SEVEN SISTERS

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry turned around after ramp damage in Newhaven

Due to a technical problem of a ramp in Newhaven the cross-channel traffic with Dieppe was interrupted on July 8, 2018. The "Seven Sisters" which had left the port of Dieppe about two hours before the damage with 400 passengers on board, and which was halfway between the French and English coasts asked for the opportunity to dock in Dover. Unfortunately the only berth was unavailable. DFDS Seaways France then decided to turn back and brought all its passengers to Dieppe at 10.30 p.m. Solutions were quickly proposed to passengers to reach the ports of Calais or Dunkirk, where DFDS also provides connections with England. Passengers with cars were invited to reach these ports on their own, pedestrian passengers were transported by bus. Since no ferry was able to make the crossing between Dieppe and Newhaven, all traffic has been diverted to Calais and Dunkirk.

Two people washed from pontoon during tow of disabled ferry

Two people had to be rescued by lifeboat and Coastguard teams in Newhaven in the evening of Sep 30 after the wash from a tug towing the "Seven Sisters" knocked them off a pontoon and into the water. The ferry had experienced technical issues on Wednesday morning, meaning its departure from the berth was delayed. In order to allow the ferry "Cote D’Albatre" to come in and use the ramp, the decision was made to tow the "Seven Sisters" to the scrap berth. However, in the process, two people standing on a nearby pontoon were knocked into the water just before 5 p.m. and requested the launch of the Newhaven RNLI Lifeboat and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Team to the area. The teams found the two individuals, who were checked over by the South East Coast Ambulance Service. One was taken to hospital. The lifeboat carried out an extensive search of the marina in case any other persons were caught out in the incident. Report with photo: http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/county-news/two-people-rescued-from-the-water-after-ferry-incident-1-6986882

Second ferry to be assigned to Newhaven to Dieppe route

Business leaders have welcomed the planned return of day trips on the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry. The day trips were once popular but stopped in 2009 after scheduling changes and the withdrawal of the route’s second ferry, the Seven Sisters. But now operator DFDS Seaways has announced that the Seven Sisters will return from May for the summer season, increasing the number of daily return sailings to three, making day trips a possibility.The move comes at a time of great uncertainty for the route. In November, the contract for DFDS to run the service on behalf of Syndicate Mixte de Promotion de L’Activite Transmanche (SMPAT) was extended until the end of this year. The news has been welcomed by the President of the Newhaven Chamber of Commerce Annie Lorys.She said: “I am delighted at the development of having two ships running on the route and that day trips are possible again.