DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2018 – 069 Number 069 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Saturday 10-03-2018 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites. The Cremyll ferry EDGECUMBE BELLE undergoing maintenance at the Royal William Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth on March 6. The ferry links Admiral’s Hard on the Devon shore of the river Tamar with Cremyll on the Cornish side and is said by some to be the oldest continuously-running ferry service in England, dating back to the 11th Century. Photo : Mike Leonard-Williams, Noss Mayo, Plymouth (c) Make Time For Safety. It Is Better To Be 5 Minutes Late In This Life Than Many Years Early In The Next. Distribution : daily to 38.700+ active addresses 10-03-2018 Page 1 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2018 – 069 Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos or articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO : [email protected] If you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore : To unsubscribe click here (English version) or visit the subscription page on our website. http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/uitschrijven.aspx?lan=en-US EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS An empty MSC VIVIANA outbound from Antwerp navigating the Westerschelde Photo : Jaap Janse (c) Mexican federal prosecutors open probe of ferry explosion Mexican federal prosecutors have formally opened their own investigation into an explosion on a tourist ferry last month that injured 26 people. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office says in a Tuesday statement that it is probing the Feb. 21 blast on the Barcos Caribe company’s vessel as it was moored in Playa del Carmen with passengers nearby on the dock.The ferry operated on the route between Playa del Carmen and the resort island of Cozumel. Barcos Caribe has been suspended from operating since shortly after the explosion. Last week, what appeared to be undetonated explosives were found attached beneath another vessel belonging to the same company. Authorities said it was anchored 500 yards (meters) off Cozumel at the time and had not been in service for over 10 months. Source: washingtonpost Distribution : daily to 38.700+ active addresses 10-03-2018 Page 2 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2018 – 069 The PROFESSOR KHROMOV in Lytelton Photo : Bryan Shankland (c) Union calls for Northlink ferry services to be nationalised by Alistair Munro Union bosses will also be making the case for public ownership of the inter-island ferry service, currently operated by Shetland Islands Council. Northlink’s HAMNAVOE Photo : Jan van Vuuren (c) The Scottish ferries union RMT will be holding a public meeting on Shetland calling for the nationalisation of Serco Northlink’s lifeline ferry services. Union bosses will also be making the case for public ownership of the inter-island ferry service, currently operated by Shetland Islands Council Transport operators and seafood bodies in Shetland have, however, cautioned against the service going ‘in-house’. The Scottish Government will shortly decide whether they will put the next contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) out to tender and RMT regional organiser Gordon Martin will put the case for public ownership. He claims contract holders Serco have overseen a decline in performance, passenger numbers and freight movements while receiving a significantly higher subsidy compared to the previous operator RMT also believes the NIFS contract should be re-drawn by Transport Scotland to include inter-island services. Serco claims they have seen an 8% increase in passengers since the start of the contract in 2012. Northern Isles Ferry Services serve the people, staff and businesses of Shetland, Orkney and the Distribution : daily to 38.700+ active addresses 10-03-2018 Page 3 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2018 – 069 mainland. In 2016, the fleet of five vessels carried over 300,000 passengers and over 60,000 vehicles on three routes. Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary said: “RMT members are proud to deliver this lifeline ferry service for local communities and visitors. “Rather than subsidise privateers for a worsening service , however, these lifeline ferries need to be brought into public ownership so they operate in the best interests of the people who use them.” However, Ruth Henderson, chief executive of Seafood Shetland, said: “Support for such a move will certainly not be found from the Shetland seafood sector or, indeed, any of the industry’s hauliers. “It is in the best interests of a private operator to run the service as efficiently as possible, communicate with its key stakeholders, and provide the best service at the most cost-efficient price. “The seafood industry and our transport operators believe the current tendering process has given industry and stakeholders the opportunity to reflect and feed into the changing needs of the islands.” A Serco spokesman said: “Serco NorthLink Ferries is a valued partner of the Scottish Government and the communities that it serves and we are very proud of the life line service that we provide to the people and businesses of the Shetland and Orkney Isles. “Since Serco took on the service in 2012 we have carried a total of 1.5million passengers, an 8% increase since the start of the contract, as well as 20% more vehicles. “We have made significant improvements to both the vessels and the on board offering and 99% of our passengers rated their overall experience as positive, which we are delighted about.” Source : pressandjournal. Shipping needs to appreciate emergency role of tugs by Martyn Wingrove Editor Martyn Wingrove highlights that shipping needs salvage tugs to keep key waterways open after maritime accidents and ship blockages There have been a number of ship accidents so far this year that have demonstrated the essential work that tugs perform in emergencies and salvage projects. I have lamented a number of times on this subject and have highlighted the tough role that tugboat crews play in preventing incidents from becoming major life-threatening environmental disasters. This is still the case and we will hear more on this next week as members of the International Salvage Union meet in London and emergency response technology is presented at the Interspill exhibition, also in the UK’s capital. What I would like to highlight is how tugs keep key shipping lanes open even when there is a maritime incident. For example on 3 March a fleet of tugs were urgently deployed on the Elbe River near Hamburg where an 11,000 TEU container ship was blocking the seaway. A propulsion failure caused 2008-built EUGEN MAERSK to remain static on the Elbe for three hours. The tugs were used to secure the 171,542 gt E-class container ship during repairs. Once EUGEN MAERSK was back on its way to Antwerp, Belgium, the seaway was re-opened and shipping trade could resume. Distribution : daily to 38.700+ active addresses 10-03-2018 Page 4 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2018 – 069 In another example, tugs were needed to handle a damaged container ship in the Kiel Canal, also in Germany. Salvage company Schramm worked with shipping company Peter Döhle to manoeuvre damaged 2004-built ship AKACIA, which had severely damaged a key lock on the canal. Tugs Wolf and Holtenau were able to handle Akacia off the damaged Great Northern Lock and to a dock for surveys and repairs. This unblocked this key shipping throughway to other vessels that were stopped from entering the canal during the incident. However, Akacia had almost destroyed the Great Northern Lock and millions of euros are needed for its repair. What both these examples demonstrate is the essential role that tugs have in maritime industries and particular shipping in keeping major shipping lanes open. There are other examples every week of tugs towing stranded ships to safe ports and removing navigational obstacles. Therefore, shipping should remember the important work of tugboat crews and ensure they are appreciated and supported. I am sure we will hear from tug owners next week whether they feel that appreciation and industry support. Source : .tugtechnologyandbusiness TERASEA OSPREY anchored at Cape Town, final preparations before commencement of the next towing job. Photo : Capt Serge Prakhov - Master of Terasea Osprey (c) New Cruise Lines Eye Second-Hand Ships A number of potential start-up cruise line projects are pounding the ground this week in Florida and abroad, looking for financing and the opportunity to pick from a limited selection of second-hand cruise ships. Russian Far East Program: The Far Eastern Federal District in Russia is working with key parties to establish a one-ship cruise line that would homeport in Vladivostok, operating itineraries to Sakhalin Island and the Kamchatka peninsula and south to neighboring countries. Korea: South Korea’s Oceans and Fisheries Ministry earmarked financial incentives in 2017 to help drive cruise tourism in South Korea, and is also hoping to help finance a cruise operation which would sail from South Korean ports. Late last year, the GLORY SEA was chartered to the Golden Bridge Cruise Company, a Korean tour operator, to sail a series of cruises from Sokcho. Cartoon Network: Cartoon Network came together with key industry players to announce an ambitious plan to offer sailings on a Cartoon Network branded ship later this year from Singapore. Further details have not been released. Storylines: Storyines said it would turn “well-loved” commercial cruise ships into residential communities at sea. The UK-based outfit has renderings of interiors on its website, as well photos of the 1964-built MARCO POLO .