DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057

Number 057 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 28-02-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

REDWISE MARITME SERVICES B.V.

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Boskalis BKM 103 seen in Pointe Noire (Congo) Photo : Emiel Postma – Retriever © IF YOU HAVE PICTURES OR OTHER SHIPPING RELATED INFORMATION FOR THE NEWS CLIPPINGS ?? PLEASE SEND THIS TO :

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

Video-webcast Q4 and full year 2007 results Dockwise Ltd .

On 27 February 2008, after closing of Oslo Stock Exchange, Dockwise Ltd. will publish Q4 and full year 2007 results. Following this publication an analyst meeting will be held today, 28 February 2008 at 11.00 AM GMT (12.00 CET). This meeting will be video-webcasted on www.dockwise.com.

More on damaged King

DAMAGE was being assessed at a South Tyneside yard today after a 30,000-tonne passenger ferry crashed into an oil rig. Officials at McNulty Offshore in South Shields say part of a quayside at the yard was damaged when the DFDS ferry, the King of Scandinavia, broke free from its moorings in 80mph winds and was blown across the river, smashing into the Northern Producer oil production platform. The damaged ferry is now under going repairs at A&P Tyne in Hebburn. All the King of Scandinavia's sailings between Newcastle and Holland have been cancelled until Saturday, though other services are operating normally. Workers were on board the oil rig when the collision happened on Friday afternoon, but no one was injured. A spokesman for McNulty Offshore, in Commercial Road, said: "As far as we can determine, there has been no major damage to the Northern Producer. "But the concrete at our quayside has been damaged where the ferry has presumably collided with it a few times and that will have to be repaired. "There was a skeleton crew of about 10 men on the rig when the collision happened, but they remained on board, to see what assistance they could give." The force of the collision left a large gouge in the side of the King of Scandinavia, which was moved down river to A&P's Bede Quay on Saturday. Dave Skentelbery, managing director of north east business for A&P, said: "The ferry has a hole in its side, but I don't know the full extent of the damage. "We would hope to complete repairs by the end of this week." Source : shieldsgazette Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide Page 2 2/27/2008

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HAL’s VOLENDAM seen arriving in Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan ©

Zeeliedentekort is ontwrichtend Rederijen floreren, maar hebben grote moeite om hun schepen te bemannen. „Reders ronselen in blinde paniek zeelieden, die weinig tot niets weten van het vak.” Door : Mark Hoogstad Wie Rotterdam binnenrijdt, moet binnenkort niet vreemd opkijken als hij op een billboard stuit voorzien van een nietalledaagse noodkreet: zeebenen gezocht! Verdiensten tot 20.000 dollar per maand. „En misschien moeten we er ook bijzetten dat zo’n mbo’er bijna de helft van het jaar thuis op de bank kan zitten bij zijn gezinnetje.” Erik Hietbrink (56) is directeur van het Scheepvaart en Transport College (STC) in Rotterdam. Campagne op campagne heeft zijn onderwijsinstelling de afgelopen jaren gevoerd, in een poging de oplopende arbeidstekorten in de maritieme sector tegen te gaan. Met wisselend succes. „Het druppelt, maar het stroomt niet, en dat zou wel moeten.” Mede op verzoek van het Rotterdamse stadsbestuur schreef Hietbrink onlangs een rapport, waarin hij met behulp van onafhankelijke bronnen een asgrauw beeld schetst van de nabije toekomst. Zowel in de scheepvaart- als in de transportsector zullen de oplopende personeelstekorten de komende jaren „een ontwrichtende uitwerking” hebben, concludeert hij. „Ik overdrijf niet als ik zeg dat het twaalf uur is geweest.” Niet alleen in Nederland, ook daarbuiten. Neem Noorwegen. Uit cijfers van een Brits onderzoeksinstituut blijkt dat de Scandinavische zeevaartnatie op dit moment worstelt met een tekort van maar liefst 16.000 officieren op de zeevaart. Terwijl de vraag naar personeel de komende jaren alleen maar zal toenemen zal het aanbod van hoogopgeleiden gestaag dalen. Het wereldwijde tekort aan gekwalificeerd zeevaartpersoneel zal, aldus de voorspellingen, in 2015 zijn opgelopen tot 36.000 officieren. „De orderportefeuilles van de scheepswerven zitten de komende jaren tjokvol, maar de vraag is: wie gaat al die moderne schepen bemannen”, zegt Hietbrink. „Europa heeft de mankracht niet en ook elders wordt het steeds lastiger om gekwalificeerd personeel te vinden. Gevolg is dat reders in blinde paniek zeelieden ronselen, die bij gebrek aan scholing weinig tot niets weten van het vak. Met alle ecologische risico’s en gevaren van dien.”

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 Te lang hebben de reders gedacht dat de markt zijn werk wel zou doen, zegt Hietbrink. „We pikken wat personeel van de buurman, we boren nog eens een nieuwe bron aan en we zijn klaar, dat was de gedachte.” Maar ook overheden hebben de laatste decennia te weinig oog gehad voor „het nut en de noodzaak van gedegen zeevaartonderwijs, zeker op de langere termijn”, zegt Hietbrink. Daarnaast wordt de sector geplaagd door een hardnekkig vooroordeel: werken op een schip of in de haven zou zwaar en smerig zijn. „En jaarlijks een paar weken van huis zijn, dat blijkt de huidige generatie ook af te schrikken”, heeft Hietbrink gemerkt. Aan de verdiensten kan het in elk geval niet liggen. „Een beetje kapitein kan vandaag de dag een slordige twee ton per jaar verdienen.” In een sector waar groot denken hand over hand toeneemt, signaleert Hietbrink. Ook dat noemt hij een zorgelijke trend. „Bij windkracht 11 en golven van twintig meter hoog is aan boord van zo’n reusachtige tanker de verleiding groot om te denken: daar vaar ik wel eventjes dwars doorheen. Nou, mooi niet dus. De elementen drukken de voorplecht zo naar binnen. En dan ga je, inclusief lading en bemanning.” Met de maritieme kennis is het wereldwijd nu al bedroefd gesteld, benadrukt Hietbrink. „Het holt achteruit.” Als voorbeeld noemt hij het Chinese schip, dat begin deze maand vastliep bij de Maasvlakte. „Het is inmiddels ruim dertig jaar geleden dat ik zelf heb gevaren, maar één ding ben ik nooit vergeten: bij zwaar weer moet je vooral niet laag voor de wal gaan ‘pierewaaien’. Dat is vragen om problemen.” Rotterdam mag nog van geluk spreken. „Was het een flinke gastanker geweest die een smak had gemaakt, dan hadden jij en ik hier vermoedelijk nu niet gezeten”, zegt Hietbrink in zijn kantoor op de veertiende verdieping, op de kop van de Lloydpier in Rotterdam. Vanuit zijn werkkamer kijkt hij links uit op de stad, rechts op de haven, die nog altijd te boek staat als de grootste van Europa. Voor hoelang nog? Het Rotterdamse stadsbestuur schuift binnenkort met drie wethouders, Geluk (Onderwijs, CDA), Schrijer (Werk, PvdA) en Harbers (Haven en Economie, VVD), aan bij Hietbrink voor het opstellen van een crisisplan, nadat het voltallige college onder leiding van burgemeester Ivo Opstelten in oktober al op bezoek was. Harbers deelt Hietbrinks zorgen over de oplopende arbeidstekorten en het groeiende gebrek aan kennis. Hij spreekt van „het grote, maar verborgen probleem van onze haven”. Gelet op de jeugdige bevolkingssamenstelling van Rotterdam (bijna een kwart is jonger dan dertig jaar) zou het niet moeilijk moeten zijn om jongeren te werven. Maar met name de allochtone jeugd (62 procent) heeft weinig tot geen affiniteit met de scheepvaart, weet Hietbrink na talloze, vergeefse pogingen die groepen te interesseren. „Het heeft vooral te maken met afkomst. Turken en Marokkanen in Nederland hebben hun wortels overwegend in gebieden die niet aan zee liggen: Oost-Anatolië en het Rifgebergte.” Harbers wijst daarnaast op een historische oorzaak. „Als deze jongeren al affiniteit hebben met de haven, dan is dat vaak in negatieve zin. Of hun vader heeft er gewerkt of een oom, en die hebben in de jaren zeventig vuil en smerig werk moeten doen. Dat is anno 2008 een achterhaald beeld, maar toch: ze lopen met een grote boog om de haven heen.” Bron : NRC Het Scheepvaart en Transport College (STC) in Rotterdam telt op dit moment ruim 4.000 leerlingen (vmbo, mbo, hbo en masters). De maritieme vakschool beschikt over het grootste simulatorpark ter wereld en heeft in Nederland zeven vestigingen. Naast het hoofdkwartier aan de Lloydstraat, pal langs de Nieuwe Maas, zijn er dependances op de Wilhelminapier (Kop van Zuid), in de Waalhaven (twee) en in Brielle, Stellendam en Katwijk. Naast het STC telt Nederland nog vijf maritieme mbo-opleidingen (Delfzijl, Den Helder, IJmuiden, Vlissingen en Zwolle) en drie maritieme hbo-instellingen (Amsterdam, Terschelling en Vlissingen), die allen steeds minder leerlingen trekken. Directeur Hietbrink pleit voor een krachtenbundeling, naar het voorbeeld van Kopenhagen en Singapore, in een Dutch Maritime Academy. Het STC heeft wereldwijd vijf opleidingscentra: op de Filippijnen, in Oman, Vietnam, Zuid-Afrika en Zuid-Korea. Een vestiging in de groeimarkt China ligt voor de hand, maar niet voor Hietbrink. Zolang de politieke toekomst daar ongewis is, „branden wij onze vingers niet aan China.”

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Subdued farewell for grand dame

THE grand old dame of the sea, Queen Elizabeth 2, made a sad farewell to Sydney Harbour for its 24th and final time. On a cool, drab evening, a tug sprayed its water cannon but few bothered to see off the ship that first entered Port Jackson 30 years ago. There was a small flotilla of boats and a few hundred people lined the harbour. Photo : Ken Ross © It was far from the spectacular farewell the Queen Victoria received on Sunday night when thousands watched the two Cunard liners salute each other across Fort Denison, but then the QE2 is heading to its final resting place in Dubai. Launched by the Queen (although named after her mother) in 1967, the QE2 will be refitted as a luxury floating hotel and entertainment complex at Palm Jumeirah, the world's largest manmade island. The QE2 survived what most thought would be the end of the cruising era, as well as the Falklands War as a troop ship. An English tourist, Paul Burton, was one of the few to see the ship at Mrs Macquaries Point. "I used to build ships for a living so I was never keen to take vacations on them as well," said Mr Burton, 53. "I would have liked to have gone on her but it's a bit late now. "Many of our friends have been on [the QE2]. They said it was fantastic." Photo : Ken Ross © Until the 1960s ocean liners were built increasingly larger than their predecessors, but Cunard decided the QE2 should be smaller than her predecessor, the Queen Elizabeth because demand was falling as jet travel took off, fuel was also becoming increasingly expensive, and the new ship had to fit through the Panama Canal. Ironically size and an engine refurbishment made her the world's fastest passenger ship, able to reach 34 knots. QE2 will make a final transatlantic crossing, a final North American voyage and a farewell circumnavigation of the British Isles before heading to Dubai. Source : smh.com.au

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Anti-whalers say they planted tracking devices on Japanese fleet

A militant environmental group Tuesday said it had planted tracking devices on Japanese whaling ships to ensure they could always find the harpoon boats in the vast Southern Ocean. Paul Watson, the captain of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel the Steve Irwin, said a device had been placed on the factory ship Yushin Maru No. 2 which was boarded by two of his crew members last month. "I don't know if bugging is the correct term (because) that means a listening device," Watson told AFP via satellite phone. "We have a satellite tracking device. It sends signals periodically to a satellite which beams them down. It's the same thing you use for tracking whales and seals and fish at sea." Watson said other boats in the Japanese fleet had been tagged in a similar way but he refused to say how many or how it was done. He said without the devices it might not have been worthwhile to continue to pursue the harpoonists for the remainder of the southern hemisphere summer after the Steve Irwin was forced back to Australia last month to refuel. "We would've spent probably a month or a month-and-a-half trying to find them," he said. "We just wouldn't have accomplished much." The Steve Irwin, which took only nine days to find the fleet after its fuel stop, has been in the freezing waters off Antarctica since December to try to prevent the whalers from carrying out their planned slaughter of 1,000 whales. Japan continues to kill the giants of the sea despite an international moratorium on commercial whaling by exploiting a loophole which allows for the animals to be killed for so-called research purposes. Watson brushed off concerns that it could be illegal to place tracking devices on the Japanese ships. "I don't see how it could possibly be illegal," he said. "We treat the Japanese for what they are. They're poachers, they're criminals. And, well yeah, we're going to do whatever we have to in order to track them down and stop their illegal activities." Watson, who has previously said the animal activists would again attempt to board Japanese ships, said his boat was about 30 to 40 nautical miles behind the Yushin Maru which he said was moving too fast to do any whaling. "If they slow down we'll catch them," he said. Source : AFP

USCG Sets Conditions Indonesia Ships

The US Coast Guard issued a notice stating that, effective March 10, it will impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving from Indonesia. With the exception of vessels arriving from certain named ports, any vessel arriving in the United States that called in Indonesia during its previous five port calls must demonstrate the following: (1) that it implemented measures in accordance with the ship’s security plan equivalent to Security Level 2; (2) that each access point to the vessel was guarded and that the guards had total visibility of the exterior to the ship while in the Indonesian port; (3) that it attempted to execute a Declaration of Security; (4) that it logged all security actions in the ship’s log; (5) that it reported such actions to the USCG Captain of the Port (COTP) prior to arrival in the United States; and (6) that each access point to the vessel is guarded and that the guards have total visibility of the exterior to the ship during US port calls. Note: Similar conditions of entry have been imposed on ships arriving in the United States from Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Mauritania. 73 Fed. Reg. 10042 Source : HK Law.

Toxic ship not that toxic

The U.S. Coast Guard in Guam is down playing reports that the former U.S.-flag liner SS Oceanic (formerly SS Independence) poses any toxic threat to Guam. Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 The ship left San Francisco on February 8 under tow for scrapping in India. The move has not pleased the Basel Action Network, an environmental group concerned about the export of toxic ships and has also upset preservationists who would like to see the U.S. the National Historic Preservation Act used to prevent its being scrapped. However, while the ship may present a potential hazard to those scrapping it, in an interview on a Guam radio show Captain William R. Marhoffer, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam, said the ship posed no toxic risk should refueling facilties be requested in Guam. He also said no refueling request had been received--and that reports that the ship had been refused entry to Hawaii were also false. Commander Marhoffer said that the U.S. EPA might have a concern about a "potential legal risk" of export violation under the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act and not that the ship poses a public health or environmental risk. Source : MarineLog

French lifeboat crews seek legal protection French lifeboat crews are likely to get legal protection against claims from those they rescue. Three people rescued last year in the Mediterranean took legal action against the French lifeboat service SNSM, claiming that their boats had been damaged while being towed to safety. An SNSM spokesman said that while only a tiny minority of boat owners have this mercenary attitude, lifeboat crews have voiced their concerns about the trend. As a result it will set up a legal commission to ensure the crews get the protection they require. Source : Motor Boats Monthly Left : The La Rochelle lifeboat Photo : Piet Sinke ©

Search for Missing American Pilot Called Off

The organized search for the American pilot whose Cherokee Piper airplane disappeared from radars on Thursday was called off on Saturday. The pilot was forced to land in the ocean 130 nautical miles off Höfn, southeast Iceland, because of icing. Since the airplane disappeared, emergency services have searched for the pilot’s lifeboat in the entire area where it could have drifted considering the weather conditions and ocean currents. A special program was used to calculate in which area the lifeboat could be located, Morgunbladid reports. Search conditions were difficult. According to Fréttabladid, ships that pass through the search area have been asked to be on the lookout for drifting objects that could indicate what happened to the pilot and his airplane. Only two weeks ago another pilot went missing in Icelandic waters. Neither his airplane nor his lifeboat has been found. Source : Island review online

Smit rejects Boskalis bid Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 SMIT Internationale has flatly turned down a bid for its oil and gas terminal services division, tabled by Dutch dredging outfit Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster and Saudi concern Rezayat, arguing that it remains integral to its wider strategy. Boskalis, the world’s largest dredging concern, and Rezayat are offering $300m in cash for the Smit Terminals business, with the game plan of merging it with their 50/50 joint venture Lamnalco. The move would create a clear world number one in the sector, with a 40% market share. Smit chief executive Ben Vree told Bloomberg news agency that the terminals division cannot be sold, because Smit tugs and crew are also used in harbor towage and at salvage operations. “It’s not a matter of price,” Mr Vree maintained. “There are so many synergies between the different units that you can’t tear them apart.” A statement from the company added that Smit is “well positioned to benefit from the expected growth in the global market for terminal services to the oil and gas industry with an excellent customer base with long term contracts.” A spokesman for Boskalis countered: “The book is not closed; the merits of a serious proposal need to be discussed. “We should continue to talk to each other because we think this [deal] is in the best interests of all shareholders.” Source : Lloyds List

The STAR PISCES is used for Gambling Cruises out of Hong Kong Photo : Chris Caines © The STAR PICUS is built as the KALYPSO during 1990 at the Kvaerner-Masa Yards in Turku under yard number 1298, she sailed under her original name until 1994 when she was renamed in STAR PISCUS which name she still is holding, the passenger liner is having a length of 176.8 mtr and a beam of 29.6 mtr and is owned at present by Star Cruises and flying the Panamanian flag

Insurance premiums may go up

Rising losses from navigational accidents last year may lead to significantly higher insurance premiums this year, according to DNV Maritime Solutions. The marine consultancy arm of Det Norske Veritas (DNV) estimates premiums may rise by as much as 30 per cent due to the rising trend of serious incidents in several shipping segments. There has been a corresponding increase in the number of accidents reported by leading insurance companies like Norwegian Hull Club, The Swedish Club and Skuld. Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 'DNV's statistics show that a ship is twice as likely to be involved in a serious grounding, collision or contact accident today compared with five years ago and estimates show that the cost of these accidents have doubled,' said DNV Maritime principal safety consultant Torkel Soma. Collisions, groundings and collisions now account for 60 per cent of the most expensive accidents. The increase is due to several factors, according to DNV. The recent boom in the shipping market has caused a boom in new buildings of ships and a slowdown in the scrapping of ships as well as a rise in the number of new companies and mergers and acquisitions. The world fleet size is thus increasing and figures show a net increase of about 1,500 ships a year since 2004. This has resulted in pressure on crews. A shortage of officers means faster promotion and this has resulted in a drop in the general level of experience on board, while increased commercial pressure is leading to higher workloads. New technical solutions have also increased the complexity of operations. 'Reliable technology and complying manuals are no assurance against making errors,' said Dr Soma. 'Collisions, groundings and contact accidents almost always involve human acts,' he added. These incidents can, however, be reduced by using a structured approach to address human and organisational factors. Everyone in the organisation must be involved, from the directors right down to the officers on the ships' bridge. The experience of leading shipping companies has shown that these factors are key to improving performance, an increasingly important consideration as insurance companies seek to adjust premiums. 'Radical safety performance improvements with reduced accident frequency have been achieved through a structured approach addressing a behaviour and culture,' said Dr Soma. 'For the industry to maintain its traditional good track record, the resilience of operations has to be addressed on a larger scale by industry players.' Source : businesstimes

The Feadship build 72m long Predator (De Vries - yard number 674) seen Monday February 25th during yard trials passing Maassluis outward bound – Photo : Aad Sinke ©

Naval base at Plymouth to close within five years BRITAIN’S oldest naval base at Plymouth will close within five years with the Royal Navy’s submarines moving to Faslane in Scotland, senior defence sources said this weekend. The base at Devonport from which Drake set sail to destroy the Spanish Armada and Cook embarked to discover Australia will have five of its frigates axed in defence cuts Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 expected within weeks. Its expertise in refuelling and refitting nuclear submarines has become irrelevant because the new Astute submarines will have nuclear cores that last for the life of the vessel. With only two of the navy’s existing nuclear submarines still requiring mid-life servicing, both naval and industry sources said last week that the dockyard had no long-term future. The dockyards will therefore be allowed to wither on the vine in favour of Portsmouth and Rosyth, in the Firth of Forth - despite assurances from Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Des Browne, the defence secretary, that the dockyard had a future. A review of the navy’s three bases (Plymouth, Portsmouth and Rosyth) had been expected to result in the closure of Plymouth or Portsmouth. Browne told MPs in July that the review had ended with a decision to keep all three dockyards open along with the submarine base at Faslane, on the Scottish west coast, but this weekend sources challenged this assertion. They said Devonport’s future would be nonexistent once the last two Vanguard submarines were refuelled in 2012. The axing of the five frigates will leave Plymouth with just nine surface ships and seven Trafalgar-class submarines, which will be replaced by the Astute submarines based at Faslane. Its six remaining frigates and three amphibious ships will be moved to Portsmouth, a senior naval source said. “All that Plymouth will have will be the rusting hulks of the Trafalgar and Swiftsure class, which will be decommissioned slowly over the next five years as the Astute class comes into service,” he added. Gary Streeter, Conservative MP for Devon South West, said: “When the naval base review took place we thought it was a two-horse race. We have somehow managed to come third. There is a great anxiety now that we will suffer a death by a thousand cuts.” Naval and industry sources suggested Browne’s dual role as defence and Scottish secretary, and the fact that many Rosyth workers live in Brown’s constituency counted against Plymouth. Source : timesonline

‘Ship crews face high degree of fatigue at sea’

PH Krishnan, deputy director-general of shipping, speaks on the high stress levels and disasters at sea

Every-time there is an accident (now mv Rezzak has gone missing off the Turkish coast) on the high seas, there are theories about how high-stress levels among sailors act as a contributing factor to the disasters. Is there a direct correlation? Yes, there is. Sailors on board merchant vessels remain on the high seas for six months at a stretch. Internal surveys have revealed that there is a high degree of fatigue among a 16- or 17-member ship crew. Also, there is a dearth of effective co-ordination and communication among the crew as they come from various ethnic backgrounds. All the above factors cumulatively lessen response capabilities in the sailors in times of emergencies, leading to the heightened possibility of disasters due to poor manoeuvring and navigation of the ship. Any specific initiative on the part of the directorate to combat and reduce stress levels of sailors? Some steps are being taken to address temporary psychological disorders in sailors. We believe tailormade psychological counselling sessions for them are the need of hour. This is because most of them lead the life of a recluse during the many months they are out at sea. Is there anything else that is being done in this regard? Most foreign countries don't allow merchant vessels to berth at their ports — a ship is asked to anchor at least 10 nautical miles off the port area. This has an adverse impact on the minds of our sailors as they are denied even the most basic recreational activities. Source : dnaindia

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Study: Cruise Contributes €10 billion in Europe

The buoyant cruise industry now accounts for more than a quarter of a million jobs in Europe, over €10 billion direct expenditure and 15 million visits to European ports. The results were unveiled by the European Cruise Council (ECC) at the industry’s second annual “European Cruise Contribution”. “This is the first time we’ve been able to compare annual trends and the impact of the cruise industry on European job creation, wealth and tourism,” said David Dingle, chairman of the ECC and chief executive officer of Carnival UK. “Every million euros spent by the cruise industry creates 2.2 million euros in business output and 21 jobs, paying an average wage of €33,500. There is no doubt that the revival of European shipping has helped to establish Europe as the new centre of gravity for the cruise industry.” “But what’s particularly impressive is how quickly our industry has beaten our own forecasts, “ he said. “When the first economic impact study was published last year we predicted we’d achieve quarter of a million jobs and 3.6 million cruise passengers embarking on their holiday in Europe by 2010. We’ve hit that already, with a raft of impressive growth statistics which show how fast the cruise sector is growing in importance to European economies – embarkation figures are up 20%, passenger visits are up 21%, direct expenditure is up by 27% and ship construction is up by 32%.” The ECC commissioned the report together with Euroyards, MedCruise and Cruise Europe. Other key results include: Cruise companies, shipbuilding yards and cruise passengers now account for €10.6 billion of direct expenditure in Europe - that’s €2.3 billion more than 2005, a 27% increase. Europe’s position as the world leader in cruise ship design and construction is helping to drive this growth. During 2006 the global cruise industry spent an estimated €4.1 billion on cruise ship construction and maintenance in Europe. This is almost a billion euros more than in 2005 At the end of 2006, European shipyards were under contract to build 36 cruise ships with a combined value of €14.9 billion through to 2011. The cruise industry is responsible for 225,586 jobs across Europe – a 20% expansion compared to the 187,252 jobs connected to the industry in 2005. At the end of 2006 there were 44 cruise lines in Europe with a fleet of 118 ships, and capacity for 100,000 passenger berths. Another 47 vessels with capacity for 51,300 berths were deployed in Europe by non-European lines. Between 1995 and 2005 demand for cruising worldwide more than doubled from 5.7 million to 14.4 million passengers. Over the same period the number of Europeans taking cruise holidays around the world more than trebled from 1 million in 1995, and in 2006 it reached 3.4 million Europeans. Europeans now account for 23% of cruise passengers worldwide, compared with just 19% ten years earlier. The ECC report predicts that 4.1 million cruise tourists can expect to be sourced from European countries by 2010 and it could reach 5.1 million by 2015. The most popular country for cruise ports of call in Europe is Italy, which welcomed 3.4 million cruise passengers to ports such as Naples, Civitavecchia and Livorno in 2006. Spanish ports including the Canary Islands are the second most popular welcoming 2.8 million cruise passenger visits. Greece welcomes the third largest number of cruise visitors in Europe – ports of call are spread throughout the country including Piraeus, Corfu, Katakolon, Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos. The top five European cruise destinations are Italy (3.4million), Spain (2.7 million), Greece (2.5 million), France (1.39 million) and Norway (1.13 million). Source : MarineLink

“DON'T PUT YOUR CERTIFICATE ON THE INTERNET!”

A 29 year old UK woman has been formally cautioned after certification she used to hire a yacht last year was found to be fraudulent. The woman hired a yacht last summer of 2007 from a South coast charter firm whose conditions of hire were that the charterer should provide a valid MCA/RYA Yachtmaster certificate. Although a relatively low level qualification it can be used to command small commercial vessels of up to 24 metres in length. The woman in question submitted a photocopy of a certificate which was initially accepted but later found to be a forgery. The matter was reported to the Enforcement unit of the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The Marine Unit of Dorset Police carried out a full investigation of the incident and on the 22nd February the woman attended Bournemouth Police Station. The decision was made to release the offender with a caution for a Fraud Act offence as she was of previous good character, the yacht was returned undamaged and the charter was paid in full. As Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 a result of being cautioned the individual now has her DNA, fingerprints and photograph on file. If she should come to the notice of the Police for offences of a similar nature then she will go to court. In this case the offender found an original Yachtmaster's certificate on the website Facebook on which she based her 'photocopy'. She then presented staff with the 'photocopy' of the altered certificate, stating that she did not carry the original certificate on her in case it was lost. Captain Andrew Phillips of the MCA Enforcement Unit said: "Seafarers should never publish copies of their certification on the Internet. If you have already done so then you are strongly advised to remove them immediately. Having the document on the Internet allows them to be copied, and then abused. Equally, when checking seafarer's documentation, always ask to see the original document. We would like to thank the Marine Unit of the Dorset Police for investigating this matter." Source : Maritime Global Net

Hof VS boog zich over olieramp Alaska Het Amerikaanse Hooggerechtshof heeft zich woensdag gebogen over de schadevergoeding die de oliemaatschappij ExxonMobil moet betalen in verband met een olieramp bij Alaska in 1989. Door het ongeluk met de tanker Exxon Valdez verloren tienduizenden vissers hun middelen van bestaan. De Exxon Valdez liep op 24 maart 1989 aan de grond in de Prince William Sound. Ruim 40.000 ton ruwe olie vervuilde de viswateren voor de kust van Alaska. Tienduizenden vogels en andere zeedieren stierven. Onderzoekers schatten dat driekwart van het leven in de baai door de ramp was verdwenen. ExxonMobil besteedde ruim 2 miljard dollar aan de schoonmaak van het rampgebied en trof schikkingen met diverse overheden voor nog 1 miljard dollar. Een rechtbank in Alaska bepaalde in 1994 dat ExxonMobil de ongeveer 35.000 getroffen vissers een schadevergoeding van in totaal 5 miljard dollar moest betalen. Het olieconcern, dat vorig jaar een nettowinst van ruim 40 miljard dollar in de boeken zette, procedeert bijna veertien jaar later nog altijd tegen die beslissing. Met enig succes, want de schadevergoeding werd tot twee keer toe naar beneden bijgesteld en staat nu op 2,5 miljard dollar. Het Hooggerechtshof behandelt woensdag een nieuw hoger beroep dat ExxonMobil heeft ingesteld. Het bedrijf, een van 's werelds grootste oliemaatschappijen, meent dat het al genoeg is beboet voor wat nog altijd geldt als de grootste milieuramp uit de Amerikaanse geschiedenis. Het hoogste Amerikaanse rechtscollege heeft anderhalf uur uitgetrokken voor de inhoudelijke behandeling van de complexe zaak. Normaal gesproken duren zittingen een uur. De uitspraak wordt voor juli verwacht. Een van de rechters, Samuel Alito, beslist niet mee omdat hij aandelen ExxonMobil bezit. Bron ; ANP

Cruise ship customers satisfied

The recent spate of cruise ships visiting New Zealand ports appears to be paying off in more ways than originally thought. Tourism New Zealand's first ever study into cruise visitor satisfaction found that 93% of visitors surveyed were either extremely satisfied or very satisfied with their Kiwi cruise experience. And almost all visitors surveyed (96%) said they were likely to recommend New Zealand as a cruise destination. Nearly 70% said they are likely to return and not necessarily on a cruise. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton says that understanding the experiences that satisfy cruise visitors will help the industry meet the demands of the growing market. "New Zealand is attracting an increasing number of cruise passengers every year and this growth is set to benefit regions right across the country," says Hickton. The current season expects to see over 100,000 passengers visiting New Zealand ports - an increase of 56% on the previous year. Source : TVNZ.co.nz Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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Sailor On Trial

A former US Navy sailor faces a trial on terrorism charges alleging he communicated with suspected terrorists while on duty and leaked information that could have doomed his own ship. Prosecutors allege that Hassan Abu-Jihaad sent details of the location and vulnerabilities of a Navy battle group to suspected terrorism supporters in London. "If we have members of our military who are aggressively passing on secrets to terrorists, that's cause for concern," said Michael Greenberger, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the University of Maryland. "It's a very aggressive act which would have brought real danger to the United States." Abu-Jihaad, 32, of Phoenix, has pleaded not guilty to charges he provided material support to terrorists with intent to kill U.S. citizens and disclosed classified information relating to the national defense. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. Abu-Jihaad, an American-born Muslim convert formerly known as Paul R. Hall, was a signalman until he received an honorable discharge in 2002. He worked in a warehouse in Phoenix and has two children, friends said. "He was very opinionated," Miguel Colon, a friend questioned about Abu-Jihaad by FBI agents, said last year. "He would talk about things in regard to the way the Iraq war was going. It was something he disagreed with." Colon said he rarely saw his friend angry, though. Colon, who met Abu-Jihaad at a mosque in Phoenix, said Abu-Jihaad was dedicated to his prayers, reading Islamic literature and following rules against drinking. Abu-Jihaad is charged in the same case as Babar Ahmad, a British computer specialist arrested in 2004 and awaiting extradition on accusations of running Web sites to raise money, appeal for fighters and provide equipment such as gas masks and night vision goggles for terrorists. The Web sites were the premier English-language mouthpiece of terrorists, according to Evan Kohlmann, a terrorism expert and a government witness for the trial. The investigation was one of the first to target online terrorism financiers after the Sept. 11 attacks and experts have cited Abu-Jihaad's case as an example of how Internet propaganda fuels the radicalization process. Authorities say investigators searching Ahmad's computers discovered files containing classified information about the positions of Navy ships and discussing their susceptibility to attack. The information included the makeup of a Navy battle group, its planned movements and a drawing of the group's formation when it was to pass through the Straits of Hormuz on April 29, 2001. Prosecutors acknowledge they don't have direct proof that Abu-Jihaad leaked details of ship movements. However, an FBI affidavit says he exchanged e-mails with Ahmad in 2000 and 2001 while on active duty on the USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer that was part of the battle group. In those e-mails, Abu-Jihaad discussed naval briefings and praised Osama bin Laden and the people who attacked the USS Cole in 2000, investigators say. Abu-Jihaad also purchased videos from the group promoting violent jihad. A judge has allowed prosecutors to play portions of the graphic videos. Prosecutors say the videos depict martyrdom, explaining why Abu-Jihaad would allow his own ship to be targeted. Prosecutors hope to bolster their case by playing intercepted phone calls to show what they say is Abu-Jihaad's coded speech and obsession with security. Authorities said Abu-Jihaad spoke of "hot meals" and "cold meals" in conversations with associates to refer to intelligence that would be useful to strike American military targets. Abu-Jihaad's attorneys say the statements are irrelevant and the government's case is weak. Source : ShipTalk

Bekeuring voor valsheid in geschrifte Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 De Waterpolitie van het Korps landelijke politiediensten (KLPD) in Dordrecht heeft 25 februari de kapitein van een Russisch zeeschip een boete opgelegd van drieduizend euro voor valsheid in geschrifte. De 57-jarige kapitein uit de Oekraïne had in zijn documenten vermeld dat hij 21 kubieke meter afgewerkte olie en vervuild water aan boord had. In werkelijkheid trof de Waterpolitie ongeveer 33 kubieke meter restanten aan. De Waterpolitie bezocht de bulkcarrier om 10.00 uur in de zeehaven te Dordrecht. Tijdens de controle van de internationale wetgeving ter voorkoming van verontreiniging van de wereldzeeën zagen de agenten dat in het verplichte oliejournaal stond vermeld dat de tanks voor afgewerkte olie en vervuild water met ongeveer 21 kubieke meter afvalstoffen gevuld waren. In de machinekamer constateerden de agenten echter dat de tanks gevuld waren met ongeveer 33 kubieke meter restanten. In overleg met het Openbaar Ministerie werd de kapitein in verband met valsheid in geschrifte een schikking van 3000 euro aangeboden. De kapitein ging akkoord en kocht hiermee verdere vervolging af. De verplichte boekhouding vastgelegd in internationale wetgeving en strenge controles in de havens moeten ertoe leiden dat zeeschepen geen illegale lozingen op zee uitvoeren. Bron : ANP

NAVY NEWS

Brazil denies it plans to build nuclear submarine with Argentina Brazil is working with Argentina to develop compact nuclear reactors to generate power _ not to build a nuclear submarine _ the Defense Ministry said Monday in denying a newspaper report. Argentina's Clarin reported Sunday that the neighboring countries would form a binational company to build a submarine using Argentine experience in making the kind of compact reactor that could power the vessel. Brazil, it added, would provide nuclear fuel and «the non-nuclear parts of the submarine,» like the hull. Clarin attributed its information to Brazilian Defense Minister, Nelson Jobim. «A joint Brazil-Argentina project for the building of a nuclear submarine is something that is not being discussed,» said Defense Ministry spokesman Jose Ramos. «The reporter apparently misunderstood the minister. «There are plans to create a binational company to produce compact reactors to generate energy,» he added. In Argentina, a Defense Ministry spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said Monday the countries had agreed to coordinate efforts to produce compact nuclear reactors but had not reached agreement on building a nuclear submarine. Brazil began a project to build a nuclear submarine in 1979 and is still working on developing the reactor to power it. Last July, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced US$540 million (¤364 million) in new funding for the program and for existing uranium enrichment efforts. Earlier this month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France was willing to give Brazil the technology needed to build the Scorpene conventional attack submarine Brazil says it will use the Scorpene as a model for the development of its nuclear submarine that would be the first in Latin America. Source : PR-Inside

Sagarika’ test-firing

Underwater missile “Sagarika” was test-fired from a submerged pontoon off the coast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning. The pontoon simulated the conditions of a submarine. The test-firing was a forerunner to the launch of the missile from a submarine in a few years from now, and later from the indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine, which is Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide Page 14 2/27/2008

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 under development. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been developing the missile for about 14 years. If the test-firing is successful, it will place India in the select league of Russia, the U.S., France, the U.K. and China, which have missiles that could be launched from submarines. “Sagarika,” which has a range in excess of 700 km, is about 6.5 metres long and weighs about seven tonnes. Powered by solid propellants, it has a booster that will propel it into the air from underwater. Another booster will ignite it in the air and carry it over a distance of more than 700 km. The missile, which can carry a payload of 500 to 600 kg, is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. A successful test-firing of ‘Sagarika’ will complete the triad of the country’s minimum, credible nuclear deterrence from land, air and sea. Source : The Hindu

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Navy ships in record drugs haul

COALITION warships have made the biggest drugs bust in the northern Arabian Gulf area of operations since 2005, US navy officials said yesterday. Around 4.3 tonnes of hashish was recovered from a Pakistan-registered fishing dhow last Monday. The following day another fishing vessel, carrying more than 10,000 bottles of alcohol, was intercepted. Naval authorities arrested crews of both dhows and took them to Pakistan for questioning. The news emerged as Pakistani naval authorities handed over to France control of a multinational taskforce that patrols the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Pakistani Commodore Khan Hasham bin Saddique handed over responsibility for Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) to French Navy Rear Admiral Jean Kerignard. The change of command ceremony took place aboard Pakistan Naval Ship Tippu Sultan, which was docked at Mina Salman. CTF 150 co-ordinates patrols to help commercial shipping and fishing operate safely in the region. Under Commodore Bin Saddique's command, CTF 150 ships made 11 successful sea rescues in addition to the drug busts in its area of operations since 2005. Source : gulf-daily-news

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Three Russian warships to be made for India by 2012

Three Russian warships will be made for India by April 2012, top officials of the Yantar (Amber) Shipyard in Kaliningrad in Russia's Baltic enclave, have said.

The RIA Novosti news agency quoted project manager Viktor Bashanin as saying that the first warship's three-section hull would be completed this April and transferred to an open slipway in order to make room for the second frigate. The keel of the third frigate will be laid on May 27, 2008. The workers believe that 27 is their lucky number because the shipyard laid the keel of the first frigate on July 27, 2007 and construction of the second warship began on November 27. Source : dailyindia.com

Naval 'blunder' causing a stir in Japan

Japan's opposition on Tuesday renewed demands for snap elections, accusing the defence minister of covering up information about a collision between the country's newest and largest destroyer and a fishing boat. The Atago, which is equipped with the state-of-the-art Aegis radar weapons system and is seen as a front line defence against North Korea, crashed last week into the small tuna boat off the Pacific coast. A 58-year-old fisherman and his 23-year-old son are still missing. The opposition, which controls one house of parliament, accused Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba of failing to give correct information on the accident. 'Japan needs a change of the government'

"Human beings sometimes commit mistakes," main opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa told reporters. "But in a case like this accident, such conduct of trying to hide one's mistakes is even worse and should be condemned," he said. Ozawa vowed to hold up parliamentary proceedings. "There's no way that we will discuss the budget and other bills without touching on the corrupt situation at the defence ministry," he said. "Japan needs a change of the government to prevent this kind of corruption," he said. Defence ministry officials initially told the media that the Atago spotted the fishing vessel two minutes before the crash, not giving enough time to stop. But a day later, officials said the destroyer noticed the boat 12 minutes before, raising questions about whether initial press conferences gave correct information. Ishiba later faulted the naval crew, who had turned on the auto-pilot as the ship returned to Japan from Hawaii. He denied any cover-up. "There's nothing we would gain by concealing facts. The defence ministry isn't that kind of place," he told a parliamentary committee. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has backed Ishiba from earlier opposition calls to resign and has refused to order an election at least until Japan hosts the Group of Eight summit of major industrial nations in July. But the premier has faced a public backlash, with a weekend survey showing approval for the government falling below 30 percent for the first time since Fukuda replaced the beleaguered Shinzo Abe in September. Source : iol.co.za

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US Navy prepares USS New Mexico At a cost of $2 billion, the USS New Mexico will become the Navy’s newest nuclear submarine. The Virginia-class submarine is under construction in Newport News, Virginia. The submarine will look similar to the USS Texas. The Navy says they won’t release pictures or video of the New Mexico for security reasons. The submarine will be equipped with torpedoes and tomahawk missiles, and even two native New Mexicans. "I'm really honored to get to serve on the New Mexico and it gets me the chance to get and reconnect with some ties back in the state," said Commanding Officer Robert Dain. Petty Officer Kyle Decker of Aztec also shared in the enthusiasm. "I'm very thrilled to go out, very thrilled to be able to weave that blanket of freedom one stitch at a time," he said. The USS New Mexico is about 50 percent complete. It is scheduled to be a commissioned vessel in the U.S. Navy in 2010. Source : kob.com

India-Russia talks on INS Vikramaditya to continue next month news

India and Russia may have moved some way towards settling the cost escalation issue on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (ex-Admiral Gorshkov) during the course of a visit of a high-level Indian defence delegation to Moscow. Reports in the Russian media suggest that though some progress may have been made, discussions are likely to continue next month. The Indian delegation, led by defence secretary, Vijay Singh, also made an inspection visit to the carrier to physically verify the additional refit work that is required to be done on the carrier, as claimed by Moscow. The five-day visit of the delegation concluded on Sunday. In his talks with Russian energy and industries minister, Viktor Khristenko, and other senior officials, Singh was apparently assured that Moscow was making great efforts to contain the situation. The Russians claim that a lot of extra work and resources were required by the Sevmash Shipyard that was handling the refit contract and that new technical parameters had resulted in cost escalations, which exceeded the initial $700 million agreed upon in the initial contract. Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 According to reports, the Indian side has agreed with the Russian assessment and may now be willing to fork out the extra sums being asked for. As per the original contract signed in 2004, the 45,000 tonne displacement carrier was to be delivered by August this year. However, the Russians have expressed their inability to deliver the ship on the original financial terms, and time schedule, and are now demanding an additional $1.2 billion for completing the refit. The delivery period has also been extended into the 2012-13 time frame. Source : domain-b.com

MacGregor awarded $20 million Navy contract

MacGregor is to design, build and test the Test Article Vehicle Transfer System (TAVTS) as part of the U.S. Navy's 'Sea Base' plan supporting Army and Marine Corps land forces The TAVTS is intended to allow large vehicles to pass from a Large Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) ship to a Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ship. "MacGREGOR has been working with this project for three years, and this award shows the confidence our customer has in our technical expertise and know-how," says Goeran Hugon, Sales Manager at MacGregor. "We understand naval procedure and our quality control program meets with the demanding requirements of the world's navies." "The prototype solution we have been awarded is part of the concept which is critical to the development of the Sea Base plan to field large logistics ships supporting Army and Marine Corps land forces." says Hugon. "MacGregor's delivery includes a self-deploying ramp system on the MLP surrogate and a self-deploying side port platform on the LMSR ship. Delivery of the system is set to complete by November 2009. " The contract value is approximately $20 million. Source : MarineLog

MSDF ships to start keeping radar records

The recent collision between a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer and a fishing boat has prompted the Defense Ministry to begin preparations for requiring in principle that MSDF vessels keep radar records, a measure not previously taken, sources said Monday.

The reason for the move is that the lack of records in the recent accident have made it difficult to determine how the collision came about. Under the Law for the Safety of Vessels, civilian ships of more than 3,000 tons are required to keep radar records, but MSDF ships are exempt from such a requirement. The sort of radar system with which MSDF vessels are currently equipped can detect and track other craft cruising in the area around the ship, but a computer device has to be activated to store records of radar activity. Currently, the MSDF does not have clear criteria requiring its vessels to store records and only records of inspections, ships' performances in drills and exercises, and maintenance and repair procedures are kept. The ministry plans to require MSDF vessels to retain a record of all radar activity and will gradually move to install storage devices on ships that are not so equipped Source : The Yomiuri Shimbun

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SHIPYARD NEWS

The "RT Margo" (Hull Nr. 820), seen getting launched Monday January 25th at the ASL Shipyard in Singapore Photo : Paul Firet ©

Yantai Raffles delivers accommodation barge

Singapore-headquartered Yantai Raffles Shipyard reports that its Yantai, Shandong Province, China, yard has delivered a 350-man Work Accommodation Barge, to Norway-based Marine Subsea AS ("Marine Subsea"). Intended for the support of offshore activities, the barge is built to ABS Class + A1 requirements. With an overall length of 102 m and overall width of 30 m, the barge, named African Caribe, is equipped with a 150 metric ton crawler crane. Yantai Raffles is expected to deliver a second unit for up to 400 persons to Marine Subsea before the end of 2008. Source : Yantai Raffles

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Sevmash to Continue to Build Chemical Tankers

Sevmash will continue to build chemical tankers dumped by Odfjell, work on the ships has not been stopped and continues at the present moment, the press-service of Russian company reports. Sevmash intends to sell the ships at market price to claw back expenses. It should be pointed out that earlier Norwegian tanker operator Odfjell announced that it had decided to cancel contracts with Russian Sevmash shipyard for up to 12 IMO type II 45,000 dwt coated product and chemical carriers. The reasons for the cancellation are serious delays in the construction process, demands for further price increases from the yard and continuous cooperation problems. According to the press-service of Sevmash, the claims of willful delay of contract implementation are surprising. Sevmash categorically denies them and states that it diligently fulfilled the contract obligation to construct the ships. It is said that the yard claimed a clause in the contract stipulating the use of 2004 prices all through the period of construction had caused a shortage of funds. Negotiations on a fair price were held in vain, it added.

The contract on building the takers was closed with Odfjell ASA in November 20004. The head vessel was laid in December 2005. The technical data of a tanker of b-668 project: the length – 182.72 m, the breadth – 32.2 m, the hull height – 18.35 m, the deadweight – 45 thousand tons. Source : SeaNews

New Ship for Novoship

On February, 22 SLS Shipbuilding Co.Ltd (Republic of Korea ) launched the third in a series of product vessels for Novoship. According to the press-service of the Russian company, the vessel of 40 thousand tons deadweight was named “NS POINT”. The vessel is being built in the framework of Novoship’s program of fleet renewal. Source : SeaNews

Dertig meter boot van Urk naar Papendrecht

Scheepswerf Balk op Urk laat donderdag zien waar het bedrijf sinds september vorig jaar druk mee is geweest: het maken van een dertig meter lange opbouw.

Die wordt donderdag uit de werf gehaald. De aluminium opbouw, die twaalf meter breed en vier meter hoog is, gaat donderdag op een ponton en wordt naar een scheepswerf in Papendrecht gevaren. In Papendrecht ligt het casco van de 65 meter lange motorboot waarvoor de opbouw bedoeld is. "Dit is pas het eerste gedeelte", zegt Bernard de Lange van scheepswerf Balk. "We maken nog zo'n stuk, we kunnen zoiets niet in een keer bouwen.De hele opbouw wordt 55 meter lang." Het tweede gedeelte moet in april klaar zijn. Er wordt op meerdere plekken tegelijk gebouwd om de boot zo snel mogelijk klaar te hebben. "Een laag komt uit Makkum en een andere uit Leiden", aldus De Lange. Een speciaal voor deze klus ingehuurde hijskraan zal het dertig meter lange gevaarte donderdag aan het eind van de ochtend overzetten van de werf naar het ponton. "Het is de eerste keer dat we een opbouw maken van deze omvang", aldus De Lange. "Maar we hebben al wel aanvragen binnen om er meer te maken." Bron : De Stentor

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ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

The brand new Singapore flagged KOTA RAHMAT seen moored in Hodeidah port in Yemen during her maiden voyage. Photo : Edwin Wiegers © The KOTA RAHMAT is delivered by the builders Shin Kochi Heavy Industries from Kochi (Japan) during January 2008, where she was built under yard number 7211, the full cellular containership is having a length of 145.9 mtr and beam of 22.6 mtr and the vessel is owned by Pacific International lines form Singapore and is having a DWT of 14546 ton

NEW TUGS FOR DUTCH INTERNATIONAL TOWAGE COMPANY

Recently Landfall Transport & Towage bv and Neptune Marine Services bv have joint their forces in the field of international (deep)seatowage and offshore activities. This joint-venture is materialized in the recent purchase of the following new seagoing tugs: Anchorhandling tug "NEPTUN 9", 2.150 kW = 3.200 HP 42 ton bollard pull Anchorhandling tug "NEPTUNE MARINER", 2.234 kW = 3.350 HP 43 ton bollard pull Further details of the tugs, which both meanwhile departed from China to Rotterdam, each with a single tow of a Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 newbuilding hull of 140 x 20 mtrs. can be obtained from via Landfall transport Arrival in Rotterdam is expected at the end of March, respectively mid April 2008, whereafter both tugs are available for their next international deepseatowages and/or time-charters. If required, both tugs can also be offered in combination with seagoing flattop-barges and/or other "auxiliary crafts" of Neptune Marine Service. Later this year and early next year another two almost identical tugs will follow, named "Neptune Mate" (36 metres - ± 50 tons) and "Neptune Master" (40 metres - ± 60 tons). The tugs are operated in a new company, named Dutch International Towage Company b.v., for which the commercial and operational management will be performed by "Landfall" Transport & Towage bv Landfall Transport & Towage bv Prinsenweer 25, 3363JK SLIEDRECHT, the Netherlands Telephone 0031-0184-423440/416314 - Telefax 0031-0184-423440 E-mail address : [email protected] Website : http://www.landfall.nl

WIND ANNOUNCES NEW NAME AND INDENTITY May we take some of your time to look at www.wind.nl/introduction_WIND (nicer with sound)

Jan Wind Shipping verder onder nieuwe naam WIND Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 Jan Wind Shipping, opgericht in 1990 onder de bezielende leiding van eigenaar/ kapitein Jan Wind, lanceerde 26 februarie haar nieuwe bedrijfsnaam. Het scheepvaartbedrijf is in de loop der jaren uitgegroeid tot een professionele, flexibele organisatie, zonder de passie voor de zeevaart te verliezen. Vanuit Alkmaar beheert men het technische, commerciele en operationele management van haar vier schepen (1,500 – 3,000 ton) in nauwe samenwerking met de kapitein-eigenaren. Vanwege de groei en het doel om het bedrijf verder te professionaliseren, is gekozen voor de nieuwe bedrijfsnaam WIND. Gekoppeld aan de nieuwe bedrijfsnaam wordt ook de vernieuwde website www.wind.nl gelanceerd. De organisatie blijft overigens onveranderd, waarbij de dagelijkse leiding nog steeds in handen is van Jan Wind en zakenpartner Robbert van Diepen. Samen met hun vijf medewerkers blijven zij opereren vanuit het kantoor in het centrum van Alkmaar, in het ‘Scheepvaarthuis’ aan de Oudegracht. Momenteel bezit WIND vier klassieke coasters variërend van 1,500 tot 3,000 ton. Zij specialiseren zich in projectladingen die wereldwijd worden vervoerd. Een belangrijke tak van de organisatie richt zich op het vervoer van kabels, waarbij WIND zich heeft weten te specialiseren in op maat gemaakte inbouw van kabeltanks. Deze ladingen worden vervoerd met eigen schepen, maar voortdurend worden ook andere schepen gecharterd voor de meest uiteenlopende projecten. Twee schepen uit de vloot, mv Aniek en mv Layla, zijn de afgelopen maanden compleet onder handen genomen en gerenoveerd. Zij zullen respectievelijk in maart en april van dit jaar weer in de vaart gaan. Samen met de mv Lida en mv Suzie Q bieden zij WIND dan de mogelijkheid hun gespecialiseerde activiteiten verder uit te bouwen.

SENATE BODY CALLS TO REMOVE HURDLES IN GWADAR PORT’S WAY

All hurdles in the way of Gwadar should be immediately removed to make the port a regional hub. This stance was taken by the Senate Standing Committee, which met on Monday with Mrs Ghulshan Saeed in the Chair.

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 The committee expressed concern over the delay which was holding the operation of Gwadar port. It called for full road and rail facilities to connect the port with rest of the country, as well as provide access to Central Asian Republic States and China etc. In the view of Members, developed road and railway links would help generate business and improve socio- economic life of the people in Pakistan as well as neighbouring countries. Though the Gwadar Port project was assigned to the Port of Singapore Authority through an agreement. The company had been rather tardy in carrying out developments. A three-member Sub-committee consisting of Senators Dr Abdul Malik, Syed Javed Ali Shah and Dr Mohammad Ismail Buledi was constituted to look in to delay holding up the progress. The committee also noticed that electricity had not been provided and therefore, charged the Ports and Shipping Ministry to look into these issues. It also directed senior officials of the National Highway Authority, Railways and electricity to appear in its next meeting of the Committee to explain delay in providing road network, Railway link and power supply to the Port. In this regard the committee also opposed the proposal to recruit more personnel in the Port because in its view it would be a burden on the national exchequer. Chairman Gwadar Port Authority, Rear Admiral M Ehsan Saeed, gave a briefing to the committee in which he said port infrastructure has been completed and work on housing complex was also in progress. Several other projects for eg Gwadar Port civic centre, east bay express way, land acquisitions for the free zone and the Mullaband area were under consideration Ms Saadia Abbasi, Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf (Retd), Ahmed Ali, Syed Javed Ali Shah, Dr Muhammad Ismail Buledi, Dr Abdul Malik and Fahim Ansari, Minister for Ports and Shipping, were present in the meeting. Source : Imran Farooq

CMA CGM expands with two new cruise ships

French shipping company CMA CGM, the world’s third largest container shipping line behind Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), is extending its position in the cruise business with two luxury cruise ships for delivery in 2010.

CMA CGM signed a memorandum of understanding this month with Italy’s Fincantieri shipyards for two ‘luxuriously intimate cruise ships’ which will be operated by the group’s subsidiary Compagnie des Iles du Ponant (Ponant Cruises) and specialising in ‘cultural enrichment and discovery cruises’. The two cruise ships are described as mega-yachts of 140m length that will each accommodate a limited number of guests – 130 outside cabins and suites of which 75 percent will have balconies. The ships will be equipped with the latest advances in environmental protection including a dynamic positioning system that enables them to avoid damaging the sea floor during mooring. As new additions to the existing Ponant fleet (the other ships are Le Ponant, Le Levant, and Le Diamant), the new ships will offer a unique cruise experience and first-class quality service sailing to uncommon destinations, says CMA CGM. Guests will be able to take advantage of theme cruises as well as adventure itineraries in a highly personal setting designed to pamper passengers. The two ships will operate in new geographic areas for the line. The first will sail to Asia (China, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia), Alaska, Polynesia and Oceania, while the second ship will travel to South America, including Antarctica, and the Mediterranean. Because of their size both ships will be able to visit quaint harbours and destinations inaccessible to larger cruise ships. Source : ports.co.za

Stena staakt dienst op Lübeck wegens stakingen Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 Stena Line heeft besloten tot nader order de dienst tussen Lübeck en Travemünde niet meer uit te voeren. Het besluit viel nadat de haven van Lübeck door een nieuwe 'Warnstreik' was getroffen. Het personeel van de Lübecker HafenGesellschaft, het havenbedrijf van de Noord-Duitse stad, vecht een arbeidsconflict uit met de directie. De twee ferry's die Stena in de Lübeck-dienst inzette, worden overgeheveld naar Kiel, waar ze de terminal op de oostoever aanlopen. Stena beschikt in Kiel al over twee andere schepen, die worden ingezet op Göteborg. Bron : Nieuwsblad Transport

www.tos.nl

TOS Rotterdam (+31)10 – 436 62 93

E-Mail [email protected]

New multi-purpose service to be launched on Canada, US, Southern Africa route

Mid March will see the launch by Commonwealth Independent States Navigation Inc of a monthly multi-purpose service between Canada, United States and Southern Africa.

Operating as Canada States Africa Line (CSAL), the service will be inaugurated with the sailing of the Atlantic Impala from Montreal next month. Photo : Ian Shiffman © The line will operate two Astrakhan Mark III multipurpose vessels with a third to be deployed in September this year. Mitchell Cotts Maritime are the local agents. Source : cargoinfo

Cape Town readies to sail oil rig

Port authorities at Cape Town have advised that the oil rig PRIDE SOUTH SEAS was expected to sail Wednesday, 27 February, weather permitting. According to harbourmaster Captain DD Naicker shipping delays will be kept to a minimum during the sailing of the rig, which has been in Cape Town for repairs and maintenance. In other port news from Durban, the bunker barge BLACK EGRET operated by KZN Oils remains fully operational but suspended pending SAPREF approval. The suspension relates to a problem that arose with the building up of pressure in the barge’s tanks, which increased the risk of spillages. The tanks have had to be vented, declared gas free and inspected. One theory as to the cause of the problem looks at the method of loading in which air pockets were created causing a build up of pressure and increased danger of spillage. As a result less cargo will in future be carried and gauging systems altered accordingly. Source : ports.co.za

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FUGRO’s GEO BALTIC seen arriving in IJmuiden. Photo : Joop Marechal © The GEO BALTIC is built as the JOHAN NORDENANKAR during 1980 at the Falkenberg Verv AB in Falkenberg under yard number 176, in 1998 the 73 mtr long and 2571 DWT survey / research vessel was sold and renamed in GEO BALTIC , the vessel is flying the Marshall Islands flag and the homeport is Majuro.

Indonesian navy ferries passengers amid poor weather

The Indonesian navy has dispatched a ship to ferry passengers and cargo to and from an island off Java which has been isolated by weeks of bad weather and high seas, a navy spokesman said yesterday. The KRI Sampit was sent to Gresik port on Indonesia's main island of Java on Saturday to collect 600 passengers heading for Bawean island, about 80 kilometres north, eastern fleet spokesman Toni Syaiful said. 'They had been stranded in Gresik for almost two weeks because no ship dared to sail to Bawean,' he said, referring to wild weather that has been keeping ships, including cargo boats carrying essential supplies, at port. The ship picked up about 800 people from Bawean, which has a population of about 70,000, for the return trip on Sunday, he added. Rough seas across the Indonesian archipelago have forced fishing ships to halt operations and also disrupted the coal supply lane between densely populated Java and coal-producing areas on Sumatra and Kalimantan islands. The disruption has caused power cuts on Java as well as the island of Bali, reports have said. Source : AFP

Norwegian offshore vessels operator Havila Shipping ASA orders new IRM vessel from Havyard Leirvik Norwegian offshore vessels operator Havila Shipping ASA said on Tuesday (26 February) that it has awarded the Norwegian shipyard Havyard Leirvik a newbuilding contract for an offshore inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) vessel. Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide Page 26 2/27/2008

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The new vessel, designated Havyard 855, is developed by Havyard Maritime in close cooperation with Havila Shipping. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2010. The contract price of NOK700m includes the delivery of a crane. Havila Shipping, headquartered in Fosnavaag in Norway, provides maritime support functions for the offshore oil and gas industry. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and traded under the ticker HAVI. One British pound (GBP) is worth approximately 10.46 Norwegian kroner (NOK). Source : tradingmarkets

Odfjell Expands in Brazil

In 1999 Odfjell entered into a 50% ownership in Flumar Transportes de Quimicos e Gases Ltda (Flumar) in Brazil. Flumar, headquartered in Sao Paulo, is a 50/50 joint-venture between Odfjell SE and Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skibsrederi (KGJS), both in Bergen, Norway. KGJS and Odfjell have entered into an agreement whereby Odfjell acquires 100% of Flumar. The transaction comprises contracts and ownership of four ships, which are transporting chemicals primarily along the Brazilian coast, where local flag is a requirement. The agreed total price for the four ships on a 100% basis is about USD 50 million. Odfjell's shipping activities in Brazil have increased substantially over the last years, and the acquisition of 100% of Flumar will further strengthen our position in this important regional market. Source : MarineLink

The WESER STAHL seen departing from Rotterdam-Europoort Photo : Mark Popken © The 192 mtr long bulk carrier WESER STAHL (Call sign P3LS8) is built in 1999 at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd in Ulsan (Korea) under yard number 9709, and is measuring a DWT of 47257 ton and is flying the Cyprus flag and is homeported Limassol.

Celebrity Cruises Orders Solstice-Class Ship

Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, has ordered a fifth big cruise liner from Meyer Werft in Papenburg. The previous contracts for four ships of the Solstice class are now followed by a pre-contract for the construction of a fifth cruise ship. Delivery of the fifth ship is scheduled for the autumn of 2012. The first ship of this class, the Celebrity Solstice, will be delivered in the autumn this year. The other ships will follow at one-year intervals each.

The 122,000-gt ships for Celebrity Cruises will have a length overall of 315 m and a breadth of 36.8 m. 2,850 passengers will be accommodated in 1,425 cabins. All standard cabins will offer more space than is usual for this type. Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 057 More than 90% of all cabins are outside cabins, 90% of which have their own balconies. Other architectural highlights of the new ship will be the Lawn Club featuring natural lawn, the Corning Museum of Glass where the art of glassblowing is presented, and a couple of different restaurants. Meyer Werft already built five cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises in the early and mid-1990s. Source : MarineLink

Rem Offshore sells vessel under construction

Rem Offshore has entered into an agreement to sell a ship under construction at Aker Yards ASA - Aukra.

The ship is of the UT755 LN design with delivery in June 2008. This will give the company a booked profit of approximately NKr23 mill, and a net cash of approximately NKr 112 mill. The delivery of the ship to the buyer, as yet unnamed, will take place after commissioning from yard. Source : Offshore Shipping Online

Wilh. Wilhelmsen and Wallenius place large newbuilding orders

Wilh. Wilhelmsen and Wallenius Lines have agreed with Hyundai Heavy Industries to build four new large car and truck carriers (LCTC). In addition, WW and OW have also agreed with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering for the building of four LCTCs. The LCTCs will be deployed in WW and OW’s joint venture Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics' global trade. The vessels will be 228 meters long and have a car carrying capacity of 8 000 units. The vessels will have the latest design, to meet the service and cargo requirements of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics' customers. Seven of the vessels will be delivered in 2011 and one will be delivered in 2012. Having environment as a top priority, the vessels will have environment-friendly technology, reducing emissions to the air and to the sea. WW and OW will own four vessels each. “These contracts are true to our strategy of strengthening our unique market position through the building of advanced vessels specially designed to meet our customers’ needs”, says group chief executive Ingar Skaug at WW. “The orders will contribute to meet our continuous need to expand the fleet and also to secure our position in emerging markets.” Source : MarineNorway In order to ensure new and modern tonnage, WW and OW are pursuing an extensive newbuilding programme. The order book for the group of companies currently comprises some 45 vessels to be delivered through 2012.

Swire Pacific Offshore orders more anchor handlers

Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) has signed an agreement with Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard, Qingdao, China, to build eight new 'P' Class anchor handers for delivery in 2010 and 2011. The agreement was signed on January 24th 2008 by SPO's Managing Director, J B Rae-Smith and the President of Qingdao Qianjin Shipyard, Ming Shiwei, and is the first time that SPO has placed an order with a shipyard in mainland China. The new vessels will be of IMT957 design, developed by IMT Marine Consultants Ltd in collaboration with Swire Pacific Offshore. The vessels will be 57m long, with a bollard pull of 60 tonnes and are scheduled for delivery in pairs at fourmonth intervals. The first pair of vessels of this design is expected to be delivered in August 2010. Source : Offshore Shipping Online Distribution : daily 3850+ copies worldwide

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Finstaship to Spin-Off Multipurpose Icebreakers

Finland’s Finstaship is planning to spin-off its multipurpose icebreakers to raise money for fleet expansion, TradeWinds reports. It is said that the state-owned shipping company is going to form a separate company for the three units, which can also be used for offshore oil and gas operations. The vessels brought in much of the owner’s 6 mn euros ($8.88 mn) profit in 2007, as a warmer winter meant less work for its non-multipurpose icebreakers. The company has 30 ships, including small ferries. Source : SeaNews

MOVEMENTS

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 GUARD ALETTA seen moored in the port of IJmuiden Photo : Joop Marechal © The 49,7 MTR GUARD ALETA is built in 1973 at the Rosslauer Schiffswerft GmbH (RSW) in Rosslau under the name JOKAR, in continuation the vessel sailed under the following names : GULLFYK, NES TRADER, NAFJORD, BLACK ICE, BLACK ISLE, VIKING VALIANT and since 2001 as GUARD ALETA, the Stand-by safety vessel is owned by Tananger Offshore AS and measures 1099 DWT and is flying the St. Vincent & Grenadines flag

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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

Spotted in Fort Lauderdale again a familiar silhouette, seen recently in Willemstad (Curacao) by Kees Bustraan named DOLCE FAR NIENTE, now seen without any name, the former SMIT tug is the sister vessel of the ELBE, named the CLYDE, built in 1957 at the IHC yard under number 858, the tug sailed under her original name CLYDE until 1973 when the 58 mtr long tug was renamed in SMIT SALVOR and took salvage station Port Royal at Jamaica where the salvage tug assisted in a lot of salvage cases, when in 1978 the “new” SMIT SALVOR took over the salvage station the tug was sold to Lucas Matsas and renamed in MATSAS SALVOR, who operated the tug until 1991 when she was converted into a ocean going yacht and renamed SEAWOLFE, the vessel sailed under this name until 1999, then she got her original name CLYDE back again until 2004 ( name was never painted on the hull, most probably only for the paper works during the large conversion ) when she got the name SEAWOLFE C until early 2006 when the former tug was renamed in DOLCE FAR NIENTE, as it looks at the photo, she will get a new name soon again !! Photo : Jose Leder ©

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