daily collection of maritime press clippings 2009 – …het containerschip msc beatrice is 366...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 086

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Number 086 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 30-03-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

The 1979 Astilleros Espanoles, Sestao built DUCKY SYMPHONY seen anchored at the Singapore Eastern Anchorage, built as the COMODAL 1 and renamed in 1998 in ARIES,

followed by NEW ARIES in 2002 and SANTA MARCELLA in 2003 the 135 mtr long RO-RO vessel got her present name in October 2003

Photo : Piet Sinke ©

This above photo can also be seen in high resolution in the photo album at my website www.maasmondmaritime.com or via the direct link http://www.flickr.com/photos/33438735@N08/show/



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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

SVITZER OCEAN TOWAGE Jupiterstraat 33 Telephone : + 31 2555 627 11 2132 HC Hoofddorp Telefax : + 31 2355 718 96 The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected]

www : www.svitzer-coess.com

The yacht VIBRANT CURIOSITY seen outbound from Rotterdam - Photo : Fred Vloo ©

Port Terror A homemade bomb rocked the Greek port of Piraeus (27 Mar), damaging buildings and cars but causing no injuries, police said. It was unclear whether the attack directed against ship-repair company DT Marine, the latest in a string of bombings of businesses, was politically or criminally motivated. Greece's anti-terrorism squad was investigating the blast which damaged eight cars and three adjacent buildings. There has been a string of bombing attacks against domestic and foreign businesses in Greece since widespread rioting in December sparked by the police killing of a teenager. Source : ShipTalk

Ship's hijacked crew freed



THE crew of a German-owned tanker that was hijacked by Somali pirates two months ago in the Gulf of Aden has regained command of the ship.

Bernard Schulte Shipmanagement said in a statement that the crew of 12 Filipinos and one Indonesian were unharmed and that the "Longchamp" would now proceed towards its original destination of Vietnam. The tanker, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, was seized on Jan. 29 by pirates, who took it down the coast of Somalia and have held it captive for the past two months. Somali gunmen hijacked dozens of ships last year, causing havoc in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, but the number of attacks has declined in recent months after foreign navies rushed to the area.

The operator said the vessel was freed at about 0600 GMT on Saturday, but gave no details on how the crew had regained control. Source : The Australian

Curse of the Aurora as passengers revolt Angry cruise ship passengers have staged a revolt on the luxury British cruise ship the Aurora after the vessel visited just two ports in 22 days. Holidaymakers compared their round-the-world voyage on luxury ship Aurora to being in prison after engine problems forced P&O Cruises to cut five stops. It is the latest in a long string of bad luck to have hit the ship since the naming ceremony bottle failed to smash. More than 600 passengers on the 93-night cruise attended an emergency meeting and formed a protest committee after missing three ports in New Zealand and two Pacific Islands. P&O said passengers, who each paid upwards of £8,599 for the cruise, will receive compensation including £500 and a refund of the cost of four days' cruising. But the protest group – dubbed the Aurora Committee – is now threatening legal action to compensate for the cruise, which some passengers had saved for 20 years to afford. It is just the latest in a history of failings and bad luck for the ship after the naming ceremony bottle failed to smash. Committee member Jennifer Dunthorne said: "This failure to visit three ports in New Zealand and two Pacific Islands has turned this cruise ship into a prison for some. "Only visiting two ports in 22 days is not what I saved for 20 years to do. "This beautiful ship which has been the pride of the P&O fleet has become a red hot bed of distress, frustration and anger. "So many people worked hard for so many years to afford this cruise. It is truly unforgivable." Aurora has had a chequered history since she was launched in 2000. At her naming ceremony, by the Princess Royal, the champagne bottle did not break as the vessel was blessed, which was considered a bad omen. On her maiden voyage, the ship broke down in the Bay of Biscay and had to return to port.



Passengers were compensated to the tune of 6 million pounds. In 2003 the norovirus bug affected a high number of passengers. And in January 2005 P&O cancelled a much-delayed world cruise because of propulsion system problems on the 200 million pounds ship. The 1,759 passengers on board, who had each paid up to 40,000 pounds, were all set to leave Southampton for a 103-day "Grand Voyage of the World". But the vessel had only made it to the Isle of Wight when engineers found a fault. Last year hundreds of passengers had to undergo tests on board Aurora to see whether they had contracted a deadly strain of hepatitis. A health probe was launched after seven passengers tested positive for hepatitis E. The latest problems on the 76,000-tonne Aurora, whose home port is Southampton, Hants, began within hours of leaving Sydney Harbour when it developed engine problems. The ship limped to Auckland, New Zealand, where the saga continued, with the 1,736 passengers on-board being told each day for six days the ship could not leave port. This meant missing out on stops at Wellington, Napier, Bay of Islands, and Mooréa and Tahiti in French Polynesia.

The AURORA seen in Cape Town Photo : Robert Pabst ©

A second committee meeting with the ship's captain Paul Brown was due to be held on Saturday night. Mrs Dunthorne said: "P&O offered some free drinks and derisory payments to compensate for shattered dreams. "Passengers are outraged at the company's apparent sole concern to concentrate on driving forward the ailing ship to pick up the next unsuspecting passengers on April 13 in Southampton by abandoning much of the cruise they had contracted to deliver." A spokeswoman for P&O said: "Having sustained damage to a thrust bearing, Aurora sailed from Auckland at 5pm on Thursday 12 March after a delay of five days to enable repairs to be undertaken. "We greatly value the support and loyalty of our passengers and very much regret the disruption to Aurora's World Cruise. "In recognition of this we have since offered a compensation package which we believe to be a fair reflection of the disruption to the cruise, the actual amount of which will vary depending upon the fare paid." After leaving Auckland on Wednesday, Aurora took the most direct course to Honolulu from where she is expected to continue as scheduled to San Francisco and then on to Southampton. Source : telegraph.co.uk



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ITC’s SUMATRAS seen departing from Rotterdam Photo : Hans Hoffmann ©

Superschepen op de Westerschelde Het grootste containerschip ooit op de Westerschelde vaart maandag 6 april naar Antwerpen. Dat gebeurt bij wijze van proef. Het containerschip MSC Beatrice is 366 meter lang en kan 14.000 containers vervoeren. De proef wordt nauwlettend gevolgd door deskundigen van de Veiligheidsregio Zeeland en de provincie. Die hebben, net als Rijkswaterstaat, strikte voorwaarden verbonden aan de komst van het schip. De Permanente Schelde Commissie is daarmee akkoord gegaan. De haven van Antwerpen wil al langer dat Nederland grotere containerschepen, tot 400 meter, toelaat op de Westerschelde. Proeven in het Waterloopkundig Laboratorium in Borgerhout hebben de afgelopen twee jaar uitgewezen dat de open afvaart van dergelijke superschepen (met een diepgang van 14,50 meter) 'perfect mogelijk is'. Tot nu toe lag de grens bij een scheepslengte van 360 meter. Als de proef slaagt wil de Zwitserse rederij in de nabije toekomst nog grotere schepen naar Antwerpen sturen. Bron : PZC

Cruise crusade



A US man is taking legal action against Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) following an attack by fellow passengers. Matthew Ashe, of Washington state, says he was hit with beer bottles, punched and kicked by three unknown men on the 92,000–gt Norwegian Star (built 2001) in March last year. He has filed a lawsuit against NCL, owned by Star Cruises of Malaysia, in Miami, the holidayinsiders website said, in a bid to force it to release details of the men’s identity. It is claimed that the family’s lawyers requested the cruiseship owner to release video tapes and the names of the assailants so a report could be made to the FBI, as the incident occurred in international waters. International Cruise Victims, a non-profit organisation, said: “A family should not be forced to hire two law firms and file a federal lawsuit in a courthouse 3,000 miles away just to obtain basic information about a crime on a cruiseship." Source: Tradewinds

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DP WORLD PUTS PLANS ON HOLD DP World brought in a strong full-year 2008 performance with revenue growth of 20% to $3.3bn compared to 2007 but the global downturn has prompted it to put expansion plans on hold. EBITDA increased 22% to $1.3bn. DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said: “2008 was another year of excellent performance for DP World where our focus on the faster growing emerging markets and origin and destination cargo allowed us to once again outperform the market, delivering results ahead of expectations. Profit after tax was in excess of $600 million and cash generation in excess of $1 billion. This excellent performance in 2008 leaves us in a strong financial position to meet the challenges that lie ahead in 2009.” But he noted: “The volume deceleration we saw in the last quarter of 2008 has continued into early 2009 and shows little sign of easing in the foreseeable future. Falling utilisation rates across container terminals globally mean the demand for new capacity in the short-term is much diminished. Taking into account our existing pipeline of committed capacity the company has decided to defer much of our planned new capacity until such time as higher utilisation rates return.” He continued: “Over the next few months, the Board will evaluate all available options to address its continued disappointment with the market’s valuation of the company. “We continue to remain confident of the long-term prospects for the container port industry and DP World’s leading global position within it. Once the current challenging market eases, we believe DP World will emerge financially strong and well positioned to continue to deliver profitable growth.”



The company's chief executive Mohammed Sharaf said: “DP World has delivered another year of strong results, growing revenue, EBITDA and profit. However, the overall performance was impacted by a weaker fourth quarter as volumes declined across most regions in response to the more challenging macroeconomic environment.” He added: “This volume decline has continued into 2009 and in the first two months of the year we have seen an average decline of 8% in consolidated volume across the group relative to the same period last year with most of the developed regions reporting double digit declines in volumes. The UAE remains a major exception as performance continues to be less impacted than other regions. With the continuation of unpredictable trends in global trade, it is too early to comment with any certainty on the volume and earnings outcome for 2009. However, as we have seen in the first two months of the year, our business model has the flexibility to adapt to these turbulent market conditions and we are very focused on cost containment, maximising cash generation and minimising the impact on margins and profitability.” Source : Maritime Global net

MLL takes nine AP-Moller Maersk is shifting nine containerships to US-flag arm Maersk Line Limited (MLL) as older ships exit a government transport program, company spokesman said Friday. Four of the vessels are being re-flagged from the UK flag, while another five will come from elsewhere in Maersk's fleet. The ships will be added to the US Maritime Association (Marad) Maritime Security Program, a US-flag fleet of privately-owned vessels qualified for carrying military cargoes. Norfolk, Virginia-based MLL operated 19 of 69 vessels in the program as of Marad's last count. Nine boxships are being shifted to the US flag.MLL spokesman BJ Talley says the vessels will replace older ships, most of which will be recycled in China. The company plans for the vessels to modernize key routes qualified for the Maritime Security Program in a bid to reduce operating costs. "We're bringing them in because they are larger, faster, more modern ships," he told TradeWinds. The four vessels from the UK flag, which are being renamed after US states, are the 4,340-teu Maersk Kentucky (ex-Glasgow Maersk, built 1999) and Maersk Wisconsin (ex-Greenwich Maersk, built 2000), the 4,150-teu Maersk Utah (ex-Maersk Gloucester, built 2006) and the 4,300-teu Maersk Idaho (ex-Gosport Maersk, built 2000). The 4,080-teu Sea-Land Eagle (built 1997) and Sea-Land Mercury (built 1995) and the shifted from the Hong Kong to US flag, while the 4,080-teu Sea-Land Champion shifted from the Dutch flag.

The above seen 4,080-teu MSC Everest (built 1996) – Photo : Henk de Winde © will be shifted from the Marshall Islands and renamed the Sea-Land Racer, and the 4,310-teu Dirch Maersk (built 1996) will shift from the Danish flag and take the name Maersk Wyoming.

Published reports also indicate another four Maersk ships are bound from the UK flag to the Brazilian register, but US-based spokesmen for Maersk could not confirm the move. Source : Tradewinds



The GAS SUMBAWA seen anchored off Singapore Photo : John Bruinsma ©

Dredgers cancelled at Asia HI Belgium's Jan De Nul NV has reportedly cancelled three dredging vessels on order at South Korea's Asia Heavy Industries. The ships were scheduled to be delivered to the owner from August to December last year but the construction of the vessels has been delayed and ultimately the owner has quashed the orders. The newbuilding contracts were reported to cost around $100m. It is said Jan De Nul NV had arranged refund guarantee from Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance and has demanded repayment. Source : The Motorship

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The Dutch flagged full cellular container ship REESTBORG seen anchored at Singapore Eastern Anchorage, the 140 mtr long REESTBORG is build during 1994 at the Verolme Shipyard in Heusden in The Netherlands under yard

number 1020, was temporarily named in the period 2004> 2005 THAI THAKSINA and is at present operated by Pendulum Express Lines in Singapore

Photo : Piet Sinke ©




CASUALTY REPORTING

Barge pushed by tug hits Columbia bridge pylon

The U.S. Coast Guard says a tugboat pushing three empty grain barges has banged 1 of them into the pylon of the Hood River Bridge across the Columbia River. The guard says the bridge wasn't damaged. The barge had minor damage but was judged safe for continued operations. The accident involving the Tug Defiance happened about 3:20 a.m. Saturday. The Port of Hood River bridge links Hood River, Ore., and White Salmon, Wash., and remains open for traffic. Source : KTVZ

NAVY NEWS Chinese navy has new sub base in Pacific

The Chinese navy has a new submarine base on Hainan Island, according to the latest Defense Department report on Chinese military power. The report comes about two weeks after a Military Sealift Command contract surveillance ship was accosted by five Chinese vessels about 75 miles south of Hainan Island. "The base appears large enough to accommodate a mix of attack and ballistic missile submarines and advanced surface combatant ships," the report said. "The port, which has underground facilities, would provide the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy with direct access to vital international sea lanes, and offers the potential for stealthy deployment of submarines into the deep waters of the South China Sea." On March 8, the USNS Impeccable was in the region of Hainan Island when it was surrounded by five Chinese vessels while the ship was in international waters. One vessel got so close that the Impeccable had to spray the Chinese crew with fire hoses. The Chinese also tried to snare the Impeccable’s sonar equipment. Defense Secretary Robert Gates later said he hoped diplomatic exchanges that resulted from China’s "aggressive acts" against the Impeccable would prevent future incidents. Neither U.S. Pacific Command nor U.S. Pacific Fleet had further information on the submarine base. The new base means the Chinese want to project power into the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, said Dan Blumenthal, of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington. "I wouldn’t consider it an aggressive move," Blumenthal said. However, the move has already made other countries in the region nervous, Blumenthal said. That includes India, which has begun upgrading its aircraft carriers in response. Source : stripes.com



Russia suggests revealing submarines’ routes The Russian Navy has called for an international agreement that would oblige countries to notify each other about their submarines’ routes in the world’s waterways. They claim this would help prevent marine accidents. Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev, Deputy Head of Russian Navy Headquarters, made the proposal during an interview to the Ria Novosti news agency. He said that recent incidents in which atomic submarines collided speak of the importance of such an agreement. Source : russiatoday

U.S. military to discuss supply of warships to Ukraine in Sevastopol

The U.S. and Ukrainian military plan to discuss deliveries of American warships to Ukraine during a visit to Sevastopol of the U.S. guided missile frigate Klakring, a military-diplomatic source in Moscow told Interfax on Tuesday. "The transfer of U.S. warships to Ukraine - missile carrying frigates of the Oliver Perry type - could be discussed," the source said. The Klakring is one of such frigates, he said, noting that, "the U.S. military will probably inform the Ukrainian side about the frigate's combat capabilities." "The Klakring commanders will hold talks with the Ukrainian defense minister on military-technical cooperation. The defense minister is expected to arrive in Sevastopol today or tomorrow," he said. "The U.S. warship's three-day visit is extremely ill-planned as it can fan tensions in Sevastopol, especially now that the opening of U.S. representative offices in Crimea is being discussed," he said. "An American warship's visit in the current difficult situation in Ukraine is a step to support President Yuschenko's policy of rapprochement with NATO and the United States," the source said. "The Montreux Convention, which limits the presence of foreign ships in the Black Sea to 21 days, is the only curb to the American expansion in the Black Sea," he said. Source : kyivpost.

USS Alaska to base at Kings Bay The USS Alaska will be based at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base next month after returning to duty following two years in a Norfolk, Va., shipyard. The Trident nuclear sub will not return to Bangor Naval Submarine Base in Washington, the only port home since being commissioned in 1986. A Kings Bay spokeswoman, Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, said submarine arrivals are classified, and she cannot give the date when the 560-foot nuclear submarine will arrive. On paper, eight Ohio-class submarines are ported at Kings Bay. But one boat, the USS Tennessee, is now in the Norfolk shipyards undergoing a similar refueling. The Camden County Chamber of Commerce estimates that 1,000 sailors and family members move here with each Ohio-class submarine at Kings Bay. Source : The Florida Times-Union,

SHIPYARD NEWS

www.tos.nl TOS Rotterdam (+31)10 – 436 62 93 E-Mail [email protected]



Cruise contract uncertainties rock STX Europe The current economic environment is causing uncertainties pertaining to contracts signed for cruise ships to be built at STX Europe. In March 2008, the Royal Caribbean Group signed an initial contract to build the fourth 158,000GT vessel for the fleet’s Freedom-class. However it now seems that the likelihood of this becoming a firm order is slim. “The prospects of this agreement becoming a firm contract is considered less likely than when the understanding was announced in March 2008,” said a statement issued by the yard. “STX Europe’s customers are generally financially sound and nearly all projects in the company’s portfolio already have secured financing; however, in the current economic environment and with uncertain market prospects, the risk of defaults on payments for project deliveries cannot be ruled out.” Furthermore, in late October 2008, STX Europe’s French yard signed initial contracts for two 93,000GT Musica-class vessels with MSC Cruises, however, financing has not been secured for the two ships, to be named ‘MSC Meraviglia’ and ‘MSC Favolosa’. Source : Baird

Cheoy Lee delivers 'Shark 30' China’s Cheoy Lee shipyard has recently delivered ‘Shark 30’, the first of two vessels on order from owners based in

the Middle East. The Kuwaiti-flagged ‘Shark 30’ is destined to supply, support and act in the capacity of a safety vessel, for offshore drilling and work over rigs on a 24-hour per day basis in the Arabian Gulf. Cheoy Lee’s 58-metre AHTS vessel model has proven to be popular, with a five-vessel order stacking up at the yard, all intended for service in the Middle East. Specific duties will include the transport of fresh water, diesel oil, bulk cement, liquid mud, stores, materials and equipment, tow/move drilling and work over safety rigs, anchor handling duties, move men and materials between platforms and shore, and evacuate casualties.

The vessel design originated from Singapore-based naval architects Conan Wu & Associates and incorporates an all-steel hull and superstructure. The vessel is constructed to ABS class with the notation ABS+A1(E) + AMS FIFI 1 Towing and Anchor Handling Services. The vessel has an overall length of 58 metres, a beam of 13.8 metres and a draught of 4.75 metres. ‘Shark 30’ can accommodate a complement of 22 men. All are housed in the forward part of the vessel. On the main deck level, there is one four-man cabin, although this deck predominantly contains the service and recreational areas, the galley, mess rooms, sick bay and cold stores. The accommodation on the forecastle deck level includes individual cabins for the captain and chief engineer, along with three double and two four-man cabins. The working deck aft is over 30 metres long, with an area of approximately 350 square metres. The deck is sheathed in wood to protect the steel deck plating during anchor handling and towing operations. Deck plating in way of the towing gear is 20mm thick. Propulsion power comes from two air-start Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines each producing 1,920kW, driving Nakashima controllable pitch propellers in nozzles via Twin Disc MGR 1727VC 7:1 reduction gearboxes. Manoeuvring is enhanced by a twelve-tonne Schottel bow thruster directly driven by an 840kW Caterpillar diesel. Electrical power is developed by three Caterpillar 320kW diesel generating sets, each independently capable of supporting the ships loads. In addition, there is a 72kW back-up set that also serves as a harbour generator. Deck winches are from MacGreggor Plimsoll, and include a 200-tonne towing/anchor handling winch, a ten-tonne anchor windlass, two ten-tonne tugger winches, and two five-tonne capstans. Towing equipment also includes Triplex



towing pins and a shark jaw. On deck, there is also a Palfinger crane to handle the rescue boat and also for loading provisions. With a fuel capacity of 400 tonnes, the vessel has a range of 6,500 nautical miles at a maximum speed of twelve knots. Fuel is cleaned by an Alfa Laval purification system, as is the lube oil. The vessel is also able to carry 485 tonnes of fresh water, ten cubic metres for fire fighting foam, ten cubic metres of dispersant for tackling oil spills, 210 cubic metres of liquid mud and 4000 tonnes of dry bulk. Source : Baird

Korea resumes while Japan is quiet South Korean builders have resumed their marketing activities for newbuildings, but Japanese yards are not dropping their wait-and-see stance. Shipyards in South Korea have been targeting order receipts in order to fill their empty slipways for ships deliverable in 2011 that were left empty after they accepted some requests to change the delivery dates of containerships. Meanwhile, Japanese yards have virtually no empty slipways for vessels for near-term delivery, so they see no need to grab orders by lowering their prices, according to a salesperson for a domestic yard. Against the backdrop of the ample workload, Japanese builders have shifted their focus onto developing new ship types and hope to reinforce their range of ship types in order to be prepared when the competition heats up in the future. With the massive orders of bulkers placed in the past five years, the yards are now setting their gaze toward tankers and gas carriers. Source : The Motorship

The Baltic Betina spotted last week in the fjords near Flesland (Norway) Photo : Peter Aerts ©

DAMEN VERWACHT 100 MILJ OMZET IN ROEMENIE Damen Shipyards verwacht dat de Roemeense scheepswerf in Galati in 2009 een omzet van meer dan 100 miljoen euro zal realiseren. Dit betekent een stijging van 15 procent ten opzichte van het voorgaande jaar. In 2008 behaalde het bedrijf een omzet van 82 miljoen euro. De Roemeense vestiging van het Nederlandse scheepsbouwconcern heeft een gevulde orderportefeuille, het komende jaar moeten er 27 schepen worden opgeleverd. Tot nu toe blijft de vraag naar nieuwe schepen op niveau en Damen ondervindt dan ook weinig last van de economische crisis. Wel probeert de scheepsbouwer de risico's te spreiden door te investeren in nieuwe marktsegmenten. Damen heeft 20 miljoen euro gereserveerd voor een nieuwe productielijn voor Nederlandse marineschepen. De Roemeense scheepsbouwmarkt kent een omvang van 700-800 miljoen euro per



jaar. De belangrijkste spelers, naast Damen, zijn STX Europe group (Braila en Tulcea), Santierul Naval Constanta, Severnav Turnu Severin, Santierul Naval Orsova, Daewoo Mangalia en scheepswerf ATG Giurgiu.

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The AETOS Z departed from Ijmuiden Photo : Willem Harlaar ©

Hawai'i Superferry vessel heads to Alabama Hawaii Superferry's Alakai left for Alabama Saturday afternoon, following a state Supreme Court decision that forced it to stop service. It will take the Alakai about three weeks to get to Mobile, Ala, home of the Austal USA shipyard where the high-speed catamaran was built.



A handful of people watched the Alakai leave Honolulu Harbor about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, waving to crew onboard the ship and shouting, "Bye!" Photo : Andrew Shimabuku At least one of the onlookers was a former Superferry employee, but he declined comment. In a news release, Hawaii Superferry said, "Alakai's move to Mobile is to position her for future employment." Company officials have said they plan to lease out the vessel for service in another locale while the state Department of Transportation completes an

environmental impact statement related to $40 million in ferry-related improvements at four ports. The company has declined comment on whether the ship will return to Hawai'i. Superferry suspended its Honolulu-Maui sailings March 17 following a Hawai'i Supreme Court ruling invalidating a 2007 state law that allowed the ferry to operate while an environmental study is conducted under "Chapter 343," the state's environmental review law. Source : The Honolulu Advertiser

Ray Goodfelow reports that both of these vessels have now featured on the Austal Market Place website http://www.austalmarketplace.com/

"Alakai / Austal Hull 616 Due to political developments the Austal 107m catamaran Alakai has ceased trading out of Honolulu. We believe that an immediate sale or charter could be developed and firm enquiries are encouraged. Her newly-built sister vessel Hull

616 currently at the Austal USA, Mobile, shipyard could also be available.

Type: Auto Express 107, passenger-vehicle catamaran ferry, Length: 106.5m, Beam: 23.8m, Draft: 3.65m, Pax: 866, Cars: 282 (or 28 trucks and 65 cars), Engines: 4 x MTU, Service Speed: 40 Kts, Built: 2007 & 2009"

MNOK 150 contract for Italian submarines KONGSBERG has signed a contract with a scope of roughly MNOK 150 with the Italian shipyard Fincantieri for command and weapon control systems for two new U212A Class submarines currently under construction in Italy for the Italian Navy. The contract was won against international competition and it piggybacks on a contract signed with Fincantieri in 1998 for the first two submarines in this class. "KONGSBERG has more than 35 years' experience of delivering command and weapon control systems to Norwegian, German and Italian submarines. This contract entails important further development of the products we make for submarine systems. The contract is a response to a campaign conducted over several years to strengthen our position as a supplier of complete, integrated sonar and command and weapon control systems for submarines. The world market includes a rather significant number of submarines that are or soon will be in need of life extension programmes. In this context, this is yet another valuable reference contract", comments Executive Vice President Nils-Oddvar Hagen. KONGSBERG is a multinational, knowledge-based group with more than 5200 employees in more than 25 countries. The Group supplies high-technology systems and solutions to customers engaged in the oil and gas industry, the merchant marine, and the defence and aerospace industries. KONGSBERG is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (Ticker: KOG), and posted operating revenues of NOK 11 billion in 2008. Source : kongsberg



120 maritieme topwerkgevers op het Navingo Maritime & Offshore Career Event 2009.

Heb jij je al ingeschreven?

Kom langs op woensdag 8 april tussen 11.00 en 19.00 uur in het Beurs-WTC te Rotterdam, bij het Navingo Maritime & Offshore Career Event 2009 en ontmoet één op één HR managers van vooraanstaande werkgevers uit de maritieme en offshore sector.

De toegang is gratis en registreren kan via www.maritimeoffshorecareerevent.com . Je maakt dan meteen kans op mooie prijzen!

The GIESSENSTROOM seen operating at the Falkland Islands Photo : Fop Leder ©

WAGENBORG TUGS ENROUTE ROTTERDAM



The Wagenborg tugs WATERSTROOM and WATERGEUS are at present enroute with WAGENBORG BARGE 4 loaded with a container crane with a weight of 1080 tons from Bremerhaven to Rotterdam, the transport is due to

arrive this morning (Monday) around 08:00 hrs at Maaspilot Station Photo : Marc Mazereeuw ©

Japan Finances South African Port Project The Japan Bank for International Cooperation signed an untied loan agreement totaling up to $357 million to finance South Africa's project to expand the Port of Durban. The loan agreement was signed on March 26 between JBIC and Transnet, South Africa's wholly state-owned freight rail, ports and pipeline company, the Japanese government-affiliated bank said. Three major Japanese commercial banks co-financed the loan: the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. JBIC provided guarantees for the three commercial banks' portion of the loan. According to JBIC, the loan will finance the Entrance Channel Widening and Deepening Project at the Port of Durban, which Transnet is undertaking with the aim of enabling larger vessels to enter the port. The Port of Durban is now the busiest port in South Africa and one of the busiest container ports in the Southern Hemisphere. The port has also become an important export and import base for many Japanese auto-related affiliate companies, which have established operations in South Africa in recent years, JBIC said. According to JBIC, the volume of cargo handled at the Port of Durban has reached the port's capacity due to South Africa's continued economic growth in recent years. As a result, local Japanese affiliate firms are now being forced to increase their inventories of imported parts and extend storage time for their export products, JBIC said. The project to expand the port's cargo-handling capacity and thereby relieve its congestion will help improve the business environment for local Japanese affiliate companies, JBIC said. Source: Journal of Commerce

CSCL to Double Freight Rates China Shipping Container Lines has confirmed its intention to increase freight rates by 100% in the key services between Asia and Europe as well as in transpacific routes.



On April, 9 2009 on Asia-European trades freight rates will be doubled and total $700 per TEU, Lloyd’s List reports. In May freight rates on transpacific routes will increase from $1200 to $1650 per FEU, to South America they will climb from $1100 to $1600. Beginning from April, 1 MOL, Hapag Lloyd, APL, MSC, Hanjin Shipping, Maersk Line and CMA CGM will also increase freight rates. Source : SeaNews

The Dutch flagged general cargo vessel TEXEL seen anchored at Singapore Western Anchorage, the vessel is build in 2001 at Bodewes Shipyard in Harlingen under yard number 348 and named DEWI PARWATI for the owner Arpeni

Pratama Ocean Line, launched at 10-01-2001 and commissioned 01-03-2002. In May 2003 the 132 mtr long vessel was renamed BELUGA SPIRIT under which name she sailed until November the same year, when she got the name DEWI PARWATI back again, in April 2008 the 8930 DWT vessel got her present

name TEXEL and is at present operated by Kustvaart Harlingen B.V. in the Netherlands Photo : Piet Sinke ©


New fast ferry won’t fit in Ramsgate's port PLANS for a new ferry service from Ramsgate temporarily ran aground when its owners discovered their new super-fast ferry does not fit the harbour. Fred Olsen’s Bonanza Express ferry leased by Euroferries to run between Ramsgate and Boulogne does not fit at either port.



Thanet South MP Steve Ladyman, referring to a discussion he had with Euroferries, said: "They discovered a problem with the boat not fitting in each port. They have had to have meetings to ensure the link span fitted at each of the ports. I think they were meeting engineers at the harbour later this week." With costs mounting before the big launch, Dr Ladyman added: "I think Euroferries are prepared to pay the costs." Thanet council’s deputy leader Roger Latchford acknowledged a meeting had taken place over docking problems. He said: "There was a meeting two days ago and they are looking to delay the launch by a month. However, we don’t envisage any problems and are still optimistic the deal will go ahead." The new service now looks set to launch at the end of April 2009.

Above seen the JPO Leo arriving at Port Chalmers on the 29/3/09, this is the replacement ship for the MOL Wellington which is being broken up in China. The details of the JPO Leo are 35881 gross tonnage, built in 2005 and

is registered in Liberia. Photo : Ross Walker ©

Chennai Container Terminal plans expansion Chennai Container Terminal (CCTL), the PSU operated by Dubai-based DP World on a 30-year contract, is planning expansion of operations through increasing its supply chain footprint in the country, the Times of India reported. In the immediate future, it is looking at running a direct train to Nagpur, to supply food grains to western and central India. "At present, these areas are, naturally, supplied by imports through Mumbai," said CCTL MD Ennarasu Karunesan. But, the company feels it can offer competitive pricing to importers in the western region, though Karunesan remained non-committal on the exact import and freight potential to west India. CCTL currently has direct rail connectivity to Bangalore, and is connected by road to the north and east. DP world has a seven percent market share in the rail freight segment in India. Source: cargonewsasia

Tanker S&P snippits In the sale & purchase market, Teekay reportedly sold the 2005 built Aframaxes 'Rainier Spirit' and 'Matterhorn Spirit' to interests believed connected to Fairsky Shipping & Trading, Greece for $57 mill each, BRL Shipping Consultants reported. If the price is correct, then it is $20 mill above the level paid when ordered. Teekay was believed to have offered a five-year bareboat charter back deal with the sale, which would have positively influenced the sale price. In a surprise move, BRL said that Metrostar Management has circulated the whole of its Suezmax fleet for sale, which includes seven newbuildings at Hyundai Samho. Two of these were delivered earlier this year and are currently trading as the ‘Crude Alfa’ and ‘Crude Beta’. Source: Tanker Operator



Nippon Salvage's KOYO MARU moored alongside Tai'chung harbour after completing successful refloat of a stranded vessel off the port.

Photo : Nick Haslam ©

Mega land reclamation project under way at Lagos in Nigeria

Royal Haskoning has announced that it is working on the EKO Atlantic City seaward reclamation project in Lagos and the recovery of the seriously eroded coastline in the vinicity. This enormous land reclamation project (800 hecatres) will provide accommodation for up to 400,000 residents and 200,000 workers. Royal Haskoning is responsible for the urban masterplan and design for the expansion of the city. The firm is responsible for the overall project management of the maritime and urban planning, a major part of the infrastructure of the new city and the environmental impact assessment. The project is a private sector initiaitve supported by the Lagos State Government. The land reclamation prohect has reportedly started. The start of construction is planned for mid-2009. Royal Haskoning has been working in Nigeria on various projects for over 50 years.

THE TUG BOOK Second Edition

M.J. Gaston

Publication Date: Out now RRP: £25.00 ● Format: Hardback ● ISBN: 978 1 84425 527 6



This fully revised and updated second edition of The Tug Book provides a detailed, up-to-date account of the design and operation of tugs of many different types all over the world. You will find it an authoritative study and unique insight into these increasingly diverse and sophisticated vessels, along with the roles that they perform and the dramatic advances being made in this lesser known branch of the shipping industry. In this unique guide to international tugs and towing, leading maritime writer Jack Gaston describes and illustrates virtually every facet of the present-day tug and towing scene. He has brought together over 200 full colour photographs and diagrams in order to offer a definitive portrait of the vessels and their work. A level of technical content has been chosen to make the book a useful reference to those in the towing industry and appeal to enthusiasts and those with just a passing interest in tugs and towing.

There is still an increasing demand for tugs with more power and manoeuvrability in ports that handle large ships and hazardous cargoes. Consequently, a key theme throughout the book is the fierce competition among tug operators, which has resulted in smaller tugs, with smaller crews and the emergence of very small tugs with unprecedented power and agility, capable of carrying out the work of much larger vessels previously employed. Tugs perform a range of vital tasks, from ship handling in ports and harbours, to deep-sea towage and salvage. In addition to their traditional harbour and coastal duties, tugs are employed in roles as diverse as towing logs, icebreaking and supporting offshore oil exploration. Tugs also play a key role in pollution control, maritime emergency response and. Serve the marine civil engineering and dredging industries worldwide. In order to meet these rapidly changing commercial, operational and environmental demands, radical innovations have been made in tug design and equipment. High-tech propulsion systems, advanced electronics and new operating methods are now an integral part of the towage industry. The author Jack Gaston is a professional engineer and experienced technical author and journalist living in Sevenoaks, Kent, UK. He is a regular contributor to Lloyds List, Maritime Journal, Ship’s Monthly and a number of other maritime publications. Jack is also the author of Tugs and Towing (1991), Tugs Today (1996) and The Tug Book (2002). He was given an industry award by the British Tug Owners’ Association in 2006, for 40 years of support to the towage industry.

Firm engineering agreement signed for the Goliat FPSO

With reference to the announcement made on February 2, 2009, Eni Norge AS and Sevan Marine ASA have signed a firm contract for the Post Feed Engineering for the Sevan 1000 FPSO for the Goliat field in the Barents Sea. The value of the contract is approximately NOK 150 million from February to September 2009. Sevan will grant a license to Eni for the use of the Sevan 1000 FPSO on the Goliat field under a separate agreement. Sevan Marine ASA is listed on Oslo Børs and is specializing in building, owning and operating floating units for offshore applications. The Company has developed a cylinder shaped floater, suitable in all offshore environments. Presently Sevan Marine has four floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSOs) and three drilling units contracted to clients. The Company is also developing other application types for its cylindrical Sevan hull, including floating LNG production and power plants with CO2 capture. Source : Maritime & Energy



RECENTLY UPLOADED HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS AT THE WEBSITE (total now 461 photos uploaded)

BUGSIER 12 - Harbour/Coastal tug INDEPENDENCE of the SEAS- Passengerliner SEA PRINCESS - Passengerliner CALYPSO - Research vessel FRANCE 1 - Weather vessel DUCKY SYMPHONY - RO-RO vessel TEXEL - General Cargo REESTBORG - Containervessel SCORPIO - Harbour/Coastal tug BONANZA EXPRESS - High Speed Ferry

Click at the photo album at the website www.maasmondmaritime.com or via the direct link http://www.flickr.com/photos/33438735@N08/show/

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The RENNESOY seen near Stavanger Photo : Jan Plug ©

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daily collection of maritime press clippings 2009 – …het containerschip msc beatrice is 366...

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