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EVENTS 2022 ~~ online & local venue  ~~ see EVENTS for details and to join.

Our 2022 events are "hybrid" ~ enjoy online or at our Dorset venue ~ see & hear about Normandie, Rotterdam, Horizon, Vision of the Seas and many more ships - brought to you by our enthusiastic speakers. 

Talks & Meetings on Ocean Liners, Cargo Ships, Ferries, Mariner's Memoirs, Paddle Steamers, Cruise Ships, Naval History, Ship Design, Maritime Memories and much more ~ enjoyed by ships & shipping enthusiasts ~ a community with common interests 

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~SHIPS~DORSET~ Images of the Month for May 2022 ~ 1of2 ~ ~ Barfleur ~ Welcome home! - April 2022  

After more than 2 years away, Barfleur departs Poole bound for Cherbourg on 13th April 2022. These super images were taken by George Holland. After George posted a great series of pictures on our Ships Dorset Facebook group (take a look at the full series!) - I've selected these port bow and port quarter shots to show-off our "local girl". Towards the end of March 2019 Covid struck and most of the Brittany Ferries fleet were sent to lay-up. Barfleur was laid up in the Calix Basin along the Caen Canal. She was reactivated in February this year, to operate freight-only on the Portsmouth-Ouistreham route covering for refits of BF fleet-mates. It's great to see her back on her "home" route!

Key Dimensions for Barfleur … Gross Tonnage = 20,133 … Length = 158m … Beam 23m … Service Speed = 19 Knots … Passenger capacity = 1,200 … Cars = 590 … Cabins = 72 … Reserved Seats = 295 … Crew = 92 … In Service 1992  … 

~SHIPS~DORSET~ Images of the Month for May 2022 ~ 2of2 ~ ~ Barfleur ~ 30 years on - April 2022  

On 4th April 1992, Truckline Ferries' new ferry entered Poole Harbour following the five mile-long deep water channel dredged and re-routed especially to accommodate Barfleur's record size. I've "borrowed" some of Kev Mitchell's Ships Dorset Facebook commentary welcoming Barfleur back. Once the largest ship in the Brittany Ferries fleet in terms of freight capacity, she was the first purpose built for double-deck loading with a full ship turnaround achievable in just 75 minutes. She was delivered in the colours of Truckline Ferries - Brittany Ferries' origjnal 'economie' service. But she was anything but an 'economie' ferry with capacity for up to 1,200 passengers and 590 cars, a self-service cafeteria as well as an a la carte restaurant, bar and shopping. By 2010 falling demand lead to Barfleur being laid up for a year. After a further year back in service, in 2012 she was chartered to DFDS as Deal Seaways, and the future of the Poole-Cherbourg operation looked bleak. Thankfully though, normal service was resumed in 2013. Two years later exhaust scrubbers were fitted, and it is fortunate that this remodelling of the twin funnels did not spoil Barfleur's elegant lines. 

To view previous "Images of the Month" click our Image Archive link ...