I’ve just stumbled upon some great news via Ramsgate’s resident millionaire Eastcliff Richard in that a fast ferry service from Ramsgate to Boulogne is to commence in spring 2009.
Euroferries service commencing Spring 2009 between Port of Ramsgate, Kent to the French Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
Dedicated Euroferries passenger terminal areas in both Boulogne and Ramsgate, including shopping areas, restaurant and waiting lounge facilities.
The service will accommodate cars, coaches and foot passengers.
Euroferries state of the art 98m high speed ferry provides a rapid journey time of 75 minutes. The vessel incorporates an extensive onboard ‘tax paid’ shopping area, restaurants and first class designated area.
Boulogne has many restaurants, historical places of interest and the Nausicaa National Sea Experience Centre. Adjacent to the Euroferries Boulogne terminal is a newly built casino, along with a recently completed motorway link which provides fast access to the national motorway network through France.
‘Euroferries Express Coaches’ commuter service linking the ferry to and from London via Ramsgate, Canterbury and the Medway Towns conveniently connects the service to London and the Olympic venues.
New motorway road links at Ramsgate provide a unique gateway to Kent locations such as Canterbury Cathedral, the Whitefriars shopping centre, as well as the newly built shopping and leisure complex at Westwood Cross all within 20 minutes.
The M2 motorway to Ramsgate provides a direct route from London to Ramsgate, avoiding travel congestion associated with other ports.
Leading UK and French coach operators in conjunction with Euroferries will provide a speedy and efficient service to day trip and tour passengers wishing to cross the channel.
Trans Europa Ferries is currently the only company to operate out of Ramsgate, travelling to Oostende (Belgium), but this service doesn’t accommodate foot passengers, dealing mainly with freight along with some car traffic. For someone who usually goes on the ferry for a ‘piss up’ the only option is to Sail from Dover.
Of course we should also be thinking of the possibility of extra tourism in the area coming over from France and if this actually goes ahead then it is fantastic news for not just Ramsgate, but Thanet, and will hopefully be a success rivalling the old ‘Sally Line‘ days (see the Viking photo above or more photos here.)
Update 10/1/09: MP Stephen Ladyman says: “The ferry is expected to arrive in Ramsgate in the middle of February for a start on 1 March” although “Until then we need to keep our fingers crossed that no problems arise – I’ll breathe a sigh of relief when I see the service started and we should save our celebrations until then.”
Article image (The Viking at Ramsgate (1983-89) used under CC from gravyphig
726 Responses
Aravis
That sounds wonderful. Now why can’t we get that sort of ferry service here from Long Island Sound to Ramsgate, for example. Hardly fair. *G*
Rob
Good news. Now the local bodies must act to stop passengers going across the Wantsum. Sad to see mentions already of off isle attractions when there is so much on offer locally.
Get that Westcliff lift open, multi langauge signs put up leading people to the Loop bus service & where & how long it takes to get around the isle. Plus of course nice flyers on board the ship selling Thanets three towns & Westwood Cross. Those wishing to visit religious buildings will find there own way.
TDC must LEAD on studies on how to get visitors stopping locally, enjoying their day and wanting to come back. Those day trips to Dunkirk & Ostend were good on grounds of pleasent surroundings,right length of time, great food, price,the towns, different shops… The French should be allowed to enjoy reciprical visits, our standards & planning must be looked at in depth NOW so from day one the word of mouth back across the channel is positive.
Hoverlloyd & Sally Line got this right, Transeuropa are steadily progressing but are hampered by the current journey time for day visits; best wishes to Euroferries.
Steve
Hardly likely to happen, same company that “threatened” to open a crossing from Dover in 2006 and that failed as well. With Speedferries failing I don’t think this will get off the ground.
Lucinda
Pie in the sky! Anybody who understands the cross channel business will know why this will never happen, especially in the current ecomomic climate. Wasn’t Euroferries one and only craft laid up in Nova Soctia in 2006 but was meant to be coming to Dover …. that never happened!
Adem
But we can hope!
kevin holiday
it sounds like ‘rhubarb’ to me. im ginger and i know these things. i work at port ramsgate its full of gays like myself. as long as euroferries like gayness they will be fine and we can all get on and be gay together…. keep it ginger…
Paxman
Mmmmm. Where on earth do you find a 98m fastcraft for sale? ASDA? Tesco? Precisely. If this fast craft arrives at Ramsgate in February – with an intention of starting a service, I shall come down and show my bare bottom.
Eastcliff Richard
Well I’m told they do have a boat but it’s currently undergoing major repairs as it had a bit of a crunch. If this service happens it’ll be a Brucie bonus, as I don’t think TDC have spent, or have to spend, any money on it. Only time will tell.
Paxman
Who was the previous operator of the vessel?
Nick
Well, this made the local radio yesterday (12 Jan) but what is worrying is that eurofarries own website (http://www.euroferries.co.uk) is nothing more then a basic flash intro and a press announcement, no pricing structure, even for the coach service which could/would make money as National Express is taking their last service of the day off line on the 2nd of March so people will not even be able to come down to Thanet for a day trip by coach let alone a trip to france!
Steve
In the present economic climate, I just cannot see banks etc putting up capital for a venture such as this. Speedferries, together with HD Ferries, were a prime example of what happens to business’ running fast craft ! If they do get finance from financial institutions, then that just goes to prove what a load of wallies the (so called) bankers are !
Anyone considering a venture such as this would be well advised to take heed of the comments by Pierre Gehanne (CEO of LDA – owners of LD) when he says that it is not possible for Fastcraft to pay because a) they are too expensive to run and b) because they cannot carry freight, which is the backbone of any ferry operation.
Mark
I worked for Speedferries, as a company it was doing very well, always carrying in the region of 50 to 100 cars and in the summer always full loads (180+ cars) but unfortunately, it was very badly managed, good luck to Euroferries, there is a market for this as long as they are not squeezed out by LD Lines and the Boulogne chamber of commerce !!!
martin
wouldn’t take too much notice of what Pierre Gehanne thinks anybody who thinks they can run a frieght ferry service to boulogne based on one vessel when the market is falling dramatically and competete with calais hasn’t got much idea of operating in this area
Stanley Ellison
Boulogne can sustain a freight link to the UK as it imports a significant amount of seafood for processing in the Capecure area of the Port, it also exports around 20,000 lorry loads per annum of Danone mineral water that is warehoused in the port of Boulogne to it’s depot in Coventry.
Other major exporters include Ecover on the Landacres business park in Boulogne who cited the proximity of the port as part of their case for locating to Boulogne.
KEN
This is a company trying to be set up by the EX MANAGING DIRECTOR of Hoverspeed.He tried to get another fast ferry service off the ground at the same time as Speedferries. I think you will see the start date come and go without any service being started. Lets face it if he couldn’t make a success of Hoverspeed with Sea Containers resources, then who in hells name is going to entrust millions of pounds in a time of recession to a failure. A massive pipe dream.
KEN
Just completed a bit of research 98 metre cats. They will not accommadate coachs. So it would appear whoever wrote the artical, knows not of the subject he is writing about. This would once again reflect that the person is in fact Ede the dreamer.If youcould get a coach on one, how comes when Hoverspeed were running the super seacats, why did they not take coaches. Answer they will not fit in. This man beleives he’s Gods gift to the fast ferry services. This a service that will never run.
Steve
Brittany Ferries has a 98mtr Incat which can take full articulated lorries and coaches so I don’t know where you found that out from. But I agree with you it’s a pipedream, especially as there is no booking engine!!!!
ED
Quite shocking (again)…Mr Ladyman has even announced it like this service will take place 100%! Wish people and papers would not mention ideas if there is NO guarantee at all this will happen. And dissapoint the people of Thanet once again. The more comments I read and the more I cast my eye over the Harbour I must say; don’t see many signs of an impending fast ferry service??? Do you??? I have also been told that the speed it wants to run/sail is not possible in the channel due to different speeds in the shipping channels (maybe someone can explain?). The website is soooo basic and looks like it’s set up by some amateurs… (oh by the way; if you do send them an email you won’t get a reply….think the light is on but no one is home!) hence it does not give you lots of confidence about this so called ‘new ferry service’. Think we need to stick to TEF, who does a great job indeed; shame about the sailing time!. Also, maybe it’s time for a change of MP (Laura give it a go!!) and TDC members.
KEN
The man who is supposed to be heading this pipe dream had already agreed to buy a cat just over a year ago. But when it came to the funding he could not come up with the money. He kept stringing the sellers of the cat, one load of b#####t after another. In the end after they had tried to move the craft through dangerous ice flows, where it got iced in they told him to go forth and mutiplty. I’m afraid that this man tells everybody how it’s going to happen but it never does. Yes a 98 metre incat will take larger vehicles. the problem being this guys cat was not a 98 metre, sorry did not explain that. He lives in cloud cuckoo land. If you ever spoke to any old Hoverspeed staff they will tell you he’s not got a clue.
KEN
Go to http://www.directferries.co.uk/news/2006august.htm#L1 read Euroferries under scrutiny dated 28th August 2006 and New cross channel fast fery slow to materialise dated 31st August 2006. I think both storeys say it all. The local MP wants to be shot for being taken in by a con man.
Paxman
I think anyone who is interested in ferry services should pay attention to http://www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com instead. If this service from Ramsgate to Boulogne gets underway, I shall show my bare bottom at the dockside!
Ted Brean Ramsgate
The craft which Euroferries propose to use is an Australian – built catamaran which has seen service on Lake Ontario crossing to Rochester New York State. After some initial teething problems due to engines being run too fast and too long when ‘ delivered’ from Australia to ‘ Bay Ferries’ Rochester NY it was a success in practical terms. Since July 2007 it’s been used on the Straits of Gibraltar crossing from Tarifa to Tanger. Now , hopefully, it’s to see a new life between Ramsgate and Boulogne taking just 75 minutes !! Having used LD LINES new non-fast-craft Dover>Boulogne on 12 Feb 2009 , the inaugural service, it took 3 hrs against the claimed 1hr 45mins due to a “low tide” and the deliberate slowing down of the ship. Ship is beautifully kitted out , more cruise ship than ferry , but a journey time of 1hr 45mins Dover >Boulogne is just too slow. I’ll be using the 75mins Ramsgate>Boulogne service ! On that point I look over into the Port Ramsgate every day and for the last week there has been much activity erecting new fencing to what seems a dedicated Euroferries area and daily dredging of the water around the berth AND in the approach channel coming from the south (Boulogne ). It looks as tho’ this time it may come to fruition !!
Chris Comley
This sounds like good news since the demise of SpeedFerries, even though LD Lines are crossing to bolougne, it’s a 90 mins RORO.
I assume Euroferries willbe running an INCAT WPC – any idea (anoraks on) if this is a new ship or where it came from if not?
Suggestion – if this is to be good for local business, someone should consider setting up a site in conjunction with Euroferries to advertise local hotels and restaurantst. Cat crossings are so quick there’s no time to eat on board, we *always* look for somewhere to eat before we cross!
Chris Comley
Oh pooh – didn’t read all the posts, I see the source of the ferry has already been revealed.
Steve
I have had a reply from an email I sent to Euroferries and it would seem that an announcement is due very and there wil be 4 crossings daily :
Part of the email:
‘Announcements will be made imminently on Euroferries website and by its public relations company including bookings, fares and timetables’.
Steve
Sorry I forgot the ‘soon’ and a l.
Steve
And an n
I really shouldn’t rush.
Paul
Ted, just to let you know that the dredging and fencing you can see down at the ol’ Port De Ramsgate is actually for the offshore fart farm project and nothing to do with Euroferries.
I also have it on good grounds that there has been no contracts signed nor is there plans for any to be signed in the near future.
As for the cat supposedly coming in to ramsgate for berthing trials in mid February…well its now late February and where is it?? Still in make believe fairytale land, thwats where!!!
Chris Comley
Fart farm? [boggle]
FWIW, INCAT’s website still shows the target ferry (assuming the above comments are correct) as plying the Algeciras route across the med. OTOH, it still shows Speed One as belonging to Speed Ferries and being busy on DoverBol route, so maybe they wont’ change their site until the news isn’t news any more – i would imagine they’d get scant thanks for “breaking” such news.
Paul
Chris the ‘Target Ferry’ is no more than just a press release to induce LD Lines into a speed start up on the Dover/Boulogne route.
I am telling you that EuroFerries will never start.
There is far too much work needs doing to the port to make it accessable to passengers, then theres just the shear logistics of it, where would you then put the passenger vehicles?? soo much space has been lost to different TDC projects that is Dover goes up the duff TransEuropa cannot place their strike action plans in place.
But hey, you seem to know better!
So you keep telling yourself it will happen, after all its only been a load of Bull for the past 2-3 years now =]
Chris Comley
You do seem to know a lot about what i know. Remind me to ask you next time I’m not sure.
If you check carefully, you’ll find I’m not saying ANYTHING, just asking.
Craig
RE BELOW – i have worked on the Ex spirit of ontario and this will never appear in Ramsgate it is owned and operated successfully by FRS Maroc. and its new name is the Tanger Jet and definately not for sale.
so it is total rubbish i dont know where you get your information from!!!
Brean Ramsgate Feb 15th, 2009 at 5:08 pm The craft which Euroferries propose to use is an Australian – built catamaran which has seen service on Lake Ontario crossing to Rochester New York State. After some initial teething problems due to engines being run too fast and too long when Â? deliveredÂ? from Australia to Â? Bay FerriesÂ? Rochester NY it was a success in practical terms. Since July 2007 itÂ?s been used on the Straits of Gibraltar crossing from Tarifa to Tanger. Now , hopefully, itÂ?s to see a new life between Ramsgate and Boulogne taking just 75 minutes !! Having used LD LINES new non-fast-craft Dover>Boulogne on 12 Feb 2009 , the inaugural service, it took 3 hrs against the claimed 1hr 45mins due to a Â?low tideÂ? and the deliberate slowing down of the ship. Ship is beautifully kitted out , more cruise ship than ferry , but a journey time of 1hr 45mins Dover >Boulogne is just too slow. IÂ?ll be using the 75mins Ramsgate>Boulogne service ! On that point I look over into the Port Ramsgate every day and for the last week there has been much activity erecting new fencing to what seems a dedicated Euroferries area and daily dredging of the water around the berth AND in the approach channel coming from the south (Boulogne ). It looks as thoÂ? this time it may come to fruition !!
Paul
Well Chris i should hope i know alot about it, as i actually work at the port and therefor have dealings with the management/contractors on a daily basis.
And unlike most people down there who just stick their heads in the sand, i actually like to know what is going on in my place of work.
Belle
Hello Paul,
Very interesting to read your comments regarding the works at Ramsgate, I’m on the other side and bemused by the conflicting reports !
According to my sources something has been signed in Boulogne and a ship purchased by the ‘investors’ your side ! Bonanza…….
The proposed ferry would was due to be at Berth 16, the old Hoverspeed and a coach ‘test’ was run…… I can’t say that any of this is true as did not see for myself.
Over here it has gone very quiet ……
Belle
Speedone
Hello,
According to my information the ship would be Milenium Tres.
I hope that this information will be confirmed quickly.
Wait and see !
SpeedOne
Great
The vessel is called bonanza express,have a look at fred olsen express web,will be brought from Tenerife
Speedone
Your are sure, because Bonanza Express is not a 98 M, but a 96 M.
SpeedOne
Chris Comley
Rumour wars! I love it! Just sort out the truth before I get back from Corwall, chaps, OK?
Belle
Today is the day that a ‘decision will be taken’ – I have this on ‘good’ authority, quite contrary to the initial so called ‘signing’ at the CCI in Boulogne. Have been tracking the sale of Bonanza for a few weeks now, nothing on Lloyds so far.
At present, certainly in Boulogne, there could not be a dedicated area for Euroferries clients as it would be shared with LD, the date for completion of the outer staging is June ….. but the year is not specified ! I jest, comes from living here for soooo long !
Why would anyone build the hopes of two towns to have it all fail again ? What is the gain ?
Speedone
Why to wait in June, the berth 16 is available and LD does not use the passenger terminal areas of Speedferries. When they wanted to trade in 2006 there was already SpeedFerries and nevertheless they wanted to begin the service.
I hope to see Euroferries in Boulogne before June!
But as we say : Wait and see
Great
im sure the vessel will be bonanza express,its ready for being in england on first of may,it has been repainted of white so wait….
Great
im sorry i meant on first of march
Speedone
Thanks for the good news Great !
Great
your wellcome,speedone,i know the first trip will leave from ramsgate at 6:oo am,from monday to friday,the rest of the trips i dont know but itll do many trips by days
Paul
haha ok great well thats just over 2 weeks away i sure hope that euroferries can get the multi millions of pounds needed to bring the passenger terminal building in ramsgate back up so working standards AND sing the contracts And modify the berth at ramsgate so it can accomadate the vessel, as for 6 am im not too sure about that as TEF Larkspur uses the birth for her 07.00 departure, arriving in ramsgate anytime between 4.30 – 6am depending on weather and bunkering
Great
The ferry will sleep in Ramsgate,so it can leave at this time belive me
Paul
sleep in ramsgate??? where? there are only 2 available berths 1 which TEF Larkspur uses as i said and the other is a double ramped berth and unacessable to the fast craft…as Sally Line found out when they used to run them.
Paul
And Belle in relation to your statement about there being no dedicated space that Euroferries could use, this is also the case in Ramsgate as TEF use the check in hall for their car passesngers, the rest of the terminal building is then blocked off by shutters, covered in posters and signs etc…
Belle
I had the pleasure of speaking with a local journalist yesterday, who was onboard the LD launch…. the policy is to get in when the going is tough – great if they have the funds.
I also went to have a look at the operation in Boulogne, I have used SP in the past so know the score, still bollards everywhere and not much sign of life…. I am not surprised. It will be interesting to see what happens at Easter, usually the start of the tourist season.
‘Speedone’ reported on the Milenium Tres, I was always told it was the Fred Olsen ship, given all the possibilities, I still don’t get why it would work (by that I mean make money)
I was also told a 16th March start – how ?
But to give you a laugh, I wrote to EF and even though I gave umpteen reasons why it was doomed, the e:mail thanked me for my good wishes ! As said before, lights are on but no one at home !
Let’s se what the meetings this week in Boulogne bring …. Mercredi …..
Paul
hahah yes bell i also sent a relatively similar email, and also got the same back, my email also contained pretty much the same press statement as which is on EF’s website, was yours similar??
im not suprised in the least to hear thaat the entire area is still bollarded off, and again 16th of march, hmm? as i said before too much work needs to be done at ramsgate to make it physically possible, let alone fynacially viable!
i dont mean to sound pessimistic, but im just trying to be realistic and make people realise just what they are speakin/hoping for before dreams get crushed just as they did back in 2006 from dover/boulogne.
but still many thaks bell and hopefully we can keep the people up to date from both sides of the channel together!:)
all the best!!
pip pip!!
Nick
If they were to start the service in March wouldn’t they be recruiting staff by now?
I do hope it happens but I’m not so sure. Having said that its such a competitive market for channel crossings that it would be quite natural for them to keep schtum about any developments until its 100% definite.
Paul
Nick, yes that is true they could well be keeping things on the ‘down low’ as it were, but at the same time you would know if it was going to start before anything was said by EF because soo much work would be occuring at both Ramsgate and Boulogne, what with rebranding the terminal space in Boulogne in EF’s livery and here in the Costa Del Ransghetto, there would be serious rebuilding of the terminal and major restructuring of the port lay out to accomadate for the space needed to run such an operation.
Belle
At the beginning of February there were great expectations of a start in March, but on closer examination it looked less likely….
Maybe it will start up, I go back to my original question and a more in depth one, where will the 1.2 million passengers a year come from ?
The idea of the coach tie up, I get it but to what end ? The first ship at 6 am means leaving London at 4am or earlier if going through the Medway towns including Canterbury, with the near parity of the £ and no real gain on fags anymore …. besides the arrival in Boulogne, if that were the destination, is a good hour or more before abything is open !
I remember the days of the £5 day tripper on Hoverspeed who left the ship for the terminal and then back on again for the return journey, it may have helped HS keep a service running but that was it !
As for competition – there will always be the case for cheaper travel but can it be profitable ? I am aware of the daily cost of a ship and selling tickets at between £30 and £60 return, car plus up to 4 people, unless to near capacity every time will not make a profit.
Does anyone envisage such a service being at near capacity every trip ?
I commented to the OH many times that Speedferries were too cheap compared to the Tunnel, I prefer the latter as at least if I miss my ‘boarding time’ I don’t have to wait hours for the next departure. It is fine for those in SE England to judge driving times in the UK but when people like me have more than 400 kms before arrival and rely on no problems with the M25 et al, that is why I prefer to pay the extra to Eurotunnel, early or late I get on the next available train and usually within the hour.
What Boulogne businesses are looking for are the days of the ‘day tripper’ that stayed locally and spent locally. So many of the too many restos/bars are closing, life has changed and the CCI in Boulogne don’t appear to realise this and keep giving false hope to their people.
It would seem that Ramsgate is suffering under a similar scenario…
Belle
Steve
It’s all well and good keeping it quiet, but what about telling the passengers needed to run it and make a profit? LD lines are part of the Louis Dreyfus Group a huge company dating back to the late 19th Century, they’re also looking at buying Seafrance.
Nick
I think its bad of Steve Ladyman and Euroferries to mislead people about the possibility of a new ferry service starting in March. Its obvious its not happening otherwise they’d be more evidence of it. Its as if they told porky pies in order to give local people and businesses a boost. There’s more chance of me swimming accross the channel in 75 minutes.
Adem
When this news came out I was very excited, but am now very disappointed. Of course this is not all over and there may be a chance of his all coming true, but the longer it goes on, and the more I read, the more sceptical I get.
I agree that it’s wrong that the reports were made as fact and concrete, and also that it appears like Steve Ladyman was jumping on the bandwagon of good hope.
*fingers still crossed*
Steve
Don’t know if anyone has seen this yet, but it does throw some light on the company.
thanetstrife.blogspot.com/2009/02/nerve-centres-of-euroferries.html
Belle
Thanks Steve
The e:mail I received was from Adrian Gillan, Director …….
I watch with interest.
Belle
Steve
I have e-mailed Mr Gillan and await his reply. The reply I got from Euroferries ( which I’m sure is the same as everyone got) was from a ‘hotmail’ address, so could have been set up by anyone really.
Paul
Ive just scrolled through my inbox and found the reply i got to my email i sent EF. here it is guys. wondering if yours is at all similar if not exactly the same??
Dear Paul,
We thank you for your interest in our new fast ferry service and your kind words.
This Spring Euroferries will commences it’s high speed ferry services between the Port of Ramsgate in Kent and the French Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer with four crossings daily.
Accommodating cars, coaches and foot passengers, Euroferries high speed vessel will cross the Channel in only 75 minutes with effortless comfort. Time enough to browse the onboard ‘tax paid’ shopping area, enjoy a meal onboard or for a luxury, experience the first class facilities.
Dedicated terminal areas in Boulogne and Ramsgate are used solely by Euroferries passengers, so much of an advantage to relax and shop or eat before departure.
Motor access to Ramsgate and Boulogne is quick and scenic through the countryside of Kent and Northern France, the motorway and trunk carriageways connect directly into the terminal areas minimising delay and the need for lengthy arrival and embarkation time without congestion. Ramsgate and Boulogne offer a rapid cross-channel experience without stress and crowding.
Announcements will be made imminently on Euroferries website and by its public relations company including bookings, fares and timetables and we have placed your details on our contact list to receive further information.
Thank you once again for you interest.
Adrian Gillan
Director
Euroferries
pete
This is the same bloke i got a response from when i asked about if there were any jobs going. If they had a pr company on board he’d surely be diverting enquiries to them unless the pr company is himself operating out of his warden aided flat in Slough. (see prior links to the Euroferries parent company) This could be a middleman operation creating the demand and then outsourcing it to a third party or it could be a spoof at our expense.
http://www.gillanmedia.com/whatwedo.htm
“April fools and spoofs”
pete
pete
also if this were a serious company don’t yo think they’d snap up similar domains. I might pretend to stat up my own ferry company for £10.26 for two years if it gets that kind of reaction out of people.
euroferries.org
euroferries.uk.com
available now from http://www.freeparking.com/
okay back to spotting UFO’s but i look forward to your comments
Paul
Hmm Pete just had a look at gillanmedia.com, the page set up is rather basic (like EF’s) and there also not a great deal of information about what it actually is, theres a fair bit about who theyve done work for but thats it…
wonder if it is the same Adrian Gillan as our beloved EF Director??
Adem
The last press release/news item on http://www.gillanmedia.com is from 2003.
The Euro Ferries website looks like it’s from 2003, so there could well be a link!
Belle
ahhh and ‘cunning stunts’ !
A piece in the Voix du Nord today by Frederic Vaillant, he has used some of your leads to find out the origin of the investors …
He describes EF as a sea serpent that raises his head yet again and then dives to the deep without trace !
On the QT, Boulogne CCI, or at least those not bothered by kudos, don’t think it will happen ….. I prefer to leave the others to their press parading.
Belle
pete
I think Steve Ladymen is accountable. The public deserve to know the evidence that suggested to him that a ferry company operating to Boulougne was on the cards. Why build peoples hopes in this dire economic climate.
Steve
I agree with Pete, if Steve Ladyman was involved in months of negotiation, then surely he must have seen some evidence or at the least demanded to see evidence regarding the ferry that was to be used and how the venture was to be financed before making his announcement, and could he not get back to who he was in talks with and find out what is going on.
Paul
Guys, i dont personally feel that Steve Ladyman is accountable, on the one hand no, maybe he shouldnt have made statements about this ‘supposed’ new service, but at the same time, in those statements he also haid that we should all keep our fingers crossed and save the celebrations untill it actuallty came to a head.
What with Steve not being anything to do with the port or TDC Maritime Devision then he would not know about the actual details of EF, he was only speaking on behalf of the area as an MP.
Steve
Hi, What I was trying to say was that as Mr Ladyman according to the announcemount he made back in January was that he had used his experience as shipping minister to help him deal with negotiations between investors, the Port of Ramsgate and Thanet Council,and that as these negotiations had been going on for several years, that perhaps he could get back to the investors he was talking to and get some answers, or has he tried and gets no reply from them?
Pete
I heard from a fairly reliable source that the dredging of Ramsgate Harbour was on account of preperations for work on the wind farm and notthe ferry
Steve
Having just read the gazette from friday, I see that Cllr Latchford says “We are involved in negotiations with Euroferries and their partners about increased routes from the harbour. Ramsgate Port is open for buisness” I was under the impression the negotiations were concluded, but it would appear they still go on.Mr Ladyman also thinks that a confidentiality agreement has been signed between EF and TDC until the ferry purchase is concluded. I feel this is going to go on for a long long time.(Also why does the Gazette cost so much, as it appears to be a copy of the Adscene or vice versa, and they can’t even get the page numbers correct).
Belle
Well….. I was told to expect an announcement on Wednesday then Thursday, nothing …..
Can someone please explain what the scam is ?
Say you are bringing a ferry, rip off who of what ?
Completely Lost in France
Belle
pete
i’ve heard from two reliable moles with in TDC that its definitely happening. I’m very confused now.
Belle
Copy of Press Release received today….
LAUNCH OF FAST FERRY SERVICE
FROM RAMSGATE TO BOULOGNE
Euroferries are pleased to announce the commencement of its fast ferry cross channel service on 31st March 2009 with the introduction of its first vessel Â?Bonanza ExpressÂ? being operated in partnership with Fred Olsen.
Bonanza Express is a 96m fast Incat vessel, initially operating four crossings daily between Ramsgate and Boulogne.
The service will cater for cars, foot passengers, coaches and a limited amount of freight and caravans.
Per Staehr has been appointed Chairman and Director, Adrian Gillan has been appointed Director, Geoffrey Ede has been appointed Operations Executive and Paul Donert Company Secretary.
Euroferries base at Ramsgate will bring employment to the area and business to the local community.
Ends 5.3.09
For further information please contact
the Euroferries press office at The Staging House
or telephone 9
Notes to Editor:
1. Per Staehr has a long experience within the marine and transport business having served in senior position within the A. P. Moller Â? Maersk Group and Bombardier Transportation. He is currently working as a Director which includes being Chairman of A2SEA, a Director of Trico Marine Inc USA [US Nasdaq listed company] and also involved in other marine and transport related activities.
2. Geoffrey Ede formerly Managing Director of Hoverspeed
3. Paul Donert formerly Senior Partner Ernst & Young
4. Adrian Gillan, Solicitor.
Steve
Well, what can I say. If Fred Olsen are the partners then what can go wrong. I really hope this works.
Steve
Although I see Mr G Ede is involved, perhaps his pub wasn’t doing to well.
Paul
Thanks for that Belle, starting to sound a bit better, could you tell me where that press release came from?
Ive had a look but cant find it anywhere else on the web.
Cheers!!
Belle
Paul
this is kent/kentnews/thanetonline are all covering it.
Belle
Belle
also Thanetstrife will give further info about the ferry….
look at bfenthusiasts forum as well, am trying to find out if the partnership with FO is real or just a charter….
Paul
Thanks Belle,
Well today we have seen alot of activity, with people from Fred. Olsen wandering around the port and checking out the scene, i overheard a conversation about a ‘stand alone’ attachment for the berth so that it can be moved out of the way when not in use, im not too sure about the 31st being the start up date, theres still no work occuring in the passenger facilities here, dont know about your side of things??
Belle
I don’t believe the photo on the press release is real, a photoshop jobbie with a surprising file name !I have had a close look ….. something bizarre, difficult to explain.
I had heard that there was a meeting of minds today with both sides of the Manche, like you a start date of 31st seems a bit too soon, for many reasons.
I still struggle to understand where, in the present climate, are the clients coming from, the cake is smaller than before and it is just a transference from one place to another, which dilutes it between operators.
Boulogne CCIS are so desperate for traffic they probably agree to anything, even though they recently have been left with Speedferries debts and before that Hoverspeed, not sure if the latter was eventually settled.
LD were given many ‘let offs’ to get them in, I just wonder if it would have been cheaper to right off Speedferries debts, at least they were up and running and appeared to have a loyal following.
It would seem LD have started reasonably well by using the SP database and offering reductions to those that have lost money on pre-paid tickets. So, it wasn’t from a standing start as was the case with SP and would be with EF.
Belle
I am probably being too analytical – looking for reasoning …..
Fred Olsen Energy, A2SEA, wind farm, is the proposed ferry some sort of bribe ?
Can anyone find a tie up with Vallenfall ? Was the wind farm opposed ?
Paul
Vallenfall? Whats that Belle?
The wind farm works here in Ramsgate were opposed but have gone ahead none the less, there allready parts of the turbines waiting on the dockside for the Quey to be built so they can be shipped out to the site.
And for everyone else’s information there are now 3 Dredgers working the port area, hopefully the works wont take aslong as expected!
Owain Glyndwr
Well seems to me a lot of negative response there. Why not give the bloke a chance and then feel free to critisize. I applaud anyone who thinks they can help the public get a better deal. Too many brits are out to fleece to many people. Electrician, £250 for a days labour, haha. Well I am not going to pay it. I would rather pay a qualified immigrant or refugee. Lets make Britain great again. What happened to the friendly british smile, lets all help get this country off its knees and back up and running.
Henri
Home place Boulogne sur Mer,anxious to know more (timetable/prices/booking )thanks
Henri
Just sent a message By
KEN FOX
Just rung the 9 the young lady that answered informed me that the booking web site will be live on the 16th March 2009 and the first sailing will be on the 31st March 2009. Will wait and see what happens.
Belle
From this side, it would seem they don’t have funding or a bank guarantee.
There are a few comments on Thanet Strife that imply the same ….
interesting.
Bart
Hi Paul,
What are the names of the dredgers?
Paul
Bart,
There is the Admiral Day, UKD Marlin (since departed) and the third has never been close enough to the quay side for me to read the name, but its about the size of a private fishing vessel…pretty pointless!
Steve
Hi. Maybe of interest to someone. Euroferries Holdings the one based in Kingston-upon-Thames applied yesterday to be sruck off the Companies register. This may be because of a change of Directors, a new company being formed or as the Companies House say it may be because the original idea was not feasible.
Paul
Hi Steve,
I am wondering if that as anything to do with the fact tht EF are now doing a supposed deal with Fred. Olsen and not trying to buy their own ship outright?? So perhaps they dont need a Holdings company anymore??
Paul
Hi Steve,
I am wondering if that has anything to do with the fact tht EF are now doing a supposed deal with Fred. Olsen and not trying to buy their own ship outright?? So perhaps they dont need a Holdings company anymore??
Ccomley
Re Companies House – there would be no direct relationship. CoHo don’t tell companies their ideas are feasilble or not, they just record the company data and filings. Change of directors would NOT require a striking off, just a filing of new directors details. Likewise any change in shareholding would just require a filing of same. Striking a company off makes it cease to exist – you would then have to set up a new company from scratch. If this company HAS been struck off, it isn’t about to trade any time soon – that isn’t to say that the venture is in fact proceeding under the banner of another company.
Belle
I have also been into CoHo, the last I found was a change of Directors? on the 7th Feb, also many apps for striking off then not.
Maybe the ultimate answer is that Fred Olsen need to do something with the BE and with ‘grants/let offs’ from both TDC and Boulogne CCI it is worth a try.
I will know more very soon, for all the blurb about this Per S, he is in fact involved in windfarms, mainly the transportation. I can see nothing on his ‘CV’ that says ferries. As for GE, some people just can’t let go ….
From Belle, beautiful by name and beautiful by nature – I wish !
Steve
Hi
As I said in my comment this could just be that a new company is being formed, and as regards it not being a feasible idea, this was just one of the reasons given why a company may have itself removed from the list, and did not actually imply this was the reason for EF making the application, and it would seem that the only way to have a strike off reversed is to get a Court order.
Steve
Here is report I got sent:
Address: 2 KINGS KEEP BEAUFORT ROAD, KINGSTON UPON THAMES, SURREY, KT1 2HP
Tel: We do not list telephone numbers. Click here to search for a telephone number at 192.com
Type: Private Limited with share capital
Incorporation Date: 21-07-2006
Status: Non-trading company
Last Accounts Filed up to: 31-07-2008
Last Accounts Analysed: –
Nature of business SIC: 74840 – Other business activities not elsewhere classified
Recent Changes:
09/03/2009 652A – Application for striking off.
31/07/2008 AA – Annual Accounts.
06/03/2009 Dissolution or striking-off document filed – Application for striking-off
07/02/2009 288A – Notice of change of directors or secretaries or in their particulars.
31/07/2007 AA – Annual Accounts.
22/10/2008 Resignation of director / secretary
Reports:
As this company has either not or only recently filed they are not yet analysed by our system, so we are unable to offer a credit report. If you would like to be informed by email when the report is available, please click here.
KateH
As a newish Ramsgatonian I am really excited about the ferry. Get too seasick to go as far as Ostende on the passenger service, but I can manage Boulogne.
As for Companies House stuff, sounds to me like the Company is being restructured, perhaps to reflect a closer relationship with Fred Olsen or whoever – maybe changing the shareholding structure or ownership in someway and don’t need the same holding company structure.
The original piece says there isn’t a passenger service to Ostend, I thought there was, launched a couple of years ago, I even know someone who’s used it. Is it not going any more?
Adem
The Transeuropa ferry still goes from Ramsgate to Ostende but it doesn’t take foot passengers. You can still go though if you take the car, but I personally like a trip where I can have a beer of two and not worry about driving.
Lollypop
have you gusy never heard of a CONFIALITY (cant spell it!) AGREEMENT! hence the lack of information… hence the emails being the ‘same’… because they only have a certian about they can sat under the agreement. rumours are histericle.. i do wander where all your ‘information’ comes from! i will be happy ot prove you all wrong, those who believe it’s just a scam! and particular to see Paxmans bare bottom on the dockside!. Stop all being so cynicle! people work LONG AND HARD to make EF work.. and in the end, you are going to benefit from jobs availibilty and tourism… MONEY guys.. isnt that what you’r all obsessed with… stop being cynicle and watch the money roll in.
LORD LUCAN
LOLLYPOP: I think matron is looking for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Belle
Lollypop is a ‘palnt’ !
Monay seems to be okay for boat purchase – 31st March, doubtful….
Paul
Whoops, who left the gates open?
Lollypop, have you been out on the Beers again??
Belle
For Lollypop !
‘Euroferries say they will be sailing from Ramsgate on 31 March 2009Â? But itÂ?s not good news for people like Cindy who are looking for jobs as Euroferries new ship comes with its own crew and theyÂ?re not from the South East.’
Quoted from BBC South East …..
Paul
Belle, as it was said on Inside Out, it is very doubtfull for a 31st start date, yes there has been a recent hive of activity but as Wodger Latchford said there is still no contract with EF in place, i assume this is the same on your side of things?
Also i have just called the number stated by Ken Fox further up in the comments and the PR company still dont have a date for the bookings/price list, although the lady i spoke to has taken my details and told me that she would get in touch as soon as they knew further details (i.e. when the url becomes live).
So as soon as i know, ill post or let the Bloggers know so they can post to the rest of us!
In Hope
Still no agreement for a berth in Boulogne! Unpaid wages still owing from last attemps to start. Adrian cannot decide if Director or Solicitor. No office. No British jobs. Ops manager from failed company. No ticket sales.
We can live in hope of some local jobs. Gueat houses should be OK putting up Spanish crew.
Pete
I’m unable to source this but i just heard a rumour that Euroferries are negotiating the acquisition of a second vessel to come into service in September. As anyone else heard this?
Belle
I had heard Spanish crew as well, also that the finances are ‘in place’ for the Bonanza Express – the latter being so, why would this be ‘in partnership’ with Fred Olsen ? ….. and the livery would not be done until purchase/charter completed, hence I say the photo being bandied about is a mock up.
LD and EF have both said second vessels due in Autumn, the former has others, the latter, anyones guess…..
Boulogne will want paying upfront for berthing charges having lost out with Speedferries.
I suppose we will have to wait until next week to see the booking engine go live, then we can all believe it ! If they want to keep to a 31st March date, they are going to have to go some. Maybe it will just cross empty afterall it will need to see how it works in the Liane, Berth 16 is on the river, old Hoverspeed slot, which was a much smaller vessel.
KEN FOX
Paul if you go to euroferries.co.uk they say that the booking site will be up and running for booking tickets and further information on the 16th March. Went on this morning at 10-30.
Adem
Website says:
Euroferries high speed cross channel service commences imminently between Port of Ramsgate, Kent and the French Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
Fares, online ticket reservations and further information will appear on http://www.euroferries.co.uk week commencing 16th March.
Steve
Hi
On the 4th of March the Bonanza Express was out of the water on the dock.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=224768000#top_photo
It would appear that work is going on to repaint it.
Steve
Paul
Thanks for that Steve,
If it is ‘re-branding’ and just not usual maintenance then theyll have to be snappy with it and getting work done at both ports read fro the 31st.
I still cant personally see them making that start date, perhaps 31st april but hey lets just wait and see! :o)
Steve
Hi
The vessel is still in Gran Canaria, but I suppose a 2 day journey to here could see it here at the end of the week. giving a week for docking trials etc. Also the website only says that the booking site will be available week commencing 16th, so I suppose that could be anytime this week.
Adem
Hmmm, I’d assumed that “week commencing 16th” would mean it would go live on the 16th. I suppose that it can technically start anytime this week, but why not just put a date on it?
Belle
Steve
Love the site you listed ! So, I was right that the photo was a mock up, what is interesting on the site is that if you go through the links, there is an ETA of 13/10/09 ? to CTR GMR VDE, anyone ?
Belle
Adem
Here’s some interior photos of the Bonanaza Express:
The tier 2 bar and glass partition
Tub seating forward of the tier 2 bar.
And LOTS of photos and postcards of the Bonanza Express:
Belle
Lloyds List say it is a ‘time charter’…..
Steve
Hi
Perhaps as it’s a time charter, EF are only planning to run the service during the summer months,and just haven’t told anyone yet and then the ferry will return to Fred Olsen in perhaps October. Just a thought. Didn’t Hoverspeed stop running during the winter period before their demise?
Belle
Yes Steve, HS did this – it also meant that on the French side everyone was on fixed term contracts, so no redundancy pay etc. I am informed by an ex-employee that G Ede is tough to deal with re: conditions and pay.
Also, I think Paul said he overheard a converstaion in Ramsgate whereby the span could be removed when not in use …..
I am a regular traveller on or under the channel, some ‘on’ crossings with Hoverspeed were terrifying, the BE will have to diagonally cross the current, good luck in heavy seas !
But if they intend to give it back through the winter months, why would there be a second boat coming in September, unless its a swop ? Just a thought…
Belle
Belle
Have a look at bfenthusiasts forum, it seems BE is still in port and listing as of 14/03 !
Ccomley
I regularly used Speed Ferries and before thatthe SeaCat. Only trouble we ever had was when the Seacat ingested a net marker bouy, took about twenty minutes to get the jet intake clear before we could get going again.
TO be fair, the heaviest crossing I ever made had the Pride of (somethign) stuck outside dover for 20 mins coz the waves were too high to make it through the breakwater. I doubt the cats were out that night…
Steve
Hi
If you go onto the site I listed you can then go to vessel details and then current vessel track. This still shows BE in port, so perhaps one day soon we will see it moving. What would be nice is if anyone knew anyone that lived in or near Gran Canaria to go and see what is going on.
KEN FOX
Hi Steve
Is it me? But I cannot find any trace of BE on that site as to being at the dockside or sailing? I could be having a senior moment!
Belle
http://forums.bfenthusiasts.com/showthread.php?t=6483&page=6, shows this
‘As of last Saturday 14 March the Bonanza Express was still in the Canaries still damaged and listing in port, very unlikely the Euroferries service will commence also vessel will need stern ramps and watertight doors for English Channel work’
For Ken Fox, click on ‘vessels details’ and then on ‘itinerary’…
Paul
Hi Belle, sorry i havent been able to get on here recently with work and what not, but yes you are correct there are arcutects’ plans for a ramp that can be moved away when the BE is not in port, i know this because i have seen them on the Duty Operantions Managers’ (DOM) desk, the DOM’s are employed by TDC to run their side of opereations at Ramsgate New Port, so therefor i cant see the BE needing stern ramps, but yes it would need watertight doors for operations in the English Chanel.
Pete
Relatives of mine were in The Canaries recently. They said they saw a Fred Olson ferry having a repaint. They cut back one of the ferry services in the canaries that they’d used the previous year so that makes sense that the boat that’s suurplus to requirements over there is being used by Euroferries on the Ramsgate Boulougne route.
Still no sign of anything at Ramsgate harbour and no sign of tickets for sale on the Euroferries website.
A 31 March start is too unrelaistic now surely?
Belle
Have a look at Bertie Biggles on Thanet Strife, his comments about a Eurotunnel offer are absolutely laughable.
As if ET would worry about a phantom ferry when they have all the other competition visible to the naked eye !!!
I have received offers from LD, Norfolk Line and LD, business is dire …..
Belle
It is reported in todays Voix du Nord that with LD not going forward on the purchase of SeaFrance they will be looking at concentrating on Boulogne and are considering a cat from Dover ….. plus expansion North of Dunkerque. The mention of a cat is likely to compromise negotiations between Boulogne CCI and EF…..
Steve
Hi
Well, after the apparent upbeat start to the week, it would now seem that perhaps this is dead in the water (excuse the pun). No booking site has appeared and the ferry is still in Gran Canaria, and if LD are looking at a cat from Dover, and as they already have finance etc and are an established operator who are Boulogne going to opt for?
nigel
No Seacat No facilaties in place No timetable and fares which as an interested customer nomore has been eagerly awaiting .it is back to dover to a reliable carrier .I am sure a lot of protential customers feel the same way do not waste the fuel coming to ramsgate from the canaries unless you can run on hot air that at the moment the fast service from ramsgate is running on.
KEN FOX
Nigel I agree with you, it would seem that everything connected ferry wise that includes the name Ede is no go. He was the main downfall of Hoverspeed. All was going well until he decide to marry one of the crew. Thats when all the fancy ideas came about. First class area, exspensive wines. He must have listened with his middle rather than his ears. All the crew saw the changes that happened as soon as he married. He was supposed to have started running a fast craft service from Dover not long after Hoverspeed went to the wall. Seeing as he was the main man at Hoverspeed at the time they went to the wall, his track record speaks for itself, I think. If he could not keep them running with the resources of Sea Containers behind him Then what are the chances of EF getting off of the ground. I for one would not invest a penny in anything that had his name on. Getting to Dover is a lot more direct for people heading from most of the country, rather than weaving your way around second rate a roads into Ramsgate. Dover here we come.
Steve
Hi
In response to Kens comments, it was Sea Containers the owners at the time, who decided to end operations between Dover and Calais on the 7th of November 2005.
Below is a an exert from the BBC news report on 01/11/05
“The company is owned by Sea Containers, which has said it wants to introduce “fundamental changes”.
This would seem to indicate that the decision to close the route was not in the hands of Mr Ede, but was made by the Bahamas based Sea Containers Company, who in 2006 went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA, although they are now out of it.
Mr Ede may well have been in charge of Hoverspeed in the uk at the time, but the decision to cease operations was not his. He not be the most able person to run a company but I really don’t think making the comments you did are justified.
Full BBC News story from 01/11/05:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4396062.stm
Steve
Sorry I meant He may not be the most able (Last paragraph)
KEN FOX
Steve. It was the returns of revenue that made Sea Containers pull the plug Steve. If you had ever owned a large company you would understand that revenue is the bottom line. You will note that a whole year elapsed from the time of the Hoverspeed closure to the fileing for bankruptcy. The man with overall responsabilty for revenue was Mr Ede. Its very clear that you are not a person who has run a large company. If you look at Sea Containers as a whole that is the reason they also off loaded GNER. You really should research the subject you are talking about before quoting the media. In short mordern British management since the early eighties have been so far up there own backsides in thinking there Gods. When in fact most have been lucky chancers. Whilst I was in bussiness I avoided any British person for a managers job (yes I’m British born and bred 63 years old) they are lazy arrogant and sellfish, they do not want to get there hands dirty. I would never ask one of my staff to do a jod that I could not do, even down to cleaning the loo’s. But then again I am old school. If like me you have been very successful in the past then you can comment as to the whys and wherefores of the big outside world of commerce. This will be my last post on here as certain people obviously beleieve all they read and hear in the media. Have you never heard of poetic licence. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Its an old saying but very true. I know I spent some considerable time working in the press. BYE
Paul
OOOOO Steve, looks like youve upset someone1 :p
Belle
Paul,
Any news ? I can’t get anything on the Euroferries site this morning…..
There is the SITL (Transport & Logistics Expo)in Paris next week, it will be interesting to see if anything comes out of that.
Steve
Oh dear.
Paul
Belle, nope nothing on this side, its all gone very quiet…yet again!!
I see that theres still no change on EF’s website…week commencing 16th March, i think not!
Belle
Paul
I’ll let you know more from this end during the week – there’s nothing physical changing at the port, that I can see or know of.
The SITL may throw up an insight, although the ‘news’ seems to be all LD’s way, regarding their proposed upping of profile in our port. The work on the new Hub Terminal is going well, this is where the RORO will dock, expected to be from June. The present terminal will then have the old berth of Neptune/Speedferries and of course 16 that used to take the Hoverspeed Seacat, a while ago I saw plans that showed this being knocked down…..
Bon weekend à tous !
Belle
Belle
Steve
Hi
Just something I found on another site. It’s a press release from Fred Olsen on the 5th March.
LINEAS FRED. OLSEN
05 March 2009
The 96 metre Incat Bonanza Express, recently employed on Canary Island services, will operate the new Euroferries route between Ramsgate and Boulogne which is due to start on 31st March.
It may be a replay of the New York ferry purchase which never actually come to anything. Promise to pay etc.
Ccomley
You really need to make it clear which bit is the quote from the press release and what, if any, is your comment… *who* said the bit about “It may be a replay…”? Does make quite a difference you know…
Steve
Hi
Sorry about that, the bottom part about the replay is my comment as it seems that this does seem to be what happened before with the New York ferry and as the BE is still in Gran Canaria and no booking site has appeared, then it would seem it is happening again.
Steve
Hi
Here is an email I received from Fred Olsen Express. It would appear the ship has been sold.
Dear Steve.
Bonanza Express have been sold to another company. It will operate between England and France.
Best Regards,
Francisco López.
—–Mensaje original—–
De: [mailto:] Enviado el: domingo, 22 de marzo de 2009 7:27
Para: Internet Lineas
Asunto: Formulario de contacto
Fecha y hora GMT: 22/03/2009 07:26:43
Perhaps they haven’t paid for it yet.
Steve
Hi
I seem to keep forgetting things, I really shouldn’t rush. I meant to say I presume where the email states the vessel is sold that means to EF and if it has been sold rather than charterd will it need to be crewed from here, if it ever arrives?
Belle
Doesn’t say much for Lloyds List quote – although I was told a few weeks ago that EF had the money to purchase, the question is why would it then be in partnership with Fred Olsen ?
Pete
Less than one week to go I ca’t wait to get my ticket for the maisen voyage
Adem
The website now says:
Euroferries high speed cross channel service commences imminently between Port of Ramsgate, Kent and the French Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
Presently minor engineering works are taking place at the Ports to ensure the fastest turn around time to its customers.
Fares, online ticket reservations and further information will appear shortly.
The date of the week commencing 16th March obviously passed and I guess they’ve learnt their lesson not to put a date on it and instead opted for ‘shortly’ which is very non-specific.
Richard
What with april the 1st fast approaching………
Adem
Will that be when they reveal this all as a hoax?
Belle
‘imminently’ appears to mean about 5/8 weeks …..
great
The ramps of the Gran Canaria harbour was taken for the bonanza,have of the creww will be canarian and the rest will be english,the contract is firmed the vessel will be in Ramsgate in few days
Paul
dont hold your breath mate!!!
Jock
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/New-fast-ferry-won-8217-t-fit-Ramsgate-s-port/article-847598-detail/article.html
Belle
I had heard the same and the draught isn’t enough, although not sure which port is being referenced.
As for LD, reps are presently in Australia looking at a brand new large cat that will take all types of traffic, 110 metres (?)
And it is reported in this weeks Le Marin that they are considering a line between Ostende and UK, not precise on destination.
Paul, let us know when the ‘minor’ works start your end. I just wonder who is funding everything ….
James, Ramsgate
Hi All,
I have been reading the posts with interest. As a resident of Ramsgate I am keen to see any new transport links be a success. I have checked out the activity at the old Sally Line berth at Ramsgate Harbour and there are two dredgers currently working next to the berth; the Cherry Sand and the Admiral Day. On the quay there is also signs of activity. A large new fender delivered and new fencing, portacabins and other structures. The Bonanza Express appears to still be berthed in Gran Canaria so a few more weeks wait seems likely.
Paul
James, the ‘new fender’ you can see is actually a bouy for the windfarm, the dredgers are fr the wind farm, the portacabins are for the wind farm, the new fencing is for the wind farm AND the old Sally berth is for the wind farm, sorry to dissapoint you but i am the guy in the know, what with working for TEF and all!
Paul
And Belle i will keep you informed as soon as anythin occurs, as of yet EuroFerries statement of ‘minor engineering works’ has ammounted to nothing, not a single bolt, bit of metal has changed on the berth…its all gone deadly silent with EuroFerries here…
Belle
Am told that there are meetings this week your side, nothing being done here yet either….. lots of people seem to just stand around the ramp, looking, am not close enough to hear the conversation.
Just wonder who will be paying for the works in the relative ports, I suppose if TDC then that will have to go for approval ?
Ruben
Paul,
I heard that Euroferries have bought TEF!
Anyhow it appears that the Dias brothers have sold the lot.
Do you know anything about this?
Would make sense if Euroferries would buy them out, then they would have the skilled staff.
Paul
Hi, Ruben,
no EF has not bought us out, nor have they even tried!!
I must say that did make me laugh, where exactly would a company that has failed in the past and looks as if it is set to do so again find the funds required to buy out a multi million pound company whith an anual yearly turn over in the regions of hundreds of millions of pounds??
On the other had whilst loading the Primrose up for her 22.30 departure a few weeks ago, i did ship 3 Greek nationals accompaied by one of the Slovienian directors. The Greeks are either looking to take over the company, buy in to it, or purchase some of our vessels, which have to be out of european service by the end of 2010.
Also, Norfolk Line manager one Nigel Castle has been roaming around the port having meetings with TDC to possibly start up a Ramsgate/Zeebrugge rout as things arent as sweet at Dover as they were before…
Paul
fgh
Ruben
Thanks for that Paul.
There seems to be dredging only at the windmill farm berth. If Norfolkline would want to move then they would have get some real dredgers in.
Not the mickey mouse ones they have now…
As for TEF this will mean that unless you find some other ferries there won’t be a TEF service anymore from 2010 as they would be their “sell by date”…
Then Euroferries would be able to have the port to their own or not? Unless Mr Castle buys the port and get the dredgers in…
Paul
Correct, as i have said many times before all work is solely for the wind farm nothing more, TDC will not pay out for maintenance, christ i had a window that kept falling out on me at the check in desk for 6 months before it finally got sorted with a bit of card and then waited for another 3 months for the actual window lol.
Well this is the problem we have got, TEF actually had ships in mind to bring to the route but couldnt because of draught etc…
You say EF would have the port to themselves, lets not jump the gun, EF are still a mythical being that noone has seen hair nor hide of.
TDC would not sell off the port as they have done the rest of their assets, what with a contract with TDC, the windfarm and Bretts aggragets so buying the port is out of the question…
Belle
Reports here say there are hundreds of coaches waiting to cross and the deal was signed with TDC yesterday – this must be the fourth time …..
Craig
I have heard that the ships are to small for Port Ramsgate, via one of the local papers, is there anyone in the know to confirm this?….
Paul
Belle, you know as good as me not to believe a word untill youve seen it for yourself or know that it is set in stone.
There has been no talk at the port about any signing with EF. and still no work to the berth…so what does this leave us with?
Exactly what we sarted with in Ramsgate a delapedated underused port and in Boulogne a terminal building and berth not in use…
Craig its not that, it could technically fit into the port, but there are simply no docking facilities there for it…see my earlier postings, i saw the headline outside of a shop a few days ago, it did kind of make me think….hmm get the facts right lol.
Belle
Paul
I have listened to all the ‘hype’ which is still ongoing, ‘its going to happen’, ‘capacity’ etc. but I am left with a ‘yeah, heard all this before”.
Regardless of EF, I still do not understand why a newly founded company would risk all on such a venture. The travelling numbers are lower and those that do demand – a price that barely covers cost.
I am assured that the EF will take place, well wonderful, but for how long, just glad I have no money in it, but maybe I do as a PDC tax payer ?
Belle
and I forgot to say that the photos of the ‘Euroferries’ craft (mock up) download as a file called ‘bribes’ !
Now, this could be for British Bonanza Express, and the logo is ‘bribes 1′ !
How unfortunate……
Pete
new update on euroferries website. if i’m not mistaken it looks like they’re building a new ramp at the far end of Ramsgate harbour. Any activity in Boulougne?
see below
Euroferries high speed cross channel service commences imminently between Port of Ramsgate, Kent and the French Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
Presently minor engineering works are taking place at the Ports to ensure the fastest turn around time to its customers.
Fares, online ticket reservations and further information will appear shortly.
Paul
Pete, that statement is about a month old…
And i can tell you, that you are not mistaken, they are building a new ramp, but its for the Thanet Offshore WindFarm Project, as was reported here http://eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com/2009/04/crane-takes-strain.html.
Sorry to dissapoint you old chap!
James, Ramsgate
With the lack of development with Euroferries could we talk in the meantime about the Thanet Windfarm? With the arrival of the “Sea Jack” platform and attendant support vessels there is lots of activity in the harbour. Or is this considered off topic?
Also; what about all these foreign lorries parking on the sea front?
Paul
James, take my advice on the lorries, its a hell of alot easier to just leave them be, or you could go down there yourself and tell then to ‘shove off’…
Belle
Meetings in Boulogne next week ….. but still can’t see an end of April start as no ‘job advertising’ taking place as yet.
On the French forums they are expecting the ex Hoverspeed staff to be taken on.
I don’t know about your politics over there but I found this….
http://lovekentloveramsgate.blogspot.com/2009/04/tourism-ferry-dont-fit.html
dated 2nd of April, interesting that he says the proposed project is only for a year.
Paul any sign of the removable ramp yet ? Nothing here, so far….
Will keep you posted of any developments
Belle
Steve
Hi
Just a quick comment. Information from Gran Canaria, work was being done on the powertrain on the vessel, and it has now been moved to the quayside awaiting crew. It is supposed to be sailing on Tuesday, but I’ll hold my breath for that.
Paul
Hey guys,
nope, nothing Belle, not a thing at all…
Steve, im wondering where it would sail to if it did leave on Tuesday?
No work in Ramsgate or Boulogne…
All the slight hope i had for this is starting to dwindle away…
Hope im proved wrong though!
If i am it means i can visit our lovely Belle on the other side of the channel lol.
But as you said Steve…lets all hold our breath…
Ruben
Hi,
Seems the Larkspur was stuck in the mud again a couple of days ago.
Is this the reason why the Cherry sand was dredging there?
Does anyone know how much silt have been removed from the port? Is there still a small beach at the entrance of the harbour?
How many dredgers are still at work now? Surely a lot of mud have been removed as they have been dredging for over 2 months now.
The Bonanza express is still at the port of Las Palmas…
Paul
Yup she did Ruben, i was stood out there for an hour in wind and rian waiting for her to turn. then…nothing…it was home time for me! lol.
Nope no dredging for TEF all dredging is for Thanet Offshore Wind Farm Project.
And to be honest not really that much has been removed…as you can tell with ships getting stuck and the fact that this morning you could see a silt bank clearly by the peir wall in the Port.
Daniel
Hi All,
I’m watching this blog with interest as I’m hoping to use this service on the early summer bank holiday at the end of May. Will is start then?/Will it not? Who knows. The suspense is killing me : )
Thanks Paul and Belle for being my eyes on the docks at either side of the channel.
Belle
Well, no one was going anywhere today – although at about 4:30pm this afternoon, the firebrigade were removing the burning embers !
Although the fishing boats were still forming a line across the port entrance, I hear on Radio Five Live that Dover remains closed.
This action has been well reported in advance in our press, starting from last night – so the ferry companies were aware.
I also note that BE is still in GC at time of writing, interesting to see what tomorrow brings….
Ruben
Belle,I was told that the Speedferries berth at Boulogne was rebuild or was going to be rebuild to accomodate a “big cat”.
Would the old Hoverport not be better? They have a big linkspan next to the old Hoverspeed berth. I was told this is for the Peugeot cars going to Sheerness but I have never seen it working.
Paul, at berth nr 2 the “mudbank” there used to be a special platform for the Dunkerque fastcraft service of Holyman-Sally. They could remove it when the Sally Star was using the berth.
Any idea where this has gone?
I was last weekend in the Montefiore and was told that the Larkspur won’t be stuck in the mud anymore as she is off on charter to the Med for line between Algeria and Italy.
This would have to do with her not being able to use the berth anymore as the berth would be exclusive to EF.
Belle
Speedferries arrived on the far side of the terminal, where the old Marfreight Neptunia freight vessel came in, it was then adapted to take SP. It is presently used by LD Lines until the new terminal is ready about 2kms further into the port, due to be ready in July, although a date isn’t yet confirmed and the present strike action won’t help as they were not allowing trucks through yesterday. Whether this is suitable for EF craft I can’t say, but I suspect that LD would not want to share.
The other, Berth 16, is in the estuary, on the townside of the terminal building this is where the Hoverspeed Seacat came in, it is still there, although unsuitable for SP and I understand that the Bonanza Express is larger.
Just to let you know the port is blocked again this morning, so no ferries leaving Dover…..
Paul
oh Belle i do love you being the bearer of good news, ive got yet another day ahead of me down at the docks, so we shall be more than busy yet again!!! lol
Ruben, i know that it was, but thats not where i was talking about, i was talking about the pier (western harbour arm) it is still majourly silted up…
Well that is news to me and more than likely news to our directors aswell, as the only ships TEF would get rid of are Primrose and Eurovoyager (as they need to be out of european comission by the end of 2010) and Oleander (the best but most expensive ship we have), the Larkspur has a too greater vehicle capacity to loose, especially on days like today when you friends across the channel go and muck things up for us!!! lol
Any idea when the industrial action is due to end Belle?
or is it another case of who knows??
Belle
Hello Paul,
First some news ! LD Lines are proposing to offer cat services to Boulogne from the 1st June !
The fishermen are suggesting that if there is no movement on their proposals then they are going to block Eurotunnel tomorrow as well, now that will be fun !
How long will it last – well I’ve watched lots of these and other strikes before, they usual stop when it rains, can’t get the BBQ lit to go with the beer.
Something also happening here, there are problems with strikes in EDF, electricity, resulting in yesterday and today shops, clinic etc. without power – spoiled my shopping experience this afternoon at Mady !
Jock
It’s a case of who knows at the moment, I work at the Transmanche terminal in Boulogne and was sitting waiting to see if anything would happen this morning before being sent to Coquelles to deal with the massive amounts of traffic there. Will wait and see what happens tomorrow, I’ve been asked to arrive in Boulogne in the morning, but I’ve a feeling it’ll be the same story.
Rumor has it at the moment that LD Lines have secured their Incat now btw, according to the BF enthusiasts website it may be this one: (http://www.incat.com.au/domino/incat…5?OpenDocument).
Ccomley
Your link doesn’t work.
I’ve heard rumours LD Lines would be bidding for the just-finished Incat hull 66 – but that’s an Incat 112 – even bigger than teh Olsen craft – so presumably will not fit Bolougne either? Or was it only at the Ramsgate end that everyone says the Incat 98 won’t fit.
Jock
I’m assuming it’s Ramsgate it won’t fit into as by the time it’s delivered LD Lines will be running out of the Hub (The new Boulogne port).
Presumably it’s this Incat:
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=311022100
?
Belle
The new terminal in Boulogne will not be ready until July, I’ve been told that the new cat from LD will operate out of the same one as being used now.
Belle
Boulogne Port apparently on ‘fire’ again this morning, it makes such a mess of the roads.
Ccomley
If – if the rumours that LD are acquiring the use of the NEW Incat 112 that’s just been built, then yes, that’s the one. Ugly looking bugger until it gets some logos on the side, innit. OTOH, could be worse, could be done up in “Fred Olson” colours.
Jock
Yeah Belle, my bad apparently the Incat is compatable with the finger pier that Speed One used!
Belle
Paul
Have there been any adverts for staff over there to go with an early May start ?
Keep an eye on Bonanza over the weekend ….. hearing some rumours but nothing firm…..
Bet you have had a busy few days, maybe EF would be better off doing a deal outside of France ?
Belle
Steve
Hi
Do you think that the Boulogne service from Ramsgate is now dead, especially as LD have announced there new service from Dover at the end of May using the cat mentioned earlier which carries freight.
I also had an email from Fred Olsen Lines regarding the lease/purchase of the BE and it seems things have gone very quite, reminds me of the New York fiasco.
Ah well, perhaps next year.
Ccomley
http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2009/04/high-speed-link-between-dover-and-boulogne.html
LORD LUCAN
Well Euroferries look to have sunk without trace even before they have set sail. Then again we all knew it was a non runner.
Belle
Ccomley – yep, the new LD service will go ahead and with assured funding….
Lord Lucan – I am told daily that the EF project will take place – standing outside of that, the charter was for six months, with a possible purchase later, so a start of May would give an end in November, it is the wrong six months, even if it were a less repressed season.
This service needs to be ready to go in March or April at the latest, as for the hundreds of coaches carrying thousands of passengers, do they exist already or are they being pinched ? If not the latter, where are they, Paul Daniels required again ?
Belle – sun just too good to miss, bring on the Rosé wine, heaven…. la belle france !
Karlo
I have been reading the posts regarding the start up ,or not start up of this so called Euroferries outfit with interest and a great deal of amusement over the past 2 months. I think we can safely say, as so many of your posts have already surmised ……. this is not going to happen for Ramsgate, what with this announcement today from LD lines it seems you have lost out to Dover. If this does prove to be the case I think all their false promises giving false hope has been a kick in the teeth for the residents of Thanet
In Hope
Mr. Ede taking the wee wee again. And everyone falls for it. Berth improvements, etc etc all the excuses in the book for not having any money! He is now staying clear of Canary islands as Fred Olsen is after him for dragging a reputable companies name into this fiasco.
The vessel would fit the berth. There IS enough water, linkspans do not need altering, Fred Olsen DID want money up front. Bang all comes to a halt!
Lets hope this doesn’t happen again next year and a reputable and serious company looks into it.
LORD LUCAN
In Hope. I’m afraid that is all Mr Ede is a man with big ideas with no money to back it up with. In the past he has tried to con people out of small fortunes to start his own ferry company. Look at his track record, or should I say lack of it. The man is a legend in his own mind and thats where it will stay. Having meet the man I would not trust him with next doors cat and they haven’t got one. It’s about time he stopped thinking he is Gods gift to the ferry industry and just fade away quietly, that way people will not get there hopes up that jobs would be coming to the area.
Ruben
A good friend of mine who worked for Mr Ede said that he even couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery…
This says a lot.
Paul
Finally guys, youve all woken up and realised that this was never going to happen!
I must admit i got rather bored just commenting the same old ‘nope…nothing happening down here…’ just to be questioned by people listening to the media and all the rumours going around.
But hey, i suppose everyone is entitled to hope, its just a shame it was all in vain…
Belle
Paul
On this side of the water the CCI are still saying it is going to happen and that is from the President !!!!!, and not through the media.
Belle
Steve
Hi
I know this is getting really boring now, but I just happened to check and I see the BE was moved on Friday from where it has been moored. Either Fred Olsen have given up with EF and will start using it themselves again or it is getting ready to move elsewhere.
Belle
Steve
Can you tell me how you know it was moved, it appears to still be moored in Las Palmas (marinetraffic.com), has it just moved within the port ?
Thanks
Belle
Belle
It’s okay Steve – I’ve zoomed in, yes she has moved….
LORD LUCAN
LD Lines have flown out three people (one of which is a captain ex Hoverspeed and Speedferries) to Australia over the weekend to pick up the new cat. My information is that BE is going to Sweden in the very near future.
Jock
Yup, wonder how long it’ll take to sail from Australia to the UK! berthing trials at Dover in the middle of May then in Boulogne at the end of the month for the new LD cat btw.
Steve
I believe that Brittany Ferries took 3 weeks for them to bring their Incat from Australia, but that did of course include the stop in Indonesia to drop off the relief after the tsunami and to pick up a boat damaged in the round the world yacht race.
LORD LUCAN
Steve. The name of the LD Lines cat is Norman Arrow you can track its progress via http://www.marinetraffic.com at present she is still in Tasmania. The craft is going into Portsmouth first to be painted. Then birthing trials, then you have to satisfy the board of trade on evacuation times and safety certificate before she can go anywhere.
Belle
You can see its first side painted up on
http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=884618
Belle
Who is Robert Maughan ? This is the guy that is going to bring hundreds of coaches to your/my port ? Can’t find him on my searches ….
Euroferries Express Coaches …..
Peter
Euroferries is not going to happen, lets get on with something useful, pub any one !
James, Ramsgate
In the absence of any positive news on Euroferries how about discussing the activity currently taking place at Ramsgate harbour to build the new Thanet Wind Farm? We have seen the arrival of the SEA JACK, the floating platform and the supporting vessels. Next we expect the MV RESOLUTION. Anyone know when it is due to arrive?
Also the problem of foreign HGV’s parking on the sea at Western Undercliffe. I see the council have now finally put up some additional signs and parking tickets have been afixed to various lorries but the problem continues. Who should take the lead in enforcing the problem, TDC or the police? Why don’t they use the parking facilities within the port?
In Hope
James.
Maybe the HGV’s are awaiting the arrival of Euroferries and being on inaugral service. HaHa!!!
Eric
I’m probably going to be greeted with hoots of derisive laughter with this, but, there are loads of boats in the marina at Ramsgate, could not one or two owners make trips to France, taking say, ten+ foot passengers or so at a time. A sunny day, a bottle of bubbly, smoked salmon sandwiches. Charging considerably more than a ferry would, but as we have no ferry, there’s no competition. And anyway it would be more akin to the Orient Express rather than an ordinary train journey. I realise there are things like insurance, seaworthiness etc to be complied with, but surely the idea is not insurmountable. Come on you budding entrepreneurs, let’s be having you.
Belle
I understand that Roger DeHaan suggested something like this from Folkestone !
Ccomley
Hoots of derision? NO, I like that idea. Dinkirk spirit. The Little Ships in reverse. But… is one of you going to be able to take my Land Rover across? I have 600Km to drive once I hit the beach, I’m gonna look a bit daft trying to do it in my nephew’s pedal car.
Belle
from an original article dated 28th April 2009
http://www.aol.es/noticias/story/Fred-Olsen-deja-inactivo-el-Bonanza-Express-y-anuncia-un-expediente-de-regulaci%C3%B3n/8468874/index.html
Original Article:
San Sebastián de La Gomera, 28 abr (EFE).- Fred Olsen informó hoy de que dejará inactivo el catamarán Bonanza Express debido a la evolución negativa del mercado marÃtimo interinsular de pasajeros, turismos y carga por, y anunció la presentación de un Expediente de Regulación de Empleo (ERE) que afectará a parte de la plantilla del buque.
En un comunicado, la compañÃa marÃtima recuerda que el fast ferry Bonanza Express permanecÃa inactivo desde diciembre de 2008.
Asegura que las lÃneas marÃtimas, horarios, conexiones y tarifas actuales de Fred.Olsen Express en Canarias se mantienen y quedan al margen de esta medida.
Señala que el ERE, que ha sido comunicado al Comité Intercentros y representantes de los trabajadores, se presentó la semana pasada, y afectará a parte de la plantilla del barco, en concreto a 43 personas.
Fred Olsen indica que ha analizado diversos escenarios para el Bonanza Express y la conclusión más viable es dejar al mismo en situación de inactividad, afirma.
Concluye que, de este modo, se busca la mejor situación posible para garantizar el futuro de la compañÃa, reducir el impacto de la crisis económica que afecta a Canarias y mantener asà el mayor número de puestos de trabajo posible.
In English:
San Sebastián de La Gomera, April 28 (EFE) .- Fred Olsen reported today that the cease inactive Bonanza Express catamaran due to the negative development of the maritime inter-market passenger cars and freight and announced the filing of a Record Regulation of Employment (ERE) that affect the staffing of the vessel.
In a communique, the shipping company said that the fast ferry Bonanza Express remained inactive since December 2008.
Ensures that the shipping lines, timetables, current fares and connections Fred.Olsen Express and the Canaries remain excluded from this measure.
Indicates that the ERE, which has been communicated to the Committee Intercentros and workers’ representatives, was submitted last week, and will affect the staffing of the boat, specifically to 43 people.
Fred Olsen said that analyzed various scenarios for the Bonanza Express and the most viable is to leave it in idle state, he says.
Concluded that this would be seeking the best possible situation to ensure the future of the company, reducing the impact of the economic crisis affecting the Canaries and keep as many jobs as possible.
In French:
San Sebastián de La Gomera, 28 avril (EFE) .- Fred Olsen a annoncé aujourd’hui que le cessez-le-Bonanza Express catamaran inactifs en raison de l’évolution négative du marché maritime inter-véhicules et de fret et a annoncé le dépôt d’un enregistrement Le règlement de l’emploi (ERE) qui ont une incidence sur les effectifs du navire.
Dans un communiqué, la compagnie maritime a déclaré que le ferry rapide Bonanza Express est resté inactif depuis Décembre 2008.
Veiller à ce que les lignes maritimes, les horaires, les tarifs et les connexions Fred.Olsen Express et les Canaries restent exclus de cette mesure.
Indique que l’ERE, qui a été communiqué à la commission Intercentros et les représentants des travailleurs, a été présenté la semaine dernière, et aura une incidence sur les effectifs de l’embarcation, en particulier pour 43 personnes.
Fred Olsen a déclaré que les divers scénarios analysés pour la Bonanza Express et la plus viable est de le laisser dans l’état de repos, dit-il.
A conclu que ce serait la recherche de la meilleure situation possible pour assurer l’avenir de l’entreprise, la réduction de l’impact de la crise économique des Canaries et de maintenir autant d’emplois que possible.
So that does appear to give a final answer
Regards to all
Belle
Paul
Thanks for that Belle.
Does this now mean that people will stop believing in a pipe dream thats ever going to happen??
Oh and btw Belle, i read somewhere that LD Lines 112mtr Incat has arrived??
nigel
The “Norman Arrow”is on it’s way at the first port of call Freemantle and or will be sailing for the next port on voyage in the Seychelles for bunkers if all goes well she will be in Dover 24th 25th of this month Fares and sailing schedule on L. D. LINES website
nigel
Slight delay on leaving freemantle for “Norman Arrow”minor engine ajustments taking place understandable on the first long leg of the voyage of nearly 12000 miles
Belle
Hi Paul
Glad you are there – I am hearing (evesdropping) that the BE will be leaving for Ramsgate, the lay off of staff was to stop running up costs ?????
If this is true maybe you will have more news than me next week.
The ramps were put back on Berth 16 but CCI said that this was at the request of LD Lines…..
Belle
nigel
Norman Arrow is on it’s way across the Indian Ocean 1 week to the Seychelles
Belle
http://www.canarianweekly.com/localNews2431.html
‘However, on further investigation it transpires that a new ferry company has announced it will begin a cross-Channel service from Kent within weeks.’ dated 7th May 2009
Jock
Sounds like they got their reporting a bit mixed up, all of the information they’ve reported was printed before the announcement that Fred Olsen was laying the vessel up, that’s the way I read it anyways?
Belle
I have been told that money was paid to FO this week and the boat will be released on Tuesday ……
Mind you this has been said before a few weeks back and nothing happened.
There are still no job adverts, I suspect no-one is willing to move on this until the boat is underway.
Pete
its over forget it
nigel
Surprise Surprise all washed away before it even got going L.D. Lines super cat is getting nearer it will not be long brfore it arrives in Dover.A week or so.
Ruben
Heard that Thanet council doesn’t believe in them anymore.
There are no more meetings.
They appear to be back in close contact with TEF as TEF wants to bring some bigger tonnage in the port.
dave t
wouldn’t be just great for TEF to allow a certain number of footpassengers and sell as a minicruise , for example £30-40 to include a buffet etc….am sure this could be viable …..?
Paul
Dave, you are right, it could be viable, but at the same time, would you as a business man place millions of pounds into a venture that would cost the company a hell of alot to keep running, especially in these uncertain times??
Steve
Hi
As said earlier this would appear to have been a kite flying exercise. You get no replys from e-mails and this appeared in Lloyds List this week.
Eagerly awaiting Euroferries
THE saga of the proposed Euroferries fast craft cross-Channel service gets ever more curious.
The companyÂ?s website says the service between Ramsgate and Boulogne is due to start imminently and that minor engineering work is being carried out for the selected fast craft, named as the Bonanza Express, at ports to ensure the fastest turnround time for passengers. But there is no sign as yet of the craft arriving at either port.
Boulogne officials also said they had heard nothing from the company, nor were any special engineering works in the offing to receive the craft.
Boulogne hub port director Alain Rousseau said: Â?We have been hearing about this new cross-Channel service by the company for a number of years but nothing new. Yes, it is a bit of a mystery.Â?
Steve
Hi
The mystery deepens. In todays Gazette is printed a small item stating that TDC has received information that the BE has been painted in EF colours and will arrive on the 27th.
Can anyone confirm this, or has the information come from EF themselves and therefore can be taken to be as not quite true.
Belle
Not sure about the livery but leaving around 27th, maybe ….
Please Paul, as you are onsite, are there any signs of works to cater for BE ?
Nothing different here so far, other than the old ramps in place at the request of LD.
Belle
looks like you will be getting your ferry afterall …….
Ccomley
That’s nice. Wonder what they’ll do with it…
Belle
Just watched Norman Arrow arrive in Boulogne, I waited two hours in the wind and rain, but it was worth it. I don’t know how to upload photos here but I’ve put some on the following:
http://forums.bfenthusiasts.com/showthread.php?p=72559#post72559
Steve
Hi
Good to see that the BE has finally arrived in Ramsgate. They managed to squeeze it in under the jetty so it’s not immediatley visible unless you look really hard. The BE that is in Gran Canaria is a decoy and should not be mistaken for the real one in Ramsgate.
Being serious, I think that perhaps TDC should ask for a photo of the ferry in EF livery as it’s been painted, as I’m sure some have been taken for the brochures etc, or perhaps not!
Belle
I was assured it was leaving Gran Canaria either yesterday or today, I’ve been in touch with someone in Tenerife to see if they can find out whether the livery has been painted as reported.
Just goes to show that if you have the money there is no delay in delivery, afterall NA has come a long way to get here and EF are still in the planning stages all these months later, the first announcement being in January.
Pete
why doesn’t someone start a wseekend ferry service from ramsgate – deal in the summer. i think it would be quite popular, maybe even quicker than driving and more likely to happpen that Euroferries.
Peter
Cos there is no market for it and no one would invest money in it, the start up costs for any ferry service are horrendous and in the current climate, no chance.
Is’nt it about time the whole Euroferries thing was put to bed?
Ccomley
Ferries are like planes – they cost a small fortune (well, smaller than planes but still a fortune) and if they’re sitting around they’re not paying for themselves. So there’s no way someone would spend money on a boat to run a service only two days a week.
And these days you can’t just turn a family plesure boat into a ferry – too much H+S regs, would cost a fortune.
VÃctor
Hi, i´m from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Canary Islands and i´m a ferry fan. I´ve travel several times onboard BE, between Gran Canaria (Agaete) and Tenerife (Santa Cruz) and also between Tenerife (Los Cristianos) and La Gomera (San Sebastián). Yesterday, march 4th, BE was docked in Las Palmas with the classic white-yellow livery of Fred. Olsen but with “Euroferries Express” writed in the side.
Reports about this ferry has appear on local press a few days ago, and they are talking about Fred Olsen is waiting for “new bussines options” for BE, but never to come back to Los Cristianos-La Gomera-El Hierro.
That´s all what i can tell. Please, excuse for my poor english level.
Belle
March the 4th ! Even in Spanish difficult to confuse Junio with Marzo !
Victor, are you pulling our leg ?
Although, CCI Boulogne sources say boat is painted and just one signature from TDC is required ……. maybe that ‘signature’ has fallen by the wayside, but what does it have to do with the charter ?
Ruben
Message to Paul.
Seems your fleet will be missing one ferry very soon. The Primrose is going on a charter to the Med.
Any chance of us seeing a replacement very soon? The old Sally Star have been going nowhere since the beginning of January so has some of the Seafrance fleet…
VÃctor
Ehh, in spanish, in english and in chinese. Sorry for the mistake, of course i was talking about June 4th. I found this web when i was searching about BE and there is a lot of information. If there are more thigs to tell about this, i will write it here.
Belle
Victor, sorry if I caused offence, so many ifs, buts and maybes surround this project.
Can you clarify if the ‘Fred.Olsen’ has been painted over with ‘Euroferries’ ?
So, it should read ‘Euroferries Express’……
VÃctor
Hi Belle. There is no offence, i the difficult to express myself in another language.
Talking about BE, it´s exactly what yo understand. The BE is painted like it was with Fred Olsen Express, but instead “Fred Olsen” you can read Euroferries. So, it should read “Euroferries Express”. In fact, “Express” is written whit the same kind of typography. It reveals that the only work of painting was to substite “Fred Olsen” for “Euroferries”.
I hope that in this time will not be more misunderstandings
Belle
Thanks Victor, let us know when she departs for the UK ! Any chance of a photo ?
Daniel
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/ramsgate/Ramsgate-s-new-ferry-step-closer/article-1070067-detail/article.html
Pete
oh my god, this looks too good to be true. i’m lanning to get a Boulougne ferry inlate July. I might haveto hold off booking LD Line if this is going to happen.
Ruben
After reading this article I think this secret place should be the Bermuda triangle.
She is still at LAS PALMAS…
Adem
I’ve just written a quick post about this: https://ademdjemil.co.uk/blog/?p=1545 and I’m still not convinced that it’s a creditable photo. It just looks too much like a mock-up and very similar to the photos used in early March.
Belle
Pete
Take a ride on Norman arrow – I came across Monday, brilliant! Just loved the newness and her overall look !
Lets be realistic about BE, if it were now going ahead there would be at least three weeks to get the onshore staff and support up and running, probably longer.
Tried to enlarge the photo to get a feel for it, but afterall Victor said it had been painted and Ladyman had a helper to photo it – then again he’s a polititian, what does he know about truth ?
LORD LUCAN
Have photo pictures of the alledged BE repaint. My son who is curently on contract to Fujitsu earning an arm and a leg informs me that these pictures have been PHOTO-SHOPPED. I must agree there is something about them that does not ring true.
Pete
Still no sign of the new ferry and it now looks like were losing the Primrose from Trans Europa Ferries as well. boooo! I love that boat it has a great deck area
http://eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com/2009/06/ferry-sad-news.html
Belle
Ask the powers that be what the tie up with EFL and London Array is ?
VÃctor
Hi all,
The BE is still in Las Palmas, and you can find it at this web site http://www.localizatodo.com/ (for those people that not understand spanish, the name of the web means “find everythign”)
Asking to Belle, i hope this week i can take a photo to show you the re-painting of BE, but i have some news to tell and i think that is not a good new for you.
Fred Olsen made the anual refiting of fast-ferry Bencomo Express this week. She is in the Agaete – Santa Cruz service with the Bentago Express, and during the refiting the service was taken only for one ship. I asked some people why didn´t take the Bonanza to replace, and talk me about the Bonanza is “absolutely dissactivated” or something similar. There is no crew neither all the things neccesary to sail (in spanish, “está desarmado”)
Finally, asking to Lord Lucan, i think so about the “photo-shopped” because the only photo i´ve seen of BE re-painted is excatly like the first commercial photo of BE by Fred Olsen in 1999 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Adem
There is a photo of the ‘Euroferries Express’ in today’s Thanet Times newspaper. It is a new photo with the ship in a berth and it ha sthe new logo. It does look like an original photo.
Belle
http://thanetpress.blogspot.com/2009/06/euroferries.html
Victor, where are these photos taken ?
VÃctor
Hi,
I think that I have not to go to take any photo hehe, this photos are in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This is the Santa Catalina dock and is what i want to take to show you.
The first comment on the post explain the situation of the ship. If i have more news, i will write here.
Belle
Victor,
The Marine Traffic site shows BE in Puerto de la Luz, can you explain where Santa Catalina Dock is in relation to this ? I can’t find it …..
VÃctor
Oh sorry, Santa Catalina is a part of “El Puerto de la Luz y de Las Palmas” (of couse, the name of the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). Is the place where the cruises use to berth.
I thought that it appears on google maps but I was wrong. In fact, if you use google earth, this dock is just where “Puerto de la luz” appears.
Belle
Muchas gracias, Victor!
LORD LUCAN
Belle. Google search marine traffic. First on the list is live ships. This site gives you known postions of craft and last known positions. Click on the blue square opposite Algeria find Grand Canaria what for about 30 seconds. Click on the drop down box (Go to vessel) highlight Bonanza Express, this will give you the exact and latest location of the vessel. Good luck.
Paul
Nope, still moored in Las Palmas De Gran Canaria…c’mon guys, you’re all, surely clever people! Just face it, this is, sorry was, never going to happen.
Btw sorry for the ‘no show’ as of late, have been living i up in
Aachen, courtesy of my redundany packet from TEF!
Belle
Paul !
You lost your job ! Hey, Euroferries are going to start ‘imminently’, give them a call ! Although they are still saying this side of the channel that it will start.
More seriously, what are you going to do now ? LD Lines are talking about chartering another large cat.
Lord Lucan, the marine traffic site goes back to March thanks to Steve:
Steve Mar 14th, 2009 at 11:21 pm Hi
On the 4th of March the Bonanza Express was out of the water on the dock.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=224768000#top_photo
It would appear that work is going on to repaint it.
Steve
Paul
Yes, unfortunantely Belle, there have been 11 job losses in total, through staff leaving/being made redundant.
Haha well, I would Belle, as soon as the website gets updated and we actually see a photo of BE that hasn’t been photoshopped! Oh and when the BE leaves Gran Canaria! lol.
I’ve allready spoke with LD regarding possible employment, the gentleman i spoke to at Dover seemed very interseted in my experience and shipping certificates…so watch this space, I may just be popping up on your side of the channel!!
Belle
Brilliant ! Glad to have some positive news of you !
I was aboard the ‘inauguration’ of the Norman Arrow, my return journey from the UK, fortunate enough to know people, if you get my drift.
There was talk of EF, LD are not happy about it, from the French side, not surprised as they are putting a great deal of investment into the current project. Also it is said that there will be a July start and a second boat in October for said company. In truth nobody understands the whats, wheres and hows, least of all believes any of the hype, March, April, May start dates nothing…
Does anyone from TDC know what is going on ? Is there something amiss there ?
More questions than answers …..
The CFDT, about 100, of SeaFrance tried to block access to the Gare Maritime yesterday, with the usual tyre fires, though more troubling was that they were throwing detonators at the LD LInes staff, they are against the advent of LD Lines on the channel short crossings. It lasted about four hours, one of the demonstrators was hauled in front of the commisseriat on suspicion of graffitti.
LORD LUCAN
Belle
Yes Live ships shows the last known Movement of BE. If and when it moves it will show its on the move and its destination. It updates live every 2 minutes. Try and click on the Dover area and go as last time, to Norman Arrow which is moving and it will give you a course plot. If a ship or vessel does not move there is nothing to plot. Hence it shows BE as March. As soon as it starts moving it will show position and destination. Will be over to our house in Etaples mid July cannot wait to come home.
Belle
Lord Lucan,
I know Etaples quite well, you say home, so are you a ‘half-breed’ or an English abroad ?
I have to go to UK often and prefer to be here, in France, my adoptive home.
I’ve been watching with interest the Marine Traffic site, that was how I was able to be on the cliffs at Moulin Wibert between Boulogne and Wimereux to see the Norman Arrow come up the Channel on her arrival, there were a few of us there, she passed in the distance, visible by her box shape and ‘tail’.
Already done the trip over and back, great fun.
LORD LUCAN
Belle
Great grand mother came from Paris. Arrived in England and became a famous musical hall star way, way back. When I come over to the house I feel so at home. When I leave to come back to England I have tears in my eyes, because I feel that I am leaving the place where I belong. In answer to your question I suppose I’m a quarter breed, but I still feel so comfortable in France. The French people are so friendly and helpful. I hope in the very near future to call it my permenant home.
Belle
Lord Lucan,
What a wonderful story !
Maybe you would like to pass your sentiments about the French onto the Daily Mail, it winds me up the way they portray them in print.
I have never had a problem, kind, charming and helpful, it is the British that settle here that are often snobby and spiteful and worse don’t bother to learn the language, now that is annoying ….
Have a good day, a beautiful sunny morning here and I’ll be in Etaples today to do some shopping, so I’ll say ‘bonjour’ to the town for you !
Nothing new on EF …..
Pete
Well just booked my ticket to Boulougne on the Norman Arrow with LD.
Euroferries had their chance to take my business.
Belle
Pete,
I assure you that this new boat is wonderful, go to the rear and enjoy the view !
Maybe our host could let me know how to post some photos ?
Belle
Pete
best way to do photos is to upload them to photobucket and give a url link to them here
Adem
Pete that’s probably the easiest way to do it. Will enjoy seeing some photos, and may even be tempted in making my own crossing now that Euroferries is a no go.
Belle
This is a trial …..
Belle
Didn’t copy from photobucket …..
Pete
on photobucket your photo will have an HTM Tag and URL – cut and poast the url (web address on to the blog) eg.
http://www.egyptsaidso.com/wp-content/uploader/2008/12/michael_jackson.jpg
LORD LUCAN
Belle
I have some pictures of the new link span being towed into Boulogne and being installed. Are they being installed at the western side near the sea wall, where the new ro-ro port is being built? Will send them to you if you let me have your email addy.
Ccomley
Surely on the western side of the sea wall one finds… the sea!
I’ve just booked on an LD ro-ro so will be in town next week, will take a look…
Wanted to try the shiney new bigIncat but their timetables don’t marry well with mine.
LORD LUCAN
Ccomley. The west side of the harbour inside the sea wall. I would have thought that was apparent. If you look at the plan of the new harbour you would know what I am talking about.Rather than making stupid comments. The west side of the sea wall is the old hover port. Totally unsuitable because of the depth of water even for a cat.
Belle
http://www.portboulogne.com/commercial-port/projects.html
Pass there everyday, have tried the photobucket without success, try again when I have more time …..
and this ….. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/Locales/Boulogne_sur_Mer/actualite/Secteur_Boulogne_sur_Mer/2009/06/30/article_le-catamaran-provoque-une-vague-de-fraye.shtml
just goes to show you can’t please all of the people all of the time, it is in French, if needed copy into google translate, I had a laugh I loved the ‘wave’ that came on the beach in Wimereux when Speed One passed by! Highlight of the day, well that and unexploded bombs, ‘get out of the sea’ I thought I was in a scene from Jaws ! The beach fell silent, all boats were told to get out of the area ….. I have a photo of that too !
Belle
Do you want some gossip regarding Euroferries ?
Daniel
YES PLEASE!
Belle
Well…. folds arms under breasts, puckers lips and starts to pull faces over garden fence …… raised eyebrow …..
Another company has been refused use of Berth 16 because it is set aside for EF, who have crew and intend to set up the working, bookings on French soil as opposed to Ramsgate.
There is a signature missing from the documentation in TDC, this is delaying the release of the BE, the further delay is because they have decided to wait until LD move out to the new ramp, the date of which is sometime in the next couple of weeks. Was due to be the 1st, speculation is the 7th, I’d add a bit, although the works at the port have moved on incredibly, booths in place, area secured, looked like the security building has been finished. Very impressive, oh oh here comes the Calais lot setting fire to the newly laid roads.
They are expecting near capacity on every sailing …. (that alone means they will be pinching business from elsewhere – how long before the aforesaid Calaisians (CFDT Union) are throwing detonators at EF staff ?)
Now, this is GOSSIP and sometimes things do get lost in translation !
One more thing, the BE runs on a fuel much cheaper than the usual – being cynical I wondered if this was fresh air ! Or maybe hot air ?
Why is my previous post ‘Your comment is awaiting moderation’, have I offended someone ?
Daniel
Ooooooo Hot gossip Belle, good work!
Pardon my ignorance, is TDC – Thanet District Council?
Ccomley
Nifty gossip – noted comments about road ripping-up, as if the french would ever resort to spoiler tactics!!!
Careful with the arm folding and fence-leaning, tho, you’re starting to sound a LOT like a sketch in a Les Dawson show…
My two-penny-worth, this week LD Lines announced they’re pulling out their Dieppe service. they don’t say why, or what they’re planning to do with the spare boat capacity but one wonders if that means LD will be doing More Boulogne sailings…
Belle
Comley you are spot on ! It has already stopped as of Monday. An extra freight sailing is what I hear ….
Didn’t you just love Les Dawson ? Wish I had the proper apron on, you know the tabard type ….
Thanet District Council, yes Daniel, although I struggle to understand why a TDC signature is needed to release the BE on charter. Anyone got any ideas ?
Adem
Hey Belle, Thanks for the gossip.
Regarding your previous comment, it got held up in moderation because of all the links (lots of links are usually associated with spam) but I’ve gone and approved it now. Thanks
Paul
Ahah!!!
And the plot thikens!!
Thanks for the update Belle.
I know that ‘a good magician keeps his tricks a secret’ as the saying goes.
But where, if i may be so intrusive, did this gossip come from?
Was it officials or just locals in the pub?
ccomley
Who says the officials and the locals in the pub are mutually exclusive groups?
Belle
comley is about right, but I couldn’t possibly tell you which bar near the port.
Paul
haha, well, what can i say?
old pessimistic views die hard..
and what with LD axeing their Dover/Dieppe service, things arent (nor have they ever) looking good for EF!!
Sorry to blowc the candles out on you cake guys, but lets get real!!
Pete
any news anyone?
Belle
Apart from not enough money …..
Peter
This whole thread is just speculation, when was any concrete info fothcoming from the people in the know ie from the company or Thanet council ! ? none for months, a few dodgy photos of a ship in Tenerife and some wishful thinking will not bring this pie in the sky ferry service in to operation.
Summer holidays start this week, so this non story can be put to bed till next year, they really have missed the boat ! .
Ccomley
Well I give up on this thread til it has some real info in – just a note to say we came home on the Norman Arrow (LD Lines shiney new Incat) last night and it’s very nice indeed.
Belle
That’s the point there isn’t any info …… agree about NA and EF don’t have the ‘argent’. Nor me, hey ho !
LD will be operating out of new terminal from 3rd August, so if EF get their act and finances together Berth 13&16 will be ready to accept their arrival, rhetorically I throw down the gauntlet, Staehr, Ede, Donnert, Gillan, Maughan, Reed, prove all us doubters wrong ….
Belle
Can’t find BE tonight ……
simon
the be left port at 11-43(utc)17.4kn/ course 288 looks like she heading to santa cruz de tenerife way
VÃctor
Bad news for you all, BE is now berthed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and as you can see in the link below, Euroferries has been deleted from the sides of the ship.
I think that the information in the link is old, bat the photos are recent. I will keep you informed.
http://sergiocruises.blogspot.com/2009/07/hsc-bonanza-nova-actividade.html
Paul
Just looked and the BE is not in Santa Cruz. It also says that the BE is out of range and that the last known position was recieved over a 24 hours ago….
Belle
Paul
The link by Victor seems to explain it ….. although I see that Speedone on BF site, says possible August start, have been away so not heard any other info.
Norman Arrow has done a trial into the new terminal, will be permanent as of 3rd August.
Steve
Hi
Obviously there is an area between the islands that has links to Bermuda and ships just vanish in mid-channel, which is what appears to have happened to the BE, looking at the tracking thingy, or perhaps Mr Ede has hidden it in his garage to stop people taking photographs.
As has been said before it would seem that this is never going to happen (well with EF).
I would just like to say that we already have a good ferry company from Ramsgate and whenever I go abroad I always use TEF, it may be slow but the service is great and the crew are always helpful and it’s so peaceful onboard, although I’m sure people have different ideas.
Belle
Here is a new link for you to play with:
http://www.localizatodo.com/?zoom=10&latitud=28.31760&longitud=-15.8440&pais=es&tipo=3&presenta=0&mmsi=224768000&year=2009&mes=7&dia=21
Shows where Bonanza Express is, beside the pier in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Paul
Belle, just been on the link you posted.
The BE is there, but, she seems to be moving 360degree circles by the pier. Although shes showing 0 knotts…
Belle
Maybe Fred Olsen don’t have to pay if she drops anchor off the pier ?
If you recall, she was also moving around a great deal in Las Palmas …
I found this site through one of the Thanet Blogs, but I can’t find it again, often like that with the French computer. You will probably do better, there was also a paragraph about the move there.
Paul
Yeah, true, I forgot about that.
I dont think she is at anchor, there are other ships on there that are and they’ve got little symbols at the front.
Did you oh, well I shall have a look through and see if I can find anything.
I notice that EF’s website still has not been updated.
It’s still saying that the service will start ‘imminently’.
Any news from your side Belle?
Or have Boulogne finally given up believing??
Belle
Paul – seems to be given up, I never believed in the long term project even if it had started, the sad part is that the monstrosity of the Gare Maritime will be left empty. The ex-mayor and deputy Guy Lengagne thinks it is an historical monument and should be preserved ! The seagulls and cormorants love it, great place to dry their wings ….
I understand that Euroferries raise their heads from the seas every two years …. see you in 2011 !
Manuel
Good evening,
I am an employee of the Fred Olsen ships S.A. What is discussed here, which is still in negotiations with euroferris. It seems that Friday morning will make a press conference in the UK and Euroferrys Fred Olsen. The problem is bureaucracy at the port of Ramsgate.
Good bye
Manuel
Paul
Hello Manuel!
Could you shed some light as to why the Bonanza Express has moved berth from Las Palmas De Gran Canaria to Santa Cruz De Tenerife??
Thanks
Belle
Major Euroferries announcement due at Ramsgate port
by Martin Jefferies
A major announcement on the future of the Port of Ramsgate will be made this afternoon.
Officials have kept the content of today’s press conference secret but the KM Group believes there could be an update on a planned high-speed ferry service to Boulogne.
Euroferries were due to launch the new cross channel route in March but it was delayed when the firm discovered that its new ‘Bonanza Express’ vessel was unable to dock in Ramsgate.
The 96-metre ‘Incat’ catamaran has since spent time berthed in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
Although the future of the service seemed uncertain, Thanet Extra reported in June that behind-the-scenes work was still continuing.
At the time, Dr Stephen Ladyman, the MP for South Thanet who helped clinch the deal, said: “I can’t say too much because although they’ve been kind enough to keep me informed of any developments, there’s a confidentiality agreement in place which, were I to breach it, could bring the whole scheme crashing down.
“Euroferries should be able to talk more publicly about their plans in the very near future.”
Â? Follow today’s announcement as it happens on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ThanetExtra), kmfm (107.2FM in Thanet) and online (www.thanetextra.co.uk)
speedone
I just saw this news on the website Euroferries
Euroferries high speed cross channel service between Port of Ramsgate, Kent and the French Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
An announcement will be made after 3PM today.
31/07/09
Speedone
Adem
I wrote this post this morning. We shall wait and see what is announced…
Paul
Taken from Euroferries’ website:
NEWS RELEASE
Boulogne and Ramsgate Fast ferry Service
EUROFERRIES announces today it will commence its planned Fast Cross Channel Passenger Ferry Service between the ports of Boulogne & Ramsgate during August.
EUROFERRIES recently announced fast ferry services will operate from its two dedicated ferry terminals located within the ports of Boulogne and Ramsgate and have now signed agreements with both Ports.
The fast ferry the Â?Bonanza ExpressÂ? will be operated by Euroferries in conjunction with its partner, FRED OLSEN who over the years has developed its highly regarded fast ferry service.
EUROFERRIES initial service, commencing late August will comprise of 5 daily crossings, with Bonanza Express an Incat 96m with a capacity of 146 first class and 570 additional passengers, carrying a combination of cars and luxury coaches. Capable of an operational speed of 38 knots it enables the channel crossing to be completed in a time that favourably competes port to port with the Channel Tunnel crossing time.
A second vessel will join the Bonanza Express service increasing passenger capacity and will also carry a combination of cars and luxury coaches.
EUROFERRIES are responding positively to passenger demand for a fast, efficient and friendly crossing, combined with the use of comfortable seating and attentive cabin crew providing an Â?in-seatÂ? shopping service. The latest internet technology will further improve our customer experience bringing further added value customer benefits.
Euroferries Chairman, Per Staehr today said : “Euroferries signing of this Agreement with Thanet District Council enables us to look forward to building a long term relationship with the local community. Our new five crossing a day high speed service, will be focused on tourist traffic and takes full advantage of the new motorways both to Ramsgate and Boulogne along with the fast turn round terminal facilities within both Ports.
This agreement permits us to shortly announce the release of the new web booking service, further details and the provision of our new commuter coach service between LondonÂ?s Stratford Hub and Ramsgate serving Canterbury and the Medway towns. Whilst, today is Thanet District Council’s special occasion, we are delighted to attend and to welcome our partner Fred Olsen. The impending arrival of Bonanza Express, Incat 96m in its new Euroferries livery will provide the opportunity for Euroferries to welcome you when we will make further announcements.”
Further announcements will be forthcoming in the near future including Euroferries partners, ferry services, timetable, pricing and booking arrangements in addition to further announcements regarding the introduction of Euroferries commuter coach service between London and Ramsgate.
END
31/07/09
Belle
‘ A new high speed ferry service linking Ramsgate to the French port of Boulogne will start later this year, it has been confirmed.
Euroferries’ long awaited arrival was confirmed at a press conference at the Port of Ramsgate this afternoon.
A new catamaran is expected to make its first cross channel sailing in September.
Thanet council officials, who attended today’s announcement alongside Euroferries bosses, said they were “thrilled” by the agreement.
Dr Stephen Ladyman, the MP for South Thanet, added: “Euroferries’ arrival could bring many jobs and plenty of tourism and provide a boost to the local economy.
“It’s always been my wish that we could secure a new service from Ramsgate that would guarantee the future of the port.
“The two ferry services that we now have, coupled with the offshore wind farm projects, should ensure this facility soon starts making money for local people.”
TransEuropa Ferries, previously the port’s only ferry operator, already runs several daily trips between Ramsgate and Ostend.
More to follow.’
From Kentonline, says SEPTEMBER start ……. haven’t we been here before ?
Adem
Official Press Release from Euroferries website:
Boulogne and Ramsgate Fast ferry Service
EUROFERRIES announces today it will commence its planned Fast Cross Channel Passenger Ferry Service between the ports of Boulogne & Ramsgate during August.
EUROFERRIES recently announced fast ferry services will operate from its two dedicated ferry terminals located within the ports of Boulogne and Ramsgate and have now signed agreements with both Ports.
The fast ferry the Â?Bonanza ExpressÂ? will be operated by Euroferries in conjunction with its partner, FRED OLSEN who over the years has developed its highly regarded fast ferry service.
EUROFERRIES initial service, commencing late August will comprise of 5 daily crossings, with Bonanza Express an Incat 96m with a capacity of 146 first class and 570 additional passengers, carrying a combination of cars and luxury coaches. Capable of an operational speed of 38 knots it enables the channel crossing to be completed in a time that favourably competes port to port with the Channel Tunnel crossing time.
A second vessel will join the Bonanza Express service increasing passenger capacity and will also carry a combination of cars and luxury coaches.
EUROFERRIES are responding positively to passenger demand for a fast, efficient and friendly crossing, combined with the use of comfortable seating and attentive cabin crew providing an Â?in-seatÂ? shopping service. The latest internet technology will further improve our customer experience bringing further added value customer benefits.
Euroferries Chairman, Per Staehr today said : “Euroferries signing of this Agreement with Thanet District Council enables us to look forward to building a long term relationship with the local community. Our new five crossing a day high speed service, will be focused on tourist traffic and takes full advantage of the new motorways both to Ramsgate and Boulogne along with the fast turn round terminal facilities within both Ports.
This agreement permits us to shortly announce the release of the new web booking service, further details and the provision of our new commuter coach service between LondonÂ?s Stratford Hub and Ramsgate serving Canterbury and the Medway towns. Whilst, today is Thanet District Council’s special occasion, we are delighted to attend and to welcome our partner Fred Olsen. The impending arrival of Bonanza Express, Incat 96m in its new Euroferries livery will provide the opportunity for Euroferries to welcome you when we will make further announcements.”
Further announcements will be forthcoming in the near future including Euroferries partners, ferry services, timetable, pricing and booking arrangements in addition to further announcements regarding the introduction of Euroferries commuter coach service between London and Ramsgate.
Adem
That seems a little more concrete with an actual agreement in place but we shall wait and see. They mention that they can now release a new web booking service so hopefully that is the last we see of that crap website.
Adem
Thanet District Council have also released a press statement:
Fast Ferry Deal for Ramsgate
A new fast ferry service, which will provide great travel links between Ramsgate and Boulogne, has been agreed between Thanet District Council and Euroferries.
The new cross channel passenger service Â? Bonanza ExpressÂ?, will see five daily crossings between the two ports and will be operated in conjunction with renowned fast ferry operator Fred Olsen. It will carry a combination of cars, foot passengers, coaches and a limited amount of freight and caravans to the continent and is expected to commence in September.
A second vessel is expected to join the service in 2010 to help increase passenger capacity.
The state of the art ferry will reach speeds of up to 38 knots and is expected to provide a rapid journey time of 75 minutes. Onboard the vessel, passengers will be treated to an extensive Â?tax paidÂ? shopping area, restaurants and first class designated area.
As part of this agreement it is also anticipated that this new service will provide two dedicated passenger terminals, one at Ramsgate and one at Boulogne, which are expected to include shopping areas, restaurant and waiting lounge facilities.
Deputy Leader of the council, Cllr Roger Latchford said: Â?We are delighted that Euroferries, working in partnership with Fred Olsen will be operating out of the Port of Ramsgate. The council has been working very hard to regenerate the area of Thanet, and this additional ferry service, which will operate from Ramsgate will provide much needed employment opportunities as well as greatly enhancing tourism prospects to the area. The quick crossing times and easy access into both ports will make this service an attractive alternative route into France and will really prove an invaluable part of the wider regeneration of the district. This is a great attraction for Thanet and we extend a warm welcome to Euroferries and wish them every success.Â?
Per Staehr Chairman of Euroferries said: Â?The signing of this Agreement with Thanet District Council enables us to look forward to building a long term relationship with the local community. Our new five crossing a day high speed service, will be focused on tourist traffic and takes full advantage of the new motorways both to Ramsgate and Boulogne along with the fast turn round terminal facilities within both Ports. This agreement permits us to shortly announce the release of the new web booking service, further details and the provision of our new commuter coach service between London’s Stratford Hub and Ramsgate serving Canterbury and the Medway towns. Whilst, today is Thanet District Council’s special occasion, we are delighted to attend and to welcome our partner Fred Olsen. The impending arrival of Bonanza Express, Incat 96m in its new Euroferries livery will provide the opportunity for Euroferries to welcome you when we will make further announcements.”
Cllr Peter Campbell, deputy leader of the Labour Group in Thanet, welcomed the news that EuroFerries are to run a new ferry service from Ramsgate Port. “This is really good news for Ramsgate & Thanet. Our Labour Group supports an expanding and vibrant port, creating new jobs and boosting the local economy. May this service flourish”.
Belle
Is there a dedicated passenger terminal in place in Ramsgate ?
There could be in Boulogne when LD quit Berth 13 and the monstrosity of that is the Gare Maritime, although this has been delayed until after the 15th September or possibly into October.
Unless of course they are willing to share …. I’ll find out what agreement is in place with LD.
By the way did you know that the Bonanza Express is the oldest fast craft in the Fred Olsen HSC fleet, hardly state of the art when built in 1999, is it really going to have the fab new look of LD Lines Norman Arrow?
Paul
Belle, as i have stated before, there is not a dedicated ‘full terminal’ building, TransEuropa use the check-in hall, but the rest te terminal is empty and would see only EuroFerries using it.
Adem…sorry my friend, but I beat you to that press statement! lol
Paul
Sorry, my keyboard is playing up, that should read: ‘The rest of the Terminal…’
Belle
So, they would have to share …. same initially here.
I just commented elsewhere, all the ‘reports’ are via Press Releases, we need some proper journalism where someone tells us what went on and what questions were posed ? oh, and the answers !
Paul
Haha yeah, thats true, I actually popped down to the port and caught a glimpse of some men in suits making their way out of the meeting. They were expecting to have approximately 30 people in attendance…the final figure was jut over 15…thats doesn’t exactly bode well, butey, lets wait and see!!
Paul
…’but hey lets wait and see!!
Belle
I know one of the guys that was a suit ! Might get more info over the weekend …
Paul
Well if you can Belle that would be great. Could you perhaps ask about recruitment? As this is something that still has not been openly discussed…
Belle
Just saw the BBC South East news, will create 24 jobs approx….. which is similar to my estimation on this side.
I’ll try to find out a contact for you, on the French side the woman in charge of passengers for LD has not had her contract extended, I wonder if she will go to EF ?
At least the BBC did a bit of comment regarding scepticism, we wait …
Ruben
Belle,
Do you mean Mrs Pascale Vernieuwe?
Hope you get the job Paul.
Hearing its going wrong big time at your former job with some expensive stuff stolen from the port…
Belle
Ruben, I understand that to be the case. Pretty lady isn’t she ?
Should the line take place can I put a word to those applying for a job: if you have one, unless you are willing to lose a secure postion, don’t go for it. Leave it to those without work as they are not in a losing position. There is a story but I can’t say.
Amongst LD staffing there have been contracts not made permanent….
Paul
Thankyou Ruben, If they do get running I would hope that my experience at the port would put me in good stead, as I know how the port operates.
Oh realy? Well, unless someone has stolen one of the ships, TEF don’t haveanything of value at Ramsgate (and that could also include certain members of staff! lol).
Oh come on Belle, don’t just leave us hanging here! Please tell?
Paul
Thankyou Ruben, I’m hoping that this will get off the ground this time, I know its late comming; but it seems to keep looking better.
Oh really?? Well unless someone has stolen one of the ships then TransEuropa don’t have anything of great value (some staff included! lol).
Please Belle! Don’t tantalise us with snippets and leave us guessing!
I’m not supprised that the contracts are only temporary, as like P&O the majority of their staff are agency based…
Paul
Sorry for the double posting, well, now triple.
For some reason my post wasn’t showing.
Belle
Sorry Paul, for the moment I can’t.
This taken from another blog:
“Seems Transeuropa bosses are steaming.
Thanet council will invest £1 million in the port to refurbish the old Holyman-Sally building and infrastructure.
This while TDC promised Transeuropa they would be the only passenger operator in the port. Seems EF will also pay very little port taxes.
Heard that Transeuropa is looking to move to Dover. They are furious…”
I am aware that LD Lines have not been happy bunnies for a long time.
If LD pull out of Boulogne, the new Terminal is a complete waste of money and so many companies are selling this ‘doorstep’ to the UK. Calais are against the project and have already shown their talons, next year the two towns/ports combine under one CCI, what then ?
I will repeat here as I have said elsewhere, why are the two ports so determined to enter into a contract with a new company without any substance of proven and profitable activity , would it not be better to cosset the existing ? I fear that pockets are being lined ….
Paul
Yes Belle I saw that aswell.
Personally I can’t see TEF doing that though. They would need more staff (recently cut), would pay more port fees, more in fuel as the crossing would be longer. And to stay in contention with the other operators, larger ships…all this at a time when they are trying to save money just to stay afloat??
Can’t find the BE at the moment, any ideas??
Belle
try this :
http://www.localizatodo.com/?zoom=10&latitud=28.31760&longitud=-15.8440&pais=es&tipo=3&presenta=0&mmsi=224768000&year=2009&mes=7&dia=21
as of 10 minutes ago in Santa Cruz, it is quite slow in initializing so give it a few seconds
Paul
Yeah got it now, went on your old link and it was only showing 3 ships in Santa Cruz…the service might have gone down temporarily.
Ruben
So it is Mrs Vernieuwe. Don’t know her personally but her name often pops up with companies who went bust.
Such as Sally,Holyman-Sally and Speedferries.
Don’t know if she ever worked for Hoverspeed…
So Belle spill the beans. What do you know of LD lines?
Could we see a withdrawel of their fast ferry in 2010?
Steve
Think you’ll find that LD are looking for another fast ferry for Dover-Boulogne
Belle
The report actually says that its a new build, bigger than NA from the same dockyard in Tasmania. On one of my crossings there was a guy being interviewed from the said dockyards, he intimated, in June, that this was the case.
No further news as yet re: EF ….
Belle
Forgot to mention, in Lloyds List today Pierre Fa, boss of SeaFrance is quoted as saying:
SeaFrance boss warns of bankruptcy risk
Andrew Spurrier, Paris – vendredi 31 juillet 2009
“SEAFRANCE chief executive Pierre Fa has warned that the Dover Strait ferry company risks having to file for bankruptcy if management and unions do not reach agreement quickly on a rescue plan.
The company, which first announced a rescue plan involving 650 redundancies in February, has still to complete negotiations with unions at the company on…”
Belle
Has there been any news of the Press Conference that took plce in the International Hotel with Ladyman after the small one at the port on Friday ?
Ccomley
Hmm.
Incat’s website lists nothing larger than teh 112m hull – of which the latest boat listed is the Norman Arrow. HOWEVER that’s been out of the yard some months now and one assumes they’ll have started work on something new…? I dunno, do they just keep knocking them out one at a time and hope to find a customer (they seem popular enough boats and the 112m is *streets* ahead of the earlier models) or do they sit idle until someone phones up and orders one?
If they were working on something bigger than the 112m I’m sure they’d have mentioned it on the website – NA’s production was shown on the site for months prior to its completion and sea tests…
Belle
Maybe a year in advance of someone taking it on, I believe the NA is chartered from a company in the UK – I did find the name, their background is plane charter and have moved into shipping with about a dozen craft. I seem to recall the company originates in Ireland.
As for the news on EF ….. a lot of parading and no substance, there is no start date or timetable ….
Belle
“27 Apr 2009 … Revolutionary New Fast Ferry For Dover Â? Boulogne Route … Incat 112 metre / Hull 066. The vessel has been specifically built for the European market by Incat for MGC Chartering an Irish based leasing company providing a wide range … Builder: Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd Length overall: 112.60 metres; …”
Belle
The Fred Olsen representative was a Mr John Murphy, Chairman of SIBLU …… I am told he had nothing to say.
Steve
Hi
I dare say you have read this from ‘The Connexion’ The interesting part is Boulogne-sur-mer don’t seem to be able to confirm an agreement!
“Euroferries set to start September 1
August 04, 2009
EUROFERRIES has announced their Ramsgate to Boulogne high-speed ferry service will begin from the start of September.
The firm has issued a press release stating its service will begin on September 1.
However, as yet there is no information as to how to get tickets and the Port of Boulogne-sur-Mer is unable to confirm an agreement has been reached or a start date set.
Kent MP Steven Ladyman called the announcement Â?great news.Â?
He said: Â?It has taken a lot of work by a lot of people to get the project this far so we now just have to keep our fingers crossed until September 1.Â?
According to Euroferries they will be starting five crossings a day with the 96m fast ferry Bonanza Express, in partnership with the Norwegian shipping company Fred Olsen. It will carry cars and coaches.
Capable of 38 knots, the ship is able to cross in a time that competes favourably with using the Channel Tunnel, the firm says. They hope to add a second vessel to the route in the future.
Euroferries originally said they would launch at the end of March.
Belle
September the 1st ! Not what I hear, add a bit and then a big bit and even then some …….
Ramsgate people have been in Boulogne today, lovely day it was too, no further info …..
Paul
I am confused, going back a while through the comments, it was stated that the prblem was Ramsgate. That the contracts were signed, done and dusted in Boulogne…
So what has changed since then?
I mean surely the contracts don’t have a ‘Start by date’??
And also, why would Fred. Olsen send a gentleman from a holiday chalet firm to represent them at a confrence regarding the shipping industry??
Belle
I was also under the impression that all was signed with Boulogne back in February, that would not seem to have been the case …. it looks like a principal was agreed, Irecall the secrecy going on as CCI Boulogne didn’t want LD Lines who were just starting to get wind of it.
As of yesterday the CCI Boulogne had ‘no comment’ and todays report in La Voix du Nord :”Cependant, du côté de la chambre de commerce, on continue à rester prudent. « Des commentaires seraient prématurés, estime son président, Francis Leroy, tout en espérant que « ce sera suivi d’effets ». ”
In English “However, the side of the chamber of commerce, continues to remain cautious. “Some comments may be premature, said its chairman, Francis Leroy, hoping that this will be followed up.”
The article is written by Frederic Vaillant, a respected journalist, go to lavoixdunord website, Boulogne edition.
Is Dr Ladyman likely to be re-elected in the General Election ?
Oh, and by the way, Per Staehr (see his listings in Forbes.com) really had no idea what was going on when questioned on Friday !
As for the Fred Olsen representative, this is a mystery, but nevertheless a very true statement on my part.
Belle
…. and now it is all up to you I’m off on my holidays …… will be interested to see the goings on when I return !
Steve
Well it’s been two weeks now and no sign of anything happening and the BE still appears to be far away. Surely by now things would have happened and the ferry would have been here for berthing trials etc. Seems like another attempt to perhaps raise capital of the back of the press release.
Belle
Just having a look at what’s going on …. I see not much !
Belle
I have just received a copy of the Isle of Thanet Gazette, completely opposite to the Press Conference/Release of the 31st July !
I can’t find a link so I’ll copy and paste
From Isle of Thanet Gazette last week, dated 7th August as yet not on line, final statements ….
“Ramsgate port boss Dominic Evans went to meet Boulogne’s director of port development, Bruno Nicaise, on Tuesday. He said “The meeting went very well. Logistically a lot is down to Euroferries but we will supply the port and security. We anticipate a lot of traffic will be from the EU. UK BOrder Control will be based in Boulogne so traffic will have to go through them before reaching Ramsgate. Euroferries’ transport model is based on carrying 10 coaches and 150 cars and because it’s a fast craft passengers will be processed very quickly. The boat will be moored in Boulogne at night but once the Sea Jack has finished working on the wind farm it will be possible to moor another ferry here. The service and pilot must make 12 trips each way to get their port licence.”
Mr Maughan said “The website is ready to go live, but we won’t launch it until we know for certain that we can hit the lauch date. The site will go up at the same time the ferry comes to Ramsgate – we just have to wait for the clearance before it can come here. What I love about Boulogne is that you can walk from the port to the town in 10 minutes – so you don’t have to take a car.”
Mr Staehr said there are no extra perks or discounts planned for residents in Thanet but it’s comforting to know that passenger’s money will be protected should Euroferries go belly-up.
Dr Ladyman said “Money will be put into a trust until the passenger completes their journey. If things went pear-shaped then the money would be there to re-imburse the customer.”
Is this true ? Have any of you seen the newspaper ?
Belle
Sorry, the ‘clearance’ is from the Spanish government ….
Ann
The arrival of the Ramsgate to Boulogne ferry sounded as though it was about to happen but you get the feeling things have gone a bit cold. There feels like another delay. I contacted the Company via the contact email given on the website but have received no reply. Was hoping to book for early September but may need to go elsewhere which is a shame.
Steve
Hi
The BE seems to have moved within Santa Cruz and is no longer moored by the pier, so are they preparing to move her here or elsewhere.
Paul
Hey Steve, just had a ganders, the BE is is not even in Santa Cruz, can’t find a link to any other AIS sites that have her listed…
Belle
She’s entering Las Palmas right now !!!!!
http://www.localizatodo.com/
Belle
…and she’s back on Marine Traffic, maybe to be re-painted and pick up crew …….
andy
well she’s now moored in the dry dock area so i would imagaine a repaint would be a fairly good bet.
Steve
The BE appears to be leaving Gran Canaria at this moment (11:40) Be interesting to see where she is heading.
Steve
Seems to be heading back to Santa Cruz.
Belle
So, she is back in Santa Cruz, now I am still on my holidays but it is raining so thought I’d go digging …..
It’s all about photos and timing, let’s start with Ladyman’s ‘helper’, photo released on the 11th June, showing the left side (looking at her from the front) painted up with Euroferries Express in Las Palmas.
Then I have found a photo courtesy of http://www.camionesclasicos.com dated 26th June, with the right side unpainted …. whilst in the same spot in Las Palmas.
Then 21st July, in Santa Cruz, right side unpainted. Same on the 26th July….
And finally, 6th August or before showing her in Tenerife and the left side logo whitened out.
I have looked closely at all the right side photos and can’t find any trace of the logo, unlike that of the 6th August.
I suggest that only one side of the vessel was painted when the convenient photo was taken.
And a final bit of google translation for you from the site mentioned above.
“In the end, the catamaran that ran aground, was repaired and is now moored in the port out of service and the name of the ship cleared. ”
“Y. .. what happened to him? Have sold”
” do not know, takes quite a while moored there”
“Hello everyone
Good catch Bonanza, Toni
attempts to explain the reason for the tie,Isaac, Express Bonanza, Toni after the crash at the end of this year catamaran, speed would be low since the end of the year when Fred Olsen had planned to remove their services, remember that this is in catamaran service since 1999, casi10 years, which is the estimated time of service for this type of craft and the high cost manteniminto, instead was recruited to the line of La Gomera on Benchi-express is also a catamaran but rather small 40 meters in length, and reaches about 33 knots of speed, lack of storage for the transport of vehicles and has a capacity for about 270 passengers, this was the express Benchi-EX-Garajonai was making this trip to Gomera Los Cristianos-OTHER to join the inner springs of the island as a beach Gomera Santiago, Valle Gran Rey, San Sebastian and returns to dock by Christians, the company took time Garajonai Express since 2002 performing this service, the temporary holding of crisis to be became unbearable so they decided to draw that line contest and “ nuevo”Benchi shared dock with Benchijigua EXPESS, the elder brother of these catamarans. ”
A bit poor translation but I am sure you will understand it’s sentiment, I also read that the locals in Tenerife say that there is a problem with the engine.
Belle
just to be sure – my ‘left’ described is the right side of the boat (starboard) and ‘right’ is the left side (port) looking forward ….
Steve
Hi
It was mentioned 2 or 3 months ago that they had replaced the drive train perhaps that’s what the locals are referring to. It would appear though that we are back to the same old story and can we look forward to another press conference in 2010 saying they are about to start?
Belle
Is there anyone foolish enough to cross the Dover Straights diagonally on an old HSC that couldn’t perform to its best, been damaged by an engine failure and run aground, then described as being prone to maintainance problems and too old for the calmer waters of the Canaries? This ferry is being described as state of the art, well it was in 1999!
And the less important point is, are we being conned by the helpers photo, with just one side of the craft painted for convenience? I note that Ladyman makes no comment regarding the photos since this, oh and in passing, have the berthing problems in both ports been sorted out ? Afterall Dr Ladyman you said thy told you it didn’t fit in either port, nothing changed this side has anything in Ramsgate ?
Cher Paul, I know you will say, again, no change ….
Hoping the sun is out again tomorrow so I can walk away from the computer !
Steve
Just seen a video, it shows the BE in Santa Cruz on the 1st of August without any of Euroferries markings and this the day after the press release. I know it has been back to Las Palmas since then so trying to get some more info.
Nothing going on at Ramsgate, no work appears to be being done either on the linkspan or terminal.
You need to go to about 8:10
Steve
Hi
Just received some info from a council official. It seems that it was not a contract that was signed but a ‘ Memorandum of Understanding'(Is that the same as a contract?) and further news will be released at some point in September online and in the local press.
See how it goes.
Peter
If this was a book most of us would have given up a long time ago! Seems such a struggle to get this off the ground, guess that tells a story in its self
Steve
Hi
I received this from Steve Ladyman today.
“The logo was painted out when Euroferries failed to agree a deal with Thanet Council. That problem was sorted out and the company tell me the boat will be on its way soon and is scheduled to arrive between the 3rd and the 10th. They have been agreeing routes and other arrangements with the MCA and then I understand the captains have to get ‘pilot’ experience before the servicce itself can start.”
Steve Ladyman
What happens if it doesn’t arrive by the 10th? and what happened to Euroferries late August start.
Adem
On current performance I predict the 10th Will pass by too.
Peter
Should start just in time for the autumn gales, that will sort them out! Dont fancy 75mins heading into a south westerly gale, it was bad enough on SpeedOne.
Belle
Well, still on my holidays, but found a friendly place that has allowed me to have a look, so no change I see !
Peter, I understand the gales have already started !!!!
Paul
Yeah, they’re back!
2 hour delays for P&O tonight…glad i’m not back on untill Monday!
Somehow I (yet again) can’t see the Vomit Rocket starting anytime soon!
Eastcliff Richard
I was on a ‘vomit rocket’ between France and the Channel Islands yesterday. Strong winds, the sea was pretty rough and the thing was bobbing around like a cork. Quite a few people (moi aussi) had to brave the spray and get some fresh air out on the rear observation deck to avoid coming over all icky. Still, we did get to see the dolphins jumping over the waves and clocking us so not all bad, I suppose!
Ken
Hi All. Been following this thread over several months now in the misguided hope that one day we’d all be able to sail from Ramsgate to France and support much needed local employment at the same time.
Remember that game young girls used to play while counting plum stones in their plate?
How did it go………This year……next year…….sometime…..never?
If it ever does get going I, for one, will wait till the summer months before giving it a try. Came back on the Norman Arrow just a couple of days ago under a heavy swell…..And even this state of the art craft slowed right down to make the crossing.
Ken
Belle
No news here except that the new Boulogne Terminal will be used by LD Lines from 16th September, official opening Saturday 19th.
BE still in Tenerife, difficult to arrive in Ramsgate by tomorrow…. Dr Ladyman doesn’t appear to be very well informed.
Steve
Hi
I did email Mr Ladyman back after his last email and the reply I got was :
“I have spoken to the company. The service has been held up by one of the principle people involved being taken seriously ill. They assure me everything is still on track but slightly delayed.”
Now it would appear to me that it shouldn’t matter if someone is ill, however sad that is. It would seem that EF have bought a book of excuses and are working through it.
I did reply to Mr Ladymans email as follows :
“Thanks for the quick response.
Although I feel for the person that is ill, do you not think this is rather
convenient and that surely one person being poorly would not stop the
Bonanza sailing or being repainted. You must know that this is now never
going to happen and that it is a repeat of the Dover debacle when
Euroferries were going to buy the ferry from New York and then never
actually came up with the money.
I am sure that you entered this in good faith and have been duped along with
the rest of us hoping for a new service from Ramsgate, but even you must now
concede that it is looking less and less likely.
As I said in my last e-mail, could you not ask to see the website and
whatever advertising material that has been prepared in advance of the
launch or does nothing actually exist.
I really feel sad that we have all being looking to this to promote
Ramsgate, especially now with the high speed rail service starting soon and
really feel we need some sort of clarification and if it is never going to
be then let us know.
I hope you don’t have the same attitude as Cllr Latchford who was very
abrupt and refused to discuss the matter further, which in itself seems to
indicate that something is not quite right.”
I am waiting for a response.
Hey Oh!
Belle
“Harbour Master Suspended From Duty
Even parked up (or should that be ‘moored’?) here in Trouville Marina on the north French coast, quaffing Krug and generally enjoying the high life, Thanet titbits follow me like a pack of bloodhounds sniffing out their news quarry.
So it is that an email has winged its way into the comms room here on the floating gin palace to the effect that the master of our lovely harbour there in the Millionaires’ Playground has been suspended from duty by Thanet Council, pending an appeal. Quite what the circs are is unclear. However, it was reported here on the big blog and elsewhere in July that irregularities in contract procedure had been flagged up by an audit report to Thanet Council last December, and rumours have been rife that there was some sort of ‘investigation’ going on.
So, for now at least we must say ‘adieu’ to Captain Dominic Evans. Whatever the background, it wouldn’t appear to reflect too well on Port Ramsgate’s political boss, Deputy Dawg Latchford, or the senior council executive in charge, Head of Degeneration and Pisspoor Planning Brian White. Who’s going to be i/c of shovelling all that muck out of the harbour now? And with that, dear reader, I’m off to snuggle under my Hungarian goose down dooner, and lay the old barnet down on some rather fine Egyptian cotton!”
Taken from Eastcliff Richard Blog ……
Adem
Well, it’s the 10th and the ship isn’t here. Thanks Steve for the update about Stephen Ladyman.
It certainly sounds like a big whopper and begs the question why they haven’t got any marketing up yet or made their bookings site live.
tick tock, tick tock.
Eastcliff Richard
Yes, go on. Just take it from my blog why don’t you? Kuh!
Steve
Still no reply from Mr Ladyman and I noticed in his ‘My Thanet’ bit in the local today about the money the Labour Party are spending on the infrastructure in Thanet, he mentioned the roads, airport and the trains, but no ferry service.
Belle
Come on Eastcliff, share and share alike ! Been at the Bolli ? I see that there are other suspensions at the harbour, not that I am suggesting it is anything to do with EF.
Here in Boulogne it is very, very quiet – the CCI are beginning to doubt the project, oof….
…. I copied your blog across and I bet your readership will get a bounce, hope you are still enjoying ze French life !
Ruben
Seems there are dredging operations at Ramsgate. Been told this for a new Superferry for Transeuropa.
Paul
TEF have been looking at the Pride of Canterbury and the Pride of Dover, as P&O are replacing them at the end of next year and mid 2011.
Not sure and very much doubt that there has been any money put down as of yet though…
TEF have been saying that they are getting a new ferry for years and even briefly looked to build their own!
Again, another case of…I shall believe it when I see it come through the port mouth!
Krisostend
TEF Primrose is back in Ostend. I do not know why, maybe back in service? TEF logo is not yet on the ship. After a charter in Spain he returned, but for how long…
Paul
Won’t be for too long Kris, both her and the Eurovoyager have to leave service at the end of the year…
Steve
Hi All
If you remember a couple of months ago a company called The Staging House were dealing with the PR for Euroferries so I thought I would email them and the reply I got was :
I suggest you go through the website as we are not dealing with them any longer.
Kind regards,
Perhaps they didn’t get paid.
Belle
Message to Euroferries ……..
So, Belle hears in a very active grapevine, that there is no point in starting without a second vessel….. your ‘boss’ is looking all over the world for another that is suitable.
Is this the ‘player’ that was reported ‘seriously ill’ by Dr Ladyman MP ? Or is someone else missing ? Not that I could see….. RM, AG, DR et al present, enjoy the fizz ?
Oh, and you now have new investors, or was that you are seeking new investors ? Very good at twisting words with the Frogs, aren’t you ?
I see from Steve that you no longer have the services of The Staging House, I assume that is why there has been no change to your Press Release as of the 31st July…. then again, you didn’t say which August.
What a laugh, I am sure you are all getting your expenses paid by a poor sap that believes your every word.
Do you think anyone will turn up for your next announcement/press release ? Yes, they might if only to laugh it off ….. get a hold of yourselves chaps, you have stretched faith too far.
Karl Pitwon
Must say I used LD Lines Norman Arrow out of Boulogne last friday night, came back on it monday morning, caught out by no knowledge of the new ‘Port Hub’when I arrived at the old terminal, found it all closed up.
Although I have followed this thread over the several months with interest and amusement. As for the goings on indecision, untruths of Euroferries and TDC, you have got to hand it to the French, what happens across the Channel……. gets done.
This new terminal is really impressive, it is about the size of the whole of the Eastern docks at Dover, there is certainly room for another company to operate out of it …….. maybe Euroferries
You never know,
Ohh I almost forgot…… very impressed with LD lines Norman Arrow and the service
Belle
Euroferries are proposing to have sole use of the Gare Maritime.
The new ramp shifts about to accommodate all types of vessels and I’m sure when the terminal building is finished it’ll be great apart from the smell from the fish factory ! You won’t want to drink your apero outside …
krisostend
Comarit shows no respect for TEF Primrose, after three months
she comes back as a dirty ship, Belgian ship yard logo ended up
as garbage and large parts of outside decks are closed
They do not have much respect in Morocco for any maritime history
Al-Andaluz
Hi,
[Off topic]
Unless TEF had good rate and conditions for the timecharter of Primrose, which I doubt with Comarit, it may be another step to the end of their bussiness. With at least 3 ships of their fleet on the market by various shipbrokers and frozen relationship with Ramsgate port I cannot see any bright outlook for the Ostend – Ramsgate line.
Steve
Had a reply from Steve Ladyman and it seems that he thinks things are still going to happen at some point.
“Thank you for your further email. EFL is a private company and they are receiving no public funds. It is entirely a matter for them to resolve their problems but I can assure you they are doing their best. It took far longer than I would have wished to agree the contract with Thanet Council for the Port but it has been agreed now as has the agreement with Boulogne – I have met officials from both Ports and Fred Olsen line so I know these matters have been dealt with.
My job as MP is to encourage investors in Thanet and to do my best to get companies like Euroferries to come here. With out my encouragement they would not have agreed to come to Ramsgate in the first place – but as MP I can only bring the horse to water, I can’t make it drink.
Finally, you appear to have got at least some of your information from the blog sphere and I would ask you to take it with a ‘pinch of salt’. The ferry they were going to buy from New York was taken off the market – it had nothing to do with their ability to raise funds.
Will the service still happen? Having spoken to EFL in the last few days – I am still optimistic.”
Lets wait and see!
Belle
Dr Ladyman seems to forget that the blogs have been a great deal more acurate than any of the Press Releases !
Dodgy photos, lack of finance etc. it is noted on bfenthusiasts forum that BE is now on permannet lay-up.
The last debacle regarding the City of Rochester and Spirit of Ontario, may I suggest he reads the articles, EF didn’t come up with the money and then it was sold to someone else.
If you go back in time, wasn’t the agreement with Thanet a done deal on the 31st July hence the grandstanding by all and sundry including the man himself ?
And if they weren’t going to operate out of Ramsgate then I suppose it would be Dover, I bet you they would have received a grilling as to the financial status from day one and never even been considered as a real player.
Peter
I love the bit about his ‘encouragement’ and agreeing to come to Ramsgate, well they hav’nt come to Ramsgate and it has been months and months of excuses. It would be nice if a so called journalist could look into this story and not just print press release statements, Ive said before it is now the completely wrong time of the year to launch a new fast craft service, anyone who does is a fool, so i guess this lot will try!!
Belle
Peter, I agree about a real journalist, just copying over Press Releases, they do the same this side of the channel, isn’t good enough.
Frederic Vaillant of Le Voix du Nord does his bit but he is fed up of the stonewalling he gets from the CCI.
As for the latest e:mail from Ladyman, what has happened to the person that was ill, was this not causing a delay ?
Belle
This is and isn’t do with the Euroferries Saga – so many of the people who hold public office, be that TDC, Ramsgate Harbour, MP’s, Boulogne CCI, CAB, Mayor or Assembly Member appear to miss the point that they are accountable to us, the tax payer.
They set themselves up as someone to be revered and yet are unable to be truthful with the very people that pay their wages.
There is no place for secrecy in such establishments in Europe, those that play with fire will eventually get burned.
doverite
Speaking as someone involved with euroferries in 2006 but never paid, I wasn’t the only one (advise to anyone who might get involved this time get your money up front) I do wonder where ladyman gets his info. The none purchase of the spirit of ontario and the run around given to the city of rochester was well reported in the dover press and on a BBC expose program NOT BLOG INFO. FACT Euroferries in a sealed bid auction in April 2006 offered 29.8 million for the vessel, they won the auction against seven other offers and subsequently rather cleverly negotiated with Rochester a deal that didn’t involve them putting down the customary deposit. Despite promises the completion date kept getting put back, (even then euroferries had a big box of excuses). Eventually Rochester got fed up and in an attempt to placate them euroferries offered to pay the mounting berthing and management fees. By December 2006 Eurofferies had still not come up with the money nor had they paid the promised berthing/management fees. In December 2006 with the closure of the seaway approaching Rochester moved the vessel to prevent it being trapped in rochester by the ice. Eventually they gave up with euroferries and put the vessel back on the market in March 2007 it was bought by a reputable German company. Ladyman was the shipping minister how on earth do these people get elected.
Mark
As someone who lives in Ramsgate, I read with interest the news about this Ferry service. My question is, all these important people involved, the chairman, ramsgate port, boulogne port, and Fred Olsen, why has everyone gone quiet now? All the local news reports, ect……….surely someone should now post a report on what is happening next?
Pete
Thanet Gazette reports today that the Euroferries service will start on Oct 16th
Peter
Is this the same Thanet Gazette that said it would be starting months ago? or has a journo’ done some digging? Really, why should we believe this date when all the other start dates have passed? Oh well , i guess we will have to wait and see AGAIN !!!
Belle
doverite, my point exactly, Boulogne lost a lot of money with Speedferries and before that Hoverspeed, I hope they have the sense this time to get payment always up front.
I understand that SF was left to go three years without the port fees being paid, this eventually resulted on an arrest of the vessel. They did the sa
Belle
sorry cat walked over keyboard !
…..same with Hoverspeed.
Is the Thanet Gazette, the same as Isle of Thanet Gazette ? If so I can’t get it via internet. What else is said in the article and by whom ? EF website still not changed.
Ladyman says he has met with Boulogne and Fred Olsen, was this at the signing back in July in Rmasgate ?
Mark
Yes the paper is the same, but you cannot get the info on the web. This link will take you to a page, that I uploaded a scan of the newspaper report to, this morning.
http://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=24&start=100
Best regards,
Mark.
Belle
Marvellous Mark, I’ve registered and awaiting access …..
Merci bien
Belle
Belle
Well having seen the article, I am a shocked !
Had they revealed this date last Saturday, then the Boulogne press would have been reporting it, Frederic Vaillant, was there as was the CCI photographer and plenty of press from Calais (the Calais CCI boss was present).
It would have been the icing on the cake to announce this in front of the French Press.
Unbelievable in oh so many ways.
Mark
Im sure I will find out as I am off to Tenerife on the 13th October and will be visiting Stana Cruz port on the weekend of 16/17th October, exactly the date that the Bonanaza is due to start operating. I wonder if she will be waiting for me at the end of Tenerife pier?….lol
Belle
The Boulogne Press didn’t even know the three of EF were there !
I hope by now enquiries are being made, maybe tomorrow will see some answers.
Bonanza is missing today, she was in the usual spot up until about 10am (my) local time, then pouff, gone …… although for a while couldn’t find any Fred Olsen in the area !
Just checked ….the same. Does anyone know if a vessel on permanent lay-up has its AIS switched off ?
Steve
Hi Belle
I think that ‘Localiza Todo’ are having problems. This happened yesterday and then they all reappeared a few hours later, so I would try again tomorrow and see if they are back. A lot of other ships vanished and at one point it only showed one vessel in Santa Cruz.
VÃctor
Hi all,
I´ve not wrote in all this months because I haven´t got no news. This fact, and my english level shames me. Steve is in the correct way, and the “antenna” of localizatodo in Sta. Cruz de Tenerife is having problems. So I will try to ask to a friend in Sta. Cruz if BE is still there but I supose that BE have not moved in this days.
Regards
Belle
Victor, no need to ask anyone, she’s back on
http://www.localizatodo.com/
So, 15 days to go and counting, I wonder if Dr Ladyman has uncrossed his fingers since the 1st September ?
I suspect after this weeks conference in Brighton he has much bigger worries than Euroferries…..
Belle
LD LINES ANNOUNCE 2010 FLEET SWITCH
Ferry operator LD Lines has announced changes to its fleet route deployment for 2010 with a main feature being the introduction of a conventional ferry to the Dover – Boulogne service.
From early November 2009 the Norman Spirit will transfer from its current Western Channel Portsmouth – Le Havre route to commence operations on LD Lines’ Dover – Boulogne service, considerably increasing freight and tourist traffic capacity.
The high speed catamaran Norman Arrow, which began operating across the Dover Straits in June 2009, will re-locate to the Portsmouth – Le Havre route, where she will begin a six month seasonal operation from Easter to September 2010.
Norman Spirit will operate four return sailings daily between Dover and Boulogne and provide a crossing time of one hour 45 minutes. The ship has capacity for 1850 passengers, 700 cars, 110 freight vehicles and the service will also carry coaches and foot passengers.
LD Lines’ Managing Director, Christophe Santoni, said, “We have been very encouraged by both freight and tourist customer response and the growing popularity of the Dover – Boulogne service, since we re-established the route in February 2009. To be in the best possible commercial position to meet demand in 2010 and beyond, we have identified the need to now introduce the conventional ferry, Norman Spirit, to the service.
The decision to replace the Norman Arrow with a conventional ferry has been taken because the first of the present generation of fast ferries is not providing enough freight capacity and without double deck loading and unloading capabilities, will not enable us to develop the service as we would like. We also recognise that pre-requisites of providing a complete high speed service concept should include fast crossing times combined with fast berthing, loading and unloading of vehicles.”
LD Lines’ service now operates into Boulogne’s new Hub Port terminal, whose new port facilities and infrastructure will also provide increased freight and tourist traffic capacity which the conventional ferry, Norman Spirit, is able to carry.
Christophe Santoni added : “We remain convinced that the freight and tourist traffic high speed ferry concept can ultimately work across the Dover Straits and we will be continuing a dialogue with the shipbuilders regarding the next generation of fast ferries, incorporating improvements that we see as vital.”
Port of Dover’s Head of Commercial and Marketing, Kate O’Hara, said,”We are pleased to see additional freight and tourist capacity being introduced through the Port of Dover.”
Operating on the Western Channel route, Norman Arrow will considerably reduce crossing times between Portsmouth and Le Havre to three hours 15 minutes compared to conventional ferry crossing times of five hours 30 minutes (day sailings) and eight hours (night sailings).
In 2010, Norman Arrow will operate a six month seasonal schedule from Easter to September on the Portsmouth – Le Havre route, alongside the year-round conventional ferry Cote d’Albatre.
The LD / Transmanche Ferries service between Newhaven and Dieppe will be operated by the vessel Seven Sisters, providing two return sailings daily with a crossing time of four hours.
For more information : http://www.ldlines.com
LD Lines is owned by the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group, a leading French shipowner with over 100 years experience in the shipping industry, operating over 60 ships worldwide.
Pete
Its a shame the Norman Arrow is leaving Dover. It does mean Euroferries will have the upperhand on fast crossings if and when Bonanza Express finally gets going
Steve
As they have less than 2 weeks till the next proposed start date and the BE is still in Santa Cruz without any EF livery, I would say they are going to have to come up with yet another reason for the delay. ( I do have a photo taken this morning but it’s not very good quality as it’s off my computer screen and I’m not sure how to upload it anyway)
Belle
NA is pulled for the winter, is this the right time to start any fast craft ? Poor passenger levels and poor weather ….
As for excuses, it would seem that the lights are on again and no-one at home, can’t they even be bothered to alter the one and only webpage they have ?
Bonanza and cowboys !
Auntymoo
Well just to throw a little fat on the fire !! Rumour has it that one MR Nick Dunn (Ex Speedferries manager and ex LD Lines Dover route manager) has accepted a position with the infamous Euroferries and he has been touting around for deck crew. It is said that he telephoned a member of the LD Lines Norman Arrow deck crew (who now face an uncertain future) and offered them a job with Euroferries, and their considered response was to laugh down the phone at him. Perhaps they are considering using the old Speedone (now Sea Leopard) which is laid up in Tilbury ?
trickydickie
EF are potty! There’s no chance of making a success of a fast craft on Ramsgate-Boulogne, least of all at this time of year. When all the others that have tried and failed on Dover-Boulogne with vomit-comets, what chance do EF stand on R-B?
Brown stuff that comes out of cows!
Belle
I understand Nick Dunn resigned from LD Lines, so he’ll be needing work, although one has to wonder if he will get paid !
What has happened to Paul Donnert and Geoffrey Ede, the only names being associated with EF now are Robert Maughan, Den Reed, Per Staehr and Adrian Gillan, excuse me chaps if that isn’t the correct pecking order ?
Steve
Hi
I just found this link. You will be surprised!
http://www.euroferries.co.uk/index.htm
After 14th November.
Belle
Blimey !
Ken
Amazing…..so it looks like 14th November is the day then?
But have you seen those prices??? From £60-something each way!!!!
Can’t imagine the competition getting too worried about it.
Belle
I looked at a three day return, 20th to 23rd November £103 …..
Just done LD for 4 days 77,77 Euro ……. and for the same as above 55 Euros.
Telephone number isn’t connected yet. So, now we wait to see when BE starts to move, although it is only about four or five days to get to Ramsgate, if they have Nick Dunn, then he’ll go fetch it and he is experienced on Boulogne Port.
Paxman
Interesting to see that Euroferries offer to carry dogs – but I was under the impression that a local law prevented animals from entering the port area – wrong phrases and words, but I hope you get my drift.
trickydickie
Interesting sailing schedule – those once very popular lunch/shopping trips to Boulogne ex Dover will now need a crack-of-sparrows-fart wakeup call to get the 0750 sailing – unless of course you live in Thanet. Otherwise get the 11.30 sailing and arrive just as all the restaurants are closing! Not for me, I’m on the shuttle and potter down to B for pre-prandials. She-who-must-be-obeyed can drive home!
Peter
I love that route map!very direct!! I still just can’t see it happening, if Hoverspeed, SpeedFerries and now LD can’t make a fast craft route to Boulogne work why do this lot think they can? It must surely all end in tears, and if those are the prices then the tears will come quickly i fear
Pete
the sailing times are rubbish. its not exactly good for day trips
Belle
I am still not convinced …. it will be interesting to see if there is an announcement in Boulogne tomorrow.
Many errors on the web pages and using two fake photos of the vessel with the true one being taken by the ‘helper’ before it was painted over.
Auntymoo
Well the sailing schedule is very similar to that of LD Lines and of Speedferries, and no matter what times they run, they will be good for some and not for others.
As for the booking engine, that is hosted by Webres, linked to the Travel Gateway and part of the 2morow group, which incidently hosts LD lines booking engine. LCT support run the ground operations in the UK for LD Lines at all ports and that too is part of the 2morowgroup.
I am sure a company such as the 2morow Group, would seek financial reassurances before they got involved.
Speedferries suffered several false starts, but then ran very well for 5 years, (until the price of fuel bankrupt them) so this might just do the same.
Belle
Regarding Speedferries, there were port dues and taxes that had been unpaid for some three years and in hindsight the lawyers have said action should have been taken sooner. I understand that altogether they were some 15 million Euros adrift.
I am impressed by your account of the booking engine hosts.
Nevertheless, the entire set up is over ambitious, with little regard for the factors that will cause delays and missed sailings.
Something that I find a little bemusing is the change on the coach situation, at the beginning it was all about coaches criss-crossing Europe, now it appears to be a service that operates to and from Ramsgate.
I just wonder how SeaFrance (CFDT) will respond if and when EF start pinching the ‘hundreds’ of coaches that presently go through Calais.
Auntymoo
Yes cash flow was a problem with Speedferries, however they did manage to get a mortgage from Bank of scotland !!!! That’s what you call clever accounting !!
I agree, it probably is a bit over ambitious, but 10 out of 10 for effort.
With regards to delays and missed sailings, that is the nature of catamarans, so if it does start running I am sure they will be able to tweak their schedules to suit.
I don’t know anything about the coach network side of things, however, I don’t think they will be able to steal much of the coach market, because manouvering them on and off is a nightmare, even on LD lines Norman Arrow, they are limited to only a few. Unlike an artic, which has the tractor unit giving it more manouverability, a coach is a rigid vehicle, and I would imagine they would either have to reverse them on or off.
Oh well, lets wish them the best of luck and hope they can offer a boost to the local economy and some badly needed employment
Paxman
Hi – reference to coaching.
most large operators will ALWAYS use Dover as this is where passengers can change coaches and so on. for example, joining a coach in Sheffield with a well know firm takes you to Dover, where you disembark and join a coach that has come from the NorthWest. Dover is an INTERCHANGE for thousands of coach passengers every week.
Euroferries may well tap into the market with the smaller operators and the lucrative day trip market to France and Belgium.
I have no experience of driving a coach on to an Incat vessel. The turning circle on full lock might make it possible, if the coaches are loaded first.
On the other hand, Euroferries may well plan to run something along the lines of Citysprint – operated by Hoverspeed – that carried passengers on express coach services to Paris, Amsterdam and other destinations.
Wait and see I suppose.
Steve
I see the original website with the press release as gone dead. I looked at the price for a foot passenger doing a day trip and it was £21.50. Just trying to decide if I should risk booking it just to see what happens.
Belle
Still nothing official this side
Adem
I’ve just written a quick post about the new website but still have doubts and will wait to see the service start before making my booking.
Peter
I know this is not a thread about SpeedFerries, but as Belle says they should have been closed down much earlier and maybe less money would have been lost. crews national insurance payments went ‘missing’, local suppliers not paid , massive port dues outstanding, the service never made money just lost it from day one,so it was not a sucessful service at all. Yes people travelled cheaply but that does not make it sucessful, they only travelled because others had to make up the costs of a service which was far to cheap. Sorry to rant! but Euroferries will surely not last where others have failed, i just hate the thought that once again others will have to bear the costs if and when this service fails.
Still we could all be proved wrong and it is a massive sucess and in two years time they have a fleet of fast craft zooming over the channel, making loads of money and the port of Ramsgate becomes the route of choice to the continent!!Still, think i will wait to see the ten year old ‘state of the art fast craft’in the port before i part with my cash, also wait for some cat friendly spring weather!!!
Steve
I’ve actually had a reply from EF customer services to an e-mail I sent about 6 weeks ago, so it would seem they may actually have staff somewhere, or maybe it’s the cleaner multi-tasking..
Dear Steve,
Thank you for your email, your comments have been noted.
Services commence on 14th November and bookings can be made online http://www.euroferries.co.uk
Foot passengers can also book online.
Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards,
Hannah
Customer Services
Belle
Yes Peter, you have said everything I would have, it isn’t right that debts should be picked up by taxpayers and the ‘directors’ get their renumeration.
Speedferries wasn’t a business success. Euroferries will go the same way unless of course they have a rich Arab who wants something in return that money alone can’t buy (speculation on my part – E/F do not disclose their backer(s).
‘State of the art’ is really getting on my nerves and the website is naff, written by someone trying too hard, pronouncing their ‘h’s’ when they shouldn’t.
I understand that those who have lost their jobs previously will be willing to accept work even if for a shortlived project, my advice would be to get assurances that the social charges are paid over.
For all of this I still remain sceptical, on another blog someone has written that a crane would be needed to put the ramp in place everytime it docks – anyone know anything about this ?
krisostend
Is there room for TEF, euroferries and a
wind farm in the port of Ramsgate.
How does TEF reacts on the latest events?
the BE in the port?
Is the passenger accommodation ready, fits
Will TEF leave Ramsgate?
…
Al-Andaluz
Chris,
TEF has reduced it’s schedule from 8 to 6 departures during the weekdays, and to 4 departures during the weekends.
For sure the Dias brothers are desperate to sell their fleet as they are now revising the price of the ships week by week. Problem is that nobody wants them anymore. The time that the Greeks are buying 2nd hand ships of this generation is over.
Let’s see what TEF will /can bring up during the next month’s “end of the year rush” or it may be over and out for them…..
Lets hope that some more dynamic people can take the whole business over before it’s too late.
It surprizes me that EF never had looked into the Ostend run, I think fast ferries the size of BE (cars and coaches) may have a better future on this line, as places like Bruges and Ypres are very popular by the Brits, and distances to Holland and Germany is shorter than Calais.
auntymoo
Well Have had some contact from Nick Dunn (Ex Speedferries / LD Lines) and he says he is not involved.
So I am thinking this is just a way of them generating some funds so that they can pay Fred Olsen upfront !!!
I for one am highly sceptical, that should this service start, it wont last 12 months !!!
krisostend
I know, the ships are old and for passengers, there is
not much to do. But they never have to buy expensive
new ships(what is recommended for passengers).
And those old ships consume not so many, like NA or BE
They carry almost no passengers. On a crossing there are just
a few cars on a ship, the rest is filled with fright. And
you can be sure, the ships are full loaded. I go six times
with TEF to England(not during the summer) and on all the sailings they are full loaded. With fright you gain and with speed you lose.
This month there are 7 TEF sailings a day/night. Check it.
It has been 35 years that they sail from and to Ostend, I will
miss them, it is simply a piece of Belgian maritime history to
sail on Primrose and Eurovoyager.
Belle
Auntymoo, that’s interesting about Nick Dunn, has he had contact with them and maybe planted a seed of doubt with you ?
Belle
It’s a bit boring to read through everything, nevertheless I’ve tried and can’t find any reference to monies paid by customers, quoted from the Isle of Thanet Gazette weekending 7th August:
‘Dr Ladyman said: “Money will be put into a trust until the passenger completes their journey. If things went pear-shaped then the money would be there to reimburse the customer”.’
Lord Lucan
Have just checked the old Speedone position, now Sea Leopard. It has left Tilbury and is now sailing. Destination Falmouth as of 07-45 this morning. Could this be the state of the art EU ferry???????
Belle
From todays La Voix du Nord by Frederic Vaillant….(thanks to google translate)
Euroferries has opened its online reservations for a link Ramsgate Boulogne-announced mid-November
Saturday, 10.10.2009, 05:02 – La Voix du Nord
Once the “Bonanza Express” will cast off, we can finally believe in the project Euroferries. | ON TO SPEAK |
The proposed cross-Channel link between Boulogne and Ramsgate, which is bubbled through the mists of the Channel for five years …
, Resurfaces.
Euroferries, after making repeated announcements of an imminent start of its new sea link by fast catamaran, re talking about it.
For two days, the shell company has launched its comprehensive website. Reservations seem to open for travel after 14 November (in practice, this “bug” at the time of payment). One can imagine therefore that the new date for the start of this new operator.
Four to five round trips per day
Because there has not always been, on this side of the Channel, presentation of this unusual maritime connection that cuts diagonally across the Strait.
Thus, it remains unclear who can fund such a project be listing “link Ramsgate Channel Boulogne-fastest. Here, we certainly believe it because this is the only one!
The opening of the website allows however to know a little more. Euroferries provides four to five trips a day, depending on the season.
Feature, the first start of the morning would Boulogne. The company says that the crossing time will be 1 pm 15. She also announced that it is with the Bonanza Express, a catamaran of 98 m, the property owner Fred Olsen. The boat was still docked yesterday at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Reportedly, he can leave only when Euroferries has paid six months advance rental. This is starting to give credit to Euroferries which announced it would open its bookings online the day the ship will drop off for the Strait.
If starting “imminent” to Euroferries is confirmed, the port of Boulogne is in a unique situation: two companies and two-channel terminals. The luxury after years of famine.
We would then ferry terminal Euroferries and fast catamaran Bonanza Express and later, the hub port, LD Lines and jumbo ferry the Norman Spirit. The latter should indeed happen in early November to replace the super catamaran Norman Arrowdont engines do not give complete satisfaction. It was also learned that one of his captains, Nick Dunn (ex-Speedferries, former Hoverspeed) left LD Lines. This is a driver found for all the Bonanza Express …
So it isn’t accpeting payments then …… interesting.
Quartz
The latest rumour is that when LD Lines bring in their modern, state of the art conventional ferry ( that wouldn’t be the built in 1991, starboard listing, slow, terrible in bad weather aquitaine/prins phillipe ) that if traffic does not pick up in the next 6 months they are going to pull out of the Dover/Boulogne route. This of course would be very good news for the proposed Euroferries
krisostend
Prins Filip is a wonderfull ship, verry good in bad weather, but not good for a crossing of only 1.45 min.
Peter
Shes a big freight mover, so why no good for a 1hour 45min crossing? Freight is the way to go , you said so yourself.
Any way, we are getting away from what this blog is about, which is Euroferries!!!
Belle
Quartz: It isn’t paying for anyone presently and I wouldn’t be surprised if LD do pull out, if and when the phantom EF get going they will soon follow. I beg you please be realistic, the EF and proposed Bonanza Express will fall foul quickly of bad weather and delays, maybe the Seafrance strike action – poor LD staff have already had missiles thrown at them by the CFDT activists. Even Mr Ede wouldn’t start a service in November ! See Dover Ferry Photos Forums…
And I will go back to the beginning ….. one vessel, as a passenger you miss it due to the debacle that is the M25, you wait hours for the next departure …. this is why at 52 sailings a day from Dover the big boys win, then add the Tunnel ( I prefer this because when I’m travelling in UK I have such a long journey that anything can happen ) within two hours of ticket no extra charge.
A very bad time to start a crossing for any company ….
The best for Boulogne now would be a freight only vessel and build from there in the years to come.
I regret that EF even if with genuine, honest intentions will not be a long term building block, besides I cannot believe in a company that stated the proposed ferry did not fit in one, both or either of the ports.
I can tell you that to date no adjustments have been made in Boulogne and before I get off my soap box, all the videos of BE off/on loading fast …. take a good look, there are at least two if not three ramps, Boulogne does not have this facility, does Ramsgate ?
I hope this vessel turns up and I would be delighted to be proved wrong.
krisostend
There is not enough fright in Boulogne as in Calais, Ostend or Dunkirk. The markt is over saturated (fright/passengers), LDL and Euroferries will feel it. Within five years, the port will be
empty. It is not for nothing that Boulogne is called the poorest
port in France. Hopeless situation. Beside, BE does not fits in the port of Ramsgate.
Al-Andaluz
Kris,
What you mention is correct, furthermore Boulogne has no highway connection to Lille, Paris and beyond. Calais and Dunkirk do. That is why Boulogne can not compete with Calais. I estimate that BE will consume 8000 Litres of Gasoil each crossing (+ Charter rate, port fees, crew, maintenance and other consumables), and you can calculate yourself how much the vessel must carry before the first penny will be in their own pocket. I give it 1 year before investors will force them to look for other options like changing routes either Boulogne – Dover, or Ramsgate – Calais (with the very suitable new linkspan in the Hoverspeed terminal) or Dunkirk. Ostend is, like Boulogne, too far.
Belle
There is now a new link road the N1 from the port of Boulogne to the A16 and it’s just over 2 hours to Paris.
Eurotunnel spills onto the very same A16, have a look at the current map.
http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=map+of+boulogne+sur+mer&ie=UTF8&gl=fr&ei=7MLSSqypHszajQfmpbH_Aw&ved=0CAoQ8gEwAA&hq=&hnear=Boulogne-sur-Mer,+Pas-de-Calais,+Nord-Pas-de-Calais&ll=50.70309,1.615763&spn=0.022614,0.055017&t=h&z=14
And there is freight to be had, I believe LD were budgetting on 50,000 pieces a year.
As for BE costs – this is where I don’t understand how they have persuaded investors in the first place.
Karl Pitwon
I do not know if anyone on this forum has tried the new port hub at Boulogne, I came through it a couple of weeks ago. It is not a quick exit like it was from the Gare Maretime, it long, winding, it goes through allsorts of factories on the way. But what really took me back was the marked increase in Freight traffic which will make it a nightmare getting out of Boulogne in the future
Belle
Regrettably the signposting isn’t fantastic, it is true that to leave the terminal, there is 1.5 kms back to the starting point of the Gare Maritime. A new road layout is there as well, trying to encourage town traffic to take the road over the flyover.
As for traffic going to the A16, there is now a link that takes you beside Leclerc Supermarket (great for last minute shopping). A good stretch is dual carraigeway in both directions.
I am pleased to see you comment on the freight traffic, it should be remembered that the last two companies were unable to carry artics.
Pierre Gehanne has said that freight is needed to sustain a service especially outside of season.
trickydickie
Apart from all the other interesting chatter . . .
Have any Brits out there read the description of Ramsgate on the EF website?
Whoever wrote that stuff has never been there or is seriously visually and nasally impaired!
Apart from the rose-tinted-spectacle descriptions – the ferry terminal is NOT in the Royal Harbour.
Bovine excrement . . .
Peter
Ha, why let the truth get in the way of a good story!?
Dozie
Thought I would contribute something to the debate, been reading with interest for months.
I, like someone further up the board received a reply to an email sent to EF ages ago, I suspected it was computer generated but Hannah Green has replied to my response and apparently you can buy tickets.
So there we are it’s full steam ahead.
trickydickie
Hi Dozie
Whatever you and the other possible passenger do, please make sure you pay with credit card, then you might have a chance of getting your money back when EF fails to make a full head of steam!
Dozie
Actually I have written back to ask her if the money will be put into a trust until I complete my journey as stated in IOTG – I’ll let you know the response.
Paul
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8305025.stm
Peter
Just another press release, by the look of it
Belle
Do you know anyone who has actually booked yet ?
Maybe when BE moves we’ll believe it.
Steve
I have just had the 3rd reply from ‘Hannah’ from Customer Services saying exactly the same thing. Now I’m not saying that I don’t believe she actually exists, but she is obviousley not very attentive. I feel we may not see the BE arrive in Ramsgate and I feel that EF are trying to create a market to raise capital or to convince the backers that this is viable.
This is the standard reply:
Dear Steve,
We thank you for contacting Euroferries.
Services commence on 14th November and bookings can be made online http://www.euroferries.co.uk
Cars, day trips, foot passengers, vans, motor homes and caravans can be booked online.
Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards,
Hannah
Customer Services
Adem
As Belle said earlier in the week, if it’s true that they need to pay 6 months rental of the BE in advance then you’d assume this is where the bookings money is going. In that case definitely best to use a credit card…
Belle
I repeat has anyone bought a ticket ? I have been unable to.
Belle
Sorry, I should say that it is possibly my card, that is why I’m asking if someone over there has been able to … I was trying for the cheapest, a footie, just to see if it now works.
trickydickie
I sent them a mail this morning re car parking availability and cost at Ramsgate for foot pax. No reply as yet. Maybe “Hannah” has been unplugged. I’ll let you know if I get a reply. I notice they’ve used a palendromic name, maybe that is so “she ” can answer questions from both sides of the channel!
Dozie
Considering she responded wihtin the hour from my first e:mail back, I haven’t received anything regarding the trust.
Lord Lucan
When the BE was new the fuel consumption for one engine when idling was 108 litres an hour thats the lowest power setting it has. At the rate of fuel on todays market a litre of fuel for this type of engine costs 65p a litre.So to idle four engines for an hour you will consume 432 litres. The total consumption for one engine running for one hour to produce 30 knots is 500 gallons.
Bearing in mind these figures are based on the vessel being new and unladen, no freight load. So for a one hour trip at 30 knots per hour will consume 9000 litres. Crossing time one hour forty five minutes, in good weather therefore the crossing alone will consume 11,250 litres. This does not included any time for the use of the engines for maneuvering to dock. Add to that wages, insurance, maintainance,port fees time two. Then must not forget office staff, office rent, telephones, ect,ect,ect. It would seem where that we are all doomed captain Ede, or more to the point Euroferries is. I wonder how they arrived at the overhead costs when they put this circus together. I think that the best thing that could happen is that it is hijacked by pirates and sunk, that way they can claim the insurance money and walk away from it.
Belle
Lord Lucan, although you mean one hour fifteen minutes your calculations are correct that is over £7000 a crossing.
Before I go on, no staff have been employed in Boulogne as yet, nevertheless with the schedule published that would need to cover a 21 hour day, 7 days a week in peak season, the last due arrival would be at a 00:45hrs, I reckon the staffing cost is about a million quid a year and that is just the French side.
Many of the turnarounds are 35 minutes ! Now when you see a video of BE operating in the Canaries there is at least a ramp in and one out. This vessel will be late all the time, and that lateness will move every crossing so maybe it would end up as a 24 hour opertaion. The advertised 1hr 15 minutes berth to berth, is inaccurate, if NA needed time for turning in the Liane so will this vessel, as did Speedferries.
They wish to rent the Gare Maritime from the CCI, I assume they will sub out the ‘shops’ and ‘restaurant/cafe’ inside the building.
I always come back to who has the money to back such a project and why are they so insistent, where are the likes of Mr Maughan et al placing their current invoices, Dr Ladyman has said it is a private company and nothing is coming out of Thanet.
Who is so stupid to believe their forecast of nearly 2 million pax a year.
Norman Arrow on my ‘allez/retour’ last week was very quiet and the retour was on a Friday.
Neptune Watcher
Has anybody actually bought a ticket yet? Shades of ‘Hustle’ here! Assume BE hasn’t moved yet. What excuses will they be using when it doesn’t turn up next month!? Trickydickie you are right about the website! They don’t even know where their terminal is. As for all the hits on their website mentioned in the press, that’s us lot seeing what is going on, so the true figure of genuine passenger enquries is probably a quarter, if that!
Belle
No doubt they’ll inbuild the figure into their positive spin – ridiculous ! OH has bet a bottle of very good champagne that it won’t start.
Has anyone bought a ticket ?
Belle
Paul, are you there Paul ?
It’s a question about your ex-employer TEF, which of the P&O vessels were being touted as replacements ?
I know it’s at a tangent, but nothing different to report on EF.
No staff, no works to Ramsgate and no vessel in sight as yet.
Adem
I for one don’t normally put the www. in a url because there is generally no need. So today I went to euroferries.co.uk and was surprised to see the old press release site there. A quick insert of http://www.euroferries.co.uk brought up the booking site.
I wonder if any visitors are going to euroferries.co.uk (without the www) and being greeted by the old site?
I’ve emailed them to alert them to this and look forward to my email from ‘Hannah’.
Other errors with the site include gems such as “and to Canary Wharf it takes just over the hour.” and the fact that Ramsgate has “a beautiful town centre” with “a great variety of large brand and individual stores”. Do Pound Shops count?
It’s also just struck me that shouldn’t they really have a French translation of the site too if they are looking to get bookings from the other side of the channel too?
trickydickie
Old news perhaps, but news of BE from Lloyds List December 4 2008
“Returning from the island of El Hierro, the vessel carrying about 200 passengers and 35 vehicles suffered marine propulsion failure, according to unconfirmed reports, and ran aground close to a popular beach in Los Cristianos.”
Anyone fancy a cricket match against the seals on the Goodwin Sands?!?!
Steve
BE seems to have disappeared from Santa Cruz, don’t know if it’s just a glitch but localiza is still showing all the other ships .
speedone
The BE is still in tenerife tonight.
I just book a day trip for 14th November .
departure at 7:30 of Boulogne and back to 12.45 from Ramsgate.
I received an email confirmation with my booking number
Now I hope that BE will come in the Dover Strait!
Steve
If EF take money for tickets knowing full well that the service is not going to start, shouldn’t the police get involved. I’m not saying this will happen but as the BE is still berthed in Santa Cruz without EF livery and time is getting short perhaps it’s about time someone in authority got some straight answers from EF, because if you e-mail ‘Hannah’ with a serious question you don’t get a reply.
No work is apparent at Ramsgate which surely by now it would be!
Belle
Here are the details of the PR company said to be dealing with EF:
Good Company Publicity
Telephone:+44 (0) 1342 324513 Fax:+44 (0) 1342 300535
Email:
Address:Good Company Publicity,
Sunbeams,
Lowdells Lane,
East Grinstead,
West Sussex,
RH19 2AY
Steve
For a PR company the website doesn’t tell you much. Reminds me of a certain ferry companies first website.
Steve
And they seem to be located on a housing estate, perhaps it’s a third cousin removed with a PC in the bedroom.
Belle
http://www.insitesecurity.co.uk/
and this company operates from the same private house with the same telephone numbers – looks like quite a nice house on google earth.
Belle
http://www.localizatodo.com/mapa/
Bonanza showing up again ….. same place
I wonder if the charter has been paid yet ?
Steve
Could this be a situation where EF are trying to show the backers (whoever they may be) that there is interest from customers and that it would be a viable route. If they can show bookings then perhaps the BE will be made available. Bit of a gamble really but if passengers money is held in trust then I suppose no one should lose out.
There appears to be no staff recruitment and there are only 5 weeks to go and no work being done at Ramsgate.
Belle
From Doverferryphotos forum
I have been “toying” with the idea of booking a trip on the 14th Nov. Thought I could make a day of it and take my parents !!!, having spoken to them they were keen, but as I was about to book this evening they said Not to book as they had spoken to a port worker (a friend of theirs) in tesco in Broadstairs and she said that they are not sure if the Euroferries service will go ahead!! SAYS IT ALL if u ask me… I think I will wait a couple of weeks !
Belle
Sorry the last post was from bfenthusiasts.
Steve, can we be sure that there is a trust for customers money ?
I suspect any they are getting now will dry up very quickly when closer to the date BE isn’t on its way and what are they getting now ? Curiosity bookings ……
Also, the not selling 2010 until December, do they already know that its all over before its begun.
Steve
Belle.
As ‘Hannah’ will not reply to questions about the trust then no I don’t believe that we can be sure it does exist. As I said earlier I really think that someone (perhaps Cllr Latchford) should get some concrete information from EF.
Lord Lucan
Belle Cats are very, very costly things to run. When you do your costing you have to work on maximum outlay.When Speedferries first started the break even figure was 80 cars @ £65 each. This gives you a break even figure of £5,200, bearing in mind the cost of fuel to them at that time was nearly 50% less than it is today.
To start a cross channel cat service in the winter is a no go situation the extra fuel that would have to be consumed in rough weather is unbelievable. Whoever has put the figures together for Euroferries quite clearly has no idea as to the running cost of the craft. I should imagine his report started with “once upon a time”. Clearly these idiots have not got a clue, but then we know one of them sent Hoverspeed to a watery grave. I have been a great supporter of any cross channel cat service in the past, but now that LD are pulling the Norman Arrow, No more. On our last two trips we used the tunnel, drive on sit in your car. Thirty five minutes later drive off, no delays because of bad weather and at £39 each way block booking nobody can beat it.
Belle
Lord Lucan,
I’ve worked out about £7000 a sailing (to include port dues, staffing both sides etc.)as they are chartering, the charter includes some Spanish crew, I’ve done a bit of guesswork, does someone know what a daily charter would likeky be ?
I was watching yesterdays events on the AIS, it was a bit choppy in the channel and NA was only doing about 30 knots. EF have no chance of keeping to the published schedule.
Steve
Has anyone actually seen any advertising for EF. You would have thought that they would be pushing the service like mad to try ad get people on board. Perhaps I’m being to cynical but with the BE still berthed at Tenerife and nothing being done at Ramsgate or I take it Boulogne I feel the excitement when the booking site went live has all but evaporated.
Didn’t EF say at some point the booking site would only go live once the BE was on it’s way?
Belle
Advertising would have to be paid for ! They are probably expecting all the free publicity of the Press Releases to do it for them…….
Ken
Interesting to note that this ferry booking site that seems to handle virtually every other ferry operator’s bookings throughout the whole of Europe doesn’t seem to list any Ramsgate-Boulogne or vice versa route at all.
http://www.aferry.com/
Do they know what we suspect?……I wonder
Steve
It seems that telephone bookings will be taken from the 1st of November. Lets wait and see.
trickydickie
I received a reply from “Ben” on the 17th to my query of 14th about parking at Ramsgate:
Ken
the biggest Europe-wide passenger and freight ferry ticket operator doesn’t list the route either
trickydickie
Ken
Sorry I missed the link – if they don’t offer the route nobody will.
trickydickie
Ken
Sorry I missed the link http://www.directferries.co.uk – if they don’t offer the route nobody will.
Belle
Presumably there would be a charge to EF in someway…. and also if they aren’t selling next year yet ……anyones guess.
trickydickie
Price comparison:
I just did a comparison for 2 x foot-pax on P&O Dover-Calais 14th November similar sailing times to EF.
P&O = £24.00 (two people) EF = £41.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOH!
Belle
26 days to go …….
Neptune Watcher
This gets a bigger joke by the day! Any guesses on when the next set of excuses about ‘the service being delayed’ will appear. Presumably on 1st Nov when you can allegedly book by phone. Wonder where the phone line is located?? Presume BE hasn’t moved yet, and won’t it have to do some dummy runs before it can go into service? Time is running out!!
Paxman
Hi – interesting to note that when doing a Google search of similar for ferries to Boulogne, EF is not even on the first few pages of web listings.
Hartlepool1945
Anyone know where BE has got lost?
James
Hello All. I wouldnt pay much attention to Euroferries. Id be very very surprised if it happens. They are well known for taking people for a ride, both before at Dover, and now at Ramsgate.
More interesting is goings on at TEF. Whats happening with them? A lot of the stuff mentioned on here is totally new to me. Will they be around for long?
James
trickydickie
Hi Hartlepool1945
BE is still in Santa Cruz – surprised??
Belle
probably hasn’t been paid for yet……
I notice that on EF website it no longer refers to Fred.Olsen S.A. as a partner.
Paul
Belle it still refers to Fred. Olsen as a partner, just click on the ‘our service’ page.
And in regards to your statement before, it would be the P.O. Dover and/or P.O. Calais, though i very much doubt we would ever see them in dover! =
trickydickie
Belle/Paul
The PODover & POCalais ships are not scheduled to be replaced by new vessels (now under construction in Finland) until Dec 2010 and Sept 2011 – can/will TEF wait as long as that for replacements?
Belle
Well Paul old chap, how are you? Did you get a job?
‘Fred Olsen S.A, world leaders in fast ferry service partially crews the Bonanza Express. This depth of experience allows you to receive an onboard service second to none. We pride ourselves on being able to deliver outstanding customer service.’
I can’t find the word ‘partner’, am I looking in the wrong place, if you notice the last Press Release 31st July from Thanet said:
‘The new cross channel passenger service Â? Bonanza ExpressÂ?, will see five daily crossings between the two ports and will be operated in conjunction with renowned fast ferry operator Fred Olsen.’
I keep coming back to a ‘charter’ is not a ‘partner’, it is a commercial agreement.
With regard to TEF,it is rumoured that there may be a vessel from DFDS of interest to them and P&O are interested in Boulogne, I was probably putting two and two together to make five. The ‘unexpected’ arrival of the Endeavour last week was after P&O had been in the port a few days running, to check it out, even the CCI said it was a promising stopover.
James
Belle,
I expect the reason P&O had been to Boulogne prior to the Endeavour making a visit was because they guessed the Seafrance workers may eventually cause trouble for P&O. Afterall its very rare for Seafrance staff to be happy just disrupting their own companies’ ships.
So they were just checking it out for a possible visit on the day the strike action took place.
Regarding Euroferries/ Fred Olsen, soon after it came out that they would be in partnership, somebody quite high up within Fred Olsen left the company (resigned or pushed, thats anybodies guess). Ever since then, the word partnership hasn’t been quite so prominent.
Work out what you want from that!!
James
Belle
James
On the P&O front, I understand they have been in talks with the CCI to possibly put a freighter on the line twice a day ….. and of course now they know it will work.
I also read that the second ramp in Boulogne is due to be ready next year.
Funny you should say about the guy from FO, I also wondered if there was a link, my feeling is that tagging FO to EF gives them a bit of kudos. Nevertheless a charter would require payment up front.
The FO representative at the 31st July Press conference in Ramsgate, as I previously posted, was Mr John Murphy, chairman of SIBLU – remember that Paul, he runs a holiday home company !
Anyone care to call him for some comment ?
James
Belle,
Didn’t know anything about a 2nd berth in Boulogne. Is this at the new terminal in the outer harbour still?
I dont know any of the representatives at any meetings. I havent been looking that deep.
All I know is I would be very very surprised if the vessel turned up. Euroferries are making noises, but I believe it is just to fool people.
Belle
It was always planned for a second ramp have a look at Boulogne Hub Port website, although at the time it was for another project that’s lost somewhere in the deep, the BGV, anyone remember Jean Paul Aires ? Signed for five to be built !
If as you say it is to fool people isn’t it fraud to be taking money for reservations that will never materialise. Just hope the trust is set up, does anyone know if this is the case ?
security guard
I’d take what Paul says with a pinch of salt as he was full of shit when he worked at port ramsgate, hence why he was laid off!
James
Yeah i remember him. Wasnt he the one that ran off to Spain?
That would be fraud, but only if you admit it, which they wont be. They will claim something went badly wrong at the last minute. Or they will file for bankruptcy before it happens, and in 2yrs time the company will be called euroferries 2, when they pretend to start up a route between Dover and Rotterdam using a state of the art fast craft!!!
Belle
Switzerland …….
Haha !
Security Guard that’s a bit strong …… I suppose you still have your job ?
Steve
I think as James says you can only prove fraud if it can be proved it was done with the intention to defraud and as he says I’m sure they will find a loophole, although if Fred Olsen can produce documents showing that EF were aware that the vessel would not be available before they took bookings,then that may be a different matter.
Belle
rumour alert ! rumour alert !!!!!
Steve
Well go on then!
Hartlepool1945
Trickiedickie et al,
” trickydickie said on Oct 20th, 2009 at 11:56 am BE is still in Santa Cruz Â? surprised?? ”
But, BE vanished off localizatodo over the weekend and still doesn’t seem to be there, so where does your quote come from? Maybe AIS is switched off, but can it be?
R.O'Tate
BE is not showing up on Marinetraffic.com either. They do not cover Tenerife and there are big gaps in the coverage around spain.
However on http://www.puertosdetenerife.org BE is still listed in port. She is listed until 30/10/09. So who knows where she is.
Belle
Steve, it has been like that for a while, I picked her up this morning, maybe because she is laid up, I’ve questioned this before. Pull (zoom) out you’ll see that she isn’t in Las Palmas either and always try Marine Traffic, she would be picked up as she leaves Tenerife. ‘Hartlepool 1945′ do keep up !
Well, guys, socialising with the hoi polloi, smiling whilst listening to the conversaton behind me …. its hard work lads ! And they never suspect ……. afterall this is France and women are not allowed intellect, adorable beings aren’t they? And to them I am invisible ….
So to some gossip, rumour, news – the choice of phrase is for each of you to decide.
Fred.Olsen has no partnership with EF, it is as I suspected just a charter, with some crew, probably on the vessels ‘running’ rather than those ‘deckside’. No surprise there. No money has changed hands.
And, and I want a drum roll or at least an EastEnders …… port trials begin 9th November.
You lot need to find out if the works at Ramsgate are needed and when do they start ? Has there been an employment drive, apparently they are not interested in old Speedferries staff either side of La Manche.
Geoffrey Ede remains as Operations Manager, but the company is still worth just £1:00, for those in doubt pay your £18 to Companies House to get the info.
Now, I really must return to my wine ….
…..14th November I’ll be the one with a very big red nose, I ain’t showing my bum to anyone and I don’t like the taste of hat !
Steve
BE is still in Santa Cruz. I have just checked on the webcam and luckily it is pointing in the right direction and the BE is still there. I think they are having problems with the antenna again, lots of ships keep fading away and then reappearing.
R.O'Tate
Steve,
Bit dark out there. Use infra-red?
Neptune Watcher
This blog is brilliant! All this info being gathered by us mere bloggers, that certain people dismiss as ‘knowing nothing’! We will have the last laugh. As for Mr. Ede we all know what happened to Hoverspeed. Has anybody estimated how long the Phantom Ferry – sorry state of the art BE! – will take to get from wherever it is hiding to Ramsgate. Plenty of Atlantic storms on the way!!
Steve
No, but luckily I have super-vision as developed by Gerry Anderson so I can see it. Really when I checked the camera was in a different position and it is still there.
Steve
I should have said “But really”
Belle
‘This blog is brilliant! All this info being gathered by us mere bloggers, that certain people dismiss as Â?knowing nothingÂ?!’
Neptune, my Dad has always told me that news is gossip and gossip is news just depends from which side it is looked at.
There is no such thing as a secret if you share it with one other person and after a few tipples people always spill the beans to boost their own self.
The more I know the less likely this is a goer, but I have to admire the players for their tenacity, they keep coming back ! I just wish I understood why someone would go on a collision course for financial disaster, do the figures in the first month the loss will be around 1.5/2 million, then continue like that until Spring.
If any of you have access to Doverferryphotos forum, there is a great piece written on the Burgundy topic about footies. To me this is the final word.
trickydickie
Well, Hartlepool – what do you say now?
Al-Andaluz
Strong rumours hitting mainland Spain that BE is actually already chartered out to EF….Believe it or not but Spanish insiders keep telling that the idea of this Ramsgate – Boulogne run is mainly to run “EF coaches” between London and Paris, and that eventually cars and lorries are “extra money” on top of that.
For sure it may still take a bit of time before the operations start as all paperwork still need to be done as is: ISM, DoC for new Company, PtO, and all else what is required to operate HSC in this part of the world..
Also the fact tha this boat fly the Spanish flag is not so helpful as their Authorities are rather slow acting.
Belle
Maybe provisioned for a charter but no money exchanged ……
Now, Euroferries coaches – is it to move all the illegals from Paris to London, aided by money from the two governments, afterall they are offering them two grand to leave, EF gets them on the luxury coaches, relieves them of the money, gets them through customs that will only exist on this side of the channel, brown envelopes to shady French officers. France ‘deports’ the illegals and Euroferries makes a profit ‘simples’.
Didn’t one of the Ramsgate/Thanet Councillors say that they expected a lot of ‘traffic’ from the EU ?
trickydickie
Belle
Oh, so cynical!
Belle
Moi ? Non, c’est le vin and a bloody good Bordeaux it is too….
‘eleve en fut de chene’ 2005 was a very good year !
Too late to understand Als ‘ISM, DoC for new Company, PtO’, I’ll check it out when I exit the pit tomorrow, oh sorry must keep up the illusion – boudoir….
Something I do recall is that the vessel will need approval from the coastguard agency, he’s a dreamboat, maybe Belle can work her charms.
Paul
Yes indeed I have Belle, now working for P&O was doing nights, got tangled up in the delights of the SeaFrance workers last week and was there to see the Endeavor return from Boulogne, it was a trial to see if it would be possible to run an operation from there.
Well a few weeks ago one of the fleet managers told me there had been interest from TEF regarding the 2 vessels, so how far that goes i don’t know…
To SecurityGaurd, me along with the other 6 staff then aye?
Ahh well hope you’re happy stuck in a dead end job! :o)
trickydickie
Can’t see BE in Santa Cruz this morning, anyone tracking it?
Steve
Just checked on the webcam,BE is still in Santa Cruz in the same place and with no EF livery painted on as yet.
trickydickie
Just found it, not on a berth, it’s out in the channel east of SC, engine warm up? crew safety trials? tuna fishing trip?
Steve
That moved dam quick, 5 minutes ago it was still tied up. Only one I can see east of SC is the Bencomo Express which is now in port. I think the localiza thingy is playing up again.
trickydickie
Steve is that a current image? it seems to be now moving back onto the berth where is was yesterday
trickydickie
On localizatodo you can see it’s being doing speed trials/crossings out in the channel between SC and Santa Bartolome during the past 24 hrs
trickydickie
Steve,
Isn’t that one-and-the-same vessel?
Belle
Confusion here there are two vessels Bencomo and Bonanza.
Steve can you do the link for the webcam ……
trickydickie
What a plonker, need new specs
Steve
This is the link, but the cameras are not always in the right place, it was just this morning and last night they seemed to be set on the port entrance and the BE was clearly visible, so it can be just pot luck if BE is showing.
http://www.canarysatellite.com/puertoscam.html
Belle
She’s on Localizatodo again today …
Any work started in Rmasgate ? I see from the Port webpage that it is 20 minutes out through the bouyed channel before entering the sea. Doesn’t leave much time to get across, then do the turn inside Boulogne Liane estuary…
trickydickie
Just been told there’s a EF UK phone number 0844 414 5355
Belle
That’s the one posted on their site – last time I tried it wasn’t connected. I read that the phone line bookings start from 1st November, trials 9th November, I reckon 4/5 days to bring her up so to leave Canaries by the 4th, possibly two days in Las Palmas for livery before departure.
Just tried it – not in service.
Steve
I somehow think we are waiting to hear what the excuse is going to be when the BE is still berthed in Santa Cruz on the 14th, and what is going to happen to any money paid or though if you read the refund bit on the T & Cs it seems to say that a credit will be given, even if it isn’t the passengers fault, so it would seem no money back just a credit to use later.
Belle
If your analysis is right ‘credit to use later’ against what ?
We won’t need to wait until the 14th, an excuse will need to be given on the 1st, the day that phone sales are supposed to go live and failing that the timescale to get her painted and on her way.
I read that she can do about 500/800 miles a tank depending on seas and speed. Hence the four days to get to the Dover Straits.
Steve
Against the service that is going to start next year of course. Really should have faith in EF, they’ve been honest and upfront so far.
Belle
If only ……
Where’s Ladyman over this, thought he’d be jumping about with excitement that his ferry service is going to start ? Then again, he probably is in a real knot having kept his fingers crossed since August.
trickydickie
Haven’t you heard? He’s been asked to supply more information about his expense claims – so I guess he’s busy with his calculator and shredder!
Belle
He isn’t important enough to get into our newspapers ! We have our own scandal with Clearstream. Is he likely to be re-elected ?
Still no staff taken on over here or if there has been they’ve signed the official secrets act !
Steve
I’ve just e-mailed Mr Ladyman again to get his thoughts on EF, or though I’m sure he will say how wonderful they are and we should be glad they chose our towns to benefit from this service and to stop picking on them.
The terminal at Ramsgate has bits falling of it! Looks really classy.
Belle, as to your question will he be re-elected, I really wouldn’t have thought so, his majority last time was slim.
Belle
There is due to be a big change over here relating to the ports, I am convinced that Boulognes present CCI, who will be gone by the middle of next year want to leave with ‘look we have two possibly three companies using the port’.
This evening there has been a meeting to do with Calais 2015, in Nausicaa, one wonders where Boulogne figures in this, have a look at the plans.
The CCI really do not care about sustainability or financing as they won’t be there for the ‘fan’.
Well, fine except when it causes problems for the private suppliers and staff who will need to be paid. How do you explain to a region with such high unemployment that another ferry company leaves debts whilst making sure their own pockets are doing fine.
Who is likely to take the place of Ladyman ? I see he came in on the 1997 landslide.
As for the Gare Maritime it hardly portrays class, unless of course you are a seagull or cormorant. The café, if they keep as it is looks a bit like an old Asteys and the area used for a shop remains untouched. I recall it was run by ‘The Grape Shop’ in Hoverspeed days. It was then moved outside, sorry can’t think of the english name for the caravan like things that get joined together, just before the lanes for embarkment, with Speedferries, it didn’t pull a profit.
If, I say if this service gets going, they will lose nearly 2 million in the first 4/6 weeks, and so on until Spring next year when they might start to pull it back – that I cannot believe will ever happen unless their backer has enough money to waste just for egop or to get a British Passport.
trickydickie
Good stuff Belle – by the way the word you are looking for is politely called a Portacabin
Al-Andaluz
And what about that crazy security woman that used to be there for years turning family cars inside out like a pitbull. I used Ramsgate port twice in my previous life when I used to live in Ostend and that disgusting fat woman was once explaining me that a small size Swiss pocket knife may be a weapon of mass destruction.(There were only 10 cars on board…)
If this one’s still there then the embarkation time will be 2 hours instead of 30 minutes.
Well, at least in case this line goes tits up ( which I don’t wish)then they can blame somebody -> planet thanet’s security too hyperactive!!
trickydickie
She appears to have moved off the berth, can’t find it on localizatodo. It was there this morning. Maybe AIS is off.
Belle
I’ve just watched a FO vessel leave port and it isn’t shown on the Localizatodo ….
Steve
Just looked at 16:45 and the BE is still tied up in the same place. The Localizatodo has been playing up all day.Lots of ships just keep fading away and then their back.
Belle
By coincidence I saw a bit of her on the webcam. So no change and very quiet this side of La Manche.
Steve
Thanks to Marcramsgate on the ‘Dover Ferry Photos Forum’ this was taken on the 17th of October in Santa Cruz. No sign at all of the EF livery, perhaps it was only painted on the other side for publicity photos.
http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac203/Marcramsgate/IMGP2659.jpg
trickydickie
More likely to have been a PhotoShop job – easily done.
Belle
It was painted one side, there are photos where you can see it under the paint.
It is me who gave the idea of one side only as I have dragged through all sorts of photos and there is no trace of anything on the other side.
You need to scroll back to find the posting.
Steve
I did mean to say as suggested earlier, but I forgot, sorry.
I have not had a reply yet from Mr Ladyman, I also emailed EF customer services, I said to them that I was not happy to pay without assurance that the service was going to start and of course I’ve had no reply.
Belle
Quelle surprise !
If they are going to do trials on the 9th, they had better get in touch with Boulogne Port Authorities pdq.
Neptune Watcher
Well its hardly a ‘state of the art vessel’ according to the photo of 17th Oct – more like a tin can! Compare it with the picture on the EF website!! No wonder our MP and EF have not answered Steve -what could they say, when they know we are on the case? Are we all jamming the phone lines next Saturday to ask a few questions?
Belle
Only one photo on there is ‘genuine’ and even that is the one side painted, Ladyman ‘secret location’ helpers.
What do the luxury coaches look like ?
Peter
The coaches are shrouded in fog, like everything else!
Paul
BE dissapeared off Localizatodo again, i fear it is just the satelite playing up, but it looks as though another vessel is berthed in her place?
Belle
Paul look now and you’ll see that as of 23mins ago …..
The other vessel is a pilot, seems to tie up there most of the time.
The AIS has been hit and miss all week, even if she does leave Tenerife, it won’t be yet – EF will delay payment of the six month up front charter until the very last.
Probably hoping the ticket sales will give them some money to play with as they don’t seem keen to confirm that it is in a trust. Also I assume that whilst they have other peoples money, Mr Maughan, being a big man in the city, would invest it to get some interest.
Belle
Me again, there was an interesting article in La Voix du Nord over the weekend about Calais 2015, the final sentence given to LD Lines – since February (Cote d’Albatre/Norman Arrow) they have carried 13,000 freight, 100,000 cars and 260,000 passengers.
Now where do EF get their 2 million pax a year from ?
Steve
Had a reply from Mr Ladyman.
EFL assure me everything is on track – in fact I am far more worried about Thanet Council and Port Ramsgate dredging the berth in time than I am about the Bonanza being repainted. They also assure me that all fares are being held in escrow until the service starts.
Steve Ladyman
Just under 3 weeks left, and still no work at the port.
Belle
Tell him to tell EF to pay for the port works upfront as requested and they’ll start !
So, the excuse for a non-start is going to be due to faults in Ramsaget and there was me thinking they will blame us Frogs !!
I am convinced they do not have any/enough financing ….. why else aren’t they accepting to upfront payments requested from many suppliers ? A credit check reveals they are worth £1:00.
Norman
The fare payments are being made to aferryto not EF. Yet you cannot book on aferyyto website
trickydickie
Still can’t book on directferries.com either, but you can book with from Spain to Africa.
is registered to Entee, the web hosting company who run reservation engines for a large number of travel companies, including P&O Irish Sea. I seem to remember in the distant past that someone told me that the domain was actually owned by LD! I’ll check it.
There’s an example for you, P&OIS run an Incat on the Larne-Cairnryan & Troon routes – but only mid March – mid Sept. It’s too expensive and ‘fraglie/uncomfortable’ to run in the winter months. So it’s presently got its winter woolies on in Belfast harbour. It used to be on the Cherbourg run.
trickydickie
this blog doesn’t like some punctuation so the missing bits are: EuroferrYs, aferry and Portsmouth Express
Belle
Adem has held back my post as it icluded links Euroferrys and Euro Ferries which are different companies.
But Tricks your post has expalined !
Another P&O vessel did a trial into Boulogne today ….
trickydickie
Belle, do you know which PO vessel, I imagine it must be a freighter. Also do you know which Boulogne berth EF are hoping to use? Maybe PO are expecting more trouble at Calais and/or are going to book slots EF would otherwise have!
See, I can be cynical too.
Steve
I see that the BE has moved to another part of Santa Cruz, perhaps they don’t want us spying on her.
Belle
Tricks, Berth 16 for EF, old Hoverspeed, town centre side of Gare Maritime. That is why they say about having sole use of the facilities. I took some photos there today, went to capture the P&O freighter, but I din’t get there quick enough, I was enjoying lunch in Le Chatillon.
The Gare Maritime is in a terrible state, the passenger staging hasn’t been used since HS left. Loads of cormorants sunbathing on top !
P&O – today was the European Seaway, last time during strike action they put in the European Endeavour, both freighters and to the new ramp in the Hub Port Terminal. I posted a photo of the latter on Doverferryphoto forums today.
I think it is more likely to upset LD as they start the traditional ferry on the 11th November.
Peter
Would seem these are spoiling tactics on P&Os part, which from a commercial point of view make perfect sense, why should they sit back and let LD have it all thier own way in Boulogne? P&O made the mistake of letting Norfolk line get a toe hold in Dover when they should have increased capacity to get the freight moving .
Where does all this leave Euroferries? i would say no where, surly all the figures just do not add up for them?
Belle
Paul, Paul we need you !
Ladyman says about dredging the berth ? Which one and does it need it ?
She wouldn’t use one of the TEF’s then ?
Adem
Hi Belle, re 4:17pm comment.
I haven’t held any posts back. Sometimes the blog will put them in moderation if there are too many links as it thinks you may be spamming but just had a look and nothing is in the moderation.
All comments welcome here, and hapy to have you all visiting. Don’t know what we’ll do once it either succeeds (hmm), or finally concedes defeat.
Belle
Oh I’m sure they’ll let us have a break for Christmas then it’ll all start again in January. Adem your blog started 9th January and everytime there are announcements of starts it is always with only a few weeks to go, so here we are again !
The links didn’t matter as Trickydickie had already realised that there three Euroferries/Euro Ferries and Euroferrys, not very original name is it !
Do you know about the berth in Ramsgate, I’ve only been there once and although the Port website says three berths, if the one to be used is the single one nearer shore it looks a wreck from the photos on Google Earth.
I’ve posted a photo of our wonderful Gare Maritime on Doverferryphotos forum.
Peter
Im not so sure about all the talk of dredging, the fast craft have a very small draft, compared to the Trans Europa vessels. Even with a whishfull full load the fast thing will be drawing less water than a conventional ship loaded to her marks
Last time i looked in the port there are just the 2 usable berths, a single span and a double span which Trans Europa use, but very often TFL have two ships in the port, one loading on the double span and one laying by on the single span. I would say the fast thing will use the single span
Belle
so, dredging isn’t needed. Why do the port of Ramsgate say they have three berths – have a look at their webpages ?
Peter
They may have three berths not so sure if they are all usable, we all know web sites can say what ever they like!!!!
Belle
Well the little one on its own doesn’t look very healthy.
Steve
The port does have 3 berths.Looking at Google Earth, the one at the bottom is the double decker and that one and the one above it are used by TEF. The one by itself at the top is the one with the passenger walkway that was used by Sally and then by the seacats. It is now used by the Sea Jack for the wind farm. The very small narrow thing at the very bottom is used to offload aggregate I believe.
Peter
Am in Ramsgate tomorow will see if anything is going on
Belle
So maybe it is to be the old Sally Line berth, in which case it does need work, I am advised that this work has to be paid for by EF before anyone starts.
Peter, look forward to your report or if anyone else can throw light on this – Ladyman has been led up the garden path by EF earlier this year.
Steve
The old Sally berth is still in use by the Sea Jack and is likely to be for many months to come I suspect, so not really sure where the BE could berth. I was down there on Sunday and nothing at all is going on. The car park for the terminal is full of lorries and it could certainly do with resurfacing. I’ll try and get some photos this weekend.
Belle
Bonanza has moved today, she’s in the next basin South, probably because there are three cruise ships tied up in her usual spot.
Paul
Hi Belle, sorry havent been about, am currently working nights on the Pride of Dover.
Right, if you count the berths away from the shore towards the sea it goes 1, 2, 3, now number 1 berth (with the foot passenger walkway) is being used by the windfarm, who have a long lease deal with TDC for sole use of that and the surrounding dock side, this is all fenced off and inaccessable from the rest of the port, the BE would need to share number 2 berth with TEF Larkspur, this area does require dredging, for Larkspur and the windfarm vessels, well it has required dredging for many years…so my guess is that is the case, will pop down and have a look tomorrow for you as am now off to bed, ready for another night shift!
Bonne nuit!
Belle
But if Larkspur is using it then it shouldn’t be a problem for BE ?
Peter
Been out there today and NOTHING is going on, just the usual TEF ferry and the wind farm work, as Paul says Berth 1 is a no go berth 3 is the double deck berth which TEF use and berth 2 is used as a lay by berth by TEF, have seen all the TEF fleet laying on this berth from time to time. Just can not see any way that a new operator will be on site with a service up and running in 2 weeks! Mind you when Speed Ferries moved from the Eastern docks to the Western docks at Dover a couple of years ago we did all that in about 2 weeks, but that was on site all day for the two weeks with a company which was already up and running!
Belle
Thanks Peter
In Boulogne yesterday there wasn’t any activity either, apart from anything else it will need a good clean. It is years since the staging for passengers was used so likely to need some oiling as well.
I suppose we wait to see what the 1st brings, BE is still on the other pier in Santa Cruz.
James
Hello again Belle and All.
Your all still actively seeking this phantom vessel I see. Well ok, it does exist, but we’re not going to see it up in these waters.
I just wait to see what each excuse is. We are certainly due one very soon. Surely the next thing to happen must be an announcement that they are filing for bankruptcy?! They cant go on any longer this time round can they? Not even I imagined they could go on as long as they have.
I for one will be very very surprised if this happens.
Regarding P&O to Boulogne, its still not believed that the trials are because they want to start a new run. Some people think its just o see if they could run their ships teir in case of more problems at Calais.
James
Belle
James, I have heard something today as well, although they have been dredging in Boulogne.
James
Hi Belle,
What have you been hearing?
Dredging in Boulogne could just be the routine dredging. Happens everywhere.
James
Belle
No, I believe it was at the request of EF ….. by coincidence I took a photo yesterday as it entered the port ‘UKD Bluefin’.
The area around the Gare Maritime isn’t used by any company now.
As for the rest I’ll wait a few days in case it was a load of nonsense.
James
The Bluefin has been dredging at Calais as well I think. In which case it probably is just routine dredging around French Ports that UKD have a contract with.
Apparently Boulognes 2nd new ramp isn’t actually ordered yet. So it will be a while before it turns up.
P&O and Boulogne have now both said the berthing trials were only in case the port is needed to be used in an emergency.
James
Steve
Amazing how things get repeated on here.
James
Why where have you been seeing all this Steve?
trickydickie
BE seems to have disappeared again on Localizatodo, it was there this morning – can anyone see it on cctv – can’t link to that for some Apple reason!
Belle
It was in the other basin about an hour ago…. can be seen when camera is on Zone 16, distant but there.
andy
Euroferries website now advertising “All bookings made online include complimentary European travel insurance for trips returning within 8 days.”
Good marketing? or possibly an ominous gesture?!
Steve
You only get cover if you spend over a £100 I think.
This weeks ‘Thanet Extra’ has an article showing the costs to coach operators and they are :
Single tickets is £249 (Or though why you would have a one way coach trip) and a return is £436. On top of this of course the coach operators would apply the running costs.
I see the BE is still in Santa Cruz. I for one will be ringing on Sunday to book, as long as they can confirm that the service will start.
Steve
Sorry should have been. ‘Single tickets are’
R.O'Tate
http://www2.puertosdetenerife.org/appnet/mapa_buques/F_MAPA_PUERTO.aspx?TIPO=PUERTO&SID=3szwuv451dgem5550m5fii45
This link shows the BE to be due to move, or is scheduled to be in port until (if my spanish is better than my english) around 23:00 on 10/11/09
Belle
That would be some going to get it from Gran Canaria to Boulogne by the 14th …… also what about trials on the 9th ?
La Luz is where it was tied up before going back to Tenerife.
I think I said before, it needs 4/5 days to get here, also I assume it will be painted down there, should be easy as they have done one side before.
Just as well it isn’t coming up the Bay of Biscay in the next few days, never mind wavecutter, it would need to be a submarine.
Have you seen the wind forecast in the Dover Straits – 90kmh …. someone already referred to it as the Vomit Comet and believe me in those winds it will be a very long vomit.
More seriously, I reckon it will need to quit Las Palmas by about the 4th to be here in time for the trials date being menioned.
Although, CCI do not have
Steve
Although, CCI do not have ?
Belle
…..a start date.
nigel
has anybody considered it might be the old speedferry cat she went to falmouth a while ago maybe to a and p for a refit she is only a few hours away with a fine weather window
Belle
They are announcing BE everywhere also Sea Leopard doesn’t carry coaches and I believe has a new charter in the offing.
Lord Lucan
Speedone is now back at Tilbury after going to Falmouth for a lick of paint and a general tidy up. Her new name is now on Sea Leopard. http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=235007470 this will take you to the first picture of Speedone, click on ships photos 2
The word is that it was sold. Cannot find out if that is true. But I would not mind betting that this is the craft that Euro Ferries will be using. If it is the state of the art bit is a bit of a laugh.
Lord Lucan
Just carried a search for Speedone/Sea Leopard. It was purchased on the 11/05/2009 by Epic Shipping of Hong Kong and is currently layed up at Tilbury awaiting a charter.
trickydickie
Coaches on Speed One?
Belle
Lord Lucan – Do you think the charter with Fred Olsen isn’t going ahead and being replaced by Sea Leopard/Speed One which was purchased by Epic Shipping for about 7/8 million pounds earlier this year, built 1997.
The Bonanza Express was built in 1999 so hardly state of the art either, but bigger.
EF say they are using Berth 16, the SL/SO wouldn’t fit there, that is why a new ramp was brought in to Berth 13 for her to use.
andy
I think you’ll find EF have decided that Bonanza Express is not state of the art anymore:
“The Bonanza Express is a modern, high speed catamaran ferry. This vessel matches the stringent requirements and expectations of Euroferries; speed, superior comfort and high quality service.”
I wonder what triggered this sudden change in opinion? My bet would be they have been reading certain comments…
Belle
Have a look at this link, this shows the Bencomo (Hull 053) on fast turnaround, notice the area available for turning, the three pronged ramp. Neither Boulogne nor Ramsgate have this facility – they will struggle with the 35/50 minutes turnaround time and don’t get me going on their 75 minutes !
http://www.incat.com.au/domino/incat/incatweb.nsf/0/F32144878B9634FECA25742C00033042?OpenDocument
Then there is the pets issue, Ramsgate Port website say no animals….
It is almost as if they are trying too hard, everything is the best or the better, in reality the vessel is 10 years old, had a nasty bump last Decemeber has only gently toddled from Gran Canaria to Santa Cruz once since.
It is all too good to be true ……
I’ve tried the telephone number it isn’t working from here.
Belle
http://www.canarysatellite.com/puertoscam.html
webcam is showing her now, top left….
trickydickie
Has anyone seen any EF paid-for advertising, promotional material, brochure, posters on either side of the water? I haven’t seen anything in local Thanet press. Seems potty to me that they are not doing any promotion of the service other than the website just two weeks before the start, not even in the local community, which one would expect by now.
Belle
They are getting it free by all the announcements that the local press keep falling for !
Although, I don’t think Thanet alone will be able to sustain the service ……
trickydickie
Agreed Belle, Thanet can’t support much at all at present! But it should be obvious to them to promote their service in the Thanet/Kent/SE London region. This provides a huge catchment area for the existing DO-CA services and the operator’s respective advertising spend in the regional press/outdoor/TV media reflects the importance of this marketplace – especially in the run-up to Christmas.
Free press coverage, especially of a negative tone, will not get them very far!
Belle
You’ve given me a smile !
Has anyone been able to get through on the phone line yet ? Doesn’t work from here – says it is not in service ……
Richard Eastcliff
According a comment on my website today the phone service is operating, and they are promising to include travel insurance with the ticket price.
See here
Belle
“All Euroferries tickets booked online have free travel insurance included within the cost. The Euroferries Travel Insurance policy provides cover
on the following basis:
Â? Cover is provided on a Per Person basis
Â? For trips of up to 8 days duration
Â? European coverage only
Â? Maximum age is up to and including 75 years old
Â? No cover for pre-existing medical conditions
Â? EU residents only ”
Under Terms and Conditions:-
“(vi) You are advised to arrange appropriate personal travel, vehicle and vehicle recovery insurance for your
circumstances as well as taking out your own health insurance, since cover under national schemes is not always
comprehensive. Please refer to Paragraph 7.”
7. Insurance.
It is recommended that all passengers have adequate insurance cover. For passengers booking through our on-line
system, Euroferries provide complimentary travel insurance that offers prudent and appropriate protection for your
journey but certain terms and conditions contained within the policy may mean cover is not available to or
appropriate for some passengers. Please read carefully the details provided on the Insurance pages contained
within this web site to ensure you understand fully the extent of insurance applying to each passenger.
Applecakes
Paul you were so full of bullshit when you worked at the port and still are it seems. You know nothing about the dock and your talking utter shit
trickydickie
Applecakes, you seem like a really nice girl!
Adem
Applecakes: Language please!
Let’s try and keep this discussion friendly.
Belle
Then Applecakes – what is going on in Ramsgate Port, is everything being prepared for the arrival of BE ?
trickydickie
Can anyone see BE, it’s not showing up on Localizatodo today.
Applecakes
The windfarm has been delayed due to Tech problems so will be working well into December. Then Euroferries will move from Berth 2 to Berth 3 making way for one of 3 new ships for Transeuropa.
Applecakes
that one of will share with the Larkspur on berth 2
Steve
BE is back on Localizatodo still at Santa Cruz and they only have 11 days to go!
Applecakes
Correction to 1st post , Euroferries will move from berth 2 to berth 1 when th Sea jack has gone.
Adem
The local papaer ‘Thanet Times’ is saying that the port won’t be ready in time although there is still optimism from people in the article that it will all work out fine…. hmmm
Steve
I somehow feel the article in the ‘Thanet Times’ is the excuse we have all been waiting for. I suppose that they have had months to get things ready doesn’t really count.
Steve
Stating the port is not ready is a bit of an under statement, absolutely nothing has been done, no signs anywhere and the whole place just looks so run down and just over 2 weeks to go.
One of 3 new ships for Transeuropa?
What do you mean? Anyone know anything more?
I’m not waiting for Euroferries…
Who really wants to travel oversea, must see this:
I love Ostend-Ramsgate
WaveRyder
Been watching this blog for a while now. Seems there is alot more going on than what the local press wants us to believe.
Applecakes + Securitygaurd, you say that Paul is talking bollocks, but it seems that what he has said about the port operations is correct, from what i can see and what Applecakes has said tnumber 1 birth is not usable for ferry operations as it is being occupied by the wind farm and that 3 birth is double ramped so not usable, as for the terminal buildings, all is looking very run down and in need of work before this all takes off.
trickydickie
krisostend – you need to get out more, it’s a budget class ferry service for Pete’s sake! If you like the life so much you should take a week’s holiday on Hull-Rotterdam and back and back and back
I see there’s a force 6/7 forecast tonight in Dover Straights. Does any one know a supplier of those plastic lined sweetie bags – could be a new business opportunity for an enterprising Thanetian! I can get them printed with the EF logo and ecological disposal instructions! Might also need those neck braces the F1 drivers wear after a shunt.
Belle
http://www2.puertosdetenerife.org/appnet/mapa_buques/F_MAPA_PUERTO.aspx?TIPO=PUERTO&SID=3szwuv451dgem5550m5fii45
Google translate
BONANZA EXPRESS 20 PASSENGER RAPIDO EN T2009-4893-3 LIGHT AND LAS PALMAS UNITED KINGDOM (NOT DETERMINE) 26/10/2009 11:35:00 06/11/2009 20:00:00 PLAINS DL-5 Fred Olsen SA
Belle
There were three guys working on the ramp in Boulogne this afternoon….
and according to the link in my last post leaving port and heading for UK on the evening of the 6th November …… more waiting !
Steve
Hi
I have just received an email from Steve Ladyman with two photos taken on the 30th showing the BE being repainted with the EF livery, also a press release from EF dated today saying.
” Euroferries is pleased to confirm that the high speed ferry, Bonanza Express since last week has been undergoing final preperations by FOSA in Tenerife for its transfer to Boulogne.
Arrangements including dredging are in hand in both Ports in support of Euroferries new Ramsgate/Boulogne service scheduled to commence on the 14th November.’
Publication Date 03/11/09
Ends
If someone can tell me how to get the photos on here I will post them.
Steve
The press release does say in the notes that there is a photo of the completed terminal interior at Ramsgate and that various media have been requesting an update and this press release is in response to such.
Steve
Try this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grimwig/
Steve
Date on the photos caption should be the 31st Oct not the 30th.
James
Well heres to waiting to see if she leaves on the 6th now. Not long to wait.
Im still not convinced it will happen, but we shall see.
Belle
go to the webcam now !
Belle
too late !
Adem
What happened? It’s not working for me..
trickydickie
Belle, what was that all about?
Now let’s all give them the benefit of the doubt – they have said that the main thrust of the business will be high speed coaches London-Paris. Let’s assume they’ve got tie-ups with enough operators to make it financially viable.
Now then, coach operators work on very specific schedules/timetables/costings in order to make services viable and reliable for pax as well profitable. They need to keep vehicles on the move just the same as budget airlines. They will not tolerate broken schedules caused by poor weather conditions, breakdowns or port delays.
Even with 2 cats in good weather on R-B the sailing schedule will be too patchy. That’s why Dover is a hub for coaches – they have a choice of operators and routes plus Eurotunnel as well. Pricing is competitive and there is a continuous stream of (fairly) quick crossings.
We’ll see.
Adem
I’ve put Steve’s photos of the Bonanza Express paintjob here on my blog for you to see as I thought they would be of interest to those who don’t read all the comments or follow the links.
Belle
There was a close up of her turning to get the other side done !
Just coincidence that I looked at the very moment the webcam was on her.
I think Boulogne will be very disappointed if the majority of coaches are for Paris ….. that isn’t the impression given to the townfolk here.
So, we wait, who will open a book length of time it lasts and amount of debts ….. sorry, couldn’t resist !
Applecakes
Waveryder,
The Euroferries operation is being lined up to run on Linkspan 2 until the Windfarm operation with the Sea Jack has finished. I don’t just make things up just tell you facks unlike Paul.
WaveRyder
ahh ok Applecakes, I must have got the wrong end of the stick, reading his and others posts it seem like they were all saying it would be running on 2 berth, but what about the traffic management systems? I guess this will also need to be updated to handle extra passenger vehicles?
Adem
Here are photos of the Bonanza Express all painted:
http://thanetonline.blogspot.com/2009/11/euroferries-bonanza-all-painted-up-and.html
Belle
Tricks, old boy, the high speed coaches London to Paris, how long do you think it will take, from Boulogne it’s 2hrs 30mins to Paris on a good day, lets be generous and say 1hr 3mins on the ferry, check in at least an hour before to get everyone through security and customs – the unknown for me is how long from Stratford via the Medway towns mentioned 2 hours maybe ?
So where is the sustained market for people going to Paris and taking 7 hours to get there from Stratford ? They keep mentioning about people crossing for the 2012 Olympics, who and why ? Never mind that its still a long way off.
Belle
1hr 3mins should read 1hr 30mins.
James
Calm down Applecakes. The only thing that you have said which is different to Paul, is that you reckon the windfarm works will be complete fairly soon ad Euroferries (if they start) will then swap berths, whereas Paul seemed to suggest it would be ages until the works finished. Apart from that, you have both said it will start on the same berth, and what he has said about nothing going on at Ramsgate has yet to be disproved. In fact most people seem to back him up. Ok so there is apparently a picture of the inside of the terminal having been completed now (although this picture doesnt show much), but Paul hasnt been working at Ramsgate for a while now, so that is plausible.
So come on, show us the proof that Paul has been talking rubbish?
From here you sound like an ex girlfriend that is annoyed because he dumped you, or something along those lines.
trickydickie
Hi Belle
2 hours from Stratford is achieveable – but not reliable during morning/evening peak periods due to general traffic volumes and especially the Thames river crossing at Dartford which is badly congested in both directions most days and sometimes all day. I would expect the average time to be more like 2.5 – 3hrs other than during the night.
I can’t imagine a sustained market either – let’s not mention 2012 carryings until they’ve been in business through 10 and 11!!
Eurostar will take pax almost straight into the Games park in about 1.5 hours from Calais.
trickydickie
Applecakes, what is a fack?
Belle
I priced up a ticket from Paris to London on Eurostar, they have an offer running until the end of this month for travel from the 24th November through to end of March – minimum two travelling starting from 69 Euro per person return and 2hrs 15 mins.
Maybe something similar is happening in the UK ? I’ve thought about the coaches thing, if you read the website it says the coaches will be waiting to collect from the ferry, so that tends to suggest that their coaches don’t go onboard, maybe they will have them on both sides. I don’t think that is likely.
I tell you what we do get far too many of over here are the school trips, there are days when the rue de Lille is like a playground ! Puts genuine spenders off, all the screeching and junk, where are the teachers, usually having a coffee or lunch, leaving the rabble with their sandwiches on the cathedral steps.
It also makes Nausicaa most unpleasant which is sad.
trickydickie
Morning Belle
Ho Hum, all in the case of furthering international relationships I guess! I regret to say that the reverse traffic is sometimes the same in Canterbury.
I don’t believe they can base a business model on that market alone, especially with the fixed costs they have. So where are the ‘full-fare-paying-pax’ coming from in the low and shoulder seasons?
Belle
Like Norman Arrow, I suspect there will be an element of curiosity at the beginning, then it will settle into the winter season, which is dire.
They must have a big back up of money to get them through the next 4/5 months before numbers increase again around Easter. The one thing that keeps a ferry going through these months is freight, now if LD have struggled with their cat and are changing tactics, it will be unlikely that EF will pick up much and on a smaller craft. Although, in all their bumpf they do say ‘tourist traffic’.
trickydickie
Correct in all particulars.
Any new product/service launch needs to be the right product at the right time, in the right place and at the right cost to be successful.
A new fish restaurant opened recently in Ramsgate, with loads of hype and celebrity chefs spouting on. The first local and selective (posh) customers found it expensive, poor quality and poor service. Consequently its claims have never been fulfilled and it now has a tarnished reputation amongst the most influential local punters.
Fast craft to France in November? Wrong product, wrong time, wrong place, wrong price.
Belle
20 BONANZA EXPRESS PASAJE RAPIDO ES T2009-4893-3 LA LUZ Y LAS PALMAS LOS CRISTIANOS (TENERIFE) 26/10/2009 11:35:00 22/11/2009 12:00:00 LLANOS DL-5 FRED OLSEN, S.A.
Note the new date !!!!!!!!
Belle
… and Los Critianos, must be an error.
Belle
According to Robert on ECR’s blog, he has it confirmed from another source
Trying to find out more on this side of La Manche
Neptune Watcher
Can anyone explain why a bunch of faceless (has anybody seen them or know where their office is) ‘business people’ (alegedly!) want to con a few people (and entertain us bloggers) into believing a new ferry (or should it be fairy!) is starting next week? Presume a few people have been daft enough to cough up the cash for a ticket, but apart from that nobody knows it is supposed to be happening – no advertising, nothing apart from the website. So what is their master plan?
Applecakes
No Work has been completed in the ferry terminal and Euroferries will be working from the old Thomas Cook booth. James for the record I have never been out with Paul as he had a bit of a hygine problem and find it hard to believe anyone would. Does sound like you have found true love though. I have not a problem with Paul but just find his comments about the Port very funny indeed.
Applecakes
Trickiedick ,
sorry was a mistake very sorry should have been facts.
very sorry sir
Belle
Applecakes – if you read the posts above it now appears that BE isn’t coming to our waters.
Have a look at:
http://www2.puertosdetenerife.org/appnet/mapa_buques/F_MAPA_PUERTO.aspx?TIPO=PUERTO&SID=3szwuv451dgem5550m5fii45
Will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings, maybe they haven’t paid the bill yet and EF are fed up of waiting…. or at the very last moment all will be in order and she’ll set sail.
Applecakes
There has been no work done at all in the dock that’s for sure. What I heard was that Euroferries were taking bookings in hope to generate enough money to pay TDC ? Also that the head office of Euroferries was registered to an old peoples home in London. Read into it how you see it but I would advise anyone thinking of booking to hold back.
trickydickie
I note that Fred Olsen already runs cats from Los Cristianos in the SW of Tenerife to Gomera and La Palma.
Steve
This all seems really strange. The vessel has obviously been repainted with EF livery within the last week, so why should it be going elsewhere, it could be of course that the website showing the destination is wrong. As Belle says it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.
Belle
The old route for Bonanza Express was Los Cristianos, where she ran aground, La Gomera and El Hierro. There is a smaller vessel 40metres called the Benchi Express on the route at present.
When the locals heard that Bonanza wasn’t returning after her bump there was great disappointment. Do a google search and you should get some photos of her last December.
Applecakes – here is the link for a report:
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/thanet/Ramsgate-ferry-arrive-time/article-1482072-detail/article.html
It says that things have been done. The customers money according to Dr Ladyman MP is in an escrow account, someone on here hs said that it is going to aferry.com
Belle
Steve – I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt, but the Localizatodo site is now showing the CRT/GMR/VDE destination again.
Could it be a big ploy by Fred Olsen to get their money from EF, I would doubt that, more likely they have realised what a bunch of amateurs they have been dealing with.
I am sure even down there they must know the general concensus, if all this proves to be true, I hope they refund pdq !
Steve
It seems to show that off and on and its still showing the ETA as 13/10 at 12:31. I still can’t see why Fred Olsen would have the BE repainted again after the delays before without having some sort of guarantee (money)from EF. I suppose now we really are just down to waiting again and seeing where she goes.
James
Applecakes, you are going round backing up virtually everything Paul has said, so I dont understand why you are saying he is talking crap? If he is talking crap, then so are you.
I have no idea who Paul is, and I have no idea who you are, You could both be horses belonging to jordan for all I know. I am not on anybodies side, but I find it strange where your comments are coming from. You say Paul is talking crap, despite everything seeming to back him up, and then you go and say exactly the same things that he has been saying. I will ask again, please show me what he has said that is rubbish?
James
James
You and Paul = same person.
Applecakes
James,
Paul Sep 16th, 2009 at 3:03 pm WonÂ?t be for too long Kris, both her and the Eurovoyager have to leave service at the end of the yearÂ?
RUBBISH
Steve
Aren’t we going off topic here really. I don’t think this is the place to squabble over something that is not really that important. I’m sure in the end we will find out who was right or wrong.
Belle
Has anybody called them to get clarification ? The number still doesn’t work from here ?
James
Applecakes. Thankyou, at long last. At least now you have partly backed your comments up.
As for Paul and I being the same person, it may sound like it, but if you look, everything i was saying was making sense. Just couldnt see where Applcakes’ comments were coming from.
Your not all still waiting for the phantom Euroferries are you?
So has she left today? Nope, didnt think so.
James
trickydickie
Belle
The phone line seems to be working, just got a recorded message -“all our lines are busy, our first sailing is on 14 November bookings can be made on line etc etc etc. . . “
Belle
Go to a comment on EDR’s blog, in Spanish, then he has translated.
It seems they are trying to get another vessel, now which one will that be ?
Neptune Watcher
IOTG today says BE will arrive in Boulogne this weekend! Is it being transported like they do in Star Trek!! Picture of Tax Free shop as well! Now what excuses will they be coming up with next week. Reckon the phone lines being busy is rubbish – probably blocked them as they know there never will be a EF service from Ramsgate.
Belle
The IOTG will have been sent to print before the latest turn of events, if it was to leave at 8pm local time this evening as previously stated on the port website it still wouldn’t get up here in two days. The Tax Free shop photo is this the one on This French Life website, if so a panel on the left says Duty Free !!!
I bet the phone lines are busy, those that have booked wanting assurances that they’ll get their money back and others demanding explanations – no doubt it won’t be EF’s fault.
If, as the Spaniard has posted on ECR is correct they are trying to find another vessel, Tilbury isn’t far and that could arrive over the weekend and go to her old berth. Can’t carry coaches though….
Anyone ?
trickydickie
Has Speed One, or whatever it’s called now, ever been to Ramsgate? Makes sense at Boulogne but can Ramsgate ramp be used? Any volunteer decorators near Tilbury ready for a bit of overtime?
trickydickie
Well here we go . . .
Just got a human answer from the phone line. ‘vessel’ IS arriving over the WEEKEND and will start “safety” trials at Boulogne Monday/Tuesday. The very nice lady was not able to explain how the vessel was going to get here from Tenerife, but was insistent that they will start service on 14th and did ask me if I was one of the “Infamous” bloggers who keep phoning.
Who remembers Kenneth Williams’s classic shout: “infamy – infamy (inFORme)” in Carry On whatever?
Peter
SpeedOne=Sea Leopard, if she still has her stern ramps then all she needs is a pontoon like Boulogne to lower her ramps on to. She has the headroom aft where a couple of coaches could go, bit tight width wise and not sure what the load limit is on her loading ramps, though coaches not a heavy as they look.
Peter
She didnt say which vessel i take it ?
trickydickie
OK Peter, “a couple of coaches” doesn’t stack up with their previous statements about coach traffic. Does the headroom allow for those high tech two-storey jobbies or just ‘single-deckers’?
Oh yes, don’t leopards go to sleep in trees?
trickydickie
No, when asked how IT was going to get here from T, she just repeated that it would be at B on Monday/Tuesday. I didn’t want to give her a hard time, she sounded very nice, but not like ‘normal’ call centre staff who are often very ‘neutral’.
Peter
They may be getting the Leopard on a short term charter till the other heap is ready? dont think they could take another false start!
She could only take single deck coaches right aft, when the Australian navy used this craft in the East Timor trouble a few years ago she did take some heavy equipment so the ramps and deck should be ok for a couple of coaches
Applecakes
Comment Removed
trickydickie
Don’t tease dear sweet child – tell more!
Peter
Comment Removed
Applecakes
Comment Removed
Peter
I guess the cost of the paint for the logo must have done for them
trickydickie
Diagnosis = Premature evacuation!
Ken
Comment Removed
Steve
What are we going to do now!!
Richard Eastcliff
Some proof or confirmation would be a good thing at this stage, methinks. Otherwise, if they haven’t ‘gone bust’, they might well come after you for publishing malicious falsehoods!
Paxman
I have just checked the London Gazette and there is no mention of the firm going into administration etc.
I believe that any firm that goes into administration or what ever it is called has it’s detailed added to the London Gazette.
Where is Mr Ladyman? Would he know?
trickydickie
Ken
You can – if it belongs to somebody else, and they want it back before you’ve paid for it, but you don’t have it any more. Selling short in a futures market perhaps?
trickydickie
STOP THE PRESS!
BE is still in Santa Cruz!!!
I don’t belieeeeeve it!
R.O'Tate
LD lines laying off crew too. All the staff fronm NA.
Belle
I read 9 job losses ….
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/Jobs-LD-Lines-Dover/article-1479552-detail/article.html
Steve
I have emailed Steve Ladyman and am waiting for a reply, but don’t hold your breath.
Steve
I would have thought the first thing to go would be the booking site. I remember when the EU went into administration at Manston, the first thing taken off was the booking site, so perhaps we should wait and see.
trickydickie
Come on Applecakes, where’s the intell?
Steve
Just had a reply from Mr Ladyman regarding the alleged bankruptcy of EF. He says “It is nonsense.”
I see though the BE is still tied up in Santa Cruz.
Belle
Did he offer an explanation as to the delay/non-arrival of BE ?
If you look at Thanet on Line Blog and the last comment on the EF piece it says delayed but two and a half days to get here ……
Indiana Bones
I just heard they had till 16.00 yesterday to come up with some cash and they failed. End of Euroferries.
trickydickie
Suppose I’ll now have start raking up leaves in the garden . . .
Steve
They still appear to be taking bookings.
That’s all I got from Steve Ladyman I’ll wait until later when the BE doesn’t appear and then see what he says.
Belle
But who will be stupid enough to book !
Jani
Good ?ay! I could have sworn I’v? been to your blog bef?re but ?fter looking at some of the posts I realized it’s ne? to me.
Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarkiung it and checking back regularly!
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