MV W.B. Yeats is a RORO passenger and freight vessel in the fleet of Irish Ferries. She arrived in Dublin for the first time on 20 December 2018 and entered service in January 2019.

W.B. Yeats during fitting out
History
NameMV W.B. Yeats
NamesakeW. B. Yeats
OwnerIrish Continental Group
OperatorIrish Ferries
Port of registryLimassol,  Cyprus
RouteDublinCherbourg
BuilderFlensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft
Yard number771
Laid down11 September 2017
Launched19 January 2018
In service22 January 2019
Identification
Notes[1]
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length194.8 m (639 ft)
Beam31.6 m (104 ft)
Draught6.7 m (22 ft)
Installed power4 × MaK 8M43C (4 × 8,400 kW)
Speed22.5 knots (41.7 km/h; 25.9 mph)
Capacity
  • 1,800 passengers
  • 1,216 cars (maximum)
Crew85
Notes[1]

History

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The ship, at the time unnamed, was ordered from German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft in May 2016 at a cost of 144 million.[2] At the time of the order, the vessel was planned to enter service in May 2018.[2] Her keel was laid in September 2017, by which time the expected delivery had slipped to July 2018.[3] In October, her name was announced to be W.B. Yeats, chosen in an online competition.[4]

W.B. Yeats' hull was launched on 19 January 2018, but delays during the fitting out process led to Irish Ferries delaying her entry into service first to late July, then to September.[5][6]

The deck structure was built in Poland and assembled on the hull by floating cranes Matador III and Taklift 4 after the launch.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

In August, The Irish Times reported that her delivery would likely not take place until October,[15] but work was further delayed and she did not begin sea trials until late in the month.[16] Irish Ferries eventually took delivery of the ship on 12 December 2018.[17] She arrived in Ireland on 20 December 2018.[18] W.B. Yeats made her much delayed first commercial sailing on 22 January 2019 when she struck the berth attempting to dock at Holyhead leaving a dent in the ship and bending the ramp in the impact delaying the offloading by some time and forcing Irish Ferries to put the booked passengers on the Stena sailing to Dublin,[19] just over a year after her hull was launched.

Design

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W.B. Yeats measures 54,985 gross tons, with a length of 194.8 metres (639 ft) and a beam of 31.6 metres (104 ft).[20][21] She has a total capacity of 1,885 passengers and crew, with 435 individual passenger cabins.[2] Her vehicle deck has an area of about 3,500 lane meters, giving her a maximum capacity of 1,216 cars or 165 trucks.[22] She is powered by four Caterpillar 8M43(C)[19] Diesel engines with a total power output of 33,600 kilowatts (45,100 hp) that can propel her at up to 22.5 knots (25.9 mph).[22] Passenger facilities are spread out over four decks, with decks 8 and 9 containing nothing but cabins and the public facilities housed on decks 10 and 11.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "W.B. Yeats". NIFerrySite. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Irish Ferries is splashing out on a new €144m ferry". TheJournal.ie. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Keel laid for Irish Ferries' new Ro-Pax". Baird Maritime. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  4. ^ "WB Yeats chosen as name for new €144 million Irish cruise ferry". TheJournal.ie. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Delivery of giant cruise ferry "likely to be delayed"". Marine Log. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Irish Ferries cancels 6,000 summer bookings as new ship is delayed again". TheJournal.ie. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  7. ^ NDR. fsg258.html "FSG: Investor Windhorst übernimmt Werft-Anteile". www.ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 14 April 2024. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  8. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Traghetti IIrish nuove W.B. Yeats nella messa in cantiere di FSG in Flensburg Foto stock - Alamy". www.alamy.it (in Italian). Retrieved 14 April 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ "PM" (PDF).
  10. ^ ho (9 February 2018). "Geschafft! Schiff "W.B. Yeats" komplett | SHZ". shz.de (in German). Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  11. ^ "FSG, Flensburg, DEUTSCHLAND – Barbara Prinz Photography" (in German). Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  12. ^ "picture". Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Picture".
  14. ^ "WB Yeats ore Honfleuu".
  15. ^ "ICG'S 'annus horribilis'". The Irish Times. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  16. ^ "W.B.Yeats Cruiseferry Finally Departs German Shipyard to Begin Sea Trials". Afloat. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Cruise Ferry W.B.Yeats Delivered to Irish Continental Group plc". GlobeNewswire. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  18. ^ "€144 million WB Yeats cruise ferry sails into Dublin Port". Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  19. ^ a b c "W.B. Yeats | Irish Ferries". 12 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Irish Ferries will stay buoyant despite ship delay disappointment for holidaymakers". Irish Independent. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  21. ^ "Irish Ferries faces further delay to delivery of W.B. Yeats". Marine Log. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Irish Ferries Splashes Out New $161 mln Vessel". Marine Link. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2018.