MV Connemara

{{Short description|Roll-on/roll-off passenger and freight ferry}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image | image=StraitNZ Connemara.jpg | image_caption=''Connemara'' in February 2023 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career | hide_header = | name = *''Borja'' (2007–2010) *''Baltic Amber'' (2010–2011) *''Norman Asturias'' (2011–2016) *''Asterion'' (2016–2018) *''Connemara'' (2018–present) | namesake=[[Connemara]] | owner = *Visemar Trasporti Srl (2006–2007) *[[Stena Line|Stena RORO]] (2007–2022) *Ferry Lines Singapore (from 2022)<ref name=Equasis>{{cite ship register|register=E|id=9349760|shipname=Connemara|access-date=2023-02-16}}</ref> | operator = *[[Balearia]] (2007–2010) *AVE Lines (2010) *[[DFDS Seaways]] (2010–2011) *[[LD Lines]] (2011–2014) *Inter Shipping (2014–2015) *[[ANEK Lines]] (2016–2018) *[[Brittany Ferries]] (2018–2022) *[[StraitNZ|StraitNZ Bluebridge]] (from 2023)<ref name="Equasis" /> | registry = *[[Bari]], {{flag|Italy}} (2007–2014) *[[Frederikshavn]], {{flag|Denmark}} (2014–2016) *[[Piraeus]], {{flag|Greece}} (2016–2018) *[[Limassol]], {{flag|Cyprus}} (2018) *[[Morlaix]], {{flag|France}} (2018–2020) *[[Limassol]], {{flag|Cyprus}} (2020–2022) *[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], {{flag|Bahamas }} (2022–present)<ref name="Equasis" /> | ordered = | builder = [[Cantiere Navale Visentini]] | original_cost = | yard_number = 216 | way_number = | laid_down = | launched = 18 December 2006 | christened = | completed = | acquired = | maiden_voyage = 20 May 2007 | in_service = | out_of_service = | identification = {{IMO|9349760}} | fate = | status = in service | notes = }} }} '''''Connemara''''' is a [[RORO]] passenger and freight ferry currently sailing across the [[Cook Strait]] in New Zealand on [[StraitNZ]]'s Bluebridge service, after being purchased from Stena RoRo. From 2007 to 2010, she was operated by [[Baleària|Balearia]] as ''Borja'', then between 2010 and 2011 as ''Baltic Amber'' for AVE Lines and then [[DFDS Seaways]], before subsequently spending four years on charter to [[LD Lines]]. She spent the majority of autumn 2014 and 2015 on charter to Inter Shipping sailing from [[Algeciras]], Spain, when she was then chartered by [[ANEK Lines]], being replaced by [[Nova Star Cruises]]{{'}}s [[Nova Star (cruiseferry)|''Nova Star'']]. The ship was renamed ''Asterion'' which comes from [[Greek mythology|Greek Mythology]] of [[Asterion (king of Crete)|Asterion]], the King of Crete.

''Connemara'' is named after [[Connemara|a region]] in the province of [[Connacht]] in western Ireland, facing the Atlantic Ocean.

==History== ===''Borja''=== [[File:Balearia.com - Borja.jpg|thumb|left|''Borja'' operated by Balearia]] ''Connemara'' was launched on 18 December 2006 as ''Borja'' and was completed on 11 May 2007.<ref>{{csr|register=MSI|id=9349760|shipname=Borja |accessdate=17 November 2018}}</ref> She was chartered to [[Stena Line]] during construction and was thought to be called ''Stena Ausonia'' but this did not happen and instead Stena chartered her to [[Balearia]] for services in Spain, she started operating between [[Barcelona]] and [[Palma, Majorca|Palma]] on 20 May 2007. In June that same year she was sold to Stena RORO, London.

===''Baltic Amber''=== [[File:Baltic Amber 2010.JPG|thumb|''Baltic Amber'' in 2010 operated by AVE Lines]] In 2010 she ended her charter to Balearia and was sent to [[Rotterdam]] where that same year she was chartered to AVE Lines and renamed ''Baltic Amber'', operating between [[Travemünde]] and [[Ventspils]], and later that month from Travemünde to [[Riga]]. In October 2010 she was chartered to DFDS Seaways for service between [[Klaipėda]] and [[Kiel]].

===''Norman Asturias''=== In 2011 she was chartered to LD Lines for service between [[Marseille]] and [[Tunis]], but soon after moved to a new [[Saint-Nazaire]]–[[Gijón]] "Motorway of the Sea" route, replacing ''Norman Trader''. She was renamed ''Norman Asturias'' in June 2011 and she remained on same route until November 2013 when she was transferred to LD Lines' new [[Poole]]–[[Santander, Spain|Santander]] service. From 3 February 2014 the ferry also commenced a weekly service from Poole to Gijón,<ref>{{cite web |title=Timetables |url=http://ldlines.co.uk/timetables/poole-gijon |publisher=LD Lines |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209044013/http://ldlines.co.uk/timetables/poole-gijon |archive-date=9 February 2014 |location=Suresnes, France |url-status=dead}}</ref> although the first scheduled sailing from Gijón was cancelled because of severe weather. She has a capacity for 518 passengers, 120 freight vehicles and 195 cars.

[[File:RoRo passenger ship Norman Asturias enters Poole Harbour - Passing Brownsea Island - 30 Nov. 2013.jpg|thumb|left|''Norman Asturias'' in 2013 operated by LD Lines]] When LD Lines carried out a business review in late August 2014 which included the closure of their two Spanish routes from Poole, ''Norman Asturias'' finished her final sailing in early September and was then laid up of Saint Nazaire. Stena RoRo then chartered her to Inter Shipping who run services between [[Tangier Med]], Morocco and [[Algeciras]], Spain where she then replaced the ''[[Strait Feronia|Stena Feronia]]'' which was on charter to Inter at the same time, ''Stena Feronia'' then later left for anchoring off Gibraltar and she was then place on the Birkenhead-Belfast route to cover the ''Stena Lagan'' refit. She left France at the same time as the ''[[Norman Atlantic]]'' which was then chartered to Caronte and Tourist, later Anek-Superfast. ''Norman Asturias'' started service between Spain and Morocco for Inter in October 2014 after her LD Lines livery was removed and she was then later transferred from the Italian to the Danish Flag in December 2014.

{{CSS image crop |Image = Castaway (51232834212).jpg |bSize = 583 |cWidth = 232 |cHeight = 112 |oTop = 148 |oLeft = 220 |Location = right |Description =''Connemara'' with Brittany Ferries }} On 16 January 2018, [[Brittany Ferries]] announced it would charter ''Norman Asturias'' for a new twice-weekly route starting on 6 May 2018 between [[Port of Cork|Cork]], Ireland and Santander, along with an additional route between Cork and [[Roscoff]], France with the name ''Connemara''. The line described the ship as "no-frills" with basic onboard service.

===''Connemara''=== ''Connemara'' was sold to [[StraitNZ]] in December 2022 to replace the {{MV|Straitsman|2005|2}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stena RoRo’s CONNEMARA reportedly off to a new life with New Zealand’s StraitNZ’s Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries |url=https://www.shippax.com/en/news/stena-roros-connemara-reportedly-off-to-a-new-life-with-new-zealands-straitnzs-bluebridge-cook-strait-ferries.aspx |access-date=1 December 2022 |work=Shippax |date=11 November 2022 |location=Halmstad |archive-date=1 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201234813/https://www.shippax.com/en/news/stena-roros-connemara-reportedly-off-to-a-new-life-with-new-zealands-straitnzs-bluebridge-cook-strait-ferries.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref> On 29 January 2023 ''Connemara'' arrived in [[Wellington]], New Zealand to begin her "Bluebridge" inter-island service across the [[Cook Strait]] to [[Picton, New Zealand|Picton]] for [[StraitNZ]]. She will replace ''[[Strait Feronia]]'', which will shift to ''Straitsman''{{'s}} schedule. Her pet-friendly cabins are a first for StraitNZ. On 31 August 2024, she was taken off the Cook Strait run for her night cabins to be converted into a premium lounge. In September 2024, it was announced the new lounge would be named the Pohutukawa Lounge, and bookings accepted for sailings after December 1st 2024 {{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

On 19 September 2024, ''Connemara'' lost power at 10:30pm about 3.7km off [[Sinclair Head]] while crossing the [[Cook Strait]] after leaving [[Wellington]]. The ferry was carrying 88 people at the time of the power outage. The tug boat ''Tapuhi'' towed it back to Wellington while a second tug ''Tiaki'' provided steerage in the early hours of 20 September. Regulatory body [[Maritime New Zealand]] launched an investigation into the power outage.<ref>{{cite news |title=Maritime investigation under way after Bluebridge ferry Connemara loses power in the Cook Strait overnight |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/maritime-investigation-underway-after-bluebridge-ferry-connemara-loses-power-in-the-cook-strait-overnight/3FWO4RNTLJFQBDE236VTC4T4KI/ |access-date=20 September 2024 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=20 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920022344/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/maritime-investigation-underway-after-bluebridge-ferry-connemara-loses-power-in-the-cook-strait-overnight/3FWO4RNTLJFQBDE236VTC4T4KI/ |archive-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

On 8 October 2024, the ''Connemara'' hit a wharf in [[Picton, New Zealand|Picton]] while berthing under strong winds.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bluebridge ferry damages wharf in Picton while berthing |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/08/bluebridge-ferry-damages-wharf-in-picton-while-berthing/ |access-date=16 October 2024 |work=[[1News]] |date=8 October 2024}}</ref> She lost power again in [[Wellington Harbour]] on 11 October 2024. At the time, the ''Connemara'' was carrying between 435 and 450 people and was traveling from Picton to Wellington. The ferry dropped anchor near the [[Miramar Peninsula]]. While the ferry had called a tug boat, the ship crew had managed to resolve the engine issue before the boat was dispatched.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 October 2024 |title=Bluebridge ferry Connemara berths after losing power |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/11/bluebridge-ferry-connemara-berths-after-losing-power/ |access-date=12 October 2024 |work=[[1News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Howie |first1=Cherie |title=Bluebridge ferry Connemara hit by engine issue, drops anchor in Wellington Harbour - deputy harbourmaster |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/bluebridge-ferry-connemara-hit-by-engine-issue-drops-anchor-in-wellington-harbour-deputy-harbourmaster/PVM5XAMLGBF3VIE27ONDGEXYBM/ |access-date=16 October 2024 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=11 October 2024}}</ref>

On 8 January 2026, the ''Connemara'' was forced to return to Wellington after a fault was discovered with its ramp. 200 passengers were stranded and had to spend the night in Wellington while specialist crane operators worked to lower the ramp.<ref>{{cite news |title=200 passengers stranded on Bluebridge ferry overnight |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583588/200-passengers-stranded-on-bluebridge-ferry-overnight |access-date=9 January 2026 |work=[[RNZ]] |date=9 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260109035759/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583588/200-passengers-stranded-on-bluebridge-ferry-overnight |archive-date=9 January 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In mid-March 2026, a technical fault aboard the ''Connemara'' led to the cancellation of ferry services on 12 and 13 March, disrupting travel across the Cook Strait.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Penny |title=Green Party warns of 'perfect storm' as ferry breakdowns disrupt travel and freight |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/589551/green-party-warns-of-perfect-storm-as-ferry-breakdowns-disrupt-travel-and-freight |access-date=14 March 2026 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=14 March 2026}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|IMO 9349760}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20221226073637/https://assets.ctfassets.net/zmjc9gr9hbbf/1SvT63Xjd1iU1mGLlDhLi3/53ed80cf5d19058561f580dbbc26225d/Connemara_Ship_Guide_ENG-FR_27-08-19v2.pdf Brittany Ferries ''Connemara'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connemara}} [[Category:Ships built by Cantiere Navale Visentini]] [[Category:Ferries of Italy]] [[Category:2006 ships]] [[Category:Cook Strait ferries]]