2020-11-01 Ships Monthly

Snowbow wishes you well during this troubled time.

Many of you have been stocking up with our ship DVDs, and no wonder when you consider the
terrible programmes and the endless repeats currently on our televisions, but unfortunately we
were running out of stock, but after a lot of persuading we have managed to get more in, so if
you want some really good viewing (no more of that endless doom and gloom) then order some
now and you won’t regret it, and here’s just a small sample of the Award Winning DVDs we
have for you to enjoy.

Sail around the To Africa and the All over the world Cross the Atlantic Sail with British Or all the way to
world with P&O Cape with Union on the many cargo on Queen Mary’s India, the biggest New Zealand &
and the Oriet Line Castle. ships featured Maiden voyage Fleet of all Aus on the longest
passenger service.

On the great cargo To the Far East Discover life See all the world’s Travel right up the Cross the Atlantic
& Passengers with the cargo sailing around major ports when mighty Amazon on the Olympic,
ships of Royal liners of Blue the world on oil they were full of on a Booth Line Normandie and
mail Funnel tankers ships ship QE2

As we say, just a few of the wonderful programmes you can watch when you’re stuck indoors during this lockdown…
Many of us have been through similar experience before, but then we never had these DVDs to watch, and I wish we’d
had… Remember, there are 47 DVDs currently available at the moment, and each one is entirely made from rare archive
film unique to us, covering almost every aspect of shipping including ports and just about every type of ship that ever
sailed. Made to professional TV broadcast standards, we promise that you will watch them over and over again and never
get bored.

For further information on our maritime DVDs. go to our website at www.snowbow.co.uk We have a special offer where-
by for every two you order you get another of your choice for free, which is a huge saving. If you have a special ship or
company you want to see, then call us and we’ll let you know which DVDs to order. For a free brochure on cruising or
DVD catalogue or to order by phone, call us on 00 44 (0) 1273 585391/584470. Each DVD costs just £18.95 including UK
P&P. Add two pounds extra for Europe and three pounds extra for the rest of the world. So, if you’re an ex-seafarer, or love
ships and the sea, or just have fond memories of the Golden Age of Shipping or just nostalgic for the past, these DVDs will
really help you to smile again. Good Luck.

PIONEERING SPIRIT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NOVEMBER 2020 DOVER’S FINAL
www.shipsmonthly.com STEAMER

ILLUSTRIOUS CALEDONIAN
PRINCESS
AIRCRAFT
CARRIERS STEAM
TUGS
FAMOUS WARSHIPS
IN PROFILE IN SOUTH
AFRICA
ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Half a century of cruising

LAID UP IN THE FAL £4.70

Old ships await their fate

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SAFMARINE FAMOUS NAME DISAPPEARS IN MAERSK FLEET

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The 228,283gt container ship HMM Dublin making her maiden call at Southampton on 22 July. She
is one of 12 newbuilds operated by the rebranded Hyundai Merchant Marine. With a capacity of
23,964TEU, they are currently the world’s largest container carriers. See page 16 for more details.

MARITIME PHOTOGRAPHIC

CONTENTS
PIONEERING SPIRIT IN THE SPOTLIGHT REGULARS 14 NAVAL

NOVEMBER 2020 DOVER’S FINAL 6 WATERFRONT HMS Hermes/INS Viraat goes to the breakers,
www.shipsmonthly.com STEAMER HMS Queen Elizabeth sails with task force, and
Celebrity Apex arrives at Southampton, Beirut Canadian frigate care package. Gary Davies
ILLUSTRIOUS CALEDONIAN blast damages numerous ships, and Wallenius
PRINCESS develop Wind Ship for carrying cargo. 16 CARGO
AIRCRAFT
CARRIERS STEAM HMM’s dozen mega-ships, four new ethane
TUGS carriers ordered, APL name disappears into
FAMOUS WARSHIPS CMA CGM, and life extension for dredger.
IN PROFILE IN SOUTH
AFRICA 18 PRESERVATION
ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Coronavirus impacts ship preservation, and
Half a century of cruising Spartan opened in Irvine. John Megoram

LAID UP IN THE FAL £4.70 20 NEWS FEATURE

Old ships await their fate A.P. Moller-Maersk Group to merge Safmarine
into the Maersk fleet. Jim Shaw
KELSEYmedia 10 FERRY

SAFMARINE FAMOUS NAME DISAPPEARS IN MAERSK FLEET P&O Ferries close Hull-Zebrugge route, 200
Condor Ferries staff to go, and new vessel for
COVER The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious with a DFDS Seaways. Russell Plummer
full deck of US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jets in
2007. This was claimed to be the largest embarkation 12 CRUISE
of foreign jets on a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. See
p.44-50 for a history of the ship. CROWN COPYRIGHT Fred. Olsen veterans leave the fleet, keel-
laying for a new Minerva, and details of who
AVAILABLE DIGITALLY has started cruising again. William Mayes

WWW.POCKETMAGS.COM

SUBSCRIBE TODAY • See page 22 for more info

WWW.SHIPSMONTHLY.COM

FEATURES 44 HMS ILLUSTRIOUS SHIP OF THE MONTH

29 PASSAGE TO PELNI Remembering two famous 20th century Royal 24 CALEDONIAN
Navy aircraft carriers which both carried the PRINCESS
A voyage on two ships operated by Pelni, the name HMS Illustrious. Conrad Waters
Indonesian state ferry system, whose routes span Recalling the career of turbine steamer
the Indonesian archipelago. Thomas Rinaldi 51 SHIPS PICTORIAL Caledonian Princess in both cross-Channel
service and during static roles on the Tyne
34 BIG PICTURE Photos of ships around the world, including at Newcastle and in Glasgow. Daniel Geare
at Southampton, Poole, Hobart, Malta,
Pioneering Spirit, the largest vessel in the Netherlands Antilles and on the Thames. CHARTROOM
world, at the port of Vlissingen. Flying Focus
54 STEAM TUGS 62 SHIPS MAIL
36 ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Steam-powered tugs operated in the ports Letters from readers on ship-related subjects.
A look back at Royal Caribbean’s heritage, its and harbours of South Africa, as photographed
growth and pioneering mega-ships over half a by Durban-based Trevor Jones. Jim Shaw 63 MYSTERY SHIP
century of operations. Allan E. Jordan
58 LAID UP IN THE FAL Can you identify this month’s mystery?
42 MARITIME MOSAIC
Photos of historic ships laid up in Carrick 64 SHIPS LIBRARY
Photo feature of the busy Irish Sea freight and Roads, in the estuary of the River Fal, at the
passenger ferry scene. David Fairclough end of their careers. Duncan Mackenzie Reviews of maritime- and ship-related books.

NOVEMBER 2020 • Volume 55 • No.11

WATERFRONT

ASD SPEEDY BLAST DAMAGES NUMEROUS SHIPS
DELIVERY
S Of two elderly livestock carriers
NEW TUG berthed near the explosion, the
39-year-old Abou Karim III suffered
On 20 September Damen structural damage aft. M. AZAKIR
Shipyards Group delivered the ASD
tug 2810 TSM Houat to Thomas T Built as Vistamar in 1989, the
Services Maritimes (TSM) in France. 7,478gt cruise ship Orient Queen
The ASD Tug 2810 is the most capsized in the blast. RDZ
successful ASD Tug in Damen’s
portfolio, with over 175 deliveries S The destroyed oil tanker Amadeo II (1976) rests on the wharf at Beirut,
since its introduction in 2002. TSM while the capsized cruise ship Orient Queen is in the background. N. BULOS
was looking for a proven vessel and
design, with a 60-ton bollard pull INCIDENT Group. The 7,478gt Spanish-built operated as City of Paris. Two
for its harbour towage operations. vessel had arrived at Beirut in tied-up livestock carriers were
Salvage and clean-up operations mid-June following a voyage severely damaged, the 39-year-
Damen, pioneer of the are continuing to take place from Saudi Arabia and was tied old Abou Karim III and the
standardised shipbuilding in Beirut’s old harbour, where up directly across from where 49-year-old Abou Karim 1, the
philosophy, was able to deliver several vessels were extensively the explosion originated, at first latter capsizing at its dock.
the tug to TSM in just over six damaged on 4 August when being pushed against her berth
months and the vessel, named a large amount of ammonium and then capsizing with the loss A small edible oil tanker, the
after the island in the department nitrate exploded (also see p.15) of two  of her crew. 683dwt Amadeo II, was blown
of Morbihan, Brittany, will be on the quayside. completely out of the water and
homeported in Sète in the Also damaged in the blast was onto the dock, where she will
Hérault department on the The most valuable of the ships, the 37-year-old Mero Star, a small be dismantled. The Royal Navy
Mediterranean. and expected to go for scrap, container ship of 4,110dwt, the survey ship HMS Enterprise
was the cruise ship Orient Queen, 6,343dwt Raouf F, a 1985-built entered the damaged harbour
Damen has delivered another new completed in 1989 and owned by feeder vessel, and the 9,950gt several days after the blast with
ASD 2810 tugs to France. DAMEN the Lebanon-based Abou Merhi auto carrier Jouri, formerly humanitarian supplies. JS

The 65,255gt Grande New Jersey has been NEW OWNERS FOR SKANDI GIANT
deployed between the Mediterranean and North
OFFSHORE SUPPLY several years prior to the sale. On
America following delivery by China’s Yangfan 16 September she was reported
shipyard. Grimaldi Group DOF Rederias recently completed at Vung Tau Port in Vietnam.
the sale of the anchor-handling,
tug, and supply vessel (AHTS) Separately, DOF has also
Skandi Giant to Hai Duong entered into an agreement with
Maritime in Vietnam. Built by a shipyard in Turkey to sell the
Dalian Shipyard, China in 2002 37-year-old platform supply vessel
as Boa Giant, the 4,197dwt vessel Skandi Hav for recycling. Delivery
had been laid up in Singapore for to the yard was expected to take
place in September. RC

NEW FOR GRIMALDI LINES The 2002-built Skandi Giant has
recently been sold to Vietnam
VEHICLE CARRIER Car Equivalent Units at a service after having been laid up in
speed of 19 knots, with an Singapore for several years.
At the end of September Italy’s electronically controlled MAN
Grimaldi Group took delivery Energy Solutions main engine. DAVID DODDS
of the Pure Car Truck Carrier Rolling freight, including cars,
(PCTC) Grande New Jersey from vans, trucks, tractors, buses, and
China’s Yangfan shipyard as the excavators weighing up to 150
fourth in a series of seven similar tonnes, can be stowed on 12
ships being built. decks. The vessel will operate
on the weekly service between
Measuring 199.9m by 36.45m, the Med and North America JS
the new vessel can carry 7,600

6 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

news

The new Celebrity Apex departing Southampton on 23 September to COLLISION WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]
head for the anchorage off Poole. DARREN HOLDAWAY ENDS SEASON

CELEBRITY APEX MAKES HER DEBUT WAVERLEY

NEW CRUISE SHIP anchorage before returning to St following her sistership, Celebrity The paddle steamer Waverley’s
Nazaire to continue sea trials. She Edge, in 2018. She undertook short Clyde season, which had
The new Celebrity Cruises ship was the first new cruise ship to call her first set of sea trials in the Bay been extended to 12 September,
Celebrity Apex made her debut at at the south coast port since the of Biscay on 4 February, but the came to an abrupt end after
Southampton on 22 September, outbreak of the pandemic. pandemic impacted her delivery the vessel ran into the pier at
arriving early in the morning from and christening. The 131,000gt Brodick on the Isle of Arran on 3
the shipyard at St Nazaire. She Celebrity Apex was built at ship can carry up to 2,900 September while she was returning
stayed in Southampton for two Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint- passengers, making her larger than from a trip to Holy Island, as noted
days, then moved to the Poole Nazaire and is the second vessel Celebrity’s Millennium class ships. briefly in the last issue. The bow
in the company’s Edge class, was damaged and 24 people
were injured, with some flown by
helicopters to mainland hospitals.

Waverley had left Greenock
in the morning and had 213
passengers and a crew of 26
aboard. She remained at Brodick
for six days of work, including
temporary bow repairs. Stranded
passengers were taken from
Brodick to the mainland on a
special sailing by CalMac vessel
Caledonian Isles. Waverley
Excursions announced that the
season had been terminated
‘after the vessel made heavy
contact with Brodick Pier’. RP

WALLENIUS DEVELOP WIND SHIP BOILER EXPLOSION AND FIRE

TECHNOLOGY which will be equipped with four Firefighting tugs work to
80m-tall wing sails as well as a fuel- control an accommodation block fire
A consortium, consisting of powered engine for operation in and cool the deck of the 299,986dwt
Wallenius Marine, Sweden’s port and when wind conditions are tanker New Diamond, which suffered
Royal Institute of Technology and weak, will cross the North Atlantic a boiler explosion off Sri Lanka. SRI LANKA NAVY
shipping consultancy firm SSPA, at an average speed of ten knots
is developing a 200m-long wind- while emitting 90 per cent less
driven car carrier in cooperation carbon dioxide than a traditional
with the Swedish Transport car carrier of similar size.
Administration, which is co-
financing the project. The wind-powered ro-ro vessel
is expected to be commercially
Wallenius Marine architect operational and in service by
Carl-Johan Soder said the vessel, late 2024 or early 2025. JS

S A wind-powered vehicle carrier with a capacity for 7,000 cars is being TANKER FIRE The damaged tanker, owned
developed by a Swedish consortium that includes Wallenius Marine. SSPA by Porto Emporios Shipping of
On 3 September a boiler Greece, was built as Ikomasan
exploded in the main engine in 2000 and had previously
room of the large crude carrier traded as Diamond Warrior.
New Diamond about 50 nautical The 20-year-old ship was
miles off Sri Lanka, killing one of under charter to the Indian Oil
the crew of 23. The resulting fire Corporation at the time of the
burned through the deckhouse, incident and was transporting
but was kept from igniting the crude from Kuwait to Paradip in
cargo of 270,000 tonnes of eastern India. More than a dozen
crude by firefighting vessels that ships from India and Sri Lanka
arrived on the scene, although assisted in the fire fighting and
some bunker fuel was spilled. crew rescue operation. JS

7www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

WATERFRONT news

BRIEF NEWS WORLD’S LARGEST LNG BUNKER VESSEL NAMED

FUNDING BOOST • After the The new LNG bunkering vessel Gas Agility, which was named on 18 September, will be
disappointing cancellation of positioned in the Marseille-Fos area in France to supply LNG within the Mediterranean.
Shieldhall’s 2020 season sailings
due to the Covid-19 lockdown, LNG NEWBUILD subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines yard in China in November 2018
the preserved screw steamer (MOL), and has been is chartered and the vessel was delivered
has received a National Lottery On 18 September the world’s by Total’s affiliate Total Marine in April. She meets the highest
Heritage Fund emergency largest LNG bunkering vessel was Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS). technical and environmental
grant which allows volunteers officially named at a ceremony in standards, using LNG as
supporting the operators, the Rotterdam. The 18,600m³ GTT In February 2018 TMFGS and propulsion fuel. The transition
Solent Steam Packet Company, Mark III Flex membrane vessel MOL signed the Time Charter from heavy fuel oil to LNG in the
to start a maintenance Gas Agility is the first LNG bunker Party for the ground-breaking shipping world is moving forward
programme aimed at getting vessel owned by Emerald Green 17,600gt LNG bunkering vessel. and the new ship will play an
the 65-year-old vessel back in Maritime Limited, a wholly-owned Construction started in at the important role in delivering LNG.
service for 2021. RP Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding

LOAD LIMITS • Ferries THREE PSVs TO BE SCRAPPED CLIPPER BACK
serving Stena Line’s 18 AT POOLE
European routes, including OFFSHORE VESSELS been laid up for some time in the
North Sea and Irish Sea north of the Netherlands waiting RO-PAX FERRY
services, are sailing with Depressed market conditions for conditions in the offshore
limited passenger numbers because of the Covid-19 outbreak sector to improve. Commodore Clipper (1999/
to ensure social distancing. have led Den Helder, Netherlands- 14,000gt, pictured) has once
Only fresh sea air circulates headquartered Vroon Offshore As this has not happened, again visited Poole for repairs
on board, with powerful new Services to sell three of its the vessels are to be sent to a to her internal vehicle ramp, the
steam machinery used to Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) for specialised Netherlands-based 129m ro-pax ferry arriving at
clean and disinfect public demolition. The VOS Power, VOS ship recycling facility, where South Quay on 13 September,
areas and cabins. One of the Producer (both 2,810gt) and the dismantling will be accomplished where she was berthed ahead of
services resumed in the Baltic 3,648gt VOS Prominence, all built in full compliance with both EU and fleetmate Condor Liberation. The
following permission from between 2006 and 2007, have national laws, as well as all applicable Portsmouth-Channel Islands vessel
Latvian authorities is between international regulations. JS had previously been sent to Poole
Nynashamn and Ventspils. RP in January with the same issue, but
on that occasion had passenger
NEW CARGO VESSELS • and freight vehicles stranded on
Arklow Shipping recently the weather deck. Commodore
took ownership of the fourth Clipper resumed service a week
of the A class vessels, Arklow later, after freight duties had
Archer. She is the sistership been taken over by regular relief
to Arklow Ace, Arklow Abbey vessel Arrow (1998/7,606gt). KM
and Arklow Accord, which
have been delivered during
the course of this year, the first
being Arklow Accord, which
was delivered on 10 January.
The new ships measure
120.45m by 14.99m.

BERTHING TRIALS • The
fast craft Condor Liberation
(below) undertook berthing
trials at Portsmouth on 27
September for berthing trials
as a routine contingency
plan in case Poole was not
available due to bad weather
or industrial action.

DARREN HOLDAWAY S Although less than 15 years old, the supply vessels VOS Power, VOS
Producer and VOS Prominence are to be scrapped because of dismal
conditions in the offshore sector. VROON OFFSHORE SERVICES

8 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

Christmas
Card Appeal

Every year the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society pays over £1M in
grants to the dependants of those lost at sea, as well as sick, disabled
and retired seafarers struggling to make ends meet. Since the start of
the COVID-19 pandemic we have received an unprecedented level of
demand for financial assistance from members of the maritime
community experiencing hardship and distress. Please help us to
continue our important work – thank you.

• QUALITY CHRISTMAS CARDS
• GIFT ITEMS
• CORRESPONDENCE CARDS
• BIRTHDAY CARDS
• MARITIME PHOTOGRAPHY CALENDAR

To receive a copy of our new 2020 brochure
and order form please contact:
SMS,1 North Pallant, Chichester PO19 1TL
Tel: 01243 789329
e-mail: [email protected]
To view and order cards online visit:
www.christmas-cards.org.uk/shipmariners/

www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk

Reg Charity No 212034
Inst 1839

FERRY Russell Plummer

TRIP NEWS Condor Liberation arriving in St
Peter Port from Poole back in
SERVICE CUT • After the March 2016. TONY RIVE
number of cars carried between
Newhaven and Dieppe in August 200 CONDOR FERRIES STAFF TO GO
dropped by 1,000 compared to
figures for July, DFDS reduced ENGLISH CHANNEL Threadneedle European Sales builders Jinling-Weihai to Stena
the route to single-ship operation Infrastructure (CESIF) also report Line, who immediately put in
by Côte d’Albâtre, with sistership Guernsey and Jersey route a 40 per cent drop in freight motion a long-term charter to
Seven Sisters laid up. Chartered specialist Condor Ferries is carried from Portsmouth to the French operator.
by DFDS, the 18,425gt pair were shedding more than a third St Peter Port and St Helier by
built in 1986 and remain in the of its 500-strong ashore and ro-ro vessels Condor Goodwill Galicia’s design has been
colours of Transmanche Ferries. afloat staff, following a 75 per (1996/11,166gt) and Commodore modified to meet Brittany
cent reduction in income from Clipper (1999/13,465gt). Ferries’ needs, with two
MOLSLINJEN • The long-serving passenger and car services out additional lifeboats to cope with
Povl Anker (1978/12,131gt) of Poole by trimaran Condor With Brittany Ferries recently an increase in passengers as
arrived at the Orskov Yard in Liberation (2014/6,231gt) and taking a minority holding, cabin numbers go from 173 to
Frederikshavn on 13 September sailings from the Channel Condor will continue with the 343, the extra accommodation
for the second phase of a major Islands to the French port of St present limited sailings to the coming with car space on Deck
modernisation programme Malo by Incat Condor Rapide end of the year. Brittany Ferries’ 7 converted to cabins and more
addressing technical issues, and (1997/5,007gt) since April. own future plans moved forward provided through extensions
was due to return to Rønne to in September when E-Flexer aft on the superstructure of
Sassnitz and Ystad services in Majority owners Columbia Galicia was delivered by Chinese Decks 7 and 8.
mid-October. The vessel will be
restored to her 1978 grey livery. GLEN SANNOX’S THREE-WEEK DRY DOCKING

CANADA • Trasmediterranea’s FERGUSON MARINE Glasgow in early September, work modernised to take Glen Sannox.
Canaries-based ferry Villa de began on the superstructure, For the temporary switch, port
Terror (2019/15,966gt) has The first major part of a revised electrical installations and fitting owners ABP will provide a 30,723ft2
been bought by the Canadian Ferguson Marine programme for of approximately 161m of pipes. extension to the East Pier at Troon.
Government for use on the CTMA Glen Sannox was achieved during The final delivery of Glen Sannox
service from Souris to Isles de a three-week dry-docking by Dales to take over CalMac’s Clyde S Glen Sannox arriving back at Port
Madeleine and will make a Spring Marine Services using the Garvel Estuary service from Ardrossan to Glasgow yard following dry-docking
2021 debut as Madeleine II. The Dry Dock in Greenock. The work Brodick, Arran is now expected at Greenock. FERGUSON MARINE
price paid, Can$155million, is included the fitting of a new bulbous between April and June 2022.
equivalent to €99.57 million. bow, paint repair and removal of
marine growth from the hull. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed
COLOR PLAN • Oslo- that Troon will become the mainland
headquartered Color Line is After she was towed back terminal for Arran services for two
making cost savings and looking to the Ferguson yard at Port years while Ardrossan facilities are
for greater efficiency to secure
jobs and future profitability. Color
Line needs to reduce costs by
NOK300 million, which will be
partially met by cuts in numbers
working on the company’s six
vessels and ashore.

FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN TH

STENA LAGAN • The former Irish STENA ESTRID • The Irish Sea COPENHAGEN • The Scandlines TALLINN CUTS • Due to much-
Sea vessel, seen in Tuzla, Turkey E-Flexer pioneer made a first visit to vessel, seen with her 2019-fitted rotor reduced ticket sales, Tallink has
after the first section of a new 36m Belfast on 10 September during a sail tower, is one of a string of Baltic cut midweek sailings from Helsinki
mid-body section was craned in to five-week relief spell on the Cairnryan vessels suffering from Covid-related loss to Tallinn by Silja Europa, with the
position at the Sedef Shipyard. Car service, while 2001-built sisters Stena of business. Danish Shipping estimate 1993-built, 59,912gt vessel idle
capacity will increase to 230 and Superfast VIII and Stena Superfast that her owners, as well as Fjord Line, between 6 and 10 September
passenger totals from 2,238 to 2,875. VII went in turn for drydocking and ForSea and DFDS saw July and August and then 13 to 17 September,
refits at the Belfast Building Dock. passenger numbers fall by 50 per cent. before all trips from 21 September
Stena Estrid made her debut on the were cancelled. There are now
Holyhead-Dublin route earlier in the weekend crossings by Victoria I
year and was replaced at Holyhead (2004/40,957gt), while shuttle vessels
by Stena Nordica (2000/24,206gt), Star (2007/36,429gt) and Megastar
a vessel that is no stranger to Stena (2017/49,134gt) sail normally.
Line’s various Irish Sea routes.

10 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

news

Pride of York berthed at NEW VESSEL WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]
Hull in happier times. She CELEBRATION
and Pride of Bruges started
life in the days of North DFDS SEAWAYS
Sea Ferries, a joint venture
by P&O and Dutch group Two notable DFDS events took
Nedlloyd. ANDREW ATKINSON place in China on successive
days when a 31 August float
P&O CLOSE ROUTE AND SELL VESSELS out of the lead ship in the new
generation Baltic class of ro-pax
HULL-ZEEBRUGGE business that is better able to give They ran from Hull to Rotterdam ferries at the Guanghzou yard was
customers the service they want.’ Europoort until being displaced followed on 1 September with
P&O Ferries dropped an October by new tonnage and moved to Flandria Seaways, second last of a
bombshell by announcing the The announcement brought a the Zeebrugge service, with the 6,695-lane-metre series delivered
closure of the Hull-Zeebrugge bitter response from union RMT, present names being introduced by Jinling from Yizheng.
service, the last passenger/ whose general secretary Mick during 2003. As Covid-19 took
car link between England and Cash said: ‘In the summer P&O hold, the vessels were laid up at Measured at 60,445gt and with
Belgium. The route’s long-serving Ferries received over £6.6 million Hull from April, although Pride of a service speed of 21 knots from
1987-built vessels, Pride of York from the taxpayer for the Hull routes, Bruges was reactivated in August twin MAN/B&W diesel engines,
(31,785gt) and Pride of Bruges including Zeebrugge. P&O’s owners and has been making three the 247.4m Flandria Seaways will
(31,598gt), have been put up in Dubai have pulled the plug on Zeebrugge freight round trips also accommodate 12 drivers
for sale through brokers, along this vital route with no consultation, a week, supported by the lo-lo in an aft superstructure block.
with Dover-based pair Pride of threatening jobs, passenger freighter Elisabeth. She will join elder sister Humbria
Burgundy (1993/28,138gt) and services and the recovery of Hull’s Seaways on the six-times-
European Seaway (1991/22,986gt). maritime economy.’ P&O also confirmed that weekly North Sea service from
the currently laid-up European Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam,
A P&O spokesperson said: Pride of York and Pride of Seaway and Pride of Burgundy to Immingham. She was due to
‘Due to the extended impact Bruges, carrying 1,050 passengers would not be recommissioned, complete a delivery voyage in
of the Covid-19 crisis, we are with 1,138 cabin berths and 2,270 although, after lying at Leith since late September.
having to take further difficult lane-meters of vehicle space, early in April, Pride of Canterbury
action in which some jobs will be started life in the days of North (1991/30,635gt) entered dry dock The fifth and final vessel, to
made redundant – but as a result Sea Ferries, with Pride of York in Rotterdam on 19 September be named Scandia Seaways,
thousands more will be saved. coming from Govan Shipbuilders and was due to resume Dover- will not be delivered until 2021
These necessary steps will ensure on the Clyde as Norsea, while her Calais sailings in a freight only role after construction delays due
we are a slimmer and more agile sister was delivered as Norsun by from early October. to the Covid-19 pandemic. The
the Nippon Kokan yard in Japan. yet-to-be-named 54,900gt Baltic
Class twins are due for delivery in
March and September next year.

S Flandria Seaways, pictured at
China’s Guanghzou Shipyard after
being delivered to DFDS on 1
September, will sail to Immingham
from Vlaardingen, Holland.

HE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . . FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . ..

CONNEMARA • The Visentini series ARAN BOOST • A Hong Kong-built SUPERFERRY II • Originally the LAY-UP ENDS • After five months
ro-pax became the third Brittany 40m monohull craft will become 8,789gt Belgian flag Prince Laurent, being laid up at Leith, P&O Ferries’
Ferries vessel to be laid up on 7 Ireland’s biggest passenger vessel built 1974, the Gold Star vessel was Pride of Canterbury (1991/30,635gt)
September after her sailings from when she enters service with Aran chartered by ANEK for two months returned to Dover on 3 October
Portsmouth to Cherbourg and Le Island Ferries next year, boosting from 14 September to operate the for sailings to and from Calais in a
Havre were suspended. Already idle in their fleet to six vessels. The 400-seat eight stops Greek service from Piraeus freight-only role to meet increased
Le Havre are Bretagne and Armorique. Saoirse na Farraige will serve the to Rhodes while Japan-built regular demand for lorry and trailer
islands of Inis Mor, Inis Meáin and route vessel Prevelis (1981/15,354gt) is space. Delivered by Seebeckwerft
Inis Or from Rossaveel. She began a put through a major overhaul. in Bremerhaven as the freight
2,500-mile delivery voyage from the ro-ro European Pathway, she was
Far East as deck cargo aboard the renamed in 2003 after rebuilding
heavy-lift vessel Svenja in September to carry 2,000 passengers and 537
and is due to begin serving the three cars with sister vessel Pride of Kent
islands during April 2021. (1992) also extensively extended.

11www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

CRUISE William Mayes

BRIEF NEWS Rotterdam passing under the Forth Bridge on 4 September on
her way to Rosyth, following a short dry-docking in
FTI • Following the withdrawal of Rotterdam. She waited in the river for high tide
Berlin, it was thought that in the to pass into Babcock Rosyth to join
current climate she would be a the Fred. Olsen ships moored
prime candidate for the breaker’s. there since late May.
However, in a surprising move, the
40-year-old ship has been sold for IAIN MCGEACHY
conversion into a yacht (for which
read low-capacity high-end cruise
ship). Her buyer is Dreamline
Cruises, owned by an investment
company that already owns a
number of mega-yachts.

P&O CRUISES • The pause in OLSEN VETERANS LEAVE THE FLEET
P&O cruising has been extended
again. Azura and Britannia FRED. OLSEN is quite a popular destination for Viking Line in 1984, and the ships
are now expected to resume unwanted cruise ships at present, were later incorporated into that
operation in early February 2021 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has so perhaps their new role will be fleet as Westward and Sunward.
from Barbados; Aurora, Iona released details of the sale of short. There are several cruise Their paths diverged after 1992, but
and Ventura in March 2021; and Black Watch and Boudicca. The ships on the beach at Aliaga that they were reunited in 2005 when
Arcadia in April 2021, all from two veteran vessels have been it would have been more logical Fred. Olsen acquired Boudicca.
Southampton. Iona’s maiden sold to Turkish company Miray for to use as accommodation ships, if
voyage is now a 14-night cruise use as accommodation vessels. there was a need. The replacements for the above
beginning on 6 March. Miray reports on its website that ships have arrived at the Babcock
it provides accommodation ships Black Watch and Boudicca were facility in Rosyth. Still largely
ROYAL CARIBBEAN • Adventure for staff in shipyards working on two of the three original Royal in Holland America Line livery,
of the Seas, previously scheduled conversions and newbuilds. Viking Line sisters, delivered to Bolette (ex-Amsterdam) and
to spend the summer of 2021 the new company as Royal Viking Borealis (ex-Rotterdam) will be
cruising from Copenhagen and Miray also operates the Star and Royal Viking Sky in 1972 repainted, renamed and refitted
Stockholm, will be relocated to 900-passenger cruise ship Gemini in and 1973 respectively. Norwegian as Olsen ships over the coming six
Barcelona for a series of short the Turkish market. However, Turkey Caribbean Line acquired Royal months, ready to debut in April.
cruises. Her place in the Baltic will
be taken by Jewel of the Seas, Sun Princess is believed to have been sold for
currently at anchor in Poole Bay. further use as The Peace Boat, and will replace
Vision of the Seas had been due
to be based in Barcelona but will Zenith and Ocean Dream. WILLIAM MAYES
instead be based in San Juan.
Anthem, Odyssey and Harmony
of the Seas will also be based in
the Mediterranean.

CELESTYAL CRUISES • With THE CRUISE CULL CONTINUES
the introduction of Celestyal
Experience in March, the CARNIVAL Fantasy class of Carnival Cruise There are also the pair of Costa
company has issued details of Line have gone, or are going, to ships transferred to the new
a new set of seven-day cruises Carnival Corporation announced Aliaga for scrap. Costa Cruises Carnival Chinese joint venture,
from Piraeus, including two that some time ago a fleet reduction has lost two ships, one sold for but, strictly speaking, those are
will visit Istanbul, and a series of of 13 ships, representing further trading and one for scrap. not disposals outside the group.
‘Three Continent’ cruises, calling nine per cent of overall berth P&O Cruises has lost one ship,
at Rhodes, Kusadasi, Ashdod, capacity. More recently, that sold to a new Greek entrant to Princess Cruises will lose the
Port Said and Limassol. number has been increased to the cruise market. final two ships in the Sun Princess
18 ships, making up 12 per cent quartet, Sea Princess (1998) and
STOCKHOLM • One of the first of of the combined capacity of the So far, Aida, Cunard and Sun Princess (1995), which have
the Baltic ports to receive cruise group’s constituent businesses. Seabourn have been left been sold for further trading. One
traffic this season, Stockholm, untouched. P&O Cruises Australia of this pair, believed to be Sun
is expecting to welcome 29 So far four ships from Holland had ‘sold’ two ships to the now Princess, has been sold to the
ships before the end of the year. America Line have been sold to insolvent CMV, and it is unclear Peace Boat Organisation to replace
Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa and Europa other operators, and four of the if these are included in the total. that organisation’s two ships.
2 were the first ships to berth in
the city and allow passengers
ashore since the port reopened.

12 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

news

WHO HAS STARTED CRUISING AGAIN? Coral Expeditions began operating WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]
Coral Discoverer on seven-night
Glen Shiel signalled Great Barrier Reef cruises in mid-
the resumption of October from Cairns, but only for
British cruising. Australian passengers.

ARDMALEISH Costa Cruises will begin cruises
BOATBUILDING with Costa Smeralda in October,
and Costa Firenze in December,
INDUSTRY NEWS brought La Pinta back into service SeaDream Yacht Club has been both operating Western
in the Galapagos Islands, for operating Norwegian cruises Mediterranean cruises. The line
The cruise industry is very slowly anyone eligible to visit the islands. trouble-free for some months and is currently only carrying Italian
coming back to life. In the UK, the will reposition at least SeaDream 1 passengers, but this is expected
small Scottish operator Majestic Paul Gauguin Cruises, now part to Barbados in November to be relaxed soon.
Line has restarted operations of Ponant Cruises, has resumed for passengers that are from
using the small Glen Etive and sailings in French Polynesia with countries on Barbados’ safe list. In Taiwan, Dream Cruises’
Glen Shiel in and around Scotland no nationality restrictions. Ponant Explorer Dream has been operating
for British passengers only. Cruises itself has four ships back in In Greece, Variety Cruises is short cruises for some time, but
service in the Mediterranean, but offering week-long trips from these are restricted to Taiwanese
Another small ship company, is restricting passengers to French, Piraeus on Galileo to the Cyclades passengers. Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa
Metropolitan Touring, has Dutch and Belgian nationals. Islands for anyone. Meanwhile, 2 and Hanseatic Inspiration are both
sailing from Hamburg, but again
these trips are limited to German,
Swiss and Austrian nationals.

It is a small and slow start,
and in most cases passengers
are required to have a negative
Covid test prior to boarding, and,
particularly with the larger ships,
are only allowed ashore as part of
a ship-organised excursion. All are
operating at reduced capacity.

MINERVA KEEL-LAYING Havila Capella being
launched at the
SWAN HELLENIC place in the presence of Helsinki
Shipyard Inc CEO Carl-Gustaf Tersan Shipyard at
The first of the new ships under Rotkirch and Project Manager Yalova, just across
construction for the revived Swan Jonas Packalén, together with
Hellenic brand at the Helsinki Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito, the Gulf of Izmit
Shipyard had her keel laid on participating via video link. from Istanbul.
24 September. The 347-tonne
block was built in Klaipeda and The new ship, designed for DELAYS FOR NEW SERVICE
transported to Helsinki. The worldwide cruising, has a 4.6MW
name of this ship has now been diesel-electric hybrid propulsion HAVILA KYSTLINK Spanish yard, the order for the
announced as SH Minerva, linking system, a 3MW battery package second pair went to Turkey, but
back to the first purpose-built and PC5 ice-strengthened As the deadline of 1 January 2021 with a very much delayed delivery.
cruise ship to be operated by the hull. The 113m vessel has been approaches for Havila Kystlink to
original Swan Hellenic, although, designed to reach the most take up its contractual obligations Tersan Shipyard at Yalova
by then, owned by P&O. inaccessible places and offers on Norway’s Coastal Express launched the first two ships,
five -star accommodation for 152 service, a combination of the Havila Capella and Havila Castor,
The keel-laying ceremony took guests in 76 cabins and suites. pandemic and the bankruptcy of on 5 September. Delivery is
a Spanish shipyard are putting a now due in the first quarter of
An impression of the new 10,500gt Swan Hellenic ship, described as timely start to service less likely. 2021, but that still leaves a gap,
one of the next generation of polar expedition vessels. even with the likely temporary
At the last tender process, reduction in capacity on the
Havila was awarded the contract route. As a result, Havila has
to run four of the 11 daily sailings been granted permission to use
from Bergen to the north of two alternative ships to start the
Norway. The company quickly service on 1 January. Two ships
ordered four new ships, two from that have been linked to Havila
a Spanish yard and two from are Expedition of G Adventures
Turkey. With the demise of the and Hapag-Lloyd’s Bremen.

13www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

NAVAL Gary Davies

VETERAN’S FINAL JOURNEY TO THE BREAKERS

INDIAN NAVY HMS Hermes/INS Viraat provided
55 years of combined service with the British
The Indian Navy’s longest serving and Indian navies between 1959 and 2017. INDIAN NAVY
warship, and the Royal Navy’s
flagship during the 1982 Falklands materials such as asbestos. at the end of World War II, but configuration. Her steam catapults
War, is set to be scrapped The Centaur class aircraft carrier resumed in 1952. She entered were removed in the early 1970s.
following her sale to a ship Royal Navy service as HMS A ski-jump for Harrier jump-jets
breaker. The decommissioned was laid down as Elephant in 1944. Hermes in 1959, with a CATOBAR was added in 1981.
aircraft carrier, ex-INS Viraat, was Construction was suspended
sold to Shree Ram Green Ship
Recycling Industries of Gujarat
for around £4 million at e-auction
by the Metal Scrap Trade
Corporation, following several
failed attempts to preserve her as
a museum or for other purposes.

The hulk was towed from
the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai
on 19 September to Alang for
dismantling at the country’s
first certified eco-friendly ship
recycling yard. The work is
expected to take up to a year,
although, given her age, the
process is likely to be hazardous
due to the presence of toxic

HMS Dragon, the LRG(X) CANADIAN CARE PACKAGE
escort, sailed from
CANADIAN NAVY to undergo a refit under the
Portsmouth on 1 September. initiative at Davie Shipyard’s newly
Work is under way on a C$1.5 refurbished drydock facilities in
MARITIME PHOTOGRAPHIC billion long-term maintenance Lévis, Quebec. The work will focus
and upgrade programme that on overhauling the hull, mechanical
AUTUMN ADVENTURE will keep the Royal Canadian and electrical systems, rather than
Navy’s 12 Halifax class frigates adding any new capabilities.
ROYAL NAVY helicopters from Commando operational until the arrival of the
Helicopter Force and specialist Canadian Surface Combatant Last year the federal
In a busy autumn for the raiding units of 47 Commando, (CSC). The work is to be equally government announced it would
Royal Navy, a second group Royal Marines of 42 and 40 shared between the Quebec- invest C$7.5 billion to maintain the
deployment will see the Commando, and intelligence based shipbuilder Davie, Seaspan ships, which are the workhorses of
Littoral Response Group specialists from 30 Commando Victoria Shipyards in British the fleet, until their replacements
(Experimentation) spend three Information Exploitation Group. Columbia and Irving Shipbuilding begin to enter service in the late
months in the Mediterranean in Nova Scotia, with an initial 2020s. The Halifax class each
and Black Sea. Formally known The task group will three ships for each facility. received a mid-life modernisation
as the UK Amphibious Ready operate in support of NATO’s and life extension package
Group, the LRG(X) comprises Mediterranean security HMCS St John is the first ship between 2010 and 2018.
the headquarters and staff of operation Sea Guardian in
the Commander Littoral Strike tandem with the Gibraltar- Maintenance of the RCN’s Halifax class frigates is to be shared between
Group, on board the flagship based HMS Trent. They will also three shipyards. MARITIME PHOTOGRAPHIC
HMS Albion, along with the take part in two exercises in
auxiliary landing ship RFA Lyme Cyprus, Olympus Warrior and
Bay and escort HMS Dragon. Autonomous Advance Force 3.
The latter is designed to test
Embarked are Wildcat new equipment technologies.

14 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

news

THE FINAL BRIEF NEWS WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]
HURDLE
ROYAL NAVY • The UK is to
HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed for final exercises before becoming provide a further £23.8 million of
fully operational on 21 September. MARITIME PHOTOGRAPHIC strategic investment at the Port
of Duqm in Oman. The extra
ROYAL NAVY Kent and Northumberland, The fighter air wing has been funding at the Arabian Sea port
the RFA support ships Fort boosted to 15 jets by the arrival will triple the size of the existing
HMS Queen Elizabeth has Victoria and Tideforce, and an of ten US Marines Corps F-35Bs British logistics base at the Navy
sailed at the head of a large task unidentified nuclear submarine. from the Arizona-based VMA-211 Terminal and will help facilitate
force to participate in the UK’s Squadron. The aircraft arrived at future Royal Navy deployments
Carrier Strike Group exercise It is the same composition RAF Marham in early September. to the Indian Ocean region.
(GROUPEX) and the bi-annual for the Carrier Strike Group 21 The extra complement of rotary The modern port’s extensive
Joint Warrior 20-2 (JW202) (CSG21) operational deployment and fixed-wing squadrons infrastructure includes a dry dock
exercise. The aircraft carrier will next year. For the autumn training personnel has increased the capable of accommodating the
be accompanied by the Type exercises, other participants ship’s company to more than Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers.
45 destroyers Defender and included the US destroyer USS 1,100 personnel, requiring extra
Diamond, the Type 23 frigates The Sullivans and the Dutch life raft capacity. EGYPTIAN NAVY • MBDA is to
frigate HNLMS Evertsen. supply VL MICA surface-to-air
missiles for Egypt’s upcoming
SPEARHEAD BEIRUT BLAST SURVIVOR MEKO A-200 frigates. It is the
TO SPEARFISH same short-range SAM that
BANGLADESH NAVY explosions by some reinforced equips their Gowind 2500 class
ROYAL NAVY concrete grain silos. Other ships corvettes, although it is not the
The Bangladesh Navy corvette in port were not so lucky. first choice. A deal with Denel
Fresh from leading a multi- BNS Bijoy has returned to Dynamics for its Umkhonto
national task group of warships peacekeeping duties after being Among a number of shipping missile fell through due to the
and aircraft into the High North damaged in the Beirut blast, casualties were other vessels South African company’s financial
of the Arctic Circle for the first which resulted in 19 crew being once familiar in UK waters. They difficulties. The Umkhonto is a
time in more than 20 years injured and devastated the port include the livestock carrier proven fit, equipping both the
for a freedom of navigation area on 4 August. The ship was Abou Karim 1. As Commodore Algerian and South African navies’
exercise, HMS Sutherland has repaired at the Aksaz Naval Base Clipper she provides a daily link MEKO A-200 vessels.
also continued at the forefront of in Turkey, having been towed from Portsmouth to the Channel
development of a new torpedo. there by the Turkish naval tug Islands and more recently ROYAL NAVY • Plans for a new
TCG Inebolu (ex-USNS Powhatan). operated to the Northern Isles for Cold War Maritime Heritage
The Type 23 frigate has played Northlink Ferries and Caledonian Museum in Plymouth have been
a key role as a target for multiple The former HMS Dumbarton MacBrayne as Hascosay. She revealed. Subject to feasibility and
test firings of an upgraded version Castle was fortunate to have been capsized, as did the cruise ship cost, the hunter-killer submarine
of the Spearfish torpedo. The shielded from the full force of Orient Queen, better known in HMS Courageous could become
original weapon has equipped the massive shockwave from the European waters as Vistamar. the centrepiece of a development
RN submarines since the early of the naval base’s historic
1990s. The latest variant is fitted BNS Bijoy (F35) is one South Yard, as part of the city’s
with a more powerful warhead, of two former RN Oceansgate regeneration project.
a safer fuel system, an enhanced Castle class OPVs sold The Churchill class SSN vessel is
electronic ‘brain’ and a new fibre- to Bangladesh in 2011. one of only three nuclear-powered
optic guidance link with its parent submarine museums, along with
submarine to improve its accuracy. Redoubtable in Cherbourg and
Nautilus in the USA.
The final trials at the British
Underwater Test and Evaluation ROYAL NAVY • The Defence
Centre – a stretch of water Equipment Sales Authority (DESA)
between Skye and the Scottish is inviting expressions of interest
mainland – are scheduled to be for the sale of the former HMS
concluded by the end of the year. Atherstone. The decommissioned
Hunt class minehunter is listed as
sound for towing but is no longer in
running condition, as she has been
extensively stripped for spares,
including removal of her engines.
DESA has previously tried to sell
Walney without success. The GRP-
hulled MCMVs are less economically
viable to recycle than steel.

15www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

CARGO

BRIEF NEWS HMM’S DOZEN MEGASHIPS

PIL SELLS MORE SHIPS •
Singapore-based operator
Pacific International Line has sold
three more container ships as it
continues to reprofile its debt
and rationalise its services. The
sold ships include the 2001-built
1,728TEU Kota Jasa, the 2002-built
2,607TEU Kota Ganteng and the
2005-built 4,253TEU Kota Laju,
which are estimated to have a
combined value of approximately
$15 million. The financially
troubled company has sold ten
ships since December 2019. JS

NEW COSCO TANKER • CONTAINER SHIPS voyage from Asia to Europe and S The Panama-flagged 1,312ft by
China’s COSCO Shipping Energy back before the end of the year. 200ft HMM Rotterdam is one of 12
Transportation (CSET) has taken South Korea’s HMM Co Ltd, 228,600dwt container ships placed in
delivery of the 113,800dwt LR1 formerly known as Hyundai The 22-knot ships, built at a operation this year by South Korea’s
tanker Yuan Tang Wan from the Merchant Marine Co Ltd, has cost of between $143 million and HMM Co Ltd, all with a capacity for
Chinese state-owned CSSC OME managed to place all 12 of its new $151 million each, were fitted 23,820TEUs. A LINSE
shipyard. This brings the number of 24,000TEU capacity container with scrubbers at a cost of $6.75
tankers in the CSET fleet to 135, with ships in operation despite the million each and are manned by Oslo, HMM Copenhagen, HMM
another 18 on order. This includes COVID-19 pandemic. The final a crew of 23. The 12 vessels, of Dublin, HMM Gdansk, HMM
all vessels owned by subsidiary ship, HMM St Petersburg, built which Samsung built five and Rotterdam, HMM Hamburg,
Shanghai Tankers, which is being fully by Samsung Heavy Industries, is Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine HMM Southampton, HMM
merged into the parent company. JS expected to complete her first Engineering seven, have been Helsinki, HMM Stockholm and
named HMM Algeciras, HMM HMM St Petersburg. JS
CRUDE CARRIER ORDERED •
South Korea’s Pan Ocean CAUGHT IN TYPHOON LIFE EXTENSION
group has ordered a scrubber- FOR DREDGER
fitted 300,000dwt crude LIVESTOCK CARRIER Germany’s MC-Schiffahrt, was
carrier from compatriot builder carrying 5,867 breeding cattle RIVER TEES
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Only two survivors were found from New Zealand to China at
Engineering for a price of from a crew of 43 when the the time of the incident. The trailing suction hopper
approximately $87million. livestock carrier Gulf Livestock dredger Heortnesse, built in 1979
1 sank during heavy weather in One of the surviving crew, by IHC Verschure in Amsterdam,
SMALL CHINESE BOXSHIPS Typhoon Maysak south of Japan Sareno Edvarodo, said the ship has worked on the river Tees all
ORDERED • China’s Hunan on 2 September. The Panama- lost an engine before being hit by her life and is now to have her
Huahang Shipping has ordered flagged vessel, owned by Dubai- a large wave and capsized. The life extended. Operator PD Ports
two 668TEU container ships based Gulf Navigation and under vessel had departed Napier, New decided to have her refurbished
from compatriot builder Yiyang the technical management of Zealand on 14 August and was at the A&P Tees yard to extend
Zhonghai for delivery in late 2021 bound for Jingtang, China. JS her working life by 15 years.
at an en bloc price of $10.74 The yard began the preparation
million. Huahang is a subsidiary N. GATARINGA before the 41-year-old dredger’s
of Shanghai-based Huayang arrival in dock to ensure a quick
International Logistics and operates turnaround. The work included
cargo services on the Yangtze River changing the propulsion drives to
between Shanghai and Hunan. JS allow the vessel to operate on two
generators instead of three. RC
NEW FOR INTERASIA • Taiwan’s
Interasia Lines has taken delivery S The 41-year-old trailing suction
of the 170m by 28m feeder ship hopper dredger Heortnesse. R. CRESSEY
Interasia Pursuit from China’s
Zhoushan Changhong Shipyard
for employment between China,
Thailand, and Vietnam. The 1,800
TEU vessel is to be followed by a
sistership in early 2021. JS

16 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

news

ETHANE 2,000 HOURS WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]
CARRIERS ON BIOFUEL
ORDERED
HOPPER DREDGER
A series of new 98,000m3
gas tankers being built in South Jan De Nul Group’s trailing suction
Korea will be used to carry ethane hopper dredger Alexander von
Humboldt (pictured) recently
from the US to China. ZSP completed 2,000 hours of
operations on 100 per cent
Shipping Co and are expected to renewable second-generation
be built by a Chinese company. Biofuel Oil (BFOv). The vessel is
All the tankers will be employed powered by two MAN 12V32/40 and
to transport ethane from the US one MAN 7L32/40 main engines.
to China for Zhejiang Satellite The milestone represents the
Petrochemical’s new ethane longest continuous use of 100
cracking facility being built in per cent sustainable marine
Lianyungang. JS biofuel in the maritime industry
and reinforces the successful
adoption of this fuel solution.

NEWBUILD Hyundai Heavy Industries at a
total cost of $441 million. Each
China’s Zhejiang Satellite yard will build two units, with
Petrochemical has ordered delivery to start in the second
four 98,000m3 capacity Very quarter of 2022.
Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs)
from South Korean shipbuilders In addition, two more ships
Samsung Heavy Industries and of similar capacity will be leased
from China’s Tianjin Southwest

APL NAME DISAPPEARS NEW FACILITY OPENED

S The 10,800 TEU APL Southampton (2012), pictured at Southampton, is part PORT NEWS GEOS Group provides fuel
of APL’s fleet, which is being absorbed into CMA CGM. RICHARD POTTER directly from a UK refinery to
Associated British Ports (ABP), various ports around the UK.
INDUSTRY NEWS agreements it has entered into. owner and operator of the Construction of the new facility
APL Co Pte Ltd has been part of Port of Lowestoft, has invested began in November 2019 and
The CMA CGM Group has the CMA CGM Group since 2016. more than £250,000 in the was completed on schedule.
changed the name of APL Co Pte The change is in line with the construction of a new fuel
Ltd to CMA CGM Asia Shipping developments that the CMA CGM bunkering facility to support the The Netherlands-flagged
Pte Ltd as it consolidates its Pacific Group has been making across its UK Southern North Sea (SNS) Thun Grace was built by Ferus
operations. APL has been part trade lanes and among its carrier energy sector. On 5 August Smit at Hoogezand as United
of the CMA CGM Group since brands over the last three years. the facility received its first fuel Grace. Owned by Sweden-based
the latter’s merger with Neptune when the 6,535dwt chemical/ Thun Tankers, she is operated
Orient Lines in 2016, Neptune The changes will mark a new oil products tanker Thun Grace by Main Ship Management
having purchased APL, the former phase of growth for the CMA called at Lowestoft on behalf of of the Netherlands. Her usual
American President Lines, in 1997. CGM Group, whose fleet operates Peterson UK and GEOS Group voyages are from Immingham
over 200 maritime services, as as part of a strategic partnership to Aberdeen and then on to
The name change does a global shipping and logistics to carry out fuel services. other north-east ports such as
not affect the company’s leader. It is likely that the fleet will Montrose and Blyth. RC
business, shareholder structure, take on CMA CGM names, but
management, contact details, or that was not confirmed. JS/RC S The 6,535dwt chemical/oil products tanker Thun Grace inaugurated a
new fuel bunkering facility at Lowestoft on 5 August. DAVID DODDS

17www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

PRESERVATION John Megoran

CORONAVIRUS IMPACTS SHIP PRESERVATION

PANDEMIC Northumberland’s Blyth Tall The Welsh Government is also this emergency funding is helpful,
Ship charity operates the small promising an £18.5 million fund it is just a drop in the ocean
The Covid-19 pandemic, and the ship Williams II, and last year for the culture sector, which will compared with the scale of the
resultant restrictions on social recreated a journey made in included heritage projects. While problem throughout the sector.
gatherings, has produced huge 1819 by Captain William Smith.
challenges for preserved vessels Along with many preserved ship
and museums worldwide. Many organisations, it faces a tricky
ships have had to cancel their future, with reduced funding as
proposed season of sailings, a result of the pandemic.
leaving them with no income, but
still liable for ongoing costs. Ship and Shieldhall. The National
Museum of the Royal Navy has
Many volunteers are not been advised that it will receive
so young and some are emergency Government funding.
understandably reluctant to
return to help their projects after
lockdown, as they are in higher
risk categories for the virus.
Some vessels have managed
to get going again, but with
reduced capacities due to
social distancing, which in turn
threatens their financial viability.

Emergency funding has helped
some vessels, with the National
Lottery’s Emergency Heritage
Fund making grants to the steam
tug tender Daniel Adamson,
the steam tug Kerne, Blyth Tall

INVESTORS NEEDED IN DRESDEN MIXED FORTUNES IN SWITZERLAND

GERMAN PADDLERS caused more cancellations. The paddler Neuchâtel was out of service in August for repairs, but has
When vessels did sail, it was with remained in service despite a downturn in passenger numbers.
The Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt, reduced passenger numbers,
which runs a fleet of nine paddle while Dresden, usually awash
steamers and two large motor with international tourists, is
vessels based at Dresden, had almost completely deserted.
to file for insolvency at the end
of June. The business model A crowd funding campaign
targets a variety of markets, with raised only £23,000 out of the
steamers economical to operate hoped for £100,000. A court in
and with low crew numbers, but Dresden allowed the company
they still need significant numbers to continue to trade, and they
of passengers to cover costs. are still running a limited service,
while other investors are being
Low water levels in the Elbe last sought, with interest expressed
year led to many cancellations, by operators from Germany,
and this year Covid-19 initially Austria and Switzerland.

The paddler Meissen, which entered SWISS PADDLERS shipyard at Ouchy with work to
service in 1885 as König Albert repair her damaged port paddle
Most of the Swiss paddle shaft, which fractured last summer,
operates on the River Elbe at Dresden. steamers have operated their still needing to be finished.
usual schedules this summer,
18 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com albeit with reduced capacities On Lake Geneva La Suisse was
and with passengers required out of service on 22 and 23 July
to observe social distancing and for repairs. Montreux broke down
wear face masks, with loadings on 2 August, but was back in
much lower than previously. service the following day. On Lake
Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel was out of
Some exceptions include Gallia service for repairs from 25 to 28
on Lake Lucerne, which was not August. Meanwhile, the newly
commissioned, and Italie on Lake rebuilt Stadt Luzern emerged from
Geneva, which remains at the the Lucerne drydock in August.

news

The 100ft Spartan was built by J. Hay and Sons of Kirkintillock in PADDLER WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]
1942, and in her heyday sailed throughout the Clyde and on to FOUND
Mull, Iona and Islay.

SPARTAN OPENED FOR FIRST TIME PHOENIX

CLYDE PUFFER lifelines carrying all necessities to also owned Spartan, Glenlight On 28 August diver Gary Lebebvre
and from communities around the Shipping Ltd, ceased trading. discovered the remains of the paddle
In August the Scottish Maritime west coast of Scotland and to the wheels of the paddle steamer
Museum’s Clyde puffer Spartan islands for over 100 years. Spartan was built at Kirkintillock Phoenix, which caught fire and
was opened to the public for the in 1942, and in her heyday sailed sank on 4 September 1819, at
first time in her new location out Many of the photographs have throughout the Clyde and outer the bottom of Lake Champlain
of the water and in front of the previously never been seen, and islands. She was converted to in Vermont, where they have lain
Linthouse at the museum. include images of early 1800s diesel in 1961 and continued for 201 years. Using a remotely
steam-powered boats through in service until 1980, by which operated underwater vehicle, he
Funded by Museums Galleries to the seagoing steam, and later time the development of ro-ro found both fire-damaged paddle
Scotland, the refurbished vessel diesel, puffers working from the ferries, which could take vans and wheels about 100 yards apart
includes an exhibition in the hold 1870s up until 1994, when the lorries to carry her cargoes more and lying about a mile from the
telling the story of puffers as last puffer company, which had cheaply, rendered her redundant. remains of the hull of Phoenix.

Phoenix (pictured) was
the second wooden-hulled
steamboat to be built for the lake,
entering service in 1815. She left
Burlington at 11pm on her last
voyage for Plattsburgh, NY with
46 passengers and crew. A fire
was noticed in the galley, but it
was too late to save the ship.

VIKING SHIP BENEATH HMS VICTORY MOVING TO
PORTSMOUTH?
BURIAL SITE HMS Victory, which was laid
down in 1759 and launched in HMS CAROLINE
Work has started on 1765, is now supported by a
excavating the first Viking series of props to ensure her Due to the Covid-19 outbreak,
ship to be found in Norway hull does not sag. the light cruiser HMS Caroline,
in more than a century. The docked in Belfast since 1924 and
vessel, located in a burial site SHIP OF THE LINE by the pressure of the sea. BAE operated as a floating museum,
in Gjellestad in the south- Systems developed a network has been closed. Now the
east of the country, was Following a multi-million pound of technology which mimics the National Museum of the Royal
discovered through the use of conservation project by the National pressures and monitors the ship’s Navy may be forced to intervene
ground-penetrating radar. The Museum of the Royal Navy and weight distribution. Each support and move its closed tourist
excavation is expected to take BAE Systems, visitors are now able prop has a load cell which records, attraction, according to Dr Tim
about five months. Only part to walk underneath HMS Victory on a minute-by-minute basis, how Schadla-Hall, the chairman of
of the ship’s timber appears for the first time in 199 years. much of HMS Victory’s weight the HMS Caroline Preservation
to have been preserved, with is being carried, providing the Society. The lockdown saw an
the craft believed to be about The 3,600-ton ship had Museum with an invaluable insight underwater hull survey and
20m in length. It was found in begun to sag under her own into her stability and helping to maintenance work delayed
an area with a large number of weight, as the integrity of the prevent damage to her structure. as staff were furloughed, and
burial mounds and longhouses. hull would usually be maintained the current closure has been
extended until 31 December.

19www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

NEWS FEATURE JimShaw

SAFMARINE TO MERGE INTO M

As the Moller-Maersk Group
merges Safmarine into the
Maersk fleet, Jim Shaw looks
back at Safmarine’s history
and recalls some of their
well-known ships.

INDUSTRY NEWS African industrialist Dr Hendrik van were originally built for Clan Line Castle Line ships Transvaal Castle
der Bijl and American entrepreneur but were obtained from Springbok and Pretoria Castle, and renamed
The decision by Denmark’s A.P. Henry Mercer as South African Shipping in the early 1960s. them S.A. Vaal and S.A. Oranje.
Moller-Maersk Group to merge Marine Corporation, Safmarine These liners, repainted in
Safmarine into the Maersk fleet by began business with three surplus These vessels were joined Safmarine colours, continued in
the end of this year will bring to American-built Victory ships, which by a series of Netherlands- and service between South Africa
a close the history of a company were later joined and eventually Scottish-built refrigerator ships, and Great Britain until being
strongly identified with South replaced by newer tonnage. This as well as four heavylifters with withdrawn in 1975 and 1977.
Africa, but one whose ships have included a series of four Scottish- a crane capacity of up to 250
seldom visited South African built general cargo carriers of the tonnes, as South Africa’s trade Their replacements, although
ports over the past decade. South African Trader class, as well expanded. In the mid-1960s the limited to ten passengers, were
as four slightly larger ships that company entered the passenger the ‘Big Whites’: S.A. Helderberg,
Formed in 1946 by South sector by taking over the Union- S.A. Sederberg, S.A. Waterberg
and S.A. Winterberg, 49,600bhp
S S.A. Oranje dressed for her final departure from Durban in October 1975 after 27 years of service, the first 17 under container carriers which cruised
Union-Castle ownership as Pretoria Castle. Built by Harland and Wolff in 1948, the 747ft by 84ft ship was sold to at 19.5 knots while burning over
Safmarine in 1966 and placed under South African registry in 1969, six years before her demolition. TREVOR JONES 150 tonnes of fuel a day. The
big boxships, chartered from
20 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com investment owners after 2002,
were retired in 2007-08, by which
time Safmarine had become an
A.P. Moller-Maersk company and
was receiving a new assortment of
more modern tonnage.

Headquartered in Cape Town
since 2016, the Safmarine brand
will disappear by the end of the
year, while Safmarine ships are
expected to be repainted and
renamed during their upcoming
drydockings.

news

MAERSK WATERFRONT • www.shipsmonthly.com • The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL • t > 01959 541444 • e > [email protected]

W Completed by John Brown S One of three American-built Victory T One of a large number
& Company for Union-Castle ships used to launch Safmarine service of conventional cargo ships
as Transvaal Castle in 1961, in the late 1940s, the 7,605gt S.A. operated by Safmarine over
and taken over by Safmarine in Victory had been built by Bethlehem the years, the 7,898gt S.A.
1966, the 32,697gt S.A. Vaal Fairfield Shipbuilding at Baltimore, Shipper had been completed
became Carnival Cruise Line’s Maryland as Westbrook Victory in as Clan Robertson for Clan
Festivale following a $30 million 1945 and entered the Safmarine fleet Line in 1954. She operated as
refit in 1978. She ended her as Vergelegen in 1947 after which she Umzinto and Rooibok before
days on the beach at Alang, was renamed South African Victory joining the Safmarine fleet in
India in 2004 as bankrupt in 1961. She was sent to Kaohsiung, 1961, 14 years before being
Premier Cruise Line’s Big Red Taiwan for demolition as S.A. Victory demolished in Taiwan during
Boat III. TREVOR JONES in 1969. TREVOR JONES 1975. TREVOR JONES

21www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

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S Caledonian Princess soon after her Stranraer-Larne route debut. S Caledonian Princess sailing on the Irish Sea North Channel.

Remembering Caledonian Princess

DOVER’S FINAL STEAMER

Caledonian Daniel Geare reviews the long career of turbine steamer
Princess became Caledonian Princess both in operation and later in static
the last steam- roles on the Tyne at Newcastle and Clyde in Glasgow.
powered ferry
to sail from and made a first sailing on a wood-panelled lounge, There were spacious
Dover on 28 September 1981, 16 December the same year. with a Smoke Room on the public rooms, with First class
and during a 20-year career Promenade Deck below, while passengers having a 50-seat
served 19 different ports, Powered by two double- in Second class up to 1,000 waiter service restaurant,
before fulfilling static roles reduction Pametrada geared could be accommodated. while Second class offered a
in Newcastle and Glasgow turbines with oil-fired boilers, Both classes had cabin 140-seat cafeteria, both being
until she was towed to Aliaga, giving a speed of 20 knots, accommodation with First class found along the Promenade
Turkey to be broken up during she was the first Denny boat split into two cabins-de-luxe Deck, together with smoking
the autumn of 2008. Built in to be fitted with stabilisers and 80 one- and two-berth rooms. There were separate
1961 at the William Denny and a bow thruster. Built to cabins, while Second class lounges and bars on the Boat
and Bros yard in Dumbarton carry 1,400 passengers in two travellers class had a choice of Deck. The vehicle decks could
for the Caledonian Steam classes, First class forward 94 two- or four-berth cabins. carry 103 cars and 29 trailers,
Packet Co’s Irish Sea North on the Boat Deck offered with an electric turntable fitted
Channel service from to turn trailers before storage.
Stranraer to Larne, she was
launched on 5 April 1961 BRITISH RAIL SERVICE

Caledonian Princess moving forward In 1968 British Rail took over
off Weymouth’s lone car ferry berth the operation of Caledonian
Princess, and on 26 June that
prior to taking the 1330 sailing year when on charter from
to Guernsey and Jersey, with the Stranraer, she became the first
turbine steamer Caesarea (1960) stern-loading car ferry to sail
into the harbour at Douglas,
berthed ahead. Isle of Man. As traffic grew
on the North Channel, a
new ship, Antrim Princess
(1967/3,630gt), was brought
in to run opposite Caledonian
Princess during the summer.

After giving a major boost
to the Stranraer-Larne service,
which had been suffering
following the loss of Princess
Victoria (1946/2,694gt)

24 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

FERRY HERITAGE

Caledonian Princess at her berth
alongside at Weymouth. She made a
fine sight among the small boats and
lesire craft in the harbour.

S Caledonian Princess at Newhaven, in a storm on 31 January 1975 to sail from Weymouth by Caledonian Princess after
a regular winter lay-up base. 1953, Caledonian Princess to the Channel Islands. the latter had been converted
and Antrim Princess were at Immingham to run as a
T A colourful poster announcing themselves displaced by newer During January 1976 one-class ship at a cost of
the debut of Caledonian Princess vessels. From 1969 to 1975 British Rail’s recent £426,000, during which
displayed at railway stations in Caledonian Princess ran on the acquisition, Earl Godwin period the aging Normannia
Scotland and northern England. Irish Sea between Fishguard (1966/4,018gt), first used on (1952/3,543gt) had her last
and Rosslare, with a number charter from Sweden’s Rederi Weymouth outings.
of stints on the Holyhead- AB Svea under her original
Dun Laoghaire and Belfast- name Svea Drott, opened a The forward lounges on
Heysham routes as a winter new multi-purpose service Caledonian Princess were
relief, before departure from between Weymouth and the rearranged to provide room
St George’s Channel in June Channel Islands. She was for an extra 88 seats, while
joined the following month the former First and Second

S Caledonian Princess at Weymouth when she was first sporting
Sealink’s monastral blue hull.

25www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

CALEDONIAN
PRINCESS

BUILDERS 1961 by Wm. Denny and
Bros, Dumbarton, for the Caledonian
Steam Packet Co, yard no.1501

DIMENSIONS 107.6m x 17.43m x 3.6m

TONNAGE 3,630gt, 1,306gt, 630dwt
as built; 4,042gt, 1,769 net from 1976

MACHINERY Two double reduction
Pametrada geared turbines (8,579kW),
oil-fired water tube boilers from
Babcock and Wilcox, driving twin screws

SPEED 19 knots

PASSENGERS 1,400, cabin beds 176;
vehicles 104 cars

FLAG British-registered, at Stranraer

OPERATORS Caledonian Steam
Packet Co 1961-69; British Transport
Ship Management(Scotland) 1969;
British Railways Sealink from 1976;
Quadrini Group 1983-2008

DISPOSAL Sold 1983 for static use in
Newcastle and Glasgow

X Dover Harbour Board tug remained until 14 December, the Channel Islands, although gales hit the Channel and
Dominant assists as Caledonian mostly taking a direct overnight the newly-acquired Earl at one stage Caledonian
Princess berths after returning service to Jersey, with a call at William, originally Viking Princess and Earl Godwin were
from Calais on 28 September Guernsey on the return. II (1964/3,760gt) in the stormbound in St Peter Port,
1981. RUSSELL PLUMMER Thoresen Car Ferries fleet, stranding hundreds of tourists.
CHANNEL ISLANDS RUN was not ready. So Earl Godwin On 12 November 1977 Earl
class areas were reconfigured was sent from Weymouth to Godwin transferred her Jersey
to form new lounges. Shops Caledonian Princess returned stand in, which resulted in passengers to Caledonian
were added to the Midships to the Channel Islands run in Caledonian Princess’ annual Princess before returning to
Lounge, while there was also March 1977, and at the end refit being delayed. anchor in the bay. Caledonian
a new tea bar and television of the year Sealink opened a Princess sailed for Jersey at
lounge, together with improved service from Portsmouth to In November 1977 severe 0800 the following day, but
crew accommodation. With a bad weather meant she had
total of 570 new seats installed, to ride out the storm off St
Caledonian Princess picked up Helier until late afternoon.
the Weymouth service from
2230 on 12 May 1976, and Channel Island services
returned to normal the
Caledonian Princess at one of Weymouth’s lay-by berths during her service from the Dorset port following week, with Earl
between 1976 and early 1981, before a final spell running from Dover the following summer. Godwin coming back to
Weymouth on 16 January
1978, when Earl William
picked up her timetable,
allowing Caledonian Princess
to sail to Newhaven to relieve
Earl Leofric (1984/3,879gt)
on the Dieppe link. When
Caledonian Princess returned
to Weymouth, Earl Godwin
sailed for overhaul and,
as a result, Viking Victory
(1964/3,760gt), originally
Viking 1 from the Thoresen
fleet, was chartered to run
opposite Caledonian Princess

26 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

FERRY HERITAGE

STORMY FINALE FOR DOVER’S LAST TURBINE STEAMER
Caledonian Princess entered
service with a smart black There was a return to Dover, alongside after having to wait for
hull and a black-topped where Townsend Thoresen’s Free RMT’s Reine Astrid (1958/3,794gt),
Enterprise III (1966/6,889gt) had making an extra passenger round

buff funnel, with the Caledonian been chartered to stand in on trip from Ostend, to vacate what by

Steam Packet’s red lions rampant the Calais and Boulogne routes then was the Admiralty Pier’s lone

on either side. But these had long from 17 July 1981 and through the passenger ferry berth.

given way to Sealink’s monastral remainder of the month. Then, The next day Caledonian

blue hull, with funnel colours of in August and into September, Princess entered Wellington

red and black, by the time the Caledonian Princess went back to Dock to lay up until a move to

vessel spent her final operational serving Calais and Boulogne daily Newhaven in October. Just over a

summer at Dover in 1981 on what until a trying final day on Saturday year passed before the Quadrini

were the shortest routes she had 26 September 1981, when she Group stepped in for the start

ever served. The daily routine returned late from the 0855 sailing of a fresh career for the ship as

brought a morning crossing to to Calais in rough seas and force a static entertainment centre

Calais and back, followed by an six south-westerly winds. at Gateshead, Glasgow and

afternoon visit to Boulogne, writes Attempts to get through Dover Newcastle, first as Tuxedo Princess

Russell Plummer. Harbour’s Western Entrance but with the original Caledonian

The 21-year-old car ferry’s failed, and after a switch to the Princess name restored during

versatility was put to the test Eastern Entrance she was towed her time in Scotland.

early in her time at Dover, when across to the Western Docks by Sealink’s steam days were

June 1981 brought three spells the Dover Harbour Board tug thought to have finally ended

deputising on other routes. Dominant, which also assisted with when Maid of Kent (1959/3,920gt)

First Horsa (1972/5,590gt) had swinging and berthing. Flags were made a last Weymouth-Cherbourg

to be taken out for two days of hoisted fore and aft as passengers round trip just six days later on 2

engine repairs, with Caledonian began to board for the final trip, October 1981. However, when

Princess switched to cover and as soon as the gangway went Earl William had to go into dry

Folkestone-Calais trips and an ashore Caledonian Princess made dock after striking an underwater

overnight Folkestone-Ostend Dover’s last steam-powered object, an extension of Maid of

return. Caledonian Princess was departure 85 minutes behind Kent’s certificate was obtained to

out of Weymouth between 3 then used to replace Vortigern schedule, without as much as a allow her onto the Channel Islands
and 26 March 1978.
(1969/4,794gt), which was dry- single whistle blast to mark the route, but only as far as Guernsey,
ROYAL VISIT
docked at Calais after suffering end of an era. until 30 October.
Caledonian Princess was
dressed overall for the Royal propeller damage while she was The return crossing, with the The ‘Maid’ also covered two
Visit to Guernsey by HM The
Queen and Prince Philip on leaving Boulogne, and this brought winds now up to force nine, had a charters booked for Earl William,
28 June 1978. She joined a
chorus of ships sounding their more night trips to Ostend. passenger load of 800 and began one from Weymouth to St Peter
sirens to mark the Royals’
arrival by tender from the Travels for the veteran were with an exchange of salutes with Port and back, and the other a
Royal Yacht Britannia, which
was anchored in the bay. In not over and, after new Channel Vortigern, before the engine-room Dorset Coast charter. Sadly no buyer
January 1979 Weymouth was
closed for five weeks while Islands routes vessel Earl Granville department’s experience and was forthcoming for continued
both ferries were at refit,
Caledonian Princess returning (1973/4,477gt) had to be sent ingenuity was put to the test when operation, and arguably the most
on 1 March 1979 to pick up
her then regular 1330 sailing to Southampton for repairs to a fan defect forced one boiler to elegant of Sealink’s later turbine
to the islands.
fire damage suffered off the be shut down. steamers, another product of the
In early May 1980
Caledonian Princess headed Isle of Wight on 22 June 1981, No cars were carried on a prolific Denny Yard, lay at Newhaven
for fresh pastures, when she
was sent to Portsmouth to Caledonian Princess was back crossing direct to the Western from November 1981 until she was
cover Earl William, which
had been withdrawn with on the Channel Islands run from Docks, and it was close to 2000 towed to Spanish breakers at San
generator troubles. She stayed
there until Free Enterprise II Weymouth and Portsmouth. when Caledonian Princess got Esteban during April 1982.
(1965/5,956gt) was brought
in on charter. The Townsend Caledonian Princess leaving Dover Western Docks for her final
Thoresen vessel proved sailing on Saturday 28 September 1981. RUSSELL PLUMMER
unsuitable at Portsmouth, and
was swapped with Earl Godwin

27www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

S The original Caledonian Princess name was brought back when the S Caledonian Princess, with name shortened to Prince, berthed in
vessel went to Glasgow. Piraeus before going to Turkish breakers.

to run opposite Caledonian William was transferred to she sailed for Newhaven to Tuxedo Princess was moved
Princess until 11 June 1980. replace Caledonian Princess out await disposal, and after nearly to Glasgow in 1988 and
of Weymouth following the a year in lay-up was purchased reverted to her original name,
As 1981 dawned it was arrival of the newly purchased by Newcastle entertainment until she returned to the Tyne
known this would be a final Viking Line vessel Viking 4 group Quadrini to become a in 1998, spending a further
Weymouth spell for Caledonian (1973/4,477gt), which floating restaurant and night decade there. She was moved
Princess. After she arrived at came in as Earl Granville club on the Tyne. to Piraeus in July 2008, the
the islands on Saturday 2 May, at Portsmouth. vessel leaving under tow with
she left almost immediately As Tuxedo Princess, she took the name changed to Prince.
for Avonmouth, where she FINAL DEPARTURE the place of another former Plans for static use in the Greek
was overhauled to serve rail turbine steamer which started port never came to fruition
connected passenger services Caledonian Princess remained life as Dover (1965/3,640gt) and, after sale to Turkish
from Dover Western Docks to at Dover until 26 September and finished her Sealink career interests, she was scrapped at
Calais and Boulogne. She took 1981, when she made the final in 1981 as Earl Siward and then Aliaga, coincidentally at the
the place of another former departure by a steam-powered saw service in the Mediterranean same time as HMS Newcastle
Weymouth steam veteran, ferry from the port, albeit as Sol Lines’ Sol Express, before was being demolished in a
Caesarea (1960/3,992gt), one that was delayed by the taking up a static role on the nearby berth.
which had been sold. Earl weather. Shortly afterwards, Tyne as Tuxedo Royale.

A Newcastle view of Caledonian
Princess as Tuxedo Princess in the
shadow of the Tyne Bridge.

28 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

VOYAGE REPORT

Gunung Dempo (2008/14,200gt) takes on
passengers and cargo during a three-hour call
at Manokwari, near the end of her eastbound
voyage from Jakarta to Jayapura.

PASSAGE TO PAPUA

Thomas Rinaldi recounts a voyage on two ships operated
by Pelni, the Indonesian state ferry system, whose routes
span thousands of miles across the Indonesian archipelago.

A t a glance, the
route map of
the Indonesian
state ferry
system – Pelni
for short – could be taken
for that of one of the world’s
larger metropolitan public
transport networks. But Pelni’s
area stretches more than 3,000
miles, from western Sumatra
to Papua. In terms of distances
covered and passengers carried,
it is among the world’s great
providers of waterborne
transport today, with scheduled
routes that take a week or
more from end to end.

To travel the entire Pelni
system would take years,
but I embarked on a more
modest trip, booking passages
on two of the company’s
main services, starting near

29www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

Singapore and heading to the system from Singapore, S Dobonsolo (1993/14,800gt) Sunday arrival at Jakarta
Pelni’s easternmost terminus however, is easy, and involves has only a few hours to handle would leave enough time to
at Jayapura. The trip would a short ferry connection to passengers and cargo during connect there for the next leg
cover 3,000 miles in ten days, one of two major ports, Batam her bi-monthly call at Jayapura, of my trip aboard Gunung
aboard two vessels. and Kijang, served by Pelni in Penli’s eastern terminus. W Dempo, set to depart that
Indonesia’s Riau Islands. evening for Jayapura.
Pelni’s passenger fleet S A crew member supervises
numbers about 30 ships, For my Wednesday docking operations aboard Umsini BOOKING A PASSAGE
most of which fall into one of afternoon departure on Pelni’s as she arrives at Jakarta.
three categories: smaller Type Kelud from Batam to Jakarta, Booking a passage with Pelni
500 vessels (approximately I arrived in Singapore by is relatively easy, although
2,620gt, 242ft in length) plane from New York. With schedules are only published
handle feeder routes; mid- amenities comparable to those about a month in advance.
size Type 1000 vessels (about found on European cruise While passengers can book
6,000gt, 327ft in length) ferries, Kelud is the star of using a smartphone app,
serve secondary routes; and the company’s fleet. But my reservations expire unless
larger Type 2000 vessels plans were thwarted when they are promptly paid for at
(14,800gt, 480ft in length), the ship’s annual drydocking authorised ticket agents in
which make up the backbone took longer than scheduled. Indonesia, which complicates
of the fleet. While Pelni’s Fortunately, I could board bookings made from abroad.
passenger routes once called Umsini, oldest of the Type Fortunately, I managed to
internationally, today the 2000 series, which was due arrange passage through
company provides only to depart from nearby Kijang a local travel agent near
domestic service. Linking with on Friday. Umsini’s scheduled Kijang on the morning of
Umsini’s departure. Pelni
vessels rarely sell out, at least
outside holiday seasons, as the
company offers unberthed
deck passage if necessary.

Getting my own cabin posed
another hurdle. In recent years,
the company has eliminated
private cabin accommodation.
Instead, Pelni offers one-class
‘Economy’ berthing in open
bunks in large dormitories.
My local booking agent
suggested that I might be able
to arrange an upgrade to cabin
accommodation on arrival at
the dock, but this proved not
so easy. While Umsini’s cabins
remained intact (other ships
have had theirs removed), the
company no longer provides
any means of booking them.
Left open, the empty cabins
soon filled with passengers,
who found them preferable

S Shoes on Umsini’s boat deck outside the shipboard mosque.

30 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

VOYAGE REPORT

S The sun dips towards Gunung Dempo’s wake as the ship skirts the to the big open dormitories. studying; for me, it offered an
edge of the Pacific Ocean near the end of her eastbound passage With a little luck, I managed to avenue for getting to know
toward Jayapura. angle a decent spot in a former the passengers who are the
second class cabin on deck 6. lifeblood of these ships.

As Kelud’s voyage had Although 35 years old,
been cancelled, Umsini was Umsini still has the makings
consequently heavily booked. of a lovely ship, with broad
On the 40-hour journey boat decks and sheltered
to Jakarta, the only other outdoor spaces fore and
westerners were a couple aft. Pelni no longer serves
who kept to themselves for meals in the ship’s cabin class
the duration. Being the only dining saloon, but the room
unaccompanied foreigner cast comes alive in the evening as
me as something of a public passengers gather to dance
figure: fellow passengers soon and enjoy live music. Crossing
approached me to try out their the equator has become
English, and brush up on a so routine for habituated
language they had spent years passengers that no one seemed

Sabuk Nusantara 96
(2017/1,250gt) in the
port of Manokwari.

PELNI ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
That Pelni exists today can be
explained by a quick look at begun rebuilding its decimated new 6,073gt Dutch-built motorliner reportedly the largest commission
an atlas. The world’s fourth fleet when Indonesia declared Tampomas. Other notable vessels for ocean-going passenger ships for
largest country by population, independence in 1949. The newly included the 10,952gt Ambulombo a single operator. The first Type 2000
Indonesia covers an archipelago sovereign nation naturally sought (1935, ex-Manoora), and the 17,891gt vessel, Kerinci, arrived in 1983, and
of 17,500 islands. Pelni traces its to control interisland transport, so Gunung Djati (1936, ex-Pretoria). was followed by 14 sisters. These
inception to the years immediately Indonesia’s Sukarno government Through the early 1980s much of were joined by nine units of the Type
following Indonesia’s independence. established its own shipping the fleet was made up of smaller 1000 class, inaugurated with Kelimutu
Previously, the islands of the Dutch company in 1950. Two years later the second-hand vessels like Tampomas (1986), and three Type 500 class ships,
East Indies were served by the government reorganised its state- II (6,139gt), which gained notoriety in beginning with Pangrango (1996).
Amsterdam-based Koninklijke controlled shipping services under 1981 when she burned and sank with
Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM). the banner of the Pelayaran Nasional the loss of 431 lives. Alongside these, the company
Founded in 1888, KPM managed an Indonesia, or Pelni. helps administer a network of so-
enormous fleet which, together with The Tampomas II tragedy called ‘Pioneer’ services maintained
partners and subsidiaries, comprised Pelni’s early fleet included helped spur a total renewal of by 50 vessels of the smaller Sabuk
nearly 150 vessels by the late 1930s. a mixture of chartered vessels Pelni’s fleet over the next 25 years, Nusantara class, whose subsidised
After World War II KPM had just and ships seized from retreating in collaboration with Germany’s operation is justified partly by their
Japanese forces at war’s end. In 1956 Meyer Werft shipyard, which built mission to ‘enhance the territorial
the company took delivery of the most of the new ships in what was integrity of the nation’.

31www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

W Gunung Dempo has cast off
from Jayapura for her seven-day
westbound return voyage to
Jakarta.

X Umsini has just dropped her
lines as she eases away from
Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok passenger
terminal en route to Kupang.

T Umsini’s bell presides over the
ship’s forecastle.

to remark on our doing so the booking office, the news was W Umsini (1985/14,800gt) draws Gambir railway station for the
first night out of Kijang. not encouraging: like Umsini, near the quayside at Kijang in 0930 departure of Indonesia
Dempo had gone all-Economy. the Riau Islands. Railway’s express ‘Argo
BERTHED AT JAKARTA What’s more, she was booked T Umsini’s former first class dining Bromo’, which delivered me
to capacity, leaving only deck saloon is used for live musical to Surabaya in time for an
Sunday morning dawned passage available for the seven- performances in the evenings.
to find Umsini arriving at night journey to Jayapura.
Tanjung Priok, the port Not ideal, but I handed This allowed time for a meal
of Jakarta, where Pelni’s over the cash – about £60 – and a good night’s sleep in
passenger terminal occupies hoping to work out better Jakarta, ready for the onward
a corner of the container accommodation once on board. voyage. On Monday morning
wharves. Central Jakarta is I was trackside at Jakarta’s
reachable by frequent trains Slightly daunted by the
from Priok’s nearby railway prospect of a prolonged
station, a cathedral of riveted unberthed passage and
steel left behind by the Dutch. anxious to see some of Jakarta,
I made a quick change of
My priority was to arrange plan: I let Gunung Dempo
onward passage to Jayapura sail without me but would
aboard Gunung Dempo, which catch her the following night
was set to depart that evening. at her next stop, Surabaya.
When I arrived at Pelni’s

S Typical passenger accommodations aboard Pelni vessels are basic, but adequate to handle large numbers of people travelling for days at a time.
Left, à la carte restaurant improvised on Gunung Dempo’s after decks; centre, a former eight-berth cabin aboard Umsini; right, economy class open
berths are now the only overnight accommodation that can be booked on nearly all of Pelni’s fleet.

32 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

VOYAGE REPORT

evening libation at the historic passengers. Public rooms are S Gunung Dempo at Sorong. The ship can carry 98 containers in
Hotel Majapahit before I limited to a windowless dining addition to break-bulk cargo.
caught a cab for the port. saloon on Deck 6, and a large
shipboard mosque aft. As diverted almost anyone who tugboat nudged us towards
Her lights ablaze, Gunung aboard Umsini, the saloon was can afford to fly. But the line the docks, where Pelni’s
Dempo presented an largely unused, apart from live still carries a fascinating range Dobonsolo had arrived earlier.
encouraging sight against the music in the evenings. of passengers. Some are headed Within a few hours, both
backdrop of Surabaya’s gritty home from work or school to ships had disgorged and re-
waterfront. Once aboard, I Meals (included) were see family for the first time in embarked several thousand
immediately got to work on distributed in plastic years. Others are striking out passengers, along with mails,
an accommodation upgrade. containers from a central to try their hand at some new breakbulk cargoes and a few
Initial enquiries yielded dim galley. Standard fare was livelihood in an unknown place. dozen containers. By the time
prospects. But with a little steamed rice with chicken their horns echoed off the
luck and perseverance I or fish. Vendors stationed Under overcast skies, cliffs bracketing the harbour,
managed to arrange a berth all throughout the ship offer Gunung Dempo throttled I was on the terrace of a
the way to Jayapura just before other options at extra cost. down as we neared Jayapura harbourfront hotel, planning
Dempo dropped her lines at I took a liking to a small café on Sunday morning. This my next move as the two big
0330 on Tuesday morning. on one of the sheltered after was the end of the line, just corn-coloured liners glided
decks, where a cook prepared 30 miles from the border out of the harbour.
Not surprisingly, the rigours specialties like nasi goreng with Papua New Guinea. A
of a demanding cargo- (fried rice) à la carte. Stewards
passenger operation such meanwhile can be found
as that handled by Gunung roaming the vessel at all hours
Dempo mean frequent delays, offering coffee, tea and snacks.
and we left Surabaya about While alcohol is not permitted,
five hours late. Fortunately, smoking is ubiquitous, the
we proceeded with calls smell of Indonesia’s famous
at Makassar, Sorong and clove cigarettes permeating
Manokwari without falling the entire ship.
much farther behind.
The same spirit of friendly
Last-built of Pelni’s mutual curiosity that my fellow
Type-2000 sisterships, passengers and I shared aboard
Gunung Dempo represented Umsini prevailed as Gunung
a significant departure Dempo proceeded east. Pelni’s
from the earlier vessels as clientele comes not quite from
she was modified to carry all walks of life, airlines having
more containers and fewer

33www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

On 17 August Pioneering platform was transferred onto
Spirit, the largest the barge Iron Lady and was
construction and installation then ‘skidded onshore’ onto a
vessel in the world, called at the new decommissioning pad.
port of Vlissingen, attracting
hundreds of spectators. In Because of the impact of
recent years North Sea Port in COVID-19 on the offshore
Vlissingen has developed into oil industry, Swiss-based
a base and hub for the offshore offshore contractor Allseas
sector. Pioneering Spirit is has postponed construction
382m in length and 124m in of a larger successor to the
beam, and can lift structures up offshore decommissioning vessel
to 48,000 tonnes in weight. Pioneering Spirit indefinitely.
Prior to the coronavirus crisis
A couple of weeks later, on and the drastic drop in oil prices,
28 August, she was in Shetland, the new ship, tentatively named
dismantling the 14,200-tonne Amazing Grace, was to have
Ninian Northern platform come into service as the world’s
topside, which was taken to largest vessel in 2025, following
Dales Voe after being removed an expected construction time
in a single lift in just two hours of four years. PHOTO BY FLYING
by Pioneering Spirit. The
FOCUS/WORDS BY JIM SHAW

PIONEERING SPIRIT

THE WORLD’S
LARGEST SHIP

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTER

Cruise pioneer marks The Oasis class cruise ship
50 years of operations Symphony of the Seas. At
228,081gt, she is the largest
cruise ship in the world by
gross tonnage, surpassing
her sistership Harmony of the
Seas. COMPANY PHOTO

Conceived in the Allan E. Jordan recalls Royal
1960s, just as Caribbean’s heritage, looking at its
the modern growth and pioneering mega-ships.
cruise industry
was beginning was soon managing another ‘volume economy market’ that
to take shape in Miami, Royal startup cruise line called would be served by ‘propelled
Caribbean International has Commodore Cruise Line. hotels’, Arne Wilhelmsen,
grown to become the world’s head of the Norwegian
second largest cruise company. From these early experiences shipping company Anders
November 2020 marks the he formulated a unique vision Wilhelmsen, also agreed
50th anniversary of the line’s for a new cruise line. He to become a partner. They
first cruise, one which laid the wanted purpose-built cruise incorporated Royal Caribbean
foundations for its modern ships that would be efficient Cruise Line in 1969, with
fleet of enormous amusement- to operate and offer amenities Skaugen handling marine
laden mega-ships. such as large outdoor deck operations, Wilhelmsen the
spaces and a pool area suited financial management, and
Like many of the 1960s to warm-weather cruising. To Stephan running sales and
cruise lines, Royal Caribbean simplify marketing, the ships marketing from Miami. In
owes much of its success to a would have smaller, efficiently August 1969 a third shipping
young, visionary entrepreneur, designed standardised cabins. firm, Gotaas-Larsen, also
who saw the potential in Most of the passengers would joined as an investor in the
the cruise business. Edwin come from the burgeoning new company.
Stephan, born in the American fly-cruise operation.
Midwest, headed to Miami in Skaugen’s marine
the 1950s, where he started his Seeking investors in department helped to design
career in the hotel business. Norway, Stephan met Sigurd the new cruise ships, and in
He was first exposed to the Skaugen who, as president of September 1968 they placed
emerging cruise industry I.M. Skaugen and with some an order with the Wärtsilä
when managing a hotel near experience in passenger shipping, Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland.
the port, and soon became was anxious to start in cruising. Designs emerged for a sleek,
the general manager of one of Making a compelling argument modern-looking 162m-long,
the early cruise lines. Despite for what Stephan called the
losing his first cruise ship, the
1927-built Yarmouth Castle,
in a tragic fire at sea in which
90 people were killed, Stephan

The 1972-built Sun Viking
making her debut; she is now
named Oriental Dragon and
is operated by Island Ship
Management.

Nordic Empress at anchor. Built in 1990, she was the line’s first ship on short
cruises and, at 30 years of age and of 40,000gt, she is both the oldest and
the smallest ship in the fleet. ALLAN E. JORDAN

36 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

CRUISE COMPANY

NATIONAL

18,500gt cruise ship featuring knots on sea trials.
an elongated clipper bow The 870 passengers were
and curved cruiser stern.
They placed the machinery accommodated in 355
and funnel aft to create the standardised cabins, with only
pool area amidships. Four nine larger deluxe cabins. An
medium-speed Sulzer Z-style additional distinctive feature
diesel engines, each producing was a lounge cantilevered off
4,500shp and connected to two the funnel which was named
controllable pitch propellers, the Viking Crown. It would
made the ship both economical become a distinctive part of
and highly manoeuvrable. She the company’s ships for the
produced a top speed of 21.7 next 40 years.

Construction began on
Royal Caribbean’s first ship in
the spring of 1969, but even
before that the new company
had ordered a sistership and
later a third ship. Launched
in December 1969 and
named Song of Norway, she

Nordic Prince anchored off St Maarten in 1992, showing how the Song of Norway at her delivery in 1970, showing off the
first ships looked after they were lengthened. ALLAN E. JORDAN original sleek styling of the line’s first ships.

37www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

S The Stretching of Song of Norway, showing the ship in two parts (left), the midsection being towed into position, and rear section being reassembled (right).

Nordic Prince and Song of America
in St Thomas in 1984, showing the
first two generations of RCI’s ships.

ALLAN E. JORDAN

was destined to become one Stephan’s vision for a first modern cruise ship to they moved to stretch Nordic
of the most successful early modern, less formal, style of be enlarged, and the project Prince in 1980. At the same
cruise ships. News reports said cruising proved very popular. created significant challenges time, they began designing a
that 12,000 people turned Soon the ships were sailing full for the shipbuilder. After larger ship, which was ordered
out to tour her when she was each week, year-round. Looking cutting the ship in two, they at the beginning of 1980.
completed in October 1970, to increase capacity, at first they floated the aft section out of At 38,000gt, the new 1,400
and, after a brief stop in Oslo, approached Wärtsilä to build the dry dock and positioned passenger ship, named Song
where she was registered, she a fourth ship, but decided the the three sections. With of America, was introduced
sailed for Miami, Florida. price was too high. Then they each section having different in December 1982. Larger
explored buying Royal Viking buoyancy, one of the biggest than the original trio, the new
Song of Norway entered Sea, also built at Wärtsilä and challenges was aligning the ship added more amenities,
year-round service sailing for similar in design. Finally, they ship to weld it together. including wrapping a lounge
the first time from Miami to settled on a more radical idea, around the funnel.
the Eastern Caribbean on 7 contracting Wärtsilä to lengthen The project took just over
November 1970. She was Song of Norway by adding an three months, being completed Adding a fourth ship also
joined in July 1971 by Nordic 85ft mid-section that would in December 1977. While let Royal Caribbean expand
Prince and, in December increase her capacity by more this dramatically increased into new markets, including
1972, by Sun Viking, with than 40 per cent. capacity, the operating costs the Western Caribbean and
these two ships sailing 14- and fuel efficiency stayed the sailing from San Juan. They
day Caribbean cruises on While other ships had same. Royal Caribbean was so launched their first cruises
alternating weeks from Miami. been lengthened, she was the satisfied with the outcome that outside the Caribbean sailing
to Bermuda, starting an
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL • PAST SHIPS expansion programme which
resulted in the line starting in
SHIP BUILT RCI SERVICE DIMENSIONS (M) GROSS TONNAGE DISPOSITION Alaska, Asia, and Europe.

SONG OF NORWAY 1970 1970-1997 168/194 x 24 x 7 18,416/22,945 Scrapped 2013 A FIRST MEGA-SHIP

NORDIC PRINCE 1971 1971-1995 168/194 x 24 x 7 18,346/23,149 Scrapped 2015 In the mid-1980s Royal
Caribbean ranked third in size
SUN VIKING 1972 1972-1998 168 x 24 x 7 18,455 Oriental Dragon behind Norwegian Caribbean
Lines and Carnival Cruise
SONG OF AMERICA 1982 1982-1999 214 x 29 x 9 37,773 Celestyal Olympia Lines, but the management
wanted to expand, and so
SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS 1988 1988-2008 268 x 32 x 8 73,529 Scrapped 2020 in 1985 placed an order

VIKING SERENADE 1982 1990-2002 268 x 32 x 8 40,171 Scrapped 2018

MONARCH OF THE SEAS 1991 1991-2013 268 x 32 x 8 73,941 Scrapped 2020

LEGEND OF THE SEAS 1995 1995-2017 264 x 32 x 8 69,472 Marella Discovery 2

SPLENDOR OF THE SEAS 1996 1996-2016 264 x 32 x 8 69,472 Marella Discovery

38 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

CRUISE COMPANY

S Sovereign of the Seas under construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique. S The 1998-built Sovereign of the Seas (73,529gt) arriving at San Juan.

for a 70,000gt cruise ship. Breaking with the introduced six new ships with the 138,000gt Voyager of the
NCL had introduced the company’s focus on seven- many of the same features of Seas, the next revolutionary
first mega-cruise ship in the day and longer cruises, Royal extensive glass and modern design, also built in Finland.
shape of Norway, but now Caribbean also took over designs. The Vision class ships, Internally, she had unique
Royal Caribbean built the first a new ship being built in of 70,000gt, were built in features, including a three-deck
modern mega-ship, Sovereign of France for subsidiary company three sets of two at Chantiers horizontal atrium running
the Seas, which was introduced Admiral Cruises. Named de l’Atlantique in France and along the centre of the ship.
in 1988 and proved to be Nordic Empress, the 40,000gt Kvaerner Masa (formerly
revolutionary. With a five- ship brought a style similar to Wärtsilä) in Finland. Four Amusements on board
storey atrium featuring glass- the mega-ships to the shorter of the ships continue to sail include an ice-skating rink
enclosed lifts, its truly modern three- and four-day Bahamas with Royal Caribbean, while and a rock-climbing wall.
style set new standards in the cruise market. Introduced in the first two were recently Launched in November 1999,
cruising world. 1990, she featured a nine- sold to the TUI Group to Voyager of the Seas quickly
storey atrium and extensive sail for Marella Cruises. The set new records, including
Royal Caribbean, however, use of glass, and even 30 Vision class also inspired the carrying 3,537 passengers on a
found itself at a juncture as years later, now known as 90,000gt Radiance class, cruise. She was the first of five
Carnival Cruise Lines agreed Empress of the Seas, remains a which consisted of four sisterships and was followed
to buy the shares from two of popular ship. Royal Caribbean ships built at Meyer Werft in by three enlarged versions,
the founders as it sought to also acquired the 1982-built Germany, being launched in again the world’s largest, all
take control of its competitor. deluxe ferry Scandinavia, later the early 2000s. at 155,000gt. Expanding the
However, Wilhelmsen Star Dancer, and refitted her amusements on board, these
joined with the Pritzker as Viking Serenade for short THE WORLD’S LARGEST ships also featured the first
family, owners of Hyatt cruises from California to surfing simulator at sea.
Hotels, and Israeli shipping Mexico. She remains the only The success of Sovereign of
magnate Sammy Ofer to buy ship in the company’s now 50- the Seas had proved the mega Royal Caribbean’s CEO is
Royal Caribbean. With new year history that was not built ship concept and accelerated fond of saying the company
investors, Royal Caribbean for Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean’s growth. A does not set out to build
ordered two more mega decade later, Royal Caribbean bigger ships, but needs the
ships, Monarch of the Seas and As the company moved was again launching the space for amenities and
Majesty of the Seas. into the mid-1990s, they world’s largest cruise ship, amusements and, in 2009,
they yet again introduced the

Monarch of the Seas, pictured at anchor in 1992, was so well
designed that she did not look her size of 70,000gt.
She is just under 30 years of age, but due to the
pandemic has been withdrawn from service
and scrapped. ALLAN E JORDAN

39www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

S Sovereign of the Seas’ Centrum. S Sovereign’s Viking Crown lounge.

S Sovereign’s Windjammer Cafe. S Sovereign of the Seas pool area.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL • CURRENT FLEET

SHIP BUILT DIMENSIONS GT PAX

Empress of the Seas 1990 211m x 31m x 7m 48,563 2,270 Freedom of the Seas can accommodate 3,634 passengers
and 1,300 crew on 15 passenger decks. She was the largest
Majesty of the Seas 1992 268m x 32m x 8m 74,077 2,767 passenger ship ever built, by gross tonnage, when she
entered service in June 2006. COMPANY PHOTO
VISION CLASS

Grandeur of the Seas 1996 279m x 32m x 8m 73,817 2,440

Enchantment of the Seas 1997 279/301 x 32 x 8m 74,000/82,910 2,730 world’s largest cruise ship in they acquired the premium
the shape of Oasis of the Seas, cruise line Celebrity Cruises,
Rhapsody of the Seas 1997 279m x 32m x 8m 78,878 2,416 the first of two 225,000gt launched Azamara Cruises,
cruise ships built in Finland. and recently acquired the
Vision of the Seas 1998 279m x 32m x 8m 78,717 2,514 luxury line Silversea Cruises.
Able to accommodate 5,200 For a decade Royal Caribbean
RADIANCE CLASS passengers, Oasis added more owned Pullmantur in Spain
new amenities, including six and, through joint ventures,
Radiance of the Seas 2001 293m x 32m x 9m 90,090 2,466 passenger zones, an open air entered the German market
park, a promenade with a with TUI Cruises and Mein
Brilliance of the Seas 2002 293m x 32m x 9m 90,090 2,543 carousel, and a zip line over Schiff, and was in the UK
the top of the ship. Despite market with Island Cruises.
Serenade of the Seas 2003 293m x 32m x 9m 90,090 2,476 the size, the ships proved to
be remarkably manoeuvrable, A MILLION PASSENGERS
Jewel of the Seas 2004 293m x 32m x 9m 90,090 2,702 cruising both in the Caribbean
and Europe. Today, the line Royal Caribbean grew with
VOYAGER CLASS has four Oasis class cruise the industry in the early years,
ships with two more on order. marking its one-millionth
Voyager of the Seas 1999 311m x 39m x 9m 138,194 4,000 passenger in 1983, and
The other new ships leading reaching the two million
Explorer of the Seas 2000 311m x 39m x 9m 138,194 4,290 the fleet today is the Quantum passenger mark in 1988.
class, built by Meyer Werft in Introducing the mega-ships,
Adventure of the Seas 2001 311m x 39m x 9m 138,193 3,807 Germany. At 168,000gt, these the line began to lead the
ships added an indoor sports industry’s growth so that,
Mariner of the Seas 2003 311m x 39m x 9m 139,863 4,000 arena for amusements, from by 2013, more than 30
bumper cars to roller skating, million passengers had sailed
Navigator of the Seas 2002 311m x 39m x 9m 139,999 4,000 a sky-diving simulator, and a on its ships. Before its 50th
unique observation pod that anniversary was sidelined
FREEDOM CLASS rises 300ft above sea level. The by the Covid-19 pandemic,
fifth and final ship of this class the company was operating
Freedom of the Seas 2006 339m x 39m x 9m 156,271 4,553 is due to enter service in 2021, 61 cruise ships, carrying 6.5
delayed approximately six million passengers a year.
Liberty of the Seas 2007 339m x 39m x 9m 155,889 4,960 months by the pandemic.
Like all operators in the
Independence of the Seas 2008 339m x 39m x 9m 155,889 4,560 Through its parent shipping industry, with
company, now the Royal its worldwide operations
OASIS CLASS Caribbean Group, the paused in March 2020, Royal
line also expanded with Caribbean has struggled to
Oasis of the Seas 2009 360m x 47m x 9m 226,838 6,699 acquisitions and launching manage with the Covid-19
international brands. In the pandemic. Pullmantur has
Allure of the Seas 2010 360m x 47m x 9m 225,282 6,780 North American market,

Harmony of the Seas 2016 362m x 47m x 9m 226,963 6,687

Symphony of the Seas 2018 362m x 47m x 9m 228,081 6,680

QUANTUM CLASS

Quantum of the Seas 2014 347m x 41m x 9m 168,666 4,905

Anthem of the Seas 2015 347m x 41m x 9m 168,666 4,905

Ovation of the Seas 2016 347m x 41m x 9m 168,666 4,905

Spectrum of the Seas 2019 347m x 41m x 9m 169,379 5,622

CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Odyssey of the Seas 2021 347m x 41m x 9m 169,000 5,498

Wonder of the Seas 2021 361m x 47m x 9m 228,000 (e) 6,680 (e)

Oasis class 2024 361m x 47m x 9m 228,000 (e) 6,680 (e)

Icon 2022 200,000 (e)

Icon 2024 200,000 (e)

Icon 2025 200.000 (e)

40 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

CRUISE COMPANY

Ovation of the Seas with her North
Star observation capsule raised.

gone bankrupt and with it continuation of the growth 200,000gt. They will also helped to create the modern
Sovereign and Monarch were of the mega-ship fleet, with employ innovative technologies, cruise business. Half a century
sold for scrap. But through two more Oasis class ships including a liquefied natural later the line continues to build
the TUI partnership it became building in France, plus a new gas (LNG) power plant and innovative ships which are
the first company to return a class, called Icon, to be built fuel cell technology. defining the future of cruising,
large cruise ship to operation in Finland. Details have not but how it – and the rest of
in July, and the goal is to yet been released on the three With the skilled the industry – emerges from
gradually restart operations. Icon sister ships, but they management of its Norwegian the global pandemic will surely
are expected to be around founders and the vision of an shape its next 50 years.
Royal Caribbean plans a entrepreneur, Royal Caribbean

Oasis of the Seas: Central Park. Oasis of the Seas: Pool area. Oasis of the Seas: Royal Theater. Oasis of the Seas: Central Park.

Three of Royal Caribbean’s planned six Oasis class cruise
ships, which are among the largest in the world. Measuring
over 225,000gt, they can each take almost 7,000 passengers.

41www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

MOSAIC The busy Irish Sea ferry scene was captured by
David Fairclough during August and September.
A variety of freight and passenger vessels cross
the Sea, from Heysham, Liverpool and Birkenhead,
heading to Dublin, Belfast and Warrenpoint.

S The 2007-built Seatruck
Panorama (14,759gt, ex-Clipper
Panorama) leaving Dublin. Owned by
Seatruck Ferries, she is one of four
P Series ro-ro freight ferries built in
Spain and was taken on a time charter
by Stena Line to operate services
from Belfast to Birkenhead and
Heysham from September.

W The newest ferry on the Irish Sea,
Stena Edda, preparing to berth in
Birkenhead in August. She has 3,100
lane metres of freight and can take
120 passenger cars in their own
dedicated garage on deck 7. She
is the first of two brand-new ferries
that were built by China Merchants
Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) for the
Belfast to Liverpool (Birkenhead)
route operated by Stena.

42 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

READERS’ ARCHIVE

The 15,586gt Misida at the Mersey Bar outbound to Ireland. She
was on charter to P&O on the Liverpool to Dublin route until
late October 2020. Owned by Godby shipping, she was built
in Germany in 2007 and has been operated by a number of
companies, including DFDS, Transfennica and Finnlines.

S P&O Ferries’ 1993-built ferry Norbank (17,464gt) heading to Dublin,
passing Crosby at the entrance to the Mersey. Some of her crew tested
positive for Covid-19, resulting in her withdrawal from service in August.

S While covering the
drydocking of Stena
Scotia, the 24,206gta Stena
Nordica (ex-European
Ambassador) carried traffic
from Belfast to Birkenhead,
as she is too long to use
Heysham. The vessel is
seen heading up Belfast
Lough in August.

W The 2001-built Stena
Superfast VII operates
to Belfast, but during
the summer the Belfast
Superfast ships were
operating amended
schedules due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.

43www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN PR

AN ILLUSTRIOUS HIST

Conrad Waters describes two famous 20th
century Royal Navy aircraft carriers which

carried the famous Illustrious name.

44 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com

ROYAL NAVY

O FILE In the final moonlit S An aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Italian battleship Littorio
hours of 11 November aground and with her bows awash after Illustrious’ successful attack on the
TORY 1940 the Royal Italian naval base of Taranto. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Navy aircraft carrier
S Illustrious entering the Illustrious turned into a pair of third-rate ships of design owed much to the
Mediterranean Fleet’s main the wind and began launching the line and a Majestic class views of Admiral Sir Reginald
wartime base at Alexandria in the first of two waves of pre-dreadnought battleship. Henderson, the then Third
Egypt. It was during her time Swordfish torpedo bombers. However, the name’s usage Sea Lord. Responsible for
operating in the Mediterranean The target of their mission is most commonly associated overseeing new Royal Navy
that Illustrious undertook some – codenamed Operation with British aircraft carriers. materiel, he had significant
of her most famous operations. Judgement – was the Italian This originates from 1936, experience of carrier aviation
naval base at Taranto. By the when the name was allocated and exerted much influence
AUTHOR’S COLLECTION time the raid was over, three to the lead ship of two new on the new ships’ design.
of Italy’s six battleships rested carriers ordered under the
W An atmospheric view of on the harbour bed. At the navy’s 1936 construction Henderson recognised the
the first aircraft carrier to be cost of just two lost aircraft, programme. Four additional vulnerability of British carriers
named Illustrious at speed a major strategic victory had ships were to be completed to land-based air attack while
early in her career, probably been achieved. subsequently, three to they were operating in the
taken in the Mediterranean different iterations of the confined waters of the North
during late 1940 or early The outcome of Operation original design. Sea and Mediterranean. He
1941. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION Judgement was just one of demanded that the new ships
many successes that earned Illustrious was ordered at a be heavily armoured against
Illustrious a reputation second time when British rearmament both bombs and shellfire.
only to that enjoyed by was picking up speed in the The armoured hangars which
Ark Royal among wartime face of increasing international equipped Illustrious and
British aircraft carriers. It was tensions that were ultimately her sisters in response to his
therefore of little surprise that to result in World War II. Her orders provided far higher
her name was earmarked for
one of the Invincible class
‘through-deck cruisers’ when
the time came to build a
new generation of aviation-
capable ships. While missing
out on some of the higher-
profile accomplishments of
her predecessor, this later
Illustrious also earned a
distinguished record that
deserves to be remembered.

ARMOURED CARRIERS

A total of five ships have
carried the name Illustrious in
Royal Navy service, including

S Illustrious in the Clyde in December 1943, shortly before departing to rejoin the British Eastern Fleet. She was to
remain in the Far East until May 1945. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

45www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •

A NEW

A new Illustrious enters the waters
of the River Tyne during a murky
autumnal day, 1 December 1978.

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

S A freshly repainted Illustrious at Norfolk, VA in November 1941 following repairs to damage inflicted by Stuka dive
bombers at the start of the year. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

levels of survivability than in North Africa, saw Italy seek Alexandria two days later on A Sea Harrier FRS1 comes into
equivalent ships operated by German help to shore up its the way to Norfolk, Virginia land on Illustrious. A Phalanx
contemporary navies. crumbling military position. for permanent repairs. anti-missile gun can be seen
Significant German forces on the starboard end of
The new carrier also had a were swiftly diverted to the The extent of the the flight deck.
strong defensive armament, Mediterranean theatre. These damage meant that not
reflecting the difficulties included the Luftwaffe’s X until December 1941 was
of directing fighters to Fliegerkorps and its large Illustrious ready to sail for
intercept incoming attackers component of Ju 87 Stuka the UK, her return to active
before the use of radar at dive bombers. A major service being delayed by
sea had become established. priority was destruction of a minor collision with her
However, these measures Royal Navy carrier air power sister Formidable on the
came at a price, given total in the Mediterranean. homeward voyage. Much
displacement was restricted of her remaining wartime
under naval treaty rules. The German Stukas struck service was spent in eastern
Illustrious was limited in the on 10 January 1941 while waters, initially supporting the
number of planes she could Illustrious was operating occupation of the French-held
operate and, in addition, in the Sicilian Narrows in island of Madagascar in the
could carry less fuel and support of the ‘Excess’ Indian Ocean. Following a
ordnance to support them. convoys supplying British brief interlude with the Home
forces in the Mediterranean. Fleet and a deployment
WARTIME YEARS A well-executed attack to protect the landings in
saw the carrier severely Salerno, Italy in September
Laid down at Vickers- damaged by multiple bomb 1943, she departed Britain to
Armstrong shipyard at hits and near misses. Her return to the Far East at the
Barrow-in-Furness in lifts were put out of action, end of the year.
April 1937, Illustrious was her steering gear rendered
launched by Lady Edith inoperable and a major Illustrious subsequently
Henderson on 5 April 1939. hangar fire was started participated in several raids
She was completed in May by a heavy bomb which on the Japanese-occupied
1940. Following an initial penetrated the armoured Dutch East Indies, before
working-up period in the flight deck. being transferred to the
relatively safe waters off newly formed British Pacific
Bermuda, she was assigned Still under heavy aerial Fleet to take the fight closer
to the Mediterranean fleet attack, the stricken carrier to the Japanese home islands.
and arrived in Alexandria in limped into Malta for She suffered only minor
September 1940. Her air emergency repairs. Even harm from a friendly fire
groups were immediately then the carrier’s safety incident in January 1945, but
actively engaged in was far from secure. She more significant underwater
defending allied convoys and remained under heavy damage from a near miss
striking at Italian shipping bombardment in Malta’s by a kamikaze during the
and shore installations. dockyard as Axis forces Okinawa invasion in early
attempted to complete her April. This effectively ended
Illustrious’ decisive attack destruction. Illustrious finally her wartime service, as she
on Taranto in November departed the island on 23 was ordered back home for
1940, combined with January, arriving back at permanent repair.
other British successes in

46 • November 2020 • www.shipsmonthly.com





ROYAL NAVY

W ILLUSTRIOUS ARRIVES

Illustrious performs a test firing of a Sea
Dart missile. The weapon initially formed an
important part of her armament.

Illustrious’s later years Navy’s Fleet Air Arm as a ‘jump jets’ to operate from
lacked something of result of the cancellation of their decks. The new ships
the glamour of her the CVA-01 strike carrier could also perform an area air
wartime career, being programme. However, a defence role using Sea Dart
largely occupied with phoenix was to rise from the surface-to-air missiles
trials and training duties. She ashes in the form of the new
participated in the Coronation Invincible class command, The carrier-like nature of
Fleet Review in June 1953 but or through-deck, cruisers. the Invincible design was
was retired from operational Designed mainly to operate reflected in the decision to
service the following year. anti-submarine helicopters name the second member of
After a brief period in reserve, and command other anti- the class Illustrious. Indeed,
she was sold for scrapping in submarine forces, they gained by 1980, the ships were being
November 1956. additional flexibility when increasingly referred to as light
it was decided to acquire carriers. Illustrious was laid
The following decade was navalised Sea Harrier FRS1 down at the Swan Hunter yard
a difficult one for the Royal on the River Tyne in October

Two sisters: Illustrious
(foreground), pictured in company

with her sistership Ark Royal
early in her operational career.

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

47www.shipsmonthly.com • November 2020 •