daily collection of mar itime press clippings 2010 –...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2010 – 284

Distribution : daily 15500+ copies worldwide 11-10-2010

Number 284 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 11-10-2010 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

The new STENA BRITANNICA seen enroute from Schiedam to Hoek van Holland to pick

up the service to Harwich Photo : Skyphoto Maassluis ©

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

Einde voor Nederlandse Antillen De Nederlandse Antillen bestaan niet meer. Rond 6 uur, middernacht op de Antillen, zijn Curaçao en Sint Maarten zelfstandig geworden. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba zijn nu bijzondere gemeenten van Nederland.

Voor de nieuwe landen verandert er behoorlijk wat. Ze krijgen een eigen regering met ministers en een premier en een parlement. Ook krijgen ze een eigen Grondwet. Prins Willem-Alexander en prinses Máxima waren op Curaçao om de bijzondere gebeurtenis mee te maken. Zij vlogen later in de dag weer terug. Photo : Kees Bustraan ©

Maersk again top Danish company Business magazine Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin released its annual list of the 1,000 biggest Danish companies yesterday, and once again A.P. Moller-Maersk led the pack. Based on 2009 turnover, the list put the shipping giant first by virtue of its 261.5 billion kroner in sales for the year. Despite those figures, Maersk posted losses of nearly 5.5 billion kroner last year. Cleaning company ISS placed a distant second on the list with sales of 69 billion kroner and also posted significant losses for 2009, ending the year 1.6 billion kroner in the red. The other companies making the top-10 (in order) were: brewers The Carlsberg Group, Dansk Supermarked, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, Dong Energy, wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, dairy company Arla, meat packer Danish Crown, and supermarket chain operator Coop Danmark.

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Novo Nordisk topped the profit list with earnings of 10.7 billion kroner, while Carlsberg had net profits of 4.1 billion kroner and Dong earned 1.1 billion. Source: The Copenhagen post

Wagenborg’s AUSTRALIABORG seen anchored off Baie-Comeau, Quebec (Canada) on a rainy October 7th as seen

from HAL’s EURODAM - Photo : Jan-Paul Lamers ©

Man jumps from barge after it docks at port A man suspected of being a stowaway jumped from a barge after the vessel was towed into the Port of Tampa, federal authorities say. A tugboat had towed the barge, which originated in Turks and Caicos, into the port, when the crew on board the tug alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection that it had found three stowaways, said Migdalia Travis, spokeswoman for the agency. A fourth had already leapt overboard, and a search got under way, Travis said. The man was found at 2 p.m. by Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies and plucked from Tampa Bay, authorities said. Source TBO

The ZHEN HUA 16 seen in arriving in Busan (Korea) – Photo : Sep Orion ©



Datema, Syntens en Hanzehogeschool Groningen slaan de handen ineen om nautische informatie sneller en beter toegankelijk te maken.

Terwijl je in de auto zit wordt je tegenwoordig via je navigatiesysteem bestookt met actuele informatie over files, flitspalen en wegopbrekingen. Aan boord van schepen kan het daarentegen wel maanden duren voordat cruciale updates over vaarwegen bekend zijn. Dat moet anders kunnen,denken ze bij Datema. Ze hebben daartoe de hulp ingeroepen van Syntens en de Hanzehogeschool Groningen om te komen met creatieve oplossingen voor het delen en distribueren van nautische informatie. Een grote rol is daarbij weggelegd voor een nieuw begrip, het zogenaamde crowdsourcen van informatie. Bij crowdsourcen van informatie is sprake van een grote mate van delen van informatie door de gebruikers zelf. Bijvoorbeeld: Aan boord van een schip wordt geconstateerd dat een geul verlegd is, de kapitein maakt hiervan een aantekening in het navigatiesysteem. Doormiddel van een nieuw te realiseren platform kan deze informatie straks razendsnel naar alle schepen in de buurt worden gestuurd, zodat zij alvast gewaarschuwd zijn. Door middel van het mechanisme van crowdsourcen moet dit uiteindelijk een levend geheel worden. De informatie kan straks via verschillende manieren geraadpleegd en aangevuld worden zoals bijvoorbeeld via het navigatiesysteem, een normale internetbrowser, maar ook via een Iphone of Ipad. Ook is er wellicht een rol weggelegd voor social media zoals Twitter. Willem Amels, directeur van Datema: “Internet aan boord van schepen was tot nu toe duur en omslachtig, we zien hier echter een ommekeer in onstaan. Hierdoor is het nu ook mogelijk om nautische informatie snel en effectief uit te wisselen, waardoor we de veiligheid op zee kunnen vergroten. Samen met de Hanzehogeschool Groningen willen we onderzoeken hoe we dit het beste aan kunnen pakken en waar de beste mogelijkheden liggen”. Binnen de hogeschool stelde Riet Grevelink een projectteam samen van lector Regisseren van Ondernemende Netwerken Frank Willems, een aantal docenten en 39 studenten uit verschillende studierichtingen: Human technology , Informatietechnologie en Informatie en Dienstverlening . Maandagmiddag 27 september werd het project afgetrapt bij Datema in Delfzijl, tegen het eind van het jaar moeten de eerste resultaten zichtbaar worden. Voor de Hanzehogeschool een uitstekende mogelijkheid om in een multidisciplinair team samen te werken met het bedrijfsleven. Verder wordt binnen het project samengewerkt met Syntens en Technologie centrum Noord Nederland (TCNN)

Empty ferry in Baltic Sea still ablaze after explosion, but fire losing force

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An empty 650-foot ferry is still ablaze in the Baltic Sea after an explosion on its upper deck engulfed the vessel and forced the evacuation of almost 250 people aboard. Germany maritime officials said Sunday the fire on the Lisco Gloria was still burning in the ferry's rear, but it appears to be slowly fading away.

Photo : Havariekommando.de

Firefighting ships kept spraying the vessel with water throughout the night to keep it from breaking apart and spilling around 170 tons of fuel into the Baltic Sea off Denmark's coast. Authorities say an accident triggered the explosion and the blaze on the Lithuanian-flagged ferry that was traveling from Germany to Lithuania on Saturday. All 249 people were rescued by other ships rushing to the scene, 28 people suffered injuries. Source : Star Tribune

The LISCO GLORIA is the former DANA GLORIA, seen above at a file photo in Harwich port June 4th, 2003

Photo : Capt. Frank Haalmeijer ©

See also : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la07k58UT_o

Burning German ship anchored in Baltic, fire continues

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A ferry evacuated early Saturday after a fire continued to burn amid reports of new explosions, but has been anchored so that it is no longer moving freely through the Baltic Sea, reported Danish authorities. Two German specialists managed to board the Lisco Gloria, which had to halt its trip from Germany to Lithuania in the middle of the night due to the fire, and dropped anchor to stabilize the boat's location, reported the SOK Danish Maritime Rescue Agency. The ferry is now anchored two nautical miles south of the island of Langeland. However, the boat is now listing by 15 degrees after reports of further explosions. The Danish ship Marie Milj, which specializes in environmental problems, is heading to the area to deal with any potential spill of the ship's diesel fuel. Authorities have yet to determine a cause for the blasts, which led to 236 people being evacuated to Germany in the early hours of Saturday. Source : MonsterandCritics

SAL’s LENA seen departing from Antwerp – Photo : Steven Oppeel – www.stevo.be ©

Fishing Crew Seized Somali pirates have seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel with 14 crew members onboard in the Indian Ocean, near Mauritius, the IMB has reported. The Kenya-based Ecoterra International said that contact was lost with the vessel FV Feng Guo on Oct. 4 and very likely it had already been seized, along with its 14 crew members. “A ransom is reported to have been demanded for its release, although in the meantime the ship may also be used as a ‘mothership’ in other sea-jacking attempts,” the organization said. Ecoterra advised crews of other vessels to exercise caution once they spot a white-hulled fishing vessel acting suspiciously in the area. Andrew Mwangura, East Africa’s coordinator of the Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) also confirmed the hijack, but could not confirm the nationalities of the crew. “The Taiwanese fishing vessel lost contact on Oct. 4 and it is feared that the vessel has been hijacked,” Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone from Mombasa on Friday. Somalia is at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important shipping channels. Somalia has been plagued by factional fighting between warlords and has not had a functioning central administration since the 1991 ouster of former dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. International military officials have vowed to fight Somali pirates who have moved into the waters off the coast of East Africa.

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Crews have been successfully repelling more attacks, making it harder for pirates to capture ships and earn multi-million-dollar ransoms. But the pirates responded more violently. Many shipowners are investing in physical defenses, like stringing razor wire and adding fire hoses that can hit attackers with streams of high-pressure water. Some ships even now have electric fence-style systems installed.

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The Pride of Calais seen arriving in Calais – Photo : Hans Reints ©

Tight Lipped Canadian Authorities are repoertedly keeping tight-lipped about the nine foreign nationals being detained by Canadian immigration officials in a case of possible human smuggling. The stowaways were found aboard a container ship that docked at the Port of Montreal. The Canada Border Services Agency said the nine foreigners, who boarded in Casablanca, Morocco, are in good health. Spokesperson Jacqueline Roby would not comment on a media report the stowaways were found in a container with a false-bottom compartment, and she would not reveal the individuals’ gender, ages or nationality. “We have to be very careful with information like that because if it is human trafficking -those details could be part of the investigation,” Roby said. She would not say where the group is being held, but noted there is a CBSA facility in Laval.

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The group can be detained for at least two business days or until a hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, which is expected Monday at Complexe Guy Favreau, Roby added. “We are trying to establish their identities. We can detain them if we are not certain they would show up at certain immigration proceedings.”

Photo : Piet Sinke ©

A Port of Montreal employee said the group was discovered on the MSC Lugano at 11 a.m. on Tuesday in international waters as the 240-metre-long behemoth approached Canada. “This was not a surprise,” said the employee, who spoke on condition his name not be published. After they were found, the stowaways were “well cared for, fed and cleaned up” by the time the ship docked shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday. CBSA and RCMP agents were waiting to take the group into custody, the employee said. Roby said the stowaways got aboard in Morocco. Records for the Lugano on the Port of Montreal’s website indicate its most recent stop before Montreal was Sines, Portugal. The 22-year-old Lugano belongs to the Mediterranean Shipping Company, a Swissbased conglomerate with 423 vessels worldwide. The ship, which flies under the Marshall Islands flag, arrived at a Port of Montreal terminal operated by Termont, a stevedoring firm, located near Notre Dame and de Boucherville Sts. Termont did not return calls from The Gazette. Jean-Paul Lejeune, the Port of Montreal’s director of communications, said only cargo expediters and shipping companies usually know the detailed contents of vessels and their containers. Port officials are informed only when there are regulated materials on board, he said. “We don’t do searches,” Lejeune said. “It’s not our job. The containers are sealed until customs officials deal with them here in Montreal.” Container traffic was up 12.6 per cent in the first half of this year over the first half of 2009, he noted. Nearly 1.25 million containers were handled at the Port of Montreal in 2009, representing 11,266,000 tonnes of cargo. “We have no police,” Lejeune said. Policing is left up to the RCMP and Montreal police. However, the port has security guards, and 350 security cameras are trained on the barbed-wire fencing that lines the port’s 20-kilometrelong expanse of shore. Source : ShipTalk

Kenya ends pirate agreement Kenya has ended the agreement with the USA, EU and a number of countries to receive, try and imprison sentenced Somali pirates, the Kenyan daily Daily Nation writes. The agreement signed last year ended on September 30. Kenya says the western countries have not lived up to their part of the deal with support for the Kenyan judicial system. The pirate trials are also considered to be a safety risk.



Mr Adan Keynan, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, said he is not alone in welcoming the end of the pirate accords. Arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating pirates here exposes Kenya to these very serious security challenges,” Mr Keynan told the Daily Nation. “It’s not in the interest of Kenyans to try Somali pirates here.” It is also claimed that the pirate trials are draining Kenya’s public attorneys office of capacity. In June, there were 13 piracy cases in Kenya’s courts, only two of which have been concluded. The 18 pirates who were convicted were given sentences of seven to 20 years. The remaining eleven cases involve more than 100 pirates. Source : ShipGaz

Stena’s second superferry delivered

The “old” BRITANNICA seen getting ready to leave her berth in Hoek van Holland for the last time, whilst the new

STENA BRITANNICA is passing by to take her place later to load for her first official crossing to Harwich

Stena Line has taken delivery of the super ferry Stena Britannica from Nordic Yards in Wismar and on Saturday, 9 October, the vessel entered service on the route between Hoek van Holland and Harwich. The sister vessel Stena Hollandica has been in service since early summer and the investment in these two Superferries amounts to about SEK 4 billion – the largest single investment ever made by Stena Line. Source : ShipGaz Left : the BRITANNICA seen leaving for the last time Hoek van Holland Photo’s :Rob de Visser ©



No compensation for hostages Four seafarers from the coaster Danica White has lost a piracy court case. The men sought compensation for the 83 days they were held hostage by Somali pirates in 2007. The four seamen and their union 3F’s Transport Group brought the case to the court Østre Landsret to seek compensation from Rederiet H. Folmer, the owner of the Danish White. However, the court ruled against the seafarers. The owner could not be held responsible for the hijacking and the following hostage situation, according to the court. One of the four crew members died earlier this year. Danica White was seized by Somali pirates on June 1, 2007, and was released on August 22 the same year after a ransom was paid out. Source : ShipGaz

CASUALTY REPORTING

The SMIT AMANDLA arrived with the ill-fated BOUNDARY in Cape Town, the container vessel encountered a engine

room fire whilst enroute Walvis Bay. Photo : Glenn Kasner ©

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NAVY NEWS Successful launch of Bulava

This year’s first test launch of Russia’s new ballistic missile system Bulava was conducted from the White Sea October 7th. The missile successfully hit its target on the Kura test range in Russia's Far East Kamchatka region. The missile was fired from the nuclear powered submarine Dmitry Donskoy, RIA Novosti reports. This year’s first Bulava test launch has been postponed several times. The test launch program was put on hold after a failed launch on December 9, 2009, which was caused by a defective engine nozzle. People in large areas of Northern Norway became witnesses to the missile exploding in the sky. Out of the previous 13 test launches, 7 failed. It has earlier been said that there will be three test launches in 2010. Two of these are to be conducted from Dmitry Donskoy, and if both are successful, the third test launch will be conducted from Russia’s newest strategic submarine, the Borey-class nuclear powered “Yury Dolgoruky”. Yury Dolgoruky was launched in February 2008 and sailed first time out on sea trails from Severodvinsk in mid-June last year. The submarine is currently undergoing final sea tests in Arctic waters. Russia is planning to build at least eight submarines of the Borey-class.

Pakistan and French navy ships are visiting Dar es Salaam. Above seen the French Frigate D 612 De Grasse which

arrived Sunday 10 Oct Photo : Anton Klaassen ©

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Indian Naval ships in Sri Lanka Four Indian naval ships — INS “Tir”, INS “Shardul”, INS Tarangini and ICGS “Varuna” — arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday for training and exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy. While INS “Tir”, INS “Shardul” and ICGS “Varuna” arrived at the port of Trincomalee, INS Tarangini arrived at the port of Colombo. The ships were ceremonially welcomed in accordance with naval traditions and are scheduled to stay till October 15.

The former Indian ICGS Vigraha, a 74 mtr long Vikram class OPV, which was commissioned into the Indian Coast

Guard during 1990 was commissioned on August 28th 2009 as the SLNS Sayurala (P 263) into the Sri Lankan navy, she was already in active duty with the SLN since August 2008, the vessel is powered by 2 diesels total 6200 hp for a

top speed of 22 knots. Photo : Piet Sinke ©

A special programme has been arranged for the group of 160 Indian Naval officer cadets while 150 officer under trainees from Naval & Maritime Academy—Trincomalee are scheduled to board the ships for a session of training. A statement by the Sri Lankan Navy said the crew of the Indian ships is expected to participate in a series of special training programmes organised to enhance the relationship between the two neighbouring navies. Separately, it has been announced that a special loan scheme is introduced for the rehabilitated ex-combatants of the LTTE. According to the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Sudantha Ranasinghe, the Ministry of Rehabilitation has set up a centre for the purpose at Vavuniya Government Agent Office. Loans will be provided up to a maximum of Rs. 250,000 for any livelihood project proposals submitted by them. “This is not only for the ex combatant, even the IDPs who have been resettled can apply for this” Said Brigadier Ranasinghe. Of the 11,696 detenus held at the conclusion of the war in May last year, over 4,000 LTTE cadres had been released in batches following rehabilitation. Several ex-combatants including child soldiers were released to their parents by the government. These ex-combatants, mostly the adolescent children, were provided with vocational training while some other school going children were helped to complete their secondary education. Some 500 rehabilitated ex-child soldiers sat for the GCE A/L examination in August 2010. According to the Commissioner, once a business proposal is submitted the loan facility will be granted at an interest rate of 4 per cent through state banks. Source : The Hindu

MSC Reconfigures Tanker Fleet The fleet of tankers operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command is being reconfigured to meet fuel requirements in support of U.S. forces worldwide. This seagoing force of government-owned and U.S.-flagged



chartered ships is acquiring a new chartered ship, MT Empire State, as two government-owned ships complete their service to the command. The newly built, U.S.-flagged Empire State came under charter to MSC for up to five years today and will operate worldwide carrying refined petroleum products for DOD, primarily between commercial refineries and DOD storage and distribution facilities. Empire State is owned and operated by a private shipping company under contract to MSC. Built at General Dynamics, NASSCO in San Diego, the double-hulled Empire State is 600 feet long and has a cargo-carrying capacity of approximately 331,000 barrels. The ship's construction was completed in July 2010, at which time Empire State went to work for MSC under a short-term charter. A second State-class tanker is currently under construction at NASSCO and is expected to come under charter to MSC in early 2011. Two of MSC's four government-owned tankers transferred out of service Oct. 1. USNS Paul Buck and USNS Samuel L. Cobb began their service to MSC in the mid 1980s, along with three other new-construction T-5 tankers that came under long-term charter to the command in 1985 and 1986. In 2003, MSC purchased four of those ships - Buck, Cobb, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella and USNS Richard G. Matthiesen. Since then, these ships have served as the core of MSC's tanker fleet along with an MSC-chartered shallow-draft tanker. "Our T-5 tankers have served us well for the past 25 years, and as they approach the end of their service lives, the State-class ships will allow us to continue to fulfill our requirements to transport fuel for the Defense Logistics Agency - Energy," said John Joerger, MSC's tanker project officer. DLA Energy procures and manages fuel for all of DOD. Upon deactivation from MSC service, Cobb and Buck transferred to the U.S. Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet, which comprises about 30 dry cargo ships and tankers kept in reserve for possible activation and use in support of national defense and national emergencies. Gianella transferred to MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Force in 2009 and Matthiesen will remain in service to MSC until early 2011, when the ship will join Cobb and Buck in the NDRF. Source : MarineLink

Militairen ontvangen herinneringsmedaille Vandaag, maandag 11 oktober, reikt demissionair Minister van Defensie, Eimert van Middelkoop, de herinneringsmedaille Humanitaire Hulpverlening uit aan 43 militairen op Aruba. Deze medaille wordt de militairen uit naam van Hare Majesteit de Koningin toegekend voor hun inzet op Haïti na de zware aardbeving van 12 januari 2010. Het Caraïbisch eiland Haïti werd op dinsdag 12 januari 2010 getroffen door een zware aardbeving met een kracht van 7 op de schaal van Richter. Het enorme natuurgeweld kostte ruim 200.000 mensen het leven, 300.000 mensen raakten gewond en ruim een miljoen Haïtianen werd dakloos. Een groot deel van de infrastructuur werd verwoest.

Noodhulpdetachement Defensie stuurde op 15 januari het ondersteuningsvaartuig Hr.Ms. Pelikaan naar Haïti, met aan boord een joint team van het Korps Mariniers, vlootpersoneel, Koninklijke Marechaussee en militairen van de Arubaanse Militie. Dit



noodhulpdetachement was twaalf dagen onafgebroken aan de slag om hulp te verlenen onder uitdagende omstandigheden. Van het uitdelen van hulpgoederen, het toegankelijk maken van de haven van Port-au-Prince, het begeleiden van konvooien tot het bevoorraden van ziekenhuizen en weeshuizen. De reeds in Nederland overgeplaatste militairen, ontvingen gisteren hun herinneringsmedaille op de Van Ghentkazerne te Rotterdam.

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Indian Coast Guard gets pollution control ship

A couple of months after a collision between two freighters led to a major oil spill along the Mumbai coast causing serious environmental damage, the Indian Coast Guard on Saturday commissioned a Pollution Control Vessel (PCV), the first of its kind in south-east Asia. Built by ABG Shipyard Limited in Surat, the Rs 120 Crore vessel, 'Samudra Prahari' features pollution response equipment for tackling marine oil spills and other maritime environmental hazards. The vessel has the capability to recover and store 300 tonnes of spilled oil from the sea and also to continuously recover and transfer oil through floating barges. 'Samudra Prahari' is manned by 10 officers and 100 men. It would be ready for deployment along both the eastern and western sea boards as per the requirement arising in any particular area, officials said. The 4300-tonne vessel is also equipped with advanced navigational, communication sensors and equipment. It is also capable of embarking helicopter. The ship has special features such as the Infra Red Surveillance System, which allows the crew to detect targets in the night that otherwise evade radar detection due to their small size or rough sea state. Choppers can also be landed on the vessel, which is designed to carry five high speed boats and four water scooters for search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, EEZ surveillance, high speed interdiction and marine pollution response missions. The coastguard would by next year procure two more such PCVs. Source : Deccan Chronicle

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The ANGLIAN EARL seen in drydock at Damen shiprepair in Schiedam

Photo : Joop Bartels ©

STX linked to big container order South Korean shipbuilder STX Group is rumoured to be close to winning a $1.3 billion shipbuilding deal with a European company said to be Zodiac Maritime. The order calls for the construction of ten 13,000 TEU vessels and is likely to be signed next week. Source : The Motorship

HHI Newbuild Orders Soar Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) secured newbuild orders worth $2.98bn during the first eight months of 2010, compared with $381m during the same period last year. The South Korean shipbuilder received 45 orders in the same period, achieving 74% of its annual order target of $4bn The company said it has secured orders for 19 tankers, 21 bulkers, three LPG carriers and two car carriers between January and August. HHI said its order backlog as of August was 224 ships worth $24.3bn, according to asiasis.com Source: Ship Technology

Fayard to repair jack-up rig Fayard A/S has signed a contract with Maersk Drilling for a 60 days refit and repair job on the jack-up drilling rig Mærsk Guardian. The refit will begin in April 2011 at Hirtshals, and around 150 persons will be employed in the project. “It's always up to the customer where to repair the ship or the rig. So when Maersk Drilling decided to tow the rig from Norwegian waters to Hirtshals we consider it a normal challenge”, says Thomas Andersen, owner of Fayard. Mærsk Guardian is Fayard’s first all-over contract on a drilling rig and the yard expects to win more of these projects when the new facilities at Lindø is fully inaugurated. Mærsk Guardian was delivered from Hitachi Zosen, Japan, in 1986 and was the first in a series of harsh environment jack-up rigs. The rig measures 80x90 metres and has 157 metres high "legs." Source : ShipGaz



The stripped Dutch pilot tender DISCOVERY was spotted at the De Haas Shipyard in Maassluis

Photo : Aad Sinke ©

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

Icebreaker simulator center opened in Murmansk A simulator center for nuclear icebreakers has opened in Murmansk, making it easier for personnel to get additional training. Atomflot, the subsidiary of Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom responsible for the operation and maintenance of the country's fleet of nuclear icebreakers, has opened a simulator center where personnel on nuclear icebreakers can get additional training without leaving Murmansk, TV21 reports. The first group of specialists started their training at the new centre in Murmansk this week. Earlier Atomflot had to send its specialists to the State Maritime Academy "Admiral Makarov" in St. Petersburg for training once every fifth year. The company said that locating the new simulator centre in Murmansk, where its fleet is based, has obvious advantages. Atomflot’s most experienced specialists will become teachers at the center after having special instructor’s training at the Makarov Academy. Source : BarentsObserver

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Above seen the Transporter of Dockwise underway to deliver the second shipment out of four of modules for the

Koniambo Nickel plant from Qingdao to New Caledonia. The picture was taken when the Trustee of Dockwise met her sister ship in the Pacific Ocean whilst underway from New Caledonia to Qingdao to pick up the third shipment.

Photo : Capt. Volodymyr Kaptyelov, Master m/v Trustee ©

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Thessaloniki Port looks to Balkan neighbours to boost volume

Thessaloniki Port Authority SA, the operator of Greece's second-biggest port, is looking north to Balkan neighbours Bulgaria, Serbia and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia to boost cargo volume and revenue. The authority started a series of presentations in Sofia, Belgrade and Skopje to promote a 20 per cent cut in tariffs, chairman Stylianos Aggeloudis said in an interview in Sofia on Wednesday. The port plans a 240 million-euro (S$439 million) expansion of its Pier Six to add infrastructure and storage facilities and increase annual traffic capacity to 1.2 million containers, he said. 'We're here to present the favourable terms and services our port has to offer,' Mr Aggeloudis said. 'The bulk of the goods handled by the port go to northern Greece. Of the three northern neighbours, the biggest number of the port's customers are in Skopje, followed by Belgrade and Sofia.'




The three countries, with a combined population of 17 million people, are an attractive market for Greek businesses, which are seeking new opportunities as Greece struggles to rein in the euro region's second-biggest budget deficit. Greece's government cut spending and raised taxes to secure a European Union-led rescue and avoid default. Serbia and Macedonia are recovering from the violent break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Serbia's economy expanded an annual 2 per cent in the second quarter, while Macedonia's gross domestic product grew 1.2 per cent in 2009. Bulgaria's economy grew 0.5 per cent, the first growth in four quarters, in the second quarter, signalling recovery from the worst recession in a decade. The port, which markets itself as a maritime gateway to the Balkans, handled 10.14 million metric tonnes of cargo in January to August, a 7.9 per cent annual increase. It also handled 179,228 containers and 1,301 ships in the first eight months, an increase of nearly 6 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively, from a year ago. Passenger traffic fell 39 per cent to 79,247. In the five months to May 31, the port handled 473,720 metric tonnes of cargo for Macedonia and Serbia, up from 317,000 tonnes in the same period last year, he said. The port plans to offer combined cargo services that will offer preferential rates for shipments going from the Aegean harbour by rail to Bulgarian ports or Rousse and Vidin on the Danube or to the Black Sea ports of Varna and Bourgas, he added. Skopje is used as a destination for shipments also going to nearby Kosovo, where the biggest US military base in the region, Bondsteel, is located.

The MSC FRANCESCA seen entering the the Antwerp locks – Photo : Stan Muller ©

Sale Of Songa Saturn



Songa Offshore SE is pleased to announce that the transaction is now finalized and the drillship was delivered to a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroSaudi Oil Services Ltd this morning. The drillship is sold for net sale proceeds of USD 260 million. The transaction will give a positive result of approximately USD 67 million, which will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2010. The net cash effect from the transaction after repayment of debt will be approximately USD 150 million. The sale represents no change in the Company's growth strategy but should be seen as an opportunistic move against the Company's plan to expand the fleet into newer assets. Source: Songa Offshore

Boskalis bribery case drags on

CORRUPTION charges against former Mauritius Ports Authority chairman Siddick Chady are expected to be heard shortly, a Mauritian government source confirmed to Fairplay today. Chady was provisionally charged in 2008 with violating the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Independent Commission Against Corruption has accused him of accepting a 1M rupee ($34,000) bribe from Dutch dredging company Boskalis to facilitate its contract to deepen the harbour at Port Louis, the country’s main port. Chady denies any wrongdoing and has unsuccessfully applied for the case to be dropped because of the delay in the legal process. The commission said it expects to be able to make its "main case" against Chady when it receives documents from the UK and the Netherlands, Le Matinal newspaper reported. It is understood that two Boskalis employees have already been questioned in the Netherlands about the suspect payment. CORRUPTION charges against former Mauritius Ports Authority chairman Siddick Chady are expected to be heard shortly, a Mauritian government source confirmed to Fairplay today. Source : Fairplay24

'The second of two new french designed Pilot launches for Port Phillip Pilots, the 14 mtre Ranger III during trials off

Queenscliff 8-10-2010' Photo : Andrew Mackinnon www.aquamanships.com ©

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German exports dip on the month Official data show that German exports dipped .4 percent on the month in August, compared with the previous month, but were up 26.8 percent over the same month last year August was the second straight month the Federal Statistical Office reported a drop in exports, after months of growth. Strong exports helped push the German economy _ Europe's biggest _ to growth of 2.2 percent in the second quarter. Germany exported goods and services worth euro75.1 billion ($104.9 billion) in August. Imports totaled euro66.1 billion _ up .9 percent on the month and 29.2 percent higher than a year earlier. Germany's foreign trade surplus fell to euro11.7 billion in August from euro13.5 billion in July. Germany is the world's No. 2 exporter after China. Source: Associated Press

Experts say local ports will maintain dominance despite Panama Canal expansion

Fundamental shifts in global trade patterns present a growing challenge to Long Beach and Los Angeles as they seek to maintain their long-held position as North America's top seaport. Expansion of the Panama Canal, fierce competition from Canadian and East Coast ports and new manufacturing centers outside Asia are expected to significantly impact the flow of goods in coming years, possibly undermining industries dependent on trade through San Pedro Bay. "The global recession has forced everyone to reassess their business practices, and they're not done yet," said Mary Brooks, a trade and transportation expert at Dalhousie University in Canada. "Many changes are under way." Brooks was one of several international trade experts who spoke at a packed town-hall meeting this week at Cal State Long Beach. The forum, "Panama Canal Expansion: The Battle for Jobs and Cargo," drew more than 1,000 people to CSULB's Carpenter Performing Arts Center for a wide-ranging presentation on shipping and manufacturing patterns. With some 30,000 people employed in trade-related industries in Long Beach alone, even minor shifts can have widespread impacts. Since trade through Long Beach-Los Angeles nose-dived in 2008, thousands have been laid off in trucking, shipping, longshore, rail and related industries regionally. It's only been in recent months that cargo volumes have rebounded, and with the upcoming opening of a deeper, wider Panama Canal to allow larger ships to pass, the sustainability of that growth remains in question. And yet despite the challenges, trade analysts largely expect Long Beach-Los Angeles to maintain its position as most-favored destination for trans-Pacific trade. "It's clearly the case that fundamentals are strong for long-term growth here with Asia, even with the Panama Canal (expansion)," said Paul Bingham, an economist with Wilbur Smith Associates. "The infrastructure, workforce and capacity here is beyond most of the others." Economists predict the biggest threat from the canal will be in discretionary cargo, goods destined for outside the Southwest that may be sent to ports along the Gulf or East Coast when the project is complete. Discretionary cargo accounts for roughly 40 percent of all trade moved through San Pedro Bay. The Panama Canal is midway through the biggest expansion in its 100-year history, a $5.25 billion renovation designed to accommodate new generations of mega ships and tankers currently unable to squeeze through the aging waterway. Many predict the expansion will siphon millions of containers from Long Beach and Los Angeles annually in the future, though natural growth may help overcome some of the losses.

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The Panama Canal's potential advantage is providing a cheaper, all-water route to destinations far from the West Coast, though savings can drop rapidly if fuel prices rise or canal authorities charge excessive tolls. Rates, which now average about $70 per 20-foot container, may go up significantly in coming years as Panama begins paying off its $5.25 billion national loan, which begins upon completion of redevelopment in 2014. Also, regardless of rates, freight shipped through the expanded canal will still arrive 8-9 days later than it would have if off-loaded on the West Coast and shipped via rail to inland destinations. "The shortest and fastest route will always be via the West Coast ports," said Steve Branscum, an executive at Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail, which serves local ports. Another potential threat to trade volumes here is the growing emergence of manufacturing centers outside China and Korea, which have fed West Coast ports' rapid growth during the past 30 years. India, which ships goods through the Suez Canal to East Coast ports, is emerging as a large manufacturing center, while other production is shifting to South America's eastern seaboard, closer to the Gulf of Mexico. To capture some of this new traffic, competing ports in Canada, Texas, Virginia and New York are pouring billions into waterfront development, rail capacity and truck routes, with growing success even amid the downturn. Prince Rupert, in Canadian British Columbia, has grown more than 200 percent since opening several years ago, handling more than 300,000 containers annually, with growth expected to reach 1 million containers by 2025. To counter that and other competition, Long Beach and Los Angeles have committed more than $4 billion since 2006 to redevelopment here, including a recently approved plan to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge, which handles about 15 percent of the entire nation's international trade, and modernize five terminals. "The fact remains that Long Beach and Los Angeles still have a large, capable workforce ... excellent rail and infrastructure and the ability to serve markets in the Midwest and elsewhere quickly and efficiently, and those are always going to be primary factors in where goods are sent," said Todd Thomas, an executive with Expeditors International in Los Angeles. Source: Press Telegram

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

The formerly Dutch coaster FASTNET, built in 1965 for Mr. Klugkist of Netun Shipping, Holland, seen here in 1994 on the New Rotterdam Waterway inward bound as the Honduranian flagged MONICA II. Her home port was San Lorenzo. Photo : Capt. Frank Haalmeijer © History: After only 4 years she was reflagged to Panama, but still FASTNET. After a second purchase in 1980 nothing was changed for the ship. In 1985 registration changed to Kingstown, St.Vincent . In 1991 class suspended by an overdue survey. In 1993 sold to Honduras and became CARAT and resold directly to another owner in Honduras to rename her TINA I. Just before this foto was taken in 1994 she was sold again to Honduras to Altimira Shipping Co. Ltd. and renamed MONICA II. Her last name was NICO after she was sold to Sierra Atlas Shipping Ltd. of Belize. About 18 July 2002 arrived at Hoylandsbydi, Norway for demolishing.

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..



The SMIT KOONGO enroute to Gladstone (Australia) made a bunker stop in Papeete (Tahiti)

Photo : Capt. Bram van der Hout ©

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