BRITTANY FERRIES "MONT ST MICHEL" at Gdansk for a refit

BF "MONT ST MICHEL" built in 2002 is undergoing a refit in POLAND, the second daily departure on the Ouistreham to Portsmouth service is now covered by "ARMORIQUE". "MONT ST MICHEL" is due back on the service in early February. Photos included, "MONT ST MICHEL" in June 2011 and "ARMORIQUE" at her berth also in Portsmouth in February last year

SUPERFAST X at Zeebrugge in 2004

Built in 2002 by  HDW at Kiel, the SUPERFAST X entered service in February 2002 with SUPERFAST FERRIES on the Hanko to Rostock route, this service was short lived and the ship was later in same year employed on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge route, a service she kept until 2006 when she was to sold to VEOLIA TRANSPORT, a period of charters followed with COTUNAV and ANEK LINES until eventually in December 2007 the ship was sold to SEAFRANCE, she entered service on the Calais to Dover route in September 2008. She is today  30.285 GRT and has a top speed of over 30 knots, a waste if we consider the short time crossing from Calais to Dover, where she has an average speed of 20 knots. Photo of the ship in 2004 at Zeebrugge and in March 2011 approaching her berth at Calais

"CABO SAN SEBASTIAN" new funnel conception

Reading a yesterday's comment from one of the regular visitors to this blog, I went back to 1972 when I first saw the new "CABO SAN SEBASTIAN" and remember that I was really surprised and pleased with this new funnel conception. The ship was built for YBARRA in 1972 by UNION NAVAL LEVANTE in Spain, she was 11.779 GRT and had a cruising speed of 19 knots, she served YBARRA LINES until 1981. The ship was scrapped in 2009 in Turkey under the name DONATELLA D' ABUNDO. I have great memories of this handsome little vessel, saw her several times in Barcelona, images above taken from brochures of my private collection

PONT-AVEN heading to POLAND for a refit

BRITTANY FERRIES "PONT-AVEN" is on her way to Gdansk for a refit, the ship was launched in March 2004 so she will be eight years old soon, she is still a new ship of course despite that BF keeps her immaculate all the time, she will resume service by the end of the month, sailing from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo and Portsmouth to Santander, the regular service Plymouth to Santander will start in April, "CAP FINISTERE" is at the moment keeping the UK/SPAIN route sailing from Portsmouth to Bilbao and Santander. Photos of PONT-AVEN arriving Santander last December

Remember the "CIUDAD DE SALAMANCA"

We travel back in time once again to the year of 1999 when these photos of the "CIUDAD DE SALAMANCA" were taken in Barcelona. The ship built in Spain by UNION NAVAL DE LEVANTE in 1982 served TRASMEDITERRANEA until 2005 when she was sold to ACCIONA, she was as built 11.513 GRT and had a top speed of 22.5 knots. She is still in service today as the BENI SIDEL and is operated by REDUAN FERRY with Registry in Tangier.

Remembering the "DUC DE NORMANDIE"

This post is dedicated to a beautiful car ferry, the "DUC DE NORMANDIE" during the years she was operated by BRITTANY FERRIES, I have sailed on this ship many times from 1999 to 2004. The ship was built in HOLLAND in 1978 as the PRINSES BEATRIX and served STOOMVART ZEELAND on the Hook Van Holland/Harwich route until 1986, when she was purchased by BRITTANY FERRIES, please visit my blog dedicated solely to BF http://vmf-brittanyferries.blogspot.com for other pics and post about the ship

Photos taken in 2002 leaving Portsmouth and departing Plymouth to Roscoff

Tall ship "GRAND TURK", becomes "L'ETOILE DU ROY"

Built in Marmaris, TURKEY in 1997 the "GRAND TURK" based on HMS BLANDFORD of 1741 is now based at Saint-Malo in Brittany, please visit http://www.etoile-du-roy.com for information on the ship and my blog http://vmf-tallships.blogspot.com for further photos and posts about this beautiful ship, I have visited this ship on three occasions and it really is such an experience, if you are near Saint-Malo don't hesitate.

Replica of JOHN CABOT's "MATTHEW"

Photographic display of the Replica of the MATTHEW ship used by the navigator JOHN CABOT in 1497 when he left Bristol in May that year. CABOT reached an Island in Newfoundland on the 24TH of June with a crew of just 18. First five photos the ship at Portsmouth in 1998, then Liverpool in 2002 and Bristol, her home port one year later. For other information on JOHN CABOT and his ship please visit my blog http://vmf-tallships.blogspot.com

new "SPIRIT OF FRANCE" to debut later this month

the new "SPIRIT OF FRANCE" which was supposed to join P & O FERRIES on the Dover/Calais service in October last year, is due to start operating by the end of January, P&O refused delivery due to vibration problems during sea trials, seen here is the "SPIRIT OF BRITAIN" which is now one year old, photos taken in April last year at Calais

Missing the PRIDES on the Portsmouth/Le Havre route

It was in 2005 that P&O FERRIES withdrawn from service the excellent cruise ferries PRIDE OF LE HAVRE and PRIDE OF PORTSMOUTH they were both operated on the Portsmouth to Le Havre route, I have sailed on both ships many times and really miss them, they offered considerable comfort for their passengers, today only LD LINES provide this service with daily night crossings