Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i Ships Monthly

CONTAINER SHIP On 10 May the 6,969TEU container vessel MSC Antonia ran aground near Eliza Shoals in the Red Sea while she was en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The grounding occurred under conditions that maritime analysts suspect may have involved AIS signal interference, leading to navigational errors. AIS spoofing has been reported in multiple locations in the region, resulting in course alterations for several vessels. MSC Antonia, built in 2006, was originally completed as APL Washington, passing into MSC’s hands in 2018. She previously made headlines in August 2024 after losing 46 containers when she encountered bad weather off South Africa. Salvage operations commenced within 48 hours of the incident, with tug assistance mobilised from Jeddah. By 12 May initial attempts to refloat the vessel using tugs had been…

BULK CARRIERS Damen Shipyards Group, with Atal Solutions, has completed the retrofit of four bulk carriers for BAM Shipping. The project involved the integration of a series of efficiency-boosting technologies to lower the vessels’ fuel consumption and emissions. This is the first time that all of the various solutions have been used in a single retrofit project. In aiming to reduce fuel consumption, the project had five main focal points: resistance in the water, optimising power usage, enhancing propulsion, cutting emissions and improving lubrication systems. A spray solution applied to the engine’s air intake ensured optimal fuel combustion, minimising consumption and emissions. The project prepared the four bulk carriers for operations in compliance with recent regulations. The retrofit will also extend the lifetime of the vessels by up to 12…

DEMOLITION The German-built tug Ankorva arrived at Erith for scrapping in April, towed in by the veteran coastal tug Kingston. Built in 1967, Ankorva spent her early career operating in the Weser area in Germany as Comet, before a period in the Mediterranean waters off Koper as Komet. In 2001 she and her sister Cyclop, then named Kyklop, went to Falmouth, where they have served as harbour tugs for the A&P shipyard under the names Ankorva and Percuil. Both have been replaced by larger more modern tugs, Mercia and Morva, at the Cornish port. The pair are now on the Thames, with Percuil arriving on the river in October, where she is expected to take up operation. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18…

OLD FERRIES The Italian ferry company Moby Line has recently parted with two veteran ships, both German-built, Moby Zazà and Moby Drea. The former, now reflagged in San Marino, has been sold to an Asia-based operator and will serve as a floating hotel in the Far East, under Venture Ship Management Europe. The ship was built in 1982 as Olau Britannia, and has been in her current role since 2015. The other ship, the 15,673gt Moby Drea, is destined for dismantling in Aliaga, Turkey. Built in 1975 at Flenderwerke in Germany, she started her career as Tor Britannia for Tor Line, becoming Prince of Scandinavia in 1991. Together with sistership Tor Scandinavia, she revolutionised North Sea traffic when she entered service, being capable of speeds in excess of 27 knots.…

NEWBUILD On 12 May, just nine months after the contract was signed, the christening ceremony took place of the Lithuanian Navy’s new multi-role tug at the Klaipeda Cruise Ship Terminal. Built and delivered by the Damen Shipyards Group, the Damen ASD Tug 3010 ICE with a bollard pull of almost 60 tonnes, is a well-proven design specially designed for operations in icy waters. Named Lokys, and designated H-24, the vessel will assist in upgrading the nation’s maritime capabilities.…

NEW FERRY Ferguson Marine’s newly appointed chief executive officer has confirmed a significant delay to the completion of Glen Rosa. The latest delivery date for the second of two dual-fuel ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne has slipped a further nine months to around May or June next year. The original date for delivery was July 2018. The cost of the ship has also risen by an estimated £35 million, thus exceeding the original £97 million contract price for the pair by 375 per cent. Ordinarily, such cost overruns would fail financial tests for public expenditure, but it seems the taxpayer has invested too much to pull the plug now. The latest delay is not entirely unexpected, as the Port Glasgow shipyard diverted resources to complete Glen Sannox.…

WESTERN FERRIES Western Ferries has selected APCL Cammell Laird as its preferred bidder for two new ferries for their McInroy’s Point (Gourock) to Hunters Quay (Dunoon) route. Construction will begin shortly, with both vessels due to be delivered to the Firth of Clyde in Autumn 2026. The new multi-million pound contract builds on the successful relationship established in 2013, when the same company designed and built Sound of Seil and Sound of Soay. The Birkenhead shipyard’s other recent ferry projects include Strangford II and Red Kestrel. They are also constructing a new Mersey Ferry for delivery by the end of the year, the first to be built in 60 years and the 15th it has built since 1836. The privately owned and non-subsidised Western ferries has provided a strategic link…

COSTA CRUISES Since the pandemic, the Costa Cruises fleet has shrunk significantly, and the latest ship to leave is the 2003-built Costa Fortuna. When delivered, she had a number of impressive models and reproduction publicity material on board, and the the overall theme of the vessel was ships of the Costa fleet and Italian liners. Her atrium was particularly spectacular with models of 26 Costa ships stuck upside down on the ceiling. The 102,587gt ship has a lower berth passenger capacity of about 2,700, increasing to almost 3,500 when the upper berths are brought into use. During her career with Costa, she spent several years based in China, returning to Europe at the end of 2018. She has now been sold, to operate for Margaritaville at Sea from 2026, alongside…

G ADVENTURES Having been laid up for a while, Ocean Adventurer has found a new home with G Adventures. Latterly chartered to Quark Expeditions, this Sunstone Ships-managed vessel will start operating for G Adventures in October, replacing the 1972-built Expedition (6,334gt), a former well-travelled car ferry, previously N.f. Tiger and Kattegat. The not much newer 1975-built Ocean Adventurer (4,614gt) carries a similar number of passengers (128) and will be renamed Expedition. The new addition was built as Alla Tarasova at Kraljevica in what was Yugoslavia for the Murmansk Shipping Company. She was sold to Clipper Cruise Line in 1997 and converted for cruising under the name Clipper Adventurer. In 2012 she became Sea Adventurer and was last renamed, as Ocean Adventurer, in 2017. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs…

DANISH NAVY With greater security threats, particularly from Russia, Denmark is to invest DKK 4 billion to strengthen the country’s maritime surveillance of critical infrastructure capabilities. All parliamentary parties have come together to approve the Danish Defence Agreement 2024-2033, which will further strengthen the Danish Navy. The extra resources will fund the acquisition of four environmental-protection and minelaying vessels, a mother ship equipped with drones and sonar systems to monitor underwater activity, as well as 21 new vessels for the Marine Home Guard. The Royal Danish Navy Command and the Danish Ministry of Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organisation have teamed up with Saildrone. The US company is to deploy four of their Voyager USVs in Danish waters. The 10m uncrewed surface vessels are equipped with a suite of intelligence-gathering sensors…

MEXICAN NAVY The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an investigation into the Mexican Navy’s sail training ship Cuauhtémoc’s crash into New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge on 18 May. Two cadets manning the rigging were killed and 20 other crew were seriously injured as the ship was dismasted. US authorities initially stated ‘mechanical issues’ and a power cut led to the collision, which happened as the vessel was manoeuvring away from the pier in Manhattan. The entire incident was widely captured and posted out on social media, with dozens of video clips of the tragedy appearing online. Ahead of the NTSB report, speculative assessment from unofficial experts suggests the engine may have been stuck in reverse, with the ship stern-boarding into the bridge at six knots.…

ENVIRONMENTAL United European Car Carriers (UECC) has announced a 70 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, equating to 107,000 tonnes, during their 2024 operations, achieved through improved operational efficiency and the deployment of battery hybrid LNG vessels. This reduction is in line with the company’s long-term objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. UECC, founded in 1990, is a key operator in short-sea ro-ro services across Europe and currently manages a fleet of 17 pure car and truck carriers (PCTC). Recent investments in multi-fuel LNG hybrid vessels have contributed to the company’s decarbonisation strategy, with two additional hybrid ships scheduled for introduction in 2028, and the company aims to further reduce emissions by a 50 per cent over the coming year. The company is is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen…

QUEEN MARY On 10 April Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the Clyde turbine steamer Queen Mary to see at first hand the progress that has been made over the last 12 months and also to meet supporters, volunteers and funders involved in the restoration. On board the vessel, all of the key partners for the next phase of the project briefed Her Royal Highness about the work due to be carried out, including the completion of structural steel work repairs, the fitting of new windows, designing the ship’s main machinery and systems, and ordering steel for new decks. An artist’s impression was also shared with The Princess Royal to show what Queen Mary will look like once the work has been finished. Built in 1933 by Denny of…

DUNKIRK A fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships, under the auspices of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, sailed from Ramsgate to Dunkirk over the late May Bank Holiday weekend to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, the rescue of more than 338,000 British and Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in May and June 1940. These crossings have been held every five years, but as the one in 2020 coincided with Covid, this will be the first since 2015. This year as many as 74 ’Little Ships’ took part, making it significantly the largest ADLS Fleet ever gathered for a Dunkirk Return. The ships departed Dunkirk early on 21 May and sailed across the Channel in convoy. They were escorted by three of the Royal Navy’s P class…

Ellerman’s classic motor ship City of Johannesburg on the Tyne in May 1961, being manoeuvred by local tugs towards the designated ship swinging area, to the east of Newcastle Quay, where she will turn through 180 degrees before heading downstream towards the river mouth, 12 miles distant. Soon after the end of World War II, Ellerman Lines of Liverpoolset about rebuilding their fleet, which had lost some 60 vessels during the conflict. A large building programme was embarked upon, and included a group of five City of New York class vessels, the first four of which were powered by steam turbines. City of Johannesburg was the fifth of these ships, and was completed in 1947 by Barclay Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow. The ship offered accommodation for 12 passengers. A…

The earliest record of organised sea crossings from the Hampshire mainland to the Isle of Wight dates back to the 15th century. However, steam power introduced in the form of the 19th century paddle steamer Britannia, which began to operate on the Portsmouth-Ryde route in 1817, brought more reliability. By 1880 railway lines serving both the Ryde Pier and Portsmouth Harbour ferry terminals opened new opportunities for the rail companies. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway joined forces with the London and South-Western Railway to operate a fleet of paddle steamers, including double-ended sisters Duchess of Albany and Duchess of Connaught, which were introduced in 1884. Some of the vessels were commandeered during World War I for service as minesweepers, with Duchess of Richmond being lost in the Mediterranean…

The paddle steamer Caledonia made her debut in the 1930s during the heyday of the paddle steamer as the main form of transport in and around the Clyde and its environs. The paddler was one of many operated by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company, who managed services on the Clyde for many years. Formed in May 1889 by the Caledonian Railway (CR) to operate its steamer services, the Steam Packet Company bought the ships needed to operate steamer services to and from Gourock, the fishing village whose harbour was purchased by CR, thus bypassing the Glasgow and South Western Railway Prince’s Pier at Greenock, and having the advantage of being closer to the Clyde resorts. During the early 1920s the company had various paddlers and motor vessels built by several…

CLASSIC CRUISE SHIPS • FRENCH NAVY IN PROFILE • BELGIAN 1930s LINERS • OLD FERRIES IN GREECE GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN PLUS MODERN FRENCH NAVY • The current state of France’s Marine Nationale, whose motto ‘Honneur, Patrie, Valeur, Discipline’ reflects its commitment to protecting France’s interests around the world. FORMER FERRIES IN GREECE • Photo feature of some historic passenger ships that have served Greek routes in the Mediterranean. THREE BELGIAN SISTERS • In the mid-1930s three cargo/passenger liners were built for Compagnie Maritime Belge, regarded as the most modern ships under the Belgian flag. LA PALMA • Nestled in the inner harbour of Tenerife’s main port, Santa Cruz, is the historic former mailship La Palma. ON SALE 25 JULY 2025…

CARGO VESSEL On 14 May the 89m cargo ship Clarity (2011/2,545gt) arrived at Poole to take over Channel Seaways’ containerised freight service to the Channel Islands, to allow for the dry-docking of the regular vessel, the Isle of Manflagged Trinity (2007/2,102gt). Having discharged her cargo at Poole the following morning, Trinity then sailed to Hull, allowing Clarity to take up the normal twice-weekly schedule from the Dorset port. Channel Seaways’ service from Poole to Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey handles everything from small parcels to large shipments. Both vessels are owned by Faversham Ships, which has an eight-strong fleet of cargo vessels.…

CARGO SERVICE CLdN launched a new weekly service between Zeebrugge and Ireland on 10 May. The company chartered an 800 TEU lift-on/lift-off (lo-lo) cargo vessel JSP Rover (7,852gt, ex-Samskip Explorer) for the container service between its Albert II terminal in Zeebrugge and Cork/Dublin. The new lo-lo service will also enable a further optimisation of CLdN’s roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) fleet, increasing customer options on routes between Zeebrugge and Ireland. The addition of a lo-lo service at the Port of Cork marks a strategic expansion of CLdN’s offering for customers in the Republic of Ireland. It is part of CLdN’s broader lo-lo strategy that includes the construction of newbuild container vessels for delivery as from January 2027. The additional lo-lo sailing complements the four ro-ro sailings each week from Zeebrugge to Ireland (two…

ENVIRONMENT The marine environmental protection group Sea Shepherd’s most recently acquired vessel, the 1155gt Allankay (formerly Corinthian Bay), arrived in Auckland after a passage from Ushuaia, Argentina, while she was deployed for Operation Antarctica Defense, a campaign aimed at protecting the Antarctic ecosystem. The ice-strengthened vessel, previously a Patagonian toothfish longliner which carries a crew of 30, was built in Norway in 1998 and was lengthened by 10m in 2012. Following her acquisition, the vessel underwent an extensive refit in Walvis Bay, Namibia, where all fishing gear and processing equipment were removed and she was transformed into a marine conservation vessel. WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

PORT NEWS Holyhead Port has announced that repairs to the Terminal 3 (T3) linkspan are on schedule to be completed by 1 July. Stena Line has welcomed the news and stated that their ships will return to their normal timetable. However, British and Irish road haulage associations have called for the enforced temporary timetables to remain in place. Since January Holyhead has been operating with a single T5 berth, with Stena Line and Irish Ferries amending their schedules to use it in turn. Paradoxically, the spacing out of crossings, rather than broadly running in tandem, has significantly reduced traffic congestion and improved customs clearance times. Timetables, which are historically based on mailboat requirements, are technically at the behest of Stena Line, as it owns the port. The UK’s second busiest…

CELESTYAL The former Celestyal Crystal was beached at Alang in mid-May under the name Right. The 45-year-old ship is something of a survivor, with a fascinating and somewhat astonishing past. Built as the Viking Line ferry Viking Sagaby by Finnish shipbuilder Wärtsilä, she ranked among the world’s largest car ferries when delivered in 1980. She arrived with Viking Line just as the race for the biggest and best ships was getting under way, and thus only had a short six years on her capital cities route between Stockholm and Helsinki before being replaced by the new Olympia. She was sold to the Finnish Sally Line and was repurposed as the Baltic cruise ship Sally Albatros. Later, she was given a more streamlined forward superstructure. A major fire in 1990 destroyed…

ROYAL NAVY The Royal Navy has revealed its vision for the future of undersea operations with the formal unveiling of its first ever uncrewed submarine, an event of such significance that it has been described as a ‘wood to steel’ and a ‘sail to steam moment’. The 19-tonne experimental vessel, named XV Excalibur, is the culmination of the three-year Project Cetus. The vessel, built by Plymouth-based MSubs, will be used to demonstrate the potential of Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vessels (XLUUVs) to autonomously carry out intelligence-gathering missions, the monitoring of key underwater infrastructure and carry bespoke payloads. Named after the Arthurian legend and an experimental high-speed submarine trialled by the Royal Navy in the 1950s and 1960s, the 12m-long testbed will become part of the Fleet Experimentation Squadron, which also operates…

NORTH KOREAN NAVY The Democratic People’s Republic of Korean Navy has showcased the firepower of its first ‘blue water’-capable combat vessel. With the country’s leader Kim Jong Un watching on, the Choe Hyon class destroyer conducted a range of test firings of its strategic, cruise, anti-aircraft missiles, self-defence systems and 127mm main gun. The demonstration took place at anchor, close to shore near Nampo as the warship does not yet have a working propulsion system. However, the side launch of a second of class at Chongjin went spectacularly wrong, leaving the severely damaged ship lying on its side in the water, with the bow still on the quay. Four senior shipyard officials were arrested for the embarrassing mishap.…

GROUNDING On 22 May the 135m-long container ship NCL Salten ran aground in the Trondheim Fjord, Norway, coming to rest near a residential property in Byneset. Initial reports indicate that the second officer, who was on watch, may have fallen asleep, leading to the grounding. He has since been charged with negligent navigation. NCL Salten was built in 2003 by JJ Sietas. Operated by North Sea Container Line (NCL), the vessel primarily serves Norwegian coastal and European short-sea trades, transporting containerised cargo. Salvage operations began, with specialists assessing the structural integrity of the vessel and the environmental impact of the grounding. Initial efforts to refloat the ship at high tide were unsuccessful, and crews worked to remove containers to make the vessel lighter, while authorities monitored the area for pollution.…

CONTAINER SHIP The 366m-long container ship Maersk Sana remained adrift off Bermuda for almost a month, following an engine-room explosion on 28 April. The vessel had been en route from Newark, USA to Algeciras, Spain when the incident occurred. The explosion, reported by Maersk as originating from a high-pressure fuel system failure, led to the evacuation of two injured crew members to Bermuda, with one later transferred to the United States for further medical care. The 2010-built Sea1 Ruby (7,558gt), a large offshore support vessel/tug, was dispatched to assist Maersk Sana, reaching the drifting ship in early May. The ship was subsequently towed to Freeport, Bahamas, where engineers assessed the extent of the damage. Maersk Sana was built as P&O Nedlloyd Mondriaan, entering service for the Anglo-Dutch operator in 2004,…

TILBURY3 Peel Ports has outlined plans for the Tilbury3 (T3) development, aimed at expanding the Port of Tilbury to accommodate increased cargo volumes and improve operational efficiency. The proposal, currently under review by Thurrock Council, seeks to redevelop 100 acres of former Tilbury Power Station land into a new port facility adjacent to Tilbury2 (T2). The multi-purpose site will support container handling, industrial storage, vehicle logistics and bulk cargo. As part of the Thames Freeport, T3 will benefit from tax incentives designed to attract international investment. The facility will integrate with existing rail, road and river freight infrastructure. Peel Ports has indicated that construction could begin in 2026, with operations to commence by 2030. The development follows the launch of Tilbury2 in 2020, which provided additional capacity for car imports,…

NOMADIC Nomadic, the last remaining vessel of the White Star Line, is currently undergoing a significant restoration project to replace all her external timber decking. The renovations come as part of a joint effort by owners Maritime Belfast Trust and operators Titanic Belfast Limited to preserve and maintain the ship, which represents an important part of Belfast’s maritime heritage. Built in 1910-11 alongside Titanic at the Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Nomadic served as a tender for Titanic and other liners, carrying first and second class passengers from the French port of Cherbourg to anchored liners. The ship went on to serve in both World Wars and later became a restaurant in Paris before returning to Belfast in 2006 and becoming part of the Titanic Belfast experience in 2015.…

1960s The 1960s marked a decline in transatlantic passenger shipping as commercial airliners replaced ocean liners. Despite this, Cunard decided there was still a place for ocean liners and began planning a new dual-purpose liner. Cunard designed QE2 to serve as both an ocean liner for transatlantic crossings and a cruise ship. A two-class system, which could merge into one for cruises, was adapted to offer greater flexibility. 1965 The keel for the QE2 was laid at John Brown & Company’s shipyard in Clydebank on the same slipway used to build the iconic Queen Mary. 1967 (20 September): The ship was launched, and HM The Queen christened it “Queen Elizabeth the Second” at the ceremony. Owing to controversies over the title, it was renamed Queen Elizabeth 2 and was widely…

Cork is a prominent destination for cruise ships, offering a blend of historical charm, natural beauty and modern port facilities. The Port of Cork, located in one of the world’s largest natural harbours, hosts cruise ships and their passengers with state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate cruise ships of various sizes. The main cruise terminal is located in Cobh, a picturesque town steeped in maritime history, and Ireland’s only dedicated cruise berth. The port also features deepwater berths, modern cargo-handling equipment, and ferry passenger services. Adjacent to the cruise terminal is the Queenstown Heritage Centre, which has displays covering three centuries of Irish emigration, social, naval and maritime history. Cobh’s proximity to Cork City and other attractions, such as Blarney Castle and the Jameson Distillery, enhances its appeal as a cruise destination.…

The largest vessel ever to operate to and from the Isle of Wight, and the most expensive at a cost of £30 million, the 8,041gt Victoria of Wight has been linking Portsmouth’s dedicated base at Gunwharf Quays with Fishbourne since September 2008. She reached the south coast after a 2,019-nauticalmile delivery tow by the specialist tug Amber II (2007/975gt), following her completion in Turkey at the FBMA’s Cemre Yard. The journey took 25 days. The ship’s name, marking Queen Victoria’s association with the Isle of Wight through her favourite residence at Osborne House, was selected following a competition among Wightlink crew members and shore staff. Designed by London-based naval architects Houlder, work began on 4 October 2016, when the first steel for the ship was cut, with the keel-laying taking…

MAY’S MYSTERY The mystery ship featured in the May issue defeated readers and nobody could positively identify it. Can anybody who did not see it in the May issue now provide some information about the old vessel? She appears to have the letters “J W N” on her bow, but whether this is her name or the initials of an owner or operator is not known. Regarding the April mystery ship, David Adams of Wessex Marine provided some more information: “The Wendy Anns used to be tugs based at Poole Harbour and were operated by Harry Rose. They were always maintained in the most superb condition on their regular berths just downstream of the Lifting Bridge. In the 1950s and 1960s there were two in the fleet: Wendy Ann and…

CRUISE PORT On 22 May the largest ship to date to berth in the Outer Hebrides’ cruise port Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, Cunard’s Queen Anne, arrived shortly after midday, bringing over 2,700 passengers and 1,200 crew. She departed on 23 May at about 18.00. Many passengers enjoyed excursions around the Isle of Lewis and Harris. A shuttle service was provided by Lochs Motor Transport, on behalf of Stornoway Port, directly into the town centre. Queen Anne is the largest ship to dock at Stornoway’s new £59 million Deep Water Terminal, which can accommodate vessels up to 360m in length, with a water depth of 10m below Chart Datum. Stornoway is expecting 86 vessels to visit this year, of which 39 will use the new terminal, including Holland America’s…

NEWBUILD UK-based Purus formally named their recently delivered commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) Purus Chinook in London. Built by Vard at its Romania and Norway facilities, the new ship was delivered to UK-based Purus in May 2025. Purus Chinook was designed by Vard Design in collaboration with Purus and is suitable for supporting the offshore wind industry. The hull was built at Vard Shipyards Romania, and the final outfitting and commissioning were completed at Vard Søviknes. The CSOV meets DNV requirements, including the COMF C2 V1 class notation for climate, noise and vibration. This ensures optimal onboard temperature regulation, and reduced noise and vibration throughout the vessel, supporting crew welfare and long-term performance. The vessel measures 87.7m (288ft) by 19.5m (64ft), and has a maximum draught of 5.6m (18ft), and…

NEW FREIGHT SHIP Luxembourg-based transport group CLdN formally unveiled one of its new H5 vessels, the 50,455gt Seraphine, at Liverpool Cruise Terminal on 15 May. Seraphine is part of CLdN’s fleet of advanced larger vessels designed to carry more cargo while significantly reducing carbon emissions. Delivered in 2022, the vessel has capacity for 5,000 lane metres of freight. She operates to a CII A rating, which places her among the most efficient ships in the world. She can be powered by LNG or biomethane. Following a passage from Zeebrugge to Dublin, the vessel repositioned to Liverpool for the ceremony, which was attended by more than 250 guests, including representatives from CLdN, Peel Ports, Hyundai Mipo Shipyard and other stakeholders. David Huck, COO of Peel Ports Group, and Florent Maes, CEO…

P&O FERRIES The conduct and financial position of P&O Ferries is once again under scrutiny after the overdue filing of company accounts and the resignation of its auditors. KPMG, who have dealt with the company’s accounts since 2007, departed abruptly, with the Dubai-based DP World subsidiary yet to file its financial accounts for 2023, having only done so for its 2022 accounts in December 2024. They then recorded a £100 million loss, the same as in 2021. The controversial cross-Channel operator, which insists it is making ‘a strong financial recovery’, has tellingly put Channel House, its Dover HQ since 1987, up for sale. The freehold of the entire threeacre site overlooking the port has been listed for £4.5 million. P&O Ferries’ reputation has endured a torrid time since the company…

IRISH FERRIES Irish Ferries has reintroduced James Joyce to the Dublin-Holyhead route. The return of the 2007-built cruise ferry was something of a surprise, as she had been handed back to Tallink only three months earlier after a 20-month charter to the Irish Continental Group (ICG) and had already been renamed and repainted in a new livery. According to Tallink Group’s accounts, a ‘favourable set of circumstances’ created the right moment for a sale, allowing the Estonian company to continue passenger services on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route with an equivalent vessel, namely the 2001-built Superfast IX, which was back from long-term charter in Canada, during which she had been renamed Atlantic Vision. Known for their canny acquisitions, the ICG must have negotiated a great deal that also suited Tallink by avoiding…

SUNSTONE SHIPS The veteran former ferry Ocean Atlantic has been beached at Aliaga after a proposed refit never materialised. Built by Stocznia Szczecinska at Szczecin in Poland in 1986 as Konstantin Chernenko, she was the last of seven sisters in the Dmitry Shostakovich class of ro-ro ferries. She was operated by the Far East Shipping Co between Vladivostok and Japan and South Korea. By 1989 she had been rebuilt for cruising, renamed Rus and occasionally undertook charters, including, in 1992, to Saga. Sold in 2007, she was renovated in Italy, becoming SC Atlantic in 2010 for S Continental for a cruise service in the Eastern Baltic, based in St Petersburg. In 2012 she was acquired by International Shipping Partners and renamed Ocean Atlantic. Latterly, she has been used by both…

MSC CRUISES With the second of the four World Class of ships, MSC World America, delivered in March, MSC Cruises has ordered a further pair of these 216,000gt vessels from Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The next in the series, MSC World Asia, is scheduled for her maiden voyage in December 2026, with MSC World Atlantic following in 2027. The two ships recently added to the order will arrive in 2029 and 2030, and are, as yet, unnamed. The MSC Cruises fleet currently includes the four 65,000gt MSC Lirica class (including the pair acquired from the demise of Festival Cruises), all of which have been lengthened. There are four ships in the 92,000gt Musica class, four in the 138,000gt Fantasia class, and four in the Seaside class, made up from the initial…

MOD The UK MoD has awarded three contracts, worth more than £1 billion, to the incumbent Serco for the continuation of maritime services for the Royal Navy. The main award is for the delivery of in-port services at HM Naval Bases at Devonport, Portsmouth, Faslane and on the Clyde. Such services include vessel towage, passenger transfer and barge and tank cleaning services. The new £850 million deal will include the procurement of 24 new vessels over the next ten years. Serco will also deliver five years of inshore support to military training and exercises at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation (BUTEC), an underwater military test and evaluation range off the north-west coast of Scotland, and for Diver Training Support. In addition, the contract includes new work for Range Safety…

SINKING The Liberian-flagged container ship MSC Elsa 3 sank 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, India in the Arabian Sea on 25 May. The vessel developed a 26-degree list due to water ingress in her holds, which was attributed to rough seas and possible structural failure. The ship was carrying 640 containers, 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. The Indian Navy vessel INS Sujata, the Indian Coast Guard ship Arnvesh and heavy-load carrier Han Yi successfully rescued all of the 24 crew members who were on board. MSC Elsa 3 was acquired by Mediterranean Shipping Co from Greek owners in 2015. Completed in Poland in 1997 as Adrian, the 1,730TEU capacity container ship has operated under no less than eight different names. Investigations are ongoing into the…

NHS-UK FLAGSHIP National Historic Ships UK has appointed four very different historic vessels from around the country to act as its Flagships of the Year for 2025 and ‘fly the flag’ for UK maritime heritage. These awards have been running since 2009 and provide an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate the value of historic vessels to the wider public through a variety of online activities, special events, open days, workshops and tours. Flagships promote the role of NHS-UK by publicising its annual Photo Competition, Excellence in Maritime Conservation and Marsh Volunteer Awards. NHS-UK will work with each of the Flagships to promote their vessel. The Flagships receive a broad pennant to fly at the masthead and a brass plaque for their vessel. Each Flagship will hold a flag-hoisting ceremony to…

ANNIVERSARY To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, six of the historic ships that formed part of the Shetland Bus convoys set sail in late April from Bergen in Norway, replicating the journey to Lerwick that was undertaken during World War II, before sailing on to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The ‘Shetland Bus’ was an undercover operation to help the resistance in Nazi-occupied Norway during the war. In winter and under the cover of darkness, convoys of small fishing boats left the safety of Scotland’s most northerly islands to deliver valuable cargo and special agents to coves and fishing ports 200 miles away along the coast of Norway. On the return journeys, refugees fleeing the occupation were hidden in the holds of the fishing boats, as they sought sanctuary in…

When I was 14 years old, my parents, with the help of my hard-earned pocket money, bought me my first 35mm camera as a birthday gift. This opened up an entirely new world for me, and photography quickly became a favourite pastime and has been a lifelong hobby. The year was 1967, when one of the world’s most famous ocean liners was being constructed at John Brown’s Shipyard in Clydebank. Every few weeks, I would cycle to Mr Snodgrass’s farm, which was situated directly opposite the shipyard, to photograph the construction of yard number 736, popularly known at the time as the ‘Q4’, and later to become Queen Elizabeth 2. I was even fortunate enough to secure a ticket to witness the ship’s launch on 20 September 1967. As the…

There has been a port at Ipswich, on the River Orwell, since the 7th century, when the name of the town was Gippeswyc. Until the building of the Wet Dock in 1837 goods were landed at the common quays, but since then the port has gradually expanded. Cliff Quay on the East Bank of the river was built in phases in the 1920s and 1930s. The port was also home to coal-fired power stations, the second of which was built in 1939 to replace an earlier one. It was closed in 1985 and was demolished in November 1994, and a bulk storage shed was erected on the site, and the berth is now used for bulk imports and exports. The ro-ro and bulk berths at West Bank, opposite Cliff Quay,…

On Monday 4 December 1978 the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal entered her homeport of Devonport for the final time after a lengthy eight-month deployment that had encompassed both the United States and Mediterranean. Flying her paying-off pennant, she returned to an emotional welcome from families and to massive media coverage. She was the last Royal Navy aircraft carrier configured for conventional catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) operation, and her arrival at the naval base marked the passing of an era for British naval airpower. Ark Royal began her life as one of three Audacious class aircraft carriers ordered under the Royal Navy’s 1942 construction programme, as successors to the Illustrious and Implacable class fleet carriers. Competing wartime demands meant that construction progressed slowly, and one of…

letter of the month CUNARDERS VISITING SINGAPORE 85 YEARS APART The item about the dry-docking of the current Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth (SM, May, p.13) at the Sembawang shipyard for a three-week refit earlier this year was notable for a number of reasons. Sembawang shipyard, formerly the Admiralty Dockyard in Singapore, was handed over to the Singapore Government in 1970-71, and this year marks the 85th anniversary of visits to Singapore by both the previous RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth. In 1940 and 1941 both ships underwent work to prepare them for service as troopships. The Admiralty Dockyard housed the large King George VI dry dock, where the two Queens were readied for deployment by the British government as troop carriers, initially transporting personnel between Australia and the…