German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft launched its latest Ro-Ro for former parent company Siem Europe yesterday. 209.79m-long LIEKUT is a sister to LEEVSTEN and will be delivered in March 2020. Â LIEKUT is the eighth and final to be delivered of a series of 4,100 lane metre capacity Ro-Ro’s ordered from the yard by Siem. Â
LEEVSTEN is currently lying idle close to the yard having been delivered in late August but having not yet found a charterer.  The name LIEKUT means ‘straight ahead’ in Low Saxon language, with the new ship named using the naming scheme as LEEVSTEN which means ‘dearest’ in the language. LIEKUT was launched only as a hull with her superstructure to be lifted onboard by a heavy lift crane in the coming days, as happened with the vessels before her including W.B. YEATS.
Suggestions Production of Irish Ferries Vessel on Hold
Industry publisher Shippax (paywalled) meanwhile reports that whilst Irish Ferries’ new ship yard number 777 is still next to be built, they understand that steel production has come to a standstill. The yard currently appears to be concentrating on delivering Brittany Ferries HONFLEUR in the first half of next year after delivery of the LNG Diesel-Electric powered ship was delayed from the middle of 2019. The as-yet unnamed yard number 777 is scheduled to be delivered late next year according to Irish Continental Groups Half-year report for 2019. The latest official delivery date given for HONFLEUR is spring 2020.
