Finding myself in the Greek Port of Naxos it was with great excitement to discover the former Hoverspeed Seacat, Hoverspeed France of 1991, was due to call at the port later that day.
With no prior commitments such as onward travel plans or hotel accommodation booked, I duly found the nearest travel agency and requested a ticket. The friendly representative was more than perplexed when she asked me “where do you wish to travel too?” and I replied with a cheeky smile “I really don’t care!” – I simply had to get aboard!
A2B via Sea would like to thank top fan Alan Garner for below photograph - it's a cracker!
Caldera Vista may perhaps be better known to those of you in the United Kingdom, northern France and Scandinavia as the original Hoverspeed France which later became Seacat Boulogne, Seacat Isle of Man, Seacat Norge, Sea Express 1 and Snaefell over the course of around 20 years.
In 2011 she headed south to the warmer climate and never returned.
But why am I so eager to get aboard this particular craft?
Well, one of five similar craft built for Hoverspeed back in 1991, she shared the title as the world's largest car carrying catamaran.
Of these five, today only she and Naxos Jet (former Seacat Scotland) are in service.
High Speed Jet (former Hoverspeed Great Britain) & Sea Speed Jet (former Seacat Tasmania) have been languishing in Chalkis, Greece, for many years.
As for the fifth, Atlantic Express - the former Hoverspeed Boulogne, well she was last spotted in Buenos Aires, unknown whether she is in service or laid up.
Let's get aboard Caldera Vista and check her out....
(For those of you who are interested, at the end of this blog are photos of her interior showing how she has changed over the decades).
Due to depart at 2015hrs local time bound for the Port of Paros, a journey of around 50min, I had a good eight hours to explore Naxos – a charming enclave with an attractive waterfront with an array of restaurants and boutique shops hidden in a maze of paved narrow alleyways with vibrant bougainvillea's tumbling down the whitewashed walls.
Below: Naxos, click for larger image
As the sun set, I made myself at home in the bar/restaurant located on the pierhead adjacent to the quayside until Caldera Vista arrived.
Below: Naxos Port with the aforementioned bar/restaurant bottom left and foot passenger embarkation gates bottom right.
Arriving some four hours late, she glided into the bay taking me by complete surprise, I glanced up and she was there! – no noise or vibration heard from inside the bar.
With great panic I duly collected my belongings and ran down the quayside to the foot passenger embarkation gate ensuring I was in the right lane for Caldera Vista – not that I needed to have been too worried as all the gates were open as this was the last ferry of the day and I was the only foot passenger boarding!
I filmed this LIVE for Facebook page A2B via Sea
Silhouetted against the black night sky, shrouded in smoke with her lights glowing through the haze and engines still running, Caldera Vista looked like she had just landed from outerspace!
Making my way up the stern vehicle ramp I felt as if I was a contestant on the TV show 'Stars in Their Eyes' - shafts of light piercing the smoke and engine fumed air with noise all around.
Arrival on the single vehicle deck, no sooner had I given the crew person my boarding card Caldera Vista had departed.
These 'Seacat's' are cleverly designed - note the higher central section of the vehicle deck allowing for the transportation of high sided vehicles such as motorhomes. The port and starboard sides have a lower head height for tourist cars.
To the left of the photograph below are luggage racks allowing for the storage of large bags not required by foot passengers during the crossing.
Ascending the aft aluminium staircase which gives access to the aft cabin and exterior deck, the lightweight thin metal deck bows under foot as it did thirty years ago.
At the stern of the craft is a full width exterior deck with a bench allowing passengers to sit and admire the stern views.
The former foot passenger embarkation gangways which I had passed through all those decades ago at the ports of Dover, Calais, Folkestone and Boulogne are still clearly evident. What memories!
Internally, at the aft end of the craft is a counter service café/bar – more than likely the original one from 1991 when Hoverspeed operated her, albeit with a new façade.
Décor wise blue coloured upholstered airline style forward facing seats dominate the area; the alcoves I remember from the 90's have long since gone - but not forgotten, I have scanned some photos at the end of this blog.
These airline style seats are packed closely together so if you travel aboard try and grab one near an aisle.
See the ceiling light feature in the photo below? Well, again this dates from 1991 as you will see in the photos at the end of this blog.
Walking forward, the WC amenities block remains as it did thirty years ago with the female toilet to port and gents to starboard.
We now enter the main cabin of Caldera Vista. The central area is dominated by forward facing airline style seats decorated in a refreshing light coloured beige fabric.
All seats have a pull-down table with cup holder.
Wide aisles of laminate flooring guide passengers to other seating areas including an area at the front of the cabin which once was the location of a shop.
Still complete with its lowered ceiling and walls, those within benefit from a more private ambience compared to the open-plan areas elsewhere.
Access to the observation deck is via the flight of stairs either side of the former shop alas, was not accessible during my voyage.
At the other end of this central cabin is a small counter service bar/café backing onto the WC amenities block. This was once a full width shop as you will see from the photos at the end of this blog.
Half the size than I recall from the 90's, now occupying the left side is a seating area.
The lower lounge on the crafts port side remains as it was, although understandably like the rest of the craft the décor has changed since my last visit several decades ago.
Look how spacious, bright and 'fresh' looking this cabin is; off white coloured airline style seating, whitewashed walls and a nod to the Greek Islands owing to the Aegean blue and sand yellow coloured carpeting and of course not forgetting the double height accommodation -why would you want to be crammed into an aeroplane to jet between the Greek Islands?
Note the difference in height between the main cabin and the lower lounge. This is due to the differing head height of the vehicle decks below - the central area raised to allow larger vehicles such as motorhomes and the sides to accommodate tourist cars.
Here we have access to the vehicle deck (portside/forward) and one of the evacuation slides.
Differing from the port side lounge, to starboard the lower lounge is divided into two with the Business/Club Class lounge occupying the aft end. Regrettably I could not get access to show you what it is like however, occupying the same area as it did when operating from the UK, pictures can be found at the end of this blog.
Upon approach to my disembarkation port of Paros an announcement was made for passengers to proceed down to the vehicle deck to ensure a quick turn around – the vehicle ramp slowly being lowered as we moved astern onto the berth.
Below, SeaJets SUPERSTAR - the former Prince Laurent of 1974 which operated between Ostend (Belgium) and Dover (UK) until 1991, can be seen through the haze - a blog of her coming soon to www.a2bviasea.co.uk
The vehicle deck filled with fumes and smoke from the crafts engines therefore, if you do suffer from any breathing difficulties, I would suggest you remain at the bottom of the stairs just outside the vehicle deck until the craft is 'all fast' against the quay.
My journey aboard Calder Vista, although short, was enjoyable.
The crew were notably pleasant though understandably tired having commenced their duties at 0700hrs according to the barman (my arrival into Paros was 0100hrs), but all were particularly relaxed and friendly despite their long shift.
Operating within the Aegean alongside much larger and more modern high-speed craft, if you would like to travel aboard a smaller more intimate craft full of history, then I would recommend booking a journey aboard Caldera Vista.
There are no facilities for children such as gaming machines or play areas, though like the adults I'm sure they will be thrilled watching the wake of the craft disappearing into the horizon as you jet across the Aegean.
Regrettably, at over thirty years old she cannot have too much time left in service as her laid up 'sisters' have proven.
Here is my journey vlog. Have a look and [virtually] come aboard.
As promised, for those ferry enthusiasts amongst you, here are some photos of Caldera Vista' interior through the decades - you will notice she hasn't really changed therefore, a journey aboard is really a trip back in time.
1991 - Hoverspeed France
1993 - Seacat Boulogne
Below; note the shop is counter service
Below: observation deck with views into the Bridge. Sofa seating encompasses this area for passengers to relax.
1996 - Isle of Man
Below: note the curved staircase giving access to the observation deck
Below: Business Lounge added to the stern of the starboard side lounge
Below: view from the observation lounge looking aft
1996 - Seacat Norge
Below: note the bench seat which remains to this day aboard Caldera Vista
Below: aft cafe/lounge - note the recessed ceiling feature which still remains to this day aboard Caldera Vista
Below: note the curved staircase giving access to the observation deck has been 'squared off' allowing for a shop to be built downstairs - now a seating area aboard Caldera Vista.
Below: the shop between the stairs giving access to the observation deck - now a seating area.
Below: the counter service shop at the aft end of the main cabin has become a 'walk-in' shop. Today, now half the size, the left side is a seating area and the right side a cafe/bar
1997 - Isle of Man
Below: shop at the aft end of the main cabin. Half of this is now a seating area and the other half a counter service cafe.
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I often travelled on this ship as Seacat Isle of Man and Snaefell (Snuffle).
I wasn't much of a van, usually smelt of vomit and stale breakfast.
The most memorable crossing was one where a "horny couple" used the disabled toilet for inappropriate purposes. They got shouted at and threatened with the police. It wasn't just the catamaran that was rocking that day.