Drivers lounge and Self service restaurant on board "PONT-AVEN"

Self-Service restaurant and drivers lounge on board flagship "PONT-AVEN", photos taken last December

"CAP FINISTERE", dog friendly ship

Dogs can be really happy on board "CAP FINISTERE", apart from the friendly pet cabins, their dedicated owners can spend hours with them during the crossing, well done BF, photos taken on the 17th January

CAP FINISTERE at sea

CAP FINISTERE at sea on the Bay of Biscay last monday, the 23rd January, the ship was sailing at 24 knots in a beautiful setting

"CAP FINISTERE" at Portsmouth

"CAP FINISTERE" arriving at Portsmouth last tuesday, the 17th of January, the ship is finishing her crossing from Santander, she is been covering for PONT-AVEN which is in Poland for a refit

"ARMORIQUE" at Portsmouth yesterday

New state of the art "ARMORIQUE" arriving yesterday at Portsmouth, the ship is normally used on the Plymouth to Roscoff service but at the moment is covering for "MONT ST MICHEL" on the Caen to Portsmouth route during ST MICHEL refit in Poland. Photos taken yesterday while boarding the Gosport Ferry SPIRIT OF GOSPORT

"ARMORIQUE"

"ARMORIQUE" was built in Finland by STX EUROPE and delivered to BF in 2009 for mainly to be used on the Plymouth to Roscoff route, she is 32.500 GRT and has a top speed of nearly 25 knots, the ship has capacity for 1500 passengers and 470 cars, at the moment "ARMORIQUE" is on the Ouistreham to Portsmouth service covering for MONT ST MICHEL which is in Poland at the moment, photos BF apart from the top one, the ship at Portsmouth early last year

"MONT ST MICHEL" and "PONT-AVEN undergoing refits in Poland

"MONT ST MICHEL" and "PONT-AVEN" are currently in Poland undergoing refits, both ships will resume service in the beginning of February, ST MICHEL was nine years old last December and the BF's flagship will be eight years old this March

A very fast ship approaches her port of call

Some more photos of PONT-AVEN arriving Santander on the 1st December 2011, very sunny but also very windy day, I was at the Peninsula de la Magdalena waiting for the ship to photograph her and later in the day board the vessel for my return trip to the UK, a very rough one by the way. PONT-AVEN cruises at an average of 22 knots during the 24 hour crossing from Santander to Portsmouth.

Beautiful "DUC DE NORMANDIE" remembered

This post is a tribute to a beautiful BF car ferry, the "DUC DE NORMANDIE", the ship was built by VEROLME SHIPYARD in HOLLAND in 1978 for the Hook Van Holland / Harwich service as the PRINSES BEATRIX, she was operated by STOOMVART ZEELAND. In 1986 the ship was bought by BF to be used on the Ouistreham / Portsmouth and Plymouth / Roscoff services, she served the company well until 2004 when she was sold to TRANSEUROPA FERRIES and renamed WISTERIA, she is still sailing today. I have fond memories of this ship, sailed many times, visited the bridge and even the engine room, she was really attractive, when built she was 9367 GRT and had a top speed of 23 knots. Photos above, top image at sea from the VAL DE LOIRE, leaving Plymouth on the next two, departing Portsmouth, all 2002 and a BF postcard

Remember the beautiful "QUIBERON"

Seen here at Plymouth on top and leaving Ouistreham second photo, is the beautiful BF ferry "QUIBERON", both photos from 2002 last year that the vessel was in service with BF. The ship was named after the rock-strewn bay on the west coast of Brittany about 100 miles from the city of Brest. "QUIBERON" was built in 1975 as the NILS DACKE, she served BF between 1984 and 2002, I have fond memories of this beautiful ship, sailed several times on QUIBERON one of them from Saint-Malo to Portsmouth in 2001 where we were overwhelmed by an amazing storm. "QUIBERON" ended her days at Alang in 2010 named D'ABUNDO