Number 301 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS ...newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/pdf/2010/083-24-03-2010.pdf · DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2010 – 083 Distribution

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2010 – 083

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Number 083 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Wednesday 24-03-2010 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The tug LEOPARD seen anchored off Sao Vicente – Cabo Verdes - Photo : Reinier van de Wetering ©

Homeowners seek Buzzards Bay oil spill payout

The long-awaited trial in a class-action suit against a barge company that spilled oil into Buzzards Bay seven years ago is scheduled to begin today in Plymouth Superior Court.

Residents of Mattapoisett brought suit in September 2004, claiming their property lost value in April 2003 when nearly

100,000 gallons of thick No. 6 bunker oil spilled from the torn hull of Bouchard Co. barge No. 120 into the bay. The trial will focus on 15 of the 1,100 properties included in the class-action suit, all of them in Mattapoisett. The trial

is expected to last two weeks.

Some property owners have already given depositions in the case and are expected to testify during the trial. There are three interconnected defendants: Bouchard Transportation, B No. 120 Corp. and Tug Evening Tide Corp.

The oil spill happened in April 2003 when the barge drifted off course and struck a rocky ledge off Gooseberry Neck in

Westport. Over the next few days more than 100 miles of coastline were fouled by the oil killing an estimated 450 birds and shutting down 90,000 acres of shellfish beds.

Bouchard Co. paid a record $10 million fine for violating the Clean Water Act. Franklin Robert Hill, 54, of Jacksonville,

Fla., the first mate of the tugboat that was guiding the barge, pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a five-

month prison sentence. Despite a massive cleanup effort, remnants of the oil are still evident along the Buzzards Bay




shoreline where it resembles chunks of asphalt on the rocks and sand. Residents of the Leisure Shore section of Mattapoisett want the restoration of the beach they contend is still in bad condition seven years after the spill.

A second class-action lawsuit by property owners outside of Mattapoisett is also pending in federal court. In February

the plaintiffs won when a judge in the First Circuit Court of Appeals vacated an order by U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro denying the property owners request for class certification. The appeals court ruled that Tauro had taken the

plaintiffs' arguments too lightly, and that they had shown enough evidence to defend their class status against outright dismissal. Source : Cape Cod Times

The PAULINE seen outward bound from Rotterdam – Photo : Marijn van Hoorn (c)

Due to travelling abroad this week the newsclippings may reach you irregularly

Rising trade tide lifts Asian container shippers

Asian container shippers, which slogged through their worst-ever year in 2009, could be headed for a smoother ride

after a surprise upswing in volumes and freight rates this year propelled major routes back to profitable levels. Restocking by retailers late last year as the global economy stabilised and shipping firms taking vessels out of service

to help ease oversupply have fuelled freight rates. European routes have largely returned to profit with freight rates from China to Europe rising to nearly $2,000 including fuel surcharges for a twenty foot equivalent unit last month,

versus $300, the lowest for a decade, a year ago.

Optimism that the shipping market has bottomed out lifted shares of Asian liners across the board this year with Orient

Overseas and South Korea's Hanjin Shipping rising about half. The large number of new ships in the pipeline remains a major concern to the nascent rebound, although some deliveries have been delayed because of financing problems.

Shippers have also slowed the speed of some vessels to absorb excess capacity and cut fuel costs, analysts said. Exporters remain cautious on the strength of U.S. and European consumption after a leaden 2009 that saw shippers

idle hundreds of vessels and agree to move cargo for free if customers paid fuel and terminal handling charges.



IMPROVING FREIGHT RATES SET TO PROPEL SHARES

Boosted by China's strong exports, which jumped 46 percent last month, the China Containerised Freight Index which

takes data from leading liners with operations in China, hit 1,168.31 points in February, its highest since 2007, and is now just 3.5 percent off that peak. Asian container shipping companies are recovering after imposing several rounds of

freight rate hikes, said Geoffrey Cheng, an analyst at Daiwa Capital Markets. "The sector is in a cyclical uptrend and some freight rates have recovered to profitable levels," said Cheng. He has a

'buy' recommendation on OOIL, whose shares still trade at about book value, below the sector average. Shares of the region's container ship operators have risen in recent months but valuations remain cheap compared

with their 2007 peak, when they traded at more than twice book value. Though share prices have risen, there is room

for further gains, said Shin Ji-yoon, analyst at KTB Securities in Seoul. "They're only at the early stage of an up-cycle," Shin said. Japanese shippers should benefit from the recovery in the container market but as diversified players, the

impact could be more muted than pure plays because of their exposure to other sectors, such as tankers and bulkers. "We reiterate our buy rating for Kawasaki Kisen which has the most exposure to container shipping followed by Mitsui

OSK Lines," said Tom Kim, a regional shipping analyst at Goldman Sachs.

REBOUND ALREADY PRICED IN TO STOCKS

Some say the sector's recovery is already reflected in those recent share gains. "Container shipping stocks are trading within a range, and overcapacity is still an issue in the market," said Terry Wong, a fund manager at Daiwa SB

Investment Ltd, adding that his fund had no near-term plan to invest in the sector. Ship orders stand at about 36 percent of the existing fleet in the world at the end of last year, according to ship

broking and research firm Clarksons. Supply is expected to rise about 17.4 percent this year and 10.6 percent in 2011,

if all ships are delivered on schedule. Hopes that shippers will be able to raise transpacific rates from May in annual contract negotiations have helped lift container ship operators' shares this year.

Members of Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement , including China COSCO Holdings, Neptune Orient Lines and Hanjin

are proposing a general rate increase of $800 for the U.S. west coast and $1,000 for the east coast per 40-foot

equivalent unit in an attempt to build rates back up to levels prior to when prices plunged in late 2008. "The scale of rate raises will determine the share performance, but those expectations are in play," said Song Jae-hak,

an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities in Seoul. Global leader A.P. Moller-Maersk is cautious about a recent rebound in freight volumes, saying the bounce may owe more to inventory rebuilding rather than real demand. The

shipping giant does not expect its container shipping unit to regain profitability this year. Freight rates could start

coming under pressure in the second quarter after the contract negotiations and as operators take delivery of a new batch of mega container ships, many longer than three football fields, and try to fill them, said Jay JH Ryu, head of

regional transport, Mirae Asset Securities. "It's more important for them to fill up the ships," he said. Source: Reuters



FIVE OCEAN SALVAGE FIGHTS FIRE ON THEODORE JR

Above and left seen the FOS salvage team(s) in action whilst

fighting the fire on board the 1983 built M/V ―THEODORE JR‖

The Bulk carrier was enroute from Lome towards Varna, with a

cargo of 17,000 tons of rock phosphate, had fire break out in its engine-room about 24 nautical miles east-north-east of Ceuta,

in lat 35 59.6N, long 04 56.6W

Second week Baltic Dry Index shows downward slope, at 3337 pts on March 22nd

Baltic Dry Index falling the second week, has reached 3337 points as of March 22nd. From March 15th, when the BDI

began to decline, it has dropped by 237 points (6.7%)



The BDI reached its 4661 maximum value for 2009 on November 19. The BDI reached its highest level ever (more than 11700 points) in May 2008, beginning its slump in mid-July the same year. In Dec.5, 2008 it was at 663 pts, a

minimum BDI rate.

BDI is an index that reflects changes in the value of the marine transportation of raw materials: metal, iron ore, coal and grain. The index includes three other indexes of freight rates, different sizes of ships for which they are calculated

- Capesize, Supramax and Panamax. Dynamics of changes in BDI allows investors and market traders to analyze major trends in world demand and supply. Often the index is considered as the main indicator of future economic growth (if

the index increases) or recession (if it falls), since the raw material on which the index is calculated, has a low potential for speculative operations. Source : PortNews

LICHTE OEVERBESCHERMING OP MAASVLAKTE

Op de glooiing van de Maasvlakte tussen de Gate Terminal en Euromax vindt een proef plaats met

zogenoemde ‗ground consolidators'. Ze worden ook

wel openraampjes genoemd, biocomposieten die in de haak zijn.

Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, producent Anome,

Gemeentewerken, TU Delft en o.a. Rijkswaterstaat nemen deel aan een proef in de Yangtzehaven om

op deze manier het afkalven van het talud te

voorkomen. De ‗ground consolidators‘ zijn draadvormige elementen die, wanneer ze gestort

worden, in elkaar haken en zo een stabiele ruimtelijke structuur vormen. Ze worden gebruikt

voor de versterking van bijvoorbeeld dijken, taluds

en kunstmatige riffen en zijn veel lichter dan de materialen die daar doorgaans voor gebruikt worden, zoals asfalt of steenbrokken, maar net zo stevig.

QM2 cruises into Durban The East Coast has rolled out the red carpet yesterday morning. Ocean liner, the RMS Queen Mary II has docked in the Durban Harbour on its maiden call before departing to Cape Town this evening.

This is the first time the ship has visited the South African shores. The Queen Mary II is on it's annual world cruise,

which sees it docking at 19 ports around the world.



Durban Harbour Port Manager Ricky Bhikraj has told Newswatch that it's quite a sight. The transatlantic liner is nearly 350-metre long and 72-metres high.

Photo : Trevor Jones ©

"The Transnet National Ports Authority made a special concession to allow members of the public into a special designated area to witness the vessel coming into port." Bhikraj says if East Coasters want to catch a glimpse of the

queen, the viewing area is on the north breakwater next to the NSR or at Rocky 5 and 7 in the evening.

The vessel departed at 6pm the same day again. Source : ecr.co.za

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Suspected pirates captured in Kenyan waters Kenyan security forces have arrested Somali pirates in Kenyan waters for the first time, taking 11 suspected gunmen

into custody after a failed attempt to hijack a fishing vessel, police said on Sunday. Kenya is one of the few east African countries prepared to put pirates on trial and has more than 100 suspects in jail facing charges. But, so far, the

Somalis have all been captured by foreign navies patrolling the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.


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"Yes, police have arrested the 11 suspects, believed to be pirates in Kiunga area. They are in custody," said Provincial

Criminal Investigation Officer (PCIO) Nyagah Reche. Police sources said the suspects ran out of fuel at sea, hijacked a

fishing boat and ordered the crew to sail to Somalia. But one of the crew made a telephone call which led to the intervention of Kenyan security forces based in Lamu. One source said the suspects ditched their weapons and skiffs

when they realised the police were nearby. "Transport arrangements are being made to bring them to Mombasa from Lamu, so that they answer to several charges which are being prepared as investigations continue," said Reche.

Somali pirates have plagued the busy shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean for years. Emboldened by

ever higher ransom payments, Somali sea gangs accounted for more than half of piracy incidents worldwide in 2009.

Foreign navies patrolling the areas have prevented some hijackings and captured scores of suspected gunmen. But

finding somewhere to put them on trial has sometimes proved problematic, and some navies have let suspects go free.

Earlier this month, a Kenyan court sentenced seven Somalis to 20 years in prison for piracy after British Royal Navy

forces arrested them in 2008 trying to attack a Danish cargo vessel. Ten more pirates are serving seven-year jail terms in Kenya. The French navy has also taken a large number of suspected pirates to Puntland, the semi-autonomous

northern region of Somalia where several sea gangs are believed to operate from. On Saturday, a judge in Puntland sentenced 22 suspects to six years in jail for acts of piracy in waters off Somalia. He released two boys, seized with the

others by the French navy, as he said it could not be proved they were pirates.

Puntland's security minister told reporters on Saturday the French navy had handed over another six suspects, in

addition to 22 suspected gunmen delivered by French forces last week. "They will be brought before justice very soon as the jails are overcrowded with pirates," said General Yusuf Keyre. Source : Reuters

Injured sailor airlifted from CSCL Sydney off Saldanha

A Sri Lankan seafarer with a fractured leg was evacuated by helicopter from the CSCL SYDNEY while the ship was 80

nautical miles off Saldanha Bay on Saturday.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) reports that it was not immediately known how the man, aged about 30

years, injured himslef. The NSRI said an Air Force Oryx helicopter from 22 Squadron at Air Force Base Ysterplaat went to the ship carrying a NSRI swimmer and a Metro paramedic. On arrival both were winch hoisted on board the fully

laden container ship and after stabilising the patient, all three were lifted back on board the hovering aircraft.

The patient was further treated on board the helicopter en route to the hospital in Cape Town where the man is now

receiving treatment. Source : ports.co.za

CASUALTY REPORTING



Surveillance ship at sea The Interfax news agency said a Russian surveillance ship was drifting in the Sea of Japan after taking on water. The agency cited an unnamed representative of Russia's Pacific Fleet as saying the ship Pribaltika reported that water

was coming into its engine room, forcing the shutdown of the main engine. The ship was being taken by currents

towards the Japanese island of Tsushima. Source : The Star

NAVY NEWS

The Dutch AOR A 832 ZUIDERKRUIS seen off Den Helder Naval base - Photo : Jop N. Roggeveen (c)

Great (HMS) SCOTT !! As two of the German frigates left Wednesday morning (marking the end of a month long visit for the SA Navy Festival

and Exercise Good Hope IV), a new silhouette turned up in a blustery False Bay. This was H131, HMS Scott – the Royal Navy‘s Hydrographic Survey vessel. She entered Simon‘s Town Naval Harbour at 09h23 on the morning of

Wednesday, 17 March 2010.

HMS Scott was built in 1995/96 at

Appledore Shipbuilders in England and commissioned in June 1997. Unlike her

predecessors (the familiar Hecla class, of which the SA Navy‘s Hydrographic Survey

Vessel A324 SAS Protea is a derivative) the

Scott will never win any awards for beauty or style – she is very utilitarian in

appearance. HMS Scott displaces 13,500 tons full load, is 131.1 metres long and 21.5

metres wide. She has 2 Krupp MaK 9M32 9-

Cylinder diesel engines, driving a single shaft with controllable pitch propeller to

give a speed of 18 knots, and retractable bow thruster. HMS Scott is the Royal Navy's sole ocean going survey vessel. She is capable of maintaining up 300

days a year at sea, thanks to her novel crew rotation system - her complement of 63 is divided into three sections, two

of which are required to keep the ship operational, with the third on shore on either leave or in training. When the ship returns to port, one crew section on board is replaced by the section on shore. The ship can then deploy again almost

immediately. Story and picture by David Erickson



SHIPYARD NEWS

S. Korea's shipbuilder wins orders worth 260 mln USD

South Korea's fourth largest shipyard, STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., has won nine bulk carrier orders totaling 260 million U.S. dollars in March alone, suggesting the shipbuilding industry's escape from recession, the company said

Monday. The company said it has won an order from Turkey's Densa AS to build two bulk carriers, and a separate order from a local shipping firm to build three bulk carriers, in addition to an order to build four bulk carriers from a

Chinese firm.

STX Offshore so far this year has won orders to build a total of 17 ships amounting to 1.31 billion U.S. dollars, the

shipyard added. "The STX has brought a positive impact to the shipbuilding industry that was severely hit by the global recession last year," the company said in a statement. STX Offshore and Shipbuilding Co., a subsidiary of the STX

Group from South Korea, has opened the world's largest shipyard in terms of physical area last year at Changxing Island in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China. Source: Xinhua

China's new ship orders skyrocket in Jan-Feb

China's new ship orders increased by a factor of 7.7 to 5.72 million dead weight tons in the first two months of this year, accounting for 51.9% of the world's total, according to a statement published on the website of the Ministry of

Industry and Information Technology. In the period from January to February, the country's completed shipbuilding output surged 168% year on year to 9.18 million DWT, accounting for 46.1% of the world's total. Currently, China's

total shipbuilding orders amounted to 186.95 million DWT at the end of February, 0.6% less than at the end of 2009.

The total existing orders, 88% of which are for exports, makes up 37.6% of the world's total. In 2009, the gross output of China's shipbuilding industry was RMB 548.4 billion in 2009, up 28.7% year on year, according to an earlier

report from China Knowledge. Source: China Knowledge

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

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Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. Letter of Intent to Construct Two Offshore Support Vessels

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. announced, that through its subsidiary Gulf Island Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., it received a

letter of intent to participate as a sub-contractor in the construction of two 60-meter Offshore Support Vessels for the

Iraqi Navy. The value of our portion of the contract will be included in the backlog when reported for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

The primary contractor for the project is RiverHawk Fast Sea Frames, a Tampa, FL Shipbuilder. These two ships will

play a central role in rebuilding vital maritime security capability, mission capability, focused primarily on support and defense of offshore oil terminals in Iraq.

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., based in Houma, Louisiana, is a leading fabricator of offshore drilling and production platforms, hull and/or deck sections of floating production platforms and other specialized structures used in the

development and production of offshore oil and gas reserves. These structures include jackets and deck sections of fixed production platforms; hull and/or deck sections of floating production platforms (such as tension leg platforms

(―TLPs‖)), ―SPARs, FPSOs, MinDOCs,‖ piles, wellhead protectors, subsea templates and various production, compressor

and utility modules, offshore living quarters, brown water towboats, other marine vessels, lift boats, tanksand barges.The Company also provides offshore interconnect pipe hook-up, inshore marine construction, manufacture and

repair of pressure vessels, dry dock and marine repair services, heavy lifts such as ship integration and TLP module integration, loading and offloading of jack-up drilling rigs, semi-submersible drilling rigs, TLPs, SPARs, or other similar

cargo, onshore and offshore scaffolding, piping insulation services, and steel warehousing and sales. Source: Businesswire

Keppel Verolme to build wind farm platform Keppel O&M's Netherlands unit, Keppel Verolme BV, and consortium partner AREVA Energietechnik GmbH have won a

EUR 62 million contract from Wetfeet Offshore Windenergy GmbH to build a Mobile Offshore Application Barge (MOAB) for a new offshore wind farm in the German North Sea EEZ.

The self-erecting floating platform will be deployed at the Global Tech I

Wind Farm that is being built and operated by Wetfeet Offshore. It will host the transformers and high voltage switchgears to collect and convert

electricity generated by the wind turbines for delivery to GermanyÕs

national power grid. It will also be equipped with critical control systems to serve as a backup power supply for the wind farm in case of

emergencies.The MOAB will provide permanent accommodations for up to 32 wind farm operating personnel.

The Global Tech I wind farm will be located about 110 km northwest of Cuxhaven and will have 80 5 MW class wind turbines. When fully

operational in 2013, it will be capable of generating some 1.4 billion kWh of electrical energy annually. It is expected to help cut some 1.2 million tons

of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The MOAB is targeted for completion in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Keppel Verolme will carry out the detailed engineering and construction

work on the new platform which has been designed by Overdick GmbH KG, Hamburg. AREVA is designing, fabricating and installing the transformers and other high voltage equipment. Source :

MarineLog



53,000 DWT cargo vessel handed over The Ha Long Shipbuilding company handed over a 53,000 DWT cargo vessel named UNITED JALUA to Gemany‘s

Orange Ocean company on March 22. The bulk cargo vessel, which is 190 metres in length, 32.26 metres in width and 17.5 metres in height, has a hull capacity of 65,700 m3 and a speed of 14.9 nautical miles an hour. The bulk vessel is

built under the design of Denmark‘s Carl Bro by international standards. * On the same day, Saigon Shipbuilding

Industry Company (SSIC) under the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin) handed over an 11,000 DWT vessel to Taiwan‘s ship-owner, Franbo Linens. The cargo vessel named Franbo Progress is 114.25 metres in length,

18.8 metres width and 13 metres in height. Franco Progress with a speed of 13.8 nautical miles an hour is the biggest ever vessel built by SSIC. The second vessel of its kind will be launched in May 2010. Source: Nhan Dan

The M/V ―Connorth‖ belonging to Erwin Strahlmann MS Connorth, Germany, under rudder, tail shaft and steel works,

in CERNAVAL Shipyard, in Algeciras, Spain. Photo: Nicolai Vikre ©

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES



Maersk Line introduces the first direct service between South America and Russia

Maersk Line has announced a new direct service between Ecuador and Russia, called the ECUBEX service. The service will be the first direct liner route between the two countries and will stand out as a unique solution given the short

transport time, bringing high quality Ecuadorian products to the Russian market. As trade links are enhanced and expanded, the route will bring benefits to both Russian and Ecuadorian exporters and importers. Investment in this

service has been motivated by client demand for reliable and fast refrigerated transportation of fruits, especially

bananas, from Ecuador to the Russian market.

Furthermore, it will give Russian exporters a unique opportunity to develop trade connections between Russia and South America. Maersk Line‘s ECUBEX service is the first direct deep sea liner route between South America and

Russia. The service is on a weekly basis and will bring a full year reliable service with high capacity that will be fast and efficient. The EXUBEX Service consists of 6 newly built Ice-Classed container vessels with maximum reefer

capacity (600 plugs) and total nominal capacity of 2500 TEU. The weekly service calls at: Guayaquil (Ecuador), Balboa

(Panama), Rotterdam (Netherlands), St. Petersburg PLP (Russia), St. Petersburg FCT (Russia), Bremerhaven (Germany), Manzanillo (Panama), Balboa (Panama), Guayaquil (Ecuador). Source: Maersk Line

Norwegian DOF Installer eyes NOK150m from stock sale, sells newbuilding

Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF ASA said that its subsidiary DOF Installer ASA will target to raise NOK150m in

a private placement, and has also agreed to sell a newbuilding contract. The company will sell 7.5 million shares, priced NOK20 apiece. Main owner DOF Subsea Holding 2 AS has committed to subscribe for 53% of the shares to

maintain its stake.

Following the capital increase, there will be a total 13.9 million shares in DOF Installer and based on the subscription

price the company is valued at just under NOK280m.

The raised funding will partly finance the construction of DOF Installer's big anchor handling vessels, currently under construction by STX Europe at Aukra in Norway. DOF Installer also agreed to sell the newbuilding contract for hull 722

to Norwegian offshore vessels operator DOF Subsea AS, a subsidiary of DOF.

The price is NOK153.5m and is equivalent to the construction cost and in line with the current fair market value

estimate. DOF Installer has granted DOF Subsea a right to sell the shipbuilding contract back to DOF Installer at the same price if DOF's contemplated listing of its Brazilian activities, Norskan Offshore, in Brazil is not completed by end

of July 2010.

DOF Installer is expected to thus secure sufficient capital to complete its newbuilding programme for the remaining

two vessels. If DOF Subsea sells the newbuilding contract back to DOF Installer, a new equity

issue could again come up on the agenda. This would most probably happen in the fourth quarter of 2010, when the transfer of the ship is due. In February 2010, DOF Installer sold a newbuilding contract for a similar anchor handling

vessel to DOF. source: Trading Markets



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Antwerp Port begins talks on investments in India

Antwerp Port Authority (APA), which manages Europe‘s second biggest port, has begun talks with local companies for

investment opportunities in building new ports in India, a top

executive has said.

―We are keen to participate by investing in the equity and share our know-how and expertise in building ports in India,‖ Yannick

Dufraimont, a director at Port of Antwerp International (PAI), a

subsidiary of APA, said in a phone interview from New Delhi on Sunday during an official visit to India.

―We are looking at investing in the development of one port on

India‘s eastern coast and at least two on the western coast,‖ he

said. ―That would be the ideal situation.‖ Dufraimont said PAI is in discussions with around 10 local companies on potential

investments in India‘s ports, but declined to name these companies.

Earlier this month, the board of directors of APA cleared the formation of PAI, a vehicle to pursue development

activities beyond Europe, particularly in growth regions with the potential to generate cargo for Antwerp.

PAI will put APA‘s global plan into practice by acquiring stakes in foreign port projects with a reliable rate of return,

located in regions such as West Asia, India, sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil, Dufraimont said.

PAI has finalized its first investment in West Asia, where it will soon sign an equal joint venture with Oman for building

a port at Duqm in that country, he said.

The company would prefer to look at investment opportunities in India, the world‘s second fastest growing major economy, on a ―one-on-one basis‖ so that it can get into the business straightaway without going through the bidding

route. ―Besides, we prefer to partner with local firms that have adequate land and have possibilities to develop a port on their own,‖ Dufraimont said.

As a starting point, it will adopt the so-called landlord port model for choosing projects for PAI to execute or participate in. In this model, the land and waterfront infrastructure are owned by the government or local authority,

while cargo-handling and other essential operations are outsourced to specialist private companies that put up their




own superstructure, including buildings and equipment. Antwerp port, 100% owned by Antwerp city in Belgium, follows this model.

Like Antwerp port, India‘s non-major ports, or those outside the control of the Union government, follow the landlord port model.

Several of India‘s new ports, owned by state governments in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,

Orissa and Karnataka, are being developed by private companies because the states don‘t have money to invest. These ports could provide the ideal setting for PAI to enter the business of developing ports in India.

These ports handled 196 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in the year to end-March 2009, against a capacity of 250 mt. The cargo handling capacity of these ports is being raised to 574 mt by 2012 from 250 mt now.

The capacity expansion will require an investment of Rs35,933 crore, of which 80% is expected to come from the

private sector, according to the shipping ministry.

Dufraimont said PAI was reluctant to participate in the development of ports owned by the Union government as these

were inviting private companies to boost their cargo handling capacity, which is not Antwerp‘s core strength. Besides, these ports selected private cargo handling specialists trough the tender route. Source : livemint

Greatship goes IPO route to raise funds for acquisitions

Greatship India Ltd (GIL), the five year old wholly-owned unlisted subsidiary of top Indian private sector shipowner Great Eastern Shipping Company (GESCO), is to float an initial public offering for raising funds to acquire assets for

offshore services.

Any proposed offering and its timing would be subject to market conditions, and obtaining the necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals. GIL and its subsidiaries operate in three main segments – drilling, offshore logistics and

offshore construction. The average age of vessels under its command is approximately 2.51 years. In the last two

years, GIL has entered into alliances or partnerships with global service providers to in-charter rigs and offshore supply vessels of diverse types to service prospective requirements in India. By March 2013, GIL and its subsidiaries expect to

have a total of 27 operating offshore/logistic assets. Source : Seatrade Asia

$421 million fishing port plan approved



Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a VND8 trillion (US$421 million) plan to build a network of fishing ports for 28 of Viet Nam's coastal cities and provinces.

A major purpose of the plan to 2020, with a vision to 2030, is to finish ports that are behind schedule, provide logistic services for fishing vessels and develop the national fishery industry for modernisation and industrialisation.

It includes more than 210 fishing ports, 178 mainland ports and 33 island ports with a yearly capacity of 2.36 million

tonnes of sea produce by 2020. Seventy-three central-coast fishing ports will be built or upgraded, 65 on the northern coast, 45 on the south-east coast and 28 on the south-west coast.

The plan will be implemented in three stages. The first, 2009-12, provides for the spending of VND2.3 trillion ($121 million) for the construction of Level 1 fishing ports with storm shelters capable of servicing 800CV fishing vessels

making 120 movements each day and some Level 2 ports.

These would service 400CV vessels making 50 daily movements. The second stage, 2013-15, will focus on the key

fishing ports at large estuaries which host fishing vessels from other provinces and play an important role in distributing and trading sea produce.

Investment for these will total VND3.9 trillion ( $205 million). The rest of the money - VND1.7 trillion ( $89.4 million)

will be used between 2016-20 for the remainder of the fishing ports. Initially, capital for the plan will be drawn from the State budget and then mobilised through other sources, both domestic and foreign.

Fees collected at some of the major ports will be used for maintenance and upgrades.

Central Quang Ngai Province's Agriculture and Rural Development Department deputy director Phan Huy Hoang said fishing-port infrastructure was inadequate and inefficient and failed to meet owner demands.

"The province has more than 5,500 fishing vessels, but there are only three fishing ports, Luy Son, Tinh Hoa and Sa Huynh, for the vessels to moor and trade sea produce," he said. "Vessel owners scramble for anchorages because the

ports are overcrowded. The result is disorder and unregulated behaviour.

"Many fishermen have used timber to build temporary wharves and that is why the province can harvest 90,000

tonnes of sea produce each year." The ports were not dredged regularly and this made it difficult for many large vessels to moor. Link roads were limited and traffic jams common.

The deputy director said: "The potential of the province's fishery is completely untapped. "The investment plan will

boost its development and turn temporary ports into fish-trade centres." Hai Phong has Viet Nam's most fishing ports, 14, and an industry representative said more investment for logistic services and storm shelters for thousands of heavy

vessels, especially during the stormy seasons, were needed. Source: VNS

SCI mulls India-Africa liner route, to buy 3 new vessels

Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) plans to start a new container liner route from India to Africa in addition to the

European route which the company proposes to run through a joint venture with Mediterranean Shipping Company, a senior company official said. ―We are evaluating various options to start an India-Africa liner route. We also have plans

to acquire three new container ships by this year-end,‖ the SCI official told PTI here.

SCI has earmarked $200-225 million to fund these purchases and plans to float a tender for the same in the next few days.

The official said the purchase of new vessels along with Mediterranean Shipping Company will be executed after securing the board approval. Source: PTI



The new Rotterdam VTS central post seen getting shape - Photo : Hans de Visser (c)

Ensco sells two oil rigs for $95M Contract oil driller Ensco International has sold two of the company‘s oil drilling rigs for $95 million.

The rigs had a total net book value of $63 million in December. Ensco will classify the rigs as discontinued operations in its first quarter 2010 earnings statement.

Ensco was based primarily in Dallas until late last year, when the company announced plans to move its legal domicile

to the United Kingdom to improve access to international customers and gain a competitive advantage in the global offshore drilling industry.

At the time, Ensco said 150 employees will remain in the Dallas office. The company's chief operating officer also

continues to work out of its North Texas location. Source : Dallas Business Journal

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. Takes Delivery of Two Bunkering Tanker Newbuildings

Further Expands Delivery Capacity in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. announced that it has taken delivery of the Andros, a 4,600 dwt double-hull

bunkering tanker newbuild from Fujian Southeast Shipyard in China. The vessel is expected to be deployed to the Company's market in the United Arab Emirates.

The Company also announced it has taken delivery of the Lefkas, a 6,200 dwt double-hull bunkering tanker newbuild from Qingdao Hyundai Shipyard in China. The vessel is expected to be deployed to the Company's market in

Singapore.

E. Nikolas Tavlarios, President, commented, "With the delivery of the Andros and the Lefkas, Aegean Marine has once

again strengthened its leading competitive position for the global supply of marine fuel. We intend to deploy these



double-hull newbuilds to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, two of the largest bunkering markets in the world, as we seek to further expand our industry leadership and drive future sales volume growth."

The NORMAN BRIDGE is to be switched to Oostend soon – Photo : Manuel Dhondt (c)

Shipping secretary says good times for port building

Port building is ―going through exciting times‖, and backed by keen investor interest, the government is looking to go

the whole hog by focussing on their expansion and improving efficiency, shipping secretary, K Mohandas said.

―There is a considerable investor interest in port building,‖ he said. Mohandas, a 1974 batch Indian Administrative

Services officer, expects India‘s port capacity to match the demand by 2015, shedding its tag of inadequacy.

His optimism is evident in the way private ports have started coming up in the country, often giving the state-owned major ports a run for their money. In what came as a strong signal of change in order, recently, public sector

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam shifted its coking coal import business from state-owned Vizag Port to a more cost-effective

Gangavaram Port, a privately-held company.

Similarly, Puducherry-based Karaikal Port is playing on its locational advantage to wean over clients from Tuticorin Port and Chennai Port. ―Companies are seeing that they can save between Rs 80-160 a tonne in their cargo and are

increasingly coming to us,‖ a Karaikal Port official said.

―India‘s current port capacity is about 820 million tonne, and it is expected to go up to 1,250 million tonne by the end

of fiscal 2012,‖ Mohandas said. The original target was 1,500 million tonne, but it had to be chopped in the wake of the global economic slowdown, which constrained finances and trimmed the demand forecast.

The government has set an ambitious target to develop the major ports in the country in the next financial year.

―As more and more ports come up, business will get distributed... In 2010-11, 21 port projects will be taken up for development of berths and mechanisation. The total investment in these projects is estimated at Rs 14,000 crore,‖

Mohandas said.

Four of these are in Visakhapatnam, four in Tuticorin, two in West Bengal, two in Cochin, two in Mormugao, two in

Mumbai Port, two in Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, two in Kandla and one in Ennore. He said the plans lined up include setting up of oil jetties in Haldia, West Bengal, a cruise terminal at Cochin, and a container terminal at Ennore.



These projects will be privately funded and built on a build, operate and transfer basis. In the current financial year, 13 projects have been awarded so far, and one more is likely to be awarded by the month end, Mohandas said.

The ministry is also looking at developing a major port at Andaman & Nicobar Islands. ―Globally, the thumb rule is that port capacity of a country should be at least 30% more than the demand. In India, capacity utilisation is about 93%,

which is good for ports and shipping companies, but bad for the economy,‖ Mohandas said.

He said the International Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam, Cochin, will be commissioned in the next four months. ―This terminal will shift a lot of transhipment activity to neighbouring ports.‖ As for the shipping industry,

the secretary said his ministry is looking to support the expansion plans of companies.

The shipping ministry is keen to see Indian carriers clock higher tonnage and a number of proposals are being

examined to meet this end. A chunk of cargo originating or terminating in India is carried by ships registered in other countries, with Indian flagged vessels accounting for only around 12%.

―We would like Indian tonnage to go up, for which the industry has given us suggestions that are related to taxation and the fiscal impact,‖ he said. Exploring such proposals was ―an ongoing process‖, Mohandas said. Among proposals

to prop up the domestic industry, is one to revive an earlier subsidy scheme for ship builders. Under this scheme, which was discontinued in 2007, the government offered shipbuilders 30% subsidy on manufacturing cost.

He also said the government was vetting a proposal to make a legislation that will give preference to Indian flag

carriers over foreign flag carriers. ―This is a protectionist step, but is not unusual. It exists in many countries,‖ he said.

Asked whether the government was looking to reinstate this scheme, he said, ―Ship building is essential and ship

building activity has to be promoted. We are working on a proposal and will examine this.‖

He, however, cautioned that the government may not agree to all demands of the shipbuilding companies and advised

them to become more efficient and financially viable. ―Ship building is a commercial activity and it has to stand on its own,‖ he said.

The shipping ministry, in line with the government‘s drive to raise resources by selling minority stakes in its companies,

has listed four candidates for a possible stock sale. ―We have four divestment candidates—Shipping Corp, Dredging

Corp, Cochin Shipyard and Ennore Port. But we have not taken any final views on any of them,‖ he said.

―Cochin Shipyard has an expansion plan of about Rs 1000 crore, which it may fund through an initial public offer (IPO) and internal accruals and some budgetary support,‖ he said. Cochin Shipyard, with a ship building capacity of up to

110,000 deadweight tonnage, is fully-owned by the government. Shipping Corp will need resources to buy more vessels, which are available cheaper in the aftermath of the global downturn.

―I would also like Shipping Corp to be more conservative about its debt-equity ratio,‖ Mohandas said. The government holds 80% in Shipping Corp and 78% in Dredging Corp. Source : DNA India

Navios Maritime Partners L.P. Announces Purchase of the Navios Aurora II

Navios Maritime Partners L.P. an owner and operator of dry cargo vessels, announced the purchase of Navios Aurora

II, a 2009 South Korean-built Capesize vessel with a capacity of 169,031 dwt, for $110.0 million from Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. The vessel is chartered out until November 2019 for $41,325 (net) per day.

$20.0 million of the purchase price is funded by the issuance 1,174,219 common units of Navios Partners. The $17.03 issue price reflects NYSE's volume weighted average price of the common units for the 5-business day period prior to

the acquisition of the vessel. The balance of $90 million of the purchase price is funded by $60.0 million cash on the balance sheet and $30 million of new debt.



As a result of this acquisition, Navios Partners has a fleet of 13 drybulk vessels with a combined carrying capacity of

1.2 million dwt, average age of 6.1 years and average charter-out coverage of 4.2 years.

Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and CEO of Navios Partners, commented, "The acquisition of Navios Aurora II extends the

average charter-out coverage of our fleet to 4.2 years and thus improves our cash available for distribution in the longer term." Ms. Frangou continued, "We are also pleased with the continued sponsorship of Navios Holdings, as the

units issued to Navios Holdings were at approximately a 10% premium to the February 2010 public offering

The STOLT BRELAND seen moored in Rotterdam – Botlek - Photo : Hans de Visser ©

Concordia Maritime Orders Suezmax Tanker at Samsung

Concordia Maritime has placed an order with Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea for a Suezmax tanker for

delivery in the second quarter of 2012. The investment amounts to just under SEK 500 million and the intention is to employ the vessel in the open market via the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool.

The tanker ordered, the Stena Supreme, is part of a series of six units. A project developed by Stena Bulk and

designed by Stena Teknik. During its development, the focus was on energy efficiency. The vessel‘s technical equipment and design will enable fuel consumption to be reduced by up to 10-15 percent compared with existing

standard tonnage.

―This is a project that is very suitable for Concordia Maritime. The Suezmax market is becoming increasingly

interesting. The transport pattern for crude oil is changing, resulting in, among other things, longer transport distances. In this context, the Suezmax size is more flexible than e.g. VLCCs.

The vessel‘s design and performance are impressive and Samsung is one of the leading quality shipyards. Our intention is to employ the tanker in the open market via the successful pool collaboration between Stena Bulk and

Sonangol. We believe it has a potential by virtue of its exposure in the market for crude oil transportation. This will be an interesting complement to our involvement in the product tanker market. Moreover, we feel that the timing is right.

The price is competitive and reflects the 35-40 percent drop in ship prices since their peak 1.5-2 years ago‖, says Hans

Norén, President of Concordia Maritime.

The Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool is a pool controlled by Stena Bulk and the Angolan state-owned oil company Sonangol. Since it was established in 2005, the pool has generated better revenues than other, competing pools.

Today, the pool consists of 13 tankers, but the objective is to build up a fleet consisting of a total of 25 new and



efficient Suezmax tankers. Stena Bulk‘s offices in Houston, Rio de Janeiro, London and Singapore are responsible for the operation and chartering of the vessels in the pool.

―The investment amounts to just under. SEK 500 million, the largest part of which will be paid on delivery in the second quarter of 2012. Concordia Maritime is financially strong and even after this investment still has the capacity to

invest‖, says CFO Göran Hermansson.

Concordia Maritime will also participate in 50 percent of Stena Bulk‘s charter of a newly built Suzemax tanker. This charter will run for 12 months following delivery from the shipyard, which is set for May this year. The freight rate is

USD 23,000 per day. The tanker will be employed on the open market in the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool.

―This charter will give us a presence in the interesting Suezmax segment already in 2010 and is expected to generate a

surplus but does not currently warrant any change in the forecast result for 2010, i.e. a profit of around USD 9.5 million before tax‖, says Göran Hermansson.

Technical data, Stena Supreme Length 274.0 metres

Breadth 48.0 metres Draft 17.0 metres

Deadweight 158,700 tons

Bulgaria, Russia Boost Black Sea Ferry Line

Bulgaria and Russia are adding a second ship to the Varna-Port Kavkaz ferry line in the Black Sea starting April 2010.

The ferry line connecting Bulgaria's Varna and Russia's Port Kavkaz was launched in May 2009. It shortens the land

trading route between the two countries by 800 km, and reduces the time needed to transport cargo between them by 40%.

The capacity of the second ferry boat to run between the two ports is 50 railroad cars. Two more ships will be added to the line by the end of 2010, according to Simeon Ananiev, CEO of the Bulgarian agency "Railroad Administration",

as cited by the Pari Daily.

Ananiev pointed out that Bulgaria is seeking to develop the transport corridors from between China and the EU

through the Black Sea. He also said the Varna-Port Kavkaz ferry line will be very useful for the construction of the three large-scale Russian projects in Bulgaria - the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, the South Stream gas pipeline,

and the Belene Nuclear Plant - because it is very suitable for transporting equipment and construction materials.

Ananiev believes that a problem for the country is the absence of a port operator firm to be in charge of carrying out the necessary modernization investments. Source : novinite.com

MISC starts Myanmar - India service MISC Bhd announced the beginning of its new East India Service (EIS) with first sailing from Yangon, Myanmar, on

Monday. EIS is offering a dedicated weekly service between East India and Myanmar. The service offers offer routing from Yangon, Chennai, Colombo, Chennai and back to Yangon, the shipping company said in a statement.

This weekly service will be served by two of MISC's 700 teu capacity vessels, Bunga Mas 11 and Bunga Mas 12, with a minimum of 60 reefer plugs. Source: SeaTradeAsia-Online



The HEINRICH ESSBERGER seen moored in Dordrecht – Photo : Cees de Bijl (c)

Groundbreaking NAUTIS Maritime Simulator introduced at Asia Pacific Maritime 2010 Expo!

Rotterdam/Singapore, March 23rd 2010 – Maritime Simulator developer VSTEP introduces its new NAUTIS maritime simulator range at the Asia Pacific Maritime 2010 exposition in Singapore. Originating from the success of its Ship

Simulator Professional training software, the NAUTIS simulator range offers an affordable high quality alternative for training maritime officers and crews.

Introducing a full range of simulators, from desktop trainer to full mission bridge simulator, NAUTIS is a cost-effective training solution fulfilling the training requirements of nautical colleges, naval academies, maritime training centres and

individual ship owners worldwide.

―NAUTIS marks the next groundbreaking step to open up high quality, affordable maritime simulation to all maritime

professionals,‖ says Pjotr van Schothorst, CTO of VSTEP.

The new NAUTIS Simulator range will be demonstrated at the VSTEP stand during Asia Pacific Maritime 2010. Visit VSTEP (stand #3A26) at Singapore Expo from March 24-26, 2010.

For more information about the innovative NAUTIS Maritime Simulator range, visit www.nautissim.com

http://www.nautissim.com/



They just depart the Mammoet Terminal, the Tug ―VLIELAND‖, former ―TAKTOW 1‖ and ―ARGUS 8‖ with the Transport pontoon Mammoet ―ZIJPE‖ and assisting tug Mammoet ―GROENLAND‖ Destination Pembroke UK

Photo : Jos Leentvaar (c)

The tug VLIELAND - Photo : Bas van Hoorn (c)

InterManager and ITF sign MOU Global union federation the ITF and international ship managers‘ association InterManager signed a memorandum of

understanding (MOU) today that encourages them to work together on areas such as maritime safety, training, and preventing the criminalisation of seafarers.

The understanding was signed by InterManager Secretary General, Guy Morel, and ITF Seafarers‘ Section Secretary,

Jon Whitlow.



The MOU identifies a significant overlap in the goals and objectives of the two organisations in the field of shipping‘s human element. It also recognises the potential benefits of greater cooperation in areas such as: criminalisation and

the fair treatment of seafarers; the promotion of social communication onboard ships; meeting the aspirations of

young seafarers; promotion of a safety culture onboard ships; ensuring that manning agencies meet the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention; improving the image and reality of the industry; simplification of the

documentation required to be carried by ships; crew/officer training, attraction and retention; and improving accommodation standards.

Guy Morel commented: ―Today‘s signing reflects our focus on the care for our seafarers and our belief that, with better

liaison and co-operation, we can minimise unnecessary duplication of effort, improve efficiency and enhance our

impact. We have already seen what can be achieved when the industry unites on issues such as criminalisation and piracy, and we hope to build on those lessons.‖

Jon Whitlow added: ―This is a positive step towards developing closer ties on matters of common interest with

international bodies representing ship owners and operators. We hope that searching for common ground and

improving communications and liaison will result in a more powerful united voice on industry issues.‖

The last two years have seen a number of occasions when organisations across the shipping industry have come together to speak out on issues such as piracy and the unfair criminalisation of seafarers. The ITF has previously

signed an MOU with INTERTANKO.

Above seen the VOS Mariner inbound for Grangemouth, passing Carlingnose Point, River Forth.

Photo : Iain Forsyth (c)

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Today‘s wind (+6Bft) and wave (+3m) chart. Created with SPOS, the onboard weather information &

voyage optimisation system, used on over 1000 vessels today.

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The brandnew SMIT BELUGA seen executing bollard pull tests on a beautiful ―spring‖ day in Rotterdam-Caland canal

with in the background seen Heerema‘s THIALF Photo : Henk Dekker (c)



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