May 07
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Hurtigruten Hit Hard by Crisis – Too Hard?

By 2020 Newsletter week 19

Hurtigruten has laid off 3,000 employees, taken 14 out of 16 ships out of traffic and lost all passengers and revenue during the corona crisis.

The company asked for State aid, without success.

Hurtigruten’s CEO Daniel Skjeldam says that the State only wants to give loan guarantees to companies with a healthy credit score.

However, because of the corona crisis, Hurtigruten’s score has been lowered. Daniel Skjeldam says this is not right. “It is the credit score before the corona crisis that must be used.”

May 07
Love2

SHORT NEWS

By 2020 Newsletter week 19

On April 30, 2020, Saos Ferries STAVROS was introduced on the Rhodes – Symi – Halki – Tilos – Nisyros – Kos line, plus 3 trips a week on the Rhodes – Kastelorizo run. The small vessel served for many years the Alexandroupolis – Samothraki run. However, in August 2019 she and her smaller running mate SAONISSOS halted service unexpectedly, due to serious engine failures- causing a serious problem on the Samothraki line in the middle of the summer season. The ship was eventually repaired, renamed and started hopefully a new career at another part of Greece.

  • Stena Line’s new STENA ESTRID is being taken off the Holyhead to Dublin route for repairs after suffering engine problems. On May, 3 she arrived at the layover berth at Loch Ryan Port where she will undergo maintenance for up to 6 weeks. Relief vessel STENA NORDICA picked up the schedule.
  • On the ferry between Kalundborg and Ballen (DK), Samsølinjen has reduced the number of passengers by half. This is done in order to create the necessary distance between the passengers. In a campaign, the ferry operator asks local passengers to book a seat in advance, instead of the usual showing up.
  • P&O Ferries have sent their ferries PRIDE OF BURGUNDY and PRIDE OF CANTERBURY for lay-up in the port of Leith, Edinburgh.
  • Consultant firm PwC has been called in to advise on UK taxpayer support of P&O Ferries.
  • Former Brittany Ferries BAIE DE SEINE has been returned to DFDS and sails as SIRENA SEAWAYS on Klaipeda – Karlshamn.
  • On April 30, 2020 Ventouris Ferries’ RIGEL VII was finally introduced on the Bari – Durres line. The new flagship of the Cypriot based ferry operator has first completed successfully her sea trials -on the Saronic Gulf- and then sailed to Albania (Durres). She was purchased from Japan in December 2018.
May 07
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

By 2020 Newsletter week 18

The Birth of AURORA BOTNIA   

Production of Wasaline’s new ropax ferry continues uninterrupted at Rauma shipyard

“We are starting to put together the last blocks and the construction of the hull, as well as the fitting of the machine rooms and car decks, is proceeding at a rapid pace. A total of seven of AURORA BOTNIA’s blocks will be delivered from Gdansk in Poland, of which three arrived at the end of April. We are currently fitting the blocks that were delivered,” says Johanna Kaijo, Project Manager of the newbuilding NB6002.

The next significant phase in the construction of Aurora Botnia is the launch of the vessel in the autumn.

May 07
Love0

THREE SHIPS DOWN MEMORY LANE

By 2020 Newsletter week 19

In August 1997 –high season– I travelled on several of the Moby Line ferries, from mainland Italy to Sardinia, Corsica and Elba.

Several of the ships have left us years ago.

SARDEGNA BELLA (built 1967 as STENA BRITANNICA)

This elegant passenger ferry will certainly look familiar to many of our industry professionals. Built as STENA BRITANNICA, she has been sailing on the Kattegat, in Alaska, the Baltic Sea, the English Channel, and last but not least in the Mediterranean Sea.

She sailed for companies as Sally AB and Sally Line, Viking Line, Brittany Ferries, North Sea Ferries, SOL Lines, Moby Lines etc..

She was broken up in 2001.

MOBY BLU (built 1965 as FREE ENTERPRISE II)

Another veteran is Townsend’s FREE ENTERPRISE II, built in The Netherlands.

After a long life on different Channel routes, the small ferry (by today’s standards) was sold in 1982 to Navarma and subsequently left for the Med.

In 2003 she was scrapped in India.

MOBY BLU (built 1965 as FREE ENTERPRISE II)

Another veteran is Townsend’s FREE ENTERPRISE II, built in The Netherlands.

After a long life on different Channel routes, the small ferry (by today’s standards) was sold in 1982 to Navarma and subsequently left for the Med.

In 2003 she was scrapped in India.

Apr 30
Love0

FERRY SHIPPING

By 2020 Newsletter week 18

DFDS Optimises Seaways Following Changes in Northern Baltic Market Conditions

The schedule on the Estonia-Sweden route (Paldiski-Kapellskär) has been improved by offering both freight customers and passengers more attractive evening departures and morning arrivals through the week. Evening departures in both directions will now be possible every day by the addition of a second vessel.

This improvement is enabled by a halving of sailings between Paldiski and Hanko (Finland) following reduced demand on this route. This allows the ropax SAILOR on the route to be deployed on both Paldiski-Hanko and Paldiski-Kapellskär. On the latter it will sail in addition to OPTIMA SEAWAYS.

In addition, a freight agreement has been entered into with Eckerö Line on the freight route between Muuga (Tallinn) and Vuosaari (Helsinki). (vessel: FINBO CARGO)

The agreement starts from the end of April 2020.

With these changes, a total of 30 departures per week between Estonia and Finland can be offered to DFDS’ customers.

Apr 30
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Flensburger Shipyard FSG Filed for Bankruptcy to Save the Company

By 2020 Newsletter week 18

On Friday 24 April 2020, FSG went into self-administration.

German insolvency law offers companies the option of restructuring in insolvency procedures under their own management. This is so-called self-administration.

Owner Lars Windhorst said the yard would continue to build ships. Together with management and employees, he sees a future for the company. Now a sustainable concept has to be found.

A new managing director has been appointed. It is Martin Hammer (LinkedIn), who is expected to come up with a plan in four to six weeks. He think work can restart in early summer.

The problem seems to be the reluctance of the State Schleswig-Holstein to support the yard with guarantees. “Taxpayers’ money should not be risked for a company that is in trouble,” said Minister of Economics Bernd Buchholz. “First the yard needs to get out of the insolvency, then we can talk.”

Mr Windhorst told the German press that “investing money in a contract where you know you will lose money is not a responsible thing to do as an entrepreneur.” He added that a ship can only be built, “if we can assume that no money will be lost here.” He did not mention which ferry he was talking about. (Brittany Ferries? Irish Ferries?)

The contract for two ferries for Spirit of Tasmania have been cancelled earlier.

From what Ferry Shipping News understands, it seems the yard is negotiating an order for 4 roro ships from previous owner SIEM.

Apr 30
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Hellenic Ministry of Shipping Provides EUR 33,7 Million for Coastal Shipping and Island Entrepreneurship

By 2020 Newsletter week 18

The Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy decided to provide more than EUR 33.7 million in liquidity to coastal shipping, as well as island entrepreneurship, in order to alleviate them from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Specifically, it was decided:

  • Support island businesses -eligible for the transport equivalent- with EUR 11,2 million.
  • An additional EUR 15 million has been secured to ensure maritime transport services to the island regions. Since the implementation of the relevant ministerial decision, EUR 3.5 million have already been contracted for the minimum shipping service of the island areas in 29 lines of the national and local shipping network.
  • Advance payment equal to 50% of the leases for public service contracts in coastal shipping for the months February, March and April. The Ministry estimates that this amount will reach EUR 7.5 million.
Apr 30
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Moby’s Seasoned Ferry GIRAGLIA up for Sale and Likely to be Scrapped

By 2020 Newsletter week 18

The 1981-built ferry Giraglia owned by Moby Group is being circulated by several ship brokers as the Onorato-controlled company put the asset up for sale.

One of the messages circulated on the market reports that, following the grounding which took place recently in front of the port of Santa Teresa di Gallura, ship’s bottom and its relevant structures found are damaged with hull longitudinal breach. The vessel, which was deployed on the route between the north of Sardinia (Santa Teresa di Gallura) to the south of Corsica (Bonifacio) is indeed defined as “to be repaired”. Given its age (almost 40 years) the GIRAGLIA may be sold for scrap.

Regarding the ongoing negotiation with the creditors, the Italian financial newspaper IlSole24Ore reported this week that Moby is in advanced talks with the banks and the bondholders to restructure the company’s debt under the 182-bis procedure insolvency law.

Apr 30
Love2

MSC Deal with Ignazio Messina Postponed Again

By 2020 Newsletter week 18

The closing of the deal which should make MSC a49% shareholder of the Genoa-based Ignazio Messina & C. has been postponed again. It will not take place before the end of April as previously announced. The previous deadline was March 31, and was already postponed due to some details still to be defined between the banks and the companies involved.

This time it seems that the cause may refers to the coronavirus emergency as MSC, apart from the malware attack to its website, is sailing in stormy waters both in the container and in the cruise business segments. MSC Cruises for instance announced that all the investments scheduled for the next 18 months would be stopped where possible.

Several market observers in Italy suggest that Gianluigi Aponte may have decided to take some more time before signing this new investment in the roro and conro vessels operator.

Through the Italian holding Marinvest, MSC should invest EUR 25 million for a 49% stake in the Ignazio Messina & C. group and a 52% stake in a new-co called Ro-Ro Italia controlling four of Messina’s eight modern conro ships. All eight vessels are linked to a EUR 487 millions debt with the local Banca Carige and classified as unlikely to pay.