Concern over size of ship

CONCERN has been voiced that the ship earmarked as the second Newhaven freight ferry could be too big for the harbour.

Transmanche Ferries, which operates the Sardinia Vera ferry, plans to more than double its lorry-carrying capacity by sailing the 17,000 ton Saga Star (pictured above).

The ferry, built in Germany in 1981, was previously used on Baltic routes by TT Line and can carry up to 80 lorries. Historically there has always been two ships on the route and Transmanche is keen to increase its capacity to provide the four crossings a day hauliers demand.

But Andrew Gilbert, son of former Meeching Tug skipper Frank Gilbert, of Tarring Close, is alarmed at the size of the new ship. He is concerned that the new ship 146 metres longer and five metres wider than the Sardinia Vera will be too big for Newhaven.

A large ship like the Saga Star would be more difficult to manoeuvre backwards and could run aground at low tide said Mr Gilbert.

He added: 'I hope the powers-that-be at Transmanche have realised she certainly won t be able to turn in the harbour and must therefore enter or leave the harbour stern-first with all the problems that can entail in bad weather.

'She will be possibly the biggest ship ever to enter the port. Things might also get a little interesting at low water with a spring tide. Despite the powerful nature of ferries designed for Baltic operations, my father and I wonder how such a large vessel will fare here, and just how often she ll need assistance from a tug, or even tugs, when arriving or departing.

For decades the tug Meeching guided ships in and out of Newhaven. It was sold prior to the sale of part of the harbour to the French.

Transmanche Newhaven operations manager Steve Forrest said he foresaw no problems with the Saga Star using the harbour but conceded work may have to carried out to accommodate the ferry.