MV Portaferry II coming to dock in Strangford |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | MV Portaferry II |
| Owner: | Roads Service Northern Ireland |
| Builder: | McTay Marine, Merseyside, United Kingdom |
| Yard number: | 127 |
| Launched: | 2001 |
| In service: | 18 December 2001 |
| Homeport: | Liverpool [1] |
| Identification: | IMO 9237436 |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 312 GRT |
| Capacity: | 260 passengers, 20 cars [2] |
MV Portaferry II is a passenger ferry operated by Roads Service Northern Ireland. This ferry serves on a route which has been in operation since the 12th century.[3]
Contents |
The ship traverses the 0.6 nautical mile (1.1 km) journey between Portaferry and Strangford in 8 minutes daily with a regular timetable.
After years of service, MV Strangford, which was launched on 6 September 1969, began to show signs of age. A second, smaller ship, MV Portaferry, also operating on the Portaferry - Strangford route, had insufficient capacity to take over full service for route, so a new ship was needed. In 2001 the MV Portaferry II replaced the aging MV Portaferry and relegated the earlier vessel, MV Strangford, to a support role.[1] A 2011 opinion piece, "Ards Peninsula Facing Hardship During Ferry Refit," suggests that there is local interest in maintaining a backup transportation option for MV Portaferry II.[4]
The £2.7 million invested in construction of MV "Portaferry II" continues a longstanding tradition. A local history website states that "ferry service has been provided between Portaferry and Strangford since the 12th Century."[3]
Like her predecessors, due to the short travel time the only onboard facilities are a passenger waiting area and a gangway at each side of the ship with benches and placards to inform readers of the area's wildlife.