FOYLE VENTURE

Also lying alongside the north wall of the James Watt Dock at the Garvel yard was the Irish ferry FOYLE VENTURE, over here for her annual survey and drydocking. She had arrived the afternoon before, and was awaiting the departure of BOISTEROUS from the drydock later in the week. Originally named SHANNON WILLOW, she had been built in 1978 by Scott and Sons at Bowling, and moved from the River Shannon to Lough Foyle in 2003, having been laid up for around three years. On the service across the lough, she is relieved by FOYLE RAMBLER, which had also visited Greenock last year. Unlike her, though, FOYLE VENTURE made her own way here. She can carry around 40 cars, and 250 passengers on the short cross-border crossing between Greencastle, in County Donegal, and Magilligan in County Derry.