February 28, 2019
- KOPERNIK ended her service in the Unity Line fleet on 27 February. What is going to happen with the ship is not known yet.
- Baja Ferries announced on its LinkedIn page that it is hiring a naval architect for ro-pax ships for Miami or Mexico. ( jobs @ bajaferries usa . com )
- Veteran ferry APOLLO connecting Matane, Baie-Comeau and Godbout, St. Lawrence river, Canada, suffered a hole in the hull, in a collision with unidentified port structure in the morning of 25 February, in Godbout. All scheduled trips were cancelled. Ferry remained berthed in Godbout, to be surveyed and repaired. (Source: Fleetmon)
- As expected (see last week’s news), La Méridionale was victim of a strike on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 February. The unions are worried about the future contract for the delegation of public services between mainland France and Corsica.
- Double-ender ferries BASTO II and III have been used by Torghatten Nord on the Halhjem – Sandvikvag route due to the non-availability of that route’s new tonnage. The Tersan-built ferries HUFTARØY and SAMNØY have been spotted in the English Channel on their delivery trip from Turkey to Norway, with several months delay. It also appears that the Vard-newbuildings (Romania) are facing a delay.
- The plan to put freight ferry FINLANDIA SEAWAYS on a Zeebrugge-Norway service has been changed. The vessel is now operating on Vlaardingen-Immingham. Instead, the Norway service is being operated with chartered sideloader vessels (for the paper cargo from Norske Skog). Initially the service would have started in February. The port of Brevik will be called en route between Ghent and Gotenburg.