- Condor Liberation still out of action following harbour wall crash.
- Commodore Clipper brought in to provide a combined freight and passenger service
- Charter freight ship MV Arrow set to support the companys cargo service
CONDOR Ferries has announced measures to bolster its passenger services after its fast-ferry sailings to the UK were cancelled.
- Condor Liberation is the companys 16th passenger vessel since it was founded in 1964
- It has a service speed of 35 knots (about 40 mph), which is faster than a great white shark, and its engines have the equivalent power of 50 formula one cars
- There are 33 staff working on the ship on each sailing
- On its maiden voyage from Cebu in the Philippines to Poole, Condor Liberation sailed more than 10,000 nautical miles across the Indian Ocean and along the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea over 22 days
- Each year Condor Ferries carries more than one million passengers and 200,000 passenger vehicles
The operator’s new ship, Condor Liberation, was damaged while berthing in Guernsey in strong winds at the weekend and is due to undergo repairs in Poole.
Condor said that sailings on Sunday, yesterday and today would have been cancelled regardless of the crash because of strong winds and rough seas.
The Commodore Clipper was brought in to provide a combined freight and passenger service, as it is able to sail in rougher conditions.
Now, in order to allow the ship to concentrate on transporting passengers, Condor has announced that MV Arrow, a charter freight ship, will support the company’s cargo service.
Yesterday Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said he was confident that Condor had a contingency plan, but that he was concerned that he did not know what the details of it were.
He has since revised his comments, this morning adding: ‘I am pleased that in response to Saturday’s incident, Condor has quickly enacted measures, such as the charter of MV Arrow, in order to maintain lifeline services to the Island.
‘I am aware of Condor’s contingency strategy, but understand it is impossible to have detailed planning in place for every possible event.
‘There is no doubt in my mind that Condor has a robust contingency strategy in place that is also flexible enough to deal with the particular requirements of individual incidents.’
This morning Condor apologised to customers affected by the weather disruption and Saturday’s accident in Guernsey.
It is expected that the company will find out today when weather conditions will allow the ship to return to service.
Captain Fran Collins, the executive director of operations at Condor, added: ‘Unfortunately, with forecast conditions outside operating limits for high-speed ferries, we were forced to cancel all sailings of Condor Liberation on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
‘Sunday’s weather cancellations were put in place on Friday. Monday and Tuesday’s weather cancellations were announced before Condor Liberation returned to Poole for a full assessment of damage sustained during the berthing incident in St Peter Port harbour.
‘In the past, when weather has forced the cancellation of our high-speed ferries, we have used Commodore Clipper in a combined freight and passenger role.
‘However, because we are very aware of the particular importance of maintaining freight and passenger services to the islands in the run up to Easter, we have put in place enhanced contingency arrangements, bringing in charter ship MV Arrow to support freight services, thereby allowing Clipper to focus on supporting passenger services.’
THE admission yesterday by Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham that he did not know what Condor’s contingency plans were in the event of its new fast ferry, Liberation, being taken out of service raised a few eyebrows.
He said that he was sure the company had a plan, but could not say what it was.
Today, we learn that Condor has chartered a freight boat to free up space on the Clipper to ensure that it can cope with demand from passengers who would otherwise have been on the Liberation. The contingency might mean a slower, longer journey, but the vital sea link remains intact.
Although frustrating and inconvenient, minor accidents like the one over the weekend in Guernsey will happen and the resulting disruption is all part of living on an island. Condor has plans in place to ensure a resilient service.
The minister responsible might be relatively new to the post, but his apparent ignorance of the detail of Condor’s contingency plans which are so vital to Islanders and the tourist industry did not inspire confidence.
From Brian Villette.
SO Condor’s spin for this £50 million monstrosity Liberation, which Austal were so pleased to find mugs to buy after failing for four years, was that it would operate in worse weather conditions than the Wavepiercers, it would be a much more comfortable ride and sick-bag use would be reduced by about 70 per cent.
On the first weekend of service, it arrives late on its first day, Friday.
Passengers on the second trip, Saturday, from Poole, are lying on the floor being ill and it hits Guernsey’s harbour.
Sailing is cancelled on the third day, Sunday, due to the weather, and all passengers can’t be accommodated on the Clipper so they have to fly home or wait till Monday.
But with the damage to the boat on Saturday in Guernsey, who knows when it will sail again?
As there is only one boat and no back-up what happens next?
Surely Condor have already broken the service agreement which gave them their new ten-year contract.
A thought occurs – a tug was standing by for its first arrival in Jersey and the weather was calm. Is it not logical to have one standing by when there are high winds?
From Denise Shrives.
SORRY Condor, but how can you pat yourselves on the back regarding the arrival of your new vessel? It was an hour late.
I believe it had been stated that the new vessel would be more likely to run on time and that it could run in worse weather then the previous vessel but the new vessel’s sailing was cancelled on Sunday. And not all Islanders want to go to Poole.
If they are going to the South West for a holiday then Weymouth is the place to dock – there are very good road links from Weymouth to the rest of UK.
Also many folks like to go to Dorset or Devon for short breaks. Please reconsider and acquire a vessel to sail to Weymouth.
Ken Hudson (60)
‘I’m in the motor trade so I often go to England on the boat, and from what I’ve seen it looks really impressive. It’s definitely a step up. I think the lay-out and the engineering aspects are good and it’s a great message to send to holidaymakers. The only thing I am concerned about is the reliability, , but if that’s solved, it will be a fantastic overall service.’
Dave Maine (61)
‘I like the airiness of the boat. It’s lovely and spacious and there are nice big windows. I think what they’ve done is they’ve taken what they had before and they’ve just moved it up a notch, both with the boat and the branding. There are places in the UK that we would like to go back to, so we’ll definitely consider using the boat in the future.’
Lisa Gibaut (40)
‘It’s a big improvement on the last boat. I was quite impressed with the seats at the front of the boat, and the views you have there are amazing. We’re really looking forward to sailing to the UK, but I do have two young daughters and the children’s play area seems slightly smaller than on the last boat and could get quite full, so we’ll have to see.’
Hermione Moreira (66)
‘I think the seats in the front are fantastic – you’ve plenty of room, which is better than the Vitesse or the Express. I’m taking a group of German visitors to Guernsey soon and I’m really looking forward to it. We have been assured that because the boat is larger it will be more stable, and if that’s the case, it will be a pleasure for everybody.’
Collette Paling (54)
‘I use the French Condor route regularly and the seats are more comfortable on the Liberation. It’s nice and light and airy and Condor seemed to have done a good job planning and thinking it out. I like the fact that it’s going to be stable and more comfortable in rougher seas, so having seen it I think I’ll be more likely to take the car to the UK.’
