Sorry guys - been out and about all evening, but following the posts on my
strawberry gooseberry blackberry thing.....
Dave, that Solano looks very interesting.......there certainly are a huge number of subjects in the ferry field!!!! Obviously, any 'details' always gladly given a home
As for the ferry scene today, the problem has been overcapacity on the Dover Straits. This is evidenced by P&O only increasing their schedules by 3 return crossings per day with the European Seaway and an extra night crossing by the Pride of Burgundy. SeaFrance had some 20 return crossings per day scheduled................. There have been no build ups of traffic at Dover, nor has Operation Stack been introduced, since SeaFrance stopped operating. So the capacity available now seems to be sufficient.
As for SeaFrance, unless either the Unons or another investor (most likely DFDS with LDLines) comes up with something in the order of E30million, then they will go totally to the wall. They have until December 12th........... It has been stated by the administrators running SF that it is cheaper to keep the ships in port than to run them. All the staff (except for a trusted skelleton crew on the ships) have been sent home. The Unions, however, are not at all happy about this as they fear that SF are loosing customers.........this proves how much they are living in a dream world as, because of their actions, SF have been loosing customers for years - that is why they are in the mess they are in!!!!!!!
The administrators have also stated that whatever money is left in the pot will run out anyway by the middle of December, and they doubt they will have enough to pay the December salary run..................
I think we have seen the last of SeaFrance.......................3 ships are tied up in Calais, the fourth (Nord Pas de Calais) is stuck in Dover and is running out of food, water and fuel and they have just sent 2 ships to India for scrap - controversially!!!!
A sorry tale indeed........
Carl