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Irish Sea Shipping - Archives The Online Shipping Magazine Shipping News and Views from the Irish and Celtic Seas since 1995 |
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SEA CONTAINERS
CHANNEL VOYAGE REPORTS by Charlie Tennant Full size photographs can be downloaded by clicking on the images. DOVER - CALAIS and vv - 29th May 1999. My intention was to travel out by SeaCat and return by Hovercraft and had booked a Day Return in advance.
While on the pier cruise liner NORWEGIAN DREAM was observed berthed at the Cruise Terminal (formerly Western Docks) with another cruise ship ARKONA berthed on the wall of Eastern Docks. EUROPEAN PATHWAY was at what is normally the Zeebrugge berth of Eastern Docks P&OSL CANTERBURY then SEAFRANCE MANET departed and P&OSL BURGUDY arrived. I returned to the check in to be allocated the 13.00 crossing. 13.00 BST DOVER/CALAIS - THE PRINCESS MARGARET I entered the departure lounge in time to see THE PRINCESS ANNE depart at 12.14 with the 12.00 crossing. Shortly after this RAPIDE arrived from Ostende and berthed at the linkspan. THE PRINCESS MARGARET arrived at 13.18 and eventually departed 44 mins late.
Arrival in Calais was at 15.35 CET.
19.00 CET CALAIS/DOVER - THE PRINCESS ANNE I passed through the non-existent passport control in time to see THE PRINCESS ANNE arrive at 18.46 CET and we departed at 19.08 CET. The conditions were the same as the outward crossing but this time the windows were made of perspex with the result they had been sandblasted over a period of time by the spray which meant visibility was almost nil. If anything the engine drone was more pronounced and the craft generally a bit more dowdy. Arrival at Dover was at 18.50 BST. Quite funny to arrive earlier than you departed!
On arrival I decided to spend an hour on the Prince of Wales pier watching the comings and goings. Here is the log :-
P&OSL KENT departs Eastern Docks. NORWEGIAN DREAM has gone from the Cruise Terminal. ARKONA was still at ED.
19.43 SEAFRANCE MANET arrives ED. 19.48 P&OSL DOVER departs ED.
20.02 Had enough - time for bed!!! |
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I arrived at Dover Hoverport at 10.45 in ample time to check
in for the 11.30 SeaCat departure to Calais.
While checking in I realised that I was being allocated the 12.00 Hovercraft and it was
only when I asked was any explanation offered. The SeaCat ATLANTIC II was having technical
difficulties and did not make the earlier crossing and was unlikely to sail for the rest
of the day. It was made clear that the Hovercraft or the SeaCat Folkestone/Boulogne
afternoon crossing (not much use for a day return) were the only alternatives apart from a
full refund. The conventional ferry, which would have been my preferred option, was being
offered to vehicles but not foot passengers. I aborted check in and went on to the Prince
of Wales Pier to see what was happening and found ATLANTIC II in her layover berth
adjacent to the SeaCat linkspan but on the opposite side of the pier. She was obviously
under maintenance with 2 Burgess Marine Engineers vans were parked alongside.
THE PRINCESS MARGARET departed the
Hoverport at 11.38 with the 11.00 crossing and had just cleared the harbour by a few
minutes when THE PRINCESS ANNE arrived from Calais. 
The crossing was fairly wet and rough with visibility
reasonably good but hampered by the heavy spray hitting the glass windows. The PA was
totally inaudible due to the engine drone, which was constant. We overtook P&OSL KENT
and SEAFRANCE CEZANNE both identified by shape and not by name. 
Although I first travelled by Hovercraft some 20 or so years
ago my impressions are still the same. It is far from the perfect form of travel for the
enthusiast who really prefers the conventional ferry but now tolerates fastcraft. I would
however agree with 99% of the foot passengers on board that if you want a quick flyer to
stock up with duty free booty then it is ideal. What it gains in speed it totally loses in
every other aspect.
