[Article] New Cork ferry to Spain and France

Victor

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0208/1224263953942.html

New Cork ferry to Spain and France
SEÁN MAC CONNELL

A NEW ferry service from Cork port to northern Spain and France will be formally announced this week and should be operational before the summer holiday season begins.

The Ro-Ro freight and car ferry service will also be welcomed by Irish exporters who will now be able to avail of the three sailings a week, two to Spain and one to one of the French Biscay ports.

The rotation of the sailings will involve two trips per week to Spain and once a week to western France.

The Port of Cork company has been working on the proposal for some time through its involvement in the EU projects “Motorways of the Sea” which is aimed at reducing traffic on European roads by using sea crossings.

It said a direct service will offer considerable savings to Irish holiday makers who wish to take their own cars without worrying about the current airport and airline restrictions.

It will also benefit haulage contractors and logistic suppliers offering savings from tolls, EU Environmental Taxes and CO2 emissions costs.

The company estimates it will save an average car or truck traveller approximately 1,300 km each way on a journey from Limerick to Madrid currently driving through the UK and France by road.

In a recent report, the Port of Cork company said in 2007 1.7 million ro-ro units left the east coast ports of Ireland for the UK and an estimated 40 per cent or 708,800 trailers, were landbridge units for Europe.

Irish businesses and exporters have complained their freight costs are greater than the rest of Europe and this is making Irish goods less competitive in the euro zone where exporters are attempting to build up markets.

center15

Looks great, let's hope it's reasonably priced!

corktina

i wonder how that will impact on the revived Swansea Cork ferry due to re-start shortly.

loyatemu

Portsmouth - Santander is 25 hours, i'd imagine the Cork - Spain route would be about the same. Could be an interesting option.

penexpers

Any idea on who the operator is?

Tabnabs

loyatemu wrote: »

Portsmouth - Santander is 25 hours, i'd imagine the Cork - Spain route would be about the same. Could be an interesting option.

A quick google earth check makes it extremely similar. The passage in winter time would be a bit different though...

Cookie_Monster

Dyflin wrote: »

A quick google earth check makes it extremely similar. The passage in winter time would be a bit different though...

more fun you mean

loyatemu

probably be a summer only service - I believe the Bay of Biscay can be a tad choppy at any time of the year.

I'm going to France this summer on Irish Ferries, and while there are great advantages to having your own car with you (not least the ability to load up with vino on the way home) its not that much cheaper than ryanair + car hire, so price will be fairly critical for this new service.

Innisfallen

corktina wrote: »

i wonder how that will impact on the revived Swansea Cork ferry due to re-start shortly.

Very little! These are separate services targeting different markets, both being driven by the Port of Cork...

penexpers wrote: »

Any idea on who the operator is?

No, all the Port of Cork said is they are in discussions with a number of operators.

Dyflin wrote: »

A quick google earth check makes it extremely similar. The passage in winter time would be a bit different though...

Any ship that would operate the route would most likely need different clasification to you average ferry due to the ship needing to travel through the Atlantic (not the Celtic Sea or Bay of Biscay like existing services).

Also, it looks like the service will be part funded by Motorways of the Seas, so will as a result be a "ro-pax" service with the concentration on freight (an operation along the lines of Celtic Link no a cruise ferry offering like Brittany Ferries or Irish Ferries).

Chris_5339762

I hope its cheap. The Swansea Corks fares are extortionate, they will crash and burn unless they reduce them.

Tabnabs

Innisfallen wrote: »

Any ship that would operate the route would most likely need different clasification to you average ferry due to the ship needing to travel through the Atlantic (not the Celtic Sea or Bay of Biscay like existing services).

Unfortunately the sea is not really a respecter of man made boundaries. It would be the same as most other conventional ferries, but would be more freight orientated as that's where most of the revenue would come from.

Tabnabs

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I hope its cheap. The Swansea Corks fares are extortionate, they will crash and burn unless they reduce them.

Any idea on what the fuel alone would cost on a trip of that distance? If you want cheap, you're stuck with Ryanair unfortunately.

Innisfallen

Dyflin wrote: »

Unfortunately the sea is not really a respecter of man made boundaries. It would be the same as most other conventional ferries, but would be more freight orientated as that's where most of the revenue would come from.

Not quiet, most ferries are certificied for "short sea voyages" by Lloyds or Bureau Veritas. Cork - Spain would, I am fairly sure, be a deep sea route (taking the ship fairly far out to sea) so the ship would require different classification...

Tabnabs

Are you mixing classification society up with the classification/type of ship?

The classification society is responsible for the "technical rules, confirm that designs and calculations meet these rules, survey ships and structures during the process of construction and commissioning, and periodically survey vessels to ensure that they continue to meet the rules". source

Where as depending on passengers numbers, ships will be classed as either Ro-Ro, Ro-Pax etc.

The IMO would regulate any additional features, but ferries are often built with a variety of uses routes in mind so they may not need any additional equipment. The implementation and enforcement of these regulations is the responsibility of the Dept of Transport in Ireland.

The one name knocking around for this route is the Barfleur

Palimpsest

the new route will use?

Cionád

P&O are dropping the Portsmouth - Bilbao route this year, so could be Bilbao.

Santander is the other obvious option, already has services to Plymouth/Portsmouth

csd

Cionád wrote: »

P&O are dropping the Portsmouth - Bilbao route this year, so could be Bilbao.

I wonder if that means they'll be handing the Pride of Bilbao back to Irish Ferries, and if so, what will IF do with her?

/csd

Tabnabs

csd wrote: »

I wonder if that means they'll be handing the Pride of Bilbao back to Irish Ferries, and if so, what will IF do with her?

/csd

Officially I understand they are looking to offload her, either on another long term charter or sell her completely. She's unsuitable for the Cork/France/Spain route (IMHO) as she doesn't have enough freight capacity. IF don't have a great relationship with Cork, they prefer Rosslare.

bogman

Palimpsest wrote: »

the new route will use?

Could be Gijon
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=87544

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=gijon&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Gij%C3%B3n,+Asturias,+Spain&ll=43.545261,-5.661926&spn=0.559414,1.660309&z=10

Looking forward to this if prices are reasonable

Innisfallen

Dyflin wrote: »

Are you mixing classification society up with the classification/type of ship?

The classification society is responsible for the "technical rules, confirm that designs and calculations meet these rules, survey ships and structures during the process of construction and commissioning, and periodically survey vessels to ensure that they continue to meet the rules". source

Where as depending on passengers numbers, ships will be classed as either Ro-Ro, Ro-Pax etc.

The IMO would regulate any additional features, but ferries are often built with a variety of uses routes in mind so they may not need any additional equipment. The implementation and enforcement of these regulations is the responsibility of the Dept of Transport in Ireland.

The one name knocking around for this route is the Barfleur

What I am referring to is that most ferries are certified +100A1 for "Short Sea Voyages" on the registers. The duration of the crossing (anything over 24 hours) requires higher safety requirements to a normal ferry, as well as how far the ship is from land.

Barfleur is a possibility (she is out of work and has a crew ready to go, but lacks the overnight accommodation that is really needed), BUT Gijon is the preferred port in Spain, and LD/Gramaldi have expressed an interest in operating Montoir and Gijon, with a Visentini built ship like Sorrento mooted as the prefered vessel.
The Port of Cork talked to both Brittany Ferries and LD, so both are possible.

Cionád wrote: »

P&O are dropping the Portsmouth - Bilbao route this year, so could be Bilbao.

Santander is the other obvious option, already has services to Plymouth/Portsmouth

The Port of Cork have previously said it will be Gijon, it is to do with the funding project that is involved.

Amtmann

The Bay of Biscay is extremely violent in winter isn't it, one of the deadliest areas in the Atlantic if I remember correctly.

bagels

loyatemu wrote: »

Portsmouth - Santander is 25 hours, i'd imagine the Cork - Spain route would be about the same. Could be an interesting option.

i read somewhere last week that it would be 36 hours

Palimpsest

Irish times seemed to think something would be announced last week.

thierrys other hand

hi ! anyone have any updates on the cork-spain route?

Innisfallen

thierrys other hand wrote: »

hi ! anyone have any updates on the cork-spain route?

Negotiations are at an advanced stage, but it looks like September or October before a ship will become available (according to the Port of Cork's press office earlier this week).

bogman

Any updates to this proposed Cork-Gijon route

bazzachazza

No. Word is it's not viable at the moment.

bazzachazza

LD Lines Press Release - LD LINES CONFIRM SHIP TRANSFER

Ferry company LD Lines has confirmed the transfer of one of its current Dover Boulogne ships, Norman Bridge, to inaugurate a new France – Spain service from 2/09/2010.

The new joint venture route, named GLD Atlantique, will operate between Saint Nazaire (Nantes) in NW France to Gijon in Northern Spain and will provide 3 weekly return sailings between both ports

Maybe something will happen next year for Cork-Spain.

irishguy

Does anyone remember earlier this year there was talk of a Cork to Spain ferry? Does anyone know what happened it? I cant seem to find it.

highlydebased

I dont think it ever materialised. Pity, it would have been interesting. Maybe summer 2011!

Innisfallen

The Port of Cork are still working on it, but the problem (just like Swansea-Cork) is finding a suitable ship for the route.