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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 231

Distribution : daily 4700 copies worldwide 9/3/2008

Number 231 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 04-09-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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The FAIRPLAY XVII seen in the port of Rotterdam Photo : Fred van der Spek ©



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CONTENTS EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

• Somali pirates want $8 mln to free three ships • New Rosyth ferry deal close • Treating seafarers respectfully • Somali pirates seize French vessel -official • Singapore hosts 17-nation seminar on maritime security • Most carriers must just tough it out • KNRM begeleid zeilsloep met problemen uit zwaar weer • 'Waves so big it's dangerous' • Greenpeace activists storm Malaysian logging ship • Exxon Mobil settles on US$383 million in damages

CASUALTY REPORTING • Fisherman killed as mainland boat and ferry collide • Bosporus bash

NAVY NEWS • U.S. warship leaves Sevastopol after protests • Kitty Hawk arrives in Bremerton to close chapter in naval history • SA Navy crippled by frigate purchase • Nuclear-powered carrier cuts it fine on paper • Malaysia Sends Navy Vessels to Aden After Hijacks, Star Reports • France takes command of maritime task force in Lebanon • NZ Navy Warship Returning Home From Arabian Gulf Deployment

SHIPYARD NEWS • DAMEN DELIVERS FAIRPLAYER • ST Marine lays keep for first Singapore-built Ropax

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES • Loan gets Portishead lifeboat back out to sea • RED JET 1 SERVICES ROUTE • BRIXHAM <> TORQUAY • Tecplata to invest US$350 million in new container terminal • Murmansk Sea Port sees cargo turnover dip in Jan-Aug • Hornbeck Offshore vessels unharmed by Gustav • Great offshore to acquire Andhra-based firms for Rs 160 cr • Panama ports strike ends • Farewell season for popular cruise ship • Maersk buys Brostrom for 3.62b kroner • Maersk reinstates Iraq service • GE LM2500+G4 Gas Turbine Module Delivered By Avio for Frigate • Hutchison Ports withdraws interest in Indian port operation



EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS HIGH

DEEP

HEAVY

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Somali pirates want $8 mln to free three ships

Somali pirates are demanding a total ransom of $8.2 million to free two Malaysian tankers and a Japanese-managed bulk carrier hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, a maritime official said on Tuesday. Gunmen from Somalia have hijacked at least 30 vessels in the area so far this year, making the shipping lanes off the Horn of Africa nation the most dangerous in the world. Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, said the pirates wanted $4.7 million to release the Bunga Melati 5 and its sister ship, the Bunga Melati Dua, both owned by Malaysian national carrier MISC. He told Reuters the gangs were also demanding $3.5 million to free the MV Stella Maris, which was hijacked on July 20. "We believe all three ships are near Eyl village, where the pirates have the strong support of locals," Mwangura said. "Eyl was set up as a fishing base in 1973 and then later abandoned. It is a very remote area and the pirates feel safe. They know that no outsiders or spies can approach them there." Somali officials say gunmen are believed to be holding at least six vessels for ransom near Eyl. In total, the pirates are thought to be holding about 130 crew members hostage. The Bunga Melati 5 was carrying 30,000 tonnes of petrochemicals to Singapore from Saudi Arabia when it was seized on Friday. It had 36 Malaysian and five Filipino crew on board. MISC said it had been travelling "within the vicinity" of a Gulf of Aden security corridor that was set up last week, but that multinational forces had been unable to stop the hijacking. The Bunga Melati Dua was laden with 32,000 tonnes of crude palm oil and was carrying 29 Malaysian and 10 Filipino sailors to Rotterdam from Indonesia when it was seized on August 19. Somali pirates also want a $1 million for a Nigerian tug boat, the MT Yenegoa Ocean, which was seized earlier this month. Lawlessness onshore is spreading fast as Somalia collapses into the worst fighting for two nearly decades. The chaos is fuelling a wave of piracy that increasingly threatens vessels in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's most important waterways. Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the strategic channel each year, and the attacks are choking aid shipments to the country, worsening a crisis that aid workers say is the worst in Africa. Source: reuters.com

New Rosyth ferry deal close



An announcement on a new operator for the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry service is expected to be made within the next couple of weeks, The Courier can exclusively reveal.

Photo : Iain Mcgeachy © Negotiations between Forth Ports, which owns the port of Rosyth, the Scottish Government and at least one potential operator are believed to be close to completion. With less than a fortnight to go before Superfast pulls out, politicians and business leaders in Fife have said an announcement cannot come soon enough. They have urged the Scottish Government and Forth Ports to confirm they have, or haven't, found a successor for Superfast as soon as possible. Norfolkline, a company based in Holland, is believed to be among the leading contenders, if not the leading contender, to take over the route. The company, which operates services between Liverpool and Belfast and Dublin and between Dover and Dunkirk, confirmed yesterday it was interested in the route. However, speaking from Norfolkline's headquarters in The Hague, managing director Kell Robdrup, insisted any talk of a deal having been concluded was premature. "What I can tell you is that we have been looking at the possibility of a Zeebrugge to Rosyth service, but we have not taken any decision yet," he said. A new operator has been sought since Superfast Ferries announced at the end of May it was ending its involvement in the route after six years. The last ferry will head for Zeebrugge in Belgium a week on Saturday. The Scottish Government was remaining tight-lipped last night about naming a successor. A spokesman said, "We are working very closely with Forth Ports to identify a commercial operator for the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route. "There have been constructive discussions so far with potential operators and these discussions are continuing as we look to find a commercial solution." Likewise, Forth Ports were saying little, but insisted they believed they would find a new operator. John Park, Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said any move to retain the link was welcome, but said continuity was crucial. "The main thing is to keep the service in place, even on an alternate day basis," he said. "What we need to do is ensure that whatever services we have coming to Rosyth are built on over the next few years because that's the only way that Rosyth and Scotland will have an internationally-recognised port."



David Chalmers, chairman of the Fife Federation of Small Businesses, said the business community was "desperate" to see the service continue. He argued an announcement should be made as soon as possible. Any delay would lead to an "awful degree of uncertainty," which wouldn't be good for haulage businesses or tourists. "If there's one thing business needs it is certainty," Mr Chalmers said. "This doesn't augur well for a measured handover." He added, "There's too much delay and it's down to the wire. "It will leave the operator with an awful lot of work to do to pick up the business again. "We really need the announcement now and not at the time of the expiry of Superfast's activities." Councillor Tony Martin, chairman of Fife Council's environment, enterprise and transport committee, said, "Until an official announcement is made, it would be inappropriate for us to comment." Source : thecourier.co.uk

Smit’s HUBERTA is operating in Gabon for Total Photo : Capt. Wim van der Kort ©

Treating seafarers respectfully US Coast Guard has commendably instituted measures vastly improving the situation

SINCE the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, security has gone - as everybody in the industry knows - right to the top of the agenda. We now, of course, operate within the framework of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), which has transformed many ports from quite accessible, fairly relaxed places to veritable fortresses. Around the world, seafarers have found that both getting ashore can be more difficult, especially if they happen to be of nationalities deemed to pose a particular risk, and that their treatment by security officials in the ports can be less than friendly, if not downright aggressive. This has created an atmosphere in which seafarers see themselves all too often being treated like potential criminals or terrorists when, in fact, they are skilled professionals on whom the global economy is largely reliant.



Over the past seven years, the aggressive stance towards seafarers has been especially evident in the US. There have been countless reports of seafarers being subjected to oppressive and unreasonable treatment. The classic case (which I do not think is apocryphal although I cannot find the source) is of officials bullying their way onto vessels without showing IDs and then fining the vessel for not checking the identities of all visitors. So it's nice to note that as the seventh anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington approaches, the US Coast Guard (USCG) has taken action to radically change the way seafarers are treated. In February the head of the USCG, Admiral Thad Allen, put in place policies to ensure that foreign mariners will be treated more courteously and respectfully when they call at US ports. He sent out a forthright memo that began by saying: 'USCG activities involving US and foreign professional mariners and maritime organisations will be conducted with utmost professionalism and respect. Licensed and documented mariners are professionals who share our interests in a safe, secure, and environmentally compliant industry.' The admiral then said that he had received reports from 'highly respected professionals recounting Coast Guard boardings, inspections and investigations not displaying professionalism'. 'Additionally,' he said, 'some have said they lost the complete trust they once had in the Coast Guard and are fearful of retribution if they challenge the Coast Guard's conduct.' A few weeks ago, Lloyd's List reported that Adm Allen said recently that he had received 'much positive feedback' to his memo. He said: 'My message has been taken on board, and I am happy at what I have heard.' Lloyd's List quoted Kathy Metcalf, director of maritime affairs at the Chamber of Shipping of America, as saying that Adm Allen's memorandum had led to a 'vast improvement' in the treatment of foreign mariners, and that the chamber had heard no new negative reports since the memo was circulated. She added that the original complaints had largely involved joint armed boardings conducted on foreign ships by the USCG and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). USCG officials were seen as professional even then, while the CBP counterparts were 'more unreasonable'. There are other encouraging signs. Adm Allen also said that the US Coast Guard Authorisation Bill, now awaiting ratification, would protect abandoned seafarers or seafarers who could not leave the US because of ongoing investigations. Recently, there has been another sign of even-handedness on the part of the US authorities. Over the past few years, there has been a constant stream of cases before the US courts involving the alleged falsification of the ship's Oil Record Book, which is an indication of illegal discharges of oily water. Fines, jail and strict probation terms for companies await offenders. A couple of weeks ago, there was a most unusual case. A USCG warrant officer was sentenced for a similar offence. David Williams, previously in charge of the engine room of the cutter Rush, was sentenced to pay a US$5,000 fine, serve 200 hours of community service and two years on probation. He was convicted for lying about his knowledge of the direct overboard discharge of bilge wastes through the ship's deep sink into the waters of Honolulu Harbor in 2005. The sceptical may point out that the USCG itself and its procedures did not have to endure the sort of open scrutiny that shipowners caught in a similar situation might face. Nevertheless, it is a clear signal that the rules apply to everybody. The change of approach in the US is important, and not just for seafarers going to that country. The US and its approach to security tends to set a global standard.



While I do not think for a moment that any set of rules and procedures can completely eliminate bad behaviour at a local level, those defending seafarers' rights around the world can now refer to the US approach as an example of good practice. That is a welcome change. Source : businesstimes.com.sg

Somali pirates seize French vessel -official Somalia pirates have seized a French vessel that may be carrying tourists off the coast of East Africa, a maritime official said on Wednesday. "We don't have details but it seems there are some tourists on board," Andrew Mwangura, head of the East Africa Seafarers' Assistance Programme, told Reuters. "It is from France but we don't know whether it is a yacht or cruise ship." Somali gunmen have seized at least 30 vessels so far this year, making the water off the Horn of Africa country the most dangerous in the world. The European Union is preparing a mechanism to help coordinate protection of vessels from the pirates and is considering a beefed up operation at a later stage, diplomats said on Tuesday. Source : africa.reuters.com

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Singapore hosts 17-nation seminar on maritime security

Delegates from 17 navies have concluded a three-day meeting in Singapore to discuss the sharing of information on maritime security, said Singapore's Defense Ministry on Friday. The 4th Western Pacific Naval Symposium Maritime Security Information Exchange Seminar, hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), was held from Aug. 27 to 29, said a statement from the ministry. This year's seminar, which featured the theme "Safe and Secure Seas for All", aimed to enhance information-sharing and promote interoperability among the participating navies and agencies, it said. The participants discussed approaches taken by different countries to tackle maritime security threats and initiatives to enhance maritime security.



They were also updated on changes in the Regional Maritime Information Exchange, a secure website launched in 2006 to facilitate information-sharing among the Western Pacific community. Source : xinhuanet

The SEVEN PELICAN seen operating near the CLAYMORE-A Platform Photo : Crew Seven Pelican ©

Most carriers must just tough it out WHILE the worsening piracy situation in the Gulf of Aden is a worry for all in the shipping industry, not all players can choose to do the same as MISC - barring its vessels from entering the area. Following the hijacking of two of its tankers last month, the Malaysian shipping company yesterday said: 'MISC has with immediate effect put a halt on all its vessels entering into the Gulf of Aden until additional security measures by MISC are in place to enhance the safety of its vessels and crew'. MISC is able to take such a decision because the bulk of its business is in the tanker trades, quite a lot of which is typically done on a spot basis. It also shares capacity on the key Asia-Europe trade as part of the Grand Alliance. The Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia is on one of the world's busiest shipping routes, with almost 20,000 vessels a year passing through on their way to and from Europe through the Suez Canal. Other pure container lines, however, are not in a similar position and have little choice but to continue going through the area. 'We have no choice but to keep using the route. Operationally, re-routing to go around the cape is simply not an option,' said PIL deputy managing director Tan Chor Kee. He added that PIL's sub-continent and East African services also meant that their ships needed to continue calling at the ports in the area as well. Mr Tan said that PIL's ships have been adhering to the International Maritime Organization stipulated guidelines to keep more than 200 miles away from the Somalia coast as well as keep a sharp lookout while transiting the area. 'So far, so good and we've not had any incidents,' he said. Other lines such as NOL have also adopted the same stance. 'While we have not stopped vessels entering this area, our ships and their crews are on high alert. We will continue to monitor the situation closely,' said a spokesman.



Sources said that MISC's decision was prompted by serious concern for its crew and vessels. The lives of 80 crew seized from its tankers, more than two-thirds of whom are Malaysians, hang in the balance. There are concerns that the sharp rise in hijackings would lead to higher war risk insurance premiums, especially after the Lloyd's Market Association's Joint War Committee in May designated the channel at high risk of war, strikes, terrorism and related perils. 'The London insurance market is taking a mixed view on whether the activity in the Gulf of Aden is considered piracy or war. Some war underwriters are increasing additional premiums due to the heightened incidents, while others are adopting a 'wait-and-see' approach,' said Nick Sansom, Marsh Asia head of marine. Mr Tan said that PIL has not seen any increase in war risk premiums so far but did not rule out rises in future if the spate of incidents continues unabated. Source : businesstimes.com.sg

KNRM begeleid zeilsloep met problemen uit zwaar weer

Door : Ron Zegers – KNRM Hoek van Holland Woensdag ochtend om 04.15 uur werden de Hoekse redders door het kustwachtcentrum Den Helder gealarmeerd voor een zeiljacht met problemen 30 mijl Zuidwest van de pieren. De zeilsloep Maria Lecina met 3 man aan boord was deze nacht vanwege “gunstig weer” onderweg vanuit het Engelse Lowestoft naar de thuishaven Stellendam. 40 mijl voor Stellendam kreeg het zeiljacht 2 grote golven over en binnen in het schip waardoor er water in de machinekamer stond en de motor daarom niet meer gebruikt kon worden. Onderweg hebben de zeilers al te maken gehad met een wind van 6-7 Beaufort welke voor de Hollandse kust was afgezwakt tot 5-6 Beaufort. De zeilers hadden snel in de gaten dat Stellendam met deze verraderlijke wind en golven niet haalbaar bleek.

Er bleek een behoorlijke hoeveelheid water binnen te zijn gekomen in het zeiljacht, de zeilers besloten alvast de kustwacht te alarmeren over hun toestand. Het kustwachtcentrum Den Helder heeft de KNRM reddingboot Koopmansdank van Burghsluis gealarmeerd, en deze waren voor 04.00 uur in de ochtend bij het zeiljacht welke 40 mijl uit de kust voer. De schipper van de reddingboot Koopmansdank heeft in samenwerking met de bemanning van het zeiljacht besloten om KNRM reddingstation Hoek van Holland te waarschuwen omdat het schip veel naar het Noorden verdaagde en slepen geen zinvolle optie was.



De Hoekse KNRM reddingboot Jeanine Parqui voer op haar beurt om 04.30 uur de Berghaven uit richting het zeiljacht. Om 06.10 was de Jeanine Parqui bij de Koopmansdank en het zeiljacht gearriveerd in de positie 51°57 Noord en 003°48 Oost. Vanaf deze positie hebben de Hoekse redders de wacht overgenomen en het zeiljacht Maria Lecina verder begeleid. Bij het binnenlopen van de Maasmond (tussen de pieren) ging het bijna mis, het zeiljacht kon geen hoogte hoeden en dreigde op de keien van de pier te verdagen. Hierop heeft de bemanning het zeiljacht om 07.45 uur langszij de Jeanine Parqui gebracht en verder naar de Berghaven gevaren. Zowel het zeiljacht als de reddingboot lagen om 09.30 in ochtend veilig gemeerd in de Berghaven.

'Waves so big it's dangerous' Dangerous sea conditions for the third day hampered rescue operations, with boats unable to handle swells and emergency workers having to work from the shore and air. And the weather service on Tuesday issued a "severe" warning that "very rough seas with wave heights exceeding five metres" were expected to persist along the Western and Northern Cape coasts on Wednesday. National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) volunteers patrolled the shore between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna searching for Terrance Davis, 21, an exchange student at University of Cape Town from Arkansas in the United States, who was swept out to sea at Harkerville on Monday. Ray Farnham, the Plettenberg Bay NSRI's station commander, said sea conditions were too rough to search for the student. "They will be on land searching the coastline instead. We're waiting for sea conditions to calm. The waves are so big it has actually become dangerous to be out there. "I hope (conditions) are not worse (on Wednesdy). It looks like a bit of a swell will pick up at the weekend again," he said. An SA Air Force helicopter was used in the search on Tuesday. In Gansbaai, the Smit Amandla salvage tug was stationed nearby the bulk carrier, the Nena J, which nearly ran aground on Sunday, but could not attach a tow rope as sea conditions were too severe. Sarene Kloren, the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre's spokesperson, said the 16 crew members aboard the 185-metre-long bulk carrier were trying to repair its engine which failed on Sunday. On Tuesday, trains were running between Muizenberg and Simon's Town after being out of action for two days because waves had damaged the tracks. Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said employees were "keeping a close eye on the weather" in case services needed to be suspended again. Rough seas in Kalk Bay had also subsided and two residents, Nick Thompson and Martin de Rigquebourg, who had on Monday needed to be rescued after they jumped off the pier into choppy water, were each fined R1 000. "I've had them prosecuted. The emergency services that responded were also thinking of doing the same," harbour chief Pat Stacey said. At Hermanus's New Harbour, where nine-metre swells had sunk a boat, destroyed a slipway and damaged a number of restaurants on Monday, conditions had settled and Henk Henn, the Hermanus NSRI's station commander, said he hoped such swells would not be experienced again. Mopping-up operations were under way in the rest of the Overberg area where rough seas had damaged and destroyed footpaths, bridges and roads which had been littered with debris from the sea. On Monday night, 40 residents from the Zwelihle informal settlement were housed in a hall after their homes were flooded. Source : Cape Times



The SEA SAFETY seen at Volund - Photo : Jan Plug ©

Greenpeace activists storm Malaysian logging ship

Greenpeace activists have stormed on board a logging ship at a port in Papua New Guinea, preventing stevedores from loading logs bound for China. Four activists boarded the Harbour Gemini at Paia Port in a remote inlet on PNG's south coast. The activists hoisted themselves up the ship's crane, preventing it from loading logs taken from one of PNG's largest forestry concessions. Greenpeace says the ship is working for Malaysian logging giant Rimbunan Hijau and accuses the company of breaking PNG forestry laws. Local resource owners asked Greenpeace to help them publicise their concerns with the logging operation on their land. Source : abc.net.au

Exxon Mobil settles on US$383 million in damages

USA: Exxon Mobil has agreed to pay out US$383 million in damages in the case of the 1989 ‘Exxon Valdez’ oil spill. This amount is 75 percent of the damage figure awared by the US Supreme Court in June. The plaintiffs will be receive some of the money as early as next month. The ‘Exxon Valdez’ spilt over 34,000 tonnes of crude oil in the incident and the cleanup was worth US$2.5 billion. Source : Baird Online



The LUPUS is the former BANJAARDSBANK seen in Norwegian waters Photo : Rob Fongers ©

CASUALTY REPORTING

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Fisherman killed as mainland boat and ferry collide

A mainland fisherman was killed when a catamaran passenger ferry from Hong Kong to Macau collided with a fishing vessel in mainland waters Tuesday. Two other fishermen were pulled from the sea after their vessel sank. They were admitted to hospital in Macau. The Cotai Ferry, which is operated by the Venetian and was carrying 143 passengers and crew, was only slightly damaged and continued its journey. A Macau Maritime Administration spokeswoman said the ferry, which left Hong Kong at 11am, was making its approach to Macau when it collided with the fishing vessel at about 11.45am. MMA officials attended the scene and rescued the fishermen, who were sent to Hospital Conde San Januario, where one was pronounced dead. A Cotai Ferry spokeswoman said the vessel's 1.30pm return trip to Hong Kong was canceled. She said there were no major injuries on board the ferry but that a male Hong Kong resident was admitted to the Conde San Januario Hospital for dizziness. He was later released.



The mainland's Maritime Department is investigating the crash, the eighth sea collision in and around Hong Kong waters so far this year. More than 100 passengers were injured when two Hong Kong Macau high- speed ferries collided in mainland waters at 8.30pm on January 11. Thick fog was blamed for the collision, which sent passengers flying off their seats. One ferry had to be towed back to port while the other limped back to Macau. On the same day, a Macau-bound ferry carrying 386 passengers and crew collided with a Hong Kong fishing boat off Fan Lau in Lantau at 10.10am while a fishing boat sank after being struck by a mainland vessel at 11.30am. Three men and a women were rescued by a fireboat before the fishing vessel sank while a Fire Service Department speedboat collided with another fishing vessel at 12.45pm. A Star Ferry and a fishing boat collided head-on at Victoria Harbour on April 1, injuring two of the ferry's 31 passengers. Ten days earlier, the Ukrainian registered tugboat Neftegaz-67 sank after colliding with a mainland-registered freighter near The Brothers Islands, taking 18 of the 24 sailors on board with her. A New World First Ferry out of Cheung Chau and a Cotai Strip Expo Ferry heading to Macau carrying roughly 400 passengers and crew collided in the evening of July 1, smashing windows and injuring seven, including four crew members on the Macau ferry. Source : The Standard

Bosporus bash General cargoship and bulker collide in Turkey’s Bosporus Strait after engine failure. A bulker and a general cargoship collided in an incident that briefly suspended traffic in Turkey’s Bosporus Straits. Ship agency GAC said Tuesday that the 24,000-dwt Royal Crown (built 1981) and the 7,510-dwt D/X Continent (built 1984) collided near Istanbul’s port of Haydarpasa.

NAVY NEWS

The Dutch MCM M 850 ALKMAAR seen moored in Zeebrugge - Photo : Jasper van Raemdonck ©



U.S. warship leaves Sevastopol after protests The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas left Sevastopol Tuesday morning after anti-NATO protests in Ukraine's Crimean port, RIA Novosti reports. The Dallas, which recently delivered humanitarian aid to Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi, docked on Monday at the Crimean port, where Russia has a naval base, at the invitation of Kiev. The ship's arrival was met by thousands of anti-NATO protesters chanting "Yankees go home!" and waving banners with the slogan "NATO Stop!" Police cordoned off the area around the ship. Ukrainian customs officers who boarded the ship and met the commander said they had been prepared to lay on buses for the U.S. crew to give them a tour of the city, but apart from a few officers, no one left the vessel. Tensions between Russia and the West have been exacerbated by the build up in the Black Sea of U.S. and NATO naval vessels delivering humanitarian aid to Georgia. In an apparent response, Russia sent a group of warships last week, including the Moskva missile cruiser, to Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia. A Russian warship, the Smetlivy patroller, has meanwhile returned to Sevastopol after being involved in peacekeeping operations off the Abkhazian shore, a Russian Black Sea Fleet command source said. "Smetlivy returned to its base this morning. Everyone on board is safe and sound. A group of ships has remained near the Abkhazian shore to ensure the republic's maritime security," the source said. Most of Russia's naval group have returned to the Black Sea bases of Novorossiisk and Sevastopol. After a Russian ship patrolling Abkhazian waters sank a Georgian missile boat during armed conflict last month, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Russian warships involved in the operation near Georgia could be prohibited from returning to Sevastopol. Russia's Black Sea Fleet uses the Sevastopol base under agreements signed in 1997. Ukrainian pro-NATO President Victor Yushchenko announced earlier this year that Ukraine would not extend the lease beyond 2017. Yushchenko signed a decree last month requiring prior notice of all movements by Russian naval vessels and aircraft from the Sevastopol base in the Crimea. Russia views it as a provocation and is likely to resist any Ukrainian attempts to restrict the deployment of its navy. Source : Portnews

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Kitty Hawk arrives in Bremerton to close chapter in naval history

Oldest active warship to be decommissioned



With crowds looking on, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk arrived in Bremerton on Tuesday morning, completing a sentimental journey that ends an era. "USS Kitty Hawk is the last diesel fuel-powered aircraft carrier in the United States Navy and is the Navy's oldest active warship," the carrier's public affairs office said in a statement. The nuclear-powered carrier USS George Washington departed from San Diego two weeks ago to replace Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka, Japan, as the nation's only permanent "forward-deployed" aircraft carrier, Navy officials said. The end of "the Hawk's" service life has drawn wide interest in this Navy region, especially from many who served aboard. Crowds watched from the waterfront as the carrier sailed into Rich Passage and along the Sinclair Inlet waterfront in Bremerton before tying up at pierside around 9 a.m. A public decommissioning ceremony is expected to be scheduled for early 2009 after work preparing for the ship's inactivation is completed at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Navy officials said. In its near half-century of duty, Kitty Hawk served in wars and in humanitarian missions and hosted dignitaries. For a day in June 1963, the carrier was a floating White House for President Kennedy. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher addressed the crew in the early 1990s. The warship made seven combat deployments to Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s and later served off Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Washingtonians among the ship's last Navy crew of 1,600 included Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Tryka, a yeoman of Shoreline, and Aviation Boatswain's Mate Andrew Sortland of Silverdale, Navy officials said. The Kitty Hawk also carried 67 former crew members from San Diego to Bremerton, including 38 of the original crew, known as "plank owners," Navy officials said. In addition, the ashes of a former crew member, D.C. Moncreif, were buried at sea Sunday off the Oregon coast. The Kitty Hawk became the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier a year ago when the 40-year-old USS John F. Kennedy was decommissioned in Mayport, Fla. While the Kitty Hawk has been the nation's oldest active warship, the oldest fully commissioned Navy warship is the 211-year-old USS Constitution, berthed in Boston. Known also as Old Ironsides, the Constitution's duties are ceremonial and preserve history and traditions that make it a top tourist draw. Source : SeattlePI

SA Navy crippled by frigate purchase The government's exorbitant multibillion-rand arms deal has crippled the South African Navy. And, according to one of the country's leading arms deals experts, the navy does not even have the money "to fully or properly operate or support" the costly frigates or submarines that has devastated its budget. The Mercury revealed on Thursday that the navy wants to spend billions more of taxpayers' money on patrol ships, primarily because the hugely expensive corvettes they bought to monitor the country's seas are not ready or up for the job. According to a June 2008 Defence Force Legal Services staff paper for Chief of the Navy Vice-Adm Johannes Mudimu, the state's controversial purchases - "which absorb most of the South African Navy's financial resources" - have left the navy incapable of: Tracking the vessels that travel around the South African coast; Conducting patrols aimed at protecting and defending "the maritime sovereignty of the republic";



Fulfilling its "collateral responsibilities" of "maritime safety, pollution response, search-and-rescue, protection of maritime resources and interdiction of maritime offenders"; and Conducting patrols of South Africa's resource and fossil fuel-rich economic exclusion zone. Trained advocate Captain DK Gillespie, whose mandated report the Defence Force has attempted to dismiss as an "academic study" created by a "student", further states: "With the transformation of the South African National Defence Force, severe budget cuts (and) downsizing, the SA Navy has become a shadow of its original force structure with a number of 'gaps' apparent in its capacity." Richard Young, the overlooked arms deal bidder who was awarded a R15-million settlement from the government after he sued it for damages, yesterday said it was "fact" that the navy was unable to afford operating the frigates and submarines it had purchased. Referring The Mercury to research that found one frigate cost €720 000 (about R8,2-million) a day to operate, he said the navy's mooted purchase of eight to 12 new 85m multipurpose hull patrol boats "would make economic sense". "These vessels cost between R250-million and R300-million each, as opposed to the R4 billion cost of the frigates. The reality is that, if the government had not forced the navy to buy the frigates and submarines, it would have been able to purchase the patrol boats. . . which get the work done." Young said the South African Navy had elected to purchase the Spanish Bazan 590B light frigate and an Italian coastal submarine, but had been overridden by the government's desire to buy German MEKO 200AS light frigates and German Type 209 coastal submarines. "At least regarding the frigates, the South African Navy would have saved about R1 billion in 1999 rands, which would have gone a long way in operational and support costs," he said. Young, who had seen Gillespie's report, said it appeared that the work had started its life as a "joint staff course" document, but was "resurrected for a very specific reason". "It seems it was resurrected and edited very recently to justify the purchase (of the patrol vessels)," he said. The Mercury has established that, at the time defence department spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi claimed that Gillespie had written the report, in 2003, he was a senior staff officer of operational law support. Source : The Mercury

Nuclear-powered carrier cuts it fine on paper The massive nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt - a little over three rugby fields in length - may soon arrive in Table Bay on a courtesy visit following an invitation by the SA Navy. The 332m US aircraft carrier, nick-named "the Big Stick" or TR, has 5 700 people on board, carries 90 aircraft and saw her first action in the 1991 Gulf War. But the navy appears to have cut it rather fine in complying with the legislation required for a nuclear vessel to enter local harbours or bays, which may mean the vessel will not get permission in time for its visit on October 3. In 2005, the navy failed to apply to the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) in time to get permission for the USS Harry S Truman to dock in Cape Town. Tim Hill, acting senior manager of the NNR's reactor division, said on Monday it was international practice that nuclear ships had to comply with certain requirements before countries would allow them into their ports. The law requires that the applicant advertise in local newspapers that it had applied for a licence for a nuclear vessel to visit Cape Town. The public has 30 days to comment. The navy placed its last advertisement on August 31, which means public comment closes just two days before the warship is due to arrive. Navy spokesperson Lieutenant-Commander Greyling van den Berg said the outstanding documentation would be sent to the NNR on Tuesday. Source : Cape Times



Malaysia Sends Navy Vessels to Aden After Hijacks, Star Reports

Malaysia sent navy vessels and commandos to the Gulf of Aden to protect its ships in the area after pirates hijacked two tankers owned by MISC Bhd., the Star reported, citing Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak. The foreign ministry has also set up a special unit to monitor the hijacked Malaysian tankers and requested assistance from its counterparts in Yemen and Somalia to ensure the safe release of the crew on the ships, the newspaper said. MISC has four other ships in the area, the Star reported. Somali pirates seized the two MISC tankers off the coast of Yemen last month, demanding a ransom of about $4.7 million, Andrew Mwangura, head of the Seafarers Assistance Programme, said yesterday. MISC, based in Kuala Lumpur, is the world's largest owner of liquefied-natural-gas tankers. Source : bloomberg

The USS FARRAGUT (DDG 99) visited Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan ©



France takes command of maritime task force in Lebanon

The command of Maritime Task Force (MTF) was passed from Italy to France on Monday in a ceremony on board Scirocoo ship in coastal water off Beirut, Daily Star newspaper reported here Tuesday. MTF, which is the naval contingent of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), is in charge of patrolling about 17,000square km along the Lebanese coast, ensuring that arms and weapons are not smuggled into the country. The new commander Rear Admiral Alain Hinden said during the ceremony that without the naval presence patrolling the waters off Lebanon, "numerous illegal activities" would occur and harm Lebanon. We are present to help Lebanon secure its sovereignty, he added. The UN warships patrolling Lebanese waters were deployed as part of UNIFIL mission mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the Israeli blockade during the 34-day war in summer 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the deployment of MTF, no illegal armed shipments have been found, although 150 suspected ships have been searched out of18,000 ships which entered Lebanese ports. Source : xinhuanet.com

NZ Navy Warship Returning Home From Arabian Gulf Deployment

Navy Warship HMNZS TE MANA will return home at 10:00 am on Sunday 7 September, 2008 after spending the last five months at sea. Departing Auckland on 7 April 2008, TE MANA made her way up to the Arabian Gulf where she spent three months carrying out approach and assist visits in support of maritime support and security operations for Coalition Task Force (CTF) 152 in the Central and Southern Arabian Gulf. Over the three months of her deployment in the Arabian Gulf the frigate and her 173 strong ship's company have reported more than 1700 vessels in the area, and carried out 228 approach and assist visits The waters of the Arabian Gulf are very complex and no more so than around the Straits of Hormuz where TE MANA operated for the majority of her time out on patrol. The commitment of the ship along those of the other 19 nations in the Combined Maritime Force is a significant and unmistakable commitment from a small country like New Zealand to the ongoing international effort to create a more secure and stable Middle East. Commanding Officer of TE MANA, Commander Blair Gerritsen says, "Ever since leaving the Middle East, five weeks and more than 8000 nautical miles ago, everyone onboard has been looking forward to the day we would eventually arrive home and what better day to do so than Fathers Day. But at the same time that we are all looking forward to our arrival everyone onboard can also look back with a good deal of pride on what we have achieved over this five month deployment, particularly during the three months we spent conducting Maritime Security Operations in the Central and Southern Arabian Gulf as part of the Combined Maritime Force. Despite the challenges of operating throughout the height of the Middle East summer and in some of the busiest waters in the world, both the ship and the crew have performed superbly. The praise received as we departed the operational area bears testament to the value placed on our maritime contribution as another element of New Zealand's ongoing contribution to efforts in the region," he says.



The Commanding Officer and his crew of 173 men and women are all looking forward to some time at home with their loved ones after spending most of the year away. "Something we couldn't do without the support we receive from them all and indeed the rest of the Navy", concludes Commander Gerritsen. HMNZS TE MANA - F111 Commanding Officer - Commander Blair Gerritsen (Nelson) Executive Officer - Lieutenant Commander Wiremu Leef (Kawakawa) Complement - 173 Officers and Sailors Interesting statistics of HMNZS TE MANA's five month deployment o 33 770 nautical miles travelled (62 542 kilometres) - for the entire deployment (enough to go around the world 1.56 times) o 81 725 meals served o 60 000 eggs consumed o 3825 loaves of bread consumed o 4.5 tonnes of potatoes consumed o 4344 rolls of toilet paper used o 3 536 664 rotations of the helicopters main rotor o 800 kg of Spaghetti and Baked Beans o 150 jars of marmite/vegemite o 240 litres of tomato sauce o 4.5 tonnes of potatoes o 3825 loaves of bread o 500 cans of L & P. Source : voxy.co.nz

SHIPYARD NEWS DAMEN DELIVERS FAIRPLAYER

Jumbo Offshore is pleased to announce that the DP2 - transport and installation vessel - m.v. “Fairplayer” has been delivered by the Damen shipyard in Romania. She is presently sailing to Huisman's yard in Rotterdam where two 900 t mast cranes will be installed. Huisman will also supply the vessel with her deepwater winch system. The 143 m long “Fairplayer” is the second DP2 heavy lift offshore installation vessel to join the Jumbo fleet and is a sister ship to the Jumbo Javelin Both vessels will be used for the installation of mooring systems and subsea structures / pump skids / subsea processing units in both shallow and deep water. From July 2009, Jumbo Offshore will be able to install structures with a weight of in excess of 250 t in water depths greater than 2,500 m.

ST Marine lays keep for first Singapore-built Ropax

Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) has laid the keel for Singapore’s first Roll-on/Roll-off passenger ferry (ropax) at its main yard in Benoi.



The contract, worth approximately S$168 million (US$117.4 million) to design and build the Ropax for the French trading and shipping company, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), was announced in July last year. The 4,900DWT ropax, measuring 161-metres-long and 25.6-metres-wide was originally targeted to carry 930 passengers to operate in the English Channel for day and night crossing, but it will now be built to carry 1,300 passengers after LDA’s additional requirement and injection of S$5 million (US$3.49 million). Equipped with passenger lounges and cabins, restaurants and bars, and a summer deck, the passenger vessel has also been designed to carry both trailers and cars, with a Roll-on/Roll-off (ro-ro) lane capacity of about 1,500 metres and car lane capacity of about 2,290 metres. The ropax is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2010 to increase LDA’s fleet of Ropax ferry to five, all trading in the English Channel. Source : Baird online

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

The FRIO HELLENIC seen at the Westerscheldt River - Photo : Henk de Winde ©

REDWISE MARITME SERVICES B.V.Amersfoortseweg 12-E

3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands

Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879 - [email protected]

www.redwise.com

Loan gets Portishead lifeboat back out to sea Portishead's voluntary lifeboat service is patrolling the Bristol Channel again – just days after its rescue boat was badly damaged. The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) has stepped in to loan the Portishead and Bristol Lifeboat Trust a boat until its own is repaired. The Portishead boat was damaged on a training exercise on Thursday evening off the coast at Clevedon. Crew members were forced to issue a mayday call when the vessel started to fill up with water after the inflatable tubes came away from the hull.



Coastguard crews from Swansea and the RNLI station in Weston- super-Mare went to the rescue of the stricken crew and towed the boat back to the trust's HQ at Sugar Loaf Bay in Portishead. The boat, a 6.5 metre rib the trust bought three years ago for £40,000, was initially towed to the boat house, where it was inspected by trust members. But it has now been taken to a unit at Portishead Marina for an inspection by insurance assessors. After hearing about the incident, SARA, which provides inshore rescue boat and land search services in the Severn Estuary and River Severn, loaned the trust a boat until the repairs are completed. Portishead and Bristol Lifeboat Trust vice-chairman Dave Herbert, 43, said he was still unsure exactly how the boat had been damaged. "We are very grateful to the SARA for loaning us a lifeboat and helping us to get the service back up and running. "There has been a lot of concern from people in the town that Portishead could be left without its lifeboat service. "However, the loan of the SARA boat has meant the crew have only been out of operation for three days. "We did have support during that time from stations at Weston-super-Mare and Chepstow but obviously there is a time factor involved with these crews getting to Portishead – and time can cost lives. "We are still no clearer on the cause of the damage and it would be unfair to speculate on the cause at this time." The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has also launched an investigation into the incident. Source : Bristol.co.uk

RED JET 1 SERVICES ROUTE BRIXHAM <> TORQUAY

The 138-seat catamaran 34 knots RED JET 1 will carry passengers between Torquay and Brixham in Devon from 29 August to 27 September to test the potential for a permanent link.

The £200,000 trial is being organised in partnership with Torbay Council, which is also the local harbour authority. The

Bayfast-branded venture will provide up to 15 return trips a day, with services also operating at the weekend.

Bayfast will significantly improve journey times for people travelling across Torbay Harbour between Torquay and Brixham, with a fast crossing time of just 15 minutes.

Photo : Piet Sinke ©

Tecplata to invest US$350 million in new container terminal

Business News Americas reports that Buenos Aires province governor Daniel Scioli has signed an agreement for the construction of a new container terminal at La Plata port.



The project will be carried out by the Tecplata consortium, formed by Argentine businessman Ricardo Román and the Philippine group International Container Terminal Services. "This will be a 100 per cent private risk investment," Román was quoted as saying by paper El Cronista. The consortium will invest US$250 million, of which US$180 million is for construction and dredging works, to be carried out in the first 18 months of the concession. "This investment will start the development of the La Plata port, allowing it to take advantage of the natural conditions it offers," Scioli said. The new terminal will start operations in 2009 and is expected to handle an initial 400,000 teu, equivalent to 25 per cent of container traffic currently handled in the country.

Murmansk Sea Port sees cargo turnover dip in Jan-Aug

Murmansk Commercial Sea Port (RTS: MSCP) processed 9.292 million tonnes of cargo in January-August 2008, 0.23% less than the 9.314 million tonnes in the first eight months of 2007, the company said in a statement according to Interfax. The port handled 1.165 million tonnes of cargo in August, 15% less than in the same month last year. Export shipments were down 14.7% to 1.100 million tonnes, including 831,400 tonnes of coal, 168,600 tonnes of apatite and 12,400 tonnes of nonferrous metals. The port increased cargo turnover 2.4% to 14.443 million tonnes in 2007. JSC Murmansk Commercial Seaport was established in 1994 on base of the public enterprise and nowadays it is one of Russia’s busiest ports. The port has 17 berths with total length of some 3,000 meters. The length and depth enables the port to handle vessels of up to 15.5 meters in draft and over 265 meters in length. The port mainly handles non-ferrous metal and alloys, rolled ferrous metal, coal, apatite concentrate, alumina; scrap metal and iron-ore pellets, chemicals in big-bags, construction materials, foodstuffs, technological equipment and containerized cargo. In 2007, the company’s throughput amounted to 14.443.213 million tonnes.



Bugser & Bergungs BEVER seen in Larvik - Photo : Joop Marechal ©

Hornbeck Offshore vessels unharmed by Gustav

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. announced today that, based on first reports from the field, it has experienced no damage to any of its vessels as a result of Hurricane Gustav -- including those currently under construction in Gulf of Mexico shipyards. The company's new generation offshore supply vessel fleet continues to operate at pre-storm levels of 100% utilization. Hornbeck Offshore says it remains in position to assist its GoM customers as they begin to assess storm damage and commence their recovery and repair efforts. Preliminary assessments indicate that no damage has occurred to the company's corporate headquarters in Covington, La. However, Hornbeck Offshore says it has not been able to assess conditions at its HOS Port facility located in Port Fourchon. Preliminary reports are that the Port Fourchon area has sustained minor damage and the port authority will begin minimal operations in the next couple of days. Todd M. Hornbeck, Chairman, President and CEO commented, "Hornbeck employees rose to the occasion and successfully implemented our business continuity plan to ensure uninterrupted operations of all essential business and communications systems. Our executive team mobilized to the Houston area this past weekend and promptly established daily communications with a multi-disciplinary shore-side management team of 'first responders' who were stationed in Dallas and Covington." Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. is a leading provider of technologically advanced, new generation offshore supply vessels primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and other select U.S. and international markets, and is a leading short-haul transporter of petroleum products through its coastwise fleet of ocean-going tugs and tank barges primarily in the northeastern U.S., the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and in Puerto Rico. Hornbeck Offshore currently owns a fleet of over 80 vessels primarily serving the energy industry. Source : MarineLog



Great offshore to acquire Andhra-based firms for Rs 160 cr

Great offshore today said it would acquire Andhra Pradesh-based two companies KEI-RSOS Maritime and Rajmahendri Shipping and Oilfield Services for Rs 160 crore in an all cash transaction. "The decision to acquire an existing running business is with a view to broad base earnings without diversifying core business risks and ensuring sustainable cash flows and earnings," Great offshore Vice Chairman cum Managing Director Vijay K Sheth said in a filling to the Bombay Stock Exchange. The acquisition would provide an entry into emerging opportunities in port and terminal administration that is a derivative business arising out of trade growth and port infrastructure development, the integrated offshore oilfield service provider said. Great Offshore has signed definitive agreements for the said acquisitions. The company would pay an aggregate consideration of around Rs 160 crore and the transaction is expected to close within two months from the date hereof, the company added. KEI-RSOS Maritime and Rajmahendri Shipping and Oilfield Services are in the maritime services business providing offshore support, single point mooring operations and port management services. The companies have strong presence on the East Coast of India. Earlier in July, KEI received a contract for providing comprehensive marine operations services for the Gangavaram Port for a period of 12 years. For the current financial year, the companies aggregate revenue are expected to be around Rs 100 crore with a PAT margin of 30 per cent, the filing added. The existing management of both the companies would continue to manage the day to day business. Shares of Great Offshore were trading at Rs 549.10, up 5.30 per cent in the early morning trade on the BSE. Source : Times of India

A MSC container vessel seen departing from the port of Cape Town Photo : Max Müller ©



Panama ports strike ends Workers have ended a strike at two major ports at opposite ends of the Panama Canal and canal authorities said the day-long walkout did not noticably disrupt shipping through the waterway. Crane operators and harbour towage workers at Balboa and Cristobal ports walked out in the morning, but union leader Luis Carlos Fruto said they later agreed to return to work after the government offered to help resolve a disagreement over pay for shift work. "We have asked the labour ministry to arbitrate. Because of this, the strike has ended," Fruto told Reuters. The labour ministry welcomed the swift end to the strike, saying prolonged action could have been "very negative" for the economy and for expansion work on the canal. Shipping firms said earlier that roughly two-thirds of crane operators in Balboa and Cristobal ports were absent, leaving a backlog in loading and unloading containers. Around 5% of global trade passes through the Panama canal, shipping everything from Chinese-made electronic goods to European farm produce, and the waterway accounts for a fifth of Panama's gross domestic product. Some 60 harbour towage workers joined the strike, and the small number of tow boats operating could not match demand, shipping agents said. Ships cannot enter port unless they are guided in by tow boats, and the towage strike hit all types of cargo including non-containerised grains and commodities. The Panama Canal Authority, which neither owns nor runs the ports at its Pacific and Atlantic mouths, said the strike had not held up traffic through the inter-oceanic waterway. "There currently is not a backlog at the Panama Canal. Ship levels are normal," a spokesperson said. The ports, run by Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa, are used by shipping giants like Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk for loading and unloading cargo and maintenance. Balboa, on the Pacific coast, is one of Latin America's biggest ports. Cristobal is one of a handful of ports on the Atlantic end of the canal and heavily used by container ships. An official at the company operating the crane concession, a division of Amsterdam-based Smit Internationale, said around 30% of crane operators worked on Wednesday (NZT). Source : tvnz.co



The CHELSEA seen at the Westerscheldt River Photo : Willem Kruit ©

Farewell season for popular cruise ship SuperStar Gemini, the cruise ship credited with establishing South-East Asia as an international cruise destination, will have her last cruise from Singapore in December and will leave the Star Cruises fleet at the end of the year. After 13 years pioneering cruising in the region, SuperStar Gemini will shortly commence a farewell season of 7-night Straits Adventurer Cruises, departing Singapore every Sunday from 05 October to 28 December. The ship visits Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur), Phuket, Langkawi, Pennag and Malacca before returning to Singapore the following Sunday morning. There are still cabins available on the ship, which offers a choice of three restaurants and six bars and lounges; and has a comprehensive range of recreational and leisure facilities including swimming pool and Jacuzzi, hair and beauty salon, gymnasium, video arcade and children’s centre, library and internet access.

Maersk buys Brostrom for 3.62b kroner AP Moller-Maersk, the world's biggest container shipper, agreed to buy Brostrom AB for 3.62 billion Swedish kronor (S$805 million) to add a fleet of almost 100 product and chemical tankers. Maersk offered 57 kronor in cash for each the company based here said yesterday in a stock-exchange statement. The board of Goteborg, Sweden-based Brostrom has unanimously recommended the offer, the statement said. Adding Brostrom's 94 product tankers will take the Maersk fleet in that category to more than 130 vessels, Maersk said, helping it tap demand from the energy industry as single-hulled vessels are phased out by 2010. 'The scale of the combined operation will enable us to offer a superior worldwide service through a large, modern and homogeneous fleet,' Soren Skou, chief executive officer of Maersk Tankers, said in the statement. 'We need scale to ensure our organisation is cost effective and for customers to have easy access to chartering offices globally.'



Brostrom reported sales of 3.5 billion kronor last year and a net income of 427 million kronor, according to the statement. The Swedish company's A-class shareholders, controlling 29.3 per cent of the stock and 55.9 per cent of votes, have already accepted the offer, Maersk said. Source : Bloomberg

Maersk reinstates Iraq service Maersk Line is once again accepting commercial cargo to and from Iraq. Effective this month, the move is in response to the growing demand from customers and the increased number of projects and volumes in and out of Iraq, a spokesman said. Maersk Iraq will be operating through its sub-agent Inchcape Shipping Agency. Source : cargoinfo.co.za

GE LM2500+G4 Gas Turbine Module Delivered By Avio for Frigate

GE Marine reports that the first LM2500+G4 aeroderivative marine gas turbine module has been delivered by Avio to DCNS’ shipyard in France. The engine will be the basis for the COmbined Diesel eLectric And Gas turbine (CODLAG) propulsion system that will power the French Navy’s first European Multi-Mission Frigates (FREMM) ship. Avio, Torino, Italy, is a GE Marine Systems Supplier, as well as the prime contractor for the FREMM gas turbine system. The French and Italian Navies are jointly developing the FREMM program, and combined, the navies are slated to build a total of 27 next-generation frigates. Avio has ordered the initial three LM2500+G4 gas turbines, two of which have already been delivered to Avio’s facility in Brindisi, Italy. Earlier in 2008, GE reported the successful completion of the entire 500-hour qualification test for the LM2500+G4 gas turbine at the company’s Evendale, Ohio test cell. The rigorous testing plan devised by GE was tailored so that the engine will be certified by three key organizations: Bureau Veritas, RINA S.p.A. and American Bureau of Shipping (naval vessel rules), Introduced in October 2005, the G4 version of the popular LM2500 family offers 17% more power than its LM2500+ predecessor, and has a 6% increase in airflow over the current LM2500+ model. The LM2500+G4 is expected to provide the same 99.6% reliability of the LM2500, which currently has a fleet of more than 2,000 gas turbines in diverse marine and industrial applications. Source : marinelink.com

Hutchison Ports withdraws interest in Indian port operation

Hutchison Ports’ chief executive John Meredith has said that the world’s largest global operator of ports for handling shipping containers is no longer seeking approval to operate in India, Bloomberg has reported. Mr Meredith was critical of the fees charged by the Indian government to operators. “We just don’t like India’s business model of giving 40 to 50 percent of the revenue to the government as part of the acquisition of existing terminals,” he said. Despite the Indian market being small, it is fast-growing and a range of global operators are already operating out of India. These companies include Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk, Singapore’s PSA, and Dubai’s DP World. However, Mr Meredith did say he would consider seeking approval again if an appropriate investment opportunity arose. “There doesn’t seem much point in lobbying and so on until you have something that interests you sufficiently,” he said. Source : Baird Online



MOVEMENTS

Tuesday afternoon the tug LEOPARD departed with the STEMAT 79 from Soyo – Angola with destination Rotterdam, at departure the transport was assisted by the CLAUDIA-B

Photo : Tony Hen ©

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The TSHD ALEXANDER VAN HUMBOLT seen operating in the port of Antwerp Photo : Nico Ouwehand ©



Aan alle mensen die sleepboot Fighter een warm hart toedragen, Shiplovers in het algemeen en

liefhebbers van opera- en muziektheater onder hen in het bijzonder.

De historie van de Fighter bereikte een hoogtepunt bij de redding van vele tientallen drenkelingen tijdens de ramp met de Herald of Free Enterprise in Zeebrugge. Als een ware diva verwaardigt de Fighter het zich vanaf nu te schitteren

in een tweede leven op de Waterweg. Het Rotterdamse operagezelschap Stichting Intorno Ensemble zal het schip exploiteren als beeldbepalend rivierpodium voor uitvoerende en beeldende kunst. Daarnaast zal het prachtige schip

(volgens velen de mooiste sleper ooit), dienst doen als leerwerkobject voor scholieren, van met name het Rotterdamse ROC Albeda College.

Met gemengde gevoelens zagen vele mensen uit de Westerschelde-regio de Fighter op 4 januari 2008 richting Rotterdam vertrekken. Met behulp van de Union Emerald en Union Jade omdat de hoofdmotor helaas niet meer

compleet was. Geen glorieus vertrek, maar daar stond tegenover dat ze in elk geval niet richting sloop ging. Wat het ging worden als “Rivier-podium”, daarbij kon men zich in de scheep,- en sleepvaartwereld niet echt veel voorstellen,

maar alles beter dan sloop.

Ter geruststelling aan alle Fighter -vrienden; het is absoluut de bedoeling dat het schip zoveel als mogelijk in de originele staat behouden blijft, zeker wat betreft het silhouet. Op langere termijn is zelfs de optie nog open om het schip zover te krijgen dat het ook weer zelfstandig kan varen, zodat het met recht een bijzonder “Varend-podium” wordt voor de kunstliefhebbers en voor de scheepvaartmensen. Een unieke representant van een roemrucht stuk

sleepvaarthistorie.

Inmiddels afgemeerd in de Schiehaven, havennr. 242, wordt het schip ‘bezoek-klaar’ gemaakt voor de Wereldhavendagen op 6 en 7 september (www.wereldhavendagen.nl ).

Naast de Furie en de Elbe voegt de Fighter een bijzonder hoofdstuk toe aan het ‘meeslepende erfgoed’ van de lage landen. Doordat de Union (URS) inmiddels een volle dochter is van Smit Internationale, komt deze link naar “Hollands

glorie” eens temeer tot zijn recht. Het boegbeeld dat de Fighter is in de sleepvaart staat model voor deze twee-eenheid van Belgische en Nederlandse slepers die samen sterk staan in een globaliserende markt. Tijdens de

Wereldhavendagen is op zaterdag en zondag iedereen van 10:- 17.00 uur welkom. Toegang via Scheepswerf ‘De Delft’, Schiehaven 15, Rotterdam

Programma Wereldhavendagen op de Fighter: Zaterdag en Zondag: regelmatig vinden er rondleidingen plaats.

Zaterdag 6 september, 13.00 en 15.00 uur: Projectkoor Rosette zingt: “Fatale Vrouwen, muziek van Marlène Dietrich, Sarah Leander, Edith Piaff en anderen”.

Zondag 7 september, 13.00 en 15:00 uur: Deelnemers van de MBO-opleidingen Muzikant/Producer en Dans van ROC Albeda College verzorgen fantastische voorstellingen voor een breed publiek.

Gedetailleerde informatie over de Fighter is te vinden op: http://www.tugspotters.com/tugs/fighter.htmDe website van Stichting Intorno Ensemble is: www.nieuwemuziek.nl/fighter

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