Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Ships Monthly

PRESERVATION National Historic Ships UK’s (NHS-UK) annual awards were announced in November 2024, with Waverley, the last Clyde paddle steamer built and the last sea-going paddle steamer operational in the world, being given the National Flagship of the Year title. Built for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), she was launched in October 1946. Since 1974 Waverley has been owned by Waverley Steam Navigation Co Ltd and is operated by Waverley Excursions. Now fully restored and in her original LNER colours, Waverley continues to cruise around the UK each summer. The Operational Flagship of the Year was awarded to ST Challenge, the last surviving Thames shiphandling steam tug. Challenge has been under her current private ownership since 2020 and, thanks to the determination of a dedicated team of enthusiastic…

CAL MAC The curtain came down on the career of CalMac’s 1985-built ferry Hebridean Isles on 14 November as she completed her last commercial sailing on the Stornoway to Ullapool route, after 39 years of service, while Loch Seaforth underwent annual maintenance. Three days later, the old ferry departed Stornoway for the last time, giving two blasts on her whistle as she left the old ferry berth, bound directly for Glasgow. She arrived on the Clyde on 18 November and went to the King George V dock for initial removal of equipment. CalMac are yet to confirm where she will be demolished. Company staff and islanders have paid tributes to the ship, which has served the Western Isles for more than three decades. Launched on 4 July 1985 by Cochrane’s…

NEW LIFEBOAT On 16 November 2024 the new 13m Shannon Chris and Jo West (13-52) arrived at Clacton-on-Sea, being escorted to her new home by neighbouring lifeboats from Harwich, West Mersea and Burnham-on-Crouch, and welcomed by hundreds of supporters as she was beached for the first time. The RNLI has decided to provide all-weather lifeboat cover for the Essex coast from Clacton, where the last offshore lifeboat was withdrawn 40 years ago. The station has since been operating Atlantic and D class inshore lifeboats. An intensive crew training schedule will be completed before the boat becomes operational.…

SOUTH COAST The Port of Poole welcomed its largest ever cargo ship on 18 November 2024, when the cargo vessel AAL Paris (2011/22,863gt) arrived to unload around 100 containers, having departed the Korean port of Masan on 3 October 2024. The ship, which measures 180m by 28m, was escorted to the South Quay berth (which can handle ships up to 210m) by the port tug Herbert Ballam (1998), as well as the specially chartered Fowey Harbour tug Cannis (1982). The Cypriot-flagged AAL Paris sailed again on 20 November for the German port of Bremen with her remaining deck cargo including wind turbine components and four cruise ship tenders, the latter probably destined for Phoenix Reisen’s Artania (1984) (see page 13), which required new tenders while she was in dry dock…

NEWBUILD On 9 October ESL Shipping and Deltamarin announced a collaboration in the development of new methanol-fuelled multipurpose vessels to meet logistical needs across global shipping routes. The new contract involves the complete basic and detailed design of four vessels for trade routes in the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic, with the ability to transport any type of cargo. The design will feature a unique accommodation block at the bow, and integrated ‘tweendecks for maximum capacity. The collaboration between Deltamarin and ESL Shipping builds on previous projects, such as the Viikki and Haaga general dry cargo ships. The 19,995gt bulkers, built in 2018, were equipped with three double-skin cargo holds and three electrohydraulic cranes, and have been operating in the Baltic Sea. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court,…

IOMSPC The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s Ben-my-Chree (1998/12,747gt), displaced from the Douglas-Heysham route by the arrival of new fleet flagship Manxman (2023/14,000gt), was trialled on links with Arran in the last few days of October 2024 as Caledonian MacBrayne looked for a vessel to stand in on their key Troon-Brodick route. However, itseems unlikely that the ship will be working in Scottish waters, as the trials showed that at Brodick it was berthing at the very edge of the limits within which it was safe to operate, and completely benign conditions would be needed at all times in order for her to berth successfully. Delivered from Holland by Van der Giessen-de-Nord during 1998, Ben-my-Chree’s passenger capacity is 630 and she has 1,253 lane-metres of vehicle space.…

FLEET NEWS Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Aqua will be named in Miami on 13 April 2025 by American actor Eric Stonestreet. The ship will then relocate to Port Canaveral for a series of sevennight cruises, beginning on 26 April. From October 2025 Norwegian Aqua will be based in New York. The company is cancelling more than 50 cruises on Norwegian Dawn, Jade, Jewel and Star that were due to have taken place between November 2025 and April 2026. Norwegian Dawn will be in the Caribbean rather than the Indian Ocean, Norwegian Jade will sail to the Mexican Riviera instead of the Caribbean, and Norwegian Star will cruise in the Caribbean instead of South America. Alternative itineraries have not been announced to date for Norwegian Jewel. Two cruises on Norwegian Escape,…

DISNEY Disney Treasure (144,256gt) was handed over by Meyer Werft, Papenburg on 24 October 2024, slightly earlier than contracted, and sailed for New York five days later, rescuing four people from a sinking catamaran off Bermuda en route. She was christened in New York on 19 November 2024, not by an individual, but by the Walt Disney Company, representing all aspects of the business. The traditional Champagne bottle was replaced by 1,000 drones, which took on the shape of a 65ft-high bottle that burst across the night sky. The atrium theme on Disney Treasure is Aladdin. The new vessel measures 1,119ft by 128ft, and has 1,254 cabins, giving a lower berth capacity of 2,500 passengers and a maximum capacity of around 4,000. Disney Treasure’s seven-night maiden voyage was due to…

NETHERLANDS NAVY The future HNlMS Den Helder (A834) sailed from the Damen Shipyards shipyard in Galati, Romania for sea trials in the Black Sea, on 16 November 2024. The Combat Support Ship subsequently headed to Vlissingen for final fitting-out with military hardware. Her introduction, planned for the first half of 2025, will provide the Royal Netherlands Navy with its own fleet replenishment ship for the first time since 2014, after HNLMS Amsterdam was sold to Peru. The ship’s tanker capacity includes 7,600m3 of diesel fuel, 1,000m3 of helicopter fuel, 226m3 of fresh water, and 434m3 of solid stores. Unlike her predecessor, HNlMS Den Helder is designed to operate in high threat environments. In addition to the protection provided by frigate escorts, the CSS will be equipped with a Leonardo 76/62…

INDIAN NAVY The Indian Navy has finally taken delivery of its seventh Talwar class frigate from Russia. INS Tushil, the first of two Batch 3 ships, was handed over at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad in early December 2024. The event was to have taken place in 2022 but was significantly delayed by India having to negotiate the sourcing of the ship’s gas turbine engines directly with Ukraine. It was Ukraine’s refusal to supply key propulsion power plant components that forced Russia to suspend construction of three Admiral Grigorovich class frigates intended for the Black Sea Fleet, and sell them on. India subsequently purchased the incomplete ex-Admiral Butakav and ex-Admiral Istomin. The latter has been renamed Tamal and is scheduled for delivery in February. India also has two Batch 4…

CONTAINER SHIPS Norsepower, manufacturer of mechanical sails for large ships, has installed two Norsepower Rotor Sails on Oceanus Aurora, a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) operated by IINO Kaiun Kaisha and chartered by Borealis. The project is Norsepower’s third contract for a gas carrier. It is anticipated that the sails will reduce the vessel’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by approximately four per cent, supporting the IMO’s emissions reduction targets and contributing to the maritime sector’s transition to sustainability. Founded in 2012, Norsepower aims to support the decarbonisation of the shipping industry with wind propulsion technology. Oceanus Aurora has been outfitted with two NPRS. The Norsepower Rotor Sail is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor. These units, which are 20m tall and 4m in diameter, have been tailored to…

CONTAINER SHIPS Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has sent two of its veteran container ships, MSC Alexa and MSC Rafaela, for recycling. The Italian-built 3,300TEU capacity pair hold a special place in MSC’s history, as they were the company’s first brand-new containerships. Named after owner Gianluigi Aponte’s daughter, MSC Alexa entered service in May 1996, and was followed by MSC Rafaela in October. The pair were beached two weeks apart at Alang in November 2024 following their sale to Shree Ram Shipping Industries, a yard which operates in compliance with the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. This ensures that dismantling is carried out in an environmentally responsible manner. The sale is part of MSC’s ongoing efforts to modernise its fleet and phase out older,…

NEWBUILD Dutch shortsea shipping company Vertom, which is over 40 years old, has placed an order for four 10,700dwt geared ‘tweendeckers from Chowgule Shipyard in India. This is part of Vertom’s broader strategy to modernise its fleet and support its commitment to sustainability. Designed by Groot Ship Design, the geared vessels will feature a single box-shaped hold, with a volume of 14,243m3, optimised for bulk cargoes, and a diesel-electric power configuration. The order was signed in November 2024, and the vessels are due to enter service in 2027 and 2028. They will be operated by Europe Caribbean Line (ECL), in partnership with compatriot Vertraco Shipping. This will see the ships being deployed on a liner service between Europe and South America, carrying breakbulk cargoes. KA WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The…

The cruise ferry King Seaways is owned and operated by Danish shipping company DFDS Seaways and operates across the North Sea between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and IJmuiden, in the Netherlands. Launched on 16 August 1986 by Seebeckwerft AG at Bremerhaven, West Germany, she was completed in February 1987 as Nils Holgersson for TT-Line, and was later, between 1993 and 2006, owned by Brittany Ferries and used on the English Channel as Val de Loire. When built, Nils Holgersson, the fourth TT Line ship to bear the name, was built as the younger sister of Peter Pan, and was bareboat-chartered back to Swedcarrier to operate between Trelleborg, Sweden and Travemünde, Germany, starting in June 1987. The ship was sold in February 1992 to SweFerry, but remained in the Baltic for the remainder of…

NOVEMBER’S MYSTERY I recognise the stern of the Belgian twin-screw ferry Prince Charles, with the double steering wheels (emergency steering). She was one of four sisters built in 1930 at Cockerill Yards in Hoboken. The 2,958gt ship could carry 1,400 passengers and she had a speed of 23.5 knots. She was used mainly on the Ostend-Dover crossing. On 22 September 1940 she was commandeered by the Royal Navy and on 6 March 1941 renamed HMS Prince Charles. After the war she continued on the Ostend-Dover run until 1960, when she was scrapped. The ferry in the background is French, and is either Côte d’Argent or Côte d’Azur, two sisters built by Forges& Chantiersdela Méditerranée in Le Havre for Société Anonyme de Gérance et d’Armement. The former was launched in1932andthelatterin 1930,…

FAREWELL HEBRIDEAN ISLES Caledonian MacBrayne’s 1986-built ferry Hebridean Isles was withdrawn in November 2024. Colin Smith looks back fondly at the ship, which gave almost 40 years of service on Scotland’s west coast. PLUS ZEEBRUGGE PORT PROFILE • In-deoth look at the Port of Zeebrugge, which is a major European hub for container shipping, bulk cargo, vehicle carriers, ro‑ro ships and passenger ferries. BRITANNIC • The liner Britannic was the third of the Olympic class ships, but she never carried a fare-paying passenger, and never made any transatlantic voyages during her unusual career. BRIGHTLINGSEA • Photo feature looking at the small Essex port of Brightlingsea, on the River Colne, where coasters bring cargoes such as stone, scrap metal and cement. BOREALIS • The cruise ship Borealis, which joined the Fred.…

NEW GNV FERRY The brand-new Italian superferry GNV Polaris called at Durban in South Africa for bunkers and fresh water on 18 November 2024 on her delivery voyage from her Chinese builders to the Mediterranean. Because of the problems in transiting the Red Sea, the vessel was routed round the Cape of Good Hope during her delivery voyage. Italian shipping company Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) took delivery of the ship from China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) on 24 October 2024. The first in a series of four new ferries, GNV Polaris is due to enter service on the Genoa-Palermo route, and has a capacity for 1,500 passengers in 239 cabins and 3,100 lane metres of freight. Next in line will be GNV Orion, which is due in May. The new…

HISTORIC SHIP The historic lightvessel LV 21 left her Gravesend, her home for the past eight years, on Sunday 17 November 2024, and was towed by the tug Christine to her new home of Chatham. She was moored for the evening near Hoo Island before proceeding the following day. On 18 November, catching the high tide on the Medway, LV 21 was towed by Christine and another tug, Nipashore, for the last part of her journey, arriving at The Historic Dockyard Chatham at lunch time. The vessel was previously at Gillingham Pier, before being moved to Gravesend, where the berth was found to be unsuitable for her in the long-term. LV21 was in service mainly along the Kent coast, and has been used as a culture venue for 15 years.…

REFRIGERATED SHIPS With the world’s fleet of reefer vessels continually ageing, over 20 of the ships were scrapped in 2024. Green Reefers has been the most notable seller, scrapping five vessels, including sisterships Green Bodo, Green Maloy and Green Selje in October and November 2024. These ships were part of a 12-ship series, completed by Kleven Group between 1989 and 1992, known as the Penguin class. The 270,000ft3 capacity vessels were originally ordered by Gustaf Erikson. Vessels operated by Cool Carriers and Dutch specialist Seatrade were also sent for demolition in 2024. The largest to go was the 13,049gt Schweiz Stream, which had been operated by the Groningen-based company. She arrived in India in June and was beached as Stream. The 160m-long vessel was completed by Danyard in 1992 as…

FERRY NEWS The new ferry Glen Sannox was formally handed over by Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) shipyard to Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) on 20 November 2024. She is the first of two dual-fuel ferries being built by the Port Glasgow shipyard, and under CMAL’s ownership will be operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. The handover of the long-awaited ship was marked by the master raising the red ensign. Launched in November 2017, Glen Sannox is the first vessel in the UK to have a dual-fuel propulsion system, which can use both conventional marine oil (MGO) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). Prior to the formal handover, she completed her sea trials on the Clyde, which tested her manoeuvrability, acceleration and speed. The formal signing means the vessel met all requirements of Lloyd’s…

TRIPS CANCELLED Irish Ferries’ fast craft Dublin Swift (2001/8,403gt) lost sailings from Holyhead and Dublin in bad weather in late September. Monday 30 September was the last day of her 2024 season and she left a few days later for winter lay-up at Barrow. WEATHER HITS Scillonian III, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Co’s largest vessel at 1,346gt, suffered service disruption due to several days of bad weather from late September and into October. Delivered in 1977, she is the last conventional passenger/cargo vessel built for service in British waters. Trips from Penzance to St Mary’s were suspended on 30 September until the afternoon, and all trips were cancelled on 5 October. CALEDONIAN ISLES Annual refit work on the 5,232gt/1993-built Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from the Ardrossan to Brodick, Arran route…

RIVER MERSEY Birkenhead-based Cammell Laird are to build the first new ferry for the Mersey crossing from Liverpool Pier Head and Birkenhead Woodside since the 1960s. Liverpool City Regional Mayor Steve Rotherham welcomed the move, adding that it would ‘ensure the iconic ferry across the Mersey will continue to be enjoyed in the years to come.’ Full details have yet to be confirmed, but a display dedicated to the build of the ferry can be seen at Seacombe Terminal, and it will be updated regularly throughout the project. The new hybrid vessel is scheduled to enter service in 2026. The present ferry fleet consists of Royal Iris of the Mersey and Snowdrop, which offer trips to Wallasey as well as visits to the Manchester Ship Canal. They offer a commentary…

PRINCESS Princess Cruises will base three ships in Australia for the 2026-27 season. Grand Princess will initially sail from Sydney, before repositioning to Brisbane. Royal Princess will sail from Sydney, and Crown Princess, the current long-term Australian ship, will complete a 28-night round-Australia cruise in October 2026 and then head for a new deployment in the Caribbean. In the meantime, however, Regal Princess has had problems. She arrived in Galveston on 27 October 2024 after a long crossing from Europe, during which she appears to have suffered an engine room fire, leading to power outages. Following generator repairs, a second generator is said to have failed. The various problems caused the cancellation of three cruises, and Regal Princess eventually sailed from Galveston on 17 November 2024.…

PHOENIX REISEN Phoenix Reisen’s Artania (pictured, ex-Royal Princess, Artemis) went into the Lloyd Werft dry dock in Bremerhaven on 6 November 2024 for a €20 million refit, which includes the installation of additional balconies, a general internal refit, the addition of drinking water stations throughout the ship, and a hull repaint using a coating that should significantly reduce fuel consumption. The ship will also gain four new tenders, each with more environmentally friendly engines. She was due to be back in service on 2 December 2024, ahead of a 162-night round-the-world voyage from Hamburg on 22 December. Already 40 years old, the ship now has a new lease of life, when taken with her 2019 re-engining.…

US NAVY The US Navy is set to extend the 35-year service life of 12 of its 21 Flight I Arleigh Burke class destroyers. The announcement was made following a hull-by-hull evaluation of ship material condition, combat capability, technical feasibility and lifecycle maintenance requirements. The proposal will provide 48 years of cumulative ship service life in the 2028 to 2035 timeframe. As such, US Ships Gonzalez, Cole, John Paul Jones, Paul Hamilton, Curtis Wilbur, Laboon, John S. McCain and Stout are to be extended by five years each, Barry (pictured) and The Sullivans by three years, and Stethem and Carney by one year. In March 2023 it announced that USS Arleigh Burke was to remain in service until 2031, when the first-of-class will be 40 years old. Soon afterwards it…

ROYAL NAVY The ocean survey vessel HMS Scott has arrived at the A&P Falmouth shipyard to undergo an extensive Service Life Extension Programme (SLEP) which will keep her operational until at least 2033. During the comprehensive overhaul at No. 3 Dock, the vessel will receive a full hull blast and recoat, and the replacement of several onboard systems. These include a new water management system and sewage treatment plants. The project will also involve the removal and overhaul of key components, such as the four Cummins generators through the hull, and the replacement of internal doors and lifeboat davits. The maintenance contract continues A&P’s and the APCL Group’s 12-year partnership with the Ministry of Defence, during which time it has also delivered Through-Life Support to the RFAs Argus, Bay class…

NEWBUILD Hapag-Lloyd christened its new container ship Hamburg Express, flagship of its new class of boxboats, at Port of Hamburg’s Container Terminal Burchardkai in Germany on 4 November 2024. The 23,660TEU dual-fuel ship is part of the FE3 Far East service connecting Asia and Europe. Measuring 399m in length, Hamburg Express is the seventh of 12 newbuilds from the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea. The largest container ships to sail under the German flag, the vessels are set to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions by 20 to 25 per cent owing to their size, innovative design and LNG dual-fuel engines. The 229,376gt Hamburg Express is a flagship for the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd and for Hamburg as a strong and cosmopolitan port city. The ship class is intended to set…

The 1940s and 1950s were times of significant change and adaptation for the international shipping industry in general, and for passenger shipping in particular. The industry, and indeed the global economic order, had been devastated by World War II, and shipping companies were left with depleted fleets yet increasing demand, not A fine just photograph for the carriage of Toltén, of commercial in her early days, passengers, at Vancouver but also for the relocation of displaced persons, for waves of migrants, and for the residual transportation of military personnel and dependents. To make matters more difficult, by the late 1950s, passenger liners began to face competition from the jet airliner. A great diversity of passenger-carrying vessels saw service during the 1940s and 1950s. The period saw three main trends in…

Andreas Kristensen, Master on King Seaways, has worked for DFDS for more than 25 years. He has been Master on both Princess Seaways and King Seaways, as well as on Britannia Seaways and Selandia Seaways, sailing mainly on the North Sea, but also when the ships have been chartered for military contracts, such as taking German troops from Turkey after their withdrawal from Afghanistan.Andreas joined DFDS in 1995 and was chief officer when DFDS took over King Seaways, as well as relief master during holiday periods. He spent four years on Pearl Seaways, operating from Copenhagen to Oslo, and then returned to King Seaways. He started as a cadet with the East Asiatic Company in the early 1990s, attended the Maritime Academy near Esbjerg, and started on Dana Maxima from…

One of the most storied names in Australian passenger shipping and a pioneer in cruising, P&O, is disappearing in 2025, as its corporate owners look to improve financial performance. The end of the P&O brand ‘down under’ not only closes a long history of liner services and cruising going back to the 1830s and the glory of the British Empire, but also ends the heritage of Orient Line and Sitmar, which both helped to build the Australian cruising market before becoming part of P&O Australia. Orient Line and P&O each played a critical role in the liner service connecting the UK and Australia. During the 1870s both P&O (Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co) and Orient Line (Orient Steam Navigation Co) established regular services between Britain and Australia, and played…

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ELECTRIC FERRY On 1 November 2024 Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania laid the keel for the first two of four fully electric ferries for BC Ferries. The keel-laying ceremony marked an important milestone in the third phase of construction of the Island Class Ferries, which will bring the total number of Damen vessels in the BC Ferries fleet to ten. During the second phase of the programme, Damen delivered four hybrid diesel-electric ferries. These reduced emissions vessels paved the way for the development of fully electric vessels. The Damen RoRo 8117 E3 design can transport up to 390 passengers, together with up to 47 vehicles, between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island, and Campbell River and Quadra Island.…

BUNKERING VESSEL Pacific International Lines (PIL) and bunkering supplier Shanghai SIPG Energy Service (SSES) successfully completed the inaugural Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering of PIL’s first LNG-powered container vessel, Kota Eagle (139,136gt), in October 2024. The ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation was conducted at the Yangshan port in Shanghai, and involved the brand-new 14,000TEU container ship Kota Eagle receiving about 8,000m3 of LNG from the Hai Gang Wei Lai bunkering vessel. The use of LNG as a fuel is one way for the shipping industry to achieve a tangible and immediate reduction in carbon emissions and meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) net zero emissions target of 2050. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

CAR CARRIER Dutch offshore engineering company Boskalis and a Chinese charterer have transported the car carrier Floor (ex-Fremantle Highway) from the Netherlands to China. This project involved transporting the vessel, which was damaged by fire in 2023, aboard Boskalis’ semi-submersible heavy lift flagship, BOKA Vanguard, for repairs and modifications in Asia. Fremantle Highway, en route from Bremerhaven to Singapore in 2023, caught fire when she was in the North Sea, but was saved and docked in Rotterdam. Insurers deemed the vessel a Constructive Total Loss (CTL), and she was acquired for a nominal sum. While she was in Rotterdam, the damaged and burnt-out decks were cut out, making it viable for transportation to China, where she will be refitted. Renamed Floor, the car carrier is set for an extensive restoration,…

PORT NEWS In November 2024 Maersk announced that it will no longer use the Port of Felixstowe for its larger vessels from next year. Maersk said the changes would take effect in February following a review of its Asia-Europe shipping routes, and its ships will move to London Gateway on the Thames, which was ‘the most optimal port to serve customers’ in the UK. Maersk said the changes were part of the Gemini Co-operation, which is a review of its network carried out with the Hapag-Lloyd shipping company, which concluded that London Gateway was the most optimal port to serve customers importing/exporting cargo to/from the UK. Due to this change, Felixstowe will not be a part of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd’s shared Gemini network. However, despite this, there will not be…

CHANNEL ISLANDS In November 2024 the States of Guernsey’s committee for economic development chose Brittany Ferries to provide lifeline connections to the island, using vessels from the fleet of current service provider Condor Ferries. On 3 December 2024 Jersey chose Danish firm DFDS to provide its lifeline passenger and freight services, stating that this would mean more frequent ferries in peak periods, faster ferries to the UK and two high-speed ferries in summer. Neil Inder, president of Guernsey’s committee for economic development, commented: ‘We are very pleased to be working with Brittany Ferries’, while Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu confirmed that Condor Ferries will be rebranded from next year. DFDS will take on a 15-year contract to provide freight and passenger services to Jersey starting on 28 March 2025. The…

NEW FERRY The harbour at Leith, near Edinburgh, will be the home for a brand-new 48,000gt Australian ferry for as long as the next two years. Delivered by Finland’s Rauma Marine Yard in September 2024, Spirit of Tasmania IV made the short journey south and will stay in Scotland due to long delays in the construction of the new berth she and her sister, Spirit of Tasmania V, launched in February and now fitting out, will use at Devonport. The two ships are to be used for sailings to Tasmania. Designed to carry 1,800 passengers and 600 cars, the pair will have bow- and stern-loading operations, and be powered by twin Wärtsilä diesel engines, for a service speed of approximately 26 knots. Amid the berth problems controversy, Australia’s Infrastructure minister,…

CANARY ISLANDS The 2001-built/11,530gt ro-ro vessel Finnhawk has left Finnlines to begin sailings from the Canary Isles as part of a Fred. Olsen freight operation. She arrived in Las Palmas on 30 September 2024 and began daily round trips from Las Palmas to Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in November 2024. The service is claimed to be the area’s first viable ro-ro network. Built in China at the Jinling Yard, she has 1,890 lane metres of freight space, including accommodation for 12 drivers. She has a 20-knot speed from a MAN-B&W 12V48/60B diesel engine positioned at the stern, which delivers 12,600kW of power. She has been renamed Bahia Cargo. There was a warm welcome from Fred. Olsen’s cargo department head Juan Dionis, who said: ‘The arrival of Bahia Cargo shows the…

HURTIGRUTEN After three years in the Hurtigruten Expeditions (now HX) fleet as Maud, the former Midnatsol has returned to the coastal express route and regained her original name and her Norwegian registry, having switched from the Norwegian International Register. The 16,151gt ship was built in Norway in 2002 and originally had a passenger capacity of 674, but when she was converted for expedition cruising that was reduced to 500. Midnatsol was going to be used on the coastal service as a replacement for Vesteralen while that ship has an extensive refit, not expected to be finished until late 2025, but she seems to have disappeared from the HX schedules completely, with her Antarctic cruises no longer being available. The 6,261gt Vesteralen is now the oldest and smallest ship in the…

ROYAL CARIBBEAN Explorer of the Seas was delayed on her repositioning voyage from Europe to Miami when a medical emergency saw her diverted to Las Palmas to disembark a passenger, who had been injured when the ship hit bad weather. Due to arrive in Miami on 14 November 2024, the ship actually arrived three days later. Another changed itinerary on a repositioning voyage to Florida was that of Voyager of the Seas, which sailed from Barcelona a day late due to an over-running dry-docking. The 16-night crossing to Port Canaveral dropped the call at Valencia in order to arrive on time. Meanwhile, Anthem of the Seas arrived in Singapore on 21 November 2024 for her first season based at that port. She will mainly operate short cruises calling at Phuket…

RAN The Federal Government has narrowed the shortlist for the Royal Australian Navy’s A$11 billion Project SEA 3000 down to the proposals from Germany and Japan. They are the MEKO A-200 frigate from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the New Mogami 30FFM (pictured) from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), thus discounting the South Korean Daegu class FFX Batch II or Batch III and the Spanish ALFA 3000 designs. The modular MEKO A-200 is well-established export success and in terms of integration with existing infrastructure seems a natural successor to the MEKO 200 ANZ they are set to replace. The under-development New 30FFM is a higher end alternative with state-of-the-art air defence and propulsion systems. However, Japan has little experience of exporting warships. In 2023 a Defence Strategic Review identified an urgent…

NEWBUILD Damen Shipyards Group has delivered two Combi Freighter (CF) 5000 vessels to Squtrixo General Trading, and the Dutch yard will soon hand over a third vessel to Squtrixo, a CF 3850. During the maiden voyage of the two CF 5000 vessels, Damen monitored performance via its onboard IoT system, Damen Triton, which collects and analyses data from thousands of sensors located around the vessel. This data then provides a valuable insight into maintenance requirements and vessel performance. This delivery of the CF 3850 vessel was the 27th of the type to be completed. The design has proven to be an efficient and reliable platform, and has become a popular one in Damen’s portfolio. The shipbuilder has recently relaunched the design with new technology suitable for current and forthcoming emissions…

An important buzzword for passengers when booking a cruise in the era of environmental awareness is sustainability, something cruise ship companies are increasingly focusing on, with ships designed to run on renewable fuels like biofuels and synthetic carbon fuels. Cruise lines are also investing in advanced technologies to reduce emissions both at sea and while docked. Technology which allows ships to plug into the local power grid while at port, thus reducing the need to run their engines, cuts emissions significantly. Other, smaller cruise companies are looking in a different direction, and making greater efforts to harness the power of the winds and currents, offering luxury cruises on sailing ships, which can often travel for up to 70 per cent of a voyage using the wind, thus greatly reducing their…

The Manchester Ship Canal is a 36-mile inland waterway in the North West of England linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Starting in the Mersey estuary at Eastham, south Wirral, the Canal runs parallel to, and along the south side of, the Mersey estuary, past Ellesmere Port, generally following the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell. From there it extends to the Pomona Docks at Manchester, more than 50 miles inland. Eastham Channel is an excellent location for the photography of underway shipping. The main lock into the Canal at Eastham is 600ft long by 80ft wide; outbound ships usually leave before high water, inbound ships normally entering the lock on the ebb tide. Until recently, it was the practice to leave the lock gates at Eastham open…

Keewatin is a remarkable Edwardianera steamship with a rich history that spans over a century. Built in 1907 by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Glasgow, Scotland, she was commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to serve as a passenger and cargo vessel on the Great Lakes of North America. Keewatin was launched on 6 July 1907, and completed in September of the same year. Another notable vessel built on the Clyde that year was Lusitania, then the world’s fastest ship, which shared the River with Keewatin on sea trials and preceded Keewatin’s first and only transatlantic crossing by just one week. Measuring 102.6m in length and with a draught of 7.2m, Keewatin was powered by a quadruple expansion steam engine and four coalfired scotch boilers, which gave…

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A CAREER AT SEA? I chose a maritime career because it gives almost endless opportunities. I was brought up in the Norwegian countryside, with no maritime links in my family. Norway has long maritime traditions and, although we are quite a small country, we are a well-known shipping nation. WHERE DID YOU TRAIN? I gained a degree in Nautical Studies from the University of South-East Norway. I am currently studying for a Master of Science in Maritime Management. HOW DID YOUR CAREER DEVELOP? I spent a year on Color Lines’ Color Fantasy (b.2004), a Norwegian passenger ship sailing between Oslo and Kiel, Germany. It is, together with her sistership, the 2007-built Color Magic, the world’s largest cruise ship with a car deck. I joined Hurtigruten in…