FERRYING SEPTEMBER 2017 Part 1

Saturday 16th September 2017
At 5.25 this morning the doubtful pleasure of travelling with Southern Rail kicked in yet again, and my train for Gatwick Airport was replaced by a bus for half of the journey! Ah well, all went to plan after that as I eventually arrived at Gatwick, met one of my travelling companions for breakfast and we flew away at 9 o'clock towards Pisa in Italy.

As we disembarked a couple of hours later I thanked the staff and was invited to step inside the flight deck - I like that sort of reaction; the pilot told me the route we had flown over the south of England and made me feel very welcome for those few minutes.

In Pisa Airport we met up with another chum, collected the hire car and drove to the coastal port of Piombino further down the coast. Once parked, we walked along the quayside to board our first ship of the trip: the MOBY NIKI. She was originally built in 1974, and I remember her as CORSICA SERENA SECUNDA - one of the 'golden girls' with a bright yellow hull.

We sailed from Piombino at 2 and arrived at Portoferrairo at 3.00 on MOBY NIKI. We'd been fascinated during the journey by all the Batman and Robin illustrations and artwork around the ship, which were certainly eye-catching. We had to disembark before embarking to sail back to Piombino on the same ship.

Moby Niki

Wall art

Batman - mind your head

A table top

More wall art

Moby Aki across the water

Giovanni Bellini

Giuseppe SA, of Moby Cargo, Olbia

Deck plan

We footies waiting to disembark

View from the quayside

Moby Niki funnel logo

This had the name of LAMPOGAS along the side hull


Our next vessel was the SCHIOPARELLO JET hydrofoil from Piombino back to Portoferrairo via another small port on Elba. The journey was rough and quite uncomfortable and we could imagine the vessel when she was RED JET 5.

Schiopparello Jet (previously Red Jet 5)

Inside


We had time to find a favourite cafe and enjoy a freshly cooked meal before heading back to the quayside to embark on our last ship of the day.

Moby Baby Two was on the quayside

Her entrance

Moby Baby Two

Oglasa was heading into the port

Corsica Express Three sailed out

Stelio Montomoli was also at the quay


This time we sailed from Portoferrairo on MOBY KISS, built in 1975, and known as the METTE MOLS at one point in her career.

Moby Kiss

We boarded before any of the cars

The entrance to the Sports Bar

Unexpected passenger

Oh look, it's Moby carpet

Moby Kiss life ring


Back in Piombino on the mainland we checked into the Hotel Phalesia, where we have stayed before, and slept well after the first day's enjoyable ferrying.

Ships seen: Oglasa (Toremar), Moby Niki, Moby Aki, Lampogas (ex CalMac), Giuseppi SA of Moby Cargo in Olbia, Giovanni Bellini (Toremar), Moby Kiss, Moby Baby Two, Marmorica, Schiopparello Jet, Rio Marina Bella, Corsica Express Three, Stelio Montomoli, Acciarello


To be continued...

FERRYING IN '15 23rd June, Corsica Express Three

23rd June 2015 (contd.)
Our ship back to Piombino is to be CORSICA EXPRESS THREE which berthed near our table, so we could watch the cars and passengers disembark quickly. Her hull was the golden yellow we have come to expect of a vessel in the Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries group.

Corsica Express Three


We finished our drinks and joined the foot passengers waiting to be allowed to board. The ship was built in 1996 at 3,530 gross tons and is a high speed craft so this sailing will be something of a novelty for us. We had to climb several stairways to reach the access to the lounges on the lower or upper decks. Here we could see a very small kiosk/shop, which was closed for the whole journey. We entered the lower deck seating lounge, which appeared to have a slight sheer because we were still in port. I decided I wanted to see the upper lounge and this was quite different in style and appearance so I settled here after we had sailed.

The closed shop

Lower deck sheer

Up to the upper deck

Bar and Lounge

Life ring

The sunny part of the small open top deck

Moby Baby and Moby Lally further along the quay


The top deck was open and gave us good views of the port and other ships but the sun and heat soon drove us inside again. We sailed at 10.45 a.m. and soon picked up speed as we left the harbour; this time the journey to Piombino will take just half an hour so that should give us a different outlook to compare with a normal sailing. I settled happily in the top lounge and as we sailed and the familiar Thieving Magpies music came out from the loud speakers near the Bar. I moved over and stood underneath to hear and enjoy it, and the Bar Steward smiled and turned it up slightly so we could enjoy it together. The few other passengers in the big lounge didn't seem to mind, and it was soon over. A female uniformed member of staff walked through the Lounge so we smiled at each other. I presumed she had come from the Bridge through the doorway at the forward end of the lounge.

Very comfy seating


I was aware that we were going at quite a speed, and when two male members of staff came to the bar in their white overalls I decided it was time to find out. Polite greetings exchanged I felt I could ask them about the speed of the CORSICA EXPRESS THREE and they seemed happy to tell me we were going at twenty-seven knots.

Announcements soon told us we were approaching Piombino (yet again...!) and that we should be prepared to disembark. All passengers from both decks gathered outside the shop, hearing the usual music as we waited. The uniformed female member of staff soon came along, unlocked the shop and took something out in her hand. To my amazement she smiled at me again and handed me a small gift, of one of the Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries bright yellow key rings with their insignia on it. I thought that was so kind and told her so; we were both happy and I was really surprised and pleased.

Key ring gift



We shook hands and said goodbye all round, and set off down the stairs to the ramp. On the way down we saw the overalled engineers so they said goodbye too - I felt I had somehow done my bit for good international relations this morning!

Back at Piombino we made our way up to the Hotel Phalesia to collect our belongings and the hire car, ready for the afternoon's drive south to Naples.

Piombino on the Italian mainland (near Elba), before heading south to Naples


Ships seen: Moby Baby, Giuseppe SA, Acapulco Jet, Oglasa, Giovanni Bellini, Moby Lally, Aethalia, Moby Love, Marmorica, Aegean Odyssey, Corsica Express Three


To be continued...

FERRYING IN '15 22nd June, Marmorica

Monday 22nd June (contd.)

Marmorica arrived

Map of Elba

Rio Marina (ex Lora D'Abundo) was nearby

Local fishing vessel


MARMORICA arrived and all the passengers and cars disembarked, so we were soon able to board by climbing the fixed stairways on the quayside. We had walked past a local fishing boat - we could smell it - with the day's washing done and hanging up to dry in the evening heat. MARMORICA was built in 1980, with a gross tonnage of 2,386 so another little ship, sailing for Toremar. Oh, the amazing amount of SHEER, and oh, the PINK. The deck paint on every outside deck was pink, some or all of the carpet was pink in the public rooms, and it was quite a relief to see the now-familiar ball pit for the children with its varied coloured plastic balls. Whilst the dark pink colour on deck was rather eye-catching, I thought it looked quite smart.

The deck plan showed the sheer rather nicely

Up to the lounge

Reception area (with some pink carpet)

Down to the ball pit (with some pink furnishings)

Airline-style seating (plus pink carpet)

On deck (pink)

More pink on the aft top deck

More pink deck

Even more pink

Acciarello arrived

Leaving Portoferraio at dusk


We sailed out of Portoferraio at 9 p.m. on time, enjoying our last sight of the town and harbour, and the cruise ship AEGEAN ODYSSEY.

The harbour in the fading light

Aegean Odyssey

Our last view of Aegean Odyssey


Just over an hour later we arrived and disembarked back at Piombino on the Italian mainland, and headed up the hill for the short walk back to the Hotel Phalesia for an overnight stay. We had enjoyed a five ship day, thanks to the efficient planning by my two travelling companions (and a little bit of luck), and were weary but happy.


Ships seen during the day: Pascal Paoli, Mega Smeralda, Moby Corse, Mega Express Two, La Suprema (?) sailing past Bastia, Corsica Marina Seconda, Moby Ale, Moby Love, Aethalia, Rio arina Bella, Puglia, Corsica Marina Seconda Shuttle, Moby Lally, Moby Baby, Acciarello of Blu Navy, Giovanni Bellini, Aegean Odyssey, Marmorica of Toremar, Oglasa of Toremar, Corsica Express III, Luigi PA, and various fishing boats


To be continued...