officedweller
August 9th, 2006, 02:17 AM
The Province ran an article in Sunday's paper saying BC Ferries had purchased the MV Sonia - a ferry which most recently ran between Trinidad and Tobago until January 2006 (when it was replaced with high speed catamarans). It is now called the "Sonia-X".
B.C. Ferries gets its ship
WORST-KEPT SECRET: Company won't confirm it's bought 'Sonia'
Ian Bailey, The Province; with a file from Staff Reporter Christina Montgomery
Published: Sunday, August 06, 2006
B.C. Ferries appears to have found a replacement for the sunken Queen of the North -- the Sonia, a two-year-old ferry that sailed between Trinidad and Tobago until this spring.
While the company declined to comment on the purchase yesterday, CEO David Hahn has referred recently to his new "European" ferry as the "worst-kept secret on the coast."
The Sonia is managed by TTT Tomasos Transport & Tourism, part of Italy's Tomasos Group, which has posted word of the sale on its website. The sale price is not listed.
A Swedish shipping database also lists the Sonia as "sold to B.C. Ferries Canada" for "delivery in the autumn." It says the ferry was renamed Sonia X this month.
Hahn has said publicly that the new ferry is just years old and that delivery is expected in September.
"It's got capacity for vehicles, it's got great capacity for passengers, it's got great speed," he said.
The 117-metre Sonia, built in 2004, carries 1,200 passengers and crew and 220 vehicles and has a speed of 22 knots. It has more cabins than the Queen of Prince Rupert now serving the north.
It also has two stern doors but not a bow door, unlike most ferries in the provincial fleet.
Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall would only say yesterday that sale talks are "ongoing."
Current time-charter arrangements for the ferry are believed to be delaying the final sale. More than a dozen Ferries personnel, including engineers from the North, are believed to be working on the Sonia now in Europe, where it was moved this spring. Marshall did not comment on either of those matters.
Word of the new ferry has been eagerly anticipated along the coast, whose residents and tourist operators suffered massive service losses and disruptions when the North sank March 22.
Port Hardy Mayor Hank Bood, whose town would serve as one end of the Sonia's Hardy-Prince Rupert run, told The Province his sources have confirmed the Sonia is vessel being purchased.
"It was critical B.C. Ferries find something to the standard of the Queen of the North -- and it's my understanding that's going to be the case," Bood said.
Capt. David Badior, president of the ships' officers component of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union, said the union is also interested in a resolution so they can begin determining how to train crew for the new vessel.
It is unclear how much work must be done to have the ferry meet both Canadian standards and the physical requirements of B.C.'s docks.
George MacPherson, president of the Shipyard General Workers Federation, said his union wants the refit work -- rumoured to be worth between $10 and $30 million -- done in B.C.
-- with a file from Staff Reporter Christina Montgomery
ibailey@png.canwest.com[/i]
**************************
Here's a pic taken by someone named "Joey" in service on the Trinidad-Tobago run from the AirDisasters.com website which I found searching the net:
http://www.airdisaster.com/user-uploads/HPIM0836.JPG
************************
The Province said the ship was built in 2004 - but an article about the lease rate when it was in operation in Trinidad says 2001:
Scandalous Contract Lease Arrangement of M.V. Sonia.
The United National Congress is calling for the Government to make public the lease arrangement of the M.V. Sonia. What is the agreement between the International Shipping Partners (ISP) and the owner of M.V. Sonia.
Information reaching us is that the owner of the vessel receives US$11,000 and ISP is charging the taxpayers US$13,000 per day. Is the intermediate between the Government and the owner therefore receiving US$4.68 million or TT$29.48 million per year?
Why did the government choose the worst option of going through a shipping agent rather than negotiate directly with the owner of the vessel?
The Government and Minister Franklin Khan, who said the vessel is a Christmas gift to the country, must provide answers to this scandalous arrangement.
The MV Sonia is not a new vessel. Its first name was ATSALAKIS–010 24/09/2001; second name ADAMANITIOS-KORAIS 4/8/2003; third name M.V. Sonia 26/7/2004; name changed back to ADAMANITIOS-KORAIS on 19/10/2004 and last name M.V. Sonia on 8/11/2004. The vessel’s flags were also changed: Greece 24/9/2001, Italian 1/11/2004 and Greece 8/11/2004.
The former owners, Thomasos Bros. 24/9/2001, are now the Managers of the vessel. The registered owner now is ITALOHELLENIC TOURIST ENT.
The country is told that the lease arrangement contract is for one year, but yet the Business Express recently indicated it was a two year contract. This seems to be another imminent PNM government disaster. Did the Government deliberately and consciously enter into another scandalous arrangement cognizant of such facts? Is there deliberate manipulation of the hearts, minds and souls of the people of Tobago to influence the outcome of the THA elections in favour of the ruling party? Is the Government serving the interest of International Shipping partners in preference to the national interest.
The UNC demands that this, yet another scandalous agreement between the Government, ISP and the owner of M.V. Sonia, be made public immediately.
http://www.unc.org.tt/modules/news/article.php?storyid=201
*************
Another news article says that it was built in 2004 after 4 years construction at the Greek shipyard Atsalakis - the foregoing article could just be a poitical rant:
29 December 2004
Just in time to local THA elections, the ferry service between Trinidad and Tobago got upgraded today. With the maiden voyage of the new ferry MV Sonia taking just 5 hours. Apparently the operation of the ferry will cost the T&T tax payer US$ 24,000 plus fuel a day. The MV Sonia (initially named Adamantios Korais) was ordered by TTT Lines and operated between Naples, Italy and Olbia, Sardinia a popular summer holiday destination in the Mediterranean. After four year building time at the Greek shipyard Atsalakis, the new ferry went into operation just a few month ago in 2004. Another 'fast ferry' might get in operation as early as next month, cutting travel time under three hours. Hopefully the passengers and the maintenance staff will keep the ferries in good shape to keep the trip enjoyable for all.
http://www.pointtobago.com/news.html
****************
Pics from Barcelona dated July 23, 2006 where it is currently located:
http://public.fotki.com/Magwa/ships/barcelona_shipspotting/baleria_ferries/
Baleŕria Ferries
Barcelona
Baleŕria Eurolínies Marítimes 23 - 26 July 2006
Sonia-X ex Adamantios Korais, Sonia, 2004, 7000gt, 23knots, 1200pax, 304 beds, 200 cars
http://images14.fotki.com/v20/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo101a-vi.jpg
http://images18.fotki.com/v329/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo114-vi.jpg
http://images18.fotki.com/v24/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo115-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v338/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo123-vi.jpg
B.C. Ferries gets its ship
WORST-KEPT SECRET: Company won't confirm it's bought 'Sonia'
Ian Bailey, The Province; with a file from Staff Reporter Christina Montgomery
Published: Sunday, August 06, 2006
B.C. Ferries appears to have found a replacement for the sunken Queen of the North -- the Sonia, a two-year-old ferry that sailed between Trinidad and Tobago until this spring.
While the company declined to comment on the purchase yesterday, CEO David Hahn has referred recently to his new "European" ferry as the "worst-kept secret on the coast."
The Sonia is managed by TTT Tomasos Transport & Tourism, part of Italy's Tomasos Group, which has posted word of the sale on its website. The sale price is not listed.
A Swedish shipping database also lists the Sonia as "sold to B.C. Ferries Canada" for "delivery in the autumn." It says the ferry was renamed Sonia X this month.
Hahn has said publicly that the new ferry is just years old and that delivery is expected in September.
"It's got capacity for vehicles, it's got great capacity for passengers, it's got great speed," he said.
The 117-metre Sonia, built in 2004, carries 1,200 passengers and crew and 220 vehicles and has a speed of 22 knots. It has more cabins than the Queen of Prince Rupert now serving the north.
It also has two stern doors but not a bow door, unlike most ferries in the provincial fleet.
Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall would only say yesterday that sale talks are "ongoing."
Current time-charter arrangements for the ferry are believed to be delaying the final sale. More than a dozen Ferries personnel, including engineers from the North, are believed to be working on the Sonia now in Europe, where it was moved this spring. Marshall did not comment on either of those matters.
Word of the new ferry has been eagerly anticipated along the coast, whose residents and tourist operators suffered massive service losses and disruptions when the North sank March 22.
Port Hardy Mayor Hank Bood, whose town would serve as one end of the Sonia's Hardy-Prince Rupert run, told The Province his sources have confirmed the Sonia is vessel being purchased.
"It was critical B.C. Ferries find something to the standard of the Queen of the North -- and it's my understanding that's going to be the case," Bood said.
Capt. David Badior, president of the ships' officers component of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union, said the union is also interested in a resolution so they can begin determining how to train crew for the new vessel.
It is unclear how much work must be done to have the ferry meet both Canadian standards and the physical requirements of B.C.'s docks.
George MacPherson, president of the Shipyard General Workers Federation, said his union wants the refit work -- rumoured to be worth between $10 and $30 million -- done in B.C.
-- with a file from Staff Reporter Christina Montgomery
ibailey@png.canwest.com[/i]
**************************
Here's a pic taken by someone named "Joey" in service on the Trinidad-Tobago run from the AirDisasters.com website which I found searching the net:
http://www.airdisaster.com/user-uploads/HPIM0836.JPG
************************
The Province said the ship was built in 2004 - but an article about the lease rate when it was in operation in Trinidad says 2001:
Scandalous Contract Lease Arrangement of M.V. Sonia.
The United National Congress is calling for the Government to make public the lease arrangement of the M.V. Sonia. What is the agreement between the International Shipping Partners (ISP) and the owner of M.V. Sonia.
Information reaching us is that the owner of the vessel receives US$11,000 and ISP is charging the taxpayers US$13,000 per day. Is the intermediate between the Government and the owner therefore receiving US$4.68 million or TT$29.48 million per year?
Why did the government choose the worst option of going through a shipping agent rather than negotiate directly with the owner of the vessel?
The Government and Minister Franklin Khan, who said the vessel is a Christmas gift to the country, must provide answers to this scandalous arrangement.
The MV Sonia is not a new vessel. Its first name was ATSALAKIS–010 24/09/2001; second name ADAMANITIOS-KORAIS 4/8/2003; third name M.V. Sonia 26/7/2004; name changed back to ADAMANITIOS-KORAIS on 19/10/2004 and last name M.V. Sonia on 8/11/2004. The vessel’s flags were also changed: Greece 24/9/2001, Italian 1/11/2004 and Greece 8/11/2004.
The former owners, Thomasos Bros. 24/9/2001, are now the Managers of the vessel. The registered owner now is ITALOHELLENIC TOURIST ENT.
The country is told that the lease arrangement contract is for one year, but yet the Business Express recently indicated it was a two year contract. This seems to be another imminent PNM government disaster. Did the Government deliberately and consciously enter into another scandalous arrangement cognizant of such facts? Is there deliberate manipulation of the hearts, minds and souls of the people of Tobago to influence the outcome of the THA elections in favour of the ruling party? Is the Government serving the interest of International Shipping partners in preference to the national interest.
The UNC demands that this, yet another scandalous agreement between the Government, ISP and the owner of M.V. Sonia, be made public immediately.
http://www.unc.org.tt/modules/news/article.php?storyid=201
*************
Another news article says that it was built in 2004 after 4 years construction at the Greek shipyard Atsalakis - the foregoing article could just be a poitical rant:
29 December 2004
Just in time to local THA elections, the ferry service between Trinidad and Tobago got upgraded today. With the maiden voyage of the new ferry MV Sonia taking just 5 hours. Apparently the operation of the ferry will cost the T&T tax payer US$ 24,000 plus fuel a day. The MV Sonia (initially named Adamantios Korais) was ordered by TTT Lines and operated between Naples, Italy and Olbia, Sardinia a popular summer holiday destination in the Mediterranean. After four year building time at the Greek shipyard Atsalakis, the new ferry went into operation just a few month ago in 2004. Another 'fast ferry' might get in operation as early as next month, cutting travel time under three hours. Hopefully the passengers and the maintenance staff will keep the ferries in good shape to keep the trip enjoyable for all.
http://www.pointtobago.com/news.html
****************
Pics from Barcelona dated July 23, 2006 where it is currently located:
http://public.fotki.com/Magwa/ships/barcelona_shipspotting/baleria_ferries/
Baleŕria Ferries
Barcelona
Baleŕria Eurolínies Marítimes 23 - 26 July 2006
Sonia-X ex Adamantios Korais, Sonia, 2004, 7000gt, 23knots, 1200pax, 304 beds, 200 cars
http://images14.fotki.com/v20/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo101a-vi.jpg
http://images18.fotki.com/v329/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo114-vi.jpg
http://images18.fotki.com/v24/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo115-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v338/photos/1/192066/3857031/200607barcelonatwo123-vi.jpg