Quick crossings bring extra trade

Operational experience – with a mixture of designs – on the Irish Sea indicates positive support for fast ferry services.

While some concerns have been raised about disruptions to fast ferry routes on the Irish Sea the reality is that ferries offering quick passage times have increased business on these routes for all operators.

One beneficiary was Sea Containers Ferries` subsidiary, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co where combined carryings – excluding its Liverpool/Douglas route – a slight increase over the same period last year. The numbers for the first half of 1998 were 404 thousand passengers and 125 thousand vehicles. With the introduction of the monohull SuperSeaCat 2, running between Liverpool and Dublin, in March total numbers rose to 542 thousand passengers and more than 152 thousand vehicles. These were increases of more than 40 and 22 per cent respectively.

The Incat-built catamaran Seacat Scotland carried 178 thousand passengers and 51 thousand vehicles between Stranraer and Belfast during the same period, but the uncertain political situation in Northern Ireland has recently had an adverse effect, says managing director Hamish Ross. However, he hopes that the figures will show an improvement for the second half of the year.

Since the craft was introduced in 1992 – it was the first fast ferry on the Irish Sea – its 90 min crossing time has grown the passenger market dramatically, says Mr Ross. Frequency also helps and Seacat Scotland makes five round trips a day in high season, reduced to four for the rest of the year. Mr Ross adds, “It created new reasons for travel, and brought Scotland and Northern Ireland closer together.”