Guernsey States to buy ferry amid travel concerns

Guernsey's States will buy a ferry, said the President of Policy and Resources, Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

It follows a statement from Mr Ferbrache where he put "securing the island's sea links" at the top of his political priorities for 2022.

He said the ferry was likely to cost between £15m and £20m.

Mr Ferbrache said "the intent is that we would look to be buying an appropriate vessel and leasing it back to Condor".

He added that it would be a conventional ferry, like the Condor Clipper and Commodore Goodwill - which are owned and operated by Condor Ferries.

Policy and Resources Treasury Lead Deputy Mark Helyar said: "There has been a lot of public concern about the resilience of the service."

He said there had been "a lot of disappointment" with the ferry Condor Liberation "as it hasn't run as reliably as people would like it to, so the opportunity to have a conventional ferry that will go in most weathers we thought was a good opportunity".

John Napton, chief executive of Condor Ferries, confirmed the firm had been approached by the States of Guernsey "over the collaborative purchase of a vessel".

He said the firm would have acquired another ferry in 2020 "had it not been for the challenges caused by Covid".

"Once the States of Guernsey expressed an interest in working with us, it has allowed us to pursue this opportunity," he said.

"Whilst there is considerable work to be done, we are optimistic that if an additional ship could be acquired, it would improve resilience and reliability and enhance the existing services operated by Condor."

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