Spirit of France soon free to join P&O ferry fleet at Port of Dover

P&O Ferries' Spirit of France is expected to join the cross- Channel fleet at the end of the month – subject to final sea trials in Finland.

The carrier hopes that the superferry will be able to join the Dover-to-Calais route on January 28.

NEW SHIP: The Spirit of France, which is built to the same design as the Spirit of Britain (pictured), enters service this month

The arrival of the ship has been delayed because of a vibration issue for which a solution now appears to have been found.

The SoF will the join the freighter European Seaway and the Prides of Calais, Canterbury, Kent and Burgundy.

The Spirit of Britain – an identical ship to the SoF – is currently in dry dock in Dunkerque and will undergo the same engineering solution in the spring to cure the same vibration problem.

P&O Ferries' senior managers are desperate to get a full fleet in service – especially the new, large capacity SoB and SoF ferries – to accommodate the extra business created by SeaFrance's withdrawal from the route after its serious financial problems.

A spokesman said: "We hope that the Spirit of France will soon successfully complete the final sea trials and start making its delivery voyage from the shipyard in Finland where she and the Spirit of Britain were both built.

"We understand that after the remedial works we have undertaken, the vibration issue has been largely eradicated or is within design tolerance."

On the extra business the demise of SeaFrance's has created, the spokesman added: "Clearly, the extra business is a welcome boost after four years of grim recession.

"Market conditions remain pretty tough."

Just P&O Ferries operate a service into Calais from Dover at present, while DFDS principally sail to Dunkerque.

Other carriers may sense an opportunity to seize some of the market share left behind by SeaFrance.

The P&O spokesman added: "There are now slots in Dover and there are slots in Calais, so there is every chance that others might come along and take a look at what they can make of it. It's the nature of the business."

Spirit of France was due to bolster the P&O fleet in autumn last year until the vibration problem was detected in both ships.