DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – …newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/pdf/2009/208-31-07-2009.pdfare being taken off the vessel and arrangements made for an alternate

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 208

Distribution : daily 9325+ copies worldwide Page 1 www.maasmondmaritime.com/Inschrijven.aspx

Number 208 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Friday 31-07-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

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

www : www.svitzer-coess.com

Above seen the last hours of the IOANNIS NK off the South African coast

Photo’s : South African Airforce



IN MEMORIAM Yesterday I received the sad news that

CAPT. HERMAN VAN OOSTERHOUT Passed away last Sunday.

Herman joined Smit when he was 15 years old at the seagoing tugs, changed to the harbour tugs until 1992 when he started all kind of jobs until he started in 1995 sailing via TOS at the tugs of FAIRPLAY towage in Rotterdam, Herman was one of the captains from the beginning of TOS and

Fairplay harbour tugs.

Herman was very loyal to the company, he became sick during 2007 and lost the battle last Sunday at the age of 59 years.

The cremation ceremony will take place today in Schiedam

Photo : Willem Kruit (c)

On behalf of all the readers of the newsclippings I would like to wish Herman’s wife Gerda, other family members, relatives and friends al the strength they need to cope with this loss

**** HERMAN REST IN PEACE ****



EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The MAERSK BRISTOL seen at the Westerscheldt River Photo : Alain Dooms – www.tugspotters.com ©

Fire Hits Marine Atlantic Ferry Marine Atlantic has confirmed a fire on board the Atlantic Vision. Marine Atlantic spokesperson Tara Laing says the vessel left North Sydney at 6 a.m. local time and was forced to turn back after fire was discovered in the thermal heating unit around 7:05 Newfoundland time. Laing says the fire was contained to the machinery and there were no injuries. The Atlantic Vision arrived back in North Sydney at approximately 9:30 Newfoundland time and passengers are being taken off the vessel and arrangements made for an alternate vessel to resume the trip.

Busy first half for pirates in region Successful attacks up by 2 at 38 but total incidents fall to 43

THE first half of the year was a busy time for pirates in the region, with an apparent shift in focus as incidents declined in Bangladesh, India and Indonesia and rose in the South China Sea and Strait of Malacca as well as ports and anchorages in Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. While the total number of incidents fell to 43 from a year ago, the number of successful attacks rose by two to 38, according to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre's latest half-year report. The seriousness of the attacks has also increased with a rise in the number of Category 2 or moderately significant attacks. These more than doubled to 16 from seven in the first half of 2008. The more serious incidents have tended to occur with vessels underway with 14 taking place on vessels at sea compared to just two on ships berthed or at anchor. Most of these incidents occurred in the South China China Sea off Malaysia's Pulau Aur and the straits of Malacca and Singapore. The preferred target has been tugboats and tankers. The former tends to be attacked while underway as they are vulnerable due to their slow speed and lack of manoeuvrability while engaging in towing operations, low freeboard and generally smaller crew numbers. The latter, meanwhile, is usually attacked by opportunistic petty thieves at remote berths and anchorages where they may spend relatively longer periods of time loading or discharging cargo with less crew onboard. Of the 43 incidents overall, 11 were on tankers, nine on container ships and eight each on tugs and bulk carriers respectively. Nine of the 11 incidents involving tankers were in ports and anchorages of Kakinada and Kochi in India, Sandakan in East Malaysia, Balongan and Jakarta anchorages in Indonesia and Vung Tau anchorage in Vietnam. They were all Cat 3 or less



significant incidents. The remaining two incidents took place off Mangkai Light and Pulau Damar in the South China Sea and both were Cat 2 incidents. The weather appears to have played a major part in the nature of the attacks in the region. Most of the in-port attacks occurred in South Asian ports where the monsoon is in full swing and robbers have taken advantage of reduced visibility during stormy weather to board ships and steal stores. The attacks in the South China Sea, however, have all been on vessels underway, suggesting that the pirates are taking advantage of the relatively better weather and calmer seas to maximise their attacks. Notably, four attacks on consecutive days took place between June 25 and June 28 in roughly the same area off Mangkai Light and moving progressively southwards. In all, a total of 11 incidents have been reported in the area in the first half compared to just four in the same period last year. ReCAAP noted a similarity in the pattern of attacks last year and in the first half of this year. Of the four incidents in 2008, there was one each in April, June, September and October while there were no attacks during November to March. Most of the attacks were Category 2 incidents with the pirates making off with crew valuables such as laptops, mobile phones and cash. 'Although not conclusive, the mode of operations in the various incidents suggest that the same gang of pirates/robbers may be involved,' it said. The range of vessels attacked suggests that the pirates are area-dependent and opportunistic and likely operating in the cross-border fringe judging from the use of Bahasa Indonesia as noted by crew members of attacked vessels. Source : Businesstimes

The ALIANCA INCA seen ariving in Willemstad (Curacao) – Photo : Kees Bustraan (c)

For those of you who haven’t seen this, here is a link to a pretty cool video put together by Jon Kane based on footage he took of the Intrepid tow. Enjoy.

http://vimeo.com/5698852



The BOS AZRINA is the former SMIT LLOYD 106 Photo : Capt. Jelle de Vries (c)

Shock as B.C. Ferries' boss $1-million salary revealed

Transportation Minister Shirley Bond was told that B.C. Ferries boss David Hahn's compensation package was more than $1 million "probably two or three weeks ago." But Bond said Wednesday she couldn't disclose that information — and that it wasn't why she and Finance Minister Colin Hansen suddenly announced a sweeping review of B.C. Ferries and TransLink this week.



The review will look at how the two services are performing and what they're paying their top bosses. It was announced just a day before a report from the Canadian Security Administrators revealed the lucrative compensation given to Hahn, his top five administrators and the board of B.C. Ferries. "The discussion about the review had already taken place," said Bond. "I was doing a series of stakeholder meetings, as I do, as the new minister. The chair of the board in the discussion indicated they would be forced to disclose David Hahn's salary as a result of the bond offering they were involved in. "I am not in a position to disclose David Hahn's salary. That is a responsibility that's up to the board of B.C. Ferries." Source : theprovince.com

Bond called Hahn's deal "shocking." "That's a very large number," said Bond. "I think it is shocking for people to hear that the CEO of B.C. Ferries makes that salary." The situation was more than shocking for MLA Gary Coons [North Coast], NDP ferry critic. "I think it's outrageous as we see ferry fares skyrocketing, we're seeing service levels cut, we're seeing the sustainability of ferry-dependent communities [threatened] with loss of tourism and businesses going bust," said Coons. The report pegged Hahn's salary, bonuses and benefits at a total of $1,034,680 for the fiscal year ending March 31. Executive vice-presidents Michael Corrigan, Glen Schwartz, Robert Clarke and Capt. Trafford Taylor had compensation packages for the same period that ranged from $485,509 to $561,747. None of that information had surfaced previously and Coons called for a return to more accountability for B.C. Ferries, which is a private company that he said has one shareholder — Finance Minister Colin Hansen, representing the taxpayers who fund the ferries to the tune of $170 million annually. But there's unlikely to be changes to B.C. Ferries' quasi-private company status. "At this point, we're not contemplating moving away from an independent entity," said Bond. "That's not the point of the review." Hahn was measured in response to his salary being revealed. He pointed out that his compensation was set by the board of directors in conjunction with Hewitt Associates, which compared the company to more than 90 Canadian companies. "I think you have to go back through what was here at the time [when he was hired in 2003] and what had to be accomplished," said Hahn. "This place was a pretty big mess, to say the least." Hahn feels he's done much of what he was hired to do: bring in new ships and improve finances, labour relations and operating performance Source : The Province

Armed bandits raid Amazon River cruise ship carrying Americans

Industry watcher Travel Weekly is reporting that armed bandits on Sunday raided a small luxury ship that operates $5,000-per-person cruises on the Amazon River. The news outlet says Aqua Expeditions' Aqua, a well-known luxury vessel that has won rave reviews since debuting on the river early last year, was boarded Sunday by six armed bandits who robbed passengers of money and valuables. Travel Weekly says there were 24 passengers, including six Americans, on board at the time of the incident, and nobody was hurt. The news outlet says the 130-foot-long ship was returning to a port Monday where passengers were to leave the vessel. It says the company is promising passengers a full refund.



The Aqua sails three-, four- and seven-night expeditions on the Amazon River year-round that start at $700 per person per day. It was on a seven-night trip at the time of the attack. Source : usatoday.com

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]

ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ? PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE :

WWW.MAASMONDMARITIME.COMAND REGISTER FOR FREE !

Pirates Release, Cargo Owner Arrests General cargo vessel "Lehmann Timber", which was captured by pirates in May, 2008, is under detention at Dordrecht as a result of the hijacking. The vessel was released in July, 2008, with its cargo of steel products from China. The cargo consisted of hatches for the Wadan Yard in Warnemunde and steel rolls for a Russian company in St. Petersburg. The hatches were delivered at Warnemunde according to international insurance rules in cases of piracy. However, as the Russian owner of the steel rolls refused to pay his part of the ransom, the cargo was not delivered at St. Petersburg but stored in Finland, reports Lloyd's MIU. A court in London is dealing with the case, while the Russian cargo owner has tried to have the vessel detained several times. He was unsuccessful in Finland and Morocco, but succeeded in the Netherlands, where the vessel was detained in Amsterdam in May. As there was a cheaper berth available at Dordrecht, the vessel was berthed there on July 18. Source : SeaNews

Insurance firm to spell out plan to salvage ship

The Japans Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance firm will soon give a letter of understanding to Director General (DG) of Shipping delineating a detailed plan to remove oil, its cargo and salvage the iron ore laden ship M V Asian Forest, which sunk off Mangalore coast on July 17. This assurance was given to the Director General of Shipping at a meeting convened at Mumbai on Monday, said in-charge deputy commissioner Prabhakar Sharma here on Wednesday.



Also, Capt Jaya Kumar, nautical surveyor from Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), Goa, has been directed by the DG Shipping to investigate the cause for the accident and submit a report soon. This will expedite the process release of the crew from here. The meeting was attended by DG Shipping representative Capt Saggi, Commandant Coast Guard (Karnataka) Padmashekar Jha, Nautical advisor, representatives from MMD, Japan P&I, owners of the vessel Shining Ocean Limited, Hong Kong, Naval hydrographer among others. Sharma said the main issue was to discuss ways and means of containing any environmental and ecological damage from possible oil leakage from the vessel and removal of oil without causing any environmental damage. The P&I representatives said they would plug all vents which may cause the oil spill and remove the oil as soon as weather permits, said Sharma. The Coast Guard has been told to maintain a vigil on that area. Commandent Jha, who was also present at the meeting here, said it has been made clear to P&I to make arrangements for vigil as all coast guards assets cannot be put to survey the site due to other pressing matters. Sharma said the fishermen community has been told to inform the department of fisheries and revenue officials if they sight any debris from the vessel. Meanwhile, the Director General of Light Houses and Light Vessels will put up wreck buoys around the area so that ships would be warned. Jha said P&I have assured that specialized divers would be employed to plug the vents and would be done as soon as weather permits

CASUALTY REPORTING

Vessel sinks off Cameroon Twelve people went missing on Tuesday after their boat sank off the coast of the western Cameroon town of Limbe, but five others were rescued, state Cameroon Radio-Television (CRTV) reported. The boat which also carried merchandise had left Nigeria on Sunday, according to media reports. "It was hit by powerful waves," CRTV said, adding that the search for possible survivors continued. Late last year at least 40 people died off Cameroon's coast when their boat sank after leaving Nigeria for Gabon. In March 2006, nearly 130 people died in similar circumstances off the town of Kribi, south of Douala. Their boat was taking illegal migrants from Nigeria to Gabon. Source : Sapa-AFP



NAVY NEWS Canadian Navy to spend $40 billion on

new ships The federal government will spend $40 billion over the next 30 years to build 50 new ships for the navy and the Coast Guard. The announcement was made in Hull, Que., yesterday where Defence Minister Peter MacKay is spending two days in closed-door meetings with defence contractors and shipbuilders to work out how to best replace Canada's aging fleet. Billing it as an extension of the fed's "Economic Action Plan," MacKay spoke of "wrench- ready" projects that will put Canadians back to work. "It's a win-win situation where the navy gets the vessels that they need, while sustainable, high-value jobs are created," MacKay said. Industry Minister Tony Clement, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea, and Public Works Minister Christian Paradis were also on hand in a show of what Clement called "historic and unprecedented" commitment to renew Canada's fleet. Aside from laying out how much the government intends to spend, the talks are intended to act as a springboard to renew Canada's ability to build its own ships. Clement said there are currently 5,000 people working in Canada's shipping industry, but as many as 10,000 new jobs could be created over the next 30 years. The navy, however, is facing a shortage of bodies to man any new ships, a situation that is being addressed, MacKay said. "I would call it a major recruiting drive," said MacKay. "We are going to be doing more this fall ... there are a lot of jobs in the Canadian Forces right now." Source : niagarafallsreview.ca

South Korea Heads For The High Seas South Korea is establishing two high seas ("blue water") squadrons, each with a 7,600 ton KDX III Aegis destroyer, and three 4,500 ton destroyers, plus maritime patrol aircraft and support ships. This is a major shift for South Korea, which has long concentrated its naval power on coastal defense, against North Korean attack. But the North Korean navy, and armed forces in general, have been declining for over a decade, because the country has been going broke from mismanagement and the disappearance of Cold War era subsidies from the Soviet Union. Part of this high seas strategy is the building of a new naval base on the island of Jeju, off the south coast, in the straights between Korea and Japan. Construction will be completed in five years. Three KDX III Aegis destroyers are being built. One is in service, and the second will be commissioned later this year. Each of these ships carries two helicopters, in addition to anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. South Korea is also building a class of 1,800 ton submarines, for high seas operations. Source : strategypage.com

Indian submarine affects security balance: Pak Navy

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Noman Bashir Wednesday said India's launch of a nuclear-powered submarine has affected the security balance in Arabia Sea, as the sea is highly vital for the entire world and Pakistan does not want anyone’s hegemony on it. The induction of Chinese F-22P frigates in Pakistan Navy is ``a very big leap forward in respect of Pak-China bilateral cooperation and help enhance our defence capability,'' noted visiting Admiral Noman Bashir while talking to journalists here. ``We are looking beyond F-22P frigates. I had very useful discussions at leadership level here and look forward for commissioning of first F-22P frigate named PNS Zulfiqar on July 30constructed in Shanghai.



``Because of extremely cordial relations between two countries as well as among the two navies, it was very important for me to meet our most trusted friends and as soon as I got first opportunity I embarked on visit to China,'' Admiral Bashir stated. Commenting on Indian submarine, he said Pakistan had prior information about this project and the nuclear-powered submarine has changed the security situation of Arabia Sea, adding Pakistan does not want to pursue the arms race, it has its own priorities. He continued that Pakistan is taking up all imperative measures for its security. The naval chief said Arabian Sea is a main means to link East with West and for oil supply, adding myriads vessels daily pass through it; therefore, it is highly important not only for Pakistan or China but also the whole world to safeguard Arabian sea. “Therefore, Pakistan is against monopoly on this marine region.” This is the responsibility of the entire world to ensure peace and security of Arabian Sea, he said hailing the presence of Chinese Task Force in Arabian Sea. Pakistan Navy looks forward to working for common motives in collaboration with China for the peace in the region, he added. Naval Chief said one of the important aspects of his visit was interactions and discussions on how to further they can make progress and strengthen the relationship at all levels. He described Pak-China relations as ``multi dimensional. Both countries have understanding on many issues, and cooperating in various civil and defence projects.'' Admiral Bashir said Chinese military production industry maintains very high quality, standard and Pakistan wants to benefit from their achievements. Welcoming presence of Chinese Task-force in Indian Ocean, he said, ``we look forward for opportunities to work together for common objective of maintaining peace and security. Pakistan Navy is actively participating along with Navies of various countries including China in curbing piracy in sea of Aden. Our performance was highly acclaimed by major countries.'' Source : The News International

Frigate's £11m refit is under way HMS Westminster is undergoing an £11m refit at Devonport dockyard, An £11m refit of a Royal Navy frigate is being carried out at a Devon dockyard. Babcock Marine has started work on HMS Westminster at its Devonport yard. The Type 23 frigate is set to receive an update to her Seawolf self-defence missile system as well as the command system which controls her weapons. The work will also include the frigate having her sonar system updated and the range and performance of her main gun increased. According to Quentin Davies, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, once the work is done, the ship will become the most advanced frigate in the fleet of Type 22s and Type 23s. "This refit will boost several of HMS Westminster's systems," he added. "The Seawolf update that is being rolled out across the Type 23s is designed to combat the increasing threat of faster, lower flying and more manoeuvrable missiles today and also to guard against future advances. "The system can now track an object the size of a cricket ball at twice the speed of sound from over 20 miles away and launch two counter missiles." Type 23 frigates were originally designed for anti-submarine operations but they have become multi-purpose ships which can carry out an array of roles including disaster relief work and surveillance operations. The refit is expected to take 11 months to complete. Source : BBC



Babcock's Phalanx Block 1B reaches milestone: first installation on HMS York

The recent deployment at sea of the first Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) 1B upgrade on HMS York marks a significant milestone in the contract held by Babcock as prime contractor to upgrade 16 Phalanx systems. Under the contract, which followed the ten year Phalanx support contract previously awarded to the company, Babcock is upgrading in-service Phalanx system capability to enable Royal Navy ships to meet ever-changing requirements. Babcock undertakes equipment procurement from the US original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Raytheon, system upgrade and integration, and trials. Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20mm Gatling gun system. The Phalanx Block 1B upgrade incorporates a side mounted Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) enabling the CIWS to engage low aircraft and surface craft. The first Phalanx 1B upgrade was installed by Babcock in November 2008 with HAT (Harbour Acceptance Trials) and SAT (Sea Acceptance Trials) being completed by the end of March 2009. The main challenges involved meeting new test requirements for the Babcock Weapon Systems Engineering team, and platform preparations by the receiving yard to accommodate the enhanced systems in the time available. Commenting on the first installation, Babcock Marine weapon systems general manager Brian Luscombe said: “This would not have been achieved without the excellent teamwork of the Babcock Weapon Systems Production and Engineering teams, fully supported by Raytheon and Defence Equipment and Support’s IGMR [International Guns, Missiles and Rockets] Project Team on critical issues, ensuring that key milestones were met.” IGMR's Maritime Gunnery Systems Group Leader, Cdr Phil Game, said: "I was pleased how all the stakeholders worked together throughout this challenging first-fit period, to ensure this important capability improvement for the Royal Navy was delivered on time.” Production of the next two upgrades is already underway and will complete in August. Plans are in hand for systems 5 & 6 to be completed early in the New Year. The Phalanx Block 1B upgrade contract (awarded in 2006) was a substantial contract amendment to the ten year support contract held by Babcock for the 36 Phalanx systems, which is based on providing availability of the systems throughout their duration on board ship. Babcock manages and executes upkeep support activities, including safety case management, and provides a 24/7 helpdesk to the Royal Navy, supplying a point of contact for front-line maintainers and operators to resolve any technical issues arising. The company also takes responsibility for logistics support for spares and repairable units. Source : defpro.com

Navy to christen destroyer named for Camp Pendleton Marine

The Navy will christen the new guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham on Saturday, named in honor of the first Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for selfless bravery in Iraq. Cpl. Jason Dunham served with Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Division's 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment at the Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms. On April 14, 2004, he was on a reconnaissance mission in Iraq when his commander's convoy was ambushed. As his squad responded to the attack, Dunham confronted an insurgent who dropped a live grenade. Dunham responded by covering it first with his helmet and then with his body to smother the blast, sacrificing his life to save two fellow Marines.



The christening takes place Saturday morning at Bath Iron Works, the site of the ship's construction in Bath, Maine. Dunham's mother, Debra, will break a bottle of champagne across the bow to officially christen the 509-foot-long ship. Source : nctimes.com

SHIPYARD NEWS ANGLO DUTCH SHIPBROKERS bvba

Waterstraat 16 2970 SCHILDE BELGIUM Tel : + 32 3 464 26 09 Fax :+ 32 3 297 20 70 e-mail : [email protected]

The Algerian tug "M. Ben Boulaid 2" seen at Concarneau for maintenance at the yard "Piriou Naval Services". Photo : Jacques Carney (c)

PacifiCats sold to Abu Dhabi megayacht yard Could the much-maligned PacifiCats wind up as luxury gigayachts? That is the question following the recent Washington Marine Group announcement that the three large aluminum ferries were sold to UAE-based shipyard Abu Dhabi MAR for export from Canada.



Located in the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi MAR is full service shipyard that constructs luxury yachts up to 200m in length. It is currently converting two 1980's-built ex-Royal Netherlands Navy frigates into some of the world's largest luxury private yachts. The ex-Piet Heyn (now the F02 Al Emerat) will be the 465 ft Swift 141, while the ex-Abraham Crijnssen (now F01 Abu Dhabi) will be the 445 ft Swift 135. Both gigyachts have been styled by Pierrejean Design Studio in Paris. The yachts will be built to a new DNV Large Yacht Code. Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi MAR acquired a controlling interest in the Nobiskrug Shipyard, Rendsburg, Germany. Nobiskrug currently has five large yachts under construction. The PacifiCats never lived up to their billing. Cost overruns, high fuel consumption, and wake issues plagued the ferries. They were built by Catamaran Ferries International, a B.C. Ferries subsidiary. at a cost of $454 million and the first two of the class were briefly operated in 1999 and 2000. All three 123 m ferries were sold to Washington Marine Group for $19.8 million in 2003. Washington Marine Group, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada, said the details of the transaction with Abu Dhabi MAR were confidential. It also stated that it was "bound by privacy and confidentiality contracts and policies, no further comments will be made at this time by the Washington Marine Group of Companies." The three ferries will be transported from Vancouver Harbour via heavy lift deep-sea vessel. The first is scheduled to depart next month. Source : MarineLog

The Normand Installer after successful Dry-docking at Dormac Ship Yard in Durban Photo : Ian Cameron (c)

Hudong-Zhonghua poised for 6th LNG carrier

Shanghai-based Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding is to secure a long awaited $200m order for its sixth 145,000m3 LNG carrier in the next few months. Negotiations are on-going between the shipyard and China National Offshore Oil Corp



and China Merchants Energy Holdings and finalization of the contract would end months of speculation and talks between the Chinese energy giants and Malaysian shipping company MISC over the operation of the vessel. When completed in 2011, the ship would transport LNG from Bintulu in Sarawak to a LNG receiving terminal in Shanghai operated by CNOOC. The Shanghai complex is expected to become operational in the next few months. If confirmed it is likely the ship would be managed by China LNG Shipping (International), a joint venture between China Ocean Shipping, China Merchants Group and BP Shipping, which is already managing five sister vessels. All are flagged in Hong Kong and classed by ABS. Min Lu, which is the fourth in the fleet, is due to be delivered next month, about one month later than scheduled. A fifth vessel, Dapeng Star, is scheduled for delivery later this year. These newbuildings will join Dapeng Sun, Dapeng Moon and Min Rong, the first three vessels in the series built at Hudong-Zhonghua, transporting LNG to the CNOOC terminal in Shenzhen from Western Australia's north-west shelf LNG project. Source : The Motorship

Dock workers at ASRY dry dock Bahrain set staging to work on the anchor pockets of the dredger Coastway owned by Boskalis. The dredger Coastway undergoes significant renewal of dredging pipelines and overhaul of main engines

and will start dredging at Bahrain end of August again. Photo: Coen Waar, CTD Boskalis (c)

SAL lifeline for Sietas The German shipowner Schiffahrtskontor Altes Land (SAL) has placed an order for two heavylift vessels with Sietas Werft. This welcome boost to the Hamburg-based shipbuilder's order book adds to an earlier order for a double ended ferry and ensures work for the shipyard to the end of 2010. These latest orders are in line with the company's new policy of focusing on special-purpose ships and ferries.



The vessels, with a carrying capacity of 12,500 tonnes and a maximum speed of 20 knots, will be the largest and fastest heavylift ships worldwide, according to the shipyard. The cranes will be built by Sietas’ subsidiary Neuenfelder Maschinenfabrik and will be able to lift up to 2,000 tonnes. The vessels are financed by German bank HSH Nordbank and will be delivered in December 2010 and March 2011. Source : The Motorship

www.tos.nl TOS Rotterdam (+31)10 – 436 62 93 E-Mail [email protected]

KPT and KSEW sign 5.726 million euro deal for three vessels

Fast moving on the path of revival, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) has started ship building work in full swing after receiving orders from local and foreign buyers. According to sources, KSEW and Karachi Port Trust (KPT) last week singed a deal under which the former would construct and deliver at least three vessels, two "tonnec" pusher tugs and one Dredging Tender, to the letter at a consolidated fixed price of 5.726 million euro. As per the agreement, the shipyard would hand over three vessels within a 20-month contractual period that would begin from the date of contract signing or release of first tranche by KPT, sources added. They said the Kit of Material (KoM) would be provided by a Dutch firm, M/s Damen Shipyards of Netherlands, at an agreed cost of 4.295 million euro, to be paid at prevailing rate of exchange for the European currency. The remaining 1.431 million euros would, however, be paid at a fixed rate. The sources, however, made it clear that all the payments would be made in local currency as per agreed terms. They said that it is for the first time that KPT would induct two state-of-the-art pusher tugs each with 10-ton-bullard-pull capacity and a Dredging Tender in its floating fleet. According to sources KPT would use the two tugs for towing its stationary crafts, including bucket dredger, barges, cutter suction dredger etc, while the Tender would assist the operation of its dredgers. As per the agreement, the shipyard would keep the two tugs and one Tender ready afloat at KESW respectively within 18 and 20 months plus a one-month grace period, failing which it would pay one percent per month of the contract price as liquidated damages. The sources said besides KoM, Damen Shipyards would also provide design of the three vessels. They said M/s Damen Shipyards of Netherlands had supplied the same kind of two tugs to Pakistan Navy in 1999, and that was why the KSEW had awarded it this contract. Source : ISMAIL DILAWAR

STX to buy wind turbine maker STX Heavy Industries Co., a unit of Korea’s STX Group, said Wednesday that it has signed a deal to buy a Dutch wind-power turbine maker for around 24 billion won ($19.4 million) as part of efforts to diversify revenue sources. The company said it will spend more than 100 billion won to expand facilities for research and development in the future. STX Heavy is expecting to secure key technologies for installation and maintenance of wind power plants with the acquisition of the Dutch company. STX Group, whose key affiliates include STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. and STX



Pan Ocean Co., has been seeking to boost its wind power-related business. The group is targeting sales of 1.5 trillion won in 2015 from its wind power related business. Source: Joong Ang Daily

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

The DEEP CYGNUS seen in Aberdeen - Photo : David Dodds (c)

Tidewater books hit from Venezuela grab

Tidewater Inc. announced first quarter net earnings for the period ended June 30, 2009, of $44.5 million, or $0.86 per share, on revenues of $326.6 million. Included in net earnings for the June 2009 quarter is a non-cash charge totaling



$48.6 million ($47.7 million after-tax, or $0.93 per common share) related to the company's Venezuelan operations. As a result of the seizure of 11 vessels and certain other assets during the June quarter in Venezuela pursuant to a May 2009 Venezuelan law and the continued nonpayment of outstanding receivables from Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and an affiliate of PDVSA, the company recorded a $3.8 million charge equal to the net book value of the assets seized and a $44.8 million provision to fully reserve accounts receivable due from PDVSA-related entities. For the same quarter last year, net earnings were $84.8 million, or $1.64 per share, on revenues of $340.0 million. The immediately preceding quarter ended March 31, 2009, had net earnings of $109.7 million, or $2.13 per common share, on revenues of $341.6 million

Port of Dar es Salaam container terminal crippled by strike

Workers at the Dar es Salaam container terminal brought all container handling operations to a standstill on Monday when they went out on strike over a wage dispute. The strike at the Tanzania International Container Terminal (TICTS) involved something like 600 workers who said they would not be returning to duty until all their demands had been met. “We will continue our strike,” said a spokesman for the Dock Workers Union. “We will continue striking until all our demands have been met.” Another union representative said the outlook was not positive as management was downplaying their demands. The dispute is believed to revolve around an incentive bonus payable on the number of containers handled per hour, overtime rates and a risk allowance. Source : ports.co.za

The world’s ship delivery pioneer, Redwise, provides a top quality take-over, sailover, hand-over

service for every type of vessel, wherever you need it delivered

GLOBAL SHIP DELIVERY & CREWING

[email protected]

Ampelmann installed on Jumbo Javelin Jumbo Offshore ready for windfarm installation jobs

One of Jumbo Offshore’s heavy lift & installation vessels, the DP2-ship Jumbo Javelin, is preparing to deliver installation services for offshore wind farms. It will be able to ship and install Transition Pieces (TP’s) for wind turbines. The vessel will be able to carry 9 TP’s at a time, each with a weight of approx. 285 tonnes. All the TP’s can be stowed vertically in the hold of the vessel and transported to the offshore location site. There, the Jumbo Javelin positions itself on DP next to the monopile of the wind turbine foundation to lift the TP from the hold, onto the monopile and



adjust it to required horizontal level. The leveled TP is then fixed to the monopile by pumping grout in the annulus between the pile and the Transition Piece. The Jumbo Javelin and her sister ship Fairplayer are two of four J1800-class heavy lift vessels. During the past years these vessels have proven their value to Jumbo Offshore’s clients, because they are ideal for combined transport and offshore installation projects. This makes double handling superfluous; there’s no need for barge-tug combinations and other crane vessels, thus reducing the number of load- transfers and consequently the number of risks.

To give crew safe access from the Jumbo Javelin to the installed TP as well as efficiently guiding the grout hoses, an Ampelmann has been installed on the vessel. The Ampelmann is a ship-based, self stabilizing platform, built by a Dutch company of the same name, which provides safe, easy and fast

offshore access by actively compensating the motions of the vessel. As the Jumbo Javelin will be free floating, it will be sensitive to waves and swell. The Ampelmann will absorb the vessel motions and make a safe transfer to the Transition Piece possible. To get the vessel ready for its first assignment, a set of 15 temporary living quarters, additional life saving appliances, 9 TP-supporting foundations, a complete grouting plant, specialized lifting equipment, supporting auxiliary equipment and an Ampelmann have been installed. It will be the first time that Transition Pieces will be placed on monopiles from a free floating vessel on DP. The advantage of using a DP positioned heavy lift vessel compared to the conventional method of moving and installing these pieces, is that the vessel is used for transporting a considerable load of TP’s, fast transit to the installation site and the installation on the monopile. Another advantage is that the relocation from one position to the next is a relatively fast one, as the vessel does not need to reposition anchors and jack-up.

MARSEILLES FOS DISPUTE SETTLED THE management at France's Marseilles Fos port and the CGT trade union have reached an agreement on the transfer of port authority dockers based at Mourepiane container terminal, in the Marseilles harbour area, to the private stevedoring company Intramar. The deal brings to an end several weeks of labour disruption at the Mourepiane terminal, which mainly handles intra-Mediterranean trades. The transfer of cargo handling to private operators was a key requirement of French port reform law passed in July last year, which prompted the post-reform strategy adopted by Marseilles Fos in April. Under the agreement reached yesterday, 28 July, the port authority has pledged to support container activity in the Marseilles harbour by taking a “minority but significant” stake in Intramar. The authority says that the agreement improves on the national framework for transfer arrangements and responds to concerns expressed by affected members of its workforce. Source : Maritime Global Net



The MERCURE GLORY seen moored at the MOT in Rotterdam-Europoort Photo : Reinier Meuleman (c)

Alicante becomes a Cruise ship home port again

If you can wait until September 2010, you won’t have to travel far on the Costa Blanca to board your cruise. Italy’s largest Cruise Line, MSC recently announced that starting next September, the port of Alicante will be the place of embarkation for the ‘MSC Orchestra’ and ‘MSC Opera’. The CEO of MSC Cruises Spain, Emiliano Gonzalez, Alicante Mayor, Sonia Castedo, and the chairman of the port, Miguel Campoy, said that this decision will help spread the tourist season into the Autumn and represents the first time that a multinational Cruise Line makes the important port city of Alicante their embarkation port. For 2010 there are ten scheduled cruise departures, seven of them on the ship ‘MSC Orchestra’ (293.8 meters in length and with capacity for 2550 passengers) on an eight night and nine day itinerary from Alicante to Barcelona, Genoa, Malaga, Cadiz, Gibraltar and Lisbon. The ‘MSC Orchestra’, launched in 2007, will depart on 22 and September 30, 8, 16 and October 24 and November 9 and 1, with a planned occupancy of 98% of its nearly 800 cabins. The 'MSC Opera' (launched 2003) shall be sailing on September 26 and October 3 to Marseilles, Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Malaga and Tangier. MSC Cruise already use Alicante as one of their itinerary stops but are attracted by the new facilities of El Altet, the large resident population of the Southern Costa Blanca and willingness of the Port Authorities to work closely with them. MSC noted that the cruise market is booming in Spain; around half a million people sailed in 2008, putting Spain in fourth place for cruise tourism in Europe, following the United Kingdom (1.3 million cruise passengers last year), Germany (900,000) and Italy (700,000). Source : Torrevieja.com

Scarabeo 5 cleared for Norwegian Sea wells StatoilHydro has consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use the semisub Scarabeo 5 for production drilling and partial completion of two wells in the central Norwegian Sea. The rig, operated by Saipem, was built at Fincantieri Shipyards in Genoa, and completed in 1990. The wells are part of production licence PL 094, in a



water depth of around 300 m (984 ft). Activity is scheduled to start in mid-August, with an estimated duration of 112 days. PSA also is assessing the suitability of another Saipem drilling semi, the newbuild Scarabeo 8, to fulfil a program by Eni in the Barents Sea. The audit targeted technical safety, crane and lifting operations, working environment, and maintenance management. The audit aims to increase understanding of the regulations through advice and guidance on some of the challenges the PSA has experienced during reviews for other newbuild projects. PSA says there is a need for such guidance, particularly among contractors building new facilities at yards with little or no experience with Norwegian regulations. PSA says its investigations found causes for concern. Orderliness and tidiness on the facility were poor, it claimed, and the preservation of equipment and components was substandard. PSA is worried this may have consequences for safety and the working environment during the start-up and operations phase, leading also to higher maintenance costs in the future. Scarabeo 8 is a dynamically positioned drilling facility of the Moss CS 50 MKII type. The hull was built at the Sevmash shipyard in Severovdinsk, Russia. Fabrication and outfitting is being performed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo. The project is behind the set schedule. During the audit, it emerged that no decision had been taken as to whether the facility would be completed as fully winterized. PSA also discovered that panels, cable trays, and other equipment in electrical rooms, the engine, and pump rooms were placed so as to obstruct access for maintenance and evacuation. Using the 3D model, it identified blind zone problems in connection with handling of materials using the cranes.

SLOW AHEAD TO S AMERICA

The CMA CGM HYDRA seen moored in Rotterdam-Europoort – Photo : Fred Vloo (c)

CONTAINER lines Hamburg Süd, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd say they are launching a new direct service on the route between the East Coast of South America and North Europe, based on slow steaming. From 6 August, the lines will provide a joint weekly service of 2 loops, replacing the SAFRAN and SAEC services. A statement says: “Vessels will run at eco-speed in order to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.” The companies say the move will be: “ A rationalization of their capacity on this trade to better match the market evolution.” The new arrangements should, the lines say, provide an improved frequency with more vessels deployed as well as more competitive transit times. Port coverage will be expanded to include calls at Salvador de Bahia and Suape. The rotation will be: Sling 1 (six 5,900 TEU ships) : Rotterdam – Tilbury – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Santos – Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Rio Grande – Santos – Suape – Rotterdam Sling 2 (six 2,800 TEU ships): Rotterdam – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Sepetiba – Navegantes – Paranagua – Santos – Sepetiba - Rio de Janeiro – Salvador – Tangier – Rotterdam Source : Maritime Global Net



BUNKER PRICES Last updated: 29-Jul-09 PORT NAME - COUNTRY IFO 380 IFO 180 MDO

Singapore - Singapore 414 - 416 423 - 423 555 - 560Suez El Suweis - Egypt S.I. N/A 770 - 775Tokyo, Tokyo - Japan 475 - 477 480 - 483 540 - 550Montreal - Canada 474 - 477 501 - 504 775 - 778New Orleans - United States 384 - 390 400 - 410 520 - 525New York - United States 392 - 402 420 - 430 590 - 60Panama Canal - Panama 400 - 402 416 - 420 610 - 625Philadelphia - United States 392 - 400 422 - 430 590 - 600Piraeus - Greece 423 - 426 453 - 453 575 - 585Pusan - Korea (South) 434 - 437 442 - 446 585 - 590Rio De Janeiro - Brazil 427 - 428 446 - 447 616 - 622Rotterdam - Netherlands 385 - 392 407 - 410 535 - 565Seattle - United States 423 - 430 433 - 440 585 - 590Buenos Aires - Argentina 458 - 463 473 - 478 632 - 665Cape Town - South Africa N/A 495 - 499 638 - 643Damman - Saudi Arabia 440 - 442 440 - 442 620 - 622Durban - South Africa N/A 465 - 485 613 - 624Freeport - Bahamas S.I. S.I. S.I.

Fujairah - United Arab Emirates 411 - 413 423 - 425 610 - 615Gibraltar - Gibraltar 427 - 430 440 - 443 600 - 605Houston - United States 384 - 392 415 - 420 515 - 520Jeddah - Saudi Arabia 460 - 462 460 - 462 720 - 722Lagos - Nigeria S.I. S.I. S.I.

Los Angeles - United States 465 - 470 440 - 445 585 - 595Antwerpen - Belgium 385 - 391 407 - 410 532 - 563



The CROWN PRINCESS seen anchored at the River Forth near Edinburgh Photo : Jim Prentice - http://caledoniantransportphotos.blogspot.com (c)

Siem Offshore swings behind Norwegian tax regime

Siem Offshore has announced that it is in the process of transferring ownership of the company’s fleet to Norway and will concentrate the day-to-day operation of the fleet in Kristiansand. Said the company: "Norway will be the base for the international operation of offshore vessels. We are building on our foundation of Norwegian maritime expertise and experience, with a core of Norwegian employees onshore and offshore. The company will continue to strive for an open organization for the international operations with equal opportunities for all employees. Crew will, as far as practical, be employed locally in the countries in where the vessels operate." In a statement, the company said 25 vessels will now be transferred to Norway and into the Norwegian shipping taxation scheme. This represents a fleet of more than 100,000 tonnes. "We consider the Norwegian rules and conditions to be competitive, and have decided to move the ownership of the vessels to Norway. We trust that both the operation and ownership in Norway will give the company long term predictability and competitiveness," said Kristian Siem, Chairman of the company. "We feel a strong connection to the Norwegian maritime environment, and wish to strengthen the connection to Norway and Kristiansand," he added. Source : Offshore Shipping Online

Firm plans ship breaking at yard A massive former oil yard in the Highlands offers an ideal site for the breaking up of redundant ships and oil rigs, a demolition firm has said. DSM Demolition is to set out its plans for mothballed Nigg in Easter Ross, to Energy Minister Jim Mather. Highland Council has said it will take legal action to take over the yard if a dispute between its owners, that has held up its sale, was not resolved. Mark Cummings, of DSM, said Nigg was unique to the UK. He said: "Breaking up ships or breaking up oil rigs does come at a cost, but the consequences of leaving these facilities to rot in the sea is worse." Mr Cummings said Nigg was large enough to deal with the demolition of vessels and



platforms in an environmentally sound manner without harming the activities of other site users, such as firms manufacturing renewable energy devices. He added: "Nigg is the only facility in the UK that can do all of it in one common facility and that is why we as a British-based company are very interested in Nigg and have been for some time." DSM is demolishing the BBC's Pebble Mill studios in the Midlands and previously tore down Liverpool's old bus station. The Nigg yard was opened in the early 70s to construct platforms for the North Sea oil and gas industry. It has one of the largest dry docks in Europe, 45,570 sq m of covered workshop and almost 70 acres of yard space. It was once an economic powerhouse in the Highlands, employing 5,000 people and building some of the biggest offshore structures the world had ever seen. But as North Sea oil development dwindled away so did the market for production platforms. The owners of the site - US oil and gas giant KBR and the Wakelyn Trust - have been in disagreement over its sale. KBR is tied into the long-term lease for the southern part from the Wakelyn Trust. They have so far failed to agree a price for the lease to be bought out, which would open the way for the site to be sold. Source : BBC

Nightshot of the SOLITAIRE in Dock 7 of Keppel-Verolme made from the JO SELJE - Photo : Hans Semeins (c)

Shareholders Split Over Hapag-Lloyd 29 July 2009 logistics entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kühne called for Hapag-Lloyd to be restructured just hours after refusing to participate in the first stage of a refinancing package that had been agreed late Tuesday. He also caused upset by calling for greater transparency of Hapag-Lloyd’s finances, with sources close to the line insisting that Mr Kühne has always had full access. The rift between Mr Kühne and the rest of the Albert Ballin consortium that owns 56.7% of Hapag-Lloyd emerged as a €330m ($463m) rescue package for the container line was put together after two days of intense discussion. But the Kuehne+Nagel chairman, along with insurer Hanse Merkur, and the merchant bank MM Warburg, which were supposed to give €72m, refused to participate. Neither will the world’s largest shipping bank, HSH Nordbank, be buying shares in CTA. Instead it has agreed to grant a €15m loan to Hapag-Lloyd. Source : SeaNews

GE Shipping cancels new building order for bulk carrier

Shipping services firm Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd said on Thursday it has cancelled an agreement with a shipyard to build a bulk carrier, which was scheduled for delivery in FY12. With this, the company's new building order stands at 7 vessels - 5 bulk carriers and 2 tankers, it said. Source: Reuters



Team Lines plans to purchase slots on APL's Northern Baltic Express service

Team Lines plans to purchase slots on APL's Northern Baltic Express (NBX) service which was previously leased by Unifeeder. The move comes as Team Lines is withdrawing two of its small container vessels which previously called at the Port of St Petersburg, with a cargo capacity of 868 TEU. One of the ships will instead be deployed in the charter service and the other will continue to operate in the Baltic without calling at St Petersburg. The Russian Transport Daily Report said that Team Lines announced in late June that the company would operate in St Petersburg via First Container Terminal and Petrolesport to Rotterdam. Team Lines will call at First Container Terminal and Petrolesport using APL vessels, the report added. Source: transportweekly

The MAAS VIKING seen enroute Vlaardingen-East - Photo : Marijn van Hoorn (c)

Hapag-Lloyd investor Kuehne pushes for tie-up

Klaus-Michael Kuehne, shareholder in Hapag-Lloyd, is pushing for a tie-up of the German container shipping company with peers in Europe or Asia to secure Hapag-Lloyd's long-term survival. Kuehne, one of the biggest shareholders in a consortium that bought a 57 percent stake in Hapag-Lloyd from German tourism group TUI AG earlier this year, said on Wednesday that TUI needed to bite the bullet and make some sacrifices. Hapag-Lloyd, Germany's largest container shipping line, fell victim to the collapse of world trade amid a slowdown in global economic growth and recorded an operating loss of 222 million euros ($314 million) in the first quarter. Hapag-Lloyd managed to secure a 330 million euro lifeline from its owners on Tuesday and sources told Reuters earlier this month Hapag-Lloyd could need up to 1.75 billion euros, of which the state may provide 1 billion. Kuehne did not take part in the latest rescue operation and said he would only be prepared to inject further capital if Hapag-Lloyd provided sufficient transparency and developed a plan for its long-term financial survival as well as strategic stability. He said as long as Hapag-Lloyd's independence was assured, he could imagine a cooperation, alliance or merger with another shipping company, most likely from Europe or Asia. 'There is of course already some food for thought, but



there are no talks yet. But I would imagine that this will start soon,' Kuehne told journalists in a conference call. 'I wouldn't rule out anything under current conditions,' he said. TUI agreed in October to sell Hapag-Lloyd to the investor group for an enterprise value of 4.45 billion euros, but the financial crisis threw a spanner in the works. TUI ended up keeping 43 percent, more than initially planned, and also agreed to provide additional credit facilities of up to 1.1 billion euros for a limited time to secure the unit's financial stability. Source: Reuters

Vallarpadam container terminal to be commissioned in December.

The Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) is scheduled for commissioning in December 2009. Construction work of the terminal is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by 30 November 2009, shipping minister G K Vasan informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply. He said rail connectivity to the ICTT at Vallarpadam is being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and the national highway connectivity is being implemented by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Vasan said the ministry of shipping proposed to take up 276 port development projects under the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP), which will be implemented over a period up to 2011-12. These cover the entire gamut of activities, including construction/upgradation of berths, deepening of channels, rail/road connectivity projects, equipment upgradation/modernisation schemes and other related schemes for creation of back-up facilities in the major ports. The ports covered under the NMDP projects include Kolkata, Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Ennore, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla. These projects together will involve an expenditure of over Rs55,803 crore, the minister said. The government also has taken up various other port-related projects under the public-private partnership scheme, the minister said. These include: the construction of a multipurpose berth 4A and the allotment of multipurpose berth No 12 at a cot of Rs25.8 crore, both for the Kolkata Port Trust; construction of a captive coal berth for IFFCO at the Paradip Port, at a cost of Rs26.17 crore; setting up a container terminal on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, including supply, installation and operation of container handling equipment at multipurpose berth at outer harbour at Visakhapatnam Port, at a cost of around Rs94.5 crore; construction and licensing out equipping operation, management and maintenance of two multipurpose berths EQ8 and EQ9 in the northern arm of inner harbour at Visakhapatnam Port Trust on BOT basis, involving an investment of Rs317 crore; building a 600-metre container terminal at Chennai port stage-I at a cost of around Rs470 crore; constructing a 285-metre container terminal at Chennai port at a cost of Rs100 crore; construction of crude oil handling facility for BPCL Kochi Refinery (Formerly KRL ) at Cohin port at a cost of Rs720 crore; construction of a two-berth container terminal (NSICT) for JNPT at cost of Rs975 crore; construction of Rs200-crore liquid cargo terminal at JNPT; redevelopment of bulk terminal at JNPT into a container terminal, at a cost of Rs 900 crore; building a Rs750-crore oil jetty at Vadinar for Essar at Kandla port; development and operation of a Rs223 crore container terminal at Kandla Port; construction of an oil jetty for IOC at Kandla Port involving an expenditure of over Rs20 crore as also the development of a container freight station at Kandla Port at an expenditure of Rs41.07 crore. The minister said the current global recession has affected the working of some major ports in the country, including Visakhapatnam port. The growth rate of traffic handled at major ports has come down to 2.13 per cent during 2008-09 as compared to 11.97 per cent during 2007-08. Similarly, the growth of the traffic at Visakhapatnam during 2008-09 was a negative 1.07 (-) compared to 14.56 per cent growth recorded during 2007-08. Iron ore traffic, which is mainly for export, recorded a growth of 2.3 per cent in 2008-09 compared to 14.2 per cent in 2007-08. Cargo growth in crude and petroleum was modest at 3.3 per cent during 2008-09 compared with 10.0 per cent in the same period last year. Container traffic, which largely reflects trade in manufactures and components, showed a marginal growth of 0.9 per cent in 2008-09 compared with a robust increase of 25.6 per cent in 2007-08. Major impact of recession was noticed in certain commodities, he said. Source: Domain - B

Maersk Expects Idled Container Fleet to Expand 66% by Next Year



A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S., the world’s largest container-ship operator, expects industrywide box-ship lay-ups to expand 66 percent by early next year as new-vessel deliveries continue amid slowing world trade. The capacity of the laid-up fleet will likely rise to 2 million twenty-foot containers from 1.2 million by late this year or early 2010, Anthony Randall, Australian sales director at Maersk’s container unit, told a conference in Melbourne today. “It’s desperate times,” he said. “We’ve got declining volumes, lines have been busy fighting for market share, and consequently rates have fallen to an unsustainable level.” Container lines have slashed fees and idled vessels as U.S. and European consumers pare purchases of Asian-made goods amid the global recession. Maersk Line’s first-quarter volumes tumbled 14 percent, while its rates plunged 24 percent. “The speed at which the decline has occurred has caught everyone off guard,” Randall said. “Over the past months, freight levels have hit low points and now carriers are busy trying to restore rates to respectable levels.” As of July, container lines had idled 11 percent of the global fleet in terms of capacity, Randall said. Ships with a combined capacity of 800,000 containers are due to be delivered in the second half of this year, followed by a further 1.7 million boxes’ worth next year, he added. Maersk Line, which operates some 470 vessels and owns about 1.9 million containers, lost $559 million in the first quarter. Parent A.P. Moeller-Maersk, Denmark’s largest company by sales, also owns the Nordic region’s second-largest oil and gas explorer, a 20 percent stake in Denmark’s largest bank, Danske Bank A/S, and a tanker unit. Source: Bloomberg

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

Juli / August 1963 seen the tug ELBE after receiving fuel from the ZWARTE ZEE, the ELBE was with a double tow enroute Hawaii , after transferring the fuel the ZWARTE ZEE continued here voyage

Photo : Coll. Ron de Jong Beekhuijsen

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..



The GUANGZHOU HIGHWAY seen outward bound in Rotterdam-Caland canal Photo : Jacco van Nieuwenhuyzen ©

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 don’t like to receive this bulletin anymore kindly send an e-mail with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line to

[email protected] receipt of this e-mail I will remove you from the distribution list soon as possible

Documents

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – …newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/pdf/2009/208-31-07-2009.pdfare being taken off the vessel and arrangements made for an alternate