Seatruck Ferries
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Freight transportation |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Heysham |
Area served | Irish Sea |
Key people | Kristian Morch (Chairman) Alistair Eagles (CEO) |
| Parent | Clipper Group |
| Website | www.seatruckferries.com |
Seatruck Ferries is a UK-based freight-only ferry company which commenced services in 1996. It is part of the Clipper Group, a shipping company based in The Bahamas.[1] The company operates out of four ports on the Irish Sea, including Heysham and Liverpool.
History
Formation (1996–2002)
Seatruck was established in 1996, operating one ship, Riverdance, between Heysham, Lancashire, England and Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland. She was joined in April 1997 by sister ship Moondance, which was also operated on the Heysham to Warrenpoint service, a service which continues today as a two-ship service.
Clipper Group (2002–present)
In 2002, the company was acquired by Danish shipping company Clipper Group. Also in 2002, European Mariner was chartered for two months, before moving on to Color Line.
In 2005, Seatruck Ferries ordered their first new ships, five "P Series" ro-ro freight ferries,[2] however only four were built. These vessels were named Clipper Point, Clipper Panorama, Clipper Pace and Clipper Pennant. All four vessels were built by Spanish shipyard Astilleros de Huelva.
Between late 2005 and late 2009, Seatruck acquired four sister ships, Challenge (Clipper Ranger), Triumph (Helliar), Shield (Hildasay) and Arrow. These are now deployed on charters to Caledonian MacBrayne, NorthLink Ferries and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company respectively.
In 2007, Seatruck chartered the Celtic Star, which was deployed on the Liverpool to Dublin route.
In January 2008, the company's pioneering ship, Riverdance, ran aground in Blackpool.[3] Seatruck chartered Phocine to cover Riverdance's services until Clipper Point entered service. Attempts to refloat the vessel failed, and she was broken up in situ in the summer of 2008.[4] In March 2008, Clipper Point became the company's first new ferry, entering service on the Heysham to Warrenpoint route. Panorama followed in January 2009, Pace in March 2009 and Pennant in October 2009.
In March 2008, the same month that Clipper Point entered service, Seatruck Ferries placed an order for four RoRo 2200 ferries to be built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in Germany.[5]
The first two of these vessels launched in late 2011, named Seatruck Progress and Seatruck Power, whilst the third, Seatruck Performance, launched in January 2012. The final ship of the class, Seatruck Precision, launched in March 2012. Progress entered service in December 2011, Power joined the fleet in February 2012,[6] Performance joined the fleet in April 2012[7] and lastly Precision will join the fleet before mid-2012.
In late 2011, one of earlier "P Series" vessels – Clipper Panorama – was renamed Seatruck Panorama whilst Clipper Pace was renamed Seatruck Pace in February 2012.
In 2015, Ole Frie stepped down as chairman of the board. Kristian Morch was appointed as Frie's replacement. Alistair Eagles was also appointed CEO of Seatruck.
In May 2015, Clipper Ranger finished her long-term charter with Caledonian MacBrayne. The Clipper Point also finished her charter with DFDS. She was then chartered to Inter Shipping (Spain) to operate on the company's Algeciras–Tanger Med II route.
In January 2016 Seatruck upgraded its website. The web domain traditionally offered information on ferry bookings and was principally following a lead generator based model for car and motorhome web bookings which only offered phone and email booking.[8] This type of booking model is endemic in the ferry booking industry online.[9][10] However, this new change illustrates Seatruck's shift towards online modernism. The web technology was developed by Freightlink Solutions Ltd, an online freight ferry booking aggregation service.[11]
Routes
Seatruck currently operate three routes on the Irish Sea, serving four ports.
Fleet
Current fleet
Seatruck currently have twelve vessels, six of which are in service for Seatruck. The other six are out on charter to various companies.
The newest vessel in the Seatruck fleet is Seatruck Precision, which entered service in June 2012.
| Image | Ship | Built (Commissioned) |
Route | Truck Capacity |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Arrow | August 1998 (October 2009) |
Heysham - Douglas |
65 |
On long-term charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company [12] |
 |
Clipper Pennant | August 2009 (October 2009) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
120 |
|
 |
Clipper Point | March 2008 (March 2008) |
Heysham - Dublin |
120 |
|
 |
Clipper Ranger | April 1998 (October 2005) |
Liverpool - Dublin |
65 |
|
 |
Helliar | October 1997 (October 2007) |
Aberdeen - Lerwick |
65 |
On long charter to Northlink Ferries Formerly named Clipper Racer |
 |
Hildasay | November 1999 (October 2008) |
Aberdeen - Lerwick |
65 |
On long charter to Northlink Ferries Formerly named Shield |
 |
Seatruck Pace | February 2009 (March 2009) |
Liverpool - Dublin |
120 |
|
 |
Seatruck Panorama | November 2008 (January 2009) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
120 |
Formerly named Clipper Panorama |
 |
Seatruck Power | February 2012 (February 2012) |
Liverpool - Dublin |
151 |
|
|
Seatruck Progress | November 2011 (December 2011) |
Liverpool - Dublin |
151 |
|
 |
Stena Performer | April 2012 (April 2012) |
Heysham - Belfast |
151 |
Formerly named Seatruck Performance On long-term charter to Stena Line |
 |
Stena Precision | June 2012 (June 2012) |
Heysham - Belfast |
151 |
Formerly named Seatruck Precision On long-term charter to Stena Line |
Former fleet
These are vessels that have previously been operated or chartered by Seatruck.
| Image | Ship | Built (Commissioned) |
Route | Truck Capacity |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Anglia Seaways | August 2000 (May 2012) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
120 |
Chartered from DFDS |
N/A |
Bolero | ? 1985 (February 2008) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
N/A |
Sold and converted to cable layer. |
 |
Celtic Star | August 1991 (September 2007) |
Liverpool - Dublin |
70 |
Chartered 2007, to P&O Irish Sea in 2008 |
 |
European Mariner | October 1978 (April 2002) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
53 |
Short-term charter in 2002. |
N/A |
Lygra | February 1979 (April 2008) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
N/A |
Short-term charter in 2008 |
 |
Merchant Brilliant | ? 1979 (January 2008) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
80 |
Short term charter in 2008 |
 |
Moondance | July 1978 (April 1997) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
55 |
Sold in 2010 |
N/A |
Phocine | ? 1985 (February 2008) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
94 |
Short-term charter in 2008 |
|
Riverdance | April 1977 (July 1996) |
Heysham - Warrenpoint |
55 |
Beached at Cleveleys in Jan 2008, later cut up on site |
References
- ^ "£60 million investment and 100 new jobs". www.lancasterguardian.co.uk.
- ^ "Seatruck Christens First of Five".
- ^ "Ferry runs aground off Blackpool". BBC News. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ^ "Final death knell for Riverdance ferry". Blackpool Gazette. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ^ "Seatruck orders four new generation freight ro-ros". Seatruck Ferries. 3 March 2008. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ^ ""Seatruck Power" ... Ahead on the Irish Sea" (PDF). Seatruck Ferries. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ "Seatruck to launch direct Belfast service" (PDF). Seatruck Ferries.
- ^ "Book your motorhomes, cars and vans". Seatruck Ferries. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Technology will never replace the travel agent". Travel Mole. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "New study calls on the travel industry to adopt 'lean' thinking if it wants to deliver true customer value". Amadeus. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ "Freightlink Solutions Ltd". Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY'S NEW FREIGHT VESSEL TO BEGIN OPERATIONS". Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.