AS Tallink Grupp subsidiary Tallink Superfast Limited has entered into agreement with Medinvest SpA (Corsica Ferries Group) to sell the 36,277gt/2008 built ferry Superstar for €91.5 million. Concurrently AS Tallink Grupp and Medinvest SpA have entered into a bareboat charter agreement and Tallink will continue to operate the vessel on its Tallinn- Helsinki route shuttle service until early 2017, when Tallink’s new LNG fast ferry enters service on the same route. The change of the ownership and start of the charter period is planned in December 2015.

Disposal of the former Bahamas Celebration/Princesse Ragnhild (above, 35,438gt/1981) saw the ship arrive at Alang on 15th October.

IoMSPCo’s 12,747gt/1998 built Ben-My-Chree was diverted to 12 Quays in Birkenhead on the evening of 2nd November after heavy fog at Heysham meant she was unable to dock. The morning’s 0845 service was scheduled to arrive in Heysham at 1215. However, after dense fog thwarted two attempts to dock, the Steam Packet Company contacted Stena Line to negotiate the use of a berth at Birkenhead. The Ben arrived at 12 Quays at 1900 that evening, but was only able to offload before returning to the Island, with an arrival time of midnight.

Nordic HSC AB of Sweden officially took control of the former P&O Ferries fast ferry Express (5,902gt/1998) at Belfast on 14th October.

Seatruck added a third ship to their Liverpool-Dublin service from 17th November. Reports suggest that the 7,606gt/1998 built Clipper Ranger will be the ship allocated to this role to provide much needed additional mid-week departures.

St. Peter Line has reportedly been the subject of a 25% purchase by a Chinese private equity firm. This could pave the way for new tonnage and possibly a joint venture in to the cruise market.

Stena Line’s veteran freight/rail ferry, the 7,504gt/1973 built Stena Scanrail, was sold in October to Istanbul Lines for further service in Turkey as the Birdeniz.

The former TransEuropa/P&O Ferries/ Townsend Thoresen favourite Oleander (above)/Pride of Bruges/Pride of Free Enterprise, now the Sherbatskiy (13,728gt/1980) reportedly sailed for disposal from Almeria on 30th October.

Fleetmate Vronskiy (above, 13,505gt/1978), the former Wisteria/Duc De Normandie/ Prinses Beatrix is also said to be sales listed. European Seaways are to rename the former Comarit vessel Banasa (11,907gt/ 1975) as the Galaxy.

Viking Line’s 37,860gt/1985 built Mariella (above) suffered a serious internal water leak on 10th October that affected around 50 cabins. The problem occurred, when the cruise ferry was sailing between Stockholm and Helsinki. The leak stemmed from the main fire-fighting system and affected decks 4/5. Passengers from that area were moved to other cabins on the conference deck.

Tranzrail’s former ferry Arahura (above, 12,735gt/1983) was beached at Alang in early November for demolition.