Royan and Le Verdon to welcome new ferry across the Gironde Estuary

Description:

Royan stands to benefit from the introduction of a new ferry to the route linking the Charente-Maritime town with Le Verdon in the Gironde.

The ‘Estuaire' is a new roll-on roll-off ferry that will be as large as the current boat the ‘Gironde', which was brought into service in 2002. At 78m long and 18.5m wide, the new vessel will be able to carry up to 6 heavy lorries, 146 vehicles and 600 passengers.

The ship is seen as essential in improving regular connections across the Gironde Estuary, to handle the increasing volume of traffic carried by this route. There are currently two routes across the Gironde, one between Blaye and Lamarque, and the other at the mouth of Estuary between Royan and Le Verdon. The Blaye-Lamarque route is adequately serviced by smaller ferries, carrying some 150,000 passengers and 120,000 cars per year, but the route from Royan is at capacity levels, carrying 810,000 people and 260,000 vehicles last year.

 

The 25 million euro vessel was paid for by the General Council of Gironde, and has been designed to speed up the crossing, by eliminating the need for the boat to turn around before docking. Work began on building the ‘Estuaire' last summer, in Gdansk, Poland. Because of the width of the hull, the work had to be contracted out as the facilities at Piriou's Concarneau dock were not suitable.

 

The hull arrived at Concarneau in December, and is currently undergoing a process of fitting-out and painting in a dry dock there.  The new ferry is on schedule to be handed over in June 2009, and will replace a smaller boat the ‘Verdon' in time for the start of the tourist season.