Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Ships Monthly

MARINE FUEL Fortescue’s Green Pioneer, the world’s first dual-fuelled ammonia-powered vessel, has made London her first stop on a global tour of ports aimed at demonstrating the viability of ammonia as a sustainable marine fuel. The 75m vessel left Singapore for the UK, calling initially at Southampton on 3 March for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to conduct Port State Control inspections. The MCA said an ammonia-powered vessel ‘exemplifies how shipping can become more sustainable, an ambitious but essential mission fully backed by UK Government’. The 2010-built former offshore supply vessel then proceeded to the West India Dock in London to showcase the technology and capabilities to other maritime stakeholders and the public. Green Pioneer is powered by four-stroke engines, two of which are capable of being fuelled by ammonia…

P&O FERRIES The ro-ro freight ferry Norbank, built in 1993 by Van der Giessen de Noord, has been transferred to another company in the DP World Group. She came off service at Rotterdam on 2 March and went to Zeebrugge, leaving there for Dubai in late March. She called at Las Palmas for bunkers on her route from Dubai to Iraq. Her sistership, Norbay, temporarily took her place on the Teesport-Zeebrugge route, but was expected to leave the fleet and follow Norbank to the Middle East at some stage. Norbank has been a fixture on the UK ferry scene for more than three decades, having been launched in 1993 for North Sea Ferries for service between Hull and Rotterdam. She was chartered to P&O Group in January 1997 and was…

CALMAC The delivery dates of four ferries currently under construction for Caledonian MacBrayne have been pushed back for a second time. The fresh delays are mainly attributed to a shortage of specialist commissioning engineers at the Cemre shipyard in Turkey, which has also hampered newbuild projects for several Nordic ferry operators. Isle of Islay was originally due for handover in October 2024. This was rescheduled to February 2025 but has now slipped again, with the ship not likely to be delivered until July. The remainder were due to follow at four-month intervals, but CMAL is anticipating a more realistic gap of six-months. As such, Loch Indaal is now delayed in service on the Islay-Kennacraig service until the end of the year. The other two vessels, Lochmor and Claymore, which are…

ISLE OF WIGHT Red Funnel and Artemis Technologies have announced the successful completion of the first phase of their partnership to develop a new type of cross-Solent high-speed passenger ferry. The IOW ferry operator and Belfast-based technology company subsequently entered the construction and delivery stage of the programme, intended to introduce a zero emission water taxi based on the Artemis EP-24 electric foiling vessel. Artemis claim the EP-24 can carry up to 150 passengers at a top speed of 36 knots. The foiling range is 70nm but the batteries can be fully recharged in less than 60 minutes. The company is working with DNV towards class approval for operation in 2.5m significant wave height while foiling. Live demonstration events, using a smaller prototype vessel to showcase the project, will take…

CALMAC Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has awarded a £175 million contract to build seven new Loch class ferries to Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk. The Polish shipbuilder beat rival bids from five other shipyards, including the state-owned Ferguson Marine. The Chief Executive of CMAL stated: ‘It is our responsibility to follow the Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland and appoint a yard capable of producing quality vessels which meet the needs of islanders, and also deliver the best value for the public purse’. Remontowa is a well-respected shipyard that has previously delivered Finlaggan and the sisterships Argyle and Bute. The new 50m double-ended ferries are destined for: Colintraive-Rhubodach (Bute); Lochaline-Fishnish (Mull); Tarbert (Loch Fyne)-Portavadie; Iona-Fionnphort (Mull); Sconser-Raasay; Tobermory-Kilchoan (Mull) and Tayinloan-Gigha. The Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP) will see seven all-electric…

NORWEGIAN CL The 154,040gt Norwegian Aqua, the third ship in the Project Leonardo series, was handed over to NCL by Fincantieri at the Marghera shipyard on 13 March. She is the first of the enlarged pair of ships, slightly larger than the lead ship, Norwegian Prima, which has a gross tonnage of 145,535. Norwegian Aqua sailed from Lisbon, arriving in Southampton in the early hours of 25 March. Her sistership, Norwegian Luna, was floated out of her building dock on 14 March, occupying the fitting-out berth recently vacated by her sister. She is due to enter service in the spring of 2026. There will be a further pair of ships in this series, before Fincantieri turns its attention to the four 226,000gt ships recently ordered by NCL.…

RCN The Canadian government has formally announced a construction contract for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new River class destroyers. An initial C$8 billion award to Irving Shipbuilding of Halifax, Nova Scotia will fund the first six years of construction and delivery of the first three ships, as well as the development and delivery of necessary training, spares and maintenance products required to operate and support the ships in service, the overall cost of which is estimated at C$22 billion. The announcement comes amid the backdrop of an unprecedented political spat with the US government, which has stated its aim to make Canada a US state. As the River class is due to be equipped with an extensive range of American weapon systems, it will be intriguing to see if this…

TECHNOLOGY On 4 March installation of the first GT Wings AirWing wind propulsion system aboard Carisbrooke Shipping’s 2012-built cargo ship Vectis Progress was completed. The vessel departed Hull and headed to Bilbao, marking the start of a transatlantic journey to Canada to showcase the impact of wind-assisted propulsion. The AirWing wind propulsion technology is designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions for commercial shipping. Every tonne of thrust generated by the wind means less reliance on the engine and fewer emissions. Wind propulsion also provides economic benefits for shipowners. On board Vectis Progress (7,227gt) during her Atlantic crossing to Canada staff were monitoring the AirWing’s performance and assessing the benefits of wind propulsion.…

TECHNOLOGY Odfjell’s 49,000dwt chemical tanker Bow Olympus departed the EDR Antwerp Shipyard in mid-March equipped with four 22m eSAILs from bound4blue. The installation is part of a wind-assisted propulsion technology trial as the vessel embarks on a transatlantic voyage to Houston. According to Odfjell, the project aims to evaluate fuel savings and emissions reductions through real-time monitoring during the crossing. The installation process, designed to accommodate tanker-specific constraints such as cargo tank pipes and air draft limitations, was completed within two days. The fully autonomous eSAILs generate propulsive efficiency through airflow over an aerodynamic surface. As with most shipping operators, Odfjell are pursuing an ongoing decarbonisation strategy. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

Victor Hugo described the Channel Islands as ‘pieces of France thrown into the sea that England has picked up’. Situated west of France’s Cotentin Peninsula, the main islands are Jersey and Guernsey, Jersey lying 14 miles from the French coast and 85 miles from the UK. Reliable sea links from England began in the late 18th century, evolving through to the railway-owned steamers of the 19th century, then more modern car ferries in the 20th century. The vehicle ferries have been provided by a number of companies: British Rail-owned Sealink, Sealink British Ferries, Channel Island Ferries (later British Channel Island Ferries), Weymouth Maritime Services, Torbay Seaways and Condor Ferries, while Commodore Shipping carried freight and Emeraude Ferries linked the Islands to the French port of St Malo. CONDOR FERRIES Probably…

Tevent, celebrating Europe’s transport heritage, takes place in Norway every four years, and showcases a wide array of historic ships and vehicles. The Fjordsteam 2022 event was held, against the picturesque backdrop of Bergen’s Inner Harbour and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bryggen, and in attendance were 67 historic ships, as well as trams, steam trains, planes, traction engines, buses, classic cars and fire engines in attendance. The fifth Fjordsteam event, it was attended by an estimated crowd of 150,000, and attracted some of the most significant preserved ships in Europe, many of which were open to visitors who could experience history at first hand by going aboard steamships, as well as seeing vintage planes and historic trams and buses. Some vessels offered trips round the bay, while the smaller…

SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS The first of the Sovereign class cruise ships sailed on her maiden voyage on 16 January 1988, and was initially based at the Port of Miami. During her time with Royal Caribbean, she operated cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean out of Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida. In November 2008 she was transferred to Pullmantur Cruises, and renamed Sovereign, sailing on her first voyage with Pullmantur Cruises on 23 March 2009. She was scrapped in August 2020. MAJESTY OF THE SEAS The third of the Sovereign class cruise ships, Majesty of the Seas was placed in service on 26 April 1992 offering four - and five-night Caribbean cruises, sailing from Florida. In December 2020 she was sold to Seajets, renamed Majesty and laid up in…

Paul Drabwell writes: ‘The P&O feature (SM, Jan) was of much interest to me, as I was the first shopkeeper to be employed by Ocean Trading Company. They normally promoted the hairdressers, prior to the merger with Orient Line in 1960-61. I used to go around the fleet, and so had several postcards showing the various vessels when they were in service. After reading the P&O feature, at my now tender age of 92, I rummaged around and found a couple of images of ships I served on: Himalaya and Srathnaver. Incidentally Strathaird and Strathnaver had their fore and aft funnels removed. They became top heavy and were nasty in rough weather! Ships Monthly is a terrific publication – well done.’…

CRUISE PORT A new concept vessel, Stena Futuro, has been developed by Stena Line and is designed to reduce energy usage by 20 per cent or more over current vessels with a low and streamlined design. Stena Line states one of its central goals is to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, which means the decarbonisation of the fleet is necessary. This is being achieved both by improving the efficiency of the existing fleet and by developing a new generation of vessels with optimised features and new technologies. The latest concept for the new generation of vessels is a 240m-long RoRo vessel for transporting semi-trailers and cars. The hull and superstructure have been optimised to achieve the most efficient use of cargo space possible, while low weight…

COMPANY NEWS DFDS has celebrated 25 years of the Dover to Dunkirk service. The route was launched in its current form in 2000, initially carrying only freight, expanding later to include passengers. It was first operated by Norfolkline, part of the Maersk group of companies, but was acquired by DFDS in 2010. In 2005 three D-Class sisterships were built specially for the route, now Delft Seaways, Dunkerque Seaways and Dover Seaways, and represented a major investment in on the Channel crossing. The 35,293gt ships carry up to 1,000 passengers, 200 cars and 120 freight vehicles, significantly increasing capacity compared to their predecessors. To mark the anniversary, the company offered passengers special £25 day-trip fares throughout March for car travel on the route. More than 43 million people have travelled on…

FERRY LATEST The Channel Islands ferry scene has undergone its biggest shake-up for many years. The well-known Condor Ferries name disappeared overnight as, following a controversial tender process to award new ferry contracts for Jersey and Guernsey, lifeline services have been split between two operators. Guernsey is now served by Brittany Ferries (parent company of Condor) while Jersey has welcomed DFDS. Both operators offer sailings out of Portsmouth, Poole and St Malo. After many years of faithful service, both Condor Liberation and Commodore Good willare were laid-up in Le Havre for sale, while around 200 crew and shore staff have been made redundant. The final Condor Ferries sailing took place on 27 March, with Brittany Ferries taking over the following day. Of the five-strong Condor fleet, only Islander and Voyager…

NEW ZEALAND Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries are set to introduce another Visentini-built ferry on services linking the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The 2008-built Stena Livia is expected to join her former Brittany Ferries fleet running mate Connemara towards the end of the year, as a replacement for the ageing Strait Feronia. Prior to sailing for New Zealand, she will undergo drydock maintenance in Europe in July and will be renamed. The new ferry will boost vehicle capacity by ten per cent and also provide a major increase in passenger space and facilities. Strait Feronia is also a product of the Italian Cantiere Navale Visentini. She was built for Norse Irish Ferries in 1997 as Mersey Viking. She was later operated by DFDS and Stena Line, prior to…

MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES After the former Seabourn Odyssey entered service with Mitsui OSK Lines in December 2024, having been renamed Mitsui Ocean Fuji, another Seabourn ship, Seabourn Sojourn, will be joining her towards the end of 2026. These two ships were part of a trio of 32,477gt, 450-passenger vessels that were built by Mariotti in Genoa between 2009 and 2011. The third of the trio, Seabourn Quest, will be remaining with Seabourn for the time being, leaving the fleet with just three conventional cruise ships and two expedition ships. Seabourn Sojourn, chartered back to Seabourn, will complete her advertised itineraries until the end of her world cruise in May 2026, after which she will be handed over and refitted for her new role. Carnival Corporation said that the sale of…

CELESTYAL With the arrival last year of Celestyal Discovery, formerly AIDAaura, the 1982-built Celestyal Olympia was laid up in Lavrion at the end of her 2023 season. In January 2024 she was sold, renamed BellaFortuna, reflagged to Liberia and moved to Çesme in Turkey, giving some hope that she might be destined for another role. However, she sailed from there on 26 April 2024 and arrived at Ras Al-Khaima in UAE on 15 May 2024, where she remained for the rest of the year. She left UAE on 21 January under tow, bearing the name Fortu for her final voyage, under the flag of Comoros. The historic ship arrived at Alang on 1 February and was beached on the following day, thus ending a career spanning 42 years, and operation…

CUNARD After a spell in Australia and south-east Asia, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth was dry-docked at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore and emerged from a three-week refit on 14 March ready for an inaugural season in Alaska. She will be based in Seattle for a full season of Alaska cruises, beginning on 12 June. After that she will reposition to Miami for a full inaugural season in the Caribbean, starting on 16 October. The refit included a renovation of the Commodore Club, Queen’s Room, Garden Lounge and the Pavillion. Queen Elizabeth came into service in 2010, following her naming by HM Queen Elizabeth II, and carries 2,000 passengers. In other Cunard news, almost 200 people fell ill as the result of a norovirus outbreak on Queen Mary 2 after she…

ROYAL DANISH NAVY The US President’s pledge to take over Greenland and the general security situation in the Baltic and North Atlantic has prompted the Danish government to urgently revise the design of planned ocean patrol ships for the Royal Danish Navy. As such, the replacement for the ageing Thetis class patrol vessels is to be much more capable and oriented for operations in the Arctic. The new ships are to have greater firepower and sensor capabilities than originally intended for their constabulary role. This includes equipping them with an anti-surface warfare missile system, most likely the Naval Strike Missile, and a VLS point defence system. The Danske Patruljeskibe K/S consortium formed to produce a class of up to six ships is reviewing the revised mission requirements. The design is…

CANADIAN CG Two Canadian shipyards have received orders worth a combined C$6.5 billion for the construction of two heavy icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). The Quebec-based Chantier Davie is to build a so-called Polar Max vessel under a fixed price contract worth a whopping C$3.25 billion. It will be built in association with the Helsinki Shipyard, which it acquired in 2023. The Finnish shipbuilder has built over 50 per cent of all the world’s icebreakers. Equipped with the world’s most powerful diesel-electric hybrid engines, the Polar Max is designed to navigate through 2m thick ice at three knots. Seaspan will build a Polar Class 2 icebreaker at their Vancouver Shipyards in British Columbia, becoming the first polar icebreaker to be built entirely in Canada in more than 60…

INCIDENT The US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate and 2005-built container ship Solong (7,852gt) collided 14 miles off the Yorkshire coast on 10 March. The tanker was laden with jet fuel loaded in Greece when the collision with the 2005-built feeder container ship took place, rupturing a tank, and resulting in both ships being engulfed in flames. A major rescue operation was undertaken, with crews from both ships being evacuated, while one crew member from Solong was lost and was not found despite an extensive search. One person is hospitalised following the collision, and 36 crew members from both vessels were accounted for. The rescue operation involved windfarm vessels, lifeboats and tugs from Boluda and Svitzer’s Humber fleets, as well as North Sea support vessels. The fires were fought by the various…

TUG RACES Every year on the weekend closest to the end of January, the city of Auckland, New Zealand celebrates its founding in 1840 with a three-day public holiday. During the celebrations, the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta takes place, when sailing vessels of all shapes, sizes and classes race each other in Waitemata Harbour. However, since the inception of this event in 2007, what has become a firm favourite with the public is the first event – the annual tug race. This started with a casual conversation between John Street, owner of the 1920s ex-Auckland Harbour Board tug Te Hauraki, and Keith Ingram, then owner and editor of Professional Skipper magazine. Street had the idea of a dual, which would also involve the ex-harbour board steam tug WIlliam C. Daldy…

Of four ro-pax ferries built at different Dutch shipyards between 1998 and 2005 to very similar designs, three have found service to the Channel Islands. First was the 125m Ben-my-Chree, delivered to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1998 for Douglas-Heysham duties, but today largely used as a back-up vessel following the delivery of the new Manxman in 2023. She is considered a perfect Channel Islands vessel due to her size, but it has been estimated that modernisation would cost £18 million and this expenditure would not be recovered during her remaining lifespan. The slightly longer Commodore Clipper entered service during 1999 and has proven a reliable all-weather workhorse for Condor Ferries and now also Brittany Ferries, including use on the Portsmouth-Le Havre and Cherbourg-Rosslare routes. Two identical…

Monarch of the Seas, the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s trio of Sovereign class cruise ships, marked the beginning of a successful 30-year career in global cruising upon her delivery in November 1991. She was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St Nazaire, France, a shipyard renowned for iconic liners such as Normandie (1935) and France (1962), with construction getting under way on 31 July 1988. The ship was assembled in the yard’s Assembly Dock, fitted out in the adjacent Bassin C, and underwent sea trials in the Bay of Biscay via the Loire River estuary. At 73,941 gross tons, Monarch of the Seas boasted a sleek, white profile, accentuated by blue-glazed horizontal stripes, a sleek flared bow, rounded stern, raked mast, and the distinctive Viking Crown funnel, a hallmark…

USS Wasp was the lead ship of eight designated landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships. The class was designed as an advancement on the Tarawa class, modified to operate more advanced landing craft, including landing craft air cushion (LCAC) hovercraft, as well as modern aircraft. Their primary objective, then and now, remains to transport United States Marine Corps (USMC) and their equipment by sea, and to land them in combat zones or hostile territory. The Wasp class of ships use either landing craft or helicopters to land marines. Air support is also provided by these ships, using F-35B Lightning II stealth strike fighters, as well as AV-8B Harrier II aircraft, which have been the main aircraft type since the early days of operations. In addition to this, each Wasp…

FERRY GUIDE 2025 • CELESTYAL CRUISES • WORLD WAR II BATTLE • UGANDA CRUISE RECALLED FERRIES OF THE UK 2025 BUMPER 32-PAGE GUIDE TO FERRY FLEETS AND ROUTES Overview of ferry services and operators around the UK and Ireland DARREN HOLDAWAY PLUS VOYAGE ON UGANDA • A voyage on the liner Uganda, 45 years ago, when more than 400 students enjoyed the trip of a lifetime on an educational cruise around the Mediterranean. THE FINAL VICTORY OF WORLD WAR II • Conrad Waters recounts the destruction of the Japanese cruiser Haguro by Royal Navy destroyers. CELESTYAL • Profile of Celestyal, which operates a fleet of just two cruise ships, and originally specialised in Eastern Mediterranean itineraries. NORTH SEA FIRE ENGINES • Drilling for oil and gas has always been dangerous, with the risk…

BRITTANY FERRIES The christening ceremony of the new ferry Guillaume de Normandie took place at Caen Ouistreham on 28 March as the latest E-Flexer, the 12th vessel in the 15-strong class, made her debut in European waters. The second of Brittany Ferries’ hybrid-LNG ships is named after Normandy’s best-known figure, and is the fifth of five E-Flexers ordered by and chartered to Brittany Ferries from Stena RoRo. The first, Galicia, was delivered on 3 September 2020. Following the naming ceremony, the vessel made her debut at Portsmouth on 1 April. Serving Brittany Ferries’ busiest route, carrying over 800,000 passengers in 2024, connecting the UK and Normandy, Guillaume de Normandie entered service on 18 April. She replaced the 1992-built Normandie, which has been sold to French operator, Le Méridionale.…

NEW HEAVYLIFTER AAL Shipping (AAL) held a formal naming ceremony for its fifth Super B-Class vessel, AAL Dubai, on 12 March at the CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China. The 32,000dwt vessel is methanol-ready and designed for transporting heavy lift project equipment, breakbulk and dry bulk cargo. It boasts a combined lifting capacity of 700 tonnes. AAL Dubai’s introduction coincides with the company’s 30th anniversary and is part of its the third-generation newbuilding Named after the Middle East project cargo hub where AAL has maintained a regional office since 2015, AAL Dubai joined sisterships AAL Limassol, AAL Hamburg, AAL Houston and AAL Antwerp. Together, they serve project cargo customers across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent,…

BALTIC SERVICES AS Tallink Grupp has agreed to sell the 2007-built ferry Star I to the Irish Continental Group for operation by Irish Ferries. The vessel, which has been operating on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route, will be replaced by Superfast IX. “Star I is an excellent vessel that has served us well, and there has been repeated interest in acquiring it. A favourable set of circumstances created the right moment for the sale while allowing us to continue passenger services with an equivalent vessel, Superfast IX, which returned last year from a charter in Canada,” said Paavo Nõgene, Chairman of the AS Tallink Grupp. Superfast IX took over on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route on 12 April with the route schedule and onboard services unchanged. Star I has already been chartered by the…

SHORTSEA RO-RO The Grimaldi Group has concluded a US$1 billion investment in new hybrid-powered tonnage with the delivery of Eco Napoli, the 14th and final vessel of its so-called Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class. The Italian-flagged vessels are claimed to be the world’s largest and most eco-friendly ro-ro units for shortsea shipping. The GG5G are equipped with state-of-the-art, electronically controlled engines, combined with an exhaust gas cleaning system, for the reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions. During port visits, emissions are further reduced, with the ships powered by lithium batteries providing up to five MWh. These are recharged during navigation thanks to shaft generators and 350m2 of solar panels. The ships displace 67,311 tonnes and have a service speed of 20.8 knots. They can carry 7,800 linear metres of…

REGENT SEVEN SEAS The oldest and smallest ship in the Regent Seven Seas fleet, the 28,803gt Seven Seas Navigator, will undergo a massive $50 million conversion into the residential cruise ship Navigator, the first ship for newcomer Crescent Seas. The company is part of GFO Investments, involving Russell Galbut, a former chairman of Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings, the owner of Regent Seven Seas. This is clearly more than a straight sale or charter of the ship, which is due to take up her new role in December 2026, as it is planned that existing crew, management and service providers are all retained for an initial ten-year period. The conversion will create 210 residences, with sales tags from $750,000 to $8 million. After a spate of ambitious residential projects in the…

ROYAL NAVY The Prime Minister performed the honours at a keel-laying ceremony for the future HMS Dreadnought, the first of four Dreadnought class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines set to provide the Royal Navy’s future Continuous At-Sea Deterrent. The event was largely symbolic, coming ten years after the first steel was cut and despite a number of large sections having already been completed. The occasion was also used to reveal that HM The King has bestowed the honorary title ‘Royal’ on the Port of Barrow, in recognition of the town’s 150 years of shipbuilding, including 125 of them constructing submarines for the Royal Navy. The boats are being built in 16 ‘units’ which, when ready, are grouped into three ‘mega units’ and moved to the Devonshire Dock Hall for assembly. If…

INDONESIAN NAVY The retired aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi could be set for a return to service with a new role as a drone carrier. The former Italian Navy flagship is reportedly of great interest to Indonesia. The rumour gained traction following the announcement of a deal between the Indonesian defence company Republikorp and Turkey’s Baykar for the supply of 60 Bayraktar TB3 and nine Bayraktar Akinci Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). The medium-altitude, long-endurance TB3 was developed with folding wings and a reinforced undercarriage to operate from the aircraft carrier TCG Anadolu, after the Pentagon embargoed the sale of F-35B jets to Turkey. In addition to Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the TB3 can also deliver up to 280kg of munitions. The Akinci is a larger high altitude, long…

SALES UK-based Global Marine Systems has been acquired by Singaporean investor Keppel Infrastructure Fund. The company, which has its offshore base at Portland, Dorset alongside depots in Bermuda, west Canada, the Philippines and Indonesia, operates a fleet of cable installation vessels. This move comes at a time when the demand for subsea connectivity is surging, driven by increased data consumption and the need for reliable communication networks. The company was formed through the merger of Cable & Wireless’ and British Telecom’s fleets in 1999, which enabled it to move away from the telecommunications market into renewables and subsea power cables. Global Marine currently controls a fleet of six cable layers, the largest being the 145m Cable Innovator, a multi-role DPS-2 vessel capable of handling a wide variety of subsea tasks,…

PORT NEWS The world’s largest container operator, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), through its Terminal Investment Ltd (TiL), has moved to become one of the largest operators of terminals with the acquisition of Hutchison Ports’ non-Chinese terminal assets in a consortium with BlackRock. The $22.8 billion transaction involves 43 ports across 23 countries, with 199 berths, excluding those located in China. The acquisition enhances MSC’s position as a dominant port operator and highlights BlackRock’s focus on infrastructure investments. Among the terminals included in the sale is Felixstowe, a share in ECT at Rotterdam, as well as high-profile terminals in Panama, which have been the subject of political tensions from the Trump administration. Regulatory approvals are still pending, and the final agreement is anticipated by April. However, Beijing has voiced concerns over…

Germany’s renowned research vessel Polarstern was purpose-built to endure some of the planet’s harshest conditions. Painted in a striking combination of blue, white, and orange, this icebreaker has been a cornerstone of scientific exploration in both the Arctic and Antarctic for over 40 years. While her service has been outstanding, plans for her eventual successor are already under way. Polarstern was constructed collaboratively by two prestigious German shipyards: Kieler Howaldtswerke - Deutsche Werft (HDW) and Nobiskrug in Rendsburg. She was launched on 6 January 1982 and christened on 25 January 1982, in Kiel, and officially commissioned later that year on 9 December. Around 2000, the vessel underwent a significant overhaul to maintain her capabilities for scientific expeditions. Owned by the Federal Republic of Germany and represented by the Federal Ministry…

The US Navy is the second largest naval force in the world, behind that of China; but sheer weight of numbers has never really been how defence analysts compare and contrast fleets. Instead, fleets are judged on a variety of factors, such as technological advancement, morale and how well-resourced they are. In all of these areas, the US Navy is by far the most complete fleet, even if it cannot compete on total numbers alone. FOUNDATION The foundations of the US Navy were laid in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War against the British, when the Continental Congress authorised the acquisition of two vessels to disrupt British supply ships. They were named USS Alfred and USS Columbus and marked the birth of the US Navy. Also during the Revolutionary War,…

letter of the month It is always interesting to see articles about Brittanic (SM, Feb), as my grandfather, Alfred Buckell, was aboard her the day she was sunk. He was in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) for most of World War I and spent a lot of time on the hospital ships. Like many who participated in that war, he tended not to talk about it afterwards, but he did show me a couple of White Star souvenirs when I was growing up, which included a cigarette tin with the picture on the lid depicting a four-funnelled liner. In the 1960s the Titanic Enthusiasts of America managed to track him down and persuaded him to part with the tin, and kept in touch with him for several years, sending…

MARCH’S MYSTERY The mystery ship is the liner Orford (1928/19,941gt), pictured on a cruise at Eidfjord, Norway. She was one of four sisterships of the Orama class built in the 1920s by Vicker’ yards at Barrow-in-Furness for Orient Line’s England to Australia service. A fifth ship was delivered by John Brown’s shipyard on Clydebank. Orford’s maiden voyage from Tilbury in May 1928 was a Mediterranean cruise. Further cruises were made that summer, until her maiden sailing to Australia in October 1928, and she was principally used on the London-Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane run. At the outbreak of war in 1939 the ship was requisitioned and in 1940 carried French troops from Madagascar to Marseilles. Off Marseilles, she was bombed by German aircraft, beached and burnt out with the loss of 14 crew. The…