Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i Ships Monthly

TECHNOLOGY China’s CSSC Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group has been chosen to build three wind-assisted ro-ro vessels for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs of France for long-term charter to Airbus. To be completed to a Deltamarin design, the 170m-long ships will be powered by twin dual-fuel engines capable of running on marine diesel oil or e-methanol, and will be equipped with six Flettner rotor sails. Scheduled for delivery in 2026, the vessels will each have a capacity to transport around 70 40ft containers and six single-aisle aircraft sub-assembly sets between production facilities in Europe and the United States. An increasing number of shipping companies are currently looking to sails and rotors to boost propulsion and help to reduce fuel consumption.…

NEW CONTAINER SHIP In January HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea launched and christened the world’s first large methanol enabled container vessel. The 16,000 TEU containership was named Ane Maersk after Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, the Chair of the A.P. Moller Foundation and A.P. Moller Holding. Ane’s eldest granddaughter served as godmother, and christened the vessel by breaking a champagne bottle over the bow. The 171,600gt Ane Maersk is the first of 18 large methanol enabled vessels that will be delivered to Maersk during 2024 and into 2025. She is the world’s second methanol-enabled container vessel, but the largest, and will begin her maiden voyage on green1 methanol as Maersk continues to work on 2024-25 sourcing and bunkering for its methanol-enabled vessel fleet. WATERFRONT www.shipsmonthly.com The…

COMPANY NEWS A total of 4.9 million passengers travelled on Viking Line vessels during 2023, with 1.8 million of them carried in the summer months of June, July and August. The figures were achieved by a smaller fleet following the sale of Armorique (1988/24,384gt) and Rosella (1980/16,850gt), with the biggest passenger increase coming on the Stockholm-Mariehamn-Turku route covered by Viking Grace (2013/57,565gt) and Viking Glory (2021/65,211gt), whose figures climbed from 1,955,988 in 2022 to 2,123,647 last year. Viking Cinderella (1988/46,398gt) was reflagged to Finland in 2023 while continuing to operate the Stockholm-Mariehamn cruise service, carrying 496,844 passengers, and there was a similar reflagging exercise for Viking XPRS (2918/35,778gt), which again provided the ‘Capital Cities’ connection between Helsinki and Tallinn and recorded 1,655,841 passengers during 2023. Viking Line chief executive Jan…

CABLE LAYER The Prysmian Group of Italy has ordered a third cable-laying vessel from Norway’s VARD shipyard, which has already delivered the first vessel of the series, Leonardo da Vinci, and is currently building the second, Mona Lisa. The latest ship, due for delivery in late 2026, will measure 185m by 34m and will be outfitted with three cable carousels having a combined capacity of 19,000 tonnes. A hybrid power and propulsion system will be furnished by VARD Electro, including a SeaQ battery-based energy storage system. The finished DP3-rated ship will have a bollard pull in excess of 180 tonnes, allowing it to use a range of seabed ploughs to simultaneously trench and bury up to four cables at a time.…

STENA LINE Stena Line ships are set to sail in and out of the Lancashire port of Heysham for the next 77 years, after the operator signed a deal with Peel Ports that runs through until the end of the century. At present there are two daily sailings either way covered by 1996-built/13,017gt stern-loading sisters Stena Hibernia and Stena Scotia, which were built at the Miho Shipyard at Shimizu in Japan and first ran for Norfolkline on a North Sea service from Felixstowe as Maersk Importer and Maersk Exporter They came to Stena Line in 2014 and started a new service between Rotterdam and Killingholme on the Humber and then briefly linked Rotterdam and Harwich before a switch to the Irish Sea in August 2018. Each vessel offers more than…

IRISH FERRIES After almost a decade with Irish Ferries, the 26,375gt ro-pax vessel Epsilon, built in Italy as one of the large series from the Visentini Yard, headed north to begin services for Unity Line between Swinoujscie and Trelleborg on 3 January. After a charter to EuroAfrica Line late in 2023, she was refitted by Harland and Wolff in Belfast before heading north for berthing trials at the Swedish port of Trelleborg. Next came a visit to the Gryfia Shipyard in Szczecin, before she started sailings out of Swinoujscie, repainted in Unity Line colours. Starting life with the Italian operator Caronte and Tourist, Epsilon joined Irish Ferries in November 2013 sailing between Dublin and Holyhead, carrying 561 passengers and with 2,860 lane metres for stern-loaded vehicles. Twin MAN-B&W diesel engines…

DFDS SEAWAYS An early sign of DFDS Seaways’ involvement in the operations of recently-acquired Spanish operator FRS has seen ro-pax ferry Patria Seaways (1999/18,322gt) sent south to boost capacity between Southern Spain and Morocco on the route linking Algeciras with Tanger Med. Built in Norway at the Fosen Yard, Patria Seaways carries 250 passengers and lorry drivers, together with 18,000 lane metres of vehicles, with the 153.6m-long vessel powered by twin Sulzer diesels for a speed of 18 knots. Patria Seaways has had a varied career, with earlier spells as Stena Traveller and Lisco Patria. She brings much higher capacity to the route than offered by the existing vessels Tanger Express (1995/14,221gt) and Kattegat (1996/14,379gt), which originally operated for Mols Line as Mette Mols and Maren Mols. WATERFRONT www.shipsmonthly.com The…

ROYAL NAVY In helping to repel a mass air attack launched from Houthi forces in Yemen on 9 January, the Royal Navy has been involved in its most significant air defence engagement since the Falklands War. The shooting down of seven of 18 suicide drones by HMS Diamond, using both Sea Viper missiles and guns, is probably the most in a single action since World War II. The Type 45 destroyer is part of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian naval force responding to drone, missile and boat attacks against passing shipping in the Red Sea. To date, more than 100 have been intercepted, with five Arleigh Burke class destroyers expending a significant number of surface-to-air missiles. The situation has caused the US Secretary of the Navy to accelerate trials of…

NORTH CARR Tay Maritime Action has announced its intention to deconstruct the North Carr Lightship due to concerns about its condition and the risk of sinking at the present location in Victoria Dock, Dundee. Designed by D.A. Stevenson and built by J. & A. Inglis, Glasgow in 1933 for the Northern Lighthouse Board, she is of iron-and steel rivetted  construction and is in largely original but poor condition. Over the past years holes have developed in her hull as a result of corrosion, each of which has had to have plates fitted over it. She retains much of her original equipment, including lifeboats, firefighting gear, engine room generators, compressors, electrical equipment, a windlass, internal furnishings and accommodation. North Carr played a vital role in World War II safeguarding the Arctic…

STEAMSHIP ROBIN The historic cargo steamship Robin was towed to her new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf in East London on Sunday 10 December 2023, returning to the site of the Orchard Yard on the River Lea, where she was built by Mackenzie, MacAlpine & Co, as one of two coasters ordered by London shipowner Robert Thomson in 1890. For her first decade Robin carried general cargo around the south and west coasts of the UK and across to France and Ireland, before being sold to Spanish owners in 1900. She remained under the Spanish flag until she was brought back to the UK by the Maritime Trust in 1974 to form part of their then collection based in St Katharine Docks, London. In 1991 she was moved to West…

SAILING BARGE The sailing barge Wilfred sank at her moorings at Temple Pier on Victoria Embankment, London on 4 January around midday. Over the next week plans were put in place to refloat her. The lifting began on 14 January and involved divers, tugs and cranes working with the Port of London Authority. Wilfred was built by J. Piper of East Greenwich in 1926 as a Thames sailing barge. From 1926 to 1949 she worked in the sand and ballast trade out of Dawson Wharf, Greenwich. She was converted into a motor barge in 1938. In 1991 she was refurbished to start a new life as El Barco Latino, a static restaurant ship moored at Temple Pier. WATERFRONT www.shipsmonthly.com The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL t…

Shipwrecks have always been a part of seafaring, and attempts to reduce their number have been consistently ongoing. However, the roll-on roll-off ferry concept, which has only been around since just after World War II, has been found to be problematic on a number of tragic occasions. The ro-ro ship was a development of the landing ships used with such success at D-Day, enabling tanks to drive ashore. As ferries were developed in the post-1945 era, and started to carry more vehicles, the introduction of drive-on and drive-off operations followed: it saved time when the ships were in port and was soon in widespread use on all major ferry routes. However, ro-ro operations require many safety features, some of which were lacking in the early days of these ships’ operations.…

After the Estonia disaster, ferry safety became paramount across Europe, but did not take into account the fact that some operators were still not following the new rules, and cutting corners. The events which led to the sinking of Express Samina will go down as being perhaps the most pointless causes of a disaster in modern maritime history. Express Samina was a fairly old ship, having been built in France in 1966 as Corse. She had been purchased by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999 and given her current name for service between Greek ports in the Aegean Sea. The 4,455gt ship was 377ft in length and had a capacity for 170 cars and 1,500 passengers, and those on board were accustomed to the ‘floating grime bucket’, as the ship had…

The Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and restrictions on movements lasted well into 2021, decimating the then burgeoning cruise ship sector in Scotland, and indeed worldwide. Many familiar ships, which had been regular visitors to the country, passed into history and were ultimately scrapped. Consequently, Scotland did not have the opportunity to bid a suitable farewell to ships such as the much-loved Boudicca and Black Watch, and of course Marco Polo. Some well-known companies, such as CMV, also disappeared from the scene. However, with the ending of Covid restrictions and the gradual expansion of cruise tourism worldwide, many well-known companies, and some new ones, including Ambassador Cruises, have returned, and with them some new ships. Meanwhile, familiar vessels which were regular callers prior to the pandemic have found their way back…

In 1968 the London & Rochester Trading Co Ltd (L&RT) placed orders for eight single-hold low-air-draught coasters with builders in the Netherlands and the UK. The four Dutch vessels were built by the Conoship group to a design which was to prove popular with several other British owners, while the UK contract for four ships was won by the Hull yard of Drypool Engineering & Drydock Co Ltd (Drypool). The order was the first attempt for several years by a British yard to design and build a low-air-draft seagoing coaster. Despite their success in this instance, they were to be eclipsed by Dutch and German builders, who subsequently designed improved versions of of this type of vessel. Capable of trading within the Elbe-Brest limits, the Drypool-designed vessels had a ballast…

Having operated Calf Sound, Dennison Shipping, Kirkwall purchased Gore in early 1987 and renamed her Holm Sound. As Holm Sound, she followed a similar trading pattern to her sister, although between April and July 1983 she was chartered for the construction of a breakwater and pier improvements at Fair Isle, loading material at Scalloway. Following the collapse of Dennisons in March 1994, Holm Sound was laid up at Burray, Orkney and in October 1994 was sold by the Receiver to Gardscreen Shipping Ltd, Rainham. Sailing from Burray on 27 October bound for the Medway, she broke down off Noss Head and was towed to Scapa Pier by the tug Erland. She was later fitted with a new engine, and in early 1995 commenced trading, mainly distributing aggregate from the Isle…

CARGO For those wishing to cruise with cargo, the combination ship Bella Desgagnés, operated by Québec’s Desgagnés Group, offers a series of regular voyages from Rimouski, on Canada’s Gaspé peninsula, to a number of villages on the Québec coastline and Anticosti Island. Built by Croatia’s Palumbo Shipyard in 2013, the 6,655gt vessel is equipped with 63 two-and four-berth cabins, all with facilities, while having a cafeteria, dining room, bistro and lounge available for passengers. The ship is Class 1 AFS ice-rated and has an operational speed of 12.5 knots, provided by four Wärtsilä diesels driving generators to produce a nominal power of 1530 kW. Up to 125 containers can be carried, handled by a 40-tonne deck crane. Fares for the seven-day round-trip range from C$1,884 to C$3,033 depending upon the…

CRUISE SHIP The new cruise ship Icon of the Seas began her maiden voyage on 27 January from Miami amid a fanfare of superlatives from Royal Caribbean. Longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, Icon has 20 decks, can accommodate 7,600 passengers, has a crew of 2,350, and, at 248,663gt, is the largest cruise ship ever built. She was completed by Meyer Turku in November 2023. She has the largest LNG tanks ever installed in a ship and has six multi-fuel Wärtsilä engines, which can be fuelled by both LNG and distillate fuel. Royal Caribbean hosted the naming ceremony for the ship on 25 January in Miami, with Argentine footballer Lionel Messi performing the honours. Icon will undertake seven-night Eastern or Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami, with various ports of…

STENA LINE The 1981-built Stena Europe (24,828gt) made an unexpected return to the Irish Sea in January, to take over the Fishguard-Rosslare route from 7 January, in place of Stena Nordica, which was to temporarily replace Stena Estrid on the Dublin to Holyhead route. However, sailings were suspended while Stena Europe carried out berthing trials. She was due to operate on the Fishguard-Rosslare route until early April as she is the only Stena Line vessel able to use the Pembrokeshire port while repairs to its jack-up main berth take place. But the scheduled take over on the Fishguard run in early January failed to materialise as instead she was taken to Birkenhead for modification work in Cammell Laird’s Wet Basin. It was indicated that she will return to service on…

CELESTYAL CRUISES Celestyal Cruises’ Celestyal Olympia is believed to have been sold to a Turkish company, and has been reregistered in Liberia under the name Bella Fortuna, a name that implies that this is not a sale for breaking. On 8 January she sailed from her lay-up in Lavrion the short distance to Cesme in Turkey. Built in 1982 by Wärtsilä, Helsinki as Song of America, she was the stepping stone from the original Royal Caribbean trio to the larger ships that followed later in that decade. After 17 years, she moved to Airtours as Sunbird, before becoming Thomson Destiny in 2005, although at that time she was owned by Louis Cruise Lines. As Thomson upgraded its fleet, she was moved across to Louis and renamed Louis Olympia in 2012,…

HX HX is the new name for Hurtigruten Expeditions, the more adventurous side of the Norwegian coastal express operation. With the loss of four slots on the coastal express some years ago, three of the best ships previously used on that service were transferred to the expedition fleet: Finnmarken, Midnatsol and Trollfjord. One of those, the 2003-built Midnatsol, now named Maud, had a rather unfortunate incident while operating Norwegian cruises from Tilbury in December. While heading back to the UK from Florø on 21 December 2023, she was hit by a particularly large wave, which damaged the bridge, broke the bridge windows and caused severe equipment failure. Temporary loss of power led to the ship losing bridge navigational ability, with just engine room steering available. At the time of the…

PLAN The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s latest frigate has broken cover, with images of the new ship under way for sea trials appearing on social media. Two ships are currently under construction at different state owned shipyards in Shanghai and Guangzhou, suggesting the new design remains under development, prior to full-scale production. Intended as a successor to the Type 054A, the new class has been unofficially designated the Type 054B, as it will become the workhorse of the fleet, performing a range of escort and warfare roles. In addition to being around 50 per cent larger, with a full load displacement estimated to be around 6,000 tonnes, the 054B incorporates the latest stealth technology, with a new rotating active phased array radar (APAR) and an integrated mast housing other…

TURKISH NAVY Turkey’s Naval Forces have received four new vessels at a high-profile ceremony, attended by the President. A frigate, two supply ships and an unmanned surface vessel (USV), were formally delivered at the Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on 19 January. The most significant is TCG Istanbul (F515) (pictured), the country’s first home-produced frigate, which was laid down in July 2017. Three more I class general-purpose platforms were ordered in April 2023, with an intention to procure an additional four announced in January 2024. Also delivered were the replenishment tankers TCG Derya (A1590) and TCG Üstegmen Arif Ekmekçi (A575). Derya becomes the second largest ship in the Turkish Navy, after the LPD TCG Anadolu. The 200m-long Combat Support Ship can supply a task force with 10,000 tons of fuel, 750…

CARGO SERVICE The government of the British Overseas Territory of St Helena has contracted Hamburg-based MACS (Maritime Carrier Shipping) to provide a regular cargo service to the island over the next five years, with a renewable five-year extension, from Cape Town, South Africa. The vessel to be employed will be the 30,469dwt Golden Karoo, completed by China’s Qingshan Shipyard in 2013 and sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands. Powered by a Wärtsilä 7RT-Flex 50B main engine of 11,620KW output, the 199m by 30m geared multipurpose ship has a maximum speed of 17.9 knots and can accommodate 2,000TEU.…

HEAVY-LOAD CARRIERS An alliance has been formed by South Korean-based Dongbang Transport and the German operator, United Heavy Transport (UHT) to unite their heavylift and heavy-load transport vessels. The pair will focus on collaborating on major projects. Dongbang operates eight, heavy-load deck-cargo vessels. The first, Dongbang Giant No.1, entered service in 2006. The fleet specialises in the carriage of large module sections, including oil and gas units with the vessels having a large open deck. UHT, part of the United Group, formed in 2015, operate several multipurpose heavy-load carriers and breakbulk ships under the United Heavy Lift brand. They also operate deck cargo vessels, which are largely used in European waters transporting offshore wind farm equipment under the United Wind Logistics brand. UHT previously had an agreement with Guangzhou Salvage,…

MULTI-PURPOSE SHIPS China’s COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry has delivered the 68,000dwt Green Rauma to Shanghai-based CMB Financial Leasing as the fourth in a series of five 226.8m by 32.26m iceclassed multi-purpose ships it is building for operation by associated COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers (CSSC). The 14.8-knot open-hatch vessels are equipped with four centreline-mounted deck cranes serving five holds and have been specifically configured to handle wood pulp cargos. They meet the requirements of CCS B1 ice class and category C polar certificate and can operate in waters with an ice layer up to 80cm (31.5in) thick. CSSC currently operates 20 ships in the 62,000dwt to 68,000dwt range. WATERFRONT www.shipsmonthly.com The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL t > 01959 541444 e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

PADDLER STEAMER The Australian paddle steamer Pride of the Murray was raised last autumn after a major three-day operation to salvage the vessel from the Thomson River, where she sank in March 2023. She had just been brought overland almost 1,000 miles from Echuca in central Victoria to Longreach in Western Queensland after being bought by tourism company Outback Pioneers, which had plans to return her to operational service. Owner and tourism operator Richard Kinnon said harnesses and flotation devices were used to raise the 100gt vessel. A survey has revealed that, in order to return her to service, Pride of the Murray would require a complete rebuild. Outback Pioneers are now looking at building a replica of her while exhibiting the original ashore.…

SWISS PADDLER Work is advancing on the proposed lifting of the wreck of the paddle steamer Saentis, which has been lying on the bottom of Lake Constance between Romanshorn and Langenargen for 130 years. Instead of the high expense of using a crane, Saentis will be brought to the surface using 12 huge inflatable bags, which have been brought in from China via Hamburg, and which arrived on scene before Christmas. Divers are already working on the wreck and have brought ashore several items, including the funnel. Lifting of the hull is scheduled to start in March, with the intention of first bringing it up to a depth of 12m for further work and then taking it ashore by April. The association founded to save Saentis has already raised €280,000…

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the launch of HMS Wellington, the last surviving example of one of the Royal Navy’s Grimsby class sloops. Following initial service in the Pacific and during World War II, she was decommissioned, and purchased from the Admiralty by the Honourable Company of Master Mariners (HCMM). They converted her into a floating livery hall, and renamed her HQS Wellington. In 1948 she was moved to her permanent berth at Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment, London, where she remains today. HMS Wellington was the fourth RN ship to bear the name. She was completed at the RN Devonport Dockyard in May 1934 and entered RN service in January 1935, having been built to patrol and protect the British Crown Colonies in the south-west Pacific, hence the…

Among the world’s passenger ships in service, Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2, which is marking two decades of service, is unique. Foremost, she is an ocean liner rather than a cruise ship, embracing enhanced strength, power, and seakeeping ability, along with a diverse range of public spaces designed to keep her guests entertained when weather conditions mandate indoor activities. Her sleek hull and classic pyramid profile is matched to the underwater hull form to minimise stresses and ensure structural integrity, even in the most adverse weather conditions, and she is recognised by many as the most stable passenger ship afloat. Queen Mary 2 perfectly epitomises Cunard’s rich history and legacy in service standards, with echoes of past Cunarders throughout the design of some of her public spaces and informative displays.…

Miami-based Oceania Cruises was founded in 2002 by former Renaissance Cruises founder Frank J. Del Rio and businessman Bob Binder. The Company now falls under the auspices of the NCL Group and is headed by Presidents Frank A. Del Rio Jnr. and Andrea De Marco. Initially, the new company acquired two tried and trusted former Renaissance ships from French holding Company Cruise Invest. Regatta (1998/30,277gt, ex-R Two, Insignia) and Insignia (1998/30,277gt, ex-R One, Regatta) were acquired in 2003. The two ships were constructed at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St Nazaire, France, and firmly established Oceania in the cruise market. They were joined by other former R class ships of the same vintage: Nautica in 2005 (1998/30,277gt, ex-R Five) and Sirena in 2016 (1999/30,277gt, ex-R Four, Tahitian Princess). Success and consolidation…

Blatence was sold in 1984 to Derek Parnaby Cyclones International Ltd, Darlington and, though briefly renamed Laten while she was at Chatham in 1985, the name was never officially changed and she never traded as Laten. In mid-1985 she was laid over at Seaham for repairs and general refurbishment and only traded again for a short while before being sold in early 1986 to Orkneybased Wm Dennison (Shapinsay) Ltd, who renamed her Calf Sound. She proved very successful in that company’s expanding operations and regularly loaded on the east coast for Orkney and Shetland. As previously mentioned, she was fitted with a new wheelhouse in 1987 to provide her master with better forward visibility when negotiating the narrow channels and inlets in the Northern Isles, especially when carrying a deck…

Ambience was the first of the class to be sold, being bought by Gardscreen Shipping Ltd, Gillingham, who renamed her Gino, and she remained on the British register until 1991, when she was moved to the relatively new flag of Honduras. Latterly employed on the Isle of Grain-Whitstable aggregate trade and generally in poor hull condition, she was laid up at Otterham Quay in 1995, before being sold at the end of the year. Continuing the ‘smooth water’ aggregate trade, she was again laid up in June 1996, subsequently being arrested for non-payment of repair bills, but finally attracting a buyer in Qatar. Unmanned, she left the Medway in August 1996 in tow of the tug Wieslaw II, which had also been purchased, but on 27 August, when she was…

RO-RO FREIGHT In January P&O Ferries, part of Dubai-headquartered DP World, announced it was opening a new ro-ro freight route in the North Sea, between London (Tilbury 2) and Rotterdam (Europoort), in March. The company states that the new ro-ro freight service will complement P&O Ferries’ existing Zeebrugge to London route as well as strengthening its rail-connected hub in Rotterdam. The new route will be served by existing P&O Ferries vessel Norbank, which was until recently serving on the Irish Sea, and has a capacity of 125 freight units. She will sail on a daily schedule with what are described as ‘customer focused’ sailing times, including an early arrival into London. P&O Ferries now operates services in the North Sea from three east coast UK ports (Hull, London and Teesport),…

NEWBUILD China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co (ZPMC) has floated out the 155.7m by 32m dual-fuel trailing suction hopper dredger Xin Hai Xun, which it claims is the world’s largest such vessel. Due to be delivered to compatriot operator CCCC Shanghai Dredging in September, the newbuild has a hopper capacity of 17,000m3 and will be used for dredging, reclamation and coastal maintenance projects within China’s coastal ports and deepwater channels. Delivery of the dredger, which has an LNG tank capacity of 15,000m3, will bring the world’s fleet of LNG-powered vessels to over 460 ships with another 528 on order.…

FLEET NEWS Tailwind Shipping, the German owned container line and subsidiary of Lidl, has taken on charter a number of small-sized container ships, to make up for the additional distances being travelled by ships in its fleet operating on its Panda Express service from China and Tiger Express connecting India and Bangladesh to Europe. Tailwind is one of several operators who have decided to avoid using the route through the Red Sea following continuous attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi rebels at the southern end of the Red Sea, in the Babel-Mandeb. Among the ships recently announced as added to the company’s service is the 1,042TEU capacity Chattanooga, built in 2012, and the 23-year-old, 2,226TEU Kumasi, originally built as Catherine Delmas for French liner operator Delmas.…

CONTAINER ALLIANCES Container operators Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd recently announced the formation of Gemini Cooperation, which will see the operators pool their services. The combined fleet will consist of 290 vessels, with around 3.4 million TEU slots, split 60:40 between the Danish and German partners. Maersk announced last year that it was splitting from current partner Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) in the 2M service, in January 2025, and Hapag-Lloyd will leave the alliance, which was formed in 2016. The Hamburg-headquartered company is currently the largest partner in the alliance, with Korean HMM, Japanese-backed Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Taiwanese based Yang Ming the other members of the agreement. The Gemini Cooperation will start services in February 2025, and cover seven trades: Asia to US West Coast (Transpacific), Asia to US East…

NEWBUILD China Merchants’ Jinling Shipyard in Weihai has delivered the 7,000CEU capacity CMA CGM Indianapolis to Eastern Pacific Shipping of Singapore as the first of four dual-fuel LNG-powered car carriers it is building for the firm. All of the 200m by 38m vessels are to be chartered to the CMA CGM Group of France, as it diversifies its shipping operations. The 19-knot ships feature twin 2,000m3 capacity LNG storage tanks within the hull, as well as shaft generators and Corvus lithium battery banks of 751kWh capacity, plus deck-mounted photovoltaic panels. WATERFRONT www.shipsmonthly.com The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL t > 01959 541444 e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

RED SEA As Houthi militia in Yemen attack commercial shipping passing though the Red Sea, many shipping companies, including all cruise ship operators, have altered plans to avoid the area. That often means a longer journey via the Cape of Good Hope and has led to cancelled cruises and revised itineraries. Silversea Cruises’ Silver Moon was already in the Red Sea when the attacks escalated and, instead of heading to Oman, she turned round and disembarked in Piraeus. All of her voyages until 11 February were cancelled and the ship, routed via West Africa was expected to resume her schedule in Mumbai. Three MSC grand voyages from the Middle East and South Africa to the Mediterranean, all due to pass through the Red Sea, have been cancelled. MSC Splendida had…

INDUSTRY NEWS January is usually the month when world cruises depart, with numerous cruises of varying length, but usually of at least 90 nights. On 11 January Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 left Southampton for a voyage of 108 nights to the Far East and Australia, before turning round and heading back to Europe (not all sonamed world cruises go all the way round the world). Fleetmate Queen Victoria sailed from Southampton on the same day for a westbound itinerary featuring the Americas, Australia and the Far East. On 14 January Oceania Cruises’ Insignia sailed from San Francisco on a 180-night world cruise, due to terminate in New York on 12 July. The following day Silversea’s Silver Shadow sailed from the same port on a 132-night Pacific Rim cruise, due to…

US NAVY The delivery of a completed module between shipyards has provided a first glimpse of the X-Form stern configuration of the new Columbia class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. The propulsion section of the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN826) was being transferred the 400 miles between Newport News, where the bow and stern sections are being built, to General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Quonset Point Facility. It is the first time that the US Navy has opted for the now tried-and tested rudder arrangement since they trialled it on the experimental USS Albacore in the 1960s. Although requiring a more complex control system, computers rather than humans now make the calculations that safely provide greater manoeuvrability, while also reducing acoustic signatures, compared to traditional cross-form rudders.…

US NAVY The US Navy has awarded Austal USA a US$867 million contract for the detailed design and construction of three Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS). The catamarans will replace two converted oil tankers, Comfort and Mercy, as dedicated hospital ships. They are to be manufactured at Austal’s aluminium manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, following on from the 16th Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), on which they are based. Since EPF-14, Flight II vessels have been equipped with enhanced Role 2E medical capabilities. The EMS will each have 34 acute care stations, six isolation wards, 14 intensive care units, 14 intensive care isolation units, and three operating rooms. The first of the class, USNS Bethesda (EMS-1), is named after the Bethesda Naval Hospital, now known as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.…

ROTOR SAILS China’s Dealfeng New Energy Technology has entered the rotor sail market by manufacturing and installing a single 16m by 4m rotor on a new 5,000dwt product tanker recently completed for compatriot operator Haiyue Shipping Co. It has also installed two taller 18m by 4m rotors on the 17,223dwt deck carrier Hai Yang Shi You 226 owned by Tianjin-based Offshore Oil Engineering Co and has contracts to install additional rotors on several Chinese-owned bulk carriers. The Dealfeng-built rotors consist of a composite outer tube, a steel inner tower, a small electric motor which spins the outer tube at 200rpm and a removable mounting base. Each single-unit installation weighs about 40 tonnes. The operation of the rotors is managed by a computer-based system that can automatically start and stop the…

AMMONIA CARRIER Singapore’s Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has ordered two 93,000m3 capacity liquid ammonia carriers from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard. Each of the vessels, to be the world’s largest when delivered, will measure 230m by 36.6m and have a structural draught of 13m. Because they will also be able to carry such cargoes as LPG their duel-fuel ammonia-burning main engines will be supplied from deck mounted storage tanks. The twin ships are a derivative of Jiangnan’s Panda 93A design and special attention has been given to the main cargo tank specifications, considering that liquid ammonia has a higher density compared to conventional LPG. This requires the tank to be reinforced to ensure balanced performance during liquid cargo loading and discharge given the varying gravities of the two commodities. Green ammonia, to…

JAMES WHALEN The City of Thunder Bay, Ontario spent $793,000 to have the 108ft tug James Whalen lifted from the Kaministiquia River and placed ashore after she sank in 2022. The City must now decide the tug’s future, with both the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society and Kam River Heritage Park, where she was last on display, showing an interest. However, funding is still needed for full hull repairs and transportation to a new home, but the free storage period is almost over.…

While European Gateway lay on her side, the image of a red ferry with the Townsend Thoresen name emblazoned on the side was one that should have been consigned to the history books. But just five years later the same thing happened again, and this time with worse consequences. The 7,951gt Herald of Free Enterprise was built in 1980, with a capacity of 1,400 passengers. She was one of three sisterships working the Dover to Zeebrugge route. On 6 March 1987 she had her ballast tanks filled to lower the bow and align it with the ramps at the Zeebrugge terminal, loaded and sailed just after 1800, heading out into the English Channel with 459 passenger on board, as well as a crew of 80. What was not known to…

■ Vista has 12 public decks, with the all-veranda suite accommodation focused on Decks 7 to 12. The Bridge and officers’ accommodation are on Deck 11. ■ The large, expansive multifacility Owners’ suites are located across the full width of the ship, with outward views from the stern. The smaller Penthouse suites are mainly forward-facing at the bow of the ship. ■ The interior design and colour schemes throughout were the creation of Studio Dado. ■ Deck 4 houses the ship’s medical centre. Deck 5 includes the Atrium Lobby, which is the main focal point of the ship, and where the reception, guest services, concierge desk and fashion and jewellery boutiques can be found. ■ At the forward end of the ship is the Vista Lounge, with tiered seating and…

My four-year apprenticeship was with the BP Tanker Company, formerly the British Tanker Company, affectionately known as ‘Better Times Coming’. The apprentices division was run by a Captain Marsh and, while the work was hard and often long, the study programme over the four years was very detailed and enabled budding officers to put in their papers for Second Mate within weeks of completing the four years. My apprentices journal details every ship, as well as officers and ports, on which I served. Sadly my original discharge book was lost when I worked for Sealink, as they kept them throughout our employment. The staff office could not find it when I left to join P&O and I was not at all pleased. My first Transatlantic Carrier ship was Baskerville, under…

It is 70 years since USS Wisconsin underwent a major overhaul at the New York Naval Shipyard to allow her to serve in the Korean Theatre. Wisconsin was recommissioned on 3 March 1951 and arrived on the ‘Korean bomb line’ on 3 December that year. Her participation in the Korean War resulted in the awarding of one of her six battle stars. The other five were awarded for her World War II service. She also received other awards for her participation in Operation Desert Storm. Wisconsin was an Iowa class battleship built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was launched on 7 December 1943, two years, to the day, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During her long naval service, Wisconsin served during World War II…

PONT-AVEN AT 20 Looking back over the first two decades of service given by Brittany Ferries’ flagship cruise ferry Pont-Aven, which has been operating between the UK and France since 2004. PLUS BLUE FUNNEL P’ CLASS The careers of classic Blue Funnel’s ‘P’ class ships, which were a groundbreaking design in the 1960s, but which became redundant due to the container revolution. CHILEAN LINES The careers of two handsome liners built a century ago for the Chilean Line, which went on to serve as troopships during World War II. IRISH SEA NORTH CHANNEL A look back at over half a century of growth for ferry travel on two routes from Cairnryan, Scotland to Belfast and Larne in Northern Ireland. MODERN ITALIAN NAVY Conrad Waters reviews the growing capabilities of Italy’s…