Catherine Bale, the wife of Huelin-Renouf chairman Jonathan, christens the Huelin Endeavour, watched by left to right, the Dean, the Very Rev. Canon Paul Mellor, Mr Bale and Lt-Governor Sir Fabian Malbon. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0848638)

CHAMPAGNE flowed yesterday as a new Huelin-Renouf freight ship was christened.

The Huelin Endeavour entered service on 14 September to operate alongside the Huelin Dispatch.

Catherine Bale, wife of Huelin-Renouf Shipping chairman Jonathan Bale, christened the ship in the true maritime tradition by breaking a bottle of bubbly against its hull.

The Dean of Guernsey, the Very Rev. Paul Mellor, then blessed the vessel.

Also in attendance was Lt-Governor Sir Fabian Malbon, Commerce and Employment minister Deputy Carla McNulty-Bauer and harbourmaster Captain Peter Gill.

‘It’s quite exciting really,’ said Mrs Bale. ‘It’s the sort of thing you see in the movies, now I’m the one doing it.

‘I’ve never done this before.’

Mr Bale said the name Endeavour was chosen by the staff and it represented a new enterprise for the company to take it forward.

Captain Gill said this was the first large vessel that he could recall having such a ceremony in his four and a half years as harbourmaster.