Month: August 2015
Image of Le Rif being towed a “false alarm”.
The former Galloway Princess / Stena Galloway is still in Morocco. The image of the former IMTC ferry Le Rif (ex Galloway Princess, Stena Galloway) being towed last month, which caused many (including NIFS) to believe she may be on her final journey, appears to have been a false alarm.  As recently as yesterday (15/8/15) she has been spotted at Tangier Med II.  It appears, therefore, that Le Rif was simply being moved within the port last month, rather than being towed to either further operations, or as thought, to a beach for dismantling / recycling.  It has been reported by some sources that Le Rif has been sold to interests based in Dubai, however this has not yet been confirmed.  As reported by NIFS a few days ago, former fleet mate and part-sister ship Ibn Batouta (ex St Christopher. Stena Antrim) has left Algeciras under the tow of tug Brucoli, with a ... Read more
Further doubt cast over the future of Larne – Troon ferry service.
Troon service to be axed totally? Further doubt has been cast over the future of the Larne-Troon ferry service, following the publication of P&O’s Cairnryan sailing schedule up until 2017. Â It had been expected by many that one of the current Cairnryan vessels would operate to Troon next year, effectively reducing the sailing frequency of the service from Larne – Cairnryan. Â However, the new schedule is unchanged from this years, meaning that both vessels will most likely remain on the Cairnryan service as passenger bookings are already being taken for EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY and EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER. Of course, other options to save the service from the axe remain, including running a freighter to either Troon or Cairnryan. Â However, berthing constraints at Larne, Cairnryan and Troon make finding another vessel a difficult task, particularly when factoring in the need for increased vehicle deck height in order to be able to continue to ... Read more
Former Stena Antrim towed to Albania, unknown destination for the former Galloway Princess.
Could further service beckon for Ibn Batouta? The Ibn Batouta (ex St Christopher, Stena Antrim) left the port of Algeciras under the tow of the tug Brucoli on Tuesday, having been helped from the position she was occupying in the port by local tugs VB Twenty and VB Algeciras. Her apparent destination is Durres in Albania. Ibn Batouta had been sold at auction earlier this year for just €1,027,000, having been laid up since Janurary 2012 following the collapse of the COMARIT group (of which her operator COMANAV was a part).  It is believed that Ibn Batouta may be the only one of the group of 4 COMARIT group ferries which have left Algeciras in the past few weeks not purchased for breaking, with the purchaser rumoured to have been the owner of the Italy-Albania ferry Red Star 1 (1965).  Bari (ex St Anslem, Stena Cambria, Isla de Botafoc), a sister ship of the ... Read more