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sandra

Oct 12
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Molslinjen to give high-speed ferries MAX MOLS and EXPRESS 1 a facelift

By 2017 Newsletter week 41

During one month MAX MOLS (InCat, 1998) is in drydock for maintenance. She will also have a new lift, to connect car deck and accommodation. She will be ready on November 5.
In May she will be withdrawn from service again, for a complete refurbishment of her accommodation.
On November 6, EXPRESS 1 (InCat, 2009) will enter drydock for works which will last until mid January 2018. It is unclear how, but she will get 400 more passenger seats.

Source: TV2 Bornholm Photo: MAX MOLS © InCat

Oct 12
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Tallink’s SEA WIND started operating from Muuga instead of Tallinn

By 2017 Newsletter week 41 No Comments

Tallink, in partnership with Port of Tallinn and Transiidikeskuse AS, has re-routed its ro-ro SEA WIND. It now operates from Muuga Harbour instead of the Tallinn Old City Harbour.
This move means that more than 40,000 lorries per year will be removed from Tallinn city centre, reducing congestion and pollution. The journey from Muuga to Vuosaari (Finland) is also six nautical miles shorter.
Muuga Harbour, which is Estonia’s largest and deepest cargo port, is located just outside Tallinn, 16km from Tallinn city centre. Muuga Harbour has 29 berths, three of which have been specifically built for ro-ro type vessels.
Transiidikeskuse AS is a specialised Estonian container and general cargo terminal operator in Muuga Harbour.

Oct 12
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Short News

By 2017 Newsletter week 41
  • CLdN decided to introduce an additional ro-ro –ADELINE– on the Rotterdam-London service. From each port there will be two extra sailings per week.
  • GNV’s ro-pax ferry LA SUPREMA made a transatlantic crossing, and is now in San Juan, the capital of Maria-ravaged Puerto Rico. She is acting as a relief ship after the hurricane.
  • CMA CGM will bring in STENA CARRIER and ARK FORWARDER for their new Morocco Express service (see Ferry Shipping News, week 37). These two Stena RoRo ships have a capacity of about 2,700 lane meter.
  • Stena’s former TRELLEBORG, operating as SUNNY between the islands of Qeshm (Iran), has been sold for scrap.
  • Ro-pax STENA EGERIA arrived in Durrës on October 8. She has been chartered by Adria Ferries for one year, from Stena RoRo. She replaces the BRIDGE, which was spotted in Port Suez on October 10. STENA EGERIA has been renamed AF MICHELA.
  • ABB is going to provide an Azipod propulsion system for the new Viking Line cruise ferry to be built in China, the first installation of Azipod propulsion in a cruise-ferry application.
  • Ship2Shore reports that the Onorato Group (Moby/Tirrenia) is aiming at a sale & lease back contract with foreign investors, to cash money from MOBY TOMMY, JANAS, BITHIA and ATHARA.
Oct 05
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Ro-pax FINNEAGLE from Finnlines to Grimaldi Group

By 2017 Newsletter week 40

Finnlines Plc has sold the ro-pax vessel FINNEAGLE to the Grimaldi Group following a strategy “to optimise the use of Finnlines’ vessels and routes in order to improve its profitability.”
The 1999-built FINNEAGLE was chartered out to the Grimaldi Group from June 2017. The delivery of the 2,459 lane meter vessel to the Grimaldi Group will take place this month. She is currently in drydock in Gdansk.

Photo: FINNTIDE (for lengthening) and FINNEAGLE in Gdansk © Jakub Bogucki

Oct 05
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CMA CGM launches Morocco Express 1/2/3

By 2017 Newsletter week 40

As already announced in Ferry Shipping News (week 37), CMA CGM will launch a new ro-ro service to connect Morocco more quickly to Europe: Morocco Express 1/2/3.

 

  • Loop 1: weekly service on a fixed day, available throughout the year. It connects Casablanca and Tangier to Marseille with 3 departures per week from Morocco on a ship with a capacity of 180 trailers.
  • Loop 2: weekly service on a fixed day, available throughout the year. It connects Tangier to Marseille and Genoa with 2 departures each week from Southern Europe on a ship with a capacity of 180 trailers.
  • Loop 3: weekly service on a fixed day, available from November to April. It connects the port of Tangier to Port-Vendres with 1 departure per week from Tangier on a ship with a capacity of 65 trailers.

The service will start on October 21.

Oct 05
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Will a first agreement with the unions allow La Naval to build the Baleària ferry?

By 2017 Newsletter week 40

The bankrupt Spanish shipyard La Naval has reached a principle of an agreement with the unions. One of the points is to let go the unfinished dual-fuel multipurpose vessel LIVING STONE, built for the Belgian-Dutch DEME Group. This company recently tried to tow the ship out of the shipyard, to avoid it to be blocked by the bankruptcy. The action, described by local newspapers as an act of piracy, was unsuccessful. The owners defended themselves, saying that they have already paid a lot for the vessel, and claim its property.
Now La Naval and DEME have agreed to move the vessel to a place in the port of Bilbao, where subcontracting companies can finish it.
Although the unions have repeatedly shown their opposition to the ship leaving the shipyard, they had to admit that a full confrontation would mean the final curtain for the yard. DEME has agreed to pay the remaining invoices, which will help the yard to pay the salaries until the end of the year.
This agreement still needs to be signed by the unions.

The next step will be to solve the problem of the ferry commissioned by Baleària. The ferry company could exercise its right to cancel the newbuilding contract.
To be followed.

Source: El Correo
Photo © Baleària

Oct 05
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Tallink Grupp breaks record with 1.2 million pax in one month

By 2017 Newsletter week 40

When looking at the Q3 report, one can see that Tallink had an excellent summer.
In July, August and September, Tallink Grupp transported a total of 2,912,759 passengers (+2%), 353,309 cars (-7,1%) and 91,335 cargo units (+12.5%).
In July only, Tallink ferried 1.2 million passengers, a record.
The Latvia-Sweden route in particular has been developing positively since the addition of the second ferry ROMANTIKA to the route in December 2016.
The Estonia-Finland routes have seen a slight 5% decrease in passenger figures, mainly because only one cruise-ferry (MEGASTAR) operated on Tallinn-Helsinki, instead of two last year. This route is also the main responsible for the drop in car traffic.
The Estonia-Finland route continues to be the biggest contributor to the cargo transport growth, with nearly 6,000 more units.

Photo MEGASTAR © Tallink

Oct 05
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Minoan Lines H1 results affected by higher bunker prices

By 2017 Newsletter week 40

During H1, Minoan Lines S.A. continues to improve its financial performance. Its turnover at the consolidated level was shaped at € 36.1 million (€ 72.4), while operating profits (EBITDA) stood at € 9.6 million (€ 20.8). Moreover, Net profits after taxes shaped at € 1.6 million (€ 12.2).
The financial results of the period have been aggravated by the significant increase of fuel prices and contributed to the increase of operating expenses.
Minoan retains its leading position on the domestic Heraklion-Piraeus line:
Passengers 272,000 / Cars 33,000 / Freight units 29,000.
Market shares: 66.3% (passengers), 62.9% (cars), and 46.3% (freight).

Photo © Mike Louagie