Shipseeker

    Photo:  The Swedish Accident Investigation Authorit y The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority says it wants to analyse the hull of the sunken passenger ferry Estonia to assess the newly discovered hole discovered by a documentary film crew earlier this autumn. It wants to examine the metal material of the ferry and the conditions of the Baltic Sea bed where it rests. Jonas Bäckstrand at the investigation authority does not exclude sending a team of divers down. The work with the preliminary assessment is led by Estonia. The passenger ship ESTONIA sank on 28 September 1994 during a voyage from Tallinn to Stockholm. Of the 989 people on board, 852 died. In accordance with an agreement between the prime ministers of Estonia, Finland and Sweden, a joint accident investigation commission was formed to investigate the accident. A final report was published in December 1997. On 28 September 2020, film material was published that showed a hole in the starboard side...

  DFDS and its partners have applied for EU support for development of a ferry powered by electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell system which only emits water. Green hydrogen is to be produced by a projected offshore wind energy-powered electrolyser plant in Greater Copenhagen. A group of companies have partnered up in order to develop a 100% hydrogen powered ferry for initially DFDS’ Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen route.  The ferry will be powered by electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell system that emits only water and can produce up to 23 MW to propel the ferry.  “The largest fuel cell systems today produce only 1-5 MW, and the development of such large-scale fuel cell installations for an electric ferry is a monumental task. We can only succeed in partnership with companies that bring together some of the globe’s finest expertise in design, approval, building, financing and operation of innovative vessels,” says Torben Carlsen, CEO of ...

      Photo: TROND GANSMOE JOHNSEN/Hurtigruten After nearly six decades servicing the Norwegian coast, MS Lofoten is slated to leave the Hurtigruten fleet. From 2021, the Hurtigruten classic will become a training ship - educating future generations of seafarers. Hurtigruten, the world leader in exploration travel, has signed a letter of intent with the Norway-based educational foundation Maritim videregående skole Sørlandet (Sørlandet’s Maritime High School) for the sale of MS Lofoten. The 151-bed ship is due to welcome her first students in August 2021. - This opens a new chapter in MS Lofoten’s rich and proud history. She has been a part of everyday life along the Norwegian coast for generations. Now, she will train the next generation of seafarers, Hurtigruten Group CEO Daniel Skjeldam says. The school has trained young mariners since 1927. MS Lofoten will be their fifth training ship, where students live, work and practice their skills on board. - There is a growing ...

Australia’s newly completed icebreaker, RSV Nuyina , has left the Netherlands port of Vlissingen to commence trials in the North Sea. This marks the start of a month-long Sea Trials Phase and an important milestone for all involved in the icebreaker project across the Australian Antarctic Division, ship managers Serco and ship builders Damen. Sea trials will be followed by additional weeks of deepwater trials. Testing of the ship’s speed, noise, propulsion systems, steering, advanced electrical systems, and science equipment will take place as the vessel prepares for final sea ice trials in the Arctic early next year. One of the most advanced vessels of its kind in the world, RSV Nuyina will form the centrepiece of the Australian Government’s Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan. RSV Nuyina will provide a world-class scientific platform for Antarctic researchers, carrying cutting-edge equipment to study the depths of the Southern Ocean, sea ice and the upper atmo...

In response to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Framework for Conditional Sailing Order" pertaining to resumption of U.S. cruise operations, Princess Cruises is extending its pause in global operations to allow time for the estimated preparation needed for completing required activities prior to sailing and taking into consideration the temporary seven-day cap on itineraries that call at a U.S. port. The cruise operations impacted include the following:  All cruises sailing through March 31, 2021 All cruises longer than seven days sailing in and out of United States ports through November 1, 2021 Additionally, due to the uncertainty about when international travel restrictions might be lifted, Princess Cruises is extending its pause in operations for cruises departing in and out of Japan through June 25, 2021. "We are focused on preparing our ships to meet the CDC health and safety requirements for our eventual return to service," said...