A new ferry for the Irish Sea — and a Captain's 50-year life at sea!

A brand-new ferry arrives in Lancashire — while a captain who went to sea as a teenager looks back on an extraordinary career spanning half a century.

It's a busy edition of Full Ahead, beginning on a blustery quayside at Heysham Port for the arrival of Stena Futura, the first of a new generation of hybrid ferries destined for the route between north west England and Belfast.

At 147 metres long, Stena Futura will make 12 sailings a week, adding much-needed freight capacity to the route. Once sister ship Stena Connecta joins her in 2026, the two vessels are expected to increase freight capacity by around 40%.

Alistair and Nigel were there to see Stena Futura arrive, joined by author Matt Davies, whose lifelong fascination with ships has taken him from being a ship enthusiast to documenting the vessels and stories of the maritime world.

Then we go from a brand-new ferry to a remarkable career at sea.

Captain Dave McNamee went to sea at just 13 and has spent more than five decades working around the world. From the Pacific to the Irish Sea, Dave shares stories from an extraordinary career — including his time at Fleetwood Nautical College, where he passed on his experience to a new generation of seafarers.

And there's a wonderful twist to his story.

Dave is now one of the volunteers aboard The Danny, the historic steam tug featured in an earlier Full Ahead episode — a vessel he first saw as a schoolboy.

So, from the arrival of a brand-new hybrid ferry to the memories of a captain whose career began more than 50 years ago, this episode is all about ships, people and the stories that connect generations of maritime life.

And yes... Daisy, the Full Ahead dog, makes a guest appearance. 🐾

00:00 Stena Futura arrives at Heysham
— Meet author and ship enthusiast Matt Davies
— The future of the Heysham-Belfast ferry route
— Meet Captain Dave McNamee
— Going to sea at 13
— Stories from a career around the world
— From Fleetwood Nautical College to The Danny
— The remarkable connection between a schoolboy and a steam tug
— And a visit from Daisy!

Thanks for listening to Full Ahead — the podcast bringing you the people, places, ships and stories behind the maritime world.

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