MV Barfleur
Encyclopedia
MV Barfleur is a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
operated by Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
. She was built at Masa Yards in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
for the Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
subsidiary Truckline and entered service in 1992. In 1999 she was repainted in Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
standard livery. She sails under the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
flag and is registered in Cherbourg. Barfleur was the last ship to carry the 1983-2002 version of the Brittany Ferries logo and livery which was replaced by the post-2002 version in March 2009.
In December 2009 it was announced that Brittany Ferries have decided to withdraw Barfleur from service on the Poole-Cherbourg route in Spring 2010.
Brittany Ferries in a statement revealed that the company have been losing money on the route, and as a result will completely remove the ship from service during 2010, however on 16th December 2010 Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
announced that the ship would return to Poole in February 2011 to recommence services to Cherbourg, the first sailing subsequently taking place from Cherbourg to Poole on Sunday 27 February .
Regular routes
- PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
-Cherbourg 1992 - present
- Due to a massive increase in passenger numbers on the Poole-Cherbourg route in 1991 Barfleur was lengthened by 19 metres shortly after she was launched. This increased passenger and freight capacity as well as adding a number of additional cabins.
- Until 27 February 2007 Barfleur was the largest ship ever to use Poole HarbourPoole HarbourPoole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
. held this title until the arrival of the CotentinMV CotentinM/V Cotentin is a freight ferry operated by Brittany Ferries and built by Aker Finnyards in Finland. Cotentin is named after the Cotentin Peninsula of France of which Cherbourg is its largest town. Cotentin was also the name of one of the original Truckline vessels to sail between Poole and...
after covering for Barfleur's unscheduled 2007 refit.
- PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-Cherbourg March - November 2005
- Barfleur operated one round trip Tuesday to Sunday in 2005 in place a Poole round trip. This regular Portsmouth conventional service was unsuccessful and has not been repeated.
Other routes served
Barfleur has also served on PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
(Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
) where she acted as refit cover for and . During the winter seasons of 1997 and 1998 Barfleur operated between Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
at weekends and made the crossing in 28 hours.
As a result of major engine problems with Val de Loire in September 2000 Barfleur operated between Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and Roscoff
Roscoff
Roscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
for two round trips before moving to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
(Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
) in place of MV Duc de Normandie
MV Duc de Normandie
The Wisteria is a passenger car ferry operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea and FerryMaroc between Almeria and the Moroccan port of Nador.-History:...
. Barfleur's place at Poole was taken by Purbeck.
On rare occasions Barfleur has also operated routes not usually undertaken by Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
. :-
- PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
-CaenCaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
Barfleur has sailed on this route as a positioning move to provide refit cover but also as a result of strike action by French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
dockworkers in October 2002.
- PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
-RoscoffRoscoffRoscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
As a result of the previously mentioned strike a round trip to Roscoff was undertaken in October 2002 to facilitate a crew change. This route was repeated between 23 and 26 May 2008 due to a blockade of Cherbourg by French fishermen.
- Cherbourg-CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
In December 2005 Barfleur was chartered by Victor Treacy International for a one off freight-only crossing to help clear a build up of freight caused by a strike at Irish Ferries.
Statistics
- Gross tonnage: 20,133
- Length: 158.7m
- Beam: 23.3m
- Crew: up to 104
- Vehicle capacity: 590 cars or 304 cars and 66 freight vehicles.
- Passengers: 1,200
- Service speed: 19.5 knots
- Engines: 4x Wärtsilä-Vasa Type 8R32 medium speed four stroke diesel engines
Onboard facilities
Bars and Restaurants- Self Service Restaurant 'Turquoise' - Deck 7.
- Le Cafe 'Arc en ciel'- Deck 7.
- Les Alizés Bar - Deck 7.
Barfleur was previously fitted with an a la Carte Restaurant known as 'Les Dunes', this was removed during her 2009 refit and replaced with a 'Games Planet' area and additional seating for Le Cafe. The self service restaurant was refurbished and expanded during the 2009 refit, it retains its name, 'Turquoise', though the fittings and neon lights in a matching colour were replaced by orange coloured fittings making the name somewhat inappropriate.
Shops
- La Boutique - Deck 7.
- Le Kiosque - Deck 7.
Other Facilities
- Children's Playroom - Deck 7.
- Games Planet - Deck 7.
- 72 Four Berth Cabins - Decks 5, 6 and 8.
- 295 Reclining Seats - Decks 5 and 6.
Withdrawal and Temporary Return to Service
On the 19th December 2009 Brittany FerriesBrittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
announced that they would be withdrawing Barfleur from its service between Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and Cherbourg. They claim to have been losing money on the service for quite some time . After completing is last trip in February 2010 Barfleur was laid up in the canal near to Caen. For many months there was much speculation as to the future of the vessel with many believing it to be chartered to another operator.
On the 16th December 2010 almost a year since the announcement of withdrawal Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
made a statement that Barfleur will resume service on the Poole to Cherbourg route commencing on 27th February 2011. The service will however be aimed at freight traffic as well as passengers. The company believes it is on this basis that the route can operate profitably. Barfleur now operates a daily roundtrip, with extra sailings on Friday/Saturday/Sunday.
On 11th July 2011, Brittany Ferries further announced that Barfleur would *again* be withdrawn from its service between Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and Cherbourg, citing ongoing profitability concerns, with effect from 3rd October 2011. The company further comments that the service 'may be reintroduced for the Summer 2012 season', to be reviewed in September 2011.
External links
- Brittany Ferries official site
- Official Onboard Guide PDF
- Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts - Unofficial Guide to the Western Channel ferry company.