Viking XPRS raises Finnish flag

By | 2023 Newsletter week 10 | No Comments

At a ceremony at Skatudden, Helsinki on 6 March, the Finnish flag was raised on the VIKING XPRS.

The reflagging from the Estonian flag makes Viking Line Finland’s biggest employer in maritime transport.

The 2008-built VIKING XPRS operates on the Helsinki – Tallinn route. Staff on the vessel will be transferred to the Finnish salary system and become direct employees of Viking Line. The crew previously worked through an Estonian staffing company.

175 people work onboard with around 10% previously being crew of the ROSELLA, sold at the start of the year.

Master Stefan Dahlström said;

“We also have a number of experienced staff who were shifted over from our other vessels as well as former VIKING XPRS crew members. The reflagging will make hiring easier for us and give our staff greater opportunities to move between the vessels.”

The company has 1,200 permanent seafarers and about 500 fixed-term employees in Finland on vessels registered in Finland’s Register of Ships.  Four of the company’s five vessels – VIKING XPRS, VIKING GLORY, and VIKING GRACE AND GABRIELLA – are Finnish flagged.  CINDERELLA sails under the Swedish flag.

Photo: Viking Line

Ramsgate to welcome ferries again?

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In March, Thanet District Council is to discuss proposals to bring ferry services back to Ramsgate port.

An option is to sub-contract the operation of the ferry port to a third party to better facilitate investment.  There is a firm belief by the Council that the port can fill a niche in ferry port capacity in South Eastern England

Photo: Thanet District Council

Holland Norway Line examines port move

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Holland Norway Lines (HNL) is reported to be considering a move from the port of Eemshaven.

The company has had significant disruption to services in recent weeks due to their berth being required for other traffic.  It is understood that HNL’s period of exclusive use of the berth at the Dutch port has ended.

HNL is said to be looking at other port options, including the German port of Emden.  The company’s website states that a solution should be in place in 6 to 8 weeks.

Chartered from the Tallink Grupp, the ROMANTIKA operates the HNL cruiseferry service to Kristiansand.

Photo: Holland Norway Line

Equity fund ownership for Naviera Armas

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The four private equity funds JP Morgan, Barings, Bain Capital and Cheney Capital were this week preparing to become the new major shareholders of the Naviera Armas group.

After first reducing debt through a conversion of financial exposure into shares and entering capital, El Confidencial revealed that these institutional investors now intend to recapitalise the group by becoming its controlling shareholders.

Once rescued, the next action will be to proceed with the sale of Naviera Armas.  In pole position among the interested parties is Balèaria but the Boluda Group and MSC are also in the running.

Photo: Naviera Armas

Moby ro-ro sold

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The 2001-built ro-ro ferry ELIANA MARINO has been sold at auction by Moby Lines for EUR 12.5 million (plus VAT).

The buyer is reported to be the MSC Group.  She will be deployed on routes linking Italian ports to Tunisia and Libya.  ELIANA MARINO will join JOLLY BLUE and JOLLY EXPRESS (formerly VICTORIAN RELIANCE and TASMANIAN ACHIEVER) owned by MSC subsidiary Conglomerate Maritime Ltd and used on the joint venture with Ignazio Messina & C.

The 2,500 lane metre ELIANA MARINO joined Moby in 2016 on bareboat charter, and a contractual purchase option had been recently exercised.   The ship has spent most of the past two years on charter to DFDS then Hansa Destinations.

Pride of Burgundy sold for recycling with newbuild en route

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Brokers are reporting that P&O Ferries has sold their 1993 ro-pax PRIDE OF BURGUNDY to Turkish ship recyclers.

The former Dover – Calais ferry has been laid up at Dunkerque East since late 2021.  The vessel was “permanently withdrawn” in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic only to have a short-lived return to service the following year.

The ship is expected to end her life at an EU-approved recycling facility at Aliaga in the coming months.  Her sale is reported at the rate of $320 per LDT, a total price of $3.7 million based on her 28,100 GT.

The ship’s age and English Channel focussed design made a sale for further use unlikely.

It remains to be seen what fate awaits the PRIDE OF KENT and PRIDE OF CANTERBURY with the arrival of P&O PIONEER and P&O LIBERTE this year.

Meanwhile, P&O PIONEER departed China on 3 March for her delivery voyage to Europe.  A visit to Singapore waters followed on 8 March and at the time of writing was due at Colombo on 11 March.  P&O Ferries has confirmed that the ship is due to enter service on 1 May.

New hybrid electric vessel for Norled

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Norled and Brødrene Aa have entered into a contract for the construction of a new hybrid electric vessel, to be named BRE.

It will be used as a reserve vessel on Norled’s routes from Bodø to Væran and Gildeskål.  On these services she will have a hybridization rate of 70% electric operation.

When not operating on these routes, BRE will operate as a 100% electric sightseeing boat for Brim Explorer.

  • Passengers :  130 with space for luggage, bicycles and kayaks
  • Speed : 30 knots
  • Length : 24 metres
  • Battery : 1.2 MWh
  • Construction : Carbon Fibre

Photo: Brødrene Aa

Condor Ferries buys Straitsman

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With significant global interest, it is Condor Ferries that has succeeded in buying the ro-pax STRAITSMAN from Bluebridge Ferries, New Zealand.

As reported last week by FSN, operators including CTMA and CMAL/NorthLink Ferries were also in the running to acquire the ship.

Re-named and upgraded, the 125-metre vessel will enter service between the UK and France and the Channel Islands in the autumn.  Condor has said that the move will bring “greater resilience, capacity and connectivity”.

Condor Ferries has promised an overnight service in both directions from the UK and Channel Islands.  The new vessel will also provide additional passenger capacity in the event of Condor’s fast craft being affected by bad weather.

The larger fleet will also assist with inter-Island frequency and help to develop the growing freight services from France.

Built in 2005, the 400-passenger STRAITSMAN is very close in design to Condor’s existing ro-pax ferry, COMMODORE CLIPPER.  She previously operated in Europe as Bornholm’s DUEODDE.

Photo: Condor Ferries