DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 364

Number 364 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 30-12-2014 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

Moored at the Trawlerquay in Ijmuiden the SENTINEL RANGER for crewchange and stores Photo : Marcel Coster (c)

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The 283 mtr long 1978 build 72.555 DWT LNG LEO arrived fom Mugardos in the Nile Harbour in Rotterdam-Europoort upon completion of cargo handling the tanker departed bound for Livorno Photo : Krijn Hamelink (c)

MB Concerned About Compensating Pirates The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has joined other maritime organisations in expressing concern over the decision to compensate convicted Somali pirates.These criminals have been responsible for taking hostage thousands of seafarers, who were subjected to unprovoked violence and sometimes torture. Some seafarers have also been murdered while carrying out their lawful business on the high seas.Earlier this month, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered to pay thousands of euros to Somali pirates who had attacked French ships in 2008. The pirates were captured by French military on the Somali coast after they hijacked two French yachts in separate attacks in 2008 French authorities held one group for four days and the other group for six days and 16 hours before they were taken to France to stand trial. The ECHR said the pirates should be paid compensation because they were not immediately brought before a French court but instead kept in custody for a further 48hrs after arriving in France.

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According to the judge this was a “violation of their rights to freedom and security”. IMB said that, there were practical complexities when dealing with the crime of piracy that needed to be fully appreciated.“There are practical difficulties with respect to the gathering of evidence and transporting of the alleged perpetrators when a crime is committed at sea, thousands of miles from where the court proceedings take place, compared to a crime committed ashore,” said an IMB spokesman. The IMB added it was worried about the message that the ECHR’s decision might send out to other pirates and the implications it may have on shipping and seafarers’ safety. In light of this decision IMB states, “We hope this does not discourage the European navies from taking the required actions necessary to keep piracy suppressed along these vital international trade routes”. A BBC report said one of the men is to be awarded €9,000 and the others sums of up to €7,000.IMB had at the time of the attacks warned of the growing Somali piracy trend in which pirates operating from "mother ships often attacked vessels hundreds of nautical miles out to sea before taking them into Somali waters to demand ransoms. The ECHR’s decision has been criticised by seafarers’ support group, Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP).Roy Paul, programme director for MPHRP, said, “This decision would be unbelievable if it wasn’t made by the European Court of Human Rights. The claim that this constituted a 'violation of their rights to freedom and security' is an insult to the seafarers and yachtsmen they attacked as surely this is the true violation of the seafarers’ rights to freedom and security. These pirates, in my opinion, gave up any of their rights when they set sail to attack innocent seafarers who were simply doing their essential work”. While the number of pirate attacks have dropped significantly in Somali waters, largely due to increased naval presence in the area, the threat is still present says IMB.“There can be no room for complacency as it will take only one successful Somali hijacking for the business model to return. Masters are, therefore advised to maintain vigilance and adhere to the latest Best Management Practices recommendations,” the IMB advises.Ships are advised to maintain strict anti-piracy watches and report all pirate attacks, both actual and attempted, and suspicious sightings to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, . Source : Marinelink

The GUDRUN MAERSK in Rotterdam-Europoort – Photo : Willem Koper ©

MOL's LNG carrier fleet expands to 89 units Aiming at Y30 billion annual profit in LNG carrier/offshore biz in/after 2020

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is smoothly expanding its LNG carrier business. On Dec. 24, MOL announced that it has signed a basic agreement to time-charter out to Tokyo Gas Co. one LNG carrier newbuilding to be constructed by Marine United (JMU). The unit will be deployed for the Cove Point LNG project, a shale-gas export project in the U.S. This is the third newbuilding for which MOL has received an order from Tokyo Gas for deployment to the Cove Point project. MOL's medium-term management plan envisages expanding its fleet setup of LNG carriers in which it has participation to 120 units by the end of fiscal 2019 (ending March 2020). So far, MOL has piled up such carriers to 89 units, including 24 newbuildings. On top of this, "There are around 15-20 more units for which we expect to win contracts. By the end of 2015, we will probably be able to obtain firm prospects for shifting to a 110-unit setup," said Takeshi Hashimoto, managing executive officer of MOL. In the LNG carrier and offshore businesses combined, "we intend to book a stable annual profit of roughly Y30 billion in/after 2020," he added.

MOL has concluded the basic contract with Tokyo LNG Tanker Co., under which it will charter out one unit to the Tokyo Gas subsidiary, bringing to three units the total number of LNG carrier newbuildings MOL charters out to Tokyo Gas for the Cove Point project. The three units are of 165,000-cbm type and will be equipped with the SPB (self-

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supporting prismatic-shape IMO type-B) LNG tanks. The third of the three units is due to enter service in 2018 under a charter contract of up to 20 years. While the first two units are co-owned by Tokyo LNG Tanker and MOL (90% each by MOL), the third unit is wholly owned by MOL, which also takes charge of its shipmanagement. Including newbuildings, MOL is involved in 11 of the 14 units owned/managed by Tokyo LNG Tanker. MOL will also be entrusted to manage eight of them. The latest deal with Tokyo LNG Tanker has brought the total number of LNG carriers in which MOL has participation to 89 units, comprising 65 units now in service and 24 newbuildings (as per the accompanying table) remaining on order. MOL is engaged in management of 23 of the 24 newbuildings, with the sole exception of a unit bound for Petronet LNG of . Of the U.S. shale-gas transport projects, MOL is trying to win orders for transport of LNG via newbuildings from the Freeport, Cameron and Cove Point projects. As to Japan-bound transport, MOL has thus far bagged orders for three Cove Point-bound newbuildings from Tokyo Gas and for two Cameron-bound ones from Mitsui & Co. for a total of five units. MOL intends to pile up orders further. Hashimoto said, "We also hope to win an order from Kansai Electric Power Co. for Cove Point-bound newbuildings. As for Cameron-bound newbuildings, we aim to win another order from Mitsui for a third unit. We are also looking for an order for Cameron-bound newbuildings via procurement talks with GDF Suez. As to the Freeport project, fresh demands of up to around eight units are expected (from Chubu Electric Power Co. and Osaka Gas Co.), and we intend to win orders for half of them at the very least," thus revealing eagerness of the company. With regard to LNG transport projects other than those related to shale gas, MOL has already received an order for three ice-class LNG carriers for the Yamal LNG project in Russia. "It is said that the project also requires several conventional-type LNG carriers. So, we hope to jointly win orders in new projects out there with our Chinese partners," said Hashimoto. At this point, MOL expects to receive orders for around 15-20 more units. "We have drawn up an ambitious plan to enhance our fleet setup (to 120 units) under a new midterm management plan. In line with that, we have made steady headway," Hashimoto said, adding that in the course of proceeding with fleet expansion, "We hope to raise the off-balance rate. To this end, we need to address such challenges as diversifying fund-procurement sources and bolstering cooperation with investment funds/shipowner affiliates." In ongoing projects for LNG transport to China, MOL has received orders for four units bound for ExxonMobil as well as for six units for Sinopec. "Things have been proceeding smoothly. If things go well, we will see a newbuilding bound for ExxonMobil's PNG (Papua New Guinea) project completed in January 2015. After that, a total of 10 newbuildings will be completed one after another in intervals of three to four months," Hashimoto said.

In accordance with expansion of the LNG carrier business, MOL is set to buttress its shipmanagement setup as well. Currently, MOL is engaged in shipmanagement mainly in Tokyo and London. As the number of ships each hub manages is expected to double, MOL is also reinforcing human resources for shipmanagement. MOL is currently exerting efforts to enhance its overseas hubs. Hashimoto said, "We are considering strengthening hubs not just in London but in Hong Kong and as well, Already, we have set up a shipmanagement company in Hong Kong jointly with China Shipping Group. The joint venture is currently engaged in management of six units for Sinopec. In Hong Kong, we are planning to recruit onshore shipmanagement staff. In addition, we are looking into the possibility of setting up a shipmanagement hub in Singapore independently or in a joint venture. We intend to capitalize on our overseas hubs in projects other than those bound for Japan." As to seafarers required for LNG carrier newbuildings, MOL has already launched preparations for securing them, and "is going to obtain firm prospects for securing those required for 15-20 units for which we are aiming to win orders in 2015," according to Hashimoto. Source : Kaiji Press via Justus Schoemaker Dutch - Japanese Maritime Desk K.K.

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The BBC KIBO inbound for Schiedam – Photo : Jan van der Klooster - http://scheepvaarthoek.blogspot.nl/

Passenger Missing from Scandlines' Prins Richard Ferry A German passenger aboard the Scandlines PRINS RICHARD ferry went overboard while the ferry was underway from Puttgarden, to Rødby, . German and Danish Search and rescue vessels and helicopters were deployed. The water temperature was reportedly 42 to 46 degrees ºF. There is no indication that the passenger was located Scandlines is a major German-Danish ferry operator. Left : The PRINS RICHARD – Photo : Henk van der Lugt (c)

The PRINS RICHARD was designed for Scandlines to be used for the short- distance voyages like the Rødby – Puttgarden route. The PRINS RICHARD was built in Denmark and delivered to Scandlines in 1997 Update: A reader of Cruise Law News informed that a Danish news station has covered the story. The station says that ". . . a person (had) apparently fallen into the water from a Scandlines ferry service between Puttgarden and Rodby - but it is still uncertain whether it happened deliberately, accidentally or with other persons involved." Sounds like the ferry did not have any CCTV cameras and no automatic man overboard system installed. Source : Cruislaw NSTL torpedo recovery vessel launched The torpedo launch and recovery vessel of the Naval Science Technology Laboratory (NSTL) here was launched in Shoft Shipyard at Bharuch in Gujarat on Saturday, according to a press release .

The release said the vessel was launched by Lalitha Bhujanga Rao, the wife of Dr. V. Bhujanga Rao, the Director- General (naval systems and materials) of the DRDO. The vessel, 50 m long with a speed of 15 knots, was constructed at the private shipyard. It has a complement of 50 personnel including 13 scientists and it will be commissioned in March, 2015. It will be used for technical trials of the underwater weapons and systems developed by the NSTL here.

The vessel has a unique hull shape reducing energy consumption, adds the release. Dr. Bhujanga Rao, NSTL Director C.D Malleswar, and Shoft CMD Sahay Raj spoke about the vessel. The vessel will be kept under the control of the Eastern Naval Command of the Navy here. Source : The Hindu

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Far from Home, the SMIT BUFFALO and SMIT BULLDOG seen with barge JMC3332 at the Great Bitter Lakes in . Photo : Martijn Gerssen ©

MOL foraying into VLEC biz Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) announced on Dec. 25 that it will be branching out into liquefied ethane transportation business by deploying VLECs (very large ethane carriers) for the first time in the world. It will operate six VLECs ordered by India's Reliance Industries to move liquefied ethane from the to India. MOL will also supervise the construction of the vessels and manage them for Reliance. An increased ethane output stemming from the shale revolution in North America is expected to create robust demand for cargo hauls in particular to Asia. The Japanese operator is taking the initiative in the growth market by making full use of the expertise and experience it has built up in the LNG and LPG transportation business. It expects the new ethane business to contribute to expanding its long-term, stable revenue.

MOL and Reliance have entered into a strategic alliance for the transportation of liquefied ethane from the U.S. to India. It will be the world's first project based on VLECs. MOL will be the first Japanese shipping firm to enter into continuous liquefied ethane transportation using VLECs. Reliance ordered the six 87,000-cbm vessels from 's Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in July 2014. Per-ship price was $120 million. Each vessel will be equipped with the Mark III membrane-type cargo tanks and reliquefying devices developed by France's Gaztransport & Technicaz (GTT) Four of the vessels are scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the remaining two in the first quarter of 2017. MOL will supervise their construction at the yard, and operate and manage them during a long-term charter period for Reliance The operator plans to move 1.5 million tons of liquefied ethane per year from the Mexican Gulf to Dahej in eastern India via the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal. Each vessel will make five voyages annually Ethane is gas under normal temperature and air pressure. When it is transported, it is liquefied at a temperature of minus 92 degrees C, somewhere between minus 162 degrees C for LNG and minus 42 degrees C for LPG. MOL will leverage the expertise it has acquired from the operation of LNG and LPG carriers The management of the ships will be undertaken by MOL Tankship Management (Asia) Pte., a subsidiary based in Singapore. The firm will primarily reply on the experienced seafarers who work on board MOL group LPG ships. It will also hire new seafarers and train them.Ethane is most abundantly contained in natural gas next to methane. It is primarily used to produce ethylene, the basic chemical material. Its production in North America is increasing and the surplus will be exported. An official with MOL's LNG Carrier Division said, "Exports from North America will begin increasing in 2015. In the future, exports may reach some 20 million tons per year." An increasing number of ethane carriers of the 20,000- 30,000-cbm range are being built at overseas yards in anticipation of growing exports from the U.S. With long-distance hauls to China and India expected to grow in volume, VLECs will be in greater demand in the future Under its new midterm management plan, MOL has declared a policy to focus investment of management resources on business domains created by the shale revolution where high growth and long-term, stable profits can be expected. The launch

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of the VLEC business is based on this policy. The company intends to build up the business by making use of the knowhow it will gain from the Reliance deal. MOL's undertaking is drawing industry attention as large-volume liquefied ethane transportation is still new in the world. Only Luxemburg's Jaccar Holdings and Germany's Hartmann Group set up a joint venture for commercial management of VLECs in September 2014. The new firm bared plans to order five 85,000-cbm newbuildings. Shipbuilders are busy developing their own VLEC models. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES) has already developed an 82,000-cbm multipurpose gas carrier fit to move liquefied ethane. It is the first Japanese yard to put a VLEC in the market. In Korea, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) are pushing the development of their VLEC models. Source : Kaijipress Press via Justus Schoemaker Dutch - Japanese Maritime Desk K.K.

The HYUNDAI SMART moored in Hamburg – Photo : Jan Ove Mühlpforte ©

The Royal Wagenborg owned floatel PUCINNI in use at the Suez Canal Expansion project. The 2009 De Hoop in Lobith built 116 mtr long floatel “PUCINNI” has an accommodation capacity for 300 persons accommodated in 75 cabins and can be used in a single, double or quadruple person per cabin, each cabin have it’s dedicated wet cell configuration. CLICK HERE to see the details of the PUCINNI – Photo : Big Foot (c)

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VIDEO: RNLI campaign to keep fishermen safe during deadliest month Fishermen in South Devon are being urged to make sure their boats keep them safe at sea during the deadliest month of the year. Research by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution shows that more fishermen die in January than any other month, so the lifesaving charity has launched a hard-hitting campaign to encourage fishermen to stay safe. The campaign features five short films providing practical advice and using easy to follow animation. The films show how to keep fishing boats stable and highlight factors that lead to dangerous instability, as RNLI research shows that the majority of deaths in the commercial fishing industry occur when vessel stability is lost. RNLI figures show that 59 per cent of commercial fishing fatalities were due to a loss of vessel stability leading to capsize, leaking or swamping between 2010 and 2013 – with 30 per cent of deaths occurring in January when seas can be rough and water temperatures are at their lowest.

CLICK HERE to see the movie The campaign is targeted at fishermen who work on vessels under 15m in length, as 73 per cent of fishing-related fatal incidents occurred on fishing boats in this category. The films cover five key areas that lead to boat instability: overloading, watertight integrity, free surface effect in which the centre of gravity moves to the side, modifications and hauling. Source : torquayheraldexpress

The DOMMEL with the SHOALBUSTER YN 571709 to be named BARNEY for Herman Senior BV in Dordrecht to be delivered in April 2015 enroute Damen shipyard for outfitting with the BALOE as assisting tug. Photo : Willem Holtkamp - http://fotomaker.jalbum.net/FOTOMAKER/ © Virar sailor dies after falling off Caribbean cruise ship

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The body of a 27-year-old man from Virar, who was working on a Caribbean cruise ship, washed ashore on a Florida beach on Friday, after he had been reported missing last Sunday. Clifford Menezes, who lived in Agashi, Virar, had joined the kitchen gallery of luxury cruise ship MS RYNDAM operated by Holland America Line on December 8, and disappeared around 3 am on December 21 as it sailed along Tampa Bay in Florida.

Local police launched a massive search operation for him only around 8am Sunday when they were informed by the ship's captain, who feared that Menezes had either jumped off or had fallen from the ship. Around 7.15 am (local Florida time) on Friday, Menezes' body, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, drifted ashore at Clearwater Beach. At Virar on Saturday, news of the body being recovered cast a pall of gloom on the Menezes residence. "All we knew was that Clifford had been missing, and we were in constant communication with the shipping company ever since," Lesley, Clifford's elder brother who is a chief officer on a cargo ship, told Mirror. Clifford, a bachelor, was one of three brothers who live with their senior citizen parents, Baptist and Joanna.

As news spread, friends and relatives began gathering at the Menezes residence. "He was with us till late November, and wanted to celebrate Christmas and New Year in Virar. But he had to sail out as it was a new job. My parents are yet to come to terms with this," Leslie said. Remembering Menezes, his friends from St James High School in Agashi said he was a cheerful young man. "At his previous workplace, Celebrity Cruises, he had been honoured with several medals and trophies for his work in the galley," friends gathered at his residence said. Leslie said the family wants the body to be brought back, before thinking about anything else. "We will consider the investigation aspect later. Right now efforts are on to bring his body back to Mumbai," he said. According to members of the family, the Indian High Commission in US is making arrangements for the body to be brought back. "The festival season in the US is causing a slight delay. But we hope it will not take too long," a relative said. A statement by the Clearwater Police Department said that the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office had ruled Menezes' death as accidental after a probe. Another statement from Holland America Line, said that the ship was at the end of a 14-day trip to the Caribbean. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our crew members and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time," the statement said. Source : Mumbai mirror

Martrade BV of Sliedrecht, The announced the sale of the two former Danish Navy guardvessels MILA A (ex VTS 3) and MICKEY A (ex VTS 4). The sale was concluded in close cooperation with Martrade’s partner Klaus Heun Shipping Eftf ApS of Nakskov. Both units were purchased by J.A. Rederiet of Stenderup from the Danish Navy and now sold to a Swiss company who will use the vessel for transportation of crew, contractors and subcontractors. Both units has been loaded on the carrier MIRA A (owned as well by J.A.Rederiet) for transport to Rotterdam. Photo : FLYING FOCUS luchtfotografie www.flyingfocus.nl (c)

Terminal of the year 2014 The efforts of the entire APM Terminals Tangier team paid off!

At the GLC (Global Leadership Conference), which brings together the top management of the Group, APM Terminals Tangier was named Terminal of the Year 2014! APM Terminals Tangier is officially the “best terminal”

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from the portfolio of the APM Terminals Group, world leader in the transshipment industry. We warmly congratulate all APM Terminals Tangier employees who contribute daily to making APM Terminals Tangier one of the most successful platforms on the planet! Source : Portnews CLICK HERE to see the movie

The MAERSK MONTANA inbound for Rotterdam-Europoort – Photo : Willem Koper ©

Happy New year from the TERASEA EAGLE team. A Happy new year from MEGALINE as well the Technical team onboard HAL’s PRINSENDAM which team wish everyone at sea and at home…..a healthy and prosperous 2015 with fair winds and following seas! CLICK On the Cards !

Why speculators are stashing vast quantities of crude oil on tanker ships The market for crude oil is now in a serious state of what’s called contango — a futures contract entitling you to delivery of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil in November 2016 is currently about $5 more expensive than a contract entitling you to that barrel in March 2015. As a result, speculators are trying to get their hands on old tanker ships, the Chinese government is stashing oil as in old salt mines, and you could potentially turn a profit by leaving a bunch of cans of gasoline in your basement. Welcome to the exciting things that happen when the frictionless world of derivatives trading collides with the grubby physical realities of sucking oil out of the ground and storing it. Why contango happens The basic issue is that oil drilling operations aren’t like faucets that you can simply turn on and off. Shutting one down safely takes time and money, and so does starting one back up. Consequently, declining prices don’t lead to an

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immediate decline in production. But markets expect that over time either global oil consumption will boom or else global oil production will decline, and either way the price will rise. That expectation gives rise to the contango curve — where hypothetical future oil is more expensive than oil today. From an oil producer’s standpoint, this is unfortunate. If you could simply not pump any oil today and keep it in the ground until higher prices arrive, you’d make more money. But in most cases this doesn’t work logistically. The oil is coming out, even if market prices imply it should be kept in the ground. So why not just horde the oil? That’s actually exactly what happens. Back in 1990 Lars Jacobsson started the Scandinavian Tank Storage Company which pioneered what’s known as the oil storage trade. The way it works is you buy a bunch of giant empty tanks — either based on land or seaborne tanker ships — and during periods of contango you buy up oil and sit on it. You can also execute a version of the storage trade by paying someone else to store your oil for you. It sounds like a sweet deal, but of course building and operating an oil storage facility (or renting one out) isn’t free. So you can’t make money here if the contango curve is gently sloping. But during periods of sharp contango it works. As Lynne Cook and Michele Norris explained back during the great contango of 2008, it’s typically easier to use tanker ships because land-based facilities fill up really quickly during periods of supply glut. Those very gluts reduce demand for actually moving oil around, creating the opportunity to use ships as pure storage. Can I try this at home Pretty much! In general, Vox does not advise average middle class people to attempt to execute any investment strategy other than buying-and-holding low-fee passively managed stock funds. But if you happen to have the space around the house to safely store a bunch of gasoline, then filling up now while gas is cheap to use later when it’s expensive is kind of a no-brainer. But it’s unlikely that investing in storage infrastructure would actually pay off. A jerry can that holds five gallons of gasoline sells for over $30, so it’s hard to make a profit this way unless you’re able to operate at a massive scale and get a much better price on storage. But if you already have the cans on hand, then why not? Is this an example of devious speculators pushing prices up? Kind of, yeah. The oil price drop of the past couple of months has already filled up land-based storage, and oil is once again taking to sea. This makes oil more expensive this winter than it would be if actual end-users of oil weren’t bidding against people just stockpiling oil to keep it off the market. On the other hand, holding that oil in reserve today when it’s cheap will mitigate price increases down the road by giving global supplies a boost. Governments also play a role here, as major states have developed strategic petroleum reserves — giant stockpiles of oil. The United States of America, for example, has 727 million barrels of oil stashed in salt caverns near the Gulf Coast. It’s common during periods of expensive gasoline to see calls to sell down that stockpile to increase supplies. Conversely, when oil is cheap the President typically orders it to be re-filled. Thus you have a kind of contango trade from the government sector. At the moment, the US SPR is totally filled up so we can’t get in on the action. But China is in the process of building and filling its own SPR facilities, so you can bet they’re socking away as much crude oil as they can while the going is good. Source: Vox

A rare guest in the Sound. DE YI passes Helsingborg / Elsinore heading south in the Sound on the way to Germany. DE YI towed NORDIC GIANT 102. Photo : Per Körnefeldt (c)

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The Evergreen operated Singapore registered 2014 built 368 mtr long 152.343 DWT THALASSA NIKI arrived in Rotterdam-Europoort the vessel is having a capacity of 13.800 TEU Photo’s : Floor van Kleeff (c)

Emergency drills matter! It is arguable that in this industry, not enough “good news” ever penetrates the outside world, with the media only showing its awareness of shipping when there is a casualty. But positives can emerge, even from negative incidents, as demonstrated by the recent 2014 International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. This annual celebration provides some welcome recognition on the world stage for just some of the devotion to duty, courage and effort that is shown when bad things happen in the often hostile environment of the sea. This year’s top award went to the crew of the Britannia Seaways for their heroic teamwork in tackling a fierce fire off the coast of , when military vehicles on the cardeck caught alight.Accepting the award, the Master of the DFDS ship, Captain Andreas Kristensen, attributed the success of his crew’s fire-fighting endeavours in extinguishing a raging inferno that could have overwhelmed the ship to regular drills and high training standards. His crew, aided by some

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military personnel who were aboard and the Norwegian emergency services, “did everything they were trained to do and a bit more”. This was a brave and well-motivated crew, well led in a time of crisis, but the Master’s emphasis on the importance of drills and training will have resonated throughout the industry. Drills are not always popular, especially when they take place at inconvenient times, but there is no doubt that they do make a substantial difference, in the event that a crew has to react to a real incident. The shipping industry has come a long way since the days of the “Board of Trade Sports” – the weekly boat and fire drill held at a pre-arranged time with a lot of rather bored crew members standing around wearing lifejackets, connecting up a hose and firing up the emergency fire pump. A well-organised crew will drill extensively for a whole range of emergencies, learning how to use the available resources and equipment, training with the laid-down procedures.The purpose of drills is to mitigate the consequences of the unexpected, by anticipating it so that if it actually happens, there is a strategy, a team and the knowledge to deal with the emergency.The latest issue of the Human Element Bulletin Alert! provides useful guidance on this matter, but also suggests that there is much that can be done with technology to learn from incidents without having to experience them. Film, simulation, even gaming technology, can usefully contribute to realistic safety drills, providing the realism without exposing anyone to any danger.But drills need to anticipate that the worst may conceivably happen at the most inconvenient times, requiring people to assume different roles in the emergency procedures, so that the right skills are spread beyond what might be considered the normal “chain of command”. Aboard the burning Ro/Ro, they put their training into effect admirably, showing the importance of those pesky drills. Source: BIMCO

QAMUTIK is one of 9 general cargo vessels of Spliethoff’s “E”-class built as EDISONGRACHT in 1994 by Frisian Shipyard “Welgelegen” in Harlingen as yard no. 501. On Dec 28th she picked up a motor yacht at Kiel with her own gear of 60 ton cranes before heading west to Southampton. QAMUTIK is operated by Nunavut Arctic Shipping Inc of under Dutch flag. Photo : Martin Lochte-Holtgreven © Dry bulk market ends year on sour note, shipbroker sees “bumpy road ahead” 2014 was supposed to be the year that the dry bulk market would stage a comeback and a sustainable one for that matter. However, while for the most past, the balance between supply and demand was restored, the rally of the market during the August-September one was a short-lived one. According to the latest report from shipbroker Intermodal, “the negative sentiment that has been prevailing in the dry bulk market lately leaves most owners with a rather bitter taste following the free fall of the past weeks”. According to SnP Broker, Mr. John N. Cotzias, “enquiry levels remain low and we observe with great concern the everyday softening that takes place in the Capesize segment, with the BCI touching new historical lows daily, since its introduction in March 1999. In the past four weeks we have seen the index dropping from above 3,000 points to well below 500 points, while the average T/C for the segment has moved from $23,000/day to below $4,900/day. What a drop! If one considers that most Capes run their OPEX in excess of $10k/day and the level of CAPEX for those Capes acquired at 100mil USD then it goes without saying that some owners and their banks are facing hard times ahead. The drop in second-hand prices is also evident, with prices approaching the levels we witnessed back in December

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2012 and January 2013, while every new deal is marking a lower last done, which is also the benchmark for the negotiation of the next sale candidate”. Cotzias, also President of the Hellenic Shipbrokers Association, went on to raise the question of what are the fundamentals at the moment? According to the broker, “bunker prices are at a 5 year low, the Japanese Yen reached a seven year low against the US Dollar, the Euro to the Dollar may be soon approaching 1.15 according to some, the Russian economy presently looks Rubbled… sorry meant troubled, iron ore prices are phenomenally low, China’s softening appetite in November has been weighing down on Capes and mineral export bans from hurt further the Pacific trade. At the same time the scrap price offered in China is at $220-$230/ton and price levels have also been dropping sharply in the Indian Subcontinent. Most notably, the overall scrap activity for 2014 is 30% less than that of last year, while newbuilding ordering in 2014 is almost 50% down compared to 2013 levels”. He added that “a very simplistic approach says that during a bad market when freight rates suffer, the normal is that ship prices correct. Definitely some owners lose their sleep during this period, however others are seeing this as a golden opportunity to buy low, support their investment until rates improve and once their asset gains in value, lock in the profits. Bankers always say that a business proposal should be viable with all figures “adding-up” positively… however these proposals never take into account the value of asset play. A business deal in which you are buying low, is usually one taking place in a freight environment which doesn’t make sense for a banker to invest in, but is usually the one that will most probably offer the opportunity to asset play”, Cotzias concluded. Meanwhile, Intermodal noted in its report that “the Dry Bulk market kept losing ground throughout last week, while the consecutive daily record lows of the BCI kept feeding the negative sentiment”. In the SnP market, “activity appears to be holding well despite a big part of the market already being in a holiday mood, while this past week more en-bloc tanker deals have taken place, resuming the recent trend. On the tanker side, we had the en-bloc sale of the “STI HERITAGE” (73,956dwt-blt 08, Japan) and the “STI HARMONY” (73,919dwt-blt 07, Japan), which were picked up by Singaporean owner, BW, for a price of US$ 31.9.0m and US$ 29.4.0m respectively. On the dry bulker side, we had the resale of a TSUNEISHI ZHOUSHAN Kamsarmax (81,600dwt-blt 15, China), which went to Greek owner Vita Management for a price of $ 30.7m”, Intermodal said. Finally, in the newbuilding market “sluggish activity continues to describe the newbuilding market, with non-conventional vessels continuing to gather a big chunk of the ordering interest nowadays. Despite the fact that prices remained stable this past week, we expect the downward movement to resume sooner rather than later as less and less owners appear keen to place an order, while at the same time upcoming back to back holidays across the globe will further weigh on activity. It comes as no surprise that tankers continue to gather more interest compared to dry bulkers and reports of Scorpio’s order last week are also confirming this trend. The Monaco based owner has agreed to modify an order for Capesize vessels previously inked with an S. Korean yard, to a four firm plus two optional LR2 units, clearly showing the shift of confidence from one sector to the other that has taken place during the past months on the back of the two freight markets moving to completely different directions. In terms of recently reported deals, British Petroleum, has placed an order, for six firm LNG carriers (174,000dwt) at DSME, in S. Korea, for a price of $ 206.0m each and delivery set in 2018-2019″, the shipbroker concluded.Source : Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

The OCEAN SCOUT outbound from Aberdeen – Photo : Maurice Napier ©

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Evergreen holds naming ceremony for EVER LUNAR Evergreen Group held the naming ceremony for EVER LUNAR, the seventh of its L-type vessels to be built by CSBC Corporation in . The ceremony, which was officiated by Ms. Lee-Ching Ko, Second Vice Group Chairman of Evergreen Group, took place at CSBC's Kaohsiung shipyard. The official rope-cutting of the new 8,508 TEU vessel was performed by Mrs. Lin, Mei-Chun, the company said in its press release.EVER LUNAR is owned by Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd. The ship is 334.8 meters in length, 45.8 meters wide and has a draft of 14.2 meters. In common with its L-type sister ships, EVER LUNAR can cruise at speeds up to 24.5 knots. The ship will be delivered into service in January and join Evergreen Line's Far East - Arabian Persian Gulf (APG) ServiceSpeaking at the ceremony, Ms. Ko said, "Evergreen has taken delivery of six L-type vessels from CSBC, assisting in our on-going fleet renewal program, which is enhancing our competitiveness and operating performance. The name of this new ship is symbolic of a shining outlook for the container shipping market. We are confident that our business can benefit from recent forecast of market growth and that such momentum will contribute to an increase in profitability." Evergreen Line commenced its fleet renewal program in 2010. The project entailed ordering twenty L-type vessels from Samsung Heavy Industries and another ten units of the same specifications from CSBC. The Samsung building program was concluded in July this year. The delivery of EVER LUNAR will add the 27th such vessel to Evergreen's operating fleet. The remaining three ships will be delivered by the third quarter of 2015 and be balanced by the redelivery of vessels currently on charter when the charter periods expire. Source : PortNews

The MSC TOMOKO inbound for Rotterdam-Europoort – Photo : crew Ginger ©

Petronet, , Mitsui shortlisted for

Bangladesh LNG terminal Petronet LNG Ltd, India's biggest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), is among five global energy firms that have been shortlisted for setting up an LNG import terminal in . Bangladesh is looking at setting up a 3.5 million tons a year LNG import facility at Matar Bari in Moheshkhali Island of Cox's Bazar district or Anwara, Chittagong. The terminal, which is to be set up on the build-own-operate basis, will supply gas to power plants. In all 15 firms responded to Bangaldesh's tender seeking expression of interest by June 30. Of these, five -- Petronet LNG, Anglo- Dutch super-major Shell, China's Huanqiu Contracting & Engineering, Tractebel Engineering of and Japan's Mitsui have been shortlisted, industry sources said. Bangladesh is looking at importing gas to ease its energy crisis in

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southeastern Chittagong region, which was once almost self-reliant in natural gas but started facing a supply crisis in 2006 as output diminished from the Sangu gas field.

Bangladesh's sole offshore gas well, Sangu-11, was permanently closed in October 2013. As a result, some plants are running below the capacity and a few have been shut due to non-availability of gas. Sources said the LNG terminal will supply gas to a proposed 1,000 MW combined cycle power plant as well as the existing power plants in Raozan and Sikalbaha through a planned pipeline. Of the five shortlisted firms, Bangladesh will select a company that will build and operate the terminal as well as procure LNG internationally and transport it to the facility.

It will sell the regassified-LNG to a Government of Bangladesh entity on take-or-pay basis, they said. Bangladesh is also looking at setting up a floating LNG import facility in Bay of Bengal. The Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) of 500 million cubic feet a day capacity can however meet only a part of the growing demand for gas in power, fertilizer, factory and industry. Petrobangla is planning a floating LNG import terminal with a capacity to handle 5 million tons a year of LNG and a regasification capacity of at least 500 million cubic feet per day at Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal. It would have berthing and mooring facilities for LNG vessels with a capacity of 138,000-260,000 cubic meters, with Petrobangla looking to award the construction contract on a build-own-operate-transfer basis for 15 years. Bangladesh has already extended its memorandum of understanding with Qatar for the import of 4 million tons per annum of LNG, which expired in March 2013, until June 2015. It expects the floating LNG terminal project to be completed by then. Source : Indiatimes Baltic index slips with falling panamax rates, capesize revives The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell further on Wednesday, dragged down by decreasing panamax rates.The overall index, which factors in average daily earnings of capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize dry bulk transport vessels, shed 6 points, or 0.76 percent, to 782 points. The Baltic’s capesize index inched up 2 points, or 0.42 percent, to 474 points – the first upward movement since November 21, after the index hit its lowest on record on Tuesday, according to data available on the Baltic Exchange website that dates back to March 1999.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels rose on Wednesday, settling up $35 at $4,945.The earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, have fallen about 78 percent over the last one month.The Baltic’s panamax index fell 16 points, or 1.83 percent, to 856 points.Average daily earnings for panamaxes were down $132 at $6,821. Panamaxes usually carry coal or grain cargoes of 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Anupam Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Greg Mahlich) CASUALTY REPORTING

Turkish cargo ship sinks in Adriatic Sea, 2 dead, 4 missing

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A Turkish cargo ship collided with another merchant vessel and sank near a foggy Italian port in the northern Adriatic on Sunday, killing two crew members and leaving four others missing in cold, rough seas, officials said.

Left : the 2011 built TUR flag and owned general cargo ship GOKBEL that sunk entering the Grand Harbour, Malta on the 13th October, 2014.

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

Coast Guard Cmdr. Franco Maltese said six crew members were initially rescued and brought to the port of Marina di Ravenna; one of those rescued later died in the hospital. He said searchers spotted what was believed to be a corpse in the choppy waters, and Ravenna's fire department confirmed that that body was found and brought ashore.

The search for the four still missing was suspended due to darkness. The 290-foot Turkish ship GOKBEL went down after colliding with the 320-foot Belize-flagged LADY AZIZA, which was still seaworthy and was being brought to port as part of the investigation, Maltese said. No one was hurt aboard the LADY AZIZA. The GOKBEL was leaving port and the LADY AZIZ was entering when the collision occurred, he said. Source : foxnews Hundreds trapped as ferry burns in heavy seas off Hundreds of passengers were trapped on a burning car ferry off Greece on Sunday, pleading to be rescued by a flotilla of nearby ships that battled storm conditions in open water to try to reach them. The Greek coastguard said 150 people had been saved from the Italian-registered NORMAN ATLANTIC which was carrying almost 500 passengers and crew when it sent a distress signal after fire broke out on its lower deck.

As high winds and rough seas impeded efforts by other ships to rescue those still on board, it was unclear whether there had been casualties or if any passengers were in the water."The ship is still on fire, the floor is burning," passenger George Styliaras told Greek TV by telephone, adding that smoke was making it difficult to breathe. "We don't know how long we can hold on."Cold winter temperatures would make survival in the sea difficult unless rescue came quickly.Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said the combination of very bad weather, with winds of up to 55 miles (88 kilometres) per hour and the fire, made the operation extremely complicated. "We are doing everything we can to save those on board and no one, no one will be left helpless in this tough situation," he told reporters. "It is one of the most complicated rescue operations that we have ever done."Coastguard officials said the NORMAN ATLANTIC, which was also carrying more than 200 vehicles, was 44 nautical miles northwest of the island of Corfu when it radioed for help.Coastguard spokesman Nikos Lagkadianos said 150 people were on a rescue boat, of whom 42 had been successfully transferred to the container ship SPIRIT OF PIRAEUS. Rough seas made it difficult for the rescue boat to approach the ship. A journalist who was aboard Cruise Europa, a nearby cruise ship, said he could see passengers on the upper deck of the NORMAN ATLANTIC clinging to the railings as they waited for rescue.A coastguard official

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said nearby passenger and container ships were attempting to form a ring around the burning vessel to try to form a windbreak to allow small rescue boats to approach but rough seas made the manoeuvre difficult. Varvitsiotis said there were 478 passengers and crew aboard the ship, more than the 466 originally reported. Of those, he said 268 were Greek, while a foreign ministry official said there were also passengers from several other countries including Germany, , Austria, , France and the Netherlands. Many appeared to be truck drivers. One Greek passenger told a television reporter that language differences hindered communication between passengers and crew. While rescue vessels and aircraft had been dispatched to the scene, early rescue work was being coordinated from nearby passenger and cargo ships. A fire-fighting vessel was trying to approach the ferry.Tug boats were being sent from both Greece and Italy but would take some time before arriving. The fire broke out in the lower deck garage of the vessel but there were differing accounts of when it started. Initial reports said the fire began at around 6.00 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) but Italian officials put the time at 4.30 a.m.Officials said both Italian and Albanian authorities were taking part in the operation, which was being conducted in extremely difficult conditions with strong winds, heavy seas and very cold temperatures. The NORMAN ATLANTIC is a 26,900-tonne, roll-on roll-off ferry chartered by Greek ferry company ANEK, the coastguard said. According to marine traffic data, it was built in 2009 and previously operated in Italy. Source : Reuters (Additional reporting by Gavin Jones in Rome; Writing by James Mackenzie; editing by John Stonestreet)

Albanian tug tows stricken car ferry toward port An Albanian tugboat was preparing to fix a line and tow the stricken car ferry that caught fire off the coast of Greece earlier on Sunday, an official in the port of Vlore said on Sunday. Luan Kore, the chief of tugboats at the Albanian port said a tug from Vlore was preparing to tow the NORMAN ATLANTIC to Albania's main port of Durres, where it was already being driven by strong winds.A second more powerful tugboat would be also help tow it part of the way, Kore said. The NORMAN ATLANTIC, an Italian-flagged car ferry chartered by Greek operator ANEK Lines, raised the alarm in the early hours of Sunday after fire broke out in its lower decks. An international rescue operation involving ships and aircraft from Greece, Italy and Albania has battled heavy seas and strong winds to try to evacuate the 478 passengers and crew and is preparing to work through the night. Source : Reuters (Reporting by Benet Koleka; Editing by Alison Williams)

Fuel flows into river after tugboat sinks at Trois Rivieres port A major effort is underway to prevent the spread of 22 tonnes of fuel from escaping into the waters near Trois Rivieres after a tugboat sunk in the port Friday afternoon Teams are working to prevent the damage and a a tugboat was dispatched to install booms to prevent diesel fuel from flowing into the river. “Some of the oil went into the booms but there’s still some oil that can be seen around it, said Rejean Lapointe of Urgence Environnement. A private company was expected to start pumping the water The local water supply has not been contaminated. The Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, Quebec Environment Minister and Seamec Marine are working together to battle the spread.Motor oil and other items have also flowed into the water after the ship sunk.The shipowner will be billed for the cleanup, according to Quebec Environment Minister Yves Lahaie. “The owner is responsible for the contamination, so he will have to assume the costs of the operation. The cost will depend largely on the duration of the operation,” he told the Canadian Press.Nobody was onboard the ship at the time it sank in Section One of the port, where it had been docked for several weeks.The Environment Minister is still investigating what might have caused the boat to sink. Transport Canada has also consulted experts in an attempt to determine what happened. Source : montreal.ctvnews

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PHILIPPINE NAVY SHIPS BASED AT PALAWAN Compiled by Piet Sinke

The PF 16 BRP (Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas) RAMON ALCARAZ anchored off Puerto Princesa last Sunday Photo : Piet Sinke © CLICK on the photo !

As could be read 2 days ago in the newsclippings that the Philippine navy will improve their 2 navy bases at the Island Palawan, Palawan – nick named The Last Frontier which Island is a narrow archipelago of 1,700 islands on the western border of the . Its geographical location makes it seem remote from the rest of the country, and in fact, some of its southern islands are closer to Malaysia than to other provinces. The waters of the South China Sea lap the western shores of Palawan, while the Sulu Sea hugs its Eastern Coast. With a land area of nearly 1.5 million hectares, Palawan is the countrys largest province. Highlands and rolling terrain covered with lush forests create a cool and scenic landscape. Except for northern towns which are occasionally visited by storms, Palawan is generally typhoon-free. Warm weather prevails from March to May, while the coolest months are from December to February. Heavy rainfall is usually experienced in July and August, often accompanied by the Southwest monsoon. Palawan is one of the few relatively peaceful provinces in the country. The crime rate is low and most Palaweos are contented to lead simple lifestyles. Food is abundant to all who are willing to work for a living. The province is a melting pot of migrants from various parts of the Philippines and other countries. The influx of settlers accounts for the high population growth rate of 3.92% annually. By 2020, the number of Palaweos is expected to reach 1.2 million. Palawan is having a coastline of 1,959 kilometers, indented by numerous coves and bays and is laying close to the Spratly Islands a disputed group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia (Sabah), and southern . Named after the 19th-century British explorer Richard Spratly who sighted them in 1843, the islands contain approximately 4 km2 (1.5 mi2) of actual land area spread over a vast area of more than 425,000 km2 (164,000 mi2). The Spratlys are one of the three major archipelagos in the South China Sea which comprise of more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which complicate governance and economics in this part of Southeast Asia. Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important to the claimants in their attempts to establish international boundaries. The islands have no indigenous inhabitants, but offer rich fishing grounds, and may contain significant oil and natural gas reserves. The northeast of the Spratlys are known to mariners as Dangerous Ground, and are characterised by many low islands, sunken reefs and atolls awash, with reefs often rising abruptly from ocean depths

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greater than 1000m - all of which makes the area dangerous for navigation. In addition to various territorial claims, some of the features have civilian settlements, but of the approximately 45 islands, reefs, cays and other features that are occupied, all contain structures which are occupied by military forces (from the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia). Additionally, Brunei has claimed (but does not occupy) an exclusive economic zone in the southeastern part of the Spratlys which includes the Louisa Reef. These claims and occupations have led to escalating tensions between these countries over the status and "ownership" of the islands. And as we are at present for our Christmas holiday at Palawan a good moment (and to keep myself busy also ) to have a look at the navy units at present in use with the Western navy Command based in Palawan to protect the “last Frontier” as could be seen in edition 361 dated 27-12-2014 the PF 16 RAMON ALCARAZ , one of the 2 largest units of the Philippine Navy was anchored off Puerto Princesa City for several days, now it became time to rent a small boat to go around in the port and to have a closer look at the navy vessels and make some better photos of this units.

As could be seen before the PF 16 RAMON ALCARAZ is one of the 2 units of the Gregorio del Pilar class patrol operated by the Philippine Navy These ships were formerly used by the US Coast Guard as Hamilton class high endurance cutters. and were designed with a high level of habitability and provides fairly comfortable accommodations, including air conditioning The Gregorio del Pilar class has a flight deck and hangar capable of handling helicopters. A BO-105 light surveillance helicopter was initially assigned to BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and was replaced by the newer AgustaWestland AW109 Power helicopter. The helicopters first made their shipboard deployment on May 21, 2014. Furthermore the Philippine navy is operating 11 from which I spotted 2 units in Puerto Princesa 

in the merchant port I spotted the above seen EMILIO JACINTO class unit PS 36 APOLINARIO MABINI which is part of a ship class of three patrol corvettes currently in service with the Philippine Navy. and are considered as one of the most modern ships in the Philippine Navy. The ships formerly served in the Royal Navy's Hong Kong Squadron Distribution : daily to 31800+ active addresses 30-12-2014 Page 20 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 364

as PEACOCK CLASS patrol vessels until 1997. Launched as a series of five patrol vessels, the Peacock class were originally part of the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy. The ships were built by Hall Russell in the United Kingdom and were commissioned into Royal Navy service from 1983 to 1984. The class was designed specifically for patrol duties in Hong Kong waters. As well as "flying the flag" and providing a constant British naval presence in the region, they could also undertake a number of different roles including seamanship, navigation and gunnery training. In addition, they performed search-and-rescue duties for which they had facilities to carry divers (including a decompression chamber) and equipment to recover vessels and aircraft. They also worked with the Marine Department of the Hong Kong Police and with Customs & Excise in order to prevent the constant flow of illegal immigrants, narcotics and electronic equipment into the Colony. Three of these ships - HMS PEACOCK (P239), HMS PLOVER (P240), and HMS STARLING (P241) - were sold to the Philippines as a sign of goodwill, and were officially turned over to the Philippine Navy on 1 August 1997 when the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China the other 2 units were transferred to Ireland, and serving at present in the Irish Navy as the P 41 LE ORLA and the P 42 LE CIARA The ships under this class are characterized by a low freeboard, an Oto Melara 76 mm located forward, a large single funnel stack amidships, and a crane and two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) aft. A second unit of this class I spotted at the navy base , this was the PS 35 EMILIO JACINTO The PS 35 EMILIO JACINTO together with BRP GREGORIO DEL PILAR (PF-15) and BRP APOLINARIO MABINI (PS-36) were the naval vessels that the AFP Western Command sent to help in the searching efforts for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

The Oto Melara 76 mm Compact DP (Dual Purpose) gun is the primary weapon and is mounted in a turret forward of the bridge. It has a range of up to 10 nautical miles (20 km) and can be used against ships, aircraft or ground targets. It is remotely controlled from within the Combat Information Center by the gunnery officer and has no crew within the turret itself. The gun can fire 80 rounds in 60 seconds from its ready magazine, and the ships can carry a total of 450 rounds.

The secondary weapon (located at the stern) is a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm cannon in an MSI Defense System Seahawk A1 mount. This weapon is integrated with the 76 mm primary weapon via an Ultra Electronics Command and Control System and a Radamec 1500 Series 2500 Electro-Optical Tracking/Fire Control System. This new system was installed as part of Phase 1 of the Philippine Navy JCPV upgrade program. The Radamec 1500 Series 2500 replaced the older GSA7 Sea Archer Mk 1 electro-optical director with a GEC V3800 thermal imager added in 1987.In addition to the abovementioned guns, these ships also carry two 12.7mm 50 caliber heavy machine guns at the bridgewings, two 20 mm Mark 16 guns on Mk.68 mounts at midships, and two 50 mm rocket flare projectors. The ships are powered by two APE-Crossley SEMT-Pielstick diesels (14,188 bhp combined) driving two three-bladed propellers. It has a drop down loiter engine with a shrouded prop of 181 bhp (135 kW) used to keep station and save fuel. The main engines can propel the 664 ton (712 tons full load) ship at over 28 knots (52 km/h), with a sustained speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). Its range is 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 km) at 17 knots (31 km/h).

These corvettes were specifically designed for Asian service, having air-conditioned crew spaces and have been designed to stay at sea during typhoons and other strong weather anomalies common to Asian seas. The ships were modified soon after entering the Royal Navy service with deeper bilge keels to alleviate a propensity to roll during moderate and heavy seas. Each ship carries two Avon Searaider 5.4 m, 30 kt, 10-man RHIB The three vessels have undergone weapons, electronics, propulsion and hull upgrades in Philippine Navy service, increasing their capabilities as compared to the original Peacock class vessels. Aside from the new M242 Bushmaster 25 mm cannon and upgrade of its Command and Control & Fire Control Systems as part of the ship's Phase 1 upgrade completed on

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December 2006, the Philippine Navy also installed a new Raytheon Gyro Compass, Sperry Marine Naval BridgeMaster E Surface Search Radar, GPS, Anemometer, and EM logs. These were integrated with the ship's existing systems. The Phase 1 upgrade was completed last 2005.

The Phase 2 is the Marine Engineering Upgrade Program, which includes the repair and remediation of the hull, overhaul and improvement of the Main Propulsion including control and monitoring systems, electrical plant, auxiliary systems, outfitting and hull furnishings and training the navy crew in the operation and maintenance of the new plant.

Phase 3, which is still under bidding, is a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). Apart from the upgrades, additional refits were made to replace the four (4) 7.62mm machine guns with two (2) .50 caliber heavy machine guns and two 20 mm Mk.16 cannons. There are plans to add anti-ship missiles to the ships, but due to top-weight problems, it would have to be a lightweight system such as Sea Skua, although no missiles have been ordered to date.

the left seen BRP MANGYAN (AS71) is an auxiliary ship of the Philippine Navy, formerly the freight supply ship U.S. Army FS-524, built for the United States Army during World War II. The vessel was commissioned on 1 July 1944, manned by Coast Guard personnel, and assigned to the South-west Pacific and Western Pacific areas. She was decommissioned on 11 October 1945. Later turned over to the United States Navy she served under the Japanese Internal Defense Force where she eventually underwent structural alterations to meet her mission of providing limited personnel transport service to the Japanese Forces until the early 1970s. The Philippine government acquired the ship through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) from the United States government. She underwent extensive repairs at the Maebata Shipbuilding Inc. in Sasebo, Japan in 1978 until she was finally turned over to the Philippine Navy. On 27 March 1979, she was commissioned as BRP MANGYAN (AS71) named after the Mangyan peoples, an ethnic minority on Mindoro island Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found on the island of Mindoro, in the Philippines. The vessel is powered by 2 GM6-278A diesel engines which are giving the vessel a speed of : 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (max) and Endurance of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) The Philippine navy operates at present 5 large landing crafts from which 2 from which 2 units the LC 550 BRP BACOLOD CITY and LC 551 BRP DAGUPAN CITY are constructed by VT Halter Marine/Moss Point Marine, Gulfport, Mississippi and Commissioned in the PN in 1993 and 1994 the other 3 operational units are second world war build units as seen right and below the LT 501 LAGUNA

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The 100 mtr long BRP LAGUNA (LT-501) is an LST-1-class tank landing ship in the Philippine Navy. She was transferred to the Philippine Navy on 13 September 1976,. Formerly known as the USS LST-230 , She was built for the United States Navy during World War II LST-230 was laid down on 10 June 1943 at Seneca, III., by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 12 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Lottie Reeks; and commissioned on 3 November 1943. The LST is powered by 2 General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, and equipped with twin rudders for a Speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)

During World War II, LST-230 was assigned to the European theatre and participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and the invasion of southern France in August and September 1944. Following the war, LST-230 performed occupation duty in the Far East in September 1945 and March 1946. LST-230 earned two battle stars for World War II service. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 4 March 1946 and was transferred to the Shipping Control Authority, Japan, on 31 March 1952, where she operated as T-LST-230. T-LST- 230 was transferred to the Philippine Navy on 13 September 1976, operating as BRP Laguna (LT-501).

Beside the LT 501 LAGUNA still in service are the LT 86 BRP ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR (ex USS Marion County LST 975; ex Cam Ranh HQ 500) and the LT 507 BRP BENQUET (ex USNS Daviess County T-LST 692)

Note: the LT 57 BRP SIERRA MADRE (ex LST 821; ex USS Hartnett County AGP 821; ex My Tho HQ 800; ex Dumagat) Which served as a logistics ship, now permanently parked and strickened near Ayugin Reef in the Spratlys, to maintain PN presence there. All above photo’s : Piet Sinke (c) – CLICK on the photo’s to view and/or download the High Res version Vietnam's ballistic missile can strike southern China: Kanwa With an attacking range of 280 kilometers, the Vietnamese navy's 3M-14E Klub-S submarine-launched ballistic missile can be used against China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces when launched from southern Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay, military analyst Andrei Chang, also known as Pinkov, wrote in an article for the Kanwa Defense Review, a Chinese- language military magazine based in Canada.

The purchase of 3M-14E ballistic missiles from Russia makes Vietnam's six Kilo-class 636MV submarines more powerful than their Chinese counterparts. Pinkov said the 3M-14E is only allowed to be exported to , India and Vietnam. It is not allowed to be installed aboard China's Kilo-class MV submarines yet. In a war between China and Vietnam, the Vietnamese navy is very likely to use the submarines in the vanguard against the PLA Navy. The Vietnamese subs have also undergone a number of modifications to make them quieter. In a potential operation against China's South Sea Fleet based in Zhanjiang in Guangdong, the ballistic missile can be used in coordination with satellites. Compared to China's 3M-54E ballistic missile which has a range of only 220 kilometers, Vietnam's 3M-14E can reach 280

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kilometers. This is enough for the People's Navy of Vietnam to attack critical Chinese naval targets in Hainan and Guangdong.

Russia has transferred all technologies Vietnam needs to operate the submarines. Unlike China, Vietnam does not have the tradition of reverse engineering the military hardware it acquires from Russia. Furthermore, Vietnam has India as its major ally in the region. Pinkov said India may provide more assistance to Vietnam than Russia since they operate Kilo-class submarines in waters of a similar temperature. However, a source said that both countries have to send their submarines back to Russia for overhaul.

In addition to Kilo-class submarines, the People's Air Force of Vietnam is likely to deploy its first Su-30MK2 fighters purchased from Russia to Cam Ranh Bay. By 2015, Vietnam is estimated to operate 32 Su-30MK2 in the region. Those fighters can increase Vietnam's force projection capability against China over the disputed Spratly islands. Source : WantChinaTimes SHIPYARD NEWS

HHI, Samsung expect mild upturn in ship orders The Korean’s top three shipbuilders ― Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy and Daewoo Shipbuilding ― are expected to show a gradual improvement next year on hopes of increased demand for high-end vessels. Market analysts and officials expect the global shipbuilding market to remain weak throughout next year as demand for value-added vessels from big ship owners is still weak.

They said the three should continue restructuring and scaling down their key businesses to save costs and improve management efficiency."As the shipbuilding market is being commoditized, Korean manufacturers have shifted their eyes on premium vessels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers," said Shinhan Investment analyst Kim Hyun.

Samsung Heavy recently put together a team for shipbuilding and offshore plants for large projects after major management restructuring."We will increase investment in research for LNG carriers to overcome today's market uncertainties and to strengthen our flagship products, such as drill ships, in offshore business next year," a Samsung official said.

Daewoo Shipbuilding, which posted comparably steadier growth than other shipbuilders, plans to restructure its business units further and to expand its LNG carrier business. "Daewoo has begun expanding its LNG business," said analyst Kim.

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Market analysts said the growing popularity of shale gas might awaken the idle demand for premium vessels."Thanks to the rising exports of LNG products followed by the rise of shale gas in North America, LNG carriers will be more in demand," said LIG Investment analyst Yang Hyung-mo.Yang added that there would be more orders for large container carriers because large shipping companies such as Maersk plan to expand orders.Maersk Line's chief executive recently said the company would need about 30 container ships by 2019, according to media reports.On a related note, the three shipbuilders said they had failed to meet this year's order target, because of weakening oil prices and the growing number of Chinese rivals. According to a recent HMC Investment Securities report, the three carriers had won orders worth $30.8 billion by the middle of December this year, 70.3 percent of their target for the yearThe main reason was falling orders for drill ships in particular, the report said. Orders for drill ships and offshore plants fell 17.6 percent to $11.2 billion this year from $13.6 billion year-on-year."Falling oil prices globally are largely responsible for poor orders in the offshore sector," said HMC Investment Securities analyst Kang Dong-jin. Source : Koreatimes ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

The MOL QUASAR moored in Hamburg Photo : Jan Ove Mühlpforte © Brazilian iron ore miner Vale reports 7.6% increase in exports in first 11 months of 2014 Brazilian miner Vale has seen its iron ore exports increase by 7.6 per cent in the period from January to November of 2014, compared with the first 11 months of last year. In November alone, Vale’s iron ore export volume reached 24.7 million mt, which represents an increase of 1.78 per cent year on year and a fall of 3.66 per cent compared to October. The data was released on Monday by ’s National Union of the Industry of Extraction of Iron and Base Metals (Sinferbase). Vales’ November iron ore sales in the domestic market totalled 1.9 million mt, which is up 13.6 per cent year on year but down by 15.2 per cent month on month. Between January and November of this year, Vale’s iron ore sales in its domestic market reached 21.24 million mt, rising by 10 per cent when compared with the same period of last year. Iron ore is the worst-performing major commodity of 2014. A key ingredient in steelmaking, iron ore has dropped almost 50 per cent this year to a five-year low as a glut of new supply, primarily from mines in , hit the market. That has overwhelmed demand growth in China, the world’s biggest consumer.This year has also been a tough year for commodities in general, which are on course to be the worst-performing major asset class

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for a third consecutive year. The Bloomberg Commodity index has fallen 14 per cent in 2014 to a five-year low. Brazil Iron Ore Mining Market

The 2003 built, 289 mtr long 177.173 DWT BERGE KINABALU inbound for Rotterdam-Europoort, after discharging the bulker departed from Rotterdam bound for Terence Bay in Canada – ETA 31-12 – Photo : Krijn Hamelink ©

Stock in Brazil’s Vale, the world’s biggest iron ore producer, has already been a roundabout investment. The price in early December was close to where it was in 2005. Earlier this month, it announced tentative plans to float part of its base metals business as slumping iron ore prices force the Brazilian miner to focus on its core business. This would represent one of several asset sales aimed at raising up to $10bn next year.Nickel has been the best performer of the metals traded on the London Metal Exchange this year. Prices rose to a high of $21,625 in May after Indonesia banned exports in a bid to boost its domestic processing industry. Source: Companies and Markets New visa-free cruise line kicked off on the Black Sea New Black Sea visa-free cruise line was launched from Sochi on December 25, 2014. The cruise programme includes the visits to Sochi (Russia), Istanbul (Turkey) and Batumi (). However, the initial schedule has been adjusted because of the stormy weather and Istanbul has been excluded from the first cruise, IAA PortNews journalist reports. Igor Glukhov, Vise-President of ParadiseCruise&Ferry, told that the opposing stormy wind, long-drawn bunkering and the risk of going beyond the expected time of arrival made the company revise the route and exclude the call to Istanbul. Thus, the passengers obtain the opportunity to visit Batumi twice during the cruise and the organizers provide the tourists with additional sightseeing in Sochi and Batumi. Russian Union of Tourism Industry supports cruises as the most dynamic way of tourism, Yury Barzykin, Vice President of the Union, said. According to him, the number of cruise passengers increases from year to year in Russia. Meanwhile, transport infrastructure of Sochi and transport logistics in the region ensure a high level of comfort for their guests. Cruise tourism is the most cost-effective in the region and the additional impetus to the development of this type of tourism is given by the visa-free regime as Turkey and Georgia accept Russian tourists without visas. According to Denis Kotov, head of the department on the development of active types of tourism, Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Krasnodar Region, the potential of Russian cruise tourism is quite high and has not been achieved in full yet. The promotion of the new cruise line will revive the Black Sea tourism market, the more so as the port of Sochi boasts the most state-of-the-art environment for the passengers. The Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Krasnodar Region supports the initiative of the cruise organizers since their success will probably attract other operators to the Black Sea. Denis Kotov also said that the number of foreign vessels calling at the port of Sochi has increased with the completion of its reconstruction in 2014. All these contribute to the development of Sochi as a large cruise city. Source : PortNews

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Shanghai to fortify No. 1 container port ranking Shanghai port is expected to handle 35.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) this year, up 4.8 percent from 2013, as the city consolidates its ranking as the world’s biggest container port, city officials told a press briefing. Meanwhile, passenger traffic at the city’s two airports is estimated to rise 6.3 percent from a year ago to 88 million this year, said Sun Jianping, director of Shanghai Transportation Commission. The city’s cargo throughput is expected to grow 5.6 percent to 3.55 million tons. Dry bulk cargo throughput, however, may fall 2.9 percent to 754 million tons this year. In the first 11 months of this year, 250 cruise ships docked at Shanghai port and the number of passengers jumped 60 percent from the same period a year earlier to 1.17 million. In 2015, Shanghai will continue to work on a negative list in the shipping and transport sector and to deepen reform on customs clearance procedure. The city will also construct the fourth phase of the Yangshan Deep-water Port and follow-up projects at Wusong International Cruise Ship Terminal, as well as a number of transport infrastructure projects. The city completed various port facility projects this year, including the expansion of a tax rebate program to eight cities in Jiangsu, Shandong and Hubei provinces. The program was previously applied in Qingdao and Wuhan. The program allows refunds of exported goods to be claimed at their ports of departure if shippers use Yangshan as a transit port. The city will also renovate the runways at the two airports, and inland waterway dredging projects in 2015.Shanghai will apply shipping policies in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone faster and look into launching freight index derivatives trading, the commission said. Source: Xinhua

Addressing growth in Hong Kong New findings from a ‘Study on the Strategic Development Plan for Hong Kong Port 2030’ by BMT Asia Pacific reveals new terminals in the region aren’t needed to keep the sector competitive. The report highlights the positioning, competitiveness and future trends in the industry, “to which the current facilities must respond”. It also identifies trends of a shrinking share of South China cargo via Hong Kong Port (HKP). “As a result of competition from other South China ports, HKP’s market share for South China cargo has declined, but the rate of decline is diminishing,” the report reveals. According to the report, growth of international transhipment at HKP is driven by growth in world trade, more common use of transhipment as the mode of operation in container shipping, and efforts by HKP terminal operators to attract international transhipment. HKP is already competitive and has a captive market for foreign carriers looking to tranship China related cargo, but may also compete as an international transhipment hub over the wider Asia region.According to the report, HKP will maintain a certain level of market share of the South China cargo base due to increasing labour costs and the possible RMB appreciation impacting other South China ports, and therefore enhancing cost competitiveness of the port.The Government has studied the feasibility of constructing a further container terminal (CT10), to complement the existing KTCT terminals 1-9, but the report says existing infrastructure must be better used first.“Only if measures to enhance capacity cannot accommodate forecast throughput, should consideration be given to construction of CT10. However, review of the demand and supply assessments indicates that CT10 will not be required before 2030.”However, nearby capacity at Kwai Tsing Container Terminals will be needed prior to 2030.“This plan provides a viable and valuable development path for HKP, based on the strengths of the industry that will allow it to continue to play a key role in Hong Kong’s future advancement,” the report concludes.A review of the Port Cargo Forecast will be carried out in five years to monitor the development of Hong Kong’s port sector and ensure timely provision of port facilities and port related infrastructure. Source: Port Strategy

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OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

For the Dutch ship lovers among us this vintage picture of the previous "MAASDAM" made by Harry Stott ©

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

Sun is setting over the in the Bay of Campeche – as seen from Seaway Heavy Liftings OLEG STRASHNOV during preparations for lifting operations Photo: Martijn Telman ©

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RECENTLY UPLOADED HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS : OF PHILIPPINE NAVY UNITS CLICK ON THE SHIPSNAME TO VIEW AND / OR DOWNLOAD THE PHOTO

Shipsname Type Photo Location Photo Date PF 16 RAMON ALCARAZ (1) Palawan 28-12-2014 PF 16 RAMON ALCARAZ (2) frigate Palawan 28-12-2014 PF 16 RAMON ALCARAZ (3) frigate Palawan 28-12-2014 PS 35 EMILIO JACINTO (1) Palawan 28-12-2014 PS 35 EMILIO JACINTO (2) Corvette Palawan 28-12-2014 PS 36 APOLINARIO MABINI (1) Corvette Palawan 28-12-2014 PS 36 APOLINARIO MABINI (2) Corvette Palawan 28-12-2014 LST 501 LAGUNA (1) LST landing craft Palawan 28-12-2014 LST 501 LAGUNA (2) LST landing craft Palawan 28-12-2014 AS 71 MANGYAN AS Dive Support unit Palawan 28-12-2014

The above photos are free to download for your own collection just click on the right bottom on the arrow down symbol and click at Orignal Size the photo will be downloaded and you can save the photo in your files, if the photos are used for publication(s), please mention : Photo Piet Sinke – www.maasmondmaritime.com with the photo

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