Sealink-Holyhead: St Columba

The St Columba

St Columba Gallery The Inside Story Working Party Red Hibernia's Freak Wave

St Columba arrives at Holyhead on completion of her delivery voyage, April 5 1977. Photo: Ian Scott-Taylor Collection.

The £16mn order for St Columba was placed with Aalborg Vaerft A/S of Aalborg, Denmark in March 1975. Specially designed for service between Holyhead, on the island of Anglesey, across the 57 nautical miles to Dun Laoghaire, located seven miles south of Dublin. To enter service in 1977, the new ship would replace two passenger-only "mailships", Cambria and Hibernia, and a car ferry.

Aalborg didn't waste any time with construction and in July 1976 yard number 214 was ready to take to the water for the first time. But as so often happens in these cases, the weather had different plans!

Thursday, July 15 saw a chartered Aer Lingus 737 fly from Dublin, via Heathrow, with a representative group of British and Irish guests to witness the launch of the new ship. The following day saw high winds, the direction of which caused the level of water in Lim Fjord, on which Aalborg stands, to drop. With the water level just four inches too low to safely take the ship the invited guests had to settle for the naming ceremony which went ahead with Mrs Joan Kirby, wife of British Rail's Shipping and International Services Division's general manager David Kirby, performing the honours. With suitable tidal conditions the St Columba finally took to the water on Saturday, July 16 with Mrs Kirby launching the vessel, unfortunately after the departure of the guests for London and Dublin on their pre-arranged charter flight.

Above: An article from 'Sealink News', Issue 19, May 1977.

Sea trials were carried out in the Kattegat over the weekend of March 18, 1977 and at 0500hrs on Saturday April 2, the St Columba sailed from Aalborg for Holyhead under the Capt Evans. On the following day the St Columba arrived at Dover's Western Docks where minor engine adjustments were carried out. The next morning, the St Columba was on her way again and at 1400hrs on Tuesday April 5 she arrived at her new home port to be given a rapturous welcome by more than 5,000 people crowding every vantage point to see the new ship. Speaking of the St Columba's performance of passage to Holyhead Capt Evans said, "Although the weather conditions on the delivery voyage did not exceed Force 7, the ship behaved admirably, and her sea keeping qualities lived up to our best expectations." This was of course further confirmed after she went into service and in the subsequent winter.

The new ship dominated the scene in Holyhead. She was a much needed breath of fresh air to the service which, since the withdrawal of the Hibernia on October 3, 1976 and the Cambria on September 7, 1975, was operated by a variety of stop-gap steam turbine car ferries, including the Duke of Lancaster, the Duke of Rothesay, the Duke of Argyll, the Caledonian Princess, the Avalon and the Dover. On Tuesday April 19th the St Columba had a trial run around Holyhead Bay and on Sunday April 24 she was open to the public at Holyhead, an event which attracted 1704 visitors.

This was a time of celebration for all connected with the link and on Wednesday April 27 St Columba undertook her inaugural voyage to Dun Laoghaire with members of the Irish Government, British Rail Board, tour operators, journalists and other VIPs onboard. There were two sets of officers on board; Capt Len Evans, and Capt John Peters as masters, the latter taking her out of Holyhead. Walter Lloyd-Williams and Lewis Pritchard as mates. Trevor Salmon and Dai Davies as second mates and Tudor Jones and Glynne Pritchard as third mates. That evening, guests attended a Dinner at the Royal Marine Hotel, addressed by An Taoiseach (Irish Premier) Mr Liam Cosgrave T.D. The Chairman of British Rail, Mr Peter Parker offered a toast to the new ship: "The St Columba as a symbol of strengthened ties between the people of Ireland, the people of Britain and the people of Europe."

Taking up commercial service on Monday 2 May the St Columba was an overnight success on the route. With a capacity for 2,400 passengers, 335 cars or 36 artics (or a mixture of the two) nothing quite like the ship had ever been seen before on the Irish Sea. Little wonder was it that after just over one year in operation the St Columba had carried her one millionth passengers. One drawback of her early years was the considerable amount of engine trouble she experienced. The was to cause problems with relief vessels as none could even approach her large capacity. Usually, in such circumstances some quite remarkable feats of engineering were accomplished to promptly return the ship to service.

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 1 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.

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 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. A German Refit

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 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 GBP8mn 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.

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 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 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.

HSS - A New Concept Afloat

The arrival of the HSS concept on the Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire service numbered the Stena Hibernia's remaining days on the Irish Sea. Renamed Stena Adventurer in January 1996, the ship was almost transferred to Dover where her high passenger capacity would have been welcomed. The Stena Cambria had already been transferred back to her old home port but had not been warmly welcomed as her accommodation was now rather basic when compared with the former Stena Hibernia. In the event, the Stena Adventurer remained at Holyhead beyond the entry into service of HSS Stena Explorer on April 10, 1996.

While the spotlight was trained on the HSS service another newcomer had been working away, out of the limelight, since November 1995. The Stena Traveller was also a key element in the company's quest to revamp travel on the Holyhead routes. This ship had replaced the Stena Cambria but running to Dublin Port instead of Dun Laoghaire. The move gave hauliers their own dedicated freight ship, a move welcomed by some Dun Laoghaire residents who were concerned about the increase in ro-ro traffic through their town.

The summer of 1996 also saw the ship's last local senior master retire. Capt Richard Jones had joined the Holyhead fleet of British Rail Sealink in 1972, his first ship being the cattle boat Slieve Donard. By 1973 he found himself as 2nd officer on the passenger ships, sailing on the Lord Warden under the command of Capt Len Evans. His opposite number back then was Jim Wilcox who, having moved to Fishguard and eventually became master on the Stena Felicity, now replaced Capt Jones as senior master.

Having played support to the Stena Explorer during the summer season the end for the conventioanl ferry service finally came on September 30, 1996. Having completed her final sailing the Stena Adventurer was laid up at Dun Laoghaire as the port of Holyhead could not offer a berth for the ship. Such was the level of reconfiguration at the port that a suitable berth for lay-up was no longer available. A far cry from the days when container ships, cattle ships, car ferries and mailboats all operated from the port while ships on overhaul were handled at the Refit Berth.

For one month the former flagship of the Sealink fleet remained on standby in the event of mechanical problems on the HSS. After this period of inactivity the ship was moved from Dun Laoghaire to Belfast for lay-up at Stena's new ferryport.

Before her move northwards, she was permitted one final visit to her homeport, operating one round trip to clear a backlog of traffic on October 29. The following evening the Stena Adventurer slipped out of Dun Laoghaire under the command of Capt Jim Wilcox. As she left the harbour Stena Line's port vehicles lined the quay sounding their horns, a salute normally reserved for retiring masters. In response, the Stena Adventurer's whistle echoed around Dun Laoghaire as she completed her final swing before heading into Dublin Bay. Eight hours later she arrived at Belfast, Finished with Engines being rung off at 0240hrs on October 31.

It was not too long before the Stena Adventurer was required again and on November 3 she pressed into service to Stranraer, replacing the Stena Caledonia, her former running mate St David, which required attention at Harland & Wolff. Unfortunately one of her crossings took some 16 hours as she sheltered off Larne in high seas. Her final commercial sailing under the Stena Line flag was from the Scottish port to Belfast at 0230hrs on November 7 under the command of Capt Peter Lockyer.

A NEW CAREER IN THE SUN

On April 5 1997, the 20th anniversary of St Columba's departure from Aalborg on her delivery voyage to Holyhead, news broke of a possible sale to Agapitos Express Ferries of Greece.

Before the ship left for warmer climes I paid a final visit to her in UK waters. April 18 revealed her new owners already onboard, familiarising themselves with would become their new ship. In the company of Capt Peter Lockyer I wandered from stem to stern. It seemed so strange to walk around the ship, quiet now, knowing my crossings of the Irish Sea would never be the same. For not only was the ship leaving, but so too were the people who manned who. A community was breaking up.

As Capt Lockyer and I left the ship later that day for the drive south to Dun Laoghaire I looked back and said goodbye.

On May 9, renamed Express Aphrodite, the ship left Belfast and the Irish Sea for the last time.

On arrival in Piraeus Express Aphrodite underwent drydocking and renewal of passenger certificates before entering service for the remainder of the 1997 summer season on the runs to Syros, Tinos and Mykonos. By September she was back alongside undergoing the usual Greek alterations which included the removal of her after bridge and associated deck work.