Condor Ferries

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Condor Ferries is the current operator of ferry services between the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands.

Contents

[edit] Recent history

Condor Ferries established the first high speed car ferry service to the Channel Islands from Weymouth in 1993 using the 74m Incat catamaran Condor 10. This services was so successful that in the winter of 1993/1994 Condor's parent company, Commodore Shipping, were in the position to take over British Channel Island Ferries (BCIF) which operated conventional ferry services to the Channel Islands from Poole. Upon taking over BCIF Condor moved all passenger services to Weymouth and the BCIF freight service was transferred to Commodore Shipping. The BCIF vessel Havelet ran a conventional ferry service from Weymouth from 1994 alongside the Condor 10. The 1994 season was to be the Condor 10's last on the Weymouth-Channel Island route, she was to be replaced in March 1995 by the larger 78m Incat Condor 11 but her introduction was delayed when the vessel grounded during the sea trails off Tasmania. Condor 11 was travelling at 36 knots and under the command of Incat managing Director Robert Clifford when she stuck Black Jack Reef some 12 miles off Hobart on 9 October 1994 [1]. Between March and May 1995 the Weymouth service was operated by the chartered Seacat Isle of Mann. The Condor 11 finally entered service on the 18th May 1995, she lasted one season on the route before being redeployed to Cat-Link in Denmark. Condor's next vessel was the Condor 12 a 81m Incat which ran between Weymouth and the Channel Islands for the 1996 season. Condor 12 was redeployed to Holymans new Ramsgate-Ostend service and renamed Holyman Rapide. 1996 was the last year that the Havelet remained in regular serive with the company. In 1997 Condor 12 and Havelet places on the Channel Island run was taken by another Incat this time a 86m design which was named Condor Express. In March 1997 Condor moved its UK port to Poole. The season would not go well for Condor as the Condor Express suffered a number of technical problems that led to many late running services. As a result of this the Channel Island governments put the licence to operate ferry services to the UK out to tender. P&O European Ferries and Hoverspeed placed bids to run the service but ultimately Condor retained the licence but were forced purchase the Havelet to act as all weather backup until the delivery of a new conventional vessel in 1999. They also purchased the Condor Vitesse for a new service to St Malo via Guernsey and made Weymouth their primary UK port but retained summer sailings from Poole. Commodore Shipping became sole owners of the company around this time. In 1999 the Commodore Clipper was delivered to Commodore Ferries and replaced a freight ferry Island Commodore. The new Commodore Clipper was able to replace the Havelet as all weather backup for the fastcraft as she had space for 500 passengers.

[edit] Current operations

Condor Ferries current operate the following routes:-

[edit] Current fleet

The current fleet is as follows.

[edit] Fast craft

[edit] Freight ferries

  • Commodore Goodwill (built 1996)

[edit] Ro-Pax ferries

  • Commodore Clipper (built 1999)

[edit] Past Fleet

  • Condor's 1 to 8

Fast passenger only vessels. Mostly Hydrofoils with the exception of Condor 6 and Condor 8 which were passenger only catamarans.

  • Condor 9 (1990-2002)

Fast passenger-only catamaran. Built in 1990 in Fareham by Aluminium Shipsbuilders to an Incat design. Was build for the Weymouth-Channel Islands route but was replaced by Condor 10. Condor 9 saw work on the inter-island routes and between the Channel Islands and St Malo. In 1997 she operated between Poole and St Malo via the Channel Islands. Her last years with Condor were to see her used between St Malo and Jersey until she was again replaced by Condor 10.

  • Havelet (1994-2000)

Formerly Cornouailles of Brittany Ferries was transferred to British Channel Island Ferries in 1989 and renamed Havelet. Condor purchased BCIF in 1994 and Havelet was used to operate a conventional service from Weymouth until 1996 when she was laid up as it was thought Condor Express would be able to handle the winter weather. Condor were forced to reactivate and purchase the Havelet in [1998]] prior to the arrivial of Commodore Clipper to act as back up for the fastcraft. Havelet was sold in 2000 and is now the Sveti Stefan of Montenegro Lines.

  • Condor 11 (1995)

Incat 78m catamaran. Was used for less then one season on the Weymouth-Channel Island route. Was sent to Cat-Link and replaced by Condor 12.

  • Condor 12 (1996-1997)

Incat 81m catamaran which operated for one season between Weymouth and the Channel Island. Was sent to Holyman Sally Ferries in 1997 as the Holyman Rapide. She briefly returned to Condor as the Rapide to cover for the refit of the Condor Express in early 1998.

[edit] Brittany Ferries partnership

Since 2001 Condor have operated a Poole-Cherbourg fastcraft service of behalf of Brittany Ferries using the Condor Vitesse which sports a joint livery. The service which runs between mid-May and late October leaves Poole at 07:30 and arrives back from Cherbourg at 12:45. Condor Vitesse then operates the Condor service to St Malo arriving back in Poole by midnight.

In August 2005 Condor Express briefly ran on the Poole-Cherbourg service. The Condor Express had been experiencing technical problems and so the Condor Vitesse was transferred to the more taxing Channel Islands service.

[edit] External links

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