Holyhead port damaged again

[AndrewE]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cev80rpxpvno says

Severe weather forces closure of storm-hit port terminal​

One of Britain's busiest ports has closed one of its terminals following a "berthing incident" caused by severe weather conditions.

The incident took place on Friday at Terminal 5 of Holyhead Port on Anglesey, Stena Line Port announced, who said the terminal will remain temporarily closed to ensure safety.
It added that the port "continues to facilitate the full sailing schedule for ferry operators".

Let's hope that it is less serious this time around...

 

[185143]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cev80rpxpvno says

Let's hope that it is less serious this time around...

I'd assume it is, to be fair.

The port is still open and using the single berth timetable at least until it can be inspected.

Last time was an immediate closure. I'm using the port on Sunday and Monday. Only booked yesterday and it was down as being the current timetable, with a weather warning note for the weekend with some sailings amended.

Hope it sticks to that as the single berth timetable doesn't fit my plans at all.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Stena Estrid has collided with the remaining serviceable berth earlier today, closing the port again.

Holyhead ferry port closes after berthing incident

It is the second time in a year that the port has been fully closed to ferries.

www.bbc.com

The UK's second busiest passenger ferry port has been forced to close after a berthing incident as a ship docked.

It is the second time in a year that Holyhead has been closed to ferries.

Stena Line, which operates the port, said the incident happened as its vessel Stena Estrid arrived on Wednesday morning from Dublin.

All services on both Stena and Irish Ferries have been either cancelled or delayed.

The port operates Terminal 3 and Terminal 5.

However, Terminal 5 was closed following an incident in December as one of the ferries docked in the port.

Poor weather conditions delayed underwater surveys, with repair work expected to get underway this month.

In the meantime, both Stena Line and Irish Ferries were sharing Terminal 3, after altering their timetables to accommodate both services running from a single terminal.

But with Terminal 3 now out of action, it means no ships can dock.

The Stena ship Estrid was travelling from Dublin at 04:30 on Wednesday and was due to dock at 08:00.

The ferry company said all passengers and freight operators "disembarked as normal".

A Stena spokesperson said: "A berthing incident occurred on Wednesday 7 January 2026 as the Stena Estrid berthed at Holyhead Port.

"The incident is currently being investigated.

"Holyhead Port is temporarily closed and ferry operators are notifying customers."

 

[AlastairFraser]

Stena Estrid has collided with the remaining serviceable berth earlier today, closing the port again.

Holyhead ferry port closes after berthing incident

It is the second time in a year that the port has been fully closed to ferries.

www.bbc.com

I wonder why there are only 2 berths for ships on this route at Holyhead. It seems stupid to rely on only 2 berths on a route that is so crucial to British trade.

 

[Steddenm]

Looking at Stena Estrid it appears to be listing slightly on her portside.


She may have had some damage to her superstructure under the waterline.

image shows the ferry, MV Stena Estrid docked in Holyhead Port in the night with her apparently listing portside. All lights are on on the vessel.

 

[Acathater]

the online service status pages for both ferry companies seem to show departures as normal - with some even running early

Holyhead to Dublin Ferry Updates

Find 48-hour sailing updates for the Stena Line service from Holyhead to Dublin. View vessel type, departure / arrival times and status updates for your ferry.

www.stenaline.co.uk

Dublin Holyhead | Sailing Updates | Irish Ferries

Latest sailing updates Dublin Holyhead

www.irishferries.com

 

[AndrewE]

Looking at Stena Estrid it appears to be listing slightly on her portside.

View attachment 195475
She may have had some damage to her superstructure under the waterline.

image shows the ferry, MV Stena Estrid docked in Holyhead Port in the night with her apparently listing portside. All lights are on on the vessel.

I think a ship's superstructure is all above the waterline!
Maybe they have just loaded or unloaded unevenly, and it will get levelled up when the other side is completed...

 

[Acathater]

I think a ship's superstructure is all above the waterline!
Maybe they have just loaded or unloaded unevenly, and it will get levelled up when the other side is completed...

"Tynwald" & "King Orry" used to routinely sail from Heysham listing like that.
One of the deckhands told me that in Tynwald's case it was because the ballast tank pumps were worn out

 

[gabrielhj07]

Looking at Stena Estrid it appears to be listing slightly on her portside.

View attachment 195475
She may have had some damage to her superstructure under the waterline.

image shows the ferry, MV Stena Estrid docked in Holyhead Port in the night with her apparently listing portside. All lights are on on the vessel.

I’ve heard that there’s damage to her starboard side below the waterline, so she’s been heeled over to keep it in the air.

 

[Peter0124]

Is it likely any ferry service will run between Holyhead and Dublin tomorrow?

 

[Acathater]

Is it likely any ferry service will run between Holyhead and Dublin tomorrow?

I'd have thought that few if any ferries will be running on the west coast tomorrow

 

[replacementbus]

Had they got around to repairing the first damaged berth yet? Or are both berths now out of action? The fact this is now the third such incident in as many years raises a few eyebrows about the state of the whole system.
I can't help but be reminded of that old Clark and Dawe sketch. "Well, the port isnt supposed to fall off"

 

[Flying Snail]

Is it likely any ferry service will run between Holyhead and Dublin tomorrow?

Yes, Stena are scheduled to run all 4 return sailings as normal and Irish Ferries only 2 with slightly altered times.

 

[EyeKay]

I wonder why there are only 2 berths for ships on this route at Holyhead. It seems stupid to rely on only 2 berths on a route that is so crucial to British trade.

Like most things, I guess it comes down to who would pay for the infrastructure that is only used occasionally.

 

[StoneRoad]

Listed as Terminals 3 & 5 ... I echo the question why only two linkspans are normally available in such a busy port ?

As for berths [not] getting clouted by berthing ships ... that's down to both enough training and weather / tidal conditions affecting the controllability of the vessel.
Watching Manxman pirouette to present her stern to the linkspan at Douglas & Heysham and then back in - it takes a few minutes.
Some modern ferries - like cruise liners - have a massive windage which can make docking more difficult ...

it's bad enough trying to park 11 1/2 tons of wooden boat into a pontoon berth in a crosswind, with a long keel, single propellor / rudder set-up.

 

[Acathater]

not just modern ferries.......at Heysham, Mona's Isle used to create panic whenever it arrived due to the number of times it hit things - linkspan, other ships, sea wall... Sometimes it even missed the harbour entrance and got beached. Combination of too much windage and not enough power

 

[AlastairFraser]

Like most things, I guess it comes down to who would pay for the infrastructure that is only used occasionally.

True, this is the kind of provision that should really be legislated to make sure that at least a berth and a backup berth is constantly available at crucial ports like Holyhead.

 

[Trainbike46]

At least one of the berths appears useable as there are still sailings, with both Irish and Stena. It sounds like on this occassion the damage was to the ship, not the berth.

Though the Stena Estrid is clearly out of action, with the Stena Nordica filling in, and the Ben-my-Chree (IOM Steam Packet) filling in on Rosslare-Fishguard.

 

[Krokodil]

True, this is the kind of provision that should really be legislated to make sure that at least a berth and a backup berth is constantly available at crucial ports like Holyhead.

That's exactly what does exist. However both of them got pranged.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jan 2026 ==

Though the Stena Estrid is clearly out of action, with the Stena Nordica filling in

Local staff tell me that the substitution was imminent anyway, so that Estrid could go in for a scheduled refit. The ballast tanks of Estrid were used to force a list and keep the hole out of the water until divers could arrive and weld a patch onto it so that the ship could make its way to dry dock.

 

[90019]

not just modern ferries.......at Heysham, Mona's Isle used to create panic whenever it arrived due to the number of times it hit things - linkspan, other ships, sea wall... Sometimes it even missed the harbour entrance and got beached. Combination of too much windage and not enough power

Was it navigated by Leslie Philips?

 

[Acathater]

Was it navigated by Leslie Philips?

he would probably done a better job...

 

[AlastairFraser]

That's exactly what does exist. However both of them got pranged.

I would ensure resilience with 3 or 4 berths if I was the port operator, but I guess reliability isn't that important to them.

 

[185143]

That's exactly what does exist. However both of them got pranged.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jan 2026 ==


Local staff tell me that the substitution was imminent anyway, so that Estrid could go in for a scheduled refit. The ballast tanks of Estrid were used to force a list and keep the hole out of the water until divers could arrive and weld a patch onto it so that the ship could make its way to dry dock.

Yes and no. Estrid was due to depart imminently.

Nordica was planned to be released by Ben-my-Chree for approximately 4 months. Though Estrid was covering for one of the Birkenhead-Belfast ships, I think Edda was planned for refit first. That's obviously now set back until Estrid's emergency dry docking is completed.

 

[Acathater]

I would ensure resilience with 3 or 4 berths if I was the port operator, but I guess reliability isn't that important to them.

Linkspans cost tens of millions
Do you really think they're going to be sitting around as backup spares?

 

[AlastairFraser]

Linkspans cost tens of millions
Do you really think they're going to be sitting around as backup spares?

Holyhead is absolutely crucial to not just the North Wales economy, but the economy of the entire UK and Ireland too. This is the second time there has been a degraded service plan in recent years and nearby ports cannot cope with anywhere near the level of traffic that Holyhead does.
It's a matter of national importance that there is some sort of resilience beyond 2 linkspans at the port, and if it means perhaps a subsidy for increased ferry frequency to justify investment in additional linkspans, or an upgrade of alternative suitable facilities so they can take all rerouted Holyhead traffic, then it would be a worthy investment.

 

[Acathater]

Holyhead is absolutely crucial to not just the North Wales economy, but the economy of the entire UK and Ireland too. This is the second time there has been a degraded service plan in recent years and nearby ports cannot cope with anywhere near the level of traffic that Holyhead does.
It's a matter of national importance that there is some sort of resilience beyond 2 linkspans at the port, and if it means perhaps a subsidy for increased ferry frequency to justify investment in additional linkspans, or an upgrade of alternative suitable facilities so they can take all rerouted Holyhead traffic, then it would be a worthy investment.

If there's to be a subsidy to allow spare linkspans, that needs to come from the Irish government.

 

[berneyarms]

If there's to be a subsidy to allow spare linkspans, that needs to come from the Irish government.

So the Irish government should solely subsidise an investment that would prevent damage such as was suffered by the local economy in Anglesey during the extended closure last time?

This is important to both economies either side of the Irish Sea.

 

[AlastairFraser]

If there's to be a subsidy to allow spare linkspans, that needs to come from the Irish government.

It is crucial to the economy of N Wales too, they already get proportionally less transport investment per capita than South Wales does (especially the Valleys).
The need for increased state support for innovation and reliability for the UK maritime industry was a key theme identified in the Union Connectivity Review commissioned by the UK government back in 2021.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jan 2026 ==

So the Irish government should solely subsidise an investment that would prevent damage such as was suffered by the local economy in Anglesey during the extended closure last time?

This is important to both economies either side of the Irish Sea.

Exactly

 

[Acathater]

So the Irish government should solely subsidise an investment that would prevent damage such as was suffered by the local economy in Anglesey during the extended closure last time?

This is important to both economies either side of the Irish Sea.

The ferry exists to either export products from Ireland, or to carry products to Ireland - little of which will be of UK origin. It's up to Ireland to protect its supply routes. Cessation of the ferry would have relatively little effect on the UK

 

[90019]

The ferry exists to either export products from Ireland, or to carry products to Ireland - little of which will be of UK origin. It's up to Ireland to protect its supply routes. Cessation of the ferry would have relatively little effect on the UK

What on earth gives you that idea?

Having spent the last couple of years dropping and picking up trailers from ports (including Holyhead on a fairly regular basis), I can assure you that there are plenty of UK products being transported to Ireland on the ferries - hauliers aren't just sending empty trailers across and bringing back full ones.