Brittany Ferries (BAI)FerriesPast and Present

MV Pont-Aven – Past and Present

IMO Number: 9268708

MV Pont-Aven

© Brittany Ferries

© Brittany Ferries

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 2004 by Jos L Meyer Werft, Papenburg. Germany (Yard No 650) as a car ferry for BAI SA Bretagne-Angleterre-Irlande (Brittany Ferries), Roscoff, France

Technical Data

  • Length: 184.6m (overall) 170.8m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 30.9m
  • Depth: 21.15m
  • Draught: 6.8m
  • Tonnage: 40,859 gross/4803t deadweight
  • Engines: 4 x 4T – cylinder MaK/Caterpillar 6M43 diesels (Brigitte, Rita, Chrystele and Jocelyne)
  • Power: 43200kW/58696HP
  • Speed: 26.0 knots
  • Capacity: 2,400 passengers, 650 cars, 85 freight vehicles
  • Call Sign: FNPN
  • MMSI Number: 228183600
  • IMO Number: 9268708
  • Register Number: 03065J
  • Port of Registry: Morlaix/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

June 5th 2002: Ordered.

April 9th 2003: Keel laid.

September 13th 2003: Launched.

February 7th 2004: Left Papenburg for Eemshaven.

February 10th 2004 – February 6th 2004: Trials.

February 27th 2004: Delivered to Brittany Ferries, Morlaix, France (Owner: Sabemen)

© Andreas Wörteler © Andreas Wörteler © Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler (Emden, 07/02/2004)

March 1st 2004: Arrived Roscoff.

March 24th 2004: Inaugural service between Plymouth – Santander/ Roscoff – Cork/Plymouth.

April 26th 2004: Christened.

August 10th 2004: Flooding of an auxiliary engine room caused by a faulty sea valve leaving the ferry unable to move from the Plymouth terminal for two days.

August 12th 2004: Sailed to Brest for repairs.

August 17th 2004: Returned to service.

May 22nd 2006: Sustained damage en route to Santander from Plymouth. Several forward windows were smashed by a 19-metre wave which resulted in a number of cabins flooding. She was forced to divert to Roscoff where passengers disembarked.

May 26th  May: Returned to service, while refurbishment was carried out on board throughout the voyage. The windows were covered by metal. These windows were later replaced with smaller, round porthole windows in late 2007 – early 2008.

December 24th 2006 – December 27th 2006: Christmas cruise Portsmouth – Rouen.

© Rob De Visser © Rob De Visser  

© Rob De Visser (Rotterdam, December 2006)

© Cees De Bijl © Cees De Bijl

© Cees De Bijl (Rotterdam, 30/12/2006)

December 29th 2006 – January 1st 2007: Chartered to Cruise World Ltd for a New Years cruise from Portsmouth to Rotterdam.

March 18th 2009: Commenced services between Portsmouth – Santander.

June 2009: Registered to Somabret La Copropriété du Navire Pont Aven, Brest, France.

© Ferry Man © Ferry Man

© Ferry Man (Portsmouth, 28/09/2010)

© Gerolf Drebes

© Gerolf Drebes (Cobhn, 14/05/2011)

June 2009: Registered to Somabret La Copropriété du Navire Pont Aven, Brest, France.

December 24th 2012 December 27th 2012: Chartered to Cruise World Ltd, for one trip Portsmouth – Rouen.

December 29th 2012 – January 1st 2013: Chartered to Cruise World Ltd, for one trip Portsmouth – Rouen.

December 24th 2013 – December 27th 2013: Chartered to Cruise World Ltd, for one trip Portsmouth – Antwerp.

December 29th 2013 – January 1st 2014: Chartered to Cruise World Ltd, for one trip Portsmouth – Rouen.

© Gena Anfimov

© Gena Anfimov (February 2014, Gdansk)   

2015: Services between Plymouth – Santander/ Roscoff – Cork/Plymouth.

© Nicolas Levy © Nicolas Levy © Nicolas Levy © Nicolas Levy

© Nicolas Levy

© Ray Goodfellow © Ray Goodfellow © Ray Goodfellow © Ray Goodfellow

© Ray Goodfellow (Departing Portsmouth for Santander, 14/07/2015)

October 31st 2015: Last sailing between Cork and Roscoff for this season. Sailings expected to resume on the 02/04/16.

December 11th 2015: It was announced that due to potential industrial action the Christmas cruise to Antwerp departing the 24th December 2015 and the New Year cruise to Rouen departing on the 29th December would be cancelled.

January 4th 2016: Departed Portsmouth for Cherbourg to de-store and then proceeded to Gdansk for and extended refit.

© Tony Weaver   

© Tony Weaver (Brittany Ferries Ships)(Departing Portsmouth, 04/01/2016)

January 9th 2016: Arrived in Gdansk, Poland for an extended refit which included the installation of exhaust gas scrubbers and a heavily remodelled funnel casing. Expected to re-enter service on the 27/03/16.


Scrubber Installation – Gdansk, Poland (January 2016)

© Jakub Bogucki  © Jakub Bogucki

© Jakub Bogucki   © Jakub Bogucki

© Jakub Bogucki   © Jakub Bogucki

© Jakub Bogucki   © Jakub Bogucki

© Jakub Bogucki  © Jakub Bogucki

© Jakub Bogucki  © Jakub Bogucki

© Jakub Bogucki

March 31st 2016: Refit complete, arrived back in Roscoff and resumed service.

April 4th 2016: Resumed service.

May 8th 2016: Experienced a technical issue with one of her variable pitch propellers which resulted in her being diverted to Brest where she entered dry-dock for repairs.

May 26th 2016: Resumed service between Plymouth-Roscoff-Santander and Cork.

December 29th 2016: Departed Portsmouth bound for Rouen for a New Year’s Eve cruise.

January 1st 2017: Departed Rouen for Portsmouth.

January 2nd 2017: Transferred to the Portsmouth – St Malo service to cover for the refit of the Bretagne.

© Ray Goodfellow © Ray Goodfellow 

© Ray Goodfellow © Ray Goodfellow 

© Ray Goodfellow (St Malo, 06/02/2017)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 12/06/2018)

November 8th 2018: To Astander shipyard for refit including new livery.

December 4th 2018: Sea trials after refit.

December 24th 2018 – December 29th 2018: Mini “Christmas” cruise Portsmouth – Antwerp.

© Stan Muller © Stan Muller

 © Stan Muller (Antwerp, 25/12/2018)

December 29th 2018 – January 1st 2019: Mini “New Year’s” cruise Portsmouth – Honfleur.

April 29th 2019: En-route between Plymouth – Santander suffered an engine room fire which was extinguished be crew and she was able to continue to Brest.

May 15th 2019: Suffered engine failure in one of her main engines.  Able to continue on three engines and the decision was made to replace the damaged engine later in the year.

May 17th 2019: Suffered rudder problems went to Brest for repairs.

June 14th 2019: Resumed service.

January 7th 2020: Arrived at Remontowa, Gdansk, Poland for refit and replacement of a main engine.

March 8th 2020: Left Gdansk for Cherbourg.

March 17th 2020: Maiden call in Le Havre where she remained in port for some days, being laid up in the backwater along side 2 other vessels of the fleet.

© Pascal Bredel

© Pascal Bredel (Le Havre, 20/03/2020)

June 6th 2021: Resumed Plymouth – Roscoff service.

September 10th 2020: Replaced ARMORIQUE on the Plymouth to Roscoff route with three return trips per week. She also continued to operate one return sailing from Plymouth to Santander and from Roscoff to Cork during the week.

September 29th 2021: Given a special arrival at Plymouth to mark the retirement of her Captain, Gilles Marré who had been with the company for 33 years.

November 2021 (First week): Services Portsmouth – St Malo.

December 10th 2021: Left Le Havre for Roscoff.

December 11th 2021: Arrived Roscoff.

December 18th 2021: Left Roscoff for refit at Astander.

January 8th 2022: Left Astander for Santander.

January 10th 2022: Left Santander for Roscoff.

January 11th 2022: Left Roscoff for Le Havre

January 12th 2022: Arrived Le Havre.

February (Second week) 2022 – March (Last week) 2022: Portsmouth – St Malo service.

March 2022: Due to open Plymouth – Roscoff service with ARMORIQUE.

© Pieter Inpyn © Pieter Inpyn © Pieter Inpyn © Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Santander, 06/10/2022)

January 12th 2023 – January 16th 2023: Sailed from Saint-Malo to Roscoff and from there to Gdansk for refit.

January 23rd 2023 – February 10th 2023: In dock.

February 21st 2023 – February 25th 2023: Sailed from Gdansk to Le Havre and laid up.

March 20th 2023: Left Le Havre for Cherbourg.

March 21st 2023: Arrived Cherbourg.

March 29th 2023: Service Roscoff – Plymouth – Santander – Cork.

November 18th 2023: Came off services at Roscoff and sailed to Gdansk.

November 21st 2023: Arrived Gdansk for refit including fitting of “Duck Tail”.

January 6th 2024: Sea Trials.

January 6th 2024: Sailed for Gothenburg Anchorage.

January 11th 2024: Arrived Le Havre.

January 20th 2024: Sailed to Saint-Malo.

January 20th 2024: Took up service Saint-Malo – Portsmouth.

March 19th 2024: Took up services Plymouth – Santander/ Roscoff – Cork/Plymouth.


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Gena Anfimov, Cees De Bijl, Jakub Bogucki, Pascal Bredel, Rob De Visser, Gerolf Drebes, “Ferry Man”, Pieter Inpyn, Nicolas Levy, Simonwp, Stan Muller, Tony Weaver (Brittany Ferries Ships) and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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

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