Ally

Date: 24 May 2007
Source: thisisguernsey.com

HD Ferries has refuted claims that severe paintwork damage on the port side of its HD1 vessel was sustained when it recently struck Condor’s traditional ferry, the Clipper, in St Helier. The company’s Guernsey agent said it had been caused by inadequate berthing conditions in St Peter Port.

Max Carling, from Ship & Fly, said: ‘The paintwork damage is annoying and certainly sends out the wrong message.

‘But it is important to separate two issues here – the incident in Jersey harbour and the berthing facilities in St Peter Port.

‘People would have heard that the vessel had a knock and will ***ume that’s how the paintwork damage was caused. That is not the case because it only brushed the side of the Clipper and the damage was very minimal.

‘The fact that HD Ferries chose to dismiss the master responsible was purely an internal matter.’

He said the reason there was so much damage to the paintwork was because of steel stanchions rubbing against it on berth number one where the vessel spends most of its time.

‘If you look at the other berths, there are rubber strips and tyres against the posts protecting the ships.

‘What’s needed is for rubber strips to be fixed on number one berth, which is the responsibility of the port authority. The company is lobbying for this but, so far, and presumably for financial reasons, this has not been done.

‘HD1 is an unusual shaped vessel and in many ways it’s like a pregnant lady with humps and bumps in different places. That means it sits differently in the water to other ships and so that is causing a problem.

‘My personal view is that there is a question mark as to whether a safe and suitable berth is being provided for a company that pays a lot of money in harbour fees.’

But deputy harbour master Captain Tony Pattimore said HD Ferries had been made aware of the facilities before it began operating earlier this year.

‘What is on berth one is 40ft cylindrical steel stanchions which are specially designed for vessels to sit alongside. The shape of HD1 is unusual and so whereas on most boats it’s thick rubber black belting around it takes the knocks, HD1’s belting is much lower in the water.

‘It is not feasible to attach rubber strips or tyres on the stanchions and what other differently shaped ships do is drop something over the side to sit between the stanchions and the vessel.

‘HD Ferries’ engineers have been over and looked at the situation and we understood they accepted that nothing could be done about it.

‘We are not holding a gun to anyone’s head. Ships do not have to use the berths, although it has to be understood that we can only offer what we have.’

Mr Carling said that HD1, which runs a daily service between Guernsey, Jersey and St Malo, would continue to operate normally and that repainting would take place soon.

‘The vessel has picked up black rubber marks from the other ports it visits and so the boat needs to undergo what is effectively a big hose-down first to remove it.

‘Arrangements must then be made to get another vessel with scaffolding alongside from which the painters can work.’