Tugs & Towing News

17th Volume, No. 01 1963 – “52 years tugboatman” – 2015 Dated 03 January 2016 BUYING, SALES, NEW BUILDING, RENAMING AND OTHER TUGS TOWING & OFFSHORE INDUSTRY NEWS

TUGS & TOWING NEWS

EASTERN SHIPBUILDING GROUP, INC. DELIVERS THE TRITON TO SUDERMAN & YOUNG TOWING COMPANY

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the delivery of the Escort Tug Triton for Suderman & Young Towing Company on December 4th, 2015. These series of Robert Allan, LTD. (RAL) designed Z- Tech 2400 Class Terminal & Escort Tugs are currently under construction at Eastern’s Nelson Street facility. The Triton (ESG Hull #235) is the first of a series four (4) Z-Tech Class Terminal & Escort Tugs being constructed for Suderman & Young Towing Company. Eastern is also constructing another identical series of four (4) tugs for Bay-Houston Towing Company. G&H Towing Company is the Owners’ onsite Representative and Agent during the engineering, construction and delivery for both Suderman & Young and Bay Houston. G&H Towing Company will operate the vessels after delivery. Robert Allan, LTD (RAL) of Vancouver, B.C. provided the Z-Tech 2400 Class Terminal & Escort Tugs design and engineering. G&H Towing's fleet currently consists of eight “Z-Tech” tugs s in operation. This “Z-Tech” incorporates the latest technology for escort service and ship assist. The Triton Z-Tech 2400 features the following characteristics: Dimensions (Overall): 80’-0”x 38’-3”x 15’-9”; Total Horsepower: 5,150 HP @ 1,600 RPM; Main Engines: (2) Caterpillar 3516C (B rating) Tier 3 marine propulsion diesel engines; Main Propulsion: (2) Schottel Model SRP 1215FP in Nozzles Z-Drives; Main Generators: (2) John Deere 4045AFM85 Tier 3, 99kW 480V @ 1800 RPM marine diesel generator sets; Hawser Winch: (1) Markey Machinery Fairleader 50HP Electric; Hawser Winch, Model DEPCF-48S, 36” wide Drum; Mid-drum brake holding capacity 300,000 lbs; Classification: ABS ; ABS Loadline (SoC), Statement of Compliance; Flag: United States of America. (Press Release)

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MCBARGE SETS SAIL FOR REFIT

A super-sized makeover is on the menu for “McBarge.” The dilapidated, graffiti-covered floating restaurant built for McDonald’s for Expo 86 that’s been anchored in Burrard Inlet since 1991 will be towed to a shipyard in Maple Ridge to undergo a $4.5-million refurbishment. West Vancouver developer Howard Meakin, whose company Sturgeon’s Development owns the iconic piece of Expo history, said the hulking barge was scheduled to be moved by tugboats Monday but the voyage was temporarily postponed due to weather and tides. “It’s leaving port, weather permitting, within the next 24 hours,” Meakin said. Once at the shipyard, Meakin said the barge will undergo a complete refit and be restored to “its original exterior look.” The futuristic-looking floating McDonald’s was designed by naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. for approximately $12 million. When it debuted at the World Fair in Vancouver in 1986, the floating fast-food restaurant was officially named Friendship 500 but also known as “McBarge” and served nearly 1,500 meals per day. The bistro-style floating restaurant was staffed by employees dressed in nautical-themed uniforms. Fries, burgers and other McDonald’s favourites were delivered to the front counter by conveyor belt. A few years after Expo, the barge was towed from False Creek to Burrard Inlet near the shoreline in Burnaby, where it has become a target of vandals and souvenir hunters through the years. Meakin has owned the barge for 16 years. Previously, McBarge was the centrepiece of a proposed $10-million floating restaurant and marina project on the waterfront in Mission, but it never materialized after years in the planning process. Meakin isn’t offering any information about future plans for McBarge, for now. “That’s about all I can say right now,” said Meakin. “I’ve had a few opportunities over those 16 years and this is by far the best one coming up. I can’t go into a lot of details on it but it will come out (early in 2016) in terms of what we’re doing with it.” Meakin did note that the 30th anniversary of Expo is approaching and there are four remaining structures from Vancouver’s World Fair, including BC Place, Canada Place, Science World and McBarge. “So it’s our plan to do the restoration and we have a number of communities that are excited about seeing the barge restored and there are a lot of things that are going to follow

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17TH VOLUME, NO. 01 DATED 03 JANUARY 2016 as a result of what’s happening.” McBarge is built mainly of steel and concrete and Meakin said marine surveys show its “hull is in near pristine condition and the super structure is structurally sound.” (Source: North Shore News)

ICEBREAKER VAYGACH COMPLETES VOYAGE IN THE ARCTIC, BEATS SPEED RECORD

The Vaygach, a shallow-draft nuclear-powered icebreaker on December 25, 2015 completed her voyage through the Northern Sea Route from Cape Dezhnev to White Island, FSUE Atomflot said on Monday. This appears to be a unique voyage as it's too late for this navigational season to sail along the Arctic shipping lane and besides, the icebreaker has beaten speed record, the ship owner said. The Vaygach completed the transition in 7.5 days, or 185 hours (Dec. 17-25) covering 2,250 nm. The average speed during the transition was more than 12 knots. The icebreaker has started to escort merchant ships in the Kara Sea to the port of Sabetta. The nuclear-powered icebreaker Taimyr has finished the escort of the tanker MV Ice Eagle to the offshore berth of Cape Kamenny. This is the first ship, escorted this winter / spring navigational season under the contract with Gazprom Neft. Currently, the Taimyr is bound for Sabetta port area. Shortly, yet another nuclear-powered icebreaker Yamal will join the icebreaking fleet working in the Arctic. The ship will head for the Kara Sea to assist convoys of cargo ships to the port of Sabetta. (Source: PortNews)

View the youtube film of the Alphabridge for tugboats on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQi6hFDcHW4&feature=plcp

GLOUCESTER CAPTAIN GRATEFUL TO HAVE SURVIVED TUGBOAT SINKING OFF COLOMBIA

Looking back at 2015, the members of the Trupiano family of Gloucester are especially grateful that

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the year ended in happiness and good fortune instead of tragedy. That’s because Joseph R. Trupiano Jr., a tugboat captain, survived the sinking of his tugboat off the coast of Colombia in mid-December. Trupiano, 54, had regularly served as a tugboat captain for TransAtlantic Lines but on this particular assignment, he was serving as a First Mate on the tugboat Spence. The intended mission and route was to pull a barge from Cartagena, Colombia to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Coincidentally, the tugboat had just undergone inspection and repairs in Cartagena before being deemed seaworthy for the trip. In addition to Trupiano as First Mate, the team included Captain James Stock, Engineer William Wakefield, and Able Bodied Seaman (AB) Kenneth Williams; all except Trupiano were from Florida. On Dec. 13, the Spence crew headed for Cuba and the next day at 2 p.m., a back (stern) compartment flooded causing a 25-degree list or tilt to the right (starboard) and the stern began to sink. “It happened quickly,” said Trupiano. “The stern was almost submerged in less than two minutes. We still don’t know what caused the flood but it was massive and we had to act immediately.” The crew placed a May Day call but no one responded, so they put on their life jackets and decided to steer the sinking boat toward the barge they were pulling so they could board it. “We decided against the survival suits, because our last resort would be to swim for the barge which was about 1,600 feet away,” said Trupiano. “Survival suits are great for floating, but not for swimming or attempting to climb up or onto a barge. The barge offered the most safety.” Although the tugboat was sinking, Trupiano steered the boat close to the barge and all four crewmembers prepared to jump to the barge’s deck. “The boat was rising and falling sharply with the swells,” said Trupiano. “We had to time our jumps perfectly so that we were as level with the barge as possible before we jumped.” In the course of jumping, Trupiano broke two ribs as he hit the side of the barge, while another member of the crew, Kenny Williams, dislocated his knee. “I heard my ribs crack,” said Trupiano. “Not a great sound, but luckily I was able to pull myself onto the barge." When asked what he was thinking as the boat sank and during the jump, Trupiano responded, “I kept thinking the boat might roll with us in it. I did not want my name to be on a fishermen’s plaque. I did not want to die like that, or to be gone from my family.” The only things the crew brought with them to the barge were their cell phones and the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), which they activated once on the barge. The cell phones, however, did not work due to the remote location. About an hour later a plane flew by, so the crew hoped they had been located. As night fell, the crew watched the tugboat Spence sink beneath the surface. With the boat went their food, laptops, passports and identification. For a total of 14 hours the men stayed on the barge, which offered no lighting or shelter from the wet wind. Trupiano estimates the nighttime temperature was at about 60-65 degrees. “It was a real long night, as we had injuries, we were hungry, and it was cold and dark,” said Trupiano. “But I felt, or maybe I hoped, we would be saved. I felt grateful to be on the barge and not inside the sinking boat.” A U.S Coast Guard

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Cutter, the Decisive, came to the rescue. The crew was taken on board and checked out by the medical staff. It was there that Trupiano made the call home to his wife Sheila in Gloucester to tell her he was okay. “I worried she may have heard that a boat sank and would have panicked if she did not hear from me directly,” said Trupiano. “But luckily she had not heard anything.” Two hours later the crew was transferred to a Colombian Naval vessel for a return trip to Cartagena, where they had first started the mission. In Cartagena the crew was questioned by the Coast Guard and other officials and treated further for their injuries. “Everyone treated us very well,” said Trupiano. “At that point, my biggest concern was getting home, as you would imagine.” At home in Gloucester, Trupiano is still recovering from his broken ribs and reflecting upon his experience along with his wife Sheila.“I got the call that every mariner’s wife is afraid to get, about my husband’s boat sinking,” said Sheila. “My story just happens to have a happy ending. I’m very proud of Joe and the crew, and so grateful they all survived. We had our entire family together for Christmas and we're thankful to start 2016 with so many blessings." (Source: Manchester News from the Cape Ann Beacon by Terry Weber)

HUBERT WITH THE GIANT 7 FOR ROSTOCK

This morning, December 29, 2015, the President Hubert with Giant 7 left Rotterdam for Rostock for further fitting out of the Giant 7. There a crane will be installed. Like the BK vessels the weather was grey. (Photo: Frits van der Hoek)

ICEBREAKER MURMANSK DELIVERED

Icebreaker Murmansk was delivered December 25, 2015 at a ceremony hosted by Vyborg Shipyard PJSC (a corporate member of the United Shipbuilding Corporation). The icebreaker was built by

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Vyborg Shipyard PJSC in collaboration with Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, by order of Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transport of Russian Federation. The acceptance document was signed by the top management of FSUE Rosmorport, United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Vyborg Shipyard PJSC. Under the terms of contract signed in 2012, Vyborg Shipyard PJSC was to carry out the full range of design and construction works of a series of linear diesel-electric icebreakers, project 21900 М. The lead icebreaker, Vladivostok, was delivered to the customer in October, 2015. “Icebreakers of the 21900 М project will ensure winter navigation in the Baltic Sea, to a certain extent in the Arctic, pursue tasks set forth by FSUE Rosmorport and the Government of the Russian Federation,” said Alexander Solovyev, Vyborg Shipyard PJSC General Director. Murmansk hoisted the RF State Flag at a ceremony attended by the officials of the RF Government, Government of the Leningrad Region, Federal Agency of Sea and River Transport, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping as well as partners of the shipyard. “The ships of the project 21900 М present a new generation of diesel- electric icebreakers,” said Konstantin Palnikov, Director General of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. “They are of high performance and consider the operating experience of icebreakers as per the previous projects while providing icebreaker assistance in winter navigation period in the Gulf of Finland.” The keel-laying ceremony of icebreaker Murmansk was held at Vyborg Shipyard on December 26, 2012. The ship is designed to break ice up to 1.5 meters thick and is intended for independent ice escorting of heavy-tonnage vessels; towage, fire fighting on floating and other facilities; salvage and assistance to distressed vessels; transportation of effective cargoes. The third icebreaker in the series, Novorossiysk, is scheduled to be delivered to the customer at the turn of 2016. (Source: MarineLink)

STATE ACCEPTANCE COMMISSION SIGNS CERTIFICATE FOR MB-97 TUG BUILT BY PELLA SHIPYARD

The state commission has signed acceptance certificated for towboat MB- 97 of Project 02 790 (PE-65) built at Pella Shipyard, Leningrad region, the shipbuilding company said in a press release. The 02790-series tug will shortly be delivered to her homeport in Baltiysk, where the ship will be handed over to the Customer and commissioned into service with Russia's Baltic Fleet. The tug was designed for towing vessels and floating structures in the high seas and harbors, for escort of ships at speed up to

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10 knots, for fire fighting at floating and coastal facilities, for SAR operations. The boat is able to sail in open pack ice of thickness to 0.6 m at a speed of 6-8 knots. Vessel particulars: LOA – 34,4 m, breadth overall – 12,1 m, draft – 4,4 v, speed – 13,5 knots , bollard pull – 61 tonne, RS class notation - KM Arc4 R1 Аut1 FF3WS Tug. Propulsion: thrusters US 255/3625 FP Rolls-Royce, FPP with nozzle, main engines rated power 2 x 1840 kW, 1600 rpm; MTU 16 V 4000 M 63 R. Full displacement – 945 tonne. Deck machinery: fore and aft positioned winches, double drum towing/anchorhandling winch with escort capabilities (M140-180-2T M-1C-2C-FEH RED Fluidmecanica), bollard pull – 20 tonnes, maximum braking load 1860 kN, aft towing winch CHR- 20-180-1Т-1С-ЕА RED Fluidmecanica with bollard pull – 20 tonne, brake holding load – 1800 kN; aft towing hook (bollard pull 650 kN); crane Fluidmecanica HLRM 45/5 S, lifting capacity 19.5 kN at max reach of 13.5m. The tug is equipped with FFS firefighting systems (1500 m3/ h, 2 water / foam monitors, water curtains). JSC Pella Shipyard based in Russia’s Leningrad region was founded in 1950. In 1992 Pella was privatized as Pella Holding Co. comprising the parent company and several subsidiaries. The shipbuilding firm specializes in building harbor tugs with rated power of 1,000- 5,000hp, pusher tugs, escort tugs, pilot boats and rescue boats for Russian and foreign customers. (Source: PortNews)

SALVAGE ACE TOWING MINERVA

The 1976 built St. Vincent and Grenadines with call sign J8VJ8 salvage tug Salvage ACE (Imo 7626841) was seen towing the m/v "Minerva" from Taipei port, Taiwan on 21-12-2015 to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The tug is owned and managed by Asian Marine Co. Ltd. – Kaohsiung; Taiwan. She is built as Hoko Maru No.6 by Miyoshi Shipbuilding – Uwajima; Japan. In 1983 renamed Hyundai No. 109, In 1984 named Hyundai T No.1001. In 1998 named Sable Cape for International

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Transport Contractors (ITC) and in 2010 sold to Asian Marine. She has a grt of 1,714 tonnes and a dwt of 1,741 tonnes. Classed American Bureau of Shipping (Photo: Asian Marine)

MEDMARINE TAKES DELIVERY OF SECOND OF A SERIES OF EIGHT UNITS; “EFESAN PORT”

MedMarine takes delivery of second of a series of eight units being built at Med Groups' parent Ereğli shipyard which is one of the largest and modern shipyards in Turkey. The second unit called "Efesan Port" is a 24m 45tbp fifi capable asd tug built according to Robert Allan design. A pair of these units will have been delivered by the end of august 2015. A further six tugboats are under construction that are built as per 2600W RAL design that is configured specifically to the needs of MedMarine to serve ever growing vessel sizes calling the ports of İzmit and İskenderun where MedMarine operates. The second of the 60tbp asd units is scheduled to be delivered in october 2015 with all six units scheduled to be delivered by april 2016. The 24/45tbp tugs were designed & modified by well- known Canadian designer Robert Allan Ltd for the requirements of Med Marine's vast experience in tug boat operation. The units have a pair of CAT 3512 high speed diesel engines driving Schottel SRP 1012 FP propellers. The tugs are able to serve as a fire fighting vessel with the help of engine driven firefighting pump which was certified by BV's Fi Fi E notation. In addition to frequency controlled electrical driven fore towing anchor winch, the vessels are fitted with aft towing winches and rescue boat crane for long distance towage. Unattended machinery space according to BV's AUT-UMS notation. The vessel is able to accommodate 6 crew's on board.. The accommodation area is decorated & outfitted with very high level of quality furniture for the crew's comfort and safety suiting the requirements. Floors are covered with IMO approved teak imitating covering. Sun screens for the bridge windows etc. The tug is also considered as crew-friendly vessel. The RAmparts Class tugs have been developed in response to a worldwide demand for a similar highly efficient class of ship-assist/terminal tug, but with designs geared more towards economical series production. In particular the RAmparts 2600W design addresses the increasing demand for a very compact, economical tug, with high power. This tug is designed to maximize performance while remaining as compact to minimize cost. Vessels to these designs have been widely acclaimed for their overall design, and particularly their maneuvering, seakeeping, and stability performance. The RAmparts 2600W Class tug is a twin Z-drive, diesel-powered tug, designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling duties for tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships in particular. The hull form and layout have evolved over several years through the extensive experience of the designers, Robert Allan Ltd., working with Med Marine's experienced technical team and crews in developing truly high-performance tugs for this challenging service. The design utilizes the propulsion options to give either 60 or 70 tons bollard pull. The vessels are building

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17TH VOLUME, NO. 01 DATED 03 JANUARY 2016 under RINA Class with Fire Fighting Ship, Water Spraying, AUT UMS and Unrestricted Navigation notations. The vessel measures 25.30 m overall with a beam of 12 m. She is powered with a pair of powerful WARTSILA 9L20 main engines, each developing 1,800 Kw at 1,000 rpm driving Rolls- Royce US 205type azimuth Z-drives of 2,400mm diameter. Two sets of Perkins 84eKW generator sets provide the auxiliary power. Engine driven FFS firefighting pumps are ready to serve in firefighting operations The DMT's frequency controlled electrical fore anchor towing winch ( ATW-E300KN ) and aft towing winch ( TW-E300KN ) are used in the vessel. The towing hook is from the Mampaey well known manufacturer. The solas certified rescue boat and rescue boat crane is adopted to the design for the safety of the crew in long distance operations. The vessels navigation and communication equipment's are in compliance with the GMDSS A3 zone. The vessels are heavily fendered with D type and W type good quality fenders. The cylindrical bow fender is installed for easy and safe operation. In addition to these powerful operational benefits, the vessel's accommodation area is well designed for the Med Marine's Crew's requests. Heinen Hoppman's HVAC system is selected for the crew's comfort in accommodation spaces. Floors are covered with IMO approved teak imitating covering. The accommodation area is decorated & outfitted with very high level of quality furniture for the crew's comfort and safety suiting the requirements. (Source: SeaNews)

BMS AT THE OOSTERSCHELDE; NETHERLANDS

The Fleet of BMS towing during a show at the Oosterschelde, The BMS fleet exist out of 4 icebreaking multi purpose tugs and workboats. The Andre-B, Willem-B, Wilco- B and Brandaris (in coöperation with G. Bouwman Towing & Shipping BV) are seagoing and the Jannie-B is ex- seagoing. All vessels are certified for navigation on European inland waterways. (Photo : Flying Focus Aerial Photography www.flyingfocus.nl ©)

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ACCIDENTS – SALVAGE NEWS

LOOSE BARGE STRIKES CHESTER BRIDGE

A 10-hour adventure on the Mississippi River finally came to an end Saturday evening, 26 December 2015, for the crews of four towboats. A loose barge struck the Chester Bridge on Saturday morning, becoming stuck between one of the bridge piers and the rocky shoreline of the Missouri side of the river. According to Southern Illinois Transfer Company deckhand Eric Wright, it took all four towboats (the Dale W., Holly J, Cheryl and Totem Kole II) to finally break the 200-foot barge - which was loaded with lime - loose from its spot. The Holly J came to the scene with a crane on a barge and stopped at the Chester riverfront to pick up boat mechanic Ronnie Shemonic, who is also Chester’s assistant fire chief. Video of the transfer is available on the Herald Tribune’s website and Facebook page. “(Southern Illinois Transfer) is still trying to find out why,” Wright said. “We wired (the barges) in right, but they’re saying a different boat leaned up against them and broke them loose. “The Coast Guard is investigating, they’ll find out which boat it was.” Messages left for the Coast Guard Upper Mississippi Sector’s public affairs officer were not immediately returned. Wright reported that two barges broke loose Saturday from their moorings along the river north of Ste. Genevieve, one of which was quickly retrieved and tied off at the Lone Eagle Coal Dock along Route 3 south of Chester. “(The first barge) was on the Illinois side and was retrieved and the towboat went to get the second barge, which was stuck,” Wright said. Wind, fog and high water made the job difficult, with the Cheryl being requested for additional horsepower. “It was tricky,” Wright said. “The river changes with high water. Places where it’s usually dead can be very swift.” A flash flood watch remains in effect until Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, as a slow-moving storm system is expected to bring between 3 and 8 inches of rain to the region. In its 10:18 p.m. update, the NWS forecasted the river to crest at 49.8 feet by Friday afternoon. Should the forecast hold, it would be the highest crest on record - breaking the 49.74 record set during the Flood of 1993. (Source: The Randolph County; Photo: Eric Wright)

EXPLOSION IN CARGO HOLD OF BULK CARRIER AKAKI OFF BRAZIL

Explosion occurred in cargo hold of bulk carrier Akaki at anchorage in Paranagua Bay off Brazil. The ship was anchored on several cables off the coast for bunkering, when the Cargo Hold No 3 exploded and started smoking. There was no fire after the accident, but crew reacted immediately to open hatch cover to ventilate the compartment and was prepared for firefighting. After the cargo hold was ventilated it was estimated that there is no fire and probably the explosion was caused by fumigation gas under high temperature. The bulk carrier Akaki was loaded with 65,000 tons of maize for Vietnam and according to the preliminary information, the malpractice of the crew and not following the safety procedures were in root cause of the explosion. The local authorities started

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investigation for the accident. Also the coast guard will hold a special survey for seaworthiness of bulk carrier Akaki, before being released to resume voyage. During the accident there were no injured people and no water pollution. The damages of the vessel are not sufficient and after inspection will resume voyage to Vietnam. The bulk carrier Akaki (IMO: 9591143) has overall length of 235.00 m, moulded beam of 32.00 m and maximum draft of 6.50 m. The deadweight of the vessel is 84,075 DWT and the gross tonnage is 45,999 GRT. The bulk carrier Akaki was built in 2011 by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in their shipyard in Samho, South Korea. The ship is owned and managed by Greek company Transmed Shipping, operating under the flag of Cyprus. (Source: Maritime News)

LUXURY CRUISE SHIP RUNS AGROUND IN UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

SITE

A luxury cruise ship has suffered damaged after running aground in a marine preserve off Panama’s Pacific coast. Windstar Cruises confirms that its 9,975 grt cruise ship Star Pride ran aground at about 6:15 a.m. on December 22nd while coming into anchor at Isla de Coiba, Panama for a shore excursion. The company said that the ship suffered damage to its hull, rendering the vessel unable to sail. gCaptain has learned that the engine room is flooded with several inches of water. All passengers were transferred to another Windstar vessel and taken to Costa Rica. Windstar said that it has dispatched a technical team to evaluate the vessel on site in Isla de Coiba. The vessel is still expected to be to be towed to the port of Balboa for inspections and repairs. As of Monday, it was still unclear if the vessel remained aground or if has been moved from the grounding location. Coiba is the largest in a group of 38 islands that make up Coiba National Park, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. The environmental group Sea Shepherd Panama said Thursday it was monitoring the situation and looking for any damage done to the environment. The ship’s next cruise schedule for December 26th has been cancelled. Windstar Cruises has also

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17TH VOLUME, NO. 01 DATED 03 JANUARY 2016 cancelled Star Pride’s January 2nd and and January 9th voyages. The Star Pride is one of six “yachts” operated by Windstar and can carry 212 passengers. The grounding is under investigation by the Bahamas Maritime Authority as the flag state. (Source: gCaptain)

BREAKING WAVE HITS COSL INNOVATOR KILLING ONE, INJURING TWO

Statoil and COSL have confirmed information from the police that one person has died as a result of a breaking wave that hit the drilling rig COSL Innovator yesterday. Two other people were injured and are receiving medical treatment ashore. The rig is now heading to shore under its own power, while evacuation takes place. COSL and Statoil were notified at 5 pm on Wednesday that three people had been injured when a breaking wave hit COSL Innovator. COSL Innovator is under contract to Statoil at the Troll field in the North Sea, west of Bergen. The rig had been taken off the well as a result of the bad weather before the incident occurred. The breaking wave also caused some damage to the rig’s accommodation module. The injured persons have been flown to shore by Sea King helicopter from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and by one of Statoil’s own rescue helicopters. (Source: Splash24/7)

SEARCH UNDER WAY FOR TUGBOAT SUNK IN GALVESTON HARBOR

A search was underway Thursday for a tugboat that sank over the weekend in Galveston Harbor and disappeared, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The tugboat Luke, 25-foot-long vessel that rose about 30 feet, was moored at Pier 27 Sunday when it sunk during a rainstorm, Lt. Samuel Dansus said. Dansus said security cameras show that the Luke sank gradually over about four hours during the night, when no one was aboard. The current was moving at about 2 knots, or about 2.3 mph, and could have moved the small vessel, he said. Port Director Michael Mierzwa said the tug is owned by JW Kelso, which was using it to work on moorings. T&T Marine, based in Galveston, was hired to search for the boat using side-scanning sonar and other equipment from the Pelican Island Bridge to the end of the South Jetty that protects the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel, Dansus said. Ships with drafts greater than 30 feet are barred from coming within 20 yards of Piers 16 through 31 until

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17TH VOLUME, NO. 01 DATED 03 JANUARY 2016 the tug is found, he said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is making a survey of the entire harbor that was to be completed late Thursday to ensure that it was safe for navigation, Dansus said. The Coast Guard's marine casualty accident investigation unit is investigating the sinking, he said. (Source: Chron by Harvey Rice)

BULK CARRIER REFLOATED ON DELAWARE RIVER

A Marshall Islands- flagged bulk carrier spent several hours aground Saturday, 26 December 2015, in the Delaware River before salvors were able to refloat the vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was overseeing the effort to refloated the 622-foot MV Odigitria, which ran aground at approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday on the Delaware River as it was transiting to the Grows Terminal in Morrisiville, Pennsylvania. The vessel was successfully refloated at approximately 1 p.m. There were no reported injuries or pollution. A damage survey is pending. The motor vessel was transporting scrap metal. “Luckily no one was injured and the event didn’t cause any pollution,” said Lt. j.g. Jonas Miller, a command duty officer at Sector Delaware Bay. “We are working to determine the cause of this incident so we can continue to keep vessel traffic safe on the river. Our investigations division is looking into a variety of factors that played into the grounding, including aids to navigation, vessel traffic, and tides and currents.” (Source: gCaptain)

DRIFTING BARGE FORCES 235 TO EVACUATE VALHALL FIELD

More than 200 workers were evacuated by helicopter in the early hours of this morning from BP Norway’s Valhall field in the North Sea. The evacuation was a precautionary measure taken as a

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110m long Eide Marine Services barge, Eide Barge 33, became adrift unmanned putting an accommodation platform and a Maersk Drilling rig at risk. Four helicopters were sent from Stavanger airport to the Valhall field and a total of 235 people have been evacuated as a precautionary measure from the oil field development. The barge is understood to have become unattached in rough weather while being towed by a tug. Eide Marine, the company that owns the barge, said that it is trying to track down and take control of the errant ship. Other rigs in the area, including one operated by ConocoPhillips, are monitoring the situation. (Source: Splash24/7)

KONINGSBORG LOST PART OF DECK CARGO, TOWED TO BREST

General cargo vessel Koningsborg suffered mechanical failure during the night Dec 30 – Dec 31 and issued distress signal at 0525 LT Dec 31, in position 18 nm west of Ouessant island, France, English Channel. Disabled vessel was caught in rough weather, and lost part of deck cargo, lumber. Vessel was taken on tow by a salvage tug Abeille Bourbon, to be towed to Brest. At 2000 UTC Dec 31 vessel was in safe waters, approaching Brest. Vessel is en route from Finland to Tunisia. (Source: Fleetmon)

TUG, BARGE RUNS AGROUND IN MALDIVES

A tug and a barge carrying construction boulder from India ran aground in Maldives Sunday, it has emerged. Haveeru understands that the tug and barge, owned by a foreign company MM Exports, ran aground in Fushidhiggaru reef, which is located near capital Male. Efforts to salvage the vessels have so far been futile. MM Exports is involved in several projects in

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Maldives, including the construction of roads under the second phase development of capital Male’s satellite suburb, Hulhumale. The case has been lodged with the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). An official from the agency said the case is being investigated, but declined to provide details. A heavy fine is imposed if a vessel runs aground due to negligence. (Source: Haveeru online)

OFFSHORE NEWS

ATLANTIC OFFSHORE BAGS UK NORTH SEA CHARTER

Norwegian offshore shipowner, Atlantic Offshore has secured a contract for one of its vessels. Namely, Atlantic Offshore on Monday said its Ocean West vessel has been hired by Talisman Sinopec Energy UK Limited, an oil company with assets in UK North Sea. Under the contract, the Ocean West will serve as an Emergency Response and Rescuve Vessel (ERRV). The contract is set to start January 1, 2016. The firm part of the contract has been set for 9 months, with the oil company having an option to extend for two more years. (Press release)

3 SPP17A PSV’S ARE SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED BY SINOPACIFIC SINOPACIFIC Shipbuilding Group (hereinafter referred to as SINOPACIFIC) successfully delivered 3 SPP17A platform supply vessels (PSV) to the shipowner Naviera Petrolera Integral S.A. de C.V. (hereinafter referred to as NPI) at Zhejiang Shipyard under SINOPACIFIC. The 3 SPP17A PSVs were contracted in July 2014. All of them are the SP series of offshore support vessels (OSV) designed independently by SINOPACIFIC. Based on NPI’s requirements, SINOPACIFIC has tailor- made designed, built and delivered the new types of PSVs, which will be serving the project of oil and gas exploitation in the Gulf of Mexico by PEMEX, the largest state-owned oil company of

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Mexico. The 3 PSVs are in full accordance with the requirement of the contract period. NPI fully affirmed the cooperation this time. “I believe that these 3 beautiful vessels will become a banner of our fleet. I am also fully confident in that SINOPACIFIC can be famous in Mexico by virtue of its excellent products.” the vice president of NPI Juan Pablo Vega Torres said. In fact, this is the first time SINOPACIFIC enters the market of Mexican, which used to be known as "a country floating on the oil sea". It is a profound strategic move for SINOPACIFIC to step foot in such a main market of oil and gas production and export. The CEO of SINOPACIFIC JIANG Qiang indicated, “We do appreciate the trust from NPI, which allows us to prove with the good quality and actual delivery of SINOPACIFIC OSVs. We are proud to be able to serve this demanding oil and gas exploitation market. SINOPACIFIC will continue to innovate, optimize and lead the OSV market with our upgrading design and customer service, creating more added value for our customers.” The small- size PSVs SPP17A are designed by Shanghai Design Associates (SDA) under SINOPACIFIC. With a length overall of 61.8m, a breadth moulded of 14.0m, a depth moulded of 5.8m, a deadweight of 1,700mt, a designed draft of 4.3m, it can accommodate 24 people. Using the all-electric propulsion system, the SPP17A PSV is equipped with 2 sets of steerable thrusters on the stern and the main dimensions for the bow and hull lines are further optimized, therefore enabling a larger deadweight and better fuel economy. Thus, it has outstanding performance in all aspects such as parameters and indexes, operation convenience and crew comfort etc. (Press Release)

EMGS IN 3D EM DATA SALE

Norway’s Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) has secured a 3D EM data sale deal. The company on Monday said the data licensing agreement was with an oil company. While it did not disclose the identity of the client, EMGS said the deal was for the provision of 3D EM data from the multi-client data library over the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. The total value of the deal is around $4.0 million. (Source: Offshore Energy Today)

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ECLIPSE GROUP ACQUIRES RESEARCH VESSEL

Eclipse Group (EGI) has acquired the R/V New Horizon, a 170′ U.S. Flagged research vessel. The vessel has been renamed the Bold Horizon to reflect EGI’s corporate vision, the company said. The Bold Horizon is home ported at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal located in San Diego, California. “The addition of the Bold Horizon significantly enhances both the capability and availability of Eclipse Group assets to our valued clients on the west coast,” said Steven Saint-Amour, Chief Operations Officer. “The Bold Horizon will serve as a powerful and flexible platform for tasks ranging from marine survey, sensor deployment, to air crash investigation.” Features of the Bold Horizon include an open main deck with a standardized 2’x 2′ Baxter Bolt pattern, an articulated stern A-frame with 11,500-pound safe working load, J-frame, deck crane, CTD, instrumentation and 10,000-meter sidescan winches. The working deck has direct access to a “wet” ocean lab, “dry” lab facilities and a 15-person conference room, office and other accommodations, EGI explained. EGI’s 2,000-meter ROV Super Mohawk 15 has also been installed on the vessel. (Source: Subsea World News)

BAKU SEA TRADE PROCURES FOR OVERHAUL TWO OFFSHORE SUPPLY VESSELS

CJSC Baku International Sea Trade Port buys services on full overhaul of tug-boats ‘Gunashli’ and ‘Araz’. The Company reports that the tender will be conducted on the method of bid poll. The bidders are required the ability to carry out work in full volume, repair quality warranty, fulfillment of the requirements for documenting of work. Claimants’ bids will be accepted till 5 pm on 15 January 2016. (Source: ABC.AZ)

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SUBSEA 7 GETS WORK OFFSHORE EGYPT

Subsea 7 has secured a contract from Burullus Gas Company for the platform extension and tie-in on the first phase of the West Nile Delta development of BP’s Taurus and Libra fields offshore Egypt. Offshore work is expected to commence in the second half of 2016 and will utilise three vessels. Rock water 2 will be used as the main hook-up and accommodation vessel, Seven Borealis will perform the offshore lift of the platform extension, and heavy construction vessel Seven Arctic will install the umbilical. Oeyvind Mikaelsen, executive vice president of Subsea 7, commented: “This contract recognises the value we bring to our clients through early engagement to engineer, design and deliver cost-effective solutions for complex field developments. We look forward to expanding our presence in Egypt and building a long, successful and collaborative relationship with Burullus.” Subsea 7 didn’t reveal the value of the contract but did say it was in the range of $50m-$150m. (Source: Splash24/7)

DOF SECURES TWO OSV CHARTERS

Norway’s offshore vessel owner DOF has secured contracts for two of its offshore support vessels. The first contract, secured by DOF Rederi, a subsidiary of DOF, is for the Skandi Sotra platform supply vessel. The contract will see the Skandi Sotra stay for one year plus options with Asco marine Ltd. The vessel has started on this contract in December. The Skandi Sotra joined the DOF Fleet in 2003 and has been working mainly in the North Sea. As for the second contract, Norskan, DOF’s subsidiary in Brazil. has agreed a 1 year contract with Petrobras for Skandi Botafogo Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel with start up in December. (Source: Offshore Energy Today)

MARIDIVE TO CONDUCT OFFSHORE EXPLORATIONS IN MEDITERRANEAN

The company will complete the $151m Petrofac project in the Emirates for ADMA-OPCO in the first quarter of 2016. Egyptian company Maridive & Oil Services S.A.E. has developed a strategy that targets natural gas exploration in Egyptian territorial waters, including the Mediterranean,

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17TH VOLUME, NO. 01 DATED 03 JANUARY 2016 according to a company source, who requested anonymity. This comes after the government halted several agreements with a number of international companies following the discovery of the largest nature gas field found in the Mediterranean. The discovery is expected to pave the way for new discoveries that require increased investments in research and exploration. The source said the second aspect of Maridive’s strategy is maintaining the operation levels of offshore units at between 80% and 85%, while monitoring customers’ requests on units built before the year 2000. The sources pointed out that if the old units prove to be unbeneficial economically, they will be sold to reduce operational costs, to support the company’s strategy to rationalise costs. The source further noted that Maridive will conclude the implementation of the $151m Petrofac project in the UAE for the Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) in the first quarter of 2016. Moreover, Maridive began construction phase of one project for the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in India last November. The project will be completed within the second quarter of next year, according to the source. The company’s net profits declined during the first nine months of this year to $5.456m, compared to $11.06m during the same period of 2014. However, revenues recorded $288.2m this year versus $226.64m during the same period of 2014. Meanwhile, costs amounted to 83% of revenues during the first nine months of 2015, compared to 80.5% during the corresponding period of last year. Maridive’s net profit declined during the third quarter of 2015 to $131,000, compared to $5.06m during the same period last year. The sources attributed this decline in the company’s profits to the increase of the funds allocated for operational risk, in addition to increased income taxes paid within the portfolio of subsidiaries. The company’s revenues during this period were distributed over $102m from its offshore services sector, where the operation levels of the units built after the year 2000 reached about 80%, compared with 75% for units built prior to 2000. Maridive’s offshore projects accounted for approximately $188.95m of its revenues during the first nine months of 2015, compared to $123.7m during the same period last year. (Source: Daily News Egypt)

BUMI ARMADA SECURES FACILITY OF UP TO RM 4.8 BIL

Bumi Armada Bhd’s unit Armada Cabaca Ltd has clinched a syndicated facility worth up to

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US$1.12bil (RM4.8bil) from several lenders. The offshore oilfield services provider told Bursa Malaysia that the facility comprised a term loan facility, a standby letter of credit facility, and a bank guarantee facility. The lenders of the facility are Credit Industriel et Commercial, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, The Korea Development Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC, Natixis, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. The principal activities of Armada Cabaca, which was incorporated in the Marshall Islands, are as ship owners, charterers, managers of ships and vessels, marine support and other services to offshore oil & gas companies. Armada Cabaca will charter its floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, Armada Olombendo, to Eni Angola SpA pursuant to a contract dated Aug 19, 2014 entered into by Bumi Armada’s unit Bumi Armada Offshore Holdings Ltd and a joint-venture company, Angoil Bumi JV Lda, as a consortium, to provide FPSO services for the Block 15/06 East Hub Field Development located offshore Angola. Bumi Armada, which is 8.75% owned by the Employees Provident Fund, said the facility was intended, among others, for Armada Cabaca to part-finance the project and reimburse all costs and expenses in relation to the purchase, conversion, refurbishment, mobilisation, transportation, hook-up, mooring and installation of the FPSO. Bumi Armada shares closed unchanged at RM1.04 on Monday, with 6.652 million shares changing hands. (Source: Splash24/7)

WINDFARM NEWS - RENEWABLES

WORKSHIPS CONTRACTORS, THE OPERATIONAL PARTNERS OF THE ACTA MARINE WIND VESSELS, RECEIVES OHSAS 18001 CERTIFICATE

Rotterdam-based offshore asset manager Workships Contractors B.V. has received an OHSAS 18001 certificate from Lloyd’s Register following a successful audit of the company’s occupational health and safety management system. Occupational health and safety is the key for an operational organisation such as Workships Contractors B.V. in what is sometimes a hostile environment such as the offshore oil & gas industry and the renewable energy industry, the company said in a release. Workships Contractors is in charge of managing daily operations of Acta Marine Wind

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Services, a Rotterdam-based owner of 10 crew transfer vessels used to transfer technicians and parts to and from offshore wind turbines. Acta Marine Wind Services, formerly known as Offshore Wind Services B.V. (OWS), was bought by Acta Marine back in March, when the company’s name was changed. The acquisition of OWS is part of Acta Marine’s strategy to generate growth in the offshore wind market. (Press Release)

YARD NEWS

WUZHOU SHIPYARD BECOMES FIRST STATE-RUN SHIPYARD TO GO BUST

Zhoushan Intimidate People’s Court has announced that it has accepted an application from Zhejiang Shipping Group to liquidate its shipyard subsidiary Wuzhou Shipyard, making it the first state-run shipyard to go bankrupt. Zhejiang Shipping Group said a huge debt burden is the main reason for the shipyard’s bankruptcy with debts of RMB911m ($140m) in total. Wuzhou Shipyard suspended operations after it delivered a 2,500teu containership to Shanghai Zhonggu Xinliang Shipping in July this year. It also has one 2,500teu containership, two barges and one tugboat which remain undelivered. The court will appoint a receiver for the shipyard and organise a creditor’s meeting soon. (Splash24/7)

LANAVAL LAIDS THE KEEL OF THE MULTIPURPOSE VESSEL “LIVING STONE” FOR THE DUTCH COMPANY TIDEWAY

LaNaval Shipyard in Spain has laid the keel of the offshore multipurpose vessel Living Stone on the 30th of December, that is building for the Dutch company Tideway, subsidiary of DEME. The new Vessel, named “Living Stone”, will serve the offshore energy market. She will be equipped with a fall-pipe and rock installation system as well as cable/umbilical loading & installation facilities including also subsea construction capabilities and will have dual fuel engines with capacity to use Liquified Natural Gas as a fuel in order to reduce emissions. LaNaval and Tideway signed the

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17TH VOLUME, NO. 01 DATED 03 JANUARY 2016 shipbuilding contract for this vessel in January 2015. With the keel laying the building process of the Living Stone starts at LaNaval’s slipway. The launching is planned for next summer, being her delivery scheduled within the first half of 2017. (Press Release)

KEPPEL O&M CLOSES YEAR WITH FOUR CONTRACT WINS

Keppel Offshore & Marine has through its subsidiaries won four contracts worth a total of about S$125 million (USD 88 million) from repeat customers. In Singapore, Keppel O&M’s wholly-owned subsidiary Keppel Shipyard Ltd secured two conversion contracts. The first is for a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Floating Storage Unit (FSU) vessel awarded by Armada Floating Gas Storage Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bumi Armada Berhad. The second is for a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel awarded by Yinson Production (West Africa) Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yinson Holdings Berhad. Work on the LNG FSU conversion for Bumi Armada is scheduled to be completed in 3Q 2016. Upon completion, the LNG FSU vessel will operate at the Delimara LNG Regasification Terminal in Malta. As for the FPSO conversion for Yinson, work is expected to commence in 1Q 2016. The work scope includes modification work, new equipment installation complete with associated piping, electrical and instrumentation systems as well as installation and integration of the FPSO process topsides. Upon completion, the FPSO will be deployed to the Offshore Cape Three Point block located in offshore Ghana. As for Keppel O&M’s overseas yards, Keppel’s BrasFELS shipyard in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, secured a FPSO integration contract awarded by MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore) Pte Ltd., while Caspian Shipyard Company LLC in Baku, Azerbaijan, secured abarge enhancement contract awarded by BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) Limited (BP), operator of the Shah Deniz gas field development. (Source: World Maritime News)

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TRIYARDS INKS $22M OIL BARGE CONTRACTS WITH CPC CORP

Singapore-listed Triyards has bagged contracts to build two oil barges for CPC Corporation. The contracts from the Taiwanese state oil and gas firm are worth $21.82m. The oil barges for coastal use in Taiwan are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2018. “This attests to our continued efforts to diversify our orderbook beyond the traditional O&G (oil and gas) sector. Not only have we broadened our product range but we have also added another blue-chip name to our growing pool of clients,” said Chan Eng Yew, ceo of Triyards. (Source: Setrade Maritime News)

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Last week there have been new updates posted: 1. Several updates on the News page posted last week:

 Alexandria Port Authority Orders Four New Voith Water Tractors  Rimorchiatori Riuniti orders Damen ASD Tugs 2913  Robert Allan Ltd. to design a new dual-fuel tug for Ningbo Port  BogserTeam Ӧresund expanding fleet with Damen ASD Tug 2810

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 Built in Sharjah – Built for Sharjah

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