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Latest Ferry NewsThe latest ferry news for May 2006 is below:Emeraude Jersey Ferries ceases operationDate: 23 May 2006Source: Lloyds register French operator Emeraude Jersey Ferries, which ran between St Malo and the Channel Islands, is ceasing operations. The company says it has been unable to raise sufficient finance to purchase a suitable ferry for the next summer season and has been unable to find a suitable vessel on the charter market. Without a ship, the company cannot provide services for the forthcoming season and has therefore decided to close its operations. Emeraude's 50 employees in St Malo will be made redundant. Emeraude has suffered the loss of several million euros over the past six months after the sale of its last vessel, Solidor 5. The virtually-bankrupt company was taken over late in 2003 by Le Havre-based Sogestran group, but the move failed to produce the expected results. St Malo's shipping community has described the collapse as "very sad"; Emeraude was set up there in 1902 under the name Bateaux de la Côte d'Emeraude'. Incat Tasmania to supply new vessel for Acciona TrasmediterráneaDate: 23 May 2006Source: Lloyds List Highspeed shipbuilder Incat Tasmania has secured a contract to provide a new fast ferry for Acciona Trasmediterránea, one of Spain’s largest shipping companies. To be delivered as early as August this year, the 98 m long vessel will become the fourth Incat craft to enter service for Trasmediterránea, joining near sisters Milenium Dos, Mileniumand Alborán. Incat said it would now embark on an aggressive recruitment campaign to increase the workforce. The Tasmanian government’s Department of Economic Development was working closely with the company to support the growth and had been supporters of the order and of another by a Japanese customer for a new 112 m vessel for delivery in 2007. Linking the Spanish mainland and Balearic Islands, the 96 m Milenium and the 98 m Milenium Dos have both been operating since 2000 and 2003 respectively. On the Strait of Gibraltar’s busy Algeciras-Ceuta crossing, meanwhile, the Alboránoperates in an area of intense competition. Brittany Ferries' flagship ferry caught up in stormDate: 22 May 2006Source: BBC News Brittany Ferries' flagship was diverted to France after running into trouble in bad weather while sailing from Plymouth to Santander in Spain. Coastguards said windows smashed on one deck and cabins were flooded when the Pont-Aven was hit by gale force nine winds in the English Channel. Passengers were moved to upper decks. Six of the 1,200 on board suffered minor injuries, Brittany Ferries said. The vessel was diverted to Roscoff in France where passengers disembarked. Coastguards were alerted to the problems in the early hours. Coastguards said there was some panic on board the £100m vessel and that they took about a dozen calls from passengers and their relatives who were worried about the ship. The 41,000-tonne German-built super-ferry is capable of carrying 2,400 passengers and 650 cars. It went into service in 2004. The ship will be inspected by engineers in Roscoff. MCA spoils AT Ferries partyDate: 18 May 2006Source: Lloyds List A row over Spanish and British safety standards left 350 ferry passengers stranded in Portsmouth. Bosses at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency told the captain of the Spanish ferry Fortuny that he could not sail back to Bilbao because they were worried about safety measures. But the owners of the ferry, Acciona Trasmediter-ranea, said the Spanish authorities had given it the all-clear and the British officials were being too fussy. The ferry packed with Spanish dignitaries came into Portsmouth on her maiden voyage yesterday and was due to stay for just a few hours. But the MCA, which said it was not informed about the ferry's arrival until last Friday, paid a visit and found the crew were not prepared for a fire drill, couldn't lower the lifeboats, and found some of the emergency fire-fighting equipment was still in its packaging and not ready for use. A search and rescue plan hadn't been lodged and it had failed to provide proof in English that it met stability tests. Amir Esmiley, surveyor in charge at the MCA's Marine Office in Southampton, said: 'Safety on board such vessels is of crucial importance.' A statement released late last night by the Spanish firm accused the MCA of an over-reaction and claimed it was unusual for a team of inspectors to descend on a ferry as soon as it arrived in a British port. Tallink continues with one vessel on Riga routeDate: 18 May 2006Source: ShipPax Contrary to earlier reports, Tallink will continue to deploy only one ferry on its recently opened Stockholm-Riga route. The Fantaasia was initially deployed on the service, which started on 8 April this year. Towards the end of the same month, Tallink announced a second ferry was to be deployed on the route, making the service daily in both directions. With the Romantika replacing the older vessel on the Stockholm - Tallinn route, Regina Baltica was to take up operations to Riga. However, Tallink has now decided to continue running the Riga service as a one-ship operation until further notice. The company has confirmed that the Regina Baltica has replaced the Fantaasia, but it is not clear what will happen with the older and smaller unit. Tallink yesterday rejected information about the sale of the Fantaasia to Algeria, published in a BNS news report. Tallink officials told CFI they could not give more information about the status of the vessel. AT Ferries unveil uk plansDate: 17 May 2006Source: Lloyds list Rapidly expanding Spanish ferry operator Acciona Trasmediterranea, which launched a new service linking Bilbao and the UK port of Portsmouth yesterday, is now hoping to open a “maritime motorway” link between Spain and the UK. Speaking in Bilbao at the inauguration of the service, chairman Juan Saéz explained that the company has positioned itself in the Basque city because it believes Bilbao could be designated as a maritime motorway port. “Our objective is to take 25,000 trucks and 100,000 passengers off the roads each year,” he said, adding that Acciona Trasmed would place a second ferry on the Portsmouth route if there was sufficient demand. The 26,900-gt Fortuny will operate the 28-hour crossing every three days during the peak July-September season. The vessel, which can accommodate 900 passengers and 130 trucks, will lead Acciona Trasmed’s push into the UK market and forms part of the company’s policy to diversify away from Spain’s domestic routes. Ferry passengers stranded after wartime bomb is found in MerseyDate: 17 May 2006Source: BBC News Two ferries carrying 250 passengers and crew were stranded for almost eight hours yesterday after a 1,000lb German wartime bomb was discovered floating in the Mersey. It was detected by the sonar of a Royal Navy warship and last night bomb disposal experts towed it out to sea to be detonated. The ferries were prevented from docking after the 7ft-long bomb was discovered floating about 300 yards from the £30 million Twelve Quays ferry terminal. It is possible that it was dislodged from its resting place by a recent spate of high tides. The device was one of thousands used by the Luftwaffe in its attempt to prevent vital supplies reaching Britain from the United States and Canada. Experts believe the device was most likely to have been a panzerbombe, which the Luftwaffe used primarily against ships and fortifications. The minehunter Atherstone had been carrying out a navigational survey of the river-bed when its sonar detected "target" that naval authorities felt warranted closer inspection. Two Royal Navy divers were dispatched to the scene and they confirmed that it was indeed a Second World War bomb. Minutes later they set up a buoy with strobe and chemical lights to keep shipping away. At around 8.30am divers returned to the bomb, attaching a flotation bag which within 90 minutes had raised it to within 10ft of the surface. The bomb was then securely strapped and towed into the middle of the river. This allowed the two passenger ferries, Mersey Viking and Dublin Viking, from Belfast and Dublin respectively, to dock. Merseyside Police and the coastguard service then assisted the Royal Navy in the operation to tow the bomb to the North Bar light in Liverpool Bay. It was then lowered back on to the seabed and packed with plastic explosives ready for detonation. According to a naval source, the minehunter was in the Mersey searching for the body of a missing businessman, as well as conducting a survey of the estuary bed. Norway's ferry strike expected to cause more problemsDate: 15 May 2006Source: Norway Post The nation-wide strike which hit around 30 of Norway's key ferry points last Saturday, was expected to cause greater problems at the start of a new work-week on Monday morning. The union says a further escalation of the strike will be considered. The Naval Officers' Union has called a number of its members out on strike for higher pay, after it turned down a proposal for a new wage agreement put forward by the National Arbitrator early Saturday morning. Around 30 ferry connections in 11 counties have been hit by the strike, which has resulted in reduced services in some areas, and a complete halt at other points. There has been no contact over the weekend between the parties involved in the strike, NRK reports. A further escalation of the strike will be considered later on today (Monday), a union spokesman says. The Ship's Engineers' Union accepted the proposal. NorFerries makes bid for Sea Containers SiljaDate: 15 May 2006Source: Lloyds List Norwegian shipping investment company NorFerries has offered Euros520m ($671m) for US shipping operator Sea Containers' loss-making ferry operator unit Silja Line, a Finnish daily newspaper reported today. The offer has been made jointly with a consortium of German companies, the newspaper said, without identifying those firms. ”NorFerries does not have ships in the Baltic Sea, so we will be saved from months and months of competition authority investigations, should we win the auction," NorFerries chairman Sigurd E. Steen told the newspaper. Buyout move could foil Silja biddersDate: 12 May 2006Source: Lloyds List A management buyout bid at Baltic ferry operator Silja Lines has emerged as a dramatic potential late contender in the auction set to close next month, writes Jerry Frank. Bosses at the company are understood to have put together a buyout package as rival ferry operators hover around its “for sale” sign. Silja Lines was put up for auction last year after its London-headquartered and Bermuda-registered parent Sea Containers began to buckle under financial strains. Finnish news sources have reported that a group of foreign investors are backing a move led by chief executive Antti Pankakoski to retain Silja under existing management. “I will not comment on anything related to the selling or buying of Silja,” Mr Pankakosi told Finnish daily Kauppalehti. Sea Containers’ boss Bob MacKenzie said last week the sale of the Baltic passenger shipping arm, expected to raise around € 600m ($701m), was near completion. Former chairman and founder James Sherwood first indicated an exit from the Baltic ferry business nine months ago and put the daughter company up for sale in November. Viking Line of Finland and Tallink of Estonia have been front runners in the auction, but a late buyout could hold its marauding rivals at bay. Investment bank Société Générale is managing the auction as Sea Containers looks to reduce debts that have risen to around $1.3bn. 1000 Free Cars to Norway and Sweden with DFDS SeawaysDate: 11 May 2006Source: Directferries.co.uk Book a trip with your car to Norway or Sweden this summer and you could save up to £130. On selected departures and dates DFDS Seaways are allowing you to take the car for free so pack up your car for an adventure to Scandinavia, where you’ll find some of the most spectacular scenery you can imagine, and have a holiday to remember forever. The offer is valid for 1000 cars on Newcastle - Gothenburg and Newcastle - Kristiansand on selected departure dates in the period 1/6 to 30/9. This offer is not valid on June 4th, 5th, 18th & 29th and July 24th, 27th and 31st of July. These offers won’t be here forever, so book now before it’s too late! For booking, please visit our DFDS Seaways.page. Norfolkline wins top ferry industry awardDate: 9 May 2006Source: Norfolkline Norfolkline, the exclusive Dover – Dunkerque ferry operator, has received a top award within the passenger shipping industry for the design of its new purpose-built Ro-Pax ship, Maersk Dunkerque. The award for “Outstanding Ferry Concept of 2005” was announced at the ShipPax Awards 2006 Ferry Shipping Conference, organised in conjunction with the Cruise & Ferry Info publication. This award is given to the ship owner, the shipyard and the designer and in making their decision, the ShipPax Awards jury have inspected, studied, checked and scrutinised all new ships in this and all categories. The jury were looking for innovative thinking, which takes into consideration the conditions, markets and routes in which the respective ships operate. Maersk Dunkerque is the first of three state-of-the-art Scandanavian designed vessels, built to provide a superior service across the English Channel. With a crossing time of just 1 hour 50 minutes between Dover and Dunkerque, passengers can travel in spacious comfort, have a leisurely meal, relax in a lounge bar and other specially designed and dedicated areas separating motorists and freight drivers. Up to 22 sailings daily are provided between Dover and Dunkerque. The new ships are also the first on the channel to be “Smoke-Free” although there are smoking areas on the outside decks. Representing the biggest single investment by a ferry operator on the cross channel routes from Dover in over a decade, Maersk Dunkerque was introduced to the Dover – Dunkerque service in November 2005, sister ship Maersk Delft arrived in February this year and the third ship is scheduled to enter service in the summer of 2006. For booking or for more information on Norfolkline, please visit our Norfolkline.page. Danish-German consortium to bid for ScandlinesDate: 8 May 2006Source: Lloyds List A Danish-German consortium - The Baltic Ferry Development Group - is to bid for ferry operator Scandlines AG, which is up for sale, daily Boersen reported, citing Soeren Moeller, partner at LD Equity, a member of the consortium. Apart from Denmark's LD Equity, the consortium also consists of Allianz AG's Allianz Capital Partners and Deutsche Seereederei (DSR). The Danish-German ferry operator is currently owned by the Danish Ministry of Transport and Deutsche Bahn AG, which hold 50 pct each. Moeller told the daily that the consortium plans to further develop Scandlines' already strong market position by opening new routes to places such as Finland, Russia and Poland but also to offer mini cruises. The plan is to have Scandlines listed on the stock exchange within 5-7 years, Moeller said. 'Scandlines has for us a very attractive platform to be developed into the European shipping-freight-tourism group we envisage,' said Moeller. A spokesman for the German shipping company DSR commented to the Financial Times Deutschland that the consortium's goal, with Scandlines, 'is to become the leading ferry and tourism company in the Baltic Sea'. According to Deutsche Bahn sources quoted in Handelsblatt, other parties interested in bidding include a consortium between Switzerland's Cross Finance and banking group Fortis NV, as well as the Scandilines competitors Stena Lines and DFDS Seaways. Cross Finance confirmed to the newspaper that it was interested, while Stena and DFDS could not be reached for comment. A Bahn spokesman would not comment. According to financial sources cited in the FTD, the owners hope to fetch at least 600-800 mln eur for Scandlines. But an investment banker involved in the deal said that a price around 1 bln eur is also conceivable, 'in view of the interest shown, and the good shape of Scandlines'. City of Rochester sells fast ferry to a British company for $29.8mDate: 8 May 2006Source: 13wham Euroferries Ltd, which will pay cash, will use the boat for a route between England and France. The deal will close sometime next week, and the ferry is expected to leave shortly thereafter. The logos on the boat have already been painted over. “It is a great price,” said Mayor Bob Duffy. The sale means city taxpayers are on the hook for $17.7 million, not including interest payments or ferry-related infrastructure expenditures at the port, such as construction of the terminal. The city borrowed $40 million last year to buy the ferry and pay for start-up expenses. The city also used $7.5 million from its insurance reserve fund to get out of the ferry business. The city will use the sale money to replenish its reserve fund and pay down the ship's debt. The city will then have to make average yearly payments of $2.3 million for the next 15 years. City officials said they received seven bids for the boat. Another company came in with a higher bid, but the city was concerned about its ability to pay and close the deal quickly. Duffy said he left a voicemail message this afternoon for former Mayor Bill Johnson, who championed the project. “With this news, we can now redevelop Charlotte,” said City Council President Lois Giess. She says the city should capitalize on improvements the ferry brought to the area City Council and the ferry board will meet Thursday, May 4, to vote on the sale. City Corporation Counsel Tom Richards said the city will have no liability for the ship once the sale closes. The fast ferry first sailed into Rochester in the spring of 2004. It was privately owned and operated. The business failed less than three months into operation, with former owner Canadian American Transportation Systems deep in debt. The city’s venture also faired poorly, losing $10 million in 10 months. Duffy pulled the plug on the service just ten days into his first term as mayor. The State Attorney General and Comptroller are reviewing the project's finances. Their findings have not been released. Steering breakdown causes Normandie ferry frightDate: 5 May 2006Source: Lloyds List The 1,400 passengers aboard a Brittany Ferries car ferry had a serious fright when the vessel veered violently to starboard and took on a heavy list half an hour after leaving the French port of Caen-Ouistreham, writes Andrew Spurrier in Paris. Members of the crew of the 1992-built Normandie were reported to have told passengers that the vessel had taken on a 35 degree list at one point, causing cars and motorcycles to slide out of position and bottles and crockery to fall and smash in the restaurant and store. Brittany Ferries chief executive Jean-Michel Giguet told Lloyd’s List yesterday the incident was caused by an as yet unexplained breakdown in the ship’s automatic steering. He said the master reacted immediately, taking the vessel back under manual control and correcting its course. Passengers complained that they were given insufficient information about the incident, which took place on the 17:00 Caen-Ouistreham to Portsmouth sailing on Monday. Mr Giguet acknowledged that the master had not addressed passengers until two hours after the incident but said he needed time to understand what had happened before doing so. Mr Giguet insisted that the vessel had at no time been in danger of capsizing, even if the list taken on had appeared impressive to passengers. “At no time was the security of passengers in danger,” he added. He said there had been no reports of injuries to passengers and damage to vehicles had been limited to 12 motorcycles and one car. Passenger Bill Perry, 53, said he felt the vessel turn sharply and then start to tilt. “It just kept going,” he said. “I lost completely my view of the sky. All I could see was sea and it kept going. People panicked. People were screaming. “Passengers were not happy and told the crew so,” said Mr Perry, who was returning home to the Taunton area after a weekend visit to Lisieux with a 32-strong party from a badminton club. “After about three hours the French captain made an apology over the public address system but gave no more explanation,” he said. The company is conducting an internal investigation into the cause of the automatic steering failure, although Mr Giguet said that it was company policy to change this piece of equipment every two years. SNCM employees back privatisationDate: 4 May 2006Source: Lloyds List More than three-quarters of SNCM’s 2,400 employees have voted to approve the relaunch of the ailing operator in a move that paves the way for privatisation. The recovery plan put forward by the future owners of SNCM – private transport group Veolia Transports and investment fund Butler Capital Partners – received backing from 77% of the staff. Veolia had said it would pull out of the privatisation if employees were not broadly in agreement. The recovery plan includes winning back lost market share on the south France-Corsica routes, the development of new services to North Africa and opening of new ferry lines. Fleet renewal is also on the agenda, as is a €20M ($25M) cost-cutting programme and a reduction in staff numbers of 400 without compulsory redundancies. The French government will inject €177.5M in two stages to recapitalise the company. Privatisation is expected to be completed by the end of the month, provided European Union authorities give their final approval. The next big challenge for SNCM is to secure the public service tender for routes to and from Corsica; analysts say the company is unlikely to survive without at least part of this concession. Emeraude Jersey Ferries to resume passenger servicesDate: 3 May 2006Source: BBC News Emeraude Ferries is resuming its foot passenger service on the Jersey to St Malo route. The service is expected to start operating again from the middle of May. Emeraude stopped sailings in December 2005 after engine problems on its vessel, Solidor Five. In talks, the States has encouraged Emeraude's parent firm, Sogestran, to run a competing service on the southerly route to Condor Ferries. Emeraude has sustained heavy losses on the Jersey to St Malo route since it was opened up to competition with Condor Ferries in 2003. When Solidor Five encountered engine problems, the firm said it could not afford a replacement boat. In January it was announced that States' help could be given to Emeraude to restart the route. To make a booking for this route, please either visit our Emeraude Jersey Ferries page or alternatively call 0871 222 3312. Transmanche Ferries sends sisters into frayDate: 2 May 2006Source: Ferry News Just five years after making its shortsea debut, Transmanche Ferries has realised the first stage of a fleet renewal programme for the Newhaven Dieppe ferry route. Compared with the ships hitherto deployed by Transmanche, the recently commissioned Cote d’Albatre and future consort Seven Sisters signal an advance in ro-pax capacity and speed, achieved through the use of a compact, proven form from Spanish shipbuilder Hijos de J. Barreras. The investment underscores the Rouen-based company’s long-term commitment and bid to strengthen its position on the intensely competitive cross-channel market. Cote d’Albatre is laid out for 600 passengers, including cabin accommodation totalling nearly 200 berths, and has garaging for a maximum 62 trailers or for all-up tourist intake of 500 cars. The flexibility conferred by the use of hoistable platform deck sections together with the drive-through configuration allows a range of mixed load permutations, to meet the needs of a year-round route subject to seasonal changes in traffic emphasis. A typical ro-ro mix, for instance, could be 31 commercial vehicles or trailers and 224 cars. The French sisters are based on the 142.45 m x 24.20 m hull form adopted by Barreras for the 2004-built Volcan de Tamasite and Volcan de Timanfaya, delivered to the Armas Group of Spain. The Cote d’Albatreembodies an increased deadweight of some 2,900 tons at the same design draught, a higher power concentration, and the inclusion of a bow visor-type door as well as twin-ramp stern access, with corresponding changes in the internal ramp arrangements relative to the Armas ferries. Fixed ramps serve inter-deck transfers between the main and upper vehicle decks, and the moveable car deck and two associated ramps are reached from the upper level. By virtue of an 18,900 kW primary power concentration in two Wärtsilä 46-series medium-speed diesels, each of the Transmanche duo will offer a service speed of 22 knots. This will enable crossing times to be significantly reduced to around three hours, compared with the current four hours. The main engines drive 4.2 m-diameter Rolls-Royce controllable pitch propellers through a pair of Reintjes reduction gears, each of which is equipped with a power take-off for a 1,875 kVA shaft alternator. The shaft generators serve the at-sea electrical load, and electrical power generation is otherwise the province of three 1,100 kW diesel gensets. The demands of manoeuvring within the confines of the ports in Normandy and southern England are better met through the provision of a pair of electrically-driven, 1,300 kW bow tunnel thrusters supplied by Rolls-Royce. The public spaces are located on decks 5 and 6, including cabin accommodation for a total crew and passenger complement of 650. There are 50 passenger cabins, all bar two of which are arranged with four berths, and the various expressions of attention in the design to overall passenger comfort include the provision of a pair of retractable fin stabilisers. |
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