coliholic
Well-Known Member
We drove to SoF at the weekend and did the new LD Lines fast ferry Dover to Boulogne and paid the extrea to be in "Premium Seating". You get a free paper and a coffee but the best bit is there's no hoards of screaming kids running around the place, so a nice quiet seat at the very front of the ship and a civilised hour's break.
In total the ship was carrying 700 passengers from a max complement of 1200 so a bit over half full. And very [pleasant it is too. The Premium Seating area had us four and just one other couple and a staff of six waiters/stewards and since they only serve tea, coffee and croissants, to say the least the staff were really attentive and came and chatted to us. Several people tried to scam their way in but the staff were firm but fair and told 'em to effoff
As a joke just passing the time, I asked one of the lassies if I could have a tour round the bridge and a chat with the driver. She went away and came back a minute later and said OK follow me. Gobsmacked to say the least. I thought the terrorist bit had put paid to these types of trips.
So up we went to the bridge and pretty good it was too. Andy, the South African captain took great pains to explain everything to my non boaty friends but of course "I knew it all" so didn't need to ask any Q's. He was more interested in chatting about where we were going and what SoF is like but wasn't at all blase about his ship but of course it's all still new to him I guess
We spent about 20 mins on the bridge as they slowly brought it up from 20 knots to planing speed 28knots and then on to 35/38 knots. Sea state was 2m swells and you felt the ship move about but it was pretty smooth.
They've had this ship just 14 weeks from new, they sailed it through the Suez from Tasmania where it was built and it's the biggest wave piercing catamaran that they've built so far.
Obviously the bridge is one mass of screens, nine in total I think, showing charts, radar, engine telemetry and controls etc. Four medium speed diesel engines turning at 900 rpm driving water jets.
A couple of things I found surprising. They do have some paper charts "stuffed away in a drawer somewhere but never use them". And the steering wheel is in the arm of the captain's chair and is no bigger than 50mm. Yes really, 2 inches diameter.
If you're planning a x channel trip in the near future, highly recommended. And at under £100 for a car 4 pax and a dog (iirc he cost £30), it's cheaper than diesel for the boat.
In total the ship was carrying 700 passengers from a max complement of 1200 so a bit over half full. And very [pleasant it is too. The Premium Seating area had us four and just one other couple and a staff of six waiters/stewards and since they only serve tea, coffee and croissants, to say the least the staff were really attentive and came and chatted to us. Several people tried to scam their way in but the staff were firm but fair and told 'em to effoff
As a joke just passing the time, I asked one of the lassies if I could have a tour round the bridge and a chat with the driver. She went away and came back a minute later and said OK follow me. Gobsmacked to say the least. I thought the terrorist bit had put paid to these types of trips.
So up we went to the bridge and pretty good it was too. Andy, the South African captain took great pains to explain everything to my non boaty friends but of course "I knew it all" so didn't need to ask any Q's. He was more interested in chatting about where we were going and what SoF is like but wasn't at all blase about his ship but of course it's all still new to him I guess
We spent about 20 mins on the bridge as they slowly brought it up from 20 knots to planing speed 28knots and then on to 35/38 knots. Sea state was 2m swells and you felt the ship move about but it was pretty smooth.
They've had this ship just 14 weeks from new, they sailed it through the Suez from Tasmania where it was built and it's the biggest wave piercing catamaran that they've built so far.
Obviously the bridge is one mass of screens, nine in total I think, showing charts, radar, engine telemetry and controls etc. Four medium speed diesel engines turning at 900 rpm driving water jets.
A couple of things I found surprising. They do have some paper charts "stuffed away in a drawer somewhere but never use them". And the steering wheel is in the arm of the captain's chair and is no bigger than 50mm. Yes really, 2 inches diameter.
If you're planning a x channel trip in the near future, highly recommended. And at under £100 for a car 4 pax and a dog (iirc he cost £30), it's cheaper than diesel for the boat.
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