Condor moments just kept on coming
Wednesday 8th April 2009, 2:29PM BST.
A CATALOGUE of problems caused Condor Express passengers to arrive in Poole over five hours late and on half power early on Tuesday morning.
Condor Express was due to depart Guernsey at 7.40pm on Monday but did not leave until 10.30pm.
A spokesman for Condor confirmed the ferry had started the day on just three of its four engines and said passengers had been informed of the likely slow service.
The ferry suffered more bad luck mid-morning involving a stray fishing buoy and rope. Further delays were caused as divers were called in at St Peter Port to retrieve debris. Computerised engine alerts forced the crew to close down another engine so the boat ran on half power towards Poole. The service, which is scheduled to take two hours 40 minutes, arrived more than five hours late at 3.30am accompanied by two tugboats.
Condor general manager Yan Milner apologised for any inconvenience.
‘As soon as the crew alerted us to the problems, we sent messages to passengers and by the evening most people knew they would be substantially late reaching Poole before they had checked in, although it may have been of little comfort for the affected passengers.’
Condor Express is not due to sail for three days, during which time the company hopes to fix the problem.
‘Engineers are working hard to make sure we can carry the Easter weekend travellers as scheduled,’ he said.
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Are Guernsey Press really pushed for stories that they have to print this? So, Condor ran late due to technical problems? I guess people never have problems with their cars that take a couple of days to fix? These fast ferries work very hard and sometimes they do have technical problems just like any other mechanical machine.
At least Condor didn’t cancel the service and transfer people to Portsmouth on the Clipper. They wouldn’t have arrived until 6am and not at their chosen port.
People are far too quick to complain. They got you there.
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Remember all the comments made by condor about HD ferries. And condor still have the same problems as they’ve always had year in year out.and nobody says a word.
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Come back HD FERRIES….All is forgiven!!!
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The press can’t get it right can in some peoples eyes can they? Personally I am glad of a bit of bad press v Condor as they have not had it enough recently when there have been problems. Well done Press for hopefully turning a corner. Personally I would have preferred to have arrived in Portsmouth at 6am.
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Jon seems far too defensive of Condor when, as far as I can see, the Press report gave no cause for objection. The report was about a matter of public interest affecting a number of Guernsey residents and visitors and the story was told in a factual and non-judgemental way.
This is the sort of reporting we should have in our only “national” newspaper but (sorry, Mr Editor, it has to be said) we don’t always get when it comes to bigger stories.
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My comments were based on the fact that because the boat had technical problems it was reported on. So it had tech problems? Everything goes wrong now and then. Don’t forget that these boats are now 13 years old, their life span is upto 20 years old. Condor do need to look at replacing either both the cross-channel Express or Vitesse or just one of them in the next couple of years.
@Nathan – I don’t HD ferries will EVER be back, so you’re going to be dissappointed
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I agree with Ted although the sensationalist headline “Condor moments just kept on coming” was rather unfortunate and puts the rest of the article in a bad light.
A simple factual heading to accompany the (hopefully) factual reporting would have been more appropriate I think.
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Seemed a reasonable story to me; agree about the headline. Let’s hope they get their problems sorted out before the main tourism season. It’s a big boat, I’d be surprised if it didn’t have any mechanical problems.
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Hmmm, how interesting to read exactly what was happening to us! As one affected – there was no information at all prior to check in and not much afterwards either.
After arriving at scheduled check in time, and then going for a meal to fill time due to delay, returned to quayside at 8.30 as advised only to wait with no information until just prior to the ferry coming in. In the end, went to ask what was going on.
Apology on board was cursory with no real explanation – just ‘technical problems’.
Another passenger said there was free tea and coffee, but no announcement confirmed this.
Things go wrong – no problem, completely understood – but come on Condor – tell us passengers what is happening! You’ve done it better in the past when weather etc has messed things up!
Arrived about 2.30am and drove home on ‘the other side’arriving 6.30am having had no sleep all night – took 2 days to recover – I’m too old for all night partying! So option of transfer to the Clipper and a cabin would have been a better solution for this passenger!
10/10 usually – and I do the trip regularly, but only 2/10 this time.
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Zoe Ash wrote the story
Either she or someone else thought it opportune to write a headline linking the company with the old cigs advert ‘Condor Moment’
I believe the comic entitled The Sun does it every day
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Yes Ray but the stories in the Sun are witty! This is just a poor opportunity to have a dig at a local company for no other reason than the journalist has to post a story. It’s pretty pathetic really. Planes leave late due to fog would have been marginally more interesting.
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“Planes leave late due to fog would have been marginally more interesting.” Radio Guernsey build their whole morning news around fog at the airport – no reason the GP can’t have a go now and then.
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Good Friday to France wasn’t much better! 3 hours late with engine trouble and too tight a schedule with tides in Jersey/St Malo.
Let’s just hope Condor are not going back to the bad old days. My return from France on Sunday will be a good test!
What Condor have to remember is that they charge a premim rate and have to give that quality of service.
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I can’t believe this story received so many comments, and I can’t believe I read them all!
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