Veteran Fleet Comes To The Rescue
Because of the rules related to Covid-19, many transport companies have to reduce the number of passengers. Dutch Rederij Doeksen found an original solution: they charter ‘old friends’, which are the FRIESLAND (1956), the HOLLAND and the REGINA ANDREA.
WILLEM BARENTSZ is the first in a series of two new, sustainable ferries with single fuel LNG engines driving a fixed propeller directly. The ships will be used on the Terschelling and Vlieland lines.
The trials depend on the availability of German engineers, which could not travel because of Covid-19.
Fast is the progress on Corsica Linea’s A. NEPITA, which is undergoing her small scale conversion at the Perama Repair Zone. So far, she had her livery and flag changed (Cyprus), and her scrubber installed.
The large ship is on long-term charter from STENA LINE
There is more progress on the Attica Group’s scrubber conversions. SUPERFAST XI) is undergoing -in tandem- her dry docking (Perama) since May 21, while BLUE STAR PATMOS is in Palumbo Shipyards –out of the dry dock- and had her new enlarged funnel back in place. She is expected to be back mid-June.
After 7 months of immobility and necessary engine repairs, AML’s MOROCCO SUN is out at sea again. On May 25, 2020 she had her sea trials in the Saronic Gulf and returned back to Perama.
When she will resume service on Algeciras-Tanger Med is unknown.
In 1997 I travelled on several ferries between Italy, Elba, Corsica and Sardinia. Let’s look at some Corsica Ferries photographed during these journeys.
ELBA EXPRESS (1987, ANNE-LISE)
Built by Westamarin she was used by Elba Ferries between Piombino and Portferraio.
Now owned by Balearia, she is still in service as FORMENTERA DIRECT on the route Ibiza – Formentera.
CORSICA EXPRESS II (1996)
At that time, she was one year old, serving the route Genoa-Bastia.
In 2015 she was sold to a Sea Jets company, as PAROS JET. She can still be activated for service.
SARDINIA VERA (1975, STENA ATLANTICA)
One of four ferries built by Rickmers, she arrived in Italy in 1996, after years of operation for Canadian Marine Atlantic. For Sardinia Ferries she operated between Livorno, Civitavecchia and Golfo Aranci.
In 2001 she was chartered to Conseil General de Seine Maritime, Dieppe, France, for the Transmanche ferry service between Dieppe and Newhaven.
She is still operational in the Med and currently laid up in Piombino.
Tillberg Design of Sweden organised on May 7th a webinar about ‘health and safety at sea’. Although mainly aimed at the cruise sector, at Ferry Shipping News we believe there are different elements that can be shared by both the cruise and passenger ferry industries.
Interview with Marios Iliopoulos (SeaJets): “Almost no High-Speed Crafts this Summer”
Mr. Marios Iliopoulos is the owner of SeaJets, the first Greek shipowner to operate high-speed-crafts (HSC) as well as one of the world’s leader HSC operators. Until last year, his crafts connected 280 ports in the Aegean Sea. Therefore, his opinion and information on what we are going to expect this summer is of great importance.
The 50% protocol on ferries’ capacity seems to have provoked reasonable reactions among the Ferry Operators, especially since this is not applied on the airplanes. SEEN is talking about unfair competition while it is still unknown when ferries will eventually start operating on all their routes.
Kristian Durhuus succeeds Jens Ole Hansen, who has been acting as interim CEO of ForSea since February and who will now continue in his position as COO.
Since 2011, Kristian Durhuus has held the position of COO of Copenhagen Airport. Prior to that, he held managing roles within a number of larger organizations including LSG Lufthansa Service and G4S.
