News and Discussion on world ferries

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/249147,passengers-safely-evacuated-from-stranded-norwegian-ferry.html

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Passengers safely evacuated from stranded Norwegian ferry

Oslo- Over 150 passengers and crew were safely evacuated Tuesday from a ferry that ran aground in Norway's Trondheim harbour, police and officials said. The decision to evacuate came after the Norwegian vessel, MS Richard With began taking in water amid strong winds.

The coast guard, emergency services, police and local volunteers helped with the rescue operation. All 153 passengers and four crew had by noon, local time, left the ship. Most had to climb down a long ladder to the quay. There were no reports of injuries.

Divers were later sent to inspect the 121-metre long vessel that was en route to Bergen, and pumps were used to pump out water.

The MS Richard With, built in 1991, is owned by the Hurtigruten shipping company that operates the Norwegian coastal express.

In addition to serving coastal communities and stopping at 34 ports, the company also offers cruises along the Norwegian coast as well as to Spitsbergen, Greenland and Antarctica.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.shipgaz.com/news/

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Thy Ferries established for Hanstholm-Kristiansand run

SSG-RINGKØBING.

A new ferry company called Thy Ferries Ltd. has started the sale of tickets for the first sailings in June 2009 between Hanstholm and Kristiansand. The company does not have any ferry or the necessary capital for the operation, but the founder Svein Olaf Olsen, former managing director of Master Ferries, is optimistic and believes it is possible to gather around DKK 40 million in capital within the next month or so. Yesterday at an investor meeting in Thisted (some 25 km. from Hanstholm) the chairman of the board, Svein Olaf Olsen, managed to pursue a number of investors to sign up for some of the missing capital.

According to Thy Ferries’ web-side (www.thyferries.com) the sailing will start on June 1 at 07.30 with a conventional ferry. The crossing time will be three hours and 45 minutes and there will be two double runs per day. The ferry will be chartered and will fly Danish flag.

Svein-Olaf Olsen founded Master Ferries in 2006, a company that merged with Fjord Line in January 2008. Fjord Line stopped the sailings between Hanstholm and Kristiansand in September last year.

Published: 08.01.09 14.16

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

Our local pet company isn't the only one to have experienced "technical difficulties" recently:

www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMIX/2009jan00080.html

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Sabotage blamed for water taxi woes

A new water taxi service between San Fernando and Port-of-Spain just inaugurated by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has hit an unwelcome start-up problem: suspected sabotage.

The service is being operated by the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) with the help of Hornblower Marine Services.

Four second hand vessels have been acquired for the service, the 449 passenger Su (which has yet to arrive) and the 150 passenger each HC Milancia, HC Katia and the HC Olivia. The 150 passenger vessels are catamarans built by Britain's VT Shipbuilding in 2004.

Today NIDCO said that the H.C. Milancia experienced a technical difficulty during scheduled operations on Monday, January 5 and Tuesday, January 6 2009, resulting in a temporary interruption in the water taxi service.

The "technical difficulty" proved to be rags found lodged within the vesselÕs fuel system. One rag was discovered on Monday evening after maintenance crews conducted checks to determine the exact cause of the incident.

H.C. Milancia resumed operation on the morning of Tuesday 6 January 2009 but had to be withdrawn following a reoccurrence of the same technical difficulty.

Wednesday morning at approximately 9:30 am following its arrival at the shipyard at 7:00 am a second rag was discovered, in another of the vesselÕs fuel tanks

While the discovery of the first rag led NIDCO to believe that it could have been left in the tank out of carelessness during servicing, the discovery of a second rag was, said, NIDCO "too much of a coincidence."

NIDCO says it regards the discovery of these rags in the MilanciaÕs fuel tanks as a deliberate act of sabotage by persons unknown to thwart the efficient operation of the water taxi service and has requested a full investigation by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service .

NIDCO says that the vessels currently being used for the operation of the water taxi service, the Olivia and the Milancia, have been inspected and certified by all the competent authorities and have met all operational and safety requirements.

NIDCO has taken immediate steps to strengthen its security arrangements for the water taxi service.

[blackshadow]

I not sure if this was reported, just came across this while searching for available ferries. FSG design vessels being built in Denmark.

www.seatradeasia-online.com/News/1486.html

Singapore: Epic Shipping has ordered six new large RoRo vessels from Odense Steel Shipyard, Denmark, part of the A.P Moller-Maersk Group. Four will be delivered in 2009 and the remaining two in 2010.

The six new vessels will each be 3,750 lane metres, with accommodation for 12 drivers, space for 250 trailers, and will be capable of an operational speed of 21.5 knots. They are designed by Flensburger Shipyard of Germany and will be built under license at Odense, normally fully occupied with building containerships for Maersk.

All vessels will be available for charter and will be managed by Meridian Marine, also part of the Epic Group. Three ropax vessels were also recently ordered by Epic from the Visentini yard in Italy.

Epic Shipping was created in 2004 when the Pacific Basin Group was floated on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. With its shareholders largely drawn from the origibal shareholders of Pacific Basin, Epic operates lpg tankers, product tankers and ropax ferries for charter.

John Davis, md of Epic Shipping (UK) Ltd commented, ‘These six RoRo's are an exciting addition to our fleet and are ideal to trade on many existing routes. We also expect them to generate significant interest for the EU driven ‘Motorway of the Sea’ project. Many owners/operators are committed to this project, but up to now a lack of suitable tonnage has been a problem.’ [26/06/07]

[Mill Bay]

Storm sinks Indonesian ferry, 250 feared dead
By IRWAN FIRDAUS –

PAREPARE, Indonesia (AP) — Rocky seas hindered rescuers Monday as they searched for nearly 250 people missing and feared dead after a ferry capsized off Indonesia's Sulawesi island.

About 250 passengers and 17 crew were believed to have been aboard the 700-ton Teratai Prima when it sank Sunday morning as it traveled from the western port of Parepare to Samarinda on the Indonesian half of Borneo island.

At least 22 people, including four crew members, were rescued from the sea by fishermen Sunday before the military launched an operation at daybreak Monday. Indonesians generally don't know how to swim, and the others on board were feared dead.

Nearly 250 people were still missing, said Junaidi, a port official in Parepare, where some of the survivors were taken to a hospital. He uses one name, which is customary in Indonesia.

The ferry went down 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast off western Sulawesi.

Transport Minister Jusman Syafi'i Djamal said the captain — who was among those pulled alive from the sea — reported that 150 people jumped off the boat before it sank, but he did not know what happened to them.

"We have prepared a search and rescue operation, but now there are high waves hampering the process," Djamal said.

The ship, carrying about 18 tons of cargo, radioed that it was "hit by a storm" before it went down, said Nurwahida, a port official. He also uses one name.

The closest town to the accident site is Majene, about 850 miles (1,370 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Jakarta.

Boats are a major form of transportation in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and a population of 235 million. Poor enforcement of safety regulations and overcrowding causes accidents that claim hundreds of lives each year.

In December 2006, a crowded Indonesian ferry broke apart and sank in the Java Sea during a violent storm, killing more than 400 people.



No hope for missing in Indonesian ferry disaster
Published: Monday 12 January 2009 16:17 UTC
Last updated: Monday 12 January 2009 16:26 UTC


Indonesian transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal says the more than 240 people who are still missing after a ferry disaster off the coast of Sulawesi have probably drowned. The minister said there was little chance of any more survivors being found. However, the navy and rescue services are still searching the area. Twenty-three people were rescued, including the captain and four other crew members.

The ferry, the Teratai Prima, sank in a heavy storm on Sunday while en route from the town of Pare Pare on Sulawesi to Samarinda on Kalimantan. Such accidents are a common occurrence in Indonesia. Many of the ferries linking the many Indonesian islands are badly maintained and often overcrowded.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

A couple of other tidbits I dug up...details will be sparce untii I get back home. :-P

Panagopoulos abducted in Greece
GREEK shipowner Periklis Panagopoulos, who heads bulker company Magna Marine and founded Superfast Ferries, was kidnapped this morning in Athens as he was leaving his home in the Greek capital’s southern suburbs.

UK/France ferry route planned
A NEW fast-ferry service linking British port Ramsgate with its French counterpart will start in March, the route operator has announced.

[Northern Exploration]

Jan 12, 2009 10:52:29 GMT -8 Mill Bay said:

Storm sinks Indonesian ferry, 250 feared dead
By IRWAN FIRDAUS –

PAREPARE, Indonesia (AP) — Rocky seas hindered rescuers Monday as they searched for nearly 250 people missing and feared dead after a ferry capsized off Indonesia's Sulawesi island.

About 250 passengers and 17 crew were believed to have been aboard the 700-ton Teratai Prima when it sank Sunday morning as it traveled from the western port of Parepare to Samarinda on the Indonesian half of Borneo island.

At least 22 people, including four crew members, were rescued from the sea by fishermen Sunday before the military launched an operation at daybreak Monday. Indonesians generally don't know how to swim, and the others on board were feared dead.

Nearly 250 people were still missing, said Junaidi, a port official in Parepare, where some of the survivors were taken to a hospital. He uses one name, which is customary in Indonesia.

The ferry went down 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast off western Sulawesi.

Transport Minister Jusman Syafi'i Djamal said the captain — who was among those pulled alive from the sea — reported that 150 people jumped off the boat before it sank, but he did not know what happened to them.

"We have prepared a search and rescue operation, but now there are high waves hampering the process," Djamal said.

The ship, carrying about 18 tons of cargo, radioed that it was "hit by a storm" before it went down, said Nurwahida, a port official. He also uses one name.

The closest town to the accident site is Majene, about 850 miles (1,370 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Jakarta.

Boats are a major form of transportation in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and a population of 235 million. Poor enforcement of safety regulations and overcrowding causes accidents that claim hundreds of lives each year.

In December 2006, a crowded Indonesian ferry broke apart and sank in the Java Sea during a violent storm, killing more than 400 people.



No hope for missing in Indonesian ferry disaster
Published: Monday 12 January 2009 16:17 UTC
Last updated: Monday 12 January 2009 16:26 UTC


Indonesian transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal says the more than 240 people who are still missing after a ferry disaster off the coast of Sulawesi have probably drowned. The minister said there was little chance of any more survivors being found. However, the navy and rescue services are still searching the area. Twenty-three people were rescued, including the captain and four other crew members.

The ferry, the Teratai Prima, sank in a heavy storm on Sunday while en route from the town of Pare Pare on Sulawesi to Samarinda on Kalimantan. Such accidents are a common occurrence in Indonesia. Many of the ferries linking the many Indonesian islands are badly maintained and often overcrowded.

The paper this morning had a follow-up article. One kid survived the sinking by clinging to a large bunch of bananas that floated. Makes you think if you travel on one of these ferries in the third world, carrying a personal life preserver that inflates like those on aircraft might be a reasonable thing!

A friend was telling me about a TV show about three guys who set off on a bunch of adventure trips together. The third guy was hospitalized for some sort of appendicitis or something, so missed out on this leg of the trip somewhere in southeast asia. The remaining two guys biked through this leg. Apparently, they survived a ferry sinking. They had another ferry trip to take towards the end of this leg. The topic came up because my friend has always wanted to swim with whale sharks and the destination of this leg of the trip was somewhere whale sharks congregate. I am going to try to source this program out when I have a chance.

[Mill Bay]

Hoteliers protest against ferry delays

By Standard Team

Hoteliers at the Coast have protested at delays forced on tourists crossing the ferry to the South Coast due to frequent breakdowns.

At a joint Press conference on Tuesday, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) and Pubs and Entertainment and Restaurants Association (Perak) said delays at the Likoni Ferry had made the South Coast an unfavourable tourist destination.

The Executive Officer of KAHC, Gladwell Mumia, said there was need for immediate intervention to ease the burden on the old ferries.

"Disaster is looming and the people entrusted with the responsibility to ensure safety of Kenyans and development of businesses are either asleep, reckless or just don’t care about the goings-on at this (Likoni) Channel," Ms Mumia said.

However, the acting Managing Director of Kenya Ferry Services, Mr A Sajjad said the company will create a priority lane in the next three weeks to serve tourists crossing the channel.

The associations said they could no longer watch as their costs of operation soar due to poor management of public utilities like the ferry.

"We are losing business and the future of South Coast as a tourists hub hangs in the balance," Mumia said.

She said it was wrong for tourists to wait more than three hours to cross the channel.

The associations accused the Ministry of Transport of being in "deep slumber" and slowly drifting into "non-existence".

They appealed to Prime Minister Raila Odinga to intervene before disaster strikes.

But even as KFS attempted to explain the delays, confusion reigned at the Likoni Ferry Crossing Tuesday morning, when a vessel drifted for several hours.

Commuters panicked and claimed Mv Harambee had developed mechanical problems.

Not in operation

At one point, the empty ferry disembarked at the south mainland ramp, as if to pick up passengers and vehicles, before KFS workers announced, through loud speakers, that it had developed a problem and would not operate.

It later sailed to the KFS maintenance yard nearby and then drifted back to the channel, also used by ships going to Mombasa Port.

However, when contacted, Mr Sajjad said: "Mv Harambee is undergoing its weekly maintenance. It has not broken down. It is going round the channel with engineers on board."

He said the vessel was set to go into operation last night after its scheduled weekly service.

Although emergencies are usually given priority at the crowded Likoni Ferry Crossing, when the vessels break down during peak hours in the mornings and evenings, it becomes difficult to respond to them.

Authorities say even if the ferry is midstream, it can be summoned back to the ramp to pick up a patient or a vehicle responding to an emergency on the other side of the channel.

—Reports by Ngumbao Kithi, Patrick Beja and Linah Benyawa

[Mill Bay]

Indonesia ferry toll may top 300

An Indonesian ferry that sank at the weekend may have been carrying 100 more people than the 267 listed on its ship's manifest, officials say.

However, they say it is too early to conclude that they were all additional passengers and some may have travelled under different names.

The Teratai Prima ferry sank just before dawn on Sunday off Sulawesi island in heavy seas.

Only 35 survivors have been found since the vessel went down.

Recent years have seen several ferry accidents in Indonesia. More than 400 people died when a ferry sank in 2006.

Survivors' account

"Based on reports from relatives there were at least 103 passengers who were not listed on the boat's manifest," Indonesian Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Erfan said.

But he stressed that the numbers could be misleading.

"We're investigating whether they [passengers] used different names like nicknames or there were more passengers than the number registered."

The Teratai Prima ferry was making an overnight journey from Pare Pare in South Sulawesi to Samarinda in East Kalimantan when it sank.

Survivors said high waves flipped the ferry over. Most passengers were asleep and had little time to react.

"I felt that the ferry was listing to the left, then suddenly it turned upside down," said 29-year-old Yulianus Mangande, who was picked up by fishermen.

"I had to swim in the dark in heavy seas until the morning."

One survivor said he had scrambled into a life raft after clinging to a piece of wood.

"I grabbed my son on my back and swam to a piece of wood, but my son disappeared after being hit by a big wave," said Daeng Gassing, whose father-in-law was also missing.

Officials are also examining why the ship's captain, who survived, set sail despite storm warnings.

Indonesia relies heavily on ferry services to connect the main islands in the archipelago, but accidents are common.

In December 2006, a ferry carrying more than 600 people sank while on a journey from Borneo to Java. The majority of its passengers were never found.

Months later, at least 42 people were killed when a fire broke out aboard a ferry from Jakarta to Bangka island off Sumatra.

Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7831493.stm

Published: 2009/01/15 16:25:10 GMT

© BBC MMIX


RECENT MARITIME DISASTERS
11 July 2007 Passenger ship with 70 on board sinks off eastern Indonesia
22 Feb 2007 At least 42 die as ferry catches fire
30 Dec 2006 More than 400 lost as ferry sinks between Borneo and Java
7 July 2005 About 200 die as ferry sinks off eastern Indonesia

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10221.html

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PRIDE OF CANTERBURY report published
MAIB issues report on grounding a year ago...


On the afternoon of 31 January 2008, while sheltering off the port of Dover in bad weather conditions, the passenger ferry Pride of Canterbury, with 275 passengers and 101 crew on board, grounded on a charted wreck. She sustained major damage, including the total loss of her port controllable pitch propeller hub and a section of tail shaft.

Pride of Canterbury was on a fixed service between Dover and Calais, and the occasional closure of either port was a feature of the run, especially during winter months. P&O Ferries,the operator of Pride of Canterbury, had produced comprehensive passage plans between ports served by the vessel. In addition, there was a selection of plans for other probable sea passages. However, there were no contingency plans produced that suggested where Pride of Canterbury should wait in the event of a closure of one of the regular ports.

On this occasion, Dover port closed just before Pride of Canterbury arrived within port limits.

Consequently, she proceeded towards the master’s preferred holding area, which was “The Downs” off Deal, Kent, to await the port reopening. “The Downs” area is quite restricted in the available sea room and surrounded by shallow waters and banks.

During the waiting period, procedures and bridge team management became ineffective:

• No passage plan was developed; dangers and hazards were not identified; and no-go areas were not marked on the chart.

• On board Pride of Canterbury, paper charts were the primary means for navigation. However, positions were only sporadically plotted and the paper chart was not consulted at the crucial time.

• The OOW was changed on an ad-hoc basis, and the handovers were not structured, such that important information might have been lost.

• Navigation was conducted by eye and by reference to an electronic navigational chart display (ENC). None of the bridge team had been trained in the use of ENC, and the settings were inappropriate such that key dangers would not have been displayed.

• Throughout the waiting period, there were a number of telephone calls to the bridge, principally regarding matters on the vehicle decks, which distracted the bridge team from their primary function of navigation and lookout.

Safety Lessons

• Charts covering likely contingency waiting areas should be prepared and be ready for use before the start of the voyage, and they should include clearly marked dangers and hazards.

• The principles of effective bridge team management should be understood and practised by bridge teams at all times.

• When additional aids to navigation, such as electronic navigational systems, are fitted to the vessel, the operators should be given effective training in the use and limitations of the equipment, even if the equipment is not intended to be the primary means of navigation.

• Where navigation bridges are the focus for frequent requests for non navigationalrelated information, systems should be in place to ensure that watchkeeping staff are not distracted at critical times.

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www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10232.html

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Dover Harbour Board approves new services
LD Lines to commence new Dover-Dieppe and Boulogne services...


Dover Harbour Board confirms today that approval has been granted to LD Lines to operate a service between Dover-Dieppe and the early start to the Dover-Boulogne route with both services commencing on the 12th February.

They will operate a one a day service to Dieppe, with a crossing time of 4 hours 15 minutes plus two return sailings between Dover and Boulogne, a crossing of 1 hour 45 minutes.

Both routes will operate a conventional freight and passenger service.

The company will begin a Dover – Boulogne service almost six months ahead of schedule, from the previously announced 1 July 2009 start date, by introducing a conventional freight and passenger ferry to the route.

Operating from Dover Eastern Docks, in the Port of Boulogne the ship will utilise the existing berth previously utilised by the defunct fast ferry operator, SpeedFerries.

“We can clearly identify the strong commercial opportunities for a direct ferry link to be re-established between Dover and Boulogne following the departure of the previous operator and our research shows the demand is there from tourist passengers and freight customers, to bring forward the start date of the service, “ says Christophe Santoni, Managing Director LD Lines.

“A profitable ferry service must rely on a combination of passenger and freight business and by introducing a conventional ship to operate between Dover, Boulogne and Dieppe, both freight and tourist markets will have an extensive choice across our expanded route network.”

From 12 February two return sailings daily will be provided between Dover and Boulogne with a crossing time of 1 hour 45 minutes. One round trip daily will operate between Dover and Dieppe with a crossing time of 4 hours 15 minutes.


Built as recently as 2007, the ships introducing the new services will alternate between the “Seven Sisters” and “Cote d’Albatre”, both of which currently operate on the Newhaven – Dieppe route under the Transmanche Ferries name, part of LD Lines network of ferry routes. The sister ships have capacity for 600 passengers and 300 cars or 52 freight vehicles or combination of both.

“We are delighted to welcome the early start of this new service by LD Lines, which proposes immediately a new travel opportunity for the 700,000 passengers a year who were using the previous service,” said Francis Leroy, President of the Chamber of Commerce Boulogne-sur-Mer Cote d’Opale. “This is excellent news for the port, town and Boulonnais region at the start of the year and is the first step prior to the service increasing from two to six return sailings daily from July 2009 with a second ship.”

The Dover – Dieppe service will be opening new direct tourist and commercial trading links between the South East of England and the Normandy region of France and provide many travel benefits, as Christophe Santoni explains.

“Freight and tourist customers will be saving 250 km drive time by using this service and the route will create an innovative travel choice for customers whose onward destinations are the West and South West of France and Spain. The service will give them a 4 hour rest period too on board during the crossing, compared to extra hours on the roads en route to regions such as Normandy and Brittany.”

For tourist traffic on the Dover – Boulogne route, lead-in fares start from £24 one way for car and four passengers and Dover – Dieppe from £29.50 each way for a car and two passengers. Both offers must be booked by 31 January 2009 via www.ldlines.com or call : 0844 576 8836.

With construction of the Port of Boulogne’s new Hub Port Ro Ro terminal well advanced, as planned LD Lines will be inaugurating the new berth facilities with the addition of a second ship to the route from 1 July 2009. Sailing frequency between Dover and Boulogne will then increase from two to six return sailings daily.

LD Lines cross channel ferry service network will now comprise four routes including Portsmouth – Le Havre ; Newhaven – Dieppe ; Dover – Boulogne and Dover – Dieppe, in addition to a direct ferry service between Le Havre and Rosslare Europort in Southern Ireland.

LD Lines is owned by the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group, a leading French shipowner with over 100 years experience in the shipping industry, operating over 60 ships worldwide.

For more information visit www.ldlines.com

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10241.html

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Veteran Isle of Wight ferry retires
Robb Caledon product of 1973 makes final run...

She has plied between the mainland and the Isle of Wight faithfully since her introduction in 1973, but now the CAEDMON has transported her last customers on the Lymington to Yarmouth service, berthing at Lymington around 10pm last night.

Her two sisters the CENWULF and the CENRED will continue Wightlink's service on this route until the introduction of the new Wight-class ferries. The services from Portsmouth to Isle of Wight will see the introduction of new catamarans later in the year.

The CAEDMON saw her first ten years of service on the Portsmouth - Fishbourne route until she was displaced by Saint Class vessels in 1983. From that year she continued on the Lymington service.

She was built by the Scottish shipbuilders Robb Caledon of Dundee in 1973 and was fitted with two 6 cylinder Blackstone Diesels. All three of the class were built at the Dundee shipyard.

As a matter of interest, when she was moved to the Lymington route it was another Robb Caledon vessel that ousted her, being the ST CATHERINE. She however, was built at their Leith yard.

It is not clear what will happen to CAEDMON, but rumours suggest she may already have a buyer.

[Northern Exploration]

Vietnam ferry sinks, 40 drowned 25 Jan 2009 11:55:55 GMT
Source: Reuters
HANOI, Jan 25 (Reuters) - At least 40 people drowned when a ferry sank in central Vietnam on Sunday, police said.

Most of the dead were women and children on their way to a market at the start of the week-long Lunar New Year festival, a police officer in Quang Binh province said. (Reporting by Nguyen Nhat Lam, editing by Mark Trevelyan)

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10245.html

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Brittany Ferries takes delivery of new ship
ARMORIQUE delivered from STX Europe Helsinki...

On 26 January 2009 STX Europe delivered the new car-passenger ferry ARMORIQUE to the French operator Brittany Ferries.

The vessel is worth approximately 110 million euro and has provided 700 workers at the yard with many years of work.

The ferry is designed to carry passengers, cars and road cargo vehicles between France and the United Kingdom at a speed of 23 knots. She was designed specifically for the Plymouth-Roscoff route.

"STX Europe is proud to have built this state-of-the-art ferry incorporating the very latest environmental technology for Brittany Ferries", said Martin Landtman, President of STX Finland Cruise Oy. "We are the market leader in the world ferry market, and in all our new vessels we have special focus on ecological alternatives and energy economy"

The 168.3 m long and 26.8 m wide vessel, which has been developed in a close co-operation between the Brittany Ferries and the Helsinki shipyard in Finland, will have space for 1,500 passengers and 1.1 kilometres of vehicle deck space.

Armorique is the ancient name for coastal north-western France (or Gaul) meaning "the country which faces the sea" as well as the name of a national park in Brittany. This is not the first ferry in the Brittany Ferries fleet to bear this name. The previous Armorique operated from 1975 to 1992.

"Unlike aircraft, each ship has its own character and Armorique is no exception. We take great care with the design and décor to provide our passengers with an environment which is both comfortable and stylish, and our designers have followed a theme that reflects the 'colours and space of Brittany' to give this ship a very modern feel. One of the great luxuries when travelling nowadays is space and, whilst this commands a huge premium when travelling by air, it is something that all passengers on Armorique will be able to benefit from. We are confident that passengers will enjoy travelling on her." says David Longden, Managing Director of Brittany Ferries.

The hull of the vessel is identical to that of the COTENTIN (qv earlier report in Shipping Times UK) delivered from STX Europe in Helsinki in 2007. The only difference in the vessels' appearance is that Armorique has a much larger upper deck passenger area.

Brittany Ferries is an old customer to the STX Europe yards. In addition to the two above mentioned, the car-passenger ferries MS Normandie and MS Barfleur were delivered to their fleet in 1992 from the Turku and Helsinki yards of STX Europe.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10249.html

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Irish Ferries wins award for 11th time
Ireland's Best Ferry Company...

Irish Ferries has once again been voted winners of Ireland’s Best Ferry Company award.

For the eleventh time in the history of the award scheme, a vote of Irish travel agents conducted by the influential Irish Travel Trades News magazine has decided that Irish Ferries is the top sea carrier servicing the Irish market.

Previous occasions on which the company took the top award include a run of eight successive years (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) as well as two victories in 1995 and 2007.

Recent developments which Irish Ferries believes may have swung the vote in their favour include the introduction of their luxurious new cruise ferry Oscar Wilde on their routes from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff and the addition of Club Class on their Irish Sea services.


(For a description of the ferry OSCAR WILDE please click here)

[BreannaF]

Of course, this type of thing is pretty commonplace in Bangladesh....

===================================================

Ferry sinks in south Bangladesh

Dozens of people are missing after a ferry capsized following a collision with a cargo boat in southern Bangladesh, police and media say.

Rescuers found the body of one woman and some passengers managed to swim ashore after the accident in dense fog on the Kirtankhola river.

Reports on the number of passengers range from 60 to 150.

Boat and ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh's many rivers, due to poor safety standards and overloading.

Local police official Nuruzzaman Chowdhury told the Associated Press news agency the accident took place near the town of Barisal, about 170km (106 miles) south of the capital, Dhaka.

Mr Chowdhury said the cargo vessel had been seized and efforts were under way to locate the sunken ferry - the ML Happy - amid fears it may still be carrying trapped passengers.

Local TV reports said the ferry was travelling from Barisal to Mehendiganj and that 10 people were being treated in hospital.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7901304.stm

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Channel ferry firm seeks takeover
The newest ferry company operating from a Kent port is proposing to takeover a rival to save hundreds of jobs.

LD Lines, which operates between Dover and Boulogne and Dieppe, said it would make a formal bid for SeaFrance.

SeaFrance, which sails to Calais, this week said it may axe 650 French jobs to survive a steep fall in the cross-Channel freight market.

Its owner, French rail operator SNCF, said it had not received any formal takeover proposals.

Christophe Santini of LD Lines said the company was expanding and would save at least 350 jobs if the takeover went ahead.

Survive recession

LD Lines began its passenger and freight services from Dover on 12 February, five months ahead of schedule.

It is operating two daily return sailings to Boulogne and one to Dieppe, with a second ship being added from 1 July to allow seven return crossings a day.

SeaFrance announced on Tuesday that was restructuring and could cut 650 jobs to try to survive the recession.

Mr Santini said that if LD lines took over SeaFrance the company would become a European leader on the ferry scene.

Its size would make it possible for the company to survive the present economic environment.

"I cannot divulge any information on the transaction itself, but we are talking about LD Lines taking over SeaFrance," he said.

"The global group would keep the name of SeaFrance and we would be committed to preserve the vessels of SeaFrance under the French flag."

He said there had been no response from SeaFrance shareholders.

SNCF said it planned to take all necessary measures to guarantee SeaFrance's long-term future.

"Given the serious current structural imbalance SeaFrance has to face, SNCF supports the recovery plan presented to staff on 17 February," it said in a statement.

---

www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=57583

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Ferry company 'bids to take over' SeaFrance

French shipping giant LD Lines has submitted takeover plans for stricken ferry company SeaFrance.

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has revealed its bid to take control of Dover-Calais ferry operator, SeaFrance, and merge it with its own ferry subsidiary LD Lines.

But SeaFrance's parent company has issued a statement saying it is taking "all the necessary measures to guarantee its long-term future".

It said no offer had yet been made by LD Lines.

Meanwhile, LDA is confident jobs could be safeguarded through the creation of an enlarged group, which would bear the name of SeaFrance but incorporate LD Lines’ Portsmouth-Le Havre, Newhaven-Dieppe, Dover-Boulogne and Dover-Dieppe network of ferry services.

The news comes just days after the launch of LD Lines' twice-daily service between Dover and Boulogne and once-daily service between Dover and Dieppe.

The Dover – Boulogne sailing frequency will increase from two to six return sailings daily from July 1 2009 when LD Lines introduces a second ship to the route.

SeaFrance announced earlier this week it was to slash up to 650 jobs - more than a third of its workforce.

A statement from parent company SNCF said it believed in the future of SeaFrance in the cross-Channel market and.

It continued: "As a responsible 100 per cent shareholder, (we plan) to take all the necessary measures to guarantee its long-term future."

The statement said it supported the recovery plan, proposed by the President of the company’s board of directors and presented to staff earlier this week.

It was anxious to confirm, it said, that, as of today, it had not received any formal offer takeover proposals for SeaFrance and/or its staff.

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www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=57361

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Hundreds of jobs to go at SeaFrance

Up to 650 jobs - more than a third of its workforce - are to be cut at cross-Channel ferry operator SeaFrance, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Talks have been going on for some weeks to find ways to deal with the company's financial situation, and a meeting between SeaFrance bosses and representatives from its parent company, SNCF, took place on Monday.

A previous rescue plan by SeaFrance managers had been rejected by the SNCF board. It was understood that the original proposal involved 300 job lossses and an injection of more money into the company.

The managers were told take more drastic action.

Now they have more than doubled the number of job cuts, and have also proposed reducing the size of the cross-Channel fleet from five to three ships.

Both sea-going and shore-based staff will be affected and talks arew to be held with the unions.

SeaFrance blames the situation partly on a reduction in the number of freight vehicles crossing the Channel. Managers say they want the company to break even in 2010.

The company made an operating profit in 2007 of 15 million Euros and there was expected a loss for 2008.

Managers say they want the company to break even in 2010.

Union officials met with SNCF chairman Guillaume Pepy and supervisory board chairman David Azema, on Thursday to try to persuade them not to make wide-ranging job cuts. One union representative said they were listened to, but no promises were made. The union fears that cuts could take the company into a spiral of decline.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/LD-Lines-confirms-Seafrance-bid-newsinkent21308.aspx?news=local

---

LD Lines confirms Seafrance bid

French Shipping giant Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has confirmed that it has submitted plans to take control of Dover- Calais ferry operator, SeaFrance, and merge it with its expanding ferry subsidiary, LD Lines.

LDA is very confident that jobs could be safe-guarded through the creation of an enlarged group, which would bear the name of SeaFrance but incorporate LD Lines’ Portsmouth-Le Havre, Newhaven-Dieppe, Dover-Boulogne and Dover-Dieppe network of ferry services.

LDA recognises a future co-operation between the two companies would enable more efficient utilisation of the existing fleet of ships and make possible the transfer of SeaFrance ships to LD Lines expanding route network.

Whilst preserving hundreds of jobs, this could create a French leader on the channel routes, capable of facing up to the intense competition, during the current, difficult economic trading conditions.

LD Lines arrived on to the Dover Straits in its own right on February 12 with the launches of a twice-daily service between Dover and Boulogne and once-daily service between Dover and Dieppe.

The Dover – Boulogne sailing frequency will increase from two to six return sailings daily from 1 July 2009 when LD Lines introduces a second ship to the route, which will also inaugurate the Port of Boulogne’s new Ro Ro terminal, currently under construction.

New Dover-Calais operator LD Lines could help save hundreds of jobs at troubled ferry firm SeaFrance.

SeaFrance announced on Tuesday that 650 jobs may be cut in a bid to survive the recession.

LD Lines began its passenger and freight services to Boulogne and Dieppe last week and a second ship is due to be added from July 1.

If a takeover went ahead, SeaFrance would continue to run under its own name.

According to reports, no response has been given by SeaFrance shareholders SNCF.

---

www.travelmole.com/stories/1134813.php

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SeaFrance rubbishes claims of takeover bid by rival

SeaFrance has dismissed claims by LD Lines parent company, LDA, that it is planning a takeover of the ferry operator.

The French Shipping giant Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) issued a statement today saying it is launching a bid to take control of SeaFrance and merge it with its subsidiary LD Lines.

But a spokesman for SeaFrance said: “This is LD Lines getting cheap plug for their recently launched routes and the bid has no value.”

Earlier this month, SeaFrance's owner, French rail operator SNCF, announced a major restructure of the business to counter the effects of strike action, the rising cost of fuel and the economic downturn.

It said SeaFrance is faced with "an unprecedented situation exacerbated particularly by the steep fall in the cross-Channel freight market, 23% down in January 2009 compared to a year ago and the equivalent of 800,000 trucks in a full year".

It plans to cut staff by 650 and downsize its fleet to align it with the market and to reduce costs.

The loss-making ferry company believes these measures will help it achieve a return to break-even by 2010.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

marinelink.com/en-US/News/Article/329870.aspx

---

Largest Ferry in the English Channel

The production of the first of the two huge ferries ordered by P& O Ferries started on the 3rd of March 2009 by cutting its first steel plate on STX Europe’s yard in Rauma, Finland.

The roro-passenger ferries to carry freight and cars are scheduled for delivery in 2010 and 2011 for entering into Dover-Calais service. Becoming the largest ferry in the English Channel means a 49,000 GT vessel with the length of 689 ft and having 2,700 lane metres of vehicle space. There will be space for more than 180 freight vehicles and additionally for up to 195 tourist vehicles. The vessel will be capable of carrying up to 1,750 passengers.

The vessels will be the first passenger ferries in the world to comply with the new International Maritime Organization "Safe Return to Port" requirements ahead of the international compliance date. These rules require that, in the event of a ship becoming a casualty, basic services are provided to all persons on board and that certain systems remain operational for safe return to port. Performance standards are stipulated for a wide range of ship systems including fire-fighting, power supply, propulsion, steering and navigation. The requirements come into force for vessels built after 1 July 2010.

The ships will have the Lloyd's Register class notation of PSMR (Propulsion and Steering Machinery Redundancy) which will be assigned where the main propulsion and steering systems are configured to ensure that, in the event of equipment failure, the ship retains availability of propulsion power and maneuvering capability to provide a safe return to port.

The ferries will also be as environmentally friendly as possible, offering significant advances in fuel efficiency through a hydro-dynamically efficient hull form that will optimize vessel performance with minimum fuel consumption.

[Mill Bay]

Here's an interesting article... sounds like someone who should've bought a couple Pacificats.

From The Times
March 6, 2009

Ferry boss challenges rivals with Philippines catamaran

Maxwell Macleod

A new ferry service is due to begin between John o' Groats and Orkney, using a revolutionary £7 million, 70-metre catamaran brought from the Philippines.

The service which will carry up to 300 passengers, 30 cars and three lorries at a time, is being launched by Andrew Banks, 46, a local farmer's son, who says it will be quicker and more efficient than his heavily subsidised rivals.

It will either make Mr Banks's fortune or prove to be another maritime disaster. The so-called short sea crossing runs over the Pentland Firth, one of the most perilous stretches of water in Britain, from Gills Bay, near John

o' Groats, to St Margaret's Hope, on the southern tip of the Orkney mainland. It has been the Holy Grail of northern ferry routes for nearly a hundred years.

The established ferry service, from Scrabster, near Thurso, to Stromness on Orkney, takes an hour and a half. Mr Banks reckons he can shave 20 minutes off that time, and though his prices will be roughly the same, he aims to offer a better deal to freight operators and tourists.

Mr Banks was born and raised in Orkney. His family are traditional farmers, though in recent years they have diversified into tug charter and fish farming. Some 12 ago he acquired the rights to operate out of the Gills Bay harbour, with the eventual aim of establishing a new short sea crossing.

It was a bold, some might say foolhardy move. In the 1980s Orkney island council had burnt its fingers badly, sinking millions into a similar scheme only to see storms carry off its expensive pier and landing facilities. The cost of building a breakwater was considered prohibitive and the venture was abandoned. Mr Banks's response was to buy an old dry dock in Shetland, which he towed to Gills Bay and sank as a breakwater before asking the authorities for permission.

“I knew if I did ask for permission,” he admits, “they wouldn't give it. They asked me to do an environmental whatsit, which I did. It's all legal now.”

Mr Banks, who at one stage lived on the site in a caravan, has bought very little new equipment “It's all very green,” he explains. “Everything is recycled!”

In the early days he bought several old Cal-Mac ferries to transport goods and cattle, which regularly broke down. These used up scarce funds, not least through their large fuel and crewing bills. One grounding even necessitated calling out the lifeboat.

But along with a certain notoriety as a maverick came popularity. In 2004 Mr Banks won a newspaper award as the Orcadian citizen of the year. His ferry service did good business. Then he spotted the potential of a catamaran, the Pentalina, which he sailed himself from the Philippines to Orkney. The 10,000-mile journey was fraught. There were problems with the engines, the sewerage, the glue on the flooring and the bow thrusters (which still remain a problem) and what might have been a month-long voyage turned into an eight-month one.

Asked why he thinks he can make a profit where others have failed, Mr Banks says simply: “Everything in the public system costs ten times more than in the private.”

Many observers, including Tavish Scott, the Shetland MSP and former Transport Minister, are of the opinion that catamarans might have a role to play in sheltered ferry routes but few other than Mr Banks had ever envisaged them crossing the Firth.

The project is now many months behind schedule, and a tentative attempt to land at Gills Bay earlier in February was foiled by the defective bow thrusters. Mr Banks believes that the ferry will be operating this summer, though his competitors are sceptical.

Bill Davidson, head of the government-backed North Link ferry services, acknowledges Mr Banks's skill as an entrepreneur, but is concerned about many aspects of his business. He says: “Like many others, I will be interested to see how his new catamaran copes with the Pentland Firth, as the academics suggest it is not suited to these waters.”

“The proof of the pudding will be in the eating,” retorts Mr Banks, and then returns to trying to get those bow thrusters fixed.

Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/7950622.stm

---

Channel ferry firm bids for rival

Brittany Ferries would acquire up to five of SeaFrance's vessels

Cross-Channel ferry operator SeaFrance could be taken over by Brittany Ferries through a new holding company after negotiations with LD Lines broke down.

If successful, it would acquire four or five of SeaFrance's vessels, which would continue in service sailing to Calais from the Kent port of Dover.

SeaFrance recently announced it could be axing up to 650 French jobs.

Brittany Ferries already operates five routes to France from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth and two to Spain.

It employs 2,500 staff, including 320 UK-based employees.

Union opposition

David Longden, managing director, said: "After 37 years of experience on the longer routes to France and Spain, this is an exciting opportunity to introduce Brittany Ferries' award-winning standards on Dover-Calais crossings, and to provide an even greater choice for our passengers and freight customers."

LD Lines, the newest ferry company operating between Dover and Boulogne and Dieppe, had been planning to make a formal bid for SeaFrance.

However, it revealed it had withdrawn its acquisition offer of a majority stake in SeaFrance, amid apparent union opposition.

SeaFrance's parent company SNCF declined to comment on Wednesday.

[Northern Exploration]

Ships Monthly has two references to our Flensburg friends (not the beer). Firstly the ICON Concept has been making the rounds of a lot of publications. There is an article here about in the latest issue about it. Secondly pics of the fire damaged Turkish ferry is shown in a Turkish ship breakers yard. The comment was the fire damaged sections was being removed and it seemed to leave the door open to some rebuilding of the ferry may be possible. Maybe Markus can comment.

Also in the magazine is an overview of the Canadian Navy if you are so interested.

Since it is a British mag I didn't shell out the $10 whatever for it but intend to go back to Chapters and read the ariticles and will report any interesting details my scan didn't highlight.

[herrbrinkmann]

We have heard that a Turkish yard has bought the wreck and they plan to rebuild the vessel. That might become quite complicated as large parts of the steel are destroyed and the bottom is buckled. But maybe they will make it.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

Ferry damaged in dock collision
A FERRY which damaged a door while docking had to turn around and offload vehicles through its rear door.

The Irish Ferries vessel, 'Oscar Wilde', was docking in Cherbourg in France last night after its journey from Rosslare when it hit a ramp on the dock used to facilitate vehicles leaving the ship. It had 662 people on board. The company said the impact with the ramp was minor but it had damaged the bow door of the ship.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

Apr 1, 2009 23:15:41 GMT -8 herrbrinkmann said:

We have heard that a Turkish yard has bought the wreck and they plan to rebuild the vessel. That might become quite complicated as large parts of the steel are destroyed and the bottom is buckled. But maybe they will make it.

I caught a show on National Geographic last night and they had a lot of footage from the fire:
channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/salvage-code-red-3289/Overview#tab-Videos/06528_00

The show was call Salvage Code Red, and had some more ferry footage of the Irish ferry that went aground.
channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/salvage-code-red-3289/Overview#tab-Videos/06528_00

I hope the links work for everyone...it appears to work fine in Canada, and, of course, the US, so I'm hoping there aren't any blocks for anyone else.

[Mill Bay]

Apr 14, 2009 9:01:23 GMT -8 D'Elete BC in NJ said:

Apr 1, 2009 23:15:41 GMT -8 herrbrinkmann said:

We have heard that a Turkish yard has bought the wreck and they plan to rebuild the vessel. That might become quite complicated as large parts of the steel are destroyed and the bottom is buckled. But maybe they will make it.

I caught a show on National Geographic last night and they had a lot of footage from the fire:
channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/salvage-code-red-3289/Overview#tab-Videos/06528_00

The show was call Salvage Code Red, and had some more ferry footage of the Irish ferry that went aground.
channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/salvage-code-red-3289/Overview#tab-Videos/06528_00

I hope the links work for everyone...it appears to work fine in Canada, and, of course, the US, so I'm hoping there aren't any blocks for anyone else.

The links work fine, but there is an oops... you posted the same link twice, so both of them link back to the same video.

It was very interesting, though. I was a little confused by the narration, however. The video stated that as soon as the fire broke out, the crew abandoned ship. I'm curious if they stayed behind to try and fight the fire at all because they might have prevented the ship from turning a near disaster.

First Video
channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/salvage-code-red-3289/Overview#tab-Videos/06528_00

Second Video
channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/salvage-code-red-3289/Overview#tab-Videos/06529_00

There's also a slide show that has some very graphic images of the interior after the fire. It appears that the main decks of the ship simply collapsed into one another, and from overhead, it looks like a crater or a sinkhole opened up in the ship's decks.

Also, that salvage company Smit, also has a dock in Prince Rupert, which is where the Nicola ties up when she's not in service.