Brittany Ferries' freight-oriented (ropax) Cotentin, which is to be sold, completed its final Rosslare Europort round-trip crossings to its homeport Cherbourg today, ending an era for the French company, writes Jehan Ashmore.
This afternoon (around 1530 French time), Cotentin arrived back (at its port of registry), Cherbourg, located on the Cotentin Peninsula, when berthing took place at the Quai de France, also used as a cruise terminal, and used by the world's only 'liner,' the Queen Mary 2 of Cunard Line.
Cotentin at Cherbourg last month at linkspan No. 4, but today, ended its final crossing for Brittany Ferries at the Normandy port’s Quai de France, from where just over a year ago it bade farewell with a traditional blast of its horn, as the route’s other operator, Stena Line, closed its service with the Stena Vision, as Afloat reported. The route continues with other ferries.
The Breton-based company commissioned Cotentin (22,542 gross tonnes) to shipyard STX Europe, Helsinki, Finland, and it was built in 2007 to a custom-built design to serve UK-Spain routes in a freight-only mode.
In recent years, the 140 freight lorry/160 passenger ropax has operated the Ireland-France route. Its passenger interior is a bold orange-red, and despite such appearance, the info desk/shop, restaurant, and bar, along with the lounge, proved comfortable. On a crossing taken this September, around 60 passengers were travelling, and given its small size along with a friendly crew, it added to a more intimate and pleasant atmosphere.
However, earlier in that month, Brittany Ferries stopped transporting the export of livestock following protests from animal welfare campaigners and from overseas. This leaves Irish Ferries as the only ferry company operating in the trade to Europe, and it faces a legal notice over alleged breaches of EU law concerning unweaned calves.
As for Cotentin, it also served alongside a series of Stena Ro Ro chartered in E-Flexer class cruise-ferries; currently, the reintroduced Santona, joining another charter ship but from P&O Ferries, whose ropax, Norbay, is exclusively running in freight mode.
Originally, Commodore Clipper was to have entered service, but due to gearbox failure, this smaller ropax remains under repair at Le Havre, having prematurely closed the route to Portsmouth. Instead, Barfleur, likewise, earlier than planned, is to cease Poole-Cherbourg (the second English Channel route axed to reduce rising costs) and cover the withdrawn Cotentin as reported.
Afloat has consulted the company website with Barfleur’s final sailing from Dorset to Normandy set for 12 October, followed on the same day with an overnight crossing to Rosslare, marking it, it is understood, its maiden Irish debut.
By November, Salamanca, albeit, makes a brief reappearance, followed by another cruise ferry, Armorique (28,468 gt), familiar to the route, and a larger version of Cotentin, also built by STX Europe but two years later in 2009.
It is not until early December when Commodore Clipper finally enters service (having served last year too), based on current schedules, which can change due to operational reasons as highlighted, and from this time of year, scheduled dry-dockings across the fleet.
As alluded to above, Cotentin was built in Finland and, on entering service, in a freight-only capacity from Poole to Cherbourg/Santander, Spain. However, in 2013 the ropax replaced the 1992-built Barfleur (20,133 kg), also in Finland but from a different shipyard, but by only operating to the French port.
In that same year’s summer, Cotentin increased sailings from the UK port to Santander, and Bilbao was added to its Iberian ports of call.
At the end of such service across the Bay of Biscay, Cotentin was chartered initially to Stena Ro Ro, becoming the Stena Baltica, and subsequently sub-chartered to Stena Line with the ropax renaming reflecting its area of operation, between Karlskrona, Sweden, and Gdynia, Poland.
Cotentin’s charter career in Scandinavia ended in 2020 as the 167m ropax returned to France and resumed its original name and was put into service on Portsmouth routes, linking Le Havre and Cherbourg and from the Normandy connecting Rosslare.
Afloat has consulted a Norwegian shipbroker website and has identified a ropax as the Cotentin among the vessels listed, in which the ship is also available for charter.
