Brittany Ferries (BAI)DFDSFerriesPast and PresentTruckline Ferries

MV Barfleur – Past and Present

IMO Number: 9007130

MV Barfleur

ex Deal Seaways, Barfleur

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher (Sandbanks, Poole)

Steel twin screw motor vessel built-in 1992 at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki, Finland (Yard No. 485) for Truckline Ferries France S.A., Cherbourg, France. (Brittany Ferries, Roscoff, France) as a roll-on/roll-off passenger, car and commercial vehicle ferry

Technical Data

  • Cost new: £55,000,000.
  • Length: 157.65 m (overall)
  • Breadth: 23.30 m (extreme)
  • Draught: 5.40 m (maximum)
  • Tonnage: 20,133 gross, 11,679 net, 4,130 deadweight
  • Engines: Four Wärtsilä 8R32D diesels
  • Power: 11990 kW.
  • Speed: 19.5
  • Capacity: 1212 passengers, 550 cars or 304 cars + 66 commercial trailers.
  • IMO Number: 9007130
  • MMSI Number: 227289000
  • Call Sign: FNIE
  • Port of Registry: Cherbourg/France 🇫🇷


Current AIS Location


Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.


History

July 26th 1991: Launched.

November 1991: Because of stability issues she was lengthened by 7.2m during construction.

March 26th 1992: Delivered to Truckline Ferries France S.A., Cherbourg, France. (Brittany Ferries, Roscoff, France).

© Robert J Smith

© Robert J Smith

April 4th 1992: Introduced as a freight ferry for Truckline Ferries between Poole – Cherbourg.

© Brian Fisher © Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher

April 15th 1992: Issued with a passenger certificate.

© Simonwp  © Ken Larwood

© Simonwp (01/07/1992) (Left) and © Ken Larwood (Right)

November 28th 1997 – March 15th 1998: Made a trip a week between Poole – Santander.

January 1999: Commenced operations for Brittany Ferries.

© John Jones

© John Jones

2005: Introduced between Cherbourg – Poole.

February 2010: Completed services between Cherbourg – Poole.

© Vito Francisco

© Vito Francisco

February 14th 2010: Arrived in Caen lay-up.

February 12th 2011: Left Caen for a refit at ARNO Dunkerque.

© Aqui_fan  © Aqui_fan

© Craig Nelson (ARNO Dunkerque)

January 27th 2011 – October 3rd 2011: Operated between Cherbourg – Poole.

October 3rd 2011: Laid up in Cherbourg.

October 15th 2011: Departed Cherbourg for the port of Caen and further lay-up.

© Nicolas Levy  © Nicolas Levy

© Nicolas Levy (Caen)

March 2012: Chartered to DFDS/LDA (Louis Dreyfus Armateurs) partnership who indicated she would be renamed for the duration of the charter.

April 10th 2012: Left the new basin, Caen to reach the dock of Calix.

April 12th 2012: Reportedly to go to ARNO, Dunkerque for modification/new livery and renaming DEAL SEAWAYS.

April 16th 2012: Left Caen and moved to Ouistreham.

April 16th 2012: Left Ouistreham.

April 17th 2012: Arrived at ARNO, Dunkerque.

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein  © Jean-Guy Hagelstein

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein

April 27th 2012: Left ARNO renamed DEAL SEAWAYS.

April 27th 2012: Arrived in Calais for trials.

April 27th 2012: Inaugural arrival at Dover, initially for berthing trials.

© Nigel Thornton  © Nigel Thornton

© Nigel Thornton

April 28th 2012: Commenced service between Calais – Dover.

© Vito Francisco  © Ray Goodfellow

© Vito Francisco (Left) and © Ray Goodfellow (Right)

June 11th 2012: To ARNO, Dunkerque for slight modification to her aft loading ramp.

June 12th 2012: Left ARNO.

© Cedric Hacke  © Cedric Hacke

© Cedric Hacke

© Cedric Hacke

June 13th 2012: Resumed service.

© Ray Goodfellow  © Ray Goodfellow

© Ray Goodfellow

1st November 2012: Withdrawn from service and sent to Le Havre for routine inspection.


© Manuel Dhondt  © Manuel Dhondt

© Manuel Dhondt  © Manuel Dhondt

© Manuel Dhondt  © Manuel Dhondt

© Manuel Dhondt

3rd November 2012: Returned to Calais and re-entered service.

© Ray Goodfellow  © Ray Goodfellow

© Ray Goodfellow (Outbound in the Calais approach channel on the 03/11/2012)

5th November 2012: Withdrawn from service after being replaced in the DFDS fleet by the DIEPPE SEAWAYS. Following withdrawal proceeded to Dunkerque for lay up.

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein  © Jean-Guy Hagelstein

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein  © Jean-Guy Hagelstein

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein

6th November 2012: Charter terminated and returned to Brittany Ferries.


Dunkerque 18/11/2012

© George Holland  © George Holland

© George Holland  © George Holland

© George Holland  © George Holland

© George Holland  © George Holland

© George Holland  © George Holland

© George Holland

23rd November 2012: Entered the Arno dry dock in Dunkerque.

25th November 2012: DFDS Seaways livery removed and both bow and stern ‘cow catchers’ removed. Renamed BARFLEUR.

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein  © Jean-Guy Hagelstein

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein  © Jean-Guy Hagelstein

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein (Dunkerque 13/12/2012)

March 9th 2013: Left Dunkerque for Cherbourg.

March 10th 2013: Arrived in Cherbourg.

March 19th 2013: Resumed Cherbourg – Poole.

© Kevin Mitchell  © Kevin Mitchell

© Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images) (Departing Poole on the 31/03/2013)

tfmmay002

© Ferryman (Berthed in Cherbourg)

© Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

January 5th 2014: Last sailing from Poole to Cherbourg before seasonal closure of the route.

March 27th 2014: Resumed service between Poole and Cherbourg.

© Dan Hall

© Dan Hall (Departing Poole 07/02/2015)

March 7th 2015: The Poole to Cherbourg route was temporarily closed to enable the Barfleur to proceed to Santander for for refit and installation of exhaust gas ‘scrubbers’. The work took around 2 months to complete. As a consequence of the fitting of scrubbers the ship’s twin funnels would have to be enlarged to accommodate the new equipment. The Poole-Cherbourg route will remain closed until the 30th April 2015 when the NORMANDIE EXPRESS will deputise on the route until the 14th May 2015. The Barfleur is expected to return to service on the 15th May 2015.

March 8th 2015: Operated a freight only service from Portsmouth to Santander before proceeding to the Astander Shipyard in Santander.

© Dan Hall  © Dan Hall

© Dan Hall  © Dan Hall

© Dan Hall (Departing Portsmouth for Santander in the company of the Pont Aven on the 08/03/2015)

March 10th 2015: Arrived in Santander and after discharging proceeded to the Astander Shipyard. She is due to return to service on the 15/05/15.

May 7th 2015: Refloated following her dry docking at the Astander Shipyard in Santander.

© Prieto  © Prieto

© Prieto

May 11th 2015: Departed Santander for Gijon to take on bunkers.

May 12th 2015: Departed Gijon for Cherbourg to be prepared for service.

May 14th 2015: Arrived in Cherbourg.

May 15th 2015: Resumed service with the 18:30 crossing from Cherbourg to Poole.

May 16th 2015: First crossing from Poole to Cherbourg following her major overhaul.

© Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images)  © Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images)

© Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images)  © Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images)

© Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images) (showing her remodelled funnels)

© Dan Hall  © Dan Hall

© Dan Hall

December 22nd 2015: The 08:30 Poole to Cherbourg and 22:15 Cherbourg to Poole sailings were cancelled due to a technical problem.

December 27th 2015: Owing to a technical problem sailings cancelled.

December 28th 2015: Resumed service between Cherbourg and Poole.

January 26th-27th 2016: Sailings cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

June 14th 2016: Sailings delayed due to adverse weather.

© Dan Hall  © Dan Hall

© Dan Hall (Arriving at Poole 25/06/17)

November 17th 2016: Withdrawn from service for planned maintenance alongside in Cherbourg. Her sailings were covered by the ARMORIQUE.

November 28th 2016: Resumed service between Cherbourg and Poole.

January 31st 2018: Left Cherbourg and sailed to Gdansk for refit.

February 23rd 2018: Refit complete sailed to Cherbourg.

February 27th 2018: Resumed service Portsmouth – Cherbourg.

November 26th 2019: Arrived Santander for Refit

December 21st 2019: Returned to Santander from sea trials, before sailing to Cherbourg and resumed service Cherbourg – Portsmouth.

March 16th 2020: Departed Poole and sailed to Ouistreham for lay up.

March 18th 2020: Sailed from Ouistreham to Caen for further lay up owing to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

© Dogan  © Dogan

© Dogan

© Dogan (Caen, 13/05/2020)

© Dogan

© Dogan (Caen, 29/11/2020)

November 2021: Remains laid-up in Caen. 

© Dogan

© Dogan ( Calix Basin, Caen 06/11/2021)

November 2021: She has been out of service now since March 2020, but reports suggest that she is due back at Poole at the end of March 2022. 

January 30th 2022: Left Caen for Ouistreham.

© Dogan © Dogan © Dogan © Dogan

© Dogan (Caen, 30/01/2022)

January 30th 2022: Arrived Ouistreham

January 30th 2022: Refit and maintenance in Cherbourg.

February 14th – March 27th 2022: Relief for NORMANDIE (Refit) on the Ouistreham – Portsmouth service (freight only). Should then resume (full service) Cherbourg – Poole.

Ouest France

© George Holland © George Holland © George Holland © George Holland © George Holland

© George Holland (Portsmouth, 19/02/2022)

© Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Poole, 02/10/2022)

November 5th 2022: Came off service at Cherbourg and sailed for Gdansk.

© Waldemar Danielewicz

© Waldemar Danielewicz (Gdansk, 14/11/2022)

December 8th 2022: Left Gdansk for sea trials then continued to Cherbourg (eta 11/12/2022)

December 11th 2022: Arrived Cherbourg

December 15th 2022: Sailed from Cherbourg to Ouistreham/Caen for lay up.

© Dogan  © Dogan

© Dogan (Caen, 16/12/2022)

March 28th 2023: Moved from Caen to Ouistreham

© Dogan

© Dogan (Ouistreham, 28/03/2023)

March 28th 2023: Left Ouistreham for Cherbourg.

March 29th 2023: Arrived Cherbourg.

March 31st 2023: Took up service Cherbourg – Poole.

© Brigitte Barnes © Brigitte Barnes © Brigitte Barnes © Brigitte Barnes

© Brigitte Barnes (Poole, 01/04/2023)

November 6th 2023: Came off service at Cherbourg band sailed to Le Havre.

November 9th 2023:  Sailed from Le Havre to Ouistreham Anchorage.

November 11th 2023: Quistreham Anchorage to Caen and lay up.

© Dogan © Dogan

© Dogan (Caen, 11/11/2023)

January 4th 2024: Left Caen for Ouistreham.

January 4th 2024: Arrived Ouistreham.

January 4th 2024: Left Ouistreham for Cherbourg.

January 5th 2024: Returned to Ouistreham.

January 5th 2024: Relief for NORMANDIE  on the Ouistreham/Cherbourg – Portsmouth service.

© Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic) © Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic) © Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic) © Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic)

🆕 © Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic) (Portsmouth, 07/01/2024)

January 29th 2024 – March  14th 2024: Le Havre and Ouistreham routes.

March 14th 2024: Left Cherbourg for Poole.

March 14th 2024: Arrived Poole to take up services Poole – Cherbourg.


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Brigitte Barnes, Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic), Dogan, Brian Fisher, Ferryman, Cedric Hacke, Dan Hall, © Waldemar Danielewicz, George Holland, Pieter Inpyn, John Jones, Ken Larwood, Nicolas Levy, Kevin Mitchell (Maritime Images) Craig Nelson, Prieto, Simonwp, Robert J Smith, Jean-Guy Hagelstein,Vito Francisco and Andreas Wörteler.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

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