Tag: IMAGE CARDS | Page 3 | Ferry Shipping News

On June 13, 2024 Magic Sea Ferries’ HSC Magic 1 made her maiden voyage on the Piraeus – Agia Marina – Hydra route. The ship will offer two daily sailings from Piraeus and Hydra.

The craft was purchased on March 2024 in Singapore. She was built in 2023. Her carrying capacity is for 317 passengers and it has a 32 knots maximum speed.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

RoRo Thalassitis (formerly Jan Sniadecki) of the Greek-based cargo company Aeinaftis is currently undergoing conversion at Neos Molos (Drapetsona). The ship was purchased from Unity Line in February 2024. Her conversion as a RoRo primarily focuses on her garage and internal ramps, and she is expected to be dry-docked at the end of June. The ship will enhance the company’s presence on routes in the North Aegean and Crete. RoRo Thalassitis’ carrying capacity is 1,116 lane metres (102 trucks).

Photo: Anastasios Anastasiou

Virtu Rapid Ferries Ltd has concluded a time charter agreement with Stena Line Scandinavia AB for the HSC Maria Dolores, covering the Spain-Morocco route. The vessel, which operated on this route from April 2022 to December 2023, recently completed a short-term charter in the Eastern Mediterranean and underwent routine maintenance in Malta.

The vessel will operate for Africa Morocco Link, the company in which Stena has 49% of the shares, announced in April 2024.

Source: Virtu Finance on Malta Stock Exchange and Photo: Austal

Loch Indaal was launched on 8 June at the Cemre shipyard. The vessel is the second of four ferries being built at the yard and will serve Islay and Jura alongside sister vessel, Isle of Islay, which was launched in March.

Scheduled for delivery in February 2025, Loch Indaal will significantly boost capacity on the Islay routes, with the ability to accommodate up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. This addition will increase vehicle and freight capacity by 40% on the Islay routes, strengthening the overall fleet’s resilience.

Photo courtesy of Brian Fulton.

Ystad Hamn Logistik AB has appointed Erik Eskling Hansen as Business Developer, a new role in which he will oversee the commercial development of the port, including ferry traffic and conventional cargo handling, as well as external communications related to public and media relations. Erik will assume his position on June 24.

The Italian government has chartered the GNV Azzurra to serve as a floating hotel in the port of Brindisi, accommodating police officers who are providing security for this week’s G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia, a luxury resort in the Puglia region. The GNV ferry, which can host approximately 2,000 passengers, was brought in to increase available accommodation following the impoundment of the cruise ship Goddess of the Night due to complaints about poor conditions on board.

Earlier this week, unions reported poor sanitary conditions on the impounded cruise ship, citing unusable cabins, water leaks, broken toilets, and faulty air conditioning, which necessitated relocating those on board to hotels and another vessel. The Italian government is estimated to have spent around EUR 6 million to charter the cruise vessel for the duration of the G7 summit.

Washington State is advancing its ferry fleet with the launch of a national contracting process to build five new hybrid-electric ferries. These vessels, expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2030, aim to replace aging diesel ferries, reducing emissions significantly.

The initiative supports state goals for greenhouse gas reduction and includes funding from the Climate Commitment Act and Move Ahead Washington. This shift to hybrid-electric ferries promises a cleaner, more sustainable future for Washington’s ferry system. For detailed information, visit the WSDOT blog.

Nikolai Knudsmoen Utheim has taken over as CEO of Boreal Norge AS.

Utheim has broad management experience and comes from the company Coor Service Management AS where he has held various management positions. In Norway, Coor has a turnover of more than NOK 2 billion and has around 2,000 employees.

Former CEO Kjetil Førsvoll will assist Boreal as a senior advisor for a period before he retires.

Boreal currently has 2,700 employees and a turnover of NOK 4.1 billion.

The fast ferry Margarita Salas of Baleària has commenced its first navigation trials in Gijón. This vessel, currently in the final stages of construction at the Armon shipyards, is notable for being the second fast ferry in the world equipped with dual gas engines. It is a sister ship to the Eleanor Roosevelt and features enhancements such as a 10% increase in power and additional passenger capacity due to a second passenger deck.

The Margarita Salas will connect Barcelona with Menorca and Mallorca, offering improved speed and comfort while maintaining eco-efficiency through the use of LNG engines.

For more details, you can visit the original press release on Baleària’s website (in Spanish).

EQT company Torghatten’s self-driving electric ferry Estelle had its premiere on Thursday, writes Dagens Industri.

The inauguration and maiden voyage took place on Thursday, but starting on Tuesday next week, Estelle, named after the princess, will operate on Norra Mälarstrand/Söder Mälarstrand in Riddarfjärden in Stockholm.

The ferry is described as the world’s first commercial self-driving passenger ferry and the EQT-owned Norwegian shipping company Torghatten is behind the venture.

Attica Group has chartered the RoPax Af Claudia from Adria Ferries for 12 months. The ship will serve the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Venice route, replacing Superfast Ferries’ Ariadne, which will be moved to the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Af Claudia began its journey from Patras on June 4 under the Superfast Ferries brand. Previously used by Grimaldi and DFDS, the vessel was built in 2001 at the Visentini shipyard in Italy and can carry 1,000 passengers (306 berths) and 2,044 lane meters.

Photo: Adria Ferries

Starting June 8, 2024, Blue Star Patmos will service the North Aegean route, connecting Piraeus with Mykonos, Mesta (Chios), and Sigri (Mytilene) until August 31, 2024. Departing at noon, the ship will reach its final destination at 11 PM. This route, successful since its inauguration in June 2021, will feature the modern vessel Blue Star Patmos, built in 2012 at Daewoo shipyard. The ship has a capacity of 2,000 passengers, 430 cars, and sails at 25.5 knots.

Photo: Blue Star Ferries

Dalmatia, the largest ship in Jadrolinija’s Adriatic fleet, set sail on 3 July, on her maiden voyage from Dubrovnik to Bari. The vessel is the former Oslofjord.

Source: Jadrolinija (in Croatian)

Mjølner is ready for the Trondheim Fjord. The vessel that will operate the 810 Trondheim – Vanvikan connection has been handed over from shipbuilders Oma Baatbyggeri AS.

Mjølner is the first of four new hybrid high-speed ferries that will sail electrically in the Trondheim Fjord.

Source: Norled Linkedin > Photo: Transport Photo

Mjølner is ready for the Trondheim Fjord. The vessel that will operate the 810 Trondheim – Vanvikan connection has been handed over from shipbuilders Oma Baatbyggeri AS.

Mjølner is the first of four new hybrid high-speed ferries that will sail electrically in the Trondheim Fjord.

Source: Norled Linkedin > Photo: Transport Photo

On May 22, 2024 Ro Pax Med Star (ex-Västervik) arrived at the port of Piraeus under tow. The ship left Gibraltar on May 9. She was purchased at a tender from the collapsed Moroccan Intershipping. Her new owner is reported to be Starlines, which operating on the Italy-Albania service. The ship is currently at Neos Molos (Drapetsona) waiting for a refit.

Photo: Anastasios Anastasiou

On May 24, 2024 the fully renovated Superfast III (ex-Olympic Champion) arrived at the port of Patras and joined her fleet mates on the Patras – Igoumenitsa – Ancona route.

The ship underwent a serious refit at Perama Repair Zone. She will serve along with her fleet mates Superfast IX and Hellenic Spirit.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

On May 24, 2024 AML’s HSC Morocco Express 1 (ex-Highspeed 3, Boraq) left Greece in order to meet her fleet mate HSC Caldera Vista in Spain. The ship underwent a serious refit and upgrades at Perama repair zone since October 2023.

On May 28, 2024, she arrived at the port of Palma del Mallorca and then went to Algeciras for certification. She is expected to enter service on the Tarifa – Tanger Ville line on May 31.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

As part of Stena Line’s sustainable journey, the company is now starting a project to retrofit Superfast VII and VIII vessels so that they are ready to run on alternative energy sources such as e-methanol and take shore power electricity.

The engines of the Superfast VII and VIII are of a similar type to those of Stena Germanica which was converted in 2015. By using the knowledge and experience from the Stena Germanica retrofitting, Stena Line can modify the Superfast vessels effectively and efficiently. The retrofitting will take place during late 2025 and early 2026 and replacement ships will be provided for the route as per normal refit procedure.

Source and photo: Stena Line >

Katy Taylor will become Wightlink CEO from Monday 19 August 2024. This follows Keith Greenfield’s retirement from the Isle of Wight ferry company after nine years at the helm.

Katy joins from Southern Water, where she has been Chief Customer Officer since 2021. Previously, she was Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at international bus and train operator Go-Ahead Group, which includes Isle of Wight bus company Southern Vectis.

Source: Wightlink >

In April this year, Malmö got another connection to the Continent when Finnlines’ Finnfellow entered service between Sweden and Poland. On May 28, the shipping company’s new line was celebrated with an official inauguration on board the ship. The inauguration ribbon in Swedish-Polish colours was cut by Finnlines’ management and the Mayor of Malmö Municipality Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh (S).

Source: Finnlines >

CalMac is recruiting. CalMac Ferries Ltd is seeking a CEO. Find out more here >.

Last week, the Tasmanian government confirmed that Spirit operator, TT-Line, had agreed in March to pay an additional $81 million to Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions, after cost blowout.

This week, it was confirmed the Finnish government had committed to match this amount — and also to underwrite the future financial viability of RMC.

In return, TT-Line removed a key clause from the contract: RMC would no longer have to pay late fees.

Read the full article on ABC.net.au

Photo: RMC

Peel Ports announced plans to explore the first green shipping corridor between the UK and Ireland through a partnership with NatPower Marine. The proposals involve over £100m investment in charging infrastructure for electric vessels, cars, vans, and HGVs at UK and Ireland ports. The initial routes identified are Belfast-Heysham and Dublin-Birkenhead.

On May 10, 2024, Anek Lines’ Prevelis resumed service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene route after a complete refit at Elefsis shipyards, following a merger with Attica Group. The ship had previously served the Dodecanese line for 12 years until May 2023, then briefly chartered by Aegean Sea Lines for the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Santorini route from June 30 to August 3, 2023.

Photo: Anek Lines

On April 24, 2024, it was reported that Intershippings’ RoPax Med Star was sold to Starlines. The ship was laid up in Gibraltar for 10 months and is currently under tow to Greece.

She was sold in Greece in 2008 (Endeavor Lines) as the Princess T.

In 2013, she was chartered to Gotlandsbåten AB and renamed Västervik but plans failed.

In 2015, she had an unsuccessful presence on the Igoumenitsa-Kefalonia (Sami)-Corfu-Bari route. In August 2017 she was eventually sold to the Moroccan Inter Shipping for the Algeciras – Tanger Med route.

From 2018 to 2023 she served sporadically on the above line until her operator’s collapse. She will be probably used on the Italy-Albania service.

Photo: Matt Davies

On 14 May, Tallink Grupp’s vessel Superfast IX (currently named Atlantic Vision) was redelivered to the company at the Port of Odense in Denmark. The vessel has been chartered to Canada and operating between Newfoundland and Sydney, Nova Scotia for the last 15 years.

The vessel completed its final trip on its Canadian route on 15 March this year, and left Canada in early April.  For the last month, the vessel has been berthed in a shipyard in Denmark, where it has been prepared for the handover to Tallink Grupp ahead of the charter contract ending on 14 May 2024.

Superfast IX is expected to arrive in Tallinn on 16 May. The vessel will initially be berthed at Paljassaare port until decisions are made regarding the vessel’s next operations.

Baleària has reintroduced the “Passió per Formentera” ferry on the Ceuta-Algeciras route, enhancing comfort and eco-efficiency. The ferry now features improvements such as upgraded seating, expanded services, and greater energy efficiency, contributing to a more sustainable and comfortable travel experience. For more details, visit Baleària’s press release.

Building upon the success of the Stena Germanica in 2015, Lloyd’s Register (LR) and Stena Lines will work together on a project to retrofit two Superfast vessels with methanol propulsion.

The conversion will see the Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII ferries, which operate on the Scotland to Northern Ireland route between Cairnryan and Belfast, converted to methanol dual-fuel propulsion with the vessels transferring class to LR.

As part of the project, the retrofit process will convert two out of the four main engines in each vessel to run on methanol alongside MGO (Marine Gas Oil). The ship’s bunkering, storage, fuel supply and supporting systems will also be adapted for methanol.

Source: LR

Finnlines, in partnership with GIT Coatings, is accelerating its decarbonization efforts by adopting XGIT-FUEL, an innovative graphene-based hard foul release hull coating, across its ro-ro and ro-pax fleets. Starting with their first vessel in 2022, Finnlines has already applied this high-performance hull coating to four vessels as part of a recently signed fleet agreement, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by around 7% compared to previously used coating.

Source: Gitcoatings

On May 8, 2024, Asterion II entered the port of Piraeus fully refreshed following a period of a serious refit and upgrades at Elefsis shipyards. The ship is sporting the Anek Lines livery and expected to serve initially on the Piraeus – Heraklion route with her fleet mate Kissamos. She used to serve on the Patras – Venice line under Superfast Ferries operation. After the successful merger of Anek Lines from Attica Group it was decided to enter the domestic ferry service replacing Kriti II.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

On May 6, 2024, HSC Caldera Vista departed for Spain (Tarifa) following the decision of Africa Morocco Link (AML) to operate on the Tarifa – Tanger Ville line with two highspeed crafts. Caldera Vista was chartered from Seajets and will be followed by HSC Morocco Express 1 (ex-Highspeed 3), which undergoing a serious refit and upgrades at Perama repair zone since October 2023.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

DFDS have used their option and extended the contracts for Lysvik and Lysbris with two more years, until 31 December 2026 (with options until end 2030).

During 2023-2024 Godby has made considerable environmental and energy efficiency investments in Lysvik and Lysbris: new propeller blades, a new engine control system, ballast water treatment systems and a shore power connection. Additionally, the underwater areas have been blasted down to bare steel and coated with ultra-low friction paint.

Fast ferry Max has been sold to unknown buyers, for use in the med.

The reason for the sale must be found in Danish and European CO2 taxes, and increasing labour costs.

Max is now in the harbor in Ebeltoft, where it is kept ready for deployment on the Kattegat in case of technical challenges on one of the other ferries.

Max will be taken over by the new owners at the end of 2024.

Source: Molslinjen

RoPax Superfast III (formerly Olympic Champion) is anticipated to resume her Adriatic service by the end of May. The ferry has been undergoing extensive internal and mechanical refurbishment since December 2023 at Perama Repair Zone. Additionally, she has adopted a new Superfast livery following the successful merger agreement between Anek Lines and Attica Group. The vessel will operate on the Patras – Igoumenitsa-Ancona route alongside her fleet mates, Superfast IX and Hellenic Spirit (which will undergo a similar refit later).

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

The flagship of Anek Lines, El. Venizelos, has resumed service on the traditional Piraeus – Chania (Crete) route as of May 1, 2024, following a series of repairs and enhancements. Alongside Elyros, she will navigate this route, while Kissamos, her fleet mate, will join Kriti II on the Piraeus-Heraklion route.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

Were Scotland’s new gas-powered ferries a bad choice? That is the question asked by the BBC, in a very comprehensive article.

Grendi Group has finalised the purchase of the former RoRo Wedellsborg, owned by Navco, 51% owned by Grendi Trasporti Marittimi and 49% by Finaval.

The third ship in the Grendi Group’s fleet will be called Grendi Futura.

Corsica Marina Secunda, is she the last survivor of the Rickmers series of ferries?

She was spotted in Toulon (La Seyne). A few days ago Moby Vincent was beached (ex Stena Normandica), and Sardinia Vera (ex Stena Atlantica) is awaiting her fate in the port of Vado Ligure.

Corsica Marina Secunda, is she the last survivor of the Rickmers series of ferries?

She was spotted in Toulon (La Seyne). A few days ago Moby Vincent was beached (ex Stena Normandica), and Sardinia Vera (ex Stena Atlantica) is awaiting her fate in the port of Vado Ligure.

After almost 16 years in Canada, ATLANTIC VISION, the former SUPERFAST IX is back in Europe. She reached Fayard, Odense, and is being prepared for future deployment. By who remains an open question.

Photo: Marine Atlantic

After almost 16 years in Canada, ATLANTIC VISION, the former SUPERFAST IX is back in Europe. She reached Fayard, Odense, and is being prepared for future deployment. By who remains an open question.

Photo: Marine Atlantic

La Méridionale’s RoPax Kallisté sailed for the first time from Toulon to Corsica (Ile Rousse) on Saturday 6 April, starting a competition with Corsica Ferries.

During summer the vessel will also call at Livorno.

Photo: Jean-Pierre Fabre

It is reported that Seajets’ HSC Speedrunner Jet 2 will operate daily on the Piraeus – Milos – Chania (Crete) line from June 22 to September 22, 2024. The specific itinerary is also confirmed by Seajets’ booking system, while the trip from Piraeus to Crete will last 5 hours. HSC Speedrunner Jet 2 was built in Italy (Fincantieri) in 1997. Her carrying capacity is for 880 passengers and 140 cars, while she can ply at 36 knots.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

The popular Greece – Cyprus line will open for the third consecutive year at the end of May.

Scandro Holding’s RoPax Daleela will depart from the port of Limassol on May 29, while her last trip from Piraeus will be on September 3, 2024.

This year, Daleela will perform only 22 round trips instead of last year’s 44. According to her operator’s data, Daleela transported 12,000 passengers and 2,500 cars in 2023 (7,412 passengers and 2,250 cars in 2022).

Photo: Dimitris Mentakis

The RoPax vessel Kalliste has arrived in Toulon on Thursday April 4^th, freshly painted in its new livery. On Saturday, CMA CGM-owned La Méridionale will inaugurate the new route from Toulon to Ile Rousse in Corsica, and Livorno (Livorno only June-September).

Photo: Jean-Pierre Fabre

DFDS has announced a series of public meetings in Guernsey and Jersey to gauge public views on future services. It comes after DFDS said earlier this year it was interested in bidding for ferry services in the Channel Islands.

Source: BBC

The new dual-fuel, SRTP RoPax Varsovia, designed by NAOS and built by Visentini was out on sea trials. The vessel will join the Polferries fleet at the beginning of summer.

Photo by C. Sforza and NAOS