Stena HSS Voyager

The_Wrecker

For anyone who has not heard. This craft has been stripped of parts to supply the HSS Explorer and will be towed for scrap soon.

http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14050:hss-readies-for-breakers&catid=71&Itemid=63

end of the road

i'd imagine the explorer was in better condition hense why it is the voyager being scrapped? shame to hear such a young ship is being broken up but thats progress i suppose

Tow

One way to make sure she does not get used for diesel smuggling...

The_Wrecker

Tow wrote: »

One way to make sure she does not get used for diesel smuggling...

One hell of a discovery.....:D

Con Logue

end of the road wrote: »

i'd imagine the explorer was in better condition hense why it is the voyager being scrapped? shame to hear such a young ship is being broken up but thats progress i suppose

Personally I think this is as progressive as the grounding of Concorde. The existing boats are a poor substitute for the HSS craft which, in their day, were a fantastic way to get to Britain from Ireland. The poor timings and limited schedule for the remaining HSS out of Dun Laoghaire are no coincidence either, as the cost of fuelling it obviously has an impact on Stena's bottom line.

Another few years of rising oil prices will have an impact here on other modes of transport - and here we are on this forum blithely talking about road transport and dispersed car-dependent development as if we were still paying the 75c a litre we did at the Euro changeover. Something will give eventually.

shamwari

Con Logue wrote: »

Personally I think this is as progressive as the grounding of Concorde. The existing boats are a poor substitute for the HSS craft which, in their day, were a fantastic way to get to Britain from Ireland. The poor timings and limited schedule for the remaining HSS out of Dun Laoghaire are no coincidence either, as the cost of fuelling it obviously has an impact on Stena's bottom line.

Another few years of rising oil prices will have an impact here on other modes of transport - and here we are on this forum blithely talking about road transport and dispersed car-dependent development as if we were still paying the 75c a litre we did at the Euro changeover. Something will give eventually.

+1.

I did hear years ago that the economics of the HSS craft were predicated on the price of oil being no more than $90 a barrel. And like taxes, the price of oil only goes one way.

It really is a dreadful shame to see what's happening.

lanyard

Sad.

The Irish Ferries Jonathon Swift is no comparison to the HSS. What's the story with ships, do they have to pay tax on diseal or are they exempted like aviation?

end of the road

does the likes of the Jonathon Swift and the fast ferry from rosslare (the links i think its called) use gass turbynes or do they just have more powerful engines?

goingnowhere

Jonathan Swift is diesel powered

The HSS is more than twice the size than the Jonathan Swift. HSS is gas turbine powered, its smooth, no vibration and has proper facilities for foot passengers, despite being 17 years old it is still the best ship on the Irish Sea, and it can deal with bad weather without a fuss.

The vibration on the Jonathan Swift is pretty bad and even in moderate weather its not much fun.

HSS engineering was based on gas turbines as it was the only way to deliver the performance and reliability required, 50+ knots during tests...

ScouseMouse

I loved the HSS. I remember there was an office in the harbour terminal with loads of free day passes :pac:

It was always my ship of choice. It was very comfortable and fast. I have not been on it for a few years now as the times are awful. I think its now in the twilight of its years. Just filling in time until Stena can work out what to do with it.

Nordica is my choice now, mainly due to the timings. That and my Stena Gold Card with free Stena Plus