The expected handover date of the long-delayed 'Glen Rosa' to CalMac has been put back by another two months until February 2027. The dual-fuel ship being built by the state-owned Ferguson shipyard was expected to be ready by the end of 2026, and had originally been due for delivery in 2018. While the yard could deliver the ship by the end of the year, officials had recommended a short delay to allow for the fitting of redesigned propellers. The Ferguson Marine was still assessing the impact on overall cost for the ship, already well over £200m, which was more than four times the original contract price. The delivery in February enables new propellers to be fitted and the ship's liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel systems to be filled and commissioned only once.
News
TULIP
The 'Tulip' was detained for the second time within one year, this time in Maoming on Oct 26, 2026, with four detainable defiencies: 03109 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Machinery space openings (no responsibility of RO) 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (no responsibility of RO) 03107 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Doors (no responsibility of RO) 07103 - FIRE SAFETY - Division - decks,bulkheads and penetrations (no responsibility of RO). The tankefr was release again on Oct 27 and proceeded towards Suez for orders. The last detention was in Raoping near Shantou on Oct 28, 2025, with seven deficiencies, three of which were being regarded as detainable, for one day.
ODYSSEY
After the premature end of the never ending cruise of the 'Odyssey', the company Villa Vie Residences was working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements. Passengers, however, complained that they received no support and had to make their own arrangements after being given seven hours notice to disembark from the ship. Some were devastated and expressed hope a new company could rescue the venture so life at sea could be continued, having expected to sail for years. The shipowner allegedly lacked the expertise to make the business financially sustainable. Changes to the itinerary, unreliable internet access and declining food quality had pushed many residents to leave the ship in recent months. Residents were repeatedly asked to contribute additional money for fuel and other expenses, including a fresh call to raise funds for fuel to get out of Cambodia. The bulk of passengers onboard the Florida-based ship were from the US and Canada. Some had sold their homes to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the years-long cruise, marketed as an alternative to retirement options. Passengers were asked for funds to help pay for fuel in February. Passengers attended a meeting in September led by a company official who asked cabin owners to help them raise $1 million so they could leave Ha Long Bay. The last call came just before docking in Cambodia. Villa Vie Residences said that the monthly fuel costs per cabin had averaged about US$1800 ($3200) but were now US$6000 to US$8000 in parts of Asia, due to the ongoing war in Iran. The company had initially promised it would bring passengers to 147 countries in three years.
ADS ARENDAL
The 'ADS Arendal' was detained in Port Kembla, New South Wales, on Oct 26, with two detainable defiencies: 15106 - ISM - Shipboard operations (no responsibility of RO) 11104 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Rescue boats (no responsibility of RO). The ship was release again on Oct 30.
DANSTAR
The plan to use the 'Danstar' to transport food and supplies from Punta Arenas to Port Stanley continued to fuel tensions between Chile and Argentina. The Argentine authorities were considering detaining, escorting, and fining the ship, operated by Naviera Easter Island. The voyage through the Strait of Magellan covers approximately 900 kilometers and was estimated to take two and a half days. The cargo planned for the route included fruit, dairy products, timber, cement, liquefied gas, and heavy machinery. The ship was scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2026. On Oct 29 it departed from Valparaíso to Magallanes for a refurbishment at the ASMAR yard. The controversy was also linked to the Sea Lion hydrocarbon exploration project, located in the northern basin of the islands, whose sovereignty was disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. In Buenos Aires, there was concern that this route could contribute to supplying the energy project. A potential interception of the Danstar has become a priority for Argentine authorities. However, Buenos Aires has not yet defined the legal strategy or tactics that would justify such an operation. A joint declaration signed by Presidents Javier Milei and José Antonio Kast in Santiago, Chile, in September would not constitute a formal legal basis for preventing the Chilean vessel's commercial navigation. The possibility of intervention by the Argentine Naval Prefecture also raised questions about a potential Chilean response. The possibility of the Chilean Navy escorting the 'Danstar' with a military unit to safeguard commercial navigation has not been ruled out, although no operational decision in this regard has been confirmed. The most recent precedent was the interception of the tug 'Beagle', owned by the Chilean company Ultramar, by the Coast Guard vessel GC-28 Prefecto Derbes in April 2024. The vessel was towing the Taiwanese fishing vessel 'An Fong No. 136' from the Falkland Islands to Montevideo. The action took place 245 nautical miles from Comodoro Rivadavia, in international waters, and prompted a complaint from Chile. Other precedents include the $690,000 fine imposed in 2016 on the f/v 'Unión Sur', owned by the company Emdepes, for operating in disputed waters, and the 2006 detention of the British-flagged vessel 'John Cheek', with a Chilean crew, which was escorted to Comodoro Rivadavia. While Argentina allowed regular trade between the Falkland Islands and Uruguay, despite this being twice the distance from Punta Arenas, it focused its pressure tactics on Chilean vessels.

