DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

Number 213 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 17-08-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

The ASM ALPHA is the former SMIT-LLOYD 106, built during 1973 at the Bodewes shipyard in The Netherlands under yard number 710, sailed for Smit-Lloyd and later for Smit Singapore as the “106” and was sold in 2002 to Auo Siam Marine and renamed ASM ALPHA Photo top : Capt. Jelle de Vries © Photo Left : Piet Sinke ©

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IF YOU HAVE PICTURES OR OTHER SHIPPING RELATED INFORMATION FOR THE NEWS CLIPPINGS ?? PLEASE SEND THIS TO : [email protected] CONTENTS EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS • US: No plan for naval blockade of Iran • Salvage of sunken ship starts off Antique town • Svitzer Salvage appointed to recover overboard logs • Somali pirates hijack Thai cargo ship • Ten perlemoen boats seized over poaching allegations • The South Korean Vessel Returned Today • Somalia - Puntland police reportedly arrest wounded pirate • Weer meer schepen uitgevlagd uit Duitsland • Horizon Lines Completes Marine Fire Exercise in Guam • Thor crew ‘safe’ CASUALTY REPORTING • VERONICA B. hits pier in Gibraltar Bay. NAVY NEWS • New boats for SERCO-DENHOLM • Royal Navy scraps Russia exercise plan • PAPALOAPAN arrived in Amsterdam for port visit • U.S.-Russia Naval Exercise May Be Cancelled • U.S. Navy Ship Makes Iraq Port Visit • Russian ship barred from NATO anti-terror patrol • Group wants to sink plan to scrap the NR-1 SHIPYARD NEWS • Halter lays keel for Navy missile-monitoring ship • Crane leg collapses in Mass. shipyard; 1 dead • Daewoo Auction to Exclude Foreign Bidders • Laying down of the first SWATH customs vessel at TKMS Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke in Emden • Turkish gov't follows up on deadly shipyard accidents • Shutting down Tuzla will not solve problems, parties said ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES • Looks like two-way battle for Hapag Lloyd • Goede cijfers voor Hapag-Lloyd • THE S&P MARKET WEEK 30-32 • TOP Ships Announces Termination of Five Leases • Port Authority: 2 cranes collapse, no one hurt • TEAL discharging at the Parana river (Argentina) • Havila hampered • South Georgia Island visited by 8.000 cruise ship pax • IJ VEER 35 replaced the De Nieuwe Prins • Shenzhen ports implement new cargo inspection system • DNV to class 'world's largest shipbuilding order' • Stena line await port plan D-Day

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

US: No plan for naval blockade of Iran A senior official with the US Defense Department has dismissed reports that Washington is planning a naval blockade of Iran.

"As a matter of policy we do not discuss current or future ship's movements. However, I can tell you that reports of an alleged naval blockade of Iran are false," Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

"We routinely rotate deployed naval forces in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility," he added. The US Central Command supervises US military operations in the Middle East, East Africa and Central Asia.

On Monday, Egypt's Middle East Times reported that a massive US and European armada was heading towards the Persian Gulf for a naval blockade of Iran. The report said that the force included the nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt as well as forces from the British Royal Navy and a French nuclear submarine. Source : presstv.ir

Salvage of sunken ship starts off Antique town Operations to salvage the sunken cargo ship off Culasi, Antique started on Monday as divers continued the search for the vessel’s missing toxic cargo. A tugboat and a barge with a crane have been deployed to Culasi to salvage the MV Ocean Papa, according to Commodore William Melad, Coast Guard district commander in Western Visayas.

Melad said in a telephone interview on Tuesday that the owner of the cargo ship, Ocean Container Lines Inc., have contracted the C.V. Gaspar Salvage and Lighterage Company to conduct the salvage operations expected to last for three months.

The MV Ocean Papa sank at noon of June 21 due to strong winds and rough seas near Mararison Island, around 5.6 km from the coast of Culasi, while en route to Iloilo City from Manila. The salvage plan involves the cutting of the ship into sections and loading these in the barge. But Melad said the focus of the operations remained the recovery of container vans, especially those with the toxic substance toluene di-isocyanate (TDI).

Melad said only detached parts of the vessel would be salvaged in the initial phase of the operation while the search for the toxic cargo continued. The first phase would include the salvaging of the ship’s bridge.

The salvage team will also recover 61 vans that have been swept ashore and a container van found by divers near the ship. However, the divers have failed to located at least 80 sealed drums containing 16 metric tons of TDI, a main ingredient in the production of flexible polyurethane foam and is used in manufacturing synthetic leather, coated fabrics, paints and adhesives. Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 3 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

The chemical can cause severe irritation of the skin and eyes and could cause damage to the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. The Coast Guard also directed the salvage team to install oil spill booms around the vessel. Source : Philippine Daily Inquirer

SAL’s LENA seen discharging in the Waalhaven in Rotterdam Photo : Ruud Zegwaard ©

Van der Wees BROEDERTROUW XIV seen enroute to the Damen yard in Gorinchem with two newbuilding hulls of workboats, just discharged by the LENA in the Waalhaven in Rotterdam, Photo : Ruud Zegwaard ©

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Svitzer Salvage appointed to recover overboard logs Cape Town-based Svitzer Salvage Africa has been appointed by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to search for and recover logs lost overboard from the cargo vessel LOLA.

An estimated 200 - 300 logs went overboard on the night of 9 August while the ship lay at anchor in Table Bay in the vicinity of Robben Island. A number of the logs have since been spotted from the air and by ships between Slangkop and Hout Bay in the South, and to Dassen Island & Ysterfontein in the North.

According to Capt Nick Sloane, managing director of Svitzer Salvage Africa, logs have begun coming ashore near Grotto Bay, Dassen Island, Robben Island, Sea Point and along the Cape Peninsular as far as Hout Bay.

He told PORTS & SHIPS that Svitzer was deploying ski-boats and zodiac type semi-rigid inflatable, crewed by recovery teams including divers.

“These boats shall be directed to the immediate location of the logs by aerial observations carried out by either helicopter or fixed wing aircraft, and from reportings made by shipping and the public. Logs already landed on the shore will be recovered by shore-teams and forestry equipment.”

Sloane added that the public, small craft users and local fisherman are urged to be aware of the risks that these logs pose to fishing boats, bathers and recreational surfers. “They should not be approached in the surf zone, and life guards are urged to maintain a lookout and warn bathers of their presence,” he said.

The logs are of Okoume species, of West African origin, and weigh between 8 & 20 tonnes, with a length between 6 – 10m in length. Source : Port.co.za

Kon. Wilhelminahaven zz 22 3134 KG Vlaardingen (Port No 650) The Netherlands www.mariflex.net tel (24 hrs) : +31 (0) 10 434 44 45 [email protected] Somali pirates hijack Thai cargo ship A Thai cargo ship has been hijacked off the Somali coast, a maritime watchdog said Thursday as it called on the United Nations and coalition forces to halt pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

"The Thai general cargo ship was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 12 by Somali pirates," Noel Choong, head of the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, told AFP.

Choong said the watchdog was unable to provide additional information on the attack because "the ship was still moving with the hijackers onboard."

"In view of the crew safety, we are unable to provide further details," he said. Choong said that because Somalia has no central government, the military forces patroling the Gulf of Aden should take the lead to deter piracy which is rampant in the region. Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 5 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

"We hope the UN and the coalition forces will stop the attacks. Unless there is a deterrent, the attacks and hijacking will continue to escalate," he warned.

In recent weeks, the IMB has reported a series of attacks and hijackings off the Somali coast. Last week, a Singapore- flagged vessel was attacked by pirates who fired a rocket-propelled grenade that landed on the ship but did not explode. A coalition warship scared away the attackers and the vessel escaped unscathed.

On July 20, pirates seized the Stella Maris, a Japanese-owned bulk carrier, and demanded a ransom from the owners. A Nigerian tug boat is also believed to have been seized on August 4 but the centre is still seeking more details on the case. The waters off Nigeria and Somalia are the world's most dangerous hotspots for seafarers. Source : abs-cbnnews

Ten perlemoen boats seized over poaching allegations Ten boats were confiscated on Tuesday on suspicion they were being used for perlemoen poaching in the Table Mountain National Marine Protected Area, the environmental affairs department said. Spokeswoman Carol Moses said the boats were seized after a joint operation by the department, the SA Police Service, and SA National Parks.

No arrests were made. However, three people were arrested after a perlemoen poaching incident last week. Moses said officials received a tip-off from the public and rushed to Robben Island where technology was used to monitor the area and assist in catching the poachers in the water.

They were charged for illegal diving in a protected area. Source : cargoinfo.co.za The South Korean Vessel Returned Today North Korea stated on the 13th in its notification of a collision between a South Korean sand transporting vessel and a North Korean fishing boat that the accident happened due to the inattention of the South Korean vessel.

North Korea explained in the notification, issued under the name of the person in charge of the North-South management district in the East Sea Waters for the North Korean Army that “The captain of the South Korean vessel did not notice our side’s fishing boat and hit it while he allowed the crew to sleep and drove alone.”

Around 2:35 AM on the morning of the 12th, at sea 7.8 kilometers northeast of Jangjin Port in North Korea, a South Korean vessel and a North Korean fishing boat collided. Two North Korean fishermen disappeared in the accident and the other two were rescued by the crew of the South Korean vessel.”

North Korea pointed out in the notification that “This accident happened due to the South Korean crew’s carelessness, and therefore two North Korean fishermen died and our fishing boat was overturned. However, considering that the accident happened late at night, we have tried to act with love for our brethren and have sent back the South Korean vessel.”

A Spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification Kim Ho Nyon said in a daily briefing that “The Dongyee 1” is due to arrive at the Geoje Port in South Kyungsang Province, South Korea at around 7 PM today.” Source : dailynk.com Somalia - Puntland police reportedly arrest wounded pirate Puntland police have arrested a man in Qardo District after he was injured in an operation aimed at arresting pirates. Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 6 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

The pirate man, whose name, Jama Dhaqalo, has sustained serious injury, is said to have been among the kidnappers who hijacked a French ship and later freed it, after payment of a large amount of ransom.

However, French troops attacked and killed some them, while capturing others. The injured man was brought to Bosaso town under tight security. The pirates have freed two German hostages kidnapped in June from a yacht off the Gulf of Aden, some days ago.

The hostages were released Friday night from a hideout in a mountainous area near Puntland, a semiautonomous region of northern Somalia, said Muse Geele Yusuf, the governor of Bari region. "Two German hostages have been released," Yusuf told Mareeg online by telephone. He said a $1 million ransom was paid, but it was not clear by whom. Details of the release were sketchy. At the time of the kidnapping, officials said a German couple was seized along with their young son; German officials subsequently have said no child was kidnapped.

Kidnappings and piracy are on the rise in Somalia, where hijackers demand — and often receive — huge ransoms. The 1,880-mile coast is the longest in Africa.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and turned on each other. Since Somalia does not have a navy, France and the U.S. are drafting a U.N. resolution that would allow international naval vessels into Somali waters.

Thousands of civilians have been killed in Somalia since 2007, caught in vicious disputes over ancient clan loyalties, religion and government. Somalia's shaky transitional administration was formed in 2004 with the help of the United Nations, but has failed to assert real control. Source : Abdi Guled - mareeg.com Weer meer schepen uitgevlagd uit Duitsland De Duitse vloot krimpt. Vorig jaar nam het aantal uitgevlagde handelsschepen met 15 procent toe tot 2.523. Het aantal nieuw in Duitsland geregistreerde schepen daalde licht, van 1.142 tot 1.134. Dit blijkt uit het jaarverslag van de Seeberufsgenossenschaft (See-BG) in Hamburg. Een groot probleem in de Duitse scheepvaart is het gebrek aan geschoolde bemanningsleden. Die zijn in Duitsland zelf steeds moeilijker te vinden. Het aandeel buitenlanders aan boord van Duitse schepen steeg opnieuw, tot 37,5 procent. De Duitse reders steken steeds meer geld in de opleiding van zeevarenden. Dat leidt tot een toenemende instroom van nieuwelingen, maar daar staat een nog grotere uitstroom tegenover door pernsionering of doordat zeevarenden kiezen voor een baan aan de wal. Verder keurden de artsen vorig jaar zo'n 400 mensen die aanmonsterden af. Veelal waren hart- en vaatziekten en diabetes de afkeuringsgrond.

Bij de 'havenstaatscontroles' in Duitse havens werden vorig jaar 1.449 schepen gecontroleerd. In 2006 waren dat er 1.529. In 750 gevallen was sprake van uiteenlopende manco's. De See-BG moest in ruim vijftig gevallen besluiten het schip een vaarverbod op te leggen. Bron : Nieuwsblad Transport Horizon Lines Completes Marine Fire Exercise in Guam Fire-Fighting Training Conducted to Familiarize First Responders with New Horizon Vessels

Horizon Lines, Inc., the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company, has completed a containership fire-fighting exercise in Guam in cooperation with the Guam Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port Authority of Guam and the Port Police Department. The training exercise was the culmination of a five-week vessel familiarization program conducted on Horizon's new Hunter Class vessels, which entered service in Guam last year. The five new Hunter Class vessels each have a capacity of 2,824 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and are capable of service speeds above 23 knots.

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The final exercise was conducted on board the Horizon Eagle, focusing on ship-board fire-fighting; CO2 extinguishing systems; fire hose connections; galley extinguishing systems; fire main and external hook up points; engine room fire hazards; fire-fighting gear; and vessel escape.

"This is the first time for vessel on-board personnel and shore-based emergency responders to interact in a joint exercise. We enjoyed the experience and found it very educational," expressed Captain Niles Baker, Master of the Horizon Eagle.

The cross-agency group of 105 safety personnel from the Guam Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port Authority of Guam and the Port Police Department benefited from close interaction with the Horizon crews and detailed inspections of each Hunter Class vessel.

"As with other stateside communities, the Guam Fire Department is experiencing personnel shortages due to involvement with the war effort," said Rick Agustin, Guam Terminal Operations Manager for Horizon Lines. "Despite these challenges, we were excited with the great response from the trained fire fighters who participated. The exercise proved to be very rewarding for all involved."

Marine transportation is critical to Guam's growing economy. Horizon Lines has added new capacity to the market and made significant investments in terminal improvements to serve the Guam and Micronesia trades. Container volumes are expected to grow in coming years due to U.S. military base relocation plans in the region. The U.S. Navy, Marine Corp. and Air Force all plan expansion in Guam due to the island's strategic location, including the move of some 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam over the next several years.

"Our goal always is to have the best and the safest service to support our customers' needs," said Hugh Healey, General Manager, Guam and Micronesia for Horizon Lines. "There is no dedicated fire-fighting team or station at the Port of Guam, so we rely on the expertise of the vessel crew and local firefighters. This is a great example of how we all can work together to combat a common safety challenge and be prepared together." Source : Horizon lines Thor crew ‘safe’ Coalition forces could be on the tail of a Thoresen Thai-owned ship which was hijacked with 28 crew onboard in the Gulf of Aden this week. Thoresen Thai has signalled the crew of the Thor Star are safe for now. Contact has been made with the Thailand-flagged Thor Star as efforts to secure its release are stepped up.

News of the single communication comes as it transpired the vessel fell foul of pirates off Indonesia in 2003. The 16,300-dwt ship is believed to be headed for the Somali coast after it was seized about 100 miles off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday afternoon. A statement issued on behalf of the multi-purpose vessel’s manager, Thoresen & Co Bangkok, says the ship on Tuesday “deviated from its intended route to the Port of Aden, Yemen.

“By 9.30pm on the 12 [August], after repeated attempts to contact the vessel the company became concerned that the vessel may have been hijacked and the authorities were immediately alerted.” The statement continued: “The hijackers have since made contact, on late Wednesday, 13 August and the vessel’s master has confirmed that all crew are safe and well at this time.”

It is unclear if any ransom demands have been made. It is also understood there could be difficulties in trying to communicate with the Somali captors and an all-Thai crew in English. Thoresen added: “The vessel’s progress is now being monitored by the Coalition Government Forces, Navy and Coastguard in the area, with a view to ensuring our crew’s safety as the first priority. “All international and local government and professional support is being utilised to bring this matter to a safe and speedy conclusion.” The 1985-built ship was carrying a cargo of plywood from Southeast Asia to Yemen when it was hijacked.

It has also emerged that the Thor Star was involved in a piracy incident in Indonesia in 2003. A report from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) details that “a group of ten masked robbers in a speedboat, armed with

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guns and knives boarded the ship at [starboard] quarter, using grapnel hooks tied to ropes, while underway.” This incident happened in the vicinity of Bintan Island in July 2003.

“Duty A/B and 2/0 were held hostage and taken to the master and crew cabins and escaped with their loot,” the report said. No action appears to have been taken by the crew at the time but coastal authorities in Jakarta were notified of the incident.

CASUALTY REPORTING VERONICA B. HITS PIER IN GIBRALTAR The 1978 containership Veronica B. (22525 gt) has been involved in an accident in Gibraltar Bay on its way to Algeciras.

There was poor visibility due to fog and the vessel was seen to drop anchor and go full astern. Then it headed straight into Gibraltar and it appears that the vessel's bulbous bow hit a pier. Local port authorities are presently investigating the matter. Source : Lloyd's NAVY NEWS NEW BOATS FOR SERCO-DENHOLM

2 New tenders, a Damen Stan 1905 tender named SD Solent Spirit and a Stan 1505 tender called SD Solent Racer arrived in Portsmouth. The Admiralty Pilot boats are replacing the St.Clement and St.Martin. Photo : Gary Davies - www.maritimephotographic.co.uk © Royal Navy scraps Russia exercise plan Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 9 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

The Royal Navy has scrapped plans to take part in a joint exercise with Russian warships amid continuing tensions over the crisis in Georgia. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said it would be "highly inappropriate" to go ahead with the exercise, which was due to take place later this month involving ships from France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States (FRUKUS).

The United States has already pulled out of the annual FRUKUS exercise, which was to be hosted by the Russian navy in Vladivostok. The MoD spokesman said: "The Royal Navy will not be participating in the quadrilateral exercise. "It would be highly inappropriate to do so in the current circumstances." Source : ukpress.google PAPALOAPAN ARRIVED IN AMSTERDAM

Photo : Rob van Lieshout ©

The Mexican tank landing craft PAPALOAPAN arrived for a port visit in Amsterdam, the landing craft is build as the class leader of the US Navy Newport class USS NEWPORT (LST 1179) during 1968 and was sold by the US to Mexico 18-1-2001 and transferred 23-5-2001, the ship can transport 2,000 tons of cargo (500 tons for beaching) on 1,765 m2 of deck space. There is a 34-m-long, 75-ton-capacity mobile aluminium ramp forward, which is linked to the tank deck by a second from the upper deck.

Aft is a 242-m2 helicopter platform and a stern door for loading and unloading vehicles. The tank deck, which has a 75-ton-capacity turntable at both ends, can carry 23 armoured personnel carriers or 29 light tanks or 41 2.5-ton trucks, while the upper deck can accept 29 2.5-ton trucks. Can carry three LCVPs and one LCP in Welin davits. Is fitted with two 10-ton cranes. And is able to carry 141,600 gallons of vehicle fuel.

U.S.-Russia Naval Exercise May Be Cancelled The Bush administration is expected to cancel an upcoming naval exercise with Russian navy vessels and to press NATO likewise to prohibit a Russian warship from joining a separate alliance exercise.

"There is no way in good conscience that we we could proceed with these exercises given the state of this conflict," a senior Defense Department official said.

Cancellation would be the first concrete reprisal against Russia for its military actions in Georgia.

The Pentagon is expected to announce the cancellation of an annual exercise, called FRUKUS, that was to have included warships from Britain, France and Russia. The exercise was to begin within the next week off of Vladivostok, a Russian port city along the Pacific Ocean.

A Russian navy vessel also was set to join a separate NATO exercise in the Black Sea. While only the alliance can cancel that program, the United States is expected to press NATO to prohibit participation by Russia, which is not a member of the alliance, officials said. Source : nytimes

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www.tos.nl TOS Rotterdam (+31)10 – 436 62 93 E-Mail [email protected] U.S. Navy Ship Makes Iraq Port Visit As part of Iraq Navy Day celebrations, USS Firebolt made a port visit to Umm Qasr, Iraq , marking the first visit by a U.S. ship to Iraq in more than 15 months.

“Our port visit to Umm Qasr demonstrates the great confidence we have in our Iraqi partners and reflects the marked improvements in security that they have achieved within the past several months,” Navy Lt. Cmdr. Trent Thompson, Firebolt’s commanding officer, said. “This visit gave us a chance to interact with senior Iraqi navy leadership and further enhance coalition cooperation with the Iraqi navy and marines.”

While in port, the ship’s crew members were able to participate in friendship-building activities with several senior Iraqi officers. “Making a port visit to Iraq and interacting with Iraqi officers is very important, because it builds relationships and promotes positive interaction between our navies,” Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Moore, an electronics technician, said. “Today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am proud to help make a positive difference in Iraq’s future.”

An Iraqi officer said he was pleased Firebolt made a port visit to Umm Qasr and took time to visit Iraq. “This is an important day for us and for Iraq,” he said. “Having this ship visit Umm Qasr is a big step, and we hope more coalition ships can visit this port as well.”

Navy Rear Adm. Thomas A. Cropper, deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, celebrated Iraqi Navy Day with senior Iraqi naval leaders yesterday and was pierside for Firebolt’s arrival to Umm Qasr.

“There has been significant progress in Iraq during the past year and a half that allowed Firebolt to make this port visit to Umm Qasr,” he said. “Visits like this are important, because they help reinforce the strong ties that already exist between our two navies. This visit clearly demonstrates the coalition partnership in maritime security with the Iraqi navy and our commitment to the government of Iraq and its people.”

Following the ship’s visit to Umm Qasr, senior Iraqi naval officers and members of the Naval Transition Team inspected operations on the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal. There, they discussed the role of Iraqi and coalition forces protecting Iraq’s key maritime infrastructure. U.S. and coalition maritime forces provide assistance to the Iraqi navy in defending Iraq’s major oil platforms. These terminals are significant sources of Iraqi government revenue and contribute about 80 percent of Iraq’s gross domestic product.

Led by Combined Task Force 158, coalition maritime forces in the region maintain a naval and air presence to safeguard vital links to the global economy. These key maritime infrastructure nodes are the foundation for the region's economic growth, stability and prosperity, officials said, and they significantly affect the global economy.

“Our forces are here to foster security and cooperation in the region and to conduct operations that contribute to peace and stability,” Cropper said. “U.S. and coalition forces provide the assurance of security and stability that enables the economic development and growing prosperity of the people throughout this region. The people of Iraq are beginning to enjoy these benefits, and our cooperation with the Iraqi navy will ensure that they prosper as they expand their participation in the global economy.” Source : isria.info

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Russian ship barred from NATO anti- terror patrol NATO has barred a Russian ship from joining its multinational anti-terrorism patrol in the Mediterranean in apparent retaliation for Moscow's military action against Georgia, a NATO diplomat said on Wednesday. The Black Sea patrol ship Ladny had been due to take part in NATO's Operation Active Endeavour in August and September involving anti- terrorism exercises and practicing search and rescue operations at sea, Russia's navy command said last month.

It had already arrived off the coast of Turkey to take part in the operation. But the diplomat said that following the fighting in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, Washington had withheld its agreement for the Russian ship to join the mission, launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

NATO diplomats said the U.S. administration had also blocked so far a Russian request for an emergency meeting of the NATO-Russia Council to discuss the crisis in the Caucasus. Russian ambassador Dmitry Rogozin submitted the request on Monday and NATO officials had originally said the meeting could take place on Tuesday, but it was put off and NATO said more time was needed for preparation.

Instead, Washington has called a special meeting of NATO foreign ministers next Tuesday to discuss the Georgia crisis without Russia. Source : National-Post Group wants to sink plan to scrap the NR-1 They hope to persuade Navy to send research sub to Nautilus museum

“Team Connecticut” helped save the Naval Submarine Base from extinction, and now “Team NR-1” is hoping to save the Navy's only research submarine from a similar fate. ”We are the submarine capital of the world, and NR-1 is an important part of the story that we want to tell,” Rob Simmons, a player on both teams, said Thursday.

The Naval Research Vessel (NR-1), the Navy's only nuclear-powered, deep-diving ocean engineering and research submarine, is scheduled to be inactivated at the end of this year after almost 40 years in service.

Although most of its work in the ocean depths involves assignments that the Navy does not discuss, some of NR-1's high-profile missions include retrieving pieces of the space shuttle Challenger when it blew up after takeoff in 1986 and the engines from Egyptair Flight 990 when it crashed off the coast of New England in 1999.

NR-1 has searched for shipwrecks around the world, including an Israeli submarine that vanished in 1968. Its crew worked with Robert Ballard, founder and president of the Institute For Exploration at the Mystic Aquarium, to search for evidence of early Native American settlements now under water.

On its final deployment, the crew helped a local foundation look for the wreck of John Paul Jones' Revolutionary War ship the Bonhomme Richard. Team Connecticut, as it was called, helped fight the Pentagon's attempt to close the Groton base in 2005. Simmons, now the state's business advocate, was then a Republican congressman representing the 2nd District.

When its service ends, NR-1 will go to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where its fuel will be removed, and then to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington, where its nuclear reactor will be removed and the ship dismantled. The pieces would be recycled or buried at a nuclear reservation in Washington.

It would be “cut up into unrecognizable chunks,” said Michael Riegel, executive director of the Submarine Force Library and Museum Association. “That's the part we're trying to avoid.” Riegel and David Goebel, president of the museum association, convened the meeting of NR-1 supporters Thursday to formulate a strategy for bringing the submarine back to Groton once the reactor is removed. Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 12 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

Their hope is that NR-1 will become a part of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum, which is already home to the USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.

The state and local officials, museum representatives, Electric Boat employees and current and former NR-1 officers discussed the Navy's response to their initial inquiries about NR-1's future, options for expanding the museum and the possibility of securing some of the submarine's parts, including the sail, before it heads to the West Coast.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said in a phone interview after the meeting that Navy officials gave him “very positive feedback” about the idea of adding NR-1 to the museum. The concern, he said, is an estimated cost of $10 million to $15 million to ship the submarine back to the East Coast. Hazardous materials may also have to be removed from the parts of the ship for display.

Courtney is lobbying his colleagues to add language to the defense authorization act that would state Congress' support for preserving NR-1 as a museum exhibit in Groton. ”People will come from across the country and around the world to visit here and to see these artifacts and to learn these stories,” Simmons said. The museum association has agreed to pay for preliminary drawings to show how the museum could look with NR-1. Riegel said they will need to form a group responsible for fundraising later.

Team NR-1 decided to send a formal letter to the Navy requesting the submarine, ask the state's congressional delegation to contact the Navy to support the request, prepare a list of parts that could be removed and added to the museum before the submarine goes to Washington and investigate whether NR-1 could be designated as a historic ship.

Removal of the reactor is scheduled for 2015, which would make the hull section available in 2017. ”We want as much of that submarine as the Navy will give us, recognizing that we can't have the reactor,” Riegel said. “We'll spot them that one. But everything else we want.” Source : TheDay.com SHIPYARD NEWS

The tug HADI seen fitting out at the Damen shipyard in Galati – Rumania - Photo : Hans van der Ster ©

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Halter lays keel for Navy missile- monitoring ship Officials laid the keel on a new missile-range instrumentation ship for the U.S. Navy on Wednesday, marking the start of construction on the $199 million vessel at VT Halter Marine's Pascagoula shipyard. Commemorating the event was important because the keel serves as "the strength of the entire ship," said Boyd "Butch" King, chief executive officer of Halter Marine.

With about 75 guests huddled beneath a tent during Wednesday's morning thunderstorms, King called the event "one of the most memorable keel-laying ceremonies we've had," and welcomed representatives from the U.S. Navy and Department of State.

Paula DeSutter, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Verification, Compliance and Implementation, served as the ship authenticator, and welded her signature into a keel plate in recognition of the milestone. Halter Marine won the contract to build the T-AGM 25 vessel, a 700-foot ship that will carry a high- resolution, multi-wavelength radar program called the Cobra Judy Replacement, in September 2006.

The ship "carries a very important national security mission," said U.S. Navy Capt. Beth Dexter, supervisor of shipbuilding on the Gulf Coast. "It sits off the coast of other countries that are our allies and some that aren't our friends," she said. "It will track missile shots they make and get data from them."

The T-AGM 25 will "allow us to be all over the world getting the precise data we need," DeSutter said. The data the ship and its radar system produces can be used to improve missile efficiency and accuracy, as well as monitor the capabilities of other countries' missile systems, helping the U.S. monitor strategic arms treaty compliance and disarmament commitments, officials attending the event said.

"This ship's sensor suite looks at the bad end of a missile while it's flying and gives us information we can't get anywhere else," said DeSutter, who works as principal policy liaison to the U.S. Intelligence community.

The still-unnamed T-AGM 25 vessel is to replace the Navy's T-AGM 23, or USNS Observation Island, which was built in 1952 and is the oldest ship in the Navy's active inventory, DeSutter said. The sensor suite, or radar, on the ship will have the same capabilities of the one on board Observation Island, but the T-AGM 25 will be faster and more solid, she said.

"It had to be a high-quality ship with a stable platform to get the best data," DeSutter said. "And we need as many of these as we can get our hands on." Only one T-AGM 25 has been commissioned so far, but the U.S. needs more, DeSutter said, because if other countries know the ship is monitoring missiles in one area, other areas are opened up to their unmonitored missile activity. Halter Marine's King said he expects to launch the ship next year, with delivery expected in 2010. Source : gulflive.com

Crane leg collapses in Mass. shipyard; 1 dead The leg of a giant crane being dismantled at a shipyard collapsed on Thursday, killing an ironworker, a city official said.

Workers had been dismantling the 25-story crane known as Goliath for several weeks at the Fore River Shipyard in preparation for its shipment to Romania. The workers were removing pieces of the crane to force the support leg to fall, but it came down before they were prepared, Fire Chief Joseph Barron said at an afternoon news conference.

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''It did collapse in the manner it was designed to collapse. It just did not collapse when it was supposed to, obviously,'' Barron said. The victim was identified as Robert Harvey, 28, of Weymouth. Authorities said four other workers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Two were treated at the scene and two at a hospital.

Greg Nordholm, the president and co-owner of Norsar, the company supervising the demolition, told The Patriot Ledger of Quincy: ''Everything was progressing normally, and then suddenly, without warning, a connection of one leg to the body seemed to fail.''

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate. Barron said the 12:30 p.m. collapse did not affect the structural stability of the rest of the crane. General Dynamics Corp. constructed the Goliath crane in the 1970s and used it to lift huge pieces of ships and tankers at the shipyard, which once employed 32,000 people. The crane has been a fixture in the skies over Quincy for decades, but it's been idle since the shipyard closed in 1986.

Daewoo-Mangalia Heavy Industries, a Romanian shipbuilding and repair company, purchased the crane for an undisclosed sum. Source : Chicago SunTimes

The coast guard / customs cutter VISAREND entered the drydock at the Visser shipyard in Den Helder Photo : Lourens Visser ©

Daewoo Auction to Exclude Foreign Bidders Foreign investors cannot bid for a controlling stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering due to fears over technology leaks, financial authorities said Tuesday.

In a report on the privatization of state-invested companies to the National Assembly, Financial Services Commission Chairman Jun Kwang-woo said different standards are needed for firms whose business is related to national defense and security.

``It is inappropriate for foreign investors to take over Daewoo Shipbuilding,'' Jun told lawmakers Tuesday.

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The commission said it is aiming to sell the government's majority stakes in Daewoo, the world's third-largest shipyard, and in Ssangyong Engineering & Construction by the year's end.

The state-run Korea Development Bank injected public funds into Daewoo and Korea Asset Management Corp. did the same for Ssangyong at the height of the Asian financial crisis. The commission controls both the bank and the asset corporation.

The bank also holds a controlling stake in nine entities, including Hyundai E&C, Hynix Semiconductor and Hyundai Corp. The commission said these companies will be turned over to the Korea Development Fund for sales management if not sold before the fund's establishment.

The government is moving to set up the fund by the end of the year through privatization of the bank, with the purpose of supporting small- and medium-size companies.

On the equity sale of Woori Financial Group, Seoul Guarantee Insurance and Daewoo International, the commission said creditors will coordinate a timetable on the sale of such state-run companies by considering market conditions.

``We will coordinate the sales of 14 companies injected with public funds by considering market and industry conditions,'' Jun said. No restrictions are slated for family-run conglomerates that take over companies that have undergone restructuring.

``The commission has never mentioned restricting them, but we are paying keen attention to increasing corporate loans for mergers and acquisitions,'' said Jun.

The spin-off of Industrial Bank of Korea will come in two phases. In the initial step, the government will sell part of its minority equity in the bank at an appropriate time, then sell the remaining controlling shares toward the end of the incumbent administration's term.

Financial authorities will also decide whether to merge the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund with the KIBO Technology Fund after talks with related agencies, such as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

The business lines of the two funds overlap as they provide credit guarantee services to small tech firms.

Nineteen state-invested financial firms and funds, including Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. and Korea Asset Investment Trust, are under the jurisdiction of the financial commission. The government injected public funds into 14 enterprises through such government-run entities and funds.

Laying down of the first SWATH customs vessel at TKMS Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke in Emden On August 8, 2008, the keel of the first of a series of two customs vessels for the German Customs Authorities has been laid at TKMS Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke in Emden, a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The vessels have been ordered by the Procurement Office of the German Customs Authorities and are to be delivered in May and November 2009. The design of the vessels is based on the SWATH principle. SWATH stands for Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull, thus a twin hull ship with a very low waterplane in the waterline. Due to the very small waterplane, sea states are largely eliminated. The result is that SWATH craft show an excellent seagoing behaviour – even at high seas. The Federal Customs Administration deliberately selected a craft with such characteristics to perform its official duties, such as coast guard functions, in cooperation with other authorities at the best.

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For TKMS Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke, this order represents a continuation of the SWATH programme, in which the experience gathered with the design and construction of the SWATH research vessel "Planet" leaves its marks. In 2004, the "Planet" was elected Ship of the Year. The vessels are constructed inside a production hall independent of the weather. Upon construction, the vessels will be pulled out of the hall into the water for final outfitting at the quay.

The vessels have a displacement of 1,000 tons and will be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system. They will be built in compliance with the regulations of Germanischer Lloyd. The main dimensions are as follows:

Overall length: approx. 49 m Moulded breadth: 19 m Moulded depth: 9 m Propulsion: 4 x 2,080 kW (mech.) Source: ThyssenKrupp

Turkish gov't follows up on deadly shipyard accidents The Turkish government has launched multiple investigations into deadly accidents at the country’s leading shipyard in Istanbul, an official said Tuesday. A worker's union demanded the labor minister's resignation, blaming gov't oversight for the accidents.

The prime minister’s office and the Labor Ministry launched separate investigations into the latest shipyard accident, which killed three workers and injured 12 others, Hasan Naiboglu, an official at the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs, told the AP.

Three workers were killed Monday and twelve others were injured in an accident that occurred at Gisan Shipyard in the Tuzla Shipyard Zone, when the ropes of a ship's boat snapped causing the fifteen workers to fall into the sea.

Labor Minister Faruk Celik, who has not taken the necessary measures, should immediately resign from his post, the Confederation of Public Sector Unions (KESK), said in a written statement on Tuesday.

A total of 102 workers have died at the shipyard since 1992. The sub-contracting system and noncompliance with the occupational safety regulations in shipyard operations are seen as the major causes of the deaths in Tuzla.

Most of the work there is outsourced to smaller companies, which have been accused of employing untrained workers and adopting poor safety practices.

Shutting down Tuzla will not solve problems, parties said Parties in the Tuzla shipyards have voiced their disapproval of the labor minister's suggestion to close down or move the area's shipbuilding facilities as a solution to work-related deaths.

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“Nothing will change if the shipyards are moved to any other place without improving [the situation in] Tuzla,” said Cem Dinç, the head of Limter İş trade union, organized among subcontracting workers in Tuzla, speaking to business daily Referans yesterday. It is planned to construct tens of shipyards along the coastline from the southern province of Adana to the Black Sea province of Trabzon, Dinç said. “This would mean spreading the lawlessness in Tuzla everywhere.”

Murat Bayrak, the head of Shipbuilders' Association, or GİSBİR, said the minister was misinformed about the lack of space in Tuzla shipyards. “I do not believe that the minister brings down the agenda of shutting down the shipyards,” he said.

Necip Nalbantoğlu, the head of Dok Gemi İş trade union, which has the authority to bargain in Tuzla shipyards, criticized the idea of closing down the shipyards as well. “This is the first step of deadlock,” said Nalbantoğlu, saying the idea to close shipyards was akin to closing down hospitals because of illnesses or highways because of traffic accidents.

Labor Minister Faruk Çelik said Wednesday that Tuzla should be evacuated. “A targeted number of shipyards should be removed from Tuzla or Tuzla should be closed down,” he had said.

Between 2006 and 2007 the Maritime Undersecretariat prepared a master plan for shipyards in Turkey, disclosing information such as which regions need shipyards or whether Tuzla is responding to the demands, association head Bayrak said. “Why does not the state disclose this plan? Let this plan be public and let us talk about the realities.”

Dinç, on the other hand, highlighted the need to immediately give rights to workers in Tuzla, such as education, social security and trade union organization. A work safety and workers' health commission with a wide base should be established and the commission should have an authority for sanctions, he said.

Meanwhile Nalbantoğlu claimed that in last eight months none of the shipyards in Tuzla have received new orders and that their operations will fall to 50 percent of current capacity within two years if this continued for another eight months.

This week's accident killing three workers and injuring 16 others occurred due to more than one cause, according to a report of Chamber of Ship Engineers about the event, daily Milliyet reported. Both the rails around the deck near the ramp of the lifeboat and the lifeboat's eyebolt were faulty, the report stated. Contrary to claims, the lifeboat was not made in China but in Norway and the davit of the lifeboat was made in Turkey. The boat hit the barriers of the ship because of the faults in barriers and the rings of the eyebolt. Source : TurkishDaily

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

REDWISE MARITME SERVICES B.V. Amersfoortseweg 12-E 3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879 - [email protected] www.redwise.com

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Looks like two-way battle for Hapag Lloyd NOL confirmed that it has been invited to join the next level of the bidding process for the Hapag-Lloyd container line, which the TUI group is about to dispose of, according to AXS Alphaliner.

The Singaporeans had submitted an indicative non-binding bid on July 21. It was later revealed - though never officially - that only three parties showed interest in the German shipping line.

Apart from NOL, these were the Hamburg Alliance and an unnamed financial investor. German sources claim that the second round of bidding will be a head-on battle between NOL and the Hamburg Alliance. Source : cargoinfo.co.za

The ANDRE-B seen at the Westerscheldt river Photo : Henk de Winde ©

Goede cijfers voor Hapag-Lloyd Hapag-Lloyd heeft een goed halfjaar achter de rug. Het volume groeide met 2 procent ten opzichte van het jaar ervoor tot 2,8 miljoen teu, hetgeen resulteerde in een omzet van bijna 3 miljard euro. De Duitse rederij zag de vrachttarieven met ruim 15 procent toenemen tot 1.554 dollar per teu. De nettowinst (ebita) daalde naar 90 miljoen euro (minus 40 procent), maar dat komt omdat Hapag in het eerste halfjaar van 2007 een bijzondere bate had door de verkoop van de Montreal Gateway Terminals.

TUI, het moederbedrijf van Hapag-Lloyd, bevestigde gisteren bij de presentatie van de cijfers nog eens dat de verkoop van de rederij gewoon doorgaat. TUI onderstreepte dat Hapag volledig in de verkoop gaat, en niet gedeeltelijk, zoals in de Duitse pers was gesuggereerd. Bron : Nieuwsblad transport THE S&P MARKET WEEK 30-32 By the Scandinavian Shipping Gazette Bulkers

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Zhoushan Jinhaiwan: 80,000 dwt blt 09 Zhoushan Jinhaiwan. Sold region USD 65,000,000 to undisclosed buyer. Toro: 73,034 dwt blt 95 Samsung, 7HoHa. Sold region USD 63,000,000 to Samsun Logix. Ocean Flourish: 37,451 dwt blt 76 Hellenic, 7HoHa, Crs 6x16t. Sold region USD 9,000,000 to Greek buyer. Alltrans: 35,218 dwt blt 83 Hitachi, 4HoHa, Conveyor belt self unloader. Sold region USD 15,000,000 to Greek buyer. Plamer: 29,212 dwt blt 78 Hakodate, 6HoHa, Crs 5x20t. Sold region USD 12,500,000 basis prompt to undisclosed buyer. Victoria Bulker: 28,500 dwt blt 97 Kanasashi, 5HoHa, Crs 4x30t + Grabs. Sold region USD 44,250,000 to Franco Naviera. Regina V: 23,945 dwt blt 80 Watanabe, 4HoHa, Crs 3x25t, D 1x25t. Sold region USD 11,700,000 to undisclosed buyer. Cpt Costas: 128,853 dwt blt 81 Hitachi, 9HoHa. Sold region USD 18,500,000 to Chinese buyer, sold basis sub inspection. Blystad NB resale S1040: 91,800 dwt blt 09 Sundong. Sold region USD 87,000,000 to undisclosed buyer. La Jolla: 72,126 dwt blt 97 Hitachi, 7HoHa. Sold region USD 67,000,000 to Chinese buyer. Alpha: 7,678 dwt blt 77 Mie SB Co, D 3x15t. Sold at undisclosed price to undisclosed buyer. Dimitris P: 6,470 dwt blt 83 Nishi SB, 2HoHa, Crs 4x15t. Sold region USD 4,700,000 to undisclosed buyer. Voshod: 6,239 dwt blt 99 Krasnoy Sormovo, 4HoHa, 140 teu, Gless. Sold region USD 9,800,000 to undisclosed buyer. Maple Valley: 76,608 dwt blt 05 Imabari, 7hh. Sold region USD 63,000,000 to Dryships,. sale incl tc until 12/2012 at USD 26,000 per day. Elpida: 30,850 dwt blt 84 Sunderland, 6hh, 542 teu, Crs 5x16t. Sold region USD 21,000,000 to undisclosed buyer. Zografia: 28,962 dwt blt 78 Hakadote, 6hh, Crs 2x25t, 3x15t. Sold region USD 11,900,000 to undisclosed buyer. Sea Grace: 18,320 dwt blt 00 Shikoku, 4hh, Crs 3x30t. Sold region USD 34,000,000 to Turkish buyer. Delivery 4th quarter 2008. Newfane: 8,650 dwt blt 91 Braila SC Santierul NA, 4hh, 106 teu, Crs 4x5t. Sold for USD 7,500,000 to undisclosed buyer.

Containers Pacific Trader: 22,525 dwt blt 96 Meeres-Technik, 1,608 teu. Sold region USD 29,000,000 to undisclosed buyer. Pacific Voyager: 13,760 dwt blt 08 Jinling Sy, 1,118 teu Sold region USD 29,000,000 to undisclosed buyer. Methan: 5,539 dwt blt 99 Qingshan, 3HoHa, 518 teu, Crs 2x40t. Sold region USD 12,000,000 to Far East buyer. Oel Strength: 20,828 dwt blt 83 Flensburger SB, 4h/15ha, 1,152 teu, Crs 2x36t. Sold region USD 7,700,000 to undisclosed buyer.

Tweendeckers Olga: 18,020 dwt blt 87 Warnowwerft, 4HoHa, 533 teu, D 1x12.5, 2x25, Crs 4x12.5t. Sold region USD 10,000,000, sale incl tc attached until May 2009 to undisclosed buyer. Vinashin Metal: 16,123 dwt blt 95 Galati, 4Ho7Ha, 526 teu, Crs 6x12.5t. Sold region USD 15,000,000 to an undisclosed buyer. Pearl: 15,097 dwt blt 77 IHI, 4HoHa, D 1x60t, 12x10t. Sold region USD 3,400,000 to undisclosed buyer. Anita G: 8,164 dwt blt 79 Groot & Vliet Scheepsw, 1HoHa, Crs 2x25t. Sold region EUR 2,700,000 to an Middle Eastern buyer. Lubava: 4,145 dwt blt 84 Sietas Schiffswerft KG, 1HoHa, Crs 2x30t. Sold region USD 5,400,000 to undisclosed buyer.

Tankers Titan Pisces: 261,167 dwt blt 90 Sasebo. Sold region USD 41,500,000 to undisclosed buyer. Frontline NB Resale: 2 x 153,000 dwt blt 08/09 Rongcheng. Sold region USD 116,000,000 each to Hosco. Priceless/Timeless/Flawless: 154,970 dwt blt 91 Hyundai, Stopless: 139,234 dwt blt 91 Hyundai. Sold region USD 165,000,000 en bloc to Everlast. Global Bright: 97,078 dwt blt 92 Imabari. Sold region USD 28,000,000 to Chinese buyer. Meriom Topaz: 50,500 dwt blt 09 Guangzhou. Sold region USD 57,500,000 to Stealth, sale incl BB for 3 years at USD 16,500 per day. Kihuland/Taviland: 22,717 dwt blt 84 Wärtsilä Turku. Sold at undisclosed price to undisclosed buyer. Daebo Ace: 9,891 dwt blt 89, Santierul Naval. Sold region USD 5,500,000 to SEA buyer. Bohai hulls 508-4 + 508-5: 159,000 dwt blt 08/09 Bohai. Sold region USD 116,500,000 each to Dr. Peters, sale incl 7 year tc at USD 47,000 per day. Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 20 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

King Charles/King Conrad: 114,000 dwt blt 09 New Times. Sold region USD 77,000,000 each to Greek buyer. Santa Cruz I: 67,980 dwt 85 Zaliv Shy.Sold region USD 13,600,000 to Chinese buyer. Meriom Breeze: 38,877 dwt blt 04 Guangzhou shy int. Meriom Ruby/Meriom Gem: 38,500 dwt blt 08 Guangzhou shy int. Sold at undisclosed price to German buyer. Vinashin Energy: 35,406 dwt blt 99 Daewoo.Sold region USD 36,500,000 to Greek buyer. Asari/Bulduri: 28,656 / 28,647 dwt blt 84 Kherson shy. Sold region USD 8,220,000 each to Greek buyer. Akademik Vereshchagin: 28,610 dwt blt 89 Khersonskiy Sold region USD 13,100,000 to undisclosed buyer. Titan Aries: 265,243 dwt blt 88 HHI. Sold region USD 37,000,000 to Swiss based buyer. Sovereign: 47,083 dwt blt 92 Inchon. Sold region USD 25,500,000 to undisclosed buyer. Faithful: 45,720 dwt blt 92 Tsuneishi. Sold region USD 24,500,000 to undisclosed buyer. Hellenic Star: 29,999 dwt blt 88 Shin Kurushima. Sold region USD 9,400,000 to Chinese conversion buyer.

LNG Hoegh Gandria: 66,999 dwt blt 77 HDW AG, Kiel, 125,904 cbm. Sold region USD 40,000,000 to Golar.

Ro-ro/Pax/Ferry/Cruises Westwood Pomona: 1.442 lm, ice 1A, 14.5 knt, blt 85 Rauma, Forest Products Carrier. Sold region USD 9,100,000 to Danish buyer. Palm Beach Princess: 710 pass, Ice 1A, blt 64 Aker Finnyards. Sold region USD 15,000,000 to undisclosed buyer.

TOP Ships Announces Termination of Five Leases TOP Ships Inc. announced that it has entered into agreements to terminate its bareboat charters for four Suezmax tankers, the Priceless (DWT 154,970, built 1991), the Flawless (DWT 154,970, built 1991), the Stopless (DWT 154,970, built 1991) and the Timeless (DWT 154,970, built 1991) and one Handymax tanker, the Sovereign (DWT 47,071, built 1992), in connection with the sale of these vessels by their owners to third parties.

The Suezmax charters are expected to be terminated by the end of September of 2008 upon sale of the vessels from their owners to third parties. The Handymax lease is expected to be terminated by August 20, 2008 upon sale of the vessel from its owner to third parties. The aggregate unamortized portion of the deferred gain from the original sales of approximately $13.3 million is expected to be recognized in the third quarter of 2008. Moreover, the Company will receive the amount of approximately $11.3 million in cash, which represents the partial redemption of the initial seller's credit agreement with the lessors of the four Suezmaxes. Source: PR Newswire

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TEAL DISCHARGING AT THE PARANA RIVER (ARGENTINA)

Dockwise TEAL arrived with another load of 22 barges and 2 pusher tugs from Nola at the Parana river where the cargo was discharged,

The SWAN is at present also enroute with another load whilst the TEAL is on her way back to NOLA to load for the last trip, in total 4 trips will / are to be made , the first load was delivered by the TERN Photo’s : Jan Kok – Samtrans S.A. Argentina © Havila hampered The Oslo-listed owner’s bottom line sank NOK 47.20m ($8.71m) from a year ago despite an increase in revenue.

Havila said: “As expected, the market for offshore service vessels was variable throughout the period.

"The company’s platform supply vessels (PSVs) nonetheless achieved good contract rates and a high utilisation ratio throughout the quarter.” Havila pocketed NOK 10.53m in the three months to 30 June, down from NOK 57.73m in the corresponding quarter.

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Its operating figures were also down from NOK 70.43m to NOK 38.65m as costs doubled. Crewing expenses were up 26.45% to NOK 41.40m, as total operating costs shot up 95.72% to NOK 95.63m. The strong showing from its PSVs picked revenue up from NOK 139.15m to NOK 158.19m year-on-year, with year to date income reaching NOK 299.27m from NOK 223.49m a year earlier.

Its PSVs brought in NOK 111.09m in the first six months of 2008, against NOK 106.39m from its smaller AHTS fleet. Havila said: “The market for offshore service vessels was variable throughout the first and second quarter of 2008. This is associated with seasonal variations in demand for such services.

“The company believes that the level of activity will increase going forward and result in a higher utilisation rate for the fleet. More new buildings are scheduled for delivery in 2008, but with a smaller number of large anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels.

“The demand for North Sea tonnage in other markets remains high and this will have a positive impact on the market balance.” Havila operates a fleet of five PSVs, four anchor handlers, one subsea unit and a rescue vessel. Source : Tradewinds

South Georgia Island visited by 8.000 cruise ship pax Analysis of the figures from the 2007/8 tourist season shows that tourism to South Georgia in the South Atlantic continues to increase. Sixty-four cruise ship visits were made by 29 different vessels (13 more visits than last year), bringing more than 8000 cruise ship passengers.

According to the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands release this was a 50% increase in passengers compared to the previous season. The rend over the past few years for an increase in the passenger capacity of visiting cruise ships also continues.

Six of the ships that came were new to South Georgia. Visitors to South Georgia come from all over the world, people from 50 different nationalities visited, but the majority (66%) were from English speaking countries. Eighteen different Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide Page 23 8/16/2008 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –213

yachts made a total of 22 visits last season. About a third of these were on charter to small tour groups or supporting expeditions or SG Government related projects.

In 1985 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands became a distinct UK Overseas Territory with a Commissioner as head of the Government. It had previously been part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The Commissioner for South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) has vested in him, legal, financial and administrative authority and responsibility for the governance of the Territory. A Chief Executive deals with policy matters and is also the Director of Fisheries.

An Executive Officer addresses tourism and expeditions and manages fishery patrols. There is also an environmental officer while the Financial Secretary and Attorney General hold similar appointments in the Falkland Islands' Government. The South Georgia Government team is based in Stanley in the Falkland Islands at Government House. South Georgia Island Website Source : Mercopress Port Authority: 2 cranes collapse, no one hurt Jacksonville Port Authority officials say two container cranes collapsed on Blount Island Marine Terminal, but no one was injured. The cranes are used to unload ships at Blount Island, which is Jacksonville Port Authority's largest terminal.

Nancy Rubin, a port authority spokeswoman, says the cranes collapsed Wednesday afternoon, temporarily shutting down all incoming water traffic in Jacksonville's harbor. The exact cause of the collapse is under investigation. Rubin says no one was operating the cranes at the time.

Rubin says a third crane was damaged in the collapse, but it didn't collapse. She says there was a severe storm in the area at the time of the collapse. Source : Examiner Shenzhen ports implement new cargo inspection system Shenzhen will now employ a new cargo clearance system for cross border and quarantine inspection using a single pass rather than a double pass used before as a cost cutting and efficiency enhancing measure, Xinhua reports. After the implementation of "through clearance", it is expected to save CNY600 (US$87.13) to clear a container and to shorten the process from two days to one.

Export companies can conduct the clearance procedures at customs where the exports are declared with the inspection certificate issued by the CIQ on place of origin. It is no longer necessary for companies to apply twice to the port office and receive two examinations at the port checking office as they were obliged to do before. Goods will now be checked once by CIQ at destination where they are delivered, said the Shenzhen Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. Source: schednet.com

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IJ VEER 35 REPLACED THE DE NIEUWE PRINS

Above the IJ VEER 35 - Photo : Fred Vloo © which is at present serving the route Hoek van Holland – Landtong – Maasvlakte v.v in view of the problems with new RET ferry DE NIEUWE PRINS – Photo : Ton Grootenboer © which returned to the builders for repairs (below), and is expected to stay another 2 weeks at the yard.

DNV to class 'world's largest shipbuilding order' Classification society DNV provides further details of Brazilian mining giant Vale's previously reported order for 12 VLOCs of 400,000dwt each from Rongsheng Heavy Industries (RSHI) in China, which it describes as the world’s largest shipbuilding order ever in terms of total deadweight tonnes. DNV has been selected to class all 12 vessels. The ore carriers will measure 360 metres long by 65 metres wide and 30.4 metres high, making them world’s largest ore carriers ever contracted. The first vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2011. All vessels will be operated on fixed route transporting iron ore between Brazil and China.

DNV says the VLOCs will set a new standard in shipping as they are designed for a record low carbon footprint, and for long-lasting, effective and reliable operation. Also, the vessels are being designed with special attention to fatigue life and efficient loading operations, and will apply the new DNV class notation EL-2 (Easy Loading). El-2 ensures a design that combine safety with loading flexibility and it will allow the vessels to load each cargo hold in one pass.

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“DNV is pleased to be the selected class society for this pioneering project,” says Tor E. Svensen DNV Maritime’s COO. “Our role as an independent third party is to ensure that quality and safety of these vessels are taken care of both during design, construction and operation.” The class society enjoys a 70% share of existing VLOCs, he adds. Svensen continues: “We have over the past few years seen a shift towards the building of larger bulk carriers. This has an obvious economical rational for the large iron ore trades. However, it has also significant environmental benefits. The step up from a standard capsize bulk carrier to these 400,000dwt VLOCs means a reduction by between 30 and 40 per cent in fuel consumption and CO2 emission for each tonne of cargo carried. This is a significant reduction in carbon footprint per unit cargo carried."

RSHI is the world’s top 10 largest shipbuilder and the third-largest in China measured by its orderbook size. Based in China’s Jiangsu Rugao, it has a workforce of over 10,000 employees. Source: seatradeasia

The PANDION seen enroute Rotterdam – Photo : Frits Janse © STENA LINE AWAIT PORT PLAN D-DAY STENA Line is expecting to hear next month if a bid to have its new £200 million port plan included on a list of national developments in Scotland was successful.

Only nine projects have been chosen so far and each will attract large-scale financial support from the Scottish Executive. But after talks with Ministers in Edinburgh the ferry operator was invited to submit an application to become the tenth. Source : stranraer-freepress

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MOVEMENTS

The EUROPEAN ENDEAVOUR seen in the port of Dover Photo : Reinier Jansen ©

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

Not really for the Shoebox but just a very nice oldie is the Norwegian Queen of the canal, “Victoria”, built in 1882, has repeated her journey between coast and mountain for over a hundred years. Despite her old age, Victoria is perfectly suited to the needs of today on her journey through the locks and over beautiful lakes. This traditional vessel can accommodate 180 passengers! Photo : Marijn Littooij ©

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The HIGHLAND COURAGE seen with the BLACKFORD DOLPHIN in Rotterdam-Europoort Photo : Harry van den Berg ©

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