Ship issues spell turbulent times for sea travel

Tuesday 18 September 2018

Ferry disruptions saw sea passenger numbers plummet by nearly 3,000 this summer, Ports of Jersey have revealed.

This August saw boat travellers dwindle around 118,000 – a drop from 12,783 in 2018.

Ports of Jersey, the body responsible for operating the island’s harbour, blamed the drop during what is supposed to be the island’s key tourism period on “disruption to French and inter-island services.”

“As a result, year to date figures show an overall -3% decrease, with 496,152 passengers in 2018 against 513,368 last year,” officials said.

This summer saw struggles to get Manche Iles’ refreshed inter-island service offering up and running after both of the boat operator’s ferries suffered a breakdown.

Pictured: Both of Manche Iles' ferries broke down during the summer period.

Condor ferries also underwent some delays. 

The news came shortly before the ferry provider announced it would be calling off its high-speed sailings this week.

Ferries will no longer travel to the island or Guernsey from Poole on Wednesday and Thursday due to a “prolonged spell of extremely stormy weather in the northern English Channel” that were expected to push wind speeds “above safe operating limits", Condor officials said.

Despite the troubles at sea, air passenger numbers soared to 192,484, with all UK flying routes said to be “performing well.” 

Myra Shacklady, Ports’ Commercial Director, said she expected this success to continue in September due to interest in the Weekender Festival and Air Display.

“We remain confident that these high passenger numbers will continue over the remaining four months of 2018 and that we can exceed the 1.616 million air passenger numbers recorded in 2017, which, at the time was our highest number recorded since the year 2000,” she commented.