Khaines

Not sure if I have seen the summer edition yet, is a new one out? Will pop round to Poole port and pick one up. Edit - the picture on Andy’s link is the one I last seen so yep, a new issue.

Regarding Bournemouth’s pier, the silt used to be cleared regularly in the summer. It is only in the past eight years or so the problem has got progressively worse. I have never seen the pier in such a state as the photos above. Swanage managed to undergo a large refurbishment programme at large cost and Waverley calls there. The situation in Bournemouth is the powers that be prefer to spend money elsewhere on stuff while neglecting some of our most important heritage. When Dorset Cruises operated daytrips to Swanage and Brownsea from Bournemouth they had the Shockwave fast boat they used for high speed trips round the bay, and remember one bloke who worked for the company saying they used it to blast silt and keep it under control. Since they lost the contract to operate the pier pleasure trips this no longer happens. The area around the pier is now quite silted, yes, but the pier as a whole has tended to be neglected on the western side. The eastern side is in use for boats, but only boats I see using it is during the air festival when we have naval ships out in the bay. The pier is used for tender boats carrying people to and from them. A friend of mine on Facebook is a Lib Dem councillor in Christchurch, and because we are now Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch I am going to try and have a bit of a rant about that, I posted those pictures on Facebook so she will have seen them. Miss Waverley calling here, always really enjoyed seeing her come in, even on days I wasn’t travelling on her. I plan to take trips on her in other parts of the country she calls at, possibly going out to see the Thames forts.

Wonderful news, Tony, thanks for this post. Lovely to think she is so well supported and people are dipping into their pockets. I hope she will one day return to us on the South Coast, although judging by Bournemouth Pier, which is an absolute disgrace nowadays, I cannot see her visiting here unless the council dip deep into their own pockets. Included are pics took yesterday, plus one of Waverley here when she was a regular visitor.

Those of us who are old enough to remember the days when piracy was a case of pressing “record” on your good old radio cassette player when the Top 40 was on Radio 1. Taping off the radio - those were the days.... And of course, cassette players that munched the tapes up....😄

She has had a partial paint job, had some pics sent me from someone who works on her. That is what I meant about her being worse from the other side, pics sent me shows all the rust staining painted over. As not my photos to share cannot upload them here, but sh definitely looks a lot better now someone has taken a paintbrush or two to her.

Just a heads up to Bretagne fans Resurrecting this thread to say there is a large feature on Bretagne in the new issue of Ships Monthly, she iscalso on the cover. Also includes a feature on Pelican the freight only BF ship who sails from Poole. Will be buying it.

BF’s page on freight on NEX. https://www.brittanyferriesfreight.co.uk/specialised-traffic/fast-craft-service

This link should be of assistance. Quite long and wordy but may help. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmbeis/382/382.pdf

Out of interest, Libby takes freight, are there other HSCs that also take it, I don’t think the previous cats took it, or did they? Was freight in their day carried on Goodwill and Clipper? Lib is a big enough HSC to handle freight, but just wondered if there are any others that carry it too. Don’t think NEX does, does she?

Story to the express sea service via BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48875402

I don’t expect the language on the bridge was “oh dearie me”......🤣

Just had a message on Facebook, Barfy has just had a paintwork touch up....👍

Barfleur’s looked like it was made out of jade at one time.... Nice photos in the original post, by the way, Eriba-ist, Sandbanks is such a beautiful spot to shipwatch, I am local in Bournemouth so often pop along to watch the girls go by. Gathering place that is for when there is a new ship visiting the port. View might change from your end though if a local property developer gets his own way to demolish the Haven hotel and put up some monstrosity of expensive rabbit hutches. Would look terrible, but all he cares about is money....

She looks worse from the other side. When is she due to be repainted in the new logo? I thought she looked a right state when I went on her a few weeks ago.

The Canadian outfit was run by her owners and she was too big for the route. She ended up being seized by the authorities for non payment of dues which ST Marine had to stump up to free her. Not sure with Intershipping, but she seems to be doing ok with Polferries. With regard to BF having her, stranger things have happened which have surprisingly been sprung upon us. Would anyone have ever thought there would be a couple of Visentinis in the fleet? Did we see Barfleur’s recall from DFDS? BF do like to spring surprises so best not rule anything out.