THE MAGICAL NORTHERN ISLES

NorthLink’s ferry Hjaltland departing Lerwick in late August,

NEWS IN BRIEF

MOBY UPGRADES Kongsky Marine is to upgrade five

Coaster sinks off German coast

The Isle of Man-registered British-owned coaster Verity on

Canopée gains its wings

Although equipped with Wärtsilä diesels, the French ro-ro

ENGINE POWER

WinGD’s ammoniaburning X-DF-A two-stroke engine range has been

Berge unveils sailing cargo ship

In addition to having the WindWings system installed,

Islander debuts at Guernsey

Condor Islander leaving St Peter Port for Portsmouth.

Research Ship on her travels

The 2018-built RRS Sir David Attenborough arriving at

Storms sink Cable Restorer

Seen in better days, the 1944-built Cable Restorer

Baltic route discontinued

STENA LINE Stena Line has discontinued the route

Euronav and Frontline reach deal

The 2015-built tanker Dominica (157,092gt), pictured off Singapore

Chinese pair chartered

The 26,204dwt Zhong Ren 122 is one of

New service at Ellesmere Port

The 1999-built ro-ro cargo ship Friedrich Russ (10,471gt)

MSC Euribia makes her UK debut

MSC Euribia alongside the Southampton cruise terminal in

Pelican gets wind power

The ro-ro ferry MN Pélican, with her sail,

Historic Canadian ferry scraped

Fishermen watch as the 1946-built ferry Norisle is

Three UK craft built for Japan

The new hovercraft Banri on trials in the

NEWS IN BRIEF

FIRST AGAIN For the fifth year in succession

Norbay’s new service on old routes

Norbay departing Dublin in service with P&O in

Seatruck comings and goings on Irish routes

The 2009-built freight ferry Seatruck Panorama has returned

FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . .

AURORA BOTNIA From 13 October Wasaline began running

Storms impact ferry services round UK

The unusual sight of a ferry at the

2023 Ferry Shipping awards

The 65,692gt Finnsirius made her debut on Scandinavian

Gibraltar Strait routes acquired

The 2015-built fast ferry Levante Jet at Gibraltar.

NEWS IN BRIEF

ROYAL CARIBBEAN The second ship in Royal Caribbean’s

Atlantica reactivated after four years

Costa Atlantica, pictured in 2007, will sail as

Fifth ship in World series

World Voyager was the first ship in the

Largest to date

Mein Schiff Relax will enter service in March

Israel-Gaza war impacts Med cruise itineraries

Crown Iris is currently laid up in Greece

Odyssey to become Fuji

Seabourn Odyssey will become Mitsui Ocean Fuji. WILLIAM

Australia hosts new callers

Royal Princess’ maiden visit to Sydney in October.

NEWS IN BRIEF

ROYAL NAVY The Defence Equipment Sales Authority has

Naval response to Hamas

RFA Argus, which has been given a new

Greece’s 21st century warships

The float-out of Kimon, the first new Greek

AUKUS enters new phase

ROYAL NAVY The UK MoD has awarded contracts

Proteus takes on a new role

RFA Proteus uses the K pennant number prefix,

Dutch sub numbers dwindle

Three European contractors are competing to replace the

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

The new submarine ROCS Hai Kun (SS-711) cost

NEWS IN BRIEF

UNIFEEDER CHARTERS Denmark-based Unifeeder Group, owned by DP

Engine retrofits and capacity increasing

Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller arrives at Felixstowe in July

Maersk’s first methanol-burner

The first of Maersk’s new methanol-burning 16,200TEU ships

Scorpio continues vessel buy-back

The 2016-built STI Guide, off Singapore in July

Carisbrooke go for proven design

Vertom Patty arriving at Tilbury in August, is

Deepened

PORT NEWS Hutchison Ports has had the main

Maersk sells US-flagged unit

The recently sold 38,177dwt Maersk Peary was one

Methanol-powered container ship

The recently launched dual-fuel container ship Eco Maestro

Ten for MOL

Ten new LNG-fuelled car carriers being built for

New carriers for Neptune Lines

Twin hybrid LNG-powered 4,200 CEU capacity PCTCs are

Italian LNG-fuelled hybrid

A new ferry to be built by Fincantieri

NOAA orders two research vessels

New research vessels being built for the US

Meyer Werft to build Asuka III

Germany’s Meyer Werft has been contracted to build

Fully electric SOV from Damen

A battery-equipped Service Operations Vessel is being developed

Eight dual-fuel boxships

A series of new methanol-fuelled 9,200TEU container ships

The Type 31 ‘Inspiration’ class frigates

Conrad Waters provides an update on the rapid construction of the Royal Navy’s latest frigate class.

PICTORIAL

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MAGIC OF THE NORTHERN ISLES

ORKNEY AND SHETLAND FERRY SERVICES IN HIGH DEMAND

The North of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Company’s 80-year reign

Looking like a luxury yacht, the clipper-bowed St

The Serco NorthLink era

The largest vessels in the Serco NorthLink fleet are the 11,700gt sisters Hjaltland and Hrossey.

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

On a crossing from Lerwick to Aberdeen, Captain Sean Smith talked to Nicholas Leach about his career and working for Serco Northlink on board the ferry Hjaltland.

A RENAISSANCE FOR MAASDAM

Stephen Payne looks back over the career of the former Holland America Line cruise ship Maasdam, which has been given a fresh lease of life by new French company Compagnie Française de Croisières and is now operating as Renaissance.

MARITIME MOSAIC

KIEL CANAL IN THE 90S

TWO OF A KIND

Malcolm Cranfield recounts the career of the 1913- built Manioglu, which the author photographed on the Bosphorus in the mid-1970s, and the 1922-built Huong Khanh, photographed in Vietnam waters in 1963, two ships whose careers were in many ways very similar.

SHIPSPOTTING

Numerous cruise lines offer Mediterranean and Canary Islands itineraries, each with its own unique features and attractions, visiting the many famous ports and cities of the region, where cruise ships are routine visitors.

STENA’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Richard Seville goes on board Stena Vision, new to the Rosslare- Cherbourg route, and traces her Baltic origins and Stena Line’s fleet changes.

VOYAGE ON RAJULA

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the retirement of British India Steam Navigation’s Rajula, and in honour of this Jim Shaw recalls a voyage on the ship in 1970.

GRAF SPEE AND A WARTIME KILLING SPREE

James Hendrie recounts the short but active career of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf von Spee, which sank nine ships in the South Atlantic before being stopped by the Royal Navy during an intense encounter in 1939.

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