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2024 Newsletter week 05

Feb 02
1

Tallink cruiseferry sold

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AS Tallink Grupp subsidiary Hansalink Ltd, has made an agreement to sell the cruiseferry ISABELLE to a company within the Bridgemans Services Group Ltd.

Since 1 July 2023, ISABELLE has been on charter with the Bridgemans Floatel division, who have taken up a purchase option.  The vessel’s future lies in the floating accommodation sector.

The sale of the cruiseferry will have a positive impact on the 2024 financial results of AS Tallink Grupp.

The vessel is currently in dry-dock in North Vancouver for final refit.  Woodfibre LNG has selected the Bridgemans Floatel to house its project construction workforce in Howe Sound, British Columbia, beginning spring 2024.

Photo: Bridgemans

Feb 02
1

Grimaldi charters CIUDAD DE MAHON to Baleària

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The 2008-built RoPax ferry CIUDAD DE MAHON, owned by Trasmed Grimaldi, will move to Spanish competitor Baleària on a bareboat charter that is understood to last 5 years.

The ship’s capacity is for 1,000 passengers and 1,500 lane metres of RoRo cargo and cars.

In the recent past CIUDAD DE MAHON has been deployed on the routes linking the Spanish mainland (Valencia and Barcelona) with the Balearic Islands, in particular Ibiza.

At present it is unknown how Baleària plan to use the vessel.

Photo: Grimaldi Trasmed

Feb 02
1

MOBY LEGACY arrives, MOBY VINCENT departs

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The 50-year-old ferry MOBY VINCENT (1.600 passengers and 920 lane meters capacity) has been sold for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey.

The 1974-built vessel had been operating until autumn 2023 on the Livorno – Bastia route.  Her place will be taken by MOBY ZAZA for the forthcoming summer season.

The sale of the aged MOBY VINCENT is part of a renovation and cost-cutting plan launched by the Group, controlled by the Onorato family.  The ship should depart Italy soon.

Meanwhile, Moby Line’s brand new RoPax cruiseferry, MOBY LEGACY arrived at the port of Livorno on 28 January. The delivery voyage covered 14,000 nautical miles and took 32 days.  From 17 February the vessel will sail on the Livorno to Olbia route alongside her sister MOBY FANTASY.

Photo: Moby Line

Feb 02
1

MIRAMAR EXPRESS acquired by Lakeway Link

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New Swedish shipping company, Lakeway Link has acquired the RoRo MIRAMAR EXPRESS.  Lakeway Link, owned equally by Wallenius and Greencarrier, is to open a new service connecting Poland and Sweden.

The vessel will be renamed LAKEWAY EXPRESS and from April offer three weekly departures between Gdynia and Södertälje.  The service is seen as offering a robust alternative or complement to road and rail transportation.

The company intends to expand its services to include additional traffic to Västerås by 2026, following the reconstruction of the Södertälje locks.

The 1,624-lane metre MIRAMAR EXPRESS is currently sailing on the Algeciras – Tanger Med route operated by FRS Iberia/Maroc, recently acquired by DFDS.   It is understood that the vessel is owned by a separate FRS Group company and not included in the sale to DFDS.

Photo: Lakeway Link

Feb 02
1

Seajets purchased two more high-speed crafts from the Turkish IDO

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Greek sources are reporting that Seajets has added two more high-speed craft to their impressive fleet. This time they purchased the sister-ships OSMAN GAZI 1 and ORHAN GAZI 1 from Turkey’s Istanbul Deniz (IDO).

Both vessels were built in Australia (Austal, Henderson) in 2007 and belong to the Auto Express 88 series. Their carrying capacity is for 1,200 passengers and 225 cars, while they have a top speed of 37.5 knots. With these impressive 6,133 tonners in its fleet, the seemingly unstoppable Seajets will operate within the Aegean Sea with the significant number of 22 high-speed craft.

Photo: Austal

Feb 02
1

Additional Fjord Line call

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Fjord Line has announced some additions to their route portfolio.

From 1 February to 7 May and 2 September to 30 December, the cruise ferries STAVANGERFJORD and BERGENSFJORD will offer;

  • An evening sailing from Hirtshals to Kristiansand, the shortest route between Denmark and Norway.
  • A nightly domestic route from Kristiansand to Stavanger and on to Bergen.

This adds a call to the current Hirtshals – Stavanger – Bergen route northbound.  Southbound, the route remains as it is today; Bergen-Stavanger-Hirtshals.

7 May to 2 September, Fjord Line continues to sail 3 – 4 departures daily between Hirtshals and Kristiansand with HSC FJORD FSTR, STAVANGERFJORD and BERGENSFJORD

Photo: Fjord Line

Feb 02
1

Stena Line breaks record at Belfast

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Stena Line has achieved a record year for freight volumes at Belfast with approximately 587,000 units being transported in 2023.

Meanwhile, Belfast Harbour has unveiled a specially commissioned portrait of Stena Line owner and Chairman, Dan Sten Olsson, at their Harbour Office in Corporation Square.  The portrait celebrates the significant contribution that the Swedish ferry operator has made to the Port and Region over the last three decades.

Stena Line has seven ships operating from Belfast, serving the ports of Cairnryan, Belfast and Heysham.

Photo: Stena Line

Feb 02
1

Unity Lines’ train/car ferry JAN SNIADECKI sold to Greece

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It is reported that the buyer of Unity Lines’ train/car and passenger ferry JAN SNIADECKI is Greece’s Ainaftis. She was built in Sweden (Falkenberg-S) in 1988 for Polish Ocean Lines and served the Świnoujście – Ystad route throughout her Polish career.

In 1995, she was transferred to Unity Line.

On 30 December 2023 she made her last crossing and laid up at the port of Świnoujście. The 17-knot ship has been renamed THALASSITIS and has raised the Cypriot flag.  Her carrying capacity is for 57 passengers and 1,116 lane meters.

Photo: Bartosz Bagiński

Feb 02
1

SUNNYLVSFJORD delivered to Fjord1

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On 28 January Fjord1 took delivery of their latest newbuild from the Tersan Shipyard in Turkey, MF SUNNYLVSFJORD. The ferry can carry 248 passengers and 80 cars or 6 trucks and was designed by HavDesign. The ferry will be used on the Stranda – Liabygda, route.

Depending on the weather conditions on her delivery voyage, SUNNYLVSFJORD will arrive in Norway in three to four weeks.  A sistership from Tersan is due to follow soon, NORDDALSFJORD.  That vessel will see service on the Eidsdal – Linge route.

Photo: Fjord1

Feb 02
1

Damen to deliver newbuild just months after order

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South Korea’s KT Marine this week signed a contract for a “4212” fast ferry with Damen Shipyards.

The vessel will be delivered by mid-2024 and is the seventh Damen Fast Ferry in the Korean Market and the fifth of the FFe 4212 class.  It will operate on the route between Yeosu harbour and Geomundo Island (off the south coast of South Korea).

The speedy delivery is possible due to Damen’s speculative building strategy with the vessel already under construction at the Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.

Length 42 metres
Capacity 423 passengers
Speed 40 knots (max)
Power 4 main engines delivering 5,760 bkW of power to four waterjets

Photo: Damen