HUNDREDS more passengers have suffered disruption after another fault on the Cork to Swansea ferry forced the cancellation of its weekend sailings.
It comes just days after the Fastnet Line’s MV Julia was certified to sail, and hours after its first crossings were delayed by an engine fault and an electronic glitch.
Engineers are working frantically to repair the fault on the Julia, now docked in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.
They must have her ready for the next scheduled sailing from Cork at 9pm tomorrow night.
It has been a disastrous start for the ferry company due to resume the service on March 1.
Problems delayed the certification and resulted in the cancellation of its first eight sailings.
The Julia finally sailed from Swansea to Cork last Thursday but Friday’s voyage from Cork was delayed for hours with engine trouble. The vessel then missed a crucial tide in Swansea, further delaying its arrival. An electronic glitch in the sensors monitoring its bow doors delayed its departure from Swansea until 1am on Saturday morning.
The new electronic glitch forced the cancellation of its Saturday night Cork to Swansea sailing, and the Sunday night return trip.
Conor Buckley, chairman of the West Cork Tourism Co-Operative, which raised the money to buy the vessel and resume the service, said all involved are "very disappointed" and "very low".
He said the latest fault is minor but safety comes first and there was no option but to cancel weekend sailings.
"The way we fix this is to get the ferry back on the water, get sailing, and sailing successfully, and meeting the expectations of the public as soon as possible," he said.
All passengers affected by the delays were contacted and offered alternative sailing dates, or full refunds.
"Passengers impacted by this delay will be offered a 50% discount off their fare when they next book with Fastnet Line," the company said in statement.
"Fastnet Line would like to thank our customers for their understanding at this time."
* Updates on sailing times are available at www.fastnetline.com.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, March 15, 2010
