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 23rd June, Moby Baby

Tuesday 23rd June 2015
Overnight the sea breeze and cool air coming in through the open window ensured a good night's sleep, so the alarm clock sounding at an early hour was tolerable. Breakfast was included in our hotel rate so after finishing that we checked out, put rucksacks in the hire car and walked down to the port again. This morning we are to take the 8.10 a.m. MOBY BABY from here in Piombino over to Portoferraio in Elba, and then return on another vessel. This afternoon we are to drive south to Naples, return the hire car to a local agent, and get to the port for an overnight ferry with a fascinating itinerary.

Busy hour

Map of Elba


All went to plan and we were soon on board MOBY BABY (ex-Sealink's EARL GODWIN) which was built in 1967 at 5,667 gross tons as the SVEA DROTT in Sweden by the AB Oresundvarvet at the Landskrona shipyard. In 1974 she was acquired by Sealink Ferries and sailed as the EARL GODWIN before commencing service with Moby Lines.

Moby Baby


She has been sailing this Piombino to Portoferraio route for over 25 years, with her distinctive Moby whale artwork, so we were pleased to be on board. We were even more pleased to find a polished wooden door with an inset glass porthole with the engraved words ORESUNDVARVET LANDSKRONA around the outside edge of the glass. The door did not open from the deck where we found it, but the etched name of the builders could be clearly seen in reverse.

Etched ship builders name


We sailed on time at 8.10 a.m. and enjoyed seeing all the other ships coming and going in the local waters.

Looking down on Acapulco Jet

Looking back to the terminal as the ramp came up

Giovanni Bellini and Oglasa

Giuseppe SA

Up the sheer

Top of the sheer


From Reception we made our way up the sheer to the forward lounge, past the usual ball pit for the children.

The ball pit

The coloured balls

Bar and lounge

Sweeping staircase into reception


The furnishings on board were the expected Moby blue colour; I liked the little sweeping staircase from the upper deck down to the Reception/Information area and of course we all enjoyed being at sea again for our hour-long journey across to Elba, on another ex-Sealink ship.

Moby Lally

Moby Love

Ain't love grand...


We arrived at Portoferraio (again) at 9.10 a.m. and berthed in the ferry port area, ready to disembark into tremendous heat to take photographs of our next ship arriving before getting under cover in the shade of the Port Cafe.


Ships seen: Moby Baby, Moby Love, Moby Lally, Giovanni Bellini, Acapulco Jet


To be continued...