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Starting next year, there will again be more than one company sailing the traditional Hurtigruten route between Bergen and Kirkenes. The shipping company Havila won a tender for four ships on what they have called the Havila Coastal Route.
They have four ships under construction, but a bankruptcy in Spain means that two of the ships are long overdue. The two ships under construction in Turkey will also be delayed, but on Saturday Havila Castor and Havila Capella could finally be launched at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey, the company itself reported in a press release.
Two of the four boats launched
Havila Kystruten CEO Arild Myrvoll is even in Turkey to see the boats have salt water under the keel for the first time.
– It will be good to start by providing people along the coast and tourists with safe transportation and eco-friendly navigation on the most beautiful coastal journey in the world, says in the press release.
The first two ships are not ready for the New Year as the plan was originally, but Myrvoll says that with what is known now, it looks like there may be deliveries during the first quarter of 2021.
To speed up the construction process as much as possible despite the challenges of the crown situation, the ships have been on land longer than usual. In this way, various work tasks have been streamlined.
– This means that the work with the ships that have now been launched has come a long way in terms of pipes, machines, electricity and accessories. In the Turkish way, it is also the case that boats are not painted to the end. Therefore, construction has gone further than it seems.
Recover replacement ships
In anticipation of the new vessels, the Havila Coastal Route was approved for two replacement vessels, but the demand situation on the coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes is currently very uncertain, and the need for capacity is being assessed when starting a new contract on January 1, 2021.
The corona pandemic and travel restrictions affect the entire tourism industry and also make it difficult for the Havila Coastal Route to be specific about what will happen next year.
– But we are pleased to note that there is good interest in the Havila Coastal Route from travel agencies and tour operators. We are in high demand and eager to get up and running, says Arild Myrvoll.
When the new ships for the Havila coastal route are in place, passengers between Bergen and Kirkenes will, according to the press release, sail with ships that run on LNG, reducing Co 2 emissions by 25 percent by compared to traditional propulsion, plus boats that have the largest battery packs in the world. It can provide up to four hours of sailing completely without emissions or noise. The ships have 179 spacious cabins and are equipped with Norwegian furniture and interiors.
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