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New pilot boat welcomed

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St Brides: The first of three new pilot boats for the Haven

St Brides: The first of three new pilot boats for the Haven

THE FIRST of three 19m pilot boats built by Mainstay Marine has been delivered to the Port of Milford Haven.

St Brides is the first finished boat of a £3.6m contract that is a flagship project for Mainstay Marine Solutions with delivery for the second and third due in April and July respectively. The vessels are an upgraded version of the ‘Picton’ Pilot Boat built by the company in 2006, and will serve the Haven waterway.

The 48 tonne vessels, designed by Camarc Design, are capable of reaching up to 14 knots with 12 persons on board. The craft are designed to be used extensively in heavy weather and are likely to operate in swells of 6m and significant wave height.

The vessels are expected to withstand 1,000 vessel boarding impacts over an average duty cycle of 2,500 hours per year.

Following a public competition, the pilot boats will be named after three significant landmarks within Pembrokeshire – ‘St Brides’, ‘St Govans’ and ‘St Davids’. The Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, Bill Hirst, said: “The names have great local relevance and we will be proud to put them on the water”.

Chief Executive of the Port of Milford Haven Alec Don said: “This substantial investment will provide the port with three identical modern state-of-the-art boats with full parts interchangeability. These boats, together with our highly skilled and trained crews constitute the backbone of our ability to provide a safe and reliable service to our customers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The boats have been built to the highest possible standard on time and to budget here in Wales by Mainstay’.”

Stewart Graves, Managing Director of Mainstay Marine, added: “Mainstay has always prided itself on our reputation for quality. The amount of positive feedback on the finish of the Pilot boats has been particularly overwhelming. Continued repeat business for our Pilot Boat building expertise is testament to our finished product. We are grateful for the continued support from the Port.

Keel Marine was commissioned to oversee the build progress and report on key milestones.

“We knew that delivering three pilots boats consecutively would be demanding but our comprehensive skill base, both in design and directly during the build, have been instrumental in keeping to a tight time schedule,’’ Project Engineer, Jon Lewis said.

Mainstay Marine has fulfilled several challenging contracts within the last 12 months, including the launch of a 50 ton wind farm support vessel, a major refit of a multicat and fabrication and assembly of the recently deployed 230 ton Delta Stream device for Tidal Energy Ltd.

A naming ceremony will take place for all three vessels in late July this year.

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Community

Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity

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THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.

Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.

The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.

Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.

Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.

(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)

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Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

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PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.

From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

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Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

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ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

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