Transmanche Ferries
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[edit] Introduction
Transmanche Ferries were formed after the previous operator of the Newhaven to Dieppe route, P&O Stena, decided to concentrate on their primary route of Dover to Calais. The last P&O Stena ferry left on the route, the Stena Cambria, undertook her last sailing on the 31st January 1998. No ferry was to provide another service on that route until the re-opening of a high speed passenger service by Hoverspeed using SuperSeaCat Two in April 1999. Compiled of 5 public bodies, including the towns of Dieppe and Fécamp as well as three Chambers of Commerce, Transmanche Ferries re-opened the route early in 2001 with the chartered Sardinia Vera.
When Transmanche started they chartered the 1975 built Sardinia Vera from Corsica Ferries. With a capacity of just under 2000 passengers and 43 lorries she provided an adequate starting point for the company. At 120m long and with a draught of 5.5m she fits into both ports perfectly. The company simply re-used the current livery of Corsica ferries and since then it has stuck, with their new ferries also painted in the same colour scheme, with the trademark large green ‘T’ in an identically coloured circle. The decision was then taken in 2002 to purchase another ship to boost the amount of crossings the Transmanche were able to offer. Saga Star was bought, re-painted and named as Dieppe. At 147m long she is a little too big for the Port of Newhaven and therefore has to reverse out before turning around the pier head instead of swinging inside the harbour as Sardinia Vera does. Although with a slightly larger vehicle capacity, she does not have the facilities of Sardinia Vera, but is just as suited to the freight market.
[edit] Newbuilds
Soon however, the decision was made to order two new-builds specifically for the route. Constructed at H.J Barreras in Vigo, Spain, the Côte D’Albatre entered service in March 2006. At 142 metres long and with a draught of 5.7m she is the maximum sized ferry that Newhaven can currently safely accommodate. With a modern, luxury interior she will no doubt give a well needed boost to the company’s profile as well as attracting day trippers that were lost when Hoverspeed ended their SuperSeaCat service in 2004. Sardinia Vera has now gone back to her owners, Corsica Ferries and Côte D’Albatre has taken over her services. Her identical sister, Seven Sisters joined her during Autumn 2006 albeit with several modifications. Having been sold, Dieppe is now sailing for Polferries as Baltiva.
