New £6m ferry docks in Strangford Lough

12 October 2016

STRANGFORD’S new £6m ferry arrived at the weekend.

Built at the Cammell Laird shipyard on Merseyside, the MV Strangford II will not be officially commissioned for another six weeks to allow completion of staff training.

The new ferry will replace the 40 year-old MV Strangford and is strikingly similar in appearance to the MV Portaferry II, which was introduced to service the busy crossing between Strangford and Portaferry several years ago.

The new ferry was piloted from Liverpool to Strangford by Edward McDonnell, whose father George was the first skipper of the MV Strangford in 1969.

Mr McDonnell was joined on the journey across the Irish Sea by fellow skipper Alwyn Milligan.

The new vessel will operate alongside the existing MV Portaferry II and will be capable of carrying 28 cars, 260 passengers and crew. At just over 38 metres long, it will be manned by a crew of four.

Local politicians view the ferry service between Strangford and Portaferry as a vital link for communities either side of the internationally acclaimed waterway and are confident the new vessel will assist with the further development of the community, business and tourism sectors in the Down and Ards areas.

The new vessel will be used as a back up for the MV Portaferry II when it is undergoing its annual refit. The vessel will also be pressed into service during the Easter holiday period and throughout the summer to increase the frequency of crossings across the lough.

Stormont infrastructure minister Chris Hazzard is delighted the new vessel has arrived safely and and said local people will be looking forward to the ferry becoming fully operational.

Councillors Dermot Curran and Joe Boyle have welcomed the arrival of the new ferry and have praised the Department of Infrastructure for its major investment.

“The new ferry will bring benefits to villages on both sides of the lough and ensure they continue to be popular tourist areas,” councillor Curran said. “Local businesses will also hopefully benefit from the arrival of the new vessel.

“I am pleased that capital funding was provided to allow the vessel to be built. It’s arrival in Strangford last weekend created a lot of attention and many people will be keen to see the new ferry in operation.”

Councillor Boyle said the new ferry will contribute towards delivering an “enhanced service” between Portaferry and Strangford, explaining the vessel was specifically designed for crossing the waterway.

He said preparations for the ferry’s introduction were already in place with work completed on a £750,000 upgrade of the Strangford slipway, along with improvements to off-shore moorings.

“The ferry service transports 550,000 passengers and around 180,000 vehicles annually and its operation is currently being reviewed to accommodate the increase in the number of people making their way to Exploris aquarium in Portaferry. There are currently 22.214 ferry sailings annually,” he continued.

“The MV Strangford was commissioned in 1969 and I have suggested to Mr Hazzard that a fundraising event could be organised to coincide with the vessel’s last sailing. While the MV Strangford will be placed on the open market for sale, I hope such an event can take place within the next few weeks.”

Last week, another local councillor, Naomi Bailie, suggested the MV Strangford could remain in the area and transformed into a new tourist facility.

She has been discussing with Newry, Mourne and Down Council officials the potential for buying the old ferry outright, or with the help of a consortium, the private sector or community groups.

Councillor Bailie, who has also discussed her idea to retain the vessel on Strangford Lough with a senior official from Tourism NI, believes it could be used for a number of projects including a maritime museum, for trips on the internationally acclaimed waterway or a docked restaurant or cafe.

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