard in 1960. It can carry up to 18 vehicles at one time and takes four minutes to complete a crossing.

The proposed replacement would carry up to 40 cars, and take three minutes to cross the Dart. The new ferry will not be paddle driven, as the current one is, because it is very inefficient.

The company are looking at a number of options including propellers, jets, or even a cable drive ferry. With extra cars travelling across at every trip, there could be a need for extra staff to satisfy health and safety regulations. Tony Tucker, a director of the company which is owned by Dart Marina Hotel owner Richard Seton, said that lots of details still had to be decided.

'We looked at replacing the bottom of the boat and that would mean it would be taken out of service for up to five months which is, of course, unacceptable,' he said. 'We have been investigating a number of different possibilities with the new ferry. We want to make sure it is future proof and will be able to cope with the new demands. 'We want to bring an end to long queues for the ferry in the middle of summer.' The company have  employed Pendennis Shipyard to design and organise the build of the new vessel.

Pendennis Shipyard, Falmouth recently designed and built the new KING HARRY VII chain car ferry in Truro. The company has used the costing of the King Harry to estimate how much the new vessel will cost.

'The King Harry cost £3million,' said Mr Tucker. 'It carries 32 vehicles at a time. We want to have a vehicle carrying 40.' The ferry, as a floating bridge, is officially part of the road network, and the company cannot raise prices without express permission from the Department of Trans-port. This means a wholesale passing on of the costs incurred from a new ferry is unlikely. 'We are looking at this as a long-term investment,' said Mr Tucker. 'Not only do we have to consider the Department of Transport, but we also have competitors such as the Lower Ferry, so realistically prices cannot rise dramatically, if at all.'

DML APPLEDORE

The West Country's biggest private employer is at the centre of a political storm after its parent company was accused of letting a £30 million shipbuilding contract slip out of its grasp.

KBR - the US-based owner of dockyard management firm DML - now faces demands to "get out of the country".

DML employs 4,500 people at Devonport in Plymouth and Appledore in North Devon, making it the biggest private sector employer in Devon and Cornwall. It has an annual turnover of £400 million.

The 180 workers at the Appledore yard were told last night that DML had missed out on the contract to build an offshore survey vessel, which had instead been awarded to a firm in Norway.

Industry insiders last night claimed the controversial flotation of KBR - which owns a 51 per cent share in DML - had caused delays in securing the Appledore bid and cast doubt over the future of all new investment.

Observers warned this latest development would further weaken the relationship between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and KBR.

Last week, US oil group Halliburton went ahead with the stock market listing of its subsidiary KBR despite warnings from the MoD that it remained dissatisfied about the future security of the nuclear submarine base at Devonport. The MoD has threatened to strip KBR of the Plymouth base if it fails to give sufficient assurances.

The loss of the Appledore contract sparked a furious reaction from local Tory MP Geoffrey Cox: "I am steaming mad. It's now reaching the point where there needs to be a major investigation by the Government into the fitness of KBR to run dockyards in this country. The time has come for KBR to get out of this country."

The MP for Torridge and West Devon has contacted Defence Secretary Des Browne demanding an urgent inquiry into KBR's role in the loss of the contract. "It casts a huge doubt over whether they are fit to own facilities like the Devonport dockyard, which is currently under review by the Government. Appledore shipyard has a highly regarded workforce and management scheme, and a proven track record, and deserves the full backing of its owners.

"It is simply unbelievable that this company could be so inept and allow this contract to slip."

He also warned the workforce is "now going to be facing months of idleness".

The loss of the contract comes only weeks after Mr Cox received assurances from the board of KBR that the company is fully committed "to supporting DML in generating a long term successful future for the yard and its current workforce."

But sources at Appledore told the WMN there had been "difficulties in getting approval" from KBR to go ahead with the bid for the contract. It is believed there were delays in getting the costs of the contract underwritten by the parent company while it proceeded with the floatation last week.

Shipbuilding industry experts said the contract would have been for between £30 million and £40 million. Last night, it was unclear how the loss of the contract would affect the workforce, but insiders stressed had it been won by Appledore, it would have been "very, very important in securing the futures" of the 180 staff. [WESTERN MORNING NEWS]

DUBLIN PORT

Dublin Port Company has said the volume of goods passing through the port in the third quarter of this year was 7.5 million tonnes, up nearly 12% on the same period last year.

Imports increased by 10.7% to 4.8 million tonnes, and exports reached 2.6 million tonnes, an increased of 14.3% on the same period in 2005. The total for the first nine months of 2006 is running 8.4% ahead of a year earlier.

The number of trade cars coming through Dublin Port in Q3 fell by 9%, however, to 18,519, while ferry passenger numbers were down 10% to 421,229. Tourist cars were down more than 20% to 85,022. Dublin Port says that while ferry tourism numbers continue to decrease due to increased competition from the low-fares airlines, the cruise industry at Dublin Port experienced its busiest year to date. In 2006, Dublin Port Company hosted 75 cruise liners, carrying more than 65,000 passengers and 28,000 crew members. It says this has injected up to €50m into the local economy. [RTÉ]

ATLANTIC OSPREY - As predictable as leaves falling off the trees in autumn whenever the Fisher managed PNTL ships are reported to be on the move there is usually something of a fuss created which fails to take into account the high standards to which these vessels are operated. This time it is the turn of ATLANTIC OSPREY which recently arrived at Vittoria Dock, Birkenhead  to attract unwanted attention! 

An international association of local authorities is warning that a planned shipment of nuclear fuel by sea is both an environmental hazard and a potential terrorist target.

The shipment in question will be the second to make use of a converted roll-on/roll-off ferry, the Atlantic Osprey, to transport MOX (mixed oxide fuel) from Sellafeld, on England's northwest coast, to the French port of Cherbourg.

MOX is a blend of plutonium and natural uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium which behaves similarly to the low enriched uranium feed for which most nuclear reactors were designed. An attraction of MOX fuel is that it is a way of disposing of surplus weapons-grade plutonium.

The concerns about the Sellafield-Cherbourg shipment are being voiced by KIMO--an international association of local authorities. Originally founded to address the clean up of pollution in the North Sea, KIMO now has broader aims and over 128 members in 10 countries.

Kimo says that "in the next couple of days" the Atlantic Osprey, owned by the British Nuclear Group, will transport 1.25 tonnes of mixed oxide fuel (MOX) fuel containing about 90 kg of plutonium to Swiss utility Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke (NOK).

"The route will pass close to one of the most densely populated areas in the world and will cross some of the busiest shipping lanes, therefore increasing the potential for collision and making it easier for a potential terrorist attack," says KIMO.

"Traditionally MOX has been transported to and from Japan using purpose built vessels that are of the best available technology currently in service," says KIMO. "However shipments of MOX to Switzerland, of which this is the second, are using the Atlantic Osprey, an ex-roll on roll off ferry. The Atlantic Osprey has a single hull, single engine and will travel unescorted throughout its journey unlike the shipments to Japan which travel in purpose built vessels with twin engines, double hulls and naval armament, with two vessels travelling together to provide support in case of an attack."

KIMO charges that "the lack of emergency planning in the event of a marine accident involving nuclear material is also a serious issue along with the questionable integrity of the flasks used to transport nuclear fuel. Evidence shows that shipborne fires last longer on average and at a more intense heat than the safety criteria used in flask stress."

The potential impact on coastal communities from an accident or terrorist attack would be "devastating," says KIMO.

"KIMO remains convinced that the transport of nuclear materials should be halted and that such materials should be stored at the point of production," says KIMO International President Councillor Angus Nicolson. "However should these shipments go ahead Governments should be insisting that the highest standards of ship and security arrangements are in place to protect their citizens."

Nicolson says that "Best Available Technology (BAT) should be applied to the ships and flasks used in European shipments and should be at least to the same standard to the ships that are used for MOX shipments to Japan. The arrangements surrounding these proposed shipments are flawed and second rate."

"It is absolutely irresponsible in this day and age where we are requiring super tankers carrying oil to have double hulls to protect our marine environment that these dangerous cargoes are being transported in an ex roll on roll off ferry with a single engine and single hull through some of the most populated areas of Europe with no escort," says Nicolson.

British Nuclear Group is owned by the British Government . It operates the Atlantic Osprey shipments as part of its spent fuel services.

British Nuclear Group describes the Atlantic Osprey as a "multipurpose cargo vessel that meets IMO's INF2 classification.

A RO/RO vessel is used for these voyages since the MOX is contained in purpose-built packages that are then loaded into a high security vessel that is transported by the ship.

British Nuclear Group says that a "safety in depth system" is applied that provides a series of barriers to protect the materials, packaging and transport vehicles.

A transport plan governs all aspects of the voyage, as it does for any voyage involving nuclear materials. The overall plan is subject to the approval of the United Kingdom Government's independent security regulator, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS).

The physical protection measures in the transport plan are reviewed and take account of a threat assessment carried out by U.K. competent authorities. The review bodies must be satisfied that the physical protection arrangements are sufficient to protect the cargo against theft or sabotage and any other acts of international terrorism.

The physical protection measures taken to secure the vessel and cargo against potential threats meet the standards required by the United Kingdom Government's independent security regulator, OCNS and are in line with international requirements and recommendations.

British Nuclear Group says a fully trained and equipped team of marine and nuclear experts is available on a 24-hour emergency standby system, required by the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), to deal with the unlikely event of an emergency situation.

NORFOLK LINE

MERCHANT BRAVERY -UK Maritime Union RMT has joined Irish sister union SIPTU in calling for an urgent investigation into all ferry and ro-ro vessels trading in the Irish Sea after an international Transport Workers' Federation inspector today discovered workers on rates as low as €2 an hour.

ITF Inspector Ken Fleming boarded the ro-ro ferry MERCHANT BRAVERY this week in the Port of Dublin, at the invitation of ratings who said they had not been paid for more than four months.

The ITF has gathered evidence that 'double bookkeeping' was employed on the vessel, chartered by Maersk subsidiary Norfolk Line operating between between Heysham and Dublin, and is acting to recover all the crews' wages and report its findings to the appropriate maritime authorities. [The ship is actually owned by Bravery International Shipping of Latvia and managed by ADG Ship Management also of Latvia.]

The 22 crewmembers on the Jamaican-flagged vessel are a mixture of Polish, Ukrainian and Russian seafarers.

The ITF found one able seaman who should have been earning around $3,200 a month, in accordance with his first contract of employment, was only being paid around $1,000 for 365-plus hours a month - or just over €2 an hour - on a second contract of employment.

Another rating who should have been earning $1,984 on one contract of was being paid only $850 on his second contract.

"This is what we call 'double book-keeping'," said ITF inspector Ken Fleming.

"It appears that the hours of work regulations are being abused on a daily basis and there is also a question mark over false certificates of competency. Further investigation by the ITF will follow."

He added that the ITF was considering the lawful arrest of the vessel on behalf of the crew members to reclaim wages in accordance with their first contract.

SIPTU and RMT, who have been campaigning jointly against 'social dumping' in the Irish Sea, are demanding the fullest investigation by the Irish and UK maritime authorities on all ferry and ro-ro vessels trading in the Irish sea.

"This is the shocking reality of social dumping, with crews employed in UK waters being paid at rates well below the minimum wage, and that is why we need urgent action to ensure that shipowners can no longer evade minimum employment standards," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"This is another example of the detrimental impact of unfettered global capital on weak and vulnerable people," said SIPTU general president Jack O'Connor, who also called for immediate action in accordance with international law to rectify the injustice and ensure that at the very least a minimum threshold of decency is applied in the case of these seafarers.

PEEL PORTS

LIVERPOOL LANDING STAGES

SWANSEA CORK FERRIES

DML

The American owners of Plymouth's Devonport Dockyard yesterday went ahead with a controversial stock market flotation, fuelling fears for the job security of workers. US defence giant Halliburton faced down a Ministry of Defence warning not to go ahead with the flotation of subsidiary KBR - which owns a 51 per cent stake in dockyard owners Devonport Management Limited.

UK ministers and officials fear that a stand-alone KBR would not be big enough to raise the capital investment needed to secure the future of the dockyard business.

DML employs 4,500 people making it the biggest private sector employer in Devon and Cornwall. The privately-owned yard is the only UK site equipped and licensed to refit, refuel and de-fuel nuclear-powered submarines. It sits alongside the Royal Navy's military naval base.

Devonport is already facing a threat from a review of Britain's naval dockyards. It will today launch a campaign aimed at proving its case for avoiding cutbacks.

Earlier this week, the MoD wrote to Halliburton demanding a delay of the flotation until it had completed its analysis into the financial security of the dockyard, due to report at the end of this month.

Ministers said that without proof that there would be sufficient capital to support Devonport, they would have "little option" but to force KBR to give up ownership of the dockyard, which is an option under the 1997 agreement privatising the dockyard. Halliburton's move to ignore the threat and proceed with the flotation suggests transatlantic relations have reached a new low. [Western Morning News]

SS FRANCE

A last-DITCH effort has been launched in an attempt to save one of Southampton's most famous transatlantic visitors, SS FRANCE, from being scrapped.

If the liner is successful in cheating the breaker's yard it would be another remarkable twist in a story in which the ship previously narrowly escaped an ignominious end.

Once the epitome of French chic on the Atlantic route between Southampton and New York, the liner is languishing at an Indian breakers' yard waiting for demolition gangs to move in.

However, in a race against time an organization has been formed aimed at buying back the liner, later known as SS NORWAY and then BLUE LADY, and returning her to Europe where she will be converted into a hotel, an education centre, museum and tourist attraction moored on the River Seine.

The president of the newly-formed Club Le France Prestige, Jean Philippe Prieur, has issued an urgent appeal to anyone who remembers the ship when she was a regular visitor to Southampton docks and who would like to help preserve this unique vessel by purchasing shares in the liner to save it from being turned into razor blades.

This is going to be a tough challenge for the organization, based in the picturesque French Normandy fishing village of Honfleur, as steel now fetches high prices on the international market making the liner, once the longest in the world, an attractive proposition to be cut up and sold.

SS FRANCE, with her distinctive winged funnels, was once a familiar sight in Southampton from 1962 on her maiden voyage up to 1974, when rising costs forced her owners to withdraw her from service and lay her up, abandoned and awaiting an unknown fate.

In 1979 France, was reprieved from the scrap yard when she was bought and converted into a successful Caribbean cruise ship, sailing under the name SS NORWAY.

A few years ago NORWAY suffered a major explosion in her engine room while alongside her berth in Miami which sealed her fate as a cruise ship. There were several plans to turn her into a floating casino in the Far East but eventually a contract was signed with a firm of Indian ship-breakers for her demolition. "We know that we can still save FRANCE from being dismantled,'' said Monsieur Prieur. "There will be a lot of restoration work, furniture will have to be remade and thousands of other details to be put right. This ship is a part of maritime history and we must not lose it.'' Shares in the liner cost 55 euros and all money will be repaid if the scheme is not successful. [Maritime Clippings]

IRISH FERRIES

ISLE OF INISHMORE - A man died on Saturday November 18 after falling overboard and going missing for two hours.

The man was travelling from Rosslare in Ireland to Pembroke Dock in Wales when he fell into the sea at Milford Haven estuary at around 00.40 on Saturday.

The Angle Lifeboat and a rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor were launched to carry out a search of the immediate area. Shortly after 02.30, the man was spotted in water near the Texaco Oil Refinery Jetty, which is between 100-200 yards offshore. He was taken by the rescue helicopter to Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The local authority hopes to raise £14m from loans and the rest from Objective One funding. It will then lease the ship to the Isles of Scilly Steamship group.  The Department for Transport has also agreed to contribute funds to the project.
 

LOUGH FOYLE FERRY COMPANY

Celebrations were took place this week on both banks of the Foyle after the Magilligan to Greencastle ferry scooped a top award for excellence in Dublin.

Limavady Borough and Donegal County Councils scooped the top Economic Development gong at the Chambers Ireland 2006 Local Government Excellence Awards.

The local authorities were nominated by Letterkenny Chamber for the Lough Foyle Ferry/ Atlantic Drift tourism project, which had successfully ferried over one million passengers by July 2005.

The awards ceremony took place at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin and was attended by representatives from both councils and the Lough Foyle Ferry Company.

Welcoming the award to the North West, chief executive officer of Letterkenny Chamber Joanne Sweeney said: "We are absolutely thrilled that once again Donegal and the region is being recognised on a national stage at an awards ceremony. The Excellence in Local Government Awards recognise local authorities' work in a range of categories."

Donegal and Limavady beat off stiff competition from Cork, Laois and Leitrim County Councils in the Economic Development category.

The commercial ferry project was initiated by the two councils in 2002.

As part of the marketing strategy for the service and the region, both councils were successful in an application to the North West Region Cross Border Group under INTERREG IIIA for grant funding and received 612,000 euro for the Atlantic Drift Initiative, designed to promote the region as one entity.

It brought together both authorities in conjunction with Udaras naGaeltachta, North West Tourism, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Lough Foyle Ferry Company to promote tourism development and the sustainable growth of tourism visitor numbers in the region, with the cross-border ferry service as the catalyst. [Belfast Telegraph]

MARITIME & COASTGUARD AGENCY

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced on Friday November 17 that eight foreign ships were under detention in UK ports during October 2006 after failing Port State Control (PSC) safety inspection.

PEEL PORTS / MERSEY FERRIES

Work was noted to be underway to reinstall the fencing which was used to subdivide the passenger bridge and separate the north end of Prince's Landing Stage earlier this year to enable the Mersey Ferries and Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to share Prince's Stage once again. The long portacabin which stood alongside the former IoMSPCo terminal buildings on the stage has now been moved closer to the river - presumably to provide a waiting area for the ferries

The present temporary stage provided by Ravestein's SKYLINE BARGE 15 will be removed shortly to facilitate work on extending Prince's Landing Stage. It had been intended to relocate SKYLINE BARGE 15 to the site of the sunken George's Stage.

Unfortunately work on removing the sunken stage which should have been completed by the end of October has been abandoned for the time being due to technical difficulties brought about by silting. It is understood that the stage will either have to be broken up in situ or lifted using a floating sheer leg crane.

Meanwhile construction work on the northern extension of the Prince's Stage by Balfour Beatty is well underway in Canada Graving Dock. [Photos]

NORFOLK LINE

MERCHANT BRAVERY arrived at NSL Birkenhead on Friday November 17 for propeller blade renewals.

PASSAGE EAST FERRY

The Dept of the Environment has asked for further information on an application by Waterford County Council for 'strategic status' for a proposed new access road to serve the Passage East Car Ferry.

County Engineer John O' Flynn told Monday' s meeting of the Council that he wrote to the department at the end of August seeking funding for the new road and requesting that it be designated a strategic road, which is a new category of route. The Airport Road is the only other road in this category in the county.

The Dept replied to the letter asking a whole lot of questions in relation to the ferry and its impact on Co Wexford. Mr O' Flynn in turn wrote to Wexford Co Council asking them for support for the new road and seeking information in order to answer some of the questions raised. Local FG councillor John Carey said his information was that there was no commitment from the landowner involved in respect of the proposed road.

Passage East village could no longer take the traffic using the ferry; local people could not tolerate it any longer and protests had resumed.

The ferry owners, FBD Holdings Plc, made profits of €87 million last year and they should put up the €7m necessary to construct the new road, he said. [ Munster Express ]

STRANGFORD LOUGH FERRY

Regular users of the Strangford ferry are concerned they could face a detour of over 100 miles by road if the replacement boat currently in service were to break down unexpectedly.

The concerns have been raised after it emerged that the ferry's operators - DRD Roads Service - have no dedicated back-up vessel to cover the route should there be any technical problems with the replacement boat, which is used if the main boat is being serviced.

The 0.6 mile stretch of water between Portaferry and Strangford is normally crossed in just eight minutes, dozens of times a day, by the £2.7m MV PORTAFERRY II, which carries up to 28 cars.

But, with the vessel currently undergoing its annual refit - which could take up to six weeks to complete - the route is being covered instead by the older vessel MV STRANGFORD, which has a 40% smaller vehicle capacity than the MV PORTAFERRY II.

"I was concerned to discover, at a recent meeting with Roads Service representatives, that currently there is no back-up facility in place to offer users of the Strangford Ferry service in the event of the MV STRAGFORD experiencing mechanical problems," revealed SDLP Ards councillor Joe Boyle.

"Whilst serviced regularly, the reality is that this vessel is 37 years old and was originally deemed to have a life span of 30 years of service."

Councillor Boyle said he believed the effect of the MV STRAGFORD succumbing to unexpected mechanical problems could prove disastrous for local people who rely on the service.

"There is a lot of usage from both sides of the lough, but particularly the Portaferry side," he said.

"We have a lot of regular users who work in Downpatrick and Newry. If the ferry was out of commission, then they would have to drive round by Newtownards.

"The return journey time could effectively become 2.5 hours for people on an average day, because they would have to leave home earlier and would get home later."

Councillor Boyle also explained the boat which would have been used as a back-up to the MV STRAGFORD, the passenger-only vessel MV ISLE O'VALLA was recently auctioned off without replacement or a standby contract being put in place.

"It is important to the many regular users that a facility is maintained with this service in the event of unforeseen difficulties, particularly with an ageing vessel as the only current support in place to maintaining the current service," he said.

The effects of losing the ferry service, even for a short time, are already familiar to many users. Last month, ferry staff held a one-day strike over pay which, as Mr Boyle explained, had a pronounced impact on Portaferry.

He said: "It was like a ghost town. Places which would have been fairly busy were quiet. Business was down because they couldn't get supplies in."

A spokeswoman for the DRD Roads Service said that due to "financial constraints", it currently had no plans to replace the MV STRAGFORD.

She said: "The Department may consider other options as a back-up in the event of the Strangford breaking down in the near future. The other options would be procuring a small passenger vessel or getting a private contractor to provide a standby, passenger-only service."

According to the Roads Service website, the ferry service has operated with at least a 99% reliability rate over the last three years.

In 2003 and 2005, the service lost only one hour of sailing time through mechanical failure, but lost 5.5 hours in 2004.

WINE EXPERT ESCORTS IRISH FERRIES PRE-CHRISTMAS WINE CRUISE TO FRANCE

NORMANDY - Irish Ferries are currently offering wine lovers a chance to go shopping for pre-Christmas bargains in France escorted by wine writer, broadcaster and Master Of Wine, Martin Moran.

Departing Rosslare on Friday December 08 for a round trip fare of EUR99 per person return including berth, the package will include wine tastings on board, the chance to preview some of the wines that can be bought ashore plus lots of advice on the bargains available.

Once in Cherbourg, passengers will visit a selection of outlets where savings can be as big as EUR10-12 per bottle for champagne, over EUR10 for spirits, up to EUR8 for wine and where beer can be cheaper than water.

In addition to the EUR99 return fare, passengers can increase their carrying capacity by taking a car for just EUR59 extra when two or more passengers travel together.

Although the vessel was delivered 15 months ago it has seen only six weeks  service and has spent most of its time out of the water for major repairs. Last month, it was hoped to get the service back up and running in a matter of weeks but now Lancashire County Council bosses have decided to delay the big day until January.

Worried at suffering further red faces if there is another breakdown, they want more extensive tests before they finally say it has been properly fixed.

"County Hall are insisting on a lot more stringent tests," said Coun Keith Tebbs, Wyre Council portfolio holder for living economy.

"They are doing these tests although I am sure everything is alright. "We don't want the embarrassment starting again. They want to make sure that when they are running it they are doing it properly.

"They also want someone to examine the original design and they want to speak to the people who are operating it to make sure they are satisfied." Hopes were high when the £300,000 vessel sailed up the Wyre last August. Lancashire County and Wyre councils had come to a £500,000 deal to have the boat built and subsidise it for 10 years.

But there were delays while crew were trained and the Maritime Coastguard

Agency were sufficiently happy to give it a certificate to operate. However, the bow thrusters which give the boat manoeuvrability became

clogged with debris as it worked the 300-yard route across the river. A consultant was called to look at the troubled craft and eventually new

protective grilles and other parts had to be specially ordered. Some of the parts were available in this country but others had to be sent back to the manufacturers in Finland for repair.

Both councils had planned a grand opening ceremony with the boat being named in a competition involving local schools.

But such ideas are firmly on the back burner while the service continues to provide ongoing problems. [BLACKPOOL TODAY]

MERSEY FERRIES

It was revealed in the local press this week that salvage and heavy lift company Mammoet have stopped work on attempting to recover the sunken George's Landing Stage. The job proving much more difficult the contractors are reported to be sending a report to the stage's owners Peel Ports suggesting options for its removal.

NORTHWESTERN SHIP REPAIRERS