- Condor’s new ship is subject to same restrictions as old vessel
- But Liberation will be able to sail in rough weather once it has undergone trials
- Captains at helm when Liberation was damaged were given ‘extensive training’
CONDORS new ship cannot sail at the wave heights the company had hoped and is still technically subject to the same restrictions as the previous two vessels.
The ferry firm has previously said that 90 per cent of crossings which were cancelled because of the weather last year would sail under the Liberation because it can operate at greater wave heights of up to five metres.
But Alicia Andrews, the firms executive commercial director, said that the vessel cannot currently operate at that level because the necessary trials have not taken place, and it is instead running at the same wave height restriction 3.5 metres as the Vitesse and Express.
However, she said that despite having a wave height limit of 3.5 metres, the company did not send the Vitesse and the Express in those heights as the crossing would have been too choppy for passengers and that the Liberation was therefore still operating at higher levels than the previous two ferries.
[figure caption=”Alicia Andrews (inset), Condor Ferries’ executive commercial director, says that the captains of Liberation had received extensive training” title=”Arrival of Condor LiberationPicture: PETER MOURANT” align=”center” url=”/wpmvc/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ytu6teru.jpg” id=”1228499″ size=”100″]
Ms Andrews made the admission as the Liberation continues to undergo repairs in Poole after it was damaged while trying to berth in Guernsey in strong winds last weekend. It is due to return to service this Saturday.
She said: We had hoped to bring Condor Liberation into service to be able to sail in greater than 3.5-metre wave heights. However, given that it took us a little longer than hoped in preparing the ship, we were not able to complete the necessary trials to secure the higher wave height.
To get approval for a higher wave height, we have to have bad enough weather to take the ship out to test it in those conditions. We cant forecast when we are going to get the right type of weather.
She added: The other point is that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency advised us that they would like to see the ship in operation with the 3.5-metre wave height for a little longer. We are looking for opportunities later in the year to conduct those trials.
Meanwhile, the Guernsey Harbourmaster has imposed temporary wind speed restrictions for St Peter Port Harbour on Condors newest vessel while an investigation is carried out into the cause of an accident on Saturday. The restrictions have not been put in place in Jersey.
[figure caption=”The Liberation was met with fireworks when it arrived in Jersey” title=”7751878″ align=”center” url=”/wpmvc/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/7751878.jpg” id=”1229539″ size=”100″]
Guernsey Harbourmaster Captain Chad Murray said: As a precautionary measure, Condor and I have agreed a temporary wind speed limitation for manoeuvres in St Peter Port while the preliminary investigation is completed.
I am comfortable with this as a way forward for operations at St Peter Port in the immediate future particularly since we do not have a tug to support berthing while experience is gained of manoeuvring her in the full range of winds and tides.
Condor, which has brought the Express out of retirement to run two crossings between the Channel Islands and Poole tomorrow, has apologised for the disruption and said it is doing everything possible to accommodate passengers.
Michael Morris talked to Alicia Andrews, Condor’s executive commercial director, about Liberation’s unfortunate start to life as a cross-Channel ferry, and the operator’s plans for the future:
Q: How would you sum up the Condor Liberation’s first week?
A: It has not been the week that we had hoped for. We worked very hard to prepare the ship and bring her into service and we worked really hard to raise awareness of the routes that she is designed to serve. Everybody at Condor Ferries has worked extremely hard since the incident on Saturday and understands the importance of getting the repairs completed.
Q: Why was it announced that sailings were cancelled during the first part of this week due to bad weather when the ship was unable to sail because it was undergoing repair work?
A: The message that we put out was that there was a storm that started on Sunday which ran through Monday and Tuesday and it is important to remember that Condor Liberation’s service on Sunday was cancelled on the Friday.
The weather forecast was outside the operating limits set for the ship. We have declared that today and tomorrow we are unable to sail for technical reasons. Our story has been entirely consistent with our operating practice.
Q: Why have we seen so many cancellations due to weather when Condor has stated that 90 per cent of last year’s cancelled sailings would have been able to run with the new ship?
A: Our forecasts showed that wave heights were outside the 3.5-metre limit and therefore we cancelled those sailings. That 3.5-metre sailing restriction has always applied to our other fast ferries. The Vitesse and Express were never sent out in waves of that height.
The other final point is that in discussion with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, they advised us that they would like to see the ship in operation with the 3.5-metre wave height for a little longer. We are looking for opportunities later in the year to conduct those trails.
Q: Are there going to be further cancellations when those trials take place?
A: We will schedule the trials for times when we are not sailing. At the moment the ship is scheduled to sail at least daily until the end of the summer.
Q: The Rapide fast ferry berthed in St Peter Port after a crossing from France on Saturday without any problem. Why did the Liberation have such difficulties?
A: The Liberation is a different ship and was in the port in slightly different conditions. We are conducting an internal investigation and working closely with the Guernsey Harbourmaster. I am delighted that the Guernsey Harbourmaster has put out a statement confirming that he is confident that this is the right ship for the Channel Islands.
Q: Did the captains receive enough training with the new ship?
A: Both men who were in charge of the ship on the day are very experienced masters of considerable experience in Channel Islands water and they were given extensive training.
Q: How many passengers have been affected by the cancellations?
A: We were quite well booked for this week. We estimate that around 6,000 passengers have been affected.
Q: This week some passengers have complained that they have not been kept informed of the cancellations and the alternative plans which have been put in place. What is the protocol for informing passengers about cancelled crossings and has there been any strain on customer services this week?
A: We use all the tools at our disposal. We send text messages to people, we send emails and change our website and social media. We have worked really hard to deliver as high a standard of customer service as we have been able to in this situation and I would pay tribute to my colleagues for that. We appreciate that some people may feel that they have not got the information that they wanted and in some circumstances we have had very high volumes of calls. We will be looking after the events to consider how we might have handled the situation differently.
Q: In the autumn, the Commodore Clipper passenger and freight ship, which has been drafted in to service the Channel Islands to Poole route while the Liberation is out of service, will be going to the dry dock to undergo an upgrade. What are the contingency plans should anything happen to the Liberation during that time?
A: It is impossible to provide a one size fits all contingency plan. We have other contingency plans that might include running a high-speed ferry from France to the UK and back. This would be the Rapide. As we have demonstrated in this past week we have robust contingency plans that we can put into place.
Q: Was it a mistake to replace two of your fast ferries – Vitesse and Express – with one?
A: No, the two 86m ships were coming towards the end of their life and we are confident that the capacity that we have put in place with the Condor Liberation is right for the Channel Islands. There are options to provide fast ferry services with the Condor Rapide.
Q: If the Liberation is such a top-notch ship, why did it go unsold for four years before Condor bought it?
A: At the time it was built, it was on the market at the start of the global financial crisis and £50 million is a lot to invest.
Q: And finally, what do you make of the attention that the safety information video performed as a rap has received?
A: I think the fact that it has garnered a lot of attention is a really good thing because it has got people talking about safety. It is a slightly tongue-in-cheek way of approaching the message but be under no illusions, that rap conveys vital safety information.
