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- Viking Line’s chartered fast ferry EXPRESS (Incat, 1998), operating as VIKING FSTR, was withdrawn from the Helsinki-Tallinn route earlier than planned, for technical reasons. Instead of October 22 she made her last crossing on October 17.
- Naviera Armas is chartering the Trasmediterránea Incat fast ferry ALBORAN for the Canary Islands route Los Cristianos-San Sebastián de La Gomera-Valle Gran Rey. The charter contract is for six months. It is not the first time ALBORAN is being chartered by Armas.
- Naviera Armas will introduce another high-speed craft, the VOLCAN DE TENO. She is currently being overhauled in Cadiz and will service the Canary Islands too. This Incat was acquired from Hellenic Seaways in 2016.
- Transmediterranea charters the 2,171 lane meter ro-ro MAESTRO SEA, which for a long time has been laid up in Marseille. She runs on Cadiz – Tenerife – Las Palmas instead of VOLCAN DE TENEGUIA, which is away for drydocking.
- Passengers travelling on Spirit of Tasmania will now have free access to 7,000 online newspapers and magazines from more than 120 countries, thanks to the PressReader app. The app and its publications can be downloaded by passengers on a mobile or tablet prior to sailing, using the Wi-Fi at the terminals.
- Instead of sending its ferry WIGHT SKY to drydock, Wightlink decided to do an in-water survey with divers. Therefore the vessel sailed to Portland Port, a nearby harbour, also on the South Coast of Britain. The primary reason Portland was chosen was because of ‘the clarity of the water’.
- In the first 9 months of the year Port of Rotterdam has seen a further growth of the ro-ro freight volumes, an increase of 6.6%. Reason is the growth on the most dominant market, the UK, and more traffic on new markets such as Portugal, Iceland and Scandinavia. Report can be downloaded via this link.
- Axel Meynköhn, CEO of the ferry company Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei announced that the new ferry will be named NORDERAUE. The vessel is currently in the final phase of construction at the Neptun Yard in Rostock. If everything goes well the ship could be christened on December 30. The ship is ready two months earlier than planned.
- Greek website Elliniki Aktoploia’ reports that the new name of the MOBY LOVE will be AIOLOS. She will run with the ANEMOS (ex MOBY BABY) under the name Med Lines. It is not known where they will operate.
- Viking Line’s ROSELLA was chartered for a big international police anti-terrorist exercise, involving eight or nine countries. After discharging in Kapellskär on Wednesday morning October 18, the vessel was withdrawn from service for the exercise. On October 19 she runs again as normal.
- Bad luck for REGINA BALTICA passengers on Friday the 13th. They had to leave the ship in Valencia because of an engine room fire. The vessel is chartered by Balearia for the Valencia-Mostaganem route (Algeria). Until she’s repaired, the Baltic veteran is being replaced by BAHAMA MAMA.
