Euroferries Boulogne Ramsgate ferry service update

Not good news here I am sorry to say it looks as though this service has floundered.    

 Those interested in the recent situation with ferries at Ramsgate may find this video interesting.

Euroferries announce new trimaran service between Ramsgate and Boulogne

Here is the Euroferries press release.

Euroferries has entered into an agreement with global ship manufacturer Austal, securing the newly built 102m trimaran on a long term charter agreement which will operate this high-speed service. 

The Trimaran’s  state of the art design offers unprecedented sea keeping capabilities, utilising the softer roll of a monohull with the low resistance, stability and carrying capacity of a catamaran, affording unrivalled levels of passenger comfort for travelling across the channel at speed.

The vessel will arrive in January 2013, with the service becoming fully operational between Boulogne and Ramsgate during February 2013.

The service will offer 4 daily crossings, catering for passengers, cars and luxury coaches. The vessel is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 40 knots thus enabling Euroferries to provide one of the fastest channel crossings available.

Euroferries is responding to demand for a fast, efficient and passenger friendly crossing; Euroferries service will provide an “in-seat” shopping service, Wi-Fi Internet access, extensive onboard catering and shopping facilities and easy motorway access to and from both ports, developing and maintaining dedicated customer focus for this unique experience. 
Euroferries will also be introducing an express coach service to operate between Ramsgate, Canterbury and London Victoria.
Euroferries chairman, Per Staehr would like to congratulate his team, Austal, Euroferries partners, Boulogne and Ramsgate ports and the state authorities for enabling them to get to this milestone of the project.

Here is the link to the charter agreement on the ferry manufacturer’s website http://www.austal.com/en/products-and-services/commercial-products/ferries-vehicle-passenger/next-generation-102m-trimaran.aspx

Here is the link to the BBC story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-19997561

Sunday ramble Turner Contemporary Pleasurama Euroferries and more.

It would seem from the statistics published on the site where the Turner Contemporary’s site's videos are hosted that hardly anyone uses the gallery’s website or is interested in the art projects that they are engaged in.

Last week I embedded their two latest videos one about the teenage bedroom exhibit and the other about the silly walk in this blog, at the time neither were embedded in the galley’s website or linked to it, as one would expect when I embedded the videos the viewing statistics increased from pretty much zero so that between them both videos got about 60 viewings.

Since the subject matter isn’t that interesting I assumed that of the 400 or so people who read this blog in a day, a small percentage of them didn’t take my word for it and had a look for themselves.

As there has been virtually no comment here supporting the gallery’s activities I can only assume that those people were as disappointed with what the gallery is doing as I am.

Well now the gallery has embedded the video about the silly walk in its website and there is no noticeable change in its number of viewings, suggesting to me that very few people look at the gallery’s website or are interested in their current projects.

Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t dispute that walking and getting people to participate in local history are worthwhile projects, I do both and a great many of you buy my local history books and look at the pictures from my walks.

My problem is that these activities are treated as publicly fundable art, when in fact they are not and that these projects are supposed to be drawing visitors to Margate in sufficient quantities to help with the regeneration of the town, something that there doesn’t appear to be any evidence to support.

As I have pointed out the only statistics I can find on the internet suggest a total lack of interest by anyone whatsoever.

Next some thoughts on the Pleasurama development, as I have pointed out on numerous occasions the two main impediments to this development ever happening are, the lack of a flood risk assessment and its close proximity to an unsupported chalk cliff.

Added to this I have heard from a couple of different sources, one a comment on this blog and another a friend with an interest in civil engineering that the council has finally inspected the foundations to the cliff façade and that all is not well with them.

Now my understanding is that the apart from the £1m cash bond that the developer has deposited for the council’s protection in the event of anything going wrong financially, they have spent over £2.5m on the project so far and are still spending money on the project.

All of this would seem to be based on some sort of assertion that the cliff will be perfectly safe and maintainable in a safe condition – even with the restrictions imposed by the close proximity of the back of the development – for the expected life of the development and that there is no significant flood risk, despite the historical evidence and the EAs concerns.

As the council have already spent over £1m on the project and presumably the developers spend is based on assurances from the council that the problems that I have outlined don’t exists, I wonder where this leaves the council in terms of liability, if the problems that I, the EA and their consulting engineers outlined in the report on the cliff façade prove to be true.

It is my understanding that one of the main concerns that caused the council to allow the project to proceed without a performance bond was that the developer would try to recoup the amount they had already spent, by engaging in litigation against the council.

Now at the moment with a development agreement in place, that will almost undoubtedly have a time schedule in it setting out a time scale for the development with penalty clauses if the developer doesn’t comply, this would seem to be increasing the councils potential liability on a daily basis.

With an approximate overall cost of the development of over £22m the potential for their ongoing liability would seem to be considerable.

The really annoying thing here is that we have considerable need for regeneration of the site here in Ramsgate, a first class contractor in place a developer who obviously has real money and has been investing it in the development providing much needed work in the current economic climate, but an apparent lack of organisation and communication that beggars belief.

On to Euroferries the first available sailing on their online booking facility has now been change to one departing from Boulogne at 7.45 on 10th April, I don’t know if this is significant of anything.

We now come to the Royal Victoria Pavilion, my understanding is that the buildings condition is rapidly deteriorating, this combined with its inadequate flood protection will almost certainly lead to its eventual demolition, either by the sea or the council.

I understand that the council are engaged in litigation with the Rank Organisation over the repairing order, but in this instance Rome appears to be burning.

Now onto the Maritime Museum still closed and likely to remain so until the council grant the new operator security of tenure.

Another interesting aside to this is the position over the Tug Cervia, as far as I can understand the tugs mooring is part of the whole security of tenure problem.

The next stage that has been delayed several times is to get the tug onto the slipway, assess the condition of her hull with a view to deciding how to approach such repairs as are necessary.

There is however a potential problem here, which is that as there is no security of tenure in place the museum operators can’t do the work to the dry dock that is intended to be her new home and I suppose that she would only be allowed to return to where she is now at the whim of the council, not a happy situation.

There is a further problem that is while the dry dock work isn’t done that is also deteriorating, it now leaks badly at very high tides.

Once again there is potential with this situation for the council to find itself in a position where it has to find considerable funds, because the Clock House, tug’s hull and dry dock are all deteriorating while the council prevaricates.

As I said in my previous post the council is in need of firm and decisive leadership urgently, as not only does it appear to have lost its grip on the whole eastcliff part of Ramsgate but also appears to be taking considerable financial risks in so doing.

Albion House is another case in point where the council have allowed that condition of what is not only a royal residence but an important public building deteriorate to the point where it has ceased to be fit for purpose.

I may ramble on a bit as the day continues, will also make some corrections as I am working on a notebook with a very small screen and can’t see what I am doing that well.

Burning your boats, Euroferries Bonanza Express update and a bit of a ramble with more pictures of Ramsgate.

Bonanza Express seems be travelling back and fourth between Santa Cruz and Agaete, there is a bit of an internet toy that you can use for tracking vessels in this area see http://www.localizatodo.com/mapa/ it is quite a toy really.

If you get addicted to playing with this a better one for UK waters can be found at http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/ now I have stopped you getting any work done in the office today, playing with internet toys, perhaps I should offer some appologies to the bosses.

The Euroferries website has had a considerable update since yesterday, all mention of Bonanza express has gone see http://www.euroferries.co.uk/ but they still appear to be hoping to start their service from March the first.

I very much hope this happens and would like to offer them any support that I can, I certainly still wonder how much of the delays have been caused by our own dear council.
I am publishing up yesterdays pictures of Ramsgate on the internet at the moment and will add the link to them and some notes about them to this post later this morning.

The picture above is a bit of a sad one, this wooden cruiser is being broken up and burnt on the slipway in Ramsgate.

Also on the slipway for repairs in Silver Sturgeon see http://www.silverfleet.co.uk/fleet/silver-sturgeon/ she is steel hulled an I would imagine this involves a survey, replacing any steel plates that need it, painting the hull and fitting new anodes.

Click on the link for the pictures http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/blogpicts110/id7.htm as you see despite yesterdays forecast for a dull and foggy day, here in Ramsgate our microclimate meant the weather was much more spring like.

Back to the burning of boats, why, well in this case the hull has rotted beyond repair, there is a little story here for anyone interested, about rotten hulls.

The last boat I had of any size was a river cruiser on the Great Ouse and there was a pretty astute marina owner there who was about to break up and burn a large and luxuriously fitted river cruiser that had a hull as rotten as a pear.

A local builder came along and offered to buy it for repair and as the marina owner figured that the fees he would get for the boat on hard standing while all of the planks were replaced would be considerable, he allowed the builder to knock the price down to £100 although he engines alone were probably worth about £1.000.

She was 50 feet long so the fees for a year hard standing would have been about £2,000, this wasn’t a cheap marina.

Well on the Monday a truck from the builder’s firm turned up loaded with chiken wire and three men got to work with electric staple guns and a generator.

On the Tuesday a gang of plasterers and a concrete mixer turned up and ferro coated the boat, nothing happened on Wednesday and Thursday while the concrete dried.

Friday and Saturday the painters turned up on Monday the boat was in the water and the builder on holiday, on the boat.

Reading through the planning applications that I have just put on http://thanetpress.blogspot.com/ I notice Mr Hilton of Bleak House has applied to for planning permission to turn what was a jewellers shop in Ramsgate High Street into a pie and mash shop.

It occurred to me that there could be a lesson for other retailers like myself here, by that I mean you can’t buy it on the internet, even if you got it from Westwood Cross your pie and mash would probably be cold by the time you got it back to Ramsgate.

Euroferries update and don’t use Internet Explorer

Many thanks to Antonio for this update on Bonanza Express.

I had heard that all was not quite going as hoped so emailed Antonio for an update here is his reply.

I´ve been out of Tenerife in Seville, this week At the end of Nov 09, before the guarantee nonpayment for Euroferries (00), Olsen decided to end the share operation of the Bonanza in the connection UK - France in Channel, erasing the logo of the sides of the Bnz (01 and 02). For the last few days Bnz moved from Los Llanos dock to the Ribera side dock very next to Osen station (05), where is proceeded to paint again with colors of Olsen (03 and 04 pictures, taken yesterday) revising and equipping the HSC to operate on again.Saludos desde Tenerife.
See also http://oportodagraciosa.blogspot.com/

Oh yes and you may wish to consider not using internet explorer for a bit see http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Warning-over-using-Internet-Explorer-from-German-Government-as-exploit-goes-public-906173.html

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Euroferries Ramsgate to Boulougne ferry service update.

This from Euroferries:

“Please be aware we have had splendid support from local restaurants, hotels and businesses to whom we wish to support and bring much welcome business to Ramsgate and to the benefit of residents. A point we would wish to make is that all the investment has been from Euroferries and at no time has TDC or any local authority contributed funds. We have been splendidly supported by Government agencies. All persons effected by the delay have been fully refunded. Thank you once again for your support.

Regards, Euroferries Customer Services Team.

And this from Antonio Sáez:

Dear Michael:Half an hour ago I met an Olsen office in Santa Crruz menber, which told me that Olsen has given a new deadline to Euroferries till next Friday. He told that the ship was ready to go in case this condition is fulfil. Saludos.

Euroferries service delayed there will be no sailing on Friday

I have just telephoned them, all customers that have booked in advance will be contacted and given a full refund.

While I have supported this venture and will continue to do so there is one aspect that I don’t understand and this concerns the Tax Free Shop in Ramsgate.

This is a quote from the Euroferries website: “After check-in, relax in our lounge and take some time to browse the tax free shopping and café before boarding for your destination.”

The Isle of Thanet Gazette has a picture of this shop in last week’s paper and the article says it has been refurbished.

Now my understanding is that tax free shops in UK Channel ports were banned by European Union legislation about 10 years ago.

Euroferries Ramsgate to Boulougne ferry service, update from Tenerife

HSC Bonanza, ready.
Dear Michael: Finally I went to the dock (Los LLanos), to know what was going on. Nobody was near the catamaran, outside, who could inform about (only amateur fishermans).

The starboard side is finished (fresh) also, 1400h. She could depart tomorrow morning. The voyage will take 2 and a half days, so if all is in accordance betewen Euroferries and Olsen, she will arrived long before next saturday. Saludos de Antonio desde Tenerife.

Euroferries Bonanza Express makes U turn.

Eascliff Richard would probably head this post something like “Ferry Odd” but I d id notice that Bonanza Express seems to be heading back to Las Palmas.

With Euroferries website http://www.euroferries.co.uk/index.html?_ret_=return announcing the new service due to start later this month and no obvious sign of anything happening in Port Ramsgate I wonder what is going on.

Obviously Ramsgate has nothing to lose and everything to gain from the new ferry service and obviously the fact that Bonanza Express is running and has a crew can only be a good sign.


Click on the link to track Bonanza Express MarineTraffic.com

Euroferries Ramsgate to Boulougne ferry service

I have been delving the web and phoning around trying to find the present situation regarding this issue.

The ferry they intend to use Bonanza Express is still in port at Las Palmas de Gran Caneria.

Work hasn’t started in Port Ramsgate to modify or replace the roll on roll of equipment that would be needed.

There is a signature missing from the documentation at TDC, this is delaying things.

It seems pretty definite that Bonanza Express now has Euroferries painted on the side, suggestions have been made that the picture above has been doctored but I believe this is not the case, mainly as it would be counterproductive in terms of any efforts to get the operation off the ground.

She has been moving about in the port at Las Palmas de Gran Caneria today according to MarineTraffic.com so I don’t know if this is significant of anything.

There has been a large investment in Boulougne that appears to be for the Euroferries terminal.

There is a lot of comment about this on The Big Blog click here to view

The bottom line here is that if it is possible to pull it of a Ramsgate to Boulougne ferry service would be of great benefit to Ramsgate.