daily collection of maritime press clippings 2009 – 296 · 2009. 10. 28. · number 296 ***...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 296

Distribution : daily 10725+ copies worldwide 27-10-2009 Page 1

Number 296 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 27-10-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

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Above seen the 2009 built BHS flag cruise liner SEABOURN ODYSSEY leaving Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time. Local Agents were Mifsud Brothers Ltd.

Left seen the forward “romantic” spa pool onboard the vessel located on the bow

Photo : Cpt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com (c)



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DUURTEST NIEUWE KNRM REDDINGBOOT GESLAAGD

Afgelopen donderdagmorgen 22 oktober vertrok de nieuwe reddingboot “PBUA” ( de laatste uit de ARIE VISSER serie) bestemd voor het KNRM station Stellendam vanuit Ijmuiden naar Breskens, waar gegeten werd. Vanuit Breskens werd aan de overtocht begonnen, richting monding Thames. Deze duurtest is bedoeld om de reddingboot ook te testen op een langdurige inzet. Op de Thames werden schipper en bemanning opgewacht door de RNLI die hen een stuk de Thames op begeleide. Later werden ze opgewacht door RNLI station Tower (Tower Bridge) die hen tot hartje Londen begeleide en waar ze een ligplek aan het steiger van de RNLI kregen. De volgende morgen weer vroeg op, weer retour richting Ijmuiden waar de reddingboot vrijdagmiddag 23 oktober, eind van de middag, weer aanmeerde. De duurtest van de nieuwe reddingboot voor station Stellendam is zonder problemen



verlopen. De boot heeft zich uitstekend gedragen en ook geen enkel probleem heeft zich voorgedaan. In Ymuiden zullen nog enkele kleine dingen worden gedaan en daarna zal de reddingboot naar verwachting woensdag in Stellendam arriveren. Hierna volgt op zaterdag 7 november de doop waarbij tevens officieel de naam van deze nieuwe reddingboot bekend zal worden gemaakt . Text / foto : Arnold Keizer (c)

BW, SKS sued The family of a petroleum inspector who died during a ship-to-ship transfer off California has sued KG Jebsen's SKS OBO & Tankers and BW Shipping. Mary Ann Agas, the widow of crewman Reynaldo Agas, filed the lawsuit in a state court in Los Angeles on behalf of her children. It charges wrongful death under the Jones Act and legal unseaworthiness as defined by the US Death on the High Seas Act. The lawsuit also names Reynaldo Agas' employer, Core Laboratories inspections subsidiary Saybolt. Core Laboratories has moved the lawsuit to federal court and is now asking a judge to dismiss the company from the case for lack of a valid claim against it. As TradeWinds reported in April, the 40-year-old senior inspector plunged to the sea during a transfer between two products tankers, BW's 76,600-dwt BW Thames (built 2008) and SKS's 159,400-dwt SKS Sinni (built 2003). Representatives of the two ships' owners could not be immediately reached for this story. The lawsuit says Agas was being moved from the SKS Sinni to the BW Thames for a routine petroleum-transfer inspection. The crane cable system then "catastrophically failed," sending the transfer net into the waters off San Diego, according to the allegations. "The weight of the Billy Pugh Personnel Transfer Net dragged decedent underwater to the Pacific Ocean's floor," the lawsuit filed by law firm Girardi Keese said. Agas' body was never found, and he is presumed to have drowned. The court documents claim that the man's family was completely dependent upon him for support. Core Laboratories argues that Agas was not a crewman, so his family is limited to receiving workers compensation benefits under the Longshore and Harbour Workers Compensation Act. The Marshall Islands-flagged SKS Sinni is one of 12 ore-bulk-oil carriers (OBOs) and eight tankers in the fleet of Norwegian-controlled SKS. The DNV classed ship has protection-and-indemnity insurance from Standard P&I Club. The BW Thames, meanwhile, is among 104 tankers and bulkers in the fleet of Singapore-based BW Shipping. Classed by DNV and Singaporean-flagged, the tanker has P&I cover from North of England. Source : Tradewinds

10 Tonnes Of Cocaine Found In Submarine Off Guatemala

U.S. and Guatemalan authorities captured a makeshift submarine loaded with an estimated 10 tonnes of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean off Guatemala, Guatemalan police said last Thursday. Four men aboard the vessel -- three Colombians and a Mexican -- were arrested when it was detained Wednesday night by U.S. anti-drug agents and the Guatemalan Coast Guard some 175 miles (282 km) off Guatemala's Pacific Coast. If the size of the seizure is confirmed, it would be the largest ever drug bust in Guatemala, which is becoming an important transit point for illegal drugs moved north by powerful Mexican trafficking cartels. Drug gangs operate with impunity in the jungles of northern Guatemala, where they receive shipments of South American cocaine and ship them across the border into Mexico. Mexico's drug cartels have been moving into neighbouring Guatemala as they seek to secure supply lines amid a brutal struggle for territory in Mexico that has claimed some 14,500 lives in the nearly three years since President Felipe Calderon came to power and launched an army crackdown.



Anti-drug patrols in the waters around Central America have turned up at least two other large submarine-like vessels that can be as much as 59-feet (18 meters) long and carry sophisticated navigation equipment. The steel-and-fiberglass vessels run partially submerged in an attempt to evade radar.

Last week Thursday afternoon, 22-10-09, the luxury yacht MOON SAND was discharged from the containervessel MAERSK SAIGON by the sheerlegs GPS ATLAS and GPS APOLLO. The MAERSK SAIGON was berthed at the entrance of the Beneluxharbour (Elbeharbour). The yacht was taken by the sheerlegs and the tug ZEEPIA to the

Europaharbour. Soon thereafter the MAERSK SAIGON left for Port Said. Photo : Jan Oosterboer (c)

Foreign ship with timber seeks refuge in Quezon

A China-bound foreign ship loaded with timber dropped anchor off the island town of Patnanungan, Quezon, last Thursday and has been there since, to escape the path of typhoon "Ramil" (international codename: Lupit), police said. An inspection conducted by the Philippine Navy and the Task Force Bantay Kalikasan (TFBK, Task Force Nature Watch) of the Quezon provincial government showed that the 8,621-tonnage Panama-registered ship MV Bao Feng V.09030 was found carrying round logs from the Solomon Island with an estimated volume of about 19,471.528 cubic meters.



Glenn Forbes, a TFBK staff member, said ship captain Jiang Zhifeng, a Chinese national, presented cargo documents to Philippine Navy authorities who found them to be in order and valid. The ship's destination is Yangzhou, China. Quoting the ship captain, Forbes said the ship, with 24 crewmen, was forced to seek shelter in the territorial waters off Patnanungan, some two kilometers from the island town, to avoid Ramil. On Saturday, Insp. Jesus Erickson Polinag, Patnanungan police chief, reported the sighting of the foreign ship where it had been apparently immobilized for the past two days. A local police team aboard an outrigger boat went around the vessel where they saw the ship loaded with timber. Polinag said the Chinese-looking crewmen made no effort to establish any contact or coordinate with the police team. “The English-speaking ship skipper claimed that he was not aware that they needed to secure permits from Philippine authorities,” Forbes said over the phone Sunday. He said the cargo vessel was set to resume its voyage towards China on Monday (October 26). Lawyer Dennis Guerrero, Quezon provincial legal officer and TFBK head, urged maritime authorities to coordinate with other government agencies to intensify sea-borne patrol in the seas off Polilio group of islands facing the Pacific Ocean to thwart any smuggling attempt. The Polilio island group is located 30 kilometers off the northeastern coast of Quezon province. It is composed of 27 islands and islets belonging to five towns: Polilio, Burdeos and Panukulan, which occupy the mainland, and the island towns of Patnanungan and Jomalig. The area had been known as a haven of smuggling operations in the '70s and lately, as drop-points of illegal drugs by international drug syndicates. In 2001, government forces seized an estimated 498 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, more popularly known as “shabu,” while being transported along the highway in northern Quezon aboard the municipal ambulance of Panukulan. Former town mayor Ronnie T. Mitra and three others acting as escorts were arrested, tried and convicted. The haul was packaged in ready-to-sell one kilo packs and had an estimated street price of P1 billion. According to the 2007 census, Patnanungan has a population of 12,825 people. Source : Inquirer Southern Luzon

Marine insurers' loss ratio seen spiking in 2009

Rise in piracy and slump in global trade values to blame, says IUMI, Marine insurers' claims losses relative to total earned premiums are set to soar in 2009 because of piracy and the slump in global trade values, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) said. Global marine premiums will probably drop further this year after falling 3.6 per cent to approximately US$22.9 billion in 2008, the union said in a report on global marine insurance last month. 'A decline in premium volumes has a direct impact on the bottom line underwriting profit,' Deirdre Littlefield, IUMI's president, said in an e-mail. Some calculations 'indicate a potential for an alarming increase in loss ratio'. The economic slowdown and a drop in demand for shipping have caused a glut of vessels. About 9 per cent of the global containership fleet sat idle in October, up from 8.9 per



cent in September, according to Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit, a maritime information provider that is part of Informa plc, the UK publisher of Lloyd's List. 'The increase in the number of vessels scrapped and sitting idle reduces the available premium income for hull underwriters around the world,' said Ms Littlefield. The global loss ratio for cargo insurance, the ratio of claims versus premiums, has been increasing for the past few years, IUMI said last month. 'If claims levels remain the same or increase in 2009-2010, the reduction in premium income will push the cargo-loss ratios even higher,' said Ms Littlefield. The loss ratio is different from an insurer's combined ratio, which compares losses and expenses versus premiums. At the same time, capacity in the marine insurance market has remained constant, raising concern that 'no dramatic price rises are imminent', insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd said in its October Marine Review. The average loss ratio in marine insurance is about 60 per cent, according to Reto Frei, the head of transport insurance at Baloise Holding AG, the third largest Swiss insurer. Global piracy attacks so far this year exceeded the total for 2008 after a surge in incidents off the coast of Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau said on Oct 21. 'Piracy is an issue that impacts free trade and has direct implications for vessel operators and their crews, cargo owners and marine insurers,' said Ms Littlefield. The cost of piracy insurance has risen by as much as 100 per cent after attacks on ships off the Horn of Africa surged, insurance broker Marsh said in June. Source : Bloomberg

The HS CHOPIN seen anchored off Felixstowe - Photo : Cornelia Klier ©

DNV signs two classes of general agreements with CCS

DNV has recently signed a dual class general agreement with China Classification Society, a further step forward on cooperation with the local class society. DNV and China Classification Society (CCS) have entered into this dual class general agreement for further development of quality services provided by common services of DNV and CCS to customers both during ship new building phase and ship in operation phase. The agreement was signed by DNV CEO Henrik Madsen and CCS President Li Kejun in Beijing on 23 September 2009.



The dual class agreement defined the framework and provisions for the cooperation between DNV and CCS in relations to the joint offering of a customer friendly full scope dual class scheme. It includes five appendices specifying the services covering ship plan approval, ship new building site supervision, certification of materials and components for ship new building and ship in operation, surveys on ship during in operation and application of NPS as a tool for dual class activities. Currently, about 25 new building vessels on order are contracted to CCS/DNV dual class in addition to the existing vessels. Maritime Regional Manager Joerg Beiler, “I believe by this agreement we will provide better services to our customers, and thus will better support the Chinese maritime and offshore industries.” DNV started cooperation with CCS since 1970s and, ever since then, DNV and CCS have cooperated in a number of areas. In addition to dual class scheme, DNV and CCS established a joint venture company in Shanghai in 2007, the CCS/DNV Technology institute, providing research and laboratory services for the shipping and offshore industry. Currently, DNV and CCS are in close discussion and cooperation on topics such as environmental projection and offshore engineering. Source : The Motorship

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Lifeboat rescues injured seaman A CREW member aboard a survey ship had to be evacuated to hospital by the Amble lifeboat after suffering serious head injuries in heavy seas. A huge wave struck the vessel Fleur de Lys as it was working nine miles east of Amble Harbour, causing the casualty to fall out of his bunk at 5.45am on last Tuesday. The RNLI all-weather lifeboat, The Four Boys, was launched after volunteers were paged at the request of HM Coastguard. But despite making it to the Fleur de Lys, the three-metre swell made it too dangerous to try to transfer the injured man to the rescue vessel. Amble station spokesman John Fannon said: "Once on scene, it became obvious that it was too rough to transfer between the boats as it posed an unnecessary risk to the casualty, boats and crews. "Once the condition of the casualty was established as stable, it was decided that the best course of action was for the lifeboat to escort Fleur de Lys back to the safer waters of Amble Harbour for the transfer to take place. "The crewman was then passed to a waiting ambulance for transfer to hospital." Coxswain John Connell said: "It is well known that our volunteer crews are on call 24 hours a day for emergencies such as this and the crews are deliberately trained to cope with rough weather conditions with today proving just why it is necessary to do so. "We always assess the risks involved against the urgency of the situation and in today's example the prudent course of action was to bring the vessel away from the dangerous conditions until a transfer could take place with relative safety for all concerned." Source : Northumberland Gazette



Protesters demand release of hijacked Spanish crew

Hundreds of people on Friday rallied to demand the release of a Spanish trawler and its crew held hostage by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean for more than three weeks, reports said. Boats in the Basque port of Bermeo sounded their foghorns to signal the start of the demonstration in support of the crew and their families who come from the region, the reports said. Pirates seized the Alakrana, a tuna trawler, and its 36-member crew who include 16 Spaniards, as well as Asians and Africans, on October 2. Spanish negotiators are trying to obtain their release. The captors are demanding four million dollars (2.6 million euros) ransom as well as the freeing of two suspected pirates being held in Spain. Source : Ecoterra

The Superfast VI seen in the Corfu Channel – Photo : Jasper Van Raemdonck ©

Nigeria maritime 90% foreign-owned Foreigners control more than 90 percent of maritime business in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa's second largest economy, a senior industry official said Thursday. Despite its huge population of 140 million, and over 850 kilometres of coastline, only 1 388 officers and ratings appear on the country's registers, the managing director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Nimasa), Raymond Omatseye, told reporters. Ghana, with less than 20% of the size of Nigeria's population, and a shorter 539-kilometre coastline, has nearly 9 000 officers and ratings, said the Nimasa boss. He said seafarers from Malaysia, Philippines and India working on Nigerian waters take home around $1.5-billion each year because of the absence of skilled mariners in the country. He spoke as



he sent off 27 Nigerian sailors for a three-year training programme in India, part of the government's plan to train 5000 mariners in coming years. Source : moneybiz.co.za

Piracy – Somali pirates get busy Somali pirates appear to be making up for lost time, following the monsoon season which caused a reduction in the number of attacks on shipping off the Somali coast. Since their successful capture of the Chinese bulker DE XIN HAI, reported in these columns last week, pirates have launched an unsuccessful attack on the Italian Ro-Ro vessel JOLLY ROSSO, sailing from South Africa for Italy via the Red Sea, and the Panamanian-flagged bulker AL KHALIZ which they seized along with the crew of 26 – of whom two are Burmese and the balance Indians. Jolly Rosso managed to make good its escape by some smart manoeuvering and increase of speed, despite being fired on with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. The ship was some 400 miles east of Mombasa at the time of the attack. In the case of the Al Khaliq the bulk vessel was sailing in waters about 180 miles off the Seychelles when pirates in two skiffs came storming on board. A maritime air patrol carried out after the attack confirmed that at least six pirates were in control of the ship, with one of the skiffs already taken on board the ship using the vessel’s own gear. There are no reports of any injuries from either ship. Meanwhile the seized Chinese bulker De Xin Hai which was captured last week en route from Richards Bay to India with a cargo of coal, has arrived off the Somali coast near Hobyo. Chinese sources report the ship has ample water and supplies and fuel for one month. In response to the latest attacks Seychelles President James Michel says he will send troops to the outer islands to help deter the pirates who are now operating closer to the Seychelles. The island country has also called for international assistance to counter piracy in its waters. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) reports that 50% of pirate attacks on ships in Nigerian waters go unreported. The ICC says it has received reports from external sources saying that many attacks are never reported and also that the use of firearms has increased Source : ports.co.za

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EU gets tough on ship dismantling



The EU environment ministers have adopted the Council’s conclusions regarding the Commission Strategy on Ship Recycling. This could lead to a legislative proposal to ensure that ships with a strong link to the EU in terms of flag or ownership are dismantled only in safe and environmentally sound facilities worldwide. It is good news that the EU has adopted the Council's conclusions on ship recycling as the EU is a key actor in the shipping industry. This shows that the EU is taking the issue very seriously and that methods that are safe for the environment and for workers can be promoted, said the Swedish Minister for the Environment, Andreas Carlgren, after meeting of the Environment Council in Luxembourg on October 21. Source : ShipGaz

Crew throws stowaways overboard A Congolese man drowned and three others had to be rescued after they were thrown overboard by the crew of a ship on which they were clandestine passengers, DR Congo authorities said on Friday. The Panamanian-flagged ship, Island of Luc, arrived on Monday at the river port of Matadi, but the crew lacked all the necessary documents to unload its cargo of rice, so they were asked to drop anchor clear of the port. The four stowaways were thrown overboard as the boat made its way back downstream on the Congo River to the Atlantic, according to the UN's Radio Okapi and DR Congo officials. "They were reportedly beaten up before being thrown into the water with an empty five-litre canister tied to each body to help them to float," the interior minister of the western Bas-Congo Province, David Kuku di Mayeye, told AFP. "The Congolese naval force was able to save three of them, but we found Thursday the body of the fourth," Kuku di Mayeye said, adding that the crew of the Island of Luc consisted of Ukrainians and Filipinos. The ship was subsequently blocked at Matadi port and the crew have been arrested, according to port authorities, who said a judicial enquiry has been opened into the affair. Source : news24

The NEW CONFIDENCE seen anchored off Felixstowe Photo : Cornelia Klier (c)

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Tankers need grace period to meet sulphur rules

It will take at least one more year before all tankers can comply with the EU requirement of burning bunker fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 per cent in ports and at anchor. This requirement comes into force on 1 January 2010, but up to 2,500 tankers and 260 LNG carriers need to get their boilers adjusted before they can satisfy the new regulation. This was claimed by the international tanker organisations Intertanko and OCIMF at a meeting arranged by the European Maritime Safety Agency EMSA. The proposal for a one-year grace period and other safety related issues raised at the meeting will be forwarded to the EU Commission for consideration Source : ShipGaz

Jumbo’s STELLA PRIMA seen outward bound from Rotterdam Photo : Peter Voogt (c)

CASUALTY REPORTING

Chinese ship collides with Belgian cargo vessel

A Belgian cargo vessel leaked oil into waters off northern China after a Chinese ship crashed into it at a refueling dock, a state news agency said Sunday. A Belgian cargo vessel leaked oil into waters off northern China after a Chinese ship crashed into it at a refueling dock, a state news agency said Sunday.



The Belgian ship, "Lowlands Prosperity," was docked late Saturday at the Caofeidian port, a steelmaking and energy base in northeastern Hebei province, near Beijing, when a Chinese oil supplying ship hit the vessel's stern, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The 290-meter-long Belgian vessel had planned to unload and refuel when the Chinese fuel supplier, "Jinyou No. 1," crashed into it and damaged its hull, causing an oil leak. The extent of the oil leak was not immediately clear, but Xinhua cited workers as saying it was temporarily under control. The provincial maritime department dispatched workers and ships to the site but a thick fog hindered cleanup operations Sunday, Xinhua said. Source : Xinhua

NAVY NEWS PAC to debate tainted Scorpene

submarine deal Parliament's Public Accounts Committee is scheduled to take up the alleged financial "advantage" given to a French company while concluding the Rs 18,798-crore Scorpene submarine deal. The Committee, at its meeting on Tuesday, would go into the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General relating to "undue favour to vendor in acquisition of submarine," Parliament sources said. Defence Ministry officials would also give oral evidence on the issue before the Committee, headed by expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh. Bogged down by kickback charges, the Scorpene submarine deal came under criticism from the CAG for the delay involved and the financial "advantage" given to the French company. In its audit report tabled in Parliament in July, the CAG came down heavily on the Defence Ministry for the nine-year delay in concluding the contract. It also slammed the "undue financial advantage" shown to the French company, which hiked the price by Rs 2,838 crore despite the vessel's design being unproven. The CAG report for 2008 had said Indian Navy's projected requirement for a submarine fleet was approved in 1997, but the contract with Armaris, a joint venture of DCN and Thales, was done only in October 2005. The CAG had noted that the project to construct six Scorpenes at Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) had already slipped two years behind schedule, though the delivery of the submarines was fixed between 2012 and 2017. "The contractual provisions resulted in undue financial advantage to the vendor of a minimum of Rs 349 crore, besides other unquantifiable benefits," the report had said. India also extended to the vendor "wide ranging concessions" on warranty, performance bank guarantee, escalation formula, arbitration clause, liquidated damages, agency commission and performance parameters, it added.



The Committee is also expected to look into the performance audit report relating to the Midday Meal Scheme and listen to the oral evidence from officials of the Ministry of Human Resource Department. The BJP and its ally Shiv Sena had boycotted the first meeting of the PAC in September and asked Jaswant Singh to quit the post. But Singh has refused to put in his papers. BJP faced an embarrassing situation when Singh rejected its request to step down from the post after he was expelled from the party on August 19 following controversy over his book on MA Jinnah. As per rules, he cannot be removed unless the Speaker finds him unable to discharge his duties. Source : Zeenews

Navy has successful Trident II D5 launch A U.S. Navy submarine has successfully launched two unarmed ballistic missiles while submerged in the Atlantic Ocean as part of a weapons system evaluation. The two Lockheed Martin-built Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missiles were successfully launched from the Navy's USS West Virginia as part of a regular safety and reliability check on the strategic weapons technology. Lockheed Martin says since 1989 the Trident II D5 has had 129 consecutive successful test flights. "These successful missile tests again demonstrate the readiness and reliability of the entire Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon System," Melanie Sloane, Lockheed Martin Space Systems vice president of fleet ballistic missile programs, said in a statement. "The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs achieves sustained performance through close government and industry partnerships."

Wreck of a Submarine Found Close to Hiiumaa

While the Swedish marine survey company Marin Matteknik was patrolling the Baltic sea, the wreck of a submarine belonging to the British army that sank in Estonian waters during WWI has been found near Hiiumaa, the second biggest Estonian island in the South-Western coast. Spokesperson of the company, Ola Oskarson said that being the wreck in International waters, it has to be considered as a United Kingdom. The submarine was originally sent with the purpose of helping the support the Russian navy in attempt for stopping the German shipment of iron from Sweden and sank with 33 members of the crew inside. Source : Estonian Free Press

Victim identified in helicopter crash on Navy ship

Military officials have identified the soldier killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a Navy ship during training off the Virginia coast. A statement by Fort Bragg on Sunday said 29-year-old Army Staff Sgt. James R. Stright of Libby, Mont., was killed Thursday night. Stright was assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) headquartered at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. A Navy spokesman said service members were rappelling down a rope from the helicopter to the USNS Arctic when the helicopter crashed into the ship's stern. The aircraft ended up on its side. Stright is survived by his parents, Robert N. and Kathy Stright, of Libby, Mont. Source : Google

Greece and Germany close to sub agreement



Greece and Germany appear set to make some headway in solving a long-running dispute over the delivery of four submarines but the fate of a shipyard west of Athens remains in doubt following a high-level meeting yesterday. Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos held talks with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems CEO Hans Christoph Atzpodien yesterday in a bid to resolve the issue of the outstanding submarine order, which has weighed heavily on Greek-German relations in recent years. Greece has identified technical problems with the Type 214 diesel-electric submarine, manufactured by ThyssenKrupp, as being the reason for not accepting delivery of the four vessels that it ordered between 2001 and 2005. The first submarine, dubbed Papanikolis, has been docked in Kiel since 2006. There was an agreement to build three of the submarines and refurbish another three at Hellenic Shipyards, west of Athens. Sources said that ThyssenKrupp appears determined to quit its involvement in the shipyards as early as next month, despite government concerns about the job losses that this might cause. There were, however, discussions between the two sides about how some private involvement in the shipyards could continue. Venizelos and Atzpodien are also said to have reached an agreement on the first submarine. An unidentified third country is reported to be interested in buying the vessel and the two sides have agreed that selling it would be the best way out of the current impasse. The two men reportedly agreed that if the technical problems are ironed out, Greece will accept delivery of the remaining three submarines. Source : ekathimerini

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USS City of Corpus Christi Arrives in Laem Chabang

USS City Of Corpus Christi (SSN 705), one of the U.S. Navy's three forward deployed fast attack nuclear powered submarines, arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand on Oct. 24 for a scheduled port visit. "Thailand is a key partner in the Western Pacific region, and we look forward to this opportunity to meet with our allies in the Thai Navy, exchange ideas, and build



fellowship during our visit," said Cmdr. Rob Gaucher, commanding officer, USS City of Corpus Christi. "We are also very excited to experience the great hospitality and culture of the Pattaya area." While visiting Laem Chabang, City of Corpus Christi Sailors will support a local Habitat for Humanity house building project, bring gifts to the Pattaya orphanage, participate in a soccer game at Asia University, and host several tours for local officials and military representatives on board the submarine. "Our presence furthers the U.S. – Thai bond built during Exercises Cobra Gold and CARAT and demonstrates our mutual commitment to regional peace, security, and stability," Gaucher added. City Of Corpus Christi was the second of three Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine forward deployed to the island of Guam and the first to be modernized in theater when the submarine was outfitted with the latest sonar, navigation and weapons control systems in the United States Submarine Force. City of Corpus Christi is capable of conducting anti-surface and anti-submarine operations along with guided missile strike operations using conventional Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles.

HMAS STUART FAREWELLED Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, has farewelled Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigate, HMAS Stuart, from her homeport of Garden Island in Sydney, as she departs for a six-month deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations. Stuart's Ship's Company of 185 men and women were farewelled in traditional ceremony by the Minister and the Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore, AM, CSC, RAN, alongside family and friends. Stuart will be stationed in the Gulf as part of Operation Slipper – the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to international campaigns against terrorism, countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and aiding maritime security. This is the third time that Stuart has been deployed to the Gulf, with the frigate's departure marking the Navy's 22nd rotation since September 2001. HMAS Stuart will replace HMAS Toowoomba. Mr Combet congratulated Commanding Officer HMAS Stuart, Commander Andrew Masters, for the ship's lengthy and rigorous training program in preparation for the task. "Stuart is well prepared and ready for the important job before them. I congratulate the Ship's Company for their commitment in building upon the outstanding reputation of the Australian Defence Force in the Middle East," Mr Combet said. "I thank the families and friends of the personnel deploying to the Middle East for their ongoing support and wish those deployed on Operation Slipper continued success and ongoing safety." Source : Gary Luxton

SHIPYARD NEWS MOL signs contract with Jiangsu

Shagang Group Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced that the company became the first overseas shipowner to sign a long-term iron ore transport contract with Jiangsu Shagang Group Co., Ltd. of China. The 10-year voyage contract requires MOL to transport iron ore from Australia/Brazil to Jiangsu’s Shagang berth at Zhangjiagang Port. A 207,000 dwt iron ore carrier, to be constructed at the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation for the contract, is scheduled for completion in late 2011. The newbuilding will measure 299.7m long, 50m wide and have a draught of 18.2m. Founded in 1975, Jiangsu Shagang is one of China’s leading steelmakers and is one of the largest private steelmakers. In 2008, its annual ore production was 23.3 million tonnes, and its annual iron ore imports (from Brazil, Australia, etc.) were 16.34 million tonnes Source : The Motorship



The PERNAS BUTANE seen moored at the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore Photo : Piet Sinke (c)

NEW WHEELHOUSE FOR BRUINVISCH

Laste week Thursday (October 22nd) the new “teak” wheelhouse was installed at the historic salvage vessel "Bruinvisch" at the De Haas Shipyard in Maassluis



The wheelhouse is sponsored by several companies located in Maasland Photo’s : Peter.v.d.Hoff (c)

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

Shipping company files for bankruptcy The Danish company shipbroker C.J. Helt & Co., based in Svendborg, has filed for bankruptcy. The Company was managing five ships, one of which is 100 percent owned, while it is part owner in the others. To the liquidator of the estate is appointed lawyer Susanne Bundgaard Moller. She told local newspaper Fyns Amts Avis, that C.J. Helt & Co. also during the crisis has been extremely well run, but the dramatically low freight markets have been impossible to cope with. The ships in the fleet are Lis Weber, Dantic, Nortic, Celica" and Skantis.Nortic" is laid-up in Marstal. The company, that employed the two owners, one ship broker and an trainee, has been run by Randi Helt and her daughter Birgitte.



C.J. Helt & Co.. The Company was managing five ships, one of which is 100 percent owned, while it is part owner in the others, local newspaper Fyns Amts Avis told. Source: maritimedanmark.dk

The 1982 built NLD diving support ship VOS SYMPATHY entering Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time on Saturday 24th October, 2009.


EW reefer sold An Eastwind Maritime reefer is said to have been purchased for $2.8m at a UK auction. Brokers said Friday that Chinese interests have purchased the 312,000-cbf EW Snowdon (ex-EW Pindos, built 1984). The Samsung-built vessel was auctioned Tuesday in Hull. The reefer is one of a series of Eastwind Maritime vessels to hit the auction after the New York-based owner filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in June. The company had a fleet of more than 70 reefers, bulkers, tankers, containerships and other vessels when it collapsed. The ship was among vessels held for collateral in loans to Japan's Aozora Bank, which struck a deal with Eastwind's court appointed trustee that allowed it to arrest and auction some of Eastwind's fleet. Perhaps the next Eastwind Maritime ship to go under the hammer is the 28,000-dwt Yosemite (built 1985). The Naikai-built lumber carrier is under arrest in the Canadian province of British Columbia. An auction will take place 30 October at the Vancouver Registry Office TradeWinds reports in today's print edition that two Eastwind Maritime chemical tankers have been purchased in a Singapore auction by Cook Islands-registered entity called Avana Investments. They are believed to be bound for demolition. Source : Tradewinds



A bulker with a very strange name was spotted in Leith, above seen the 177 mtr long 2008 built K&A SE discharging pipes on the Harbour berths - Photo : Iain Forsyth (c)

India get 1st international cruise from home port

MV Aquamarine luxury liner from Louis Cruises will sail from Kochi to Maldives and Sri Lanka for five months in the Indian ocean with a carrying capacity of 1200 passengers on board. Louis Cruises' CEO Oniel Khosa said, Aquamarine will operate for three days and two days to Maldives and Sri Lanka respectively during the period, which he said, was the most conducive time to cruise in the Indian Ocean. When asked about why the company chose Kochi as its home port, Khosa said the Kerala government was proactive in making the state a world class destination. "Besides the distance from Kochi to Colombo and Maldives was the shortest as compared to other ports like Goa and Mumbai as Indians are generally not inclined towards long sailing," he said. He also said the company expected over 60,000 travellers every year. With state-of-the-art amenities available on board, Aquamarine also has a mini golf course and a space for Cricket. Source : DNA India

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The GREATSHIP DHWANI seen sailing from OTP, Walker 24.10.09 heading for Aberdeen Photo : Kevin Blair (c)

SwetsODV doopt vloot om SwetsODV, toonaangevend in de flexibele arbeidsmarkt voor nautisch personeel, doopt per vandaag haar vloot om en maakt de nieuwe namen bekend van haar recentelijk verworven vloot van 11 werk- en patrouille schepen. SwetsODV heeft recentelijk Van Laar Scheepvaart en haar vloot overgenomen van Acta Marine Holding. De vloot zal per direct worden omgevormd naar de huisstijl van SwetsODV. De begeleidingsschepen behouden de RWS kleuren maar gaan wel onder de SwetsODV vlag varen. De veelzijdige vloot van goed uitgeruste werkschepen met geringe diepgang bestaat uit 9 communicatievaartuigen, 1 truckable workboat en 1 multicat. De nieuwe namen vinden hun oorsprong in de volksmond bekende namen van de schepen. De Jacoba 12 stond alom bekend als De Twaalf en er is voor gekozen om alle schepen uit de vloot een cijfer als scheepsnaam te geven. De schepen zullen omgedoopt worden tot: De Eén (ex Adelaar) De Zeven (ex Jacoba 7) De Twee (ex Albatros) De Acht (ex Swift) De Drie (ex Buffel) De Negen (ex Tarzan) De Vier (ex Jacoba 4) De Twaalf (ex Jacoba 12) De Vijf (ex Jacoba 5) De Dertien (ex Sara Maatje XIII) De Zes (ex Jacoba 6) Maurice Swets, eigenaar directeur, zal dinsdag 3 november om 16.00 uur, op de openingsdag van Europort 2009, op de stand van SwetsODV (standnummer 6.800, Hal 6) symbolisch de vloot omdopen en een toast uitbrengen.



SwetsODV Nautisch Beheer beheert de vloot en zijn bemanning, welke met name worden ingezet op projecten in de sectoren waterbouwkundige infrastructuur en scheepvaartbegeleiding, zoals assistentie bij bagger- en waterbouwprojecten, Assistentie en supply diensten voor binnenwater, survey werkzaamheden,inleggen van zinkers , patrouillewerk, inspectie- en schouw werkzaamheden, verkeersbegeleiding en transport van personeel en bemanningen.

The Caballo as de Oros seen moored in the port of Delfzijl - Photo : Jack Blitterswijk (c)

MALINOSKI JOINS BISSO MARINE BISSO MARINE, a premier provider of energy and maritime support services, is pleased to announce the addition of Zachary Malinoski. Malinoski joins the company as manager of the Salvage Engineering and Naval Architecture Group. “Zach is a very talented salvage engineer with a broad experience range. His addition will further bolster the expert salvage capabilities of the company,” said President and Chief Executive Officer W.A. “Beau” Bisso IV. Malinoski graduated with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a bachelor of science degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. He also obtained a master of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Ocean Engineering and Civic-Environmental Engineering. Malinoski’s prior experience includes work as an engineer and deputy technical director for Sayres and Associates Corp. and Lockheed Martin. He also spent four years as a member of the Coast Guard’s Salvage Engineering Response Team, where he participated in salvage and emergency response operations in support of Coast Guard Sector Commanders.

Less airpollution from ships than expected

There are much less emissions of sulphur, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particles from ships than expected. This is the conclusion in a new investigation. Shipping were expected to count for 68 pct of the sulphur emissions, but in reality, shipping only counts for 37 pct. The new, and much lower numbers, is the result of a new investigation about ship's contribution to air pollution, produces by Danmarks Miljoundersogelser and the University of Aarhus, for the Partnership for Cleaner Shipping between the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and The Danish Shipowner's Association.



"The new investigation shows that shipping pollute the air in Denmark far less than expected - actually the assessment is that ship's contribution to sulphur pollution in Denmark now is half of, what has until now been expected", Troels Lund Poulsen, The minister of environment, says. The investigation is based on precise information of ship traffic in Danish waters, the ships' routes, the engine load, and emissions combined with advanced models of spreading of air pollution. Source: maritimedanmark.dk

Above seen the PAN flag research vessel GECO TRITON entering Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time on Friday 23rd October 2009.


ANGLO DUTCH SHIPBROKERS bvba

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WHO IS WHO

The new and very enthusiast tugspotter, Capt. Mike Bagley, Master of the ACERGY FALCON seen in action... Photo : Oddgeir Refvik ©

Thanks Capt. Mike for sending photos to the newsclippings, it is appreciated by the readers as you know.

Now you slowly understand taking photos of interesting ships is addictive !! I do know this because I am making ships photos for more then 45 years of (interesting) ships around the globe and never forget my camera because you

never know what you will see in and around the ports Thanks again and please keep on the good work !

Piet

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..



The Maasvlakte 2 seen “together” with the GEOPOTES 14. Photo : Frank Behling ©

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daily collection of maritime press clippings 2009 – 296 · 2009. 10. 28. · number 296 ***...

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