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Euroferries - Ramsgate to Boulogne


PeterG

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Euroferries has not hitherto gained a good track record in fulfiling what it has promised. No timetables, fares, or any firm information has yet been published, something which really should have been sorted out and ready to go. At least this time it has a ship, although 'In partnership with Fred. Olsen' is pushing things a bit far; it seems to have merely chartered a vessel that has reportedly become surplus to the Fred. Olsen Canary Islands service.

A one-vessel operator using an Incat catamaran ferry to Boulogne - a touch of déjà vu there. Still, we hope it happens, and succeeds, but this doesn't seem to be a good time to be introducing a new cross-channel ferry service.

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I must be thick because I cannot see how the Ramsgate to Boulogne route could be profitable.  The length of passage must be nearly double that of Dover to Calais, which combined with higher fuel costs of high speed ferries, seems to make it commercially unviable.

I would have thought that Dover or Folkstone would have been better than Ramsgate, or alternatively Ramsgate to Calais.

I do not have a nautical chart available, but surely going round the Goodwin sands would add distance to the Ramsgate to Boulogne route?

No doubt Will or FerryGuru will put me right.

David

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[quote user="David"]

I would have thought that Dover or Folkstone would have been better than Ramsgate, or alternatively Ramsgate to Calais.

[/quote]

The problems there as I see it are that all the infrastructure has been ripped out of Folkestone after Stena Line gave up on it (a pity as it was a good alternative to Dover) and at Eastern docks, all the bearths are occupied by Seafrance P&O and Norfolk Lines.  Maybe Western Docks could be possible?

Aren't the Goodwins further North? You would still have to go around the Varne bank would you not?

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

LDA (LD Lines' parent) has withdrawn from the Sea France deal. Brittany Ferries has declared that it is only interested in a 'partial' takeover, i.e. forming a consortium to run the Sea France routes. BF and LD would have made suitable, if unlikely, bedfellows, but with LD's withdrawal the BF part of the deal looks pretty doubtful.

As far as the Euroferries operation is concerned, the ship that the company has announced it intends to use ran aground on 2 December last and suffered damage, and is, as far as we know, still awaiting repair. Being of aluminium construction this is a specialist job that cannot be undertaken at any old shipyard. So the prospects of starting the service as planned look rather slight.

 

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