Cargo vessel trialled in Guernsey ahead of ferry tender announcement

Tuesday 15 October 2024

DFDS has trialled another one of its vessels in St Peter Port harbour ahead of an announcement of who has won the contract to serve the Channel Islands.

This morning ro-ro cargo ship Mistral docked in Guernsey shortly before 8:30 having sailed from Portsmouth.

She departed for Jersey at 09:26.

Mistral is 153.44 metres long, so 10 metres shorter than the company’s Finlandia Seaways that visited in December as part of Guernsey and Jersey’s contingency planning. 

Mistral, built in 1999, was chartered to DFDS in October.

The MV Mistral freight vessel undertook a berthing trial in St Peter Port Harbour this morning. Her visit was part of ongoing contingency planning and was accommodated without any disruption to scheduled ferry services. pic.twitter.com/NrBVSoHotp

— Guernsey Harbours (@gsyharbours) October 15, 2024

On 2 October, DFDS trialled conventional passenger ferry Seven Sisters.

An announcement of who has won the bid to operate the Channel Islands service is expected this month.