Lamb Banana 2006

NORCAPE IRISH SEA BOUND?	November 25
Rumours suggest P&O may transfer NORCAPE (ex PUMA, ex TIPPERARY) from the North Sea to the Irish Sea for deployment on the Liverpool to Dublin service. RR TRIUMPH would be moved from Liverpool to provide Larne to Troon / Cairnryan sailings replacing EUROPEAN MARINER.
A DANCER FOR THE PACKET ?	November 08
There is a rumour doing the rounds on the waterfront that with the arrival of the first of the new SeaTruck vessels CLIPPER POINT in the new year one of the existing "dancers" may be sold to the Steam Packet. This could provide winter weekend cover on the Heysham route whilst the BEN-MY-CHREE operates to either Birkenhead or Liverpool should a suitable berth be made available. This then would enable the fast craft to be retired for the winter season.
AN AUSTAL PACKET FOR 2007?	September 17
This week Irish Sea Shipping received details of a rumour which is apparently doing the rounds. Following her recent withdrawl from service, SUPERSEACAT TWO will not return to service for 2007, her replacement will be TWO chartered Austal craft. Obviously two vessels would give better operational flexibility and probably more friendly schedules with less anti-social operating hours particularly on the Irish routes and provide additional capacity for TT 100 in 2007. Certainly an interesting rumour - but at this stage that is all it is a rumour ...... unless anyone knows any more!
HSS STENA EXPLORER RUMOURS FROM A HOLYHEAD WEB SITE	July 23
The following message appeared recently in the forum on the Holyhead web site www.caergybi.com . The accuracy of the information is not known, but, given the planned demise of the HSS STENA DISCOVERY early in 2007 this information should not be discounted completely. "After a meeting by the Dun Laoghaire harbour board a decision was made that the fast ferry service between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire was no longer "the good thing". The board have decided that the service will cease in October 2008 and phase two of the harbour improvements will resume. Dun Laoghaire hopes to become not only the biggest but best marina in Europe, with work on the old ferry pier situated in-between the link span and the east breakwater set to be resumed. The pier will be demolished and rebuilt, restaurants, chandlers and a host of other features are planned. The feeling is that passengers no longer stay in the town so no money is being spent, but this would change with a marina. Another consideration was that due to rising fuel costs the service will be forced to stop leaving the port in the lurch. Mention was made that Stena already has plans for a upmarket marina/apartment complex in the inner harbour at Holyhead with 9 million pounds being spent on a walkway into the town centre."
HSS STENA DISCOVERY - US HOSPITAL SHIP ?	April 09
A rumour now doing the rounds that HSS STENA DISCOVERY will be chartered to the US as a Hospital Ship.
HSS STENA DISCOVERY to be mothballed at Holyhead?	April 05
As yet unsubstantiated information received today suggests that HSS STENA DISCOVERY may be mothballed and laid up at Holyhead. Work has been reported to have been undertaken on power supplies at the HSS lay over berth in Holyhead Harbour. At present he Harwich - Hoek high speed service is under review with a decision on its future expected to be made by the end of April.
Liverpool - Dublin High Speed Service for 2007	March 15
There are rumours of a restoration of high speed services between Liverpool and Dublin during 2007. The new seasonal operation may be funded by backers who are believed to be behind the resumption of the Hoverspeed cross channel service under the NavMed name in May 2006. DIAMANT was noted departing the Thames, believed bound for Rotterdam for the completion of refit work on March 14, 2006.
Celtic Link to Liverpool?	March 11
Recent rumours have linked the Rosslare - Cherbourg service operators Celtic Link to a plan to reopen the Dublin to Mostyn service. This rumour has now developed into a Dublin - Liverpool service using the former car carrier SEA RUNNER which has had a rather less than distinguished period of service on the Irish Sea recently operating for Stena Line.
Steam Packet Rumours	January 07
Unconfirmed reports suggest that P&O Express may sail on the Douglas - Heysham route to provide refit cover for the Ben-My-Chree during March. Further rumours suggest that the company have been looking at the now redundant Hoverspeed vessels RAPIDE & DIAMANT and are now looking at a Baltic based fast ferry. A more unlikely tale doing the rounds is that the PANAGIA SOUMELA - (ex LADY OF MANN) will be chartered back for the TT.