The Finnish Bore Group is selling its general cargo ship fleet to focus on Ro-Ro operations. The small size of this fleet had left Bore in an uncompetitive position against larger players in the general cargo sector. The 2,997gt Fingard (built 2000) and Swegard (built 2001) have already been delivered to new owners whilst the 2,780gt Nordgard (built 1999), the 2,868gt Sydgard and Westgard (both built 2000) and the 2,868gt Ostgard (built 2001) are being sold to Wagenborg, for delivery by the end of December 2014. Bore will concentrate on Ro-Ro shipping from 2015 and employs nine such modern and efficient vessels.

Bore and P&O Ferries have agreed to add a further Ro-Ro vessel to the longstanding partnership in the North Sea. The 18,205gt/1999 built Estraden will be added to the vessel portfolio sailing for P&O alongside the Norsky, Norstream and Bore Song. She will move to her new route in January 2015 from Mann Lines services to Harwich Navyard. The Estraden is similar to her new fleetmates and is equipped with Norsepower wind rotors and NAPA route optimisation equipment, which reduce the ship’s fuel consumption. Mann Lines ooperate five other Ro-Ro vessels at present and have entered in to an agreement with UECC to combine their strengths in the Baltic and North Sea. UECC will sell so-called High & Heavy capacity to Mann Lines who will market and sell this space to their existing client base and the general cargo market.