SeaFrance
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
that operates ferry services between Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
SeaFrance is 100% owned by the French railways, SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
.
The company employs a total of 1,850 staff, including 1,300 seagoing personnel, and is the largest employer in the town of Calais. Its sister company, SeaFrance Limited, employs 200 in England.
History
SeaFrance began operations between Dover and Calais in 1996 after the termination of a pooling agreement with Sealink (by then known as Stena Sealink Line) in 1995. The service initially began with the former Sealink vessels Fiesta and Côte d'Azur which became SeaFrance Cézanne and SeaFrance Renoir respectively after extensive refurbishments to create a distinctive French atmosphere on board. Former Sealink train ferryTrain ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
Nord Pas-de-Calais became the SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais and operated as a freight only ferry though SeaFrance did market the ship to passengers as a quiet ship. The three vessels were later joined by the former Stena Londoner which became the SeaFrance Monet. SeaFrance quickly became the second busiest operator on the Dover - Calais route after P&O European Ferries
P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
and ahead of their former partners now known as Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
. In 1997 the SeaFrance Manet entered service after a five year charter to Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
for the Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
-Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
service, the ship essentially replaced the Monet which was later sold after being damaged in Calais. SeaFrance took delivery of the SeaFrance Rodin in 2001, their first new ship and the fastest Dover-Calais ferry. She was joined in 2005 by the SeaFrance Berlioz, a sister ship built at a different yard.
SeaFrance was one of five companies invited to tender for the operation of Transmanche Ferries
Transmanche Ferries
Transmanche Ferries is a ferry company that operates the Newhaven - Dieppe route across the English Channel.-History:Transmanche Ferries was formed after the previous operator of this route, P&O Stena Line, decided to concentrate on that company's primary route of Dover - Calais...
service between Dieppe and Newhaven. SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
and later SNAT operated the route until 1992 when they withdrew after poor performance due to almost constant strike action. The route later passed to Sealink Stena Line (later renamed Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
). The route became part of P&O Stena Line
P&O Stena Line
P&O Stena Line was formed in 1998 after the merger of P&O European Ferries Ltd and the Dover and Newhaven operations of Stena Line.-History:...
with the merger of the company's Eastern Channel services and they operated the route until 1998 after which Hoverspeed
Hoverspeed
Hoverspeed, formed in 1981 by the merger of Seaspeed and Hoverlloyd, was a ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005....
operated a fast-ferry service on the route until 2004. Because the French local government did not want the route to be lost, they started a subsidized line called Transmanche Ferries
Transmanche Ferries
Transmanche Ferries is a ferry company that operates the Newhaven - Dieppe route across the English Channel.-History:Transmanche Ferries was formed after the previous operator of this route, P&O Stena Line, decided to concentrate on that company's primary route of Dover - Calais...
in April 2001. After five years of service, and the arrival of two new-build ships the government had to tender the line in a concession to comply with EU regulations. The contract to operate the service was awarded to LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
on 21 December 2006.
In 2008, SeaFrance introduced the SeaFrance Molière
MS SeaFrance Molière
MS SeaFrance Molière is a fast ropax ferry owned by SeaFrance and operated between Dover and Calais. She was built in 2002 by the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft at Kiel, Germany for Superfast Ferries as MS Superfast X...
and withdrew the SeaFrance Manet and subsequently withdrew the SeaFrance Renoir.
Restructuring
In 2005, SeaFrance made a €9.27 million loss but made a net profit of €7.9 million in 2006. In 2008, the company lost €20 million and since October 2008 has been losing in the region of €3 million a month.On 17 February 2009, SeaFrance announced a restructuring plan following a decline in its freight carryings and significant losses. The restructuring would see up to 650 jobs lost in France and the withdrawal of the SeaFrance Cézanne, SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais and SeaFrance Renoir. A previous restructuring plan by SeaFrance submitted in January 2009 was rejected by owners SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
. Following the restructuring announcement LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
indicated they would be interested in taking over SeaFrance. On 16 March 2009, Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
announced it had also made an offer for SeaFrance. The Brittany Ferries offer involved the creation of a new holding company in which Brittany Ferries would have a 75% stake with the remainder being owned by SNCF.
In September 2010, the CFDT union rejected a plan for 400 redundancies as part of restructuring.
On 15 November 2011, the company suspended operations for 48 hours pending a court hearing on 16 November 2011.
On 16 November 2011, the Tribunal de Commerce, Paris, pronounced the liquidation of SeaFrance but permitted operations to continue until the 28 January 2012. The door has been left open for new offers until 12 December 2011. SeaFrance announced on its website, "The Tribunal has decided today that the company will be put into full administration but with the continuation of the business. This decision has set a new deadline of 12th December for the receipt of new offers."
Passenger/freight ferries
- SeaFrance RodinMV SeaFrance RodinMV SeaFrance Rodin is a ropax ferry owned by SeaFrance and operated on their Dover—Calais route. She was built in 2001 by Aker Finnyards in Rauma, Finland for SeaFrance, as a passenger and roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry; Rodin is engined by Wartsila Corporation, Helsinki,...
(built 2001) - SeaFrance BerliozMV SeaFrance BerliozMV SeaFrance Berlioz is a ferry owned by SeaFrance and operated on its Dover—Calais route. She was built in 2004 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, for SeaFrance, as a passenger and roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry. SeaFrance Berlioz is engined by Wartsila of...
(built 2005). A sister ship of SeaFrance Rodin. Unlike the Rodin, which was built in Finland, the Berlioz was built in France, by Chantiers de l'AtlantiqueChantiers de l'AtlantiqueChantiers de l'Atlantique is part of the South Korean STX Shipbuilding Group and one of the world's largest shipyards, based in Saint-Nazaire, France...
at Saint-NazaireSaint-NazaireSaint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
. - SeaFrance Molière (built 2002), formerly Superfast X and Jean Nicoli, purchased by SeaFrance in 2007 and refitted for the Dover-Calais route in Dunkerque at a cost of €15 million. The vessel has previously operated on longer crossings in the NorthNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and Baltic SeaBaltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
routes. Entered service with SeaFrance in mid-August 2008 in freight only mode and full passenger service on 1 October 2008.
Freight ferries
- SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais (built 1987). Built as a train ferry for service between DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
Western Docks and Dunkerque Ouest. Following the opening of the Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
and the ending of the Sealink pooling agreement she transferred to SeaFrance and operates as a freight only vessel.
Past vessels
- SeaFrance ManetMS Stena NavigatorMS Stena Navigator was a ferry owned by Stena Line, operated on their Belfast - Stranraer route until 16 November 2011. She was built in 1984 by Chantiers Dubigeon S.A. in Prairie-au-Duc, Nantes, France for SNCF as Champs Elysees. From 1997 to 2009, she was owned by SeaFrance under the name...
(built 1984 and named initially the M/S Champs Elysées)
- Formerly a passenger ferry, from 2006 used for freight services. Sold August 2009 to Stena line, for use within the Irish Sea and renamed Stena Navigator.
- SeaFrance Monet
- SeaFrance Cézanne (built 1980, converted 1990). Formerly named Fiesta, renamed SeaFrance Cézanne in 1996. :Withdrawn from passenger service in 2008 after the introduction of the SeaFrance Molière. Withdrawn from service 12 February 2009. Laid up at Dunkerque on 14 February 2009.[13] Sold to Belize interests in 2011 and renamed M/F Western Light. Left Dunkerque in October 2011 for an unknown destination but widely believed to be destined for the scrapyard.
- SeaFrance Renoir (built 1981 named initially the Côte d'Azur. In collision at Calais with Chantilly in 1982. Withdrawn and laid up in July 2008 but returned to service in September 2008 to operate additional freight sailings. Returned to service in late 2008 to cover for refits then layed up in Dunkerque from August 2009. Like the SeaFrance Cézanne she was sold to Belize interests in 2011 and renamed M/F Eastern Light before leaving Dunkerque in October 2011 again bound for an unknown destination but likely to be a scrapyard.
External links
- SeaFrance (official site)
- Detailed fleet history (in Swedish)