Andy

Yes, it’s a requirement in Plymouth that a pilot is taken whenever a tug is requested. Le Havre has the same rule.

And one of the Quiberon:

Bad weather has cancelled Cap's return to service tomorrow... we'll have to wait until Friday (at present) to see her new colours in the flesh!

Another stormy week ahead... Cap Finistere's sailings have also been affected (but the sailing updates page has the sailing legs listed the wrong way around at present... hopefully BF will correct soon!).

Brittany Ferries publishes 2018 results and urges French authorities to keep goods, passengers and wealth flowing freely post-Brexit Brittany Ferries today reveals passenger, freight and financial results for 2018. The company carried 2.6 million passengers on all routes last year, an increase of 1.4 percent (see table below for breakdown by route). It made a profit of €8 million on a total turnover of €442m. The encouraging results come despite the pound being worth around 15 percent less than it was two years ago. That has proved challenging for a company whose income is generated in pounds sterling, with a cost-base in euros. Further challenges have come from on-going Brexit uncertainty and the effect this is having on summer 2019 bookings. Full press release and figures available here: https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/brittany-ferries-publishes-2018-results-and-urges-french-authorities-to-keep-goods-passengers-and-wealth-flowing-freely-post-brexit/

A message from BF (we told you they were watching...)

This is one of the first reviews I have seen of the W D Yeats. https://m.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/first-look-inside-the-w-b-yeats-irish-ferries-150m-cruise-ferry-37860334.html

Some Superfast red lives on to see another day too

The Normandie’s recent refit saw the addition of pet friendly cabins. These are located on deck 5, port side forward, and were previously 4-berth cabins. A small outside promenade area has also been created on deck 9 forward, adjacent to the stores gantry. Photos below.

Pont-Aven appears to be heading back to Portsmouth, having departed at 20:15.

Brittany Ferries and Repsol pave the way for UK/Spain LNG ferry operations Brittany Ferries has signed an agreement with Spanish energy company Repsol for the delivery of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to its Spanish operations. A letter of intent between the two companies provides the basis for the long-term supply of LNG-fuel and key shoreside infrastructure to the new LNG-powered cruise-ferry Salamanca, which is scheduled to enter service in 2022. Under the agreement—which follows an extensive tender process during 2018—Repsol will install a fixed quayside LNG storage and supply system in one of Brittany Ferries’ two Spanish ports, Santander or Bilbao. Repsol will then supply LNG bunker fuel to Brittany Ferries’ Salamanca during the ship’s regular visits on routes linking Portsmouth, UK and northern Spain. A final decision on the location of the terminal will be made later in 2019. Frédéric Pouget, Brittany Ferries’ Fleet and Operations Director comments: “Liquefied natural gas offers major environmental advantages compared to traditional maritime fuels, and we’re extremely satisfied to be working with Repsol on LNG bunkering arrangements for our Spanish ferry operations,” “Salamanca will be our second LNG-powered ship, but the first to operate to and from Spain. Repsol’s competence in the field of LNG bunkering technology and environmentally-friendly fuels along with its capacity to deliver to us makes it an obvious partner for us. This new terminal will allow for regular, flexible and reliable deliveries whilst Salamanca is alongside, benefiting our operations and scheduling. Meanwhile the use of LNG will offer much wider benefits to the environment.” Repsol’s Wholesale & Gas Trading Director, Laura Rejón-Pérez said: “We are delighted to enter into this long term agreement with Brittany Ferries, a company clearly engaged with innovation and the improvement in its environmental footprint by using LNG as bunker fuel. We are leaders in providing alternative, greener, fuels for maritime, air and road transport and this agreement is an exciting milestone for our growing LNG bunkering business.” Salamanca follows Honfleur (currently under construction in Germany and due to enter service late 2019) as the second LNG-powered ship in Brittany Ferries’ fleet. LNG provides major environmental advantages, reducing carbon dioxide, and cutting sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate emissions to almost zero. Construction of the new ship is planned at the Avic International Weihai shipyard in China. Under the agreement between Brittany Ferries and Repsol, the supply of LNG will begin in 2022, coinciding with Salamanca’s entry into service.

We’ve already seen this on the Solent with the Red Osprey monstrosity! 🙈

The future of the FSG yard looks to have been secured through new investment. From: http://m.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/artikel/lars-windhorst-rettet-flensburger-schiffbau-gesellschaft-a-1252768.html Financial investor Lars Windhorst (42) took over the majority stake in Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) on Monday, ending a liquidity squeeze at the shipyard.According to information from manager-magazin.de, Windhorst's Sapinda Holding, owned by the Norwegian owner Siem Europe, took over 76 percent of the company's shares. In addition, the investor working in London and Berlin provided the shipyard with a capital increase of 33 million euros. The previous owner participated in the rescue by issuing 10 million euros of debt, which were converted into new shares. Flensburg Shipbuilding has been part of the Siem Industries Group since 2014, which is active in the oil and gas industry. In January, the shipyard had been unable to pay its 1,800 employees salaries until the parent company stepped in. Reason are delays in the construction of a ferry and resulting contractual penalties. Other bills remained open, a guarantee of Schleswig-Holstein had burst. With the fresh money, the FSG has good prospects again. The order books are full. By 2021, four large passenger ferries and three cargo ferries are to be built in Flensburg. Total order volume: 1 billion euros.