C-Bed Floating Hotels, the Dutch subsidiary of Denmark’s Monjasa Group, has sold its 9,000-gt accommodation ship Wind Solution (built 1969).
Ferry market sources in Pireaus, where the ship recently docked, say it may have gone to high-speed operator Sea Jets Maritime.
Management sources at C-Bed would neither confirm nor deny the sale when approached by TradeWinds for comment this week. But they confirmed the ship was now in Greece and had been on the market for some time.
A C-Bed official told TradeWinds the company was trimming its fleet in response to what he described as “the way the market is developing” in the offshore sector.
The sale leaves C-Bed with two other accommodation vessels that are used in the northern European offshore and wind-farm installation sectors.
Sea Jets could not be reached for comment, but Greek ferry industry observers questioned why it would be interested in a vessel that is almost 50 years old.
Sources familiar with the Wind Solution said they were not surprised as it was extensively rebuilt when converted from a ropax ferry in 2008. Since then, they added, it has been been maintained to a high standard to meet the requirements of offshore industry clients.
While Sea Jets is best known for its large fleet of high-speed craft that hop between islands in the Aegean, the company has been growing its presence in the conventional domestic ferry market.
Observers said the company has been keen to obtain subsidised public service ferry routes in order to generate year-round income.
The company currently operates the 3,900-gt Aqua Jewel (built 2002), and recently added the former ANEK Lines 7,500-gt ferry Ierapetra L (built 1975), which will soon return to service under the name Aqua Blue.
