Ferry ready to sail but exact date still unclear

It was not known this morning if the Cork Swansea ferry would be ready to sail this evening as scheduled.

The ferry, which was originally due to have its maiden voyage on Monday, March 1, has yet to take to sea with passengers.

To date, a total of eight sailings have been cancelled by the operators, Fastnet Line. It is thought up to 1,000 passengers have been affected by the delays.

A spokeswoman for the company said this morning that the ferry would sail this week, but she could not confirm if it would have its inaugural sailing tonight.

The most recent scheduled sailing for the MV Julia was due in Swansea at 7am this morning.

The boat, which is currently in Swansea, is timetabled to leave the Welsh city at 9pm tonight.

It underwent the final part of its certification process in Swansea yesterday with the local regulatory authorities carrying out their final surveys. This followed the issuing of the passenger ship safety certificate last Thursday.

Passengers who were booked to travel on the eight cancelled sailings were contacted by Fastnet Line yesterday and offered the option to book alternative dates of their choice or receive a full refund.

All passengers impacted by the cancellation are being offered a 50% discount off their fare when they next book with Fastnet Line.

The MV Julia was built in 1982 and has capacity for 1,860 passengers and 440 cars and 40 trucks.

When operational, the new service will save motorists 600 kilometres on a round trip and connects travellers to Swansea directly with the M4 motorway.

Sailing will be overnight departing at 9pm and arriving at 7am the next day and will operate six nights a week with additional sailings in July and August.

Further information an be found on www.fastnetline.com.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.