Porto anyone? By Ferry

We've had a couple of bad trips on the ferry to Bilboa. It was early in the season, so I think it was the smaller boat. But I doubt I'd ever get my wife near that route again. 🤮
 
The Lunchtime News down here at the 'Pointy End' of the country was saying that BF are doing more than 'Mulling Over' opening up the route.

It reported that 'Talks are underway'
 
Their plan is to begin this month if the linkspan can be overhauled in time. Idea is to run the service for 6 weeks initially, if the uptake is good they're thinking of continuing the service alternating between PLY - SAN & PLY - LEIX during the week, Armorique will cover more of the Ringaskiddy sailings.

BF carry around 85,000 pax per year to Spain who are heading into Portugal.

Cap Fin' is in Astander ship yard at the moment, it's next to Santander airport runway. Word so far is that she'll be the ship used as Pont Aven can only really manage 24kts without hurting herself.

The BF set up is very, very convoluted made up of three companies so It'll be interesting so see which of the relevant two, SOMABRET or BAI, run it.

SOMABRET, it'll be Pont Aven... BAI it'll be Cap Finistere.

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Just got a letter off god. What’s the number so I can book a pet cabin🤔
 
6 weeks- begining in , say, early June will only get them as far as mid July. One would think that they would keep the service open until end August at least and preferably into September
 
On the local news tonight BF were quoted as saying their phone lines have been very busy since the announcement of this route.

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I wonder if someone like panters their equivalent of stobarts would be putting freight on it
 
Guigsy said:
But I doubt I'd ever get my wife near that route again.
Click to expand...
Hi.
Thats TWO of us then. Our daughter booked us back on the " Economy ? " Ferry,on checking i found it was " Lighter " When i asked her about this she said.. " Its lighter because it has very few frills,like carpets in the rooms." I lay awake all of the voyage,the waves were BATTERING the sharp end of the " Scow " ( As i christened it) Fair play to it,it kept going forward,me thinking it must have had the front bit flattened by the continous beating was proved wrong.
Put it this way,as i told our daughter. You could have Carpeted every square inch of it inside and OUT/UNDERNEATH of the B thing,it was never ever going to weigh anywhere near the weight of its sister Scow.
We are coming back to the UK this year to go to Ireland again,Ferry was mentioned......... I am record as saying. " The unit can go on the Ferry with you...... I would rather WALK to the Tunnel.
Anyone want to walk up to Calais with me,mid July ? :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:🚛🚛(y)
Tea Bag.:rolleyes:
 
Tea Bag said:
Hi.
Thats TWO of us then. Our daughter booked us back on the " Economy ? " Ferry,on checking i found it was " Lighter " When i asked her about this she said.. " Its lighter because it has very few frills,like carpets in the rooms." I lay awake all of the voyage,the waves were BATTERING the sharp end of the " Scow " ( As i christened it) Fair play to it,it kept going forward,me thinking it must have had the front bit flattened by the continous beating was proved wrong.
Put it this way,as i told our daughter. You could have Carpeted every square inch of it inside and OUT/UNDERNEATH of the B thing,it was never ever going to weigh anywhere near the weight of its sister Scow.
We are coming back to the UK this year to go to Ireland again,Ferry was mentioned......... I am record as saying. " The unit can go on the Ferry with you...... I would rather WALK to the Tunnel.
Anyone want to walk up to Calais with me,mid July ? :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:🚛🚛(y)
Tea Bag.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
It was so rough, they didn't open any of the restaurants for the whole trip. And the shop was roped off with stuff spread all over the floor. All you could buy was water and packets of ginger biscuits from the guy clinging on to the cash register. We had an outside window, but it would go dark every 10 seconds before the massive bang as the wave hit it. All the motorhomes and caravans on the outside edge of the open deck had their windows smashed in by the waves and were boarded up when we arrived in port. My wife got petechial haemorrhaging around her eyes from barfing so hard. It was a BAD crossing. We'll drive next time!
 
Guigsy said:
It was so rough, they didn't open any of the restaurants for the whole trip. And the shop was roped off with stuff spread all over the floor. All you could buy was water and packets of ginger biscuits from the guy clinging on to the cash register. We had an outside window, but it would go dark every 10 seconds before the massive bang as the wave hit it. All the motorhomes and caravans on the outside edge of the open deck had their windows smashed in by the waves and were boarded up when we arrived in port. My wife got petechial haemorrhaging around her eyes from barfing so hard. It was a BAD crossing. We'll drive next time!
Click to expand...
Anyway, apart from that it was a good trip over?
😁
 
After the intial flurry of interest/disinterest and several reports last week, it's all gone quiet on this story.
If BF want to get it going by the end of this month, then they need to get a move on.
Something tells me it's not going to happen, this year at least, but those with 'conections' might know otherwise.
 
Tony V said:
After the intial flurry of interest/disinterest and several reports last week, it's all gone quiet on this story.
If BF want to get it going by the end of this month, then they need to get a move on.
Something tells me it's not going to happen, this year at least, but those with 'conections' might know otherwise.
Click to expand...
Word from BF Towers in Roscoff is the 24th May.

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If it happens I wonder if they will trial it for the whole summer and not just the 6 weeks that has been reported.
 
I suspect it will come down to if they make more money doing more trips to Portugal or Northern Spain once Spain and France join the green list and how long it's likely to be before the lists change.
 
Tony V said:
If it happens I wonder if they will trial it for the whole summer and not just the 6 weeks that has been reported.
Click to expand...
The biggest obstacle is the onshore costs. It's not that expensive to bring in prefabbed units in the short term but anything permanent would require more security, an improved border force, investment in hard standing and marshalling areas plus permanent buildings and possibly the infrastructure to allow travellers to enter and depart without being snarled up in heavy goods traffic.

Portugal doesn't really have any heavy RoPax facilities, their all freight orientated.

When BF decided to take on Bilbao and received MoS funding it was cheaper and more efficient to relocate to Zierbena than continue to use Santurtzi so we'll have to see what Leixoes is prepared to do.

Thing are a changin' though, duty free is returning and you can get a lot more in the boot of your car than you can in an overhead locker aboard a shabby Ryanair cattle carrier. Stena are already offering duty free sailings from Dublin & Holyhead.
 
Did anyone ever use The Eagle a P and O Ship back in the 70s that sailed from Plymouth via Lisbon to Morrocco ? Think it sailed from 72 to 75.BUSBY.
 
busby said:
Did anyone ever use The Eagle a P and O Ship back in the 70s that sailed from Plymouth via Lisbon to Morrocco ? Think it sailed from 72 to 75.BUSBY.
Click to expand...
No but I do have some original literature, travel brochures etc. would have jumped on her in a heat beat as well as the sailings to San Sebastien.

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busby said:
Did anyone ever use The Eagle a P and O Ship back in the 70s that sailed from Plymouth via Lisbon to Morrocco ? Think it sailed from 72 to 75.BUSBY.
Click to expand...
Yes great service I travelled on it 3 times with my family as a youngster it used to do Southampton call at Lisbon on way out and back I remember entering Lisbon just after the revolution graffiti all along the quay wall and sailing under the Tagus Bridge . did help that dad was a Passenger Superintendent with P+O Ferries so freebies wish I had those free passes now.
 
9DC28896-F01C-4F66-9AF7-75B0568D0829.png
 
Tea Bag said:
Hi.
Thats TWO of us then. Our daughter booked us back on the " Economy ? " Ferry,on checking i found it was " Lighter " When i asked her about this she said.. " Its lighter because it has very few frills,like carpets in the rooms." I lay awake all of the voyage,the waves were BATTERING the sharp end of the " Scow " ( As i christened it) Fair play to it,it kept going forward,me thinking it must have had the front bit flattened by the continous beating was proved wrong.
Put it this way,as i told our daughter. You could have Carpeted every square inch of it inside and OUT/UNDERNEATH of the B thing,it was never ever going to weigh anywhere near the weight of its sister Scow.
We are coming back to the UK this year to go to Ireland again,Ferry was mentioned......... I am record as saying. " The unit can go on the Ferry with you...... I would rather WALK to the Tunnel.
Anyone want to walk up to Calais with me,mid July ? :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:🚛🚛(y)
Tea Bag.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Whimp🤣🤣🤣. BUSBY.
 
busby said:
Whimp🤣🤣🤣. BUSBY.
Click to expand...
Hi busby
You spotted me :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:..... But to be fair. On Plymouth Sound club site,got chatting to a chap who went Sea Kyaking,he said i will lend you the wifes kyak come and have a go. Told him about my near fatal " Mal de Mer" and he said he used Stugeron ? Tablets,i said " Nice but no thanks" and forgot all about it. Go to see a mate back in Derbyshire.He had started to have dizzy spells and the Dr. had put him on....Stugeron,that name rang a bell. Armed with the correct dose of Stugeron,i boarded and travelled" Trouble free " ( Well,it is tea time. :ROFLMAO: (y)) Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire. RESULT.
So,if you do HAVE !!! to go anywhere on a Ferry/Scow. and you suffer... 1. Pick the heaviest one you can.( Aircraft carrier ?) and 2. try these Stugeron. As i have said. they were recommended by a Dr. for my mates dizzy spell,looked it up and it is to Calm motion sickness amongst other things. Jobs a good 'un
Tea Bag
 
Tea Bag said:
Hi busby
You spotted me :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:..... But to be fair. On Plymouth Sound club site,got chatting to a chap who went Sea Kyaking,he said i will lend you the wifes kyak come and have a go. Told him about my near fatal " Mal de Mer" and he said he used Stugeron ? Tablets,i said " Nice but no thanks" and forgot all about it. Go to see a mate back in Derbyshire.He had started to have dizzy spells and the Dr. had put him on....Stugeron,that name rang a bell. Armed with the correct dose of Stugeron,i boarded and travelled" Trouble free " ( Well,it is tea time. :ROFLMAO: (y)) Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire. RESULT.
So,if you do HAVE !!! to go anywhere on a Ferry/Scow. and you suffer... 1. Pick the heaviest one you can.( Aircraft carrier ?) and 2. try these Stugeron. As i have said. they were recommended by a Dr. for my mates dizzy spell,looked it up and it is to Calm motion sickness amongst other things. Jobs a good 'un
Tea Bag
Click to expand...
We always take Sturgeron..My wife was prescribed them years ago for her vertigo. Mal de Mer is nothing to be ashamed off,,Lord Nelson even suffered from it..BUSBY😀

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