Superfast Ferries News

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to a conceptual design for carbon fibre LNG fuel tanks, in what it describes as a ‘milestone’ for a project to adapt space industry technology to small-scale LNG fueling.SpaceTech4Sea project sees ABS, OceanFinance and Cimarron Composites joining forces to adapt composite technologies developed for the space industry to LNG shipping.Backed by EUR1m funding from the European Union, the project explores whether composite technology, which is lighter and more cost-effective, offers a competitive alternative in LNG as marine fuel designs, principally for short sea shipping.“The potential of this technology to reduce barriers to the utilization of LNG as fuel for short sea shipping is significant.

Global trade association Interferry has chosen Hobart, Tasmania, as the venue for its 45th annual conference in October 2020 – the third time that the ferry industry’s showcase event will have been staged in Australia following Sydney in 1995 and Gold Coast in 2002. Hobart was confirmed for 2020 during an Interferry board meeting in Atlanta, U.S. “We felt it was important to go back to Australia – we have a strong base of members there and they have always been very supportive,” explained CEO Mike Corrigan.

Birkenhead based IPS Marine Fabrications is continuing to ramp up growth in the passenger ferry market after completing work on two Stena Line vessels. The firm, run by maritime engineering specialists Paul Smith and Peter Hillan, has delivered a package of insulation and fabrication work for the Stena Ro-Pax Superfast ferries VII and VIII. All repairs were completed on the move while the vessels continued service between Belfast and Cairnryan in Ireland, ensuring no operational downtime.

Sixty-Nine prominent shipping industry executives have been elected as new members of ABS. In addition, Rear Admiral David L. Brewer III, Commander, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Navy, was appointed as a member. This brings the ABS worldwide membership to 803. The members, each eminent in their maritime field of endeavor, provide broad governance and oversight of ABS. Members are drawn from various sectors of the marine, offshore and related industries worldwide. M.A. Marcelo P. S.A. Ghazi A. Al-Ibrahim, President, Mideast Shipmanagement Ltd. Giovanni Barbaro, Owner, Pietro Barbaro S.p.A. S.p.A. Giuseppe Bottiglieri, Managing Director, Bottiglieri Di Navigazione, S.p.A. Jae Cheol Byun, President, JSM International Ltd. Dr. Mauro Fernando Orofino Campos, President, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.

The ultra competitive Greek ferry market has not only proven to be a fertile breeding ground for advanced marine technology, it has served as a role model for the direction of shipping services in both the region and the world. The Greek market has provided the collective builders and suppliers of advanced fast and conventional ferries a rich environment for business over the past few months, a trend that seems likely to continue. Specifically, Greek owners and operators have been at the forefront of an international buying binge for large, fast passenger, vehicle and cargo carrying craft. Driven by the need for speed, many owners are turning to advances in marine electronic and propulsion systems to ensure that the multi-million dollar investments are kept running safe and efficient.

Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal made a private visit of the Superfast ferry and was shown around on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at the port of Rosyth. Princess Anne visited the restaurant, lounge and cabin areas as well as the bridge where she discussed the operation of the ship with Captain Constantinos Skourlis. She also met with Yannis Criticos, Director, Superfast Ferries and spent time meeting with members of staff before leaving after a visit of about an hour. Alexander Panagopulos, President and Managing Director, Superfast Ferries said: “We are honored that HRH the Princess Royal visited Superfast X in Rosyth today. She was interested to learn about our company and our fleet and in particular about the Scottish service.

Christopher J. Wiernicki was elected to the ABS Board of Directors by the ABS Council following the Annual Meeting of the members of the international classification society. Wiernicki was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of ABS on January 1. He is also an elected Corporate Officer of the society. Prior to his current appointment, Wiernicki served as President and COO of ABS Europe Ltd, the Division of the society responsible for activities throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Wiernicki has also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for ABS and as President and Chief Operating Officer of ABSG Consulting Inc., an affiliate of ABS and the principal operating subsidiary of ABS Group of Companies, Inc.

Fincantieri shipyard group has been confirmed as an event partner for Cruise + Ferry 2007 in London this April, joining some of the industry's biggest names for a three-day trade show and the most comprehensive conference program in the event's history. The company will occupy a custom-built stand manned by senior purchasers and specifiers from its eight yards. Dr Stephen Ladyman, who is making the keynote opening address. passenger ship technology and operations. Horizon Furniture. Products and services. The Mettle group - a consortium of seven marine technology specialists supported by the European Commission - is demonstrating the sea routing system Wings, which integrates weather data with ship characteristics to optimise passenger comfort and fuel consumption.

Blue Star Naxos is the third RoPax, which was constructed under Greek flag and delivered by DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd.) in June 2002 in compliance with the requirements of BV. This vessel is the one of twins and the sister (Blue Star Paros) had been delivered just one and half month ahead of the vessel in April 2002. Classed by BV, the vessel has two car decks and two accommodation decks, while the upper garage deck level is divided into the fore half car space and the aft half crew cabins. This layout allowed the complete separation of the above passenger decks from the lower decks machinery noise and vibration.

Cruise + Ferry 2003, which is set for London's Grand Hall, Olympia, from May 13-15, will be the 10th biennial exhibition and conference in a series ranked as the passenger shipping industry's premier technical and operations event.The extended format introduced in 2001 - which helped to attract more than 350 exhibitors and 3,500 professionals from 50 countries - is being retained with major maritime hotel content in the trade fair and conference program as well as a gala dinner marking the second Cruise + Ferry Awards. In a new feature, a special arena within the exhibition hall will be available for company and product presentations.

Ferry operator Attica Enterprises has completed its purchase of shares in Strintzis Lines, after a block of 14,431,090 shares were transferred on the Athens bourse at a price of 2,900 drachmas ($9) per share. The total value of the transaction reached 41.8 billion drachmas ($130 million). Following the transaction, ferry operator Attica Enterprises has a 40.22 percent controlling interest in Strintzis Lines. The two companies have a fleet of 16 ships, of which four are Superfast ferries. By the end of 2001, their combined fleet will total 28 ships, with 12 large car and passenger ferries currently under construction.

Three shipbuilding contracts exceeding 400 million DM became effective last week at Lübeck, Germany based Flender Werft. The contracts include a RoRo passenger ferry for Smyril Line of the Faroe Islands, which will be built in accordance with the plans and documents of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft. In addition, a pair of 3,600-TEU containerships will be built for Hamburg-based shipowner Claus-Peter Offen. These newbuildings will be initiated directly following the Superfast Ferries currently under construction at the yar, and will keep the yard fully occupied to the start of 2003.

Three shipbuilding contracts exceeding 400 million DM became effective last week at Lübeck, Germany based Flender Werft. The contracts include a RoRo passenger ferry for Smyril Line of the Faroe Islands, which will be built in accordance with the plans and documents of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft. In addition, a pair of 3,600-TEU containerships will be built for Hamburg-based shipowner Claus-Peter Offen. These newbuildings will be initiated directly following the Superfast Ferries currently under construction at the yar, and will keep the yard fully occupied to the start of 2003.

Passenger shipping firm Attica Enterprises applied last week to Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry for operating licenses on two domestic routes, promising hefty discounts on fares. The company plans to use its 28-knot Superfast Ferries for the Piraeus-Kos-Rhodes and Piraeus-Chania routes, offering discounts ranging between 10 and 23.5 percent to government-set fares. The Dodecanese routes have faced a deterioration of their service after the bankruptcy of local DANE Sea Lines and the failure of ANEK in providing the required guarantees to collaborate with DANE and take over its routes. It also filed with the Merchant Marine Ministry for the registration of its Superfast V and VI ferries…

Incat received the award for Most Significant New Build-Fast Ferry at The Cruise and Ferry Exhibition and Conference held in London. The award was presented to builders Incat and owners Bollinger/Incat USA for the US Army Theater Support Vessel TSV-1X Spearhead at a gala dinner at the Hilton London Metropole. Shipping professionals crowned the 98 metre Spearhead as the ship most deserving of the title amidst fierce competition from other nominees, including: Austal Ships and EuroFerrys for EuroFerrys Pacifica; HDW and Superfast Ferries for the medium speed ships Superfast IX + X and Austal Ships and New World Fast Ferry for New Ferry LXXXI / LXXXII / LXXXIII.

Flender Werft Aktiengesellschaft has signed a contract with the Greek shipowner Superfast Ferries Maritime S.A., which is a subsidiary of Attica Enterprises S.A. This $192.4 million contract calls for the construction of two technologically driven Superfast car/passenger ferries. The agreement also allows Superfast to exercise the option for the building of two more ships to be delivered at a later date. Known as the yard's hull numbers 682 and 683, the two ferries will be named Superfast XI and Superfast XII, are scheduled for delivery in January 2002 and May 2002, respectively. Measuring 656 ft. (200 m) with a breadth of 82 ft. (25 m) and a draught of 21 ft. (6.4 m), the vessels' four main engines will attain a service speed of more than 28.5 knots.

Greek ferry operator Attica Enterprises will deploy four new car-passenger ferries in the Baltic Sea in 2001, according to company officials. The 29,800-grt Superfast ferries will offer overnight crossings between Germany and Finland and Germany and Sweden from January through September. Superfast VII, VIII, IX and X, currently under construction at Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG in Kiel, Germany will have the capacity to carry 604 passengers in 172 cabins, and 125 trucks and 110 cars. The ferries will be able to develop speeds of up to 29.2 knots. They will connect the Stockholm and Helsinki greater metropolitan areas to northern Germany in about 17 and 21 hours respectively.

Ferry operator Attica Enterprises is maintaining its leading market share in the passenger and truck traffic in the sea routes from all ports of Greece to Italy. Attica, with its fleet of Superfast ferries, had respective market shares of 23.4 and 27.1 percent in passengers and trucks carried to Italian ports from Greece in the first nine months of the year. In the same period in 1998, the ferry operator's market shares in the Adriatic Sea were 21.4 percent for passengers and 24.1 percent for trucks, it said. Attica Enterprises carried a total of 437,000 passengers and 77,900 trucks and 87,000 cars between January and September with respective growth rates of 12.4, 28.5 and 14.8 percent.

Passenger shipping firm Attica Enterprises applied last week to Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry for operating licences on two domestic routes, promising hefty discounts on fares. The company plans to use its 28-knot Superfast Ferries for the Piraeus-Kos-Rhodes and Piraeus-Chania routes, offering discounts ranging between 10 and 23.5 percent to government-set fares. The Dodecanese routes have faced a deterioration of their service after the bankruptcy of local DANE Sea Lines and the failure of ANEK in providing the required guarantees to collaborate with DANE and take over its routes. It also filed with the Merchant Marine Ministry for the registration of its Superfast V and VI ferries which will be delivered in coming months and will be routed in the Adriatic Sea, adding around 200 jobs.

Passenger shipping firm Attica Enterprises signed an agreement with shareholders of Strintzis for the acquisition of an approximate 38 percent stake in Strintzis. Under the agreement, Strintzis' shareholders will receive Attica Enterprises shares participating in a forthcoming capital increase of Attica Enterprises. Attica Enterprises will participate with five members in the nine-member board of Strintzis, while Strintzis' managing director and chairman will join Attica Enterprises' board, to be expanded for that reason by two seats to seven. The two companies aim to expand their operations into new domestic and international routes and take advantage of economies of scale and operating synergies, officials said.

Two of Attica Enterprises’ six Superfast ferries under construction will reportedly join its existing four Superfast vessels by mid-2000.

Greek ferry operator Attica Enterprises said on Friday it picked the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium for its service linking Scotland with mainland Europe, due to start in May 2002. "The port of Zeebrugge in Belgium was selected as the best qualified and the most conveniently located port to serve tourism and freight," the company said. Attica's Superfast ferries will offer daily overnight crossings between Zeebrugge with the port of Rosyth near Edinburgh, a journey time of 16 hours with a pair of modern car and passenger ferries.

Despite a marked drop in shipbuilding volume during the past decade to lower cost competitors in the East, Germany's marine market has maintained it adherence to the highest technical standard while carving its niche in the world of constructing complex, high-value vessels. In many ways, the saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same" could be aptly applied to the current status of the German marine market. While the world, and certainly the business of constructing commercial ships for the world fleet, has changed dramatically in the past decade, Germany's role in this market has stayed remarkably on course. Facing steady market erosion to competitors in Japan…