MS Stena Feronia

Stena Feronia at Twelve Quays, Birkenhead
Career
Name: Stena Feronia (2011 onwards)
Dublin Seaways (2010-2011)
Dublin Viking (2005-2010)
Mersey Viking (1997-2005)
Owner: Stena North Sea Limited (2011 onwards)
Norfolkline Irish Sea Ship Ownership Limited (2010-2011)
Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferries Ltd (2006-2010)
Belfast Freight Ferries (2001-2006)
Levantina Trasporti Srl (1997-2001)
Operator: Stena Line (2014 onwards)
Inter Shipping (2012-2014)
Stena Line (2011-2012)
DFDS Seaways (2010-2011)
Norfolkline (2005-2010)
Norse Merchant Ferries (2001-2005)
Norse Irish Ferries (1997-2001)
Port of registry:  Cyprus (2014 onwards)
Glasgow,  United Kingdom (2011-2014)
Belfast,  United Kingdom (2004-2011)
Bari,  Italy (1997-2004)
Builder: Cantiere Navale Visentini, Italy
Completed: 1997[1]
Identification: IMO number: 9136022[1]
Status: Laid up in Lysekil, Sweden
General characteristics
Tonnage:21,856 GT[1]
Length:186.0 m (610.2 ft)[1]
Beam:25.60 m (84.0 ft)[1]
Draught:5.55 m (18.2 ft)[1]
Installed power:2 x Wärtsilä 8R46 diesels
Propulsion:2 x Controllable pitch propellers
2 x Bow thrusters
Speed:21.5 knots (40 km/h)
Capacity:370 Passengers[2]
2,150 Lane meters[2]

The Stena Feronia is a passenger / vehicle ferry owned and operated by Stena Line. The ship is a twin of MS Liverpool Seaways.

History

The Stena Feronia was launched on 7 December 1996 as the Mersey Viking for Irish Sea ferry operator Norse Irish Ferries. The ship was built by Cantiere Navale Visentini in Italy.

The ship entered service in July 1997 operating between Liverpool and Belfast. She remained on this route until December 2005 when she moved to the Birkenhead - Dublin route. Prior to transferring to the Dublin route the ship was renamed Dublin Viking.

Another name change occurred In August 2010. The vessel was renamed Dublin Seaways following DFDS's acquisition of Norfolkline.

In January 2011 DFDS Seaways closed the Birkenhead - Dublin route. The Dublin Seaways was sold to Stena Line and renamed Stena Feronia.

As from 26.January 2015 the vessel operates between Kiel and Gotenborg for eight weeks as temporary replacement for the Stena Germanica, who undergoes a refit. [3]

Inter Shipping & Future Use

In 2012, She was chartered to the Moroccan ferry operator; Inter Shipping for use between Tangier and Algeciras, she was used successfully for 2 years on that route before she was replaced in October 2014 by the LD Lines vessel, MS Norman Asturias which had been chartered to Inter Shipping, The Stena Feronia then left service and was anchored off the coast of Gibraltar for a short while before she headed back to Belfast. She was laid up in Belfast before she covered the MS Stena Mersey whilst she was off service when she was in dry dock at both Belfast and Falmouth at the beginning of December 2014, when the Stena Mersey returned to service Stena Feronia was removed from service on the 21st December 2014 and was laid up in Belfast before she departed Belfast on the 23rd and arrived in Sweden after Christmas where she was laid up. The Stena Feronia is currently sailing the Gothenburg (Sweden) to Kiel (Germany) route. In April she will have the passenger areas upgraded and be painted in the Strait Shipping and Bluebridge New Zealand livery. The ship will be renamed Strait Feronia and is expected to join Cook Strait Service in July 2015

Sister ships

The Stena Feronia was the first of two identical ships built by Cantiere Navale Visentini for Norse Irish Ferries. The second ship was launched as the Lagan Viking and is currently operating in the Baltic as the Liverpool Seaways.

Incidents

On 7 August 2007 a mooring rope at the ship's stern parted whilst preparing to depart Dublin. Two people where injured by the parting rope. A member of the ship's crew later died of their injuries.[4]

On 7 March 2012 the Stena Feronia collided with the cargo ship Union Moon just before entering the fairway of Belfast Lough.[5] The Stena Feronia was holed above the waterline but was able to berth safely in Belfast.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Det Norske Veritas "Stena Feronia", accessed 9 March 2012
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stena Line RoRo "Stena Feronia", accessed 9 March 2012
  3. ↑ Kieler Nachrichten "Stena Feronia von Kiel nach Göteborg", accessed on 27 February 2015
  4. ↑ Marine Accident Investigation Branch "Report on the investigation of the parting of a mooring line on board Dublin Viking", accessed 11 March 2012
  5. ↑ The Guardian "Stena Line ferry collides with cargo ship in Belfast Lough", accessed 9 March 2012