Dawn of a new service

service between the UK port of Liverpool and Dublin, Eire was started in February by Merchant Ferries, a subsidiary of Cenargo International, London. According to Merchant Ferries` chairman Michael Hendry, the two £40 million ($60 million) ships have virtually doubled the size of the company`s Irish Sea operations.

“In 1998, Merchant Ferries shipped approximately 90,000 trailer units and 8,000 trade cars on the Heysham Š Dublin route, says Mr Hendry. This year, despite scaling back the Heysham service from three freight-only sailings per day to twice daily following the start of the Liverpool service, we expect to ship 166,000 trailers and 17,500 trade cars. In addition we will start carrying passenger and their vehicles,” he says.

The pair of 23-knot vessels, Dawn Merchant and Brave Merchant, were delivered in September last year, and February this year respectively from AESA`s Seville shipyard.

The two ships provide both 0600 and 2230 sailings daily from Liverpool and Dublin, except for Sunday mornings and Monday mornings, since the market does not require departures at these times, the company says. With a service speed of over 23 knots, the vessels have a crossing time of around 7_ hours. The night sailings are expected to appeal to the freight traffic and business traveller, while the daytime sailings should attract tourists wishing to cut out the drive to Holyhead, the company believes.

At 22,152g the vessels each have capacity for 120 freight units and 250 passengers. The company expects the service to particularly attract driver-accompanied traffic, as the vessels have 57 two-berth cabins – 30 outside, and 27 inside, all with en-suite facilities – and a drivers-only restaurant separate from the main restaurant. They also have a lounge, bar, duty-free shop, satellite television, and a mini cinema.