Innehållsförteckning för January 2024 från Ships Monthly

LAKE DISTRICT The largest ‘steamer’ ever built for Windermere was taken out of the lake in December 2023 to undergo work to preserve her for future generations. The 87-year-old Teal, which weighs 251 tonnes, was moved onto one of Windermere Lake Cruises’ slipways to undergo the programme of maintenance. John Woodburn, Operations Director at Windermere Lake Cruises, said: ‘It was a delicate operation to get this historic vessel out of the water. Windermere has to be flat calm for us to complete the manoeuvre, as she had to be in the exact centre of the slipway.’ Maintenance work included updates to the vessel’s anchor deployment system and life-raft storage. She was also to have new freshwater tanks fitted and new communication links between the bridge, bar and shop, and she…

CABLE LAYING Belgium’s Jan De Nul has ordered a large cable-laying vessel from China’s CMHI Haimen shipyard for delivery in 2026 which will have a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 tonnes, making it one of the largest ships of its type in the world. To be named Fleeming Jenkin, the DP2-rated ship has been specifically designed for installing cables over longer distances and in deeper waters, most specifically for offshore wind farms that are being built at deeper locations worldwide and farther from shore. Named after British-born Fleeming Jenkin (1833-1885), a Regius Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh who was a pioneer in offshore cable installation, the ship will make use of a hybrid propulsion system featuring main engines that can run on biofuel and green methanol combined with…

HOPPER DREDGER Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC has been contracted by compatriot operator Boskalis to build a new trailing suction hopper dredger with a hopper capacity of 31,000m3, which will make it one of the largest vessels of its type in the Boskalis fleet when it is delivered in mid-2026. The new ship will employ a diesel-electric power system featuring dual-fuel main engines equipped with two-stage turbos capable of running on conventional fuels and sustainable alternatives, such as green methanol, to reduce CO2 emissions. Dredging equipment will consist of a double suction pipe and two discharge pumps with a combined discharge power capacity of 15,000kW. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

MISSIONARY SHIP A fund-raising campaign has been launched in New Zealand to keep the 55-year-old Youth With A Mission ship Ywam Koha in service. Built in 1966 as the German buoy tender Konrad Meisel, the 48.8m by 9.5m vessel last traded commercially as the supply ship Claymore II for Pitcairn Island and carried both cargo and passengers between New Zealand and the island under a British government subsidy. In March 2019 the 486gt ship, which is powered by two Deutz VM545 main engines for a speed of 9.5 knots, was donated to Youth With A Mission but has since become laid up at Lautoka, Fiji in need of NZ $300,000 for propeller shaft repairs.…

LA MÉRIDIONALE Following the CMA CGM Group’s take ver of the French shipping company La Méridionale in May 2022, two new ro-pax vessels from China’s CMI Jinling Weihai Yard are to be built for the company. The ships will have a capacity of 1,000 passengers in 264 cabins covering seven different categories, including 21 luxury suites. The new ships will be fitted with multi-fuel engines mainly using LNG, but will be able to take Biogas and synthetic Methanol in the future. The 180m by 30.8m vessels will have interiors designed by Jean-Philipe Nuel, who was recently involved with design work for Commandant Charcot, an ice-breaker cruise ship for Ponant.…

NEWBUILDINGS There is little sign of the boom in ferry newbuildings slowing down. Here are some of the key projects which are currently under way: BRITTANY FERRIES The French operator’s latest E-Flexer vessel, Saint-Malo, was floated out at the Weihai Yard of China Merchants on 7 October after just 75 days under construction and is expected to begin linking the French port with Portsmouth in September 2024, replacing the long-serving Bretagne (1989/24,534gt). Just five days later the keel was laid for her sistership, to be named Guillaume de Normandie, with delivery scheduled for June 2025 and to complete the 12-vessel E-Flexer series. The 30,000gt pair will carry up to 1,310 passengers and 470 cars, with power from twin Wärtsilä diesel engines for a speed of 23 knots. Guillame de Normandie…

VIKING LINE During March there will be a change from Swedish registry to that of Finland for Viking Line cruise ferry Viking Cinderella (1989/46,398gt) when the 2,650-passenger vessel, Viking’s last to fly the Swedish flag, changes from the Stockholm-Mariehamn cruise service to run between Helsinki-Mariehamn and Stockholm, when space for 306 cars will also be available. Built by Wärtsilä Marine at their Perno yard in Turku, Finland as SF Line’s flagship Cinderella, she operated weekend cruises from Helsinki, as well as ferry crossings to Stockholm, before becoming the route’s main vessel after Olympia (1986/37,538gt) had been chartered by P&O in 1993 to launch a service from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Northern Spain, with weekend Portsmouth-Cherbourg trips. In 1995 Cinderella was moved to operate year-round cruises from the Swedish capital to…

CELESTYAL CRUISES With the surprise purchase of the former AIDAaura (to be renamed Celestyal Discovery), Celestyal Cruises has indicated that her entry into service in March 2024 will result in the withdrawal of Celestyal Olympia, the former Song of America and the ship that was the bridge between the first Royal Caribbean trio and the larger ships that followed. Celestyal Olympia has been laid up at the Greek port of Lavrio since 18 November 2023, along with her former fleet mate, Celestyal Crystal, which was replaced in the summer by Celestyal Journey. Song of America was built by Wärtsilä in 1982 and sailed for Royal Caribbean until 1999, when she was sold to Airtours. She was operated as Sunbird by Airtours until 2005, when the company ceased operating cruises. Acquired…

COASTERS Hamburg-based Vega-Reederei has ordered ten 3,800dwt diesel-electric coasters from China’s Sinomach Group for delivery between August 2024 and May 2025. Designed by Dutch naval architect Conoship International, the vessels will be fitted with large-diameter propellers in combination with Conoship-developed ConoDuctTails to enhance operating efficiency. They will also be configured for future installation of twin eConowind sails and the use of green power sources, such as hydrogen fuel cells, to provide full electric operation. Founded in 1919, Vega-Reederei currently operates a large fleet of tankers and bulk carriers.…

MULTIPURPOSE Skarv Shipping Solutions, a new joint venture between Norway’s Peak Group and Grieg Edge, has contracted China’s Huanghai Shipbuilding to build four 7,000dwt hybrid multipurpose vessels, with an option for another four, which will be equipped with main engines optimised for the future use of ammonia or methanol. In addition, the 108.2m by 19.6m ships, which will be delivered from the third quarter of 2025, will be equipped with battery banks to allow peak saving while using a dynamic propeller drive system. The Peak Group was established in 2005 and currently operates a fleet of 40 ships in the 1,000dwt to 6,000dwt range, and Grieg Edge was formed in 2020 by the Bergen-based Grieg Maritime Group.…

US COASTGUARD The first of a new class of Medium Endurance Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) has been launched at Eastern Shipbuilding’s Panama City shipyard, in Florida. USCGC Argus (WMSM-915) is the lead ship of up to 25 Heritage class OPCs that are overdue replacements for the remaining 13 Famous class and 13 Reliance class ships. With a 60-day endurance, the corvette-size vessels are intended to bridge the capability gap between the ocean-going Legend class National Security Cutters and the inshore Sentinel class Fast Response Cutters. Argus is named after the Revenue Cutter of 1791, one of the first ten ships assigned to the US Revenue Cutter Service, a predecessor of the Coast Guard, hence the Heritage moniker.…

UAE NAVY The first of up to four Gowind 2500 corvettes for the UAE Navy was commissioned in Abu Dhabi on 29 November. Bani Yas (P110) was handed over at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient on 21 October 2023 and sailed two days later. The second, Al Emarat (P111), was launched in May 2022 and will soon begin sea trials. Two further vessels remain an option and could be built locally by Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding under a technology transfer agreement. The 2,800-tonne multi-mission surface combatants are to be armed with eight Exocet anti-ship missiles, 16 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, a Strales 76mm main gun, two Marlin 30mm remotely controlled mountings, and a RAM CIWS, integrated with a SETIS combat management system. Like other oil-rich nations in the region, such…

LNG TANKER Norway’s Knutsen Group has taken delivery of the 95,548dwt LNG carrier Saint Barbara from South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries for long-term charter to Poland’s PGNiG Supply & Trading, a part of the ORLEN Group. The 299m by 46.4m ship is the third in a series of six gas tankers that will be chartered to the Polish company and follows the earlier delivered twins Lech Kaczynski and Grazyna Gesicka. All three ships have a capacity of 174,000m3 and are equipped with Mark III Flex gas storage systems and re-liquefaction units.…

ORE CARRIERS Brazilian mining giant Vale SA plans to have five rotor sails from Anemoi Marine Technologies installed on its 400,315dwt Valemax ore carrier Sohar Max, owned by Omani shipowner Asyad. The tilt-down rotors, to be powered by small electric motors, will have a diameter of 5m and stand 35m tall. They are expected to reduce fuel consumption by at least six per cent annually and cut CO2 emissions by up to 3,000 tons per year. The rotors, which harness the power of cross winds to provide additional forward thrust, will be built and installed on the ship in China during the second quarter of 2024. Vale’s fleet of Valemax vessels typically trade on deepsea routes between Brazil, China and the Middle East, which are well-suited for wind-assist propulsion. Anemoi…

POOLE TUG Poole Harbour Commissioners’ port tug Herbert Ballam (1998/63gt) returned from overhaul and repainting in October 2023, and was soon put back to work assisting the newly introduced ro-pax ferry Condor Islander and general cargo ship Onego Duero. The tug is the port’s main vessel for towage operations. With a bollard pull of 17 tonnes, Herbert Ballam, which measures 18.2m by 6m, was the last commercial vessel to be completed at the former Poole shipyard of J. Bolson & Son, which nowadays is used for the manufacture of Sunseeker motor yachts.…

MUSEUM TUG Los Angeles is known for its movie stars, but it also harbours a maritime celebrity, the tugboat Angles Gate, which is getting ready to celebrate its 80th birthday. Built at Decatur, Alabama for the Army Transportation Service in 1944, the 85.9ft by 23ft boat was originally commissioned as ST (small tug) 695 and was among a fleet of Army tugs specifically designed for overseas operations but was primarily used in home waters at Wilmington, California. After the war, the Army declared ST-695 surplus and she was sold to the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department where she worked steadily until being retired in the early 1990s and transferred to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in 1992. Since then the diesel-powered vessel has been maintained in operating condition by…

NEWBUILD Most of today’s new tugs are designed for ship-assist and escort duties, but Puget Sound-based Glosten, centred in a large tug and barge operating area, has come up with a new line-haul vessel, CT-120, specifically developed for long-distance towing. Measuring 120ft by 39ft, the tug is powered by medium-speed diesel engines developing 6,800hp to give a bollard pull of 95 short tons using either azimuthing stern drive (ASD) or conventional twin-screw propulsion. The design can also be configured for tunnel thrusters installed in the bow to give a DP capability, as well as a special fuel tank forward to allow operation on methanol. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

The 1,600 or so lakes of the Muskoka region of central Ontario, two hours north of Toronto, are not on the radar of many people from the UK. However, since development in the area began in the1860s, its three largest lakes – Muskoka, Joseph and Rosseau – have relied heavily on ships and boats for transport and pleasure. The original settlers were encouraged by the prospect of land grants for farming, but, as one wrily remarked, ‘it seems God ran out of dirt when he made this spot’. The government’s agricultural plan faltered, leaving logging as the only source of income until the government was persuaded that construction of a lock at Port Carling, between Lakes Muskoka and Rosseau, would open up the entire lake system for navigation. Struggling farmers…

The 1959-built Rotterdam was the pride of the Holland American Line fleet for nearly four decades, but she did have her problems as old age took its toll. In spring 1997 the 38-year-old was making her final westbound sailing from Florida to Los Angeles when a power outage took place. The cruise had departed Port Everglades on 30 April on a 14-day itinerary that included a call at the Dutch island of Aruba on 3 May, followed by a transit of the Panama Canal on 5 May, then stops at several ports in Central America and Mexico. It was in the early morning hours of 11 May, after departing Acapulco, Mexico for Cabo San Lucas, that all of the lights went out and the ship came to a halt approximately…

HMS Prince of Wales was the second of five King George V class battleships to be built for the Royal Navy. She was to be named King Edward VIII, but as a result of the infamous abdication this was changed to Prince of Wales. She was laid down on 1 January 1937 when a number of treaties, including the Washington Navy Treaty and Treaty of London, constrained her design and construction. The treaties were intended to stop a build-up of arms, as had happened prior to the War of 1914-18, by limiting the number and size of ships that any nation could built. Capital ships could be of no more than 35,000 tons and were limited to carrying 14-inch guns. While Britain adhered to these restriction, many other countries did…

I totally agree with the comments made by Tim Gibbs (SM, Mar 2023) and Terry Primrose (SM, June 2023) about funnels and exhaust arrangements, and have been thinking that perhaps shipowners have begun to see exhaust pipes as some sort of virility symbol? Then in the October 2023 issue (page 4) there seems to be confirmation: the relatively small Explora I has many exhausts, as well as an auxiliary funnel aft of the main which exposes even more exhausts. Then there is MSC Seascape (page 34), which appears to have the need for two auxiliary funnels to supplement the jumble of pipework atop the main one. As both these vessels are part of the MSC Group, I wonder if we can we expect even more exposed exhaust pipes on the…

CABLE LAYER The Jiangsu Haixin Shipbuilding Heavy Industry yard at Nantong is completing what will be China’s largest cable-laying and repair ship, the 24,000-tonne displacement Qifan 19, for Zhejiang Qiming Marine Power Engineering Company (ZQMPEC). The vessel is being equipped with one main cable carousel for winding up to 10,000 tonnes of cable, as well as a 60-tonne capacity crane for loading and discharge, making it the largest vessel in China for cable work.…

COMBI FREIGHTER Gerdes Green received a subsidy from the German Government in November 2023 for the investment in sustainable innovations for a Damen Combi Freighter (CF) 3850 currently under construction, as well as for a second vessel. Damen, together with Gerdes Green and vessel charterer Cargill, has developed the CF 3850 Hybrid, with the aim of substantially reducing the environmental footprint of coaster operations. Gerdes Green will invest in a number of options that will further increase the efficiency of the new CF 3850 vessels, including a battery-driven propulsion system, enabling the vessels to sail for short periods fully electrically powered, with zero emissions.…

RO-RO SHIP Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co has launched the 13,000gt ro-ro ship Fugaku Maru for compatriot operator Fujitrans Corporation, with delivery of the 65m by 27.6m vessel scheduled for April 2024 following completion of sea trials. Built to replace a 1997-built ship of the same name, the new Fugaku Maru can simultaneously carry 50 trailer chassis and over 1,500 passenger cars. She is to operate between Kagoshima, Nagoya and Naha, on Okinawa island, and has been fitted with a connector system to allow the use of shore-based power when in port.…

CLASSIC FERRY Michael Quadrini, remembered for establishing the passenger and vehicle ferry Caledonian Princess (1961/3,630gt) as a floating night club in the shadow of the Tyne Bridge at Gateshead more than 40 years ago, passed away in October 2023. Built by Denny Brothers on the Clyde at Dumbarton for service between Stranraer and Larne, Caledonian Princess had accommodation for 1,400 two class passengers and 103 cars. She was also the first stern-loading car ferry to berth in Douglas, IOM, after arriving on a charter sailing from Stranraer during June 1968. She later became Dover’s last steam-powered ferry, making a final trip to Boulogne and back in September 1981. Taken to a berth in Gateshead, she was opened by Quadrini as Tuxedo Princess, with the car deck turntable retained for use…

FLEET NEWS Norwegian chemical tanker operator Odfjell SE, a major player in the global seaborne transportation and storage of chemicals and other speciality bulk liquids, is expanding and renewing its fleet with six newbuilds through a combination of long-term time charter and pooling agreements with Japanese shipowners and shipyards. This will see two 40,000dwt stainless steel chemical tankers with 28 tanks and four 26,000dwt ships with 24 tanks enter the Odfjell fleet between 2026 and 2027 following their completion by Japanese shipyards. All of the vessels will be capable of handling a wide range of speciality liquid products and Odfjell will retain purchase options on all six. Odfjell received the 2023 Tanker Shipping and Trade’s ‘Environmental Award’ and ‘Tanker Operator of the Year Award’ in recognition of its sustainability results.…

IRISH SEA Dating from 2016 when completed at the Visentini yard in Italy as Frijsenborg, the 23,030gt ro-ro freight vessel Stena Forwarder has been bought by Stena Line from Italian operator Visemar for a reported US$37million. After her name change, she made an early November 2023 debut for Stena on the Irish Sea between Birkenhead and Belfast, offering 2,546 lane meters of space. Stena Forwarder has replaced Stena Foreteller on the Birkenhead ‘shoulder service’, carrying mainly unaccompanied freight between Northern Ireland and Merseyside. Stena’s service from Birkenhead is also served by E-Flexer sisterships Stena Edda and Stena Embla. Stena Forwarder first arrived in Belfast on 23 October having left Ostend two days previously. After berthing trials in the Northern Ireland capital, and a period tied up when her name was…

ISLE OF WIGHT Services to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth and Lymington suffered a succession of disruptions from late September. St Faith (1989/3,009gt) developed an electrical fault after leaving Fishbourne and had to return to port, where all passengers and vehicles were sent ashore to join the next crossing by Victoria of Wight (2018/8,200gt). St Faith was assisted into Portsmouth Harbour by the tug Yorkshireman for repairs that enabled her to return to service. Victoria of Wight herself was off service on 10-11 October for work in advance of her annual refit, and the procedure was repeated with St Clare (2001) on 17-18 October. The passenger service from Portsmouth to Ryde was boosted on 15 October, when Solent Cat was chartered to bring extra capacity for the Great South…

CALMAC The Highland Council closed Uig harbour on the Isle of Skye from 30 October to 11 December 2023 to allow a second round of infrastructure upgrades to take place. The key route to Lochmaddy, North Uist, usually covered by car ferry Hebrides (2000/5,506gt) with a crossing times of an hour and 45 minutes, was temporarily closed. Instead, Caledonian MacBrayne brought in alternative options, with a daily four-hour-30-minute Ullapool-Lochmaddy link from Sunday to Friday, with two trips each Saturday. There have been no crossings between Ullapool and Tarbert. Traffic was redirected to the Ullapool-Stornoway service, with CalMac arranging shuttle buses to take passengers between Tarbert and Stornoway and also from Uig to Ullapool. Other CalMac services suffered disruptions, with technical problems affecting one of the two Caterpillar main engines of…

LIFE AT SEA CRUISES The start-up operator Life at Sea Cruises has been struggling to find a suitable ship. When first advertised, with a 1 November 2023 start date, the ambitious plans of Life at Sea Cruises saw Miray Cruises’ 1992-built Gemini given a new role, with a three-year round-the-world voyage. An impressive itinerary featuring 382 ports, starting and finishing in Istanbul, was advertised. Subsequently, Miray Cruises became more involved, and this summer announced that the ship that was to be used would be Lara, at that time Aida Cruises’ Aidaaura, which was due to be retired by Aida in September. But this fell through as the ship was sold to Celestyal Cruises. With no ship, Life at Sea Cruises advised a delayed departure date of 1 December 2023, but…

CAR CARRIERS Finland’s Deltamarin has been selected to undertake multiple Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTCs) ship design contracts for Chinese and Swiss firms that will make use of LNG and methanol-burning dual-fuel engines. The latter will be used in two 9,300CEU (car equivalent unit) PCTCs to be built by China Merchants Heavy Industry in Jiangsu province for compatriot owner China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES). The first of the twin ships, which may be followed by four more under option, is to be delivered in 2026. Four similar-sized 9,200CEU vessels, but LNG-powered, are to be built by the same yard for China’s largest electric car manufacturer, BYD (Build Your Dreams) Auto, with the first vessel scheduled for delivery in 2025. LNG will also be used to fuel four smaller 7,400CEU…

CO2 CARRIERS South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, formerly Hyundai Heavy Industries, has been contracted to build two 22,000m3 capacity liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) carriers for the Capital Maritime Group of Greece. The twin 159.9m by 27.4m vessels will be sequentially delivered starting in the second half of 2025, with construction at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard at Ulsan, South Korea. Although designed specifically for transporting liquefied CO2, the tankers will also be able to transport a variety of other liquefied gas cargoes, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ammonia (NH3). CO2, however, is considered a ‘cargo of the future’ because of decarbonisation goals and the fact that over 230 million tonnes are used annually for industrial purposes. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding,…

RUSSIAN NAVY The Russian Navy is to dispose of the Project 971U (Akula class) SSN Nerpa (K-152), just 15 years after she was first commissioned. The nuclear-powered attack submarine is better known as the Indian Navy’s second INS Chakra. While the Akula class is generally regarded as a formidable attack submarine, Nerpa has a history of serious accidents and unreliability, attributed to inferior build quality. In 2008, during sea trials ahead of her transfer to India, 20 civilian and naval personnel were suffocated following the inadvertent activation of a fire suppression system. Another mishap occurred in 2017, when the bow was holed during her entry into the naval base at Visakhapatnam. The damage cost around US$ 20 million to repair. The hull was again breached in 2020, following the explosion…

LR2 TANKERS Torm has acquired eight crude oil/product tankers, owned from a 50/50 joint venture between Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi (KGJS) and fund management company Hayfin. The deal, valued at $399 million, which is funded through $329 million cash and $5.5 million in shares, will see the 119,500dwt sisters, built between 2010 and 2012 by South Korean builder, Hyundai Samho, transferred to Torm by Q1-2024. The sale will see the KGJS product tanker fleet reduced to two, while Torm’s LR2 fleet will increase to 21 vessels, with this octet becoming the largest vessels in the Hellerup-based company’s fleet.…

TANKERS Stolt Tankers has ordered new tonnage from Wuhu Shipyard in China. The Dutch-based operator has contracted the yard to build six 38,000dwt chemical tankers, with options attached to increase the order to 12 vessels. The new vessels will have 30 stainless steel tanks, enabling a wide range of products to be carried. The design incorporates a number of elements to maximise fuel efficiency, including an optimised hull form and the capability to connect to shoreside power. The ships, which will be fitted with fuel-efficient engines, capable of being upgraded to operate on methanol, will replace older vessels in the fleet, with the initial six due to enter service between 2026 and 2028. These will be the first newbuilds Stolt Tankers have received for almost a decade, when the Oslo-listed…

BULK CARRIERS Norwegian shipowner Misje Rederi is continuing to take delivery of a series of small 5,330dwt hybrid bulk carriers it ordered from Sri Lanka’s Colombo Dockyard three years ago. To date, Misje Vita, Misje Verde and Misje Viola have been accepted and will be joined shortly by Misje Flora. All of the 89.95m by 15.4m vessels incorporate Corvus Orca Energy battery banks of 994kWh within a Wärtsilä HY hybrid system that also makes use of a Wärtsilä 20 main engine and Wärtsilä NOx Reducer. This combination delivers fuel savings of up to 40 per cent compared to similar-sized vessels in the Misje fleet. Two more of the hybrid bulkers are to be delivered within the next few months, while four more are being held on option. Based in Bergen,…

CANADIAN TUGS KOTUG Canada expects to be operating the world’s first large purpose-built high bollard pull methanol-fuelled tugboats in British Columbia’s Vancouver harbour when they are delivered by Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards in 2025. To be named SD Aisemaht and SD Qwii-aan’c Sarah, the Robert Allan-designed 44m vessels will employ a hybrid propulsion package consisting of dual-fuel engines driving Schottel Sydrive azimuth thrusters to produce a bollard pull of over 115 tonnes. In addition, the propulsion system will be equipped with a mechanical cross link to enable a single engine to drive both thrusters to reduce fuel consumption while transiting. The tugs will be based at Beecher Bay, on the south coast of Vancouver Island, to escort large tankers moving to and from the Port of Vancouver.…

TRANSVERSE TUG Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards has launched its first TRAnsverse Tug, a diesel-powered 60-tonne bollard pull vessel that has the unique ability to push, pull and manoeuvre in all directions. Designed by Canada’s Robert Allan Ltd in accordance with the requirements of owner Svitzer, the 25.8m by 12m tug incorporates twin independently controlled thrusters fitted with fixed-pitch propellers set in line on an omni-directional hull. Power is provided by two MAN 12V175D-MM main engines, while accommodation has been arranged for a crew of six.…

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■ Explora I has 14 public decks. Decks 6 to 10 are devoted to guest suite accommodation, accessed by forward and aft linking stairways and two lift groups. The 461 suites include some of the largest at sea, with butler service, and some have Jacuzzis and mini-pools. ■ The focal point of the ship is the central lobby, a two-level atrium over decks 4 and 5, with an impressive stairway and expansive ornate lighting. It is the main entrance point to the ship. ■ The main features of the atrium are the Lobby Bar, shopping outlets (including Cartier and Rolex), Crema Cafe and guest services. ■ Explora I has an array of complimentary dining venues. Deck 4 features the Med Yacht Club restaurant (Mediterranean cuisine) and the Fil Rouge restaurant…

In 1900 Jørgen Breder Stang (1874–1950), co-owner of a lumber company started by his father Mads Wiel Stang, established the forwarding company J.B.Stang, at Kristiania (known as Oslo from 1925), capital of Norway. In 1906 he formed the shipowning subsidiary A/S Standard to operate a service between Norway and the UK, notably bringing woodpulp to Bristol Channel ports. The Stang ships were given names starting with ‘Sta’, while the company’s flag was blue with a blue S on a white cross. The ships’ funnels were black, with the house flag painted on a wide red band. In 1949 the management of the company was taken over by his son-in-law, Nils Astrup (1901-1972). From 1938 Astrup was in partnership with Thomas Fearnley (1880-1961) as Fearnley & Astrup, manager of Skibs A/S…

HMS TRIUMPH AND MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS letter of the month The article about ships named HMS Triumph (SM, Oct) brought back some memories. As an MoD civilian staff member, I was posted to Singapore from Portsmouth in 1968. When at Portsmouth, I had missed viewing the sailing of HMS Triumph to Singapore in 1965. In Singapore she provided much assistance to the various ships of the Far East Fleet in her role of maintenance ship. She also acted as a Landing Platform Helicopter after HMS Albion and Bulwark left the Far East Fleet in 1969. She could carry six to eight helicopters on her now much-restricted flight deck and also provided a home for the RN helicopter maintainers. She played a part in emergency missions in and around Malaysia and,…

NEW CRUISE SHIP The largest passenger ship ever built, Icon of the Seas, is close to completion and delivery to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines from shipbuilder Meyer Turku’s yard in Finland. The ship completed a second set of week-long sea trials on 6 November 2023, which were as successful as the first in June 2023, according to the shipyard. Nearly everything about the leviathan is superlative. At 250,800gt and 365m in length, she would be higher than the Eiffel Tower’s 324m if upended. She is 65m wide and has 18 decks for passenger facilities alone. A walk from bow to stern can take 15 minutes. The maximum load will be 7,600 passengers in over 2,480 state rooms, which, together with the crew complement of 2,350, means that the vessel can…

PORT NEWS Kirkcaldy Harbour, on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, passed a significant milestone when a recent delivery of wheat took the total received by the port since 2011 to over a million tonnes, enough to bake around 2.5 billion loaves of bread. This achievement was reached on 12 October 2023 with the delivery of the wheat on board the 1992-built cargo ship Shetland Trader (2,386gt). The 506 ship journeys into the Fife port in the last 12 years have removed around 70,000 truck journeys in and out of the Kirkcaldy mill, reducing both road traffic and carbon emissions. The wheat from Dover was discharged directly into Carr’s Flour Mills’ mill. The small harbour was reopened to commercial traffic in 2011, with the help of a Freight…

BRITISH COASTER After receiving her third detention in the space of 24 months, the coaster My Reyhan has been refused access to any port or anchorage in the Paris MOU region. The action was taken following an inspection of the ship when she was in Palermo in late October 2023, which recorded 16 deficiencies, with ten being grounds for detention, including issues with lifesaving and firefighting appliances. Flying the flag of Vanuatu, the ship was a familiar sight in UK waters, being completed as Hoo Kestrel for R. Lapthorn by Yorkshire DD Co in 1993. She later traded as Union Sapphire and Sea Kestrel, before moving to the Mediterranean.…

SHIPYARD NEWS Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, in collaboration with Central Adriatic Sea System Authority, has announced plans to develop the port of Ancona. The work, which will cost around €80 million, will see an expansion of Fincantieri’s yard within the port and will be partially publicly funded by €40 million. A new construction pier will be built, and the current dry dock will be extended. The remaining €40 million will be provided by Fincantieri as part of the procedure for the granting of the new state concession for the next 40 years, and will concern the development of shipbuilding in the port of Ancona. The expansion will enable the yard, which handed over the 746-passenger capacity Seven Seas Grandeur in November 2023, to construct larger ships in future for both the…

RO-RO NEWBUILD Kenya Shipyards in Kenya, in partnership with the Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards, has completed the East African country’s first domestically built vessel, the 328ft ro-ro Uhuru II, which has entered service on Lake Victoria transporting dry cargo and fuel. The 14-knot ship, which cost $20 million, is powered by Cat four-stroke turbocharged marine diesels and can carry 1,063 tonnes of dry cargo along with two million litres of petroleum. She joins the 1966-built Uhuru (1) on the lake and is to be followed by another three newbuilds as trade expands within the East African Community (EAC). WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

KING SEAWAYS The 31,788gt DFDS vessel, and her 31,355gt sister Princess Seaways, built in 1986 and 1986 respectively, will receive overhauls in turn between January and March, with much of the €10 million costs going on upgrade of the vessels’ 522 cabins. VALENTINE Piraeus-based MCCL (Mediterranean Car Carriers) are the new owners of the one-time CLdN vessel Valentine, which had been running from Wellington for New Zealand’s Inter Islander Line most recently. One of three vessels built in Japan by Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Cobelfret, the 23,987gt freight ferry was delivered in 1999. She now runs as Valentine 1 from Koper to Tarragona with power from MAN-B&W engines of 9,840kW for a 17.9 knots speed. ALFRED After completing a summer charter sailing for CalMac between Ardrossan and Brodick, the 2018-built…

CARNIVAL CRUISES After experiencing propulsion problems in November 2023, Carnival cancelled six sailings aboard the 2018-built Carnival Panorama (133,868gt) to allow for her to be dry-docked for repairs. Based on the west coast of the USA, where dry dock space is limited, the ship went to the Vigor shipyard in Portland, Oregon. However, to get the ship to the repair facility her funnel was removed while she was alongside in Victoria, Canada, as she would have been too tall to get under some bridges which cross the Columbia River. The 4,008-passenger ship was expected to be back in service on23December2023, when she will operated from Long Beach on a seven-night Mexican Riviera itinerary.…

BULKERS Norway’s Aasen Shipping has ordered three hybrid-powered and methanol-ready self-discharging bulk carriers from Holland’s Royal Bodewes for delivery in December 2025, April 2026 and September 2026. Each of the 9,400dwt ships will measure 119.95m by 15.85m and will be powered by Wärtsilä 6L25 main engines of 2,250kW output. The order follows Royal Bodewes’ delivery of the similar-sized hybrid bulkers Aasfjell and Aasfoss to Aasen Shipping in 2021 and 2022. Founded in 1981, Aasen specialises in the operation of self-discharging bulk carriers and currently maintains a fleet of ten vessels capable of discharging at a rate of 600-700 tonnes per hour.…

FINLAND NAVY After several years of delays, Finland’s Pohjanmaa class corvette programme has reached a significant milestone, with steel-cutting for the first-of-class finally taking place in a new purpose-built ship hall at Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) in Rauma. The introduction of the corvettes from 2027 on will enable all-year-round surveillance of the hostile Baltic environment and wider participation in NATO operations. The ships’ 3,900-tonne displacement, large for a corvette, is attributed to the ice-strengthening of the hull and propulsion system. The €1.23 billion project, known as Squadron 2020, will see four multi-purpose corvettes replace seven other naval vessels. Equipped for air, surface and anti-submarine warfare, the ships will also have a mine-laying role. For this they will be armed with the Gabriel surface-to-surface missile system, a ITO20 Sparrow surface-to-air missile…

SWEDISH NAVY The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a contract with MBDA to deliver Common Anti-air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) to the Swedish Armed Forces. The Sea Ceptor naval air defence system will provide the Royal Swedish Navy’s five Visby class corvettes with the capability to defend against simultaneous threats, including saturation attacks, supersonic anti-ship missiles, attack helicopters and uncrewed air vehicles, at ranges over 25km. FMV and Saab Kockums will begin installation at the end of 2025, with planned redelivery of the first vessel just over a year later. Since the Royal Navy chose Sea Ceptor in 2018 to replace the Seawolf missile system on Type 23 frigates, and in the future equip Type 26 and Type 31 frigates and Type 45 destroyers, the state-of-the-art air defence system…

CARGO SHIPS Italy’s Manisa Chartering, which currently operates 14 vessels, has entered into a contract with China’s Guangxi Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering covering construction of four 8,500dwt gearless general cargo ships, with another four held on option, all for delivery in 2025 and 2026. Designed by Norway-based Marine Design and Consulting AS, the 13.2-knot vessels will measure 119.9m by 17m and be configured with two box-shaped cargo holds served by a hatch-cover gantry. They will be classed by Italy’s RINA while meeting Swedish/Finnish 1B ice class standards, and will be equipped to connect to shore-based power while adhering to European Tier III emissions standards and EEDI Stage 2 criteria.…

FLEET NEWS Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines, which numbers rather than names its ships, has added the twins Wan Hai A07 and Wan Hai A08 to its fleet, both 13,100TEU ships measuring 335m by 51m and completed by South Korea’s Samsung HI. At the same time, South Korea’s HD Hyundai HI has finished the similar-sized Wan Hai A05 and Wan Hai A06 while the Japan Marine United Corp has delivered the 3,055TEU twins Wan Hai 368 and Wan Hai 369.…

TUG AWARD The winner of the International Tug & Salvage ‘Tug of the Year’ award 2023, the all-electric 65-tonne bollard pull tug HaiSea Wamis, has entered service at the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia following delivery by Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards. Designed by British Columbia’s Robert Allan Ltd, and owned by HaiSea Marine, the new boat is equipped with a Corvus Orca Energy ESS system giving a total battery capacity of 5,288kWh to drive two Schottel azimuthing L-drive propulsion units powered by electric motors integrated in each unit. The 28.4 by 13m tug features a pair of Caterpillar C32 generators, although all operations are expected to be completed 100 per cent on electricity. Once joined by two sister tugs, the 485gt HaiSea Wamis will proceed to Kitimat, BC, where the three…

ELECTRIC POWER The Ports of Auckland’s Damen-built all-electric tug Sparky, which won the ‘Tug of the Year’ award at the International Tug and Salvage Awards in 2022 and was nominated for the 2023 ‘Ship of the Year’ award, has successfully concluded her first full year of operation. The 70-tonnes-bollard-pull tug, which has four battery packs designed to have a service life equal to or longer than that of the tug itself, can undertake two or more assignments at full power before being recharged, a process normally taking about two hours. Its builder, the Damen Song Cam yard in Vietnam, is now gearing up to produce additional all-electric tugs as world-wide demand increases.…

PROTUG 42 A former Mersey-based tug has been refitted for further service in Greece, with her first assignment being to deliver a one-time UK ferry to the breakers in Turkey. Protug 42 was built as Wallasey for Alexandra Towage in 1977, and was sold to Greek owners as Karapiperis 14 in 1996. In September 2023 she passed to ProMarine and was refitted at Spanopoulos Yards on Salamis. Once she had been put back in the water, she was dispatched to take the 1976-built Taxiarchis to Aliaga. The last remaining conventional ferry laid up from the bankrupt NEL Lines fleet, Taxiarchis was built as the freighter Union Hobart, and after being converted into a passenger ferry, operated from 1995 to 1996 on the Sheerness-Vlissingen route as Euromantique for the short-lived Euroway…

EXPLORA JOURNEYS’ NEW CRUISE SHIP IN THE SPOTLIGHT The early morning arrival of Explora I in Copenhagen on 1 August 2023, following a shakedown journey from Monfalcone via Barcelona and Portsmouth, heralded the dawn of an exciting new era for the Geneva-based MSC Group. The Explora Journeys brand, under which the ship is operated, is the luxury cruise banner of MSC, and Explora I is the first in a series of six (four plus an option for two further ships) to be delivered from Italian builders Fincantieri. The new 63,900gt ship is one of the largest luxury vessels now in service, and can host up to 922 guests, with a passenger to crew ratio of 1.25 to one. MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) is a major global shipping company, operating a…

More than half of the ferries illustrated in these unique drawings by an unknown artist were used on services across the English Channel as part of the Sealink and Townsend Ferries fleets, along with SNCF from France. In the early 1970s, traffic built up so that each fleet was offering as many as ten summer return trips a day. Townsends were the major trend setters of the time, with three impressive new ferries coming from Werf Gusto at Schiedam, in the Netherlands, between 1962 and 1965, while Sealink relied on trusted veteran Invicta and two SNCF newbuildings from the mid-1960s. In the 1970s there was a proliferation of routes, unlike in the 2020s, where services have been rationalised so that the focus is now very much on Dover-Calais operations. But…

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NOVEMBER’S MYSTERY I think this two-funnelled French liner is the D’Artagnan, built at Bordeaux in 1924 for Messageries Maritimes. She was built for their Far East service. In 1939 she was taken over by the French Navy and in 1941 she came under the control of the Vichy Navy but was seriously damaged by fire in Shanghai. She was rebuilt and requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1942 and renamed Teiko Maru. On 22 February 1944 she was sunk by the US submarine USS Puffer in the South China Sea with the loss of 194 soldiers and 7 crew members. I am unable to help with her location in the photograph. Peter Sommerville Greenock THIS MONTH’S MYSTERY SHIP This month’s mystery shows a classic cargo liner. But which ship…

CHANNEL VETERAN • EXPEDITION SHIP • HMS COURAGEOUS • PANAMA SHIP CANAL ISLE OF INNISFREE PLUS OCEAN NOVA • A small but strong cruise vessel, Ocean Nova has achieved almost legendary status in the world of Polar expeditionary travel. CHANNEL FERRIES 50 YEARS AGO (PART TWO) • Continuing the 1973 survey of cross-Channel routes, looking at historic ferries out of Harwich, Felixstowe, Newhaven, Southampton and Folkestone. PANAMA CANAL • A series of unique colour postcards depicting ships transiting the Panama Canal during the last century. THE LOSS OF HMS COURAGEOUS • The aircraft carrier Courageous was the first major British warship to be lost in the early weeks of World War II, and, tragically, many of those who lost their lives had been called up only a few weeks earlier. ON SALE…