DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 031

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 031

Distribution : daily 3750+ copies worldwide Page 1 1/31/2008

Number 031 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Friday 01-02-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

REDWISE MARITME SERVICES B.V.Amersfoortseweg 12-E

3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands

Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879 - [email protected]

www.redwise.com

The OLYMPIC TRITON – Photo : Wout van Tellingen ©



IF YOU HAVE PICTURES OR OTHER SHIPPING RELATED INFORMATION FOR THE NEWS CLIPPINGS ?? PLEASE SEND THIS TO :

[email protected]

EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

SVITZER OCEAN TOWAGE Jupiterstraat 33 Telephone : + 31 2555 627 11 2132 HC Hoofddorp Telefax : + 31 2355 718 96 The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected]

The SMIT TUXA , SMIT TORA and SMIT TUPI seen in the port of Santos (Brazil) Photo : Silvio Roberto Smera ©

Fishing boats seized for taking tourists to Ram Sethu

Four fishing boats have been seized by police for allegedly ferrying pilgrims and foreign tourists to show them the Ram Sethu or the Adams Bridge without proper permission. The seizures were made on Monday following a complaint by the Fisheries Department that the fishermen were trying to cash in on the controversy surrounding Ram Sethu by ferrying tourists, including foreigners, without permission and safety equipment, to show the mythological bridge, believed to have ben built by Lord Rama, police said.



Various Hindu organisations have opposed dredging in the Ram Sethu area, part of the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project, aimed at deepening the sea in the Palk Straits to create a navigable channel for ships. A country boat was seized for transporting eight foreigners from Dhanushkodi to mid-sea offering them to show the bridge. A big mechanised boat was impounded for ferrying 27 students from Pamban to some islands in the Gulf of Mannar. The other two boats had ferried some pilgrims from Karnataka on Sunday. The fishing licences of the boat owners had been cancelled and diesel quota permits seized by the Fisheries Department.

The above photo was taken from the deck of Salvanguard during mooring operations with the FPU Alima at Moho Bilondo O.F. on 29.1.08. It shows Normand Mariner in the process of passing over P3 anchor chain. This is the 4th

anchor out of a total of 12. The water depth in this field is around 600 m. Photo : Capt. Neil Johnston - Master, Salvanguard ©

MarAd Approves the Sale of Vessels The Maritime Administration (MarAd) has approved the sale and transfer of five vessels under section 9 of the Shipping Act, of 1916, as amended. On December 12 2007, MarAd approved an application filed by Rowan Companies, Inc., of Houston, TX. for the transfer of the mobile offshore drilling unit Hank Boswell (Official No. 1183234), to Marshall Islands registry and flag. On December 27, 2007, MarAd approved an application filed by Mobro Marine, Inc., of Green Cove Springs, FL, for sale of the freight barge MB 5500 Official No. 1080955, and the transfer of said vessel to Construction Norberto Odebrecht, S.A. a Venezuelan corporation, and transfer of said vessel to Venezuelan registry and flag. On January 15, 2008, MarAd approved an application filed by Western Overseas, Inc., of Toledo, OH, for the sale of two vessels-the tug SEABULK MAGNACHEM, Official No. 580102 and the barge SCC 3902, Official No. 580101, both to Snow Drop Company, Limited, a British Virgin Island corporation, and the transfer of said vessels to Mongolia registry and flag. MarAd also approved an application filed by Verde Metals LLC, of Brownsville, TX, for the sale of the tank barge DBL 152 Official No. 644380, and the transfer of said vessel to Panamanian registry and flag. Source : MarineLink



The BOURBON OCEANTEAM 101 prior her arrival to Angola Photo : Peter Lankester ©

Class Action Five European Classification Societies have been raided by European competition watchdogs on suspicion of anti-competitive collusion through a sector cooperation body, DNV said on Wednesday (30 Jan). The probe extends to DNV and four other West European members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), Lloyd's Register, Germanischer Lloyd, France's Bureau Veritas and Italy's RINA, DNV spokesman Tore Hoeifoedt said. Inspectors from the European Surveillance Authority (ESA) arrived at the headquarters of Den Norske Veritas (DNV) on Tuesday and continued to work on Wednesday, Hoeifoedt said. He denied any wrongdoing and said the substance of the probe remained unclear to DNV. "The (European) Commission has been informed that there might be breaches of the competition law," he told press. "It is orchestrated in five countries." ESA monitors non-EU member Norway's compliance with European regulations under the European Economic Area (EEA) treaty. In the EU members, the raid was carried out by the European Union's competition watchdog, Hoeifoedt said. "We don't know the substance of that information, so we are surprised and we don't understand the basis of the inspection," Hoeifoedt said. "But of course we are cooperating fully with the teams and give them what they want." "At this point, we are eager to know more about the information triggering the action," Hoeifoedt said. Hoeifoedt said that the suspicions appeared to concern IACS members' way of behaving towards non-members of the sector organisation, which has 10 members altogether and accounts for 80 percent of classification of the world fleet. Asked if IACS members colluded in an anti-competitive manner, Hoeifoedt said: "No, of course we do not perceive it that way, and that is why it is important to find out what claims have been made and how someone perceives the organisation to be breaking the rules."



Hoeifoedt declined to speculate on the source of the claims. DNV says it has 16 percent of the world fleet under its classification. In addition to the five West European members, the IACS's other members are the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the China Classification Society (CCS), the Korean Register (KR), Japan's Nippon Kaiji Kyokai and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. Source : ShipTalk

'Ghost Fleet' ship, Bayamon, sold for scrap The U.S. Maritime Administration says another ship from the James River Reserve Fleet is being sold for scrap. The Bayamon, a vehicle carrier built in 1970, was sold to All Star Metals of Brownsville, Texas, for $12,221. The company will have all rights to sell the scrap steel and other material from the ship. When it leaves the "ghost fleet" off of Fort Eustis, the Bayamon will be the 67th ship to depart the James River Reserve Fleet since 2001. Fewer than 40 remain. Ships in the fleet are becoming more attractive to buyers as scrap prices rise. In most cases, the U.S. Maritime Administration pays shipyards to take the vessels. Source : Rich.com

Messy MSC NAPOLI Enquiry An inquiry into the beaching of the stricken container ship MSC Napoli off Devon's World Heritage coast a year ago is set to be organised by the county council. The authority's executive will next week be asked to agree terms for the independently chaired inquiry into the grounding of the 62,000-tonne vessel off Sidmouth, east Devon, on January 20 last year. The event made world headlines after thousands of people from across the UK flocked to nearby Branscombe beach to scavenge the contents of around 50 containers which washed ashore there. All that remains of the vessel is the stern section, and work to remove that is expected to start in April as part of the estimated £50 million salvage operation. The council said today it believed a local inquiry would help authorities learn lessons, and inform future local and national contingency plans to minimise the potential for an incident similar to the Napoli occurring. The inquiry will consider issues including to what degree the environmental sensitivity of the coastline should be a factor in determining places of refuge for shipping in emergencies Whether the UK coastline, marine and estuarine environment is adequately protected under existing legislation will also be discussed. And the inquiry will also examine whether the statutory powers in respect of salvage of goods are sufficiently clear and robust, and the relative responsibilities of agencies sufficiently well defined and understood to prevent public disorder. The findings of the inquiry will be made public, and preliminary evidence gathering will start in February if the county executive gives the go ahead. Council leader Brian Greenslade said: "We said last year that in the absence of a Government-backed public inquiry, that we would conduct an Inquiry, just as we did successfully following Devon's Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001. "The recent 'near-miss' with the cargo ship MV Ice Prince serves to illustrate the ongoing risk to our coastlines, and the need for all agencies to learn any lessons. "A local inquiry would provide a structured and reassuring opportunity for communities to record their experiences, questions and concerns." The Napoli's hull was damaged in a Channel storm off the south coast of Cornwall on January 18 last year when she was en-route from Antwerp to South Africa. Her crew of 26 abandoned ship and were airlifted to safety. The vessel was being towed to Portland, Dorset, when it was decided to ground her off Sidmouth amid fears she could sink and cause a Channel pollution catastrophe. In the ensuing salvage operation nearly 4,000 tonnes of oil was pumped off the ship and more than 2,300 containers were removed. The Napoli was refloated at one point in the



hope she could be towed away intact, but her hull was too badly damaged, and she was re-grounded for the lengthy disposal operation. Explosives were used in three separate operations before the cracked Napoli hull was finally split in two for disposal. The bow section was towed to a Belfast shipyard for scrap. Source : ShipTalk

CASUALTY REPORTING Fishing vessel sunk, Kuril islands

Fishing vessel Vostochniy (88 dwt, L/B 34/7 meters, owner Korwell Co., flag Russia, IMO 7732042) sunk while towed in 43.53.8N 145.47.7E, 8 nm off Uzhno-Kurilsk (Kuril islands). No crew on board, no cargo or fuel. Vessel was towed to a port in Kuril islands for conservation. Weather wind NE 10 knots. Source : Mike Voitenko

German naval vessel rescues freighter's crew off Lebanon

A German warship patrolling the coast of Lebanon rescued the crew of a Lebanese freighter that got into difficulties on Tuesday, naval officials said. A helicopter from the frigate Bayern winched the 14 crew members of the stricken vessel to safety, the German ship's captain, Jens Schwarter, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. One seamen was slightly injured during the rescue operation, which took place in 5-metre-high waves whipped up by strong winds, Schwarter said via telephone.



The Bayern rushed to the rescue when the Gevo Victory issued a distress call after taking on water and losing part of its cargo. German warships patrol the Lebanese coast as part of a UN mission to stop arms shipments to the Lebanese fundamentalist Hezbollah movement.

Coast Guard Responds to Cargo Ship Aground The Coast Guard responded to a cargo ship that ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay. The Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel MSC Japan, a 796-ft. Panamanian flagged cargo ship, ran aground near Sandy Point Light approximately one mile north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. A Coast Guard inspection team and boarding officers from Coast Guard Sector Baltimore were deployed to the grounded vessel. Additionally, a 25-foot Coast Guard response boat crew from Station Annapolis, Md., is on scene to enforce a safety zone around the vessel. There is no report of injuries or pollution. Two tugs hired by the shipping company are in route to the vessel to help free it. The Japan was in route to Port Elizabeth, NJ. This incident is currently under investigation. Source : MarineLink

Yangtze Collision At least 15 people were killed and another was reported missing when a cargo ship sank after colliding with another at the estuary of the Yangtze river, the Shanghai maritime authority said. The ship with 17 crew aboard sank after colliding with the other and only one was rescued, official Xinhua news agency said from Shanghai. The sunken ship was hoisted out of the water at the No.3 anchorage while rescue operations continued, it said. An investigation has been launched by the local authorities, it said. Source : Shiptalk

£2m lifeboat's rescue called off An operation to free a £2m lifeboat, stranded on rocks at Rathlin Island, has been called off for the day. The Portrush lifeboat got into difficulty while attempting to rescue three people whose boat was in danger. After several attempts to throw a line to the stricken boat, the 17 mtr long Severn type lifeboat Katie Hannan was forced onto rocks by a heavy swell at 2000 GMT on Tuesday. Despite the efforts of a fishing vessel and the Larne lifeboat, the stranded lifeboat could not be moved.

The three people who the lifeboat had gone to assist were rescued by the Rathlin Island Coastguard crew. Two of the lifeboat crew on the Katie Hannan were thrown into the water from its small inflatable rescue boat after assisting in the attempts to refloat the boat. They managed to climb onto nearby rocks. Inspector of Lifeboats for RNLI Ireland Colin Williams said a serious tragedy had been averted. "The Larne lifeboat crew, helped by local fishermen from Ballycastle struggled for several hours in very difficult sea conditions to attempt to refloat the Portrush Lifeboat," he said. "The Rathlin Island Coastguard team greatly assisted rescue efforts from ashore and the operation was efficiently co-ordinated by Belfast HM Coastguard." The RNLI said they would attempt to refloat the vessel later on Wednesday. They have been assisted by a Garda rescue helicopter. Source : BBC

Boot vergaat op Tanganyika-Meer



Een boot met naar schatting honderd mensen aan boord is in de nacht van dinsdag op woensdag gezonken op het Meer van Tanganyika, niet ver van de oevers aan de Congolese kant. Een havenfunctionaris in de Oost-Congolese plaats Kalémie zei dat vissers zeventien mensen hadden kunnen redden. De lijken van negen kinderen en vier volwassenen zijn inmiddels geborgen. De rest van de opvarenden geldt als vermist. De eenvoudige en waarschijnlijk te zwaar beladen boot was onderweg van Kalémie naar het 150 kilometer zuidelijker gelegen Moba, eveneens in Congo. Het langgerekte meer is een van de grootste van Afrika. De oevers worden gedeeld door Congo, Burundi, Tanzania en Zambia. Bron : ANP

Severed submarine cables knocks out Internet access to tens of millions

Two undersea communication cables were severed on Tuesday, 29th January. As a result, Internet access to much of Egypt as well as parts of India and Saudi Arabia was disrupted. One cable was damaged near Alexandria, Egypt, and the other in the waters off Marseille, France. In India, an estimates says that roughly 60 percent of the country’s Internet users were affected, though many large companies were able to fall back on backup plans — thus limiting business disruption. Excerpt from New York Times: “In some way or another every company took a hit,” said R S Parihar, an executive with the Internet Services Provider’s Association in India. Internet traffic heading east from India was disrupted, and many companies rerouted their Internet traffic to the west instead, he said. Fortunately, most disrupted communications were quickly rerouted through other cables. Still, the physical damage that resulted in the outage will take several days to fix, and could yet a drastic impact around the region. Damage to undersea cables can result from earthquakes or movement of geologic faults, though they are generally rare. They can also result from the dragging anchor of a ship.

NAVY NEWS U.S. officers deserve praise for action in

boat incidents There is much to comment about what appears to have been a game of chicken that several Iranian speed boats recently played with the U.S. Navy in the Straits of Hormuz. Based on videos released by the U.S. Navy, it appears clear that the Iranian boats, apparently manned by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, were intentionally attempting to provoke a reaction by the U.S. Navy.



The incident, and two similar events in December, underscores the current delicate level of tensions between Tehran and Washington, D.C. Such incidents can easily spiral out of control, leading to an ever-escalating series of reactions on both sides. Those old enough to remember may recall that the escalation of the Vietnam War came as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, in which the North Vietnamese supposedly carried out two attacks on the USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy near Vietnamese waters in August 1964. Shortly thereafter, Congress passed the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution," authorizing President Lyndon B. Johnson to act to limit "communist aggression." Johnson did so by sending the military into Vietnam. In recent years, various declassified government reports suggest that one of the two Tonkin attacks never happened and in the other, the American ship fired first. While the exact nature of the incidents in the Straits of Hormuz is disputed by the Iranian leadership, it is clear that American warships are indeed traversing troubled waters in that part of the world. While it is now up to the our elected leaders to decide what comes next, it strikes us that the officers and crew of the ships involved in the three recent incidents in Hormuz deserve praise for their cool heads and professionalism in tense situations. According to the Navy, on Dec. 19, the USS Whidbey Island, a dock landing ship under the command of Cmdr. Mike Junge, fired warning shots in response to a small Iranian boat that was rapidly approaching. Junge, a Texas native, is a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. On Dec, 22, the USS Carr, a frigate commanded by Cmdr. Mark Metzger, was able to scare off three small Iranian craft, two of which were armed, the Navy said, by letting off several "warning blasts" on the Carr's whistle. Metzger is an Ohio native who graduated from the Naval Academy in 1989. On Jan. 6, a three-ship contingent of U.S. ships, led by the destroyer USS Hooper, had the encounter with five Iranian fast boats, which video shows dropping unidentified boxes in the path of the Hooper. There are conflicting reports on whether the Hooper, commanded by Cmdr. Jeffrey James, was about to fire a warning shot when the Iranians disengaged. James, a former enlisted sailor, has been in the Navy since 1984. We thought it was important to add some names to this story - they could have be the scapegoats if things had gone wrong - to recognize that while politicians in two nations rattle sabers at each other, three professional warriors found a way to preserve a delicate peace, at least for a while longer. Source : The Oakland Press

VLIERODAM WIRE ROPES Ltd. wire ropes, chains, hooks, shackles, webbing slings,

lifting beams, crane blocks, turnbuckles etc. Nijverheidsweg 21 3161 GJ RHOON The Netherlands

Telephone: (+31)105018000 (+31) 105015440 (a.o.h.) Fax : (+31)105013843

Internet & E-mail [email protected]



Soldiers of mercy keep off pirates in Indian Ocean

A new security plan has been introduced to curb the piracy in the Indian Ocean that had threatened to ground humanitarian mission to Somalia. The mv Rozen and French Navy frigate mv Commandant Ducuing have teamed up on a mercy mission to deliver relief supplies to hunger-stricken Somalis whose normal deliveries had earlier been hampered by increased piracy. The attacks forced United Nations relief agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to seek the intervention of the international community to ensure innocent Somali people do not starve as a result of the civil strife. The French Navy has now taken up the role of soldiers of mercy by escorting ships contracted by WFP to deliver relief supplies from the port of Mombasa to Somalia. Lieutenant commander Philippe Le Gac is the commanding officer of the French frigate which is among two French naval vessels involved in the mission. Lt Commander Gac is happy that his country was the first to respond to the appeal for international intervention to ensure that relief supplies reached thousands of Somalis facing starvation. For him, the French military mission was a demonstration of how those who care for others can show compassion during moments of catastrophic experiences as is the case in Somalia. “As a soldier, I am very happy to be involved in this humanitarian mission that has seen me and other French soldiers ensuring that the people of Somalia who urgently need relief supplies get it despite insecurity posed by pirates,” he said in a recent interview. Lt Commander Gac said they started escorting WFP ships last November due to increased cases of piracy which threatened the delivery of relief supplies. “Since we started this mission which is expected to end next month, we have not experienced any difficulties from pirates and we are happy about this development,” he said. He said the French Navy contingent would continue with its mission to escort vessels carrying relief supplies to Somalia until February when they are expected to hand over to the Danish Navy. “As a navy, we are honoured and proud to be involved in such a worthy cause. But this is not the first time we are involved in such a mission and we hope to offer our assistance in future if called upon to do so,” he said. Somalia, a country of about 8.8 million people, has never known peace since 1991 when the dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was ousted in a coup masterminded by clan warlords. Barre took over the country’s leadership through a putsch in 1969. More than 1.2 million Somalis are affected by hunger following the 1991 civil strife. Before the French Navy took over the responsibility of escorting ships carrying relief supplies from Mombasa port to Somalia, WFP’s humanitarian activities had nearly ground to a halt. Shipping companies that were involved in transporting the relief supplies started withholding their vessels after pirates targeted some of them. Apart from hijacking the vessels and detaining the crew, the pirates demanded ransoms running into hundreds of thousands of dollars. The increased piracy pushed insurance premiums to an all time high resulting in increased costs to shipping companies and higher costs to WFP in chartering ships. But the intervention of the French navy has reversed the situation with shipping companies now paying reduced insurance premiums due to reduced risks and costs of chartering ships for relief operations to Somalia coming down. In 2005, an upsurge of piracy in Somali waters, including the hijacking of two ships contracted by WFP, forced the UN agency to suspend all deliveries by sea for some weeks. Some 80 per cent of WFP food assistance for Somalia is transported by sea. Pirate attacks had threatened to cut the relief agencies main supply route, jeopardising rations for the 1.2 million people that benefited from the programme. The future even looks brighter for humanitarian activities in the Horn of Africa country because, apart from the French Navy, more international forces have shown interest in the mission, according to Lt Commander Gac. “Apart from the Danish Navy which has already confirmed that it would be taking over from us in February, there are other countries which have indicated that they want to be involved in this mission,” he said. The Somali humanitarian mission received



a major boost last week when the IMO-backed proposals were adopted to allow Western naval forces protecting shipping off the coast of East Africa the right of “hot pursuit”. The proposal will allow naval protection vessels the freedom to act against pirates off the Horn of Africa, even inside Somali territorial waters. While the IMO Assembly ruling is not binding on the transitional Somali government, the IMO has appealed to Mogadishu to cooperate with the ruling in an effort to cut the alarming rise in the piracy off the Horn of Africa. The resolution urges the transitional Government to allow warships or military aircraft to operate in Somali territorial waters during operations against pirates. The number of reported piracy incidents worldwide increased by 10 per cent last year, according to the annual report from the International Maritime Bureau, this month. The report based on statistics compiled by the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, shows 18 vessels were hijacked last year compared to 14 in 2006 and the majority of these incidents occurred off the Somali coastline. The IMB director, Capt Pottengal Mukundan, said last year 154 hostages were taken in Somalia following 11 hijackings off its coast. Source : nationmedia

France's Future SSNs: The Barracuda Class In December 2006, France's Defence Ministry awarded a contract for nuclear-propelled attack submarines to state-owned warship builder DCN and nuclear energy group Areva-TA. The contract's total value could be as high as EUR 7.9 billion ($10.4 billion), and it is set up as an initial EUR 1.0-1.4 billion contract (reports vary), followed by 6 options (tranches conditionnelles) to cover development, production and through-life support during their first years of operational service. The companies will supply 6 SSN Barracuda submarines between 2016-2027. They have now been named, and a provider has been selected for the propulsion systems.

Replacing the Rubis: The Barracuda Class SSN The Barracuda program will meet the French Navy's operational mission needs by providing replacements for its 6 current-generation nuclear attack submarines. Displacing 5,300 tonnes, the new Barracuda Class will be twice as large as the Rubis Amethyste Class boats they will replace; indeed, they are roughly the same size as the Royal Navy's existing SSN Trafalgar Class boats. They fall rather short of the USA's new 7,300t Virginia Class SSNs, however, or the slightly larger British SSN Astute Class due to enter service in 2009-2010. Even so, the Barracuda's four launch tubes will be able to fire its armament of up to 20 heavy weapons, in whatever combination of heavyweight torpedoes, SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and Scalp/Storm Shadow naval cruise missiles are loaded on board. It will also be able to accommodate 12 commandos, whose equipment will be carried in a mobile pod attached aft of the sail.



A diving depth of over 350 meters (about 1,150 feet) and a top speed of over 25 knots are both forecast by DCN. The boat will also be designed for operational cruises of up to 70 days, in contrast to the 45 days of the current Rubis Amethyste Class. Meanwhile, Barracuda's nuclear propulsion is designed to offer 2 more substantial advantages. The first advantage is that instead of requiring refueling once every 7 years, the new design will extend its time between RCOHs (refuelling and complex overhauls) to 10 years. This translates into higher at-sea availability over the life of each ship. The USA's Virginia Class, whose reactors aren't forecast to need refueling over the boat's expected 30-year life, are significantly ahead in this respect; nevertheless, the Barracuda Class propulsion will have a second advantage. It plans to use same nuclear fuel that powers French civilian nuclear power stations. Given France's significant use of nuclear power, this commonality is expected to drive fuel costs down sharply. The Barracuda SSN Program The program's total value could be as high as EUR 7.9 billion ($10.4 billion), and it is set up as an initial EUR 1.0-1.4 billion contract (reports vary), followed by 6 options (tranches conditionnelles) to cover development, production and through-life support during their first years of operational service. The first Barracuda Class submarine is expected to enter service in 2017, with the other 4 following every two years (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and then the 6th and last boat due to be commissioned in 2026-2027. Within the DCNS/Areva TA programme consortium, DCNS will act as the submarine prime contractor, including responsibilities as overall architect, platform and propulsion system prime contractor, systems integrator, nuclear safety studies coordinator and through-life support prime contractor. The Barracuda Class will be built at DCNS' Cherbourg plant. Areva TA will act as prime contractor for the nuclear powerplant, and NucAreva will take around 15% of the contract's value. The nuclear propulsion unit, derived from that developed for the "Le Terrible" SSBN nuclear missile submarine, will be supplied by Areva TA under the prime contractorship of the French atomic energy commission (CEA). Source : defenseindustrydaily

Dutch Looking for New Minesweepers During the Cold War, NATO countries had a strong incentive to invest in minesweeper fleets, in order to keep their ports open to American reinforcements and cover key chokepoints that might be mined by Soviet submarines. With the demise of the Soviet Union, and the rise of remote-controlled UUVs and USVs that can be mounted on any ship, the perceived need for minesweeper ships has declined. The US Navy, for instance, will decommission all 12 of its 893 ton, fiberglass MHC-51 Osprey Class minesweepers by the end of FY 2008. So far, 8 of them have been sold to the Egyptian (MHC 60 & 61), Greek (MHC 52 & 53), Lithuanian (MHC 56 & 57), and Turkish (MHC 58 & 62) navies, even though the first ship was only christened in 1991. With piracy rising sharply in the early 21st century, however, and land mines showing themselves to be the preferred tactic of islamists and other terrorists on land, some countries are connecting the dots and reassessing their post Cold War needs. Amsterdam is one of Europe's highest-volume and most important ports, and Dutch Defence State Secretary Jack de Vries has said in a letter to parliament that "in view of the current availability of sea mines, the use of these by terrorist groups is seriously taken into account, including in European waters." This added fuel to a 2007 NATO study that said the Royal Netherlands Navy had too few minesweepers. At the moment, the Dutch TNO engineering and research firm is looking into options for a EUR 100-250 million program to expand and renew the Dutch minesweeper fleet.



The Dutch Navy currently owns 10 minesweepers of the 543 tonne Alkmaar / Tripartite Class, after selling 5 of its ships to Latvia in July 2006. They were designed in the late 1970s, and built during the 1980s, in conjunction with Belgium and France. Tripartite Class ships currently serve in or have been ordered by the navies of Belgium, France, Indonesia, Latvia, the Neterlands, and Pakistan. Source : defenseindustrydaily

Second Sandown-class Minehunter Delivered to Estonia

Commodore Charles Stevenson, Commander of the Nordic region of the British Royal Navy, delivered the second Sandown class minehunter, ENS Sakala, to the Estonian Ministry of Defence. In total, Estonia will buy three Sandown class vessels from Great Britain. The Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Lauri Almann, officially received the ENS Sakala at the ceremony, which took place at the Babcock shipyard in Rosyth, and the stern flag of a warship of the Estonian Navy, bow jack and pennant of the commander were hoisted on the vessel for the very first time. On receiving ENS Sakala, Mr. Lauri Almann said that the new minehunters of the Estonian Navy shall increase the capability of the Estonian Navy to locate and dispose of the sea mines that remain in Estonian waters as well as increasing its capacity to participate in international operations. “The Estonian Navy is not completely ready yet but this addition to the Estonian war fleet represents great progress in this direction,” Mr. Almann said. According to the contract signed with Great Britain in September 2006, Estonia is to purchase three Sandown class minehunters in all. The total price for the three ships is 800 million EEK, which includes refurbishment and maintenance work for the ships, as well as training for the crew in the United Kingdom. Sandown class minehunters use Seafox undersea robots to locate and dispose of sea mines. The first Sandown class vessel, ENS Admiral Cowan, was delivered to Estonia in April 2007 and the last one, ENS Ugala, will be delivered in the beginning of the next year. ENS Sakala will arrive in Estonia during the spring. The Commander of the Estonian Navy, Commander Igor Schvede and the Head of the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Ingvar Pärnamäe, also participated in the formal ceremony in Rosyth. Source : defencetalk

Submarine delivery delayed 2nd time; faulty valve cited

Problems with a non-nuclear part pushes back the North Carolina's delivery. Delivery of the nuclear-powered submarine North Carolina has been delayed until February due to a steam valve in the non-nuclear propulsion system that did not meet Navy requirements, a Northrop Grumman Newport News spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday evening. Instead of being repaired, the valve is being replaced, said Jerri Dickseski, the Northrop spokeswoman. The error marks the second issue in the last two months that has resulted in a delay. The attack sub was scheduled to be handed over to the Navy in December, but the discovery of faulty welds in non-nuclear piping systems pushed back the North Carolina's delivery to January. It was unclear Tuesday night whether weld errors are connected to the faulty steam valve. While no critical welding errors were found in the North Carolina — the next Virginia-class sub to be delivered to the Navy — Naval and



shipyard inspectors found at least three critical errors in pipe joints in two other subs, the USS Texas and the USS Virginia, a Navy official said two weeks ago. The most serious issue that investigators found was on a pipe joint on a sub's emergency main ballast-tank blowout system. That's a fail-safe device that allows a sub to surface and submerge if its primary systems fail. A Navy official said those problems were generally isolated. Navy and shipyard officials continue their investigation into the weld issue on as many as 17 vessels either serviced or built by the Newport News yard since 2000, including seven aircraft carriers, parts of six Virginia-class subs, three Los Angeles-class subs and a cruiser. The investigation will continue into spring. Northrop Grumman said it did not yet have a date in February when the sub will be ready for the Navy. A Navy spokesman could not be reached for comment. Source : Dailypress.com

SHIPYARD NEWS Giant construction ship heads to Port of Tampa

Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair has a new temporary tenant. The ship Deep Blue, specializing in the laying of pipeline and cable, is undergoing repairs at the Port of Tampa and will be at port until Friday, said Bill Hind, general manager of Tampa Bay Shipbuilding, in a release. Photo : J.Rogers Padgett © Built in Korea for Hyundai in 2001, the Deep Blue is the world's largest purpose-built ultra deepwater pipelay and subsea construction vessel. It is 668.3 feet long and has a draft of 50,000 tons. It features a pipelay system that allows it to lay flow lines and umbilicals, and support developments in water depths from 246 feet to 8,202 feet. Tampa Bay Shipbuilding had to make

significant modifications to its wharf to accommodate the ship, including 80 new dock blocks. After repairs are completed, Deep Blue will resume pipelaying duties in the Gulf of Mexico.

Source : Tampa Bay Business Journal

US shipbuilders grapple with labor shortage amid rise in orders

Dirk VanEnkevort wanted to take advantage of a shipbuilding boom when his family's company leased one of the largest dry docks in the Great Lakes region in 2005. But now he is so short-handed he has turned to robots to help keep up. His company, Erie Shipbuilding LLC, has since hired about 150 workers and equipped the facility on Lake Erie with sophisticated metalworking tools, including robots. It now has orders to build eight oceangoing barges and plans to hire additional workers as needed. But as his order book fills, VanEnkevort faces a problem hampering dozens of other



mid-size commercial shipyards across the country: a shortage of skilled, experienced workers capable of assembling and welding freight ships. To fight the shortage, VanEnkevort and other shipbuilders have scoured the country and recruited from afar. They have appealed to prospective employees at local high schools and started in-house training programs. VanEnkevort says his company plans to use robotic welders extensively. Some shipyards have temporarily hired foreign laborers, including from Mexico and countries in Eastern Europe, under a federal program that allows businesses to obtain so-called H2B visas if they prove efforts to hire locally were unsuccessful. "There hasn't been any shipbuilding in Erie for quite some time," said VanEnkevort, 52. "So those people that were here are doing other things or moved away. We've just got to find people and train them, which is what we're doing." After topping 100,000 in 1998, employment in the U.S. commercial shipbuilding and repair industry hovered around 91,000-92,000 for six years before climbing to 93,600 in 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, demand has soared, mostly at mid-size shipyards. The industry, though tiny on a global scale and prone to dramatic boom-and-bust cycles, has seen its largest expansion since the 1970s in recent years. The growth has been propelled by demand from shipping companies that are replacing or expanding fleets of aging tankers, tug boats, offshore supply vessels and other boats, in some cases to meet the fast-changing needs of the energy sector. Single-hull tankers must be phased out and replaced with double-hulled tankers by 2015 under a federal law passed after the single-hull Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled 11 million gallons (41.64 million liters) of oil in Alaska in 1989. And oil and gas companies are ordering ever larger and more complex ships to support drilling activities in deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico, said John Snyder, editor of the New York-based trade publication Marine Log. The labor crunch in U.S. shipyards has been spawned by several factors, including competition from other trades that offer lucrative work, such as construction in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America, a Washington-based trade group that represents more than 35 companies that operate about 100 shipyards in the U.S. "What we've found is there's been a lack of interest in some of the work that our shipyards are doing," Paxton said, citing government figures showing there are about 180 commercial shipyards of various sizes across the country. Industry representatives have fought back by trying to promote the trade in communities near shipyards, and some firms have established training programs for welders and shipfitters, workers who construct the vessels from parts, Paxton said. "A lot of our shipyards carry significant costs in training and getting people to come to their yards, and there's no guarantee they'll stay," Paxton said. "But they're still willing to do it." "We have had to look at foreign labor when things get extremely tight," he said, noting that shipyards have tapped workers from Mexico and Eastern European countries with a history of shipbuilding, such as Croatia. Bollinger Shipyards Inc. of Lockport, Louisiana, which operates 12 shipyards in Louisiana and one in Texas, has spent millions on housing for laborers, said Robert Socha, the company's executive vice president of sales and marketing. "It's not a cost-saving measure," he said. "It's a measure to keep your business flowing." Bollinger's use of contract labor has also risen significantly, with contractors now comprising roughly 65 percent of its 3,200-strong work force compared with about 20 percent in the past, Socha said. "It's all based on people shortage." The company's chief administrative officer, Craig Roussel, said he could realistically "hire 400 people today," if they were qualified and available. Tim Colton, an independent consultant based in Florida, said the labor shortage arose partly because the industry has never been high-paying. It's not a particularly large industry, he said, and most companies are family owned.



A top welder at Erie Shipbuilding earns $18.50 (€12.58) an hour, an amount VanEnkevort said was comparable to pay offered by other companies in the industry. The shortage extends not only to hourly paid workers, but to supervisors, planners and engineers, "all the people that make the shipyard function," Colton said. "It's terrible." Sean T. Connaughton, head of the U.S. Maritime Administration, said it was difficult to open a new commercial shipyard, even in the current robust market, because of regulatory hurdles. And the revival of existing facilities may be unattractive, he said. "They can make a lot more money selling that land to a condominium developer," he said. But Dirk VanEnkevort hopes his company, with a 44-acre (18- hectare) facility where ships had not been produced for decades, will become internationally competitive. He said he plans to expand his work force to 200. Employees' cars and trucks hint at the competition for labor within the industry, carrying license plates not only from Pennsylvania, but also from Louisiana and Ontario, Canada. Source : mworld

VT Starts Production of New Trinidad and Tobago Ships

VT Shipbuilding (VTS) has commenced its second major export programme in three months after the High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago started the official steel cutting process for the first of three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) on Wednesday (Jan 23). Mrs Glenda Morean-Phillip, accompanied by Mrs Jennifer Boucaud-Blake, Permanent Secretary of Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry for National Security, performed the steel cutting ceremony at VTS’ advanced facilities in Portsmouth Naval Base. VT Shipbuilding Portsmouth Managing Director Francis Paonessa explained: “The Trinidad and Tobago programme, in addition to the start of work on three ships for Oman recently, will provide us with a healthy workload to 2011. “We already have OPVs in service with the UK Royal Navy and the Trinidad and Tobago ships strengthen our position as a world leader in designing and building these types of ship. Our range of OPVs is attracting strong interest from other potential customers.” The T&T OPVs are a new design that will be used to protect the rich oil and gas reserves located around the nation’s coastline. They will also be used for constabulary roles such as environmental protection, fishery protection and anti-drug operations. In addition, they will take on a regional security role for the wider Caribbean region, including disaster response in the light of increased tropical storm activity in the region. VT secured the contract against stiff international competition and has a historical relationship with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Coast Guard, having built its first 102ft patrol craft some 40 years ago. The latest design has speeds in excess of 25 knots with an overall length is 90.5 metres. It can accommodate a total crew up to 70 covering all ranks, but is capable of being operated by a crew of just 34. Over and above this there is dormitory space for a further 50 troops. The long-range maritime patrol role is enabled by 35 days endurance and a range of up to 5000 miles at 12 knots. This allows the ships to poise at sea, and, when appropriate, close an area of interest to project force. Force projection is accomplished with the deployment of the ship’s armament, helicopter and boats or complement of embarked troops. The ship carries a high speed interceptor and features a 20 metre long flight deck for a helicopter. There is also the flexibility to allow various cargo combinations to be carried by making use of the space on the flight deck. This provides the capability to carry a combination of containers, stores, vehicles, scientific research equipment or other cargo. A 16 tonne capacity crane enables cargo to be discharged to a jetty. Another attractive element is the through-life support VT will give the vessels. VT will guarantee the T&T Defence Force Coast Guard use of the ships for 300 days a year, allowing the Coast Guard to concentrate on operations rather than maintenance activities.



The first ship will be handed over in May 2009 with initial crew set to arrive this summer for training to be undertaken by VT joint venture Flagship Training. As an interim, VT is converting two offshore supply ships into Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPVs) at a yard in Trinidad and Tobago. Source: defencetalk.com

Svitzer’s LONDON arrived in Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan ©

Austal books $73 million ferry order Austal has signed a contract for four additional 47.5 meter passenger catamarans with Cotai WaterJets (Macao) Ltd, adding to the initial ten-vessel contract signed in 2006 by sister company Venetian Marketing Services Limited (VMSL). Valued at approximately Australian $82 million (about US $73 million), the new vessels will be identical to those currently under construction at Austal's Henderson, Western Australia, shipyard and will be delivered in the first half of 2009. Completion of the entire 14-vessel order will see the number of Austal vessels delivered to China / Hong Kong waters grow to 52, reinforcing Austal's success in the region. Commenting on the order Executive Chairman, John Rothwell said "It is a pleasing start to the year to see the Cotai WaterJet order expand to 14 ferries based on the success of the initial deliveries already operating between Hong Kong and Macau." Of the initial ten vessels ordered by VMSL in 2006, five have already been completed, with the construction of two catamaran ferries for another Hong Kong operator continuing at Austal's shipyard in Tasmania, Australia. Source : MarineLog

HSL to Build Naval Ships Reports indicate that Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) of India is set to add naval ships to its order book. The defense ministry is keen to place orders for building naval ships at HSL and a decision is expected by next month, reports said. Mazgaon Docks Ltd, Garden Reach, Kolkata, Goa Shipyard and Cochin Shipyard build most of the naval ships. Among the private firms, ABG Shipyard has built some coast guard ships, while Bharati Shipyard has built some vessels for the Indian Navy. In this context, placing a few orders with HSL will ease the pressure somewhat. It plans to invest in modernizations of the facilities by acquiring more cranes, improving material handling, automation and improved infrastructure, in the next five years. Source: DNA



ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

Vroon Offshore Services acquires new vessel Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) has added a new vessel to its North Sea field support and emergency response fleet. The company has acquired Caledonia Master, a multi-function offshore support ship which is presently in the first year of a 10-year contract with Chevron Upstream Europe. The vessel, acquired from Caledonia Shipping Limited, is undertaking emergency response and field support duties in the Captain Field 68 miles north of Aberdeen. Built in 1994 and converted in 1996, Caledonia Master is equipped with one daughter craft and two fast rescue craft. It has a deck capacity of 330m², and accommodation for 15 crew and 12 passengers. Aberdeen-based Commercial Director George Maxwell said: “The acquisition is the latest strategic move by the company, and is a further indication of the significant investment programme, through acquisitions and new builds, to grow its North Sea presence.” VOS now operates a total of 59 vessels from bases in Aberdeen, Scotland; Den Helder, The Netherlands; and Genoa in Italy, and has a total of 23 new build vessels on order. Its fleet includes conventional and multi-role emergency response and rescue vessels, platform supply, anchor handling, dive support and utility vessels, operating principally in the North Sea and the Mediterranean.

HUMBER WAY RENAMED IN GUMEL The HUMBER WAY has received a new name whilst in Antwerpen. She is now the GUMEL. She's bound for Lagos, full of second hand cars. Apparently Cobelfret has sold her. She arrived in Antwerpen on the 20th of January. No idea about new owners. Source : Mike

The Offshore Partners B.V Your partner in the Offshore and Marine Industry TOP-Equipment TOP-Operations TOP-Personnel

TOP

Sluisjesdijk 115 3087 AG

Rotterdam The Netherlands +31(0)10-4914139

Among others, we are looking for: Naval Architects Shipbuilding Engineers Project Engineers Structural Engineers More info:www.theoffshorepartners.com



The GIANT 4 seen loaded with the 5700 ton (including trailers) ADRIATIC LNG Module in Cadiz. Photo : Albert Quak ©

Norwegian cruise ship major looks towards White Sea

The Norwegian tourist industry is shows growing interest in the tourism potential of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Last week the world-renowned Norwegian company Hurtigruten together with the Arkhangelsk oblast regional administration organized a seminar –presentation for local tour operators. Mr. Olav Lühr, Marketing Director in the Hurtigruten company, says Norwegians are looking forward to establishing long-term cooperation with tour operators of Arkhangelsk Oblast. The ultimate goal of this cooperation is to promote Norway as a brand and attract Russian tourists to Norway. The Norwegian party is planning to hold training seminars for managers and directors of local companies where they can find out what Norway can offer them. -Our further actions in Arkhangelsk Oblast will very much depend on this pilot project. Under this project Arkhangelsk will be used as the main port for cruises in the White Sea, explains Mr. Lühr Mr. Lühr also believes in the Russian region's potential as a tourist destination. -The only prerequisite for the development of the local tourism industry will be to develop its potential. You need to define your highlights and customize your tourist products, he advices. Source : Barents Observer, Russia

Old ferry to become old master Tenders have been invited from a number of European shipyards to refurbish the secondhand ferry Jean Nicoli recently bought by SeaFrance for its Dover-Calais service. The company plans to have the ship in service from 1 July, so work must start in April and be completed by the end of June. It is estimated that the revamp will cost around €15M ($22M) and it involves passenger cabins being replaced by public areas. For example there will be two bars, two restaurants, a large shop as well as a truck driver’s lounge and restaurant. The passenger-carrying capacity will increase to 1,200 from the current 730 passengers, with the ship operating five round trips a day. It will be adapted to cope with two tier loading and offloading at the bow and stern, which will increase its length to 206.3m. The ship will be renamed after an artist next month. The Jean Nicoli will replace the present SeaFrances Renoir and Manet with



the latter being sold off immediately and the former after her next overhaul is completed. Despite replacing two ships with one the number of daily SeaFrance crossings will remain the same. Source : Lloyds / Fairplay Daily News

The cruise ship " NAUTICA " seen arriving at Port Chalmers, New Zealand on the 30th of January 2008. The vessel has a gross tonnage of 30277 and was built in 2000 and flies the flag of the Marshall Islands.

Photo : Ross Walker ©

Höegh Autoliners strengthens its platform for growth:

Höegh Autoliners and A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S has announced their agreement for A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S to become a shareholder in Höegh Autoliners holding 37.5 per cent of the shares effective from 1 January 2008. Leif Höegh & Co Limited will retain the position as majority shareholder in Höegh Autoliners. At the same time Höegh Autoliners acquires A. P. Moller - Maersk's fleet of 18 car carriers (including six newbuildings). Höegh Autoliners will commercially operate the combined fleet of about 67 vessels globally from its offices in Oslo and about 30 locations world-wide under the Höegh Autoliners brand. Vessels already ordered by the Company will grow



its carrying capacity by 45 per cent to 85 ships in 2012. Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in March 2008 once any applicable regulatory approvals have been received. In doing this transaction, the parties build on their existing tonnage cooperation. The two parties entered a tonnage co-operation agreement effective from 1 February 2007 whereby A. P. Moller - Maersk entered its fleet of 12 car carriers into a commercial operation controlled by Höegh Autoliners. This has worked to both parties satisfaction adding valuable capacity to Höegh Autoliners' operation in a period when customers' transportation requirements are growing. With A.P. Moller - Maersk as a shareholder, Höegh Autoliners will strengthen its financial and strategic position for further growth and its ability to provide increased capacity and enhanced services to meet customers' requirements. A. P. Moller - Maersk is well recognized as a world leading company within shipping, logistics, port operations and port to port efficiency. "We welcome A.P. Moller - Maersk as shareholder in Höegh Autoliners," says Westye Høegh, Chairman of the Board. "When my father, Leif Høegh, ordered his first vessel, M/T Varg from Odense Staalskibsværft in 1927, Mr. A.P. Møller took a stake in the vessel. That was the start of a prosperous voyage, and having A.P. Moller - Maersk on board again makes a strong company even stronger and well positioned for exciting developments in challenging waters ahead." "Through the shareholding in Höegh Autoliners we are looking forward to moving from being a tonnage provider in the car carrier market to participating directly in a world class car carrier liner operation. We find the outlook for the industry attractive as car manufacturing increasingly takes place in Asia and as new markets in India and China develop. We believe in Höegh Autoliners' strategy and believe we can contribute positively to the cooperation based on our Group's capabilities within liner shipping and logistics" says Søren Skou, Partner & Member of Group Executive Board of A. P. Moller - Maersk. "With A.P. Moller - Maersk as a partner we have secured a platform for continued growth and enhanced our position for further strengthening our services," says Thor Jørgen Guttormsen, CEO of Höegh Autoliners. "This improves our ability to meet our customers' current and future requirements for services and transportation volume and strengthens our strategic implementation capacity." Höegh Autoliners' strategy is to grow with its global customers offering worldwide transportation services based on the core competencies as a port to port transportation provider and to be a network partner providing these services in a network of dedicated logistics suppliers. The world production of factory new cars has grown steadily to about 65 million units in 2007. World car production is expected to continue growing to about 90 million units in 2015 representing an annual growth rate of 3-4%. Historically about 15% of the production volume is exported overseas. The globalization of the car manufacturing industry has brought about changes in the global production patterns which are affecting seaborne transportation positively resulting in additional demand for transportation services. On this background Höegh Autoliners expects continued growth in the market for Ro/Ro car carriers and experiences that customers consider future transportation capacity to be of high strategic importance. The current market situation is characterized by capacity squeeze. Source : Hoegh

Maersk Names Jack-up Rig No. 1 On January 30, Maersk Contractors named the latest addition to the fleet. The new high efficiency jack-up rig is the first in a series of four identical rigs currently under construction for Maersk Contractors. The following three highly



advanced, next generation 350ft jack-up rigs will be delivered from Keppel FELS over the coming 15-20 months. The Sponsor, Mrs. Susanne Hemmingsen, wife of Partner in the Firm A.P. Moller and CEO of Maersk Contractors, Claus V. Hemmingsen, named the new rig MÆRSK RESILIENT at a ceremony at Keppel FELS in Singapore. The event was attended by over 400 guests. The drilling performance of the MÆRSK RESILIENT will be 20% more efficient than that of a conventional jack-up rig. The highly efficient drilling equipment will make the rig well qualified for drilling deep and difficult wells, including high temperature/high pressure wells. An extensive mechanization has been implemented to further improve the safety and working environment for the crew. The first assignment for the MÆRSK RESILIENT is a three-year contract with Dubai Petroleum Establishment in the Persian Gulf. Source : MarineLink

HAINA DELIVERED The first of two newbuilding Robert Allan Ltd. design 40 tonne bollard pull, ASD tugs, which Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington announced last year, were delivered by their friends at Sanmar Denizcilik Makina of Tuzla, Turkey to Remolcadores Dominicanos of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 24.39m (80') x 9.15m x 4.04m "Ulupinar" series tug "Haina" is powered by a pair of CAT 3512T TA's diesels developing a total of 3,300BHP at 1800RPM to US-155 FP azimuthing drives from Rolls Royce. The RINA classed tug is also fitted with Rolls Royce hydraulic towing winches fore and aft, Data hydraulic 8" retractable tow pins and a Data hydraulic 45 tonne SWL tow hook. Two Perkins generator sets each provide 74kVA electrical power. New Owners plan to sail the tug on her own bottom from Turkey to Santo Domingo, where she will be employed in

ship assist work. A representative of Marcon attended the hand-over of the tug in Tuzla. Delivery of the second tug is scheduled for the first quarter of 2009. Source : Marcon International, Inc.



MOVEMENTS

Fred Olsen’s BRAEMAR seen arriving in Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan ©

The c COLUMBUS seen arriving in Cape Town Photo : Ian Shiffman ©

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX



Build as the SMIT PIONEER in The Netherlands, renamed in SMIT RANGOON (Singapore), followed by MARIANNE D (Venezuela), the AHT was laid up but was September 2007 activated again named DON JOSUE above

seen the oldie moored in Puerto Ordaz (Venezuela) Photo : J.Dubbeldam ©

MARINE WEATHER THIS SECTION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY :

Internet: www.spos.eu Tel : +31 317 399800 E-mail : [email protected]



Today’s wind (+6Bft) and wave (+3m) chart. Created with SPOS, the onboard weather information & voyage optimisation system, used on over 1000 vessels today.

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The Mexican newbuilding CABALLO CRIOLLO seen in Rotterdam-Caland Canal Photo : Piet Sinke ©



The compiler of the news clippings disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided through this free service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information. If you want to no

longer receive this bulletin kindly reply with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.

Documents

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 031