NEWS BULLETIN - MAY 2007

Vessels so far reported as visiting for this year's Mersey Maritime Heritage Event at Liverpool on June 16 / 17:

• Dar Mlodziezy - Poland
• Ruth - Sweden
• Jeanie Johnson - Ireland
• Asgard II - Ireland
• Tenacious - UK
• Next Wave - UK
• Stavros S. Niarchos - UK
• Kaskelot - UK
• HMS Albion - UK

Open 11:00 to 17:00

HMS ALBION will be berthed at Canada Dock, whilst the other vessels will be in Wellington Dock.

There has been much speculation over the fate of the former British Railways turbine steamer DUKE OF LANCASTER during the past year. However, a report which has appeared in a Welsh newspaper, states that owner her owner - the Liverpool based retailer Solitaire is not going to sell the ship for scrap, but neither do they have plans to restore it and a spokesman for the company say that the owners "love the ship". They confirm that they have ceased using it as a warehouse, but don't know what they are going to do with it now.

ISLE OF MAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT

A consultation group has been formed to develop a scheme that could improve harbour facilities in Ramsey with the development of an impounded water scheme and marina.

The inaugural meeting of the Group, hosted by the Department of Transport, took place on Tuesday 8th May 2007, in the Town Hall, Ramsey.

The Group includes a wide spectrum of harbour users and community representatives, and will act as a steering group to assist the Department in assessing what opportunities exist. The first phase of work will be to consider the options for the siting of the impounding structure and marina.

Group members will meet at approximately two-monthly intervals to ensure that they remain well briefed and have their views sought regularly. The Group will also ensure that the wider community is aware of the development of the scheme.

In the current financial year the Department has £265,000 available through Government’s Capital Programme for this scheme. This money will be used to acquire the necessary environmental, geotechnical and design information that will inform consideration of the various options by the Department and Consultation Group. The current target is to complete consideration of the options and decide on a preferred option by 31st March 2008.

Before moving on to develop a detailed design for the preferred option, the Department is committed to wide public consultation. At appropriate stages through the development process the public will be given the opportunity to view the various options, the information collected and offer their comments.

ISLES OF SCILLY STEAMSHIP COMPANY

A multi-million pound plan to improve transport links to the Isles of Scilly has been give conditional approval by the Department for Transport. It follows a bid for £23.84m in government funds to upgrade St Mary's and Penzance harbours and buy a freight and passenger ship.

Another £6.5m would come from European Objective One or Convergence funding. Current ships serving the freight and passenger needs of the Isles of Scilly are at the end of their working lives.

The scheme would see the passenger ferry SCILLONIAN III and the freight ship GRY MARITHA replaced with a £17.5m combined passenger and cargo vessel which would then be leased back to the ferry operator, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company.

Cornwall County Council will now make a firm decision whether to proceed with the project following the announcement of the Department for Transport's funding.

The scheme is managed by the Isles of Scilly Route Partnership which represents local authorities, mainland link transport operators and key landowners.

KING HARRY STEAM FERRY COMPANY

KING HARRY FERRY VII has completed its first year in service this week crossing the River Fal between Philleigh and Feock in Cornwall.

The new, larger vessel, which operates on one of the world's ten most beautiful ferry routes has been responsible for boosting carryings with the company claiming an increase in traffic of 10% per week.

This has been brought about by the increased capacity of the vessel which now seldom leaves vehicles having to wait for another crossing.

MSC NAPOLI

The last container was removed from the grounded container ship MSC NAPOLI on Wednesday by the Smit salvage team. The ship was run aground on January 20 off Branscombe in Devon following structural damage sustained in the severe weather which lashed the British Isles on January 18.

Remnants of the 220-year-old Manchester Dock were uncovered beneath the riverside construction site of the new museum.

And senior archaeologists today criticised bosses for demolishing a chunk of wall and failing to come up with a plan to display the historic dock gates in their current position.

National Museums Liverpool bosses today denied the gates had been damaged. They admitted the original dock would not be made a feature of the new site, but said the gates would be removed and turned into a display.

Earlier this month parts of the dock wall were knocked down and its historic gates clawed out with a digger in advance of work starting on the £65m Mann Island site.

One archaeologist, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "I accept what they say about the gates, but I’m still upset because I know what could have been done with the site.

"A whole chunk of wall has also been demolished, about 35ft.

"They should have stopped and had another think about how they could have incorporated some of the Manchester Dock so people could have seen it when they went to the new museum.

"They’re simply going to concrete it over."

Another expert said the position of concrete foundation beams, which run through the dock entrance, should have been moved and a glass floor considered to show off the old gates.

He said: "I think people would have been fascinated by it."

A spokeswoman said: "The frames, made from Greenheart – a tropical hardwood – are in the care of NML and it’s hoped they’ll be displayed in the new museum. "

But the way the gates were removed has been criticised by experts. Meanwhile, protesters fighting to stop the building and preserve the 18th Century dock have stepped up their campaign.

David Swift, who has asked English Heritage to have the dock listed , has now written to Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Unesco appealing for help to stop the work.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage said the listing application was still being processed.

The remaining vessels are mostly being offered for sale as part of an operating subsidiary. These include SUPERSEACAT THREE and SUPERSEACAT FOUR operating on the Baltic between Talinnin and Helsinki, the smaller passenger only Seastreak New York Harbour Ferries. Apparently the New York business was nearly sold recently but a deal failed to materialise. There is also speculation that a sale of the Baltic operation may be completed in the near future.

SUPERSEACAT TWO remains on charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

STENA LINE

Stena Line is hoping the new Scottish administration will speed up the company's move from Stranraer Harbour to Cairnryan.

Route Director for Stranraer to Belfast, Alan Gordon told the Galloway Gazette this week that he hoped things would get moving now that the new Scottish cabinet had taken up their positions.

Stewart Stevenson has been appointed as the new Minister for Transport,  Infrastructure and Climate Change in the SNP government. Speaking from a meeting in Belfast, Mr Gordon said: "We are still waiting for the Scottish Executive to check off documentation, the new transport minister has got to sign the thing off.

"We are still talking about the end of 2008 but we have been waiting for a while for the signature. This obviously has delayed the whole process. "We need to get the Harbour Enforcement Order signed, but we don't know how long that will take. We are trying to put as much pressure on as we can, but things are really out of our hands. He added: "We are quite confident we are getting it."

Once Stena ferries begin to sail from Cairnryan journey times will be cut significantly. Work is already ongoing at Belfast docks to bring the HSS berth three miles further up Belfast Lough.

This, combined with the shorter crossing from Cairnryan is expected to cut  the current journey time of one hour 50 minutes by around 40 minutes, opening up the possibility of extra daily sailings.

Engineering group Babcock International is to buy Plymouth's Devonport naval dockyard in a £350m deal.

Devonport maintains, upgrades and fuels the Royal Navy's submarines, and the deal is set to make Babcock the UK's leading naval maintenance firm.

Babcock is buying Devonport Management Limited (DML) from a consortium which includes Kellogg Brown & Root, Balfour Beatty and Weir Group.

Babcock said it would carry out a £90m share placing to help fund the deal.

Looking ahead, it added the "combined strength of Babcock and DML will yield significant strategic and financial benefits to the Ministry of Defence... whilst creating significant value for Babcock's shareholders".

Babcock already maintains the Rosyth and Faslane submarine bases in Scotland.

DML supports nuclear submarines and surface vessels for the Royal Navy and has controlled the Plymouth dockyard since 1997.

Babcock is understood to have beaten a rival bid from US private equity firm Carlyle to buy DML, after earlier interest from defence rivals Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems. [BBC].

Early this week the Irish and Latvian maritime authorities had been accused of abandoning the crew of a freighter who have been stuck onboard their vessel anchored off the Co Louth coast for nearly six weeks.

Last March, when the FORTUNA 1 arrived in the Co Louth port of Greenore, the crew began industrial action to get arrears of pay and succeeded but have got nothing since.

After the crew unloaded the cargo of steel bars, the ship was ordered to leave its berth and anchored at the entrance to Carlingford Lough where she remained until a few days ago.

However, the Harbour Master of Dundalk agreed that the FORTUNA 1 and its 11 man crew to berth at the port for an unspecified period.

ISLE OF MAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT

The Department of Transport is seeking Tynwald approval for a £505,905 scheme to design and build a cruise ship tender pontoon berth in Douglas Harbour.

Following feedback from representatives of Cruise Ship companies, the Department, in association with the Department of Tourism & Leisure, reviewed the possible options for the provision of improved facilities in Douglas Harbour which would provide more appropriate landing facilities for cruise ship passengers.

The Department recognises that a first step to improve facilities for cruise ships is the provision of an improved berth that could be used by tenders from ships anchored in Douglas Bay.

The Minster for Transport Hon David Anderson MHK said:

‘In November 2006, it was decided that the Department of Tourism and Leisure and the Department of Transport would cooperate in the development of a pontoon, bridge and walkway to be used by cruise passengers visiting the Island. The Island provides the perfect stopping off point for cruise ships visiting Ireland, England and Wales and this gives an excellent opportunity to increase visitor numbers to this Isle of Man.’

It is planned that the scheme will create a large pontoon at which tenders can berth at any stage of tide, between the Victoria and Edward Piers. From the pontoon there will be a covered bridge and walkway to the Sea Terminal Building, providing a safe and comfortable transfer for all passengers, including those in wheelchairs. The pontoon will also be available as an emergency landing point, which will benefit fishing boats, leisure craft and also the RNLI Lifeboat to land ill and injured people.

The Minister added:

‘The Department believes that the higher standard of passenger-handling facilities and the enhanced berthing arrangements will encourage more cruise ships to visit the Isle of Man which will in turn benefit the Island’s economy.’

The integration of the F.T. Everard business was reported to have progressed as planned, the integration of Everard and Fisher sea staff is expected to be completed by the first half of the year.

Three of Everard's four newbuildings are now in service with final vessel, Supremity , expected to join them in late summer.

"Our plans for refinancing the first three Everard newbuilds as bareboat charters are well advanced," Mr Harris said.

Fisher's three marine support services divisions - offshore oil, specialist technical and defence - were trading in line with management expectations.

"These businesses are the key focus of James Fisher's growth which should now be enhanced further by the cash flow from the acquisition of Everard," Mr Harris said.

"Overall, the group is well positioned to continue to produce good growth and value for our shareholders."

The troubled Fleetwood to Knott End ferry is finally sailing to success after a stormy start the Blackpool Gazette reported this week.

Mechanical problems kept the £350,000 vessel out of action for months on end. But since its successful relaunch in March visitors and locals alike have been flocking to take a trip across the River Wyre.

During April 11,479 passengers made a trip aboard Wyre Rose - with 157 dogs and 328 bicycles on board as well.The ferry ran for 16 days at the end of March when it carried 1,216 passengers - adding up to 12,695 in just 37 days.

Coun Keith Tebbs, living economy portfolio holder at Wyre Borough Council, said: "These are amazing statistics - especially when you realise that in the former days of the service it was transporting around 11,000 passengers for the whole of the summer."

Wyre Borough is responsible for the day-to-day running of the service through contractors Wyre Marine. The running costs are shared with Lancashire County Council, which provided the boat and improved shore facilities.

Ian Drury, director of Wyre Marine, said: "It is really good to see things

going well. I am sure the weather has helped but it shows the potential is there."

The company has been lending a hand to local charities. Charity cyclists at a ride organised at the Elizabeth

North Euston Hotel in Fleetwood got a free ride.

And Wyre Marine will give a day's takings to a fund established at the Jolly Sailor pub in Fleetwood in memory of Denise Stockell of Heathfield Road, Fleetwood.

Mother of three children, 40-year-old Mrs Stockell died in Thailand recently from a stroke.

Mr Drury said: "Being a successful local company we get a lot of requests to help good causes and we can't help them all but we do what we can." Last Wednesday, WYRE ROSE was allowed to dry out on the sand near the ferry terminal so a routine inspection could be carried out below the waterline. Mr Drury said: "This was a case of prudent management. Everything is absolutely fine."

Last year, the ferry got off to a good start and carried nearly 7,000 people in six weeks. But it was grounded by mechanical problems linked to the propulsion and steering systems which have now been corrected. Last Updated: 07 May 2007.

ROYAL NAVY

Moves to resurrect the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry service between Scotland and Northern Ireland are due to be resumed this week.

When devolved government returns to Northern Ireland on Tuesday, among the first representations ministers will receive will be from Kintyre seeking a partnership to fight for the restoration of the ferry service next year.

Conor Murphy, the new Sinn Fein minister for regional development and First Minister Ian Paisley, who has Ballycastle in his North Antrim constituency, will be approached directly to make common cause over the ferry, which last operated in 1999.

At least two firms were reported to be interested in tendering for the right to operate an 11-month service when Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, announced last October that he was withdrawing the £300,000 that Northern Ireland had been due to contribute to the £1m-a-year subsidy for five years.

His decision was unveiled on the eve of multi-party talks in St Andrews convened by the British and Irish governments to find a way back to power-sharing in the province.

It was widely seen as a stick to beat the recalcitrant players in Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party, as the ferry had cross-party support.

Alan Reid, the Liberal Democrat MP for Argyll and Bute, had been lobbying Mr Hain and the Northern Ireland Office, but now thinks there is new hope.

He said: "The new Northern Ireland Executive takes over on Tuesday and we hope that the ministers can be persuaded to restore their £300,000 to the project.

"So we will be writing to Mr Murphy and to Dr Paisley, who had always backed it. I would be amazed if they didn't respond positively allowing us to get the tendering process started with a view to the service resuming next spring."

He did not anticipate problems at the Scottish end.

Les Oman, chairman of the Kintyre-based Dalriada Business Action Group which has campaigned for years for the restoration of the ferry, said: "We have never given up and there is still enormous support for the ferry both here and in Northern Ireland."

He said there was a £50m marketing programme over the next 10 years for "the Giant's Causeway and the Causeway Coast".

"One of the priorities of that programme is the restoration of the ferry. There were two companies interested but if we have now lost them because of political intransigence it will be an absolute disgrace."

But The Herald has established that at least one company is still keen. Andrew Banks runs Pentland Ferries which operates a service between Gills Bay in Caithness and St Margaret's Hope in Orkney with the former CalMac ferry Claymore which was the same vessel which Sea Containers used on the Campbeltown to Ballycastle route for three summers from 1997 to 1999.

He is involved in another company, Dalriada Shipping, which was set up along with people in Kintyre with experience in the ferry industry.

Mr Banks said: "We are having a new ferry built for the Orkney route so the Claymore would be available from next spring. We would have to have a careful look at it, but we are definitely still interested and think an 11-month service would be commercially viable with a subsidy of £1m a year.

The Sunday Business Post reports that Fianna Fail has moved one step closer towards backing the idea of moving Dublin Port to a new location.

The party's manifesto - published last week - said if re-elected, it would examine the role of the port, taking into account its location and other factors.

The idea of moving Dublin Port to somewhere outside the city, such as north Co Dublin, was first mooted by the Progressive Democrats.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has not knocked the idea when asked about it in recent months, but the party has never committed to such a radical move.

However, the manifesto says Fianna Fail will ''undertake a comprehensive study of the role of Dublin Port taking account of location, overall ports policy, transport policy, urban development and the National Spatial Strategy''.

The reference to a study comes at a time when Irish Continental Group, owner of Irish Ferries, is the subject of a takeover battle on the Irish Stock Exchange.

Investment group, One51, which, together with Dublin Port, owns Greenore Port in Louth, has teamed up with the Cork-based shipping firm the Doyle Group to make an offer for ICG. This is in response to a takeover offer led by ICG's chief executive Eamonn Rothwell.

ICG has a lease on 30 acres of land at Dublin Port, while the Doyle Group also owns around 30 acres beside it.

Dublin Port tried to join the One51/Doyle consortium in recent weeks but did not get a positive response from the Department of Transport.

Industry sources say the ICG property at the port is of little value unless Dublin Port were to move to a new location.

The PDs plan was to develop the port area into a Canary Wharf-style location with offices and luxury apartments.

A power struggle over who should supply fuel to Looe's fishermen looks set to continue in the wake of a High Court ruling.The bitter fight has centred on who should supply fuel to the 47 fishing vessels which operate out of Looe Harbour - Looe Fuels Ltd or the Harbour Commission.

The row ended up in London's High Court last week to be decided by Mr Justice Stanley Burnton who found in favour of Looe Fuels Ltd on the basis of legislation set down in the 19th century when the Harbour Commission was first established.

Looe Fuels Ltd, which was originally set up as a co-operative run by the fishermen, has supplied fuel for the fishing fleet since 1988.

Committed to keeping fuel costs as low as possible, the co-operative had rented land from Looe Harbour Commissioners and dispensed oil from its own tank.

Latterly, Looe Fuels Ltd became a private limited company, whose profits are paid to its officers.

But in May last year, the commissioners obtained funding for a new 600,000-litre diesel storage tank and told Looe Fuels Ltd the Harbour Commission would be trebling the ground rent to cover the cost of the new tank.

The Harbour Commission then resolved to take over the supply of fuel to the fishermen, saying that as a registered charity it could provide the fuel on a non-profit basis.

The Harbour Commission's action was backed by the majority of fishermen who presented a petition in support.

However, Looe Fuels Ltd has bitterly contested the move saying that the commissioners had no right to supply fuel and had "acted unfairly".

Philip Coppel, for Looe Fuels Ltd, told the judge his client suspected "improper motives" on the part of the commissioners, who had asked Looe Fuels if it wanted to sell the business following the decision to increase the rent.

Mr Coppel said that according to legislation in 1848 when the Harbour Commission was established by statute, the commissioners had no right to lawfully take over the provision of fuel.

Oliver Hyams, for the commissioners, disputed that argument saying: "It is true that there is no express power to sell or dispense fuel in the 1848 legislation, but that is probably not surprising, given that fishing vessels were universally wind driven at that time."

But although Mr Justice Burnton found in favour of Looe Fuels Ltd, ruling that the commissioners had indeed been acting unlawfully and outside their powers, and ordered them to pay costs, the battle is far from over.

Both sides are gearing up for a further court case in June when a court will be asked to decide if Looe Fuels Ltd has the right to a lease of the new fuel facility on the harbour.

Bill Hocking, chairman of the Looe Fishermen's Protection Association, was disappointed at the outcome of last week's High Court hearing.

He claimed: "Of all the fishermen in Looe, about 99% were behind the Harbour Commissioners.

"There are boats belonging to members of the Harbour Commission which Looe Fuels won't supply with fuel.

"They have to go to Polperro to get their fuel. The bitter feuding over this is far from over and the fishermen of Looe are certainly not celebrating this ruling."

A spokesman for Looe Harbour commissioners said: "Looe Harbour Commissioners, with the support of Looe Fishermen's Protection Association, who represent the majority of the fishermen operating from the port, have always looked to achieve an uninterrupted and low cost fuel supply to the fishermen of Looe.

"This judicial review has merely directed that the Harbour should not sell fuel directly.

"The commissioners, as a charity, remain keen to protect the supply of fuel to the fishermen of Looe."

[THIS IS CORNWALL]

STENA LYNX III - Wexford business people were treated to a mini cruise on board the Stena fastcraft which  resumes its seasonal sailing between Rosslare and Fishguard last Wednesday.

The vessel travelled as far as Arklow before returning top Rosslare on its Business After Hours cruise, under the auspices of Wexford Chamber, with guests treated to a sushi supper before disembarking.

Vic Goodwin, route director for the Rosslare to Fishguard route, believes that the return of the STENA LYNX III will be good news for customers.

'We have seen an increasing number of people taking short-breaks and even day-trips to Britain each year. These fast crossing times mean that travel to Britain from Ireland is both easier and faster for Irish holidaymakers,' said Vic.

Under the new timetable the STENA LYNX III will sail from Rosslare at 08:00 and 15:00 and will return from Fishguard at 11:30 and 18.30 The crossing takes less than two hours.

The shipping industry has had its best year yet, according to the Government's Maritime Development Office.

In its annual economic survey, it said that the shipping services sector is now worth €1.7bn and is vital to national economic growth.

8,300 people are employed in the industry.

IMDO Director Glenn Murphy also records optimism amongst car ferry operators that increasing frustration and problems at airports will lead to a return to sea transport.

Mr Murphy said that the message is that this island economy can not survive without ships and ports.

The importance of ports and ships to the economy is shown with the biggest ever number of containers - 1.2 million - passing through Irish ports, an increase of 12%.

With an increase of 8% in the amount of trucks on freight ferries and bulk cargoes, ships and the ports carried over 90% of all Irish industrial exports and imports. [RTE]

Arklow Shipping, a big shipbuilding customer of the Netherlands, is said to have turned instead to South Korea for its latest newbuildings.

The Arklow, Ireland and Rotterdam-based company has reportedly ordered four 14,000-dwt general cargoships at Mokpo Shipyard due for for delivery in 2009.  The ships are understood to include options for two more.

Arklow's website says the company now operates a fleet of 37 ships of between 3,000 dwt and 13,000 dwt. The latest Arklow order is significant for Mokpo, one of South Korea's smaller yards whose orderbook is listed by brokers as comprising just nine 6,500-dwt newbuildings divided between general cargoships and chemical/products tankers.  [ MARITIME CLIPPINGS]

INSURANCE CONCERNS

MERSEY FERRIES

Sudley House, home of the magnificent art collection of ship owner George Holt, reopens on 26 May 2007 following a two-year £1 million refurbishment including many new attractions.

The listed sandstone mansion set in its own grounds at Mossley Hill, south Liverpool, has undergone major conservation and renovation work including improved access and a lift. It houses the only art collection of a Victorian merchant still in its original domestic setting.

The new attractions include:

·    Introductory display: the Holt family – George and Elizabeth Holt and daughter Emma from1884 to1944. Set in the ground floor library, the display includes an introductory film, family portraits and a model of the Lamport & Holt steamer Verdi.

·    Two childhood rooms: how Victorian children learned and played. Exhibits include a huge Victorian dolls’ house, educational toys, fashion dolls and pots used at mealtimes by rich and poor children.

·    Costume room: clothes worn by three daughters of Walter Holland, George Holt’s neighbour and business partner who lived at nearby Carnatic Hall. The clothes date from the 1880s to the 1920s and were bought in Bold Street, Liverpool, and Paris.

·    Temporary exhibition gallery: Merchant Palaces – a fascinating photographic display, running until early 2008, looks at luxurious merchants’ mansions that graced the fashionable suburbs of Liverpool and Wirral during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

In addition, there has been a re-hang of the paintings including works by Gainsborough, Turner, Reynolds, Romney, Landseer, Millais and Holman Hunt. Holt had a special liking for the work of John Strudwick and ordered pictures from him which can be seen in the garden hall, the original entrance to the house.

Robin Emmerson, National Museums Liverpool’s head of decorative arts, says: “Sudley is a unique attraction, displaying the domestic artistic tastes of a Victorian merchant. This extended from his art collection to the design of his home and how the rooms were ordered and fitted out.”  

Sudley was built in 1821 by corn merchant Nicholas Robinson. George Holt, a founder of the Lamport & Holt shipping line, bought the house in 1884. He extended it and redecorated the ground floor much as we see it today.

George Holt probably gave as much to charity as he spent on paintings. Emma did not buy pictures but continued her father’s level of giving to charity.

Emma left the house and its contents to the people of Liverpool when she died in 1944.

Sadly, all the furniture was sold because at that time there was no interest in Victorian interiors. Upstairs, walls were removed and the Victorian rooms do not survive. These areas – housing the childhood rooms, costume room and temporary exhibition gallery – have been redecorated and modernised.

The ground floor has been re-furnished just enough to give it a Victorian feel. Originally the house was very cluttered with ornate furniture. If this was put back, visitors could not walk freely around the rooms to look at the pictures. Each room has a video featuring actors portraying family members and domestic staff.

Other ground floor rooms include:

·    Drawing room: the Holts’ best sitting room. A photo of 1886 shows the same fireplace and paintings but everything else has changed. One corner has been filled with the clutter of Victorian furnishings which was hard for the maid to clean.

·    Dining room: the Holts probably planned many of Liverpool’s improvements – from health to education – over dinner here with their friends. The sideboard was sold in the sale after Emma’s death and has been borrowed from the buyer’s nephew.

·     Morning room: Emma used this for her study, organising her charity work including the Liverpool Personal Service Society and the Liverpool Queen Victoria District Nursing Association. She was a member of the Council of Liverpool University, unusual for a woman at that time.

A new steel and glass lift has been installed giving visitors access to the first floor. Two other new facilities are the Sudley café, open seven days a week, and access for coaches.

Designs for a flotilla of floating homes to be built on the River Mersey have been revealed.

The 26 properties will sit in the Princes Dock basin and will look like a row of "super yachts", said developers Peel Holdings.

It is thought to be the first development of its kind in the country and will complement the other waterfront redevelopment projects.

The plans have been submitted to Liverpool City Council.  Each home will have three decks with the top one featuring a large area for entertaining.

Prices are expected to be in line with top of the range penthouse apartments.

More than £200m has already been invested in Princes Dock. The area has attracted a number of blue chip companies who have set up office bases at the World Heritage Site. [BBC]

Eight seafarers have been reinstated by Stena Line, the company's decision thus defusing a simmering dispute on board the Rosslare Harbour- based STENA EUROPE.

Stena said last Friday that the eight had been reinstated and that the issue 'had been resolved through the disciplinary process'.

A company spokesman gave no details of how the impasse had been broken and said Stena would not be commenting any further.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had urged its members on board the ship to vote in favour of industrial action to support the eight seafarers who were dismissed while the ship was in dry dock in Birkenhead in January.

Steve Todd, the RMT's National Secretary, said at the time that the company said the eight had been dismissed from the ship for failing to turn up on time without a reasonable excuse and for deliberately delaying breathalyser tests.