Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i Ships Monthly

CARGO TECHNOLOGY A major European operator in shortsea, bulk, general cargo, offshore, and heavy lift sectors, Amasus, has signed a new contract with Spain’s bound4blue to install an eSAIL (suction sail) system. The agreement includes the retrofitting of a 22m eSAIL unit on a 90m 3,000dwt vessel at Astander Shipyard in Santander, with installation set for mid-2025. Once complete, this will mark the largest suction sail system installed on a general cargo vessel. The decision to proceed with bound4blue followed Amasus’ evaluation of its initial installation of two 17m eSAILs on the 2000-built cargo vessel Eems Traveller, on which the sail has been in operation since July 2023, after the 91m vessel was retrofitted with two 17m-high eSAILs in 2022. The autonomous eSAIL technology, which optimises fuel efficiency and reduces…

INCIDENT A fire on board the 73m German oil and chemical tanker Annika resulted in a major rescue effort two and a half nautical miles off the coast of Warnemünde, north-east of Kühlungsborn in the Baltic Sea, on 11 October. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen alerted the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) and the lifeboat Wilma Sikorski, stationed at the DGzRS station in Kühlungsborn, was soon on scene, evacuating all of the seven crew from the burning vessel by 10:00. The rescue cruiser Arkona from the DGzRS Warnemünde station, the seagoing salvage tug Baltic chartered by the Federal Ministry of Transport, and the multi-purpose ship Arkona were also involved, and initiated firefighting efforts on the stricken vessel as soon as they could. Several other vessels and…

NEW FERRIES Stena Line reached another milestone in the build of its NewMax ships, launching Stena Futura into the water and laying the keel of the second ship, to be named Stena Connecta, at the end of October. Stena held a joint ‘launch’ and ‘keel-laying’ ceremony at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Weihai, celebrating the float-out of Stena Futura, and the laying of the keel for Stena Connecta, which marks the beginning of the ship’s build. Once operational, Stena Connecta and Stena Futura will enhance freight capacity by 40 per cent on the Belfast-Heysham route in response to an increase in customer demand for services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The two NewMax hybrid vessels will play a key role in Stena Line’s sustainability journey as they will both…

FERRY NEWS Wallenius Lines has acquired the sisterships Thuleland and Tundraland (both 23,128gt) from Baltic Container Shipping Ltd. The vessels were built at Aker Yards in Rauma, Finland in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The acquisitions are a continued part of the company’s strategy to grow through new construction of vessels and acquisition of existing vessels. The vessels are already operated in Wallenius SOL, which is owned by Wallenius Lines and Svenska Orient Linjen. The company’s aim is to strengthen its sustainable infrastructure in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea. The vessels currently fly the Swedish flag and are under the management of Wallenius Marine, and this will continue. The vessels will be long-term chartered to Wallenius SOL. ‘The vessels will continue to be an important part of Wallenius…

NEW LIFEBOAT On Sunday 13 October 2024 Arklow’s volunteer lifeboat crew brought home their new 13m Shannon class lifeboat, Roy Holloway, after a passage from the RNLI College in Poole, via Brixham, Plymouth, Newlyn and Kilmore Quay. She reached Arklow for the first time at 13:53, in recognition of her operational number, and was escorted into the harbour by the station’s current lifeboat, the 14m Trent Ger Tigchelaar, as well as the 13m Shannon Bridie O’Shea from Wicklow, and the training Shannon Joanna and Henry Williams. Arklow is one of the oldest lifeboat stations in Ireland, and the arrival of the new boat was witnessed by hundreds of well-wishers lining the harbour entrance. The new lifeboat has been funded form the legacy of Sidney Roy Holloway. Crew training has started…

BRITTANY FERRIES Brittany Ferries’ latest E-Flexer, Saint-Malo, completed sea trials in Far East waters after being floated out of China’s Weihai Jinling Yard early in the autumn. She then began a lengthy delivery voyage to Portsmouth during October. The first sailing on the route from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo in France has been set for 12 February 2025, when the 30,000gt Saint-Malo becomes the fourth new vessel to join the Brittany Ferries fleet. Her sistership, Guillaume de Normandie, is due to follow later in the year and will run from Portsmouth to Caen-Ouistreham. Chief Executive Christophe Mathieu hailed Saint-Malo as part of the biggest fleet renewal programme in Brittany Ferris history, which stretches back over 50 years, adding: ‘Saint-Malo and her sister Guillaume de Normandie represent big steps on our journey…

CALMAC A shortage of vessels due to annual dry-dockings and ongoing repairs to Caledonian Isles (1993/5,221gt) brought changes throughout the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet during October and November, including the deployment of Isle of Mull (1988/4,719gt) for a combined service to South Uist and Barra. Then, with the fleet’s largest vessel Loch Seaforth away for overhaul until 21 October, Hebridean Isles (1985/3,0gt) covered the Stornoway-Ullapool sailings on what looked likely to be her last spell of passenger service. Lord of the Isles (1989/3,504gt) took over between Ardrossan and Arran for a few days in the middle of October before Isle of Arran (1984/3,296gt) returned to the route. CalMac said they were aware that amending timetables and combining services was disruptive, but insisted that priority had to be given to sailings that…

NORLED Norled’s 228gt catamaran Baronessen has been converted to battery operation, which will bring an annual CO2 emissions saving of 2,600 tonnes, while the same work period also saw the vessel’s hull being lengthened by 10m. The 180-passenger ferry, built in Norway, is expected to be used on Norled’s B11 route between Nesodden and Lysaker, while the rather larger Baronen (2009/330gt), also lengthened, will return to route B20, which connects Brygge Vollen with Aker Brygge and last year carried just over 250,000 passengers, while route B11 handled 160,000. Norled AS is one of Norway’s largest ferry and express boat operators, with 80 vessels running from Oslofjord in the south to Troms County in the north of the country. Founded in 2007, Norled is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions from its…

MSC MSC Cruises will venture into Alaska for the first time in summer 2026, when it will homeport MSC Poesia in Seattle. The one-week cruises to Alaska and Canada will commence on 11 May 2026. She will later move to Miami for Caribbean cruises in the winter. Another new ship to be homeported in the USA will be MSC World America, which will be based in Miami after her delivery by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, St Nazaire. Like her sister, MSC World Europa, she will have a maximum passenger capacity of more than 6,700 and a gross tonnage of about 215,000. With continuing hostilities in the Middle East, and in particular the possibility of rocket attacks from Yemen, the company has cancelled the repositioning voyage of MSC Euribia from Dubai to…

RAN The Royal Australian Navy’s troubled SEA1180 programme has taken a new twist, with the Australian subcontractor CIVMEC set to buy out the main contractor, Luerssen Australia. The German company was awarded a contract for 12 Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessels to replace the Armidale class patrol boats in 2018. After two years of construction delays and weapon integration issues, it became listed a Defence Project of Concern by the Australian Government in 2023. The order was subsequently reduced to six following the Surface Fleet Review, with doubts cast over the fighting effectiveness and survivability of such a lightly armed vessel. As for the current state of affairs, sea trials of the first-of-class only commenced in August, almost three years after launch. The second, Eyre, is fitting out at Osborne,…

CHEMICAL TANKERS Hamburg-based tanker operator John T. Essberger has placed an order for two 13,000dwt chemical tankers, with an option for four further vessels. Designed by Swedish naval architect FKAB, the new ships will be constructed at the Rainbow Shipyard in Nantong, China, and are scheduled to enter service in April 2027. The tankers will feature stainless steel tanks and be built to Ice class 1A specifications, capable of operating on methanol fuel. The new tankers will operate in Northwest Europe for E&S Tankers, a joint venture between Essberger and Stolt Tankers. The ordercoincideswith Essberger’s 100th anniversary. Founded in 1924 by Commander John Theodor Essberger, the company has grown from a pioneer in tanker shipping to a leader in European chemical shipping. E&S Tankers operate 46 parcel tankers ranging in…

FERRY FOCUS Brittany Ferries’ well-known cruise ferry Bretagne made her final cross-Channel trip on the evening of Sunday 3 November after 35 years of service. She departed Portsmouth for the last time with many enthusiasts aboard to wish her well, but the celebratory atmosphere was tinged with sadness. The longest-serving ship in the history of Brittany Ferries bowed out in style. She received an escort out of Portsmouth Harbour by two tugs firing water canons, as Bretagne sounded her horn. Crowds gathered on her much cherished open fo’c’sle (a unique feature in the UK ferry fleet) to watch the spectacle. Traditional Breton dancers performed on the stage in the Gwenn-Ha-Du bar lounge, accompanied by a live band. She arrived in St Malo on time at 08:15 the following morning and…

■ There have been three ships named Sun Princess. The first was launched in 1972 and was operated served under the name from 1974 until 1988. The 17,042gt ship was built as Spirit of London and famously featured in the TV series as the Love Boat. Originally named Seaward, she later operated as Starship Majestic, Southern Cross, Flamenco and Ocean Dream. As Ocean Dream, she sank off the coast of Laem Chebang Port in Thailand on 27 February 2016 and was scrapped in situ. ■ The second Sun Princess, which could carry up to 2,000 passengers, was launched in 1995 and served under the name until 2020. The Monfalcone-built vessel became Pacific World for the Peaceboat operation. The 77,499gt ship was the lead ship in the new Sun class, and…

■ Caledonian Isles was modelled on Isle of Mull, and her internal layout is similar. She was the first CalMac vessel to feature twin hoistable mezzanine decks since those seen on Suilven in 1974, which stretched almost the whole length of the ship, but were split halfway on each side. ■ The central stairways leading to the upper lounges were levelled halfway to allow direct access to the mezzanine decks. ■ On the central concourse is Mariners cafeteria, and a Coffee Cabin style lounge is further forward. ■ Three stairways lead into the upper observation saloon, two on each side in the cafeteria, leading to a small corridor, with the lounge itself directly in front, and a third stairway leads up from the middle of the most forward lower lounge.…

On Friday 20 August 1965 the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Centaur steamed into Portsmouth Harbour flying her paying-off pennant. Although she had been delivered less than 12 years previously, her arrival marked the end of her operational career. Over the next few weeks the ship’s company departed for other drafts and, on 27 September 1965, she paid off for the last time. While Centaur’s active service had been comparatively brief, she had played an important role in the development of Royal Navy aviation during the early post-war period. Never in the limelight to the same extent as, for example, her half-sister Hermes or the much larger Eagle and Ark Royal, she nevertheless formed a significant component of a fast-evolving carrier fleet. AN IMPROVED DESIGN Centaur was ordered from the…

Nuclear power Over the last 60 years there have been a few attempts to demonstrate the viability of nuclear propulsion in cargo vessels. With the questionable exception of a Russian vessel, they have all failed due to commercial and/or technical issues. This may be about to change with the current interest in Small Modular Reactors for land-based generation with a power range in the order of 300MW to 500MW. These would be scalable down to the 50MW to 100MW range for large commercial vessels These SMRs are likely to be of the molten salt or molten metal design, which has a number of significant advantages over the traditional light water reactors: they operate at very low pressures and at much higher temperatures, allowing more efficient turbines, and as they overheat…

KINGSWEAR CASTLE The coal-fired paddle steamer Kingswear Castle celebrated her centenary with a combined steam railway and river trip on Thursday 26 September. Paignton guests boarded the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company train, pulled by the also 100-year-old steam engine Goliath, for the scenic rail trip to Kingswear, where they were taken across the river by ferry to join Kingswear Castle for a cruise on the River Dart. Kingswear Castle first sailed down to the Castles at the river mouth and then upriver to Duncannon. Suitably for her 100th birthday, there were 100 guests aboard, including supporters past and present, as well as some former crew members from her years operating passenger trips on the Rivers Medway and Thames. Some aboard remembered KC being sold and towed away…

TRAINING SHIP Massachusetts Maritime Academy has welcomed its new training vessel, the 22,613gt Patriot State, to Buzzards Bay. She will be part of the US Maritime Administration’s National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) programme aimed at enhancing maritime training and disaster response capabilities. Delivered by Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania in September, Patriot State is the second of five state-of-the-art training ships commissioned for the five state maritime academies in the US. The NSMV programme, led by the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), is designed to provide training for future mariners and support humanitarian and disaster relief missions. Patriot State is equipped with instructional spaces and a full training bridge, and can accommodate up to 600 cadets.…

FERRY NEWS The 1987-built ferry GNV Aries, formerly Norsea and Pride of York, was sold to a Turkish yard for demolition in October, marking the end of a career lasting almost 40 years. Built in 1986 by Govan Shipbuilders in Glasgow, the vessel initially served as Norsea for North Sea Ferries on the Hull-Rotterdam route. In 2003 she was renamed Pride of York and was moved to the Hull-Zeebrugge service under the P&O Ferries banner. In 2020 the ship was taken out of Zeebrugge service and the route was closed by P&O as a result of the pandemic, and in 2021 she was sold to Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) and renamed GNV Aries, serving the Naples-Palermo route. However, due to declining traffic, the decision was made to retire the vessel…

CLYDE & HEBRIDES The procurement of seven new electric ferries to help support island communities and improve the resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides network is progressing to tender. The first stage of the competitive tender process assessed shipyards interested in bidding for the contract against specific criteria including facilities, capacities and capabilities to take on the project. Six yards have been selected to progress to Invite to Tender stage as follows: Asenav S.A. (Chile), Cammell Laird, Cemre Marin Endustri (Türkiye), Damen Offshore & Specialised Vessels, Ferguson Marine (Commercial) Ltd (UK) and Remontowa Shipbuilding (Poland). Estimated costs for Phase 1 of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme are around £175 million, which includes the seven vessels, as well as port improvements and shore power upgrades. The tender returns are expected by…

VIKING Viking has turned the options on a further pair of ships into orders with Fincantieri, for delivery in 2030, and has additionally taken options on a further four similar ships for delivery in 2031 and 2032. The growth of Viking’s ocean cruise business has been astonishing, with its first ship, Viking Star, being delivered in 2015. Since then, there has been one new ship at approximately annual intervals. The first ten ships, each of 47,842gt, carried 930 passengers. The next ten are slightly larger (11m longer), and of 54,300gt with a passenger capacity of 998. The increased size enables the vessels to meet new stability requirements and accommodate the extra space required for hydrogen fuel cell technology. The first of the larger ships, Viking Vela, will be delivered in…

CRUISE PORT The Port of Poole, disappointingly, had just three cruise ship calls scheduled for this year (all maiden visits), although in the end only two ships actually arrived. On 10 May the 172m Seabourn Venture (2022/23,615gt) called en route from Plymouth to Dover (pictured). The call by Atlas Ocean Voyages’ 126m World Voyager (2020/9,934gt) on 30 September was cancelled due to bad weather in the English Channel, and instead she continued to Tilbury. However, better luck was had by Plantours’ Hamburg (1997/15,067gt) on 9 October, which arrived from the Port of London for an afternoon visit, with passengers able to enjoy coach trips to local attractions. Both vessels moored at the South Quay cruise berth. In 2019 Poole had 18 cruise ship calls, but this number has dwindled post-Covid…

SAGA CRUISES Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Adventure entered the Queen Elizabeth dry dock in Falmouth on 21 October for her first big refit, to be carried out by A&P. Delivered by Meyer Werft in September 2020, she did not immediately enter service but went straight into lay-up in Tilbury due to the pandemic, not entering service until July 2021. The refit work includes a full hull repaint, with special attention to the application of Sharkfin anti-fouling paint below the waterline. Other items to receive attention are the bow thrusters, propellers and anchors. Internally, there will be new carpets and a general refreshing of public rooms and cabins, together with a full wi-fi upgrade. She went back into service on 7 November with a cruise to the Canary Islands. WATERFRONT •…

NEW ZEALAND NAVY The New Zealand government has initiated urgent efforts to mitigate the environmental impact from the stricken HMNZS Manawanui. The survey and dive support ship was carrying 950,000 litres of fuel when it grounded, caught fire and sank on the Tafitoala Reef off the south coast of Samoa, on 5-6 October. At the time of writing, some residual oil slicks were reported but these were dispersing at sea and not landing ashore. Initial salvage efforts prioritised the recovery of three shipping containers, one of which was carrying three tonnes of food, for fear of contamination and further harming of the reef. The Samoan government has said that 5,000m2 of the reef was damaged by the shipwreck and anchor chain. The incident is being investigated by a Court of…

US NAVY The US Navy has awarded multi-ship contracts worth US$9.6 billion to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) for the procurement of four amphibious warfare ships, one America class amphibious assault ship (LHA) and three amphibious transport dock (LPD) ships. They are the future USS Helmand Province (LHA-10) and three as-yetun-named Flight II San Antonio class ships pennant numbers LPD-33, LPD-34 and LPD-35. The ‘block buy’ is expected to save more than US$901 million compared to the cost if the ships were purchased individually, with savings achieved through economies of scale and the assurance of long-term stability for the naval shipyard. HII Pascagoula is the sole amphibious shipbuilder for the US Navy. The Mississippi shipyard is currently building the America class LHAs Bougainville (LHA-8) and Fallujah (LHA-9), and the San Antonio…

NEWBUILD German family-owned shipping company Reederei Bernd Sibum has ordered four Combi Freighters (CF) 3850 from the Damen Shipyards Group. These vessels, scheduled for delivery in early 2026, are hybrid-ready and are designed to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of Reederei Bernd Sibum’s fleet. As a first-time customer of Damen, Reederei Bernd Sibum, based in Haren, Germany, initially sought feedback from current operators of the CF 3850. The company was impressed by the vessels’ operational efficiency and testimonials from other customers. The four Combi Freighter 3850 vessels are hybrid ready, capable of running on biofuels and can be equipped with wind-assist technology. To further boost efficiency and reduce emissions in the future, they are ready for a battery-powered propulsion system and shore power connection. Built at Damen Yichang Shipyard in…

By 1928 the Compañía Sud-Americana de Vapores (CSAV, the Chilean Line), had seen their business grow steadily, with their long-distance flagships, Aconcagua and Teno, running successfully in tandem and many of the company’s older vessels working their coastal services. The mining industry was also booming, and things were looking up. Having previously placed orders for three modern coastal ships, the company decided to order a fourth, which would be a modern vessel that was destined to become the company’s first motorship. The latest in technology and an improvement to the service, she would be the first diesel-powered ship in the Chilean Merchant Marine. Even with the economic problems in late 1929, thanks to the fine reputation of the CSAV with shipbuilders, a contract was agreed with Lithgows Ltd to build…

letter of the month Your wonderful series of features covering 120 Years of Cruising (SM, Aug) brought back fond memories of my first cruise on the Miami-Nassau run with my parents and brother on the 1931-built ship Florida when she was approaching her final year of service. Although she was a far cry from the cruise ships of today, the cruise was the beginning of many happy years of cruising for me. Our departure in 1964 was from P&O’s aging ex-Navy structure on Miami’s Biscayne Bay adjacent to the competing Bahama Star, which was destined to play a vital role in rescuing passengers and crew from the cruise ship Yarmouth Castle, which sank in December 1965. Dining on Florida was at rows of picnic-style tables on the lowest deck. Passengers…

OCTOBER’S MYSTERY The mystery ship is the P&O liner Kaisar-i-Hind, which was launched on 28 June 1914 by Caird and Co Ltd in Greenock. She ran trials on 1 October 1914 and was broken up in May 1938 at Hughes Bolckow Shipbreaking in Blyth, after a career during which she served only P&O. The 11,430gt ship was powered by two quadruple expansion steam engines driving twin screws, totalling 14,000ihp, giving a speed of 18.5 knots. She could carry 315 First class and 233 Second class passengers, and 6,314m3 of cargo. She was used on the Bombay seasonal passenger run, usually going from Tilbury via Plymouth to Bombay. The name is Sanskrit for Empress of India (Kaisar-i-Hind referring to Queen Victoria) and she was the second ship of this name operated…

GREENPEACE VESSEL Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise visited London in September on the eve of World Oceans Day, marking the final leg of its Europe-wide ‘Gulliver Tour’. During her visit, the ship hosted various events and activities, including public tours, educational workshops, and meetings with policymakers. The main event was a public rally on the Thames, when Greenpeace activists and supporters gathered to call for better regulations and support for small-scale fishermen. Completed in Norway during 1975 as Polarbjorn, the ice-strengthened vessel was sold to Greenpeace in 1995, and has been involved in numerous environmental campaigns, including actions in the Arctic, the Amazon and other areas.…

SEAROSE FPSO The floating production, storage and offloading vessel Searose FPSO was moved from the Belfast Building Dock, to the commissioning quay, on 8 October, and she departed Belfast on 22 October, having been at the yard for most of this year. She arrived in Belfast for dry-docking and a mid-life refit on 10 February and was moved to the dry dock the following day, with work ongoing throughout the summer. She was last at Belfast for dry docking by H&W in 2012. The refit contract was initially worth £61 million, with the intention of delivering a mid-life upgrade of the vessel. Additional scope of works was subsequently included in the programme. The contract is with Cenovus Energy, an oil and natural gas company headquartered in Calgary, Canada.…

CLdN To be named Chaumine, the first of a pair of 74,300gt G9 series freight ferries for Belgium’s CLdN (Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Navigation) was floated out of her building dock at the Hyundai Mipo Yard in South Korea in October. She is expected to enter service during the first half of 2025. The new ships will each offer 8,000 lane metres of lorry and trailer space, and there will be cabins for just 12 drivers. Established in Luxembourg in 1974, CLdN operates a fleet of modern ro-ro vessels that connect key ports in the UK, Ireland, France, the Iberian Peninsula, the Benelux countries and Scandinavia. ■ In other freight news, Cobelfret’s one-time vessel Valentine (1999/23,987gt), which left the fleet in 2021 to sail for Interislander, is now running for car…

TUI With the first of the Fincantieri newbuilds, Mein Schiff Relax, due to be delivered to the German TUI Group early in 2025, the name for the second of these LNG-fuelled vessels has been announced as Mein Schiff Flow. The mix of German and English in the names is something of a puzzle. The second 4,000-passenger, 161,000gt ship (TUI’s largest to date) will be delivered in 2026. This pair of cruise ships is the first to be built for the Royal Caribbean/TUI joint venture TUI Cruises by Fincantieri, with all of the company’s previous ships coming from STX/Meyer at Turku, or, in the case of the two former Celebrity ships that started the company, Meyer at Papenburg. Meanwhile, Mein Schiff Relax will be officially named in Malaga, Spain on 9…

SS UNITED STATES SS United States has been laid up for many years, but the end is now in sight for the greatest passenger ship to come out of America. The current owner, the SS United States Conservancy, has finalised an agreement with Okaloosa County, a district in the north western part of Florida, for the latter to buy the ship and sink it as an artificial reef. A recent court order required the removal of the ship from her current location. Within the time frame allowed, it was not possible for the Conservancy to find an alternative location, hence the decision to sink her. SS United States, designed by William Francis Gibb, was ordered in 1949 and entered service in 1952. On trials, the 53,329gt ship achieved a speed…

ROYAL NAVY The Royal Navy’s penultimate Astute class submarine has been formally launched at BAE Systems’ facility in Barrow. The future HMS Agamemnon (S123) was rolled out 123 years to the day the UK’s first submarine was launched at the same yard in 1901, and entered the water the following day. The sixth Astute SSN is also the sixth RN vessel to be named for the mythical Greek king who besieged Troy. The first saw action at the Battle of Trafalgar and is reputed to have been Admiral Nelson’s favourite ship. The nuclear-powered attack boat will now begin the next phase of its test and commissioning programme ahead of entering operational service in 2025. The launch milestone is some welcome good news for the Silent Service, whose activity has been…

FRENCH NAVY The first of the French Navy’s defence and intervention (FDI) frigates has sailed from the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, Brittany for sea trials. In addition to the usual navigation and propulsion tests, the future FS Amiral Ronarc’h (D660) carried out initial trials of the new Thales combat system. The innovative design introduces a number of firsts for the French Navy, such as digital architecture which will better enable upgrades of future technological and operational developments, and a single mast incorporating all the air sensors. For their compact size, displacing around 4,500 tonnes, the FDIs will have powerful all-round warfare capabilities. The new-generation Sea Fire radar, with four fixed panels and Aster 15/30 anti-aircraft missiles, provides extensive anti-air defences. Anti-submarine capabilities include both a hull-mounted and CAPTAS-4 towed…

CONTAINER SHIPS CLdN, the Luxembourg-based multimodal ro-ro and dry bulk operator, recently placed an order for ten newbuild container vessels. These ships, with a cargo capacity of 1,100TEU, are set to be delivered from January 2027. The order, placed with HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, marks CLdN’s first newbuildings in the lo-lo segment, complementing its existing fleet of over 30 ro-ro vessels. The vessels are designed to be fuel-efficient and feature an open-hatch design to reduce port handling times. This move is part of CLdN’s strategy to expand its services and offer more flexible and frequent shortsea container options, which are currently dominated by deepsea feeder carriers. CLdN’s network spans across Europe, providing shortsea connections between the continent, the UK, Ireland, Iberia, and Scandinavia. The company currently offers containerised lo-lo services…

TECHNOLOGY Anthony Veder is to fit two VentoFoils sails on board the 2009-built Ethylene carrier Coral Patula (7,251gt). The sails are to be delivered by Econowind. Anthony Veder is the first company to install sails on a gas carrier. Sistership Coral Pearl will also be equipped with two similar sails. By retrofitting existing gas carriers the company is using the potential of wind propulsion as a sustainable solution for the maritime industry. Björn van de Weerdhof, Commercial and Sustainability Director at Anthony Veder, said: ‘In our sustainable roadmap, we have set the ambitious target of becoming a net-zero emitter by 2035. While we focus on optimising the design of newbuilds and running those on (bio-) LNG, we are equally committed to enhancing the efficiency of our existing fleet. Other solutions…

MULTIPURPOSE Dutch-based shipping company Spliethoff has placed an order in China for eight multi-purpose carriers, with options for two further vessels. To be built by Wuhu Shipyard, the first vessel will enter service in early 2028. Known as L-type, the ships are designed to transport cargo types, including paper products, bulk cargo, project cargo and containers. They will be built to Finnish/Swedish 1A ice-class, and measure 203.25m in length and 28.25m in width, with a maximum draught of 10.5m. The 28,600dwt ships will be the largest in the Spliethoff fleet. The fleet of the Amsterdam-headquartered company consists of over 50 modern multi-purpose vessels, ranging from 12,000 to 23,000dwt, all of which are Dutch-flagged. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t >…

Sun Princess, the latest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet, made her debut in September. Completed by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy, the new 177,882gt Bermuda-registered Sphere class ship and can accommodate between 4,320 and 5,189 passengers across 20 decks. Since her completion, she has undertaken several itineraries. Her maiden voyage began on 31 August, departing Civitavecchia-Rome and she called at Cadiz, before arriving in Southampton on 23 September. This 23-day journey included stops in Naples, Santorini, Istanbul, Mykonos and Athens, and several other Mediterranean ports. She next completed a series of cruises, including a 16-day voyage from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, departing the UK on 23 September. She made a delayed arrival in Fort Lauderdale on 11 October due to Hurricane Milton. Her winter inaugural eastern and western Caribbean season…

Caledonian Isles has been the long standing mainstay of Caledonian MacBrayne’s Ardrossan-Brodick service for more than 30 years. While she has remained a popular vessel, she has borne the brunt of multiple issues on the Arran crossing in recent years, exacerbated by the heavily delayed arrival of her replacement, Glen Sannox. Fortunately, Caledonian Isles’ story began in less dramatic circumstances. The history of vehicle carrying on the Arran route can be traced back as far as 1957, when an earlier Glen Sannox entered service between Ardrossan and Brodick that year, alternating between Ardrossan and Fairlie as the other mainland port in summer and winter respectively. However, Glen Sannox’s hoist-loading abilities were ousted by ro-ro with the arrival of Caledonia (ex-Stena Baltica) in 1970. Although she reduced turnaround times, her car…

During World War II British shipping companies played a crucial role in sustaining the war effort and ensuring the survival of the United Kingdom. The Merchant Navy was responsible for transporting essential supplies, including food, raw materials, arms, ammunition and fuel, to and from the UK and its allies, and companies such as Clan Line contributed much to the war effort. Indeed, in the case of Clan Line, many of their ships were requisitioned by the government even before they had been completed. One of the most significant contributions of British shipping companies was their participation in the convoy system, designed to protect merchant ships from German U-boat attacks. This system significantly reduced losses, and Clan Liners played their part, with many involved in the famous Malta Convoys. Merchant seamen…

PLUS MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL • Eastham Channel, and the adjacent QEII oil dock, stand at the entrance to the Manchester Ship Canal, the waterway which links Manchester with the sea. USS RONALD REAGAN • The nuclear-powered Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has had an eventful career with the United States Navy over the course of two decades. KEEWATIN • During 2023 the Edwardian-era steamship Keewatin was moved to a new home at the Great Lakes Museum in Ontario, and this year she has been opened to the public. KING SEAWAYS • Profile of the DFDS cruise ferry King Seaways, which operates between Newcastle and IJmuiden, and is now nearing the 40th anniversary of her entry into service. ON SALE 20 DECEMBER 2024…