On 20 February Creta Cargo Lines’ ro-ro ORION (the former ORCADIA and SATURN) made her debut on the Lavrion – Naxos line.
The handy size vessel is expected to support the other vessels of the Cretan Company’s fleet (TALOS and IOSIF K.) on domestic ferry services. The company mainly transports trucks and dangerous freight to the smaller and difficult ports of Cyclades Islands.
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
After numerous tenders that were cancelled due to a lack of bidders, Sea Speed Lines’ ro-pax OLYMPUS has been sold to an anonymous buyer for USD 1.755.100.
The sale follows a lengthy period out of service. She previously served the Piraeus – Rethymnon line. In the summer 2022 she was to be introduced on the Piraeus or Lavrion – Santorini – Anafi line. However, this failed to materialise.
According to unconfirmed information, her buyer is Creta Cargo Lines. With her new owner concentrating on cargo, it seems possible that OLYMPUS will be converted to a ro-ro vessel.
Photo: Dimitris Mentakis
The 50-year-old CORSICA VICTORIA has been sold by Corsica Ferries to a new-start company, Flipper Lines. She has been renamed CAMOMILLA.
The buyer is 55% owned by Saimja Shpk, 30% by Maria Grazia La Sorte and 15% by Hitaj Esmeralda.
CORSICA VICTORIA has been moored in the port of Leghorn since last summer but is expected to sail for Brindisi in the coming days. She will be deployed on the Brindisi (Italy) – Vlora (Albania) service.
Tribute to CORSICA VICTORIA on YouTube
Québec’s CTMA has confirmed an interest in acquiring the STRAITSMAN from New Zealand operator Bluebridge. The 2005 ro-pax will soon leave the service, after being replaced in the fleet by the CONNEMARA, acquired from Stena RoRo.
CTMA would purchase the STRAITSMAN to replace the back-up vessel C.T.M.A. VACANCIER, originally the AURELLA of 1973.
Meanwhile, appearing in front of a Scottish Government committee, Stuart Garrett, Managing Director of Northlink Ferries indicated that industry reports of CMAL visiting the vessel were also correct. If CMAL was to purchase the vessel for use by Northlink, it would operate on services to Orkney and Shetland to boost passenger and freight capacity.
Photo Bluebridge
The current CEO of ForSea, Kritian Durhuus is to become the new CEO of Molslinjen. Molslinjen’s takeover of ForSea was completed at the end of January and the two companies are in the process of merging.
The vacancy has arisen as current Molslinjen CEO Carsten Jensen is leaving the post to become the new CEO of Nordic Ferry Infrastructure in Oslo.
Nordic Ferry Infrastructure (NFI) is a holding company that will in future own both Molslinjen and the Norwegian transport company, Torghatten.
Kristian Durhuus will join Molslinjen on 15 March 2023. In the interim period Carsten Jensen will remain responsible for Molslinjen.
Photo: Molslinjen
Photo: Viking Line
Photo: Brittany Ferries
Photo: Molslinjen
DELPHINE has become the first vessel in the CLdN fleet to receive a rotor sail wind propulsion system.
Improving the ship’s fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, the ship returns to service from Zeebrugge on 27 February.
DELPHINE has a freight capacity of over 8,000 lane metres and was already very fuel efficient. With two 35m x 5m rotor sails, current emissions of 28 grammes of CO2 emitted per tonne of cargo shipped per km travelled will be reduced by 10%.
The rotor sails, which can be installed on new vessels or retrofitted on existing ships, incorporate a modernised version of the Flettner rotor, a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to add forward thrust to a ship. The solution is fully automated and detects whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel and emission savings, at which point the sails start automatically. The sails are also tiltable, allowing the vessel to pass under bridges and maintaining operational flexibility.
CLdN will work with the Maritime Technology Division at Ghent University to study the performance of the sails on the DELPHINE in the coming months. The results of the project will determine roll out on existing and newbuild vessels.
Photo: CLdN
