CHANNEL STEAMERS

Here we have the "Brighton" the sixth Newhaven/Dieppe passenger ship to have this name, Gross tonnage 2,875: Length 311ft 9ins: Breadth 44ft 6ins: Draft 11ft 1ins: she had a speed of 24knots,and could carry 1450 passengers. Starting service here in 1950,and because of excessive oil fuel consumpsion she was withdrawn from service on 18th september 1966, being sold on to Jersey Lines Ltd. A refit at Antwerp which allowed to carry about 20 cars,and renamed La Duchesse de Bretagne she then ran in 1967 from Torquay,Weymouth ,Channel Islands, and St Malo.For the1968 season Weymouth had been replaced by Portsmouth and Southampton. Jersey Lines went bankrupt early 1969 and she was arrested,there were no buyers so she was towed to Bruges in August 1970 to be scrapped.-----Astern lies the Lisieux, Length 313ft: Breadth 42ft 8ins: Draugth 10ft 6ins: Grosse tonnage 2946: and a speed of 24 knots. Arriving at Newhaven in 1953 the last passenger ship to be built for the Dieppe service she could carry 1450. Due to the arrival of the car ferry in 1964 passenger traffic was reduced and she was withdrawn from service on 26th June 1965. Sold in 1967,and renamed Apollon with her new Greek owners,from Piraeus and the Cyclades Islands.

My two favourites! An extremely handsome Brit and a sleek French filly. I did suggest that Transmanche named the current two vessels after these two...would have been nice!

I think the 24 kts figures are a bit conservative. I'm sure that Lisieux could top 25 and Brighton VI is unique in being the only ship ever to make 3 round trips in a day. On leaving the Railway Quay, the Master would often just ring down for full ahead, and my brother (an Engineer Officer on her) reports that she once reached over 19 kts before reaching the West Pier light! What would H&S say about that these days? There are some who say that it is Brighton that should hold the record for the fastest crossing, but officially it's the Paris. It all depends how you time it, I suppose.

And isn't it nice to see them referred to as steamers rather than ferries.

These two final classic mail steamers of the Newhaven & Dieppe service epitomise a unique style of steamer. I remember these well, as a boy growing up, particularly when enjoying the wash they used to cause on tidemills beach during summer holidays, which could catch people unawares if enjoying a swim etc .