Category Archives: Ship of the month

Delivered to P&O Ferries earlier this year, the Fusion Class passenger/vehicle ferry P&O Pioneer is being promoted by her owners as the first double ended ferry to operate across the English Channel and the world’s largest double ended hybrid ferry. Such claims generate interest here in British Columbia given that BC Ferries operates several double ended ferries on it’s services between Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

Last month, Adnoc Logistics and Services, a division of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, took delivery of a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) powered very large crude carrier (VLCC) from South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean (previously Daewoo Shipbuilding & Engineering). She is the second in a series of four dual-fuel VLCC’s for delivery this year, the first in series M.V. Hafeet having been delivered in June.

With ambitious net zero targets in mind, the world’s merchant fleet is not hanging around waiting for the International Maritime Organization. In particular, the major container carriers are moving swiftly although with differing philosophies. In the case of Maersk Line, the focus is on building a fleet based on carbon neutral methanol as the primary source of fuel, thereby bypassing the use of LNG as a transitional step.

In May 2021, HaiSea Marine announced the commissioning of an innovative and industry leading new battery powered and low emissions tugboat build program. The company, a joint venture majority owned by the Haisla First Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, is contracted with LNG Canada (partnered by Shell, PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and Korea Gas Corporation) to build and operate both escort and harbour tugs for vessels calling at a major new LNG export facility under construction in Kitimat, Northern British Columbia.

Norwegian fish carrier specialist Intership recently took delivery of the new build well-boat Inter Atlantic with a sister ship to follow. Well-boat, a term believed to originate from the 17th century, is a fishing vessel with a well or tank for the storage and transport of live fish. They are considered to be critical to salmon’s quality and fish-welfare.

While already a market leader in vessel design innovation, Italy’s Grimaldi Group embarked on a new phase of modernization in 2018 with an initial order for six ro-ro vessels in May 2018 at a cost of $400 million. The first of these, ECO Valencia, was delivered in October 2020, arriving at the Port of Valencia in November 2020. Dedicated to the company’s Mediterranean coastal services, ECO Valencia is claimed to be the world’s largest Ro-Ro ship dedicated to short-sea shipping.

While recently escaping the cold north for a touch of sunshine, I took this picture of the pneumatic cement carrier Kondili in the Port of Melbourne. Having been built in 2006, the vessel was converted from a handy size bulk carrier to a pneumatic cement carrier in 2018 and is currently dedicated to serving the Australian coast. She is one of 5 cement carriers in the Montreal headquartered CSL fleet.

In the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s the traditional reefer ship ruled the break bulk and pallet movement of perishables across the globe. The demand for citrus fruits, deciduous fruits, bananas, meat and fish of every description ensured that hundreds of ships were fully deployed for other than a few weeks in the northern summer which was referred to as “slack season”. On their ballast legs, many used their tween decks to ship new and/or used automobiles until the modern auto carrier squeezed them out.

Boka Vanguard is a uniquely designed and capable semi-submersible heavy lift ship capable of loading project cargoes of up to 110,000 tonnes. She was initially designed to move oil and gas facilities across the globe but as can be seen in the picture, she offers additional flexibility as an emergency drydock.

A locally constructed oceanographic research vessel has been commissioned by the Colombian Navy. Design and construction were undertaken in close collaboration with Damen Shipyards Group of The Netherlands. She is the largest vessel ever to be built in Colombia.