Jan 03
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TECHNOLOGY

By 2019 Newsletter week 1

Macgregor Receives Clearance From The South Korean Competition Regulator For The Acquisition Of TTS

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a clearance decision from the South Korean Fair Trade Commission on the company’s acquisition of the marine and offshore businesses of TTS Group ASA, which was announced on 8 February, 2018.

MacGregor announced the approval from the German regulator on 6 November 2018 but is still waiting for the approval from the competition authority in China.

MacGregor expects to close the transaction in Q1 2019.

Jan 03
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IN THE MEDIA

By 2019 Newsletter week 1

Qatar Gets New Ferry Service to Oman, Easing Embargo’s Effects

Operator Karaneh Line is launching a new ferry service to help Qatari citizens travel with their cars to nearby Oman and Kuwait, without driving through Saudi territory.

The GRAND FERRY (formerly SNCM’s CORSE) is set to begin operations soon.

The vessel is managed by a Greece-based company, DH Shipping & Management Inc, based in 5, Sachtouri Street, Piraeus. (source: Equasis)

Jan 03
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SHORT NEWS

By 2019 Newsletter week 1

Stena RoRo Updated Fleet List

Stena RoRo has recently updated its fleet list, with now 6 ro-ro vessels, and 7 ro-pax ferries, including the Chinese newbuildings.

Toll Shipping’s second Jinling newbuilding left the yard in December. She will be named VICTORIA RELIANCE II.

Jan 03
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

By 2019 Newsletter week 1

Andreas Prinz has the FSG shipyard in Flensburg as neighbour.

On 14 December he made a picture of her bow, and on 15 December he photographed W.B. YEATS when she finally left the area bound for Cherbourg, passing the Sonwik Marina.

Sebastiaan Peeters, webmaster of Cruise ships in Antwerp, welcomed Brittany Ferries’ PONT AVEN when she arrived in Antwerp for her annual Christmas cruise, 25/26 December.

Dec 13
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Cruise Ferry W.B.YEATS Delivered To Irish Continental Group Plc

By 2018 Newsletter week 50

Irish Continental Group announced on Wednesday 12 December that the cruise ferry W.B.YEATS was delivered at Flensburg.

The ferry was built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesselschaft & Co.KG at a contract price of €144 million.

She will accommodate 1,800 passengers, offering 440 spacious cabins including luxury suites. Deck space can accommodate 2,800 lane metres of freight (165 freight vehicles) plus an additional dedicated car deck with capacity for 300 passenger cars.

The W.B.YEATS will now undergo commissioning with Irish Ferries and is expected to commence services initially on the Dublin to Holyhead route in early January 2019 before switching to Dublin to France route in March 2019.

Dec 13
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Adria Ferries Bought Ro-Pax CALIFORNIA STAR From Baja Ferries

By 2018 Newsletter week 50

The Italian company Adria Ferries has just sealed the purchase of a sister ship of the AF MICHELA (see photo), chartered from the Vietnamese owner Vinashin Lines and currently deployed on the Ancona – Durres (Albania) maritime link.

Alberto Rossi, head of Frittelli Maritime group and of Adria Ferries, announced this week the purchase for USD 45 million of a sister ship of the AF MICHELA.

According to some ship brokers the ro-pax in question is CALIFORNIA STAR, built in 2001 by Cantiere Navale Visentini, owned by Baja Ferries and today active in Central America between the Mexican port of Topolobampo, and Pichilingue in Ecuador.

Dec 13
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Incat Crowther To Design Double-Ended Ro-Pax Ferry

By 2018 Newsletter week 50

Incat Crowther has announced the design of a double-ended ro-pax ferry for Sealink Travel Group – one of Australia’s largest vessel operators.
The original ferry is going to operate to Bruny Island in Tasmania.
She will be built by Richardson Devine Marine in Hobart.

Incat says the vessel is unusual for a double ended vehicle ferry:

  • it is a robust aluminium catamaran offering a very significant fuel saving when compared with a conventional steel monohull vessel.
  • the vessel is designed for the later fitment of an extra vehicle deck.
Dec 13
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Europe Commission Added Six Scrapyards To List Of Approved Recycling Facilities

By 2018 Newsletter week 50

The European Commission has added six new yards to the European List Of Ship Recycling Facilities.

These include

  • 3 yards from the EU: Italy, Finland and Denmark.
  • 2 yards in Turkey
  • 1 yard in the United States.

From 31 December 2018, the EU Ship Recycling Regulation requires all large sea-going vessels sailing under an EU Member State flag to use an approved ship recycling facility included in the European List.

PS The ‘Dangerfjord’ photo is for illustration purposes only.

Dec 13
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Aldo Grimaldi Passed Away At The Age Of 96

By 2018 Newsletter week 50

Aldo Grimaldi, chairman of the Genoa-based Grimaldi Holding and former president of the Italian shipowners’ association Confitarma, passed away at the age of 96.

Grandson of the shipowner Achille Lauro, he began his own activity creating with his other three brothers, Luigi, Mario and Guido, his first shipping company called Fratelli Grimaldi Armatori, first with cargo ships and then passengers, thus constituting the core of what would later become the Grimaldi Group.

Aldo Grimaldi was chairman of Grimaldi Holding, Grandi Navi Veloci, Grandi Traghetti and Gilnavi.

At the end of the 80s’ he decided to start designing ships with very different characteristics compared to the existing ones, with large cargo capacity for goods and cars in tow but fast, comfortable, with excellent services similar to those of cruise ships. The so-called “white ships” (MAJESTIC, SPLENDID, FANTASTIC, EXCELLENT, EXCELSIOR, SUPREMA and SUPERBA) are still operating today for GNV.

The last eight ships ordered by Aldo Grimaldi and delivered from 2007 were the eight ro-pax units called “blue ships” and built by Nuovi Cantieri Apuania. Three of them (ENERGIA renamed REGINA SEAWAYS, FORZA and TENACIA) are still controlled by Grimaldi Holding and chartered out to DFDS (the first) and to Trasmediterranea (the second and the third).