Ship Spotting from "PONT-AVEN"

Photos taken 17.2.2013

Warships at sunny Portsmouth

HMS "DARING", "ST ALBANS" and "KENT" at Portsmouth, 17.2.2013

Maritime Portsmouth bathed in sunshine seen from "PONT-AVEN"

4.45 am alarm clock reminds me that I have half an hour to shower and hit the road for the three hour and forty five minute journey to Portsmouth, this would include a 20 minute break at a STARBUCKS coffee for a take away tea, being a sunday morning there was not much traffic on the M6/M40/A34 and M3 and the beautiful sunshine and dry weather contributed for the 3 hour and 30 minute drive from Cheshire to Portsmouth driving at 70 miles per hour and with the programmed  20 minute break . When I got to Portsmouth I was expecting to have time for another brake and quite possibly another tea, I was saving my breakfast for PONT-AVEN, the bread and the ISSIGNY butter are to die for so well worth the wait, the check in procedure was straight forward and the embarkation immediate so after 10 minutes of getting to Portsmouth International Port I was on board BRITTANY-FERRIES "PONT-AVEN" a home away from home and there it was the breakfast waiting for me, also waiting for me were many ships and beautiful views of this amazing place, our departure was on time 10.30am with the captain and this was a first because normally captains don't talk on board BF Cruise Ferries announcing that the crossing to Santander would take 24 hours exactly and the weather would be fine with a force 5 wind with choppy seas, but overall a comfortable crossing which in fact it was, force 5 and sunny all the way down to Santander is something very unusual at this time of the year, piece of cake for a ship like "PONT-AVEN". Sailing out of Portsmouth was as always an outstanding occasion, honestly is there many places in the World like this... I don't think so, the atmosphere on board for the many passengers was relaxed, the beginning of another holiday for the majority, the calm sea and beautiful sunshine helped, is it too much to ask for this weather for the next six months, just a bit warmer....... maybe yes..... photos taken yesterday 17.2.2013

"BARFLEUR" and "BRETAGNE" back in service soon

                                BRETAGNE at sea in Portsmouth

                                           On board BARFLEUR

BRITTANY FERRIES Cruise Ferries "BARFLEUR" and "BRETAGNE" are resuming commercial service in March, the 1992 built "BARFLEUR" will go back to the old Poole/Cherbourg route on 19.3.2013 and the 1989 "BRETAGNE" the day after on the Portsmouth/Saint-Malo service. "BARFLEUR" returns to BF after a brief spell on lease with DFDS operated on the Dover/Calais route and "BRETAGNE" just going back to her original service after the winter laid-up which has now been happening for the past two years. Good news it's good to see both ships back where they belong, at sea.

"OSTENDE SPIRIT" in rough seas

The crossing last wednesday on board "OSTENDE SPIRIT" was far from smooth, the ship came into service too soon the passenger facilities are in need of a complete makeover, the crossing from Oostende to Ramsgate takes three hours and thirty minutes, the sea was rough with strong winds, this 25 year old lady behaved impeccably against the atrocious weather, she took a battering for the most part of the voyage with the ship showing excellent behaviour at sea, photos showing the ship ready for loading and at sea taken from the former HORIZON LOUNGE, the outside decks were closed regardless of the weather, so these were the possible photos, 6.2.1013

Market Day at Bruges

BRUGES on a Market Day, 6.2.2013