MV Pont-Aven
{{Short description|Ship built in 2004}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Pont-Aven approaching Millbay.jpg | Ship caption = Pont-Aven approaching Millbay Docks (Plymouth) }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name = Pont-Aven | Ship owner = SOMABRET (2004 - 2020) Brittany Ferries (2020 - Present) | Ship operator = *Brittany Ferries | Ship registry = Morlaix, {{flag|France}} | Ship route = *Plymouth - Santander
| Ship ordered = 2002 | Ship builder = Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany | Ship original cost = £100m | Ship yard number = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = 9 April 2003{{cite web | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030608230208fw_/http://www.meyerwerft.de/frames.asp?lang=d&id=news_press_detail&pid=81 | title=Meyer Werft }} | Ship launched = 13 September 2003 | Ship christened = | Ship completed = 2004 | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = 23 March 2004 | Ship in service = 23 March 2004 | Ship out of service = | Ship identification = *{{IMO Number|9268708}}
| Ship fate = | Ship status = In Service | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Ship class = | Ship tonnage = 40,859 GT | Ship displacement = | Ship length = {{convert|186.3|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|30.9|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{convert|6.8|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship draft = | Ship depth = {{convert|9.7|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} | Ship decks = 10 | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = 1B | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = Four MaK 12M43 diesels, 14,675bhp each | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = *Cruising: {{convert|22|knots|0|lk=in}} | Ship capacity = *2,415 passengers
| Ship crew = 185 | Ship notes = }} |
Pont-Aven is a cruiseferry operated by Brittany Ferries. She was built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany and has been sailing for Brittany Ferries since March 2004. She is the current and longest serving Brittany Ferries flagship; sailing between the UK, France, Spain and Ireland. Pont Aven is the fastest and largest purpose-built cruise-ferry on the English Channel.
Prior to being named, Pont-Aven was referred to as Bretagne 2; this was then the codename for the new Brittany Ferries vessel for the Plymouth–Roscoff route, the {{MV|Armorique|2008|2}}. Pont-Aven's layout is similar in many respects to that of another Brittany Ferries vessel, {{MV|Bretagne||2}}.
Service history
File:Model ms brittany ferries.JPG
Pont-Aven was ordered by Brittany Ferries from the Meyer Werft shipyard on the river Ems, gt Papenburg, Germany on 22 February 2002. She was laid down on 9 April 2003,[https://web.archive.org/web/20050108221030/http://www.meyerwerft.de/news_press_detail.asp?what=news&pid=81 Kiellegung einer Passagierfähre auf der Meyer Werft], 10 April 2003, retrieved 12 May 2024 (German). launched 13 September the same year and completed on 7 February 2004, ahead of schedule. She completed sea trials and was handed over on 27 February, making her maiden voyage on 24 March, from Roscoff to Santander.{{Cite web|url=http://bfenthusiasts.com/bfe/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222223520/http://www.bfenthusiasts.com/fleet/pont-aven.html|url-status=dead|title=Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts|archivedate=22 December 2009|website=Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts}}
Pont-Aven experienced a number of technical problems in her 1st year of service. Most serious was the flooding of an auxiliary engine room in August 2004 caused by a faulty sea valve leaving the ferry unable to move from the Plymouth terminal for two days.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/3553494.stm|title=Ferry fault strands passengers|date=10 August 2004|via=news.bbc.co.uk}} Many services were disrupted at the height of the holiday season, many passengers having to be transferred to services from Poole and Portsmouth. The problem occurred at the same time as a major breakdown on the Irish Ferries vessel {{M/S|Normandy||2}}, which operates on the Rosslare - Cherbourg route. This situation left no passenger ferry link between Ìreland and France and as a result many holidaymakers were forced to use the so-called Land Bridge route, travelling from Ìreland to Wales by ferry and driving to Plymouth or Portsmouth to board a ferry for France, or vice versa. Other problems included the bow door jamming shut and the unusual roll when travelling at high speed even in calm weather. However most faults have now been corrected and the vessel has become a popular member of the Brittany Ferries fleet.
On 22 May 2006 Pont-Aven sustained damage en route to Santander from Plymouth. Several forward windows were smashed by a 9-metre wave which resulted in a number of cabins flooding. She was forced to divert to Roscoff where passengers disembarked.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/5003520.stm|title=Six injured as ferry hit by storm|date=22 May 2006|via=news.bbc.co.uk}} On 26 May 2006 Pont-Aven returned to service, while refurbishment was carried out on board throughout the voyage. The windows were covered by metal. These windows were later replaced with smaller, round porthole windows in late 2007 - early 2008.
On 18 August 2008 the ship experienced problems opening the bow door in Santander for cars to be off-loaded. As a result of this the ship had to re-dock, aft into the port first, and the vehicles had to reverse off. This led to further delays and the problem was not fixed before the next crossing to Plymouth later that day; meaning that vehicles had to reverse or make a U-turn to disembark.
At around 04:00 on 29 April 2019, a fire in the engine room caused the ship to divert to Brest whilst on route from Plymouth to Santander.{{cite news |url=https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/incident-involving-brittany-ferries-pont-aven-29-april-2019//|title=Incident involving Brittany Ferries Pont-Aven}}{{cite news |title=Update on the incident involving Pont-Aven – 13:00 on 29th April 2019 |url=https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/update-on-the-incident-involving-pont-aven-1300-on-29th-april-2019/}}
Name
Pont-Aven was named for the town of Pont-Aven in Brittany. The town is famous as the home of a group of artists known as the Pont-Aven School, and the interior decor of the ship commemorates this link.
Routes
=Current routes=
=Previous routes=
- Portsmouth - Santander 2009–2020
Other routes served
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
- [https://www.yumpu.com/de/document/read/13849250/pont-aven-meyer-werft Meyer Werft: Pont-Aven]
External links
- [http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk Official Brittany Ferries Website]
- Pictures of the ship at the shipyard: [https://magazines.marinelink.com/Magazines/MaritimeReporter/200404/page/12] [https://www.ship-photos.de/ems-schiffe/inhalt/show.php?id=2229] [https://www.booklooker.de/B%C3%BCcher/Meyer-Werft+Auto-und-Passagierf%C3%A4hren-Meyer-Werft-Papenburg/id/A02j1exo01ZZU] [https://images.booklooker.de/x/010l5w/Meyer-Werft+Auto-und-Passagierf%C3%A4hren-Meyer-Werft-Papenburg.jpg] [https://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/pont-aven-anke-stoss/1842743]
{{FerriesIrishSea}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pont-Aven}}
Category:Ferries of the United Kingdom
Category:Transport in Cantabria