Tuesday, March 02, 2010

I See No Ship

Well I thought I'd give them a day's grace. But it really doesn't seem as if the ferry company that I couldn't possibly mention is any closer to starting a service between Ramsgate and Boulogne than it was last year. Or the year before. Despite yesterday being the day they said they were going to launch. For the fourth time.

Even dat dair Dr Steve Ladyman must be despairing by now. After all, it's 417 days since he publicly promised the launch was 'imminent'.

But so far nada. Nix. Nuffink. Just more rumours about another possible fast craft, more refunded fares to disappointed punters and a recorded message on their telephone number. Still, that hasn't stopped Visit Britain (the British Tourist Board in old money) saying they've been running since 14 November.

Meanwhile it looks as if our beloved council will be shelling out something in the region of arfer miwwion knicker to dredge our much neglected harbour to accommodate the Ostend Spirit, LD Lines new superduper ferry that's due to start on the 27th. I wonder where the dosh for that's coming from? Probably out of the flea-bitten kitty they were supposed to use for maintaining their potholed lorry park!

Wherever it's coming from, they'd better get a wriggle on!

Update: The council announced today that the dredging has begun, with some kind of floating super Hoover doing the honours. Click here for more.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i guess that some of the arfer miwwion knicker could come from the disabled facilities grant t6at TDC tories have refused to ringfence.

Anonymous said...

Surprised what is getting dredged up but rightly so ?

Richard Eastcliff said...

Thanks for the link, Rick.

And 3:02pm, I'm aware that El Presidente and his Jurassic junta have tried to link the provision of disabled facilities with asset sales, thus attempting to take the moral high ground. Personally, I don't think they could sink any lower.

But back to the question, just where will they find all that money to dredge the harbour, with a deadline just 25 days away? After all they're prepared to stop us having a pee to save £10K. So half a mill ain't chicken feed.

Readit said...

Dredging in the ferry harbour is being carried out right now! Go to www.marinetraffic.com. Enlarge to Ramsgate port, click on boat SOSPANDAU and "show vessel's track"

Must be for LD's Norman Spirit under its new name for Oooosteeeend as there is no sign of a HSC

Anonymous said...

http://thanetpress.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-dredger-hoovers-harbour.html

At the end it gives two ferry website addresses but not your favourite !

Anonymous said...

It is indeed for the new (LD) boat and not to be confused with a fast cat and not of the ruffled variety.

Any baloney about jobs and fart farms are just that - and any mention of Pirates being wodgered can swing for their supper!!

Their are more jobs and opportunities in the ports the other side of the channel for the fart farm industry and the like.

Until an organic dredger is paid for and wholly used to dredge, suck, and hoover in the port of Ramsgate its all a waste of money.

It was about this time last year that the same was being done?