Feb 24
Love0

MSC Aurelia arrived at Iskenderun in Türkiye

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

After its departure from the port of Naples, the ro-pax ship MSC AURELIA arrived in the Turkish port of Iskendrun on 20 February.

60 pallets of basic necessities and first relief items carried on board will be distributed to those in need.  MSC AURELIA will be used as emergency accommodation, providing the local authorities and emergency services with over 1,000 beds and equipped spaces.

Photos: MSC Foundation

Feb 24
Love1

Creta Cargo Lines’ ro-ro Orion joined the Hellenic Coastal Shipping

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

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

Feb 24
Love0

Sea Speed Lines ro-pax Olympus eventually sold

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

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

Feb 24
Love1

Corsica Victoria sold to start-up

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

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

Feb 24
Love0

Interest in Straitsman

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

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

Feb 24
Love0

New CEO for Molslinjen announced

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

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

Feb 24
Love0

In Brief

By 2023 Newsletter week 8
  • In addition to boosting capacity on Finnlines’ own Zeebrugge – Rosslare route, FINNPULP is also to be chartered to P&O Ferries for one roundtrip per week. The vessel will depart Zeebrugge on Tuesdays and Teesport on Wednesdays from 28 February.  The ferry companies have an existing cooperation, P&O Ferries providing stevedoring and ship handling for Finnlines’ Rosslare service at the Belgian port.
  • Viking Line has announced that 13 March to 25 June, CINDERELLA will call at Kapellskär on her morning departure from Mariehamn to Stockholm. The sailing is a result of the sale of the ROSELLA and the loss of her sailings from Åland to Kapellskär.

Photo: Viking Line

  • Björn Blomqvist, CEO of Rederi Ab Eckerö Group, has revealed that there has been recent interest in the sale or charter of their idle cruise vessel BIRKA STOCKHOLM. The ship has been laid up since the Covid pandemic arrived in March 2020.  With interest from Europe and Southeast Asia there have also been enquires for using her as an accommodation vessel.
  • From 1 March, Brittany Ferries will switch from Pound Sterling to Euro as the base currency onboard. Sterling will still be accepted onboard at the daily exchange rate but all products and services will have prices displayed as Euro. Full details of the change can be found here.

Photo: Brittany Ferries

  • Molslinjen has been given permission to replace the MAX MOLS with the EXPRESS 1 when the newbuild EXPRESS 5 is delivered as the main Bornholm fast ferry. Due to the subsidised service, the decision required approval of the Danish Ministry of Transport.  The capacity of EXPRESS 1 up to that of the MAX MOLS will be sold within the contract but the additional part is to be sold commercially at Bornholmslinjen’s own risk.  This arrangement will initially be for one year.
  • Molslinjen’s fast ferries on the Kattegat are now registered with the Too Good To Go food waste scheme. This means that ferry passengers on the last departures of the day to Aarhus have the opportunity to buy food to take home from the ferries’ catering outlets. The scheme attempts to reduce food waste.  A bag of food purchased on the app costs DKK 39 and can contain items such as croissants, sandwiches or salads.

Photo: Molslinjen

Feb 24
Love0

Delphine gains rotor sail

By 2023 Newsletter week 8

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

Feb 17
Love0

A “satisfactory” 2022 for Viking Line

By 2023 Newsletter week 7

January– December 2022 (compared to January–December 2021)

  • Sales amounted to EUR 494.7 M (EUR 258.2 M).
  • Other operating revenue was EUR 24.1 M (EUR 46.8 M).
  • Operating income totalled EUR 38.3 M (EUR 32.1 M).
  • Net financial items were EUR -10.0 M (EUR -3.8 M).
  • Income before taxes totalled EUR 28.3 M (EUR 28.3 M).
  • Income after taxes totalled EUR 23.0 M (EUR 24.4 M).

Outlook for the financial year 2023

  • Significant uncertainty continues due to the geopolitical situation.  This is impacting directly on energy prices, inflation, interest rates and currencies and indirectly in terms of propensity to travel, demand, consumption patterns and costs.
  • AMORELLA  was sold in Autumn 2022, and at the end of the year an agreement was reached on the sale of ROSELLA for delivery in January 2023. The company does not foresee any further vessel sales in 2023.
  • Provided that energy prices remain at their current level and taking into account that capital gains are expected to be lower than in 2022, the Board of Directors estimates that income before taxes will be somewhat lower than in 2022..

Jan Hanses, CEO of Viking Line said;

“Our results for 2022 should be described as good. The new financial year 2023 will be both demanding and engaging. We are closely following economic developments and adapting operations to meet the challenges we face, particularly concerning the new environmental norms. Meanwhile, we are optimistic about the future.”

Fourth Quarter Results 2022 (compared to Fourth Quarter 2021)

  • Sales amounted to EUR 124.5 M (EUR 89.3 M).
  • Other operating revenue was EUR 15.2 M (EUR 2.2 M).
  • Operating income totalled EUR 19.4 M (EUR 1.6 M).
  • Net financial items were EUR -2.5 M (EUR -0.4 M).
  • Income before taxes amounted to EUR 16.9 M (EUR 1.2 M).
  • Income after taxes totalled EUR 13.6 M (EUR 1.7 M).
Feb 17
Love0

Finnlines add second vessel on Zeebrugge-Rosslare

By 2023 Newsletter week 7

To meet the increased capacity and frequency demand from customers, Finnlines is strengthening its Ireland–Belgium freight service by adding a second ro-ro vessel.

FINNPULP will join FINNWAVE on the route in week 8, departing from Zeebrugge on 23 February 2023.

Finnlines launched the new service between Rosslare and Zeebrugge in July 2022. The service has been well received by Irish transport operators. Via transhipment in Zeebrugge, the Irish connection is also available to the Finnish, German, Estonian and Spanish industries as well as the whole Grimaldi Group network.

FINNPULP: 3,259 lane metres |225 trailers | 12 drivers

FINNWAVE: 4,192 lane metres |300 trailers | 12 drivers