Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i Ships Monthly

MERSEY FERRY The former Mersey ferry Royal Iris faces a bleak future and there is little hope that she will ever recover from her current state, moored on the River Thames in Woolwich and currently derelict and partially submerged, having been gutted by fire on 9 April. The fire extensively damaged the ship’s interior, leaving her effectively beyond repair. Efforts to salvage and return the historic craft to Liverpool have been unsuccessful due to high costs, and it is unlikely the vessel will ever be seen again. Royal Iris of the Mersey (1,234gt) was built by William Denny at Dumbarton in 1950 and launched in December 1950, arriving on the River Mersey on 28 April 1951. She was originally operated by Wallasey Corporation, and served on the Mersey for many…

INCIDENT On 25 April a collision between the 2,800TEU container ship KMTC Surabaya (2018) and the Handysize bulk carrier Glengyle on Vietnam’s Long Tau River resulted in Glengyle almost sinking, but she settled stern first on the riverbed in shallow water. The incident occurred at around 23:00 local time while the former was headed for Hong Kong and the latter was en route to Ho Chi Minh City. The container ship suffered damage to her bow, which hit the port side of Glengyle, whereas the bulk carrier’s stern was holed, causing oil to spill into the river. There were no casualties resulting from the incident, and tugs with spill response equipment were deployed to the area to prevent the spread of pollution. Both ships were moved closer to the shore…

NEW FERRY Hundreds of people gathered at the Incat shipyard in Hobart on 1 May to witness a milestone in global shipbuilding, as Incat Hull 096, the world’s largest batteryelectric ship, was launched. Built for South American ferry operator Buquebus, Hull 096 is the most significant vessel ever built by Incat and represents a major leap forward in sustainable shipping. When it enters service between Buenos Aires and Uruguay, it will operate entirely on battery-electric power, carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the River Plate. Incat Chairman Robert Clifford said: “We’ve been building world-leading vessels here in Tasmania for more than four decades, and Hull 096 is the most ambitious, most complex, and most important project we’ve ever delivered.” The ship is the ninth Incat-built vessel for…

NEW BOXBOATS US-based Crowley Maritime Corporation marked the launch of its latest LNG-powered containership, Quetzal, in April. The vessel commenced its maiden commercial voyage on 11-12 April at Port of Santo Tomás, Guatemala. Quetzal is the first of four Avance class ships, specifically designed for operations between the US, Central America and the Dominican Republic. With a capacity of 1,400TEU in total, the new ships are equipped with 300 refrigerated container unit plugs and can accommodate a variety of container sizes, enabling them to transport perishable goods. The ships are powered by highpressure ME-GI engines by MAN Energy Solutions. Built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Korea, all four Avance class vessels are scheduled to enter service in 2025 under long-term charter to Crowley from Eastern Pacific Shipping.…

As with Saint-Malo previously, Brittany Ferries made concerted efforts to customise the offthe-shelf E-Flexer, and GdN has a distinctly different colour palette for her furniture and décor compared to her half-sister, and the ‘Spanish triplets’. ■ Unlike Saint-Malo, she has a full height upper freight deck, occupying both Decks 5 and 6, resulting in significantly fewer cabins. ■ To compensate for the lack of reclining seats, she has dormitorystyle couchettes with shared bathroom facilities. ■ She does not have a cinema, but free streamed video entertainment is provided in the en suite private cabins on Decks 7, 8 and 9. Her Commodore cabins have their own partitioned outside deck space at the stern end. ■ Catering facilities include the Riva Bella Restaurant on Deck 7 forward, which takes its name…

NEW FERRY Torghatten Nord has taken delivery of Hinnøy from the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey. The 117m double-ended ferry has capacity for 399 passengers and 120 cars, making it Norway’s largest zero-emission ferry. Developed by the Norwegian Ship Design Company, the vessel is powered by an advanced battery-electric propulsion system, supported by shore charging infrastructure. She will cross the exposed waters of the Bognes–Lødingen route in the north of the country in just one hour thanks to a cruising speed of 13-14 knots, a record among Norwegian battery-powered ferries. She has two independent propulsion and power systems.…

DFDS DFDS has experienced teething troubles at the start of its 20-year Jersey contract on 28 March, with technical issues affecting both high-speed craft. The first scheduled sailing between Jersey and St Malo by Tarifa Jet was cancelled at short notice, resulting in the service being covered by the conventional ferry Stena Vinga. The fast ferry eventually entered service 15 days later, on 12 April. The delay was attributed to a statutory flag state inspection after the vessel was re-registered under the British flag at Dover. This could only take place after the completion of work to reinforce the loading ramp, made necessary by the heavier vehicles used by Jersey exporters. The Poole-Jersey service using Levante Jet, which had been on the Ceuta to Algeciras route, began on 17 April,…

CRESCENT SEAS Future residential cruise ship operator Crescent Seas is adding a second ship to its fleet in the shape of Oceania’s Insignia (30,277gt), built in 1998 as R One, the first large ship in the series of eight for Renaissance Cruises. She was acquired out of the bankruptcy of Renaissance Cruises in 2002 and entered service for Oceania Cruises in 2003. The 30,277gt ship currently carries around 700 lower-berth passengers, but a $50 million makeover will reduce that number to nearer 600. The 290 ‘residences’ will cost between $650,000 and $10 million. Crescent Seas’ first ship, the 28,550gt Navigator (formerly Seven Seas Navigator), is due to enter service at the end of 2026, with Insignia following about 12 months later. The company has also recently announced that it intends…

NORWEGIAN CL Having weathered the storm of the pandemic without the need to dispose of ships, NCL has now released Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun on charter. The new operator is the Indian-based Cordelia Cruises, founded in 2020, which currently operates a single ship, the 1989-built Empress (48,563gt, formerly Nordic Empress and then Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas). Norwegian Sky dates from 1999, having been ordered by Costa Cruises as its Costa Olympia (sister to the recently scrapped Costa Victoria) from Bremer Vulkan in Bremen. With the yard in financial trouble, Costa eventually cancelled the order for the second ship and in 1996 the partially completed hull was floated out of drydock and laid up. NCL acquired the ship in late 1997 and she was completed by Lloyd Werft…

ROYAL NAVY The Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 25 deployment to the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific regions is under way. The deployment, named Operation High Mast, is the first global outing for HMS Prince of Wales, and only the second by a Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier. She left Portsmouth, followed by the Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dauntless, while the frigates, HMS Richmond and HMCS Ville de Québec, sailed from Plymouth, a day after the submarine HMS Astute. While the flag-waving mission is being hyped as an opportunity to promote British trade and industry overseas, it is also expected to realise Full Operating Capability of the F-35B Lightning II jet and the Carrier Strike Group concept. During the eight-month trip, the CSG will operate with 12 other nations supporting the deployment…

RUSSIAN NAVY The Russian Navy’s fifth Yasen-M (Project 885M) nuclear attack submarine was launched by President Putin at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on 27 March. Named Perm after a city in the Urals, the hybrid SSN/SSGN is the first boat designed specifically to accommodate 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missiles. The successor to the Akula and Oscar II class submarines can carry up to 32 missiles, housed in eight vertical launch silos. Each silo can also hold four P-800 Onyx anti-ship cruise missiles or 3M14 Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles, per launcher. Later hulls are to be equipped with upgraded Kalibr-M cruise missiles with a reported range of 4,500km. The fourth-generation boat is equipped with a 200MW KTP-6-185SP pressurised water-cooled nuclear reactor that will not require mid-life refuelling during the vessels’ 25-30-year…

CONTAINER OPERATOR Hong Kong-based TS Lines has formally exited the transpacific trade lane, marking a strategic shift away from deepsea container routes. The decision follows continued challenges, including falling volumes and market instability. TS Lines first entered the Asia-North America trade during the boom years of pandemic-driven demand, when container rates soared and space was at a premium. However, since the decline in demand, coupled with geopolitical factors, such as Trump-era tariffs, market conditions have shifted. Many smaller operators, unable to justify the cost of maintaining transpacific services, have withdrawn from long-haul trades. The company’s withdrawal comes as other major players, such as Hapag-Lloyd, report a 30 per cent drop in bookings, reflecting a slowdown in US container imports. TS Lines will focus on regional intra-Asia trades, where it has…

This guide provides an overview of the major ferry operations of the British Isles in 2025, and includes brief outline histories of ferry services organised by operator, starting with Brittany Ferries, and ending with local operators who run between UK ports. It does not include the many freight ferries which are in service, but rather focuses on the major passenger vessels. What is most noticeable about the ships, ports and companies is the sheer variety of vessels being operated, as well as the areas being served. For example, the smaller specialised tonnage in the Western Isles of Scotland operated by Caledonian MacBrayne is a world away from the bustling port of Dover, where a series of large passenger ferries come and go with unmatched frequency. Meanwhile, several of the longer…

Irish Ferries, an Irish private sector company, is part of the Irish Continental Group (ICG), which comprises the Ferries division, operating as Irish Ferries, and the Container and Terminal Division, which operates lo-lo routes from Ireland to the Netherlands and Belgium. The company was established in 1973 as Irish Continental Line. It began as a joint venture between Irish Shipping, Fearnley & Eger, and Swedish company Lion Ferry. Initially, it operated the Rosslare-Le Havre route with the ferry Saint Patrick. Following the liquidation of Irish Shipping in 1984, the company was sold off in a management buyout and rebranded as Irish Continental Group. There was a flotation on the stock exchange in 1988 and in 1992 ICG acquired the British and Irish Steam Packet Company (B&I Line), which operated services…

Sailing vessels began crossing the English Channel from South Coast centres to Dieppe before the end of the 18th century and a first steamer, Rapid, appeared in 1824. Now the long-established link is maintained under Transmanche Ferries branding by DFDS Seaways France, a joint venture set up in 2013, with the Danish ferry giant having an 82 per cent share, and 12 per cent is in the hands of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs. The service is in the hands of the 18,425gt Frenchowned sisterships Côte d’Albâtre and Seven Sisters, which were delivered by Astilleros Barreras from Vigo, Spain during 2006. Transmanche Ferries was formed to continue the passenger-vehicle freight service on this route after the previous operator, P&O Stena Line, ceased operations. The service was initially relaunched with the chartered vessel…

NorthLink Ferries Serco Marine Services, with almost 100 vessels supporting the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Fleet Auxiliary at six UK locations including Portsmouth and Devonport, formally took over the NorthLink Ferries services to Orkney and Shetland on 5 July 2012 after another tendering process for the North Isles service. Having been confirmed as operators to Orkney and Shetland on 29 May 2012, Serco retained the three principal vessels, built for the route by Aker Yards in Finland, but with promises of improved catering, more seating and onboard entertainment. The 11,720gt sisters Hjaltland and Hrossey had been introduced in 2002, taking 600 passengers and with 450 lane metres of vehicle deck space. Accommodation includes 354 cabin berths. Power comes from a line-up of four MAK 6M43 diesel engines giving a…

Western Ferries operates a fleet of drive-through ferries on the Firth of Clyde, running a year-round high-frequency vehiclecarrying service between Hunters Quay, near Dunoon, and McInroy’s Point, on the outskirts of Gourock. Western Ferries was established in the early 1970s and has had Cowal vehicle-carrying services to itself after Caledonian MacBrayne withdrew Gourock-Dunoon car ferry in the summer of 2011. The 2.2-nautical-mile crossing of the Firth of Clyde between McInroy’s Point and Hunter’s Quay was launched in June 1973 using two bow- and stern-loading former Swedish ferries, originally Olandssund III and Olandssund IV, which ran to Öland, the second largest Swedish island. They became Sound of Scarba and Sound of Shuna, with a third ship arriving in August 1974 in the shape of former Lymington-Yarmouth veteran Lymington, which appeared as…

Wightlink provides transport services across the Solent between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The company’s history dates back over 160 years, with its origins in the early 19th century when ferries began operating from Lymington and Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight. In the early days, steam ferries operated a circular route around Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes, Ryde, and Portsmouth. The railway companies later focused on two direct routes: Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Ryde. The operation of these ferries eventually came under the British Railways Board’s subsidiary, Sealink. In 1984 British Rail’s Sealink operation was sold to Sea Containers, but when Stena Line bought Sealink in 1990, the Isle of Wight ferries remained with Sea Containers, as Wightlink. In June 1995 venture capital company Cinven helped the Wightlink…

In November 1980 I was privileged to lead a school party on the famous liner Uganda’s voyage 092. The splendid ship had been jointly booked by Sheffield and Derbyshire Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and, after many months of saving and anticipation on the part of the students, and planning and resource preparation by the teachers, departure day finally arrived. Things did not start well. The coach that was supposed to collect my highly excited party of teenage students from outside our school in north Sheffield at 23:00 on the icy-cold night of Monday 3 November 1980 failed to arrive. As time ticked by, and in an age before mobile phones, desperate telephone calls revealed that the company concerned had made a 24-hour error in its bookings and had left 463…

SPAIN The Spanish had five modified Knox class frigates built, and commissioned them as the Baleares class. The warships, Baleares, Andalucia, Cataluña, Asturias and Extremaura had the American layout reorganised with a Mk 22 launcher replacing the Sea Sparrow missile launcher. These five ships were built by Navantia between 1970 and 1971. They were to serve the Spanish Navy for over three decades with the five ships decomm, and were decommissioned between 2004 and 2009, having been replaced by F-100 destroyers. CHINA Several of the decommissioned hulls were sold abroad, with eight being transferred to the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) (Taiwan): Robert E Peary, Joseph Hewes, Aylwin, Cook, Brewton, Kirk, Barbey and Valdez. Respectively these ships were renamed as Chih Yang, Lan Yang, Ning Yang, Hae Yang, Fong Yang,…

PORT INCIDENT A fire broke out on 16 April aboard the ro-ro vessel Delphine when she was in Zeebrugge’s outer harbour, and reportedly carrying 110 electric vehicles. The blaze originated on one of the cargo decks, according to Zeebrugge Mayor Dirk De Fauw. Emergency response teams immediately implemented safety protocols, including evacuating the crew and activating the ship’s automatic firefighting system. Tugs were deployed to contain the fire while federal police established a security perimeter around the area. Firefighting vessels worked for hours to combat the blaze at Britannia Dock. A Port of Antwerp-Bruges spokesperson confirmed that operations in the remainder of the harbour continue unaffected. Delphine, built in 2018 and operated by European logistics and short sea shipping provider CLdN, is one of the world’s largest shortsea roll-on/roll-off vessels…

NAVAL CALLER The lead ship of the Formidable class stealth frigates in the Republic of Singapore Navy, RSS Formidable (68), visited London, arriving at the end of April. She was open to the public for visits as part of the Navy@London event from 2 to 4 May, and proved a popular attraction. Commissioned in 2007, the 3,200-ton warship, derived from the French La Fayette class, features advanced stealth technology and is equipped with a 76mm Oto Melara gun, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Aster 15/30 missiles. With a crew of 71 and carrying a Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopter, Formidable has a speed of up to 27 knots.…

GRIMALDI The Grimaldi Group has continued its fleet expansion and renewal with an order for nine ro-pax vessels from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai). The ships, costing US$1.5 billion, will be equipped with engines capable of running on methanol, making them ready to achieve the company’s ‘Net Zero Emission’ goal. Four of the new vessels will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand, while two, under the Greek flag, will be deployed by their Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines. These six ‘Next Generation Med’ class ships will serve routes in the Mediterranean. With a length of 229m, they will have a cargo capacity of 3,300 lane metres for rolling freight and over 300 cars. They can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers, offering more than 300…

DISNEY CRUISE LINE The largest Disney ship to date, Disney Adventure, took to the water on 19 April, being floated out from the building hall at the shipyard in Wismar. She is still missing her top superstructure and funnels, as the hall was not high enough to complete the ship inside. The shipyard is the former Genting-owned MV Werften, which was caught up in the failure of Genting Hong Kong, along with the partly completed Global Dream. Disney bought the unfinished ship from the liquidator and appointed Meyer Werft to complete the ship as Disney Adventure. At around 210,000gt, she will be the largest ship in the Disney fleet, and is the largest passenger ship ever built in Germany. She is due to enter service from Singapore in December. She…

JMSDF Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is to field a fleet of Offshore Patrol Vessels for the first time. Construction of the first four of 12 planned ships got under way at Japan Marine United’s Yokohama City shipyard on 14 February. They are to be built quickly, with the first pair due to be in the water by November and the next in March 2026. All are to be commissioned in March 2027. Intended for maritime security and surveillance operations, the 95m OPVs will displace around 1,920 tonnes and have a 30mm gun as their main armament. They will feature a combined diesel-electric and diesel (CODLAD) propulsion configuration, with an electric motor and a diesel engine driving a single propeller, for a maximum speed of 20 knots. Their introduction comes…

SHIP OWNERSHIP Belgium-based CMB.TECH and bulk shipping giant Golden Ocean Group have announced a stock-for-stock merger, creating one of the world’s largest diversified maritime groups. The combined entity will operate a substantial fleet, with over 250 vessels, spanning bulk carriers, tankers, and technologically advanced shipping solutions. Golden Ocean will cease public trading, with the merged company maintaining listings on NYSE and Euronext Brussels. The deal positions CMB.TECH as the surviving entity, consolidating its leadership in alternative fuel innovation, including hydrogen-powered maritime applications. Historically, Golden Ocean has focused exclusively on the dry bulk trade, but under CMB. TECH, future investments may shift toward dual-fuel and zero-emission technologies. Industry analysts expect the merger to strengthen efforts in green shipping advancements, aligning with global decarbonisation targets.…

The worst offshore accident happened in July 1988, when an explosion in one of Piper Alpha’s process modules ruptured a gas pipeline and engulfed the platform in flames. Of the 226 people on board, 165 lost their lives. Tharos was close to Piper Alpha at the time and able to provide cooling water, which helped some of the crew to escape, but ultimately, she was not able to evacuate personnel or prevent the platform collapsing. The Cullen Inquiry into the disaster noted that Tharos had not fulfilled her expected emergency role, but accepted that no-one had envisaged the scale of the fire, or the speed with which it spread, caused by the pipeline rupture. The Inquiry resulted in a major reset of the UK’s offshore safety regulations, with significant improvements…

Now operating an 14-strong fleet of passenger vessels linking British ports with France, Spain and Ireland, Brittany Ferries have become a major ferry force on the Channel. The company was established in the early 1970s, when a group of Breton vegetable farmers began a ro-ro service from Roscoff to Plymouth to get their produce into British markets. The move was greeted with some scepticism on both sides of the English Channel but, only a few months after a 1 January 1973 debut with a freight ferry, there were demands for passenger and car places, and a larger vessel was chartered. The company has continued to expand in size ever since, with ever more impressive ferries, and the fleet renewal programme of the last five years has seen the introduction of…

P&O Ferries has undergone major changes in its ferry operations during the last decade, but continues to serve several routes, notably with two large cruise ferries out of Hull, two newbuilds on the Channel and the long-serving link between Scotland and Northern Ireland. At one time it had considerable ferry interests throughout the UK and Ireland, including links to the Northern Isles and to Spain. However, consolidation of the P&O Irish Sea, P&O North Sea Ferries, P&O Portsmouth and P&O Stena operations into a single P&O Ferries brand in 2002 was followed by the sale of the ferry interests as part of the breaking up of the P&O Group in 2006. Since 2019 they have been under the ownership of Dubai-based DP World, a multinational logistics company which specialises in…

Caledonian MacBrayne, well-known throughout Scotland, provides vital lifeline services operating car and passenger ferries to 24 islands on the country’s picturesque west coast and in the Firth of Clyde, and maintains the largest fleet of vessels of any company in the UK, consisting of up to 36 ships. CalMac’s fleet includes a mix of major vessels for longer crossings and smaller ferries for shorter routes, but the ferries have, in the past few years, suffered with breakdowns and poor reliability as the fleet ages. However, several new vessels are due to enter service over the course of the next year or so. Established in 1973 through the merger of two companies, CalMac has been restructured, and since October 2006, although still operating as Caledonian MacBrayne, its official name has been…

Orkney Ferries operates interisland ferry services in the Orkney Islands. The company was established in 1960 as the Orkney Islands Shipping Company and is owned by the Orkney Islands Council. In 1991 the Orkney Islands Shipping Company acquired a private sector ferry company, also called Orkney Ferries, which had been established to compete on the short sea crossing from the Scottish mainland to Orkney. Orkney Ferries operates between the Orkney mainland and 14 of the smaller islands. The services include the North Isles service, linking Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern isles of Eday, Sanday, Stronsay, Westray, Papa Westray and North Ronaldsay. The Shapinsay service links Kirkwall with the northern island of Shapinsay. Another service links Tingwall to the northern isles of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. The South Isles…

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the world’s oldest continually operating passenger shipping line, having been established in 1830. Based in Douglas, the company forms an integral link to the UK and Ireland, providing essential freight, passenger and vehicle services between the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, in Douglas, and five ports in the UK and Ireland. The Steam Packet Company is required to fulfil the terms of a user agreement negotiated with the island’s Department of Transport, providing minimum service levels. The current fleet is led by the flagship Manxman, which entered service in 2023. Manxman is a purpose-built vessel designed to enhance the company’s operations, offering increased capacity and improved passenger amenities. She can accommodate up to 949 passengers and 495 vehicles. Built in South Korea,…

The local ferry operations around the United Kingdom are many and varied. The ones described here are the most significant and include those that operate vehicle-carrying vessels. The two traditional passenger-only vessels both serve in the West Country, linking the mainland with the Isles of Scilly and with Lundy Island. The numerous small estuary-crossing ferries in Ireland are not included, but that at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland is, along with the passenger-only ferries operating on the Tyne, around Gosport and on the Thames. ARGYLL & BUTE The ferry services operated by Argyll and Bute Council in Scotland connect the region’s islands and mainland. The council currently operates four routes: Easdale-Seil (Ellenabeich), Lismore (Point)-Port Appin, Luing-Seil (Cuan) and Jura (Feolin)-Islay (Port Askaig). These provide essential links for the local communities,…

In the early hours of Wednesday 16 May 1945 the Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser Haguro slipped beneath the waves in the Malacca Strait after succumbing to numerous torpedo hits. Ambushed by ships of the Royal Navy’s 26th Destroyer Flotilla, she was the last major warship to be sunk in a surface action during World War II. The cruiser’s destruction was a significant British victory and noteworthy in providing some revenge for the grievous losses the Allied navies had previously suffered at her hands in the course of the Asia-Pacific War. THE CRUISER HAGURO Commissioned on 25 April 1929 at the Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyard, Haguro was one of four Nachi or Myoko class heavy cruisers. The quartet were the first Japanese cruisers designed under the constraints of the 1922 Washington Naval…

Celestyal is a boutique cruise line that offers cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean with a fleet of just two ships. The company is well known for specialising in cruises around the Mediterranean, and in particular the Greek Islands, and for many years operated Celestyal Olympia (1982/37,773gt) and Celestyal Crystal (1980/25,611gt). However, in recent times Celestyal has undergone an evolution of its fleet and brand positioning, but continues to operate two ships, albeit larger ones. Although Celestyal itself was founded in 2014, it is a subsidiary of and successor to Louis Cruises, a Cyprus-based travel and tourism group established in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus. Louis gradually expanded its operations, and entered the cruise industry in the 1970s by chartering ferries for short cruises. In 1987 Louis Cruise…

TWO PRESERVED SHIPS: BALMORAL AND BRITANNIA letter of the month The history of Balmoral (SM February 2025) was read with interest but left me with a feeling of some sadness that she has been languishing in the docks in Bristol for so long. Unfortunately, unlike with the paddle steamers Waverley and Kingswear Castle, sufficient funding streams to enable her to be repaired, surveyed and returned to passenger service have not been forthcoming. She is therefore left in the care of a dedicated team of volunteers, to be maintained with restricted funds and generous donations of time and equipment. It does seem to me that there are some much less deserving projects that have benefited from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. There needs to be a really reliable estimate of the…

APRIL’S MYSTERY The mystery ship Wendy Ann 2 was built by W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd, Northwich in 1940 as C.129 for the Admiralty Naval Stores, at Devonport. She was a tug of 44grt, powered by a 250bhp Lister-Blackstone motor. Sold out of naval service in 1955 to Pounds of Portsmouth, she was resold to Harry Rose (Towage Ltd) of Poole and was renamed Wendy Anne 3 in 1955, becoming Wendy Ann 2 in 1957. She was sold to Poole Harbour Commissioners in 1981, Sutton Harbour Commissioners, Plymouth in 1984, and in 1988 to Western Ocean Towage, Plymouth. Between 1990 and 1994 she was owned in Plymouth, and was converted into a houseboat at Southdown Quay Plymouth. Wendy Ann 2 arrived at Littlehampton in March 2009, having been towed from…

NEW LIFEBOAT The RNLI’s latest 13m Shannon class lifeboat Roy Barker VI was welcomed to her Troon station on Sunday 4 May 2025. After completing a passage from the All-weather Lifeboat Centre at the RNLI Headquarters in Poole, via Newlyn, Arklow, Carrickfergus and Campbeltown, the new lifeboat arrived in Troon at 13.55, the time matching her operational number. She was greeted by hundreds of supporters at the lifeboat station, and was escorted home by Troon’s current lifeboats, the 14m Trent Jim Moffat and D class inshore lifeboat Sheena, as well as Girvan’s lifeboat Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan and Arran’s Atlantic 85 Rachel Hedderwick. The new lifeboat is the latest funded from the legacy of Frederick Roy Barker through the Roy Barker Memorial Fund, which has already paid for five lifeboats.…

CARGO SERVICES On 28 April, after 53 years, Hanoi Express (Hapag-Lloyd) brought to an end the German shipping company’s use of Southampton for its Europe-Asia service. The trade will now be handled by London Gateway, with Southampton now becoming the hub for North Atlantic trade routes. The last call was made by the 2023-built Hanoi Express, which has a capacity of 23,664TEU and 1,500 reefer plugs. Hapag-Lloyd operates direct services from/to North Europe to the Caribbean and Latin America West Coast, offering direct routes to and from the UK. The company also offers synchronised feeder services to/from Guayaquil, Paita, South Chile, Cuba and Zarate (Argentina). As of 31 December 2024 Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet comprised 299 container ships and the company transports 12.5 million TEUs per year. Since March DP World London…

BRITTANY FERRIES Portsmouth’s longest-serving cross-Channel ferry bowed out with a tug escort on 17 April, at the start of her final daylight departure. Normandie has been a mainstay of the two-ship Portsmouth-Caen (Ouistreham) service, for which she was purpose-built, for a month short of 33 years. Upon her introduction in May 1992 she made an instant impact, with the harbour being closed to other traffic for her maiden arrival, something now only routinely done for aircraft carrier sailings. The 95-nautical-mile route established in 1986 has since become Brittany Ferries’ busiest, carrying around a million passengers a year and more than half of all freight traffic. Upon being replaced by Guillaume de Normandie, Normandie moved to Cherbourg for debranding and transfer to her new owners, La Méridionale. The Mediterranean operator is…

GNV The MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company subsidiary GNV took delivery of GNV Orion at the Guangzhou Shipyard International shipyard on 16 April. The ro-pax ferry is the second in a series of six vessels on order with the Chinese shipyard, following the exercising of an option for additional hulls. Displacing 52,000 tonnes, they have a length of 218m, a beam of 29.6ms and a maximum speed of 25 knots, They can accommodate 1,700 passengers in 433 cabins and offer up to 3,080 lane metres. The new series of ships comes with a range of energy-saving technologies to help lower their environmental impact, from the shape of the hull, bulbous bow, propellers and rudders, to the application of silicon paint, heat recycling, and the use of LED lighting throughout. They also…

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE The next two ships to join the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet will be named Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale, reusing some original names from the early days of the company. These will be the fourth and fifth units of the series that began with Mardi Gras, and will be built at the Meyer shipyard at Papenburg. The three 230,000gt ships recently ordered from Fincantieri will be known as ‘Project Ace’. With 3,000 cabins, the full capacity of these vessels, due for delivery in 2029, 2031, 2033, will be around 8,000 passengers. Due to re-scheduled drydockings, a number of cruises have been cancelled for 2026. Carnival Magic will be out of service from 18 April to 24 May for a refit that has been postponed from autumn 2025.…

VIKING It is difficult to keep up with the numerous announcements from Viking Cruises in relation to new orders and options. However, the company has now confirmed what were thought to be options for a further pair of ships for delivery in 2031. There are options for two more in 2033. This will bring the ocean fleet to 21 conventional ships and two expedition ships by 2031. It should be noted that Viking Sun is currently operating for a Chinese joint venture and is not included in these numbers. All have been or will be built by Fincantieri. The names of the next four ships to be delivered are Viking Vesta (due in July), Viking Mira (June 2026), Viking Libra (December 2026) and Viking Astrea (June 2027). The recently delivered…

HELLENIC NAVY The Greek Prime Minister has outlined a €25 billion budget to strengthen the armed forces. At the core of a 12-year long-term defence plan will be the creation of a multilayered defence system to defend against aircraft, ballistic missiles, ships, submarines and drones, designated the ‘Achilles Shield.’ As such, the Hellenic Navy is to receive a significant funding increase for the acquisition and upgrade of new frigates, submarines and missile craft. The plans include acquiring a fourth Kimon class FDI HN frigate, the purchase of two secondhand Bergamini class (FREMM) frigates from Italy, and the life extension modernisation of four MEKO 200 HN frigates. Four Type 214 HN submarines are to receive mid-life upgrades, while four new submarines are planned as replacements for the navy’s 50-year old Type…

CONTAINERS Wan Hai Lines has continued its fleet expansion with an order for new container ships. The Taiwanese carrier has added four 16,000TEU methanol-ready dual-fuel vessels to its orderbook. These vessels, contracted from South Korean yards of HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries, will be among the largest in the Wan Hai fleet and are designed to meet evolving worldside environmental regulations. Wan Hai has been one of the more aggressive carriers in terms of its fleet expansion, particularly during the pandemic, when demand for container shipping surged. Unlike some competitors that hesitated to invest, Wan Hai took advantage of strong market conditions to secure additional tonnage at the time. This strategy saw the company significantly increase its operational capacity, allowing it to better serve key routes in Asia…

COMPANY NEWS The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has officially classified Chipolbrok as a state-controlled entity, citing Chinese government ownership and influence over its operations. The designation means that Chipolbrok, a specialist carrier in heavy-lift and project cargo, may face stricter regulatory oversight when operating in US trade lanes. Established in 1951 as a Polish-Chinese joint venture, Chipolbrok is one of the oldest international carriers, focusing on breakbulk and oversized shipments. It currently operates a fleet of 25 multipurpose heavy-lift vessels, deployed across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Being listed as a state-controlled carrier could result in heightened scrutiny over its pricing, service agreements and operational access to US ports. While the long-term impact remains unclear, previous cases suggest companies under such classification often face tougher negotiations with American shippers and…

CHEMICAL TANKERS Norwegian chemical tanker specialist Stolt-Nielsen has acquired full control of its joint venture with JO Odfjell, strengthening its position in the market. The joint venture, which was formed in 2016, operated a fleet of eight chemical tankers, primarily serving transatlantic and intra-European routes. By purchasing Odfjell’s 50 per cent stake in the venture, Stolt-Nielsen now has full operational authority over the vessels and their future deployment. The move comes as part of a broader consolidation strategy that has seen Stolt expand its presence in the liquid bulk sector. In addition to this acquisition, Stolt-Nielsen has increased its ownership in Avenir LNG, a leading company in small-scale LNG distribution, raising its stake to 95.8 per cent. Stolt Tankers is a leading operator of chemical tankers, with 162 ships transporting…

The history of Davie Shipbuilding The Davie shipbuilding company was formed by English-born ship captain Allison Davie and Scottish-born shipbuilder George Taylor in the Canadian city of Lauzon (now part of the city of Levis) in Quebec, on the mighty St Lawrence River. In 1825 they acquired an area of land on the south shore of the river, at rue de Saint Thomas and Côte de la Canotiere, and set up a shipyard. Initially, it was a small family run enterprise that used the plentiful supply of local lumber for building fishing vessels and small ships for the logging industries. Early vessels included the wooden brig Anne Mackenzie of 1827, built for the prominent Montreal-based merchant Alexander Mackenzie, and the brig Loyalist, built in 1841 for the Loyalist Shipping Co,…

After the closure of many of its long-established North Sea overnight services from English ports to Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Danish ferry giant DFDS moved into short-sea English Channel traffic after beginning a joint venture with LD Lines, part of the French Louis Dreyfus Group. DFDS then took over established Dover-Dunkirk route operator Norfolkline, previously owned by Maersk, in 2010, along with a trio of modern vessels, built in South Korea by Samsung Heavy Industries. Maersk Dunkerque, completed in 2005, and sisters Maersk Delft and Maersk Dover which followed in 2006, became Dunkerque Seaways, Delft Seaways and Dover Seaways in 2010. They provide up to 12 Dover-Dunkirk crossings a day, with a passage time of two hours and space for 780 passengers and 200 cars. DFDS interest in the…

Stena Line is one of Europe’s leading ferry operators, providing extensive services across the UK and beyond. The company operates several key routes around the UK, including from Belfast to Cairnryan, Belfast to Liverpool, Fishguard to Rosslare and Holyhead to Dublin, as well as Harwich to Hook of Holland and, but not covered in this guide, several other routes in the Baltic. NORTHERN IRELAND The Irish Sea operation which Stena Line acquired in 1990 as part of the takeover of Sealink British Ferries focussed on passenger services and vessels operating a schedule dating back to the mail boat era. After extensive investment, the company operates a much-altered route network, with impressive ships placing equal emphasis on passenger and freight operations. Stena Line’s current fleet includes the North Channel pair, Stena…

Pentland Ferries is a privately owned family company which has operated a ferry service between Gills Bay in Caithness, Scotland and St Margaret’s Hope on South Ronaldsay in Orkney since May 2001. The company is one of only two major vehicle ferry operators within Scotland which are not subsidised by the Scottish Government or local authorities. Pentland Ferries was founded by Andrew Banks in 1997, when he purchased the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Iona and obtained a 99-year lease on the Gills Bay terminal, about three miles west of John o’ Groats. After spending two years improving the site, and further work at St Margaret’s Hope, he started operating the short-sea crossing with Iona, renamed Pentalina B, in May 2001. The current catamaran Pentalina entered service in 2009, and she was…

The various islands around the Shetland archipelago are linked by a 12-strong fleet of small ferries operated by the Shetland Islands Council, which operate across ten islands. The services are headed by the 1,861gt double-enders Dagalien and Daggri, built at the Stocznia Polnocna yard in Gdansk, Poland. They were delivered in 2004 to replace a pair of earlier vessels on the route from Toft on Mainland to Ulsta at the southern end of the island of Yell. They have a 12-knot service speed. A previous order to the Polish yard brought the 658gt Linga into service in 2001. She runs from Laxo, Mainland to Symbister on the island of Whalsay, taking 100 passengers and 16 cars. The next largest vessel is the 420gt Lerina, delivered by Fergusons from Port Glasgow…

Use of the Red Funnel name started in 1935 after these colours were introduced for a fleet which then included Southampton tug operations and summer steamer excursions along the English south coast, in addition to year-round passenger and vehicle services to the Isle of Wight. The company introduced car services in the inter-war period, and the first purpose-built car ferry was the 20-vehicle Medina, completed in 1931, and in service until 1962. Red Funnel now operates three 895-passenger Clyde-built Raptor class ferries on the 55-minute crossing from Southampton to Cowes: Red Eagle, Red Falcon and Red Osprey, which came on stream between 1994 and 1996. From 2003 to 2005 they went in turn to Gdansk, Poland, where Remontowa lengthened their hulls by 10m and raised their superstructure for a full…

Situated on Spain’s southeastern coast, on the Costa Blanca and just over 50km south of Alicante, Torrevieja is renowned for its salt production, particularly from its two large saltwater lagoons, Laguna Salada de Torrevieja and Laguna Salada de la Mata. These natural salt flats have been used for salt extraction since at least the 13th century, but the trade expanded significantly in the 19th century when the area became a major supplier to the Mediterranean and beyond. Torrevieja’s salt is known for its high quality, and the saltworks, among the largest in Europe, produce over half a million tons of salt annually. The salt is used domestically and also exported to countries such as Norway, Sweden, the UK and the United States, where it is primarily used for de-icing roads.…

Profile of the United States Navy’s Knox class ships With building of the latest Constellation class frigates, the United States Navy will, within the next five years, see the return to frontline service of the frigate. Not since the last of the Oliver Hazard Perry class USS Simpson was decommissioned in 2015, and the misadventure into the Littoral Combat Ship, has a frigate seen US Navy service. During the Cold War era frigates were the mainstay of the Navy, and the most numerous of all frigates was the Knox class. However, the Knox ships were not without their detractors. With only a single screw and one five-inch gun as main armament, they were seen as a little toothless, even earning the nickname of ‘McNamara’s Follies’ after the US Secretary of…

BUILT ON CLYDEBANK Queen Elizabeth 2 was the last liner built on the Clyde, and possibly the most famous. Bob Wright recounts how the ship’s building inspired his first photography expeditions when he was a teenager. PLUS REMEMBERING HMS ARK ROYAL • The career of the fourth Ark Royal, the final conventional aircraft carrier in Royal Navy service. ROBB CALEDON • Looking back at the history of the Henry Robb Shipyard at the Port of Leith, which was founded in 1918 and built many ships, from tugs to dredgers to ferries. CRUISE SHIPS IN CORK • Cork has one of the world’s largest natural harbours and is a popular destination for cruise ships, having been visited by many historic and notable vessels. WIGHTLINK • Profile of the company serving the…