What Crew Members Say About Moby-Wonder

The Moby Wonder ferry, which left Porto Torres on the evening of January 14 and reached the port of Genoa on January 15 at 3:00 PM, has encountered a major delay of around eight hours. This delay was attributed to a technical malfunction affecting the vessel, which primarily operates the Genoa-Porto Torres route. The incident occurred on March 13, leading to the cancellation of two sailings and effectively isolating the port from its crucial connection to the Ligurian region. Passengers impacted by the cancellations were promptly rebooked onto the Livorno-Olbia ferry service, which set sail on March 15 at 10:00 PM. The Moby Wonder was scheduled to depart from Olbia on March 16, bound for Livorno. However, the crossing from Genoa to Porto Torres was also hindered by over three hours of delay, culminating in an arrival time that was eight hours later than originally planned. In response to these issues, the Genoa Port Authority has initiated an investigation to ascertain the underlying causes of the technical failure. Authorities expect that regular ferry services will resume on March 17.

In a significant development regarding the maritime transport sector, the Court of Milan has mandated the auctioning of five ferries, including the notable 'Moby Aki' (IMO: 9299393) and 'Moby Wonder', along with 'Moby Ale Due' (IMO: 9222522), 'Athara' (IMO: 9263655), and 'Janas' (IMO: 9222534). The auction is scheduled to take place next week, with the initial bidding starting at €229.9 million for the entire lot. Notably, for the 'Moby Aki' and 'Moby Wonder', there is a requirement for them to be chartered back to Moby for a period of 15 years, at a daily rental rate of €15,000 (approximately $17,200). This decision follows a ruling by the Italian Competition and Market Authority (AGCM), which raised concerns regarding the impact of the Mediterranean Shipping Company's (MSC) involvement on market competition. The MSC recently divested its stake in the Italian ferry operator, which had been acquired by its subsidiary, Shipping Agencies Services, in 2022 at a time when Moby was navigating financial difficulties. However, the AGCM initiated an investigation in November 2024 as it perceived a potential competition threat, especially since SAS owns Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), a competitor on several routes serviced by Moby. To address these concerns, SAS will revert its 49% ownership back to Onorato Armatori, a move that has received the green light from competition regulators.

In a significant move to bolster its operations, DFDS, the renowned Danish ferry and logistics operator, has finalized a deal with Italian ferry firm Moby. This agreement involves the acquisition of two combined freight and passenger ferries (ro-pax), specifically the Moby Wonder, launched in 2001, and the Moby Aki, built in 2005. This strategic purchase aims to enhance capacity on DFDS’s Amsterdam-Newcastle route. Concurrently, Moby is set to acquire the two DFDS passenger ferries currently servicing the same route, namely King Seaways and Princess Seaways, which were built in 1987 and 1986, respectively. The anticipated completion date for this exchange is in the latter half of October 2019, marking a pivotal moment for both maritime companies as they adjust their fleets for improved service delivery.

On December 17, 2010, the ferry Moby Wonder, with IMO number 9214367, was involved in a maritime collision with the container vessel Delfino Bianco approximately nine nautical miles east of Elbia. At the time of the incident, Moby Wonder was carrying 392 passengers and a crew of 66, along with 190 cars and 40 trucks. The ferry had departed from Livorno earlier that evening at 9:40 PM. The Delfino Bianco had a crew of 22 and nine passengers on board. The impact caused significant damage to the Moby Wonder, resulting in a gash of 6 to 7 meters between cargo decks 3 and 4. Meanwhile, the Delfino Bianco sustained damage to its port side foreship. Following the incident, Moby Wonder successfully entered the port of Olbia around 7 AM the same day. Subsequent repairs were necessary for the ferry, which reached Genova Drydock for extensive repairs on December 20 at 3 AM. For more visual details about this incident, check out the photo gallery here: http://www.corriere.it/gallery/cronache/12-2010/moby/1/fotogallery-corriere-sera_1311ed0e-09d6-11e0-b36f-00144f02aabc.shtml#4.