Ferry News

[jdcavo]

Feck. Planning to take that ferry in 8 days from Åndalsnes to Geiranger. Maybe it will be back in service by then to avoid yet another re-route (First was Trollstigen being closed last week). FEH.

[ombugge]

Work in progress:

Work is underway at the ferry quay in Eidsdalen on Sunday morning.
PHOTO: BRITT INGUNN MAURSTAD

On Sunday morning, a hired company came to Eidsdalen with its people and machines.

• They have had the ferry bridge dismantled. I expect to have more information in a couple of hours, says Tor Kristoffersen to Sunnmørsposten a little before 11.00 hrs.
• But the goal is for the ferries on the connection to run again during Sunday.
  Until further notice, the detour is via Geiranger-Hellesylt.

Update:
A little before 2 p.m., Kristoffersen reports that assembly can take place on site.

• The latest messages indicate that the route will be running again at 8-9pm at the earliest, he says.
  Source: https://www.smp.no/nyheter/i/rPlKww/arbeidet-i-gang-ved-skadd-ferjekai-dette-er-status

PS> Nothing said about faultfinding progress on the ferries, or whether they have been approved for service. (Sunnylvsfjord is at Vegsund sShipyard at the moment. Nordalsfjord is doing seatrial
in the fjord near Linge)

[ombugge]

Up and running again at Eidsdal-Linge.
The ferry quay has been repaired and from 20.05 on Sunday evening it was operating normally.

• The first departure will be 20.05 from Linge and then 20.30 from Eidsdal.
  From tomorrow, Monday, there will be two ferries in the connection as normal.
  It is the ferry MF Stordal that enters as a reseve ferry on the connection.

Beiermann says that several people have been called back from holiday, and some have worked abroad to get this done as quickly as possible.
Contractor Mesta, a work team from Ulstein Verft that has handled the crane, together with the management team Fjord1 have gone a long way and been solution-oriented, she says.

Source: https://www.smp.no/

[jdcavo]

Seems to be in normal operation again.

[ombugge]

Yes back to normal, with MF Sunnylsfjord and MF Nordalsfjord both in operation and MF Stordal on standby, just in case.

[ombugge]

First four full autonomous and fully electric ferries for Fjord1 will NOT be built at a Norwegian shipyard:

On Monday, the CEO of the ferry company Fjord1 signed a construction contract for the world’s first four fully autonomous car ferries. The tender winner is the Turkish shipyard group Tersan Shipyard:

he four ferries that will operate Lavik-Oppedal from 2026-2034. Illustration: Hav Design

There is still a significant price difference. Nothing more hocus-pocus than that, says Dagfinn Neteland to Kystens Næringsliv.
The agreement secures the shipping company four fully autonomous, fully electric newbuildings to operate the important trunk road across the Sognefjord , the Oppedal–Lavik connection. The vessels will be fully equipped from the Turkish shipyard in 2026.
Neteland also points to a lack of capacity at Norwegian shipyards.

Source: https://www.kystens.no/nyheter/derfor-glapp-verdens-forste-selvkjorende-ferger-for-norge/2-1-1604411

[ombugge]

VESSEL REVIEW | Xin Ming Zhu VI – Hybrid electric ferry to operate in Hong...

[新渡輪 SUN FERRY] 「新明珠2 XIN MING ZHU II」

[ombugge]

M/F Møringen passing Seven Ststers waterfall in Geirangerfjord some years ago:

Now named TYRREL BAY EXPRESS (ex. “Bequia Express III”):

Now in service between St.George’s - Argyle, Granada

[portofdc]

@ombugge

M/F Møringe

No way that the boat in the top photo is related to the one in the other two photos.

[ombugge]

@ombugge

M/F Møringen

“Møringen” as new in 1962:

Photo: Ulstein

As “Bequia Express III”, 2019:

Photo: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/gallery?user=73984 Captured: Mar 1, 2019

Yard no. 16H - Year of construction 1962. Shipping company: Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar (MRF). Built at Hatlø Verksted. Godmother: Haldis Rønstad
She has obviously had a major conversion above deck, but it is the same vessel:

2007: New name “Bequia Express III”
2013 In the Caribbean
2016: Still active - [IMO 8866280] Owner and operating company is Bequia Express, Bequia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines

Source: Yno 16H - Møringen | Ulstein

More proof:

BalticShipping.com

PS> Would you believe that this:

Source: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/1236298
Became this:

Source: Yno 214 - American Dynasty | Ulstein

[ombugge]

M/F Northhumberland (ex Fanafjord) is getting ready to cross the Atlantic soon:

Photo: via Langset Group (NSF)
She is on sea trial today.
PS> Saw her pass by this PM.

Don’t know if she will be crossing on own keel, or on a HLV.

[Hogsnort]

If it is her own keel I would wave goodbye from the wharf.

[ombugge]

She is still at sea trials today:
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:6.3/centery:62.3/zoom:10

I’ll try to keep track of her progress, reverting.

A smaller ferry that was also converted at Fiskerstrand made the crossing on her own keel:

The lengthened and converted double-ender ferry Astron W is on her way to her new owners in Canada. Photo: Fiskerstrand Verft

Astron W sailed from Stavanger on March 25th for the ea
st coast of Canada, via the Dutch port of Ijmuiden and Le Havre. Designed by Norway’s LMG Marin and built by Turkey’s Sefine Shipyard, Astron W, which now measures 51.4m x 11m, was originally built to carry 90 passengers, 25 cars, or two trailers. Her new capacities are not yet known.

Source: Norway’s Fiskerstrand Verft delivers lengthened double-ender ferry to new Canadian owners - Ship & Offshore

PS> She took a southerly route:

|Saint-John’s (ca)|Saturday 18th May|Tuesday 28th May|
|Horta (pt)|Wednesday 24th April|Thursday 9th May|
|La Coruña (es)

[ombugge]

Spirit of Tasmania operator TT-Line says the move to Scotland is “necessary, as the vessel is not designed for the extremely low ambient temperatures” anticipated in Finland. (Supplied)

New Spirit of Tasmania ferry to be temporarily relocated to Scotland

In short:
A newly built Spirit of Tasmania ferry will be temporarily stored at a shipyard in Scotland while the Tasmanian government explores options to lease or charter the ship until a home berth can be completed.
The vessel must leave its shipyard in Finland, where it was constructed, before icy conditions set in over the northern hemisphere winter.

What’s next?
It is unknown how long the Spirit of Tasmania IV will stay in Scotland. A second ship, the Spirit V will stay in Finland for the time being. The new ferries, already delayed, are not expected to enter full service in Tasmania until 2027.

The Tasmanian government has said it is open to leasing the ships out to recoup expenses, with that not being TT-Line’s preferred option.

The saga has embroiled the ferry operator as well as the state-owned port operator, Tasports, which have all fronted a parliamentary committee tasked with finding out what has gone wrong.

It has been estimated that for every year the rollout of the new vessels is delayed, the Tasmanian economy loses $350 million in revenue.

Video at bottom:
The Spirit of Tasmania fiasco (Ellen Coulter)

[ombugge]

Just another day at the office:

The Ship Passed Rough Waves On The Dock - Ocean World. | The Ship Passed...

FROMVEUR II - Passenger others - IMO 9588134

[ombugge]

Coastal express ship M/V Nordnorge coming alongside in Bodø in a Force 10 storm:

Hurtigruta MS Nord Norge Bodø 21.01.20

PS> They used to do this with the old single screw ships w/o bow and stern thrusters.
Like this one:

[ombugge]

Ferries saga ship Glen Sannox finally delivered

Glen Sannox was originally due for delivery in 2018 but has faced major challenges in design and construction, sparking the longest-running political controversy of the devolution era.
Costs have risen from an initial contract price of £97m to more than £400m, including £45m of government loans that were never fully recovered.

Familiar??

[ombugge]

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[ombugge]

M/F Northumberland (ex Fanafjord) has been delivered and is preparing for the crossing to Canada. (estimated departure is before X-mas):

Eastern Canada ferry services (Wood Islands, PEI – Caribou, NS)

Updates as of December 12, 2024:
On December 12, Transport Canada took ownership of the vessel, which has been renamed the MV Northumberland. The vessel is being prepared for the voyage home and will depart for Canada as soon as it is ready.
Estimated date in service: The vessel is expected to be available for service for the 2025 operating season.

M/F Northumberland:

The ferry site

[ombugge]

Then M/F Northumberland is on her way to Canada as scheduled:

The ferry “Northumberland” has started its journey from Ålesund to Canada. The first stop is Mindelo in Cape Verde. Photo: Staale Wattø.

From Ålesund, the first leg is to Mindelo in Cape Verde, west of Senegal on the African coast. It should arrive there on January 4th if all goes according to plan. The further route is across the Atlantic Ocean and the last stop is Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada.

Previously known as “Fanafjord”, it was built at Aker Yards in 2007 for Fjord1. The ferry operated on the Halhjem–Sandvikvåg route until 2020.
The gas-powered ferry has undergone an extensive rebuild at the Fiskerstrand shipyard in Sula. The ferry has, among other things, changed its engines from gas to diesel and received major upgrades to its interior.

When the ferry was called “Fanafjord”, it could carry 212 cars and 589 passengers. The length of the ferry is 129.8 meters and the width is 18.7 meters. The ferry had a regular speed of 21 knots.

Northumberland Ferries Limited, which will operate the ferry, has its headquarters in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island in the far east of Canada.

Source: Ferja «Northumberland» byttet fra gass til diesel - smp.no