As experienced throughout the fall and winter of 2021/22, the impact of crew shortages at BC Ferries is expected to continue through the spring and into summer, affecting sailing times and plans to provide additional service on some routes.
Greek Levante Ferries announced the purchase of the Marix Lines’ QUEEN CORAL 8 from Japan. She is the sixth vessel added to its fleet and will be converted into a ropax ferry with a carrying capacity for 1,300 passengers and 430 cars or 80 trucks (12m) [1,000 lane meters].
The ship was built in 1999 (Kanda Shipbuilding) and is currently at the port of Kure. She will be probably renamed CONTESSA DI LEVANTE and serve the Ionian Sea replacing the older KEFALONIA (1975), which will be probably move to another line.
Overall increase in revenue and throughput for all business sectors in 2021
Telenor Maritime has become the first provider to deliver connectivity services for passengers on board La Méridionale. The 5-year contract, signed December 2021, will provide passengers and crew with mobile and wi-fi services during their 39-hour long journey on board GIROLATA and PELAGOS. Both ships are fitted with the Telenor Maritime Connectivity Platform, a solution that combines multiple connectivity sources and distributes the signal to on-board services.
Fosen Yard AS has entered a letter of intent with the Mayor of Stralsund to lease facilities at Volkswerft (former MV Werften Stralsund / Nordic Yards / P+S Werften)
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana has just made public the decision not to award to the Spanish shipyard Hijos de J. Barreras the order for a new ferry. The reason seems to be that some documents and certifications are missing with the submitted offer.
The new hybrid-powered ferry should be used to transport passengers, railway carriages and wagons, dangerous goods and rail tankers in the Strait of Messina, and railway wagons for the Sicily-Sardinia connection.
Contract price was EUR 74 million and delivery expected in 2024.
A new public tender is likely to be launched in the very near future.
The big news of last week was when the ships from P&O Ferries were halted on Thursday, March 17. The crew had to watch a pre-recorded video, telling them that 800 crew contracts have been terminated with immediate effect, on the grounds of redundancy.
The decision had been taken “to save the company” after two years of losses of GBP 100 million each year.
The ships will primarily be crewed by a third-party crew provider. The new crew embarked the same day, relieving the fired crew members.
The way it has happened caused a lot of anger. The British parliament is debating about the issue. The government is examining whether the company had followed the proper procedure before mass redundancies. It has given the company a deadline to explain how the procedures were followed.
What is the situation on the different routes? (March 22)
Dover-Calais: Freight customers are being shipped via DFDS on the next available space charter sailing.
Larne-Cairnryan: All sailings suspended, further updates on resumption of service when available.
Dublin-Liverpool: Services resumed as normal.
Hull-Europoort: All sailings suspended, further updates on resumption of service when available.
Tilbury-Zeebrugge, Hull-Zeebrugge LOLO, Teesport-Europoort and Teesport-Zeebrugge routes: All sailings operating to schedule
Earlier this month, Bo-Lennart and Mike visited the office of Knud E. Hansen in Helsingør.
One of the most interesting parts of the visit was the virtual walk through a ship.
Mike put on the goggles and started to walk on the bridge and the outside decks of a polar vessel.
The use of the ShipSpace collaboration platform allows to export 3D CAD models into the virtual world. The advantage is that the user can measure in the virtual space and implement changes in the design, while standing in the VR.
The chefs could for instance stand in the virtual galley and give comments such as “this oven is too low”. Same for a truck driver who could verify if he could turn around the pillars.
ShipSpace has some tools like measurement and paintbrush options that allow you to see through walls, mark up changes and measure clearances. The platform includes a camera that can take photos of desired changes and send to customers like any real-world site inspection.
ShipSpace allows users based in different locations all over the world, to meet in virtually and discuss issues productively.
We did a few crossings between Sweden and Denmark, on the battery-powered ferry AURORA AF HELSINGBORG.
In this short video, senior chief engineer Christian Andersson explains how the ship is being charged in five minutes, for a crossing of 20 minutes.
The Rönner-Zech Group, a bidding consortium including the Bremerhaven steel and shipbuilder Thorsten Rönner and the Bremen building contractor Kurt Zech, has been awarded the contract for the purchase of the shipyard.
Lloyd Werft filed for bankruptcy in January, following the collapse of MV Werften, both owned by Genting Hong Kong
The consortium wants to operate Lloyd Werft mainly as a conversion and repair shipyard. Bremerhaven-based Bredo shipyard already belongs to the Rönner Group.
A part of the shipyard could be set up for steel construction.
