number 315 *** collection of maritime press clippings...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 315

Distribution : daily 11050+ copies worldwide 15-11-2009

Number 315 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 15-11-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

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Above the 14th tunnel element of the new to build tunnel between Busan and Geoje (South Korea), seen hanging underneath the lowering pontoons GK1 and GK2, to installation works of this tunnel are executed by Strukton

Group, The tunnel is a part of the Busan Geoje Fixed Link project, the official name for the bridge and tunnel connection between the islands of Geoje and Jungjuk and will consist of 18 concrete tunnel sections, each of a length of 180 metres and a breadth of 35 metres, resulting in a total length of 3,200 metres. The sections will be immersed

to 60 metres under sea level, That will make it the longest and deepest immersed tunnel in the world. Photo : Tony Brands (c)



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WORLD LARGEST ARRIVED IN FORT LAUDERDALE

The world's largest cruise ship has arrived in South Florida. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s 16-deck Oasis of the Seas docked Friday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. It set sail from Finland to Florida in late October.

The massive $1.5 billion vessel is nearly 40 percent larger than the industry's next-biggest ship and five times larger than the Titanic....

Photo : Bauke Lijklema ©



Bad weather causes Coast Guard to suspend search for fishmen lost off

coast of New Jersey The United States Coast Guard has suspended its search for three missing men who disappeared when a fishing boat they were aboard sank 20 miles east of Cape May Wednesday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the missing fishermen during this difficult time. We have conducted an exhaustive search in very difficult conditions. Unfortunately we have been unsuccessful," Capt. Meredith Austin, of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia said in a statement Friday. An emergency signal alerted authorities around 7:35 p.m. that the 44-foot fishing boat Sea Tractor was sinking and a rescue helicopter found an empty life-raft at the scene. A civilian fishing boat, the Captain Jeff, found a debris field, including a cooler and the Sea Tractor's emergency beacon, which had sent the distress signal, the Coast Guard said. The missing men were identified as Kenneth Rose Sr., 75, his son Kenneth Rose Jr., 49, and Larry Forrest, 55. Officials are still working to determine the boat's home port and the Coast Guard is providing assistance to the families of the missing. The 19-hour search came as a major nor'easter hammered the Jersey Shore with high winds, rough surf and coastal flooding. Deteriorating weather conditions including 15 to 20-foot seas and powerful wind gusts forced the Coast Guard to call off the search Thursday night. Led by officials based in Philadelphia, a rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., a C-130 aircraft crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. and the crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Block Island and Coast Guard Cutter Mako assisted in the search. Source : NewsroomJersey

The GEO BARENTS arrived in Cape Town – Photo : Aad Noorland (c)

Pirate attacks continue Pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden continues at a high level, On the morning of November 12, in the eastern Gulf of Aden, EU NAVFOR reports that two merchant vessels were attacked by pirates. There are no reports of casualties.



The first attack was on MV FULL STRONG, a Hong Kong flagged 220 meter long bulk carrier. MV FULL STRONG was approached by pirates in two skiffs and a mother skiff but managed to evade the attack. Shortly after this attack, in almost the same position, MV FENGLI 8, a Panama flagged 225 meter bulk carrier was attacked by two fast attack skiffs and one mother skiff. The master and crew were alert and immediately activated anti piracy measures, usingspeed and evasive action, they were able to avoid being hijacked. EU NAVFOR Norwegian warship HNOMS Fridtjof Nansen on counter piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden has been tasked to search for the pirate attack group. The most recent successful hijacking was early morning on November 11 when the Greek owned (Marshall Island flagged) bulker MV Filitsa was hijacked in the south Somali Basin, 400 nautical miles North East of the Seychelles. The Bulk Carrier with a deadweight of 23,709 tonnes has a crew of 22. In another incident on November 11, two RHIBS from Fridtjof Nansen, came under fire when conducting a routine patrol off the Somali coast 83 nautical miles from Boosaaso. Weather conditions were clear with good visibility. The RHIB's were suddenly fired upon while passing some Dhows at a distance of approximately 400 meters. The EU NAVFOR units responded with covering fire and withdrew to a safe distance.

ITC’s SUMATRAS departed from Hansweert and above seen at the Westerscheldt River outwardbound Photo : Sjaak Klaassen (c)

UK navy ship watched as pirates took 2 Britons

The crew of a Royal Navy vessel watched as a British couple was abducted by Somali pirates, unable to rescue them without endangering their lives, the British military said Friday. As armed pirates boarded Paul and Rachel Chandler's yacht on Oct. 23, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary replenishment tanker Wave Knight was within view, carrying light arms and a crew of 75 merchant seamen and 25 navy sailors in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Defense said.



But the crew could not intervene without putting the Chandlers at further risk, and could only watch as the pirates forced the couple off their yacht, the Lynn Rival, and onto an open skiff. The ministry refused to give further information, saying it could not comment on operational details. It said in a statement that the Wave Knight "did very well under the circumstances." Authorities believe the Chandlers, who are in their 50s, are now being held on land in Somalia. Pirates have demanded $7 million for their release — ransom the British government says it will not pay. The Chandlers have been sailing around the world since retiring several years ago. The waters off Somalia are teeming with pirates who have hijacked dozens of ships for multimillion-dollar ransoms in the past two years. The Wave Knight is part of an international anti-piracy mission off Somalia's 1,900-mile-long (3,100-kilometer) coast. U.S., NATO and European Union ships patrol the pirate-infested area and escort aid shipments and merchant marines vessels through the Gulf of Aden. Source : AP

The ADVENTURE of the SEAS seen in St Lucia – Photo : Ronald de Bloeme (c)

Trio rescued from sinking ship The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has rescued three crew members from a sinking vessel off the shores of Pengerang. Its southern region chief Laksamana Pertama Che Hassan Jusoh said the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre received a distress call from the owner last Thursday. “We received the call at about 3am from the owner saying that his vessel suffered a major leak and was taking in water off the coast of Batu Pahat,” he said. Laksamana Pertama Che Hassan said a patrol boat arrived at the scene half an hour later. “We rescued the three crew members, all locals aged between 19 and 28 years old,” he said, adding that initial investigations revealed that the vessel had about 1m of water. “Swift action by our officers also saved the vessel from being totally submerged as they managed to control the leak,” he said. Laksamana Pertama Che Hassan added that the cause of the leak was a faulty bucket shaft in the engine room.



The vessel, he said, was towed to a fishing jetty near Sungai Rengit with the aid of some local fishermen.The vessel, registered as Jupiter One, set sail from Lumut to Tioman Island on Nov 8. Source : The Star

The 2004 built ATG flag vessel BELUGA ELEGANCE leaving Valletta, Malta on Saturday 7th November 2009 loaded with ICAP LEOPARD, RAN II and various yachts bound to her first stop in India. Ship was presented by Ocean and

Sky Logistics, Malta. Photo : Cpt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com (c)

VLCC's Freight Rates Gained 17% in October On both the crude and product segments, the tanker market was in better shape in October compared to the previous month after being almost steady for two months in a row according to OPEC’s latest Monthly Oil Market Report that covers the month of October. Nevertheless, the market is still highly influenced by lower volumes of traded crudes and products as a result of weak oil demand as well as rapidly growing tanker fleets which together have kept freight rates at much lower levels compared to a year earlier. In September, clean tanker market performance was much better to the East of Suez compared to the West of Suez; however, the Singapore to East route provided the most support in October. The VLCC sector gained 17% on average in October compared to a month earlier. This was mainly supported by China’s growing crude imports for most of this year, although this was not a sufficiently strong force in itself to compensate for much lower imports by OECD countries. The number of VLCCs engaged in crude oil storage operations was almost unchanged in October, in line with the almost unchanged contango structure in crude oil futures in that month. Estimates put the volume of crude oil stored on VLCCs by the end of the month at about 40 mb. This volume takes about 20 VLCCs out of the market, but reports also indicated that there were another 10 VLCCs tied up in petroleum product storage operations, which implies that by the end of October about 6% of the global VLCC fleet was out of the market, lending some support to freight rates for this segment of tankers. About 50% of the stored crudes afloat were on the US Gulf Coast and most of the remainder was located in Europe. On the other hand, middle distillates stored on tankers continued to increase in October reaching about 90 mb compared to some 65 mb at the end of the previous month, reflecting higher incentives to stock up ahead of seasonally strong demand for distillates during winter. The bulk of the increase in products afloat in October was recorded in the Asia-Pacific market. By the end of October, about 60% of middle distillates were stored on tankers in Northwest Europe (NWE) and the Mediterranean regions and about 30% were stored in Asia-Pacific. Taking the top three vessel sizes into consideration, average spot freight rates for crude oil tankers was 11% higher in October compared to the previous month. However, rates were 42% lower compared to the same month a year ago,



taking into consideration the changes in WS flat rates as of January 2009. On average, the VLCC segment gained another 5 WS points in October. After a slow start due to the long Golden Week holidays in China, the VLCC market tightened throughout the second half of October with the return of the Chinese to the market. Average VLCC freight rates increased in October by 17% compared to the previous month, but remained 43% lower y-o-y. VLCC freight rates on the Middle East to East route were as high as WS47 by the end of the month, the highest weekly average since mid-July this year, ending October at a monthly average of WS42 compared to WS34 the previous month. In westbound directions, freight rates on the VLCC market gained 12% in October. Weak refinery margins in the US and resulting lower volumes of crude oil imports continued to exert pressure on freight rates in this segment of the market. Freight rates on this route started the month at WS28 and remained below this rate for the entire first half of the month before rebounding to WS32 during the third week, ending the month with an average of WS27, compared to an average of WS26 in the previous month. On the other hand, VLCC freight rates in West Africa followed a similar trend in October compared to that in the Middle East. Freight rates for the West Africa to East route started the month at WS43, climbing to WS49 by the end of the third week and to WS54 by the end of the month for an average of WS47, indicating a monthly gain of 15% compared to September. Source : Makis Theodoratos, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Container rates to Europe up by 40-45% The cost of shipping cargo containers from India to Europe has risen by about 40-45% above the rates in May this year, on the back of a pickup in volumes and rate increases by carriers. “There is a significant growth in container volumes going to Europe on a month-on-month basis,” said Apurva Jasraj, partner at Mumbai-based freight broking firm M. Jasraj and Bros. “October was better than September and in November so far, the same trend is continuing,” he said. Rates on India to Europe shipments is now about $850-900 (Rs39,525-41,850) for a 20ft container and $1,500-1,600 for a 40ft container, he added.

The CAP VILANO seen outward from Rotterdam – Photo : Kees Torn (c)

Six months ago, rates had fallen to $250-300 for a 20ft container and $450-500 for a 40ft container from about $1,100 for a 20ft container and $2,500 for a 40ft container in August 2008 as the financial crisis cut demand for goods. The increase in trade to Europe has led many carriers to seek higher rates between $100 and $200 for a 20ft container from November. This is the third time that carriers are seeking rate hikes on this route since July this year. Carriers looking to hike rates further include Maersk Line, CMA CGM SA, Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA and Shipping Corp. of India Ltd (SCI). “The rate increase is to meet the burgeoning operating costs and to make the service viable in the interests of the trade,” an SCI statement said. The state-run firm has hiked rates by $150 for shipping a 20-ft container to Europe beginning 5 November. Source: LiveMint



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ABS Named Best Class Society for Middle East & Indian Subcontinent

ABS was named Best Classification Society during the recent Lloyd’s List Middle East & Indian Subcontinent Awards held in Dubai. The award ceremony is one of six regional events hosted by the industry’s daily newspaper to benchmark excellence within the maritime industry. A panel of judges from a broad spectrum of industry selected ABS as the winner in the “Classification Society” category. The society has maintained a network of regional and port offices throughout the Middle East area for more than 30 years with regional administrative and operational headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). “Our regional commitment has been reaffirmed over the past several years with a significant increase in the number of engineers and surveyors providing service to our clients throughout the Middle East and India,” said Dubai-based Joseph Brincat, ABS Regional Vice President, Middle Eastern Region. Brincat added that ABS has further strengthened its ties to the region with an office opened in Oman in June of this year and increased support for shipping and offshore activity in Libya and India. “ABS has earned this recognition based on its unmatched experience with offshore developments in the region, in addition to its support of the growing gas, oil tanker and bulk carrier fleets that are controlled by Indian and Middle East-based owners,” said Brincat. In the past year the first jackup rigs built in the UAE were delivered into ABS class. Additional jackup units, accommodation units and offshore support vessels are either under construction at, or have recently been delivered from shipyards in the region. In addition some 70 offshore drilling units are active in the region.

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Indian and Middle East ship owners have also turned to ABS for class services for very large crude carriers (VLCCs), Aframaxes, various sizes of bulkers including recent contracts from Oman Shipping for the largest ore carriers currently on order anywhere in the world, offshore support vessels as well as numerous crewboats. “Ultimately this award is honoring the professionalism, the dedication and the commitment to our clients of our extensive network of surveyors, engineers and support staff across the region,” said Brincat. “To be considered the best, you must not only have the right products but you must provide unmatched levels of service delivery commensurate with the role of a classification society in promoting the security of life and the natural environment. I am very proud of the ABS team in the region and it is our collective goal to return as repeat winners in 2010.” The ABS Board of Directors has elected two senior executives of the classification society to the position of Corporate Officers. Mark A. McGrath currently serving in the appointed role of President and Chief Operating Officer of the ABS Pacific Division and Kenneth L. Richardson who serves as Vice President of Energy Project Development now join the society’s executive management team. Both are ABS veterans. McGrath had previously served as Senior Vice President, Operations for the Pacific Division and has years of experience within that division having served as the Vice President, Northern Region of the Pacific Division and Country Manager for both Korea and the Philippines. Richardson has held a number of increasingly senior positions in both ABS and its affiliated company, ABSG Consulting, Inc. including Vice President Energy and Transportation, ABS Consulting and Vice President Engineering within the Americas Division of ABS. Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities. Source: ABS

Above seen the MAERSK TEXAS, which sails at present for Maersk Line Ltd , built as the ELEO MAERSK during 1979, in 1984 the vessel was renamed in PFC WILLIAM B BAUGH and were operated and managed by Maersk Line Limited in support of the US Marine Corps Prepositioning Program, The PFC William B Baugh and PVT Franklin J. Phillips were operating under charter to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command until early 2008 when the military

elected to end the charter. It returned the ships, both 755 feet long with six onboard cargo cranes, two side ports and a stern ramp, to private owners who then offered them for sale. Maersk line purchased both vessels and renamed the vessels after buying them the Maersk Texas and Maersk Tennessee and the vessels joined the Maersk commercial

fleet serving the US charter and preference cargo spot markets. Photo : Harry Stott (c)

French navy storms pirate ship, arrests 12 French commandos stormed aboard a Somali pirate “mothership” and arrested 12 gunmen, the military announced Friday, adding that the gangs are increasingly operating in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.



Tipped off by spotters on a Luxembourg maritime reconnaissance plane, the French frigate Floreal intercepted a dhow towing two motorised skiffs 500 nautical miles northwest of the Seychelles on Thursday. A helicopter from the

warship fired a warning shot across the vessel’s bows as its crew began to throw incriminating material over the side. French troops boarded the ship and arrested the pirates without violence. On board they found grappling hooks, GPS navigation devices and assault rifles, French military spokesman Admiral Christophe Prazuck told AFP in Paris. “Last year or at the start of this one the centre of gravity was in the Gulf of Aden,” Prazuck said, referring to the straits between Arabia and the Horn of Africa that have become notorious for pirate attacks. “The European team in place has significantly reduced the number of boats taken hostage. Though

they still threaten the Gulf of Aden, the pirates have switched their activity further offshore into the Indian Ocean.” Prazuck said pirates were now striking in areas up to 800 nautical miles from their bases on the coast of Somalia, a lawless and largely ungoverned African state plagued by faction-fighting. Several naval task forces now carry out anti-piracy patrols, including flotillas commanded by the European Union, NATO and the United States. Floreal is fighting under EU colours as part of Operation Atalante. Source : Khaleej Times

3% of tanker fleet will still be single hulled after 2010

Asia will account for the majority of single hull tankers plying international waters after the IMO phase out deadline expires in 2010. Intertanko’s regional manager for Asia Pacific, Tim Wilkins, said at the World Shipping Summit in Qingdao that some 3% of the total tanker fleet, around 46m dwt, will still be single hulled come the end of 2010. Flag states such as Bahamas, Barbados, Liberia, Panama, Marshall Islands, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong all allow trading of single hull tankers beyond 2010. Panama and Liberia are by some margin the two largest flags with single hull tankers on their books. In Asia there are a number of countries that have large exposure to this near deceased ship type. India has around 45% of its oil imports via single hull tankers, while the figure for Thailand is close to 60%, and Taiwan stands at around 30%. Pointing to the huge ramp up in double hulled tanker orders over the past five years, Wilkins said, ‘The dreaded shortage of tankers because of the cut off date has not transpired.’ In loading ports there are fewer and fewer single hull tankers calling and Wilkins pointed out that just yesterday the Port of Fujairah had moved to ban single hull tankers from entry. ‘The single hull tanker has very few options left other than recycling,’ Wilkins warned.Source: SeaTradeAsia-Online



Chinese ship arrives at Antarctica station with supplies

The Chinese exploration ship Snow Dragon arrived at the Great Wall Station in western Antarctica on Thursday with more than 2,300 tons of supplies and oil. Due to the temperature rise in Antarctica, the area around the station has been thawing and littering the surrounding sea with floating ice and several icebergs. The ice forced the crew to unload the supplies with boats. The workers were scheduled to complete the task in eight days. The Snow Dragon, with more than 170 scientists, workers and crew members on board, left Shanghai on October 11.

The vessel was expected to set sail November 21 for China's Zhongshan Station in the Antarctica. Source : Xinhua

CAPTAIN CHARGED FOR GROUNDING OF MARCO POLO

For navigational error and subsequent stranding of the ship the commander, 2nd mate (OOW) and two AB's are charged by investigative commision of the ministry. navigational safety inspector of Sibenik Port Authority, submitted a proposal for the adversarial and violations against the commander of Jadrolinijina's ship Marco Polo, the second mate and helmsman for the two failures in the navigation and grounding, it was reported from the Ministry of Sea, Transport and infarstructure. Also, complete documentation is submitted to the competent State Attorney acting in Sibenik and in their search for Criminal department of the police station in Sibenik. According to the Maritime Code, provides a fine for a second mate and two of the helmsman in the range of 1000 to 30,000 kuna, and the commander of the ship in the range of 2000 to 15,000 kuna, which will decide the Council for violations LK Sibenik. Maritime Code provides that, with the above fines for violation of maritime, commander points



and crew of the ship as a precautionary measure can take all or some certificate of competency or qualification, or supplementary authorization for up to two years, which is proposed to the Council for violations LK Sibenik.

Analysis of blood and urine, whith samples taken several hours after the accident in the local clinic in Biograd made master, second mate and both helmsman, shows they were sober. The analysis is made in the Center for forensic testing, research and evaluation "Ivan Vucetic" in Zagreb. Jadrolinija RO-RO passenger ship Marco Polo run aground on Saturday, 24 October at 1:59 pm on the northwest side of the island of Sit. The ship was sailing from Rijeka to Dubrovnik should changed course when in position near Mrtovnjak lighthouse in order to safely sail between the islands of Pasman

and Sit. Second mate should (but did not) checked if ship is in a planned course and the vessel continued towards the island Balabra which struck the right rear side alongside with a damaged right propeller, whose blades are broken and fell of, and then the vessel stranded at Sit. The strong hit with stern starboard side was felt and heard by helmsmen on duty on the bridge and the staff on duty in the engine room.. On the bridge at the time of stranding was the second mate and helmsman (AB), the master is responsible for the ship when passing through Rivanj channel, and before the stranding of the ship, was not personally commanding the vessel, which was his obligation in accordance with the Maritime Code and the other AB (helmsman) is responsible for was not on the bridge, although he was in office and therefore obliged to monitor the proper course of navigation in this report and the duty officer, said, among other countries that signed a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Marina Halužan. (free translation from a Croation article) Comments received from Jolly Roger, a Shippingnewsclippings reader in Croatia : Hello, Many thanks for your interest in the case. Since my line of work is connected to shipping, can you please consider to publish my comments on this case, because in my opinion the captain is already facing unfair lynch by media, and he is in very unfavourable position. There is big discrepancy in some articles of Croatian maritime law, (Maritime code) affecting this case According to media info they are charging the captain for negligent conduct under Croatian maritime law (http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/313782.html) The original Articles of Maritime law in croatian language (not copied) are below, herewith find my humble translation, and comment on the end. Maritime Law (Code) Which states in Article 149: 1) Captain of the ship, or OOW on duty which is in command of the vessel is obliged to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of vessel and navigation 2) Captain of the ship is obliged to command the ship whenever is necessary for the safety of the vessel, and especially when the ship enters the port, channel or the river or when exits from the same or during period of limited visibility



3) Presence of pilot does not relieve master of his responsibility of the command. BUT Article 134. states Master, crewmember of the ship, yacht or boat MUST NOT be under influence of alcohol and/or narcotics or other substances which change the state of contietness, or MUST NOT BE SICK, OR TIRED Now: The responsibility of the captain in this respect should not be taken on prejudice. If you take a look to their voyage from Rijeka: maneuvering on departure, after approx 2 hours they are entering various channels between islands, and according to law – the master should be on the bridge at all times (narrow channels, pilotage conditions etc…) On the other hand, according to article 134 – the master MUST ENSURE that he is well rested to take his duty when necessary. And he was resting at time of incident. One article in this view – 149, where for this voyage master should be on the bridge at all time during voyage from Rijeka to Split - contradicts another article 134 which clearly states that HE MUST be rested. Hours of rest are known from ISM: min 10 hrs per day – with min 6 hours of rest continuously. Basically the master is in position to be in breach of any of mentioned article (134 or 149) if he is obeying one, he is in the breach of second one. Impossible situation The responsibility of 2nd mate – who was on duty on the bridge at the time I will not comment, at this point

The Coral Meandra seen outbound from Grangemouth - Photo : Iain Forsyth (c)

Baltic index rallies, close to fresh 2009 high The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates to ship dry commodities, rose above the 4,000 point level on Friday and was close to hitting a new 2009 high. Strong Chinese demand for iron ore and coal, growing port congestion in China and Australia and tight ship availability have helped drive a rally in recent days. The index, which gauges the cost of shipping resources including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertiliser, rose 3.97 percent or 156 points to 4,111 points on Friday and was at its highest since June 3 when it hit a 2009 peak in an twelfth straight session of gains. In recent months Chinese demand for iron ore -- the primary material in the manufacture of steel -- has dominated freight market activity while adding to swings on the main index. Demand for larger capesize ships, which typically haul 150,000 tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, has added momentum to gains in recent sessions. Appetite to



hire small panamax ships has been helped by the U.S. grains export season. "The rising rates for both panamaxes and capesizes are underlining the strength of the current market," Arctic Securities said in a report on Friday. The Baltic's capesize index rose 4.89 percent on Friday and was at its highest level since June 30. The Baltic's panamax index rose 2.61 percent and was at it highest since Sept. 25. Source: Reuters

CASUALTY REPORTING

LA PRINCESSA AGROUND AT SANDBRIDGE BEACH

The non self propelled barge La Princessa (a triple-deck, 580-foot long barge) left San Juan on 11/6 at 12:12 AM pulled by the 7200 hp tug Sentry (with onboard 6 crew) en route to Pennsauken, NJ for a regularly scheduled liner cargo service. The barge was loaded with 187 container/trailer units including 9 refrigerated containers, which are currently operating on a power pack. The barge also included 125 empty units, 5 vehicles and 1 power pack used to power the refrigerated containers. Eighty-

four HAZMAT loads, which contain products such as syrup for soft drinks, alcohol, empty cylinders formerly containing water purification chemicals, etc. are also on board. Despite the fact that there is no compromise of cargo, environmental response teams are standing by. The barge was approximately 100% full. At this time the cargo remains securely onboard and does not pose any threat to either local citizens or the environment.

During its voyage, approximately 12-14 hours from destination and 30 miles from the sea buoy, the tug/barge encountered heavy seas that were remnants of Tropical Storm Ida. The two 2,25 inch diameter towlines with a length of 2700 ft and breaking strength of over 500.000lbs, used to pull the barge, broke in heavy weather and the barge was carried approximately 100 miles southwest where it came to rest parallel on Sand Bridge Beach in Virginia. It currently sits idle ¼ mile from the public fishing pier. An incident command post has been set up at the local fire



station with a salvage team standing by. Titan Salvage has been engaged. A salvage master is on site and a naval architect and assistant salvage master are en route. Removal plans are being developed. Improving weather conditions should enhance the salvage and removal efforts, Proper authorities have been notified and we are fully cooperating with the local incident management team. These authorities include the United States Coast Guard, the local fire department and as a precautionary measure the National Response Center, Security is being established to prevent entrance to the barge by unauthorized personnel. Source : Crowley

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'Ghost Fleet' ship breaks free in Va, runs aground

The Maritime Administration is hoping to pull a 700-foot oil tanker back to its dock after the ship broke free of its moorings and ended up a half-mile downstream. Officials say the Monongahela ran aground on a sand bank on the western side of the James River on Friday. Heavy storms are likely to be to blame. The 37,000-ton Navy fleet oiler is part of the James River Reserve Fleet, also known as the "Ghost Fleet." Several dozen ships in the fleet are moored in the center of the river off Fort Eustis. Source : The Examiner

Ferry that ran aground may have had malfunctioning fin stabilizer

A large ferry that ran around off Mie Prefecture early Friday reportedly tipped over after being struck by a large wave, and may have had a malfunctioning fin stabilizer, it has emerged. In a news conference following the accident, which forced the evacuation of 28 people on board the 7,910-ton vessel, captain Hiroto Matsumoto said he understood that the ferry, Ariake, tipped over after being struck by a major wave produced by colliding waves. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the fin stabilizer on the port side of the vessel was angled to make the vessel lean to the right -- the side to which the ferry was leaning when it ran aground. Officials of the 4th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Nagoya are investigating the possibility that an abnormality with the fin stabilizer and a collapsing load resulting from the ship being struck by the wave were factors in the accident.



The Japan Transport Safety Board has dispatched four accident investigators to the scene in an investigation that was launched on Saturday. Matsumoto said that prior to the accident, northeast and east-northeast winds were blowing at about 15 meters per second, and the waves were about four meters high. "We were struck by a wave produced by colliding waves and tipped over, and after that the load collapsed," Matsumoto said. He said he had ordered crew members to prepare the load for rough weather, adding that when checks were made at about 4 a.m., no abnormalities were detected.

The ferry company that operates the vessel said that the ferry's maximum load was 5,023 tons. It was carrying about 150 containers and vehicles, with a total load of 3,318 tons. Coast guard officials are carefully investigating the accident, including the possibility of professional negligence and dangerous sailing. The fin stabilizers that protrude from the hull of the ferry automatically adjust to stabilize the vessel and prevent it from tipping to the side. When approaching a coastline or when

the sea is calm, they are retracted inside. Coast guard investigators said that the fin stabilizer on the port side of the vessel was pointing in a direction that would return the ferry to the right if it leaned to the left. But the ferry was on right lean when it ran aground, and the fin stabilizer would have had to be pointing in the opposite direction to return the vessel to the correct angle. However, Yasuo Yoshimura, a professor of marine engineering at Hokkaido University, said it was unlikely a malfunctioning fin stabilizer could be the sole cause of such an accident. "The fin stabilizers wouldn't move if a small mount of force is applied to them; you can say that they indicate the angle held at the point when the electricity in the ship was cut. One cannot imagine that the ship could tip over from the movements of the stabilizers alone, and there were probably a combination of factors," he said. Coast guard officials said that heavy oil had leaked out from the vessel over a wide area between 500 meters from the coast of Mihama, Mie Prefecture, and 6 or 7 kilometers to the south. Local bodies and fishery cooperatives were due to meet to discuss how to handle the situation. The company that owns the ferry has dispatched six salvage vessels to the area.



NAVY NEWS

The Dutch frigate F 831 VAN AMSTEL visited Flushing (Bijleveldharbour) Photo : Ferry van Rijsbergen (c)

Commandant der Zeestrijdkrachten bezoekt de West

De Commandant der Zeestrijdkrachten (C-ZSK), luitenant-generaal der mariniers Rob Zuiderwijk, bezoekt van 11 tot en met 15 november de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba. De voormalig Commandant der Zeemacht in het Caraïbisch Gebied bezocht gisteren Marinebasis Parera en Fort Amsterdam waar hij sprak met de minister-president van de Nederlandse Antillen, Emily de Jongh-Elhage. Foto : Peter Bijpost Na de ceremoniële ontvangst op Marinebasis Parera door de Commandant der Zeemacht in het Caraïbisch Gebied, commandeur Peter Lenselink, volgden twee operationele briefings. Hierna vertrok de

delegatie naar Fort Amsterdam waar de generaal sprak met minister-president Emily de Jongh-Elhage. Zaterdag zal de generaal ook een beleefdheidsbezoek brengen aan de Gouverneur van de Nederlandse Antillen Frits Goedgedrag. De Commandant der Zeestrijdkrachten, die in januari afscheid neemt van de Koninklijke Marine, nam de tijd om met een delegatie van alle rangen en standen van Marinebasis Parera en Marinekazerne Suffisant te praten. De voormalig



Commandant der Zeemacht in het Caraïbisch Gebied en oud-commandant van marinierskazerne Savaneta heeft een speciale band met de eilanden waar hij bijna tien jaar woonde. “Het is altijd fijn om weer hier te zijn. Ik heb een goede tijd gehad op de eilanden en ik zal er na mijn vertrek bij de marine zeker nog regelmatig terugkomen.” Na het bezoek aan Curaçao vertrekt de delegatie vandaag naar Aruba waar zij op Marinierskazerne Savaneta ontvangen worden door de commandant, luitenant-kolonel der mariniers Ed Hofma. Ook zal de C-ZSK de gouverneur van Aruba, Fredis Refunjol en de minister-president van Aruba Mike Eman ontmoeten.

Left Vietnam as a Refugee, Returns as a U.S. Navy Captain

Hung Ba Le's first ocean voyage was aboard an overcrowded fishing trawler when he was 5 and his family and hundreds of other terrified refugees fled Vietnam as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese army. Commander Le was rescued by a Navy ship after fleeing Vietnam at the age of 5.Today he is Commander Le and at the helm of the warship USS Lassen as it makes a good will visit to the country he once fled. "To think that 34 years ago… I left here as a little boy and to come back here now, it's incredible," said Le, the first ever Vietnamese-American Navy captain. At the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Saigon was falling. Thousands fled the country in boats. Five-year-old Le, his family and 400 other refugees crammed aboard a fishing trawler. Le's father, Thong Ba Le, was a commander in the South Vietnamese Navy and helped navigate the boat. "It was crowded, we

were running out of water, definitely low on diesel fuel," said Le. "We were rescued I think just in time." Source : ABCNews

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Unifeeder and IMCL create Northern Europe’s leading feeder operator

Unifeeder is pleased to announce the acquisition of IMCL Holding Ltd. from Lemissoler Shipping Group PCL. The combined entity will through efficient operations and economies of scale offer an even more competitive and reliable best-in-class service with high frequency and quality between the major hubs in Northern Europe. Unifeeder, the asset light logistics company, is Northern Europe’s leading feeder operator transporting containers from the large European container hubs in Belgium, Germany and Holland to more than 30 regional ports across the Nordic Region, the Baltic States and Russia. Unifeeder’s feeder operations are complemented by its fast growing door-to-door multimodal container transport business. In 2008, Unifeeder had sales of ca €400 million. IMCL is the largest feeder



operator in Poland and transports containers between the main ports in Germany and Holland and the Polish ports in Gdynia, Gdansk and Stettin as well as Riga in Latvia and Klaipeda in Lithuania. The company was established in 1996 and prides itself on providing an unrivalled service to its customers, many of whom have been with the company since inception. In 2008 IMCL enjoyed sales of ca €50 million. The merger of Unifeeder’s and IMCL’s operations will benefit all stakeholders, from customers to employees and suppliers, as increased scale advantages and best practise is rolled out across the combined entity in order to procure a superior product and service offering in conjunction with increased geographic coverage and scope of services. The joint network will improve the offering for inter-European cargo and thereby support initiatives to move cargo from road to sea. Transporting containers by sea instead of road is the most environmentally friendly transportation method as seen by using Unifeeder’s newly launched CO2 calculator on www.unifeeder.com. The CEO of Unifeeder, Jesper Kristensen, commented “the acquisition of IMCL by Unifeeder is an important strategic milestone that will benefit the customers of both companies. The possibility to provide additional port calls on routes to the Baltic region, Finland and Russia creates an improved service offering to everyone’s benefit. IMCL offers a high quality service to its customers and contributes outstanding employees to complement Unifeeder’s organisation and future development. I am very pleased this transaction has been concluded.” “The combined entity will be able to offer our customers a more extensive and flexible service with improved coverage of the ports in the Baltic Sea. Together with Nakis Kassos, Managing Director, the other key IMCL employees and the existing organisations in Poland and Germany, I am delighted to continue to work to ensure a successful future and integration of the combined entity” said Philippos Philis CEO of IMCL. Philip Larkos, Co-founder and CFO of SFS Group Public Company Ltd, majority owner of Lemissoler Shipping Group PCL, commented “Lemissoler Group has supported the successful development and growth of IMCL since its establishment in 1996 and IMCL has firmly established itself in the Polish market since then. I believe that Unifeeder is the optimal long term home for IMCL and the combination is an important strategic move for both organisations.” “Unifeeder is a first class logistics company with a very exciting future. The combination with IMCL is a perfect match and we continue to support various development initiatives including additional acquisitions or mergers in order to fully realise Unifeeder’s strategy” said Peter Dahlberg, Director at Montagu Private Equity. The transaction is expected to complete by end 2009. Unifeeder, established in 1977, is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark and with local offices in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia. In addition, the company has a presence through agents in England, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In 2008, Unifeeder achieved sales of ca €400 million. Source : Cisionwire

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Work begins on widening Guadalupe River KCBS reports that after years of study, the Santa Clara Valley Water District in California in the US has finally approved a project to widen the Guadalupe River through Alviso. The waterway will be dredged, allowing water to flow more freely to the Bay, something that residents have been waiting for this a long time.



KCBS said the US$6 million restoration project will dredge down at least eight feet, although Santa Clara Valley Water District spokesperson Susan Siravo said there could be at least one hang-up. "We do have concerns about the high level of mercury that we may find once we start the work," Siravo said. "So, we really need to get more information about what is actually going to be found there before we know if the cost will go up at all." The project is expected to be completed in 2011. Source : Dredging News Online

International Shipholding buys bulker newbuild trio Moblie, Alabama, headquartered International Shipholding Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase three 36,000 dwt Handysize double hull dry bulk carrier newbuildings with an option for a fourth newbuilding. The three new vessels will be constructed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co., Ltd. and are expected to be delivered between December 2010 and February 2011. Chairman and CEO Niels M. Johnsencommented, "We are pleased to finalize an agreement to purchase three new Handysize double hull dry bulk carriers. We believe these quality, high specification newbuilding vessels will provide important long-term strategic benefits to International Shipholding Corporation, positioning the company to increase both its diversified fleet and earnings potential during a time when we continue to distribute dividends to our shareholders. Consistent with our operating strategy, we intend to employ the new vessels on medium to long-term contracts." The total delivered cost for the three newbuildings is expected to be approximately $90 million. On signing the agreement for the three vessels, International Shipholding Corporation paid an initial installment of $17 million using available cash. Future installments will be paid over the construction period with the final installment due upon delivery of each vessel. The company plans to fund the remaining installments through a combination of borrowings under its revolving credit facility, available cash and long-term financing. Source : MarineLog

The 2009 built GAN SEA seen enroute Amsterdam - Photo : Marcel Coster (c)

ANOTHER TOUGH QUARTER FOR CHEMOIL Singapore-listed bunker supplier Chemoil's Q3 revenue was down 40%, at US$1.6bn compared to a year previously while its nine-months revenue 47% lower, at $3.9bn. Actual volumes sold were dropped far less dramatically, by 8%, to 3.7m tonnes while the nine-months volume was 11.1m tonnes, a decrease of 13%.



Chemoil says that the reduction in volume was due to lower wholesale volume in Americas and Europe due to lack of arbitrage opportunities combined with lower ex-wharf volume in Asia. These lower sales were partially compensated by greater retail sales in Asia and Europe. Oil prices were lower in Q3 compared to the same quarter last year which decreased the average sales value in Q3 by 36%. Source : Maritime Global Net

AIR MILES FEEST OOK EXCLUSIEF BIJ CRUISE TRAVEL

Cruise specialist Cruise Travel is in zee gegaan met Air Miles. Als enige cruisetouroperator in Nederland biedt Cruise Travel haar cliënten nu de mogelijkheid om zowel Air Miles te sparen als in te wisselen voor korting! Bij iedere online boeking (www.cruisetravel.nl) kunnen vanaf vandaag Air Miles worden gespaard. Bovendien kan de reiziger er voor kiezen om gespaarde Air Miles in te wisselen voor korting op de cruise. Tijdens het 15-jarige Air Miles jubileumfeest (16 t/m 30 november) wordt bovendien extra veel voordeel gegeven: 1.500 Bonus Miles voor het Air Miles sparen en 15% meer korting op de ingeleverde Air Miles. Met ook kans op het winnen van een 8-daagse Middellandse Zee cruise voor 2 personen op het 4*+ schip de Costa Serena van Costa Cruises. Tenslotte nog eens € 50 p.p. zakgeld mee op alle 8-daagse Costa Serena Middellandse Zee cruises met vertrek in 2010 (apr. t/m nov.) die tijdens dit Air Miles jubileumfeest online worden gereserveerd. Meer informatie over deze exclusieve samenwerking van Cruise Travel met Air Miles is te vinden op www.cruisetravel.nl/am

Cruise Travel is sinds 1986 actief in de verkoop van cruises in Nederland. Zij is marktleider met het grootste cruiseaanbod tegen de beste prijs (gegarandeerd) en is aangesloten bij ANVR en SGR.

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Ukraine forges ahead with port development



Port Strategy reports that the Ukrainian government has given the go-ahead for the expansion of Odessa, Yuzhny and Illichevsk ports into additional land areas. Odessa has already submitted its new investment plan to the Ministry of Transport and Communications encompassing a new deep water container terminal capable of accommodating ships drawing up to 15m of water. The port has agreed to finance around half the US$250 million cost of the terminal, with matching finance to be provided by a private investor. The GPK-Ukraine joint-venture, bringing together Ukrainian and German investors, has declined to find all the cost of the infrastructure required. In total, Odessa plans to implement 11 projects costing US$1 billon by 2015. Ukrainian officials have also confirmed that tariffs charged by its ports are to be revised to bring them in line with those of rivals Constantza and Novorossiysk. This will make them more competitive with their Russian and Romanian rivals. Meanwhile, trhe Ukrainian President, Viktor Yushchenko, has stepped in to stop privatisation of Odessa Port Plant OJSC. Attempts to complete this sell off have been ongoing since 1994, with the last valuation pegged at US$524.5 million. Source : Dredging News Online

The TSHD UTRECHT seen returning in Rotterdam from Russia Photo : Peter Voogt (c)

Cargo turnover of Russian seaports up by 8.2 %, Jan-Oct, 2009

Cargo turnover of the Russian seaports increased by 8.2% (up to 412 million tons) within the first 10 months of 2009 as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, as of Association of Commercial Seaports reports. In the reported period, transshipment of dry cargo amounted to 164.6 million tons (+1.6%), liquid bulk cargo – 247.4 million tons (+13.1%). Transshipment of export cargo totaled 319.3 million tons (+10.9%), including 53.6 million tons of coal (+23.9%), 15.3 million tons of grain (3 times more), 22.6 million tons of ferrous metal (+7.3%), 17.5 million tons of grain (+2.7 times), 3.6 million tons of ore (+2.3 times), 3.5 million tons of non-ferrous metal (+6.1%), 191.1 million tons of liquid bulk cargo (+8.2%); 8.1 million tons of mineral fertilizers (-23.3%), 4.9 million tons of lumber (-38.1%), 6.8 million tons of containerized cargo (-7.3%). Transshipment of import cargo amounted to 22.3 million tons (- 38.7%) including 10.2 million tons of containerized cargo (- 39%), 5.9 million tons of general cargo (- 46.3%). Transshipment of transit cargo via Russian ports totaled 37.5 million tons, (+ 16.3%) against the corresponding period of 2008 (due to crude oil transshipment).Transshipment of coastal trade cargo increased 1.4 times. The ports of the North-West Basin handled over 185.6 million tons of cargo (+3.1%), including 62.0 million tons (-15.5%) of dry cargo and 123.6 million tons (+15.9%) of liquid bulk cargo. Reduced transhipment volumes of containerized cargo, mineral fertilizers in the Big Port of saint-Petersburg



significantly influenced the dry cargo transhipment volume of the North-West Basin and the volumes of bulk and general cargoes in the port of Kaliningrad. On the whole, cargo turnover of the Big Port of Saint-Petersburg decreased by 19% (to 41.9 million tons), of the port of Kaliningrad - by 23.2% (to 10.0 million tons). The port of Primorsk cargo turnover increased by 5.5% (65.9 million tons), of the port of Murmansk - by 32.9% (to 31.3 million tons), of the port of Ust-Luga - by 47.5% (to 8.2 million tons), the port of Vysotsk – by 9.8% (to 14.7 million tons). The ports of Southern Basin increased their cargo turnover by 13.1% (up to 150.1 million tons), including dry cargo – 53.4 million tons (+28.6%), liquid bulk cargo – 96.7 million tons (+6.1%). Operators of Novorossiisk maritime terminals handled over 102.5 million tons (+9.1%). Tuapse cargo turnover decreased and amounted to 15.4 million tons (-5.5%). The ports of the Far East operated 76.3 million tons (+12.2%), including 49.2 million tons (+4.2%) of dry cargo and 27.1 million tons (+30.2%) of liquid bulk cargo. The companies of Vostochny port reduced their cargo turnover by 7.0% (15.9 million tons); of the port of Vladivostok - by 1% (12.8 million tons). Vanino port cargo turnover increased by 13.0% (up to 19.7 million tons), port of Nakhodka cargo turnover by 1.9% (to 13.2 million tons) as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Association of Sea Commercial Ports (ASOP) set up in 1987 unites over 50 organizations and enterprises of Russia’s maritime transport. ASOP comprises commercial seaports, forwarding and agency companies, scientific research institutes and marine educational institutions. Information on results of work of Russian port complex are made on the basis of statistical reporting and cover all the stevedoring companies operating in the territory of RF. Source: PortNews

PLANCIUS CHRISTENED

Last Friday the PLANCIUS (former Hr.Ms. Tydeman) was christened in the port of Flushing as can be seen at the photos

Photo’s : Huib Lievense (c)



Danish Ocean Carrier DFDS Profit Drops DFDS' Q3 financial performance was better than expected at the half-year. CEO Niels Smedegaard explains - Especially in our two largest business areas, Ro-Ro Shipping and Passenger Shipping, we achieved higher revenues than predicted at the end of H1. We also managed, through the many adjustments we have implemented, to keep operating and fi-nancing costs lower than expected, and in combination this produced a better than expected quarterly result. However, it must be stressed that market conditions are still very difficult, and we anticipate a challenging fourth quarter. It is not our impression that a recovery is around the corner and many customers and business partners are still facing a lot of pressure. This also means that we are still exposed to counterparty risk, e.g. in connection with chartered out tonnage. Concerning the profit expectation for 2009, Niels Smedegaard comments - Due to extra costs related primarily to tonnage in Q4, we maintain our forecast of a zero result for 2009. DFDS continues to pursue all relevant opportunities to strengthen its long-term market position. The rate of decline in freight volumes continued to slow down in Q3 compared with the same period in 2008. This trend has continued into Q4 with freight volumes expected to approach 2008 levels. The freight market has thus been stabilised on the demand side, although volumes for the whole year are expected to be down by around 15%. Most freight-shipping companies has during the year reduced capacity, but not on a scale corre-sponding to the decline in demand. As a consequence, the freight market will also in the coming quarters be impacted by overcapacity. This will continue to exert a certain degree of pressure on freight rates, albeit with variations between market areas. In Q3, the passenger market again showed that it is, on the whole, less affected by the economic slow-down. The overall market trend is, nevertheless, declin-ing and most passenger markets are burdened by over-capacity. After the close of the high season price compe-tition has intensified considerably.

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

The above seen SVEA STAR which was built as the FREEPORT I during 1968 by Orenstein-Koppel und Lübecker Machinenbau, Lübeck, for the Miami Terminal Transport Co (Freeport Cruise Line), running between Miami-Freeport.

She was renamed Freeport I soon after delivery. In 1973, she was sold to Oy Birka Line Ab, Mariehamn, and renamed Freeport for cruises between Stockholm-Helsinki. Later the same year, Freeport was sold again to

Stockholms Rederi AB Svea, for the Trave-Line service Helsingborg-Tuborg (Copenhagen)-Travemünde as Svea Star.In 1976 she was sold to Bremer Schiffahrts for a summer car ferry service between Portland (USA) and Yarmouth (Canada). In winter she was chartered to Commodore Cruise Line for Caribbean cruises. In 1981 she was renamed

Caribe Bremen, before being sold to Caribe Bremen, she was sold to Scandinavian World Cruises as the Scandinavian Sun for a Miami-Freeport service. She was chartered to SeaEscape Cruises in 1985, followed by

purchase in 1988. In 1992, Scandinavian Sun was sold to Belle Meade Shipping, and renamed Balanga Queen for



the Corona Line between Karlskrona-Gdynia. In 1994 Balanga Queen was chartered to Hansatee, Tallinn, Estonia, and used on a Tallink route Tallinn-Helsinki-Tallinn-Travemünde. The same year, she returned to the Caribbean as

Discovery Sun for Discovery Cruises. Photo : Coll. Kees van Huisstede (c) – Source : Simplonpc

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