Grimaldi Line commenced a new Savona- Barcelona service on 16th January using the 26,302gt/2004 built Florencia (above), departing from Italy on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

China’s first purposely designed and built Ro-Pax ferry, the San Sha No.1, quietly entered service on 1st January 2015. The ship was delivered to China’s southernmost city, Sansha, in Hainan Province to tackle the city’s lack of transportation capacity. The 122.3m long and 21m beam ship can accommodate up to 456 passengers and 20 standard trailers. She operates between Qinglan Port in Wenchang city, Hainan Province and Yongxing Island of Sansha City and replaces the Qiongsha No.3.

Comarit: The long laid up 20,182gt/1976 built ferry Berkane finally left Almeria under tow for scrap on 22nd January.

Finnlines has purchased the 23,235gt/2003 built Ro-Ro ship previously known as the Dorset and Longstone. Now named Finnmerchant, she is employed on the Hanko-Rostock service, which opened on 19th January 2015.

Fjord1, the Norwegian transport conglomerate, has ordered two ferries designed by Multi Maritime. The ferries will be built at the Ada Shipyard in Tuzla in Turkey and shipped to Norway for a mid-2016 debut. The newbuilds will be 70m long doubleended ferries with capacity for 60 cars and 199 passengers.

M.V. Balmoral: On 26th January 2015 came a breakthrough for the Balmoral Fund when their successful bid to the Coastal Communities Fund was announced. The fund has been awarded £344,000 phased over two years so the ship should be offering cruises in 2015. There are conditions that need to be met for this funding but now it is full steam ahead to get everything in place for a 2015 season of sailings aboard the 688gt/1949 built former Solent passenger ferry Balmoral and your support is vital.

The Medway Queen Preservation Society announced in January that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) had awarded a Transition Grant for 2015. After the success of the Medway Queen’s hull rebuild in Bristol, and the euphoria of the ship’s return to Medway in November 2013, 2014 was something of an anti-climax. In the early months of 2015 the society will plan and implement a much needed re-organisation and begin preparation for major funding applications thanks to the latest grant. The society also hopes to raise funds to be able to make a temporary move to Ramsgate to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Dunkirk with the Little Ships.

SNCM: On the closing date for offers to buy SNCM there were seven interested parties including Baja Ferries. The decision will be announced from mid-March.

Tattershall Castle: Having been released from her Victoria Embankment moorings on the River Thames over the weekend of 17th/18th January the former River Humber paddle steamer Tattershall Castle was towed down the Thames on 19th January, stopping off overnight at Woolwich. She was then towed up the east coast to the port of Hull where she arrived on Friday 23rd January to receive a £1.5m refurbishment at MMS Shiprepair’s dry dock in Alexandra Dock. The Tattershall Castle was built by W Gray & Co in 1934 and was a 1,050 passenger capacity ferry across the Humber estuary.

Wightlink’s 2,546gt/2008 built Wight Sun returned to Lymington from refit in Cherbourg on 21st January and the 5,359gt/2001 built St. Clare passed back through the western Solent (above) on the morning of 25th January on her return voyage to Portsmouth from refit at Falmouth. The 2,968gt/1987 built St. Cecilia headed for Falmouth on 6th February with her younger sister St. Faith having done likewise in December. The unavailability of the usual commercial dry dock at Portsmouth is the reason why 8 of the Solent’s 10 car ferries have had to to be refitted far from home this winter.