A feature at Poole for ten weeks while she underwent a full internal refit and preparations for service, Condor Ferries’ latest vessel Condor Islander (2005/13,906gt) repositioned to Portsmouth on the afternoon of 20 October following MCA inspections.
She was scheduled to begin commercial operations to the Channel Islands that evening. However, gale force winds caused by Storm Babet resulted in all Condor sailings being cancelled on 21 October, and Condor Islander finally made a service debut the following day.
Condor Islander was built in the Netherlands by Volharding Shipyards and entered service in 2005 as Dueodde for Bornholmstrafikken. In 2010 she was sold to StraitNZ and renamed Straitsman.
In March 2023 Condor Ferries secured the vessel for services between Portsmouth and the Channel Islands. She has a capacity for 400 passengers and can carry 1,248 lane metres of freight.
Photo by Kevin Mitchell
