Ships Monthly December 2022

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On 28 September Sweden’s well-known ferry operator Stena Line celebrated the 60th anniversary of founder Sten A. Olsson starting operations with a single-ship service between Sweden and Denmark. Since then the company has become one of the dominant forces in European ferry operations. The first ferry route was soon named Stenalinjen, and then internationalised to Stena Line. Stena Line today is characterised by frequent freight-heavy and guest-friendly ferry services. I have had the pleasure of travelling on many Stena Line ships, most recently Stena Europe, one of the oldest units in the fleet, on board which I was shown round the machinery spaces by

the chief engineer (see page 60). Into the future, the next big challenge for Stena and the entire transport sector is the green transition. So will we now just see state-of-the-art E-Flexer ferries employed on more and more routes?

To keep track of the latest technological advances in the industry over the coming year, why not take advantage of our Christmas offers, the latest of which can be found on page 20. You can then enjoy Ships Monthly every month in 2023, with the best in ship features, maritime photography and in-depth news.

Contributors this month

Dene Bebington Dene Bebbington writes in his spare time about history, heritage and aviation. He also writes genre fiction and has published two ebooks.

Mark Nicolson

A lifelong enthusiast of Caledonian MacBrayne ferries, Mark Nicolson has travelled on and photographed many ferries on Scotland’s west coast.

David Fairclough David lives and works in Crosby. His love of ships began when he was aged five and he is particularly interested in the UK and European ferry industry.

Conrad Waters

Now working in banking, Conrad Waters has a longstanding interest in naval history and current affairs, and is editor of the Seaforth World Naval Review.

Ships

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One of the many classic ships operated by Stena Line over the years, Stena Caledonia leaving Belfast in May 2011, just before she left service. The 1981-built vessel was with Stena from 1990 to 2012.

Nicholas Leach Editor sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk

6 WATERFRONT

16 CARGO

NEWBUILD

SHIPS PICTORIAL

FEATURES

MARITIME MOSAIC

PAKISTAN SHIPPING

22 HERJÓLFUR

Profile of the new Icelandic ferry Herjólfur, which operates on electric power. David Fairclough

26 OCEAN ENDEAVOUR

A look at Ocean Endeavour, the small cruise ship built as Konstantin Simonov, marking her 40th anniversary. John & Sandra Nowlan

30 ANDREA DORIA

The infamous sinking of the Italian liner Andrea Doria after her collision with the liner Stockholm in July 1956. Dene Bebbington

34 THE BIG PICTURE

The 1925 Belfast-built cargo liner Beograd in London’s Royal docks. Malcolm Cranfield

INDIAN NAVY REVIEW

SHIP OF THE MONTH

LORD OF THE ISLES

Mark Nicolson looks back over the career of Cal Mac’s Lord of the Isles, one of the best-travelled ferries on the west coast of Scottish.

62 CHARTROOM

60 IN THE ENGINE ROOM

Ian Slater, Chief Engineer on the ferry Stena Europe, describes his engineering background and explains his role on board. Nicholas Leach

Readers’ pages, including letters and queries from readers (p.62), the mystery ship (p.63), and reviews of some of the latest maritime publications and books (p.64).

From Europe to New Zealand UECC take delivery of final newbuild

RO-PAX FERRY

The 2007-built ro-pax ship Connemara, which has been operating for Brittany Ferries between Rosslare, Bilbao and Cherbourg, ended her charter from Stena Ro Ro at the end of October, and on 15 November was handed over to new owners, Bluebridge Ferries in New Zealand, for Cook Strait crossings. Connemara was one of many ferries built by Visentini and was initially named Borja, before operating as Norman Asturias linking Poole and Santander for LD lines. In the last week of November, Connemara will start the long delivery voyage from Dunkirk, with a final destination of Wellington in New Zealand. DF

VEHICLE CARRIER

UECC has taken delivery of its third and final newbuild multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) as the company continues to meet new requirements for low-emission ship operations with the green transformation of its fleet.

The latest newbuild, named Auto Aspire (35,660gt), was delivered on 20 October from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard and will join sister vessels Auto Advance and Auto Achieve working trade routes in Northern Europe after delivery of the pair from the yard over the past year.

Euronav sells ULCC Europe

CRUDE CARRIER

Euronav NV has sold the Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) Europe (2002/441,893dwt). The vessel is debt-free and the sale will generate a capital gain of US$34.7 million. The vessel will be delivered to her new owners during the current quarter and will be used for storage. Europe can carry three million barrels of crude oil,

and was one of only four similar ships built in 2002 and 2003.

Euronav has an interest in all of the three other ULCCs. The company retains ownership of Oceana (2003/441,585dwt), FSO Asia (2002/432,023dwt, ex-TI Asia) and FSO Africa (2002/432,023dwt, ex-TI Africa), with both ULCC vessels converted into purposebuilt FSO vessels under longterm contract in Qatar.

‘This significant delivery marks the realisation of our ambition conceived a decade ago to bring to the European short sea market a new breed of advanced low-carbon vessels able to operate under a green shipping regime,’ says UECC’s CEO Glenn Edvardsen. With delivery of the latest vessel, UECC has five eco-friendly PCTCs in a fleet of nine owned vessels plus seven chartered units, with 80 per cent of its current capacity already meeting the IMO requirement for a 40 per cent reduction in carbon intensity from shipping by 2030. UECC pioneered

the world’s first dual-fuel LNG PCTCs, Auto Eco and Auto Energy, and the use of biofuels on another vessel, Auto Sky.

The newbuild trio are designed initially to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which can reduce emissions by around 25 per cent compared with other fossil fuels, but will be able to use drop-in fuels with lower carbon intensity such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG as these become more widely available. The hybrid battery solution enables additional emissions reductions through the use of battery power to manoeuvre in port.

Oldie goes to the breakers

GREAT LAKER

One of the oldest bulk carriers on the Great Lakes, and only the second to be built from the keel up as a cement carrier, the 95-yearold S.T. Crapo has been towed from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Port Colborne, Ontario for demolition.

The ship was completed for the Huron Portland Cement Co in 1927 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works at River Rouge, Michigan, and was only the second vessel of this type to be constructed in the world. She was retired from active service to serve as a storage hulk at Green Bay in 1996. JS

 Connemara is set to serve on the Wellington-Picton route in New Zealand. DAVID FAIRCLOUGH

The brand-new vehicle carrier Auto Aspire has just joined the fleet of shortsea ro-ro operator UECC. She measures 169m in length, and can carry 3,600 vehicles across ten cargo decks.

The tugs Molly M I and Manitou were employed to tow the 95-year-old cement carrier S.T. Crapo from Green Bay to Port Colborne for demolition. P. MURRAY

 The 2002-built tanker Europe (ex-TI Europe) was anchored off Malaysia from May 2020 until her recent sale. FOGGY/SHIPSPOTTING.COM

HMS Prince of Wales heads to Rosyth

AIRCRAFT CARRIER

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales departed Portsmouth for Rosyth on 7 October following a number of delays caused by technical problems, including removal of the 33-ton starboard propeller.

Dry docking was required due to an external coupling failure that connects the outer propeller shaft

to the drive shaft. Rosyth was the only dry dock large enough to accommodate the vessel. Babcock Rosyth has a contract to keep the facility ready for unplanned dry-docking of the carriers at their site, with personnel already experienced working on the ships. The carrier is expected to be out of action for some time, and it is possible her five-yearly hull inspection, which was due next

Neste buys two from Furetank

TANKERS

Finnish-based refiner Neste, a major producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, has agreed to acquire two 18,000dwt dual-fuel product tankers from Furetank. Fure Valö and Fure Ven are members of the Vinga class, which were built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard. Delivered in 2018 and 2019, the pair will be delivered, in October and December 2023, once the

Donso-based owner takes delivery of further units in the class. The dual-fuelled, hybrid-propelled vessels measure 150m long. Fure Valö and Fure Ven are equipped with Wärtsilä engines, with dualfuel capability to run on LNG/LBG.

These are not the first members of the class which Furetank have sold, with the original vessel in the class, the 2016-built Fure Vinga, being sold to Canadian operators in 2019, and for whom she currently operates as Gaia Desgagnes.

year, will be brought forward and combined with the repair work.

The carrier’s navigation team trained on a simulator alongside Forth pilots and tug captains at South Shields Marine School to practise the approach to the anchorage, sailing under the three Forth bridges and into dry dock. The aircraft carrier can only pass under the Forth Bridge at extreme fortnightly neap tides, due to her air draught. IM

NEWS IN BRIEF

AMMONIA-FUELLED

TANKERS Thailand’s stateowned energy company PTT and Singapore-headquartered AET Tankers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development and construction of two zero-emission Aframax tankers to be delivered to PTT under long-term charter from AET from 2025-26 that will be powered by green ammonia. JS

GRIMALDI RO-ROS Italy’s Grimaldi Group has ordered another two GG5G series ro-ros from China’s Jinling Shipyard after taking delivery of the final ship in the original series of 12, Eco Italia, in November. Like the previous vessels, all of which were designed by Denmark’s Knud E. Hansen, the 7,800-lanemetre capacity ships will feature a battery hybrid system to enable zero-emission port operations and will be fitted with a hull air lubrication system. The two ro-ros are expected to be delivered in 2025. JS

Fourteen set for Yang Ming



CONTAINER SHIP

Taiwan’s Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp has taken delivery of the 333.9m by 48.4m YM Trillion as the 14th and final 11,860TEU container ship it ordered from Asian yards through long-term charter agreements signed with several Asian shipowners.

The 135,000dwt twin-island vessel, which was completed by

The 11,860TEU

Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding for compatriot owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha, has a cruising speed of 23 knots and will be deployed on Yang Ming’s trans-Pacific service between Chinese ports and the west coast of North America. JS

YM Trillion has been completed by Imabari Shipbuilding for operation by Taiwan-based Yang Ming while under charter from Japan’s Shoei Kisen Kaisha. IMABARI

The tanker Fure Ven on the Thames in April, under Furetank ownership. She has a battery hybrid power solution and several innovative features that reduce fuel and energy consumption. KRISPEN ATKINSON

HMS Prince of Wales returns to Rosyth, coming under the Forth Bridge on 10 October.

IAIN MCGEACHY

NEWS IN BRIEF

FUEL SAVING The long-serving Stena Line GothenburgFrederikshavn ferry Stena Danica has achieved a considerable reduction in fuel consumption on the three hours 30 minutes service linking Sweden and Denmark after the fitting of new propeller blades by Berg Propulsion. Delivered from France by Normed in 1983, the 28,727gt ship was renovated in 2005 and carries 2,274 passengers, with 1,640 lane metres for vehicles. RP

NEW RO-ROS Grimaldi Group are pushing ahead with freight ro-ro vessels in their GL5 Class, adding another two to the original order for six of the 78,000gt giants offering 4,700 lane metres of vehicle space. The first vessel, Grande Antwerp, is expected in March next year. RP

EXPLORA The introduction of Explora’s first ship, Explora I, will be delayed from May 2023 to July. Supply chain problems are being given as the reason.

NCL Following her grounding off the Dominican Republic and temporary repairs earlier in the year, the cruise ship Norwegian Escape spent much of September in dry dock in Marseille. She resumed service in the Mediterranean in October. WM

FRISIAN ISLANDS Two people were killed and another two were missing following a collision in the Wadden Sea in the northern Netherlands on 21 October involving the Express service ferry Tiger and the water taxi Stormloper, between the Dutch mainland and Terschelling in the West Frisian Islands. At the time 27 people, including crew, were on board Tiger, none of whom were injured. Due to the force of the impact, all eight people on Stormloper ended up in the water. Both ships suffered damage, and rescue and emergency services were soon on scene. The vessel was taken to Damen Shipyards in Harlingen at the request of the local police and Dutch maritime safety officials, who have launched an investigation into the incident.

First New Zealand caller brings Covid

CRUISE CALLERS

After a break of more than two years, the first cruise ship to visit Wellington in New Zealand, the 2016-built Ovation of the Seas (158,350grt), arrived on 25 October However, all was not well as the

cruise industry restarted operations: not only was the ‘spring’ weather very poor, with temperatures matching those of winter, but the ship brought Covid on board After Ovation had berthed, it was announced by the press that there were over 100 Covid cases among

Fitted with experimental sails

both the crew and passengers. She was carrying about 4,500 passengers and crew when she arrived in Napier Port, but despite the health issue she received a warm welcome. Ovation of the Seas visited Picton after Wellington before heading to Sydney. VY

FERRY TECHNOLOGY

A ro-ro freight ferry linking the UK and Spain was retrofitted with an experimental wing sail during her October overhaul at the Astilleros shipyard in Santander, Spain.

As part of Michelin’s Wing Sail Mobility (WISAMO) project, MN Pélican (1999/12,076gt) is the first merchant ship to be fitted with the prototype automated inflatable and retractable 100m2 wing sail.

By harnessing wind power the

company estimates fuel savings of up to 20 per cent, and the installation will enable Michelin to test the WISAMO concept in winter Bay of Biscay sea conditions. Currently, 21 large commercial vessels have wind propulsion systems installed on board.

MN Pélican has been chartered by Brittany Ferries from Maritime Nantaise since 2016, making two round trips a week between Poole and Bilbao. The 155m vessel returned to service on 31 October. KM

LNG CARRIERS

China’s Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers has ordered its tenth semi-submersible heavy lift vessel from compatriot builder Guangzhou Shipyard International, with the 231m by 46m vessel to be delivered in 2024.

The contract for the ‘Super-X’ ship follows completion of the 48,403dwt semi-submersible Xiang An Kou in June last year, as well as the earlier completion of the 255m by 57m Xin Yao Hua, which gives Cosco Shipping the world’s largest fleet of modern purpose-built semisubmersible heavy lift vessels. JS

Off the entrance to Wellington Harbour on 25 October, Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Ovation of the Seas passes the outbound Cook Strait ferry Aratere. The first cruise ship to visit the port in more than two years, she arrived with 129 Covid cases onboard. VICTOR YOUNG

Cosco expanding its fleet of semisubmersibles

Pélican, seen at Poole, is the first ship to be fitted with Michelin’s experimental wing sail system.

MSC buys Italian towage group

TUGS

Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has agreed to acquire the harbour towage business of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei from Rimorchiatori Riuniti. Following an aggressive

expansion period, which included the company moving into the Asian market through acquiring Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime, MSC currently operates over 100 tugs, and is ranked as the third largest operator in the world.

Hispaniola makes final voyage

The company was founded in 1922 and has expanded in Italian ports and further afield, with operations in Malta, Greece, Norway, Brazil, Colombia and Singapore. MSC already has a harbour towage business, MedTug, which was formed in 2021. KA

Rising costs

FJORD LINE

The rising cost of LNG has caused Fjord Line to alter the schedules of its two cruise ferries which link Bergen and Stavanger with Hirtshals in Denmark. Previously each vessel undertook a 48-hour sailing from Bergen to Stavanger and onto Hirtshals in Denmark. They sailed a daytime rotation to Langesund in Southern Norway before retracing their steps to Stavanger and Bergen from Hirtshals.

From September Stavangerfjord provided three sailings a week from Bergen to Stavanger and Hirtshals at a slower speed, while her sister, Bergensfjord, operated solely on a slower-running Langesund to Hirtshals service and crossed once a week to Stavanger. DF

OLD FERRY

The former passenger ferry Hispaniola, which has been permanently moored on Victoria Embankment for many years, was taken from London on a final voyage to the breaker’s yard at Erith in Kent by tugs Felix and Thames Vixen. The 508gt ship was built by Yarrow & Co at Scotstoun, Glasgow, and launched as Maid of Ashton in 1953 for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company, initially on the Holy Loch service. After 18

years of service, having been made redundant by the introduction of the car ferry, she was sold to the Yardarm Club in January 1973. She was then converted into a floating bar and restaurant and moored near Charing Cross Bridge.

She has spent the last 49 years on the Thames as a restaurant, but this closed in 2020 and the venture ceased trading. Hispaniola rapidly deteriorated subsequently and, with no funding or buyers coming forward, she was sold to the breaker’s yard at Erith. FG

Maersk goes for methanol

CONTAINER SHIPS

Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk has ordered a further six container ships from South Korean builders that will be capable of operating on methanol when they are delivered in 2025.

Together with the 13 methanol-ready ships already being built, including one of 2,000TEU capacity and 12 of 16,000TEU capacity, the latest

17,000TEU newbuilds will give the Danish company 19 vessels fitted with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol. This is expected to produce CO2 emissions savings of around 2.3 million tonnes annually.

Maersk has set a net-zero emissions target for its entire fleet by 2040, and has adopted a principle of only ordering newbuild vessels that can be operated on green fuels. JS

The ferry Stavangerfjord has had her schedules changed. ERLING HELLESUND

Rimorchiatori Mediterranei tugs at Ancona/ Ravenna in September. KRISPEN ATKINSON

 Maersk’s latest order for methanol-fuelled boxships will see six 17,000 TEU ships completed in Asia by 2025. MAERSK

The historic former passenger vessel Hispaniola being taken through the Thames Barrier by by tugs Felix and Thames Vixen. FRASER GRAY

FERRY

NEWS IN BRIEF

REFIT VISIT Irish Ferries’ DoverCalais vessel Isle of Innisfree (1992/28,833gt) arrived in Dunkirk on 13 September for her annual refit, with a two-ship service to France offered by Isle of Innisfree (1997/34,031gt) and Isle of Inishmore (1997/34,031gt) from the following day.

REFIT TRIP Cal Mac’s small ferry Lochnevis (2000/941gt) left Mallaig for her annual overhaul at Greenock in September, with Loch Bhrusda (1996/246gt) taking over the Small Isles service.

TWO-SHIP LINK The Cypriot company SBS Shipping has started a weekly service linking the island with the Greek ports of Thessaloniki and Lavrio using the 20,755gt Cenk G and Cenk T, previously Euroferry Malta and Euroferry Freeway, on the company’s Turkey-Ukraine route.

QUEEN MARY The 1933-built turbine steamer spent several days away from her Glasgow Science Centre berth after being moved across the Clyde to Yorkhill Quay by tugs on 13 September to allow a maintenance inspection of her berth.

ANNIVERSARY Finnlines recently celebrated 75 years of shipping Finnish imports and exports. After starting with six steamships, they now operate 23 modern ro-ro vessels providing passenger and cargo services in the Baltic, North Sea and Bay of Biscay.

Work starts on Islay route sisters

CAL MAC

The construction of two new ferries ordered by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd for Caledonian MacBrayne services to Islay started on 3 October, when the first steel was cut at the Marin Endustri Yard in Cesme, Turkey.

Delivery of the 94.8m pair is due in October 2024 and March 2025 and, with each able to carry 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles, they will bring a 40 per cent increase in vehicle and

freight capacity for sailings from the mainland port of Kennacraig to Port Ellen and Port Askaig. The order is part of a ten-year CMAL investment programme, including £580 million from the Scottish Government for a total of 21 new vessels, together with harbour and infrastructure improvements.

Currently in use on the Islay routes is Hebridean Isles (1985/3,040gt), one of Cal-Mac’s longest-serving vessels, which has been there since 2001 and now works with more recent

Greek port changes hands

GRIMALDI

Italian ferry force the Grimaldi Group led a consortium that successfully bid for the operation and management of the Greek port of Igoumenitsa. They have secured a 67 per cent share of the busy ferry centre, which handles 2.5 million passenger a year plus 250,000 trucks, and has direct links with a dozen Italian ports by ferry

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

operators, including the ANEK/ Superfast Ferries joint service, Kerkya Lines, Minoan Lines, Ventouris Ferries, together with units from their own fleet.

Grimaldi then announced the start of a new ro-pax service from Naples to Palermo in Sicily. Three return trips a week will be offered by Cruise Ausonia (2002/30,902gt), which carries 1,820 passengers and has overnight berths in 192 cabins

FERRIES IN THE NEWS .

arrival Finlaggan (2011/5,626gt).

Hebridean Isles missed some summer sailings due to engine problems, with Finlaggan operating an amended solo timetable.

Meanwhile, mechanical problems for Ali Cat (1999/745gt) resulted in Argyll Flyer (2001/300gt) running a single-ship Gourock-Dunoon service on 5 September, with hourly sailings either way, and then on 19 September a blocked valve, which needed attention from divers, caused Ali Cat to miss two morning trips.

STENA EBBA The latest E-Flexer was handed over at China’s Jinling Yard on 26 September and began a delivery voyage to Europe commanded by Captain Andrew Parker at the end of the month to join sister Stena Estelle on the Karlskrona-Gdynia route.

NERA There was an October launch for Sicilian operator Siremar‘s ro-pax ferry building at Sefine’s Yalova yard in Turkey. She is a diesel-electric LNG-hybrid vessel designed for a16.5 knot speed, carrying up to 800 passengers, and with delivery in time for a 2023 summer season sailing from Milazzo to the Aeolian Islands and with some trips extended to Naples. Nera is a product of Italian naval architects NAOS Ship and Design and is financed by parent company Caronte and Tourist.

AMORELLA Stretching back to 1988, the 34,384gt vessel’s lengthy Viking Line career finally ended with a last Stockholm-Mariehamn-Helsinki sailing on 22 September before a formal handover to Corsica Ferries on 13 October. After re-flagging, she will sail in the Med as Mega Victoria.



and 1,920 lane metres of vehicle space. Built at Germany’s Flender Werft, Cruise Ausonia was originally Superfast XII, last of a dozen ferries for the Greek-owned Superfast fleet.

FERRIES IN THE NEWS . . .

SMYRNA DI LEVANTE A wellknown Baltic ferry that looked likely to be scrapped after latterly sailing as Unity Line’s Kopernik (1977), Smyrna Di Levante emerged from a major rebuilding project in Greece with gross tonnage increased from 13,788 to 14,216, to join Levante Ferries and start a year-round service from Thessaloniki to Izmir in Turkey. Originally built in Bergen as Rostock, she has also carried the names Star Wind and Vironia.

Grimaldi ferry Cruise Ausonia (2002, ex-Superfast XII) has opened a new service between Naples and Palermo.

Russell Plummer

Hebridean Isles, delivered from at Selby in Yorkshire and pictured at Oban in June, is one of the vessels set to be replaced on services to Islay by two ferries now building in Turkey. MARK NICOLSON

60 year anniversary for ferry giant

STENA LINE

On 28 September Swedenheadquartered passenger and freight ferry operator Stena Line celebrated the 60th anniversary of founder Sten A. Olsson starting operations with a single ship service between the Swedish port of Gothenburg and Skagen, Denmark. He used the chartered

1954-built passenger vessel Ostersoen, which stayed for just a few months before being returned to her owners and then went to operate in the Mediterranean until she was broken up in 1995.

Currently, Stena Line is using 38 vessels which serve 18 routes across Europe, from Ireland and Britain in the west to Latvia in the east, and which handle six million

Irish Sea closure rumour denied

FISHGUARD

Stena Line was quick to dismiss rumours that the Irish Sea ferry service between Fishguard and Rosslare Europort was being closed, a spokesman insisting that the company remained fully committed to what is the shortest St George’s Channel crossings, with two daily sailings in either direction and each taking three hours 30 minutes.

Departures from the Welsh side at 1300 and 2345 with return crossings leaving Rosslare at 0730 and 1815 are covered by Stena

Europe (1981/24,828gt), one of the fleet’s longest-serving vessels. Recently refitted during annual dry-docking, Stena Europe was built in Arendal for Sessan Line’s Gothenberg-Frederikshavn route as Kronprinsessan Victoria but was quickly taken over by Stena and converted to an overnight ferry. Renamed Stena Saga in 1989 she was switched to the Harwich-Hook of Holland route. Since 2002 she has been operating Fishguard-Rosslare sailings, and now carries 1,400 passengers with 520 cabin berths and 1,150 lane metres of vehicle space.

passengers and several million freight units every year.

Chief executive Niclas Martensson said the company never forgets its heritage: ‘Sten A. Olsson was a real entrepreneur and over the six decades that have passed we have continued to challenge existing ideas within our business and are now eagerly looking forward to the future.’

Stena’s UK routes include HullRotterdam, Harwich-Hook of Holland, Dover-Calais, Fishguard-Rosslare, Holyhead-Dublin, HolyheadBelfast, Birkenhead-Belfast and Cairnryan-Belfast. The fleet now features vessels from the 41,871gt E-Flexer series built in China.

Several of the first ten E-Flexers are serving Stena’s routes on the Irish Sea and in Scandinavia, while others are chartered, including Galicia (2020/41,863gt), which was due to move to Brittany Ferries’ Rosslare-Bilbao route in November. Three more E-Flexers are on order to join the French company’s fleet.

 In the beginning: Sten A.Olsson started Stena Line in 1962 with motor vessel Ostersoen.

Steam Packet sailings disrupted

Isle of Man Steam Packet vessel Ben-my-Chree spent six days under repair at Cammell Laird on the Mersey during October.

IoMSPC

Sailings to and from the Isle of Man were disrupted at the end of October when Ben-My-Chree (1998/ 12,451gt) spent six days under repair at the Cammell Laird shipyard on the Mersey for what was described as ‘complex work’, although no further details were given.

During her absence, the 43-knot catamaran Manannan (1998/5,743gt) took over the day sailings from Douglas to Heysham, with her season extended to 7 November.

Apologising for the changes,

Steam Packet MD Brian Thomson said: ‘Unfortunately Ben is no longer a young vessel and things like this may crop up again’.

Meanwhile, the Steam Packet has exercised an option to buy ro-ro freight vessel Arrow (1998/7,606gt) from Irish Sea operator Seatruck Ferries for a reported €9 million. At the time the purchase was announced early in October, Arrow was on charter to Condor Ferries, standing in while Commodore Goodwill (1996) was in dry-dock.

Stena Europe is one of the Stena fleet’s longest-serving vessels. She is pictured at her Fishguard berth in 2013, and has been on the Fishguard to Rosslare route since 2002. NICHOLAS LEACH

A key member of the Stena fleet, Stena Superfast VII operates on the Cairnryan-Belfast route.

William

Mayes

Another cruise giant makes her debut

MSC

CMV The 1984-built Astoria, currently laid up in Rotterdam, is likely to go for scrap following a failure to find a buyer for the ship. Astoria, built as Stockholm, was one of the last Classic International/Portuscale ships following the bankruptcy of those companies several years ago. In the meantime, she operated successfully for a number of companies, latterly (before the pandemic) CMV.

MSC CRUISES

With a gross tonnage of 205,700, MSC Cruises’ latest ship is also its largest to date. MSC World Europa was delivered by her builder, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, on 24 October; on the same day construction of the first of her

ROYAL CARIBBEAN

When the order for two ships code-named Project Icon was first placed with Meyer Turku in 2016, the new vessels were reported to be smaller than the Oasis class, then the largest passenger ships ever built. The order for a third ship was placed in 2019, and delivery of all three was scheduled by 2025.

However, as everything was delayed by the pandemic, the first ship, now named Icon of the Seas, will enter service in early 2024, nearly two years late. In terms of size, she will have a length of 365m and be

three sisters, MSC World America, began. As her name suggests, she will initially be positioned in the North American market.

The new ship has a lower berth passenger capacity of around 5,400, rising to almost 7,800 when all beds are occupied. Her crew will number 2,100. As with many new

of approximately 250,800 gt, eclipsing the almost 237,000 of the largest of the Oasis class, Wonder of the Seas.

Fuelled by LNG, Icon of the Seas will have a lower berth capacity for 5,610 passengers and a maximum 7,600 passengers. From January 2024 she will operate alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami. Within her 18 passenger decks there will be eight distinct neighbourhoods, including Central Park, and a larger Royal Promenade with 15 restaurants and cafes

ships, MSC World Europa is LNGfuelled, a first for MSC. She will be one of three MSC ships providing accommodation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar.

Along with MSC Poesia and MSC Opera, she will be berthed at Doha Port for the duration of the event, after which she will enter service.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE In the last issue it was incorrectly reported that Carnival Elation was among the members of the Fantasy class that had been scrapped. She is still sailing, along with her sister, Carnival Paradise. Another of this class, Carnival Ecstasy, finished her final cruise in October, and sailed on 20 October bound for shipbreakers at Aliaga.

Moved from China to America

Costa Serena has still not returned to service. WILLIAM MAYES

COSTA CRUISES

With a number of ships not yet back in service and others transferring to sister companies within Carnival Corp, Costa Cruises is withdrawing from one of its most important markets, China, as there is little sign that a resumption of operations in the area can be expected soon. Costa Serena was due to operate in that market, but remains out of service at present, as does Costa Magica.

The two ships which were purpose built for the Chinese market, Costa Firenze and Costa Venezia, will be operated ultimately by Carnival in the USA under a new Costa by Carnival

brand. In a recent business update from Carnival, it was stated that Costa Cruises’ overall capacity would be reduced by ten per cent based on 2019 deployment.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Costa has cancelled the entire season of cruises scheduled to operate from Turkey on board Costa Fortuna, citing continued travel difficulties for its target markets. The period covered by the cancellation is April 2023 to April 2024. Costa Fortuna only returned to service in June, after two years in lay-up. She is currently operating in the Mediterranean and will reposition to South America for the southern summer. Following that, no new deployment has been announced.

World Europa is MSC’s largest ship to date. NOEL GANUCHAUD

NEWS IN BRIEF

NEWS IN BRIEF

ROYAL NAVY The Type 31 frigate programme achieved a significant milestone recently with a 177-tonne hull block for the first frigate being moved into position. Each vessel will comprise eight blocks. Construction of the first of class, the future HMS Venturer, began in April at a dedicated facility in Rosyth. Babcock plans to deliver all five Type 31s by 2028. The Arrowhead design has also been selected by the Polish and Indonesian navies.

FRENCH NAVY In an agreement reminiscent of the Tripartite class MCMVs, France has formally joined the BelgianDutch minehunter programme. The Marine Nationale is to order its ships in 2023. The first of 12 Belgian and Dutch vessels is already under construction, with deliveries starting in 2024. The new generation of 2,800-tonne MCMs will be capable of operating a range of aerial, surface and underwater drones for the detection, classification and neutralisation of mines.

INDIAN NAVY India is closer to boosting its nuclear deterrence capability with the first launch of a ballistic missile from INS Arihant (S2). The test was carried out in the Bay of Bengal on 14 October. The type of SLBM was not disclosed, but was likely a K-15 with a range of 400nm. India’s first indigenously produced SSBN was commissioned in 2016. An improved second, Arighat (S3), is due for delivery later this year.

RAN Renamed Sentinel, the former HMAS Maitland is to be used as a testbed to evaluate autonomous and remotely operated systems. The Armidale class vessel trial will provide a proof-of-concept demonstrator for robotic, automated and autonomous systems for future optionally crewed or autonomous operations. The Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT) is a collaboration between Austal, Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the RAN Warfare Innovation Navy Branch.

Exercise Joint Warrior

NATO

The latest instalment of the multinational Exercise Joint Warrior has concluded with a four-day naval ‘battle’ in the English Channel. Typically focused in north-west Scotland and adjacent waters, on this occasion the 12-day NATO war games tackled the latest threats and technology from submarines,

swarm attacks, drones, air raids and missile strikes around the UK, from Cape Wrath and the Hebrides to the North Sea and finally the waters off the South West Coast.

Joining the seven RN ships and submarines taking part was the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) flagship, HNLMS Tromp, along with FGS MecklenburgVorpommern, HNoMS Roald

Acquiring SIGMA series

Amundsen and the auxiliary vessel HNoMS Maud, and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1).

The Type 23 frigate HMS Kent spent much of her time hunting submarines, in company with the destroyers ITS Andrea Doria and USS Roosevelt, and the Polish Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate ORP Generał Tadeusz Kosciuszko.

Race to the bottom

ROYAL NAVY

COLOMBIAN NAVY

The Colombian Navy is set to replace its four FS 1500 Almirante Padilla class frigates and pair of former Republic of Korea Navy corvettes with five newbuild frigates, under its Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (PES) programme. The state-owned COTECMAR shipyard has partnered with the Dutch company Damen to build the ships locally at Cartagena in a deal worth up to US$2 billion. Their design is to be developed

from the Sigma 10514, which is the most advanced of Damen’s SIGMA series. Similar variants are in service with Indonesia and Mexico.

The PES design phase to tailor the ships to Columbian specifications is expected to take around 18 months. Based on the image released by the Colombian MoD, the ships will be equipped with eight Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles, 16 x Mk56 VLS cells (likely for ESSM surface to air missiles), a 76mm main gun and a Rheinmetall Millennium CIWS.

The UK Defence Secretary has announced the procurement of two multi-role survey ships intended to protect and monitor the security of British underwater cables and pipelines. The acquisition of a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROSS) was already planned, but the project has been given fresh impetus after the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that connect Russia and Germany, under the Baltic Sea.

As the first vessel is required to be in service by early next year, it will likely be purchased from the commercial sector and converted for its new role. Such a vessel is likely to be an Offshore Support Vessel, or similar, that has a suitable open deck for the launch and recovery of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). It will be followed by a second purpose-built vessel.

ITS Andrea Doria visited Portsmouth twice during Exercise Joint Warrior. MARITIME PHOTOGRAPHIC

Colombia is the third customer for Damen’s off-the-shelf SIGMA series. DAMEN

Future flagship takes shape

FRENCH NAVY

The Euronaval 2022 world naval exhibition held in Paris in October showcased a host of new naval innovations. One of the most interesting was the latest evolution of the French Navy’s Porte-Avions

de Nouvelle Génération (PANG) aircraft carrier. The profile of the 75,000-tonne nuclear-powered vessel has altered radically since the last concept was released in 2020. There are significant amendments to the general shape of the island superstructure and the flight deck.

Looking into the future

ROYAL NAVY

With eight City class (Type 26) and five Inspiration class (Type 31) frigates either under construction or on order, the Royal Navy has begun the concept phase for another new class of five general-purpose frigates. The Type 32 programme was announced in the UK’s Defence Command Paper, published in March 2021.

The concept phase will define the design requirements and operational roles for the ships

which, unlike the Type 23s they are set to replace, will be intended for extended overseas deployments as the RN broadens its forward presence round the world. The current trend is for flexible, modular platforms that are able to host emerging technologies, such as autonomous and uncrewed systems, to combat evolving threats.

The ships are planned to enter service in the early 2030s. Their introduction will also help deliver on the government’s promised increase in escort numbers from 19 to 24 ships.

The cone-shaped arrangement on the bridge roof has been replaced by an array of satellite communication domes, underneath which is a panoramic observation bridge and deck-facing flyco.

The flight deck layout is being driven by the potential requirement

for a third electromagnetic catapult, one of the many features still under consideration. The overall design is not due to be finalised until the end of the decade. The as-yet-unnamed vessel is scheduled to replace Charles de Gaulle in 2038.

Express frigate delivery

EGYPTIAN NAVY

The Egyptian Navy has taken delivery of its first MEKO A-200 EN frigate. Al-Aziz (904) was handed over by Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems at Bremerhaven, just 38 months after construction started. The second of the four vessels on order was formally named AlQadeer at the same ceremony.

The first three units are being produced in Germany, while the fourth is to be built by the Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt.

The contract for the frigates, which will replace former US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry class vessels, is worth €2.3 billion.

The class will be armed with a Leonardo 127/64 LW 127 mm main gun, 16 MM40 Exocet block 3 antiship missiles, and 32 VLS for MBDA VL MICA NG (New Generation) surface-to-air missiles. Al-Aziz is the first warship to feature the new missile system, which has improved capability against smaller targets, such as drones, and those with low infrared and radio frequency signatures.

In anticipation of competing for the new ships, BAE Systems has revealed its Adaptable Strike Frigate concept. BAE SYSTEMS

The latest impression of France’s next aircraft carrier. NAVAL GROUP

 Egypt is spending billions on the rapid renewal of its navy. TKMS

Rotors and sails

BULKER

Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding has been contracted to build a 62,900dwt bulker carrier for compatriot operator Mitsui OSK Lines that will make use of both rotors and a rigid sail to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. To be delivered by 2024, the ship will incorporate three rotors supplied by London-based Anemoi and a ‘Wind Challenger’ sail by Oshima. The latter, about 170ft high when raised, will be located near the bow. JS

New American boxships enter service

CONTAINER SHIPS

Honolulu, Hawaii-headquartered Pasha Hawaii has placed the first of two LNG-fuelled Ohana class container ships ordered from the Keppel AmFELS yard at Brownsville, Texas in service between the West Coast and Hawaii.

being named after the parents of company president George Pasha IV. The twin 43,500dwt vessels make use of MAN B&W 7S80MEGI Mk 9.5 main engines drawing fuel from two 1,253m3 capacity LNG tanks mounted at the stern. This gives a sailing range of 4,800 nautical miles and a maximum speed of 23 knots.

 The new LNG-fuelled and American-flagged George III has begun trading between the West Cost and Hawaii following her completion by the Keppel AmFELS yard in Texas. PASHA GROUP



A new bulker being built for Mitsui OSK Lines will use both rotors and a rigid sail to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. MOL

The 774ft by 118ft George III, which has a capacity for 2,525TEU, is to be followed later this year by sistership Janet Marie, both ships

MOL’s six LNG-fuelled ships

Pasha Hawaii, established in 2005, also operates the conventionally fuelled container

ship Pacific, completed in 1979 as Austral Pioneer, along with the 17-year-old car carrier Jean Anne and the 24,750dwt combination ro-con vessel Marjorie C, the latter built in 2015. JS

Six rotor sails to be fitted

BULKER

Lloyd’s Register has granted an Approval in Principal (AiP) for a Newcastlemax bulk carrier to be fitted with six Anemoi rotor sails as part of a joint development project with Germany’s Oldendorff Carriers and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SMSDRI).

with six 5m diameter by 30m tall rotors which would be fitted on rails to allow them to move transversely across the deck to avoid interference with cargo-handling operations.

LNG-FUELLED SHIPS

Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has ordered four 210,000dwt Capesize bulk carriers and two 309,000dwt Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) which will all use LNG as their main fuel.

The Capesize bulkers will be built by China’s CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding for delivery in 2025-26, while the tankers will be completed by China’s Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering for delivery during the same time period.

With these orders the MOL Group now has 16 ocean-going LNG-fuelled vessels under construction, including bulkers, tankers, car carriers and coastal vessels, the latter including ferries and tugboats. The company plans to expand its fleet of LNG-fuelled vessels to about 90 by 2030 and achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. One of these vessels will be a new LNG carrier recently ordered from South Korea’s DE&ME that will be longterm chartered to Total of France upon its delivery in 2025. JS

The AiP covers the structural integration for a bulk carrier design

Calculations by Lloyds indicated that the installation of the rotors would reduce the ship’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) from 1.92 to 1.37, a 29 per cent reduction, thus significantly improving the vessel’s environmental efficiency. JS





Mitsui OSK Lines’ new dual-fuel VLCCs will carry their deck-mounted LNG tanks forward of the navigation bridge. MITSUI OSK LINES

An AiP has been granted by Lloyd’s Register to a Newcastlemax bulk carrier design that would incorporate six Anemoi rotors mounted on rails. SMSDRI

Work starts on London Gateway

Carbon capture

SAMSKIP

Carbon capture systems, which remove CO2 from emissions, are gaining popularity, as the shipping industry looks to decarbonise. The Netherlands-headquartered Samskip has recently announced they are to fit the carbon capture systems to the two regional container ships Samskip Endeavour and Samskip Innovator in 2023.

The pair, which can carry 800TEU, are to be fitted with Value Maritime’s Filtree gas cleaning solution, which removes sulphur and particulates and captures 30 per cent of CO2 emissions. The CO2 is stored in an ISO container on deck and discharged in port. KA

PORT NEWS

On 10 October work started on the fourth berth at DP World’s London Gateway container terminal on the north bank of the Thames. Costing £350 million, the investment builds on the £2 billion worth of

investments made by the Dubaibacked company over the last decade in the UK.

Capable of handling the world’s largest container ships, berth four will open in 2024 and increase overall capacity at the Essexbased terminal by a third. The new

Dual-fuel tankers for Knutsen

terminal, which is being built on the former Shell Haven Refinery site, saw its first scheduled call in late 2013 and has since grown into a three-berth terminal. In July DP World announced the terminal had handled more than a million TEU in the first six months of 2022. KA

Lomar acquires German ships

COMPANY NEWS

London-based Lomar Shipping has acquired the Bremenbased tanker owner Carl Buttner. Founded in 1856, the company established itself as an independent shipping company in Bremen in 1933 and has been owned and managed by five generations of the Buttner family.

The company took delivery of its first coastal tanker, Hummel, in 1965, and has since been a leading operator of products tankers in

the European market. Lomar is paying almost $160 million for the company, assisted by an $86 million loan from the Australianbased Macquarie Group.

The sale includes six modern chemical/product tankers; four 37,800dwt sisterships delivered by Jiangsu New Hantong Heavy Industry in 2019 and 2020; and two older 24,000dwt tankers. The acquisition by Lomar is seen as another step in the company’s diversification and fleet expansion plans. KA

NEW TANKERS

Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (KNOT) took delivery of the two new 123,602dwt dual-fuel shuttle tankers Frida Knutsen and Sindre Knutsen, which use not only heavy fuel oil but also LNG, from South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co in August.

Both 85,504gt ships, fitted with two shafts and two rudders, measure 277.5m by 46m and have been placed on the Norwegian International Ship Register. They will shuttle crude oil produced in waters of the North Sea and the Barents Sea to shore installations while under charter to Italy’s ENI Trade & Biofuels SpA. JS

The container ship MSC Tomoko at London Gateway. KRISPEN ATKINSON

 The 123,602dwt shuttle tankers Frida Knutsen and Sindre Knutsen make use of twin propellers and rudders for enhanced manoeuvrability. T LETTERIO

 The oil products tanker CB Adriatic (2019), part of the Buttner fleet, pictured on the Thames in July. KRISPEN ATKINSON

 Samskip Innovator arrives at Rotterdam in July. KRISPEN ATKINSON

First of six for Vertom

MULTIPURPOSE

The 7,000dwt Vertom Patty, the first of a series of six dieselelectric multipurpose dry cargo carriers being built for Holland’s Vertom group by Thecla Bodewes Shipyards at Kampen, is due to be delivered by the end of the year. She will be followed by sisterships Vertom Cyta and Vertom Tomma in 2023. The vessels make use of a box-shaped cargo hold to ensure optimal loading flexibility and maximum cargo intake and have modular diesel/electric propulsion systems.

-50°C,

new 118.6m by 14.3m

Russia’s floating polar research platform

POLAR VESSEL

Russia’s Admiralty Shipyards has delivered the polar research vessel Severny Polyus (North Pole) to the country’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet). Designed by the Federal bureau ‘Vympel’, the 83.1m

Zero-emission cruise ship

CRUISE SHIP

The recently established Norwegian cruise venture Northern Xplorer has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Portuguese shipbuilder West Sea for the construction of a zeroemission cruise ship, which will be the company’s maiden vessel when she is delivered in 2025.

West Sea, which has already completed the 200-passenger

World Navigator, World Voyager and World Explorer for compatriot operator Atlas Ocean Voyages, plans to build the new 250-passenger vessel at its facility in Viana do Castelo north of Porto. It will feature a fully electric propulsion system, including battery banks and hydrogen fuel cell technology, that will enable to it to sail in the Norwegian fjords and further afield emissions-free.

by 22.5m vessel, termed an ‘iceresistant self-propelled platform’, has a displacement of 10,390 tonnes and can accommodate 34 scientific staff along with a crew numbering 14.

The vessel is expected to conduct her first research mission in the area of the Novosibirsk Islands following final outfitting

at Murmansk, after which she will begin a long-term deployment, when she will drift uninterruptedly with the Arctic currents for two years. In this manner she will replace Russia’s former Arctic expeditions that have been based on floating ice floes, the latter having increasingly vanished over the past decade because of climate change.

New Spliethoff heavylifters

HEAVYLIFTERS

Amsterdam-headquartered Spliethoff is taking delivery of the DP-2 rated and scrubberfitted multipurpose vessels Brouwersgracht and Bloemgracht from China’s Mawei Shipyard for use in the offshore industry.

The two 12,500dwt ships, which feature 5,900m2 of total deck area and two ‘tweendeck levels, have been fitted with twin

 The recently launched Brouwersgracht is to be followed into the Dutch Spliethoff fleet by sistership Bloemgracht. MAWEI

Huisman 500-tonne capacity cranes to allow the vessels to carry out heavy lift transportation, as well as offshore installation work, with the station-keeping capabilities of a supply vessel. Both vessels are on schedule for their first commitments.

Designed to provide comfortable living and working conditions in temperatures down to

the new Russian polar research vessel Severny Polyus will drift in the Arctic for two years. ROSHYDROMET

 A new 250-passenger zero-emissions cruise ship is to be built in Portugal for start-up Norwegian cruise venture Northern Xplorer. MULTI MARITIME AS

 The

Vertom Patty prior to being launched at the Thecla Bodewes Shipyard at Kampen, Netherlands. VERTOM

Four new Orca class heavylifters

HEAVYLIFT VESSEL

Germany’s SAL Heavy Lift and Holland’s Jumbo Shipping have entered into a joint newbuilding programme which will see four new ultra-efficient, carbon-neutral heavylifters built by China’s Wuhu Shipyard for delivery in 2024-25.

To be known as the Orca class, the 14,600dwt ships will measure 149.9m by 27.2m and feature a box-

Hybrid power

RESEARCH VESSEL

California’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography at San Diego has selected Seattle-based naval architect Glosten to design a new hydrogen-hybrid coastal research vessel to replace the Institution’s 1981-built Robert Gordon Sproul, a former Gulf Coast work boat.

The new 125ft vessel, for which a shipyard has yet to be chosen, will use a hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system integrating hydrogen fuel cells with a conventional dieselelectric power plant to enable zero-emission operation.

shaped single cargo hold served by twin 800-tonne capacity Liebherr deck cranes capable of handling 1,600 tonnes in tandem.

The hatch covers will have a capacity of ten tonnes per square metre and, when not utilised for stowing deck cargoes, will allow the vessels to accommodate overheight cargo in the hold when fully open. Propulsion will be provided by dual-fuel diesel engines capable

of using green methanol as an alternative fuel and a battery bank to allow hybrid operation.

Upon delivery, the first two ships will be exclusively involved in the transportation of offshore wind turbine components for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, while the second two ships will serve clients of the newly formed Jumbo-SAL Alliance starting in the first half of 2025.

Container carrying

ARTICULATED T&B

The Rio Maguari Shipyard, in Belém, Brazil, has contracted Canada’s Robert Allan Ltd to design two Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB) units which will be built for the coastal services of São Paulo-based Aliança Navegação e Logística, part of the Danish Maersk group.

The pusher tugs will measure 37.5m by 13m and be propelled by twin Wärtsilä 6L32 main engines, each delivering 3,200kW, and powering Schottel Z-drives. The 130m by 28m notched barges will be able to carry 700TEUs and will be fitted with generator sets capable of powering Schottel bow thrusters. 

Latest Chinese semi-submersible delivered

The new 82,000dwt semi-submersible Hua Rui Long is expected to complete her first voyage to Europe before the end of this year. GS-PANGO

SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE

 A new research vessel will have a propulsion system integrating hydrogen fuel cells with a dieselelectric power plant. GLOSTEN

The China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard has delivered the 82,000dwt semi-submersible vessel Hua Rui Long to compatriot operator

Guangzhou Salvage for worldwide deployment. Hamburg-based United Heavy Transport (UHT) is acting as agent for the new DP-2 rated ship on behalf of GS-Pango International, the exclusive commercial agent

of Guangzhou Salvage. UHT is also the agent for the Chinese company’s previously delivered heavylift semi-submersibles Hua Yang Long, HuaHai Long, Hua Xing Long and Hua Sheng Long.

New Orca class heavylifters being built in China for SAL and Jumbo will feature an ice-classed hull and twin 800-tonne capacity Liebherr cranes. SAL

Twin Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB) units are being designed in Canada for employment along the Brazilian coast by a subsidiary of the Danish Maersk group. ROBERT ALLAN

HERJÓLFUR

THE TESLA OF THE SEAS

Herjólfur is the traditional name given to the car ferry that operates between the south coast of the Icelandic mainland and Vestmannaeyjar, sometimes called the Westman Islands. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of approximately 4,300, most of whom live in the archipelago’s main town, Vestmannaeyjabær. The other islands are uninhabited.

Vestmannaeyjar came to international attention in 1973 with the eruption of Eldfell volcano, which destroyed many buildings and forced a

month-long evacuation of the entire population to mainland Iceland. Approximately one-fi fth of the town was destroyed before the lava flow was halted by the application of 6.8 billion litres of sea water. The harbour entrance just escaped being blocked by the lava flow but in the end was well protected.

The current Herjólfur, the fourth ferry to bear

the name, entered service on 25 July 2019 and is the latest to be named after Herjólfur Bárðarson, who was considered the first settler of Vestmannaeyjar. The new ship, which replaced the 1992-built Herjólfur III, was designed in line with Iceland’s long-term plans to promote electric modes of transportation. With 80 per cent of Iceland’s energy coming from non-fossil resources,

mainly hydropower and geothermal energy, Herjólfur IV will support Iceland’s sustainability goals well.

Herjólfur was designed by Johannes Johannesson, a Danish naval architect, who was involved with the Scandlines ships Berlin and Copenhagen. She was constructed at the Crist SA yard in Gdynia, Poland and took two years to complete. She features a large battery pack and is designed to operate in a fully electric mode, with onshore charging at both of the terminals she uses.

During challenging weather conditions, when the consumption of battery power

David Fairclough looks at the recently built Icelandic hybrid ferry Herjólfur, which operates on electric power.

may exceed the available energy, the ferry utilises a diesel-electric generator set, but the ship is optimised for cleaner operation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Her power is sufficient to navigate some very hazardous waters.

Owned by Vegagerðin, the Icelandic Road Transport Authority, the ship measures 71m by 15.5m, and was built to cope on a tough route where the water depth near port is sometimes limited to 4.5m, but wave heights can reach 3.5m. The ship has a 3m draught. She can carry up to 540 passengers with a crew of 14, but normally carries 385 with ten crew. In terms of freight, her capacity is five lorries and 55 cars, and 73 cars without lorries.

INTERNAL LAYOUT

The engine room, below the car deck on deck 1, is split into five compartments: the batteries are towards the stern to starboard, with switchboards to port. Twin pod propulsion makes for easy manoeuvring, and the pods are located aft of the batteries, with the main engine room and tanks forward. The cargo deck (deck 2 and 3) has a fixed mezzanine with hoistable ramps to starboard. Lorries are parked to port on the full height side of the central access. Accommodation is on deck 4. Forward is a seated lounge

The ferry comes astern to berth on the island, with the charging tower adjacent to the berth and which is connected to the ship’s power points.

to starboard, with bunk beds used for the diversionary route the ship takes to port. Midships are the entrances for gangways, luggage store and toilets. There is a servery for snacks and drinks to port, with a mixture of seats throughout.

A small children’s play area is on the starboard side. Outdoor space with seating at the stern offers scenic views, and there is stair access to the upper deck, with more outside seating. Deck 5 also has day cabins which can be bought for an extra fee and are intended for the diversion route, with a cabin for transporting medical patients located opposite the sick bay.

A crew mess, crew changing room and two officer cabins lead on to the stairs accessing the small, enclosed bridge. Concern about the

ship’s windage meant the designers decided not to have bridge wings, so berthing is undertaken using a TV monitor from the central position. There is also an engineer’s station on the bridge.

ROUTES SERVED

Herjólfur normally sails between Vestmannaeyjabær and Landeyjahöfn, a harbour built on the mainland. The passage is seven nautical miles, which the ship completes in 40 minutes at 12 knots. She usually undertakes seven crossings a day, with operations lasting from 0700 to midnight. Landeyjahöfn is 30km from the nearest town, and is surrounded by low-lying land and black basalt sandy beaches. Deposits from the river and sand blown into the harbour mean that depths have to be

CREWING Herjólfur uses two crews of ten staff per day, who live on shore in Vestmannaeyjar. They work one week on, one week off, with shifts from 0600 to1630 and 1630 to 0130. The ship stays on the island overnight. Purpose-built terminals with covered passenger gangway access and linkspans are present in each port, with onshore charging infrastructure at both Vestmannaeyjabær and Landeyjahöfn. Tickets are presented on print outs or on a smartphone.

The engine room.

Herjólfur turning off the berth in Vestmannaeyjabær.

continually monitored. Steep seas and shallow depths can make it impossible for the ferry to enter. The ship’s masters also need to consider the sand bar at the harbour entrance, which continuously shifts. Combined with wind direction, this can affect the wave heights and thus accessibility to the harbour.

When bad weather or silting closes Landeyjahöfn, the ship diverts to her old original pre-2010 port of Þorlákshöfn, which is closer to Reykjavik, but is a 40-nautical-mile sea passage taking two hours 45 minutes, undertaken using her

diesel engine. But passengers know the diversion schedule, as it is pre-set and details are published, so the connecting public transport switches to the diversion schedule.

On those days, the ship competes just two rotations, as opposed to the usual seven, to Landeyjahöfn. When the port opened in 2010, despite issues with depth and access, it revolutionised travel to the islands, bringing increased frequency and better accessibility.

CHARGING

When Herjólfur approaches her berth, shore infrastructure

charging towers sense the arrival. No button pressing is required by crew on the ship, as even before the ropes are made fast the charging station reaches out to the portal at the stern and connects. With turnarounds of 35 minutes, this gives the opportunity to recharge the

batteries, which are kept at 40 to 80 per cent capacity. Crist SA, the builders, say that the batteries will need changing after the seven- to eight-year mark. Individual battery racks can be changed at any time.

With the constant charging, voyages between ports are

Herjólfur arriving at the mainland port with bow visor raised

completed on battery power. The onboard power distribution system allows the batteries to connect directly to the DC link, which helps to avoid any loss of power during charging and discharging. Additionally, the system allows for variable speed operation of the diesel engines, which reduces fuel consumption.

BACK UP

Vegagerðin retained the new ship’s predecessor, Herjólfur III, built in the early 1990s. This ship is scheduled to cover the dry-docking of Herjólfur IV, but has been on charter to Strandfaraskip Landsins, the Faroese Transport Authority, to supplement sailings on their network and cover the docking of Smyril, their largest inter-island car ferry.

ISLAND LIFELINE

With friendly service and a dedicated crew, Herjólfur carries on a fine tradition, represented by her name and onboard offerings. One local quirky tradition continues: the American TV series Friends is always playing in the forward lounge, and apparently this is ‘just the way it is’. With the ship providing the lifeline to

Vestmannaeyjar, the island’s daily rhythm is dictated by its schedule, the weather, or if Herjólfur is on her diversion schedule to Þorlákshöfn.

The local economy is rooted in the ferry service and, in winter, there can be many days when Landeyjahöfn is inaccessible. The island will then lose day visitors, restaurants might stay closed

HERJÓLFUR IV

HOME PORT Vestmannaeyjar

OWNER Vegagerðin (Icelandic Road Administration ) Builder Crist Shipyard, Gdynia, Poland; yard no.NB70

KEEL LAID 9 July 2017

LAUNCHED 30 November 2018

DIMENSIONS 71.78m x 15.5m, side height 5.1m, draught 3.01m

POWER Two electric motors

ENERGY SUPPLY Generator drives three MTU 12V4000 diesel engines; generator power 3,700kW (5,031hp)

SERVICE SPEED 12 knots, maximum 15.6 knots

CAPACITY 330 lane metres, passengers 540 maximum

and only essential travel occurs, while fish caught by local boats, landed on the island and destined for mainland markets cannot reach its destination.

But the service has proved remarkably reliable, and the new ship, with her green credentials, provides an efficient service, combining modern technology with a bit of tradition, and Herjólfur can truly be seen as the Tesla of the waves.

 Thanks to Captain Sigmar Logi Hinriksson, master of Herjólfur IV.

Herjólfur in Vestmannaeyjabær harbour.

Herjólfur departs Vestmannaeyjabær harbour.

 The charging point in the tower; this reaches out to connect with the ship.

Herjólfur under way.

OCEAN ENDEAVOUR

BUILT Szczecin Shipyard (New Szczecin Shipyard), Poland; yard no.492/03

MAIDEN VOYAGE April 1982

TONNAGE 12,907gt

DIMENSIONS 137.61m x 21.01m, draught 5.6m SPEED 20 knots

ACCOMMODATION 450 passengers, crew 170

FORMER NAMES Konstantin Simonov (1982-96), Francesca (1996-2001), The Iris (2001-10), Kristina Katarina (2010-14)

REFITTED 1988, Lloyd Werft Shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany; and 2010

OCEAN Ice master

Now a familiar sight in both Arctic and Antarctic waters, the venerable and versatile expedition ship Ocean Endeavour is celebrating her 40th Anniversary in 2022. One of seven almost identical ships built for several Soviet Union shipping companies (including Dmitriy Shostakovich and Lev Tolstoy for the Black

Sea Shipping Co), she was completed as Konstantin Simonov, after the famous Russian writer and poet.

Built for the Baltic Shipping Company and launched at Szczecin, Poland on 17 April 1981, she was subsequently outfitted and delivered to her owners in April 1982. Konstantin Simonov was operated as a ferry/cruise ship and had a side-loading garage for 14 cars. Her regular route

linked Leningrad (now St Petersburg) with Stockholm and Helsinki. In early 1988 she was rebuilt and refitted at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany. The interior was modernised and a new, higher, stronger bow was added. After the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the Baltic Shipping Company was reorganised as the Baltic Line and Konstantin Simonov sailed under the flag of Russia, with

several cruises added to her core St Petersburg-Helsinki route. These included 24-hour sailings between Helsinki and Kronstadt, Russia to the Island of Gogland in the Gulf of Finland, and to Vysotsk, 160km north-west of St Petersburg. In March 1996 the ship added a regular service to Kiel, Germany but this did not last long.

In May 1996, because of outstanding debts, the Baltic Shipping Company went

ENDEAVOUR marks 40 years of service

John and Sandra Nowlan profile Ocean

bankrupt and the vessel was arrested in Kiel. In November 1996 Konstantin Simonov was sold to a company from Venezuela, but was registered with the Pakartin Shipping Company from Cyprus.

Renamed Francesca, she was destined for routes in Australia. She left Kiel for repairs in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, but for unknown reasons she was decommissioned and laid

up. In August 1998 she sailed for Bremerhaven as a charter ship for Columbus Seereisen, but that fell through and she returned to Wilhelmshaven to be laid up again for two years, with the future not looking bright.

In September 2000 Francesca was sold again, this time to Abacus Shipping Ltd of Valetta, Malta, and chartered to an Israeli company, Mano Maritime Ltd. With another

name change she became The Iris and a major refurbishment took place in Greece. She was rebuilt as a cruise ship with the car decks turned over to additional passenger and crew cabins, and undertook a series of Eastern Mediterranean cruises carrying up to 650 passengers. In November 2000, she was joined by The Jasmine, her one-time sister Lev Tolstoy, which had also been acquired

by Mano Maritime.

In 2009 Kristina Cruises of Finland was looking to replace its 1959-built Kristine Regina, and found an ideal candidate in The Iris, which was acquired as the company’s flagship in December 2009, renamed Kristina Katarina in 2010, and sailed from a new home port of Kotka, Finland on cruises throughout western Europe and the Mediterranean.

Endeavour, the small cruise ship built in 1982 as Konstantin Simonov for service in the Baltic and which, this year, is marking the 40th anniversary of her entry into service.

SOVIET SISTERSHIPS



In October 1996 the vessel was transferred to Pakartin Shipping Co of Cyprus and renamed Francesca, a name she carried from 1996 to 2001.

SIMONWP/SHIPSPOTTING.COM



The Iris at Aghios Nikolaos, Crete in August 2008. She was owned by Israeli Mano Cruises until 2010, and operated in the eastern Med.

GIWRGOS MERTIS/SHIPSPOTTING.COM

Her first cruise under the Finnish flag was from Kotka on 28 August 2010.

After a few years Kristina Cruises was facing financial problems and Kristina Katarina was again laid up, this time in Las Palmas, at the end of 2013. She was then acquired by International Shipping Partners, FleetPro Ocean (later SunStone Ships), renamed Ocean Endeavour, and used as an accommodation vessel for oil workers on the Petrovav Gas Project in the Hebrides.

The major and perhaps most successful evolution of the ice-strengthened ship began in 2015 with

the conversion of Ocean Endeavour into an expedition ship. This involved improving public spaces and reducing passenger capacity to just 199.

CURRENT OWNERS

The current owners of Ocean Endeavour, Sunstone International, maintained the vessel during the Covid-19 pandemic in Las Palmas and resumed a full charter schedule with its two main operators. Adventure Canada, based in Toronto, uses the ship from early June through October for High Arctic exploration, in addition to specialty cruises such as the circumnavigation of Newfoundland or a tour of Scottish islands. The Australian company, Chimu Adventures, sails from Ushuaia, Argentina in the southern summer, visiting remote parts of the Antarctic Peninsula.

With her modernisation and stateroom improvements, the ship provides public spaces for lectures, meetings and socialising, a swimming pool, sauna and gym plus a large restaurant. Adventure Canada always includes an expedition team of 30-40 biologists, geologists, anthropologists, cultural specialists and guides to ferry passengers ashore in one of the 

The 1986-built Mikhail Sholokhov, the penultimate vessel in the class, in Auckland. She later became Mikhail, Ugo Foscolo and Fos I, and was scrapped in 2011 as Phoenix. ALLAN RO/SHIPSPOTTING.COM

The ship was refitted again and joined Kristina Cruises as Kristina Katarina in late 2010, serving with them to 2014.

The Dmitriy Shostakovich class of seven ro-pax ferries were built by the Szczecin Shipyard in Poland and operated by the Soviet shipping companies Black Sea Shipping Company, Estonian Shipping Company, Baltic Shipping Company and Far Eastern Shipping Company, as ferries and passenger/cruise ships between 1980 and 1986.

The first of the seven was Dmitriy Shostakovich (9,878gt, later Paloma, Paloma I, Royale Star, New Imperial Star); she was followed by Georg Ots (12,549g), Lev Tolstoy, Konstantin Simonov (now Ocean Endeavour), Mikhail Suslov (later Ocean Empress), Mikhail Sholokhov and Konstantin Chernenko (later Ocean Atlantic).

 Ocean Endeavour in her original guise as Konstantin Simonov in service with Baltic Line. She was operated by the Black Sea Shipping Company of Odessa from 1982 to 1988 and by the Baltic Shipping Co of St Petersburg from December 1988 to May 1996. FOTOFLITE

ON BOARD OCEAN ENDEAVOUR

20 zodiacs carried. The compact size of Ocean Endeavour is ideal for negotiating the narrow waterways and shallow bays in the polar regions.

Like Adventure Canada, Chimu operates Ocean Endeavour with an eight to one passenger to expedition crew ratio. The 40-year-old ship is thus able to offer a unique experience for her passengers and provide many with an education about climate change and the poles of the earth. On 5 September 2019 passengers of Adventure Canada on Ocean Endeavour were the first members of the public to visit the site of the wreck of HMS Erebus, one of the two ships of the ill-fated Franklin expedition, which aimed to traverse the North-West Passage through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

 Ocean Endeavour being operated by Adventure Canada, an independent, family-owned expedition cruise company based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

ANDREA DORIA

AND HER TRAGIC FINAL VOYAGE

Shipping lines on both sides of the conflict lost ships during World War II, with many sunk by enemy action or seized as war prizes. Consequently, the post-war era saw companies rebuilding their fleets. The Italian Line was no exception, also taking the opportunity to introduce modern vessels.

Since Italy was one of the Axis powers, Italian Line ships such as the 1932-built Rex and Conte di Savoia, which were mostly laid up from 1940, became wartime targets. Both these ships were eventually sunk by the Allies, although Conte di Savoia was salvaged and rebuilt.

In contrast to the pre-war ships, the line’s new postwar ships began with Giulio Cesare, which was launched in May 1950, followed by Augustus in November 1950. A few years later national pride saw its largest liners, Andrea Doria (29,083gt) and sister ship Cristoforo Colombo (29,191gt), being completed.

The former had 11 watertight compartments and was built using the twocompartment standard, and consequently Andrea Doria was claimed to be unsinkable. Only a few decades earlier the ill-fated Titanic had been given that epithet, and this should been a warning against a similar overconfidence.

Theoretically the doublehulled Andrea Doria could survive if two adjacent compartments were flooded, but there had to be a tradeoff in the design for the commercial needs of a liner. A greater number of smaller compartments would have been safer in the event of her being holed, but the downside of such an arrangement was that movement of passengers through the ship would not be as easy. Other safety features included the installation of non-flammable materials, a sprinkler system, and fire retardant insulation between the hull and cabin panelling.

Since Andrea Doria was to

Italian Line’s impressive liner Andrea Doria, photographed in 1955, a year before her sinking. BILL SMITH, CREATIVE COMMONS CC BY 2.0

The infamous sinking of the Italian liner Andrea Doria after her collision with the liner Stockholm in fog in July 1956 is recounted by Dene Bebbington.



Andrea Doria at sea with her portside lifeboats visible. When fully booked, she could accommodate 1,241 passengers in three different classes. PUBLIC DOMAIN

 A postcard of Andrea Doria in her prime. She was the first ship to feature three outdoor swimming pools, one for each class.

sail an Atlantic route between Genoa and New York, speed was another consideration. The steam turbines turning twin screws could generate 35,000hp, giving a top speed of 26 knots and a service speed of 23 knots. A maximum of 1,241 passengers and 572 crew could be carried and, typical of the era, accommodation was divided into First, Cabin and Tourist classes. The lowest-priced tickets for Tourist class suited migrants, and others of limited means. In return for economy, they were unwittingly, if a serious collision occurred, the most vulnerable in the lower B and C decks.

BUILT IN GENOA

Andrea Doria was laid down at the Ansaldo Shipyard in Genoa in February 1950, with construction taking over a year. She was launched in June 1951 and began her maiden voyage on 14 January 1953. During the first sailing a listing problem was discerned when she was not far from her destination on the United States east coast. During a storm the ship was hit broadside by a huge wave, causing her to list 28 degrees and knocking several passengers to the deck.

Andrea Doria had sufficient lifeboat capacity for all on board: 16 metal boats, eight on each side, could carry up to 2,000 people. In hindsight,

the ship’s tendency to list, especially when the fuel tanks were almost empty, was potentially disastrous, regardless of how many lifeboats she carried.

Though the Italian liner could not compete with the size and speed of other ships on the North Atlantic route, such as Queen Elizabeth and United States, she gained a fine reputation for being plushly fitted out, as well as being known as a floating art gallery. Passengers could admire paintings, sculptures and other works of art, while she boasted three outside swimming pools. If nothing else, she was a pretty ship, while also being equipped with radar.

Captained by Piero Calamai, who had nearly 40 years’

seagoing experience, including naval service for which he was twice awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valour, the liner should have been in safe hands. For three years it was.

THE DANGER OF FOG Fog in busy shipping lanes is a perennial a danger for mariners. In 1914, two years after Titanic went down, Empress of Ireland sank near the mouth of the St Lawrence river in Canada after a collision in fog. Confusion and mistakes led to over 1,000 lives being lost. Even with the advantage of radar on Andrea Doria, human error could and would play a part. Ironically, on Calamai’s last Andrea Doria voyage before he took command of Cristoforo

Cristoforo Colombo was slightly larger, at 29,191gt, than her sistership. WOLFGANG FRICKE, CREATIVE COMMONS CC BY 3.0.

Colombo, tragedy hit.

Ship captains tread a fine line between ensuring the safety of those on board and keeping as close as possible to a schedule. When fog was encountered south of Nantucket Island on the evening of 25 July 1956, the captain ordered reduced speed, but this only slowed Andrea Doria from 23 to 21.8 knots. The watertight doors were closed as a precaution and the fog-whistle sounded every 100 seconds. On a heading of 267 degrees, the ship’s course was towards the Nantucket lightship in a busy area, nicknamed the ‘Times Square of the Atlantic’.

Meanwhile, Swedish American Line’s 1948-built Stockholm (12,165gt) was

 Andrea Doria on the slipway as yard no.918 at Ansaldo Shipyard in Genoa, under construction in June 1951. PUBLIC DOMAIN  The sleek Andrea Doria moored at dock; she entered service in January 1953 but had a short career of just over three years.

departing America and heading to Europe at her top speed of 18 knots, sailing further north than the 1953 North Atlantic Track Agreement allowed for eastbound traffic.

After making course corrections, Stockholm’s Third Officer, Johan-Ernst CarstensJohannsen, who was on duty, spotted the radar blip of a ship coming towards them a couple of degrees off the port bow at an estimated distance of 12 miles. At a combined speed of 39.8 knots this gave about 16 minutes until the ships would pass each other by less than a mile, as estimated by Carstens.

Initially the running lights of Andrea Doria were not visible to the crew of

Stockholm who, given the other ship’s speed, did not suspect her to be in fog. When the larger liner was finally spotted, Stockholm steered to starboard to give more clearance for what they thought would be a port-toport passing. However, there had been a misjudgment of the oncoming ship’s position.

When Stockholm was finally spotted by Andrea Doria’s crew, Captain Calamai ordered the ship be steered hard to port, rather than steering so that there would be a glancing blow. This decision made tragedy inevitable.

Andrew Doria was hit amidships just after 2300, the Swedish liner’s ice-breaking

prow slicing into the Italian ship. Despite efforts to reduce the starboard list by pumping water to other tanks, her sinking was inevitable. In contrast, part of the bow on Stockholm had been ripped away as she pulled out of the stricken liner, but by emptying water tanks the bow was raised almost to normal level. Being the nearest vessel to the disaster and still seaworthy, she assisted in rescuing survivors.

HELP FROM OTHER SHIPS

Proving that the lifeboat capacity was only theoretical, only those on the starboard side of Andrea Doria could be launched because of the list. However, thanks to it

taking several hours for her to go under (she capsized and started going down at 0945 on 26 July 1956, over 11 hours after the collision), and with other vessels nearby willing to help, including the French liner Île de France, most passengers and crew were rescued. In all 46 lives were lost from her, as well as five from Stockholm. The incident and its aftermath were heavily covered by the news media. While the rescue efforts were both successful, the cause of the collision generated much interest in the media and was the subject of lawsuits. Largely because of an out-ofcourt settlement agreement between the two shipping

 Andrea Doria listing to starboard just before she sank. She was booked to about 90 per cent of her total passenger capacity, with 1,134 passengers aboard: 190 in first class, 267 in cabin class and 677 in tourist class; with a crew of 572, a total of 1,706 persons were on board.

companies during the hearings, no determination of cause was ever formally published.

Ever since the sinking, Andrea Doria has lain about 160 feet down, a shallow enough depth to attract recreational wreck divers. Indeed, strong currents and poor visibility make it a hazardous exploration and one that has claimed the lives of several divers.



The damaged liner Stockholm limps into port after her collision with Andrea Doria. STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND/PUBLIC DOMAIN

The 51st westbound crossing of Andrea Doria to New York in July 1956 ended in disaster. UNITED STATES COAST GUARD, PUBLIC DOMAIN

The supposedly unsinkable Andrea Doria listed on her starboard side before finally capsizing and sinking. HARRY A. TRASK/PUBLIC DOMAIN

Passengers in a lifeboat from the stricken Andrea Doria being rescued by another vessel. HARRY A. TRASK/PUBLIC DOMAIN

The 1925 Belfast-built Beograd berthed in London’s Royal Docks, with barges alongside, during the 1960s. The scene is witnessed by passengers on board an excursion boat. Pre-war, as Federico Glavic, Beograd was owned by Dubrovacka Parobrodarska Plovidba DD (DPP – Dubrovnik Steam Navigation Co

Ltd). By 1939 Dubrovacka Plovidba AD (as it was then known) was operating 14 coastal and 11 deepsea ships, the latter being passed to the British Government for use by the Allies during World War II. From 1941 to 1946 she served as Radport, one of seven Yugoslav-owned ships initially managed by the London-

based Radonicich Ltd, a company owned by Ilija Radonicic, and later by J. & C. Harrison. After the war, DPP’s eight surviving ships were transferred by the Communist Government to newly created Yugoslav national lines. Radport was allocated to Jugoslavenska Slobodna Plovidba and renamed Beograd. In 1950 she was

transferred to Jugoslavenska Linijska Plovidba and in 1957 to Atlantska Plovidba. Beograd was broken up at Sveti Kajo, near Split, in March 1970. The photograph to the left, provided by Croatian maritime historian Marijan Zuvic, shows Beograd at the Brodospas shipbreaking facility near Split. MALCOLM CRANFIELD COLLECTION

LORD OF THE ISLES

Caledonian MacBrayne’s stalwart offering a long distance lifeline

Golden Horizon at Portland on 13 July.

STEVE BELASCO

Lord of the Isles is probably the most welltravelled car ferry in the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet. Originally built for the long-haul sailings from Oban to the Inner and Outer Hebrides, she has made herself a second home at Mallaig in recent years, providing a year-round lifeline service from Mallaig to Lochboisdale, and becoming a favourite revered by crews, islanders and enthusiasts alike, and known affectionately as ‘LOTI’. The sailings from Oban to islands such as Coll, Tiree, Barra, South Uist and

Colonsay were originally provided by old-style mailboats. Two ships, both named Claymore and built in 1955 and 1978 respectively, made their reputation on the routes during long careers with David MacBrayne and CalMac, while Tobermory, Mull was associated for many years with the Coll/Tiree schedule. Towards the end of the 1980s, with the drivethrough revolution on the west coast taking hold, it was time for a change.

Borealis, at Dover in early sunshine, is now operating cruises of varying length out of Liverpool.

Hot on the heels of the new ferry Isle of Mull, designed for the route between Oban and Craignure, Ferguson

Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow – trading as Appledore Ferguson at the time – were awarded another contract for a newbuild for CalMac in June 1987 while Isle of Mull was still under construction.

making her the fastest ship in the fleet at the time.

Lord of the Isles entered service at Oban on 22 May 1989, but not all her ports of call yet had linkspans for drive-through operation.

Fortunately, a hoist and side ramps had been fitted to the ship, and these were often used during the early days, although linkspans were installed at Lochboisdale in 1976, Castlebay in 1989, and Coll and Tiree in 1992.

New fleet flagship Bolette, based at Southampton, is Fred. Olsen’s largest ever vessel at 62,735gt.

The second of the new Ferguson-built ferries was launched on 7 March 1989 and named Lord of the Isles by Edith Rifkind, wife of thenScottish Secretary Malcolm Rifkind. Such was the amount of work completed upon launch, she looked almost finished. But final fitting-out was still needed, and trials followed this, with Lord of the Isles reaching over 16 knots,

Colonsay had their structure installed in 1988 to allow winter operation by Isle of Mull, so Lord of the Isles did not then need to call at

Mark Nicolson looks back over the career of Cal Mac’s Lord of the Isles, one of the best-travelled of any Scottish west coast ferry.

Lord of the Isles at Mallaig in May 2017. ALL PHOTOS BY MARK NICOLSON

LORD OF THE ISLES

On the bridge.

The car deck.

The forward port reclining-seat lounge.

The port-side lounge. The small retail outlet located towards the stern. The open upper deck.

Lord of the Isles making a call at Lochboisdale in May 2017.

Colonsay. Claymore moved to the Islay service to allow Iona to go to Mallaig, while Columba, latterly deployed on the Coll/ Tiree route, was disposed of in 1988 and became the cruise ship Hebridean Princess under new owners.

TWO TIMETABLES

In her early years Lord of the Isles combined two sets of timetables. She operated the schedule from Oban to Tobermory, Coll and Tiree before retracing her steps to Oban, where, after turning round, she would sail out to Castlebay and Lochboisdale, spending the night at one of the Outer Isles ports, usually Lochboisdale. The next day she would sail from South Uist to Barra and then Oban, to turn around and operate her sailings to Tobermory, Coll and Tiree before returning to Oban for the night.

Occasionally she swapped rosters with Isle of Mull when the older vessel’s higher passenger capacity would be needed for events such as the Tiree Music Festival, and Lord of the Isles would cover Colonsay and Craignure in return. Her early years in service were relatively incidentfree, although there were a couple of breakdowns, which saw her taken out of service for repairs, with other vessels readily on hand to cover.

By 1996 Lord of the Isles was struggling to cope

with increasing demands.

So in October that year a replacement was ordered from Appledore Shipyard in Devon, which was the last major newbuild to be ordered under the influential Colin Paterson, CalMac’s managing director, who retired in July 1997 after 14 years. Three months later than planned, the new and larger Clansman entered service on 4 July 1998.

Leaving Oban behind, Lord

of the Isles moved to a new role for summer service at Mallaig and Armadale, in addition to the combined Barra/South Uist service that operated from Mallaig until 2001, when it was dropped due to lack of demand. She returned to her former stamping ground at Oban during winter to allow Clansman to move around the network as the main relief ship covering overhauls.

Due to Clansman’s length,

calls at Tobermory were dropped, to the disappointment of Mull locals, who now had to rely solely on the service from Craignure. Lord of the Isles made the last scheduled call at Tobermory, in April 1998.

RETURN TO OBAN

Although as successful at Mallaig as she was at Oban, Lord of the Isles was considered by some to be too large and too fine a ship to serve the

 Isle of Mull at Craignure, 8 May 2017. MARK NICOLSON

The 33-year-old Lord of the Isles at Lochboisdale on 7 May 2017.

short Armadale route. So in 2003, with Coruisk under construction for the Armadale service, Lord of the Isles returned to Oban full-time to supplement her replacement, Clansman, and, along with Isle of Mull, the three ships formed the team of Oban’s ‘Three Musketeers’, operating together for the next 13 years.

Lord of the Isles returned to Mallaig in the winter of 2013, when the Scottish Government began trialling a direct service between Mallaig and Lochboisdale at the request of South Uist residents. This was initially unsuccessful, as more than half the sailings were either cancelled or disrupted,

LORD OF THE ISLES

or occasionally diverted to Oban. Mallaig harbour is a difficult to access in certain weather conditions, having challenging tidal conditions, and this impacts on ferry services. But further trials of the Mallaig route proved more successful during the next two winters, and the route became permanent from summer 2016.

The redeployment of Coruisk to Craignure for five years saw Lord of the Isles double up with Loch Fyne at Armadale. With the arrival of Loch Frisa from Norway earlier this year, Lord of the Isles began two return trips from Lochboisdale to Mallaig three times a week in the summer, with Coruisk redeployed to Armadale, although Lord of the Isles was still available to assist.

Harbour upgrades at Mallaig and Lochboisdale are essential to accommodate larger and deeper-draught vessels, but it is likely that Lord of the Isles will continue on her travels round the network for a few more years yet, and continue to be something of a well-liked legend among Scottish west coast ferries.

ON BOARD • LORD OF THE ISLES

 Lord of the Isles is a cross between Isle of Mull (forward end) and Hebridean Isles (aft end), thanks to her hoist and side ramps, which are rarely used nowadays. Measuring 84.6m in length, she can berth at all the major ports on the network.

 Power comes from two Mirrlees Blackstone 8MB275 diesels, which give her a top speed of 16 knots. She is able to comfortably accommodate 505 passengers and almost 60 cars. The open stern enables hazardous loads to be carried.

 She has a fully enclosed bridge, a thin main mast and twin funnels, and Furuno radars on her forward mast. When built, she carried four lifeboats, liferafts and the Marine Evacuation System from new, but her forward port lifeboat was replaced by a new Fast Rescue Craft  The upper deck, where the main mast can be found, was upgraded with seating and stairways to allow passengers to use this area.

 Her car deck resembles that of Isle of Arran and Hebridean Isles,

with overhanging casings where her crew quarters are housed.

 Internally, Lord of the Isles has a curious layout. There is a stairway on each side leading from the car deck, with embarkation doors on both sides which can be used for securing gangways in high tide.

 The entrance lobby leads passengers towards the information desk, the two reclining lounges to port, or through a small corridor to the cafeteria, which is located forward on the starboard side and can also be accessed via a door from the port side.

 From the main entrance concourse, aft of which is a combined shop and lounge, is a stairway to the observation lounge above, which is accessed from a door either side of the stairway, with a door at each end of this short corridor to the open deck.

 Toilet facilities are also found in the corridor, with further such facilities a deck below. There is also a lift to and from the car deck, a games room and luggage racks in the main entrance concourse

The stern lounge.

The main entrance concourse.

Lord of the Isles makes a fine sight as she heads down the Sound of Mull on 2 September 2021. Although based at Mallaig and Oban, she is able to berth and load traffic all over the Clyde and Hebridean Isles network.

MARITIME MOSAIC SWISS PADDLERS

Switzerland is paddle steamer heaven, as is evident on Lake Lucerne, where paddle steamers have had a presence since 1837 and five vintage paddlers still grace the scene. Together with various motor vessels, they serve four routes, with each itinerary involving calls at some of the 33 landing stages around the lake’s shores. The steamers mainly work on the Luzern-Brunnen-Flüelen route, which has 18 landing stages, five of them connecting with aerial cableways and funicular railways. Paul Brown’s photographs capture the picturesque scenes.

 Built in 1913 by Escher Wyss in Zürich, Gallia carries the Latin name of France as a homage to French guests in central Switzerland. Her Escher Wyss two-cylinder steam engine and sleek hull make her the fastest lake steamer in Europe with a speed of 17 knots. The ornate dining saloon is in Belle Époque French Empire style. Gallia was comprehensively overhauled in 2004 and carries 900 passengers. SGV

 Stadt Luzern is the flagship of Lake Lucerne, and was built in 1928 by Sachenberg, Rosslau, Germany as the last steamboat for a Swiss lake. She is the largest of the five Lucerne paddlers, taking 1,100 passengers. In 2029-2021 she was given a major overhaul costing £11.5 million, returning her to her original glory. She is seen shortly after leaving the landing stage at Treib-Seelisberg. PAUL BROWN

The elegant dining saloon in Unterwalden has woodcarved panels and handpainted ceilings. The ship was threatened with scrapping in 1977, but was saved through a fund-raising campaign, which led to her re-entering service in 1985. The same fund-raising organisation has continued to support the conservation of the Lucerne paddle steamers. LSGV 

Built in 1901 by Sulzer Brothers, Uri is the oldest ship in the fleet and also the oldest paddler in Switzerland. Carrying 800 passengers, she was converted to oilfiring in 1949, and has the oldest operational diagonal compound engine.

BROWN

PAUL

 Built in 1902 by Escher Wyss, Zurich, Unterwalden is the only paddle steamer on Lake Lucerne capable of sailing under the low Acheregg bridge and reaching Alpnachstad at the foot of Mount Pilatus, with the funnel and wheelhouse being hydraulically lowered. She carries 700 passengers and was converted to oil-firing in 1949. She is seen about to leave the Lucerne jetty. PAUL BROWN



Built in 1906 by Sulzer Brothers, Winterthur, Schiller has a two-cylinder diagonal compound steam engine. Her graceful appearance leads to her being regarded as one of the most attractive steamships in Switzerland. The First class saloon on the main deck features Art Nouveau decorations and ornate wood panelling. Carrying 900 passengers, she was last given a major overhaul in 2000. SGV

PAKISTAN’S MERCHANT NAVY MARKS 75 YEARS

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of Pakistan’s Merchant Navy, created shortly after the country’s independence from Britain in 1947. In that year several Muslim families involved in shipping moved from India to Karachi, where they established the new nation’s first shipping lines. Other companies were formed by leading Muslim industrialists, either to trade between the two separated wings of Pakistan or to carry goods, such as Pakistanigrown cotton, overseas.

One firm, the Pan-Islamic Steamship Company, was established specifically to transport Muslim pilgrims on their Hajj to Saudi Arabia. These companies were nationalised in 1974 to create the state-owned Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC), which was merged with the

government’s own National Shipping Corporation in 1979 to form today’s Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC).

EAST & WEST STEAMSHIP

One of the first Pakistani shipping lines to be created after independence was the East & West Steamship Company, established by the Cowasjee family at Karachi in August 1947. The Cowasjees had chartered vessels for many years through their bunkering and stevedoring company, Cowasjee & Sons, and in 1946 purchased their first vessel, the 4,729grt Seringa,

 Ordered specifically for the trade between east and west Pakistan, the 8,929grt passenger/cargo ship Shams (Sun) was completed by Japan’s Hitachi Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in 1960 with accommodation for 40 first, 40 second, 20 intermediate and 1,100 third class passengers, the latter on folding bunks in the ‘tween deck areas. Used in the pilgrim trade during her final years of service while under the ownership of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, the combination vessel transported Pakistan’s last contingent of pilgrims by sea in 1994 before being broken up at Gadani Beach later that same year. BRYAN SHANKLAND

Jim Shaw looks back at the private shipping companies which were nationalised in 1974 to create today’s Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

very prestigious ship under the Pakistani flag, Pan-Islamic’s Safina-EHujjaj was built in 1935 as Germany’s Potsdam and was acquired in 1960 from the British government after service as the troop carrier Empire Fowey. Reconfigured for the pilgrim trade, and given an expanded capacity for over 2,600 passengers, the 41-year-old former liner was scrapped at Gadani Beach in 1976.

FORMAN COLLECTION

Pakistan’s Merchant Marine ensign.

Although originally formed for the pilgrim trade, Pan Islamic Steamship also entered the cargo sector, and its 5,391grt Safina-E-Barkat, completed by Short Brothers Ltd as Blankvann for Norway’s Jacobsen & Salvesen in 1947, became one of the first Pakistani ships to trade to North America. Acquired in 1959, the ship survived under Pan-Islamic ownership for 13 years before being broken up at Karachi in 1972. H. STOTT

built in 1913 as Falls City for Wm Reardon Smith & Sons. After Pakistan became independent, the family began acquiring a number of war surplus Indian naval trawlers, several of which were converted for coastal trading. One of these, the 1942-built Fatima (ex-HMIS Shillong), became the first ship to be listed on the newly established Port of Registry at Karachi. Thereafter, a series of elderly steamers, all built in the 1920s, were placed in service between east and west Pakistan.

Two of these, the 6,167grt Fakira (ex-City of Omaha) and 6,640grt Minocher Cowasjee (ex-Parisiana), were later lost, the former going down in the South China Sea in 1955 and the latter capsizing in the Indian Ocean in 1957. As replacements, the 5,095grt Feronia (exOrient City) was obtained and shortly thereafter the 9,568grt passenger/cargo carrier Rustom (ex-Santa Teresa), the latter coming from Germany’s Hamburg Süd. This vessel, designed for service between

Europe and South America, had cabin accommodation for 28 passengers and was refitted to carry 250 in economy class. Her success on the run between Karachi and Chittagong spurred East & West to order its first and only newbuild, the 11,046grt Ohrmazd, delivered by Scotland’s Burntisland

GULF SHIPPING

Another pioneering Pakistani shipping firm was Gulf Steamship Ltd, established by the Millwala family, who had operated a scrap metal business in India before the partition

 The second former Hamburg Süd combination vessel moved into the Pakistan fleet was the 8,995grt Ocean Energy (ex-Santa Ines) which was purchased by the Trans Oceanic Steamship Company. Built in 1953 by the Howaldtswerke yard at Hamburg, and powered by a MAN six-cylinder engine of 4,000bhp, the ship was broken up at Gadani Beach in 1980.

PAUL BOOT

Shipbuilding Company in 1966, eight years prior to the company’s nationalisation.

Seen at Cardiff in 1972, the white-hulled Rustom was one of two combination passenger/cargo carriers acquired by Pakistan shipowners from Germany’s Hamburg Süd in the early 1960s after their 13-knot service speed proved too slow for the South American run. Operated by Karachi-based East & West Steamship Company, and named after its founder, Rustom Cowasjee, the 9,568grt Rustom (ex-Santa Teresa) featured berths for 28 cabin class passengers and dormitory accommodation for up to 250. J. WILTSHIRE/P. BOOT COLLECTION



One of the few ships built specifically for the pilgrim trade after the Second World War, the 8,477grt Safina-e-Arab was delivered to Pan Islamic by Spain’s Soc. Espanola de Con. Naval at Cadiz in early 1962 with accommodation for 26 first class, 100 second class and 1,168 economy class passengers. The 459ft by 60ft vessel was broken up in 1996. R. JOHN

of 1947. One of its first ships was the former Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Olwen (exBritish Light) of 1917, which was purchased for demolition but then repaired and placed in service as Mushtari under charter to Caltex Oil.

Although eventually scrapped in 1959, Mushtari was the first tanker to be registered in Pakistan and was followed in 1962 by the 15,710dwt Zohar, Scottish Tanker’s former Scottish Eagle, built by Swan Hunter in 1952.



Seen at Liverpool in 1972, the 10,262grt Ocean Endurance had been completed by Bartrams at Sunderland in 1966 as a combination cargo/passenger vessel for Pakistan’s Trans Oceanic Steamship Company and featured accommodation for 26 First class and 250 Economy class passengers. P. BOOT

The Millwalas later went on to establish a subsidiary company in East Pakistan and added several more ships to their combined fleet, including the Britishbuilt 5,670grt Mustali (ex-Rigoletto), acquired from Swedish interests in 1953, and the German-built Baqir (ex-Dimitris), purchased from Greek owners in 1970.

Unfortunately, the latter vessel was captured by the Indian Navy during the IndoPakistan war of 1971, while

Mustali was sunk towards the end of the conflict. This left the company, which had been reformed as Gulf Shipping Co Ltd just prior to hostilities, with only the 1958-built Mansoor (ex-Fritz Thyssen) by 1972, and this 10,612grt ship, along with Gulf Shipping itself, was absorbed into the new Pakistan Shipping Corp in 1974.

TRANS OCEANIC

The Trans Oceanic Steamship Company, like Gulf Shipping, was first incorporated as a

private limited undertaking in the late 1940s but was later converted into a public limited company. Also, like Gulf, it started operations with second-hand tonnage by inaugurating its service in 1950 with British India’s 1918-built Binfield (ex-War Acacia) and following it with the 1943-built Ocean Envoy (ex-Fort Aklavik) in 1952.

In 1958 the 1945-built Ocean Ensign (ex-Empire Goodwin) was added to the fleet and in 1959 the 1949-built Ocean Enterprise (ex-Tregothnan) followed. Two years later the 1953-built Ocean Energy (ex-Santa Ines), a sistership to East & West’s German-built Rustom, was purchased. These secondhand vessels were joined in 1966 by the company’s only newbuild, the 7,795grt Ocean Endurance, completed by Britain’s Bartrams to run alongside Ocean Energy as a combination passenger/cargo liner.

In 1971, after gaining a government contract to transport coal from China, Trans Oceanic purchased Lyle Shipping’s 1965-built Cape Rodney and renamed the 17,250dwt ship Ocean Endeavour (2), and she was Pakistan’s first dry bulk carrier. Three years later the

 The 11,046grt Ohrmazd, built in Scotland during 1968 for the East & West Steamship Company, and seen at Avonmouth under East & West colours, traded as a cargo/passenger liner between the two wings of Pakistan until Bangladesh became independent in 1971. R. PARSONS/M. CRANFIELD COLLECTION

ANCIENT STEAMERS

Trans Oceanic fleet was absorbed into the Pakistan Shipping Corporation, Ocean Energy surviving until 1980, Ocean Endeavour until 1983 and Ocean Endurance until 1984. Ocean Ensign and Ocean Enterprise had previously been lost during the 1971 conflict with India.

MUHAMMADI

The Muhammadi Steamship Company was formed prior to independence, in May 1947, with the assistance of the Cowasjee family and several Muslim executives formerly employed by India’s Scindia



House flag of the Pan-Islamic Steamship Co Ltd.

Steam Navigation Company, but did not acquire its first vessels until 1948. At that time the Canadian-built ‘Fort’ ships Al Murtaza Ali (ex-Fort Norman), Al Huseini (exFort Clatsop) and AlHasan (ex-Fort St Antoine) were purchased, along with the 28-year-old American steamer Ahmadi (ex-Pallas).

Although a number of other secondhand ships were later obtained, including the 1917-built Al Chishti (ex-Svealand), the company’s chief claim to fame was its order in 1965 for the 6,087grt Al Abbas from Karachi Shipyard & Eng Works Ltd, the first ocean-going vessel to be built in Pakistan.

In 1967, during the year of this ship’s delivery, another newbuild, the 9,813grt Al Abedin, was acquired from the Soviet Union’s Kherson Shipyard. However, the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 claimed the four-yearold Al Abbas, which became a constructive total loss following an air attack off Chittagong, while the remainder of the Muhammadi fleet, as well as the

Old British-built steamers like the 6,640grt Minocher Cowasjee, built in 1920 as Parisiana by Irvine’s Shipbuilding & Drydocks & Co, West Hartlepool, made up the bulk of Pakistani post-independence merchant fleet and the Cowasjee family of Karachi were some of the early pioneers of Pakistani shipping.

Brothers Rustom Cowasjee and Minocher Cowasjee had established a stevedoring and bunkering firm, Cowasjee & Sons,

at Karachi prior to the 1920s and went on to create the East & West Steamship Company in 1947.

Rustom Cowasjee became an earlier advisor to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, on marine affairs and later helped guide Muhamamd Ali Habib with the establishment of the Muhammadi Steamship Company, the latter firm to eventually order the first large ship to be built in Pakistan, the 6,087grt Al-Abbas, in 1967.

 Completed in 1920, and acquired by the Cowasjee family in 1950, the 6,640grt Minocher Cowasjee was lost with her entire crew in 1957 when her cargo shifted during heavy weather while on passage from China to Cape Town. BOUCHER COLLECTION

company’s workshops and HQ building, became government property in 1974.

PAN ISLAMIC STEAMSHIP

Shortly after the formation of Muhammadi Steamship, two of

 Following the independence of Bangladesh, the 13,277dwt Ohrmazd sailed in the general cargo trades dressed in the black hull and funnel colours of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) until broken up at Gadani Beach in 1994.

M. CRANFIELD COLLECTION

its executives left to establish the Pan-Islamic Steamship Company specifically to carry Muslim pilgrims from Pakistan to Jeddah. Because of this they sought out passenger rather than cargo tonnage. Two of the first ships acquired were former British troopers: Oxfordshire of 1912, renamed Safina-EArab, and the 1916-built El Nil, renamed Safina-E-Murad. These elderly steamers were followed in short order by the former Japanese transport Tsukushi Maru, a 1940-built war survivor, which was renamed Safina-E-Millat, and Henderson Line’s Burma of 1914, which became Safina-E-Nusrat

Such ancient vessels did not last long and Pan-Islamic

70 YEARS OF TOMINI SHIPPING

When the government of Pakistan nationalised all of Pakistan’s privately owned shipping companies in 1974 to form the state-controlled Pakistan Shipping Corporation, most private owners then left the business, never to return. One that did not, however, was Karachi’s Baksh family, headed by Mian Baksh, the former owners of the United Oriental Steamship Company.

Although the Bakshes left Pakistan for London in 1975, they remained in the shipping business and eventually went on to establish Tomini Shipping. Currently headed by Imtiaz Shaikh, Mian Baksh’s grandson, Tomini has risen to become a leading operator of dry bulk tonnage, particularly after

establishing a partnership with Denmark’s Alpina Chartering in 1982 and moving to Dubai in 2004.

Once the recession of 2008 had passed, the company ordered a series of 12 bulk carriers from Chinese shipbuilders, all delivered between 2013 and 2020, and more recently has been purchasing several ships on the secondhand market. These have included the 37,976dwt Nord Colorado, which was renamed Tomini Zonda at Dubai earlier this year.

The purchase of the Chinesebuilt bulk carrier has brought the Tomini fleet to 17 vessels as it celebrates 70 years in shipping, dating back to the founding of the United Oriental Steamship Company at Karachi in 1952.

was forced to charter the trooper Empire Orwell (ex-Pretoria) from Britain’s Ministry of Transport in 1958 for that year’s Hajj season. This ship was followed by the outright purchase of the similar-vintaged Empire Fowey (ex-Potsdam) in 1961, the ship being renamed Safina-EHujjaj for pilgrim work as well as liner service to East Africa.

In the same year the company ordered its only newbuild, the 8,477grt Safina-E-Arab, which was delivered from Spanish builders in 1962. This combination vessel could carry over 6,500 tonnes of cargo while accommodating 126 cabin class passengers and nearly 1,200 on deck. In 1974 Pan-Islamic was nationalised and, although returned to private ownership in 1980, was never able to regain its former stature and by 1996 was out of business, its final vessel, Safina-e-Arab, being sold for scrap that same year.

UNITED ORIENTAL

Two years after the formation of Pan-Islamic Steamship, the United Oriental Steamship Company, also known as the ‘Baksh Line’, was established by Karachi’s Baksh family around two elderly steamers, the 1915-built Maulabaksh (ex-Chronos) and 1919-built

Kaderbaksh (ex-Cyprian Prince), both purchased to transport Pakistani-grown cotton overseas.

These old ships were followed by four somewhat younger vessels: the 1940-built Iqbalbaksh, Anwarbaksh (1942), Ilyasbaksh (1943) and Maqboolbaksh (1945), all of which were obtained on the secondhand market by the mid-1950s.

In the early 1960s two former Bolton vessels, the 1952-built Anisbaksh (exRamsay (5)) and 1953-built Imtiazbaksh (ex-Reynolds (4)) were purchased. They were followed by the 1957-built Maulabaksh (ex-East Breeze) and 1959-built Kaderbaksh (ex-Gylfe) in the mid-1960s. Unfortunately, several of these ships were later lost during hostilities with India.

In 1965 Ilyasbaksh was captured by Indian forces and both Anwarbaksh and Anisbaksh were lost in the later 1971 conflict. Although the 1963-built Iqbalbaksh (ex-Arna) was purchased from Norwegian owners as a replacement, this 9,868grt ship and the relatively new Maulabaksh and Kaderbaksh were all moved into the Pakistan Shipping Corp fleet in 1974, the Baksh family then leaving Pakistan for England and eventually establishing Tomini Shipping based in Dubai.

 One of Pakistan’s first indigenously built ships, the 8,942gt Shalamar was completed by the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works at Karachi in 1970 and made use of an imported Yugoslavian-built six-cylinder Sulzer diesel to achieve a speed of 17.5 knots. Damaged in a collision with the Colocotronis-owned SD-14 Santa Artemis off South Africa in 1972, Shalamar survived until 1994, when she was broken up at Gadani Beach. T. JONES

 Representative of Tomini’s modern fleet is the 63,601dwt ultramax bulk carrier Tomini Tenacity, completed by COSCO Shipping’s Hudong Shipyard at Shanghai in 2020. TOMINI

CHITTAGONG SS CORP

Another shipping line established in Chittagong was the Chittagong Steamship Corporation, which was partially owned by backers of the Karachi-based Trans Oceanic Steamship Company. The Corporation purchased its first vessel, Reardon Smith’s 1940-built Madras City, in 1958 and renamed the 5,092grt steamer Chittagong City This vessel was followed in 1960 by Irish Shipping’s 5,368grt Irish Plane, which was renamed Dacca City These two conventional cargo ships, both broken up in 1971, were replaced by the firm’s only newbuild, the 9,216grt Ocean Envoy, an SD14 delivered by Sunderland in 1972 but later taken over by the Pakistan Shipping Corporation and eventually broken up as Dewan I in 2002.

PAKISTAN SHIPPING LINE

Of similar vintage to Chittagong Steamship was the Pakistan Shipping Line, created in 1959 specifically to acquire vessels for operation on international trade routes. Although it first employed chartered tonnage, it was able to order two newbuilds in the early 1960s, the 6,148grt Bagh-E-Karachi, delivered in 1964, and the 6,095grt Bagh-

E-Dacca, completed in 1966.

These modern breakbulk ship were placed in service between Pakistan and Europe, giving Pakistan its first conference representation, but in 1974 both vessels were taken over to become part of the Pakistan Shipping Corporation fleet.

CRESCENT SHIPPING

The youngest of Pakistan’s privately owned shipping companies, Crescent Shipping Lines, was formed at Karachi in 1960 by Pakistani cotton merchants around the Japanese newbuild Shams, a combination passenger/ cargo liner designed to operate between east and west Pakistan as well as internationally. As completed by Japan’s Hitachi shipyard, the 8,929grt vessel was fitted with three grades of cabin accommodation for up to 100 passengers, while another 1,100 could be accommodated on folding bunks in the ‘tween decks.

Upon delivery, the ship took over the express passenger/ cargo service between east and west Pakistan that had been maintained by British India’s 1941-built Aronda for over a decade. At the same time, the British company’s smaller passenger/cargo vessel Mombasa was purchased and

PAKISTAN STEAM NAVIGATION CO

Several of Pakistan’s early shipping companies were headquartered in the country’s eastern wing at Chittagong rather than at Karachi, one such being the Pakistan Steam Navigation Company, which was formed by the Khan family in 1950. Coastal service was inaugurated with the 394grt Islamabad, which had been obtained from Hong Kong’s Wallem & Co as Sing Hing (ex-Empire Mayring) in 1951.

This small vessel was followed in

renamed Kareem to operate coastal services between Karachi, Bombay and Colombo. After the 1965 war with India, she was moved to Persian Gulf service, but was scrapped less than two years later. Shams, which had managed to depart East Pakistan with more than 3,500 evacuees during the 1971 conflict with India, survived until 1994, when she was broken up at Gadani Beach.

KARACHI STEAM NAV

A company not surviving long enough to be nationalised in 1974 was the Karachi Steam Navigation Co, formed by the Bandukwala family around four elderly steamers in the early 1950s. These ships included the 1904-built Pakistan Progress

the late 1950s by two large British India steamers, the 1940-built Itaura and 1941-built Ikauna, the former being renamed Jahangirabad and the latter becoming Fatehabad. In 1965 the company was reorganised as the East Bengal Steamship Company, but within three years both Fatehabad and Jahangirabad were sold for scrap, the Khan family then leaving the shipowning sector to establish today’s Chittagongheadquartered A.K. Khan & Co industrial group.

(ex-Virginia May), 1920-built Pakistan Promoter (ex-City of Lordsburg), 1926-built Pakistan Prosperity (ex-Margalau) and 1943-built Pakistan Protector (ex-Protector).

All of these, except the 4,541grt Pakistan Prosperity, were scrapped by 1956 and were replaced in the late 1950s by the twin 1,300grt Norwegian-built Pakistan Progress (2) (ex-Askepot) and Pakistan Protector (2) (ex-Askholm), along with the former British India cargo liner Itola, the latter renamed Pakistan Promoter (2).

Despite this substantial investment in ships, the company was dissolved in the late 1960s and Pakistan Progress and Pakistan Protector were both transferred to

The Gulf Shipping Corporation’s 1961-built Baqir, acquired from Greek owners as Dimitris in 1970, was captured by the Indian Navy during the IndoPakistan war of 1971 and served as the Indian Navy support ship Hooghly for several years before being placed back in commercial service as Lok Adhar, and then as Varuna Adhar. She was dismantled at Visakhapatnam, India in 1989. DEREK CHAPLIN/MALCOLM CRANFIELD COLLECTION

the associated East Bengal Steamship Company to become Shafaat and Shujat, while Pakistan Prosperity (exMargalau) was dismantled at Gadani Beach in 1965. The 6,793grt Pakistan Promoter (ex-Itola) soldiered on for two more years, but was sold to Karachi’s Hardware Manufacturing Corporation for demolition in 1967.

NATIONAL SHIPPING CORP

Competing with these privately owned Pakistani companies from 1963 until nationalisation in 1974 was the governmentcontrolled National Shipping Corporation (NSC), which acquired its first ship, Buries Marks’ 1958-built La Falda,

in 1964 as Rupsa. Thereafter, additional tonnage was purchased on the secondhand market while a number of new ships were ordered, the latter including the Yugoslavianbuilt Abasin of 1964, which was lost off Karachi less than a decade later after hitting a submerged wreck.

Although a fleet of 32 ships was built up by 1971, several of these were captured or destroyed during the IndoPakistan war. The war, in fact, represented the zenith of the Pakistan merchant fleet, as the formation of an independent Bangladesh on 26 March 1971 ended the long-established trade between Pakistan’s two wings and the requirement for

a large merchant navy.

Prior to hostilities, the Pakistani fleet of governmentand privately-owned ships had reached an all-time high of 74 vessels, but this was reduced to 57 by war’s end, with 17 ships either destroyed or captured. The retirement of five more because of age or war damage left a fleet of 52 vessels by 1974, when the remaining privately owned ships were nationalised.

NATIONAL SHIPPING

In 1979, after the merger of the Pakistan Shipping Corporation and the National Shipping Corporation to form the Pakistan National Shipping Corp (PNSC), several new trade routes were established and new ships ordered. These included a series of 16,200grt combination breakbulk and container carriers of the Makran class, all acquired from Denmark as part of a $125 million loan agreement signed with the Danish government.

At the same time, a similar series of ships was delivered by yards in Great Britain and Japan. These included the 11,940grt British-built Ayubia, as well as the Japanese-built 12,478grt twins Bolan and Multan. Although PNSC had plans to add full container ships to its fleet, these were never

realised. Instead, a reduced number of bulk carriers and tankers were purchased once the combination ships of the 1980s were retired.

Today, the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation operates just 11 vessels: five bulk carriers and six tankers. With little interest shown by private Pakistani investors to re-enter shipping following the nationalisation of 1974, these ships comprise Pakistan’s entire deepsea commercial fleet.

One of a large number of newbuilds acquired by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation in the 1980s, the 13,402gt Sibi, a Polish-built B-346 type multi-purpose vessel, was scrapped at Gadani Beach in 2009. JHT

Acquired from China Navigation by Pan Islamic in 1971 to replace the fire-damaged Safina-e-Siahat (ex-General Leclerc), the 1951-built Safina-E-Abid, (ex-Anshun) carried pilgrims to Jeddah for more years than any other post-war ship having started in the trade under China Navigation colours as early as 1953 and not being sent for demolition until 1991. BRYAN SHANKLAND

PNSC House Flag.

PNSC Funnel of Boltan.

The Damen-built MAD3500 marine aggregate dredger Cemex Go Innovation (2020/4,000gt) making one of her regular calls at Yard Quay, Poole on 6 October to discharge around 4,500 tonnes of material dredged from the English Channel. At 103.5m overall, the vessel is too big to turn in the port’s Little Channel, so must go astern to her berth from Stakes Buoy.

Have you an outstanding photo that would grace our gallery? Send your image to Ships Monthly for inclusion in these pages, which showcase the best in ship photography around the world.

The 2012-built ro-ro cargo vessel Eurocargo Bari departs Zeebrugge. She has been operating between Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Cork during recent years. ANDREW COOKE

KEVIN MITCHELL

The Edge class cruise ship Celebrity Apex (2020/130,818gt) departing Portland, Dorset in September. She is currently operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, but is scheduled to reposition to the United States for early 2023. STEVE BELASCO

The Greek-registered Suezmax crude oil tanker Cedar (157,310dwt) passes the Liverpool waterfront as she approaches Tranmere Oil Terminal, Birkenhead on 2 October at the end of a voyage from the United States. She was built in 2022 by Daehan Shipbuilding Co Ltd, South Korea. JOHN ROBINSON

 The 2010-built general cargo ship Tina departs the small port of Wicklow on Ireland’s east coast. The Netherlandsflagged vessel operates on shortsea voyages round northern Europe and the UK. EDWARD FORD

 The 2008-built container ship Okee Cuno (18,485gt, ex-Adel, Viking Harrier, Gluecksburg) in the Scheldt Estuary in March. The Liberian-flagged vessel usually operates in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. URBAIN UREEL

Conrad

Waters provides a status report on the Indian Navy, guardian of the strategically important Indian Ocean.

T

he Indian Ocean is at the crossroads of trade between Asia, Australasia, Africa and Europe, a location which gives it a global strategic importance. The principal guardian of these waters is the Indian Navy, long the region’s dominant maritime power. Its fleet playsa critical role ensuring the security of the all-important trade routes, while keeping a watchful eye on the other naval powers that operate in its own ‘back yard’.

Although the Indian Navy enjoys regional superiority, it still faces significant challenges. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has established an enduring

 Khanderi –

has only been partly successful in responding to this challenge. Its extensive land borders mean that it needs to maintain a large and expensive army, which has typically had first call on defence resources. Naval modernisation has also been impacted by a ‘made in India’ policy, which local shipyards have struggled to implement in a timely

pictured here off Mumbai – is the second of six modern

or Kalvari class diesel-electric submarines currently being delivered to the Indian Navy. INDIAN NAVY

‘Scorpène’

GUARDIANS OF THE

presence in the Indian Ocean since first embarking on antipiracy operations in the Gulf of Aden at the end of 2008. China has also built close links with India’s neighbour and rival, Pakistan, and the Pakistan Navy is currently being revitalised through the acquisition of new Chinesebuilt frigates and submarines. To date, the Indian Navy

THE INDIAN OCEAN

and cost-effective manner. Procurement of important equipment from both Western and Russian sources – a legacy from the Cold War – has also complicated warship design.

In spite of these difficulties, India has built a modern and effective navy that is capable of exerting considerable influence across the Indian Ocean and beyond. It comprises two main fleets: the Western Fleet headquartered at Mumbai and the Eastern Fleet focused on Visakhapatnam. These are supplemented by the mainly training-focused South Command based in Kochi and the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command based at Port Blair. Each has a number of bases and other support facilities, including the Western Fleet’s major new base at Karwar.

All in all, the Indian Navy has over 65,000 personnel. There are around 150 ships, of which

about 50 comprise submarines and major surface vessels of corvette size and above.

SUBMARINES

The most important Indian Navy vessel is arguably the

strategic submarine, Arihant Delivered in 2016, she is the first of a series of boats intended to provide India with a sea-based nuclear strike capability. Only limited details of the secretive project have

entered the public domain. However, armament is believed to include short-range K-15 Sagarika and/or intermediate range K-4 ballistic missiles.

The core of India’s conventional submarine force

The Indian Navy’s Talwar class frigate Tarkash conducting exercises with the Royal Navy’s HMS Richmond. India has built a powerful fleet capable of exerting influence across the Indian Ocean and beyond. CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017

The pride of India’s fleet – the brand-new indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant – pictured operating in company with Kolkata, the lead Project 15A class destroyer, in July 2022.

INDIAN NAVY

comprises the surviving seven members of the original ten-strong Project 877 EKM Sindhugosh class delivered by Russia between 1986 and 2000. Export variants of the famous Russian ‘Kilo’ design, the older members of this class are now somewhat long in the tooth, in spite of mid-life modernisations, but are powerfully armed with heavyweight torpedoes and the Club-S surface-to-surface missile. There are also four German-designed Type 209 boats commissioned in the late 1980s and early 1990s that are locally known as the Shishumar class.

These older submarines are being progressively reinforced by the introduction of the new Project 75 Kalvari class boats. These are being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL) in Mumbai to the

French Naval Group Scorpène design. A contract for six of the type was signed as long ago as 2005, but deliveries only commenced in 2017, five years later than first envisaged. Four are now in operational service and both the remaining pair have been launched.

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS

The pride of the Indian Navy is undoubtedly the brandnew aircraft carrier Vikrant. She was handed over on 28 July 2022 but is not yet fully operational. India’s first indigenously-designed and -built aircraft carrier, she is fitted with a ski jump and arrestor wires for short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) operation. She reportedly has a full load displacement in the region of 45,000 tonnes and will deploy

The Indian Navy’s Vikramaditya is a former Soviet-era vessel, acquired after she had spent a lengthy period in reserve and subsequently reconstructed to meet India’s needs. She was participating in exercises with the US Navy when this photograph was taken in November 2020. US NAVY

an air group of MiG-29K fighters and helicopters once her work-up is complete.

Vikrant joins the existing aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, which also has a STOBAR configuration. Formerly a Russian Project 1143.4 improved Kiev class vessel completed in 1987, she was subject to lengthy reconstruction before arriving in India early in 2014. Her air group is also based on the MiG29k multi-role fighter. These have gained a mixed reputation in Indian Navy service as a result of poor serviceability and a number of crashes.

The somewhat eclectic nature of the Indian Navy’s warships is reflected in the origins of its sole major amphibious warship, the landing platform dock Jalashwa. Commissioned in 2007, she was originally

the US Navy’s Austin class Trenton (LPD-14). The steamturbine-powered vessel was originally completed in 1971 and has both a flight deck for helicopters and a dock well for landing craft. The navy also operates a significant number of smaller amphibious vessels, including eight tank landing ships of three different types.

DESTROYERS

The Indian Navy’s flotilla of major surface combatants is headed by its roster of ten destroyers. These range from the 1980s-era Project 61ME Rajput class to the contemporary Project 15B Visakhapatnam. The three remaining Rajput class vessels were part of a class of five built in Ukraine during the Soviet-era and are export variants of the 1960s-vintage ‘Kashin’ design. The ships have a general-

The Project 15A class destroyer Kolkata is one of the most modern Indian Navy warship designs. The large array for the Israeli MF-STAR multi-function radar atop her forward mast is a principal distinguishing feature of the Project 15As and the latest 15B variants. US NAVY

 The veteran Indian Navy Rajput class destroyer Ranvijay was the last of the class to be completed when she was commissioned in December 1987. These ships are now approaching obsolescence and are being steadily withdrawn from service. US NAVY



The Indian Navy’s Beas is the last of three Project 16A frigates built by GRSE of Kolkata. They are stretched variants of the British Leander class, with which they retain a family resemblance. CONRAD WATERS

purpose configuration, with precise equipment fit varying from ship to ship due to progressive modernisation. The surviving ships are now considered obsolete and will likely soon be withdrawn as new destroyers are commissioned. The other ships that comprise the destroyer force are all based on the Project 15 Delhi class hull. Three ships

were ordered from MDSL to the original design in 1986, finally being commissioned between 1997 and 2001 after very protracted building periods. They retain the Rajput class’ general purpose configuration, but ship a broader range of weapons and sensors of Russian, Israeli and indigenous manufacture.

The three follow-on ships of the Project 15A Kolkata class were approved in 2000 and ultimately delivered between

2014 and 2016. They are significantly upgraded from the original Project 15 design, incorporating a sophisticated air defence system based on the Israeli EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multi-function radar and Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles. They are one of very few classes of warship outside the United States to be equipped with Cooperative Engagement Capability. This combines the class’s air defence sensors and weapons into an integrated

system so that the missiles of one ship can be launched on the basis of the ‘picture’ provided by another.

The most modern destroyers are the Project 15B Visakhapatnam class. The lead ship was delivered in November 2021 and three more are at various stages of trials or construction. These incorporate incremental improvements over their immediate predecessors, including a greater level of indigenous content.

The Indian Navy frigate Shivalik sails into Apra Harbor, Guam on 21 August 2021. Shivalik is the most modern Indian Navy frigate design, benefitting from a range of stealth technologies. US NAVY

FRIGATES AND CORVETTES

There are currently 12 Indian Navy frigates. Half are of local design and manufacture, with the remaining half dozen supplied by Russia. The oldest of the Indian types are the three Project 16A Brahmaputra class vessels, which were delivered by Kolkata’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) between 2000 and 2005. They were effectively stretched from the original British Leander class and, accordingly, their overall design is now largely obsolete.

The three Project 17 Shivalik class frigates completed by MDSL between 2010 and 2012 are more modern ships that were the first indigenous designs to make significant use of stealth technology. In contrast to the powerplants of recent Indian ships, their CODOG propulsion systems use American-sourced gas turbines and French-designed Pielstick diesels. They have been widely deployed in Indian Navy service and have influenced the follow-on Project 17A Nilgiri class which are now being built.

The six Russian frigates are all Project 11356 Talwar class vessels and form part of the wider ‘Krivak’ series. An initial batch of three was completed by the Saint Petersburg Baltic Shipyard between 2003 and 2004, with a further, improved, trio being delivered from the Yantar yard in Kaliningrad almost a decade later. The design has also formed the basis of

the Russian Navy’s Admiral Grigorovich class, which has been active in the current Russo-Ukrainian war.

The frontline frigates are supplemented by a force of smaller corvettes that total 11 vessels. The most modern are the quartet of Project 28 Kamorta class anti-submarine corvettes. Frigate-sized warships of nearly 3,500 tonnes, they suffered from a number of design problems that resulted in plans for more being suspended. The smaller Kora and Khukri classes are optimised for anti-surface warfare and are now being retired.

OTHER SHIPS

India’s major combatants are supplemented by a wide range of patrol and support vessels. The former encompass a diminishing number of anti-surface warfare Veer and anti-submarine Abhay class fast attack craft based on Soviet-era designs that have less relevance to current Indian Navy operations.

Instead, the current emphasis appears to be on building indigenous constabulary vessels for presence missions in areas that extend from India’s littoral zone to the far extremities of the Indian Ocean. Examples include the 14-strong Car Nicobar class of circa 350-tonne high-speed patrol vessels completed between 2009 and 2017 and the quartet of larger Saryu class offshore patrol vessels of 2013-14 vintage.

Interestingly, the Indian Navy has only a handful of the

large logistic support ships that are needed to support longerrange deployments. The most modern are a pair of Deepak class replenishment tankers built by Italy’s Fincantieri and both commissioned in 2011. Another important omission in the current fleet is that of traditional mine countermeasures vessels. This is a major weakness that any potential adversary would likely exploit.

FUTURE PLANS

The Indian Navy has an ambition for a fleet 200 ships strong, encompassing vessels of all types, under a classified Maritime Capability Perspective Plan. However, this objective has reportedly been reduced against an ongoing struggle to complete new ships in accordance with agreed timescales. In practice, the navy is only likely to achieve a modest uplift in overall fleet numbers in the short to medium term.

Despite this constraint, the navy is likely to benefit from an impressive pipeline of new construction that will produce an overall qualitative improvement while also making good existing deficiencies. For example, the surface fleet will benefit from the seven new Project 17A type frigates currently being built by an alliance of GRSE and MDSL, and a third batch of Talwar class ships that will see construction split between

The four Kamorta class anti-submarine corvettes – this is Kiltan – have been something of a disappointment and planned orders for further units will not go ahead. US NAVY

NAVY PROFILE

This photograph of the Talwar class frigate Tarkash shows her Russian A-190E 100mm gun and her various radar and satellite arrays. Six ships of the class are in operational service and four more have been ordered.

CONRAD WATERS

 A lack of logistic support ships hinders the Indian Navy’s ability to sustain operations away from home waters. This is the replenishment ship Aditya, supporting a deployment to Europe.

CONRAD WATERS

Russia and India. A large order for 16 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft –small, circa 750-tonne vessels armed with anti-submarine rocket launchers and torpedoes – will significantly boost littoral defences.

Significant enhancements should also be forthcoming in the underwater arena. Here, ongoing construction of further Arihant strategic submarines should be accompanied by work on a new air-independent propulsion-equipped Project 75I design. However, much will depend on Indian shipyards’ ability to deliver new ships on time and to budget. With China’s regional influence increasing, there are no grounds for complacency.

TYPE CLASS NO.TONNAGE DIMENSIONSPROPULSION

SUBMARINES (16)

Submarine – SSBNARIHANT

17,500+ tonnes112m x 11m x 10mNuclear, 25+ knots

Submarine – SSKProject 75 KALVARI (‘Scorpène)41,800 tonnes68m x 6m x 6m Diesel-electric, 20 knots

Submarine – SSKProject 877 EKM SINDHUGHOSH (‘Kilo’) 73,000 tonnes73m x 10m x 7m Diesel-electric, 17 knots

Submarine – SSKSHISHUMAR (Type 209) 41,900 tonnes64m x 7m x 6m Diesel-electric, 22 knots

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (2)

Aircraft Carrier (CV)VIKRANT 145,000 tonnes 262m x 62m (max) x 9m COGAG, 30 knots

Aircraft Carrier (CV) Project 1143.4 VIKRAMADITYA (KIEV) 145,000 tonnes 283m x 60m (max) x 10m Steam, 30 knots

MAJOR AMPHIBIOUS UNITS (1)

Landing Platform Dock - LPD JALASHWA (AUSTIN) 117,000 tonnes173m x 26/30m x 7mSteam, 21 knots

DESTROYERS (10)

Destroyer – DDGProject 15B VISAKHAPATNAM17,400 tonnes163m x 17m x 7mCOGAG, 30+knots

Destroyer – DDGProject 15A KOLKATA 37,400 tonnes163m x 17m x 7mCOGAG, 30+knots

Destroyer – DDGProject 15 DELHI 36,700 tonnes163m x 17m x 7mCOGAG, 32 knots

Destroyer – DDGProject 61 ME RAJPUT (‘Kashin’)35,000 tonnes147m x 16m x 5mCOGAG, 35 knots

FRIGATES (12)

Frigate – FFGProject 17 SHIVALIK 36,200 tonnes143m x 17m x 5mCODOG, 30 knots

Frigate – FFGProject 11356 TALWAR 64,000 tonnes125m x 15m x 5mCOGAG, 30 knots

Frigate – FFGProject 16A BRAHMAPUTRA34,000 tonnes127m x 15m x 5mSteam, 30 knots

CORVETTES (11)

Corvette – FSGProject 28 KAMORTA 43,400 tonnes109m x 13m x Diesel, 25 knots

Corvette – FSGProject 25A KORA 41,400 tonnes91m x 11m x 5mDiesel, 25 knots

Corvette – FSGProject 25 KHUKRI 31,400 tonnes91m x 11m x 5mDiesel, 25 knots

IN THE ENGINE ROOM

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A CAREER AT SEA?

It is something I always wanted to do, from my last year at school, when I was inspired by a recruitment poster for a career as a merchant navy engineer officer. I was initially unable to follow this path when I left school, as there were very few cadetships and all places had been taken, so instead I followed a family tradition and joined the army, serving in the Royal Engineers.

HOW DID YOUR CAREER PROGRESS?

I spent seven years in the Royal Engineers, with postings to Germany and Northern Ireland. I also completed mechanical engineering courses at military colleges, and an ElectroMechanical Engineering Clerk of Works course at the Royal School of Military Engineering. After leaving the army I worked ashore as an electrical service engineer on electronic thyristor-controlled equipment.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST SHIP YOU SERVED ON?

The desire to work at sea, as an engineer, never left me and, while still working ashore, I decided to explore the possibilities of working at sea. I found out about as many shipping companies as I could, and sent over 100 letters to many of them, applying for engineering positions. Most were unable to offer anything to someone without seagoing experience or STCW certification. But one offer that really interested me came from

the NERC (Natural Environment Research Council), to work on UK scientific research ships as motorman. After serving two trips on board RRS Discovery (1962) as motorman, I was notified that I was eligible to take my Marine Engineer Officer Class 4 oral examination, having gained four months’ sea time in an engineering capacity. NERC then kindly signed me on as Fifth Engineer, and as soon as I completed the required sea time, I passed the oral exam and obtained my Class 4 certificate.

WHAT WAS YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE?

I served for many years on NERC vessels, carrying out worldwide scientific research, and was promoted to Chief Engineer in 2006. I found the scientific research extremely interesting, and during this period I spent three years with British Antarctic Survey. After getting married, in 2011, I left deepsea and worked on offshore vessels before moving to Red Funnel ferries as Chief and Senior Chief Engineer for three years. After leaving Red Funnel I took a position as technical superintendent with the Scilly Isles Steam Ship Group, and after that as technical manager with Western Ferries on the Clyde. I now work for Stena Line as Chief Engineer.

ON WHAT OTHER SHIPS HAVE YOU WORKED ON?

I have worked on a range of ships, as well as the scientific research

Chief Engineer Ian Slater in the engine control room on Stena Europe.

Ian Slater, Chief Engineer on the Fishguard-Rosslare ferry Stena Europe, describes his engineering background and explains his role on board the ship.

vessels mentioned above. I served as Chief Engineer on tugs, ro-ro vessels, ro-pax ships and offshore vessels, as well serving on dredgers as Second Engineer. The first ship on which I was Chief Engineer was RRS Charles Darwin, operated by the British Natural Environment Research Council and which, since 2006, has been the geophysical survey vessel Ocean Researcher.

WHAT ARE YOUR DAY-TODAY ROUTINES IN THE ENGINE ROOM?

There are many jobs on an average day. My central role is to oversee the machinery and vessel status. I liaise with the Master and Chief Officer on the status of the vessel and alert them to any potential issues. I supervise and oversee the work of the engineering department, including contractors. Other aspects of the job involve checking the fuel status and ordering fuel as required; attending safety and weekly department meetings; ensuring spare parts and consumable items are obtained, and planned maintenance and defect systems are up-to-date and correct; liaising with Class, Port State and the Technical Superintendent, as required, over vessel technical issues; carrying out periodic machinery space inspections; formulating vessel annual refit specification; and responding to numerous daily emails.

HOW MANY ENGINEERS ARE EMPLOYED, AND WHAT KIND OF SHIFTS DO THEY WORK?

Due to the nature and legal requirements of ferry services, the engine room is always crewed. We have a day and a night shift providing cover 24 hours a day. The day shift consists of the day Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Third Engineer, Fourth Engineer and motorman. The night shift consists of the night Chief Engineer, as well as Third and Fourth Engineers and motorman.

WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES YOU HAVE SEEN IN ENGINES AND SYSTEMS?

Autonomous control of vessels, and fully integrated machinery control systems. The introduction of all-electric vessels, specifically on short ferry routes, is significant, as is the need to make vessels greener, with cleaner fuels and new fuel types, and the use of solar and wind energy on vessels.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

As with the motor vehicle industry, we have seen an increasing number of electric vessels in operation and, as technology advances, that trend will continue. The need for cleaner and renewable energy sources is obvious and this will ultimately bring about huge changes in future vessel design and operation.

Main engine space, showing the aft end of main engine No.3 and the gearbox.

Purifier and fuel treatment space.

Stena Europe at her berth in Rosslare Harbour.vw

 The main engine space, showing main engines no.1 and no.2.  The main engine space, viewed from above the main engines.

CHARTROOM SHIPS MAIL PADDLE POWER

Lulworth Cove. My wife did a trip on her to Lundy Island in the 1980s.

I enjoyed the article about the famous paddle steamer Waverley (SM, Oct), although I remain a little confused about what constitutes a Diamond Jubilee, and so it seems does the Cambridge Dictionary Waverley is one year older than I am, and I have enjoyed some splendid outings on her over the years, including a sailing down the River Clyde and another along the coast from Portsmouth to

Floating theme parks?

Cruise ships are becoming more and more like theme parks, hosting incredible state-of-the-art activities that would never have been possible 20 years ago. The brand-new Disney Wish, for example, features a watercoaster called the Aquamouse, which Disney is marketing as the first ever real Disney attraction at sea.

Another notable example is when Carnival incorporated the first ever roller coaster on a cruise ship, when the ‘Bolt’ was installed on the

The survival of the ship shows how much hard work and dedication has been put into the work of preservation at all levels, from the engineers to the fund raising volunteers. All society members are to be congratulated.

A few weeks ago I was in Portsmouth and saw Waverley returning to the Harbour Station pier to offload her happy passengers, who had been out in the Solent, possibly around the Isle of Wight or down the coast to Bournemouth. Waverley’s return that evening had followed that

new Mardi Gras in 2020. Carnival plans to add two more roller coasters on the upcoming Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee. The much anticipated MSC World Europa also has the tallest dry slide at sea. The Spiral is situated in the interior walkway, and spans 11 decks. Also, the model of the onboard water park suggests that MSC World Europa will be the first cruise ship to feature a tornado-style slide, but MSC Cruises are yet to confirm this.

MSC Cruises also recently announced that on their upcoming

MYSTERY RUSSIAN TANKER

I am a recent subscriber to SM, and after reading and enjoying the articles about Russian Ships, I was prompted to scan the attached two negatives that I took of the tanker Petr Schmidt at Milford Haven on 2 October 1999. I was on the ferry Isle of Innisfree at the time, as a passenger on my way to Rosslare.

I have been trying to find out more information about the ships that

I photographed around this time, yet my efforts to search online have failed to bring up any information on this ship, other than that she may have been part of a maritime legal case in 1997-98. I also cannot find her in my 1999 Lloyds Register so any information about the vessel’s tonnage, size, IMO, career and fate would be most welcome

Andy Prime, by email

of HMS Prince of Wales, which had returned to Portsmouth Naval Base after her unfortunate breakdown.

The breakdown gave me an offthe-wall idea: perhaps the UK MoD should have built aircraft carriers powered by paddle wheels. After all, in World War II the United States Navy had two aircraft carriers powered by

MSC Seascape there will be a new ride which seats three guests suspended on a robotic arm on the top deck. It spins, rises, rotates and even takes riders upside down. The production of these floating theme parks is not going to stop. Soon, drop-towers, ferris wheels and other theme park rides may be included on cruise ships, which are becoming more and more like floating theme parks, offering new attractions to appeal to a younger clientele. And I think I speak for all theme-parkloving cruisers when I say that I am looking forward to seeing what the future brings.

Gabriel Moss

Byron Bay, Australia

Not being scrapped

A couple of reports about cruise ships (SM, Oct) are not quite accurate. Carnival Elation is not going for breaking and indeed it was only in 2017 that an additional deck was added to the ship. Secondly, Zenith has been scrapped at Alang, India and not Vietnam.

Arthur W. Sales Bishopton, Renfrewshire

Naief Dubai

I wondered if any reader knows about the ship Naief Dubai. In 1975 she was at Port Rashid, Dubai and was privately owned by the ex-ruler of Qatar. My husband worked on her as an engineer from February 1975 until April 1976 and, for several weeks, until our shore accommodation was ready, we lived aboard. The ship used to be a cruise liner called, I believe,

Stella Solaris. I would be interested in knowing something of the ship’s history and also what happened to her after we had left her.

Diana Coode Portsmouth

Battle of the Atlantic

I have been involved in the 50th, 60th, 70th and now 80th Commemoration of Battle of the Atlantic in Liverpool and have found on Merseyside three very active veterans from the battle. What gentlemen: two are aged 98 and the other is 100 years of age. There are two others who are housebound, but who love to chat about their lives.

So I am wondering: are there any more Merchant Navy Battle of the Atlantic veterans still around? I have found tracing them very difficult, as their affinity is usually to their old shipping lines, whereas the Royal Navy veterans are linked together. I would like to interview them as part of our Bank Holiday commemorations, and share their brilliant stories.

The red that runs through my veins is all the Red Ensign, although I do not mind any contact from Blue or White.I can be contacted via email: p.brown387@ntlworld. com, by telephone 01516778508 and mobile 07778422578. And I would be delighted to hear from veterans.

Pamela Brown Birkenhead, Wirral

World War II battle

I recently picked up my first issue of your magazine (Sep 2022) and immediately found myself engrossed in the world

paddles, USNS Wolverine and USNS Sable. Admittedly their operations were confined to the North American Great Lakes and they were only used for flying and deck landing training of US and allied naval pilots, but they performed a vital function.

A.J. Slatter

Reigate, Surrey

Waverley passes HMS Prince of Wales, as seen from the beach at Alverstoke, near Gosport.

Write to Ships Mail, Ships Monthly, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL, or email sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk. Please note that letters via email must enclose sender’s full postal address. Contributions to Ships Monthly must be exclusive and must not be sent to other publications. The editor reserves the right to edit material. Kelsey Media reserves the right to reuse any submission in any format.

within the pages. I was particularly interested in the Six Dreadful Months article, depicting the Royal Navy’s low point of World War II, and was not expecting to read about the battle my own grandfather had participated in. The 80th anniversary of that battle was marked in May of this year.

The battle resulted in the sinking of HMS Edinburgh. My grandfather served aboard HMS Foresight, which, along with HMS Forester, fought bravely against significantly larger German destroyers. It was HMS Foresight (with her last torpedo) which ultimately scuttled Edinburgh, preventing gold bullion falling into enemy hands. HMS Foresight was herself sunk just months later, in

MYSTERY SHIP

VINTAGE PORT: AN ANNUAL REUNION ENJOYED

There

Following

August 1942, while she was involved in Operation Pedestal.

Thank you for this wonderful surprise. It made me feel that my grandfather (whom I miss dearly) was close by. I will continue to enjoy Ships Monthly, which will help me to build upon my seafaring knowledge

Rowan MacDonald Kingston, Tasmania

OCTOBER’S MYSTERY

Long term reader

I have read the recent correspondence (SM, May) regarding long-term readers of Ships Monthly. I have volumes one to 12 beautifully bound, having taken advantage of a service offered by the publisher whereby they bound them and returned them, including an index at a small extra cost.

I was introduced to the magazine by a friend of my father, who was an early contributor. R.G. Robertson had served on HMS Hood and wrote about his experiences. I have been reading and collecting Ships Monthly since January 1966, when the price was 3 shillings, and still enjoy the magazine now I live in Australia. Colin Williamson, Queensland

1985 the ship was sold to Thai Boon Roong Trading and renamed Perwira. In 1986 she became Thai Hong under unknown Honduran flag owners. The ship sprang a leak in 1987 in Madras outer anchorage and was scrapped locally two years later.

The photo was taken at Newcastle, NSW, off Lee Wharf. Storm was chartered by Holm & Co in 1969 but was laid up in Dunedin in 1974. Because she is in Holm & Co funnel colours the photo can be dated to between 1969 and 1974.

Peter Cundall

THIS MONTH’S MYSTERY SHIP

The mystery ship is an interesting one and shows the 225gt tug Warunda, which was built by Adelaide Ship Construction for Waratah Towage Co in 1966. She was nominally transferred to Adelaide SS Co, one of Waratah’s partners, in 1968 and moved from Sydney to Newcastle. The tug was transferred to Adelaide in 1977 and ended up being sold and converted to a trawler (still in the same name), but after her sale to Gaibres P/L in 1994 no further information about her

is available. She is seen in Waratah colours. She was a single-screw tug, but most unusually this was fitted as a controllable pitch propeller.

The ship behind Warunda is Storm (931grt), built by Scott & Son, Bowling in 1961 for Canterbury SS Co, NZ and sold in 1972 to Holm & Co, Wellington. In 1975 she was bought by Crossworld Navigation and Brokerage, as Sourabaya Fortune under the Singapore flag, before being sold in 1977 to Pacific Int’l Lines and becoming Kota Perwira. In

This month’s mystery shows a vintage coaster, with the letters ‘Canas’ visible on the bow, but the rest of her name is illegible. So can you identify her positively? For which company did she operate? When and where was she built?

Send answers, including a postal address, by email to: sm.ed@kelsey.co.uk; or by post to Mystery Ship, Ships Monthly, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Kent ME18 6AL. Emails preferred.

Port Line’s Old Boys’ Association (‘ Vintage Port’) held their annual luncheon at the Victory Services Club in London on 22 September.

was much swinging of lanterns between Port Line’s former seafarers (and some wives), with recollections of the the ships belonging to one of the Red Ensign’s classic fleets.

the successful and enjoyable reunion, Vintage Port is calling all ‘Old Boys’ associations, and would be pleased to hear from other former shipping company employees and former employees’ organisations

We feel that photographs of reunion events will raise awareness of these

organisations, and should also help to build membership.Vintage Port welcomes all former employees from branches of the Cunard group to

join. Membership can be through the Vintage Port website: groups.io/g/ vintageport. Talbot Clark, Humberside

CHARTROOM SHIPS LIBRARY bookof themonth

What happened to the Battleship: 1945 to the present Carl Douglas and Björn Hagberg

Published by Seaforth Publishing, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS; info@seaforthpublishing. com; www.seaforthpublishing. com;price £30.

This new book tells the story of the slow demise of the world’s battleships. It examines the decisions made by the major world powers after World War II, and their aspirations to retain battleships in their navies, despite financial stringency, and it places the history and role of battleships in their geopolitical context, centred around the Cold War and the need for the West to face down an aggressive Soviet Union. It also examines the impact on battleships of new technological developments,

and finally to the modern day migrant issues in the Mediterranean.

Among the other significant wrecks described in the book are many wellknown ones, such as Titanic in 1912, Lusitania in 1915 and Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945, as well as some lesser-known incidents, such as Oceanos in 1991 and Al Dana in 2006. The accounts are all well-written and -researched, with information about the wrecks today, and there is a selection of photographs in the central spine. NL

The 50 Greatest Shipwrecks

Richard M. Jones

Historian Richard M. Jones has put together stories about 50 ships that were wrecked throughout history which are among the most important, infamous and in some cases tragic shipwrecks in history. The book is arranged chronologically, and starts with the famous Mary Rose of 1545, with a full description of her sinking and the events that surrounded it.

The Mary Rose story is the first of many interesting and sometimes extraordinary cases when ships were wrecked. Following the account of Mary Rose is the story of an unknown wreck on the small island of Alderney in the Channel Islands in 1592, and this is followed by ships that were wrecked during the two World Wars, into the age of the passenger ferry

• Published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, tel 01226 734555price £19.99.

notably the atom bomb and the guided missile.

Many books written about battleships written hitherto bring the curtain down on the careers of such ships in September 1945, with the surrender of Japan. Yet, on that day, some 98 battleships or ex battleships still remained around the world and 11 were in or around Tokyo Bay for the Surrender itself.

Detailed histories of the ships’ post-war careers focus particularly on ships of the Royal Navy, and on the United States battleship operations in Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War, as well as the deterrent role played by battleships for NATO from the 1950s to the 1990s. Finally, it brings the story up to date by documenting the preservation as Museum ships of the eight dreadnoughts which still exist in the United States.

Fletcher (a contributor to Ships Monthly), it showcases the wide variety of ships and vessels using the port, with detailed captions providing plenty of technical, historical and background information. The ships include coasters, dredgers, fishing vessels, and many more. JM

• Published by Coastal Shipping Publications, 400 Nore Road, Portishead, Bristol BS20 8EZ, orders@coastalshipping.co.uk, www. coastalshipping.co.uk, tel 01275 846178, 132 pages, price £19.95, plus £1.95 UK postage, £6 overseas

naval forces to fend off the Soviet Union and later Germany. Procuring ships from French, British, and Dutch shipyards, Poland built a small but capable navy led by destroyers and submarines. Even though the Grom class ships were two of the fastest and best-armed destroyers of the war, the Polish fleet would stand little chance against the Kriegsmarine in 1939. Three destroyers managed to get away to Britain, followed by two submarines, while the rest of the fleet was either sunk or captured.

In this well-illustrated book, Polish naval expert Przmyslaw Budzbon explains how the Polish Navy was developed during the inter-war years, and surveys its contribution in exile to the war effort using Poland’s surviving warships, as well as British-built destroyers, submarines, MTBs and a cruiser. There is a series of excellent colour line drawings, with plenty of technical data and historical information.

Teignmouth and its ships

David Fletcher

This 96-page full colour photographic book consists of a collection of high-quality images of ships and shipping using the small Devon port of Teignmouth. Written by local maritime photographer David

The Polish Navy 1918-45: From the Polish-Soviet War to World War II Przmyslaw Budzbon

From its independence in 1918 Poland had to rapidly develop new

The author recounts how, most famously, the Polish destroyer Piorun took on the fleeing Bismarck in a lone gun duel during World War II, and how Poles contributed to the Allied efforts in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Arctic Convoys and at the Normandy Landings. PS

• Published by Osprey Publishing, Kemp House, Chawley Park, Cumnor Hill, Oxford, OX2 9PH; info@ospreypublishing.com; www. ospreypublishing.com; £11.99.

This 416-page book by Chris Baker will appeal equally to the historic ship enthusiast and naval specialist, while it also provides a novel perspective through a battleship-shaped lens on the late 20th century for the more general historian. PS

Please mention Ships Monthly when responding

For list and sample please send £3.95 to Mr D. Smith, 18 Shotley Close, Clacton On Sea, Essex. CO16 7LJ Email: mail@phototransport.com Please mention Ships Monthly when responding If you are looking for a good home for your treasured pictures then please email us or

Allan Jordan explores the impressive new Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Cruise Line’s first new class of cruise ship in a decade.

GULF OF MEXICO FERRIES • The ferries, or ‘transbordadores’, working the Sea of Cortez, connecting the Baja California peninsula with the Mexican mainland.

NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD • Today, Norfolk Navy Yard is the biggest and greatest naval base in the world, and has a history stretching back over 250 years.

WHITE STAR’S OLYMPIC CLASS • In the 111 years since the maiden voyage of the liner Olympic, White Star Line’s fabled Olympic class ships Olympic, Titanic and Britannic remain firmly fixed in the public imagination.

WAVERLEY ON TOUR • During the autumn the paddle steamer Waverley made a welcome return to the south coast of England and the Thames.

ON BOARD HMS PRINCE OF WALES • In June 2022 the 65,000-ton Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales sailed from the Spanish port of Rota to conduct training as part of the FLOTEX exercise.

PHOTOTRANSPORT

We always try to find films that will show you things we have never been able to do before, which is no simple task, but amongst the many requests we get are for film of both cargo liners and the great ocean liners of the past, showing them being built, launched, speed trials and taking you with them on their sea voyages around the world, and as you sail on some of the world’s most famous ocean liners you will also be able to see all over them from top to bo�om, from bow to stern, from bridge to deepest engine room, most of which has been out of bounds to non-crew members but now with the help of these two new DVDs you will be able to sit back and enjoy seeing every working part from the crews perspec�ve (Places that passengers seldom if ever see) and the end result is nothing short of amazing, plus all the other excitement of seeing ships never seen on film before… terrific!

We are so proud and pleased to be able to bring you these programmes especially a�er all we have had to endure over the past few years, but whereas the whole world are pushing up prices ours stay exactly the same as they were when we first started doing this work 35 years ago… They both last for approximately 70 mins and we s�ll have our special offer running for Christmas whereby if you buy two DVDs we will give you another one absolutely free, which is a huge saving and now you have 52 �tles to choose from, making this a perfect gi� for someone special and anyone interested in shipping, so turn back the hands of �me and enjoy these very rare and special treats.

To order go to our website at: (Where you will find details of all 52 DVDs in this remarkable series) or write to us at Snowbow Produc�ons (2000) Ltd, 145 The Promenade, Peacehaven, East Sussex, BN10 7HN or just call us on: 585391/584470… DVDs Cost £18.95p each incl P&P UK. And finally, here to get you in a really great Christmas mood is the other half of our own, specially drawn Christmas Card, perhaps reflec�ng how a lot of us feel a�er the celebra�ons are all over and we’ve slightly overindulged, mind you, you’ll s�ll be able to watch these programmes as you will over and over again. And to send you off with a smile, here’s how poor old Father Christmas might look on his return journey a�er delivering presents all over the world to everyone…

A Merry, Merry Christmas to you all