So those gathered at the Harbour to watch the vessel arrive in Jersey for the first time may have felt sympathetic towards the crew when the ship bumped into a concrete pillar.
During the incident, a loud noise was heard as the anchor hit the obstacle. But a thorough inspection appeared to show no damage and berthing trials continued.
A Condor Ferries spokesperson said: ‘On Condor Voyager’s arrival into St Helier this morning, her bow anchor touched a concrete dolphin on the Harbour wall. No damage was sustained and she was travelling at less than half a knot at the time.
‘We run a number of port and berthing trials to test the ship, her crew and shore staff prior to entry into service. These are conducted without passengers and further trials were undertaken before Voyager returned to St Malo in the afternoon.’
The ship, previously known as the Normandie Express, has been leased by Condor and is based in St Malo. Its predecessor, the Rapide, has been moved to Poole and was scheduled to be replaced this year but Condor say that no decisions have been taken about its future.
