HSC SUPEREXPRESS of Golden Star Ferries will be introduced on the new Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line on June 18, 2021.
After the sale of 3 of its high-speed vessels to Seajets, Golden Star Ferries makes a fleet reshuffling and launches its luxurious High-Speed Craft from Rafina to Cyclades for the first time. Her presence in the port of Rafina seems to affect Seajets as well, which has no presence for the summer season 2021.
The work to establish a shore power facility at the DFDS Seaways ferry terminal in Copenhagen is in full swing. The initiative is a joint collaboration between CMP (Copenhagen Malmö Ports) and DFDS, with the Swedish company Actemium as contractor and COWI as technical advisor.
The facility is expected to be operational in late summer 2021 and will make it possible for DFDS’ ferries CROWN SEAWAYS and PEARL SEAWAYS to significantly reduce the ships’ CO2 emissions while in port.
In an official statement (Statement, in French), HRH Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, asks all companies involved in the seasonal migration of Moroccan expats, to keep the levels of pricing fair, for both ferry crossings and flights.
Recently the Moroccan Government stated that the return of Moroccan emigrants –known as Operation Marhaba– will be made exclusively “from the same transit ports as last year” (= Marseille, Sète, Genoa). Again, no Spain.
The Government asks for more capacity on the routes, and it is also rumoured to look at a connection Tanger Med – Portimao (Portugal).
Planned capacity is actually 48,000 pax and 15,000 cars, every week between 15 June and 15 September (source: El Confidencial)
Officially the decision not to use the Spanish ports is because of the pandemic, but most observers feel it is a political issue.
EUROFERRY EGNAZIA is set to be transferred soon from Grimaldi Euromed’s fleet to the new Trasmed Logistica Espana, some sources revealed to Ferry Shipping News.
The vessel, which has a capacity for 546 passengers and 2,400 lane meters of roro capacity, will be deployed on the routes mainland Spain – Balearics islands.
Earlier this month, Grimaldi’s subsidiary in Spain received the green light from the competent authorities of the Balearic Islands to handle roro in the ports of Palma de Mallorca, Mahon and Ibiza.
Ferry company ENTMV (Entreprise Nationale de Transport Maritime de Voyageurs) is the official owner of the newbuilt ferry for its brand Algérie Ferries. A handover ceremony took place on June 15.
The ship was designed by OSK Shiptech and built in China.
“Breaking” News
Bulletin of information and analysis on ship demolition by French NGO Robin des Bois, in English
SAGA (former STENA SAGA) has left her lay-up berth in Uddevalla, Sweden, destination Gibraltar. The Stena RoRo vessel seems to have an (unknown) summer stint in the Med.
Godby has extended the contract with CMA CGM for RoRo MIMER until December 2023 with option for 2024. She is part of CMA CGM liner traffic in the Caribbean.
A new roro service from Marseille to Nouadhibou (Mauritania) and Dakar (Senegal) will start on July 1, 2021 (monthly).
Ship: MYROSE (operated by Glenhallen)
Desgagnés has sold its NORDIK EXPRESS [MarineTraffic] to Grimston World Inc. for a service between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
NORDIK EXPRESS was the oldest vessel of Relais Nordic Inc.
Relais Nordik provides maritime transport services for passengers and cargo along Quebec’s Middle and Lower North Shore as well as Anticosti Island.
Baleària’s fast ferry AVEMAR DOS resumed its usual route between Ceuta and Algeciras after the remotorization work that has been carried out in recent months. The ship now has 8% more fuel-efficient engines (new version of MTU 1163 M84). This is the second remotorization that has been carried out on this ship in six years.
Italian shipowners’ association Assarmatori, together with the association of the small municipalities located on the islands, asked the Italian government to remove the 50% passenger capacity.
It limits tourism and negatively impacts the revenues of the companies involved in the business. They argue that air and rail transport modes are not limited with the same conditions.
They also underline that all the safety protocols aimed at reducing the spreading of Covid-19 would remain, before embarking and during the journey at sea.
The procurement of a new ferry to help support the community and economy on Islay is officially underway, says Transport Scotland.
The first stage of the tender process will assess if interested shipyards meet the technical and financial criteria to take on the project.
The Invitation To Tender is expected to be issued later this summer with a view to awarding the contract, with an estimated value of around £50m, in March 2022.
Tersan signed a contract with Norway’s Fjord1 ASA for the construction of two environmentally friendly vehicle and passenger ferries.
