Number 301 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

Transcription

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 198
Number 198 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 17-07-2014
News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.
The SEVEN BOREALIS moored in Rotterdam – Photo : Günther Spruit ©
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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS
The LADY HENRIETTA enroute Amsterdam – Photo : Marcel Coster ©
Unique Maritime Group Secures Strategic
Investment from Blue Water Energy
Unique Maritime Group (UMG),one of the world’s leading integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solutions
provider, is pleased to announce a pivotal strategic equity investment from Blue Water Energy. Founded in 1993,
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UMG is a specialist in the provision of services, and the sale and rental of equipment for the marine, diving,
hydrographic, oceanographic, oil & gas,
inspection and NDT market sectors. The
group has an established manufacturing
capability for the delivery of customized
engineering
projects
worldwide.
Headquartered in the Hamriyah Free Zone
of the United Arab Emirates, UMG has built
up an impressive reputation for quality,
innovation, service and speed of response
in it’s nearly two decades of existence and
is always striving to improve its product
and
service
offering.
The
Group’s
operations are spread across the Middle
East, USA, UK, South Africa, Nigeria, India
and Singapore.
Founded in 2011, Blue
Water Energy is a leading global middle
market energy private equity firm based in
London. The firm primarily targets private
equity investments in the upstream and midstream/downstream energy supply chain, while partnering with best-inclass management teams and utilising a network of seasoned investment and operating professionals that drive value
throughout all aspects of the investment process. Its Partners have on average 25 years of relevant experience and,
complemented by a seasoned investment team, the Blue Water Energy investment team possess combined experience
spanning over 160 years. The new partnership will allow UMG to accelerate its growth plans through additions to its
Rental fleet, as well as through further acquisitions, to expand the product & service offering and geographic
distribution.
UMG has an impressive line-up of products and services for the marine, diving, survey, NDT and
inspection and oil & gas sectors. A few of these products and services can be listed as follows:
•
Marine: Integrated Vessel Management, Control and Safety Systems; Power Generation and Propulsion
Systems for Offshore Vessels; Onboard Energy Management Solutions; Hoisting Equipment, Deck Machineries &
Offshore Containers; Unique Seaflex range of air lift bags, water weights and pipeline buoyancy units
•
Diving: Air and Mixed Gas Diving Systems; Saturation Diving Systems; Hyperbaric Rescue Facility; Daughter
Craft; Breathing Air Compressors; Commercial Diving Equipment
•
Survey: Hydrographic, Oceanographic, Geophysical & Geotechnical Survey Equipment; Environmental &
Oceanographic Monitoring Solutions; Remotely Operated and Autonomous Operated Underwater Vehicles; Underwater
Security Solutions
•
Inspection: Subsea Corrosion Protection Inspections; NDT Equipment; CSWIP Inspection Engineers; ACFM,
MPI, FMD, UT
•
Oil & Gas: Pipeline Rehabilitation; Hot Tapping & Line Stopping; On-Site Machining; Under Pressure Leak
Sealing; Pipeline Repair Clamps; On-Line Safety Valve Testing; On-Line Valve Maintenance; Pipe Freezing; Portable
Onsite Machine Rental Solutions; Subsea Diamond Wire Pipe Cutter; Hot Tap & Line Stop Tees and Fittings; Extruded
Headers; Pipeline Isolation and Inspection Tooling Solutions On this occasion, Harry Gandhi, CEO @ Unique Maritime
Group commented, “Blue Water Energy is a strong partner for this important growth phase of our business. From the
outset, the team at Blue Water Energy has understood our strategy and vision and we are confident that with their
industry experience and network, they can strongly support UMG’s expansion plans.” Tom Sikorski, Partner @ Blue
Water Energyfurther added, “We are very excited to have been given the opportunity to work with Harry and his team.
The partnership with UMG continues our investment strategy of working with founder owners building international
energy companies. Harry and his team have a very successful track record to date and we see significant growth
opportunities – both organically and through acquisitions - for UMG across its international network.”
For more information, please visit www.uniquegroup.comorwww.bluewaterenergy.com.
China oil rig finishes exploration in
disputed waters off Vietnam
By John Ruwitch and Nguyen Phuong Linh
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A Chinese oil rig has finished drilling near the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea after finding signs of oil
and gas, a top Chinese energy firm said on Wednesday, more than two months after its deployment hurt ties with
Vietnam.
Vietnam's coastguard said the $1 billion deepwater rig was being moved towards China's southernmost
island province of Hainan. China's
official Xinhua news agency said it
would be relocated to an area off
Hainan but gave no details or a date.
The rig's relocation could reduce
tensions between the two neighbours
and will also likely be welcomed by
Washington, which has accused China
of "provocative" actions in the
disputed South China Sea in recent
months. Hanoi has said the rig was in
its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and on its continental shelf. Beijing has said it was operating completely
within its waters around the Paracel islands, which China occupy. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the
dominant oil and gas producer in China, said in a statement the rig smoothly completed" its drilling on Tuesday and
found signs of oil and gas. The next step would be to analyse the geological data and evaluate the layers of oil and
gas, it said. CNPC's preliminary analysis showed "the area has the basic conditions and potential for oil exploration, but
extraction testing cannot begin before a comprehensive assessment of the data", Xinhua quoted Wang Zhen, deputy
director of the CNPC Policy Research Office, as saying.
China had previously said the rig was scheduled to explore the waters around the Paracels until mid-August. It was not
clear why it had finished one month ahead of schedule, although Xinhua said July was the beginning of the typhoon
season. Admiral Ngo Ngoc Thu, chief of staff of the Vietnam coastguard, told Reuters by telephone the rig was about
30 nautical miles from Triton island in the Paracels and had been moving towards Hainan since late on Tuesday night.
Thu said Vietnamese boats were still watching the area closely. Deployment of the rig on May 2 set off deadly antiChinese riots in Vietnam, while scores of Vietnamese and Chinese ships have regularly squared off around the
platform. There have been several collisions. A Reuters reporter on a Vietnamese coastguard vessel on Tuesday
witnessed a group of Chinese ships chase the Vietnamese boat away from the area in what has been a near daily catand-mouse routine. The rig is owned by state-run China National Offshore Oil Company Group (CNOOC Group),
parent of flagship unit CNOOC Ltd
POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCTION
China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts
of the waters, whose estimated energy potential varies widely. Discoveries near the coasts of Southeast Asian
countries in recent years have been mostly natural gas, reinforcing the belief among geologists and explorers that
there is more gas than oil in the South China Sea. Chinese industry experts have said the rig had a good chance of
finding enough gas to put the area into production. That would give China its first viable energy field in the disputed
South China Sea, as well as make it a source of friction with Hanoi for years to come. The world's largest energy user
imports nearly 60 percent of its oil needs and more than 30 percent of its natural gas.
In a 2013 report, the U.S.
Energy Information Administration, a government agency, said geological evidence suggested the Paracel islands
themselves did not have significant potential in terms of conventional hydrocarbons. However, the chance of making a
major gas discovery near the islands was high because there had been several gas finds already in the area, experts
have said. Vietnam has two fields to the left of where the rig had been stationed, much closer to its coast, where U.S.
giant Exxon Mobil Corp <XOM.N> discovered oil and gas in 2011 and 2012. Some energy production is taking place in
the South China Sea but deepwater areas remain untapped, largely because tensions between rival claimants have
made oil companies and private oil service companies reluctant to explore contentious acreage well away from
sovereign coastlines.Source : Reuters (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Paul
Tait)
Fireworks complaint leads to arrest in
theft of tugboat propeller
Police in Ohio responded to a fireworks complaint and ended up arresting a man for the theft of a high dollar tugboat
propellor from Port Arthur. Brandon O’Neil of Springfield Township in Ohio was wanted on a felony theft charge for
stealing the propellor valued at between $50,000 to $90,000. Port Arthur Police Maj. Raymond Clark said a four blade
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tugboat propellor made from brass nickel alloy was reported stolen from Gulf Copper in the 7200 block of South
Gulfway Drive on July 22, 2013. According to the offense report, the prop is very large and was likely removed using
heavy equipment and either loaded on a flatbed trailer or similar vehicle. Police in New Middleton, Ohio were
responding to a fireworks complaint July 11 when they learned that O-Neil was wanted on the theft charge, according
to the WKBN News site. O’Neil is being held in Mahoning County Jail waiting his return to Texas. Source : The Port
Arthur News
Lifeboat crew abandon training exercise
to rescue trapped yacht
An RNLI crew were forced to abandon a routine training exercise to rescue a trapped yacht.
The Kyle of Lochalsh lifeboat Spirit
of Fred Olsen was on an exercise
in the Plockton area when the 39ft
yacht Iona dragged its anchor and
became caught on a mooring. The
yacht’s skipper flagged down the
lifeboat at around 8.15pm on
Monday, which towed the Iona
clear of the mooring.
An RNLI
spokesman said: “The yacht, which
had five people onboard, had
dragged its anchor which then got
caught around a mooring as the winds strengthened. “The lifeboat put a crew member on-board the casualty vessel to
assess the situation before deciding to tow the yacht clear of the snagged mooring. “When the lifeboat towed the
Iona clear of the mooring, the anchor was untangled and was then able to be raised. The yacht then made its way
onto a safe mooring whilst the lifeboat stood by to assist if needed. By 9.15pm the casualty vessel was safely on the
mooring and the lifeboat made its way back to Kyle." They added: “We train every week to ensure we are always
ready with the relevant skills, but we didn’t expect these skills to be put to the test so soon after practicing them.”
Source : STVNews
En route to the Maud, Norwegian crew
expects to reach Nunavut soon
The tenacious Norwegian crew hell-bent on retrieving Roald Amundsen’s sunken ship, the Maud, off the coast of
Cambridge Bay, is currently in Nuuk, Greenland, with a tugboat and a barge en route to raising the famed ship from its
watery roost and floating her back to her European home. According to their latest blog entry at maudreturnshome.no,
the crew had a bumpy ride across the Atlantic Ocean after departing Farsund, Norway, on June 25, and expects to
enter Nunavut waters within a week or so. Then they will ply the Northwest Passage in the hope of arriving in
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Cambridge Bay some time in early August — weather and sea ice permitting. “We are all well but pretty tired after
fighting some unexpected heavy weather in the mid-Atlantic,” project leader Jan Wanggaard wrote in a July 13 blog
post. “We had some minor technical
damages, but considering the fact
that we had winds in the upper scale
of storm and waves up to 10 meters,
we must be quite content and
pleased to be well and fit here in
Nuuk and also super-ready for the
continuation of this journey.” The
Maud, known locally as the Baymaud,
sank in its moorings in 1930 after
Amundsen, the Norwegian polar
explorer, tried unsuccessfully to sail it
around the North Pole. It was built by
Christian Jensen and christened in 1917 by Amundsen with a block of ice that he shattered against the bow
proclaiming, “You are made for the ice,” according to the project description on Wanggaard’s blog. Amundsen is still
revered as a national hero in Norway and Wanggaard’s mission is to bring the Maud home, clean up what remains of
her, and put her on display at a future Maud museum in Vollen, Norway. Canada agreed to the ship’s repatriation in
2012 and issued an export permit for the Maud Returns Home group to raise what’s left of the 392-tonne vessel onto a
barge and tug her across 7,000 kilometres of ocean. The ship was originally supposed to be transported back to
Norway in 2013 but plans were delayed a year while Wanggaard’s crew waited to secure its tugboat, the Tandberg
Polar, and have it inspected by Norwegian shipping authorities. The marine voyage this spring has been challenging.
“Chunks of ice, from small lumps up to major icebergs of more than 100 meters in height meant our attention had to
be on full alert passing through a mix between thick fog patches and brilliant blue skies as we sailed near the coast up
to Nuuk,” Wanggaard writes. “Now we look ahead and we will hopefully be ready to advance up the coast early next
week. Next stop will be Upernavik [mid-way up the west coast of Greenland]. “This will be our last stop before we
cross over Baffin Bay into the famous Northwest Passage, which will be our last major challenge before finally arriving
Cambridge Bay.” You can follow the crew’s journey HERE Source : nunatsiaqonline
In disputed sea, Vietnam and China play
high-stakes cat and mouse
By Martin Petty
NEAR RIG HD-981, South China Sea, July 15 (Reuters) - - Crewmen in blue camouflage uniforms pour out onto the
deck of a Vietnamese coastguard ship as an imposing Chinese vessel guarding a giant oil rig gives chase, gathering
steam by the second. A plume of smoke billows out as the engines of the Vietnamese ship rev up. A message of
warning in Chinese language blares out across a loudspeaker. "You must remove all vessels immediately. This is the
exclusive economic zone of Vietnam," it says. The Vietnamese ship and several others on either side begin to retreat.
"Withdraw your ships and remove the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig." A group of Chinese ships join the pursuit, peeling
away from a flotilla of about two-dozen vessels surrounding HD-981, the $1 billion rig that China deployed without
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notice in early May, triggering the worst breakdown in ties between the communist neighbours in three decades.
Vietnam says this stretch of the South China Sea is in its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and accuses China
of bullying and trying to ram
Vietnamese fishing vessels in the
potentially
energy-rich
waters.
Vietnamese coastguard ship 8003, with
a small group of foreign journalists on
board, came within 10 nautical miles of
the rig on Tuesday, but that was as far
as it was willing to go. And it lingered
for just half an hour. It is a cat-andmouse game that has been going on
for two months and the crew of CG
8003 has seen it all before.
Outnumbered and out-gunned, they
turn back and the Chinese ships
eventually give up their chase. This
kind of squaring-off has caused alarm
in the region and the United States on Friday called for a voluntary halt on action by all sides that could aggravate
tension. It described China's behaviour as "provocative and unilateral". China claims about nine-tenths of the South
China Sea but insists it wants a peaceful resolution to the conflict. That, however, seems unlikely any time soon and
both China and Vietnam are refusing to back down.
MILITARY PRESENCE REJECTED
China vehemently denies mobilising military ships in the waters, but among the crew aboard CG 8003, those
rotestations do not carry much weight. Earlier on Tuesday, men gathered around a radar screen in the control room as
others on deck peered through
binoculars and took video footage of
Chinese vessels clustering on the
horizon.
A television screen picked out one of
two grey-coloured Chinese frigates
in the distance, with what appeared
to be small missiles launchers at the
stern. The captain picked up a
phone and radioed information to
the coastguard on the mainland,
reporting what the crew described
as "fast missile attack ships", one
numbered 751. An unidentified
aircraft flew over the Chinese ships
in the distance. Nguyen Van Hung,
captain of this South Korean-built ship, says his mission is not military, but to communicate closely with fishing vessels
and protect them from an increasingly assertive and better-equipped China. The coastguard, he says, want the
fishermen to be safe to operate anywhere within Vietnam's claimed territory, including around the China-occupied
Paracel islands. He was unwilling to discuss the limits of the radar he uses, but believes better equipment is needed
amid rising tension. "It's good enough to do what we need to do, but of course, we need better, more comprehensive
and more modern equipment," Hung told Reuters, looking at a radar screen that showed a few dozen unidentified
boats dotted around. "We need more modern boats so we can do our duty, protect our fishing vessels and have a
presence in these waters to prove our sovereignty." Better equipment may come sooner than expected as a result of
the dispute over the oil rig, which Vietnamese officials believe has earned it some sympathy from regional allies who
could provide some carefully calibrated support. Japan, which has its own maritime disputes with China, has pledged
help for the coastguard and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently approved a $540 million budget to
build 32 coastguard vessels and upgrade the existing fleet. CG 8003 does pack some punch but Captain Hung insists it
is for self-defence only. The ship has five guns in fixed positions, plus several water cannons on board, all under green
tarpaulin covers. "The intensity has been increasing and it's a lot more serious, but it's the policy of the coastguard,
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the government and the Communist Party of Vietnam that we solve this problem peacefully," Hung said. "We just want
to show China its actions are wrong and we request they withdraw this rig." Source : Reuters
Hoylake RNLI's new Shannon lifeboat
nearing completion
Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat Station’s new Shannon class lifeboat is nearing completion at Berthon Boatyard in Lymington.
The Edmond Hawthorn Micklewood,
named thanks to the very generous
legacy of Paulette Micklewood, had her
topsides put in place last month. All
Weather Lifeboats (ALBs) are built from
the bottom up, with the hull being
placed in a movable cradle then things
like fuel tanks, engines, cables and pipe
work are fitted. Only when everything is
inside the hull does the wheelhouse get
lifted on and attached. We are expecting
the Shannon to be at Hoylake sometime
around the beginning of December,
when intensive crew training in this new
vessel will commence.
The Shannon is the RNLI’s newest class
of lifeboat and is also the most agile allweather lifeboat in the charity’s fleet, powered by water jets instead of propellers. Because of this, jet boat training for
Coxswains and systems training for Mechanics will be conducted at the RNLI College in Poole. Once this training is
over, the newly trained crew will return to Hoylake and start training at the RNLI lifeboat station in Hoylake. Our
present Mersey class lifeboat Lady of Hilbre will remain as the station lifeboat until the crew are up to the correct level
of competency. With day and night exercises to ensure all volunteer crew members are familiar with their new lifeboat,
this is expected to take approximately two weeks. Once everyone is fully trained on the Shannon, our Mersey will be
released into the RNLI’s relief fleet, covering at lifeboat stations around the coast when the station’s vessel needs
repairs or maintenance. Then will commence the start of a new era of lifesaving at Hoylake that started 211 years ago
and has seen over 1000 lives saved by the volunteer lifeboatmen and women at Hoylake. Source : Wirral News
COLUMN-Watch out, that freighter may
actually be a warship
By David Axe
U.S. military operations now increasingly begin and end at sea - aboard a growing fleet of vessels that the Pentagon
has specifically outfitted as floating command facilities, barracks and launch pads. The daring U.S. commando raid into
Libya to capture Ahmed Abu Khatallah, the Benghazi terror suspect, opened a window into Washington's new
approach to war and counterterrorism. The Navy warship "New York" was central to the military’s mission in seizing
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Khatallah and transporting him to the United States for trial. "New York" and other "sea bases," as the military calls
them, are more mobile, better defended and potentially cheaper than long-term U.S. facilities built on foreign soil.
These ships sail and anchor in international waters, so they offer legal and diplomatic advantages over former land
bases.
Some sea-base ships are high-profile military projects costing billions of dollars. Others are civilian vessels that the
Defense Department quietly charters, modifies and staffs with non-military crews to function as secretive special
operations bases on classified missions. The capture of Khatallah demonstrates what this could look like. When U.S.
Special Operations Forces seized him on June 15, the commandos and an accompanying FBI team reportedly traveled
by car and then boat to deliver the suspected terrorist to the "New York, waiting off the Libyan coast. The 690-foot
vessel then set course for the United States. Its two-week trans-Atlantic crossing gave FBI agents time to question
Khatallah and to read him his rights before they handed him over to law-enforcement officials in the United States. He
pleaded not guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists in federal court in Washington on June 28.
Staging aboard "New York" allowed the Pentagon to avoid complicated legal entanglements. Transporting Khatallah by
air from Libya or a nearby country would have required the host government's approval, as well as approval from all
the countries that the plane flew over. Libyan officials objected to the Khatallah raid, but they could not interfere since
the suspect was aboard "New York" by the time the news broke. The technologically advanced "New York" is an ideal
sea base. The ship is large and flexible, with an expansive flight deck for launching and landing helicopters, and
facilities for handling a wide range of boats. It boasts a wide range of sophisticated communications equipment
including radios, encrypted satellite phones and encrypted Internet - plus plenty of living space for commandos and
law-enforcement agents. Not to mention rooms that can double as jail cells. "New York" is not alone. The Pentagon is
designing many new ships that include plenty of flexible spaces, multiple ways of getting on board and off and flexible
systems that can handle lots of different tasks. Just like land bases - except movable.
Counting older ships and those still under construction, the military has scores of large vessels that can serve as sea
bases, each housing potentially hundreds of military personnel, all their gear and their boats and helicopters.
The biggest and most sophisticated sea-base ships are about to enter service. One is "Cragside," a 633-foot merchant
vessel that the Navy leased from civilian shipper Maersk Lines for an initial $73 million in late 2013. The military has
been tight-lipped about the vessel's modifications and missions, but it's apparent that it’s a sea base for Special
Operations Forces - like those who captured Khatallah. The Navy's official list of requirements for "Cragside" included
secure communications facilities that are specially shielded to prevent electronic eavesdropping, an armory for storing
weapons, a gym and accommodations for up to 200 troops plus compatibility with the Navy SEALs' jet skis and most of
the major helicopter types that Special Operations uses. "This is going to be a seriously capable ship," said Tim Colton,
a maritime consultant who writes about maritime issues. "Cragside" could have all the amenities of a land base - but
with the added advantages of mobility, secrecy and legal cover. Sailing from hot spot to hot spot, the ship could
quickly put commandos within striking distance of any coastal country, operating literally below the radar.
"Cragside" could deploy for its first missions late this year, joining the scores of floating prisons, hospitals, supply
bases and drone- and helicopter-launch pads that comprise America's growing sea-base fleet. They are the mobile
infrastructure for a new American way of war - one that avoids the complications of foreign land bases.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ultimately accelerated development of sea bases. Washington and its allies built
sprawling, fortified ground bases to sustain the years-long occupations in the two countries. But the bases were
expensive, vulnerable to attack and fueled strong resentment in local populations. "Getting basing rights is tough,"
said Lieutenant General Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., head of the Marine Corps' weapons development command. "We've
been kicked out of a lot of places." The military brass realized it could no longer expect easily available land bases in
foreign countries. "Allies are going to want to train with us, but they're not going to want us to build bases," said
General James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant. "Those days are gone." As U.S. involvement in Iraq and
Afghanistan wound down in 2009, the Pentagon began pouring more energy into the sea-basing concept.
Between 2001 and 2012, the Navy bought 14 Lewis and Clark-class cargo ships for roughly $500 million apiece. Each
of the blocky, 690-foot-long vessels includes expansive flight decks and vast internal capacity - more than one million
cubic feet of what the Navy calls "reconfigurable spaces." These warehouse-style areas have moveable walls that can
function as office cubicles for the military - on an industrial scale.
With a quick breakdown of interior walls, crews can turn the ships into huge floating storage facilities. Adding more
walls transforms the vessels into virtual bases for potentially hundreds of U.S. troops, law-enforcement officials or aid
workers. Presaging New York's mission off Libya, in 2009 one Lewis and Clark-class cargo vessel served as a
temporary floating prison for Somali pirates whom the Navy had captured in the Indian Ocean. Counting cargo ships
and amphibious assault ships with innate potential as sea bases, the Navy now has more than a hundred sea-basing
vessels - and enough new and improved lighterage, the floating bridges that connect ships, to link together several at
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a time. The sailing branch is in the process of building as many as four huge new ships that could vastly expand U.S.
sea-basing capacity in coming years. Designated Mobile Landing Platforms, the roughly $500-million vessels are largely
raw space, easily transformed for specific, temporary requirements. A flat, featureless deck stretches most of their
840-foot length. The ships can even partially submerge to allow boats to motor onto and off of the deck. Some of the
Navy's most secretive sea bases are actually older ships that the sailing branch has modified. In early 2012, the sailing
branch spent $60 million upgrading the 1960s-vintage amphibious ship "Ponce" - then due for decommissioning - into
a permanent sea base. The 570-foot "Ponce" was fitted out with better accommodations, catapult-launched
surveillance drones and extra defensive weapons, including guns and an experimental laser cannon. "Ponce" now sails
tight circles in the Persian Gulf close to Iran, staying in international waters to avoid diplomatic complications. It hosts
divers and helicopters for hunting Iranian mines, analysts to monitor drone footage presumably of Iranian military
activities and, reportedly, Navy SEAL commandos on secret missions. "Ponce" could remain in the Gulf for several
more years, at which point the Navy plans to replace it with one of the new Mobile Landing Platforms. The Navy has
not said what it intends to do with "Cragside," the new and secretive commercial ship that the sailing branch is
modifying as a home for up to 200 Special Operations Forces. “We can’t provide details relating to the ship’s mission,”
military spokesman Jim Marconi told Seapower magazine. But if in the near future the military needs to capture and
transport another suspected terrorist like Khatallah, don't be surprised if the operation begins and ends aboard
"Cragside" or another high-tech sea base. Source : Reuters (David Axe is the national security editor at
Medium.com. The opinions expressed are his own.)
The brand new 'GIROLANDO EXPRESS' departing Timaru on her maiden voyage . Photo : Tom Johnston ©
Life-saving RNLI boat named after
Williton student Toby Rundle
THE family of a Williton student who died in 2009 hope to save lives using a lifeboat named in his memory. Loves ones
and friends of Toby Rundle gathered as they handed Clovelly’s new Atlantic 85 class inshore boat into the North Devon
station’s care during a ceremony and service of dedication. Toby died in 2009, aged 21, as he was starting his final
year of studies at Oxford University and a fundraising appeal was set up in his memory.
Parents Chris and Debbie Rundle, with the help of family and friends, raised over £174,000 to-wards the cost of the
boat. Chris, who is the RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer at Minehead lifeboat station, said: “It’s been said many
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times that the ethos underpinning the lifeboat service is that of the kindness of strangers – typified by the willingness
of the men and women of its crews to put their own lives at risk to rescue people they don’t know, have never met
and will probably never see again. “We encountered something of that spirit during the months of fundraising: people
who didn’t even know Toby came
forward to support the effort because
they felt buying a lifeboat was an
appropriate way to remember him.” Last
week, it was officially named by Toby’s
sister, Philippa Rundle, after her brother
in front of a crowd of hundreds. Chris
added: “It’s a measure of the kind of
person Toby was that we have had such
generous support from his friends –
from Mill-field, from Oxford and from his
wider social circle. “We are delighted
the RNLI has decided to station the boat
in Clovelly – not merely one of the most
iconic seaside villages in Europe, if not
the world, but a community with a long
and illustrious tradition of saving lives at
sea: one which predates the RNLI itself
and which we hope this boat will uphold for many years to come.” Source : this is the west country
Lloyd’s Register to class BC Ferries’
three gas-fuelled ‘Intermediate Class’
newbuildings
BC Ferries "pleased" to have Lloyd’s Register on board for LNG-fuelled passenger ferries
BC Ferries has awarded Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. of Gdansk, Poland contracts totalling $165 million to build three
new ‘Intermediate Class’ ferries. Lloyd’s Register (LR) will class the ferries. Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ Vice President of
Engineering, said: "BC Ferries is very pleased to have LR as the classification society on these new ‘Intermediate Class’
ferries. LR has had a strong relationship with BC Ferries over the years and has the necessary experience and
presence in Canada as we make this important transition to LNG-fuelled ferries." Bud Streeter, President, LR Canada,
said: "This project is the culmination of a great deal of hard work. The outlook is good for LNG in Canada – there is
availability of Canadian gas at highly competitive prices, so commercially this is looking like a smart decision for BC
Ferries. Our job was, and will be, to help ensure safety and reliability in the design, build and the bunkering and
operation of these ships. Passengers are the most valuable cargo so we will endeavour to contribute to the safe
operation of these ships. LNG can provide significant environmental benefits and, as BC Ferries is well aware, safety
comes first. We are pleased to provide BC Ferries with our assistance and expertise." The new intermediate class
vessels will be the first vessels in BC Ferries’ fleet to operate as dual-fuel capable, using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or
diesel fuel for propulsion and power. "This is an exciting initiative for BC Ferries that can reduce upward pressure on
fares due to lower fuel costs for LNG, and reduce the environmental emissions substantially as LNG is a cleaner and
greener fuel compared to current alternatives," added Wilson. ‘LR Class’ means that the ferries will be required to be
built to LR’s Rules, LR’s surveyors will be surveying the ship during construction to check for compliance and, once the
ferries have been found to meet LR class requirements and placed in service, LR will survey the ships at regular
intervals through their operational lives. In addition, LR’s LNG fuel expertise has been drawn on by BC Ferries to
support overall risk management of the project to help ensure the safety of bunkering and all LNG operations. LR is
now working on a wide variety of LNG projects worldwide as LNG-fuelled shipping expands. These newbuilding
projects include ferries in the Netherlands, Quebec and British Columbia in Canada; also, a bulk carrier for Swedish
principals; car carrier project for Norwegian operators; an ice breaker in Finland; and joint development and
investment projects with major shipowners and Asian shipyards, as well as infrastructure related consultancy projects
with ports in Asia and Europe. Last month Lloyd’s Register announced a joint development project with Piraeus,
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Greece based Capital Shipmanagement and Daewoo Shipbuilding (DSME) for an 18,000 teu LNG-fuelled container ship
design, and earlier this month it was announced that LR will class Texelstroom, the new innovative large hybrid
propulsion ferry that will operate in the Netherlands. Furthermore, last week it was announced that LR is supporting
Portsmouth as the UK port prepares to receive Brittany Ferries’ new large LNG-fuelled ferries.
Barge T.O.W. III and tug WULF 9 loading of bridge sections for the
new Rethebrücke
Otto Wulf’s barge T.O.W. III which is currently
located in Wilhelmshaven for the loading of two parts
of the new “Rethebrücke” which shall be installed in
Hamburg within the upcoming days. Otto Wulf’s
tug WULF 9 which can also be seen on the pictures
started to tow the barge to Hamburg yesterday
(16.07.2014) , in the afternoon with arrival Hamburg
today morning. In Hamburg the parts of the
Rethebrücke will be unloaded and installed with the
help of the floating crane SAMSON. The tug
WATERSTRAAT and the barge WAGENBORG
BARGE 5 already delivered the other sections of the
bridge to Hamburg and are currently waiting there
for unloading. The installation of the new Rethebrücke in
Hamburg will start on Friday, 18.07.2014, and shall last until
Sunday, 20.07.2014. Source / photos : Otto Wulf GmbH
& Co. KG.
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The "Morgawr" entering Fowey Photo : Kieran Hopkins Samuel Stewart & Co ©
Elbe Dredging Case Might Be Sent to EU
Court, German Judge Says
Germany’s top administrative court might again ask the European Union’s highest tribunal for guidance in a case
challenging the city of Hamburg’s project to dredge the navigation channel of the river Elbe, a judge said.
Seen from Boskalis TSHD BARENT ZANEN. the 1961 built museum ship „CAP SAN DIEGO” speeding up on her way
back to Hamburg with tourists on the Elbe river on Sunday 13th of July. Photo: Bas Saenen, Ch.Eng TSHD Barent
Zanen ©
Whether such a step is necessary will be decided after six days of hearings, Ruediger Nolte, presiding judge at the
Federal Administrative Court, said today on the first day of proceedings in Leipzig. The judges will also review whether
the authorities relied on sound assumptions when judging environmental effects of the project, he said. “Should the
plan have to be overturned because of other arguments, we won’t have to send the case to the European Court of
Justice,” said Nolte. “The fact that we scheduled our own hearings doesn’t rule out such a step.” German
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environmental groups NABU and BUND challenged the project, scoring a preliminary victory in 2012 when the court
halted construction while the case is pending. That ruling sent shares of Hamburger Hafen & Logistik AG, (HHFA) the
handler of three in four containers at the port, down 4.4 percent at the time. Referring the case to the Luxembourgbased ECJ, would delay the project further. After the court last year sent a similar case over the river Weser to the EU
tribunal, Hamburg amended its project to accommodate legal concerns. The court will have to determine whether the
changes addressed the issues, Judge Nolte said. NABU and BUND argue the dredging would endanger rare species,
such as harbor porpoises and plants unique to the Elbe river area. They argue the port would remain competitive
without the project since Hamburg could work with other ports at the North Sea and has geographic advantages
others can’t top.
Hamburg, located about 130 kilometers (81 miles) from the North Sea, says deepening and widening the channel is
necessary because ultra-large vessels can’t leave and enter its port fully loaded. The global fleet of container ships that
can carry 14,000 standard boxes or more is forecast to triple by the end of 2016 with the biggest carrying more than
18,000, according to the June Global Port Tracker report. Hamburger Hafen & Logistik AG currently needs extra staff
and equipment to deal with peak traffic. Dredging would provide more time to handle containers and increase ship
utilization, HHLA said on June 19. Source : Bloomberg
The MAINEBORG approaching the Ijmuiden locks – Photo : Joop Marechal ©
Explorers visit Nazi sub off the Texas
coast
On the floor of the Gulf of Mexico lies a Nazi ship of ghosts... evidence of how close World War II came to the shores
of Texas. It's a story most Americans never knew.
“And there’s a very good reason," said shipwreck diver
Richie Kohler. "The United States government didn’t
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want us to know. They didn’t want us to know how Germany was taking us to task, how successful these U-boats
were.” Nazi propaganda films
trumpeted the triumphs of
Hitler’s U-boats, submarines
that sank thousands of Allied
ships — primarily in the North
Atlantic. But there’s another
story undocumented by films
archived on the Internet. Nazi
naval
commanders
dispatched 22 U-boats to
prowl the Gulf of Mexico,
including the Texas coastline.
For the past 10 days, Robert Ballard, the underwater explorer who discovered the Titanic, has been searching
shipwrecks that U-boats left behind along our Gulf Coast. "Hitler brought the war to our doorstep shortly after they
declared war on us, so this was something that most American people do not realize: How close the war came, and
how threatening it was," Ballard said. "They were extremely successful." Historians say U-boats sank at least 50
American ships in the Gulf, one in the very mouth of the Mississippi River. Americans managed to sink only one U-boat
in the Gulf of Mexico. "It is a static time capsule, and all of these shipwrecks in deep water are just that. They’re
moments frozen in time... in history," Ballard said. And they’re a ghostly reminder of a time when Hitler’s navy came
startlingly close to the shores of Texas. Source : WFAA
The accommodation vessel WIND AMBITION operating at the Sylwin location
Photo : FLYING FOCUS luchtfotografie - www.flyingfocus.nl ©
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Scorpio Tankers: Attractive valuations
and positive outlook
With Scorpio Tankers (STNG) reporting strong results for 2013 and the 1Q14, the company’s growth trend suggests
positive performance in the upcoming months. Factors that are supporting Scorpio’s positive outlook include a strong
pipeline of new fleet additions, a decline in charter-in vessels boosting the earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation, and amortization (or EBITDA) margin significantly over the next two years, and a good dividend yield of
3.9%. STNG is fully funded for its massive expansion plans. Potentially, there should be no equity dilution over the
next two to three years. For 2015, STNG is currently trading at an enterprise value (or EV) t0 EBITDA valuation of 9.22
as compared to Navios Maritime Acquisition (NNA), Capital Product Tankers LP (CPLP), and Tsakos Energy Navigation
Ltd. (TNP) at 8.8, 11.3, and 8.8, respectively. The Guggenheim Shipping ETF (SEA) tracks the shipping companies.
Scorpio Tankers has no direct competitors for the purpose of relative valuation as other large players are in the very
large gas carrier (or VLGC) industry. Considering the revenue and EBITDA estimated surge and the significant
attractiveness in valuation in 2015 as compared to current valuations, Scorpio Tankers has strong upside potential.
Positive outlook Since mid first quarter, STNG is experiencing some pressure on its freight rates for product tankers. As
compared to the first quarter, the second quarter is likely to face more pressure due to reduce volatility in underlying
commodity pricing, refinery turnarounds, and draw downs of excess winter inventories which have dampen some
seasonal trades. However, STNG expects robust demand from emerging markets and growing capacity for exports
from both the U.S. and the Arabian Gulf. Also, it expects gasoline volumes to increase substantially in the coming
weeks and months. Looking ahead, STNG foresees newbuilding delivery percentage going down as deliveries
exceeding new orders with a weakness referred product on the capital market. However, it’s experiencing higher pay
from its customers for forward rates similar to their last year pattern. For the 2Q14, STNG estimates loss per share to
be in the range of $0–$0.04. The estimates don’t include the company’s share of profit or loss from Dorian’s operating
activities for the second quarter. Source: Market Realist
The TORM HELENE anchored off Singapore yesterday morning
Photo : Piet Sinke © CLICK on the photo to view the High Resolution version !
Harms Bergung’s big tugs kept busy
By Peter Barker
German tug owner Bergung Transport & Heavylift GmbH & Co KG have reported a busy period of activity for
their two largest anchor handling tugs 'Orcus' and 'Uranus'. In May of this year the Orcus was taken on hire by
drilling services provider Transocean. Having left Gibraltar earlier, the Orcus headed in the direction of the Gulf of
Mexico where it connected with the sixth generation semi-submersible rig Development Driller II offshore Port
Fourchon. Both tug and tow then set out on a 37 day voyage to Palermo in Italy at an average speed of seven knots.
After making a brief stopover in Gibraltar to complete crew changes on both tug and rig, Development Driller II
was safely delivered to Palermo and the Orcus went off-hire early in June. Following completion of this task, the
Orcus headed off in the direction of Las Palmas to await its next task.
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Meanwhile the Uranus had also been contracted to Transocean, delivering the semi-submersible rig Sedneth 701 to
Pointe-Noire in the West African Republic of the Congo. Once this task had been safely accomplished the Uranus
headed towards Cameroon where it connected up with the fifth generation semi-submersible rig Ocean Confidence,
part of the 45 vessel fleet of offshore contract drilling services provider Diamond Offshore. The rig had a draft of
27.6m and this contract involved towing the rig from offshore Douala to Las Palmas. The rig was delivered safely to its
destination after a passage of 42 days. After disconnecting from the Ocean Confidence, the tug remained on hire to
Diamond Offshore for a further three days, carrying out personnel transfer duties. Following completion of this task,
the Uranus went to standby status at Las Palmas. Harms Bergung operate a fleet of eight modern anchor handling
tugs, the Orcus and Uranus being the most powerful of the fleet at 306 tbp and 301 tbp respectively, built in 2010 and
2009 by Mützelfeldtwerft Cuxhaven. Like the rest of the company’s fleet these two DP2 tugs of 74m LOA are purposely
built for long distance towage, subsea installation, anchor handling, pipelay barge support, salvage operations and
accommodation vessel duties. Source : Maritime Journal
The VILLE D AQUARIUS passing the Sohar No 6 bouy whilst approaching Sohar Port
Photo : Rik van Marle ©
CSCL receives sixth 10,036 TEU on
America-Asia Container (AAC) series
CHINA Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) has received its sixth in a series of eight ships of 10,036 TEU from
Hudong Zhonghua ordered in October 2011, valued at US$94.3 million per vessel. According to Paris-based newsletter
Alphaliner, the carrier did not exercise its option for four additional units in April 2012 of an overall order split between
Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) and Dalian Shipbuilding Heavy Industries. THe CSCL YELLOW SEA is to be
deployed on its America-Asia Container (AAC) service along with her five sister ships, of which CSCL AUTUMN and
CSCL BOHAI SEA joined following delivery in May.The delivery will complete capacity increases from 8,500 TEU to
10,000 TEU scale on the loop which is slot-shared by Evergreen, UASC and Yang Ming. Source : Asian Shipper
Seaspan takes in charge 10,000-TEU
newbuilding for Hanjin fleet
MEGA containership deliveries are continuing after SEASPAN took delivery of the 10,010-TEU HANJIN TABUL, the
fifth of seven sister containerships ordered in June 2011 from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. The ownership of the seven
ships is split between Seaspan, with three ships, and Greater China Intermodal Investments with four ships, and has
the backing of firm ten-year charters from Hanjin Shipping with options for two more years, reported Alphaliner.
Seaspan and its Marshall-based investment vehicle, GCI, have another 14 sister ships on order, of which ten are
backed by MOL charters while no charterer has been named for the last four vessels, to be delivered in 2016. The
newbuilding has joined the Mediterranean-Asia-US west coast 'PM 1' pendulum service. She follows the Hanjin Ami
delivered to GCI in early June. The last two Hanjin sister ships are scheduled for delivery in the first half of next year.
Source : Asian Shipper
17-07-2014
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CASUALTY REPORTING
N.Korean ship aground off Mexico
A North Korean freighter that sailed from Havana has run aground off the Mexican port of Tuxpan on the Gulf of
Mexico, officials said. The ship, Mu Du Bong, sailed from Havana and ran around Monday 12 kilometers (7.5 miles)
from the port access, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, said Veracruz state civil defense
emergency chief Ricardo Maza. Maza said the accident happened when the captain was disoriented. He said that the
ship was said to be empty but carries 6,500 tonnes so "getting it off the gulf floor will require some specialized work"
by the navy and port officials. It was not immediately known how long it would take to free the North Korean vessel,
Maza added. And environmental officials also were determining if the reef at that location was damaged, he said. The
ship, built in 1983, has its home port in Chongjin, according to online monitor marinetraffic.com. It passed through the
Panama canal before its scheduled stop in Cuba, the site reported. The incident comes a year after another North
Korean vessel that had been docked in Havana, before it tried to cross the Panama Canal, authorities there stopped it
and found it to be carrying military supplies -- undeclared -- buried under tonnes of sugar. The North Korean freighter
Chong Chon Gang was found to be carrying 25 containers of Cuban military hardware, including two Soviet-era MiG-21
aircraft, air defense systems, missiles and command and control vehicles. Both Havana and Pyongyang said the
weapons were obsolete Cuban arms being shipped to North Korea for refurbishment under a legitimate contract and
due to be returned to Cuba. But neither country explained why the shipment was hidden if it was indeed legitimate.
Panama asked the United Nations to send a mission to determine if the attempted shipment violated a UN embargo on
arms deliveries to North Korea. Panama authorities said in April that a UN team's report confirms that the cargo
violated the embargo. Source : Bangkok Post
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Tug ablaze on the Volga, runs aground,
oil spill reported
A towboat "GAL 1" owned by Rostov-on-Don based LLC "MA River-Sea", Rostov-on-Don) caught fire on the 2802 km
stretch of the Volga in Astrakhan region then ran aground on the 2803rd km outside the shipping channel. The ship
stern submerged, her deck cabin has been been destroyed by fire. The Russian Transport Minsitry's Maritime Rescue
Coordination Centre said there is a long oil slick of sheen (about 2 km) seen on the water with the smell of diesel fuel.
The rescue centre said the incident response was poorly handled as there were no oil containment booms deployed.
The amount of oil leak is not yet established. The incident occurred on July 14 while the towboat with 11 crew on
board was en route Astrakhan – Port of Kavkaz. In the area of Buoy No 156 the stern of the boat caught fire. Nine
crew members were rescued to the MV "Puteiskiy-506", one of them sustained burns of hands and face and was
hospitalized. Two crew members are still unaccounted for. The cause of the fire is being established.
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Vessel runs aground, 16 crew members
rescued
Crew members being rescued by the Indian Coastguard after their merchant vessel ran aground near Raigad coast on
Monday. pecial Arrangement Crew members being
rescued by the Indian Coastguard after their
merchant vessel ran aground near Raigad coast on
Monday. Sixteen crew members were rescued by
the Coast Guard after their merchant vessel ran
aground
near
Raigad
coast
on
Monday
morning.According to the Coast Guard officials, at
11.20 a.m. on Monday a distress call was made by
the crew members onboard merchant vessel MV
Priyanka. The 70-metre-long Indian vessel was
carrying 19 metric tonnes of iron pellets. It had
sailed from Mumbai and had arrived at Revdanda in
Raigad coast on Sunday afternoon.“The vessel
broke anchor and started drifting due to inclement
weather. After sometime, the vessel tilted
dangerously. A Chetak helicopter was pressed into action to save the stranded crew members,” a press release from
Coast Guard stated. “Five of the crew had used the life-raft of the vessel and abandoned the ship when the vessel
tilted dangerously to one side. All the 16 crew members were rescued,” the press release added. Source : The Hindu
NAVY NEWS
India, Russia begin naval drills in Sea of
Japan
The VARYAG – Photo : Robert Etchell ©
India and Russia have commenced naval manoeuvres in the Sea of Japan which coincide with their growing energy
ties that could, in the future, include transit of oil through the Arctic route. A Defence Ministry statement has said the
two countries, which are fielding an impressive array of warships and aircraft during the Indra-14 exercise, will work
together to check piracy, render assistance to ships in distress and counter the threat from submarines. They will also
coordinate missile strikes on land targets. Russia’s guided missile cruiser Varyag and destroyer Bystry are
participating in the exercise, in which the Navy is showcasing INS Shivalik, a modern stealth frigate, and INS
17-07-2014
Page 19
Ranvijay, a Rajput class destroyer. Ahead of the exercise, Russian publication Nezavismaya Gazeta, reported that
India’s participation in the Sakhalin-1 project for the development of an oil and gas field, as well as the planned
shipment of natural resources from the Arctic, imparted relevance to the manoeuvres.
It added that India and Russia were involved in a joint development of phosphate deposits on the Kola Peninsula and
potassium-magnesium salts in the Perm region — a hefty total investment of $2.5 billion Source : The Hindu
Four Navy officers facing action for
warship-boat collision
New Delhi: The Navy is initiating disciplinary action against four officers and two sailors found culpable by a Board of
Inquiry for collision between warship INS Talwar and a fishing vessel in December last year, Rajya Sabha was
informed on Tuesday. "The Board of Inquiry (BoI) instituted by Navy has held four officers and two sailors culpable
and disciplinary action is being initiated against them," Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said in written reply to a query.
The Minister said the collision incident on December 23 last year "has been attributed to both inadequate lookout and
non-adherence of standard norms of outboard lighting by the fishing boat as well as error in judgement by the naval
ship's crew, at night." In the incident, INS Talwar was carrying out night operations off the coast of Ratnagiri in
Maharashtra when it collided with a fishing trawler resulting in the drowning of the boat. The incident was part of the
spate of incidents which led to the resignation of Admiral DK Joshi as Chief of Naval Staff on February 26.
Answering another query on the fire incident on board INS Sindhuratna in which two officers were killed, Jaitley
said, "BoI was instituted and its report is under examination at Naval Headquarters from professional and technical
angle." The Minister said the Navy headquarters was also going through the BoI reports into ingress of water into
warship INS Vipul in January. Source : ZeeNews
SHIPYARD NEWS
The Damen built patrol vessel P 423 conducting yard trials in Rotterdam Area –
Photo : Marijn van Hoorn ©
Phil’s Subic Shipyard holds a naming
ceremony for five container carriers at
the same time
HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard made history again in the world’s shipbuilding industry by holding a naming ceremony for
five vessels at the same time, the company said in its press release.
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Around the globe, it is very rare to hold a naming ceremony for five vessels at a time. In Korea, a large shipyard once
held a naming ceremony for four ships at the same time. In fact, Hyundai Heavy Industries set the world record by
holding a naming ceremony for five vessels at a time in March. HHIC-Phil’s Subic Shipyard finally held a naming
ceremony for five vessels at the same time for the second time in the world and for the first time in the Philippines.
The five vessels are eco-friendly 5,400TEU container carriers ordered by the global investor ‘Oaktree Capital
Management’. They were named ‘Wide Alpha’, ‘Wide Bravo’, ‘Wide Charlie’, ‘Wide Delta’ and ‘Wide Echo’. The
naming ceremony was held with the attendance of nearly 200 related officials and investors including Ahn Jin-gyu,
President of Subic Shipyard, and Andrea Cramer, Vice President of Oaktree. At the ceremony, President Ahn said, “We
are very pleased to go with renowned investors such as Oaktree.” He added, “We are going to keep moving forward to
enhance our competence and maximize customer satisfaction with high-tech, environment-friendly vessels”. HHICPhil’s Subic Shipyard is a large-scale shipyard built in the Subic Free Economic Zone (3,000,000㎡) in the Philippines in
2009. It has strengthened its ground as a leading exporter since its establishment through promotion of related
industries, job creation and contribution to a local society. In particular, it entered the world's top 10 for the first time
last month, displaying a sharp growth. This year, it has already won the bids to build 300,000TEU Very Large Crude
Carriers (VLCCs) and very large container ships (more than 10,000 TEU). The global shipbuilder has already booked
enough advance orders for three years of production (approx. US 3.2 billion dollars, 50 ships).An official from HHICPhil’s Subic Shipyard said, “Subic Shipyard targets to leap into the world’s leading shipbuilder by maximizing the
efficiency of its production system through the establishment of a systematic two-track system which means that Subic
Shipyard specializes in the production of large vessels and offshore plants while Yeongdo Dockyard focuses on mid-size
and special-purpose vessels”. Source : PortNews
Construction Begins in Italy on
Regent's New Seven Seas Explorer
Construction began on Regent Seven Seas Cruises'
(www.rssc.com ) new 750-passenger Seven Seas Explorer
at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy.The pop of a cork
freed from a Krug Grande Cuvée magnum initiated a laser,
which cut the ceremonial first piece of steel for the new
54,000-ton luxury ship, scheduled for delivery in summer
2016.
When it debuts, Seven Seas Explorer will, as with all of
Regent's ships, offer an all-inclusive luxury experience.
During the ceremony, Kunal S. Kamlani, president of Regent
Seven Seas Cruises, and Gabriele Cocco, senior executive
vice president of merchant ships for Fincantieri, began a
countdown that culminated with Maison Krug Italy’s master
sommelier, Michela Cimatoribus, releasing the cork from the
magnum of champage. As the cork soared and the champagne flowed, confetti cascaded down and the laser cut the
first piece of steel. “We’re one step closer to fulfilling our dream of building the most luxurious ship in the world and
giving our guests another exciting option to explore inspired global destinations with our special brand of all-inclusive
17-07-2014
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luxury,” said Kamlani. “Seven Seas Explorer will surpass
the current standard in luxury cruising, offering a new
level of grandeur throughout the ship from its lavish
suites to its elegant public spaces and gourmet
restaurants.” “We are extremely excited to welcome a
new partner in Regent Seven Seas Cruises and to start
construction of this brilliant new ship,” commented
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. “As a global leader
in cruise ship construction, we’ve built some of the
finest ships at sea. Building the most luxurious ship
ever built is quite a challenge, but with our
craftsmanship and experience building luxury ships we
feel that Seven Seas Explorer will become the definition of excellence.” Regent Seven Seas said the new ship will boast
the highest space ratios and staff-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry and further strengthen its industry position. The
luxury line will begin taking reservations for the new vessel's voyages in early 2015. Source : Travel Agent Central
ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES
The AMBROSIUS TIDE at Loyang Offshore Base in Singapore
Photo : Capt. Jelle de Vries – Sunshine Marine Services ©
17-07-2014
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Russia beefs up passenger fleet in the
Kerch Strait with large ferry "Dorius"
On July 16, 2014 an extra 600-passengers capacity ferry "Dorius" arrived at the Kerch Strait from Greece, the
Transport Ministry of Russia said on Wednesday. The ferry will enter service with a fleet of passenger ships after an
acceptance commission composed of representatives of the ports of Kerch, Kavkaz, of Rosmortport and United
Transport Directorate completes acceptance documentation and carries out technical inspection and a test trip.
The passenger / cargo vessel was built in the UK in 1989 and was sailing in the waters of Greece. In 2012 the ship
undergone refitting. The ferry can accommodate 450 to 600 passengers (in winter, summer seasons, respectively) and
169 vehicles: 104 units on the lower deck and 65 units on the upper deck. Overall length of the vessel is 93.8 meters,
beam - 15 m. The ferry will operate in tandem with its sister ship "Jonas". The Ministry said that expansion of
passenger fleet with additional ferry "Dorius" will allow cruise operators to carry during the season (June - October)
some 3 million passengers in both directions. Source : PortNews
The HAPPY CONDOR passing Maassluis enroute Rotterdam – Photo : Marijn van Hoorn ©
Germany’s ER Offshore is expanding its
fleet with two PSV newbuildings at Vard.
The Fincantieri-owned shipbuilder said it will hand over a 1 08-type supply ship from its Vung Tau in Vietnam in the
second quarter of 2016. The vessel will be prepared for standby, rescue, firefighting and oil recovery operations, it
added. ER has also taken over the contract for a sistership ordered by Carlotta Offshore in May and due in the third
quarter of 2015. It currently manages a fleet of 13 PSVs and anchor-handlers. No prices were disclosed. Source :
Tradewinds
Jilted CMA CGM likely to join UASC and
CSCL - Drewry, Alphaliner
MARSEILLE-based CMA CGM is expected to look for its own vessel sharing agreement with another carrier now it has
been jilted by Maersk and MSC, according to London's Drewry Shipping Consultants and Paris-based Alphaliner.
Both research houses agree that leading candidates are the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and China Shipping
Container Liner (CSCL), after hopes of being included in a Maersk-MSC-CMA CGM alliance were torpedoed by Chinese
17-07-2014
Page 23
regulators. Said Drewry: "Both [UASC and CSCL] have recently ordered 18,000-TEU ships, and have worked with CMA
CGM in the past, but there are other options. They may be needed as CMA CGM has 28 ships of 9,000 TEU on order,
some of which are more suitable for north-south trades." Alphaliner agreed that CMA CGM would likely join "CSCL and
UASC in a potential '2CU' alliance". What could emerge, said Alphaliner, is a "four-way battle involving the 2M, 2CU,
CKYHE and G6."
Drewry said Maersk and MSC in their substitute 2M proposal were attempting to meet Chinese regulatory objections in
that the new configuration reduced market share, and does not look so much like a merger. Alphaliner agreed: "Unlike
the aborted P3, the 2M will not include joint marine operations and the 2M joint coordination committee will not have
any independent executional powers. "This differs from the P3's Network Centre, jointly owned by the carriers and
would independently manage the entire vessel pool with centralised cost sharing as well as decision making powers to
withdraw sailings," said Alphaliner.
On market share, Drewry said: "Maersk and MSC's 32 per cent share of effective westbound vessel capacity, is more
than a 30 per cent normally allowed under the European Union's consortium regulation, so this will require close
scrutiny." Alphaliner said the main conflict area will be the Asia Europe trade, where the 2M vessel sharing agreement
would control 33 per cent of the Asia-North Europe capacity and 38 per cent of the Far East-Mediterranean capacity.
"Although the 2M carriers' capacity share on these two trades will still exceed the 30 per cent market share threshold
that the regulators have used in assessing dominant market control, the two carriers stress that the 2M will be a
traditional VSA and would not constitute a 'closely associated alliance'," said Alphaliner. "CMA CGM's options are limited
at this point, as it seems to have little time to react to the 2M announcement. According to the carriers, both Maersk
and MSC have already given notice to their current slot partners to terminate all relevant east west slot arrangements,"
said the Paris-based analyst. Source : Asian Shipper
The ARMADA TUAH 307 anchored off Singapore – Photo : Capt. Jelle de Vries – Sunshine Marine Services ©
Future uncertain for Weymouth as
Condor to buy new super-ferry after
licence agreement
CONDOR Ferries will buy a new super-ferry after it was given the green light to apply for a 10-year licence to operate
services between the UK and the Channel Islands. But the future of Condor in Weymouth is still in doubt as the council
doesn't have the money to upgrade a berth. Condor says it will make 'significant performance commitments to the
Islands' after States of Jersey and States of Guernsey reached an agreement on the licence. Talks have been going on
to secure it for more than a year. This certainty will unlock funding from Condor's investors so it can purchase a new
high speed ship, the Austal 102, which will replace its existing ferries. Weymouth and Portland Borough Council
needs to secure around £10m to upgrade a suitable berth so the ferry can dock in Weymouth. “The 102 will offer
increased reliability, capacity and comfort,” said CEO of Condor Ferries, James Fulford. He added: “We have not asked
our Islands, or anyone else, for a subsidy for this purchase. "However, in order to make this significant investment, we
17-07-2014
Page 24
have always said we need the certainty of a new operating licence. "I am delighted that today, we are a step closer to
achieving that certainty and investing in a new ship which will secure the future of high speed ferry services for our
Islands.” Source :Dorset echo / Ferries of Northern Europe
The SMIT STOUR which was originally built as a range safely vessel operating out of Dover has been supporting the
dredging operations on the Southampton Approach Channel Dredge project. She is seen in Southampton
Water on 14th July.Photo : Chris Brooks www.ShipFoto.co.uk ©
Wereldcruise Holland America Line
2015 bezoekt 6 continenten, 25 landen
en 45 havens
Met ms Amsterdam 114- dagen op wereldcruise in 2015
Op vijf januari 2015 vertrek het ms Amsterdam vanuit Fort Lauderdale voor een wereldcruise van maar liefst 114
dagen. Gedurende deze ‘Grand World Voyage’ cruise worden 45 havens in 25 landen en 6 continenten aangedaan. Als
onderdeel van het ‘home away from home’ concept kunnen gasten aan boord van het ms Amsterdam genieten van
uitmuntende service, alle comfort en gemakken en speciale ‘Grand Voyage’ ervaringen.
Hoogtepunten van de 114-dagen rondreis Fort Lauderdale (Florida, Verenigde Staten), zijn onder andere 11
havenovernachtingen, de oversteek van het Panama- en Suezkanaal en het passeren van de evenaar en de
internationale datumgrens. Daarnaast bezoekt het ms Amsterdam (1.380 passagiers) diverse UNESCO
17-07-2014
Page 25
werelderfgoederen, organiseert het thema-avonden en brengt het lokaal entertainment aan boord. Voor gasten die
minder tijd ter beschikking hebben, zijn er diverse kortere segmenten te boeken, variërend van 22 tot 57 dagen.
"Het maken van een ‘Grand World Voyage’ met Holland America Line is een unieke ervaring. Elke regio presenteert
zich op een bijzondere manier, zowel aan boord als aan wal", zegt Richard Meadows, Executive Vice President,
Marketing en Sales bij Holland America Line. "Voor elke reisliefhebber is een reis rond de wereld het summum, deze
wereldcruise behoort echt tot de grootste van de ‘Grand Voyages’’’. Vanuit Fort Lauderdale neemt het ms Amsterdam
een westelijke koers, via de Atlantische Oceaan naar de Stille Oceaan, voor de oversteek van het Panamakanaal. In
Papeete (Frans-Polynesië) blijft het schip een nacht liggen, zodat gasten extra tijd aan land hebben om de
bestemming te ontdekken. Het ms Amsterdam doet zes Polynesische eilanden aan voordat hij naar Nieuw-Zeeland
vaart voor een overnachting in Auckland.
The AMSTERDAM moored in Singapore March 8th, 2014 – Photo : Piet Sinke © CLICK on the Photo !
Na een overnachting in Sydney, vervolgt het ms Amsterdam zijn weg in westelijke richting langs de zuidkust van
Australië. De overnachting in Sydney zorgt voor extra tijd in deze populaire stad en biedt gasten de mogelijkheid een
bezoek te brengen aan het beroemde Sydney Opera House of om de Sydney Harbour Bridge te beklimmen. Naast
Sydney blijft het ms Amsterdam ook in Adelaide en Perth een nacht aan de kade. De ‘Down Under’ ontdekking voert
verder langs Melbourne, Albany en Geraldton. Via Java wordt de wereldcruise vervolgt richting Azië, met extra
overnachtingen op Bali en in Singapore. In Singapore is het mogelijk een landexcrusie te maken naar Angkor Wat
(Cambodja), één van de belangrijkste archeologische plekken van Zuidoost-Azie. Het schip vaart verder met stops in
Maleisie en Thailand en blijft een nacht in Thilawa (Myanmar). Achtereenvolgens bezoekt het schip Colombo, Sri Lanka
en Cochin (India) voordat hij aanmeert in Mumbai (India) en Dubai (Verenigde Arabische Emiraten) voor een
overnachting. In Mumai hebben gasten de mogelijkheid de Taj Mahal te bezoeken. Na stops in Oman, Egypte en
Jordanië, steekt het ms Amsterdam het Suezkanaal over op weg naar de Middellandse Zee. Gasten bezoeken 13
havens in Turkije, Griekenland, Italië, Spanje en Portugal waarbij er in de haven van Athene wordt overnacht voordat
het schip de Atlantische oceaan oversteekt, terug richting Fort Lauderdale.
Aan boord verwennerij
De ‘Grand Voyages’ van Holland America Line maken een lange vakantie toegankelijk en betaalbaar. Aan wal kunnen
gasten kiezen uit diverse excursies; van privétochten met de auto tot aan het bezoeken van lokale dorpen. Ook aan
boord valt er veel te beleven. Heerlijk uitwaaien en relaxen in de Greenhouse Spa, kookdemonstraties volgen van een
erkend Chef in het Culinary Art Center, leren hoe een foto te bewerken of simpelweg relaxen op het dek.
Met het ‘On Location’ programma van Holland America Line worden gasten in contact gebracht met de lokale culturen,
zowel aan boord als aan wal. Gedurende de wereldcruise komen speciale sprekers en gasten aan boord en worden er
bijzondere themaavonden georganiseerd. Van een didgeridoo show op het dek in Australië tot buikdanslessen in het
Middellandse zeegebied, het ‘On Location’ programma brengt lokale tradities en culturen tot leven. Wereldcruise
Boekingen kunnen vanaf heden worden gemaakt. Gasten die voor 31 juli de gehele wereldcruise boeken ontvangen
diverse vroegboekkortingen in de vorm van boordtegoed, een gratis excursie en meer. De ‘Grand Voyages’ is in zijn
geheel te boeken en in diverse segmenten vanaf 22 dagen.
BMT SMART at SMM 2014
Pioneer of fleet and vessel performance management systems, BMT SMART Ltd (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd,
the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, will showcase its
performance monitoring portfolio at SMM in Hamburg, Germany, this September 2014.
17-07-2014
Page 26
The SMART suite of solutions works by continuously collecting vessel performance data and presenting key information
to the crew via the ship’s computer displays. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are presented in a format that has
been designed to be easy to understand by the mariner to enable decision making to achieve optimum vessel
performance. The performance data is automatically relayed ashore where it is stored on secure servers. The data is
modelled, filtered and merged with highly accurate Metocean data; while a web platform enables easy management
and analysis by on-shore personnel. Visitors to SMM will have the opportunity to view BMT SMART’s new web interface
which offers easy to use dashboards. It is the combination of continuous
measurement and reporting, Metocean expertise, powerful algorithms and
smart intelligence that makes the BMT SMART suite such a powerful
solution for the marine industry. The SMART suite offers the unique benefit
that every customer has access to the global maritime expertise that sits
within the BMT group of companies. In practical terms this means that
performance issues identified by individual users can be brought to the
attention of BMT experts who can help address the challenges; whether
the problems relate to propeller hull or engine performance issues, voyage
optimisation or trim issues. Peter Mantel, Managing Director at BMT
SMART, says: “Multiple pressures on the global marine industry, including
spiralling operating costs and regulatory requirements, mean that
stakeholders can no longer afford to ignore the performance of their fleet. This is driving a demand for Fleet and
Vessel Performance Management (FVPM) solutions, with a requirement for data collection, display and analysis
services to support optimal decision-making.” A ship’s energy consumption depends on a number of different
parameters and identifying optimal vessel performance requires know how and the use of smart data. Peter Mantel,
continues: “SMM provides us with a great opportunity to demonstrate to industry how the use of such data can help
transform complex information into actionable insights, to enhance efficiency and profitability. We can help our
customers to achieve greater insight through access to a rich marine knowledge base. Our suite of solutions can help
with compliance, adherence to best practice as well as operational efficiency”.
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Otto Marine secures approximately US$404
million worth of charter contracts in 1H2014
Otto Marine Limited, a leading offshore marine company which owns and operates a large fleet of offshore support
vessels, shipyard and offers specialized offshore services, announce that the Group has secured charter contracts
worth approximately US$ 404 million in the first half of 2014, the company said in its press release. With global
offshore support vessels (OSVs) footprint across Africa, Asia, Australia, India, the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico and the
North Sea, Otto Marine takes advantage of its strong complementary shipyard to achieve economies of scale,
supporting its very own fleet renewal, expansion and upgrading program to ride on the increasing demand for OSVs.
Backed by strong long term relationships with leading Oil and Gas companies, Otto Marine enjoys a healthy order book
that stood at approximately US$450 million as at 30 June 2014, with an average contract tenor of 3 to 5 years.
Ultimately, the booming E&P activities, along with the rising OSV demand will enhance the supply - demand dynamics,
which is expected to drive up the charter rates. Moving forward, Otto Marine’s primary focus will be placed upon capit
alizing on its high growth in markets such as North Sea, Africa and Australasia as well as penetrating into cabotage protected areas to increase its presence in high - potential regions in Malaysia and Indonesia via key partnership with
the GO Marine Group. Otto Marine Limited is an offshore marine group which owns and operates a large fleet of
offshore support vessels and is engaged in specialized shipbuilding of offshore vessels for primarily Deep Sea
applications. The shipbuilding includes ship repair and conversion. Headquartered in Singapore, the company
17-07-2014
Page 27
owns/leases and operates 64 offshore vessels and one of the largest shipyards in Batam, Indonesia - one of the most
sophisticated yards in Asia Pacific. The yard is building to ABS, DNV and Norwegian class standards. Source :
PortNews
…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..
The SEVEN POLARIS seen from the SKANDI NEPTUNE operating Offshore Brazil
Photo: Chris Martin ©
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the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided
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