Sep 20
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SHORT NEWS

By | 2018 Newsletter week 38 | No Comments

Container Ship Creates Ro-Ro Space

P&O Ferries has deployed the container ship ‘WEGA to start a service between Zeebrugge and Teesport.

P&O Ferries already offers a ro-ro service with six sailings a week on Zeebrugge-Teesport, with BORE SONG and MISTRAL.

The container service will create more space for ro-ro freight on the ro-ro ships.

More short news!

  • The Greek islands of Agios Efstratios and Lemnos line are unhappy with the ferries. They used to have the EXPRESS PEGASUS from Hellenic Seaways. During summer it was proven too small. It will now be replaced by Seajets’ 1975-built AQUA BLUE, ex IERAPETRA and this for the next three years.
  • Eckerö had a great summer (June-August) on all lines: +10% passengers.
  • The increase is mainly due to the fantastic growth of the traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn. Healthy growth for cars and freight.
  • Canary Bridge Seaways, the new joint venture from Baleària and Fred. Olsen Express, will operate two ferries. One will be the chartered CLIPPER PENNANT. The two companies have agreed to operate ferries between the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands. The service will start mid-November.
  • Brittany Ferries’ high-speed ferry NORMANDIE EXPRESS closed its season on 18 September. After annual maintenance she will be laid-up in Le Havre. She will re-enter service in May.
Sep 20
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

By | 2018 Newsletter week 38 | No Comments

Some pictures of last week’s trip to Corsica. Let’s start this week with Ajaccio, and next week we’ll go to Bastia.

These pictures, with the Corsica Ferries vessel and the French flags, was taken on Sunday 9 September. A ceremony took place to remember the liberation of Ajaccio in 1943. It was the first French city to be free.

Below picture has been taken by Captain Apostolos Kaknis. It is amazing how fast the HSC WORLDCHAMPION JET (ex VILLUM CLAUSEN) sailed from Bornholm to Piraeus. She was welcomed in Greece on Wednesday 19 September.

Sep 13
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Time to celebrate!

By | 2018 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

Do you see our smiles on the photo below? Ferry Shipping News is one year old. Yes!
Our little digital baby has grown considerably, and we are delighted by the support we get from you all. Thanks for making this double project –Ferry Shipping Summit and Ferry Shipping News–  possible. We love what we do!

We believe very much in the power of the network. What we like the most is to meet you in person, at our Ferry Shipping Summit (don’t forget to block the dates: 20-21 March, 2019).
However, connecting via LinkedIn is important too. In LinkedIn we believe.

You are very welcome to connect with us. It will strengthen your network too.

Thanks again for your support,

Mike

Ferry Shipping News Celebrates Its First Year

Coffee and water to celebrate one year of Ferry Shipping News? We had wine in the evening…but don’t tell anybody.

This picture shows the core team of Ferry Shipping News. You can connect on LinkedIn by clicking on the logo.

 Bo-Lennart Thorbjörnsson: enthusiastic co-founder of the modern Ferry Shipping Summit and News. Long-time top executive, adviser and board member in the European ferry industry. Lives in his birth town Halmstad, Sweden. Travels a lot to meet industry friends.

 Mike Louagie is Ferry Shipping News’ editor. Freelance photographer, writer, lecturer, story teller, etc., as long as it is related to ships. Lives in Ghent, Belgium (not home often though).

Sandra Snijder is ‘WebMevrouw’ and the content manager and designer of the promotional material for Ferry Shipping Summit and Ferry Shipping News.

Frans Baud is co-founder of the Ferry Shipping Summit. He is a 30-year maritime and logistical services veteran with broad expertise ranging from control, inspection, analysis and certification to ship brokerage, commodity logistics, terminal operations, forwarding and supply chain management systems.

Sep 13
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FERRY SHIPPING

By | 2018 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

How Was Your Summer?

September is a good month to ask some company and port executives how the summer has been. In general: very good!

  • Stena Line doesn’t communicate detailed traffic figures per route. However, the summer has seen a strong development, with a 3% increase of passengers, cars and freight from June to August, says Jesper Waltersson, Press & Media Relations Manager. On the passenger side, the Germany routes and the Baltic Sea routes (Baltic, Poland) clearly stand out.
  • Danske Færger felt the price reduction for trucks on the Great Belt bridge, explains CEO John Steen-Mikkelsen. “It affected the freight figures on the Langeland (Spodsbjerg- Tårs) route.” All routes have made good progress on the passenger and car business, with an increase of 2.3%. Only freight was down, -0.7%. On 1 September Molslinjen took over the Bornholm route. The same company wishes to buy Danske Færger A / S. Approval from the Swedish Competition Authority is being awaited for.
  • Port of Ystad‘s CEO Björn Boström is delighted with this year’s summer. Between May and August the southern Swedish port saw increased on all segments, except for coaches (-1%). Ferry freight went up by 13.9% (in tonnes), with almost 20% more trucks compared to the same period last year. Cars went up 1.4% and passengers 1.7%. The port has also seen increase of 9.9% in the number of ferry calls.
  • Destination Gotland finds that passenger travel in June-August, to and from Gotland, has increased by 1.7% compared to 2017, which already was a record year. Freight increased by 6.7%, says Christer Bruzelius, CEO of Destination Gotland.
  • The Channel seems to have been busy too. P&O Ferries earlier reported the best tourist carryings for a July on the English Channel in three years, with the hot summer weather inspiring more people to travel between Britain and the Continent by ship.
Sep 13
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Government Of Trinidad And Tobago Wants To Buy An Austal Ferry

By | 2018 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has authorised the purchase of a fast ferry from Austal.
The vessel will be a 94-metre high-speed catamaran for operation on the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago. This vessel is a variant of the two 109m high-speed catamaran’s currently in production at Austal, for Molslinjen.
Contract finalisation is not expected for several weeks.

Image: Austal

Sep 13
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Seatruck Further Increase Capacity On Dublin-Liverpool Route

By | 2018 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

Seatruck Ferries have increased capacity and sailing frequency on their Dublin to Liverpool route.

  • Capacity x2: CLIPPER RANGER (smallest vessel on the route) has been replaced by a larger P series vessel.
  • Additional Friday sailings: now 44 sailings per week.
  • Now 78 departures per week across 3 key routes on the Irish Sea = 20% of total Irish Sea roro freight volumes.

Seatruck Ferries believes in a switch to greater volumes of unaccompanied movements from ports.

  • Helps driver shortage.
  • Reduces road mileage compared with the more traditional transit through Wales or Scotland.

Warrenpoint-Heysham has just been increased by 30% with the introduction of the SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE and SEATRUCK PRECISION.

Photo: Seatruck Ferries Dublin terminal (courtesy Seatruck Ferries)

Sep 13
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Baleària and Fred.Olsen Express Start Canary Bridge Seaways Project

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Canary Bridge Seaways (CBS): Baleària and Fred. Olsen Express have agreed to operate new routes between the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands.

  • When:  starting in mid-November.
  • What: Two ships, Three connections /week, for passengers, cars and freight.
  • Why: the two companies take advantage of the vacuum left by Trasmediterránea as a result of the limits set by the CNMC (National Commission of Markets and Competition) for the merger with Armas. Armas had to give up some routes to be allowed to acquire Trasmediterranea. FRS already started to operate a ferry service between Huelva and the Canary Islands with VOLCAN DEL TEIDE on 7 July 2018.

Photo: General Director of Fred. Olsen Express, Andrés Marín (left), and Baleària’s President Adolfo Utor (right). Photo Baleària.

Sep 13
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Better Routing And Environmental Benefits In New Contracts On Halsa-Kanestraum Route

By | 2018 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has issued a new tender for the Halsa-Kanestraum connection. This 20-minute ferry crossing connects the E39 between Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag.
The start of the new 10-year contract is in 2021.
The three ferries that connect the connection today will have to be replaced by larger, environmental-friendly ferries. There will be more crossings too, 24/7.
In the new contracts, 95 per cent of the energy consumption must be emission-free
The route is actually operated by three Fjord1 ferries: SVANOY, RAUMA and ROMSDAL.

Sep 13
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FERRY PORTS

By | 2018 Newsletter week 37 | No Comments

Port Of Ghent Connects DFDS’s Northern And Southern Route Network

By connecting the DFDS network with the new routes in southern Europe, DFDS is capable of offering transportation of cargo from North to South and back.
Compared to alternative solutions lead time is reduced with at least 1 day.

The new intermodal connection offers shipping transportation on the Gothenburg – Ghent and Trieste – Pendik/Ambarli/Mersin routes. There will also be a stopover in Patras, Greece.

DFDS will use Bettembourg in Luxembourg as the continental hub for the intermodal connection and has a solid cooperation over railways with CFL. Trailers are shunted from Bettembourg to Ghent over road, a second option via rail is being developed.

Photo: Tom D’haenens Port of Ghent

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