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Latest Ferry NewsThe latest ferry news for January 2007 is below:Newhaven Le Havre onlineDate: 29 Jan 2007Source: Directferries.co.uk The LD Lines ferry services between Newhaven and Le Havre are now available to be booked online. The orginal schedule has been amended, and the service will now depart daily from Newhaven at 12:30 and from Le Havre at 20:00. The first sailing is scheduled for April 30th. For more information or to make a booking, please visit our Newhaven Le Havre Ferry page. New Ferry Operator - HD FerriesDate: 24 Jan 2007Source: Directferries.co.uk A new ferry company - HD Ferries, has launched Channel Islands - France ferry service The new ferry services link the ports of St Helier - Jersey, St Peter Port - Guernsey and St Malo - France. The service is designed to provide a high speed, no frills value for money service for both passengers and freight. The vessel, named HD1, is an Incat K series high speed fastcraft with a service speed of 38 knots and an average crossing time of 1 hour on each route. The HD1 is capable of carrying up to 400 passengers plus 100 cars or 70 cars and 10 x 8 metre freight units. There is a spacious lounge onboard as well as a duty free shop, bar and light refreshment area. HD1 will provide a daily summer service starting and ending in Jersey from March to September and a three times per week winter service. With six segments per day the residents of the Channel Islands and St Malo will have a wide range of additional options to complement the existing Condor Ferries services. The 0715 sailing from Jersey to St Malo will also allow customers to connect with the mid morning TGV and be in Paris for lunch time! HD Ferries will be available to be booked online soon, but can be booked now by calling 0871 222 3312. For more information including sailing schedules and crossing durations, please visit our HD Ferries page. Brittany Ferries to acquire fast ferryDate: 24 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List Brittany Ferries is to acquire the fast ferry Normandie Express in what it says should be taken as an indi- cation of its intention to maintain its English Channel ferry service between the ports of Cherbourg and Portsmouth. The company, which has been using the vessel on charter to date, is to pay €30m ($38.9m) to buy it from its owner, listed by the Equasis shipping database as High Speed Catamarans of New Zealand. Announcing the purchase in Cherbourg at the end of last week, chief executive Jean-Michel Giguet hit out at local critics of the company who had accused it of seeking to develop its services at the port of Caen at the expense of those at Cherbourg. “This initiative confirms our wish to support activity in Cherbourg and Caen and our determination to fix the fast ship market in Cherbourg,“ he said. He rejected claims that the company fare policy had resulted a fall in traffic at Cherbourg, counter-claiming that the company’s competitiveness had been damaged by increases in port charges following P&O’s departure from Cherbourg at the end of 2004. “The problem has been settled today but, after the departure of P&O, the chamber of commerce (operator of the port) sought to put the weight of the costs on those who remained,” he said. He said that the company had reduced prices on lines between France and the British ports of Poole and Portsmouth by 3.8% between 2004 and 2006 and increased its passenger total by 37%. The company benefited from the withdrawal of P&O during this period, however, and Mr Giguet acknowledged that, this phenomenon apart, the passenger ferry market overall had fallen off. This he said was because more Britons were choosing sunnier destinations served by low-cost airlines in preference to France. Warring ferry operators start joint bid for Corsica runDate: 24 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List French Mediterranean ferry operators SNCM and Compagnie Meridionale de Navigation have begun working on a joint bid for the new public service ferry concession between the French mainland and the island of Corsica. But CMN, which has been at loggerheads with SNCM since it decided to end their traditional partnership on Corsican ferry routes last year, has warned that the fact that the two companies are discussing the possibility of a joint bid does not mean it will become reality. Following the decision by the French council of state to oblige the Corsican authorities to organise a new tender call, interested candidates have until February 9 to submit bids for the new concession, which is due to come effect on May 1. CMN acknowledges that it is in discussion with SNCM regarding the possibility of a joint bid but insisted: “Nothing has been fixed or signed. “The only thing we can say is that talks have started.” A spokeswoman added that, whatever the outcome of the talks, the company would accept no formula which compromises its independence or is detrimental to SNCM’s main competitor, Corsica Ferries. During the first round of bidding for the concession, which was annulled by the council of state, CMN submitted a bid for part of the concession on its own account and a bid for the whole concession in partnership with Corsica Ferries. SNCM has indicated, however, that it is ready to bid for the new concession with CMN on the basis of the same share-out of rights and responsibilities as has been adopted by the two companies for the existing concession. Both companies are under pressure from union representatives to reform their alliance for the new concession. The unions say failure to do so would benefit rival Corsica Ferries and result in job losses for French seafarers. Corsica Ferries, meanwhile, has announced plans to increase capacity on its French and Italian Corsica services following its acquisition of two new vessels. The company, which claims a 58% share of the Corsican ferry market overall and 55% of the French Corsican ferry market, said that it would be offering more than 1m extra places on its ferries this year. In particular, the company is planning to offer 30% more departures on services between Toulon and Corsica which are in direct competition with the services from Marseilles covered by the subsidised public service concession. For more information on sailings to Corsica, please visit our Ferries to Corsica page. AT Ferries sailings axed until AprilDate: 24 Jan 2007Source: Portsmouth Today Acciona Trasmediterranea has axed its sailings between Portsmouth and Bilbao until April. Today port chiefs were doing their best to put a brave face on the cancellations insisting they were not a disaster. But speculation is rife that the company may be having second thoughts and might never return to Portsmouth. These arose after its rival on the same route, P&O Ferries, recently rechartered the Pride of Bilbao for another three years, quashing concerns about its future. It means there will be no service between Portsmouth and Bilbao until February 4. P&O's Pride of Bilbao is on its annual refit in Falmouth, Cornwall. Portsmouth Port bosses yesterday insisted it was only a minor set-back. The news was slipped out in an e-mail to customers telling them that for 'operational reasons' it was cancelling its sailings between Bilbao and Portsmouth until the end of April. P&O spokesman Brian Rees said: 'We were shocked at the speed of developments.' New service - Newhaven to Le HavreDate: 19 Jan 2007Source: Directferries.co.uk LD Lines have announced that they will be running a new ferry service from Newhaven to Le Havre with the first sailing scheduled for May 1st. There will be daily departures from Newhaven at 17:00, and from Le Havre at 00:30. The sailing duration is expected to be 5 hours. The service will be available to be booked online from next week, so for more information, please visit our Newhaven Le Havre Ferry page. P&O Ferries renews Pride of Bilbao charterDate: 17 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List P&O Ferries has renewed its charter of the Pride of Bilbao for a further three years, ending doubts about the future of the UK operator’s well established Portsmouth-Bilbao service, writes Mike Hood . The renewed charter with owner Irish Continental Group for the 1986-built vessel runs from October 2007 and is believed to have been secured at 20% less than the previous agreement. The 37,583 gt ferry has been on charter to P&O Ferries since 1993. It was built originally as the Olympia for Viking Lines’ service in the Baltic between Sweden and Finland. Recently she has suffered a series of problems, both mechanical and operational, but has continued to be popular with both passengers and freight operators. Last year the vessel suffered main engine problems. It also saw the arrival of a competitor on the Portsmouth-Bilbao route in the shape of Spain’s Acciona Trasmediterranea, with the 2001-built, 26,916 gt Fortuny. While the Spanish line has made inroads into the freight business between the UK and northern Spain, P&O Ferries has maintained its reputation of providing the best service for passengers, both foot and car based. Premiere for Volvo Trucks breathalyser on Stena Line shipsDate: 17 Jan 2007Source: Easier Motoring On 16th January, Stena Line and Volvo Trucks showed the first breathalyser to be installed on the Stena Scandinavica ferry that operates between Gothenburg (Sweden) and Kiel (Germany). The breathalyser allows drivers to quickly and easily test themselves to verify that they are fit to drive in Sweden. The Stena Line drive to install breathalysers on board the company’s ferries is a joint initiative together with AB Volvo and is part of the companies’ determination to heighten awareness of the risks of alcohol and increase interest in traffic safety. “Commercial vehicle drivers are highly aware of the importance of safety and do not drink alcohol when working,” says Hans Hansson, Freight Commercial Manager for Stena Line in Scandinavia. However, there are few exceptions, according to the statistics, and a driver may occasionally want to test himself just to be on the safe side. Consequently, we are working together with Volvo to install breathalysers on all Stena Lines ships that call at Swedish ports.” “The test is naturally entirely voluntary and we regard the breathalyser as a service to our customers, but at the same time as it helps improve traffic safety and reduces the risk of drivers of heavy vehicles operating their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol,” continues Hans Hansson. Over the past few years, there have been several serious accidents involving foreign vehicles driven by drivers who have been intoxicated. Indeed the numbers of drivers arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol around Ystad, one of the main ferry ports on Sweden’s southern coast, doubled between Mar 2005 and Mar 2006. The breathalyser will be installed in the Trucker’s Lounge, the drivers’ own section on board with its dining room, TV, newspapers, comfortable loungers for stretching out and relaxing, and other facilities. At dockside check-in, each driver receives a disposable mouthpiece for the breathalyser and information about the services Stena Line offers to anyone who requires assistance, for example help with disembarking the vehicle, parking facilities and so on. Emergency operation in the ChannelDate: 17 Jan 2007Source: Daily Echo A massive test of the emergency services was due to take place later today in the English Channel. Scores of Hampshire fire fighters airlifted to a ferry to fight an imaginary inferno. The exercise is being staged on the Brittany Ferries ship Mont St Michel and has been organised by the Maritime Incident Response Group to test how crews respond to a major fire aboard a passenger ferry. Advertisement continued... Up to 50 firefighters will be flown to the ship from the HM Coastguard station at Lee-on-Solent where they will then be lowered to the vessel with specially designed lightweight equipment. The test will take place shortly after 3.30pm close to Nab Tower in the Solent off the eastern tip of the Isle of Wight. SpeedFerries postpones introduction of new shipDate: 15 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List Dover Boulogne fast ferry operator SpeedFerries has had to postpone plans to introduce a second vessel alongside its existing Speed One catamaran in time for Easter. The company has indicated that it does not expect to be able to introduce a second vessel until “May at the earliest”. It has given no explanation for the delay but says that negotiations for a second vessel are continuing. SpeedFerries announced in September that it would be introducing a second vessel early this year with the aim of operating a two-vessel service from Easter, following an overhaul of the Speed One. It has not so far identified the vessel, but has said that it is a 91 m long Incat with capacity for 200 cars — 20 more than the 83m long Speed One. Poole Ferry Port prepares to welcome its biggest visitorDate: 15 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List THE English south coast port of Poole has received its first booking for a deeper draughted vessel since the approach channel was deepened from 6 m to 7.5 m. When it arrives in Poole next month Brittany Ferries’ 24,534 gt ro-ro ferry Bretagne, which has a draught of 6.7 m, will be the largest vessel to visit the port. The ship will temporarily replace the company’s regular 20,133 gt Channel ferry Barfleur, which is due for a refit. Bretagne carries 2,056 passengers and 580 cars. Poole Harbour Commissioners are waiting to learn if Brittany Ferries’ much larger replacement for their existing truck carrier Coutancewill trade out of Poole. The new vessel, Cotentin, being built at Aker’s yard in Finland and due for delivery later this summer, will be considerably larger than both Coutance and Barfleur. Jim Stewert, Poole Harbour Commissioners’ chief executive, told Lloyd’s List: “We believe that deepening the approach channel will attract considerable new trade to the port. “By deepening it to 7.5 m we are now able to accommodate up to 60% of the world’s cruiseships. We are also hoping to attract feeder container vessels and other deeper drafted vessels.” During last year Channel Seaways began operating a liner service from Poole to the Channel Isles. It started with six vessels a month during the first half of the year and then in the second half increased this to 12 a month. Last year also saw an increase in grain imports, which were up 91%. Brick imports were up 24%, timber rose 18% and stone by 15%. Exports included 100,000 tonnes of china clay from Purbeck, mostly shipped to northern Spain, and 21,000 tonnes of general cargo. Comfort replaces speed on the Harwich - Hook linkDate: 15 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List STENA is investing £70m ($136m) in the lengthening and refurbishment of the Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica . At 240 m, they will become the largest ro-pax vessels in the world. The modified ships will have capacity for 900 passengers, with 400 cabins and 4,100 lane metres. The Britannica will head for the shipyard on January 18; a new midbody of 28 m will be added to the 212-m ship, with work due to be finished on March 9. On March 11, the shorter Hollandica will leave the route for installation of a midbody which will extend the ship’s length by nearly 30%. “It is the biggest lengthening in the world ever,” says Mr de Lange. The ship is due for completion by May 8, “so from the beginning of May we will have the right tonnage in place”. “These renewed ships will have excellent passenger facilities and I am convinced that because of this we will be able to retain a major part of our passenger market,” he says. “I am convinced especially from the UK that we will retain a lot of night passengers. We have an ideal connection in respect of rail, although not a lot of people know that because everyone is focused on the low-cost airlines — air traffic still seems to be more sexy for a number of people. “In the future, instead of being the fastest crossing between the UK and Holland, we will provide the most comfortable crossing between the UK and Holland.” He also believes that passengers will come back to the ferries, disillusioned with the hassle involved in air travel. “There is more and more hassle in flying — it is ridiculous and many people are getting sick of it,” he says. “And what is better than going by your own car, hassle-free, by ferry?” Stena has extended its contract with Harwich International Port to 2020. What will happen to the dedicated HSS berths built at Harwich and the Hook in 1997 is unclear. They are not suitable for conventional ferries because of their height above the water. On the Harwich side, Hutchison Ports (UK) is expected to make an announcement on this within the next two weeks. Celtic Link postpones start of Channel ferryDate: 12 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List Celtic Link Ferries has confirmed its plans to launch a ferry service between Cherbourg and Portsmouth but has put back the first sailing until early next month. The Irish company announced in October that it would be starting the service on January 15 but has altered the launch date because the vessel it will be operating on the service has still to be inspected by the French and British authorities following an extensive refit by Jay Management in Piraeus. The 1987-built, 23,160 gt ro-pax vessel Celtic Mist, formerly the DFDS-owned Klaipeda, has been fitted, notably, with new cabins and other hotel facilities to allow it to carry up to 190 lorry drivers and other passengers compared with 12 previously. The vessel, which will have capacity for 120 freight units, will make one round trip daily, leaving Cherbourg at 2330 hrs to arrive in Portsmouth at 0530 hrs and returning from Portsmouth at 1430 hrs from Sunday to Friday and 0930 hrs on Saturdays. Pascal Higuera, who heads the company’s operations in Cherbourg, said the new service aimed to win back former P&O customers who had abandoned the line when it was closed at the end of 2004, particularly those who had gone to the Dover Strait. He said that the company was aiming to carry 40,000 freight vehicles in the course of the year, adding that it expected to be helped by new regulations in Britain regarding drivers’ working hours. “It is in the interests of transporters now to take a longer ferry crossing,” he said. Celtic Link, which is owned by the O’Flaherty brothers, best known for their Saltees Fish business at Kilmore Quay in Co Wexford, is also planning to reinforce its Liverpool Dublin line by the addition of a second ship. The line was launched in May and the second vessel had been expected in the autumn. Mr Higuera said that its arrival had been held up by chartering problems but that the 1978-built, 20,169 gt Celtic Sunwould now be joining the 1991-built, 11,086 gt Celtic Star on the route on January 18. Celtic Link made its debut on the Channel in February 2005, when it opened its Cherbourg-Rosslare service using the 1978-built, 16,776 gt Diplomat, previously operated on the same route by P&O. Ferries battle high winds to berth at DoverDate: 11 Jan 2007Source: Kent News Cross-Channel ferries had to be towed into a port by tug boats this morning as 70mph winds lashing the south coast. P&O and Seafrance ferries arriving at Dover in Kent after sailing from Calais in France needed two tug boats to steady them while docking. Without the support coastguards said the giant vessels would have been slammed into berths in Dover harbour by the large waves and strong gusts of wind, causing major damage. Having to use tug boats to dock at the port meant only one cross-Channel service could be in the harbour at any time - which delayed each ferry by up to 30 minutes. A Dover coastguard watch officer said: “Ferries coming into Dover have been delayed by up to 30 minutes as they need tug boats to help them into the port. “Because of the strong winds, which have been gusting up to 70mph, they need help getting into berths as they could smash into the sides and cause a lot of damage. “Only one ferry can go in at a time, so two tug boats have been waiting in the harbour to help them dock safely.” She added: “There are rough seas in the Channel, but as soon as the ferries clear the port they can handle this weather, so cross-Channel services have not been stopped." Fears over future of P&O Ferries Portsmouth Bilbao Ferry serviceDate: 10 Jan 2007Source: Portsmouth Today Concerns are growing for the future of P&O Ferries Portsmouth Bilbao Ferry route. The company has to make its intentions clear within two to three weeks on whether it will retain the vessel Pride of Bilbao. Its charter with the vessel's owner, Irish Continental Group, runs out by October this year and it has to be given notice if P & O decides not to retain it. So far, P & O has made no decision, and informed observers are uncertain which way it will go. The company won't release passenger numbers or the amount of money it makes on the run but it is understood it makes a 'small profit'. An unnamed source said it was touch and go. He said: 'They will be making a decision on the Bilbao Ferry run based on the ship. They are looking around. 'It's a case of do they renew the charter, is it the right ship for the run, do they hire her or charter something different? It's not losing money. It's okay on its feet. It's got a better chance than the French ones but it's a marginal decision. 'It will all depend on the negotiations that are ongoing with the charter of the vessel and the mix between passengers and freight.' The company made hundreds of people redundant when it announced the findings of a review into its loss-making ferry operation in 2004, which involved pulling out of its routes to France from Portsmouth. Bilbao survived but speculation about the route has persisted. Last year, P & O was taken over by DP World for more than £3bn, which has publicly stated that ferries were safe under it. Andrew Linington, of the ferry officers' union Nautilus, said the vibes were optimistic. 'We are aware of the charter position and the renewal and everything, but equally the vessel has been in for a refit with a view to continuing the run.' Ferry travel writer Jane Archer said: 'It would make some kind of sense if they scrapped the route because of the cost of keeping it as an enclave in Portsmouth, but because they've kept it going for so long there could be a good chance they would keep it going.' Company spokesman Brian Rees said: 'We're now finalising the detail of our plans for the Bilbao service and will be in a position to bring staff up to speed next week.' No Ship and no sailings for Swansea Cork Ferries this yearDate: 9 Jan 2007Source: icWales Swansea Cork Ferries, which has carried 3.5 million passengers across the Irish Sea since it started in 1987, has cancelled its 2007 sailings. The ferry line has ploughed millions into the economies of Swansea Bay and Cork and Kerry. But the company said yesterday it could not find a replacement for its ship the MV Superferry, so services would not run this year. The company is laying off 30 staff but said it hoped to resume sailings in 2008. The Swansea Cork Ferry service, which runs between March and October, brings thousands of tourists to the Republic of Ireland and South Wales. South Wales superstores in particular have profited from the ferry link as Irish customers take advantage of cheaper British prices. And restaurants, B&B, hotel and camping businesses on both side of the Irish Sea have been given a huge boost by the regular sailings. Shetland-Norway ferry link proposal on tableDate: 8 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List Shetland Transport Partnership is in talks with a Scandinavian consortium discussing the possibility of a new ferry link between Norway, Shetland and the UK mainland, it emerged on Friday, writes Hans J Marter. The partnership’s transport development manager, Ken Dürden, was, however, tight-lipped as to the details of the proposal, saying only that discussions were at a very early stage. A regular ferry link between Lerwick and a Norwegian port, preferably Bergen, is seen as vital for the development of Shetland’s tourism industry, and the aim to establish such a link has also been included in the draft Shetland Transport Strategy. Shetland lost its regular link with Bergen, when Faroese shipping company Smyril Line changed its course and dropped Shetland’s Norwegian link from its 2007 timetable. Mr Dürden said discussions were sensitive as Shetland would like to win back Smyril Line, in which the Shetland Development Trust has a major stake, while at the same time investigating other options to establish a Scandinavian link. He has now prepared a short report to members of the Shetland Transport Partnership, which will be discussed at its meeting next Thursday. In the report he reveals that “preliminary discussions” between the transport partnership, the development trust and a “consortium from mid-Norway” are taking place. Yesterday he said he was unable to give any more details, such as names of companies involved in the discussions. The local authority in Shetland has also been in discussions with the Norwegian company Fjord Line to explore the possibility of a link to Shetland. However, last year, Fjord Line sold its ferry and UK route to its Danish competitor DFDS. English Channel bound Spirit of Ontario heads for dry dockDate: 8 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List The fast ferry Spirit of Ontario, which should have been operating in the English Channel last summer, is finally on the move, but only to dry dock for repairs in Nova Scotia, writes Terry Sutton. The saga began when British potential cross-Channel competitors vied for the purchase of the 86 m craft from US city authorities in Rochester. Euroferries won the auction with a reported bid of £16.1m ($30.5m), but the deal was never implemented and Rochester’s mayor Bob Duffy admits the craft is still owned by his authority. Now, after months berthed at Rochester, it has left for Nova Scotia. It had to sail before the seaway closed for the winter freeze-up. “A little piece of history is leaving Rochester,” said Mr Duffy, whose decision for the craft to leave was approved by Rochester Ferry Board. He is disappointed because he was confident the Euroferries deal was complete. Local journalists say US Coast Guards have checked the ferry’s hull and tested the crew on safety drills. The craft made its way through the seven locks of the St Lawrence Seaway but had to stop unexpectedly at Quebec because of the weather Meanwhile the City of Rochester says there are still talks in progress with four potential buyers. Hopes for new ferry link to NorwayDate: 6 Jan 2007Source: Shetland Marine News Shetland Transport Partnership is in talks with a Scandinavian consortium discussing the possibility of a new ferry link between Norway, Shetland and the UK mainland, it emerged yesterday (Friday). The partnership’s transport development manager, Ken Dürden, was however tight lipped as to the details of the proposal, only saying that discussions were at a very early stage. A regular ferry link between Lerwick and a Norwegian port, preferably Bergen, is seen as vital for the development of Shetland’s tourism industry, and the aim to establish such a link has also been included in the draft Shetland Transport Strategy. Shetland lost its regular link with Bergen, when Faroese shipping company Smyril Line changed its course and dropped Shetland’s Norwegian link from its summer timetable for 2007. Mr Dürden said discussions were sensitive as Shetland would like to win back Smyril Line, in which the Shetland Development Trust has a major stake, while at the same time investigating other options to establish a Scandinavian link. He has now prepared a short report to members of the Shetland Transport Partnership, which will be discussed at its meeting, next Thursday. In it, he only reveals that “preliminary discussions” between the transport partnership, the development trust and a “consortium from Mid Norway” were taking place. Yesterday he said he was unable at this stage to give any more details such as names of companies involved in the discussions. The local authority in Shetland has also been in discussions with the Norwegian company Fjord Line to explore the possibility of a link to Shetland. However, last year, Fjord Line sold its ferry and UK route to its Danish competitor DFDS. Super-fast ferries head for UKDate: 5 Jan 2007Source: Evening Standard The French have transformed rail travel with their 200mph TGV trains and now trips to France across the Channel could be revolutionised by the advent of the BGV — Bateaux à Grande Vitesse. In what could herald the latest outbreak of ferry wars on the short sea crossing between England and France, a British-based company has put in an order for five French-designed BGV super-fast trimarans up to 210 metres long — twice the length of a football pitch or almost as long as an aircraft carrier. The ambitious plan is for the BGVs — capable of travelling at up to 55 knots, or more than 60mph, and designed to carry passengers and freight — to make the crossing from Boulogne to Sheerness, transforming the Medway port in north Kent into a gateway for traffic from the continent to the London Olympics in 2012. The challenge to the dominance of P&O and SeaFrance comes from Chikara Shipping, a UK subsidiary of a US company registered in Belize, fronted by entrepreneur John Paul Airs. The €400m (£270m) fleet of trimarans will transform cross-Channel travel, according to Airs, who has refused to disclose Chikara's backers but insists its finances are in place. Unveiling plans for the trimarans, capable of carrying up to 1,500 passengers, 260 cars, 84 lorries and 10 coaches, Airs has told shipping executives the BGVs will 'change the face of shipping and transport'. He plans a 'sea motorway network' linking Sheerness and Boulogne with Santander and Vigo in northern Spain and Drammen in Norway. The super-fast trimarans are in development with BGV France, which is based in the south of France, but with contracts for their construction yet to be signed they are unlikely to be in commission in the Channel until the summer of 2008. By then Chikara may have been overtaken by another would-be entrant into the short sea market, Euroferries, a new venture headed by Geoffrey Ede, the former boss of the Hoverspeed SeaCat. Its Channel operations were closed down 13 months ago by its financially troubled parent Sea Containers. Ede is in negotiation to bring to the UK the £16m fast-ferry Spirit of Ontario, which has been serving passengers between Toronto and the state of New York. It is currently out of service having been brought down the St Lawrence river to Nova Scotia in readiness for transfer to Britain. Euroferries plans to run its cross-Channel service out of Dover after the port rejected Chikara's proposals. Current short-sea operator SpeedFerries, run by Scandinavian entrepreneur Curt Stavis, is planning to launch a second catamaran between Dover and Boulogne by the summer. HSS Discovery will make its last crossing on MondayDate: 5 Jan 2007Source: Evening Star Shipspotters at Felixstowe will be able to see one of the most controversial but certainly most spectacular vessels to sail out of Harwich Harbour for the last time next week. The high-speed superferry Stena Discovery will be making its final trip on Monday before being withdrawn from service and probably sold. The ultra-modern white football-pitch sized catamaran has been sailing from Harwich to the Hook of Holland for nine years but high fuel costs and declining numbers of passengers mean it is no longer viable. It is being replaced by new Stena Line services, with the company investing £70 million to improve and lengthen two ferries to take more passengers and vehicles on twice daily services. HSS Discovery will be leaving for its last sailing at 10.40am. Over the years it hasn't always been plain sailing for the ship. It was dubbed “the wave machine” after its jet turbine engines regularly caused a series of waves which could turn a calm sea lapping peacefully onto Felixstowe's pebbles into a waist-high flood which could knock adults off their feet and sweep away possessions in seconds. Stena was swamped with compensation claims as the sudden waves swept away cameras, sunglasses, clothes, fishing equipment, beach chairs, picnic hampers, radios, and pushchairs. More than 60 metal triangular warning signs were put along Felixstowe seafront to tell residents and visitors of the wave danger, and a flashing light and warning siren was ordered. Changes had to be made to the ship's speed and route but this lengthened its journey times to three hours 40 minutes. Pim de Lange, Stena Lines area director North Sea, said the company was going from the fastest crossing of the North Sea to the most comfortable - and promised an excellent experience for passengers with the new ships. He said: “In order to maintain and develop our part of the passenger market we have decided to improve our two superferries because I believe that the low cost airlines will get more expensive and there are people who prefer to travel by sea. “If you travel by sea, you can relax and have something to eat. If you taken an overnight sailing then you can sleep and wake up at your destination.” What do you think of the withdrawal of the HSS? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk FASTFACTS: HSS Discovery The superferry was built in 1997 by Finnyards in Finland. It weighs 19,638 tons. It is 127 metres long, 40 metres wide, and can do about 40 knots. The vessel can carry 1,500 passengers and 360 cars. It is powered by gas jet turbines. Number of daily ferry crossings from Helsinki to Germany growingDate: 3 Jan 2007Source: Helsingin Sanomat Shipping company Tallink Silja moved its Superfast vessels from the Port of Hanko to Helsinki's West Harbour at the turn of the new year. In the spring the competition for passengers will become fiercer, as Finnlines is launching a brand new ferry service with a passenger capacity of 500 on the Helsinki-Germany route in April-May. Departures to Travemünde and Rostock will leave every night. The Tallink and Finnlines vessels can accommodate more than 1,000 passengers, and in the summer months even more. Helsinki has become the number one passenger harbour, with services to Stockholm, Tallinn, Rostock, Travemünde, and Mariehamn. During the peak summer season, the daily number of departures to Tallinn is more than 40. A couple of hundred trucks and trailers will be added to the Helsinki traffic daily, once the Superfast vessels start operating from the West Harbour. Particularly in the summertime, hundreds of cars will head for the West Harbour through Helsinki's district of Ruoholahti. The Finnlines vessels operating from the Hansa Terminal in the district of Sörnäinen are the only vessels taking passengers in Sörnäinen Harbour. Once the new Finnlines service is launched in April-May, the truck traffic will increase also in Sörnäinen. The new vessel will be faster than Finnlines's present ships operating between Finland and Germany. Currently, a crossing of the Baltic from Helsinki to Travemünde takes 36 hours, while in the summer it will take only 27 hours. The new vessel will offer also some inexpensive cabins which are expected to interest especially German passengers. Even pets will be allowed into some cabins. Tallink Silja and Finnlines both admit that the competition for cargo and passengers will become noticeably stiffer. On the other hand, also the number of trips to Germany to buy used cars is expected to grow further, bearing in mind the high level of tax attached to cars bought in Finland. Furthermore, the number of Russian passengers appears to keep growing from Finland to Sweden and Germany alike, according to Tallink Silja. 2007 Schedules & Fares available online now!Date: 3 Jan 2007Source: Directferries.co.uk Welcome to 2007! Most schedules and fares are now available to be viewed and booked online for the 2007 season. Booking early is the key to low fares, so for the cheapest prices, book now. Please note, some crossings with Mediterraean ferry operators are not yet currently available for the 2007 season. For more information, please contact us. Corsica Ferry deadline extended until AprilDate: 1 Jan 2007Source: Lloyds List The Corsican Assembly has given itself four months to find an operator for the public service concession for ferry services between the French mainland and the island. And it has extended the existing concession, which had been due to expire at the end of this year, until the end of April. The assembly has been obliged to issue a fresh call for bids for the concession following the recent annulment of the original concession award procedure by the French Council of State. It has decided against a revision of the tender procedure and concession terms, opting instead to invite interested parties to submit fresh bids on the basis of the original procedure and specifications. In so doing it has opted to follow the advice of its own transport office rather than heed a call from operator Corsica Ferries for it to extend the existing concession for a year to allow complete revision of concession terms and tender specifications. The new concession, due to run until the end of 2013, provides for payment to its holder or holders of an annual subsidy of €95m ($111m). The existing concession is held jointly by SNCM and Compagnie Méridionale de Navigation but CMN decided last year to make a bid for part of the concession on its own account as well as a joint bid for the whole concession with SNCM’s principal rival Corsica Ferries. The council of state ruled, however, that none of the bids submitted by SNCM, CMN and Corsica Ferries was acceptable. |
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