Piana (ship)

Piana in Marseille
History
Name	(2011–present): Piana
Owner	(2011–present): Compagnie Méridionale de Navigation (CMN) / CMA CGM Group
Operator	(2011–2019): La Méridionale (2019–2020): Corsica Linea (charter) (2020–present): La Méridionale
Port of registry	(2011–present): Bastia, France
Route	Marseille – Ajaccio Former: Marseille – Bastia
Ordered	26 June 2008
Builder	Brodosplit Split, Croatia
Cost	€143 million
Yard number	468
Laid down	18 December 2009
Launched	24 November 2010
Christened	31 January 2012
Completed	13 December 2011
Acquired	13 December 2011
Maiden voyage	26 December 2011
In service	2011
Identification	IMO number: 9526332 Call sign: FHSE MMSI number: 228009700
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class & type	Brodosplit Ro-Pax Cruise Ferry
Tonnage	42,180 GT 11,300 DWT
Length	179.99 m (590 ft 6 in)
Beam	30.52 m (100 ft 2 in)
Draught	6.70 m (22 ft 0 in)
Depth	9.80 m (32 ft 2 in)
Decks	11
Ramps	Stern loading ramps
Installed power	4 × Wärtsilä 8L46F marine diesel engines (total 38,400 kW / 51,500 hp)
Propulsion	2 × controllable pitch propellers 2 × Wärtsilä bow thrusters
Speed	24.0 knots (44.4 km/h; 27.6 mph) (service)
Capacity	800 passengers (200 cabins / ~700 beds) 221 cars / 2,473 lane metres for freight (~180 trailers)
Crew	53

Piana is a mixed-use vessel belonging to La Méridionale. Built from 2010 to 2011 by the BrodoSplit shipyard in Split, Croatia, it is named after a village in Southern Corsica famous for its calanques (rocky inlets). It entered service in December 2011 on the public service delegation (DSP) lines between Marseille and Corsica, it was then primarily assigned to serving Bastia. Following the partial exclusion of La Méridionale from the 2019-2021 DSP, it was transferred to serving the secondary port of Porto-Vecchio from October 2019 to February 2021 before finally being assigned to Ajaccio from the March 1st.

History

Origins and construction

In the late 2000s, the Compagnie Méridionale de Navigation (CMN) needed to renew its fleet operating on the public service delegation (DSP) routes between Marseille and Corsica. The first step was to replace the Scandola, which served Propriano, as its towing capacity was becoming increasingly inadequate for the ever-increasing freight traffic. This problem was particularly acute in Bastia, the port through which the majority of freight destined for the island passed. The new vessel was therefore slated to be based in Bastia, replacing the Kalliste, which would in turn replace the Scandola on the Propriano route. This would both provide greater towing capacity and significantly improve passenger comfort.

To ensure consistency across the routes covered by the Public Service Obligation (PSO), the new vessel is based on the SNCM 's Pascal Paoli, a joint operator of La Méridionale. However, the new vessel's specifications will be driven by the evolving traffic patterns. Consequently, its size and capacity are increased compared to its predecessor. Thanks to extensive work carried out at the port of Bastia, its length can be limited to 180 meters, allowing for a haul-out capacity of 2,500 linear meters, or the ability to carry 180 trailers. Like the Kalliste and the Girolata, the new vessel's passenger areas will be designed for maximum comfort, featuring two bars, two restaurants, a cinema, and comfortable cabins. Finally, the vessel is slated to sport a brand-new, predominantly blue livery, replacing La Méridionale's traditional gray hulls. In anticipation of the ship's arrival, this livery will be applied to the other vessels in the fleet, with the exception of the Scandola.

The ship construction contract is signed on June 26, 2008 with the Croatian shipyards BrodoSplit. Named Piana, it is the first ship ordered by the company since the Kalliste in 1992. Laid down in Split on December 18, 2009, the ship is launched on November 24, 2010. However, the finishing work was delayed, causing an initial postponement of the delivery to June 2011, whereas it was supposed to take place in March or April. It will be postponed once again until the end of 2011, jeopardizing the commissioning of the mixed cargo ship for the summer season. After a six-month delay, the Piana is finally delivered to La Méridionale on December 13, 2011.

Service

After leaving Croatia on December 14, 2011, the Piana arrives in Marseille for the first time on December 17. The ship begins its commercial service on December 26, between Marseille and Bastia.

His baptism, celebrated by Jean Bonfils, took place on January 31, 2012 in Bastia in the presence of representatives of the company, elected officials of the Corsican region as well as its godmother Anne-Charlotte de Lambilly, wife of the president of the company.

Between the 12th and the March 30 the ship is undergoing maintenance in Marseille where its bow bulb, damaged during a collision with the quay in the Phocaean city in January, is being replaced.

On June 14 a malfunction of the winch on one of the two anchors, deployed as a safety precaution due to strong winds blowing over Bastia, caused a four-hour delay in the Piana 's departure. To allow the ship to leave, the crew finally decided to cut the chain. The anchor was recovered a few days later and reinstalled on board the ship once the winch was repaired.

In October 2015 the ship suffered damage to its bow thrusters, which were then removed for repairs. The mixed cargo ship nevertheless continued its rotations to Corsica, assisted by a tugboat during berthing and unberthing maneuvers. For safety reasons, it operated during this period in Ajaccio, which has a larger turning basin, unlike the port of Bastia.

In 2017, the Piana underwent adaptation work to the shore power connections of the port of Marseille, allowing the ship's engines to be switched off during stopovers, thus reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

In December of that same year, it was repainted in the new colors of La Méridionale with a two-tone blue livery inspired by the previous one, as well as the addition of bands of the same colors bordering the portholes of decks 9 and 10.

During its technical stop in Marseille between March 11 and April 5 in 2019, the ship is being fitted with a particulate filter installed near its starboard funnel. Aimed at reducing fine particulate emissions, the device, currently being tested, is the first of its kind installed on a ship.

On October 1 La Méridionale was partially excluded from the new public service delegation contract in favor of its former partner, Corsica Linea. Initially relegated to serving only Propriano, for which the tender was deemed unsuccessful, the company was forced to operate only one of its three ships pending the new tender for secondary ports. The Piana was thus chartered by Corsica Linea to serve Porto-Vecchio, for which the tender was also declared unsuccessful. From February 2020, the ship rejoins the fleet of La Méridionale which takes over the operation on Porto-Vecchio and is awarded the subsidized service of this line in April.

At the end of the month of February 2021,the Corsican Assembly voted to implement a new Public Service Delegation (DSP) contract spanning a period of 22 months. Following the labor disputes that affected La Méridionale in early 2020 and disrupted services between Marseille and Corsica, Corsica Linea agreed to resume dialogue with its former partner. It was in this context that the two carriers agreed to submit a joint bid for the Ajaccio route, which was selected by the Assembly. The Piana ferry was then transferred to Corsica Linea, effective from March 1st on the link between Marseille and Ajaccio.

At the end of 2021, the testing phase of the particulate filter installed on the starboard funnel two years earlier came to an end. The experiment proving more than conclusive, management decided to equip the ship permanently. During its technical stop in Santander the complete system was installed on the Piana by a subsidiary of Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Its installation involved a slight modification to its appearance due to the connection of the exhaust ducts from its funnels within the filter. Following the work, the ship returned to Marseille and resumed its crossings to Ajaccio.

On June 7, 2025, while the ship was docked in Marseille shortly after its arrival from Ajaccio, a trailer caught fire in the garage at around 8:00 AM. The response was swift, however, and the fire was brought under control in just under two hours and extinguished by the Marseille fire brigade. No passengers were on board at the time, and no injuries were reported among the crew or emergency personnel. The damage, however, led to the temporary immobilization of the Piana and the cancellation of its crossing to Ajaccio.

Facilities

The Piana spans 12 decks. Although the ship actually only has 10, two decks—none of which are garage decks, but present in the technical areas—are included in the count. Passenger quarters are located on decks 8, 9, and 10, while crew quarters occupy a large portion of deck 10. Decks 2, 3, 5, and 7 house the garages.

Common areas

The Piana is equipped with comfortable facilities for its passengers. These facilities, mostly located on deck 9, include the Le Figuier lounge bar at the stern, the Palombaggia restaurant amidships on the starboard side, the Piana self-service restaurant on the port side, and an outdoor area at the stern on deck 10. The ship also has a small cinema at the front on deck 9 and a conference room at the stern. Until 2018, a second bar, L' Arbousier, was located on deck 10 near the terrace. It has since been removed and replaced with new cabins.

Cabins

The Piana has 200 private cabins, mostly located on deck 8, but also on deck 9 at the front of the ship and on deck 10 at the rear. Both inside and outside the ship, 150 of these cabins can accommodate up to four people, and 50 have a double bed. All cabins have a private bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink. The ship also has a small lounge with Pullman armchairs on deck 8.

Features

The Piana is 180m long and 30.60m wide, with a draft of 6.70m and a gross tonnage of 42,180GT, making it the largest vessel operating in Corsica since the sale of the Napoléon Bonapartein 2014. The ship can accommodate 750 passengers and has a 2,500-meter roll-off garage, providing space for 180 trailers, accommodating up to 200 vechiles, and accessible via two stern ramps. It is fully air-conditioned. It is powered by four Wärtsilä 8L46F diesel engines, producing 38,400 kW of power, driving two controllable-pitch propellers, enabling the vessel to reach speeds of over 24 knots. The combined passenger and cargo ship is also equipped with two bow thrusters and a roll stabilizer with two retractable fins. The ship is equipped with two large, enclosed lifeboats, supplemented by a rigid inflatable boat and numerous life rafts. From 2019, its starboard funnel has been fitted with a particulate filter. This device was subsequently be permanently installed in December 2021.

Routes served

Since its commissioning, the Piana has been assigned to the public service delegation routes between Marseille and Corsica. Until October 1, 2019, the ship was primarily used for overnight crossings to Bastia. It also occasionally called at the ports of Ajaccio and Propriano.

Starting from October 1, 2019, following the partial exclusion of La Méridionale from the public service delegation contract, the Piana was transferred between Marseille and Porto-Vecchio, initially chartered by Corsica Linea and then finally under its owner's colors from February 2020.

Since March 2021 the ship is assigned to the Marseille-Ajaccio route, which it serves jointly with Corsica Linea ships.