Hoş Geldiniz Côte d'Opale
Today, we welcome our newest addition to our fleet, Côte d’Opale, that was delivered to Stena and handed over to us six weeks ahead of schedule. We have signed a long-term charter agreement with Stena RoRo and the 216-metre-long ferry will become the longest ferry operating on the English Channel.
To mark the delivery, a ceremony with representatives from Stena RoRo, DFDS and the shipyard was held on site and the ferry will soon embark on its maiden voyage to Europe where she will be set in service on the Dover – Calais route during the summer.
With capacity for 160 trailers and space for 1000 passengers and crew, the Côte d’Opale is a fine example of how we combine cargo and passenger traffic without compromising the onboard experience. Stena’s E-Flexer design has made it possible to adapt the ferry to the wishes associated with the short English Channel crossings.
Côte d’Opale will be able to offer our passengers a comfortable journey and an extraordinary shopping experience while accommodating growth and increasing operational efficiency. Due to the large capacity, energy consumption per trailer transported will be significantly decreased compared to Calais Seaways that will be replaced by Côte d’Opale.
Instead of cabins, there are extra-large areas so passengers can spread out, relax and enjoy the great onboard facilities. The bow and stern are especially designed to fit the quayside facilities in both ports, and in addition, it is equipped with a third bow thruster to facilitate the many daily manoeuvres in port.
Finally, I want to recognise the huge efforts of Jeppe Halkjær Pedersen as observer at the shipyard for the last couple of months. Recently, Jeppe was supplemented by three French crew members who also joined as observers after 23 days of quarantine. They have all done an incredible job. Thank you.
About the Côte d’Opale
Length: 215.9 m
Draught: 6.6 m
Beam: 27.8 m
Capacity: 3100 lane meters + 120 trailers, 1000 passengers and crew
