In the News: New P&O Ferries at Dover (1 Viewer)

[scotjimland]

New 180 million Euro ship arrives at Dover

P&O Ferries’ new €180 million ship Spirit of Britain arrived at Dover for the first time today (Sunday 9 January) following a three-day delivery voyage from her construction shipyard at Rauma, Finland.

The ship arrived at the port at 11.00hrs and will now start final preparations for entry into service on the Dover – Calais route from 21 January.

She is the first of two giant new ships coming into service for P&O Ferries on the Dover – Calais route this year, with sister ship Spirit of France due for delivery in September. The combined cost of €360 million for the two ships represents the largest investment ever made by P&O Ferries.

Helen Deeble, chief executive of P&O Ferries, said: “We are delighted to welcome this fantastic new ship to Dover ready to start service later this month. She offers a leap forward in terms of her size and the quality of the build and I’m confident that she’ll provide a fantastic experience for all of the customers who will travel on her in the years to come.”

 

[Scout]

so will prices go up because the ship cost sooo much

or down becasue its got more capacity and does more nautical mpg

either way Ive booked with norfolkline just in case

 

[Douglas]

I will leave it for 6 months for the bugs to be sorted before I use it.

Doug...

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[Scout]

I will leave it for 6 months for the bugs to be sorted before I use it.

Doug...

I hope thier not rust bugs or they could be in trouble

 

[imprint]

At that price, however cheap the boss thinks they are, I suppose they'll park the back end of Spirit of France in Dover, and the back end of Spirit of Britain in Calais.

This way, both sides can express, physically, their opinion of the other, with the bows head on in the middle of the Channel. There'll be a flyover to allow vessels going up and down the Channel to go over the top.

This flyover will form, if I can be forgive a French pun, a sleeve valve in the middle. They'll then charge us double for going along the two ships, and everyone else for going over the flyover.

Quite clever, really - who owns P&O these days - Arabs, Chinese or Ruskies?

 

[barryd]

Looks big

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[Douglas]

I hope thier not rust bugs or they could be in trouble

Funny that you should say that:... In 1968 I sailed on a maiden voyage of a container ship that was built in Holland. One of the things that had been done to save weight was to make the guard rails above deck level out of aluminium, within 6months the base of the rail where they were bolted to the decks where showing signs of corrosion.

The rails had to be removed and heavy plastic beds had to be made and inserted between the aluminium pads and the steel deck.

Doug...

 

[scotjimland]

I'm just sad that they weren't built in the UK. Our once proud shipbuilding industry has been turned into yuppie flats and museums :Sad:

 

[hilldweller]

Looks big

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Gee Wizzzz that's BIG. And all it ever goes is 26 miles !

From our point of view though, how long to embark, disembark ?

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[JayDee]

Funny that you should say that:... In 1968 I sailed on a maiden voyage of a container ship that was built in Holland. One of the things that had been done to save weight was to make the guard rails above deck level out of aluminium, within 6months the base of the rail where they were bolted to the decks where showing signs of corrosion.

The rails had to be removed and heavy plastic beds had to be made and inserted between the aluminium pads and the steel deck.

Doug...

I'm surprised it took as long as 6 months - they must have had quite a decent layer of paint between them.
I wonder what they used to re-bolt the aluminium stanchions to the steel decks. Presumably neoprene sleeved stainless steel bolts Cost a fortune.
Aluminium structures on steel hulled ships is always a nightmare, but there can be significant savings in tonnage and improvments in stability.


John

 

[scotjimland]

The rails had to be removed and heavy plastic beds had to be made and inserted between the aluminium pads and the steel deck.

Doug...

It defies belief that the design engineer didn't take into account the electrolytic reaction between mild steel and aluminum .. it's basic first year engineering oh: oh:

 

[Squire]

It defies belief that the design engineer didn't take into account the electrolytic reaction between mild steel and aluminum .. it's basic first year engineering oh: oh:

It's not even that ! It's 6th form 0-level physics !! oh:

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[sedge]

They don't do those exams we did nowadays. Nurses don't need O level Biology so why should Engineers need O level Physics?

 

[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

It's not even that ! It's 6th form 0-level physics !! oh:

Not when I was in school in the late 1980s...we were never taught anything like that :Sad:

So I've learnt something today...and happy to admit it :thumb:

 

[lunarman]

It was definitely part of my Physics lessons in the 60s

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[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

From our point of view though, how long to embark, disembark ?

Can't answer that, but if anyone has a copy of the December C&CC magazine there's an article about these ships because they were given a sneak look last year in Finland.

According to that article there's a dedicated deck for "tourist vehicles", to keep caravans and motorhomes away from freight traffic, and the vehicle lanes have been widened from 2.8 to 3.2 metres. Passenger and vehicle decks are supposed to be closer together to speed up returning to your car. Whether the same applies to the dedicated deck is not clear.

 

[Douglas]

I'm surprised it took as long as 6 months - they must have had quite a decent layer of paint between them.
I wonder what they used to re-bolt the aluminium stanchions to the steel decks. Presumably neoprene sleeved stainless steel bolts Cost a fortune.
Aluminium structures on steel hulled ships is always a nightmare, but there can be significant savings in tonnage and improvments in stability.


John

I was not on the ship after the modification, I left for leave, but I was told that the modification was 2 bolts to the deck and another 2 to the rail pads, I would have thought that changing to steel would have been a better option.

Doug...

 

[Richard W]

First MH on Spirit of Britain

My partner Nic (ChampChump on here), works for P&O. They asked around to see if any staff had motorhomes and would be willing to participate in loading trials last Thursday.

We had an interesting hour or so on board, with a couple of other MH’s and various staff trying their cars on the loading ramps. The car deck is at the top, with fixed ramps each side. The starboard side ramps are wider at 3.5m, but there is a turn at the bottom of the after ramp, which may preclude longer MHs. At 5.5m length it was ok for us. The other two MHs were slightly longer and didn’t have a problem, but the tow bar on one got quite close to the deck. I suspect that’s a problem with ramp transitions everywhere.

Loading at Dover, you will turn right and go up the ramp on to the car deck. Discharging at Calais you leave via the curved ramp down to the main deck level.

We’d liked to have had a look at the lounges and passenger spaces (as well as crew accommodation), but everyone was busy getting the ship ready.

The trials went well as far as we could see. They were going to add some friction paint to the ramps to improve traction, but the three motorhomes present were all Ductao based machines and they managed ok.

I think Nic has some pictures of the loading. I’ll post a couple I took on a fly-by earlier. At least you can see the forward and aft ramps.

Happy Travels,
Richard W.

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[Douglas]

My partner Nic (ChampChump on here), works for P&O. They asked around to see if any staff had motorhomes and would be willing to participate in loading trials last Thursday.

We had an interesting hour or so on board, with a couple of other MH’s and various staff trying their cars on the loading ramps. The car deck is at the top, with fixed ramps each side. The starboard side ramps are wider at 3.5m, but there is a turn at the bottom of the after ramp, which may preclude longer MHs. At 5.5m length it was ok for us. The other two MHs were slightly longer and didn’t have a problem, but the tow bar on one got quite close to the deck. I suspect that’s a problem with ramp transitions everywhere.

Loading at Dover, you will turn right and go up the ramp on to the car deck. Discharging at Calais you leave via the curved ramp down to the main deck level.

We’d liked to have had a look at the lounges and passenger spaces (as well as crew accommodation), but everyone was busy getting the ship ready.

The trials went well as far as we could see. They were going to add some friction paint to the ramps to improve traction, but the three motorhomes present were all Ductao based machines and they managed ok.

I think Nic has some pictures of the loading. I’ll post a couple I took on a fly-by earlier. At least you can see the forward and aft ramps.

Happy Travels,
Richard W.

It a side loader at the back?

Doug...

 

[Richard W]

Ramps as normal

Hi Doug,

You come up the (Dover Port Authority) ramp as normal and arrive on the back deck. Almost immediately turn right up the ramp that is built in to the ship to take you up on to the car deck. I suspect the car traffic will be streamed left up the narrower (3.1m wide) fixed ramp.

I'm guessing that Tuggers, RV's, 5'ers, A Class and possibly some of the larger C Class will go straight ahead on to the upper cargo deck along with coaches etc. I think the lower cargo deck will be all freight.

The pictures show her moored on the Eastern Arm of Dover Port, or 'on the wall' as they call it. It's expensive to keep a ship on one of the loading berths if she's not actually loading. When we did the loading trials she was on Berth 6.

Happy Travels,
Richard W.

 

[ChampChump]

Mornin' all. First of all, the interior is available here, plus all sorts of other things on youtube (virtual tour is good, albeit virtual, although AIUI the real thing is remarkably similar...): Link Removed

With the caveat that the loading trials were just that, with feedback sought from drivers of Highly Expensive vehicles of various type and the end result may bring changes, here's what we did.

As Richard said, the starboard ramp is used in Dover, being wider. Here's the first view, to see if the upload works.

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[ChampChump]

More photographs

More of the loading starboard aft (ie Dover).

Up the ramp, along to be parked forward, disconcertingly nose to nose (almost) with car traffic, which is arranged somewhat differently. Knowing a good number of the chaps in charge of this operation, I am confident that this will be handled very well, but for those brought up only on RoRo it may look at little odd. At Calais, the exit ramp has a much wider curve.

If you like, I'll post a few more photos, but won't use up bandwidth if it's not helping.

 

[Scout]

More of the loading starboard aft (ie Dover).

Up the ramp, along to be parked forward, disconcertingly nose to nose (almost) with car traffic, which is arranged somewhat differently. Knowing a good number of the chaps in charge of this operation, I am confident that this will be handled very well, but for those brought up only on RoRo it may look at little odd. At Calais, the exit ramp has a much wider curve.

If you like, I'll post a few more photos, but won't use up bandwidth if it's not helping.

I dont suppose theres any feebees for testers is there:thumb: can we all come down

 

[ChampChump]

More. Some went round again; obviously this is not the usual snail trail for loading...

Third and fourth show the wider sweep, fwd. There's a few more that might be useful, but unforunately I have some really irksome reflections in almost all the interior shots, so my wonderful record is slighlty less than wonderful.

Incompetence. :Blush:

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[ChampChump]

Sebthegecko - I think there was a reason they wanted to practise on crew and staff ....

But if they need more, I'll volunteer you immediately, how about that?

Here's the one I should have shown last time, showing a larger MH on the ramp, plus another of the aft ramp.

 

[Scout]

Sebthegecko - I think there was a reason they wanted to practise on crew and staff ....

But if they need more, I'll volunteer you immediately, how about that?

Here's the one I should have shown last time, showing a larger MH on the ramp, plus another of the aft ramp.

I was thinking more of a en mass test with loads of funsters,

 

[ChampChump]

Your exit in Calais, before catflap is opened.

'Twere the sort of weather that made us grateful to be at sea level (well, almost....)

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[ChampChump]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChampChump Link Removed
Sebthegecko - I think there was a reason they wanted to practise on crew and staff ....

But if they need more, I'll volunteer you immediately, how about that?

Here's the one I should have shown last time, showing a larger MH on the ramp, plus another of the aft ramp.

I was thinking more of a en mass test with loads of funsters,

Well, we did suggest some racing trials...Top Gear had already been mentioned. I suggested the Stig in a MH, against Everyone Else....

 

[Douglas]

Thanks for the pic's. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Doug...

 

[imprint]

Thanks for those photos, guys, they look encouraging, but I agree, leave it 6 months so they work out whether w have to flod back mirrors,or put bikes inside.

A minor point raised about education got the Senior Partner interested.

Do you really need to be a 6th former to take O level physics? In our day, writes the old man, O levels were 4th or 5th form exams.

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