News

CalMac has extended the charter of the 'Alfred' to the end of the year. The ferry will provide additional support within the Clyde and Hebrides network until Dec 31. CalMac was due to return the vessel to Pentland Ferries in May, when there were expectations the 'Caledonian Isles' would be finally repaired. But the Caley Isles failed to appear this summer and the 'Alfred'’s stay was continued to October. Delays with the handover of the 'Isle of Islay' also forced CalMac’s hand in continuing the hire especially as the ship she is effectively replacing, 'Hebridean Isles', was removed from the fleet in 2024. Potential drydock delays preventing ferries from returning to service following annual overhaul was another influencing factor. CalMac and the Scottish Government are due to officiallyed confirm the charter extension on Sep 8. Instead of heading back to her own Orkney route on the Pentland Firth at the end of CalMac’s summer timetable, the 'Alfred' will cover west coast routes during the first half of the winter drydock period. The Scottish Government wass expected to provide over £2.2 million pounds to CalMac towards the 'Alfred'’s charter extension.

The role of the 'Rossini' as an emergency refugee shelter in Bach upon the Danube in the Regensburg district is to end on July 31, after about 2,5 years. Asylum seekers were moving to a smaller, decentralized shelter in the district. A total of approximately 90 people were still accommodated on the ship. The district office cited the rental of other living spaces in various communities and a change in immigration patterns as reasons for closing the emergency shelter. A total of around 630 asylum seekers have been accommodated on the ship since the start of Feb 2023. At its peak, up to 190 people had been on board at the same time. The remaining 52 residents will now be distributed among decentralized accommodations and the remaining emergency shelters. The ship was moored primarily in Bach, but also in Donaustauf, several kilometers upstream, for a good six months. The cost of the emergency accommodation on the ship was less than €25 per person for an overnight stay. According to the police, things on the "Rossini" were unobtrusive and peaceful. After the emergency shelter has closed, the "Rossini" will head downstream on the Danube to the shipyard in Linz.

The Crowley Stena Marine Solutions, the joint venture between Crowley and Stena Bulk, has received US permission for a replacement of the damaged tanker 'Stena Immaculate' (IMO: 9693018) in the frame of the US’s Tanker Security Program, which is administered by the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to transport fuel supplies for the U.S. Department of Defense. The MARAD has approved operating the 'CS Anthem', the former 'STI Bosphorus', under the program in order to advance the nation’s strategic sealift capabilities, strengthening U.S. maritime security and providing reliable, U.S.-crewed tanker capacity in support of national defense. The new vessel is largely a swap with the same characteristics as the 'Stena Immaculate'. The CS Anthem had been operating for India’s Scorpio. The tanker was recently transferred to the U.S. flag from the Marshall Islands and now has a homeport of Jacksonville, Florida. Crowley is responsible for crewing and managing the tanker under a bareboat charter through the joint venture. The company also manages the 'Stena Imperative' and 'Stena Impeccable' in the Tanker Security Program. The 'Stena Immaculate' remained berthed in Great Yarmouth ifor the time being.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) intends to terminate the lease of the 'Nathaniel B. Palmer' in the fiscal year 2026, according to the NSF’s budget request to Congress. The decision came as part of the agency’s efforts to prioritize support for the three year-round Antarctic stations—McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole, and Palmer—which the NSF operates on behalf of the U.S. government through the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). In response, more than 170 researchers have sent a letter to NSF leadership and Congress urging them to reconsider.

After in June it was announced that the authorities were seeking a more cost-effective alternative for the “Ocean Majesty” as accommodation for asylum seekers, which would likely have meant the end for the 60-year-old ship, the Dutch authorities now have agreed with the owners on lower rates. This means that the “Ocean Majesty” will remain at a berth in Velse until at least July 1, 2026, with an option to extend until Dec 31 also been agreed upon. On Dec 4, 2025, the “Ocean Majesty” will celebrate the 60th birthday.