MV Islander (2005)

Not to be confused with MV Islander or MV Straitsman (1972).

MV Islander in 2025
History
Name	2005-2010: Dueodde 2010-2023: Straitsman 2023-2025: Condor Islander 2025-present: Islander
Owner	2005-2010: Bornholmstrafikken 2010-2023: StraitNZ 2023-2025: Condor Ferries 2025-present: Brittany Ferries
Operator	2005-2010: Bornholmstrafikken 2010-2023: StraitNZ 2023-2025: Condor Ferries 2025-present: Brittany Ferries
Port of registry	Nassau, Bahamas [1]
Route	Portsmouth⇄Guernsey Portsmouth–Guernsey–Saint-Malo
Builder	Volharding Shipyards  [ nl ], Netherlands
Yard number	703
In service	2005
Identification	IMO number:  9323704 MMSI number: 311001287 Callsign: ZMSM
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Type	ROPAX ferry
Tonnage	13,906  GT
Length	124.9 m (409 ft 9 in)
Beam	23.4 m (76 ft 9 in)
Draft	5.6 m (18 ft 4 in)
Decks	10
Installed power	2 × MaK 9M32 diesel engines 4,320 kW each at 600 rpm
Speed	18.8 knots (34.8 km/h; 21.6 mph)
Capacity	400 passengers 1,248 m (4,094 ft) lane for vehicles

MV Islander is a roll-on/roll-off ferry operated by Brittany Ferries on routes connecting Guernsey in the Channel Islands to Portsmouth, England and Saint-Malo, France. Built in 2005 as the MS Dueodde for Bornholmstrafikken, she has since seen service with StraitNZ as MV Straitsman in New Zealand between 2010 and 2023, before being sold to Condor Ferries as Condor Islander. The vessel was renamed Islander in 2025, following the company's majority takeover by Brittany Ferries.

History

Islander was built in the style of Van der Giessen de Noord's vessels, alongside her sister ship Hammerodde, now named Stena Vinga.

Bornholmstrafikken

Islander entered service with Bornholmstrafikken in 2005 as MS Dueodde. Alongside Hammerodde, she operated routes linking Bornholm with the rest of Denmark.

StraitNZ

In 2010, the vessel was sold and shortly entered service with StraitNZ and was renamed MV Straitsman in recognition of StraitNZ's first vessel, which was in service for 11 years from when the company first launched in 1992. ^[2]

Condor Ferries

Condor Islander docked alongside Poole Harbour in August 2023

In March 2023, it was confirmed that the vessel had been secured by Condor Ferries services between Portsmouth and the Channel Islands. ^[3] Shortly afterward, it was announced that the vessel would be renamed as Condor Islander. ^[4]

The ferry was purchased in a joint venture between Condor and the States of Guernsey. ^[5]

In July 2023, the vessel arrived in the Channel Islands after several weeks in a dry dock in El Astillero, in the north of Spain. Following refurbishment, she entered service in October 2023.

Brittany Ferries

Islander in Saint-Malo on 5 March 2025

Following Condor's majority take-over by Brittany Ferries in 2024 and a new 15-year contract agreement with Guernsey, the Condor prefix was dropped from Islander's name, and the vessel was rebranded into a Brittany Ferries livery in Gdańsk, Poland. ^[6]

Accidents and issues in service

StraitNZ

• In July 2016, a truck and B-train trailer unit aboard the Straitsman snapped its lashings and fell overboard off the coast of Island Bay. ^[7]
• On 24 February 2023, a crewmember was hit by a truck reversing onboard at Wellington, causing delays. The crewmember suffered bruising and a broken wrist. ^[8]

Condor Ferries

• Upon introduction to the Condor fleet, the first sailing for Condor Islander was scheduled to take place in November 2023 however, it was brought forward to October 2023 with freight services starting on the 8th and both passenger and freight services on the 15th. It was then pushed back again to 20 October 2023 because of the late installation of vital equipment. ^[9]
• Due to the conditions of Storm Babet, Condor Islander's first sailing with passengers on 20 October 2023 was canceled and pushed back to the 22rd of the same month.
• On 23 October 2023, the inter-island service from Guernsey to Jersey was canceled due to technical problems. The sailing onto Portsmouth departed from Guernsey instead, much earlier than anticipated ^[10]
• On 25 October 2023, it was discovered that there were faults with the front bow thrusters of the ship and that they would need repairing. It was announced that the vessel would be pulled out of service until 2 November of the same year and all scheduled sailings were canceled. ^[11]
• On 3 July 2024, Condor Islander came into contact with one of the Saint Helier Harbour walls during strong winds, upon arrival in Jersey. The vessel remained in the harbour overnight before continuing its sailing onto Guernsey. There was recorded damage to both the Condor Islander and the east berth of the harbour. ^[12]

References

1. "CONDOR ISLANDER [BS]" . Retrieved 4 April 2023.
2. "New Cook Strait Ferry Showered with Welcome | Scoop News".
3. "Condor Ferries secures new passenger and freight vessel for Portsmouth-Channel Islands routes". 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
4. https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2023-03-17/condor-reveal-name-of-new-channel-islands-vessel ^{[ bare URL ]}
5. "Guernsey States and Condor to split cost of new ferry". 5 April 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
6. "Islander gets a new look with Brittany Ferries' livery". 21 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
7. Sharpe, Marty; Livingston, Tommy (18 July 2016). "Trailer unit goes overboard after breaking free on Bluebridge Straitsman ferry". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
8. "Staff member breaks wrist in truck incident on Bluebridge ferry". 24 February 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
9. "Condor Islander start date delayed". BBC News. 6 October 2023.
10. "First inter-island ferry service canceled". 23 October 2023.
11. "Condor Islander temporarily withdrawn from service due to tech issue". 25 October 2023.
12. "More than 100 Condor Ferries passengers stuck in Jersey overnight after vessel hits harbour wall". 4 July 2024.

External links

• Strait Shipping - Straitsman information Archived 7 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine

Ferry companies of the Channel Islands