Ships Monthly

Ships Monthly is the world’s number one shipping magazine and Britain’s best-selling monthly magazine for ship lovers. Read by seafarers and enthusiasts all over the world, it contains a unique mix of shipping and maritime news, broken down by ship type, with sections focussing on ferries, cruise ships, warships, preserved vessels, tugs and cargo ships. The features, written by experts in their field, cover ships old and new, historic shipping companies and their vessels, modern cruise liners and passenger ferries, warships and naval vessels, profiles of docks and harbours in the UK and around the world, and personal accounts of voyages on ships round the world. Every issue contains an interview with the captain of a ship. In addition to the latest happenings in the shipping industry, the Ship of the Month feature goes behind the scenes on a significant ship to give readers an all-round insight into the world of ships and shipping.

Ships Monthly

IRISH SEA SWITCH ROUND

Contributors this month

NEWS IN BRIEF

Finlandia Seaways grounds off Norway

Return to transatlantic trade

Second OPV

Finland impounds tanker suspected of damaging cables

Dry bulkers built in bulk

UK sanctions Russian tankers

Utkilen’s LNG tanker upgrade

MISSED AN ISSUE? COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION

Adrift in the North Sea storms

Record-breaking day in Antigua

MSC Verona delivered in China

Damen delivers Shoalbuster

Jersey vessel details announced

Keel-laying ceremony for new Scillies vessels

FERRIES IN THE NEWS…

Holyhead closure causes ferries to be rerouted

New cats set for Med service

All change for Channel Islands

Anniversary meet-ups planned

Taking different directions

Third ship set to join fleet

SAN FRANCISCO FLEET WEEK

Saudis’ repeat order for Spanish Avante corvettes

Triumphal farewell for last boat

Trieste enters the fray

More ‘jam tomorrow’ for Royal Navy

Human error

Last of the Qatari seven arrives

Cumbrian Fisher heads to Turkey

New windfarm workers

New boxboats

Valemax ore carrier gets rotor sails

Maersk orders 20 boxboats

US Sealift ship returns to fleet

JR Shipping adds to its fleet

HAMBURG EXPRESS A new benchmark in containership design • Andrew McAlpine attended the naming of the new containership Hamburg Express, and provides an overview of the new ship, its design and green credentials.

HEBRIDEAN ISLES FAREWELL • The historic ferry Hebridean Isles was withdrawn in November 2024 after almost 40 years of service. Colin J. Smith looks back over the ship’s career on Scotland’s west coast, serving remote communities.

ZEEBRUGGE GATEWAY TO EUROPE • The Port of Zeebrugge, located in West Flanders, Belgium, is a major European hub for container shipping, bulk cargo, new vehicles and passenger ferries. Handling over 50 million tonnes of cargo annually, it is known for its advanced infrastructure and state-of-the-art port technology. Urbain Ureel looks at the port’s history, as it continues to be a vital part of the region’s economy.

THE BELGIAN NAVY AT ZEEBRUGGE

OVERVIEW PORT OF ZEEBRUGGE

WEAPON CLASS DESTROYERS • Patrick Boniface looks at the design and history of the World War II-designed Weapon class destroyers, which are often forgotten ships in the post-war Royal Navy.

JAMES JOYCE THE BIG PICTURE

NEW YEAR SALE

BALMORAL FROM SOLENT FERRY TO EXCURSION SHIP • The historic motor vessel Balmoral, part of the National Historic Ships register, is currently under restoration in Bristol, having recently marked 75 years since her launch. Dene Bebington looks back at the ship’s long history, and...