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The Stena Europe
Seen
from the end of Holyhead's breakwater, the Stena Europe leaves for Dublin
in June 2005. © John Lewis
The
Stena Europe was built by Götaverken Arendal Rederi AB in 1981 as the Kronprinsessan
Victoria for Sessan Linjen's Göteborg-Frederikshavn service. Shortly after
making her debut Stena line acquired a majority interest in Sessan Linjen, and
the ship was transferred to the Göteborg-Kiel route. In 1988 she was renamed
Stena Saga and transferred to the Oslo-Frederikshavn and Oslo-Frederikshavn-Göteborg
services. In 1994 she became the Stena Europe on the Harwich-Hook of
Holland services but three years later was transferred to the Karlskrona-Gdynia
route as Lion Europe, when replaced by HSS Stena Discovery. It was
a short-lived renaming and in 1998 she became the Stena Europe once again
when Stena dropped the Lion Ferry marketing name
After
a £4.5mn major refit the Stena Europe entered Irish Sea service on the
Fishguard - Rosslare crossing on 13 March 2002, replacing the Koningin
Beatrix which then transferred to the Karlskrona
– Gdynia service
as
Stena Baltica.
In
January 2003 the “Europe” hit the news when she lost power near Tuskar Rock
off the Irish coast. Five
helicopters were scrambled to winch 155 passengers to safety, but the rescue was
aborted as engineers brought the ship back under her own
power.
Since
then the Stena Europe has settled down to become a very popular addition
to the Irish Sea fleet.
On
1 June 2005 the Holyhead - Dublin service was placed in the hands of the Stena
Europe while the Stena Adventurer spent 11 days in Birkenhead on
annual overhaul.
In command of the Stena Europe at Fishguard are Senior
Master Capt David Farrell, a man who has spent most of his seagoing career at
Holyhead, and also Capt Dai Williams, who himself spent a season at Holyhead on
secondment as a Master on the Stena Cambria.
Photo: The Stena Europe alongside at Holyhead. ©
John Lewis
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