The Port of Poole lies within Europe’s largest natural harbour. Known for centuries as a trading port, it was not until the 1970s that ro-ro ferry activities started. UK / West Africa Conference Lines began shipping trade vehicles to Lagos in 1971 on the side-loading vessel Clearway. The return passage was made in ballast, which often made for a lively crossing.
Port trustees Poole Harbour Commissioners began reclaiming land for the new Continental Freight Ferry Terminal in 1971, with work completed two years later. Truckline started a daily ro-ro freight service to Cherbourg using Poole Antelope on 29 June 1973, taking advantage of tariff cuts following Great Britain’s entry into the EU Common Market.
Poole-Cherbourg is the shortest Western Channel crossing, but Poole Antelope proved inadequate for the role, so the order for sistership Dauphin de Cherbourg was cancelled. Instead, a succession of chartered tonnage took over until two newbuilds, Coutances and Purbeck, were delivered in 1978.
Navigation to the port was then via the harbour’s shallow North Channel, the sandy seabed of which kept the propellers of the Truckline ships remarkably clean. However, the small port was reaching capacity, but fishermen
