Negotiations are under way for the sale of the former Gozo Channel ferries mv Mgarr and mv Cittadella, which should be disposed of shortly, Gozo Channel Co. Ltd general manager Marvic Fenech Adami said.

Now that the three locally built ferries are operational, the fate of the vessels they have replaced is being determined.

The Mgarr and the Ghawdex could not be used in local waters, or carry out international voyages. They would possibly serve as scrap, or operate in internal waters in Africa, Mr Fenech Adami said.

The Calypso was still in use as a standby vessel, he said, explaining that the company could not operate with just three vessels. It would serve as a replacement when either of the new vessels had to undergo maintenance, go to the docks, be chartered, or for any additional requirements.

Meanwhile, the Ghawdex, whose name has been changed to Virgem de Fatima, is still at Cassar Ship Repair Ltd`s `yard in Marsa.

The vessel has changed hands many times in the past and its future remains uncertain. It was bought from Gozo Channel Co. Ltd and sold to a foreign company early last year. But the new owners have not yet taken it due to contractual problems, said shipyard chairman Tony Cassar.

Its presence at the `yard for over a year could constitute a problem for the local ship repair company in that the vessel could "get in the way" of work contracts. If it got a contract for a big ship, the company could lose work due to the lack of space.

Cassar Ship Repair could only wait and try and convince the owners of the Ghawdex to take it away, Mr Cassar said.

The former Gozo Channel vessel had been operating since 1979. The company had decided to sell it after it launched its new vessel, the Ta` Pinu in March 2000.