On its HONFLEUR newbuilding blog, Brittany Ferries explains the importance of the hull design.
GALICIA and SALAMANCA will be the names for the two new, chartered ferries, which are expected in 2021 and 2022. The names have been chosen by the staff, and are the result of a mini contest.
Both ships will be based in Portsmouth, and will operate between the UK and Spain. They will fly the French flag, and have French crew.
French media Le Courier / Le Progrès (in French) reports about the Brittany Ferries plan to open the route Cork – Santander with the chartered ro-pax CONNEMARA, and more particularly about the concerns from the different unions. Not flying the French flag is an issue in France. It is a European flag (Cyprus), but some see it as a flag of convenience.
Brittany Ferries promised to have the CONNEMARA flying the French flag in three years.
“Quotidien du Tourisme” writes that Brittany Ferries has strengthened its offer as a tour operator specialised in the UK and Ireland, with some new packages for French customers
- Celtic trio: a 12-night tour bringing travellers to Cornwall, Wales and Ireland, with visits to places as Tintagel, Bath, Cardiff, Snowdonia, Dublin, Moher Cliffs, etc..
- Fabulous Ireland: 9 nights including Moher Cliffs, Giant Causeway, Dublin, Belfast..
- Road trips by car or motorcycle: 5 nights Shakespeare and The Beatles or 6-night Wales.
- Legoland and London
- Interesting: new offer includes youth hostels.
Photo: Mike Louagie
Although Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) did not send an official press release yet, we read in the local media that the yard has secured an order for an extra two ro-ro ships.
The ships are the 5th and 6th unit of 4K lane meter ships to be ordered by FSG’s parent company Siem Group, with the intention to put them on the charter market.
The regional State of Schleswig-Holstein is still involved in the shipbuilding with bank guarantees, after the yard went into a difficult period.
With the orders of Irish Ferries (1 ro-pax), Brittany Ferries (1 ro-pax) and Siem (six ro-ro ships, 2 for DFDS, 2 for EKOL and 2 unknown) the yard can continue to build upon its reputation of ferry and ro-ro specialist.
When Brittany Ferries takes delivery of HONFLEUR in 2019, she will be the first passenger ship in the world to be equipped with on board cranes that allow standard-size 40 feet LNG containers to be lifted into a fixed position.
These containers will be transported by truck to Ouistreham from an LNG terminal at Dunkerque. Driven on board, they will be hoisted into position alongside a fixed LNG storage tank located at the rear of the superstructure. Upon the next call at port, empty containers will be returned to waiting trucks by crane and replenished with full units.
“Refuelling infrastructure is key to the uptake of cleaner fuels like LNG, throughout the transport sector,” said Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries CEO. “But we cannot wait for widespread storage in ports to deliver the next generation of cleaner vessels. Our team has addressed this problem in an innovative way.”
HONFLEUR will operate alongside Brittany Ferries’ MONT ST MICHEL on three daily return sailings, between Ouistreham and Portsmouth.
- On November 3rd, FRS Hanseferry has a special boat trip on offer on the Elbe. The idea is to follow during one hour the cargo ship that will carry the former fast ferry HALUNDER JET from Hamburg to Canada. After 15 years of service on Helgoland, the ferry will serve the FRS-owned Clipper Navigation route between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
- Brittany Ferries has confirmed the charter of a Stena Line vessel under construction in China, for the routes to Spain. The charter will come with more on-board accommodation and a large garage for passenger and freight vehicles. She will replace BAIE DE SEINE and Brittany Ferries will have the option to purchase after the expiry of the initial five year charter..
The latest Brittany Ferries report shows the first results after the Brexit referendum.
For the year 2016-2017, Brittany Ferries sees the following trends:
- The cross-Channel passenger market is dropping (-5%), which is in contrast with the long routes to Ireland and Spain, which see a rise (+5%).
- All routes together, passenger traffic is down 3%.
- Freight is performing well, on all routes (+4%). For cross-Channel ferry services this means +2%, and for Spain +14%. The Motorways of the Seas between the UK and Spain has reached the symbolic level of 40,000 freight units.
In its analysis, Brittany Ferries found out that its faithful British repeat customers (members of the Club Voyage) continue to use the ferry services in the same numbers.
However, first time travellers seem to be less attracted by the ferry, and by France as a destination. Chairman Jean-Marc Roué calls for an unprecedented promotional campaign, to make France attractive to more people again.
The Brexit is a challenge, as well as the impact of the current low level of the British Pound, which will strongly impact Brittany Ferries’ future financial results, according to Mr Roué.
Jean-Marc Roué is happy with the strategy of the last ten years, where not all eggs have been put in one basket. The diversity of ferry routes and ships has proven to be the best recipe for stability.
Year 2016-2017 (2015-2016)
Pax cross-Channel: 1,958,000 (2,056,000)(-5%)
Pax long routes: 394,000 (376,000)(+5%)
Pax total: 2,352,000 (2,432,000)(-3%)
Freight units cross-Channel: 173,000 (169,000)(+2%)
Freight units long routes: 40,000 (35,000)(+14%)
Freigh units total: 213,000 (204,000)(+4%)
Photo: ETRETAT in Le Havre © Mike Louagie