Hansatee To Charter ESCO Ferries

Estonian shipper Hansatee has reached an agreement with Estonian Shipping Company (ESCO) to charter two passenger ferries cruising on the Tallinn-Stockholm route from January 2, ESCO said. ESCO's development director Viktor Palmet told Reuters that Hansatee chartered the ferries Regina Baltica and Baltic Kristina without crews for six and two years, respectively, giving no further details of the contract. "Practically the deal means we (ESCO) can pursue our goal of freight shipping, having shifted the passenger ferries to the passenger shipper," Palmet said. Hansatee also has a two-year contract with ESCO to charter the ferry Meloodia on the Tallinn-Helsinki route, while a deal to charter the ferry Georg Ots on the same route will not be extended beyond the year-end, local media have reported. ESCO has been seeking a new owner for its loss-making Estline for over a year and Hansatee has been the sole investor eyeing it.