SEALINK-HOLYHEAD
Justin Merrigan
Stena Hengist
Built in 1972 in the French Naval Dockyard at Brest, the Horsa was for almost her entire UK career associated with the services from Dover and Folkestone to Calais and Boulogne. Together with her sister, the Horsa, the ship was a frequent visitor to Holyhead where she was drydocked and overhauled at the marine yard.
Hengist
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1972, Arsenal de Brest, France
1014 tonnes
4.00m
+100A1 Lloyds Register
118.09 metres
19.84 metres
4.12 metres
1400 passengers
220 cars
Bow and stern
it was not until January 1992 that she had an opportunity to operate in service to Dun Laoghaire. By this time the ship, renamed Stena Hengist, was at the very end of her UK career, the Folkestone - Boulogne service having closed on New Year's Eve 1991.
Bow in at St Michael's Pier, Dun Laoghaire. © Justin Merrigan
Dun Laoghaire, January 1992. © Justin Merrigan
Holyhead dry dock 1983. © Justin Merrigan
Bow in at St Michael's Pier, Dun Laoghaire. © Justin Merrigan
She did come close to spending a few weeks at Holyhead as the second ship during the summer of 1981, pending the late delivery of the St David from Belfast. However Dover protested and Holyhead had to make do with first, the Earl Siward (ex-Dover), and then the chartered Prinsessan Desiree.
The Stena Hengist operated just one round trip per day in Irish service while the Stena Cambria and the Stena Hibernia underwent their annual overhauls. Released from Holyhead she then moved to the Stranraer - Larne run for further overhaul cover. On 14 March 1992 the Stena Hengist operated her last sailing under the Sealink flag, just three months short of the 20th anniversary of her entry into service at Folkestone.
