St Columba & Stena Hibernia - Sealink Years

Leaving Holyhead with the afternoon sailing to Dun Laoghaire. © Ian Scott-Taylor

One drawback for the St Columba during her early years was the considerable amount of engine trouble experienced. The was to cause problems with relief vessels as none could approach her large capacity. Usually, in such circumstances some quite remarkable feats of engineering were accomplished to promptly return the ship to service.

The St Columba alongside the Refit Berth. © John Marsh

   

Each summer, until 1985, a second ship was deployed at Holyhead to augment the St Columba's sailings to Dun Laoghaire. Such notable ships as Duke of Lancaster, Avalon and Lord Warden all partnered the crack ship until in 1981 a newcomer arrived in the camp - the St David, fresh from Harland & Wolff under the command of Capt. Idwal Pritchard.

It was soon realised that the St David was a more economical ship to operate the run during off-peak periods and so on 1st October 1981 the St Columba retired to the Refit Berth. Apart from a brief spell back in service three weeks later, covering for an engine-troubled St David, there the St Columba remained until being reactivated in December for the peak Christmas season.

As we have already seen the St Columba was a fine sea ship, but the Irish Sea can be an unkind place. Saturday 19th December 1981 saw the Irish Sea at its worst, this being the night the Penlee Lifeboat RNLB Solomon Browne was lost with her entire crew going to the aid of the coaster Union Star in the western English Channel. For Capt Len Evans, Chief Officer Glynne Pritchard and 2nd officers David Farrell and Ken Jones on the St Columba it was a long first passage in their 24hrs on. With winds at Force 12 plus the ship was hove to off the Kish Tower for eight hours, conditions at Dun Laoghaire being impossible to even consider an attempt at berthing. She eventually got alongside at Dun Laoghaire at 0630hrs the following morning, 14 hours after leaving Holyhead.

In December 1982 Capt Evans, unable to berth at Dun Laoghaire due to a south east gale Force 11-12, steamed slowly south from the Kish lighthouse. "In the vicinity of the Codling I found myself looking up at the sea from the bridge! Needless to say I did not stay down there for long, and was most surprised when a German ship called me up asking if I could assist him, because he, as the giving way vessel, was concerned not to alter course because his cargo of phosphates could ship. One touch on the St Columba's telegraphs and she was away like a scalded cat, much to the admiration and relief of the German."

Arriving at Dun Laoghaire in an easterly gale was not always easy. Capt John Bakewell recalls, "I used to come well up to the east and then swing towards the west so that the ship was lying at right angles to Carlisle Pier. We would slowly work her in so that the port side aft was alongside the knuckle. Two stern lines would be run out and when fast and tight, the bow thrust was used to push the bow to port. This worked nearly every time. If it didn't work the beauty was that you could abort the manoeuvre and steam out."

 

During March 1982 St Columba had her first, and for many years her only, spell of service away from the route for which she was built. While the St David maintained the Holyhead run the larger ship sailed south to Fishguard to cover for the annual overhaul of the Stena Normandica on the Rosslare route.

Winter 1982 saw the conversion of the St Columba from a two class ship to one class and what was to be the first of a number of alterations to her comfortable accommodation. Now a large duty free shop took the place of the former 2nd class teabar. This complete, the St Columba returned to her rightful role as Holyhead's crack ship, the St David becoming very much the Sealink relief vessel.

SAILING INTO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP

Sealink UK Ltd was privatised in July 1984. In what was described as the "Sale of the Century" the company, comprising 37 ships, 10 harbours and 24 routes, was sold to US-based Sea Containers for the incredible sum of just £66mn.

The Hengist receives her interim new Sealink livery at Holyhead as the St Columba arrives from Dun Laoghaire. © Ronnie Roberts

November 1984 and the St Columba receives her new Sealink British Ferries livery. 

Major, and much needed, investment was promised by company president Mr James B. Sherwood and for Holyhead larger ferries were promised. In the meantime, in February 1985, the new Sealink British Ferries entered into an agreement with rivals B+I Line to rationalise sailings on the Irish Sea.

The St Columba, Capt John Mason in command, off Holyhead December 1984.

The agreement provided for co-operation between the two companies and the elimination of sailing duplication on the Holyhead and Fishguard routes to Ireland. Outwardly, this brought to an end the tradition of a second summer ship for Sealink at Holyhead - the extra sailings being covered by B+I. During overhaul periods arrangements were put in place for B+I to deputise while the Sealink ships were in drydock. By and large the move was not a popular one, especially with crews. The January 1986 overhaul relief programme was to fall apart due to industrial unrest - B+I crews demanded the same conditions as their St Columba colleagues for the period they were to operate from Dun Laoghaire. Strike action followed, B+I's Leinster was prevented from crossing Dublin Bay to Dun Laoghaire and sailings were suspended for 3 days while the St Columba underwent a 24 hour drydocking in Govan to renew her passenger certificates. The relationship between the two companies was further strained in April 1987 when Sealink introduced the freight ship Stena Sailer to supplement sailings the of St Columba. B+I cryed foul and by the end of the year the partnership was at an end. It was business as usual and competition returned to Holyhead.

Having returned to service after her Govan visit the St Columba was finally able to stand down for the £80,000 major refurbishment early in April 1986. When she returned to Holyhead from Bremerhaven a bright new look was unveiled on the travelling public. By far, the ship boasted the highest standards yet to be seen on a British ferry.

In January 1990 a fire broke out aft in the St Columba's engine room on her outward sailing to Holyhead. With the ship disabled one hour off the Welsh coast and with winds reaching gale force, a distress call was sent out by Senior Master Capt John Bakewell. By the time the rescue services arrived the crew had managed to bring the blaze under control. The whole event, during which B&I Line's Leinster stood by, was marked by the absence of panic onboard, and a situation which was potentially extremely negative in fact drew nothing but commendations for the manner in which it was handled.

Enter Sealink Stena Line

Following Sealink's acquisition by Stena Line in 1990 a massive fleetwide investment programme was announced. This provided for significant extra capacity on the Irish Sea routes and included the introduction in June 1991 of a second multi-purpose ferry on the Holyhead run - Stena Cambria, formerly the Dover ferry St Anselm.

As part of the investment programme the St Columba underwent an £8mn refit, designed to transform her into a floating leisure centre in with Stena's "Travel Service Concept" which held that given top class ships, a wide range of facilities, quality entertainment and good value prices, then people would be encouraged to travel all year round, simply for the fun of the onboard experience.

The St Columba was the first ship in the fleet to be so treated and returned to service with a new name and a very new look. As the Stena Hibernia she provided a huge range of facilities including an a la carte restaurant and self service restaurant, a Pizza Factory, a Show Bar with resident band and visiting cabaret, an Irish Bar with traditional Irish music, Business Club and Conference Centre, Casino, Children's Play Area and, of course, well-stocked Duty Free and Gift shops.

While the adoption of the name "Hibernia" evoked a venerable past on the Holyhead route the refit did not always meet with total approval from the travelling public. The renaming was an attempt to honour a long tradition going back almost a century and a half when the first Hibernia arrived at Holyhead. However, since 1977 the St Columba had become almost as well known to an Irishman as a pint of Guinness. For weeks after her return to service Ireland's national newspapers contained letters of regret that her once comfortable and pleasing lounges had been sacrificed for the glitzy Stena look. One writer commented "I'm glad they've renamed the ship as I have happy memories of the St Columba."

However, overtime the new look began to grow on the travelling public and as the Stena Hibernia, or the "Hibs" as she affectionately became known as, soon had a whole new following.