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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 051

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Number 051 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 22-02-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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The AIDAluna seen leaving the builders (Jos Meyer werft) building dock in Papenburg Photo : Jacob Versteeg ©

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HEAVYLIFT SEMINAR IN SINGAPORE A SUCCES

Last Friday Richard Krabbendam gave a Heavylift Seminar in the M-Hotel in Singapore, above seen a part of the participants who attended the very useful 1-day seminar

Ship hit by pirates twice, says captain A Panama-registered ship, the MV Powerful, came under attack twice in the Indian Ocean on the same day, its captain told a Mombasa court. Mr Gkiolmas Christos, who was testifying in a case in which eight suspected Somali pirates have been charged with piracy, said Wednesday that two skiffs, small boats usually attached to a ship, accosted his vessel in the Gulf of Aden at 7.15am on November 12 last year. “Each skiff had five armed people,” he told senior principal magistrate Lillian Mutende. He said when the attackers fired at his vessel, he activated the ship’s alarm system which alerts the anti-piracy centre in Malaysia. “I also sent a distress signal to coalition forces and other vessels,” said Mr Christos.



He added: “Soon after, a coalition forces helicopter arrived and the pirates fled.” He said at 12.15pm, he spotted two dhows, one with three skiffs and the other with one, trailing his ship. He said one of the dhows then gave chase. “Five armed people came alongside the ship in a skiff and they tried to hook a ladder to our rails but the person trying to attach it fell into the sea,” said Mr Christos. He said the attackers then left but stopped, probably to try and find their colleague who had fallen into the sea. Mr Christos said they sailed out of the Gulf of Aden with no further incidents. Eight suspected Somali pirates Said Mohamed Ahmed, Abdinasir Mohamed Said, Amin Osman Said, Ahmed Mohamed Omar, Feysal Ahmed Farah, Farah Said Yusuf, Hussein Mohamud Ismail and Abdi Hamud Kassim are alleged to have attempted to hijack the MV Powerful in November last year jointly with others not before court. Source : nation.co.ke

The General Cargo Ship Makiri Green (PoR Rotterdam), 11894 GT, at anchor at inner harbor of San Diego, CA. The vessel is managed by Holland Ship Services (CEC Shipmanagement NL BV). The vessel trades between the west coast

of the USA and the Far East. Photo : Wietze Gjaltema ©

'Exhausted sailors working 98 hour weeks' Exhausted sailors working 98 hour weeks are regularly falling asleep at the helm, turning their ships into "unguided missiles" which could cause a major disaster off the UK coast, an independent watchdog warns. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it was only a matter of time before a "catastrophic accident" took place in UK waters. It called on the Government to take immediate action to ensure that ships were properly manned. In its latest report, the MAIB cited the example of the cargo vessel Antari which ran aground on the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland in June last year. The officer of the watch, who was alone on duty, fell asleep for three hours and was only woken when the 88 metre vessel, carrying 2,360 tons of scrap, had beached itself. Nearly three quarters of the hull was damaged and dented, while the grounding had punctured the bottom of the ship.



The MAIB discovered that the officer had been working six hours on, six hours off for the previous three and a half months. He had fallen asleep in the wheelhouse almost as soon as he had taken over the watch shortly after midnight on a warm June 29 in calm seas. Stephen Meyer, chief inspector of the MAIB, said the unrelenting shift patterns were "as close to slavery that we have in the UK". He said: "People are working 98 hour weeks, week after week and they do not have a single night's sleep in that time. "They never get more than five hours and the cumulative effect is enormous." Mr Meyer said most of the recent accidents where a vessel had gone aground had not cause serious pollution or injury. "But it is only a matter of time until an unmanned ship travelling three hours across a main shipping channel - like an unguided missile - hits an oil tanker or a passenger ship and we are going to have a catastrophic accident." The MAIB said recommendations it made five years ago to try and prevent such incidents had been largely ignored. During that time, it has investigated nine other groundings, where in six of the cases the officer on the watch fell asleep. Mr Meyer called on the Government to put pressure on the International Maritime Organisation to review the issue of fatigue and manning on board ships as a matter of urgency. He said the Department of Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency must increase inspections on ships believed to be undermanned to prevent a tragedy in UK waters. In January 2007, the container ship Napoli grounded off the coast of Devon got into trouble because it was being sailed too fast, was overloaded and had a fundamental design flaw. Source : telegraph.co.uk

HAL’s Volendam seen in Picton New Zealand Photo : Karel Stompé ©

Marine Polluter Penalized $15k A Prince Edward Island provincial court judge has ordered the vessel BBC Nordland to pay a $15k penalty for illegally discharging a pollutant in Canadian waters. On February 22, 2008, the BBC Nordland, a Gibraltar registered General Dry Cargo vessel, that was docked at the Port of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, spilled approximately 300 litres of hydraulic oil during offloading operations.



As a result of the investigation carried out by Transport Canada, charges under the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for Dangerous Chemicals of the Canada Shipping Act were laid against the vessel in Prince Edward Island provincial court. The vessel pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal discharge of a pollutant in provincial court in Summerside, PEI and was subsequently fined $15k The penalty was divided evenly, with $5k going to the court, $5k to the Environmental Damages Fund and $5k to the University of Prince Edward Island biology department for marine research. John Baird, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, said Canada remains vigilant in bringing polluters to justice. "Canadians place a high priority on the protection of the natural environment and Transport Canada continues to send the message that pollution will not be tolerated," said Minister Baird.

N Korea releases Omsky-122 vessel of Russia Amur Shipping Co.

The Omsky-122 motor ship that was detained near the North Korean coast on Tuesday, has been released and is now sailing to Vladivostok, Director General of the Amur Shipping Joint-Stock Company Anatoly Galuzinsky told Itar-Tass on Thursday. North Korean coast guards detained the Omsky-122 ship near Cape Musudan in the territorial waters of North Korea. The vessel with heavy equipment on board was bound for Russia’s Primorsky Territory from the South Korean port Pusan. The ship entered the North Korean waters due to a storm. There was no communication with the ship’s crew for more than a day, the sailors’ fate was unknown. The incident was probably caused by the fact that a North Korean missile test range is located not far from the place where the Omsky-122 was detained. The vessel was released after all issues related to the incident were settled through diplomatic channels. Source : itar-tass.com



The OCEAN PROMISE seen moored in Kadikoy – Istanbul (Turkey) Photo : Els Kroon ©

Two sailors kidnapped in Malacca Strait Two sailors aboard a Singapore-managed tug and barge have been kidnapped by pirates in the Malacca Strait, sources said Friday. The tug and barge were attacked on the afternoon of February 19, a maritime source familiar with the incident told AFP.

"About 12 pirates armed with guns attacked the tug and barge and kidnapped two crew members as the vessel was en route to Singapore," he said, adding that the rest of the crew and the boat were not seized. The source, who declined to be named, said they did not know the nationality of the sailors nor whether negotiations to secure their release had begun. They said the attack occurred in the north of the Malacca Strait, a strategic waterway shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, confirmed the incident had taken place but declined to elaborate due to concerns over the safety of the kidnapped crew. "The IMB is concerned about this recent kidnapping. We hope this is not a start of more attacks to come. We hope regional authorities will beef up patrols," he said.

"We urge seafarers to be alert when plying the Malacca Strait." Until 2005 kidnappings of seafarers and vessels in the waterway was rampant, making it the world's top piracy hotspot. Large-scale Indonesian navy patrols successfully eliminated the bandits but there are concerns the effects of the global financial crisis could lead to a resurgence in piracy. More than 30 percent of world trade and half the world's oil shipments pass through the Malacca Strait.



China summons Russian ambassador over sinking of ship

China on Friday summoned the Russian ambassador to call for investigations into the sinking of a Chinese ship to be completed and further efforts to find the missing sailors, the government said.

The QUEEN VICTORIA seen moored in Sydney Photo : Nick Lampe ©

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Bergers van GPS Marine uit Sliedrecht zijn vrijdagmorgen begonnen met het bergen van het kolenschip Gaea van schipper Gerard van Winssen. Het schip zonk donderdagmorgen op de hoek van de Hartelhaven en de Mississippihaven. Het schip was geladen met 1550 ton kolen voor Bottrop. De Gaea had net zes weken op de werf gelegen voor onder meer een SI-keuring. GPS Marine begon vrijdagmorgen omstreeks acht uur met het lossen van het schip. Het kraanschip Novamente (66,52 x 9,50 meter) van baggerbedrijf P.T. Pols haalde de kolen uit het schip. De Novament heeft een hefvermogen van 32,8 ton. Maandag begint GPS Marine met een aantal bokken met het bergen van het schip.

50,000 oil and gas jobs at stake One eighth of all jobs of the world’s 400,000-strong workforce of the oil and gas industry could be in danger over the next two years, a report from FT.com has said. The industry is now urging governments to provide extra tax breaks in order to entice new investments. As it is, some major companies are putting a hold on some of their projects. Royal Dutch Shell for example has announced the delaying of the development of the Pierce field.



Malcom Webb, the CEO of Oil & Gas UK said that the industry was entering a period of adjustment. “It will come back again but we want to make sure that collateral damage to that infrastructure is not great,” he was quoted as saying by FT.com. He said that the company expected investments in 2009 to be lower than last year’s figure of US&6.86 billion, and that he expected the decline to be anything within the range of 6 and 27 percent. If investments shrank, it would then follow that jobs would be slashed and output would decrease. Source : Baird Online

Japan holds anti-piracy drill ahead of Somalia mission

Japan's naval defence force and coast guard held a joint drill Friday to prepare for the dispatch of two destroyers on an anti-piracy mission off Somalia next month, a defence official said. Last month the government put the pacifist nation's navy on standby for the mission, joining a coalition of countries that are sending ships to the Gulf of Aden area to fend off increasingly brazen pirate attacks. About 240 officers participated in the one-day drill off southern Hiroshima prefecture where a destroyer repelled a mock pirate ship from accosting a Japanese commercial vessel, the official told AFP. The drill included warning and repelling approaching pirates, and handing them over to coast guard officials for arrest, the official said. Prime Minister Taro Aso is expected to give the final order this month for the mission to protect Japanese-registered ships and foreign vessels carrying Japanese citizens or cargo. Japan's government is also considering a bill that would authorise Japan's Self-Defence Forces to protect ships from other nations, regardless of whether Japanese nationals are onboard. The conservative prime minister wants Japan to play a greater role in global security. US, European and Chinese vessels have all been sent to waters off Somalia, where pirates attacked more than 130 ships in 2008 alone. Attacks have led some shipping companies to avoid the route via the Suez Canal and, at greater cost, sail around Africa instead. Just last week Somali pirates released a Panama-flagged Japanese-owned ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden three months ago. Meanwhile, Tokyo has joined an international group supporting Somalia's peace process which may involve Japan offering financial assistance, a foreign ministry official said Friday. Japan will participate in a meeting organised by the International Contact Group next week "as Japanese problems related to Somalia have become urgent and concrete, as with the piracy case," said the official.

Singapore Addresses Fight Against Piracy The Singapore Ministry of Defence released the speech delivered by Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at a recent conference. He stated, among other things, that he expects piracy in the Straits of Malacca to increase due to the declining economic situation. He also announced the Singapore will be deploying a Landing Tank Ship with two helicopters to assist in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Source : Holland & Knight

Zeilmakers op auditie bij Bataviawerf Kandidaat-zeilmakers gaan zaterdag op auditie op de Bataviawerf in Lelystad. Volgens Lenie Engel van de werf mogen ze een dagje proefdraaien, terwijl ervaren zeilmakers bekijken of ze talent hebben. De getalenteerde kandidaten mogen over een tijdje meehelpen nieuwe zeilen te maken voor de replica van het VOC-schip de Batavia. De oude zeilen, waar vrijwilligers jarenlang aan werkten, gingen in oktober verloren bij een grote brand op de Bataviawerf. ,,Heel veel mensen hebben daarna aangegeven ons te willen helpen bij deze klus. Vijftig vrijwilligers hebben zich ook echt aangemeld. Die worden op drie zaterdagen beoordeeld.'' Pas als het verzekeringsgeld binnen is, kan het karwei beginnen.



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Sunken French battleship found Companies doing an underwater survey for a gas pipeline between Algeria and Italy say they have discovered a French battleship sunk by a German submarine in 1917.

They say the Danton is sitting upright under more than 1,000 yards (meters) of water on the Mediterranean seabed 22 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of the Italian island of Sardinia. The Danton sank with 296 sailors aboard during World War I. The announcement this week by the Fugro geosciences company and Galsi pipeline builder said the

battleship is in "remarkable" condition, with many of its gun turrets still intact. The companies say they are rerouting the pipeline to keep it far from the wreck.

Kustwacht voor de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba

Kustwacht onderschept go-fast met 50 kilo cocaïne aan boord De Kustwacht voor de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba heeft vannacht een go-fast met 50 kilo cocaïne onderschept. Op woensdag avond omstreeks 23.45 uur werd door een kustwacht eenheid aan de oostkust van Curaçao een verdachte vaartuig gesignaleerd. De Kustwachtcutter Jaguar lanceerde meteen de Rhib, de bijboot van de Jaguar, om het vaartuig te onderscheppen. In eerste instantie werd het verdachte vaartuig niet meer teruggevonden. Wel werden op het strand langs de kuststrook een aantal personen gesignaleerd. Deze personen werden door de Kustwacht aangehouden en overgebracht naar de Jaguar. Aanvankelijk werd gedacht dat het hier ging om een aanlanding van illegalen, echter bij controle van de goederen die de verdachte bij zich hadden bleken er 3 zakken te zitten met pakketten, gelijkend op verdovende middelen. Bij weging en controle bleek het te gaan om cocaïne met een bruto gewicht van 50 kilo. Bij nader onderzoek werd, later in de morgen, ook het verdachte vaartuig (verlaten) aangetroffen.De verdachten, drie mannen en twee vrouwen met Venezolaanse en Colombiaanse nationaliteit, zijn aangehouden. De go-fast en opvarenden zijn naar de kustwachtsteiger opgebracht. Hier werden de verdachten en de verdovende middelen overgedragen aan de douanerecherche die een nader onderzoek zal instellen. Het vaartuig is in beslag genomen.



CASUALTY REPORTING

The Panamian bulker Nancy seen February 15th in port of Nakhodka (Russia) encountering a heavy fire in superstructure and engine room

Photo : Russian Coast Guard ©

Dozens missing after ferry incident About 100 people were missing on Thursday after a ferry capsized in southern Bangladesh following a collision with a cargo vessel, police said. The ferry was carrying more than 150 passengers when it sank in Kirtonkhola river in Barisal district, nearly 170km from Dhaka. The body of one of the victims was found, while about 50 passengers were either rescued or managed to swim to safety, police officer Nuruzzaman Chowdhury said. He said the cargo vessel involved in the collision had been seized. "We are trying to locate the sunken ferry," Nuruzzaman said. Ferry accidents kill hundreds of people and leave many unaccounted for in Bangladesh every year, and families of the victims are not compensated. Officials said some of the passengers had boarded the launch on Thursday without buying tickets - something common across Bangladesh where many river accidents occur due to overloading and inexperience or negligence of the crew. Source : iol.co.za

Ships collide off Kagawa causing oil spill A Japanese container ship and a freighter collided early Friday morning off the coast here, causing an oil spill, local coast guard authorities said. The Sakaide Coast Guard Station said on Friday that the 499-ton "Takasago" container ship belonging to Imoto Lines in Kobe and the Panamanian-registered 7,382-ton "Marine Star" freighter ran into each



other at around 6:15 a.m. about 2.2 kilometers northeast of Kosei Island off Sakaide. The accident ripped a four-meter-long, 10-meter-wide hole in the freighter's stern and caused an oil spill. Local patrol vessels are cleaning up the spilled oil. There were five crewmembers aboard the Takasago, and 17 aboard the Marine Star, but there were no injuries. Although the Takasago managed to return to Sakaide Port after the collision, the freighter lost control due to the damage. According to the coast guard station, the right side of the Takasago's bow is believed to have collided with the stern of the Marine Star, which was carrying plywood boards from Sakaide Port to Marugame Port in Kagawa Prefecture. The Takasago was heading from Moji Port in Fukuoka Prefecture to Kobe. The coast guard station will investigate the accident in more detail after towing the Marine Star to Sakaide Port.

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The NRP Bartolomeu Dias (ex-HNLMS Van Nes) arriving at Portsmouth for a port visit 20 - 23 February. Photo : Gary Davies - www.maritimephotographic.co.uk ©



SCANTER radars selected for the French FREMM Program

The FREMM frigates are 137m in overall length and 19m wide with a displacement of 5,800t. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and DCNS have selected Terma to supply the SCANTER 2001 Navigation and Surveillance Radar to be fitted on the French Fregate Europeenne Multi-Missions (FREMM) Program. 14:52 GMT, February 17, 2009 Initiated in early 2008 and continuing until the summer of 2010, Terma is tasked with delivering two SCANTER 2001 radar systems in the newest version with 7´ antennas and SCANTER Tracking Units for each ship. One of the radar systems will be utilized primarily for navigation and surveillance, whereas the other radar system is to guide helicopters when landing on the frigates. The SCANTER 2001 radars were selected because of their high-tech quality and performance. Previously the SCANTER 2001 radar was selected for the UAE Navy Baynunah Missile Boats, the Singapore Delta Program (2004-06), the Swedish Visby Program, and the Danish Flexible Support Vessels. The FREMM Program comprises 17 sophisticated frigates for France. The first eight have been ordered, and construction has commenced with planned commission into the French navy in 2011. A second batch of nine units is expected to be ordered around 2013. The French Navy requires a modern fleet of multi-purpose frigates to perform a wide range of patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and land attack missions. Source : defpro.com

Russian warship returns to base after Mediterranean tour

The guided missile cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, has returned to the Sevastopol base in the Crimea after a tour in the Mediterranean Sea, a Navy spokesman said on Tuesday. The tour was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Messina earthquake and Russia's participation in international relief efforts. "The main purpose of the tour was the participation in international memorial events related to the 100th anniversary of efforts to rescue citizens of Messina following a devastating earthquake," the spokesman said. The Messina quake had an estimated magnitude 7.5 on the Richter scale and was followed by a tsunami that struck many coastal cities with 40-foot (12-meter) waves, causing more destruction. The earthquake and tsunami killed two-thirds of the city's 150,000 inhabitants at the time. In addition, the Moskva cruiser held on January 30 a day of drills with Italy's Andrea Doria destroyer in the Ionian Sea and the Strait of Messina. Moskva is a Slava-class missile cruiser designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-air and ASW capability. The sixteen SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable supersonic anti-ship missiles are mounted in four pairs on either side of the superstructure, giving the ship a distinctive appearance. Source : en.rian.ru



Hatteland Chosen for Navy Freedom Class Hatteland Display's Naval Multi Display (NMD), has been chosen for the US Navy Freedom Class LCS by Navantia, Spanish military ship building contractor. The Navantia system is an Electro-Optical (E-O) solution for the fire control system of the Freedom Class. It is a high-tech solution that is also selected by the American company Lockheed Martin. "We have worked closely with the Navantia R&D team in southern Spain, which has led to participation in various ship and submarine programs for local and export contracts," said Mehdi Bounoua, Manager Region South Europe, Hatteland Display. "As a result of this work, our new rugged NMD 20.1 inch display was selected by Navantia for its sophisticated combat system." The new NMD meets the requirements of MIL-S-901D, Grade A, Class I shock, eliminating the need for shock isolation in the rack or console, as well as Mil-Std-167-1, Mil-Std-461E, and Mil-Std-810F. It incorporates a high-contrast UXGA resolution liquid crystal display and has been designed as a drop in replacement for existing displays, and is therefore ideally suited to the demanding naval new-build or retrofit market. The Navantia system using the NMD will be equipped on the new Freedom class of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) in the US. These maneuverable ships, with semi-planing mono-hull design, capable of doing over 45 knots (83 km/h/52 mph) will operate in coastal areas. One of the ships, the 378 ft USS Freedom was commissioned Nov. 8, 2008 and will be home ported in San Diego where the new Hatteland Display USA office is located. It is expected to be deployed in 2012. "We have supplied mission critical C4 solutions for navies worldwide so the new NMD is a natural progression of this work," said Brede Qvigstad, Director - Naval & Defence, Hatteland Display. "It has all the qualifications, it meets the specifications, it has added value, it benefits from our unique in-house technology such as optical bonding and it will integrate with existing systems as well as new systems." Source : hatteland-display

Submarine makes 3am move into Faslane Peace activists have filmed a nuclear submarine being moved in the early hours of yesterday to the Faslane base in a secret operation. The vessel, believed to be the HMS Vanguard, which was dented after a collision with a French nuclear submarine in the Atlantic, was moved from the explosive handling jetty at Coulport on Loch Long to the naval base at Faslane on Gare Loch, Scottish CND said. It was filmed arriving at around 3am after being escorted by a convoy of tugs, military police boats, Royal Marine inflatables and helicopters hovering overhead after an operation which is thought to have started at around 8pm on Thursday. HMS Vanguard, one of the UK's four submarines that carry Trident missiles armed with up to 48 nuclear warheads, was in a collision with Le Triomphant on February 3 or 4 at an unknown location in the Atlantic. It has not been pictured since the accident. The Ministry of Defence has said very little about the damage to HMS Vanguard, other than to stress that there had been "no compromise to nuclear safety". A Navy spokesman yesterday refused to comment on the operation to move the submarine, saying it never discussed ship movements. However, John Ainslie, the co-ordinator of Scottish CND who filmed the submarine yesterday, said the MoD appeared to be trying to conceal the damaged vessel from the public. "This looks like an unprecedented operation to try to prevent the public from knowing what has happened. Either they are being paranoid or they are trying to hide the damage done to HMS Vanguard," he said.



Reports of the accident first appeared in the French media, but then after a leak to the British press, the collision was confirmed by the Ministry of Defence on Monday. Source : The Herald

Indian Nuclear Submarine Trials Planned for February

India is on track to launch sea trials this month of submarines intended to one day carry nuclear missiles, Asia Times reported New Delhi is courting French assistance to build five of the nuclear-powered Advanced Technology Vessels, a project that Russian technicians have already joined, according to defense sources. The fleet is scheduled to be fully deployed within three years, they said. India has already developed nuclear-capable missiles and military aircraft as part of a "triad" of nuclear capabilities. It is now working on its K-15 submarine-launched ballistic missile, which would be capable of delivering nuclear warheads If successful, New Delhi's decades-old effort to attain a sea-based nuclear-weapon capability would yield a key strategic asset, analysts said Source : Asia Times

France Assesses Damaged Submarine The French navy said it has continued to inspect its nuclear-armed submarine Le Triomphant for damage sustained when it collided with a British submarine earlier this month, Agence France-Presse reported. The submarine's sail planes and conning tower were damaged in the accident and repairing those components would require a protracted process, Ouest France reported. The navy said only that the vessel's sonar dome was dented. "There are investigations under way on the consequences of this event. ... Conclusions will be made at a later stage," navy spokesman Jerome Erulin said. He added that while it could take months to fix the vessel the accident had no effect on France's nuclear capability Source : Agence France-Presse

Not So Rare At All The recent collision between a British and French nuclear submarine is not as rare as most people think. Four years ago a U.S. SSN (nuclear attack sub) collided with an underwater mountain. The sub survived, but its sonar dome was smashed in, and one sailor died. The Golden Age of submarine collisions was during the Cold War (1948-91). Once Russia began building nuclear subs in the 1960s, and putting them to sea often and for long periods, there were lots of collisions. Well, about one every two years. Most involved at least one Russian boat. The problem was that the Russians had pretty poor sonar, so they were the equivalent of half blind under water. From the 1970s on, the U.S. has increasingly superior sonar compared to the Russians. This led to the more collisions involving Russian and U.S. boats. It also saw the invention, by the Russians, of the "Crazy Ivan" maneuver. This occurred when an American sub was stalking a Russian one (often an American SSN keeping tabs on a Russian SSBN). The U.S. boat would stay in the Russian subs "blind spot" (behind its propeller). But sometimes the Russians would suspect they were being stalked, or just wanted to make sure they were not, and would perform the "Crazy Ivan" maneuver, which involved upping speed and making a sharp turn. The U.S. sub would have to quickly get out of the way, or there would be, and sometimes was, a collision.



Most of the collisions during this period involved Russian subs bumping into other Russian subs, or inanimate objects (icebergs, oil rigs). Western boats had far fewer collisions because they had better sonar, and better trained and more experienced crews. Source : Strategy Page

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CECILIA LAUNCHED IN HOOGEZAND

Friday, February 20th., 2009 the christening and launching of the newbuilding 772 took place at Bodewes Shipyards, Yard Jachtwijk, in Hoogezand, The Netherlands

Godmother of the vessel was Mrs. Geke van der Wal, spouse of Mr. Max van den Berg who is the Queen’s

Commissioner for the province of Groningen.

The CECILIA, a muti purpose dry cargo ship of 7575 DWT, is planned to be delivered in March 2009 to Reederei Erwin Strahlmann from Germany.

Photo : Marius Esman ©



STX Shipbuilding's Oil-tankers Nominated as World's Best Ships

Two oil carriers constructed by STX Shipbuilding were opted as “Significant Ships of 2008” by the world’s most renowned marine engineering research institute. “Significant Ships” is a publication annually printed by the British “The Royal Institution of Naval Architect” and its February issue stated two of STX Shipbuilding’s oil-tankers as Significant Ships of 2008. The two spotlighted ships constructed last year by STX Shipbuilding are 51,000DWT oil-tanker named “Emirates Star” for UAE’s Emirates Trading Agency and 115,000DWT oil carrier tagged “Fair Seas” ordered by Turkey’s Aktif Shipping. Both the ships were applied with common structural rules (CSR) for the first time in the world. CSR is the worldwide structural standard for bulk carriers and double-hulled oil-tankers that had jointly developed by world’s major ship classifications and was officially announced by the International Association Classification Society (IACS) in April 2006. This standard combines slightly differentiated criteria that had been applied per ship class and enthusiastically reflects the demands of ship owners in order to build stronger and safer vessels. Source: Maeil Business

The BRODOSPAS ALPHA seen under construction at the Damen shipyard in Galati Photo : Peter Aerts ©

Only four orders placed at Norwegian yards SSG-GÖTEBORG. Only four orders have been placed at Norwegian yards in 2009, and the order intake is still low, according to the yard association Norske Skipsverft. However, the total value of the industry’s order book is NOK 55 billion (EUR 6.3 billion). "It’s due to the golden years in the offshore industry. Around 80 per cent of all orders placed at the Norwegian yards are vessels ordered to serve the oil and gas industry. The majority of these vessels were



ordered in times when the oil price increased dramatically and when optimism was strong among oil companies as well as shipping companies", says Birger Skår, CEO in Norske Skipsverft, to na.24. In 2008, the order intake was NOK 7.6 billion (EUR 860 million) comprising 21 vessels, compared to NOK 31 billion (EUR 3.51 billion) in 2007, comprising 71 vessels.

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Delivers Sixth Product Tanker to American Shipping Company Aker Philadelphia Shipyard delivered its sixth MT-46 Veteran Product Tanker to American Shipping Company. The vessel will leave the yard under the operation of OSG America and will be used to transport petroleum products for Tesoro. This product tanker is the first of four vessels planned to be utilized by Tesoro. A traditional naming ceremony was held at the shipyard and attended by representatives from Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, American Shipping Company, OSG and Tesoro. The ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Marcia Lewis, blessed the ship and all who will sail on her before officially naming her the Overseas Boston.

President and CEO of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Jim Miller remarked, “This vessel is the tenth vessel we have delivered since we first broke ground on our state-of-the art shipyard. With each quality vessel we continue to improve and in doing so help build our future and the future of Jones Act shipbuilding.” An additional three ships in the series of 12 tankers for American Shipping Company are under construction at the yard. Source: Aker Philadelphia Shipyard

Early delivery for Celebrity Equinox SSG-ÅBO. The outfitting of the Celebrity Equinox is proceeding faster than planned at Meyer Werft. The owner, Celebrity Cruises, has therefore decided to introduce an additional cruise on July 31 to the Norwegian fjords, before the official maiden voyage from Southampton to Civitavecchia on August 8. The vessel will subsequently operate in the Mediterranean with Civitavecchia as turnaround port. The Celebrity Equinox is the second of five Solstice class post-panamax vessels

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

REDWISE MARITIME SERVICES B.V.Amersfoortseweg 12-E

3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands

Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879

[email protected]

www.redwise.com



Just as World Trade Slows, Here Come the Megaships

As global trade volumes soared across the world, ocean carriers, often pinched for capacity and seeking to capture a larger share of the market, worked with busy ship builders to design new “mega-ships” that are capable of handling 10,000 or more shipping containers. The first of those ships started coming on line in 2006, at the top of the trade growth curve, with dozens more scheduled for delivery in subsequent years. Estimates, for example, are that some 35 ships capable of handling 12,000 or more containers are planned to set sale in 2009 alone. Now, however, those moves don’t look so smart with container volumes down substantially, much more than the overall decline in global GDP. The Port Tracker Service offered by the National Retail Federation and the researchers at Global Insight recently estimated container traffic into the US would fall nearly 12% in the first half of 2009. The MSC Daniela Delivered to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in December, the MSC Daniela is a monster ship capable of handling almost 14,000 containers, or TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The ship made its maiden voyage in February, sailing – full, MSC says – from Asia to Europe. Built by Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy industries Co. Ltd of South Korea, it is the largest ship in terms of capacity that has sailed to date. At 366 meters, the ship is less than the 397 meters of the world’s longest ship, the Emma Maersk, but is able to hold more cargo, thanks to some innovative design elements, such as separating the engine room and the deckhouse. The latter’s position in the forward part of the ship permits an increase in container capacity and a reduction in ballast water. MSC acknowledges that it was only able to fill the ship on its first voyage through aggressive discounting. All this is good news for shippers, however. While carriers are undoubtedly reducing or eliminating new orders now, ships that were ordered 2-3 years ago for delivery this year are impossible or nearly impossible to cancel. Estimates are that even as overall world container volumes will be down sharply, actual cargo ship capacity will be up 12% as a result of these new ships. That supply and demand situation should keep a lid on ocean shipping rates, which have plummeted, for several years, though some carriers may choose to take some capacity out of the market. The mega-ships would likely be left in the water and smaller ships at least temporarily de-commissioned, as the larger the ship, the more economy of scale it offers in terms of labor, fuel and other operating costs per container. Source: SCDigest

TOP Ships Announces Delivery of Its First Newbuilding Vessel

TOP Ships Inc. announced that it has taken delivery of the M/T "MISS MARILENA" from SPP Plant & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd of the Republic of Korea. The "MISS MARILENA" is the first of six 50,000 dwt product / chemical tankers to be delivered within the first and second quarter of 2009. The "MISS MARILENA" has entered into a bareboat time-charter employment for a period of 10 years at a daily rate of $14,400. Source : TOP Ships



COSCO's 2008 shipping volume exceeds 400 million tonnes

Chinese shipping giant COSCO has reported that the company shipped some 419 million tonnes in 2008, signifying a 1.76 percent rise over 2007. This figure was also 25 percent more than the year plan for 2008, COSCO reported. COSCO’s ranking also powered up the scales of the Fortune Global 500 list by 83 spots. Source : Baird Online

Clipper buys more shares in DFDS Group SSG-RINGKØBING. The Clipper Group has invested more money in DFDS Group. In an announcement to the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, the Clipper Group says that it now owns more than 15 per cent of the share capital. Clipper has over the years bought shares in DFDS as a pure investment without any plans for a takeover. Before the recent purchase, the Clipper Group had some 8 per cent of the shares. Some months ago, a large portfolio of DFDS shares was sold by JL Foundation to DSV A/S, making DSV a majority shareholder in DFDS. The Clipper Group has invested substantially in Danish shipping in a broad variety of companies such as Nordic Ferry Service (50 per cent), Mols-Linien (30 per cent), A2SEA (50 per cent) and now DFDS (15 per cent).

Vroon and Boston Putford end cooperation Vroon Offshore Services and Boston Putford Offshore Safety have terminated their safety standby co-operation in the Southern sector of the North Sea. The firms have agreed for the joint vessel usage for emergency response and rescue vessels in the region is to be terminated. Under the agreement Boston Putford managed five fully owned and two jointly owned vessels for VOS since 1996. These vessels, Nova and Putford Viking will be transferred to the ownership of Boston Putford. Meanwhile the management of five fully owned vessels will betransferred to VOS over the forthcoming weeks. The vessels will also be renamed as follows: Black Watch > Vos Emperor, Britania Conquest > Vos Conquest,Britania Harvester > Vos Harvester, Britania Monarch > Vos Monarch, and Britania Warrior > Vos Warrior.

Evergreen leidt CEM langs kaap Na Maersk, MSC en CMA CGM gaat nu ook Evergreen een Verre Oostendienst langs Zuid-Afrika laten varen. Het gaat om de China Europe Med Service (CEM), een naam die nu niet echt toepasselijk meer is omdat de aanloop van Evergreens Middellandse Zeehub Taranto vervalt.



In de CEM worden acht schepen van de C-klasse ingezet (8.000 teu). Omdat de Kaaproute een week extra varen betekent, wordt een iets kleiner schip van de S-klasse (7.024 teu) aan de CEM-vloot toegevoegd. Evergreen becijferde net als zijn drie grotere concurrenten dat de extra brandstofkosten voor de langere route niet opwegen tegen het uitsparen van de tol voor Suez en de hogere verzekeringspremies voor een transit van de Golf van Aden. Maersk Line die als eerste voor de Kaaproute koos, lijkt intussen volledig overtuigd te zijn. Aanvankelijk zouden slechts zes reizen met eenheden van de E-klasse (15.200 teu) langs Zuid-Afrika varen, maar volgens de laatste vaarschema's blijft de AE7-loop de komende maanden in oostelijke richting de langere vaarroute volgen.

The EVER SAFETY seen for the first time in Rotterdam February 17th Photo : Rene Blomme ©

Als gevolg van de economische crisis en de piraterij in de regio is het verkeer via Suez sterk gedaald. In de maand januari werden er 1.313 transits geteld, terwijl dat er een jaar eerder nog 1.690 waren. De inkomsten van de Suez Canal Authority daalden dan ook met 19,5 procent.

Three ships in St. Kitts with 5,000 passengers last Wednesday

Just over 5,000 cruise ship passengers on three ships visited St. Kitts on Wednesday. The 55,000-ton Maasdam arrived from St. Thomas with 1,241 passengers and 585 crew and docked at the Deep Water Port; while the 77,000-ton Galaxy with 1,903 passengers and 842 crew arrived from Dominica and the 78,000-ton Vision of the Seas arrived from Antigua with 1,911 passengers and docked at Port Zante. The Galaxy sailed for Tortola; the Maasdam for Barbados and the Vision of the Seas went to Dominica. Most of the passengers on the ships disembarked and went on sight-seeing tours via taxis, tour buses and the St. Kitts Scenic Railway; shopping, sun and sea-bathing, hiking, horse-back riding, snorkeling, golfing, kayaking, spear fishing and sailing. Tuesday, the 2,450-passenger Constellation, the 710-passenger Journey and the 308 passenger Windsurf visited; and on Saturday the 3,473-passenger Carnival Victory, the 2,680-passenger Carnival Miracle and the 3,100



passenger Emerald Princess berth. The 1664-passenger Thomson Destiny berths on Friday and on Saturday, the 1,875-passenger Island Star; the 3,473-passenger Carnival Victory and the 3,100-passenger Ventura will dock followed by the 3,100-passenger Grand Princess today (Sunday). Twenty-two cruise ships with a total capacity of 40,000 passengers visited St. Kitts since the first of February, nine of them since Saturday. An estimated 64,000 cruise passengers are expected to visit St. Kitts this month from 31 cruise ship calls.

More profit for Concordia Maritime SSG-GÖTEBORG. Concordia Maritime reports net sales of SEK 560 million (EUR 50.5 million) and a SEK 95.8 million (EUR 8.6 million) profit after tax for 2008, up SEK 103 million (EUR 9.3 million) and SEK 33 million (EUR 3 million), respectively, compared to 2007. Long contracts provide stability in a weakening market and the newbuilding program is proceeding according to the plan, states the company in its report on the final accounts for 2008. The company expects a pre-tax profit of around SEK 70 million (EUR 6.3 million) for 2009.

VIKING DISCOVERY RENAMED IN VOS DISCOVERY

The 2006 built Viking Discovery [IMO:9366031] was shown at Grangemouth on ais up to 15th February 2009, on 16th she was shown with the name Vos Discovery as seen at the above photo.

Photo : Iain McGeachy ©

Holland America Line Expands 2009 Panama Canal Program With More Full Transits



Holland America Line offers an unprecedented number of Panama Canal sailings in 2009, offering 45 total cruises on nine different ships departing from five separate ports. Guests can experience daylight transits of the historic and fascinating Panama Canal and itineraries that feature diverse and intriguing ports of call on voyages. "We've increased our Panama Canal capacity significantly this year to make 2009 a very exciting season, especially with full transit cruises through the winter season," said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. "While the roundtrip Florida canal experiences have been very popular, our guests have been asking for more Panama Canal cruises between the east and west coasts throughout the winter season. So now, there are canal cruises to suit everyone's tastes for season, length and ports of call." Ranging in length from 10 to 28 days, Holland America Line's Panama Canal itineraries feature more port-of-call options than any other major cruise line, with many port visits exclusive to Holland America Line.

www.hollandamerica.com

Finnlines’ reports loss SSG-ÅBO. The financial crisis has strongly affected the result of Finnlines Group in 2008. Due to the sharp decline in Finland’s foreign trade, Finnlines’ cargo volumes dropped dramatically last autumn. However, the strong beginning of the year resulted in an overall increase of the number of cargo units by 2.9 per cent. The number of passengers transported on the company’s ships during the year rose by 21 per cent. Despite revenue increasing to EUR 735.7 million in 2008, the group posted a loss before tax of EUR 3.2 million compared to a profit of EUR 40.1 million in 2007. Finnlines stated that the sharp drop in cargo volumes will burden the company’s revenues and financial performance at least during the first half of 2009. To respond to the difficult market conditions, Finnlines will adjust its capacity where possible, initiate cost-saving measures and personnel adjustments as well as even divest non-core businesses.

PSV Makalu due end of February The PSV Makalu is due to be delivered to Garware Offshore by Havyard Leirvik shipyard by the end of February. It is understood the UT-755LN vessel had been bid for work offshore India but was unable to make the timescale for the contract. Makalu, which will be equipped with DP2 and a deck space of around 680m², is now expected to join the North Sea spot market on delivery. Meanwhile, the UT-755 LN designed Mana continues to work in the North Sea after a potential deal to sell the vessel did not go ahead. The DP1 vessel is currently working for BP until around the middle of February with 14 daily options thereafter.

Alcatel leaves Danish flag SSG-RINGKØBING. French owned Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks Marine has decided to close down all its activities in Denmark. The cable-laying/repair vessels will switch from the Danish flag to the French flag, the Danish crew (partly) has been given notice for the end of March. Also the shore-based administration will close down, 10-15 persons will be made redundant. All told, the change will make around 50-60 Danish seafarers redundant. The two cable-repair vessels are the Peter Faber, built in 1982, and the Lodbrog, rebuilt for its present role in 2003. The French company was originally the Danish Port & Telegrafvæsenet, which started cable laying at the beginning of the 20th century and has worked all over the globe since then. Under French flag, the two ship will be administered by Louis Dreyfus Group, which is already taking care of the other five cable-laying vessels in the Alcatel Group.



Global financial crunch sinks FPSOcean FPSOcean's plan to restructure its capital base and attract new financing has failed. Subsequent efforts to raise interim funding to continue operations in expectation of an employment contract for floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) DeeP Producer 1 (DP 1) in the near term has also failed. The company's board of directors, therefore, sees no alternative but to place the company and its subsidiaries, FPSO Management AS, DP Producer AS and DP Offshore AS, into bankruptcy. The board and the company's new management has worked since August 2008 to secure the conversion progress and limit the cost overrun on the DP 1 FPSO conversion project in Dubai; intensify the marketing towards potential clients to secure an employment contract for DP 1; and together with Pareto Securities as financial advisor, secure additional financing to complete the DP 1 conversion. During the early stages of this process and as the global financial crisis unfolded, it became clear that raising the necessary financing would be impossible without a substantial restructuring of the company's capital base. It was decided in late November 2008, to terminate the DeeP Producer 2 project and commence the liquidation of DP Offshore AS. The restructuring plan involved the write down of equity and debt, conversion of debt (and certain guarantee obligations) to equity, increasing the first priority loan facility and raising of new capital through a share issue. Shareholders, bondholders and the bank conditionally approved the plan in December 2008. In addition, a voluntary payment moratorium until Feb. 15, 2009, for trade creditors was initiated in late November 2008. On this basis, encouraged by prospects of a long term employment contract for DP 1 with an oil major and strong investment interest from a recognized FPSO operator, the company launched a private placement share issue in January 2009. The private placement was extended to allow this investor to carry out a detailed due diligence process and to put an investment proposal before its board. On Feb. 9, this effort failed as the investor decided not to pursue the proposed investment in FPSOcean shares. Following the failed private placement, the board and management worked to obtain interim financing. Discussions were held with an FPSO operator, the oil major and certain of the company's suppliers, but did not result in any meaningful financing commitment by Feb. 16. This week, FPSOcean's board and management brought the yard in Dubai together with the second priority bondholders in a final attempt to find an interim funding solution, but without success. The company has had meetings and exchanges of a technical and commercial nature with several oil majors. Although the board and management believe a contract opportunity exists, the deep global economic downturn and resulting weaker oil prices have delayed client decisions with respect to field development commitments and FPSO awards. The board has now concluded that a near term contract with an oil major is unlikely, and recent discussions have not materialized in sufficient interim funding. The board sees no other means of resolving the company's immediate funding requirements. The company and its subsidiaries are unable to meet their payment obligations and the board has therefore decided to put the company and its three subsidiaries into bankruptcy.

Wie wil werken kan snel carrière maken in A'werpen

Wie wil werken kan zich als beginneling in twee jaar opwerken tot sleepbootkapitein. Dat zegt bedrijfsleider ing. Julien Claus van het Sleepbedrijf dat in Antwerpen de zeevaart assisteert achter de sluizen.



Het Sleepbedrijf, onderdeel van het autonome Havenbedrijf, kampt met een schrijnend personeelstekort. Er is nu een tekort aan 25 matrozen en aan de top kijkt men aan tegen vergrijzende sleepbootkapiteins. Een vicieuze cirkel, want als er een tekort aan matrozen is, kunnen zij ook niet doorgroeien tot stuurman en het zijn de stuurlui die later kapitein worden. De doorgroeimogelijkheden in het bedrijf zijn dus groot. Om iets te doen aan het tekort aan matrozen zijn het Havenbedrijf en het leerwerkbedrijf Levanto samen een opleidingsproject begonnen dat over een periode van drie jaar 48 nieuwe gediplomeerde matrozen moet opleveren, die inzetbaar zijn zowel in het sleepbedrijf, de baggerdienst, de vlotkranen en in de binnenvaart. Het project richt zich tevens op langdurig en ongeschoolde werklozen. Maritieme kennis is niet vereist; die wordt gedurende de eerste drie maanden van de cursus bijgebracht door Levanto en het Havenbedrijf. In die cursus wordt ook veel aandacht besteed aan sociale contacten en aan de juiste arbeidsmoraal. Ook de veiligheidsvoorschriften zijn belangrijk en daarvoor is dan weer een goede beheersing van het Nederlands vereist. Na die introductie volgen zes maanden stage als ‘deksman'; een vierde man als aanvulling op de driekoppige bemanning van een Antwerpse sleepboot. Tijdens die stage worden de kandidaten voorbereid op het examen voor matroos, dat wordt afgenomen door de Federale Overheidsdienst Mobiliteit. Het Sleepbedrijf zet dan de opleiding daarna voort door de nieuwe matrozen te leren varen met de ‘losse boot', terwijl de specifieke sleeptechnieken worden bijgebracht in simulatoroefeningen op het Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium in Deurne. ‘Twee jaar praktijk en theorie moeten volstaan om het van beginneling tot sleepbootkapitein te schoppen', aldus Claus. Vooral de doorgroeimogelijkheden zouden voor de doelgroep van doorgaans laaggeschoolde werklozen een extra stimulans moeten zijn. Tijdens hun leerproces blijven de kandidaten uitkeringsgerechtigd. Eenmaal opgenomen in het personeelsbestand van het Havenbedrijf bedraagt het aanvangssalaris van een matroos circa 1900 euro bruto plus 25 procent ploegendienstvergoeding. Naast matrozen moet het Gemeentelijk Havenbedrijf van Antwerpen, dat 1650 personeelsleden telt, nog een honderdtal zeer uiteenlopende vacatures invullen, waaronder keurarbeiders elektriciteit, debiteurenbeheerders, toepassingsbeheerders en HR-assistenten.

Jumbo Offshore Contract From Technip USA Friday, February 20, 2009 Jumbo Offshore v.o.f has been awarded a combined transportation and installation contract by Technip USA in connection with the Cascade and Chinook fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Jumbo will support Technip USA by providing expertise in heavy lift and transportation during the engineering, transportation and installation phases. The contract scope of work consists of: • Collecting and transporting five buoyancy cans from Technip’s yard in Pori, Finland to the Cascade and Chinook field in the Gulf of Mexico located 160 miles south of the Louisiana Coast • Jumbo’s heavy lift vessel Fairplayer will assist Technip’s deepwater pipelay construction vessel Deep Blue with the installation of five Buoyancy Cans and Free Standing Hybrid Risers (FSHRs). Jumbo and its client, Technip USA, have adopted an integrated engineering approach using both companies’ specialized personnel and skills in order to ensure well-prepared transport and heavy lift operations during the execution phase. The Fairplayer is scheduled to mobilize in Europe the third quarter of 2009. Jumbo Offshore is a Netherlands based company that performs combined transportation and offshore installation work, primarily for the Oil and Gas industry. Jumbo Offshore is part of the Jumbo heavy lift shipping company, which owns and operates a fleet of 13 heavy lift vessels around the world. The main vessels used for the offshore installation work are the DP2 J-Class vessels mv Jumbo Javelin and mv Fairplayer. These sister ships are 469 ft long and 87 ft wide and are each equipped with two 900 tonnes Huisman mast cranes. Source : MarineLink



The 2500Ton Swiber Crane Barge Dalihao and the AHTS Swiber Trader photographed in December 2008 as seen from the Teal of Dockwise in Batam

Photo : Koen van Klei ©

Louis Dreyfus offers lifeline to struggling SeaFrance

FRANCE'S Louis Dreyfus Armateurs shipping group has expressed interest in taking control of loss-making Dover Strait ferry operator SeaFrance and merging it with its own fast-growing ferry subsidiary LD Lines. LDA told Lloyd's List that it had already submitted a proposal to this effect to SeaFrance's owner, national rail operator SNCF, and that it was waiting for a reply. The group believes that it can avoid the 650 job cuts announced by SeaFrance this week through the creation of an enlarged group, which would bear the SeaFrance name but incorporate the lines out of Le Havre, Dieppe and Boulogne run by LD Lines. "We think that a rapprochement would enable us to better use the existing fleet and safeguard jobs in the region," said LDA general manager Pierre Géhanne. He indicated that the group was not necessarily targeting a complete takeover of SeaFrance. "One can imagine a scheme in which SNCF can remain a partner," he said. "I think SNCF should remain a partner." He added that LDA had never concealed its wish to establish itself in the Dover Strait, notably through the acquisition of SeaFrance or Norfolkline's Dunkirk-Dover operation, but that, to date, neither company had been for sale. "When we understood that SeaFrance was having some difficulties, we got out the dossier again," he said. Given the fact that SeaFrance is due to start discussions shortly with the unions on its job-cutting plan, the takeover plan will need to be discussed quickly. Mr Géhanne said that it would need to be dealt with in "the month to come". Source : www.lloydslist.com



Cruise ship arrivals rise amid downturn More cruise ships are docking in Vietnam despite the global economic downturn’s tranquilizing effect on the local tourism sector, tour operators said. Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigontourist reported it received 6,000 cruise tourists in January, a 30 percent year-on-year increase. On January 27 alone, it welcomed 1,600 tourists when two five-star Costa Allegra ships docked at Da Nang Port. The total number of international arrivals to Vietnam in January fell 12 percent year-on-year to 370,000. Tan Hong Travel Company in central Da Nang City said it has welcomed nearly 1,000 cruise ship tourists this year and will receive another 550 visitors on two cruise liners in HCMC this weekend. The company also said it is expecting to welcome some 16,000 tourists traveling to Vietnam on 12 cruise ships next month. The high season for cruise tourism in Vietnam often starts in September and ends in April the next year, but Phan Xuan Anh, a senior consultant at Tan Hong Travel Company, said he was optimistic that there would not be a low season this year. Despite the cruise tourism market’s high potential for profits, it has been left largely untapped by local tour operators. Saigontourist and Tan Hong Travel Company currently hold the majority share of the market. Last year the two companies received about 150,000 cruise tourists in Vietnam, or nearly 96 percent of the total number of tourists that visited the country by sea. As cruise tourists often arrive in groups of over a thousand at a time, travel agencies need to have at least 40-50 tour guides to meet each ship, which most operators said they found impossible. Vu Duy Vu, Saigontourist deputy director, said his company has to hire part-time tour guides who are teachers at language schools or workers at foreign companies. Although they are not professional guides, their command of foreign languages has to suffice, Vu said. But Anh from Tan Hong Travel Company said the solution wasn’t good enough. As most cruise tourists are wealthy, well-educated and advanced in age, he said, they are often demanding and difficult for unskilled guides to please. Vu said with more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline and a convenient location, Vietnam has the potential to develop a world-class cruise tourism market. What the country lacks now is a system of tourism seaports, he said. All cruise ships have to use are aesthetically-devoid cargo seaports. Conventional tourism wisdom says that though cruise tourists do not stay long, that does not mean they won’t spend a lot of money. But several of Vietnam’s major port areas lack the products and services that they would spend their money on, said Vu. “Tourists from Hong Kong can’t buy anything in Ha Long if they only find Chinese goods there,” he added. The Vietnamese tourism sector, which employs more than 10 percent of the nation’s workforce, expects 4.5 million foreign travelers to visit the country this year. Source: TBKTSG



…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The Crowley harbor class tug ADMIRAL joins a Maersk Line container ship on approach to the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. Photo : Mark Miller ©

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