Siem Group, Bygg nr. 93 ved Fosen Yard, RoPax "Honfleur"

Which company is / will be the new owner ? Longtime waiting... :( .
Nobody here knows any news about Honfleur :) ?

Would be a good new ferry for
1) TT-LINE, if they want to expand the fleet to minimum 9 ferries they have (in 2 weeks) 5 ferries which are between 27 and 34 years old... .
Just to remember - if - theoretically - new ferries will be ordered in 2022 anywhere - these ships will be not in use before 2025... ( + minimum 3 years).
The direct "Konkurrents" get also new bigger ships in the next years (Finnlines Travemünde-Malmö, UnityLine/Polferries Trelleborg-Poland and DFDS to Klaipeda etc. .
Honfleur has similar capacity and size as the "old" Nils Holgersson from 2001. And can (if wished in the future) also lenghened easy with ca. 30-40m - then similar size as the "old" Peter Pan from 2001 or the both brandnew ferries which will be delivered next year.
2) IRISH FERRIES, a similar new (little bigger) ferry was ordered - but the canceled in the same yard in Flensburg.
Irish Ferries is unhappy with the Visentini-Horizon and need in the next years also new(er) ferries for the chartered BlueStar1 and the oldest Calais-Dover ferries.
3) DFDS, needs urgent 2 new(er) ferries on the Newcastle-Amsterdam Route... - the actually ferries there are from 1986... - 1 could be the Honfleur... . Or would be perfect also for the France-Ireland Route from DFDS.

Registrert i Kypros ?
TT och IRISH has already "Kypros-ferries" in the fleets... .
 
Now Marinetraffic and Cruisemapper are reporting that Honfleur has the destination Belize City (under the flag of Cyprus) !
This can only be a joke - or someone knows more ?

Belize is the former British-Honduras beside Mexico and a "low-tax-paradise" but there is no ferryroute for a ship like Honfleur.
But Baja Ferries in Mexico is searching a new ferry actually... - was to read just in the last weeks in a ferry-news-website... - and Honfleur has the same size (187m x 31m) as the 2016 lost Baja-ferry "Carribean Fantasy" (187m x 27m)... .
And the only actually Ropax of Baja Ferries ist the Baja Star (173m x 25m) from 1992 so it is really time for a new ferry now... .
Also the big open-terrace-decks for warm sunny regions and the mixed accomodation with cabins and pullman-seats of the Honfleur would be perfect for Baja Ferries... .


 
Now 1 day later in Marinetraffic BELIZE-CITY is deleted again and the destination is NO STADSBYGD / Rissa... .
But Cruisemapper has still Belize-City... .

Maybe someone onboard is playing with the AIS-system ?
It would be great if someone of Fosen Yard or Siem can tell us here please what is the future plan with Honfleur... :)
 

Now again the destination is BELIZE CITY... (?)
 
Continue of the discussion about the future of HONFLEUR from the Thread "TT-Line fleet in 2022":

I remember definitely that an official person from SIEM/FOSEN has told in 2021 that latest in late-summer/autumn it is clear who will buy the Honfleur. Now it is mid january and still all is unclear... .
The ferry is fresh painted completely in white, registered in Cyprus but who is the buyer?

Because of TT-Line has promised to polish authorities to use a Greenship if they can start a new route from the new terminal in Gdynia to Trelleborg i think that this would be the Honfleur. Because the 2 chinese "Greenship" newbuildings are planned for the TRE-TRA main-route of TT-Line. Honfleur would be in size a good "twin" of AKKA (=the old Nils Holgersson) and is technical similar as the chinese newbuildings also with LNG. But then the polish authorities decided that there is no space for TT in the new terminal. And so it is totally unclear weather TT is now still MAYBE EVENTUALLY interested in Honfleur. But for to use the old terminal in Gdynia or the old Polferries-terminal in Gdansk a Greenship-ferry is NOT necassary.

Maybe Baja Ferries is interested ?
They want definitely buy 2 (!) newer modern ferries NOW DIRECTLY in 2022 if possible (but not wait 3 years = no newbuilding-order) for to replace her asian-built-ferry from 1992 and for to start new lines in the caribbean sea.
These ferries would have the right size and capacity for Baja:
1st choice could be the HONFLEUR, perfect in size and layout for Baja - but maybe to expensive ?
2nd choice the HUADONG PEARL VIII from 2016: https://commercial.apolloduck.com/boat/commercial-vessels-ferry-ropax-ferries-for-sale/633001
3rd choice the STAR from Tallink from 2007 - MAYBE she is EVENTUALLY available when the new MyStar is in use in next winter (?)
4rd choice the MOBY AKI from 2005 - is officially for sale for 75 Mio. Euro "prisforslag".

There are some other ferries soon available from 2000/2001/2002 (Bithia, Blue Star 1, Moby Wonder, Moby Tommy/Zeus Palace, Atlantic Vision) - but MAYBE already to old for Baja with an age of more than 20 years?
 
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Where can we see some pictures of her present state? Requested from the Yard, was ignored.
Thanks
Wishing all a good and healthy 2022
 
In Google i have found this picture from july 2021 - but other pictures here was already more actually painted in "100% fresh white".

It is nearby Trondheim - nobody here in the Forum is living in the Trondheim-region and can do a small "avstikker" to Kvithylla/Rissa ?
I think (but this is only my personal opinion) that Honfleur is already sold to a Northern European ferry company with a lot of competitive pressure on her routes (TT, Irish, DFDS or maybe P+O also). And actually in this 1st quarter of 2022 are now finishing works inside the ferry under construction - maybe to built in a "bastu/sauna" if the buyer is TT, maybe to built in a big "Irish pub" if the buyer is Irish Ferries, maybe to change one of the restaurants into a XXXL Tax-Free-store if the buyer is DFDS or P+O - Tax-Free to/from England is actually booming again... many prices in England are higher than in EU. For these 4 ferry-companies it makes sense that her competitors know so late as possible from the buy of a new ferry. Maybe also it takes time for to prepare the planned ports with the right ramps and the new LNG-infrastructure.

And so the Honfleur will wait until "the last minute" before "trafikkstart" in the Fosen-Yard. And the painting of the logo of the ferry-company on the funnel will be the last work before departure to the new buyer, namesgiving-ceremony maybe only 1 day before traffic-start... . So maybe it can takes now still 3, 4, 5 month more until someone see the new painted funnel with logo and the Honfleur start her life as ferry right in time before the summer-high-season begins. Just for remember, the pax-capacity is 1680, so a start before the summer is important.

But if the buyer would be Baja-Ferries - they have no really competitors - so if the deal is done they can go to the press and start with marketing the new ferry so early as possible. The destination "Belize City" could be a sign for Baja-Ferries - or only a joke or a "fog-candle". But all the other signs like f.ex. the registration in Cyprus is also normal for the 4 named european ferry companies. P+O group has just sold 2 ferries from the Belgium-route to GNV and i think that they have still money and / or can get credit from banks and the other 3 would have to money (and / or credits) also... .

Irish Ferries has got EU-money for her new ordered and then cancelled ferry from FSG. So what happens now with this money ? Honfleur is a kind of a little sister / halfsister of the ordered/cancelled ferry and the 2018 delivered WB Yeats - so maybe we are waiting now for the slowly european administration for to switch the EU-money to Honfleur... (?)
Pax-capacity and the most technical things of Honfleur are similar with FSG 777 - truck-capacity is smaller - but bigger than f.ex. the actually Blue Star 1 or Inishmore and nearly identic with WB Yeats and Epsilon. The unpopular Visentini-ferry Epsilon is officially for sale since 2 years and Irish Ferries is very happy with the FSG-built ferry WB Yeats - so to buy now the Honfleur is not 100% perfect - but would be still a very good deal for Irish Ferries f.ex. for to hold again Stenas new E-Flexers in the Irish sea or hold number 1 position between France and Ireland.
And with the 187m long Honfleur they have always the option for a lengthening later in the future with ca. 40m for to get a higher truck-capacity if needed up to the originally planned 226m of FSG 777.

So i believe that TT and Irish Ferries are the favorites in the question of a buy of Honfleur - and DFDS and P+O are the outsider.
DFDS prefers to buy cheaper used ferries for Newcastle-Amsterdam, maybe that they try again to buy Moby Aki and Moby Wonder this/next year (this deal was planned ca. 2 years ago but then cancelled by the banks of Moby) or f.ex. Tallink Star and Bithia for to replace the both old 1986-built ferries.
On the "Brexit-Bypass-Route" the "old" chartered Visby is to replace - but this is easy possible with an Apuani-Ropax after arrival of the new Aura+Luna Seaways. Also DFDS seems not to plan to open this route for Pax also, so the big Pax-capacity from Honfleur is not needed.
P+O would have many options with Honfleur:
1) replace the last old Calais-Dover Ferry from 1991/92/93, P+O has ordered 2 newbuildings but if they want to have 5 ferries also in the future between Calais and Dover they must hold 1 old one - or buy Honfleur... = biggest and most modern fleet between Calais and Dover.
2) restart the Belgium-route Zeebrugge-Hull with the big new "Tax-Free-Ferry" Honfleur.
3) start a new "Brexit-Bypass-Route" France/Belgium-Ireland with the Honfleur. The other competitors (DFDS, Brittany, Irish and Stena) in the British-Irish-Region have now such a route - only P+O can actually not offer this "paperwork-free" option to Ireland.
4) the oldest ferries in the P+O fleet are the Norbank/Norbay from 1993/94 on the 4-mostly-freight-ferries Dublin-Liverpool-route. With the Honfleur it would mean also a much bigger Pax-capacity now in Tax-Free-times for a direct-route between 2 big cities and the chartered Stena Forecaster (charter-agreement ends now in spring 2022 !) can be given back to Stena. Very big "sleeping" Pax-potential for Tax-free-cruises there, some million people are living only max. 1 hour by car/bus/train from Liverpool away and Dublin is a very attractive city also.

One last point more:
If any ferry company "now" needs urgent 2 modern ferries with nearly the same size and capacity - MAYBE Tallink will sell the 2007 built Star soon after the arrival of the new MyStar in May/June 2022 - then there is NOW the chance to buy HONFLEUR + STAR together f.ex. for 1 route with 2 ships and symmetric timetable (= f.ex. DFDS Newcastle-Amsterdam or restart P+O Zeebrugge-Hull or Dublin-Liverpool with 2 big ships).
STAR: 186m x 28m, 2000 Pax, 2000 truck-meter, 520 beds
HONFLEUR: 187m x 31m, 1680 Pax, 2600 truck-meter, 257 cabins + many pullman-seats
 
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Very interesting speculations for her future, I must say!

I still think there is a chance Brittany Ferries will purchase Honfleur back, as they seem commited to an LNG-based fleet, as well as on the Portsmouth-Caen route with the future charter of an Hybrid-LNG E-flexer for 2024. Besides, they have already considered mobile gas cylinders to be used with cranes, which in turn reduces turn-around in port (which is of great importance on said route). Such planning costs, and a cylinder has already been manufactured (at least a prototype which was driven onboard Mont St Michel to look into planning, as they were expecting Honfleur back in late 2019). BF has already recieved funds multiple times from the French state during the pandemic, which in turn could mean they have sufficient capital to make a purchase (taking into consideration that the E-Flexers are chartered, and not owned by BF themselves).

But who knows? Ironically, the return of the name "Honfleur" on the AIS makes me skeptical of a BF return, as if my guess was a bit too simple. I'm really hoping that Irish Ferries will buy her, as a high-quality FSG-based fleet would suit them very well. I doubt the IF option, though, since the recent purchase of two Calais-Dover-bound vessels must have burned off some capital...
 
:) The 2 used Calais-Dover ferries of Irish Ferries was very very cheap - so IF "must" have still a lot of money. The new FSG 777 was ordered, with own money and partly EU-money for a better connection Ireland-France, so ca. 90% of this money "must" be still there. And - as you said - it would be a good sister to WB Yeats. But maybe there will come a big surprise one day and somebody from Asia has bought Honfleur... .
1993 all people was waiting who in Europe buys the 1990 built very nice ferry KALYPSO from Viking Line - and then it goes as big surprise to Asia as Casino-ship... - ((and actually this sister from DFDS Pearl Seaways is for sale again very cheap for 17,5 Mio. Euro only)).

I do not believe in Brittany, they have now a modern fleet including the last 2 new ordered smaller E-Flexer with high Pax-capacity.
Salamanca + Santona will indirectly replace Barfleur and Connemara now in 2022/23 and in 2024/25 the 2 new E-Flexer will replace Bretagne and Normandie.
Then the oldest ferry in the Brittany-fleet is the former Superfast 5 (Cap Finistere) from 2001, following one from 2002 and one from 2004. So Brittany now can wait CIRCA 10 years with the order of the next newbuilding, then also the charters of the Stena E-Flexers are ending.
 
:) The 2 used Calais-Dover ferries of Irish Ferries was very very cheap - so IF "must" have still a lot of money. The new FSG 777 was ordered, with own money and partly EU-money for a better connection Ireland-France, so ca. 90% of this money "must" be still there. And - as you said - it would be a good sister to WB Yeats. But maybe there will come a big surprise one day and somebody from Asia has bought Honfleur... .
1993 all people was waiting who in Europe buys the 1990 built very nice ferry KALYPSO from Viking Line - and then it goes as big surprise to Asia as Casino-ship... - ((and actually this sister from DFDS Pearl Seaways is for sale again very cheap for 17,5 Mio. Euro only)).

I do not believe in Brittany, they have now a modern fleet including the last 2 new ordered smaller E-Flexer with high Pax-capacity.
Salamanca + Santona will indirectly replace Barfleur and Connemara now in 2022/23 and in 2024/25 the 2 new E-Flexer will replace Bretagne and Normandie.
Then the oldest ferry in the Brittany-fleet is the former Superfast 5 (Cap Finistere) from 2001, following one from 2002 and one from 2004. So Brittany now can wait CIRCA 10 years with the order of the next newbuilding, then also the charters of the Stena E-Flexers are ending.
Good point! Interesting to see how much cheaper old ships become, it totally makes sense why rebuilding is considered so often.

I still think BF might be interested, given that Honfleur most likely is destined a 20-30 year run in the fleet, and is tailored to their needs. When the next fleet renewal is needed after 2030, I find it possible that Honfleur stays either with the 2024 e-flexer fleetmate (following a purchase) or a newbuild replacement for the E-Flexer itself. But it is only a speculation, time will show :)

Given IF's stable economy, I also find it more likely that Honfleur will have a career on the Irish Sea.
I wonder which Asian operator(s) would be interested in her? Japan and S. Korea seem pretty "self-sufficient" on the newbuild market. One thing is for sure: A 2Go purchase would have been a huge surprise!

By the way, how will the Barfleur be replaced? I have only heard rumors about a rebuilding of the Cotentin to become suitable for Poole-Cherbourg. Will Connemara take Cotentin's spot when all three Spain-bound e-flexers are delivered?
 
Small "Brittany" Excursion...why Honfleur will not match anymore with Brittany:
A modernisation or / and lenghtening with 30m (= then the same size as the last E-Flexer with ca. 195m) of the 2007 built COTENTIN with more cabins and 2, 3 restaurants, bars and Tax-Free-shop and pullman-seats-lounge for to be a "typical" Brittany ferry is easy possible. And i think that the Visentini-CONNEMARA will soon go back to Stena-RoRo when the new SALAMANCA is in use - she is just TODAY passing Portugal on her delivery-trip from China actually with 21,6 knots. This was the main-reason for the charter of the Stena E-Flexer - to replace the "old" Visentinis from Stena. And the BARFLEUR goes away latest when the new SANTONA-E-Flexer arrive in 1 ca. year. And NORMANDIE and BRETAGNE will be replaced 2024/25 with the last both E-Flexers. So Brittany then has got 5 newbuildings in 5 years and the oldest ship is then from 2001. Why an expensive newbuilding more now ? I think that Brittany has switched the planned money for HONFLEUR into charter-fee for the 2 last new E-Flexer. And Brittany has then in 2025 with 9 big modern ferries (+ COTENTIN would be number 10) one of the most modern and biggest (all ferries between 1100 - 2400 Pax !) ferry-fleets worldwide which much higher truck- and pax-capacity than 2019. And if they want or need then 1 "big" ferry more they can easy built the COTENTIN bigger and if they need 2 ferries more (maybe in 3, 4, 5 years suddenly) Stena RoRo will help fast again f.ex. with a new Visentini-charter.
So please do not look now just only today to the replacements - this is not 1:1 sometimes, the ferries will also maybe switched or changed between routes. But if you compare the fleet 2019 with 2025 all chartered Visentinis and older ferries from the 80ies and 90ies will be replaced with new bigger and more comfortable ferries (a Visentini is really not so comfortable...).
 
Small "Brittany" Excursion...why Honfleur will not match anymore with Brittany:
A modernisation or / and lenghtening with 30m (= then the same size as the last E-Flexer with ca. 195m) of the 2007 built COTENTIN with more cabins and 2, 3 restaurants, bars and Tax-Free-shop and pullman-seats-lounge for to be a "typical" Brittany ferry is easy possible. And i think that the Visentini-CONNEMARA will soon go back to Stena-RoRo when the new SALAMANCA is in use - she is just TODAY passing Portugal on her delivery-trip from China actually with 21,6 knots. This was the main-reason for the charter of the Stena E-Flexer - to replace the "old" Visentinis from Stena. And the BARFLEUR goes away latest when the new SANTONA-E-Flexer arrive in 1 ca. year. And NORMANDIE and BRETAGNE will be replaced 2024/25 with the last both E-Flexers. So Brittany then has got 5 newbuildings in 5 years and the oldest ship is then from 2001. Why an expensive newbuilding more now ? I think that Brittany has switched the planned money for HONFLEUR into charter-fee for the 2 last new E-Flexer. And Brittany has then in 2025 with 9 big modern ferries (+ COTENTIN would be number 10) one of the most modern and biggest (all ferries between 1100 - 2400 Pax !) ferry-fleets worldwide which much higher truck- and pax-capacity than 2019. And if they want or need then 1 "big" ferry more they can easy built the COTENTIN bigger and if they need 2 ferries more (maybe in 3, 4, 5 years suddenly) Stena RoRo will help fast again f.ex. with a new Visentini-charter.
So please do not look now just only today to the replacements - this is not 1:1 sometimes, the ferries will also maybe switched or changed between routes. But if you compare the fleet 2019 with 2025 all chartered Visentinis and older ferries from the 80ies and 90ies will be replaced with new bigger and more comfortable ferries (a Visentini is really not so comfortable...).
Your speculations sound very plausible. I forgot all about Connemara being a chartered vessel from Stena RoRo, so it makes sense that BF will stick to a 5 E-Flexer fleet - without Honfleur.

Regarding the Honfleur, is there any possibility that Siem is interested in chartering her out? It seems like a lucrative market with E-Flexers and Visentinis being great examples. If so, there might be a tiny chance that BF want to go on with a 6th chartered vessel, but I find that very unlikely, as their future 5 e-flexers seem sufficient for a while...
Also, I have a bad time imagining Siem being willing to have the burden of owning an expensive ship which will become gradually cheaper, and thus being dependent on uncompetitive charter prices. An E-Flexer, on the other hand, is most likely a whole lot cheaper, therefore profitable with charter missions as a newbuild.
 
Just now Brittany has sold the CAP FINISTERE (ex Superfast 5) from 2001 to GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci)!
This means that Brittany now has CIRCA 45-50 Mio. Euro more money... ((there are some big ca. 20-years old Ropax for sale with "prisforslag" ca. 65-75 Mio. - but from my experience i think that the buy-price then will be ca. 45-50 Mio.)). So maybe Brittany is still not out of the race for Honfleur ? They will have then in 2025 5 new E-Flexer and 3 big modern ferries from 2002, 2004 and 2009. If they need 9 big ferries they can rebuild bigger easy the Cotentin from 2007 to a full (normal-Brittany-)size 195m x 27m ca. 1100 Pax ca. 2800lm ferry. But what we all do not know: Is Brittany planning the future fleet-size with 8, 9 or 10 big ferries ? If 8 or 9 - Honfleur is not needed, but if it is 10 a buy of Honfleur would be a good chance now to get the perfect originally ordered ferry nevertheless.

Now also POLFERRIES is surprisingly in the Honfleur-race ! Just now they have got 30 Mio. Euro support from the polish state for to buy or charter NOW FAST a new or used bigger ferry for the use from now until the polish newbuildings are ready in 2024/25 ! They have signed a contract with the port of Ystad that they MUST use a bigger ferry now when the extension of the bigger ferry berth is finished ! Talks are about a ca. 3-year-charter or a buy... .

SIEM has a lot of other ships chartered out - so a charter is theoretic possible also.
 
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Veldig interessant ! So the construction of the Honfleur is finished now !
I am sure that this is a prøvetur with prospective buyers onboard... . Let`s hope that they are happy with speed trials, maneuverability, noise, vibrations, quality etc. so that a deal can be done soon and the Honfleur can start in her ferry-life in April/May.
Mostly in this kind of business the buyers will picked up by a driver from the yard in the hotel (in Trondheim ?). 9:00 departure from the hotel, 9:30 the ferry Flakk-Rörvik, 10:05 arrival in Kvithylla, 11:00 trials-departure... :)
But from which company will be then people onboard ?
Honfleur-lotto :) : Polferries, Brittany, Irish, TT, DFDS, P+O or Baja ?
 
I think this will be first voyage with own engine, since she has zero tracking/voyage on AIS.
And I dont think buyers will be onboard at the first seatrail.
 
Yes - sure - then it will be still without any buyers... i am often to fast and to impatient - everything about Honfleur takes too long for me... :)
Honfleur was ordered in June 2017 with delivery scheduled for June 2019... - now is 2022... , because all the things around FSG-insolvency etc. .
 
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