The 11,907gt/1975 built Banasa, ex-Mette Mols (above), formerly of the bankrupt Moroccan state-company Comarit-Comanav was towed from Algeciras to Aliaga and beached.

However, she has since been purchased by European Seaways for service between Italy and Albania so has been removed from the beach in Turkey and towed to her new life.

In mid-September red Star Ferries further enhanced their fleet by acquiring the 12,711gt/1981 built Ibn Batouta, another victim of the Comarit/Comanav collapse. The fleet had been idle for months with an auction also sealing this ship’s future when sold for around €1m.

Built as Sealink’s St. Christopher, the ferry will undergo an intensive refurbishment at the Bijela shipyard ahead of a possible deployment on the Bari- Durres service.