DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2012 – 151

Number 151 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Wednesday 30-05-2012 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

2 barges loaded with jackets spotted in Rotterdam-Waalhaven Photo : Josso van Boxtel - The Offshore Partners B.V. ©

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The PRESIDENT HUBERT with the Tugspotters flag in top enroute Rotterdam Photo : Peter Andriessen - www.tughunter.nl © Beaches that became world’s biggest ship graveyards Beaches at Alang in India, Chittagong in Bangladesh, Gadani in Pakistan and Aliağa in Turkey aren’t top holiday destinations. They’re world’s top ship graveyards. After a lifespan of a few decades and hard use, a worn down ship will make its last trip to one of these beaches in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Turkey. It’ll be demolished and broken

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for lucrative recycling – a ship may not be sea worthy anymore but it’s definitely a few million dollars worthy as scrap metal. No trained workers and no advanced tools will be used to take the ship down. Low-labor-cost local people, very often children, will use blowtorches, hammers and axes to tear down a ship that, on average, is 1180 feet (360 meters) long and weighs 160 metric tons. Very often, they won’t wear protective gear and will inhale dangerous vapors and fumes from materials including asbestos polychlorinated biphenyls. BBC’s Simon Reeve reported from the second world’s biggest ship breaking (or demolition) yard in Bangladesh that, on average, eight people die there every month. Crushed under heavy metal falling on top of them. Suffocated inside a gas chamber. Filming on any of the beaches isn’t allowed and reporters need to get creative to get the footage. When they do, pictures are indeed spectacular, but not in a pretty way. Corroding skeletons of giant ships dumped on the beachfront, with huge chunks ripped off them. Black oil floating on the water surface. Wastes of the scrapped ships, especially oil and oils substances as well as different types of metal, are being accumulated and heavily contaminate the coastal soil and seawater environment of the biggest ship graveyard beaches in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey. There’s a reason why these four places are the biggest ship breaking yards in the world. Costs of removing the metal for scrap are cut down by using low-cost-labor without appropriate protection and tools. Negligent or lack of environmental laws don’t require appropriate disposal of large quantities of highly toxic materials – surely, it’s not Green Ship Recycling as in some other ports; industrialized ports. But these other Green Ship Recycling ports are far from being the biggest, the dirtiest, the most hazardous, the most dangerous, the most exploitative, and the most profitable ship breaking yards in the world. Source: All Voices

The BW LOTUS anchored off Singapore – Photo : Piet Sinke ©

Somalia: Puntland Agrees for Mauritius to Temporarily Imprison Pirates The Puntland government signed an agreement with Mauritius to temporarily hold inmates convicted of piracy until Puntland detention facilities meet the international standard, Radio Garowe reports. Saeed Mohamed Ragge, Minister of Ports, Sea Transport and Counter Piracy for Puntland met with Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra

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Ramgoolam and various Mauritanian government officials. Minister Ragge's delegation included Puntland Chief of Corrections Officers, Gen. Ali Nuur Omar. The purpose of the meeting was to reach an agreement on how convicted pirates captured at sea would be incarcerated and for how long. After a long closed door meeting with the Prime Minister both government officials reached an agreement for tried and convicted pirates to be jailed in Mauritius until the facilities reach the UN standard. The agreement says that the convicted pirates will finish there sentences in their land after the Puntland government has constructed proper facilities to house the convicted pirates. The meeting was also attended by Legal Adviser of Denmark on piracy off the coast of Somalia Thomas Winkler and officials from UN Office for Drugs and Crime, who are currently working with Puntland and Mauritius to improve the quality of detention facilities. The Mauritius government agreed to help improve the quality of Puntland corrections facilities through funding by the UN and the international community. There are hundreds of Somali pirates that are jailed in countries across the world due partly to the lack of quality detention facilities according to international standards. Mauritius signed an agreement with the EU last July to house convicted Somali pirates. Source: Garowe Online

The SEVEN EAGLE enroute the Ijmuiden locks outbound – Photo : Erwin Willemse ©

Trident Group and Eagle Bulk Shipping recognised in a shooting video Trident Group and Eagle Bulk Shipping have been recognised in a video published on YouTube on which armed guards are shooting at a pirate skiff. This video has raised a heated debate on rules for the use of force and calls for further investigation.

See video at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVnpY8HhTwU&feature=player_embedded

The video shows a private maritime security company’s operatives firing what they call warning shots, but there appears to be no gradual or layered approach to protecting the ship, as advocated in the International Maritime Organization’s Best Management Practices. The guards continue to fire for some minutes as the vessel moved away from the pirates and the threat to the vessel became less urgent. Eagle Bulk declined to confirm that the vessel in the video was under its control. However, in a statement issued to Lloyd’s List it said: “Piracy is a scourge which threatens the life and safety of seafarers. Out of respect for the safety of our crews, we do not discuss any aspect of our operations, safety or security procedures.”

Lloyd’s List has been told by several sources that the vessel in the video is owned by Eagle Bulk and shortly before the end of the clip the Eagle Bulk livery is clearly visible on the side of the vessel. Eagle Bulk uses Trident as a security provider. In an emailed statement to Lloyd’s List, Trident president Tom Rothrauff said: “This action came 72 hours following another attack by this exact same pirate action group against this very same vessel. Further, the same

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PAG had attacked a tanker in the week prior, so this was a killer PAG. Our team acted with poise, and used every rule for the use of force as prescribed by the US Coast Guard in PSA 3-09. “The skiff was identified as carrying RPG’s and AK 47’s. The team was compelled to wait before they initiated warning shots until the master gave permission to the team to release repelling force. When the warning shots were fired, it just so happened that the skiff opened up on our team at the exact same time.”

The International Association of Maritime Security Professionals issued a statement on its website stating that the PMSC in the video had employed a questionable use of force. After receiving expressions of concern regarding the video’s content, the IAMSP felt it had sufficient information to warrant attention and launched an investigation. IAMSP said that after gathering information it had concluded that the nature of the events in the video warranted the attention of the appropriate flag state and not an administrative investigation. Trident is based in Virginia in the US while Eagle Bulk’s flag state is t he Marshall Islands. However, Marshall Islands chief operating officer John Ramage said the investigation bureau had no intention of investigating the incident further.

“Nobody on board the ship was injured and we have no plans to investigate further. However, we do reserve the right to look into the matter at a further date if we deem it necessary,” Mr Ramage said. He added that it was important to remember that pirates were “doing an illegal act and too many people have been killed and injured by pirates”. “That has to be at the forefront of our minds. Obviously, it is regrettable that anyone is injured, pirates included and it is a concern from a flag state’s point of view,” he said. Mr Ramage said he was not sure if the incident in the video had been reported or not, but said that it was common practice to report all approaches from pirate vessels.

Meanwhile, there have been calls from the maritime security industry for the Security Association for the Maritime Industry to investigate the incident. SAMI told Lloyd’s List it has no further information on the video clip but the debate generated “clearly demonstrates that clarification on the rules for the use of force is needed”. “Indeed, SAMI cannot envisage any incident when exceeding the use of minimum force during the act of deterring a pirate attack or protecting of merchant vessels and crews is justified or indeed legal,” SAMI said. “There is no place in the maritime domain for an excessive response, so PMSCs should provide a detailed graduated response plan to a pirate attack as part of its team’s operational procedures.” The industry is awaiting an international set of standards and there have been urgent calls for clarification and strict flag state governing rules for the use of force. In the interim period, shipping trade body BIMCO has published a standard contract, Guardcon, which sets out guidelines for a graduated response to any actual, perceived or threatened act of piracy.

The guidance explicitly states the deployment of armed guards is not an alternative to the implementation of the current BMP. BIMCO and SAMI both advocate that any force used should be “proportionate and appropriate” to the situation and consistent with applicable law. In its guidance to members SAMI said: “It is important that the RUF should provide a graduated and proportional use of force, and that it respects human dignity and the human rights of all. Key to this graduated response is the measures which should be implemented before the use of weapons. BIMCO states that non-violent means of repelling pirates should be applied first. “These measures would involve a visible presence, visual means such as lasers or flares and sounds. They also encourage the use of hoses, the use of nets and logs to hamper skiffs and weapons being shown.” The industry body said any deliberate, direct fire should only be used against the attackers when all other methods have failed.

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SAMI also raised concern that there is a danger that unless unequivocal guidance is produced, then pirates may seize the upper hand. “When pirates approach vessels on which armed guards are unsure whether they can fire, then without clear and decisive guidance, there is a danger we may emasculate the very front-line solution which is currently keeping piracy at bay.” Ince partner Stephen Askins said RUF needed to be sensible and graduated because the law demands that lethal force should be exceptional and used as a last resort. Source : Maritime Connector

The SANDY PEARL taking bunkers off Singapore last Saturday – Photo : Piet Sinke © Above photo can also be seen in high resolution in the Maasmond Maritime Flickr photo album , just click here

China Prepares for 7.000-meter Manned Submersible Dive China's manned submersible Jiaolong, mother ship 'Xiangyangghong 09', set out from Qingdao for attempt at Mariana Trench 7,000-meter dive, China's manned submersible Jiaolong, which reached 5,188 meters below the sea during its deepest dive in the Pacific Ocean this year, is o n its way to attempt a 7,000-meter dive in the Marianas

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Trench, according to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA). China's intention is t o develop deep-sea technologies and equipment, including comprehensive research ships, mothership of manned undersea grafts, and deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicles, according to Liu Cigui, head of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

The country will further polar research and step up surveying efforts in the international seabed ore deposit areas that it has gained rights to explore, Liu said. Jiaolong successfully reached 3,759 meters below the sea during a dive mission in the South China Sea in 2010, making China the fifth country able to send a man 3,500 meters below sea level, following the United States, France, Russia and Japan Source : MarineLink

UNION MANTA (AHTS, 2003, URS Marine Services-Belgium)+ MTS TAKTOW (Tug, 1981, Marine & Towage Services-UK) + OSPREY BOXER (Tug, 2009, Osprey Shipping-UK) in the Lekhaven – Rotterdam Photo : Kees van der Kraan © Sportvliegtuig vermist.

De zoekactie door de diverse units naar het vermiste vliegtuigje – Photo : Peet de Rouw ©

Tweede pinksterdag om 12.00 uur kreeg het Kustwachtcentrum Den Helder de melding van de luchtverkeersleiding Nederland dat een sportvliegtuigje met 4 inzittenden, onderweg van vliegveld Midden-Zeeland

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naar Rotterdam, vermist werd. Het laatste contact was nabij Hoek van Holland. Diverse vliegvelden zijn gecontroleerd, maar het betreffende vliegtuig was daar niet. Omdat de mogelijkheid bestaat dat het toestel boven zee heeft gevlogen, is een uitgebreide zoekactie gestart met reddingboten van de stations Stellendam, Hoek van Holland, Ter Heijde en Scheveningen van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij en de offshore reddingshelikopter. Het zoeken wordt bemoeilijkt door de dichte mist die boven zee hangt.

Het sportvliegtuigje, waarnaar gezocht is nabij Hoek van Holland, is rond 16.30 uur aangetroffen door het Kustwachtvliegtuig op de 2e Maasvlakte. De helikopter is ter plaatse en heeft gemeld dat de vier inzittenden zwaar gewond zouden zijn. Er zijn inmiddels een aantal ambulances en een traumaheli onderweg. Bron : Kustwachtcentrum - Den Helder

NAVY NEWS MSDF ships flirted with 'collective defense' ban at RIMPAC 2010 shooting practice Two Japanese destroyers joined U.S. and Australian warships in shelling and sinking an amphibious assault ship in July 2010 as part of a l arge multilateral naval exercise off Hawaii, it was learned Sunday. Six vessels fired at the 19,000- ton USS NEW ORLEANS during a sinking exercise that was carried out as part of the broader biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) fleet exercise, one of the largest international maritime exercises in the Pacific. Some legal experts said the exercise could have been construed as "collective defense," which is banned by the Constitution, because it involved the joint shelling of a common target. The government bans the Self-Defense Forces from joining exercises involving collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally under attack. It is difficult to say the firing exercise was an exercise in individual self-defense because it was

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multilateral, said Asaho Mizushima, professor of constitutional law at Waseda University in Tokyo. The Maritime Self- Defense Force's Maritime Staff Office said the exercise did not involve collective defense and was not a joint exercise because the timing of the firing differed from country to country, it said.

Click here to see the shooting of the USS Chosin 5-inch gun at the New Orleans

According to the U.S. Navy and Australian forces, the exercise lasted for about nine hours on July 10, 2010. U.S., Australian and Canadian warships started by firing antiship missiles at the USS NEW ORLEANS, which were followed by missile attacks by U.S. and Australian aircraft and laser-guided bombing by B-52 bombers. Finally, the six vessels from Japan, the United States and Australia formed up in single file. After an Aegis-equipped ship from the U.S. started firing, the MSDF destroyer AKEBONO fired a 76mm gun and the MSDF destroyer ATAGO fired a 127mm gun.

The USS NEW ORLEANS sank at 6:11 p.m. local time, about 40 minutes after the shooting began. The Maritime Staff Office said at the time that Japan would participate in a multilateral antipiracy exercise for the first time during the 2010 RIMPAC. The MSDF is also scheduled to join this year's RIMPAC, which is set to start June 29. Source : Japantimes Norway to decide submarine force future by 2016 The Norwegian government is expected to take a decision on its future submarine force by 2015 or 2016, with its focus on leveraging the Royal Norwegian Navy's submarine capability in the Arctic Ocean and around the country's High North region territorial waters. The country is currently evaluating two alternatives, either a system life extension of the Ula-class submarines or procuring new submarines, to maintain submarine capability beyond the year 2020, while the programme cost is expected to run between $2.5bn and $3.5bn.

A third alternative, to procure two or more next-generation submarines and renew part of the Ula-class fleet is also being considered as a part of the programme, according to Defense News. According to Norwegian Military, the manoeuvrable Ula submarine fleet is expected to be an effective deterrent and intelligence-gathering resource to protect coasts and sovereignty in its Arctic territories. Earlier, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense (MoD) allocated funding to extend the operational life of Navy's six Ula-class submarines until 2020, work which is sc heduled to be completed in 2014.

The fleet's first midlife upgrade programme includes equipment of new combat systems, periscopes, navigation and sensor systems, communications equipment, electronic warfare systems, steering controls and engines. Thyssen Nordseewerke-built 59m-long Ula-class submarines have surfaced and submerged displacement capacity of 1,040t and 1,150t respectively, with beam of 5.4m and a draft of 4.6m and capacity for a crew of 21. Powered by two MTU 12V 396 diesel engines, the submarine has been designed primarily for conducting coastal operations and its trimmed profile enables it to remain undetected by enemy surface vessels. Source : naval-technology.com

SHIPYARD NEWS

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Stolt Tanker’s NL DWT 32,306 “STOLT ENDURANCE” on her intermediate survey at Cernaval Shipyard in Algeciras Port. Photo : Cernaval Shipyard © Oman Drydock marks first anniversary of soft operation Oman Drydock Company (ODC) has successfully completed one year of the soft operation of its world-class ship repair yard in Duqm which heralded a new era in the Sultanate’s maritime industry. A gala event was organised at Al Bustan Palace yesterday to mark this auspicious occasion and to launch the new website of ODC. The event was held under the auspices of Yahya bin Said al Jabri, Chairman of the Special Economic Zone Authority, Duqm. Titled ‘Vision to Reality, A Year of Success’, the event celebrated the success of one of Oman’s most prestigious projects, which is poised to make Duqm a thriving economic and social development hub. It was in April 2011 that, after years of meticulous planning and construction, ODC launched the soft operations of its state-of-the-art dry dock facility in Duqm, thereby contributing to Oman’s march towards economic diversification.

Said bin Hamdoon al Harthy, Chairman of Oman Drydock Company and Under-Secretary of Ports and Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, welcomed the gathering. Commenting on ODC’s one year of successful soft operations, Al Harthy said, “Today marks the celebration of one of the most successful economic achievements in the Sultanate. ‘Vision to Reality’ reflects ODC’s march towards strengthening His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s vision of diversified development and inclusive growth. Within a short span of time, ODC has been able to build its unique brand in a highly competitive dry dock market by utilising local and international marketing and media channels.”

Since it started operation in April 2011, ODC has repaired more than 80 vessels of various types and sizes, he said. “And in 2012 we are looking to receive more than 100 ships and tankers. For this, we are cashing in on our human expertise and material resources, and the unique operation and management of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co (DSME). We are also proud to have employed more than 1000 Omanis and prepared a comprehensive plan to train them in some of the biggest dry docks in Korea and Romania.” The event also celebrated ODC’s best-in- the-class health and safety standards and quality management system which enabled the company to win the Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services (OHSAS) 18001/2007 certification and the ISO 9001:2008

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certifications, by US-based ABS Quality Evaluations. Joe Brincat, the ABS Regional VP for Middle East and Eric Kleess, President & COO of ABS Pacific, presented the certifications to the company on the occasion.

Shaikh Khalil bin Ahmed al Salmi, Deputy CEO of ODC, commented, “ODC has achieved one million safe man-hours which enabled it to win the OHSAS certification. These certifications testify to the fact that ODC has taken adequate steps to avoid accident and hazardous situation using a comprehensive and efficiently implemented system for the benefit of its employees, clients and relevant stakeholders.” A corporate film showcasing the unique features of ODC and its remarkable contribution towards developing national talent, environment conservation and better health & safety standards was shown on the occasion. On the occasion, the Chief Guest felicitated the chairman, vice chairman, board Members and the CEO of the company. In addition, key department teams were felicitated with the ‘Appreciation Award’. The event was followed by the launch of the new website of the company www.omandrydock.com . The new website with its brand new design reflects ODC’s unique mission offering a complete spectrum of information related to key aspects of the company. Equipped with a lot of distinctive features including matchless navigation facilities and exceptional user-friendly interface, the website gives a comprehensive picture of the company’s operation, management, vision achievements, social initiatives, and so on. ” The website has a fresh vibrant contemporary design and has employed the latest technology to serve our customers, suppliers, employees and different stakeholders,” said Al Harthy. “It will help the various departments in the company to communicate with their customers who can download and attach relevant documents and details. It is frequently updated with the latest information and marketing developments and exclusive video and audio documents, and is linked to social media websites such as Facebook, twitter and YouTube etc. The website will also enable us to interact with the international market and promote our values and strategic objectives among our customers world over 24 hours.” Apart from the website, ODC also publishes a magazine called ‘Abhar’ on the latest developments in international dry dock industry. Source: Oman Observer

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DAMEN DELIVERED THE SVS COCHRANE

The SVS COCHRANE, a FCS 5009 vessel is build at Song Thu Company in Da Nang, Vietnam under the supervision of Damen Shipyards supervisors.

The vessel made a stop over at Damen Shipyards Singapore, in order to get some additional equipment, like davit for interceptor and accommodation unit. The vessel left Singapore for Tanzania. Photo’s : Damen ©

A coup for China's shipbuilding industry With China's shipbuilding industry mired in its steepest earnings slump in three years, the announcement from one of Australia's wealthiest businessmen to construct a replica of the Titanic comes as sweet music to the ears of Chinese shipyard CSC Jinling Shipyard Co Ltd. Though company spokesman Li Wenbao says it is too early to talk about economic gains from the contract, Li noted that the company "hopes the deal will expand our international influence

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and thus win us more orders". In late April, Clive Palmer unveiled plans to build the Titanic II with plans for a maiden sailing from London to New York in 2016. CSC Jinling Shipyard Co Ltd, based in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 20 with the Australian tycoon to construct the ship in China. "We will try to build a liner that has the same dimensions as the original Titanic. The Australian side is in charge of the design," Li says. The deal comes as China's shipbuilding industry faces choppy waters amid sluggish demand and intensified competition. In the first quarter, China built ships amounting to 11.2 million deadweight tons, down 22.5 percent year-on-year, according to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry. New orders totaled 5.59 million deadweight tons, a drop of 48.7 percent from a year earlier. Combined outstanding orders were 141.9 million deadweight tons, down 5.3 percent from the end of 2011. Industry heavyweights, including China Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd, reported a drop of 11.5 percent in revenue from January to March, posting a 27.3 percent drop in net profit. Revenues from China CSSC Holdings Ltd also slumped by 20.2 percent, with net profit sliding by 62.7 percent year-on-year. The shipbuilding industry has undergone vast development during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10). Chinese shipyards surpassed South Korea to become the world's top manufacturer in terms of new deliveries, new orders and outstanding orders, says Xiao Zhijia, an industry analyst at the China Shipbuilding Economy Research Center.

The industry for cruise ships is growing in China. According to the China Association of Port-of-Entry, the number of people traveling in and out of China on cruises reached 718,000 in 2011, accounting for just 0.4 percent of overall inbound and outbound travel. "However, the financial crisis became a turning point, where demand for ordinary ships such as bulk cargo ships and oil tankers slumped the most. The need for value-added vessels is on the rise, which will put Chinese yards in an unfavorable position," Xiao says. The Chinese shipbuilding sector is reportedly on the cusp of evolving, with shipyards becoming less dependent on bulk carriers and seeking to increase the share of, for instance, container ships and liquefied natural gas storage tanks. The building of the Titanic II in a Chinese shipyard could be a strategic shift as the shipbuilding sector becomes less dependent on bulk carriers and seeks to increase its share of containers, says Steen Lund, managing director of international ship classification society Germanischer Lloyd's Southeast Asia-Pacific operations. Of the 21 orders CSC received last year, the majority came from overseas. Li says preparatory work is being done on the Titanic replica. He was unable to disclose the cost of the deal. The ship will be equipped with "the latest navigation and safety systems", Palmer was quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying in Brisbane. Palmer said design work in conjunction with a historical research team has begun on the Titanic II, which will have 840 rooms and nine decks. "It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that (an accident) doesn't happen," he said. "But of course if you are superstitious, you never know what could happen." He added that the Titanic II will be "the ultimate in comfort and luxury, with onboard gymnasiums and swimming pools, libraries, high-class restaurants and luxury cabins. The only differences will be below the waterline. The ship will be powered by diesel rather coal and will include a bulbous bow for greater fuel efficiency, plus an enlarged rudder and bow thrusters for improved maneuverability. It will have four smoke stacks like the coal-powered original, but they will be purely decorative". Apart from the Titanic II, the tycoon's shipping company, Blue Star Line Pty Ltd, has commissioned the Chinese shipyard to build bulk cargo ships. In 2011, bulk carriers delivered the largest tonnage at Chinese shipyards, while deliveries in South Korea were more diversified over a wide range of vessel types. Xiao says the Titanic II will be a pioneering endeavor for the Jinling shipyard. It will be the first Chinese yard to embark on such a large-scale luxury cruise ship.

Globally, there are seven to eight new orders for luxury cruise ships each year. For a 120,000-160,000-ton cruise, contracts usually range from $600 million (464 million euros) to $900 million. "Chinese yards have taken steps to become builders of offshore installation vessels and are entering the cruise vessel segment," Lund says. "It is also part of the trend where, driven by cost reductions, the market has seen the construction of such high-tech and high value- added ship types as cruise vessels move from Europe to Asia." But Xiao foresees possible hurdles in designing the ship. "Any cruise ship will be tailor-made. They cannot be mass-produced. Therefore it poses challenges for ship makers, as it requires coordinated efforts in integrating various parts of the ship," Xiao says. Nevertheless, the order may be a good example for Chinese yards to study, especially those who are looking to gain more international exposure, he says. Source: China Daily Zvezdochka Shipyard to deliver 3 subs to Russian Navy

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Zvezdochka Shipyard plans to deliver to the Russian Navy three nuclear-powered submarines undergoing overhaul and upgrade at the shipyards by the end of 2012, Interfax reported quoting the shipbuilding company’s General Director Vladimir Nikitin.

Zvezdochka Shipyard will hand over this year two Delta class submarines IV-class SSBN Verkhoturye (K-51), SSBN Novomoskovsk (K-407) and diesel-electric KILO-class SS Kaluga (B-800). Besides, the shipbuilder plans to deliver to India the submarine "Sindurakshak" by the end of this year, undergoing maintainance and upgrade at the shipyards.

Severodvinsk-based Shipbuilding Center ‘Zvezdochka’ is a diversified shipbuilding enterprise. It has two covered slipways with 7 shipbuilding sites which are designed for overhaul and construction of vessels with a launching weight of up to 18,000 tons. The firm is majority owned by Northern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center, part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation. Source : PortNews

The IEVOLI SPEED in drydock in Livorno – Photo : Rob de Visser ©

Damen Shipyards acquires Swedish shiprepair yard Oskarshamnsvarvet On May 16th, 2012 Dutch shipbuilding and -repair company Damen Shipyards Group has taken over the shares of Swedish ship repair and maintenance yard Oskarshamnsvarvet in Oskarshamn. The acquisition was prepared in close cooperation with the owners and includes the full continuation of the repair yard, both as to current operations and

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personnel. Oskarshamnsvarvet is a ship repair yard on the south-east coast of Sweden. It is specialized in the maintenance and repair of vessels up to 80 m and has built, repaired and maintained a substantial part of the Swedish coastal fleet since 1863.

Apart from a f loating dock, the company operates a s lipway covered by a p ortal crane of 100 tons. In addition to shiprepair the company is active in industrial activities, such as specialized crane assembly and the production of special-purpose containers. Oskarshamnsvarvet employs about 60 people and has been profitable over the past years. René Berkvens, CEO Damen Shipyards, says: “The takeover of Oskarshamnsvarvet fits right into our strategy to increase Damen’s network of ship repair yards in Europe. Moreover, Oskarshamnsvarvet is a solid base from which we can provide services to existing and new (Swedish) clients. We look forward to work with the yard and its employees.” Mr Martijn Smit has been appointed as board member of Oskarshamnsvarvet. Damen is an established player in the ship repair market and now has two Swedish yards: Oskarshamnsvarvet on the east coast and Damen Shiprepair Götaverken on the west coast. All in all, Damen operates 9 ship repair and conversion yards along the North Sea coast and 3 repair yards in the Middle East. Source: Damen Shipyards Eyeing recovery, STX to sell assets Long-ailing STX Group, which suffered severely from the 2008 global financial crisis, has decided to streamline its business portfolio as the industry recovers by selling a key overseas subsidiary and stakes in major projects to add liquidity. The nation’s fourth-largest shipbuilder said Sunday that it is t ime to prepare for a recovery in the global shipping market since indicators seem to suggest it will pick up in the second half of the year. In total, STX wants to raise 2.5 trillion won ($2.17 billion) in order to improve its fiscal soundness and stabilize its balance sheet. According to Korea Shipowners’ Association, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI), an indicator of demand for shipping capacity versus the supply of dry bulk carriers, has been slowly rising in the last five months. Rises in the index suggest growth in global demand for shipping, which consequently leads to increases in shipping fares. When the market is booming, the index exceeds 2,500. “After the figure hit 11,000 in May 2007, it plunged to below 1,000 in the wake of the financial crisis,” said Park Hyung-ki, an official at the association. However, the number has now risen, albeit slowly, from around 700 early this year to surpass the 1,000 mark, Park said. The BDI was 1,146 as of Friday. Along with the BDI, a representative index for freight fares is also recovering, according to the association. The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index stood at 1,163.96 in early March, jumping by around 19 percent from late February. The index measures average fares for freight carriers between Shanghai and the western part of the United States. Owing to such positive signs for, STX has decided to secure cash by selling off STX OSV and other unlisted subsidiaries in the country. During the past four years, STX saw its sales-to-operating profit ratio tumble from 4.7 percent in 2008 to the lowest 0.9 percent in the following year. Since the group’s main businesses are shipbuilding and vessel renting, it was hard hit by the decline of the shipping industry. However, the company now asserts that its performance is improving as the market gets back on track. STX OSV is a Norway-based shipbuilder whose main business is to manufacture special vessels used for operations of offshore plants. STX wants to sell the affiliate, which it values at 2 trillion won, for around 1 trillion won. One Italian and one Singaporean shipper have shown interest in the Norwegian company, STX said. STX aims to raise the rest of its 2.5 trillion won goal by selling stakes in the group’s domestic subsidiaries and in some overseas resource development projects. It is also considering whether to place some less profitable vessels up for sale. STX may even sell stakes in STX Heavy Industries, its core business unit, and STX Energy, which will be the subject of an initial public offering on the domestic stock market. “Due to the severe recession in the market, there remain worries about our financial health. However, internal efforts to shore up our bottom line, including the planned sale of certain units, will help address the worries,” the company said in a statement. Source: Korea JoongAng Daily

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ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

Mixed line of vessels at SeaWork, Southampton. MSC OPERA, various windfarm/workboats, Royal Navy patrol boat HMS BLAZER, alongside Van Oord's new Damen multicat CRONUS, and windfarm transfer vessel EDEN ROSE Photo : Graeme Ewens © German port Wilhelmshaven to take on Rotterdam The small town of Wilhelmshaven on Germany’s North Sea coast, with a population of only 81,000, is already the country’s largest naval base. With its new Jade-Weser-Port container hub, Wilhelmshaven became Germany’s only deep water port and hopes to give Rotterdam and Antwerp a run for their money and become the main stopping point in Europe for supersize container ships arriving from Asia.

Since the mid-1950s, Wilhelmshaven has become the largest German import terminal for crude oil, with pipelines supplying refineries in the Rhine-Ruhr region and Hamburg, and also a major handling location for goods such as petroleum products, coal and chemical products. Nevertheless, the Jade-Weser-Port Container Terminal will catapult the port into the world’s premier league, with the capacity to handle the largest container ships — including the future triple-E class ships that have a carrying capacity of 18,000 TEU or “twenty-foot equivalent unit,” which is the unit of measure in the sector. Wilhelmshaven’s 18m deep port will allow these huge new giants to dock fully loaded independent of the tide at any time of night or day. At the moment, the site is a vast stretch of sand with a few

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diggers and excavators, a scattering of buildings still under construction. On the waterfront sit four giant 83m high cranes newly arrived from China, which will load and unload vast container ships that Wilhelmshaven hopes to soon welcome.“They are the highest in the world,” boasts Jan Miller, director of the logistics zone next to the new container hub. However, just when the cranes will start their work is still not certain. Officially, the port, which is costing more than 1 billion euros (US$1.25 billion) mostly from the regional state of Lower Saxony, is scheduled to open for business on Aug. 5. A ship of Danish group Maersk will be among the first to dock there, a spokesman said for the company, which is currently the only customer of the new port.

“We’re in talks with others, but we haven’t yet signed any concrete agreements,” Marcel Egger, director of the port operator Eurogate, said. A neighboring industrial zone will be home to logistics and services companies, but there is only a single one there at the moment. “Sure, there’s not going to be frenetic activity on the first day,” concedes Miller, but he predicted the port would be operating at full steam “in five or seven years.” Source : Taipei Times

The new 58 mtr – 5000 BHP TERRAS ENERGY – Photo : Terras Offshore (c) Lomar places order for up to six new design, fuel- efficient Yangzijiang 1,100 TEU container ships Lomar has increased its fleet size further with an order for up to six new container ships. The 1,100 nominal TEU capacity vessels are geared and have a homogeneous load capability of 705 TEU at 14mt/TEU. These vessels are being built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd., a successful private shipyard in China with over 50 years of shipbuilding experience that is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Designed by leading Chinese design institute SDARI (Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute), the ships have much improved fuel consumption and the ability to carry up to 220 reefer containers. The vessels are scheduled for delivery from May 2014 onwards, and follow the company’s orders earlier this year for up to 12 newbuilding bulk carriers and container ships from other prominent Chinese shipyards. This latest deal underlines Lomar’s comprehensive fleet renewal strategy with the latest in quality, energy-saving and fuel-efficient designs. The order will take Lomar’s fleet to over 50 vessels. “There is a distinct lack of global newbuilding orders for these particular, improved CV1100 ships so they will meet real needs and be vital to the future of high-performance shipping around the world,” said Achim Boehme, CEO of Lomar. “At Lomar, we always want to ensure a diversity of quality vessels for the various needs and requirements of marine transportation. Given the excellent reputation of the shipyard, we believe this order will encourage our clients and charterers as well as demonstrating our dedication to modern, economic shipping.” Lomar is the shipping subsidiary of the Libra Group, a diversified international business group. The company has a mixed fleet of vessels including bulk carriers, container ships, LPG and chemical tankers as well as offshore vessels. Libra’s other transportation interests include its aviation leasing subsidiary, LCI. Source: Lomar

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CABLE SHIPS ANCHORED OFF SINGAPORE

last weekend 5 cable ships were spotted on the Eastern anchorage off Singapore, was able to take photos of 3 of them, above seen the 2002 delivered 141 mtr long ASEAN EXPLORER, which is a Singapore-registered based vessel. With a cable tank capacity of 5,760 tons, she is able to lay approximately 5,000 over kilometer of light weight cables at one go. To meet future marine installation challenges such as deeper burial, the ASEAN EXPLORER is designed to accommodate a 3 meter plow and a 3 meter working class ROV.

Although designed specifically for long haul cable laying, she is just as efficient carrying out a repair and maintenance operation or lay a short repeaterless cable system.

Left the HEIMDAL, which was built in 1983 at the Frederikshavn Vaerft A/S - Frederikshavn under yard number 409 as the MERCANDIAN ADMIRAL II , renamed HEIMDAL in 1989 and converted into a cable laying vessel at present the registered owner is Seacor Offshore – All photo’s : Piet Sinke ©

Delivered in 1994, the CS "ASEAN RESTORER" is also a Singapore - registered purpose - built-stern-working cableship that is designed to meet the challenging requirements of the present and future submarine cable industry. Under a long term agreement called South East Asia Indian Ocean Cable Maintenance Agreement, the ASEAN RESTORER covers a maintenance area stretching from Djibouti to Guam and Taiwan to Australia.

Above photo can also be seen in high resolution in the Maasmond Maritime Flickr photo album , just click here

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The LEWEK KESTREL operating in the Gulf of Thailand - Photo : Richard Leistra © Above photo can also be seen in high resolution in the Maasmond Maritime Flickr photo album , just click here

Kochi Port to select contractor to complete dredging at Vallarpadam Kochi Port may appoint a third contractor to complete the dredging work at Vallarpadam terminal to achieve the 16 meter draft. The project was initially awarded to the Kandla-based company at a cost of Rs 525 crore. Since it could not complete the work, despite extended deadlines, the port management had terminated the contract in April 2011, Daily Shipping Times reports. It had completed 96 per cent of the work. To carry out the remaining four per cent work, the job was entrusted to another dredging company, Mercator Line Ltd, in May 2011. The work involved removing about two million cubic metres of silt from the ICTT berth basin at a cost of Rs 60 crore. The company was contractually bound to complete the work within four months before September 2011. However, despite giving extensions of nearly eight months, the company could not complete the work. The port management has now asked Mercator to complete the work within the given deadline. According to sources, the port management is now considering other options including asking Dredging Corporation of India, which already has the maintenance dredging contract with the port, to complete the remaining portion along with the maintenance. Being a riverine port, it requires regular maintenance dredging to maintain the depth, the sources said. It is p ointed out that the port is

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spending heavily for annual maintenance dredging, which is a drag on its resources. The average dredging cost of 10 major ports in the country is less than seven per cent of their operating costs whereas the same is 38 per cent in the case of Kolkata Port and 28 per cent in the case of Kochi Port. Source : PortNews

Alnmaritec delivers first Wave Captain windfarm vessel Alnmaritec, the specialist aluminium boatbuilder based in Northumberland in the UK, has delivered the first of its new ‘Wave Captain’ class of windfarm support vessels. The new design is a derivative of the larger Wave Master class vessels which have proved highly successful in service and features the unique high efficiency hull form developed by Alnmaritec over the last year using extensive CFD modelling and towing tank testing. Powered by twin Doosan 4V222TI 880 bhp diesel engines, coupled to ZF 2000V Gearboxes and driving twin 5 blade propellers she achieves a cruising speed of 24 knots and demonstrates exceptional sea keeping characteristics. Ocean Wind 6 features the new high efficiency hullform developed by the company and has an aft twin tier deckhouse arrangement with a large foredeck with steps port and starboard leading to a raised forward bow section for personnel transfer. The wheelhouse has a passenger saloon at deck level, with seating for twelve persons, including a galley and mess area, a wet area, with WC and a shower room. Below decks she has two cabins with sleeping accommodations for two persons in each.

The upper tier has seating for the helm and crew positioned forward at the main control console as well as a small galley and mess area and a survey station. Access is via stairs from the aft deck. The substantial forward deck provides plenty of cargo space, with a Palfinger 6500MA marine hydraulic crane fitted on the port side for cargo handling. An MOB davit used for man overboard recovery is positioned on the port side bulwark of the aft working deck. Source : Offshore Shipping Online

The ROYAL KLIPPER spotted at the Westerscheldt River – Photo : Walter de Groot (c)

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The BALMORAL outbound from Zeebrugge - Photo : Dirk Neyts (c) Shanghai eyes 33m teu throughput by 2015 China's Shanghai port is aiming for a modest 4.1% improvement to its container throughput by 2015 from the 31.7m teu recorded in 2011, according to the city's first five-year plan for the shipping industry, Seatrade Asia Online reports.

Shanghai, the world's largest container port, targets 33m of container traffic by 2015, a figure it hopes will allow the port to remain the leader even when growth is affected by slowing global trade. China's State Council also targets to develop Shanghai into a major financial and shipping centre by 2020, and the new plan outlines some tasks for the city to complete by 2015. The plan includes creating a market for secondhand vessels with an annual turnover of RMB10bn ($1.58bn) and establishing an international cruise base with 500 arrivals and departures.

Another effort in the period through 2015 is to enhance the capacity of inland waterways connecting Shanghai port and neighbouring areas in the Yangtze River Delta region to reduce road usage. About 42% of Shanghai port cargoes are now shipped via waterways rather than by road or rail. The city aims to raise that to 45% by 2015. Source : PortNews

The OSTBENSE enroute Rotterdam – Photo : Ria Maat ©

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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The CSCL URANUS arriving in Hamburg during her maiden call – Photo : Capt. Hans Schaefer ©

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