Two former Irish Sea Ferries facing the end

Steven · May 06, 2014, 11:18:44 PM

Update on this

The 4 vessels have been declared abandoned and the port authority are now going through the process of notifying the involved parties before public auction.

http://www.europasur.es/article/maritimas/1762808/consejo/la/apba/aprueba/la/transmision/acciones/ttia.html

http://www.diariosur.es/v/20140501/campo-gibraltar/consejo-administracion-apba-aprueba-20140501.html?utm_source=sur.es&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=gibraltar-rss&utm_campaign=traffic-rss

Steven · May 25, 2014, 01:22:06 AM

http://www.europasur.es/article/maritimas/1776968/las/tasas/buque/suman/euros/mas/las/deudas/comarit.html

The gist is that the specifications are now being drawn up for the auctions, and COMANAV/COMARIT's debt just got a bit bigger as they have to pay the port fees. The ships have been officially declared abandoned and are the property of the government. It is expected all will probably go for scrap. Ibn Battuta has been moved from where she has lain for the past two years in recent days. The Google translation is a not sketchy but it appears to be due to safety concerns?

Steven · June 23, 2014, 07:11:34 PM

Still no more on this, but on a related note Le Rif (ex Galloway Princess, Stena Galloway) is still out of service with technical issues and no word on if she will return (don't hold your breath!). This means only 2 of the 4 Saint's class (or 2 of the last 4 passenger ships built in Belfast) are still operating.

It appears Marrakech has been bought by the Morrocan government.

Steven · August 08, 2014, 08:27:12 PM

The latest news on this ongoing saga is that COMANAV/COMARIT has now been declared insolvent and placed into liquidation. This means the sale of the assets in Moroccan/Spanish waters can now proceed. The following is translated from French (unfortunately I cannot for whatever reason copy and paste the text):

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.h24info.ma%2Fmaroc%2Fsociete%2Fla-comarit-cest-fini%2F26014&edit-text=

The former COMANAV ferry Bni Nsar (ex Marrakech Express) which had been allegedly purchased to become a floating hotel by a Greek concern was beached at Aliaga in the past week or so. It has been said she is worth twice the price she was sold for in scrap value. This doesn't bode well for the rest of the fleet really, especially considering Bilaldi also ended up at Aliaga.

Steven · August 08, 2014, 08:39:52 PM

Bni Nsar on the beach

Steven · September 12, 2014, 06:05:49 AM

So, the latest on this is that there is no latest really!

The 3 former Irish Sea ships Ibn Batouta (Stena Antrim), Al Mansour (Stena Nordica), and Le Rif (Stena Galloway) all have had their ais transponders turned off for some time. I can't seem to find anything on any of them apart from mention of both COMARIT/COMANAV and IMTC failing and there thus being a lack of capacity.

In all likelihood I would say the first and last of the Sealink "saints" as well as Ostend's "slow boat to China" are beyond saving now.

Steven · September 17, 2014, 03:40:54 AM

Ibn Batouta confirmed as still being at Algericas by a recent photo posted to Facebook taken from Gibraltar. Le Rif has been said to have had major technical problems before her layup. Still nothing more concrete though.

Steven · February 19, 2015, 12:38:48 AM

COMARIT fleet mate to these ships, Berkane (1976), hit the beach at Aliaga on 17/2/15. (Tuesday). Not looking to hopefull guys...,

Stena Fergus · June 19, 2015, 11:04:49 AM

My parents passed through Algeciras and Tanger Med port in late November, and my dad got a couple of photos showing the Galloway Princess/Le Rif at Tanger Med, along with an older IMTC ferry. He said they were both docked in a separate part of the port away from the live ferry operations. He also saw the St Christopher/Ibn Battouta tucked away in a corner of Algeciras port. Even he recognised them both as former Stranraer ferries! (Although he did say the other IMTC ship looked like Antrim Princess, unlikely seeing as she was scrapped in 2007!)

Haven't seen any recent updates on either of these ships but would expect them to be bound for the beach very soon, leaving only the St Anselm and St David still working (I'm assuming St Anselm is still operating as Bari?)

It's great that all 4 are still currently in existence nearly 35 years on, and have almost outlasted contemporary vessels like the Spirit Class, Chunnel beaters, and even the HSS, but they can't have long left now. Makes me feel old as I remember them being built!

Steven · June 21, 2015, 11:58:38 PM

So far as I am aware, Bari is still in service, albeit not daily it would seem. She was rebuilt in 2010, so hopefully has a future ahead of her. Port Link continues in Malaysian waters, and is seen by many as the pride of the local fleet! Unfortunately, the future for Le Rif and Ibn Batouta looks extremely bleak, both had their issues before lay-up and both have been sitting idle for a very long time.

hhvferry · June 22, 2015, 10:30:55 PM

Quote from: Steven on June 21, 2015, 11:58:38 PM
So far as I am aware, Bari is still in service, albeit not daily it would seem. She was rebuilt in 2010, so hopefully has a future ahead of her. Port Link continues in Malaysian waters, and is seen by many as the pride of the local fleet! Unfortunately, the future for Le Rif and Ibn Batouta looks extremely bleak, both had their issues before lay-up and both have been sitting idle for a very long time.

The Bari is indeed in service. Presently on Bari-Durres but from the 10th July the Rigel II (Felicity) takes over and she moves onto a Bari-Corfu-Igoumenitsa run, the classic trade of Ventouris Ferries. So she will be visible to anyone holidaying in Corfu who wants to see her. See http://www.elladeviaggi.it/Grecia%20Bari.htm

She also takes a couple of jaunts down to Kefallonia and Zakynthos.

The two Moroccan sisters there is less hope for but there might just be another twist for at least one of them yet. Remember the Bari was on her way to the scrappers but was saved and her abilities have not gone unnoticed. But they are both in a terrible state.

PaddyL · June 22, 2015, 10:33:46 PM

Quote from: hhvferry on June 22, 2015, 10:30:55 PM
Quote from: Steven on June 21, 2015, 11:58:38 PM
So far as I am aware, Bari is still in service, albeit not daily it would seem. She was rebuilt in 2010, so hopefully has a future ahead of her. Port Link continues in Malaysian waters, and is seen by many as the pride of the local fleet! Unfortunately, the future for Le Rif and Ibn Batouta looks extremely bleak, both had their issues before lay-up and both have been sitting idle for a very long time.
The Bari is indeed in service. Presently on Bari-Durres but from the 10th July the Rigel II (Felicity) takes over and she moves onto a Bari-Corfu-Igoumenitsa run, the classic trade of Ventouris Ferries. So she will be visible to anyone holidaying in Corfu who wants to see her. See http://www.elladeviaggi.it/Grecia%20Bari.htm

She also takes a couple of jaunts down to Kefallonia and Zakynthos.

The two Moroccan sisters there is less hope for but there might just be another twist for at least one of them yet. Remember the Bari was on her way to the scrappers but was saved and her abilities have not gone unnoticed. But they are both in a terrible state.

I read something on Facebook that the new owner of the ex Stena Antrim is the same as owns a ship currently on an Albanian route so you could well be right.

Steven · June 30, 2015, 10:20:24 PM

Le Rif is going to be auctioned. Bids starting at approx £300K

giftgrub · July 14, 2015, 09:21:31 PM

Feature on these ferries in this months Ships Monthly, out Friday in print, in all good newsagents and available from the App Store now. September edition of the magazine.

giftgrub · July 14, 2015, 10:06:50 PM

Quote from: giftgrub on July 14, 2015, 09:21:31 PM
Feature on these ferries in this months Ships Monthly, out Friday in print, in all good newsagents and available from the App Store now. September edition of the magazine.

Ironically with the wrong Stena Nordica on the cover which is referring to the Stena Nordica featured in the article, close but not close enough Ships Monthly !

Great article and some images from onboard the former St Christopher which is a long way from its time as the Blue Peter featured ship and its arrival into Rosslare as the Stena Normandica's temporary cover prior to its arrival on Dover Calais. I still remember seeing it arriving in Rosslare in pre t'internet times and wondering where the great white Normandica had gone.

Next stop for all is the scrapyard, the first of the H&W built Sealink ships and the first of the Rickmers built Stena ships to be scrapped. Both a series of four vessels as well !

Ferry on cover is probably better known as Stena Londoner which was scrapped many years ago.
http://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=7321661&lang=en

Correct one would have been
http://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=7360629&lang=en