CORSICA Linea confirmed in a press release this afternoon that they are to take STENA SUPERFAST X on long-term charter from Stena RoRo, as we reported this morning. The 2002-built ferry is to go for a two-month long refit in March. She is to be fitted with over 100 additional cabins, taking her complement to 158. In addition, a reclining seat lounge will also be installed. As mentioned in our report earlier today, exhaust gas scrubbers will also be fitted. Despite the replacement of public spaces with cabins, it appears that her passenger capacity will remain at 1,200.
Renamed A NEPITA, she will fly the French flag. CORSICA Linea also say that they will recruit an additional 150 seafarers to man her. During the coming summer she will serve the company’s routes to Algeria. This won’t be STENA SUPERFAST X‘s first time in North African waters, as she previously briefly sailed between Marseille and Tunisia in 2007 as JEAN NICOLI for Tunisian operator CoTuNav during a charter from CORSICA Linea’s predecessor company SNCM. SNCM had purchased the vessel earlier in the same year, but having failed to win the contract for the route she was purchased for, she was offered for sale or charter.
Following a further short-term charter she was sold to SeaFrance and converted to a day ferry for operation between Dover and Calais as SEAFRANCE MOLIERE. After the demise of SeaFrance she sailed for DFDS on the same route as DIEPPE SEAWAYS. She was purchased by Stena RoRo in early-2014 and refitted for Stena Line service between Dublin and Holyhead once her charter to DFDS expired.
At present STENA SUPERFAST X is in service for Stena Line between Holyhead and Dublin in place of STENA ESTRID. The latter ship is covering for STENA ADVENTURER while she dry-docks at Falmouth. Although not yet confirmed by CORSICA Linea, local sources indicate that the dry-docking will take place in Greece. STENA SUPERFAST X became surplus to requirements in the permanent Stena Line fleet after the introduction of STENA ESTRID.
