Aug 12
4

Stena RoRo & Crowley to Assist United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) in Acquiring Vessels for their Ready Reserve Force

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Crowley Maritime Corporation’s Solutions business unit has been awarded a multi-year contract for Vessel Acquisition Management (VAM) by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).

Stena RoRo is included in Crowley’s project team, together with Serco and LCE (Life Cycle Engineering).

Stena RoRo will provide expertise related to market intelligence in the vessel selection process.

Stena RoRo will also act as broker within the VAM programme and support Crowley & MARAD with the conclusion of contracts for identified candidate vessels fulfilling the operational requirements set by MARAD.

The RRF currently consists of 41 vessels whereof 33 are Deepsea RoRos. A key objective in the VAM programme is a reduction of the overall age of the fleet and increase of ship reliability.

Aug 12
4

DFDS Welcomes New Ferry CÔTE D’OPALE to the Channel

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E-Flexer CÔTE D’OPALE started to operate on the Dover-Calais route on 4 August.

The CÔTE D’OPALE can carry 3,100 lane metres of freight, making it the longest ferry on the Channel, and has space for up to 1,000 passengers and crew. It replaces CALAIS SEAWAYS.

The new ferry offers the largest duty-free shopping experience on any cross-Channel ferry. The shop stretches across 1,100 square metres. It features separate ‘wings’ for each product category on offer, including perfume and cosmetics, wine and spirits, and electronics.

In addition, the ferry has a Premium Lounge, which offers an exclusive, laid-back space for passengers to enjoy a peaceful crossing, and three dining areas. The 7 Seas restaurant and Lighthouse Café are for leisure travellers.

Commercial drivers have their own dedicated area in the Road Kings lounge and restaurant, with showers and rest areas specially designed for drivers.

Aug 12
5

Seatrials for Seajets’ AQUA STAR

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On August 9, 2021 the former AZORES EXPRESS of Hellenic Med Ferries performed her sea trials under the Seajets ownership. She was purchased at the end of July and renamed AQUA STAR. According to the information she will be probably introduced within the next few days temporarily on the Lavrio – Agios Efstratios – Lemnos – Kavala line.

Aug 12
5

Corsica Ferries’ SARDINIA REGINA Sold?

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Corsica Ferries is expected to sell the veteran ferry SARDINIA REGINA shortly.

An announcement has been published by the local Coast Guard in Genoa, explaining that the vessel will change flag (and ownership) from Italy to Libya.

The buyer is still unknown at the moment.

CORSICA REGINA had been operated by Corsica Ferries since 1986 and deployed on the routes linking France and Italy to Corsica.

She was built as VISBY in 1972.

Aug 12
8

Time to Say Goodbye

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PRINCESS (1974, PRINSESSAN BIRGITTA, STENA SCANDINAVICA, KING OF SCANDINAVIA…PRINCE) has left Greece and has been deflagged to Comoros. She is now near Sri Lanka. It is expected she’s going to be scrapped in Bangladesh. [MarineTraffic]

APOLLO (1970, one of the famous ‘Papenburgers’) is being towed from Canada to Aliaga for recycling. [MarineTraffic, tug MIRJANA K]

Jul 29
8

FERRY SHIPPING

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Grimaldi Adds Zeebrugge to its Belgium – Ireland Service

  • 2/w Belgium — Ireland (Cork) ­— Belgium
  • Week schedule: Antwerp-Zeebrugge-Cork-Zeebrugge-Cork-Zeebrugge-Antwerp
  • Ship: EUROCARGO BARI: 3,850 lane metres + 200 cars
  • Start of cooperation with P&O Ferries

At the beginning of May, Grimaldi started a twice-weekly roro service between Antwerp and Cork, with EUROCARGO BARI as route vessel.

Now, since Saturday 24 July, the ship calls twice a week in Zeebrugge, and once a week in Antwerp.

Zeebrugge was already connected with Cork, by the service from CLdN.

Interesting is the cooperation between Grimaldi and P&O Ferries.

In the port of Zeebrugge, the Grimaldi ship calls at the terminal of P&O Ferries.

The press release states that, “the cooperation with P&O Ferries will be extended to commercial activity as well.”

Jul 29
4

Surprise? NGF Signs LOI for Two Hydrogen Ferries

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  • Nice Green Ferries (NGF) said on its LinkedIn that it signed a LOI with a shipyard group in Norway (Fosen?) for two 140m Ropax Cruise ferries
  • Nice Green Ferries is based in Nice, France (hence the name) (website)
  • Routes: Nice – Corsica and Sardinia
  • The ships have a capacity of 1,200 passengers/400 cars, high standard cabins for all passengers
  • The hybrid electric ships will be be powered by a Hydrogen based power plant and a range of renewable energy sources
  • Scheduled start-up of operations is from Autumn 2023.
Jul 29
4

Spain – Canary Islands: FRS Leaves, Armas Returns

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  • As from 31 July, Armas takes over the Huelva-Canary route from FRS

FRS will stop operating the weekly connection between Huelva, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife that it had maintained since July 2018 through a freight agreement with Naviera Armas.

This three-year agreement was made with the Spanish fair competition commission (CNMC), to allow Naviera Armas to acquire Trasmediterranea.

The last FRS crossing between the Canary Islands and Huelva will be on 29/30 July.

The day after, Naviera Armas will re-operate the route

The ropax continues to be VOLCÁN DE TINAMAR, the same vessel that FRS chartered from Armas for this route.

Jul 29
4

Fjord1 Appoints Systems Integrator for Electric Vessel Conversions

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  • Three more vessels to be converted in zero-emission

Fjord1 has contracted Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) to act as system integrator and deliver power control, distribution and battery systems on three ferries set to be converted from gas and diesel propulsion to zero-emission battery operation.

NES will also deliver equipment and control systems for four battery charging stations.

After this, NES will have installed battery systems on board 21 zero-emission ferries.

Once converted, the three vessels will operate on the Drag – Kjøpsvik and Bognes – Skarberget ferry services in North Norway, from December 2022.

Photo, from left: SVP Sales at NES Stein Ruben Larsen, Sales manager at NES Martin Aasheim and Project and Technology Manager at Fjord1 ASA, Nils Kristian Berge.

Jul 29
4

Brittany Ferries Awarded Green Marine Europe Label

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Brittany Ferries recently received the “Green Marine Europe” label at a ceremony held in Biarritz and organized by the Green Marine Europe program.

This label rewards the Company’s continuous and ambitious work on the environment and recognizes the progress made in this sector during the year 2020.

Launched in 2020, the Green Marine Europe label is the result of the collaboration between the NGO Surfrider Foundation Europe and Green Marine (Alliance Verte), a North American environmental certification program.