The Challenge Of Meeting The Needs Of Ferry Users And Communities
BC Ferries President and CEO Mark Collins speaks to BC Shipping News about his background and the future of BC’s coastal ferry network.
Some topics in this very interesting interview:
Russian media suggest that MOBY DADA could go back to the Baltic. She used to be one of the two vessels operated by St Peterline (as PRINCESS MARIA) before the acquisition by the Moby Group.
She was moved to the Mediterranean after the number of Russian passengers dropped. This trend is now changing again, and could justify the return of a second ship on the Moby SPL cruise-ferry journeys out of St Petersburg.
Mr Grimaldi doesn’t exclude the possibility of his further expansion in Greece, and if Attica would be for sale he would be ready to look at the opportunity that arises.
Interferry Names New Chairman And Board Members
The new chairman of Interferry’s board of directors is John Steen-Mikkelsen, CEO of Danish ferry operator Danske Faerger.
He was elected together with three new board members at the AGM held last week in Cancun.
He succeeds Mike Grainger – managing director of Liferaft Systems Australia and chairman of TT Line Spirit of Tasmania.
The three new board directors include:
Last seven days I have been working in the Norwegian fjords, which at this time of the year are spectacular because of the autumn colours. Look at this Fjord1 ferry BOLSØY in the Geirangerfjord, passing the Seven Sisters waterfall.
FOLKESTAD is one of the ferries in the Voldafjord.
On my way to Ålesund I took the ferry STORFJORD, to cross the fjord with the same name (route Festøya – Solavågen).
Finally, this is the GLOPPEFJORD after a crossing of the Nordfjord (route Lote – Anda).
The Grimaldi Group boosts its freight services between Northern Italy and Sardinia with the introduction of a new line that will link Genoa to Porto Torres.
Ship: EUROFERRY MALTA, 130 trucks/trailers + 50 drivers.
When: as from 13 October
Frequency: 3x return/week
Bo-Lennart Thorbjörnsson interviewed the CEO of Attica Group, Mr Spiros Paschalis.
Molslinjen Buys Danske Færger
On 10 October 2018, the Competition Authority approved the transfer from all shares from Danske Færger A/S to Molslinjen A/S.
Sellers are Bornholmstrafikken Holding A/S and Clipper Group A/S.
Molslinjen currently operates the ferries Aarhus-Odden and Ebeltoft-Odden, and since 1 September 2018 also the ferries on Bornholm.
Molslinjen will continue the four Færgen ferry routes under the following names:
Spodsbjerg-Taars = Langelandslinjen (Langelandsfærgen)
Until all condition shave been met, Danske Færger A/S will continue under the same management and in accordance with the same business principles as before.
Following the new orders for Finnlines signed with the Chinese shipbuilder Jinling earlier this year (three ice-class ro-ro vessels), Grimaldi Group of Italy is launching a new project for a series of ‘Super Star’ ro-pax ferries.
“They will be the evolution of the Star Class units built by Fincantieri in Italy and as for the capacity they have 300 cabins and roughly 5,000 lane metres capacity” Emanuele Grimaldi told at the annual EuroMed Convention, held in Athens.
“We would be very pleased to build them in Europe since there are several shipyards like Visentini and Fincantieri in Italy and also some others in Germany skilled for that” Grimaldi added, specifying that they are obviously looking “for a good price”.
The project phase for the Super Star class will take at least one year and afterwards the Italian ferry group will start negotiating with the shipyards.
