All of the Clipper’s Saturday sailings were cancelled while the ferry company contacted specialist contractors needed to carry out the ‘complex’ repair. Condor say the issues occurred after ‘berthing problems’.
In total 110 passengers had travelled from the Channel Islands to Portsmouth and many were trapped on the vessel for more than ten hours while engineers worked to fix the fault. Some passengers chose to disembark the vessel however Condor say those that did stay onboard – many of them who had travelled with cars – were supplied with refreshments.
The crane was brought in to help lower the vessel’s ramp so the cars could disembark.
Captain Fran Collins, executive director of operations at Condor, said all passengers have been offered the opportunity to disembark ‘however no vehicles are able to leave the ferry at the moment’.
‘Condor staff are at Portsmouth assisting passengers with their onward travel arrangements,’ she added.
‘Saturday’s Commodore Clipper sailing from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands has been cancelled, to allow for the necessary repairs to be completed and tested. All passengers waiting to travel to the Channel Islands have been kept informed and offered refreshments; with the cancellation of today’s sailing they are able to choose between a full refund or travel on the next available sailing. Where necessary, delayed passengers are being offered accommodation.’
Meanwhile the Condor Liberation’s Saturday sailings were also cancelled after the vessel developed its own technical problems.
