"BARFLEUR" to resume service with BRITTANY FERRIES

 It was recently announced that the "BARFLEUR" at present on charter with DFDS/LD LINES on the Dover/Calais route is to resume service with BF on the Cherbourg/Poole crossing next March, good news for the frequent passengers, for both regions on the Channel and of course for the BF crews. There has been some complains about the DEAL SEAWAYS not being able to cope with the 45 minutes turnarounds on the Dover/Calais, the fact is she was not tailored for that type of ferry service, she will do well as always when she resumes service on the route she was built for

                                   Barfleur at sea in May last year

                                  On board the DEAL SEAWAYS, 16.6.2012, probably no need to change the name

           

                                     DEAL SEAWAYS at sea 16.6.2012

                                     DEAL SEAWAYS arriving Calais 16.6.2012

Top photo, "BARFLEUR" departing Poole 21.5.2011

"BARFLEUR" chartered to LD LINES/DFDS

Unexpected post on this blog, the BARFLEUR arriving at Calais on the 17.6.2012, the ship is on charter with the new joint-venture LD LINES/DFDS on the Dover/Calais route, she does five crossings per day and together with the NORMAN SPIRIT they are the only competition on this busy service to P & O FERRIES, after the collapse with SEAFRANCE. I have travelled on the "DEAL SEAWAYS" her ridiculous new name and was pleased to see her back at sea, she still flies the French flag and is registered at Cherbourg, I hope she will go back to BF sooner than later

Remembering the "PONT L'ABBE"

PONT L'ABBE was built in 1978 by AALBORG VAERFT A/S in Denmark, she was 14397 GRT and was operated by DFDS as the DANA ANGLIA on the Esbjerg to Harwich route, in 2002 she was renamed DUKE OF SCANDINAVIA before entering the service between Copenhagen and Gdansk in Poland, she was returned to the North Sea in 2003 for the Newcastle to Ijmuiden in Holland route. In 2006 BRITTANY FERRIES sold the VAL DE LOIRE and chartered the vessel for the Roscoff to Plymouth service renaming the ship "PONT L'ABBE" she remained on that route for one year when she was eventually bought by BF. She kept the service from Brittany to Plymouth alternating with the Plymouth to Saint-Malo route, she was laid up in 2008 after being withdrawn from service and was sold to MOBY LINES in 2009, she is still in service, during the BF years the ship had capacity for 1100 passengers and 400 cars, the GRT was 18321. Postcards from my collection