A report published today by naval engineers and architects Houlder Ltd has concluded that the rolling motion sometimes experienced by the £50 million vessel is less frequent than that of the catamarans previously used by the operator.
It found that the ship has ‘no stability issues’ and performs well in poor weather.
However, a recommendation has been made that further investigation is required to better understand the vessel which would enable ‘effective weather routing to be developed’.
Several other recommendations were made in the report, including that the ferry operator should review its timetable for the coming season to improve punctuality. It was also recommended that the fenders at Guernsey’s and Jersey’s harbours should be changed to reduce the risk of damage during docking.
In a structural appraisal, the report said: ‘The damage sustained to date is not uncommon on high-speed craft, with temporary repairs implemented to enable effective permanent repairs to be made at a scheduled dry docking.’
However when analysing its berthing issues, it went on to say that the bow thrusters, which move the ship into position, have different capabilities to those of the two catamarans which the vessel replaced.
It added: ‘It is recommended that Condor undertake a cost-benefit analysis of potential means of improving the berthing capabilities of the vessel.’
Today, Condor said that it would implement all the recommendations of the report.
The review involved a team of naval architects travelling on the ship, inspecting her hull, as well as visiting all the berths used by the Liberation.
The report said: ‘The ability of the Condor Liberation to maintain average speeds over 30 knots in sea states with a significant wave height over 3m is exceptional.
‘Given the conditions experienced in the English Channel on a regular basis this capability is advantageous to her operation.’
Last month Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said the ferry firm was ‘clearly not up for the job’ after hundreds of passengers faced delays and cancellations after a fault was discovered of the Liberation.
He, along with his Guernsey counterpart, called for an urgent review of the service-level agreement between the States and Condor following the technical problems which occurred at a time when the Commodore Clipper conventional ferry was in dry dock. Since the introduction of the Liberation, these are the only two passenger ferries scheduled to operate on the northern route from Jersey to the UK.
Commenting on today’s report, which was commissioned by the States of Jersey and Guernsey and was funded by the ferry firm, the minister said he was pleased the report found that the vessel was safe and suitable for its route.
He added: ‘The review makes several important recommendations and I am confident that Condor Ferries will implement these in full to ensure that the performance of the Liberation not only meets but exceeds the standards expected by the travelling public and the Governments of Jersey and Guernsey.’
The Condor Liberation has faced much criticism since it came into service in March.
The vessel hit a fender in Guernsey’s harbour during its second commercial crossing.
Questions were also raised over the vessel’s suitability for the English Channel with some passengers claiming they thought the ferry was going to tip over during rough crossings.
Today Captain Fran Collins, Condor Ferries executive director of operations, said that the Liberation was a ‘superb ship’ but said that they ‘recognise there are still opportunities to improve.’
She added: ‘Houlder’s work has given us further understanding of the occasional large roll motions of Condor Liberation.
‘Whilst these don’t affect the ship’s safety, we know they are disconcerting to customers, and so we’ll be doing all we can to minimise the likelihood of them occurring as well as improving communications on board when they do occur.
‘Because we know the importance of running a reliable and punctual service, we will continue to work to improve the reliability of the main engines and will also review next year’s schedule to see what opportunities there are to build more time into the schedule.’
AN independent report by naval engineers Houlder released this morning gives the Condor Liberation a clean bill of health.
Yes, there are recommendations which could help improve the reliability of, and comfort on, the fast-ferry service to the UK, but the conclusions are clear and unambiguous – Liberation is, the report says, safe, stable and well suited to operating in the Channel.
Initial problems which ignited wave after wave of dissatisfaction in Jersey and Guernsey were no more than would be expected, it said.
For its part, Condor has committed to implementing all of Houlder’s recommendations.
So has it all been a storm in a teacup? Has Condor been the innocent victim of the kangaroo court of social media? In some cases, the answer may well have been yes. But equally, the self-evident PR disaster which has unfolded over recent months has left Condor in a pit which the company has had a hand in digging.
Critical posts on social media have become more and more exaggerated as the collective frustration of Channel Islands’ communities has increased.
The tendency of some to skew the debate with unevidenced claims has not helped, once again demonstrating the power of the Facebook and Twitter lynch-mob.
But there have been genuine concerns and grievances.
The disruption caused recently when both the Liberation and the Clipper were out of service is a case in point and revealed the weakness of a one-fast-boat strategy on the northern route.
The frustration felt by so many passengers, who said that they were left in the dark about changes to their travel arrangements, was fuelled by a breakdown in communication when the company’s systems were overloaded.
On Wednesday, Condor sent an email to thousands apologising and explaining what the company was doing and had done to get its ferries back in service. The operator pledged to improve communication – and so it should, especially at times when it is needed most.
It should also learn that insisting everything in the garden is rosy when it clearly isn’t is a strategy guaranteed to fail in an age of social media scepticism.
Today, though, it is time to turn the page and start a new chapter yet to be written. Condor must work harder to realise customer expectations. But it must also now be given a fair chance to restore the faith islanders have lost.
It is in no one’s interests for this debate not to move on.
