No IF Rosslare France service after end September

Started by ccs, June 06, 2018, 11:20:58 AM

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IFPete

Brittany Ferries are not noted for their freight capacity.

Collision-course

Quote from: IFPete on June 15, 2018, 12:04:37 PM
Brittany Ferries are not noted for their freight capacity.
Traditionally no, but in recent years they have expanded into that market, Brittany Ferries Economie is primarily targeted at freight. They now have a second freight route to Spain from Cork with Cork - Roscoff connecting with their new Roscoff - Bilbao service.

Steven

Bretagne has less than 800 lane metres and capacity for around 2000 passengers with most of them in berths.  I don't know what her minimum crewing level is but IIRC she normally operates with over 100!  I can't see how such a vessel could even be considered as suitable for an off-peak freight oriented service given her running costs!  She is used less intensively for a reason.
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

IFPete

Whats the difference between ETRETAT and Connamara apart from the Branding.

Collision-course

#19
Quote from: Steven on June 18, 2018, 01:56:07 AM
Bretagne has less than 800 lane metres and capacity for around 2000 passengers with most of them in berths.  I don't know what her minimum crewing level is but IIRC she normally operates with over 100!  I can't see how such a vessel could even be considered as suitable for an off-peak freight oriented service given her running costs!  She is used less intensively for a reason.
Passenger demand has exceeded expectation on the Cork- Santander route by a considerable margin, it turns out that 500 passenger spaces is less than half of what is required during the peak, and thats on an initial offering targeted at freight on an economy model, demand does appear to be enough to run a passenger vessel alongside the freight vessel, Bretagne is suitable to relieve the passenger pressure on the route but would in no way be able to replace the Connemara, as you said it simply does not have the lane meters for that, I suspect that when the charter of Connemara is up what Brittany ferries will be looking for is a RoPax with between 2500-3000 lane meters and passenger space between 1000-1500 and a matching or near matching number of cabin berths running 3 times weekly with something else providing the second (and possibly third) weekly sailing to Roscoff alongside Pont Aven. Baie de Seine is worth watching, it is due to be replaced by an E-Flexer around the time Connemara's charter expires, its possible Baie de Seine's charter might be extended depending on whats available in the charter market at the time.

IFPete

if he numbers stack up there may be a sniff of competition. However these are summer peak passenger numbers and biscay is not the nicest place to be in middle of winter.

Collision-course

Quote from: IFPete on June 19, 2018, 08:20:44 AM
if he numbers stack up there may be a sniff of competition. However these are summer peak passenger numbers and biscay is not the nicest place to be in middle of winter.
Indeed, it will be interesting to see what the winter offering is, while indications and projections are very good, as this route is totally new it is impossible to say how it will behave until the full two years of operation are complete.
As for competition, well one can not help but notice WB Yates technical specification makes her well suited for Bay of Biscay operation, while it would be great to see Irish Ferries back in Cork, I wont be holding my breath lol

IFPete

#22
Personally i would doubt Irish Ferries would operate a dedicated service to Spain out of Cork.

If they were going to do anything they would begin with an epsilon operation out of Dublin or Rosslare.

I peronally feel they would move out of Roscoff to Brest if they got the opportunity and who knows about Spain.

At one point Irish ferries were considering a service to Spain out of Pembroke Dock.

When the Pride of Bilbao was returned from P&O, Irish Ferries looked at operating the services from Portsmouth to Bilbao themselves until St Peters Lines owners made them an offer they could not refuse to purchase the Pride of Bilbao.

A83

Why Brest? I came through Roscoff on a friday last week and noted Pont Aven, Oscar Wilde and another BF ship all either on the one berth or in the bay. It struck me that Roscoff badly needs another berth. Does Brest have better facilities?

IFPete

i believe Brest has a berth, its outside the english channel and ships going there do not need to comply with sulphur imisions regulations. Its also closer to the road network and rail network and closer to Spain and broadly similar in distance from ireland as Rosscoff is.

Steven

Quote from: IFPete on June 20, 2018, 09:42:51 PM
i believe Brest has a berth, its outside the english channel and ships going there do not need to comply with sulphur imisions regulations. Its also closer to the road network and rail network and closer to Spain and broadly similar in distance from ireland as Rosscoff is.
Brest definitely has a berth, it was used recently by CONNEMARA to avoid protests at Roscoff.  I'm not sure about its availability for a regular scheduled service though.  Like the rest of us, Brest will be covered by the emissions regulations from 2020.
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

Chef

Brest just has a link span and a berth with a chain link fence around it , no terminal or proper check in facilities customs etc . I got to use it some years ago on a return to Cork with  Brittany Ferries Pont Aven due to a picket at Roscoff.

awaityourreply

Quote from: Collision-course on June 19, 2018, 12:32:10 AM
Quote from: Steven on June 18, 2018, 01:56:07 AM
Bretagne has less than 800 lane metres and capacity for around 2000 passengers with most of them in berths.  I don't know what her minimum crewing level is but IIRC she normally operates with over 100!  I can't see how such a vessel could even be considered as suitable for an off-peak freight oriented service given her running costs!  She is used less intensively for a reason.
Passenger demand has exceeded expectation on the Cork- Santander route by a considerable margin, it turns out that 500 passenger spaces is less than half of what is required during the peak, and thats on an initial offering targeted at freight on an economy model, demand does appear to be enough to run a passenger vessel alongside the freight vessel, Bretagne is suitable to relieve the passenger pressure on the route but would in no way be able to replace the Connemara, as you said it simply does not have the lane meters for that, I suspect that when the charter of Connemara is up what Brittany ferries will be looking for is a RoPax with between 2500-3000 lane meters and passenger space between 1000-1500 and a matching or near matching number of cabin berths running 3 times weekly with something else providing the second (and possibly third) weekly sailing to Roscoff alongside Pont Aven. Baie de Seine is worth watching, it is due to be replaced by an E-Flexer around the time Connemara's charter expires, its possible Baie de Seine's charter might be extended depending on whats available in the charter market at the time.

Maybe one of the new vessels coming on stream for Brittany Ferries could end up servicing one of their two routes now operating from Cork in addition to other services within the Brittany Ferries route network.

Both the newly named vessels: "Galicia" and "Salamanca" will be based in Portsmouth, UK and operate long-haul services to Spain. They are part of Brittany Ferries' fleet renewal and investment programme and will be the second and third new vessels to join the fleet post-Brexit. They will follow on from new LNG-powered ship "Honfleur", which is scheduled to start service on the route between Portsmouth and Caen, France from 2019.

Full article (via the below link) is courtesy of CruiseandFerry.net the online home of International Cruise & Ferry Review, a twice-yearly magazine that is also available for subscription in both printed and digital formats.

http://www.cruiseandferry.net/articles/brittany-ferries-to-name-two-new-ferries-galica-and-salamanca

IFPete

There is pressure group looking at the possible effects on ireland resulting from a hard brexit.

They are looking at routes from ireland to the continent.

I would imagine the shortest sea distance to good road and rail connectivity will have a bearing on where EU funding will go after brexit. I would imagine Brest would come in for consideration as well as further investment of freight services to Cherbourg.