The European Seaway is now back in Dover (having been laid up in Tilbury). The Pride of Dover is still laid up in Tilbury. The new Spirit of France is not far off (currently on sea trials in Finland). P&O certainly have the vessels spare at the moment. And what are Seafrance doing? First, can you believe, they had a party in Paris after the judge said they could live for another 10 weeks and second they threaten to sink a ship over the Calais entrance if things don’t go their way. They also say, in their recovery plan set by the unions that the company has failed because the company has been run like a ‘low cost’. I am lost for words but would love to be back at either P&O or Eurotunnel at the moment - the best sales guys they currently have are all wearing Seafrance uniforms!
BobbyH:
The European Seaway is now back in Dover (having been laid up in Tilbury). The Pride of Dover is still laid up in Tilbury. The new Spirit of France is not far off (currently on sea trials in Finland). P&O certainly have the vessels spare at the moment. And what are Seafrance doing? First, can you believe, they had a party in Paris after the judge said they could live for another 10 weeks and second they threaten to sink a ship over the Calais entrance if things don’t go their way. They also say, in their recovery plan set by the unions that the company has failed because the company has been run like a ‘low cost’. I am lost for words but would love to be back at either P&O or Eurotunnel at the moment - the best sales guys they currently have are all wearing Seafrance uniforms!
On another post you said that the ships were worth more than P&O or Dreyfus would bid. I reckon the bloke who valued them had a dog and a white stick.
The Dover ferries are all struggling as I see it because of aggressive sales tactics by Eurotunnel
You are right, although it was DFDS and LD. The value of an asset is only what somebody is willing to pay for it - €5m is a darn site more than nothing!. You are also right about aggressive sales tactics by Eurotunnel. ET have a prime position in the market and ‘deserve’ to have 40% market share. The ferries are better to let them get what they want and then concentrate on the rest - fighting with Eurotunnel is a losing battle. Eurotunnel will not push beyond 40% as this causes delays to a turn up and go service and often, in the past if you push for 42% you end up dropping to 38%. ET’s selling point is speed, too much volume means less speed, means customers leave (why pay a premium to stand in a queue?). The ferries often over react, this drives rates down and then they all come crying back saying we cannot live with these rates!
P&O have refused delivery of Spirit of France until vibration problems (which also dogged Spirit of Britain) are sorted.
Doubt you’ll be seeing it on the channel this side of christmas
Also the €5 million for Seafrance is alot less than the actually value of the assets because DFDS/LD would also be buying all their debt, staff etc.
My guess is they’ll wait till the assets are liquidised, then pick the boats up at a fair price without the hastles of trying to clear a debt, militant staff and the unions.
Yes, was speaking to one of the crew on the Spirit of Britain a couple of weeks ago and it has serious problems with the main bearings and will probably have to go away for major repairs.
Derf : You are correct but it’s a little advertised fact. The media gives the impression that DFDS/LDA have offered €5m, it’s true but they also take on the debt - this is why SNCF backed the bid (owed in excess of €180m). If it liquidates, the debt dissolves, SNCF lose their money and the pot can be used to buy the vessels. I have to say, all of this is crystal clear to the likes of you and me - I cannot understand why the French don’t get it - perhaps they do. Remember (not sure of facts here) Eurotunnel has 1million private shareholders - better known as voters. ET had complained that the vessels cannot be allowed to go for just €5m, perhaps, politically, it is better to let it go bust… just a thought.
Whilst I am on - just to confirm that Seafrance services are still suspended and could remain so until January!!!
I’m sure we are going to see some heavy industrial action before this is over, sort of the final death throws of a dying beast.
Then as a buyer won’t be found to take the debts and staff of Sea France they’ll have to go bust and the assest will be sold off.
BobbyH, you forget that strictly speaking Eurotunnel itself ought not be trading now. Wasn’t it trading whilst technically insolvent and then had most of its debt written off?
Eurotunnel was different - it made an operating profit but could not service it’s debts. Some of the debt was converted to shares and some (a large part) was written off. Eurotunnel (depending on how you look at it) makes money but the interest was killing it. However, could be argued that the interest is because of the loan and without the loan there would be no tunnel! Still, fact remains - aside from interest the comp[any was ‘profitable’ thus was a going concern. Not so with Seafrance - cost is ahead of revenue, two many staff, too low rates…
And the crux of the matter is that no one in their right mind would want any of Seafrance staff as a workforce
Wheel Nut:
And the crux of the matter is that no one in their right mind would want any of Seafrance staff as a workforce
To coin a phrase . . . Bonnet de douche.
Wheel Nut:
And the crux of the matter is that no one in their right mind would want any of Seafrance staff as a workforce
A bit harsh… I am sure there must be a circus operator somewhere who is looking for a Bearded Lady. 
The success of Eurotunnel is partly due to the lazy gits at Seafrance, the ferries are a pretty efficient means of crossing the Channel, until they start with their industrial action (Blackmail) 
They should shut them down once and for all, any takeover will continue to employ the belligerent bone idle bunch of soap dodging surrender monkeys, let them sink the ships too, just make sure they’re fully staffed at the time 
i’m lucky enough not to have to use seaCHANCE. that often… but when we do cold food ,dirty showers also cold. they deserve to go down in every way…doubt very much it will improve if ld take over if the portsmouth - leharve is anything to go by… then again we could banish all the unwashed plastic russians from the train onto seafrance… cheers
i came thru calais this morning,from dock entry to parking on the quay to ship was 10mins ,and no i didnt have my calais dock pass in my windscreen!! stuff seafrance, worlds better without em,i only used them when the p/o queue was back to the x ray sheds.and the best boat they got is the npc,the things gotta be 30 yrs old plus as i,ve got a picture of it in sealink livery.if dfds ld lines or p/o get a majority they would be mad to employ the crews that were on the seafrance ships as they are the route of the seafrance problem! good to have the seaway back though,it may be getting on a bit but there aint no cars and coaches to contend with.