DOULOS bringing knowledge, help and hope

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 347

Distribution : daily 11525+ copies worldwide 17-12-2009 Page 1

Number 347 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 17-12-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

DOULOS bringing knowledge, help and hope

Above seen the DOULOS during her present port visit in Singapore, as mentioned earlier in the newsclippings, the DOULOS will be decommissioned at the end of 2009 after her visit to Singapore, due to the high cost to extend her certificates, the 1914

build vessel will be missed at the ocean and ports, and on behalf of the newsclippings readers I wish capt. Geuze, his crew and all volunteers onboard strength when leaving

“their” vessel on which they sailed for years Photo : Piet Sinke (c)



Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos or articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

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Middle East supertanker supply drops again The supply of supertankers competing to haul two million-barrel cargoes of Middle East crude fell for a second week as oil companies stepped up demand before year-end holidays. There are 4.5 per cent more very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, for hire over the next 30 days than there are cargoes, according to the median estimate of four shipbrokers and two owners surveyed by Bloomberg News on Monday. A week ago, the surplus was 5 per cent. Demand last week was 'busy', leaving the supply of ships 'tightly balanced' against likely cargoes, Oslo-based PF Bassoe said in a Dec 11 report. Vessel supply is at its lowest for more than a year, the shipbroker said. Carriers have been enticed away to West Africa from the Persian Gulf because rental income is better for Atlantic loadings, Bassoe said. Nigeria and Angola, West Africa's biggest oil producers, have lifted their combined output by 12 per cent to 3.8 million barrels a day since March, according to Bloomberg estimates. Middle East producers in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries boosted output by a smaller 3.7 per cent to 19.6 million barrels a day during the same period. Of the six respondents to Monday's survey, four said the surplus of ships was unchanged compared with their previous estimates. One said it shrank, one said it expanded. Rental income from the industry's benchmark Saudi Arabia-to-Japan route advanced 0.9 per cent to US$37,607 a day after climbing to the highest since June 26 last week, according to the London-based Baltic Exchange. In Worldscale rates, prices gained 0.1 per cent to 56.94 points. Returns from shipping one million-barrel cargoes on suezmax tankers fell to US$25,237, according to the Baltic Exchange. Aframaxes that carry 650,000 barrels added 8.4 per cent to US$22,086 a day. Meanwhile, crude oil freight rates on major routes were mixed on Monday, with slight easing in the Black Sea driven by improving wait times.



The DUQM seen eastbound in the Singapore Straits - Photo : Piet Sinke (c)

above photo can also be seen in high resolution in the photo album at my website www.maasmondmaritime.com or via the direct link http://www.flickr.com/photos/33438735@N08/show/

The world's benchmark VLCC export route from the Middle East Gulf to Japan was up at 56.94 Worldscale points or US$37,607 a day, from 56.59 Worldscale points a day last week. Brokers said momentum in VLCC activity had been driven by continuing demand. 'Even though there are fewer December stems as cargoes are fixed away, there are still charterers with firm cargoes seeking coverage. This has resulted in owners setting their sights higher for early January liftings,' said broker Fearnleys in a report. VLCC rates from the Gulf to the United States were at 35.25 Worldscale points from 36.12 last week. 'VLCC . . . rates have stabilised and, thanks to lower bunker costs, daily returns improved,' broker BRS said in a report. Exchange figures showed crude oil tanker rates from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean down to 91.00 Worldscale points, or US$29,028 a day, from 106.21 Worldscale points last week. BRS said congestion in the Mediterranean market had eased to six days up, five days down from 12 days in both directions last week. Cross Mediterranean tanker rates eased to 105.68 Worldscale points from 118.86 Worldscale points last week. VLCC rates from West Africa to the US Gulf were at 59.27 Worldscale points from 65.00 Worldscale points last week. Source : Bloomberg

Hopes sink for wrecked ship Funds to pay for the removal of the wrecked ship Seli 1 from Table Bay are still not available, says Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele. According to a Cape Times report, London-based lawyers working for Smit Salvage, who removed the ship's fuel and have played a caretaking role aboard the ship since it ran aground in September, are battling to recover R6.7m from the ship's owners in European courts. The ship's owners walked away after insurers, the Russian P&I Pool, refused to pay, leaving SA taxpayers to foot the bill. Source : Cape Times



The HOEGH KYOTO seen in Cape Town – Photo : Ian Shiffman (c)

Well Enhancer does well A newbuild subsea well intervention ship has just completed its first operation in the UK North Sea on Nexen's Buzzard field where it overcame adverse weather including 5 metre (16.4 ft) high waves and 45 knot winds to carry out a production logging programme at the Buzzard field. Photo : Marcel Coster (c) Well Enhancer was mobilised by Helix Well Ops UK to carry out the 10-day programme on the Buzzard S2 well which included production logging, fluid sampling, and wireline work

encompassing sand detection and flow profiling. Well Ops said all the on-board systems worked successfully: “Heave at the moonpool rarely exceeded two metres and the vessel’s performance exceeded expectations,” the company declared. The new ship, built at the IHC Krimpen shipyard in Rotterdam incorporated designs based on a previous intervention ship, Seawell. Well Enhancer is fitted with a Subsea Intervention Lubricator, (SIL), a 7-3/8-inch bore single-trip system designed and built by Helix Well Ops UK, which was deployed using the vessel’s skidding and handling system. “When we first began the design process, we took advantage of the lessons learned from operating our other North Sea intervention vessel, Seawell,” explained Steve Nairn, vice president of Well Ops UK. “That experience led us to include the SIL and skidding system in the new vessel’s design and include provisions for a coiled tubing intervention system as well,” he said. Using Well Enhancer’s moonpool and skidding system, plus the ability to disconnect and reconnect control umbilicals subsea, allowed work to continue safely in weather conditions that would have sidelined other intervention vessels, said Nairn. Because of the features on the ships, Nairn said the Well Enhancer was able to complete the operation on schedule despite difficult weather. Bron: Offshore 247



Best Wishes from Capt. Charles Claden and crew onboard the ABEILLE BOURBON

Doomed Tonga ferry 'unseaworthy' A leading Tongan mariner has told a Royal Commission of Inquiry that he considered buying the doomed ship Princess Ashika several years ago, but rejected it because it was unseaworthy. Commander Lupeti Vi, former head of the Tongan Navy, has revealed he was offered the ship in Fiji for F$400,000 (NZ$290,000) but rejected it saying the ship was too old and of a dangerous design. Earlier this year New Zealander John Jonesse, 60, CEO of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia (SCP), bought the 37-year-old Ashika from Fiji's Patterson Brothers for F$600,000 (NZ$438,000) . Although he had no maritime experience Jonesse declared it a seaworthy vessel. A royal commission is underway into Ashika's August 5 sinking of the 37-year-old ferry north of Nuku'alofa with the loss of 74 people. Vi, CEO of the Ports Authority of Tonga, said he visited Ashika in Suva in 2006 because a businessman in Ha'apai was willing to finance a new vessel for a ferry service to the island. He said it was very rusty and "looked like to me there's nobody looking after the vessel". He said he spoke to shipyard workers who told him to keep away from the vessel. "So, you know, the vessel is not in good shape and it needed a lot of work to be done. But when I view it from the outside I think it was true, that the vessel was not looked after." He went back a year later to look at it again and it was worse. In 2008 it was up for sale for F$400,000 and Vi looked at it again. "I found it to be old and rusty, in very poor condition and definitely, in my opinion, based on my observations and on information provided to me in Fiji, not seaworthy". As he seaman he could tell whether the boat was being looked after. He talked to slipway workers "The only impression that I got from them.... keep away, keep away as far as possible from the boat because the owner never looked after the boat and the boat never have a proper docking and proper maintenance. " Vi said he was not consulted when Jonesse purchased the ship and when it arrived in Tonga he saw from a distance that it had been painted. He assumed it had received maintenance work. Vi is continuing to give evidence. New Zealand ACT Member of Parliament David Garrett is acting for Vi at the Royal Commission. Source : Stuff.co.nz



Diefstal zonnepaneel van Boei op terrein Reddingmaatschappij KNRM

Begin november heeft station Katwijk van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij van Rijkswaterstaat een boei gekregen. Deze boei kreeg een prominente plaats op het voorterrein van het stationsgebouw. Foto : Arie van Dijk (c) Bovenop deze boei is een lamp bevestigd, welke tijdelijk voor onderhoud gedemonteerd is. Deze lamp wordt gevoed door middel van enkele zonnepanelen. In de nacht van vrijdag op zaterdag 12 december, is een van deze zonnepanelen gestolen. De bouten waren losgedraaid en de

elektriciteitsdraden bleken vernield. Deze zonnepanelen zijn erg duur en voor de KNRM, een organisatie die van giften en donaties leeft, te duur om te vervangen. De KNRM heeft inmiddels aangifte gedaan van diefstal bij de Politie. Mocht u op de hoogte zijn over de verblijfplaats van het gestolen zonnepaneel of heeft u nadere informatie, dan kunt u mailen naar; [email protected] Of bellen met de politie via 0900-8844 of als u het liever anoniem wilt doen met

0800-7000 We hopen op uw of jullie medewerking.

Workfox BV, Planetenweg 5, 2132 HN Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, T +31-23-5563131, F+31-23-5563135, [email protected], www.workfox.com

Fighting off the Somali pirates WITH THE CAPTURE this week of an Indian vessel off the coast of Somalia, pirates are now holding hostage at least 14 vessels and several hundred crew members. A British yachting couple recently joined them, with a $7 million price on their heads. A Greek cargo ship with Ukrainian sailors was ransomed earlier this month for $2.6 million after nine months of captivity. The pirates have netted about $50 million in ransom this year. Even so, combating piracy is not impossible. Rigorous patrolling by the US Fifth Fleet, European warships, and combined task force patrols from China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and other nations have greatly reduced piracy encounters in the Gulf of Aden, where about 25,000 ships cruise annually. So has convoying, accompanied by members of the task force patrols, air surveillance with fixed-wing craft and drones, and more vigilance by the merchant vessels themselves. As a result, there has not been a successful hijacking in the Gulf of Aden since August, and a Dutch frigate captured 13 Somali pirates off Oman earlier this month. The intrepid Somali pirates now venture 1,000 miles and more off their home coast to capture vessels.



The Indian Ocean area from the Seychelles to Kenya contains more than 1 million square miles and has been much harder to patrol even with 30 allied warships and the occasional aircraft available particularly since pirates are hard to distinguish - until too late - from ordinary fishermen. Satellite observations are not available, even if pirate craft could be distinguished from regular trawlers. Convoying in this region is not feasible because of its size and the paucity of available allied attack vessels. Still, merchant mariners, naval commanders, lawyers, diplomats, and regional experts who came together this month as the Cambridge Coalition to Control Maritime Piracy confirm that piracy can be prevented. Effective governance by Somali authorities themselves would end piracy over time. China and Indonesia cracked down on their sea pirates, reducing piracy in the South China Sea and in the Strait of Malacca. But since most of Somalia lacks good governance, a first approach would be for a coalition of shipping firms and American and European allies to spend the equivalent of 50 percent of this year’s ransom money to develop community-based employment on land, thus drying up the supply of youthful pirates. Or, if the local community elders can be encouraged, ransoms could be taxed and devoted to job creation. Piracy, after all, is an occupation in a desiccated land devoid of jobs. In addition to interdiction, the most effective new deterrent against piracy has been the posting of armed guards, particularly on slower vessels and ones with with lower freeboard. But some owners oppose arms on ships, and some ports will not allow merchant vessels to dock with armed crews. The biggest container and petroleum carriers can outrun the pirates if they notice them in time. About sixteen knots headway and evasive maneuvering works, but some ships are too slow and are caught unawares at night. In addition, the number of crew members has been reduced for economic reasons. Specially trained guards can respond strongly when pirates attempt to shoot out the steering bridge or climb aboard. Hardening ships with barbed wire or other obstacles would help also. Legislation that prohibits ransoms would be difficult to enforce, but the US Treasury and other governments should follow the money and attempt to freeze the assets of those groups that are financing the pirates and profiting from their successes. Shipping companies should employ their slower ships elsewhere in the world, while guarding and hardening the others. These common sense measures, along with an international move to create jobs for Somalis, would help defeat the pirates. Source: Globe Newspaper Company



MINDER INSPECTIES AAN BOORD VAN SCHEPEN Op woensdagmiddag 16 december ondertekenen achttien overheidsinstanties het convenant ‘Inspecties aan boord van zeeschepen’ om te komen tot een betere afstemming van de werkzaamheden. Het gaat om een vernieuwing van het toezicht die leidt tot efficiencyvoordelen en minder last voor het bedrijfsleven. Het convenant heeft in eerste instantie betrekking op de inspecties in Rotterdam en Amsterdam. Het is de bedoeling dat op een later moment ook in andere Nederlandse havens op deze manier schepen worden geïnspecteerd. Het convenant past in het ‘Programma Vernieuwing Toezicht’ waarin het kabinet de ambitie heeft neergelegd om overheidstoezicht te moderniseren.

De afstemming van de werkzaamheden richt zich op de regelgeving, de naleving; de toewijzing van de toezichtcapaciteit; het maken van een gezamenlijk inspectieprogramma op basis van een gezamenlijke risico-analyse; coördinatie van de uitvoering van toezicht vanuit één regionaal coördinatiecentrum in Amsterdam en Rotterdam en onderlinge uitwisseling van gegevens en resultaten van inspecties. De betrokken instanties hebben de afgelopen maanden veel aandacht besteed aan de voorbereiding van werkafspraken, zodat vanaf 1 januari 2010 gestart kan worden met de nieuwe manier van (samen) werken. Betrokken instanties : Amsterdam, Beverwijk, Rotterdam, Velsen, Zaanstad; Inspectie Verkeer en Waterstaat, Koninklijke Marechaussee; Korps Landelijke Politie Diensten - Dienst Waterpolitie; Politie Rotterdam-Rijnmond/Zeehavenpolitie; Rijkswaterstaat; Voedsel en Warenautoriteiten en VROM-inspectie. In 2007 wees onderzoek uit dat 24 verschillende toezichthoudende instellingen met elkaar 72 verschillende soorten inspecties uitvoerden in Amsterdam en Rotterdam. Het ging daarbij in totaal om circa 162.000 inspecties, waarvan er 44.000 aan boord van zeeschepen plaatsvonden



EU's anti-piracy fleet seeks to expand area of operations

The European Union's anti-piracy operation may expand the area it patrols because Somali pirates have begun to threaten ships as much as 1,609km from shore, according to the mission's commander. 'We're looking at extending the area of our mandate,' Rear-Admiral Peter Hudson said in an interview in Northwood, the fleet's command centre north of London. 'We're looking at whether we have the assets to do it, whether it would provide more security.' Atalanta, the EU's one-year old naval mission to combat piracy off the Somali coast, operates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The area stretches from Somali territorial waters east to 60 degrees longitude, which runs south from the eastern tip of Oman and 250 miles east of the Seychelles. Atalanta, which has six frigates and works with fleets from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the US-led coalition, has cut piracy in the Gulf of Aden, a choke point en route to the Suez Canal that's used by 30,000 ships a year. The last successful hijacking along a corridor that the fleets patrol in the Gulf of Aden was in July. Instead, pirates have shifted to the Indian Ocean, using skiffs launched from mother ships, often converted fishing trawlers, to attack commercial vessels hundreds of miles out to sea. There have been 12 attacks east of 60 degrees this year, with 11 of them since the summer monsoon ended in September, Atalanta officials say. Four of those attacks were successful, including a Pakistani fishing vessel taken on Dec 9 and a Greek- owned cargo ship seized last week. Those attacks took place about 1,000 miles from Somali shores. 'We're now seeing attacks that are closer to India than to Somalia,' said RAdm Hudson, who is from the British navy. 'In one case, my closest ship would have taken two-and-a-half days to arrive.' In the Gulf of Aden, a ship-borne naval helicopter can reach any commercial vessel within 30 minutes. Extending the mission's area of operations would need to be agreed by leaders of the EU's 27 member states. Last month, the EU extended the mission's mandate for another year, to December 2010. Atalanta's Indian Ocean operation covers an area 10 times the size of Germany. The patrols have intercepted 14 attempted pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean since the end of the summer monsoon, RAdm Hudson said. 'There's no fleet commander in the world who wouldn't want more assets, but you have to be pragmatic about what member states are willing to contribute.' Several trade routes cross the Indian Ocean, making a single securitised corridor impossible. Sealing off the Gulf of Aden is easier because almost all passing ships are heading to or from the Suez Canal. The Atalanta mission costs about 500 million euros (S$1 billion) a year, Didier Lenoir, head of military operations at the EU, said at a conference on Dec 7 in Paris. Each nation pays costs for the ships it contributes. In total, there are about 25 warships off Somali waters. While the EU and Nato fleets carry out patrols and hunt for pirates, gunboats sent by Russia, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia mostly organise and protect convoys of their nations' merchant ships. Somali pirates have attacked 160 times so far this year, seizing 44 ships for ransom. They still hold 11 ships and 283 seamen. Last year, 165 ships were attacked with 43 vessels hijacked. The pirates operate out of lawless ports on the east coast of Somalia, which has lacked an effective central government since the early 1990s. Source: bloomberg

Wagenborg’s ferry MONNIK serves the route

Schiermonnikoog <> Lauwersoog

Photo : Klaas J.Reinigert ©

Above : Klaas seen from the MONNIK taking the photo

Photo : Pim Korver ©



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From the port of Valparaiso, Chile, Jose Ramirez send an affectionate greeting Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010 to all Shippingnewsclippings readers and contributors who inform us daily with news and world maritime

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Vietnam orders submarines and warplanes from Russia

Vietnam has signed billion-dollar contracts to buy submarines and fighter jets from Russia, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has announced in Moscow. The deals make Vietnam one of the key clients of the Russian arms industry. The weapons purchases come at a time when disputes over sovereignty are increasing in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. Vietnam, China and other countries have competing claims over potentially oil and gas-rich island chains there. Vietnam signed contracts for the purchases of submarines and planes from the Russian side," the Vietnamese prime minister said, without elaborating. Russian agency Interfax quoted unnamed sources as saying that Hanoi was to buy six diesel-electric Kilo-class submarines worth $2bn (£1.2bn). Vietnam is already awaiting the delivery of eight Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets from Russia in 2010. It is considering ordering 12 more, Interfax quoted another Russian source as saying. A regional defence analyst said the rising tension in the South China Sea was "clearly a source of concern" to Hanoi. The submarine acquisition "would increase [Vietnam's] negotiating power in the maritime disputes", Professor Carlyle Thayer of the Australian Defence Force Academy said. Source : BBC



Commissioning date set for submarine named after New Mexico

A commissioning date for the USS New Mexico nuclear-powered submarine has been set for March 27. The event, set by Navy Secretary Ray Maybus, will take place at Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Va. The $2.7 billion fast-attack vessel is the sixth so-called Virginia class submarine. It's 377 feet long and can dive to depth of about 800 feet. The commissioning ceremony is a time-honored Navy tradition and marks the point when a ship or submarine officially joins the fleet. Dick Brown, chairman of the Navy League's USS New Mexico Commissioning Committee, said the announcement was "great news." The submarine, built by Northrop Grumman, recently successfully completed sea trials. The company expects to deliver it to the Navy before the end of the year. Source :LCSun

Nuclear sub St. Nicholas to be delayed after all?

The start of construction of Russia’s fourth Borei-class nuclear-powered submarine has been postponed from December to the first quarter of next year, a defense Ministry official said on Tuesday. The official, who requested anonymity, told RIA Novosti that the project was not being "frozen" but simply delayed for "organizational and technical reasons." Yesterday BarentsObserver reported that another high ranking military representative had told the same news agency that there were no changes in the schedule for the construction of submarines of this class, in spite of the recent problems with test-launching of the Bulava missile. Construction of the Project 955 Svyatitel Nikolai (St. Nicholas) ballistic-missile submarine is planned to begin on December 22 at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk. The keel-laying ceremony was timed to coincide with the shipyard's 70th anniversary, as BarentsObserver reported.

Alphatron Marine would like to wish all her customers a merry christmas and a happy new year!



SHIPYARD NEWS

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

Hallin’s WINDERMERE was launched – Photo : Mike Meade – M3 Marine (c)

Keppel Secures Building Contracts Keppel Offshore & Marin said it has secured separate contracts worth $114.8m for vessel conversion, barge completion and life extension of a semisubmersible rig. The first contract has been secured by the company's subsidiary Keppel Shipyard for the conversion of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel from Emas Offshore Construction and Production. The conversion of the Suezmax is expected to be complete in early 2011. The tanker will be able to produce up to 50,000 barrels of oil per day and store about 680,000 barrels of oil. Keppel Shipyard has also secured a contract to complete the NorCE Endeavour, a Derrick Lay Barge for NorCE Offshore. The company will furnish a 284-man accommodation block, fabricate and install outfitting steel and assist in the vessel’s commissioning. Keppel said it has won a job to repair and perform life extension works on MG Hulme Jr, a deepwater semisubmersible rig for Transocean. The vessel will be deployed to operate in Libya for Gazprom with delivery scheduled in 2010. Source : Ship Technology



End of the line for Nordseewerke yard An era has come to an end last week in the German port of Emden when the last-ever ship to be built by TKSM Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke shipyard slid down the slipway. The 3,426 TEU containership, named Frisia Cottbus, is the last of a series of six sisterships that have been designed by TKMS Blohm + Voss Nordseewerke and constructed jointly by the Emden shipyard and Howaldtswerke-Deutsche

Werft in Kiel. Delivery to its owner, Leer-based Reederei Hartmann, is scheduled in March 2010. In October, Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems, the parent company of Hamburg’s Blohm+Voss shipyard, Kiel’s HDW and Emden’s Nordseewerke, announced the disposal of its shipbuilding site at Emden. The shipyard site is to be taken over by a manufacturer of offshore wind turbine components. In early 2010, the new owner SIAG-Schaaf Industrie AG will start work on converting the existing dockyards to serve this purpose and the site will be known as SIAG Nordseewerke. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will continue to handle vessel repairs and outfitting work at Emden and will be keeping its Engineering Unit for naval vessels in operation at the site. Source : The Motorship

Fincantieri New Cruise Ship Order Sign Of Recovery

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri SpA's recent commission to build a 3,700 passenger cruise ship is an "important sign" that recovery could emerge in 2010, said Fincantieri Chief Executive Giuseppe Bono in an interview. Shipbuilders across Europe--already struggling to compete with rival builders in China and Asia--are struggling with layoffs and flat balance sheets as orders dry up amid the recession. German and French governments are considering aid to the sector. In Italy, shipbuilders will meet with the government on Dec. 18 to discuss the industry's plight. A lone bright spot, Carnival Corp. (CCL) commissioned a third ship in its Carnival Dream series from Fincantieri earlier this month, to be delivered in 2012. Fincantieri is one of the world's leading builders of cruise ships. The Carnival order was the first order for a large cruise ship in two years. "It's a difficult moment," Bono said. "The order from Carnival is an important sign that the market is recovering," he said State-owned Fincantieri will post a profit for 2009, Bono said. It posted a net profit of EUR9 million in the first half, compared with EUR15 million a year ago. It had first-half revenue of EUR1.58 billion, it said in September. Source : wsj

Sarah is delivered



Yard number 283 Sarah, type ULSTEIN SX121 Offshore Construction Vessel, was delivered to Marine Subsea December 16. The vessel has been designed and constructed by Ulstein Group. - The dialogue between Ulstein Group and the ship owner has been good during the process. We are very pleased that the vessel now is delivered to our customer Marine Subsea, says CEO Ulstein Group Gunvor Ulstein. The ULSTEIN SX121 offshore construction vessel features the characteristic ULSTEIN X-BOW®, enabling her to operate under all weather

conditions while remaining steady and comfortable for the crew. Equipped for 100 persons, the 120-meter-long and 25-meter-wide vessel is an impressive sight. She has a tower, moonpool, ROV hangar, crane and helideck as well as numerous sophisticated technical subtleties. This is oil service company Marine Subsea’s first vessel from the Ulstein Group. Marine Subsea provides oil and gas services mainly in West Africa, with three vessels in service and five under construction. Sarah has a 10-year service agreement with the Angolan state oil company Sonangol.

Left : seen at Van Brink Rotterdam " Eerland 26 " for sales docking inspection for new owners Messrs Bonn & Mees

Photo : Joop Bartels (c)



CSL delivers platform supply vessel The public sector Cochin Shipyard has delivered another Platform Supply Vessel to NFC Offshore GmbH KG, Germany. This is the third vessel delivered to the same owner. The protocol documents of the ship named “Hellespont Defiance” were signed by Mr V Radhakrishnan, Executive Director on behalf of Cochin Shipyard and Dr Michael B Kennedy, on behalf of NFC Offshore, in the presence of Mr N M Paramesh, Director (Finance) and other officials. Cochin Shipyard is presently constructing 17 Offshore vessels for various foreign owners. Besides, the yard is also constructing the Aircraft Carrier for the Indian Navy. The yard is diversifying into higher ended ships with diesel electric propulsion. The yard is likely to commence construction of these ships by mid next year. Various Indian and Foreign owners have shown interest in these high ended ships, a release said. Source: The Hindu Business Line

China Shipbuilding up 14 pct in debut, lags forecasts

Shares of China Shipbuilding Industry Co, the country's biggest shipbuilder, rose 14 percent on their Shanghai debut on Wednesday, lagging analyst forecasts after raising $2.2 billion in China's third-largest IPO this year. China Shipbuilding shares opened at 8.41 yuan, compared with its initial public offering price of 7.38 yuan. Three analysts surveyed by Reuters had expected the shares to trade between 8.6 yuan and 10.3 yuan on their first day of trade. 'Investors face risks in the longer term as the global economic recovery is still fragile, and I don't expect to see a full recovery in the shipping industry over the next two to three years,' said Zhen Yi, analyst at China Securities Co. Fair value for China Shipbuilding's shares is between 6.6 yuan to 8 yuan, she added. China Shipbuilding joins other Chinese companies including China Merchants Securities Co and China State Construction Engineering Corp in a rush to raise capital from the country's stock market, which has rebounded nearly 80 percent this year, fuelled by ample liquidity and economic recovery. China Shipbuilding's IPO was 400 times subscribed after pricing its shares at 35 times 2009 earnings, the top of an indicated range. That compares with an average price/earnings ratio of about 17 for domestic rivals Guangzhou Shipyard and China State Shipbuilding and 4.3 for Korean shipbuilders such as Hyundai Heavy Industries. Source: Reuters

Japanese ship orders sink for 14th month in November

Japanese export ship orders sank for the 14th consecutive month in November on a year-on-year basis, tumbling 23.5 percent to 404,190 gross tons, according to figures released by the Japan Ship Exporters' Association on Tuesday. Ship owners' demand for new vessels remains extraordinarily weak. With easy comparisons with year ago figures, the pace of decline slowed for the second month in a row and in November was the slowest since the nation's export ship orders suddenly started to plunge in October last year due to the deep global economic downturn triggered by the financial crisis that had erupted in the United States in the previous month. Until October 2009, orders fell by more than 70 percent in every month; the worst was a 91.1 percent drop in December last year. Last month orders were down 37.3 percent in comparison with the leading edge of the decline last October, when orders dived 83.9 percent from the previous year. In November, Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 13 export ships, none of them container ships. In the year to date, Japanese shipbuilders received orders for 104 export ships totaling 5,240,110 gross tons, down 72.6 percent from the same 11-month period of last year. Source: joc.com

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Jan de Nul and Dratec to dredge Brazilian ports

www.portogento.com.br reports that a consortium of Jan de Nul and Dratec have won a tender to dredge two ports in the Brazilian state of Bahia. The consortium has reportedly won a US$89 million contract to dredge the ports of Aratu and Savior to a depth of 15m. The tender for the work was first published in March and is part of a national dredging plan for Brazil's ports which will ultimately see as many as 20 key Brazilian ports dredged to allow them to handle larger vessels. In addition to dredging the channels serving the port, the consortium will also complete construction of a turning basin at Aratu. The work is due to be completed by the end of April 2010. Source : Dredging News Online

Above seen the HAMMONIA POMERENIA seen on its way to the locks of Panama Canal Photo : Ronald de Bloeme (c)

Wärtsilä to power eleven new Spliethoff Group vessels

Wärtsilä has during 2009 been awarded two large orders from the Dutch Spliethoff Group. The orders are for propulsion systems for eleven ships that the Spliethoff Group has ordered at the Ouhua Shipyard in Zhejiang, China.



The Wärtsilä scope of delivery includes engines, propellers and efficiency rudders, as well as bow thrusters forming a complete integrated propulsion system for the ships. The new orders are for five 16,800 dwt Heavy-Lift vessels to be operated by BigLift Shipping, and six 12,500 dwt Multipurpose vessels. Deliveries of the Heavy-Lift vessels will take place between August and December 2010, and the Multipurpose vessels will be delivered between December 2010 and May 2011. With these additional newbuildings the total order book is now about 20 vessels under delivery with Wärtsilä propulsion solutions for the Spliethoff Group. "These new contracts strengthen the successful and long-standing relationship between Spliethoff and Wärtsilä. More than 60 Spliethoff vessels in operation are equipped with Wärtsilä propulsion systems", says Reinier de Vries, Senior Account Manager, Wärtsilä in the Netherlands. For the Heavy-Lift vessels, Wärtsilä's scope includes an 8-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 46 main engine with an output of 8400kW at 500 rpm, a controllable pitch (CP) propeller, a Wärtsilä Energopac efficiency rudder, and a bow thruster. "The propulsion technology carried by these vessels has been effectively optimized by designing an efficient rudder/propeller combination, and by employing a six-metre propeller. Wärtsilä used both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and full-scale tank tests in finalising the design," adds de Vries. For each Multipurpose vessel, Wärtsilä will be delivering a 6-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 46 main engine with an output of 5430kW at 500 rpm, a CP propeller and bow thrusters. The design of the engine and propeller allows the customer to achieve maximum fuel efficiency. Spliethoff is a long-time customer of Wärtsilä. The company's activities include worldwide transportation of forest products and comprehensive services designed to meet the needs of large projects, especially those undertaken by the oil, gas and telecom industries. Spliethoff is also engaged in global parcel delivery services. The Spliethoff Group owns and operates a large and modern fleet of about 100 vessels, of which 55 are Multipurpose tween-deck vessels ranging between 12,000 and 24,000 dwt tonnes. When heavy-duty equipment is required, the company calls on the assistance of BigLift Shipping, a Spliethoff Group company. Spliethoff's policy is to build a series production of a number of sister vessels. This ensures that several vessels of the same size are available, thus providing excellent operational flexibility. Source : BluePulz

The BELUGA INDICATION seen arriving from Gibraltar at the river Tyne - Photo : Kevin Blair (c)

Fincantieri delivers ‘Silver Spirit’ Fincantieri's Ancona Shipyard recently delivered the 36,000 GT cruiseship 'Silver Spirit' to its owner, Silver Seacruise. The 195m long newbuilding is the largest vessel in Silversea Cruise's fleet and can accommodate 540 passengers in 270 suites. There are eight decks and the ship has a cruising speed of 20.3 knots.



"This is our first ship for the prestige brand Silversea and the first vessel of this type that Fincantieri has built,” chief executive officer of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono said. The ‘Silver Spirit’ is due to enter the Port of Monaco on 19 December and on 23 December will set out on her first inaugural cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon. On 21 January she will be christened at Fort Lauderdale, USA.

FreeSeas Announces Higher Daily Rates on New Charters on Five of Its Vessels

FreeSeas Inc., a transporter of dry-bulk cargoes through the ownership and operation of a fleet of eight Handysize vessels and two Handymax vessels, announced today new charters for five of its vessels. Mr. Ion Varouxakis, Chief Executive Officer of FreeSeas, stated, "We are very pleased to report that we have taken advantage of the continued daily charter rate increases for our vessels and improvement in the Baltic Handysize Index, reflecting more favorable fundamentals for this segment. Our Company is benefiting from our strategic decision made earlier this year to operate our vessels on the spot market. The combined daily charter rate for these five charters represents an increase of more than $15,000 per day as compared to their prior combined daily charter rates. We believe that the Handysize dry bulk market will show continued strength going forward." The new charters are detailed below: * The M/V Free Destiny, a 1982-built, 25,240 dwt Handysize vessel, has entered into a contract for a time charter trip of approximately 40-45 days at a daily rate of $14,000. * The M/V Free Knight, a 1998-built, 24,111 dwt Handysize vessel, has entered into a contract for a time charter trip of approximately 60 days at a daily rate of $15,000. * The M/V Free Impala, a 1997-built, 24,111 dwt Handysize vessel, has entered into a contract for a time charter trip of approximately 30-40 days at a daily rate of $13,500. * The M/V Free Maverick, a 1998-built, 23,994 dwt Handysize vessel, has entered into a contract for a time charter trip of approximately 30 days at a daily rate of $14,000. * The M/V Free Neptune, a 1996-built, 30,838 dwt Handysize vessel, has entered into a contract for a time charter period of approximately 45-75 days at a daily rate of $16,000.



Jumbo’s FAIRLANE seen anchored at Singapore Western Anchorage Photo : Piet Sinke (c)

Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. Announces Delivery of Capesize New

Building Vessel Navios Maritime Holdings Inc., a global, vertically integrated seaborne shipping and logistics company, announced that the Navios Lumen, a new building Capesize vessel of 180,660 dwt was delivered from a South Korean shipyard on December 10, 2009. The purchase was partly financed by the proceeds of the recent 8 7/8% First Priority Ship Mortgage Notes with the amount of $52.5 million. As of December 15, 2009, Navios Holdings had contracted 99.5%, 86.1%, 63.4% and 56.6% of its available days on a charter-out basis for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively. Navios Holdings has extended its long-term fleet employment by entering into agreements to charter-out vessels for periods ranging from one to 12 years. Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. is a global, vertically integrated seaborne shipping and logistics company focused on the transport and transshipment of drybulk commodities including iron ore, coal and grain. Source: Navios Maritime Holdings Inc.



Several small tugs seen in Singapore – Photo : Dennis Brouwer (c)

Hapag-Lloyd loses $986 million in January-September 09

Hapag-Lloyd swung to an operating loss of $986 million in the first nine months of 2009 from a year-earlier profit of $320 million as Germany's biggest ocean container carrier booked double digit declines in cargo volume and freight rates. The losses continued into the fourth quarter, according to TUI, the German tourism group that owns 43.3 percent of the world's fifth largest carrier. Revenue slumped by around 29 percent in the nine months ended in September to $4.8 billion from $6.7 billion in the first nine months of 2008. Cargo volume shrunk 17.4 percent to around 3.7 million 20-foot equivalent units, and the average freight rate was down 22.8 percent at $1,221 per TEU. The container shipping market is recovering in the 2009/2010 financial year, TUI said. "Overall, however, profit contributions by Hapag-Lloyd are expected to be negative in the current financial year," it said. TUI said it made a profit of $1.6 billion on the sale of a 56.7 percent stake in Hapag-Lloyd to the Hamburg-based Albert Ballin consortium earlier in the year. This offset losses at TUI's core tourism unit and boosted net income to $487 million from $49.2 million in the corresponding period in 2008. TUI provided an additional $1 billion aid to Hapag-Lloyd in October by converting loans already made to the carrier into hybrid capital. TUI has the right to convert $500 million of the hybrid capital into Hapag-Lloyd shares from 2011 which would increase its shareholding to a maximum of 49.9 percent. Hapag-Lloyd also has obtained loan guarantees totaling $1.8 billion split between the German government and the city of Hamburg to help it survive the slump in container shipping. Hapag-Lloyd will continue losing money in 2010 despite cost cuts and improving market conditions, according to Klaus-Michael Kuehne, the second largest Albert Ballin investor. Source: joc.com



SWIBER'S $240M CONTRACTS Singapore-based Swiber Holdings says it has received a Letter of Award (“LOA”) from a major oil company in South East Asia to provide transportation and installation of major offshore facilities comprising of some new field developments and some decommissioning of platforms. The US$81.4 million LOA, which is expected to commence in Q2 2010, is Swiber’s fourth order in three weeks. Swiber secured its maiden Burma offshore installation project worth $77.0m million on 25 November while on 14 December it announced two LOAs worth up to US$81.9 million from major oil companies in South East Asia to provide offshore support vessels. Swiber executive chairman and group CEO Raymond Goh said,“Our pipeline of order flows remains strong, driven by the buoyant oil and gas sector where tremendous opportunities in offshore construction and support services abound in light of the recovery of the global economy and robust oil prices. We believe that with our integrated service offerings, we are well positioned to capture these opportunities as they open up. Swiber operates a fleet of 44 vessels comprising of 34 offshore vessels and 10 construction vessels, with 80% of its fleet younger than 4 years old. Source : Maritime Global Net



UK's Teesport sets new annual box handling record in November

PD Ports, recently bought by Toronto-based global asset manager Brookfield, has announced that Teesport on the England's north-east coast handled for the first time more than 100,000 containers in one calendar year. The milestone was reached in November. Frans Calje, PD Ports' managing director, said in a company statement: "We are delighted that in these difficult economic times our efforts have clearly out-performed the market. We are really proud of what has been achieved at Teesport this year. We expect to reach this benchmark earlier each year as we move forward." Source : Schednet

U-MING SET FOR BUILDING SPREE Taiwan-based U-Ming Marine Transport Corp is set to order at least 20 vessels over the according to a reported interview with its chairman Douglas Hsu. Hsu told Bloomberg:“We are one of the partners to upgrade the second-generation double-hull oil tankers. The news service also reported that U-Ming also plans to buy at least 10 additional dry bulk carriers to boost its existing fleet of 22 bulk carriers and six cement carriers.” U-Ming has already entered the tanker market with the purchase in July of the 318,000 dwt VLCC Starlight Venture.Source : Maritime Global Net

MOL and Magsaysay form MAGMOL Ship Management

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) reports that its joint venture company in the Philippines, Magsaysay Mitsui O.S.K. Marine, has spun off its ship management division into a new ship management company called MAGMOL Ship Management. An opening ceremony was held in Manila, where the new company is based, on December 7. Ms. Doris Ho, President & CEO of Magsaysay Maritime Corporation and Chairman of MAGMOL Ship Management, and MOL President Akimitsu Ashida both attended the ceremony MOL says it will continue to work through both Magsaysay Mitsui O.S.K. Marine and MAGMOL Ship Mnagement to further its corporate goals of enhancing know-how in marine technology and ensuring safe operations. Magsaysay Mitsui O.S.K. Marine is a seafarer manning company in the Philippines, main seafarer supply nation for the world’s merchant fleet, that was established in March 1997 as a joint venture between MOL and Manila-based Magsaysay Maritime Corporation. Source : SeatradeAsia

Mother Theresa said : “ Let us not be satisfied with just giving money.

Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.”

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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The VLCC AUSTRALIS [IMO 9384946] 156,914 gt, 299,295 dwt, CHANDRIS GROUP, built 2003, turning to face down river prior to laoding at Hound Point, Firth of Forth, 15th December 2009, Tugs Cramond at bow and Hopetoun (out

of shot) at stern, assisting. Photo : Iain McGeachy ©

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