Ferry Fantastic is for all who have an interest in Cross-Channel car ferries past and present.
It features illustrated histories of those that have sailed since the evolution of 'drive-through' over four decades ago.
Keep up-to-date with new features and amendments by checking the Updates page.
Preface
In the 1960's, a time when the Cross-Channel car ferry really began to thrive, the method of 'drive-through' loading through stern and bow doors was at last being exploited. The concept was pioneered by Thoresen's revolutionary 'Viking' series.
Meanwhile, a remarkable British invention was going from strength to strength in the form of the hovercraft. Although incredibly noisy and thirsty for fuel, record breaking crossings in under half an hour had become possible. In a sad and ironic twist of fate it was the very first car carrying hovercraft, The Princess Margaret, which performed the final 'flight' in 2000. Whilst the hovercraft had been consigned to history, the future had already arrived in the form of the aluminium twin-hulled 'Seacat'.
The necessity to accommodate rapidly growing amounts of road traffic on board the Cross-Channel ferries resulted in some extremely utilitarian designs that purely met functional requirements. Economy of scale took precedence over the nicely rounded features of the 'miniature liners'. Numerous attractive vessels were subsequently spoilt by the insertion of extra vehicle decks intended extend their potential useful life. Ugly stability tanks, known as ‘sponsons’, also appeared on many vessels to comply with tightened safety regulations. However, there have been some spectacular looking new vessels delivered in recent years.
The Channel Tunnel was always a source of great fear for seafarers who made their livelihoods on the Dover Straits. It was expected that the Tunnel would take all the traffic underground. Rather than preparing for defeat, the market leader, Townsend Thoresen, built the superb Pride of Dover and Pride of Calais in 1987. These vessels offered the widest ever range of passenger amenities and unprecedented passenger and vehicle capacity. Now after two decades of incredibly reliable service they have proven themselves to be the most successful Cross-Channel ferries of all time in terms of numbers of passengers carried. However, time is running out for the faithful 'Dover' and 'Calais' as P. & O. Ferries have announced that replacement ships will be ordered for delivery in 2010. Twenty three years is considered a grand age for Northern European ferries. The evolution of vessel design has rapidly developed as the business has changed beyond recognition. Rival companies are constantly vying with each other to seize the 'wow' factor.
The Tunnel did successfully capture a significant share of traffic when it opened in 1994. However the market has since grown substantially to compensate for this. In fact Eurotunnel has no where near enough capacity to accommodate the total amount of freight traffic that now crosses the Channel.
Established ferry operators have undergone several painful rationalisations such as the abandonment of the less profitable routes and the amalgamation of rival services. 'Cut-throat' competition from new upstarts has seen the emergence of the 'loss leader' tickets and slim profit margins.
A totally unforeseen source of woe materialised in the form of the 'budget airlines'. This form of competition really caught the ferry companies on the hop. However, it inspired Danish entrepreneur, Curt Stavis, to launch a 'no thrills' service called SpeedFerries, happily resurrecting sailings between Dover and Boulogne in 2004, after a gap of over eleven years. Sadly the low-cost/high-speed concept proved to be unprofitable and the company went out of business over four years later.
Freight has proved to be the saving grace of the Port of Dover and its ferry operators, with a record-breaking two million lorries passing through in 2005. This has offset the dramatic collapse in the numbers of tourists travelling by sea. Such is the growth in traffic, four additional berths will open at a new Western Docks terminal planned for completion in 2012.
It is now French flagged vessels that operate the majority of Cross-Channel ferry services today. Although a modest enterprise when it was formed a decade ago, Seafrance is now a force to be reckoned with. The company operates two of the most highly regarded sister ships on the Dover Straits. Seafrance Rodin and Seafrance Berlioz introduced a combination of emense size, power and opulance which had never been seen before. The company also operates the longest ferry on the Channel, Seafrance Moliere, although she has not been the operational success hoped for, having been the subject of a troublesome conversion from overnight to short-sea service.
Perhaps the most unexpected and audacious success story of recent years has been the expansion of Maersk's Norfolkline from international container shipping into the Channel ferry business. The growth of the revived Dover/Dunkerque route has been nothing short of phenomenal. Three purpose-built superferries that eclipsed their rivals in terms of size and interior splendour were brought into service in 2005/6.
The 'pièce de résistance' of the Channel ferry industry in 2009 was probably the debut of Norman Arrow on the Dover/Boulogne route for L. D. Lines. The largest diesel-powered catamaran in the world, crucially she carries up to thirty lorries, in addition to tourist vehicles and their passengers. The vessel represents a leap in the evolution of the 'Seacat' type vessel Channel travellers have known for the last two decades. It remains to be seen if it will make Boulogne a profitable destination once again. Here's hoping so.
Addendums
Work in progress:
Ferry Fantastic is in the process of moving over to a new host. In the interim some pages and photographs will be missing whilst others are updated. Your patience during this transitionary phase is much appreciated. Normal service will resume as soon as time allows.
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