Nuclear ship to be saved
The US Government has decided to retain the world's first nuclear-powered cargo and passenger ship, Savannah, as a museum piece and has moved the vessel from Virginia's James River 'Ghost Fleet' to Colonna's Shipyard for a full hull inspection. Following a detailed inspection for possible leaks, the ship's dehumidifying equipment will be repaired, old carpets removed and a floodlight system installed. The vessel will then be moved to either Norfolk, VA, Wilmington, NC, or Charleston, SC, for dismantlement and removal of her nuclear reactor and preparation work for display purposes, a process that could take from two to three years.

Ferry dispute in Ireland
During August, two blockades were conducted by angry residents in Passage East, Co Waterford, in protest at the chronic congestion caused by vehicles using the Passage East ferry across the estuary to Ballyhack. The 30-car capacity F. B. D. Tintern, introduced late last year, provides a strategic ferry route which saves motorists up to 50km by linking the counties of Waterford and Wexford.

Largest in London
The cruise ship Seven Seas Voyager arrived in London on 7 September and moored on the Thames at Greenwich. She is the longest cruise ship to sail up the Thames to central London and, at 207m in length, she is just a few metres shorter than the Royal Navy's Invincible class aircraft carriers.

Superfast X is crucial
The present Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry, Superfast X (2002/30,258gt), purchased to join the fleet of SNCM Ferryterranea in the New Year, could be an ace in the hand of the newly privatised French company as it bids to retain subsidised routes to the island of Corsica. As the French Government tries to find a way through a complex series of tenders for a new round of Corsica service concessions, SNCM has gone to court claiming that present operating partner CMN (Compagnie Meridionale de Navigation) is in breach of a shareholder agreement dating back to 1992. CMN is bidding in its own right and also submitting joint tenders with SNCM's fierce rival Corsica Ferries and, to complicate things still further, Corsica Ferries are also seeking all the routes individually.

Shock route closure as DFDS takes over Fjord Line ship
DFDS Seaways close their UK-Sweden passenger ferry service on 1 November after buying Fjord Norway (1986/31,356gt) to take over the Fjord Line route from North Shields to the western Norway ports of Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen.
When making the surprise September announcement, DFDS confirmed that Princess of Scandinavia (1976/22,528gt), the vessel currently used on the North Shields-Kristiansand-Gothenburg service, has already been sold. Fjord Norway will be handed over on 16 October and, after refurbishment, a change of name and a switch to the Danish flag, resumes North Shields-Bergen sailings during November.

Farewell to Norway
After months of speculation and uncertainty, the former Norway reached her final destination on 15 August when, as Blue Lady, she was beached at Alang, India, to be broken up. One of the best known and loved vessels of all time, the 66,348gt ocean liner was built as France's "ship of state" for transatlantic service as France by Penhoet, St Nazaire and made her maiden voyage from Le Havre to New York on 3 February 1962.

Subjects of delay
After setbacks and significant cost escalation, the first of four Bay class auxiliary dock landing ships completed an exhaustive round of sea trials and will shortly enter service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. RFA Mounts Bay, commissioned at Falmouth on 15 September, will replace Sir Galahad which was decommissioned in August.

Vessels collide in Humber
At about 2300 on 7 June, Ahlmark Line's Swedish-flagged Skagern (1983/4,426gt) was nearing the end of one her regular voyages to Hull from Sweden with a cargo of timber and copper when she collided with the outward bound container feeder vessel Samskip Courier (2006/7,852gt). The latter vessel was on one of her first voyages from the port having only recently been delivered to new owners. Both vessels had pilots on board at the time of the collision, which occurred close to Salt End, in thick fog with visibility about a quarter of a mile. The collision caused a breach in Skagern's No.1 cargo hold causing the vessel to list down by the head.

Swan Song
Early in the morning of Monday 17 July 2006, the unfinished Landing Ship Dock Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Lyme Bay slipped out of the River Tyne under tow, bringing to an end many years of shipbuilding on the river. Just before Christmas 2000 Swan Hunter was named as the lead contractor for the building of four Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels with a contract to build two of the 16,000-ton displacement vessels, Largs Bay and Lyme Bay at the Wallsend yard in a deal worth £160 million.


All these stories and more can be found in the November issue of SHIPS MONTHLY