C.I. Vessels B:

BEAUPORT / 1992 - 1993

REINE MATHILDE 1989

Operator British Channel Islands Ferries Ltd.

Owner Beauport Shipping Ltd.

Built Schiffbau Gesselschaft Unterweser Ag., Bremerhaven,Yn 477 1970

Tonnage 5,464 grt later 7,747RT 2,324NR 1348dw

Dimensions 118.52m x 18.2m draft 4.75m

Propulsion 2 x 12cyl Pielstick 12PC2V oil engines 8,826bhp 17knots

Passengers 1,038 beds 539 berths 341deck

Cars 200/210

The vessel first came to the Channel Islands in 1989 when as REINE MATHILDE she stood in for the damaged ROZEL taking over from the initial replacement ARMORIQUE in Jersey on October 9 (Monday) to December 18.

With REINE MATHILD due to be replaced by a large new ship in May 1992, the vessel was put up for sale in mid 1991, and in late summer it was stated that she had been sold American interests. At the end of the season, she was handed over to her new owners, and was renamed BEAUPORT for a charter to British Channel Islands Ferries. She was to replace ROZEL on the Poole - Channel Islands service of BCIF as the company had not renewed the charter of the latter.

BEAUPORT, was at Marchwood, Southampton by October 22 1991, and following overhaul she commenced on the Islands route on January 28 1992.

The ship was to spend less than two year serving the Islands, as in 1993 Condor replaced their passenger service from Weymouth to the Islands with a fast ferry car service, and this coupled with the loss of freight business when the company moved their operation from Portsmouth to Poole in 1989, resulted in the company facing financial difficulties.

In an effort to cut costs, the charter of BEAUPORT was terminated, and she made her final sailing from the Islands to Poole on October 31 1993.

On November 4 after de-storing the ship proceeded for overhaul by A&P Appledore at Southampton and was then laid-up at Marchwood.

The vessel was built as PRINCE OF FUNDY at Bremerhaven in 1970 for Lion Ferry AB.,who commenced a service between Portland (USA) and Yarmouth (Canada) in June that year, and she continued on this rote until January 1976.

Following a Norwegian charter, the vessel operated the company’s Varberg-Grenå route from November 1976 until March 1978, when the ship went on charter to Brittany Ferries, being renamed PRINCE OF BRITTANY, and was used mainly on their Portsmouth - Saint Malo route.

The ship was purchased by Brittany Ferries in 1980 and remained the mainstay of the Portsmouth - Saint Malo service.

n late 1988 she was given an upgrade by Meyer Werft in Papenburg returning in April 1989 as REINE MATHILDE to provide a second vessel on the Portsmouth-Ouistreham (Caen) route. She remained on this service until the end of the 1991 summer season when she was sold American interests.

She operated as BEAUPORT between Poole and the Channel Islands between January 1992 and October 1993, and was then laid up.

She did not remain laid up at Marchwood for long, and the summer of 1994 saw her commence a period of seven years when she spent the summers on charter in the Mediterranean.

Five of these were with Comanav and other periods with Stern Maritime Line, Hellenic Inter Ferries, - (Private Lady) used for private filming off Nice, Cocorico Lines, Sancak Line.

In December 2000 she sailed across the Atlantic to commence a charter to the Government of Trinidad & Tobago, for a service between Port of Spain and Scarborough.

The vessel had retained the name BEAUPORT throughout this period, but ownership from 1991 is difficult to determine, as it was stated that she was sold to Marne Investments, but the owner and managers given in Lloyds Register of Shipping during the subsequent years change between Beauport Shipping Ltd. / International Shipping Partners A/S. / and International Shipping Partners (UK) Ltd..

By 2005 the ship was thirty five years old, and she was sold for breaking up in India. She called at Gibraltar on August 18 2005 on-route to Alang and the breakers.

1984 June 13. PRINCE OF BRITTANY pictured off Isle of Wight.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 008wc 28.58k

REINE MATHILDE seen departing St. Helier October 9 1989 when standing in for the damaged ROZEL.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 602cw

A long range shot across Southampton Water of BEAUPORT berthed at Marchwood October 22 1991.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 006cw 29.8k

BEAUPORT seen crossing St. Aubin’s Bay

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 93/7/16 002cw 32.1k

Departing St. Helier June 8 1993.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP93/3/32 310cw

BEAUPORT departing St. Peter Port, May 6 1993.

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BELLE DE DINARD 1976 - 1985 (1)

TRIDENT 1 1986 (2)

AR VRO 1990 (3)

Owner (1) Vedettes Blanches

Owner (2) Emeraude Lines

Operator (3) VedetteArmoricaines

Builder Westermoen Hydrofoil A/S, Mandal. Yn 22 1972

Tonnage 195grt 110nrt

Dimensions 27.00m 9.00m 1.45m

Propulsion Twin screw, MTU oil engines each 1,100 HP 28 knots

Passengers 140 passengers

Built in 1972 as KARMSUND for Haugessund D/S, the vessel was purchased by Societe des Bateaux de la Cote d'Emeraude "Les Vettes Blanches", for their Saint Malo – summer Jersey service. Renamed BELLE DE DINARD she first came to the islands on March 21 1976, and her speed allowed two round trips to be made if required. With further craft being added to the fleet, BELLE DE DINARD was moved in 1983 to the Granville – Jersey route, and in 1985 to the Carteret – Gorey service, operating between May 2 and September 25. The following year she was renamed TRIDENT I and finished her Carteret season on September 7, then moved to relieve at Granville until September 21 1986, and was then withdrawn.

Sold to Compagnie Ligerienne de Transport and registered at Nantes as AR VRO in time for the 1987 season. The vessel was leased out to a number of operators during the next few years, and she returned to Channel Islands waters in 1990, being used by Vedettes Armoricaines on their Granville – St. Helier service from May 20 to September 30 that year.

AR VRO returned to the south Brittany area after that, and saw much service for Finis’t Mer, operating from Brest to the Island of Ushent.

Withdrawn at the end of the 2006 season, she has remained tied up at Brest, and by May 23 2009 she had been renamed AR MOR.

Vessel remained tied up in Brest until July 2010 when she was renamed VILLE DE SIMA and shipped to the Mayotte Islands.

There was a report dated December 1 2010 that the ship had caught fire and was beyond repair.

Picture : <EMGE> - M. GUERIN 001c 438k

Publicity postcard produced for the company.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 002c 303k

Picture : Emge 76.2916 003c 84.1k

Picture : PHOTO ONE 004c 422k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 005c 72.4k

With the addition of a red strip.

Picture : © Dave Hocquard

Renamed TRIDENT I in 1986. Pictured arriving St. Helier May 24. 101w 9.9k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE

AR VOR on the Granville - Jersey service 1990 101w 7.01k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE

Seen in Brest May 2009 renamed ARMOR 111w 13.2k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE

Awaiting sale or demolition. 101w 13.2k

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BELLE DE JERSEY

Owner Vedettes Blanches.

Builder C.Cassens, Emden. Yn. 87 1967

Tonnage 153gr 66net

Dimensions 35.80m 6.55m 1.55m

Propulsion Twin screw, oil engines each 1,100 HP 18 Knots

Passengers 225

BELLE DE JERSEY arrived in Jersey from Saint Malo for the first time on March 13 1972 having been purchased by Vedettes Blanches., and then commenced a summer daily service between the two ports. This being a development of the previous limited operation, spurred on by the termination of the company’s car ferry across the River Rance due to the new roadway provided by the building of the Rance Barrage.

She continued on the service until 1976 when she was replaced by a catamaran, and then moved onto the Granville - Jersey route, but still moving back to Saint Malo route when the tide times demanded.

She maintained these services until early 1983, when a further catamaran was purchased, and after a couple of relief sailings she moved to the Gulf of Mohiban serving between Vannes and Belle Iles as BELLE DE DUC operating for Vedettes Vertes - no connection with the Saint Malo company.

The vessel had been launched on November 4 1967 as EMSLAND for the German owners A.G. “Ems”.

Her owners when operating under the Vedettes Vertes banner were Union Industrielle et Maritime S.A. (U.I.M.), but they ran into financial difficulties and following a short spell with CNN as group owners she passed to Navix in early 1991.

In April 1991 she was renamed LE CATALOGNE and operated for Catalogne Croisiers in the Mediterranean close to the France - Spanish boarder, and in December 1994 ownership passed to S 3 A Investments.

In 1996 she was sold to Placements Interbancancaires S.A., renamed AFRICAN DREAM and registered in Belize, but no details of her service have come to light.

In February 2002 she was sold to unknown buyers, and remains in Lloyds Registers with no owners or managers given.

NO FURTHER DETAILS

Picture : 005c 398k

BELLE DE JERSEY dressed overall arriving Saint Malo upon delivery ? Note how the flash on top of the cabin has been blacked out in the card, while in the two pictures below, the colours of the flash are clearly those of her previous owner, being black above red above blue. This was later replaced by red, white and blue.

Picture : Emge 73.2586

Picture : 008c 411k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 001c 67.1k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 004c 418k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 003c 755k

Pictured June 28 1976 inwards to St. Helier.

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BON MARIN DE SERK 1983 - 2019 On 703809

Owner Kleinwort Benson Industrial Finance Ltd.

Operator Isle of Sark Shipping Co. Ltd.

Built Mc Tay Ltd., Bromborough Yn 46. Comp 07. 1983

Tonnage 118grt 75nrt 13dw

Dimensions 19.66 x 6.20 x 1.637 draft

Propulsion Two x Klockner Humbowt- Deutz A.G. oil engines 1,336hp

2005 early. Re-engined with two Volvo.

When first contemplated this vessel was intended to replace the ageing ILE DE SERK, but after much deliberation it was decided that two vessels were required, and this ship would take over the passenger role of the former vessel.

On September 8 1982 . Sark Chief Pleas agree to the replacement programme, with the purpose built vessel costing £540,000 and able to carry 140 passengers in the summer and 70 in the winter, and be in service by mid 1983.

The ship arrived in Guernsey on August 3 1983, being named BON MARIN DE SERK four days later in Sark, entering service the following day August 8.

On April 23 2003, Chief Pleas agreed a new replacement vessel, to cost £1.85m, and BON MARIN put up for sale, but on October 6 2004 they decided not to proceed wit the new vessel, and instead re-engine BON MARIN. This was undertaken in early in 2005, and this extended the ships life, but by late 2018 she required a five year underwater survey and she left for Saxon Wharf in Southampton on 12 November. During the survey it was found that she needed two new propeller shafts and it was not until 22 May 2019 that she returned to her home port. There were also problems with the main engines which resulted in the granting of passenger certificate for only eighteen months, thus on 21 August 2019 the vessel was withdrawn from service and laid up, and put up for sale at an asking price of £95,995.

It was was stated at the time that the company was in the middle of a replacement project, and that the passenger service would be maintained by the SARK VENTURE and SARK BELLE.

On 25 February 2020 the vessel moved for a day, from her lay-by berth at the end of the Jetty, to the top end of St. Julian’s Pier by the Clock Tower, and was back to her lay-by berth at 16:54.

2020 23 July. Still at the Fisherman’s Quay.

On 19 February 2020, the company’s replacement plan was revealed at an Extraordinary Meeting of Sark’s Chief Pleas on 19 February 2020 when the Company sought a load guarntee of £300,000 for the purchase of the French vessel CORSAIRE SAINT MALO II which operated from Saint Malo, and that not only was she to replace BON MARIN DE SERK but also SARK BELLE, thus reducing the fleet by one vessel.

BON MARIN was sold on Tuesday 23 September 2020 to the Finnish company Archipelago Lines oy of Turku, and after hoisting the Finnish flag, but without renaming, sailed late that afternoon for her new home.

Picture : © Dave Hocquard 250w 14.1k

BON MARIN DE SERK pictured by Dave Hocquard in Vittoria Dock, Birkenhead on June 23 1983.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 91/1b/17a 001c 209k

Entering St. Peter Port June 26 1991.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 002c 282k

Arriving St. Peter Port April 1993

Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP96 PZ11/12a 003c 251k

Passing along the east coast of Sark August 14 1996

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BREIZH-IZEL 1985 - 1988 IMO 7006819 ON 191856

Owner Brittany Ferries

Operator BCIF

Built Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co., Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.

YN 588

Tonnage 2,769 gross / 744net / 2,560d

Dimensions 111.6m (oa) 103.00m (bp) x 17.07m x 4.95 draft

Propulsion 2 x Pielstick - Crossley 12 PC-2U Diesel engines

Speed 16 knots

Passengers 12

BREIZH-IZEL first came to the Islands on 20th June 1985 making one round trip from Portsmouth to cover for CORBIERE which had replaced PRINCE OF BRITTANY on the Saint Malo - Portsmouth route.

Following the failure of the proposed joint service between Sealink and Channel Islands Ferries late in 1986, the ship joined the fleet of British Channel Islands Ferries, to provide the freight requirement, arriving for the first time on 5 January 1987.

The construction the Elizabeth Harbour at Jersey allowed large ro/ro vessels to berth, and BCIF decided to move their UK operation from Portsmouth to Poole from early 1988, maintain the service with just two passenger ro/ro ships.

As a result, the vessel made her last call from Portsmouth on December 23 1987, then transferred to Poole arriving from that port on 3 January 1988, and the ship had the distinction on 17 January of carrying out berthing trials at the new Elizabeth Harbour in Jersey.

With the introduction of the larger ROZEL, BREIZH-IZEL made her last call in the Islands 21 February 1988, and sailed direct from Jersey to Cherbourg.

The ship was built as WANAKA for Union Steamship of Wellington, New Zealand for their Christchurch - Wellington route. She did not remain long with them being sold in 1976 to Sealanes Transport Co., Piraeus being renamed RATA HILLS.

In 1978 she passed to Iniochos Shipping S.A., Piraeus and renamed INIOCHOS EXPRESS.

Two years later (1980) she was acquired by Brittany Ferries S.A., Morlaix and renamed BREIZH-IZEL.

She was sold at the end in 1989 to Marelite Marine Co. Ltd., Limassol, who renamed the vessel DUCHESS M and rebuilt the ship as a vessel for service with Marlines. The ship was “sold” to Shinedeck Shipping Ltd, Cyprus in 1999 and renamed BALBEK but remained in Marlines service, and 2001 the ship reverted to her DUCHESS M name.

Her final renaming was in October 2014 when she received the name CHESS for her final voyage to the breakers yard at Aliaga, Turkey, arriving there on 1 December 2014

Picture : PHOTO ONE 505aacw 93.87k

Above and below, BREIZH-IZEL Departing Jersey January 1987 while on charter to British Channel Island Ferries.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 501acw 78.2k

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 301acw 60.5k

At the ro/ro ramp No. 5 berth St. Helier.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 310cw 49.7k

Above and below BREIZH-IZEL departing St Helier June 20 1985.

Picture : © PHOTO ONE 315acw 45.0k

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BRITTANIA (I) 1976 - 1988

Owner Vedettes Armoricaines.

Builder Leon Glehen, Pont Labbe. 6. 1976

Tonnage 225grt

Dimensions 38.00m 7.50m 2.20m

Propulsion Twin screw, oil engines each 1,250 HP 18 Knots

Passengers 340 passengers

The vessel was purpose built for the Granville to Jersey route, making her maiden voyage on May 5 1976, replacing KEVRENN, and at times extended her service to Sark.

In 19.. she was used to take official guests out to the Royal Yacht BRITANNIA anchored in St. Aubin’s Bay, Jersey during a visit by H.M. the Queen.

She remained in service until July 1988 when after arriving at Jersey on Wednesday 27, she sailed in the afternoon for Ireland having been sold to Aran Ferries for service between Galway and Kilronan, but it was 1989 before she entered service as GALWAY BAY.

Early in 1996 Aran Ferries ceased to operate and the vessel passed to Island Ferries (P. O’Brien) of Rossaveal. The vessel was put up for sale with an asking price of £290,000, and was eventually sold in August 1997 to an American company and was delivered to Poole (England) to be modified before sailing for Sierra Leone.

NO FURTHER DETAILS.

Picture : Editions Armoricaines.

Company postcard just after she entered service. 308 1.08m

Vessel after modifications, note new position of anchors.

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BRITTANY On 163616

Owner Southern Railway.

British Railways.

Builder Wm Denny & Bros Ltd, Dumbarton. Yn 1261 Comp 6 - 1933

Tonnage 1933 1,445g 554n

1946 1,522g 583n

Dimensions 249.8(rl) 260.0(oa) x 39.1 x 14.0

Propulsion Twin screw, geared turbines 2,500 ihp Speed 16 knots.

Built at a cost of £83,018, the vessel was launched on April 4 1933 and delivered to Southern Railways at Southampton on June 9 for their services within the Channel Islands and France area. Based in Jersey for the Saint Malo route, BRITTANY carried out excursions to Sark Guernsey, Granville. Alderney and Cherbourg. This at a time when the company had the year before, re-commenced these services, given up in 1919 and now made more viable by the new lock system in Saint Malo. BRITTANY arrived in Jersey on June 16, and made her maiden voyage from Jersey to Saint Malo on June 18 1933, replacing VERA. The ship was normally laid-up during the winter months, and this continued until 1939 when she also helped out on the direct Southampton – Saint Malo route.

She made her last regular trip on December 27 1939 and was then laid - up, but not for long going to Folkestone from January 23 to April 19 1940, but was back in the Islands to help with the evacuation, making her last call on June 21 1940.

The vessel was then taken over by the Royal Navy, and used as a net layer, and during her war service she went round Africa, called at Bombay and passed through the Suez Canal, and spent time in the Mediterranean before returning to the UK and taking part in the D Day landings.

BRITTANY returned to Jersey on June 5 1946, proceeding to Saint Malo the following day but only operated a limited service that summer. In 1947 she maintained the Southampton – Le Havre route from March 10 to the end of May, before taking up station in Jersey for the duration of the summer months.

BRITTANY again provided the regular service from Jersey to Saint Malo and the excursions which she had done before the War and she also provided some extra weekend services due to the lack of passenger vessels in the fleet.

One of the excursions which always caused debate was that from Jersey to Sark (where passengers were landed by launch) on a Monday, the one day in the week that the Islands main attraction - the renowned La Seigneurie Gardens were not open to the public!

The vessel had radar fitted early in 1948, the scanner being on a tall pole, but this was replaced by the short model in 1950.

At this time it was usual for the ship to relieve HANTONIA on the Le Havre service during the latter’s winter refit, and during one of these in November 1950 she lost her rudder in Le Havre and had to be towed back to Southampton.

In February 1952 the ship returned to service after a major overhaul, during which a new stem had been fitted due to a number of contacts with quays the previous year, two new masts were fitted, and various other alterations made. Outwardly these consisted of alteration to the bulwarks on main deck under the wing of the bridge, the plating now being curved upwards, the installation of a D/F aerial at the forward edge of the monkey island, and the stays for the new masts also had two sets of large insulators fitted.

During her summers based in Jersey the ship was re-fuelled from ISLE OF SARK, the only one of the ISLE class to operate on the same light grade oil required for their boilers. Interestingly the ship could also take oil from FALAISE in Saint Malo, and this became the norm with the withdrawal of ISLE OF SARK in late 1960.

The vessel was considered to be under powered and something of a challenge to handle, with some masters preferring to remain in the cargo boats for an extra season rather take the ship and also be based in Jersey for the summer.

The excursion service from Saint Malo recommenced in July 1956, and the ship continued her routine, thus it was something of a surprise when it was announced on January 2 1963 that she was to be withdrawn and sold due to mounting losses.

BRITTANY had made her last voyage from Saint Malo to Jersey on November 29 1962, and after discharge sailed on to lay-up in Southampton. The ship did not remain there long, being sold to Finnish company Rederi AB Alansdsfarjan of Mariehamn. Renamed ALANDSFARJAN she departed Southampton on April 21 1963. She was converted into a roll on / roll off ferry and remained in service until May 17 1972 when she grounded off Remmargrund in the Stockholm Archipelago. Although re-floated she was declared a total loss and broken up at Salo, Finland.

The ships owners had become part of Viking Line when it was formed in July 1966, with the company changing its name to S.F. Line AB in 1970

Parts of the ship could still live on, as some of the fittings and panelling were saved by the owner and later built into the BRITTANY BAR of the Park Hotel at Mariehamn.

Picture : C. H. Cristin

BRITTANY seen in the No.1 berth at the Albert Pier just after she had arrived in Jersey for the first time.

Picture : La Cigogne 209w 38.0k

Berthed in Granville alongside the old wall just prior to the War.

Picture :

BRITTANY seen at the Town Quay, Southampton, still flying the white ensign.

Picture : Michel Guerin 205w 68k

Entering the Saint Malo lock on her departure, seen before the modifications of early 1952.

Picture : SOFER 207w 212k

BRITTANY berthed just outside the new lock in Granville after the War.

Picture : Valentine 202w 100k

Picture of St. Helier Harbour between 1951 and 1953, showing BRITTANY berthed alongside ISLE OF SARK taking on fuel. KENTISH COAST is in the Victoria Pier London Boat Berth, and on the New North Quay is a Southern cargo boat in No. 6 Berth and the Weymouth FREDOR in No. 7.

On the South Pier is the newly opened St. Helier Yacht Club clubhouse.

Seen inwards to St. Helier, July / September 1958.

Picture : G.P.C. Ltd 300wa 99k

BRITTANY made an excursion from Jersey to Sark every Monday during the summer months, and she is seen here anchored off Creux Harbour. She was tendered by Herm launches, and here CAPWOOD loads passengers at the steps in Creux Harbour while another launch is on its way out.

Seen leaving Jersey May 08 1962.

BRITTANY in the lock at Saint Malo on October 12 1962 just six weeks before what was to be her final call at the port.

The vessels war service plaque which now hangs in the Railway Museum in York.

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