DAILY COLLECTION OF MAR ITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 …newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/pdf/2014/005-05-01-2014a.pdfon Jan. 17, 2013. The group is one of the petitioners in the writ

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 005

Distribution : daily to 28250+ active addresses 05-01-2014 Page 1

Number 005 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 05-01-2014

News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

The 137,000gt liner VOYAGER OF THE SEAS taking on bunkers from the 80m bunker

barge AWANUIA at Auckland on Thursday. Photo : Larry Tompkins ©

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IN MEMORIAM

Afgelopen vrijdag kreeg ik het droeve bericht dat

Capt. PIETER VAN DULKEN

de strijd tegen ongeveer een half jaar ziekte heeft moeten opgeven en is overleden Nijkerk Lochem 27 maart 1950 2 januari 2014 De afscheidsdienst zal worden gehouden op vrijdag 10 januari om 13:30 uur in uitvaartcentrum Monuta Kamperman, Zutphenseweg 91B te Lochem , hier kunt U van 12:30 tot 12:50 uur afscheid nemen van Piet. Aansluitend aan de afscheidsdienst zal de begrafenis plaatsvinden op de nieuwe begraafplaats, Zutphenseweg 93 te Lochem Na de begrafenis is er gelegenheid tot condoleren in uitvaartcentrum Monuta Kamperman Piet hield van witte bloemen ( rozen, gerbera’s en anjers )

***** PIET, RUST ZACHT *****

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

03-01-2014 : CSC ZHONG HAI outbound in Vancouver harbour Photo : Robert Etchell (c)

US reminded on responsibility for coral reef destruction in Sulu Sea

Almost a year after an American warship ran aground in the Sulu Sea, destroying a portion of the Tubbataha Reefs, a militant fisherfolk organization pressed the US government to take responsibility beyond the P58 million-fine it was ordered to pay the Philippines for the environmental damage. The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) asked the Aquino administration to “follow up and pursue the US government to honor its obligations arising from the national environmental disaster” involving the grounding of the USS Guardian on Jan. 17, 2013. The group is one of the petitioners in the writ of kalikasan (nature) pending in the Supreme Court, which seeks higher penalties for the damage on the Tubbataha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as criminal prosecution of the ship’s officers and crew. Pamalakaya, in a statement, lamented that the United States government continued to snub the high tribunal’s request for Washington to answer the petition, which named as respondents Scott Swift, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, and Mark Rice, commanding officer of the American minesweeper. “The US government must respond to and account for their crimes against the people and the environment. That is simple as ABC, nothing more, nothing less. The incident merits the filing of criminal and other appropriate charges against officials and the 79 other crew of USS Guardian,” said Pamalakaya vice chair Salvador France. France also said the coral reef destruction called for the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty between Manila and Washington. The USS Guardian ran aground an atoll in the Tubbataha on Jan. 17, destroying more than 2,300 square meters of coral and prompting salvors to dismantle the vessel piece by piece in order not to further damage the reef. The US government was fined P58 million for the damage. The Tubbataha Reefs

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Natural Park lies at the center of the Sulu Sea and protects almost 100,000 hectares of high quality marine habitats containing three atolls and a large area of deep sea. Home to whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and Napoleon wrasse, the park supports more than 350 species of coral and almost 500 species of fish, for which it has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or Unesco. The reserve also protects one of the few remaining colonies of breeding seabirds in the region, according to UNESCO. Pamalakaya also followed up on its request to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to file criminal and other charges against officials and 79 other crew members of the warship. The militant group said it wondered why until now there was no progress on its request letter to the justice chief filed last February. Source : Inquirer

BW Offshore acquires VLCC BW Offshore has exercised an option to acquire the tanker 'BLUE OPAL' from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering for $83.4m. 'BLUE OPAL' is a DSME designed and built VLCC (320,000 dwt) from 2012.

BW Offshore has performed detailed engineering studies and inspections of the VLCC since the fourth quarter of 2012, and is currently evaluating several FPSO projects suitable for the vessel. Source : StockMarketWire

Italian naval ship takes 233 migrants on board amid rough seas south of Sicily

The Italian navy has rescued 233 migrants from an overcrowded smugglers' boat in rough seas south of Sicily. The navy said one of its frigates was bringing the migrants — who were from Pakistan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Somalia, Zambia and Mali — into a Sicilian port on Thursday. They were initially rescued by another naval vessel on Wednesday night some 80 miles (130 kilometres) south of the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa. It said the migrants had been spotted in a 10-meter (33-foot) boat without any life vests. Each year, thousands of African, Asian or Middle Eastern migrants attempt risky voyages across the Mediterranean Sea in unseaworthy boats, and hundreds die en route. Unless they are eligible for asylum or have families or jobs in Europe, they risk expulsion by Italy. Source : The Montreal Gazette

Antarctic rescue of Akademik Shokalskiy ship completed

Members of the crew and passengers stamped out a landing site for the helicopter

Rescuers in Antarctica have safely transferred all 52 passengers stranded on the ice-bound research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy. The Australian rescue operators said the scientists and tourists were now all aboard the ship Aurora Australis. They were flown there in groups by a helicopter from a Chinese ice-breaker.



The Shokalskiy has been trapped since 24 December. Its 22 crew are expected to remain on board to wait until the

vessel becomes free. The Shokalskiy was trapped by thick sheets of ice driven by strong winds, about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart - the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania. The vessel was being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.

'White-knuckle ride' "We've made it to the Aurora Australis safe & sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese & @AusAntarctic for all their hard work!," expedition leader Chris Turney tweeted. The helicopter belongs to the Chinese icebreaker, Xue Long, and each flight took about 45 minutes, round-trip. Source : BBC

Visa-Free Travel Starts Between Korea and Russia

A visa-free travel agreement between Korea and Russia went into effect on Wednesday with the first group of Russians to enjoy the waiver arriving by ship in Sokcho Port in Gangwon Province. The New Blue Ocean operated by Stena Daea Line carried 322 passengers including 240 Russians. It left Zarubino on the New Year's Eve and arrived in Sokcho at 11 a.m. on New Year's Day. Stena Daea held a magic show, party and sunrise viewing session to celebrate the start of the visa-free program. Koreans and Russians can stay in each other's country for up to 60 days under the agreement, which was signed last year by President Park Geun-hye and her

Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Until last year, Korean who wanted to go through Zarubino to the symbolically charged Mt. Baekdu, part of which is in China and part in North Korea, had to pay around W230,000 (US$1=W1,046) for visas just to cross the Russian border. Source : ChosunIlbo



M/V LUCY ESSBERGER spotted at Westerscheldt River bound for high seas Photo : Lucas de Schutter ©

Maersk Line Triple-E LEGO Set Hits the Shelve

Finally… the highly anticipated LEGO version of the world’s largest ship, Maersk Line’s Triple-E, is on sale and ready to order on backorder. With more than 1,500 pieces, features of the Triple-E set include rotating gold-colored propeller

blades, brick-built twin 8-cylinder engines, viewing window into the engine compartment, adjustable rudders, detachable lifeboats, removable containers, rotating crane arms and a special ‘good luck’ coin placed.

For you enthusiasts out there, the model boasts a rare color scheme with medium azur, dark red, sand blue and sand green. The set also includes a display stand and fact plaque with

detailed information about the ship.

The Triple-E set was first unveiled by LEGO in September, just a few months after the first real life vessel in the Triple-E class, MV Mc-Kinney Møller, sailed from the DSME shipyard in South Korea, where Maersk has ordered a total

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20 of the ships. At 400 meters long and with a capacity to carry 18,000 TEU, the containerships are currently the largest in the world.

You can pick up the Triple-E set for $149.99 from the Lego website, although it seems the model is currently on backorder. Interesting fact… the Triple-E set is far from the first time Lego and Maersk, both of Denmark, have teamed up. The Triple-E actually marks the 8th (but largest, obviously) Lego version featuring the Maersk theme, with previous models including 3 trucks, three ships and a train. Of course, it’s also extremely likely that LEGOs have been shipped across the globe on Maersk vessels. Source : gCaptain

The Dutch-flagged Hanze Goteborg upbound on River Scheldt and underway from St.Petersburg to Antwerp.

The bulk carrier is the fourth vessel built for Hanzevast Shipping. Photo : Barry van der Meijden (c)

Maersk is still confident that P3 will gain regulatory approval

DENMARK's Maersk Line says it remains confident that its proposed P3 vessel sharing alliance with Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM will gain the necessary approval and that it will launch in the summer as originally planned after US, European and Chinese regulators met in Washington, D.C. "The process is developing as expected and we are confident to receive an approval of the alliance for the cooperation to be launched in the second quarter next year, perhaps during the last part of the quarter," said Maersk Line's chief trade and marketing officer, Vincent Clerc, in an interview with Shipping Watch, a Danish newsletter.

The decision by the US Federal Maritime Commission to extend its investigation has not affected the timetable for the launch of the alliance, reports the Journal of Commerce.

"There is no reason to change that date," Mr Clerc said. "On the basis of what has been sent out from the [Washington] meeting, I believe it is positive and highly relevant for the authorities to cooperate and examine cross-border trade." "Regarding the review of the P3, we are dealing with sovereign states, meaning that we contribute with what we are requested to do," he added. Source : Asian Shipper

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The Russian flag NADEZHDA entered the port of Rotterdam. Like her sisters TALNAKH, ZAPOLYARNYY, MONCHEGORSK and NORILSKIY NICKEL They are an interesting breed of vessels, who visit Rotterdam on a regular basis. The NADEZHDA is seen here on Friday 3rd of January passing Maassluis seen from the Rozenburg-Maassluis ferry jetty. Photo : Henk Ros (c)

Maersk Drilling receives two-year extension for the jack-up Maersk

Reacher BP Norway has extended the contract for the jack-up Maersk Reacher by two years from September 2014 to September 2016. BP Norway holds options to further extend the contract by up to additional four years until September 2020. The estimated value of the two-year extension is USD 222m.

“We are very pleased with the contract extension from BP Norway. Together with the five-year firm contract for a newbuild jack-up announced in September 2013, we see the contract extension for Maersk Reacher as a further strengthening of our relationship with BP. The contract extension adds USD 222m. to our revenue backlog providing a high revenue visibility and a solid basis for our ambitious growth strategy,” says Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling and member of the Executive Board of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group.

Maersk Reacher is the fourth in a series of four high efficiency 350ft jack-ups delivered in 2008-2009.

In 2011 Maersk Reacher was upgraded to comply with relevant requirements in Norwegian shelf regulation and received an Acknowledgement of Compliance enabling it to commence a three-year firm contract with BP Norway in September 2011. Source: Maersk Drilling

Petrobras sells its stake in BC-10 onday, December 30th, 2013, Petrobras finalized the sale of its 35% stake in the Parque das Conchas (BC-10) offshore project for US$ 1.636 billion. In August 2013, Petrobras signed an agreement to sell its 35% stake in the block, subject to government approval and the preemptive rights of its partners. Shell and ONGC Videsh decided to buy out Petrobras, acquiring stakes of 23% (Shell) and 12% (ONGC Videsh).

After the approval of the Brazilian Petroleum Agency (ANP), granted on December 18th, the sale was finalized on December 30th, 2013. In 2013, the contribution of BC-10 to Petrobras average oil production volume was 8,600 barrels of oil per day (bpd). Source: Petrobras



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The NCC RABIGH assisted by the Iskes tugs BRENT and GINGER into the Ijmuiden locks

Photo : Peter Maanders (c)

LNG carrier fleet poised for resurgent trade growth

Preliminary figures show that 2013 was, like 2012, a year of stagnation in terms of LNG trade growth. Although two new liquefaction plants came on stream, in Angola and Algeria, output from several existing facilities slumped and worldwide movements of LNG in 2013 dropped a few percentage points from the 236.8 million tonnes (mt) traded the previous year. For a shipping market that enjoyed an average growth rate of 10% per annum over the first decade of the new century, to experience a slump two years running is unprecedented. The trade contraction recorded in 2012, for example, was the first in three decades. From the industry’s recent performance the casual observer might conclude that for the LNG market, which is now worth about USD 150 billion annually, the years of robust growth are over.

They would be wrong. The LNG sector is experiencing a momentary blip on the growth chart and service as normal is about to be resumed. As a result of construction work currently underway or poised to start, 12 new liquefaction plants will be on stream by 2018, boosting global LNG production capacity by one-third. Several other proposed projects are nearing final investment decisions and most forecasters believe that the worldwide trade in LNG will be double the current level by 2035.

Asia, which is currently the destination for 70% of all LNG shipped worldwide, will continue to drive market demand in the years ahead. Japan accounts for 38% of the global LNG trade and is set to remain the leading importer for many years to come, even after the country begins to restart its nuclear reactors following the completion of rigorous post-tsunami safety checks. Korea, which is the second largest buyer of LNG, expects its 2013 imports to be around the 40 mt mark, following a 10% rise in demand during the year. Korea’s near neighbour China could be in the running for the No. 2 slot in the LNG importers league table within the next few years as a result of an even stronger increase in demand. The commissioning of three new regasification terminals in recent months has boosted to nine the number of

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such facilities in China. When the final figures are tallied, the country, which only began to import LNG in 2006, is expected to have purchased approximately 17 mt in 2013.

On the LNG supply side the largest contributor to LNG trade growth over the next five years will be Australia. Seven new liquefaction projects are currently underway in the country and the first LNG from this new tranche of production capacity will begin to flow in 2014. When all the new terminals are working to full capacity later in the decade, they will be able to supply the world market with 65 mt each year.

Another country that could be matching Australia’s LNG export levels, albeit a few years afterwards, is the US. As the result of readily available quantities of competitively priced shale gas, 25 LNG export projects have been tabled over the past two years, eight of which are based on the use of floating production (FLNG) vessels.

During 2013 the government approved three of the projects for the export of LNG to countries with which the US does not have a free trade agreement, bringing to four the number of schemes that have so far achieved such a permission. The first US LNG exports are scheduled to begin loading in February 2016.

Canada, Mozambique and Tanzania are three countries also likely to achieve high rankings in the LNG exporters league table in due course but will not figure prominently, if at all, before 2018. Russia is the other player with notable LNG supply ambitions and year-end 2013 brought three significant news announcements from Moscow.

Firstly, the government agreed to bring to an end the monopoly enjoyed by Gazprom over LNG exports from the country. The ruling cleared the way for the second important news item, a final investment decision (FID) by Novatek and its partners to press ahead with their Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic. Yamal calls for a fleet of icebreaking LNG carriers and the demanding conditions of the Northern Sea Route will require the establishment of new standards in LNG vessel performance.

The final December 2013 development of note in Russia was the decision by Gazprom and partners to press ahead with the construction of a third liquefaction train at their Sakhalin 2 plant in the Russian Far East, the country’s only operating LNG export terminal. As a result of Yamal LNG, the Sakhalin 2 expansion, a new Vladivostok terminal planned by Gazprom and a second Sakhalin project being promoted by a Rosneft/ExxonMobil joint venture, Russia could be exporting 35-40 mt of LNG a year by 2020.

As part of preparations for the imminent resurgence in LNG trade growth, the LNG carrier newbuilding market was particularly active in 2013. A total of 57 LNG carriers were ordered during the 12-month period, the third highest annual total for such ships.

The diversity in ship types and sizes was never greater than in the 2013 orderbook. The total comprised 42 conventional-size LNG carriers, eight small-size vessels, six floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) and an LNG bunkering tanker, the world’s first such ship.

The complement of FSRUs ordered in 2013 includes some notable vessels. One ship will have a capacity of 263,000 m3, some 50% greater than the next largest FSRU. The ship will go on station near Montevideo harbour on completion in 2016 and add Uruguay to the list of LNG import countries.

Another of the contracted FSRUs will be provided with not only regasification facilities but also a topsides power plant to enable the generation of electricity. The vessel, the first of its type, will be delivered at the end of 2017, initially for use by one of the owners, Korea Electric Power.

The conventional LNG carrier contingent of the vessels ordered in 2013 also includes noteworthy features. Four of the 42 ships were specified with low-speed, gas-injection engines, bringing to six the number of such vessels currently under construction. In addition, all but three of the conventional-size ships have cargo-carrying capacities of 173,000 m3 and above. Ships of this size are recognised as Pacificmax LNG carriers, designed to realise economy of scale benefits when transporting LNG from new US Gulf export terminals to Asia via an enlarged Panama Canal.

Although there were no net gains in LNG cargo volumes in 2013, 18 new LNG carriers were delivered to the fleet during the year. Despite the rise in tonnage supply LNG carrier freight rates in 2013 remained surprisingly resilient. Modern ships enjoyed a premium over the older ships in the fleet, due to the greater efficiencies of dual-fuel diesel-electric propulsion systems over the steam turbines that enjoyed favour in the sector for so long. The continued demand last year for long-distance deliveries from Atlantic Basin liquefaction plants to Asian import terminals also helped boost fleet utilisation rates.

The year ahead will be another transitional one for LNG ship owners. Once again, only two new LNG production plants are scheduled for 2014 starts and they will not commence operations until later in the year. The delivery of a further 36 new ships to the fleet in 2014 will exert further downward pressure on freight rates. However, the logjam is set to break in 2015 when several new Australian projects are commissioned. The opening ceremonies will signal an end to the current stagnation in LNG trade growth and herald the beginning of another sustained period of double-digit annual expansion. Source: BIMCO



The COSCO NETHERLANDS moored in Rotterdam Europoort – Photo : BJBSolutions.com ©

VIKING refits four NGSCO vessels with the unique Nadiro LRRS system

The combination of the innovative Nadiro Drop-in-Ball™ technology and VIKING UAE’s certified lifeboat service technicians were the perfect solution to achieve compliance.

New IMO regulations call for major and mandatory improvements to safeguard lives both during lifeboat drills and during emergencies at sea. For more than a decade, LRRS including on-load release hooks have been the cause of numerous accidents, some involving fatalities. Those accidents have tarnished the reputation of lifeboats as a safety device.

As NGSCO have a strong commitment to excellence and strive for superior safety, they made it a priority to get the lifeboat hooks retrofitted as soon as possible with the latest technology, even though the regulations would allow them to wait until the next dry dock period in five years. The award-winning Drop-in-Ball™ system developed by Denmark-based NADIRO A/S improves upon conventional hooks, using hydraulics instead of cables, and intuitive controls inside the lifeboats. It was the first to be listed in the IMO GISIS database of compliant LRRS systems. Today, it is also approved by DNV, ABS, LR and USCG.

VIKING is the worldwide NADIRO preferred installation, distribution and service provider. The Dubai service station has more than 28 years of experience servicing essential safety equipment on lifeboats. VIKING’s Country Director for the Middle East, Anders Noergaard Lauridsen explains why VIKING was the natural choice to perform the retrofit onboard NGSCO’s vessels: “VIKING and NGSCO are both dedicated to raising safety standards at sea. The project proceeded smoothly and we are very pleased with the results. We are confident that this is a significant contribution to protecting the lives of personnel at sea.” Source: Viking Group

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The LAY VESSEL NORTH OCEAN 105 arriving in Singapore Tuas Basin- Photo : Paul Zijnen ©

Marine Response Alliance Launches Exclusive OPA 90 SMFF Mobile App

Marine Response Alliance (MRA), an association of the top U.S. emergency responders providing OPA 90 Salvage Marine Firefighting (SMFF), has launched an exclusive mobile app, providing ship owners/operators, qualified individuals (QIs) and the U.S. Coast Guard with immediate access to the MRA’s resources for Salvage Marine Fire Fighting as per OPA 90 compliance as well as the ability to report incidents through TITAN Salvage (MRA partner) around the world. The OPA 90 SMFF app allows users to report an incident, have direct dial access to worldwide offices, and obtain immediate access to a secure password protected database of registered vessel documents, pre-fire plans and certificates online, which can then be saved in the user’s offline documents. The user can review MRA’s geographic specific appendices, request drills, see salvage news and receive regulatory updates. “With the OPA 90 SMFF app, the user has easy access to immediate response capabilities anywhere, anytime,” said Lindsay Malen, director of business development for MRA and TITAN. “As a responder the user can download vessel documents while headed to a casualty or the USCG can quickly access the plan holders Funding Agreement to ensure compliance. This is just another way the MRA is making these requirements time and cost efficient.”

The app can be downloaded for free at Apple and Android app stores using search terms "OPA 90 SMFF App" or "Marine Response Alliance." MRA, founded in 1994, combines experts in all facets of emergency response with salvage, firefighting and lightering equipment in all Captain of the Port Zones. Alliance members include TITAN, Crowley Maritime, Marine Pollution Control and McAllister Towing & Transportation. Source: Crowley Maritime

Inmarsat closes deal on Globe Wireless Inmarsat the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, Friday confirmed that it had completed regulatory and other approvals in relation to its US$45 million purchase of Globe Wireless, the Florida-based leading provider of value-added maritime communications services to the shipping market. As a consequence, Inmarsat has now completed its acquisition of Globe Wireless.

Inmarsat's acquisition includes the business and substantially all of the assets of Globe Wireless LLC ("Globe Wireless"). In the twelve months ended June 30, 2103, Globe Wireless generated revenues of US$91 million and currently has an installed customer base of over 6,000 ships. Source: Inmarsat plc

Increasing bulk rates are to be expected

Bulk rates are to rise 35 percent average this year and 25 percent in 2015. Such assesses analyst RHB Research in the light of new data indicating that the net increase in the bulk tonnage last year was only 6 percent. Six percent is much lower than feared, and only marginally more than the increase in demand which is around five percent. Less bright it



appears on the tanker market where mainly the crude oil market will continue to be very volantile. Overall, the research firm expects, however, that crude rates will rise 15 percent this year and 25 percent next year. Source: Shipping Herald / Maritime Denmark

Asia Tankers-Tanker rates to slide as tonnage outpaces demand

By Keith Wallis Dirty and clean tanker rates on key Asian freight routes are set to slide next week as the amount of available tonnage outpaces increased chartering activity as people return from holiday, ship brokers said on Friday. Charter rates for the two main very large crude carrier (VLCC) trades, Middle East Gulf and West Africa, are expected to fall. "It's a question of how much," said one Singapore-based tanker broker. The latest fixture for a VLCC voyage from the Middle East to Asia was done at W55, five worldscale points below yesterday's benchmark rate of W60 from the Middle East to Japan the broker said. The difference is the equivalent of a drop in earnings of about $7,000 a day Charter rates for VLCCs from West Africa to China are also expected to fall next week, brokers said, after rising by 1 point since Dec. 24 to close at W60.5 on Thursday. VLCC earnings will remain under pressure all of this year, according to a report published on Thursday by a team led by Michael Beer, vice president, Asia Pacific transportation research at Citi Research. The strong rebound in rates that started in November is not expected "to continue into 2014, because the growth of VLCC’s key routes, which supported the recent rebound, is expected to soften," Beer said. There will be a flurry of fixtures over the next two to three weeks, ahead of Chinese New Year, to cover around 70 cargoes that remain to be fixed in charterers' January programmes for Middle East Gulf to Japan, brokers said. "Chinese New Year will help," said Kevin Sy, head of freight derivatives at broker Marex Spectron in Singapore. But Sy also noted that increased activity ahead of the holiday last year did not result in any dramatic increase in rates. Rates for 80,000-tonne aframax tankers from Southeast Asia to East Coast Australia which fell to W109 on Thursday from W110 on Dec.24, are also expected to continue to fall next week, brokers said. "Everybody will get back to work next week but the market won't move that fast. There is sufficient tonnage," said a Singapore aframax broker on Friday. The surge in rates for medium range tankers travelling to Japan from Singapore is unlikely to continue after rates rose to W121 on Thursday, up from W115 on Dec.24. "We'll certainly see some kind of correction in rates," said a clean tanker broker on Friday. Source : Reuters - Reporting By Keith Wallis; Editing by Tom Hogue

03-01-2014 : The articulated American tug Commitment with barge unit, assisted by SEASPAN HAWK and SEASPAN FALCON, departing Vancouver harbour - Photo by Mike Zelt ©



Hoax call puts lifeboat crew in danger off Co Down coast

Two RNLI lifeboats in Newcastle, Co Down, were launched in rough weather at 9am Friday morning following a hoax call. The search for a man who had reportedly entered the sea after his dog and had got into difficulty was stood down at 10.30am after the coastguard declared it to be a hoax call. Both lifeboats had battled bad weather and rough seas to search for the man around a mile north east of Newcastle lifeboat station in county Down.

Also on scene were members of the Kilkeel and Newcastle shore-based coastguard teams and two helicopters from the Irish Coast Guard and the

PSNI.

Right : The stormy seas that faced Newcastle's Lifeboat crew today. Pic: RNLI

Newcastle RNLI Deputy Launching Authority Captain Joseph Mc Clelland said: "There was a heavy breaking surf in the area with a strong south westerly wind blowing force seven and two metre swells. The lifeboats were on scene within minutes and the volunteer lifeboat crew searched in very challenging weather. "We have since learned that the call for help was believed by the coastguard to have been a hoax and while we are relieved that no one is hurt we are disappointed that anyone would call out the emergency services on a day like today, knowing it to be a hoax. "They could have put people’s lives at risk and diverted necessary search and rescue assets away from other work." Source : Irish Examiner

CSC Phoenix’s first restructure plan fails CSC Phoenix Friday announced the update of the creditors’ meeting which was held on December 30, regarding the restructure of the company.

There were 130 creditors with voting rights attending the meeting, 120 of them representing RMB3.45bn debt agreeing to the draft restructure plan. However, the amount of debt they represent didn’t exceed 2/3 of the total amount of the company’s debt, which means the restructure plan failed to pass. According to Chinese bankruptcy law, the two groups of creditors which have different opinions could negotiate with each other and have a final vote.

CSC Phoenix said the company will suspend listing from the stock exchange if the creditors didn’t pass the restructure plan eventually or if the court announces the bankruptcy of the company. Source: Sino Ship News

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Euronav Expected to Buy Maersk Tankers' VLCC

Belgian crude oil shipping group Euronav is expected to buy 15 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) from Denmark's Maersk Tankers, a unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk. An announcement had been expected from Euronav since its shares were suspended from trading on Monday afternoon pending a statement.

Maersk Tankers had not officially put the VLCC fleet up for sale, but the company said in November it will focus on the smaller product tanker segment. At that time the company placed an order for four medium range (MR) vessels with an option for a further two with South Korean shipyard Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

The MAERSK PRINCESS moored in Rotterdam-Europoort – Photo : Robert Smith ©

"It sounds very sensible to focus the business on the product tanker segment and it fits well with the group's overall strategy," shipping analyst Jesper Christensen from Alm. Brand Markets said.

Tanker operator General Maritime Corp had also been working to raise the capital necessary for the deal, said to be worth close to $1 billion, but that effort stalled during the autumn. In addition to owning 15 very large carrier vessels, Maersk Tankers controls six chartered vessels. Both Maersk Tankers and Euronav declined comment. Trading in Euronav shares on Euronext in Brussels is still suspended. Source: Reuters

Who pays the real price for dredging along the coast?

CASTING aside the agendas of politicians and activists, the true, long term implications of dredging spoil material along the Queensland coast are difficult to calculate. Industry has breathed life into the once-quiet town of Gladstone in the form of booming economic activity, employment and high-visibility wear.

When Gladstone Harbour was subject to dredging in 2011, leakage at the Fisherman's Landing bund wall cast a shadow over the entire project.

Gladstone Harbour was recently used as a case study presented by senior engineers Bill Service and Warren Hornsey to Griffith University students, as to what can go wrong in dredging operations.

Fish health and water quality were compromised during 2011, and although a direct link between sediment leakage, heavy metals and aquatic health is yet to be confirmed, it is a substantial factor in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's decision on whether or not to allow dredging in other parts of the coast. Calls for an independent federal inquiry into the inadequacy of containing toxic substances within the bund wall are being echoed throughout the



country. The amount dredged during 2011 was enormous, as Dr Jim Stoddart, marine biologist working with various LNG projects around Australia, admits. A total of 25 million cubic metres was removed from the waterways of our harbour.

By comparison, the Abbot Point expansion proposal, approved by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, is seeking to dredge 3 million cubic metres, under strict regulations - about an eighth of what was carried out in Gladstone.

Dr Stoddart agreed that when undertaking dredging, environmental damage to some degree was inevitable. "Dredging is a high-impact activity that cannot be carried out without some sort of footprint," he said. "There will be some broken eggs, as seen in Gladstone."

Referring to the leakage of heavy metal sediment from Fisherman's Landing as a "broken egg" infuriated environmentalists. "It's devastating news to millions of people around the world, when the Minister for the Environment, responsible for its stewardship, approves these projects," said Felicity Wishart, Great Barrier Reef campaign director. "We've seen in Gladstone one of the worst examples of environmental management in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

"It was so poorly managed that local fishers are still seeking compensation from the damage caused to their industry. "And if recent revelations about the substandard work on the bund wall are true, it makes a mockery of environmental standards."

On the other side of the spectrum are mining advocates such as Viv Forbes, an applied science geologist and Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, who says the robustness of corals is largely underestimated.

In a post on Gina Rinehart's Facebook page on December 18, Dr Forbes was named a "heroic Australian" for his article Corals - The Great Survivors.

The post, which has since been removed, refers to the article as a purveyor of "simple science", nullifying environmental damage imposed by dredging, mining and the resource industry.

The article states:

• "Corals are among the greatest survivors on Earth and have been here for about 500 million years.

• "No matter what the future holds, corals are more likely than humans to survive the next major extinction."

• Ms Wishart responded to the article by saying it was written by a geologist, not a coral reef scientist.

• "It is deeply troubling that people may consider its findings anything more than convenient to serve their short-term interests," she said.

• "It ignores the already-massive threats to the reef from poor water quality and the imminent threat faced by plans for further industrial developments along the reef."

But in his article, Mr Forbes countered by labelling opponents "green extremists".

"(They) would like to sacrifice all of Queensland's coastal industry on the coral altar - exploration, mining, farming, land development, tourism, forestry, fishing and shipping," he wrote.

"They need reminding, it is only rich societies who can afford to care for their environment."

But what makes us rich, says Dean Fillgram, a marine biologist specialising in coral reef biodiversity, is having one of the largest and most diverse marine ecosystems in the world.

"One instance of dredging gone wrong in Gladstone may not be pivotal in the future of the Great Barrier Reef," he said.

"Unfortunately, it is opening the floodgates for a future where the government and the Australian people have no value for World Heritage protected sites - a world where we reflect upon vibrant corals and unique marine wildlife as something of an urban legend."

The dramatic turn of political parties, from a Labor government that imposed a tax on carbon emissions to a conservative Coalition government vehemently opposed to a price on carbon, has left Australians confused about the environmental priorities of our country.

Furthermore, with mining magnates now holding seats in parliament, the proposed expulsion of the price on carbon will be an interesting indication as to where our government stands on profitability versus sustainability. "No-one visits Australia to see the massive amounts of industry and huge holes in the ground," Mr Fillgram said. "We need to remember, as humans, we are part of an ecosystem that will only sustain so much." Source : Central Telegraph



The ISKATEL (ex FAR SLEIPNER) passing Zwijndrecht loaded with 2 Holland Shipyards accomodation units

Photo : Marius van den Ouden ©

Referring to the article in yesterdays newsclippings about the NIPPON MARU left is seen a detail of the propellers

(screw left hand and right hand) in a photo made by Newsclippings reader Antonio Fernandez Acosta who

made the photo a lot of Years ago at the Yokosuka´s Drydock.

Seaco becomes part of Bohai Leasing Co The HNA Group has shifted container leasing specialist Seaco to be part of Shenzhen-listed Bohai Leasing Co. The move sees Seaco remain a part of the HNA Group, but under the equipment leasing arm of Bohai Leasing Co. “All parties are pleased with the transaction and believe the synergies of being within Bohai but remaining under HNA will add value to Bohai’s shareholders and Seaco. Bohai Leasing Co is involved in various aspects of equipment leasing, and as such Seaco is an excellent fit,” Seaco said. Source: Seatrade Global



CASUALTY REPORTING

Indonesia ferry sinks, many missing A ferry travelling between two islands in eastern Indonesia sank early Friday with many passengers still missing, a search and rescue official said. Lalu Wahyu Efendi, search and rescue coordinator in the West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital Mataram, told Kyodo News at least three people were found dead and 46 others survived after the ferry Munawar sank at around 2am on its way from Lombok Island, next to Bali, to nearby Sumbawa Island.

How many people have gone missing, however, was not immediately clear. "I haven't been able to confirm how many people were aboard when the ferry sank," Lalu said.

Officials and media reports gave conflicting figures on the missing people, ranging from 11 to 40 people. The state-run news agency Antara even quoted passengers as saying the ferry was packed with about 150 people when it sank.

The reason the ferry sank is not yet known, although passengers told local media that leakage had caused the accident. "The ferry leaned to the left, then the engine didn't work and it sank," Lalu quoted one of the witnesses as saying. Ferries are a common form of public transportation in Indonesia, particularly in the eastern part of the archipelago, due to bad road conditions in some regions. Lack of adequate public sea transportation, as well as efforts to increase profits, however, prompt some shipping companies to let passengers and vehicles board already-packed ships and ferries. Source : Bangkok Post

NAVY NEWS Russian Navy to Get 40 New Ships in

2014

Russia’s Navy is expected to receive 40 new warships and auxiliary vessels in 2014, a high-ranking official said Friday.

In addition to surface ships of various classes, the navy will also commission the third Borey-class nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine, the Vladimir Monomakh, and a Varshavyanka-class diesel electric submarine, Rear Admiral Viktor Bursuk, a deputy commander of the Russian navy, said.

http://www.multraship.com/�



Bursuk, who oversees weapons procurement for the navy, said that Russia will continue the repair and overhaul of the Admiral Nakhimov nuclear-powered missile cruiser and three nuclear-powered attack submarines this year.

The Kirov-class cruiser, known as the Kalinin until 1992, was commissioned in 1989 and mothballed in 1999. It has since been docked for upgrades at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk, on the White Sea. The Admiral Nakhimov is expected to rejoin the Russian navy in 2018 with the most advanced weapons systems for its vessel type, the Sevmash shipyard said in June last year. Auxiliary ships to be commissioned by the end of 2014 include the Igor Belousov, an advanced search-and-rescue ship designed to boost the navy’s ability to rescue submarines and ships in distress, Bursuk said. Source : RIAnovosti

Vietnam’s most modern submarine launched

On the morning of January 2, the HANOI Kilo submarine was unloaded from the ROLLDOCK SEA The Azimuth tugs of the Vietnam Navy will pull the submarine to the Cam Ranh military port.

The ROLLDOCK SEA before opening its back. The highest part of the HANOI Kilo submarine emerged behind. Beside are the two Azimuth tugboats, the most modern tugboats at present.

The Hanoi Kilo submarine appeared after supporting devices were removed., January 3, the submarine was pulled to the military port by two tugboats. Source : Vietnambridge



The navy's patrol boat fleet is over worked and under maintained

according to a new report EVERY time one of the Australian navy's Armidale Class Patrol Boats departs from its Darwin base for a people smuggling patrol around Christmas Island the vessel and its crew face a 3000km journey simply to get to work.

That means 136 hours or 5.6 days of steaming time from HMAS Coonawarra before the small warship and her 25-strong crew even begin the arduous task of dealing with groups of desperate people who may have invested their life savings in a one-way ticket to Australia in a leaky Indonesian fishing boat. As much as the Government likes to portray itself as tough on asylum seekers and people smugglers, calling its "stop the boats" mission a tactical military task, the sailors attached to the patrol boat fleet are at the sharp end of an humanitarian operation to deliver men, women and children lost on the high seas to safe landfall.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott tours HMAS Coonawarra with the captain of the patrol group Captain David Kilby in Darwin last year. Picture: AAP Source: AAP

The stresses on the sailors involved are well documented, but the strains on the 57-metre aluminium alloy boats built by Austal at its Henderson yard near Perth in WA are growing increasingly obvious as each week passes under Operation Resolute.

That operation costs Defence and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year and involves 500 military personnel, eight patrol boats, RAAF AP-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Army Regional Force Surveillance Unit patrols, a Transit Security Element of 20 to 32 heavily armed and highly trained soldiers, two standby RAN Major Fleet Unit (Frigates) and an underway replenishment vessel. Other military assets transiting the area of operations contribute to the operation due to their presence and reporting procedures.

A secret report commissioned by Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Ray Griggs and seen by News Corp Australia, paints a gloomy picture of the impact that the high operational tempo and lack of maintenance are having on the boats.

The report by Army Major General Greg Melick focused on a near fatal gassing incident in August 2006 when four sailors were gassed by Hydrogen Sulphide, Chlorine and Carbon Monoxide generated by untreated sewage on board HMAS Maitland off Darwin.

A previous inquiry uncovered a litany of design flaws that were judged responsible for the incident that left one sailor, former Chief Petty Officer Kurt Mackenzie, near death and unable to ever work again.

Melick supported most of the findings of the earlier Dunne Report, but he went further and cited maintenance and workload issues as crucial factors in the fleet's ability to carry out its duty to secure our northern borders.



The 14 Armidale Class vessels have been dogged by structural problems, contaminated fuel and toxic fume risks due to design deficiencies in the $30 million boats.

In recent years they have covered thousands of extra kms pursuing and intercepting people smuggling vessels between Cocos Island and the mainland and have been pushed beyond normal limits to meet government requirements to intercept asylum seeker boats.

"There is obviously a shortage within Defence Maritime Services and Navy's skilled workforce that is affecting the ability to maintain the Armidale Class Patrol Boat fleet," the Melick report says.

"This coupled with steaming times required to return to Darwin from ... Christmas Island is causing a significant loss of operational

capacity." The report argues that the government should allow Defence Maritime Services - the navy's maintenance organisation - to carry out some tasks in Singapore to keep the fleet operating at optimum output.

At the peak of asylum seeker arrivals during 2012-2013 navy boats were intercepting more than a dozen illegal vessels a week mostly north of Christmas Island. According to sources inside Border Protection Command (BPC) the current level is about 70 per cent below a year ago.

Following the 2006 gassing of four sailors in the reserve accommodation compartment (the Austere Compartment) at the stern of HMAS Maitland another sailor was gassed in the same area of another vessel in 2009. According to insiders the gassing risk still exists when the boats are cruising above 12 knots and under certain wind conditions hence the Austere compartment remains out of bounds.

The boats have also suffered from fuel contamination and structural cracking in the aluminium hull and their service lives have been cut short by the intense workload. The latest report is also highly critical of the boat's design and construction and a nervous Vice Admiral Griggs is waiting for Defence Minister David Johnston to give him the green light to release the document. Johnston is a WA Senator and a strong supporter of the Austal shipyard so any criticism of the firm could become a tricky legal and political issue.

Melick does not pull his punches and states flatly that the air handling unit responsible for the gassing was built in the wrong location and that Austal's ship's operating manual made ``no reference'' to rules and regulations governing sewage management and discharge.

He also recommends that all new naval vessels be subjected to gas flow testing to establish that they provide a "safe working environment" in relation to gases. To the lay person this tends to indicate that such testing has not been done in the past.

``At the time of the toxic hazard incident, no one knew of the risk that HS2 (hydrogen sulfide) discharged from the overboard sewage discharge outlet in the course of discharging sewage at sea could enter the AAC (austere compartment) of an ACPB vessel. They did not know because a gas flow study of the class had not been done,'' the Melick report says.

Mr Mackenzie will never work again due to his severe injuries and he is on a lifelong military pension and health gold card. he has made a claim for a $500,000 ex-gratia compensation payment in lieu of the estimated $3 million he will have lost in earnings. The claim is strongly supported by the top brass, but the notoriously inflexible Defence legal department is blocking it on the basis of risk to Commonwealth coffers from setting a precedent. The Mackenzie family has received some "pain and suffering" compensation and he has received all of his entitlements, but the ex-gratia payment would secure his family's future mortgage free.

Mr Mackenzie, who spent part of Christmas Day 2013 in hospital, said it was incredible that two detailed inquiry reports had been written, but still no one had been found responsible for placing him in an unsafe workplace.

"This report has a bet each way and is another cop out," he said. "Who signed off that the ship was acceptable?



"I am on a $52,000 pension, but I would rather be at work earning $130,000," he said.

A spokesman for the Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Ray Griggs said the chief had spoken to Mr Mackenzie several weeks ago and that he (Griggs) remained committed to seeing the matter resolved in a fair and just fashion.

He said Admiral Griggs had also instigated a "fight to fix" regime to better maintain the Armidale Class fleet and to keep the boats at sea.

Kurt MacKenzie with wife Susan

Meanwhile a former top senior sailor, who had documented a litany of faults with the Armidale boats, is confined to a life of regular hospital visits and declining lung capacity and possibly a life cut short through no fault of his own.

Two sober conclusions can be drawn from this sorry tale.

1. Had the vessel been designed, built and operated correctly Kurt Mackenzie would still be a functioning member of the Royal Australian Navy.

2. Had the Armidale Class Patrol Boats been correctly maintained and operated within their

limits they would not have needed replacing years ahead of schedule. Source : Herald Sun

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SHIPYARD NEWS Cochin Shipyard unions seek orders

from Navy The exclusion of Cochin Shipyard Ltd from the tender process for the construction of Landing Platform Docks (LPD) for the Indian Navy, has become a matter of concern for workers at the shipyard.

Trade unions at CSL, cutting across party affiliations, have called upon the Union Defence Minister A. K. Antony to entrust the yard with the construction of LPDs on nomination basis, in line with Hindustan Shipyard Ltd.

The Indian Navy had awarded two LPDs to HSL on nomination basis and the remaining two by bidding process through limited tender enquiries, by obtaining tenders from private yards such as ABG, Pipavav and L&T. The estimated construction cost of LPDs will be Rs 2,500 crore. However, Cochin Shipyard has neither been considered to get the order on nomination basis nor qualified for submitting the tender for the work.

The unions in a memorandum submitted to the visiting Defence Minister pointed out that the present order book position of the yard is not satisfactory with no new orders, due to the global recession and other factors. If this




situation continues, then the majority of the workforce of the yard will be rendered jobless in the near future. Source : The Hindu business line

Interview with Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar

By : Merijn de Waard Qatari shipbuilder Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) recently announced that they will build Qatar's first fast luxury yacht at the Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan. The 71 metre vessel is based on Damen’s 67m Sea-Axe fast yacht support vessel. We visited the shipyard in Qatar last month in search of the story behind this project.

Since we started in January, we have completed on time and within budget, six service and refit projects at this yard, including a small Riva 85, two Riva 115’s, and also a Mangusta 165, and a 55 metre support vessel. An Oceanco built 80 meter vessel is going to come to the yard as well”, Panos Kotsos, Head of the Yachting Division tells us. “We are always looking for more yachts in the region to use our facilities. In this part of the world, you lose 6 month out of the year to do work on yachts, because of the weather. It is too hot, too humid. You need to do this inside a temperature

controlled environment. We have two temperature controlled sheds, as well as workshops adjacent to sheds. This will help us a lot in attracting new clients”.

Jan-Wim Dekker, the yard’s managing director explains: “We work on commercial ships, navy vessels, and now also yachts. Our plan is to have our commercial production department work on the hull and superstructure, which, when it reaches a certain phase in the built, will then be completed by our yacht department. I expect that eventually yachting will comprise of up to 30% of what we do”

Asking Panos about the new 71 metre construction project at the yard, he comments: “We are nearly done with the engineering, and construction is expected to start in March. The vessel is based on the same platform used by Damen in Holland for their Sea Axe series, but with some significant changes. We have opted for a different engine room, and we have changed the superstructure. Whereas the Sea Axe is a support



vessel, this will be more like an explorer yacht, complete with owner’s accommodation. We are doing one vessel right now, but there are already plans for a second vessel”.

When we ask Panos if they are now not in direct competition with Damen in Holland, he explains it’s simple. “If we have the time and capacity to build a vessel here, we will do it. If not, we discuss with Damen, and we can possibly do it in Holland”.

Plans are already being made, to expand the yard’s product line to superyachts. “The first vessel we are building will already have a superyacht finish. The interior quality will equal that of a superyacht. In our facility, we can construct yachts up to around 170 metres. We will also look at building superyachts on a platform”. Jan-Wim Dekker says: “Even though we are part of the Damen group of shipyards, our brand will be Nakilat, Damen is only a minority shareholder which you will see on the finished product. We work together with Vripack, H2 Yacht Design, Azure, Pastrovish, big names. We really want our clients to be able to work with any designer they choose. We will build on demand”. “Our ambition is to build for a world-wide clientele, although I expect that we will first see orders from the local market here in the Gulf region” Source : Superyachttimes

Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar [email protected] - www.ndsq.com.qa

Shipyard base jumper who parachuted 350ft off crane faces police probe

A man who completed a death-defying base jump off one of Belfast's most famous landmarks is being investigated.

former shipyard worker leapt off the 109-metre (348 feet) Samson crane at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. He is believed to have freefallen for a short time after jumping before opening his parachute and landing safely on the ground.

Left : Belgian daredevil Cedric Dumont jumped from the Samsom crane, with permission, in 2006

The daredevil, who is from England, was apprehended by security on the Harland & Wolff site. He is not believed to have had a camera and it is not known if any other people were involved in filming the stunt. It is

understood that he had access to the site through his work as a contractor, but the New Year's Eve base jumper broke a lock to gain access to the huge crane and used the staircase to get to the top.

A spokesman for Harland & Wolff told the Belfast Telegraph that the worker's employment had now been terminated.

"Harland & Wolff can confirm that an unauthorised incident took place on January 1, 2014 involving a contractor employed by our client," he said."The client has informed us they have dismissed the individual.

"As the matter is currently under investigation by H&W and our client, it would be inappropriate to comment further."

A spokeswoman for the Harbour Police confirmed officers had attended the scene, but said no arrests had been made.

The PSNI said it had been made aware of what happened. Samson is the larger of the two giant yellow cranes which dominate the Belfast skyline. It is 109 metres compared to Goliath, which is 96 metres (315 feet). The cranes were built in 1976 and 1969 respectively. In 2003 the cranes were listed as historic monuments. Base jumping – standing for the four categories of fixed objects that can be jumped from, building, antenna, span and earth – has been an extreme sport since 1978, where participants jump from heights, freefalling for seconds before using a parachute to break their fall. Belgian man Cedric Dumont previously completely a base jump from the Samson crane during 2006 which, he said, took him around three seconds to complete. Source : Belfast Telegraph


http://www.ndsq.com.qa/�



ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

The MSC RITA enroute Antwerp – Photo : Henk de Winde ©

Gabriola passenger ferry service a possibility

Western Pacific Marine Ltd. is conducting a feasibility study on the possibility of offering a passenger-only ferry service to Gabriola Island, in the wake of a controversial proposal to cut routes to the island. Significant service cuts aimed at reducing costs to B.C. Ferries are in the works for Gabriola and other secondary ferry routes effective April 1, according to a set of "guiding principals" released by the B.C. Transportation Ministry Nov. 18.

For Gabriola Islanders it could mean no ferries after 9 p.m. daily, and elimination of the first morning sailing on weekends. "We have a vessel that is available to us that's currently underemployed, and if B.C. Ferries carries through on April 1 with their cut of over 1,000 runs, we may have a business opportunity there, and we'd like to take advantage of it," said Capt. Elgin McKillop, marine superintendent with Western Pacific. The aluminum passenger vessel has a 40-passenger capacity and could complete the route one way in 12 to 14 minutes.

"Until the highway was built into Gingolx on the North Coast, it was the ferry there," said McKillop. The ferry service would be privately operated, he added, though Western Pacific currently operates a ferry service to Lasqueti Island under contract with B.C. Ferries. The current plan is to gather all the financial information available and conduct some projections, said McKillop.

However they are also waiting to see what the final decision is from the Transportation Ministry and B.C. Ferries before they make any definitive moves. Assessing the interest in supporting a third-party operator to pick up the slack, in the event of service reductions, was part of the information being sought by the Transportation Ministry during their recent consultations, said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall. "It looks like Western Marine is looking at that opportunity, and we would think that would be a great idea," said Marshall. Though it may be a helpful plan if services are cut, there are other factors to consider, said Steven Earle, chairman of the Gabriola Transportation Advisory Committee. "I think we really need to be careful about giving up our B.C. Ferries service in the hopes that we'll get it replaced by something else," said Earle. "We don't know what something like that is going to cost, it might be more



expensive than what we have now." Many people that use the evening and early morning runs need to have a vehicle, he said, citing Gabriola's sizable agricultural community, who need access to farmers markets off-island for their livelihood. A consultation summary report from the Transportation Ministry on the upcoming cuts is expected shortly. Source : nanaimodailynews

Poland’s PZM orders eight bulk carriers from China

Polish cargo ship operator Polska Żegluga Morska (PZM) has awarded an order for eight new bulk carriers to an unnamed Chinese shipyard, writes Jaroslaw Adamowski. Construction of the vessels will begin this year, and deliveries are scheduled to begin two years later. The vessels are to have a cargo capacity of 38,000dwt each, Pawel Szynkaruk, chief executive of PŻM, told public broadcaster Radio Szczecin. The company sent out invitations to bid for the contract to Polish and Japanese shipyards, but eventually handed the order to a Chinese shipyard. The amount of the deal was not disclosed by the PŻM. Under its previous fleet modernisation program, the company ordered 38 carriers from Japanese and Chinese shipyards. The acquisitions were worth $1 billion. The Chinese shipyards which have supplied ships to PŻM include Xingang, Jingjiang New Times Shipbuilding and Mingde. Set up in 1951 and based in Szczecin, Poland, PŻM operates a fleet of 75 vessels with a capacity of between 16,600 dwt and 82,000 dwt. The operator handles 20m tonnes of cargo per year and has a 0.5% share in the global freight market, according to data from PŻM. The company has a workforce of over 3,050. Source : The Motorship

SAL’s REGINA enroute Rotterdam - Photo : Jan van der Klooster (c)

Tianjin's 2013 container throughput tops 500 million tonnes

ON December 29, Tianjin, the largest comprehensive port in northern China, announced that its annual throughput in the year 2013 had surpassed 500 million tonnes, Xinhua reports.

Tianjin port said during such a time as the world's economy is weak and the shipping market remains gloomy, it took only three years for the port to grow from 400 million tonnes in 2010 to 500 million tonnes in 2013.

Tianjin gains 500 million tonnes' throughput thanks to the continuously upgrading infrastructures, said Liu Zhongjun, an official from the Tianjin port authority. Being the largest artificial deepwater port in the world, Tianjin has been upgrading its facilities during recent years. Its navigation channel has a depth of 21 metres and can support 300,000-tonne ships. It also has four lanes to separate large and small ships, which has enhanced turnover by 47 per cent.

As of early 2013, Tianjin's port area covers 131 square kilometres with 159 berths, of which 102 can handle vessels of 10,000 tonnes and above.

The port also set up dry port facilities at 23 hinterland cities to offer intermodal transport for shippers in these regions, and started to offer feeder services to domestics ports so as to attract more shipments.



The port is now operating a total of 119 container shipping lanes to over 500 ports in more than 180 countries and regions, as well as 15 sea-rail intermodal transport routes to the hinterland. By 2017, Tianjin aims to expand its port area to 175 square kilometres, raise its navigation channel level to 300,000-tonnes, and increase its berths of 10,000 tonnes and over to 124. Its capacity will reach 20 million TEU in terms of containers and 600 million tonnes in terms of tonnage. Source : Schednet

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The tug VIKING wth the SVANEN enroute Rotterdam – Photo : Monique Davis-Mulder ©

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MAR ITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 …newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/pdf/2014/005-05-01-2014a.pdfon Jan. 17, 2013. The group is one of the petitioners in the writ