DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2017 – 085 Number 085 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Saturday 25-03-2017 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites. Plymouth police launch MILLENIUM, on the slipway for servicing at Mashford’s Cremyll boatyard ready to resume her normal duties escorting international warships from the open sea into Devonport dockyard. photo : Raymond Wergan © Make Time For Safety. It Is Better To Be 5 Minutes Late In This Life Than Many Years Early In The Next. Distribution : daily to 36.800+ active addresses 25-03-2017 Page 1 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2017 – 085 Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos or articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO : [email protected] If you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore : To unsubscribe click here (English version) or visit the subscription page on our website. http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/uitschrijven.aspx?lan=en-US EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS IRClass Academy and Singapore Nautical Institute deliver Ballast Water Management Course in Singapore Indian Register of Shipping’s training arm, IRClass Academy, in association with the Singapore Nautical Institute, delivered a training course on Ballast Water Managementin Singapore earlier this month (March). Conducted by IRClass’ Joint Managing Director, Mr. Vijay Arora, the course was designed to equip attendees with a better understanding of the requirements of Ballast Water Management Convention set to enter into force on 8th September 2017. The Ballast Water Management Convention, adopted in 2004, aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and procedures for the management, and control of ships' ballast water and sediments. Under the Convention, ships trading in international waters will need to ensure they are fitted with an approved on-board ballast water treatment system. With the cost of installing a ballast water treatment system relatively significant for many owners, and in an effort to improve the state of the shipping industry,IRClass believesit is imperative that owners and managers have a clear and holistic understanding of the Convention along with its implications. IRClass aims to create awareness amongst all stakeholders in the implementation process. The course was well- attended by representatives from various prominent shipping and maritime organizations in Southeast Asia, and according to Mr. Arora, IRClass Academy will continue to be active in conducting cost-effective training programmes on the Ballast Water Management Convention. He added: “I was heartened by the turnout, and as we are getting closer to the implementation date of the Convention, owners and managers would benefit from having more than just a surface understanding of the convention – and I conduct the course with a simple and lucid delivery.” The training course took place at the Singapore Recreation Club on Friday, 10March 2017, from 9am to 4pm. Coast Guard medevacs man from boat off Sabine Pass Distribution : daily to 36.800+ active addresses 25-03-2017 Page 2 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2017 – 085 Seaman Martin Sissac and Petty Officer 3rd class Kaylee Harding tend to a man with a broken leg and arm during a medevac off Sabine Pass, Texas, Mar. 22, 2017. The man fell while underway on an offshore supply vessel, was taken to Coast Guard Station Sabine and transferred to EMS in stable condition. Photo : Coast Guard Station Sabine Don’t miss this chance to own a unique piece of history! MV DOULOS was the world’s oldest ocean-going passenger ship during her service as a floating book fair for GBA Ships. She was built in 1914 as SS MEDINA In the September 1914 issue of International Marine Engineering, she was referred to as “One of the most modern and largest freight steamships operating on the Atlantic coast.” Left : editor of this newsletter Piet Sinke onboard the DOULOS during a visit to Singapore in 2009 with Capt Dirk Geuze of the vessel Photo : Elizabeth Sinke (c) CLICK at the photo ! When World War I broke out, she became a supply ship for the US Army, but was placed under the operational control of the US Navy. In 1918, MEDINA was the Commodore’s Flagship in a convoy of about twenty ships enroute to Europe. During that arduous voyage, two ships in her convoy were torpedoed, but MEDINA escaped without harm. During World War II she served once again as a military supply ship. During her second stint of wartime service MEDINA rammed a Canadian corvette class naval vessel almost cutting it in half while Medina apparently suffered little damage as the result of this mishap. In 1949 Genaviter converted MEDINA to a passenger vessel in La Spezia, Italy. Left ;The DOULOS moored at ASL Shipyard in Batam-Indonesia prior transfer to Bintan Photo : Piet Sinke (c) CLICK at the photo Upon completion she was given a new name, SS ROMA. In 1952, ROMA was sold at auction to the only bidder present; another Italian shipping company, Costa Lines. Costa Lines registered the vessel in Genoa and renamed her FRANCA C. In 1977, her ownership was transferred to GBA (which stands for Gute Bucher fur Alle, or Good Books for All), an affiliate of a Christian organisation whose primary mission is to distribute heavily discounted educational and religious books worldwide. GBA Distribution : daily to 36.800+ active addresses 25-03-2017 Page 3 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2017 – 085 renamed her M/V DOULOS. When the ship’s operational certificate ran out on December 31, 2009, her owners made the difficult decision to sell DOULOS. In 2010, DOULOS again escaped the breakers and had a new owner, Mr. Eric Saw, director and chief executive of BizNaz Resources International Pte Ltd in Singapore. She was renamed DOULOS PHOS or Servant of Light with the intent of transforming her into a floating multi- use facility. In 2015, her current owners formed a joint venture with two well-established Asian firms in the resort business and concluded that it was both economically and physically feasible to reposition DOULOS PHOS on land and turn her into a luxury hotel. That August the ship was towed out of Singapore to Batam, Indonesia, to be refurbished before moving to the Island of Bintan to become part of a US$25 million hotel resort. In October 2015 she went into drydock, where her hull was refurbished. Steel reinforcement bracing was added inside her hull to support her weight on dry land. She was then towed to a location adjacent to the Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal. Using a system of pulling cables and air bags, the ship was hoisted up a slope to a promontory point overlooking the harbor. This marked the end of her career as a floating ship. A port hole from this vessel is currently being auctioned through Facebook. Find out more about this special item and place your bid at: http://bit.ly/shipsauction1 China denies reports of building on disputed shoal China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied reports that China will begin preparatory work this year for an environmental monitoring station on disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. China seized the shoal, which is northeast of the Spratly islands, in 2012 and denied access to Philippine fishermen. But after President Rodrigo Duterte visited China last year, it allowed them to return to the traditional fishing area. Earlier this month, Xiao Jie, the mayor of what China calls Sansha City, said China planned to begin preparatory work this year to build environmental monitoring stations on a number of islands, including Scarborough Shoal Sansha City is the name China has given to an administrative base for the South China Sea islands and reefs it controls."China places great importance on the preservation of the South China Sea's ocean ecology, this is certain," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing."According to the relevant bodies in China, the reports you mention that touch upon building environmental monitoring stations on Scarborough Shoal are mistaken, these things are not true," she added."With regards to Scarborough Shoal, China's position is consistent and clear. We place great importance on China- Philippines relations." Xiao Jie's comments about the plans as quoted by the state-backed Hainan Daily had been amended to remove mention of the shoal in the paper's online version when checked by Reuters on Wednesday.Earlier in the day, the Distribution : daily to 36.800+ active addresses 25-03-2017 Page 4 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2017 – 085 Philippines formally asked China's embassy in Manila to explain news reports about building plans for Scarborough Shoal."We have sought clarification from China on reported plans on Scarborough Shoal," Charles Jose, foreign ministry spokesman, said in a text message sent to news organisations.In a radio interview later, Jose said it is important for the Philippines to strengthen its defence and maritime domain awareness capabilities. He said the Philippines should also step up cooperation with its allies and regional partners who share the country's position in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, resorting to peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to rule of law."We should maintain the civilian nature so as not to escalate tensions," he said, reacting to some suggestions the Philippines deploy warships to Scarborough Shoal to assert Manila's claim on the rocky outcrop. source: Reuters (Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Additional reporting by Manny Mogato in Manila; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Maritime Consultancy in the Digital Age Britannia Maritime Consultants (www.britmaritime.com ), a boutique consultancy based in Singapore, has been launched to specialize in maritime casualty and expert witness/opinion.