I am marking my return to the website by detailing a multi trip journey that Paul Cloke and I undertook almost a year ago between Portsmouth and Le Havre, Cherbourg and Portsmouth and Portsmouth-Caen-Portsmouth. Travelling with Brittany Ferries this report describes the three principle elements of there current fleet operations from Portsmouth, économie, high speed and cruise ferry.
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Russian Fleet in the Dover Strait
A Russian naval task force believed to be heading to Syria passed through the Channel on Friday 21st October 2016. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, Kirov Class battle cruiser Peter the Great and their accompanying contingent of seven ships, (including Severomorsk (619) and Vice Admiral Kulakov (626) was understood to be sailing for the Syrian coast to take part in the assault on Aleppo. Separately, two Russian ships are heading north from Portugal to join up with the task-force.
Christmas Past at the Port of Dover
This article was originally published on the 1st December 2012 but with the festive season rapidly approaching it’s time to resurrect an old favourite. As can be seen below, the ferries have certainly changed over the years (in both number and in size) but there is still one tradition that remains and that is the local fleet’s official day of rest, Christmas Day. In these modern days of the 24 hour operation at the Port of Dover it is very rare to see the ships laid up.
Bretagne and Mont St Michel – ‘The Event Before the Event’
On Tuesday 14th July 2015 Paul Cloke and myself departed Kent for Portsmouth for a a short mini cruise with Brittany Ferries travelling out on the Bretagne to the Breton port of St Malo before returning the following day from the Norman port of Caen (Ouistreham) on the Mont St Michel.
Camber Infill & Berth 2 – (Part 2)
In January 1988 Dover Harbour Board confirmed that more sand would be dredged from the Goodwin Sands to reclaim the remainder of the Camber at the Eastern Docks. The Board obtained a licence from the Crown Estate to dredge the Goodwins and for every cubic metre of sand dredged the Harbour Board paid the Crown a fee.
Four Seasons
In what has become a yearly trip around the Easter period we joined the Brittany Ferries vessel Normandie on the 30th March for her overnight crossing to Caen (Ouistreham). After an early morning arrival in Ouistreham on the 31st March we spent the whole day in Normandy before returning overnight to Portsmouth on the Brittany Ferries vessel Bretagne from the Breton port of St Malo.
The Condor Liberation
On the 19th March we were invited by Condor Ferries to join them for a shakedown cruise on their new vessel the Condor Liberation from Poole. The purpose of the trial was to test the ship in an ‘in service’ condition
Project 45, Camber In-Fill – (Part 1)
Project 45, Camber In-Fill Nigel Thornton Collection Nigel Thornton Collection (both) “In January 1984 work started on the construction of 4.13 […]
Number 1 Berth – Eastern Docks
Berth 1 at the Eastern Docks (ED1) was designed and installed by MacGregor-Navire (MGN). It was designed to be capable of servicing a wide range of vessels including freight only RoRo’s and car/passenger ferries.
The Night Ferry – Shipping Timeline
Introduced on the night of the 14th-15th October 1936, the Night Ferry was an international sleeper train operating between London Victoria and Paris Gare du Nord. In later years Brussels was also served. The service was operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, SNCF (French National Railways) and the Southern Railway.
Admiralty Pier Ro/Ro Berth No 3
After the transfer of much of British Rail’s classical passenger services to Folkestone and to relieve the heavily used ramps at the Eastern Docks, a new car ferry berth was to be constructed inside the knuckle of the Admiralty Pier.
Saga Ruby – The Final Farewell
Saga Ruby “The Final Farewell” Today (26/09/2013) was a very sad day. After her arrival, and together with her Fleet Mate Saga […]
My Ferry Link – Rodin and Berlioz, a comparison (28/06/2013)
I have to make an admission. During all my years as a ferry enthusiast I have only ever travelled on a French […]
The Evolution of a Darwin
Introduction Originally built as the European Pathway (Pride of Canterbury) and the European Highway (Pride of Kent) in 1992 as freight vessels […]
Farewell to a Pride……..
Introduction The Pride of Dover arrived in the Essex port of Tilbury from Dover on the 16th December 2010 having finally finished […]