On 13th December the 25,993gt/2007 built Athena Seaways arrived in Fredericia from Italy, where she replaced the Corona Seaways on the Fredericia-Klaipeda service until 19th December. The 25,609gt/2008 built Corona Seaways was off service at the shipyard in Landskrona, Sweden, where the damage caused by her recent fire (4th December) was being repaired.

On 14th January Brittany Ferries announced their much anticipated newbuild for the Santander services. The 52,500gt, 2,474 passenger capacity LNG powered ship, costing some 270 million euros (£225 million) will be built by STX France in St. Nazaire and she will enter service in late spring 2017. This new ship, the first of her type to serve the U.K, will replace the Pont-Aven, which will move to the Portsmouth-St Malo route in place of the Bretagne. She will be 201 metres long with a 32 metre beam and 7 metre draught. There will be 12 decks, 675 cabins and space for 800 cars.

After three years on charter to Allferries SA, Albanian Ferries, the 10,002gt/1974 built Vana Tallinn (now Adriatica Queen) has been sold by Tallink, presumably to the present operator, as of 12th December. Tallink services were also in the headlines on 12th December when the internal ramp aboard the 36,249gt/2007 built Star collapsed after arrival in Helsinki. Trucks were parked on the ramp and one driver was reported as being slightly injured.

Austal was pleased (and no doubt relieved) to announce in early January that Hull 270, the 102 metre Tri-maran featured in this magazine when brand new, has found a buyer in Europe. No further details are available but the 6,253gt/2010 built demonstration craft had previously been linked to the defunct Euroferries and, in 2013, Condor Ferries. The transaction is due to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Conflicting reports suggest that Sunlink Ferries may be intending to restart the Ostend-Ramsgate service in 2014 using the renamed 8,097gt/1978 built Ardenia (ex-Gardenia). This may well prove to be pie in the sky whilst the 14,458gt/1976 Larkspur has now also been sold to Oilchart for 870,000 Euro.

Cobelfret has commenced a new Lo-Lo service from Avonmouth to Leixoes in Portugal.
The fire damaged 24,196gt/2000 built Britannia Seaways returned to traffic after repairs on 27th December between Esbjerg and Immingham.

The 22,152gt/1998 built Stena Alegra arrived at Wellington, New Zealand, on 29th December to replace the damaged 17,816gt/1998 built Aratere. She was expected to enter service on 12th January.
The 13,284gt/1976 built Moby Fantasy (above) has finally met her end on the beaches of Aliaga where she arrived on 9th January.

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s 590gt/1981 built Gry Maritha (above) was dry docked in Penzance on 2nd January after grounding on Crow Rock, St. Mary’s on 30th December at 1815. The master of the vessel was breathalysed by police but the test was negative. The St. Mary’s harbour master inspected the vessel from a launch but saw no visible damage. Divers took a closer look and cleared the vessel for return to Penzance where a second inspection took place. The vessel supplies the islands year round, three days a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.