The start-up company Morocco Cruise Line (MCL.ma) took delivery of the roro ship EUROCARGO NAPOLI which has been owned and operated up to date by Grimaldi Group.
MCL is expected to open two new lines, one between Tangier Med and Motril and the other one between Tangier Med and Sète. The vessel is currently in the port of Motril.
EUROCARGO NAPOLI: 175m / 18.5 knots / 1,940 lane metres / cars 400
Italy’s finance police arrested two ferries and seized a sum exceeding EUR 64 million from the ferry company Delcomar.
The Franco-Del-Giudice-controlled company is active on the short sea routes surrounding the islands of Sardinia.
Two vessels are deployed on the routes Carloforte-Portovesme and Carloforte-Calasetta.
A public service contract was awarded in 2016 for up to nine years, for more than EUR 100 million.
Prosecutors from the “Procura della Repubblica” of Cagliari stated that the company does not respect the requested standards reported in the public procedure for the maritime continuity .
Some of the contested factors are linked with the speed, the equipment and the safety standard of the vessels.
Wallenius SOL Adds Kokkola
Wallenius SOL continues to expand its service, now strengthening its offering by adding Kokkola on the north- and southbound route Antwerp – Zeebrugge – Tilbury, since end of February.
From Tuesday, 16 March 2021, Confido will open a new coronavirus testing location at Terminal D, Port of Tallinn and will thus make it easier for passengers to obtain the necessary negative COVID test certificates, required for travelling to Finland since the end of February.
In The picture: LIEKUT
SeaRoad’s new charter vessel LIEKUT departed Cape Town on 9 March bound for Melbourne and is scheduled to arrive at Station Pier on 26 March.
In preparation for LIEKUT’s arrival – which will service the Bass Strait route – SeaRoad has invested $15 million in developing the East Devonport terminal. This includes fendering, berth strengthening, and mooring bollards works, which are currently being completed for the 210-metre-long ship. In Melbourne, $600,000 of fendering relocation, pile restoration and mooring bollards works are also close to completion.
SeaRoad’s total lane metre capacity will grow by almost 70% when LIEKUT replaces the existing SEAROAD TAMAR.
LIEKUT will conduct its maiden, non-commercial, voyage from Melbourne on 1 April, arriving in Devonport on 2 April for operational testing.
The ship will then depart Devonport on its first commercial voyage on 5 April (Easter Monday) and travel to Webb Dock, Port Melbourne overnight, arriving on 6 April.
Levante Ferries Released Renderings From SMYRNAS’ Interior Conversion
Levante Ferries revealed renderings from the remodeled interior of SMYRNA, former ROSTOCK of Unity Line.
The ship is undergoing an extensive conversion. Her interior decoration will meet two cultures, East and West, since the oriental element is combined with the modern.
SMYRNA is expected to be dry docked in the summer, while she will be probably introduced on the Thessaloniki – Smyrna line in early 2022.
Renderings: Molindris / Levante Ferries
Watch Baleària’s Corporate Social Responsability and Sustainability Report 2020
(Subtitled in English)
Following the approval in 2019 of a fleet renovation plan by the Transport ministry for the ships deployed on the short sea links along the Italian coasts, the Sicily Region seems to be at the forefront for a pair of new vessels.
The Transport ministry and the regional administration have recently signed an agreement aimed at fixing timeline, cost and obligations related with a plan which is worth roughly EUR 143 million.
The first two units to be ordered and built will be A-class ferries set to be deployed on the regular links with the islands surrounding Sicily.
A second step will be dedicated to high-speed vessels and B-class ropax ships operating on short sea links.
Caronte & Tourist has signed the order for a new 8,300 GT ferry at Sefine in Yalova.
This order is entirely financed by Caronte & Tourist and is part of a wider fleet renovation plan. Four more ships will be commissioned to be deployed on the Strait of Messina and the short sea routes to Sicily.
The newly commissioned ferry will, as expected, be built on a project by the Trieste-based company Naos Design (see link) and will be ready for delivery within two years.
Dimensions: 110m long, 20m wide, 800 passengers, 420 lane metres.
Route: port of Milazzo – Aeolian Islands.
Dual-fuel LNG hybrid.
On March 6, 2021 Attica Groups’ BLUE STAR MYCONOS started a new ferry service between Thessaloniki, the islands of the North Aegean (Limnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Fournoi, Ikaria), the Cyclades (Mykonos, Syros) and Piraeus, following the signing of a public service contract.
That new ferry connection offers an alternative port call from Northern Greece. Ropax DIAGORAS is serving the Kavala-Lemnos-Lesvos-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line (Kavala is a port east of Thessaloniki).
Both handy size ferries are suitable for the ports of the line and offer a punctual service.
The 25-knot BLUE STAR MYCONOS can also serve the Cyclades because of her high speed.
The new ferry service fulfils a long-standing request both from passengers and transportation companies.
