| |
MaritimeDigital Archive News - 2006-02 |
Number of messages: 143 in the period 2006-02. |
Oscar Austin Provides Assistance to Fishing Vessel
The guided-missile destroyer USS
Oscar Austin (DDG 79) located and assisted a distressed fishing vessel
Feb. 14 while operating 140 nautical miles off the coast of Sicily in
the Mediterranean Sea. The ship, which is part of the USS Theodore
Roosevelt (CVN 71) Strike Group, was headed to Civitavechia, Italy, the
next scheduled port of call, when its SH-60B Seahawk helicopter
discovered the drifting fishing boat in distress.
The boat’s five crew members were waving flags and shot a white flare
to get the aircraft's attention. The Italian fishing vessel named Zaira
SR 2437, which had no remaining fuel and no ability to communicate via
radio, had lost propulsion and was drifting further out to sea. With 30
plus knot winds, high seas and a frigid temperature, the crew needed
help immediately.
The helicopter lowered a search and rescue swimmer into the ocean to
swim to Zaira. It was determined that the vessel was seaworthy, but
needed fuel to transit back to port. Oscar Austin deployed one of its
rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) to transport fuel to the small
boat. The fishing vessel successfully started and maneuvered alongside
Oscar Austin to complete the underway replenishment. The RHIB connected
a fueling line from Oscar Austin's boat deck to Zaira and transferred
the necessary amount of fuel to ensure its safe return to port. Cmdr.
Pete DeMane, Oscar Austin’s commanding officer, was extremely proud of
the effort his crew put forth during this difficult evolution. “Oscar
Austin's crew has seen many different tactical situations throughout
this deployment, and today they had the opportunity to help out fellow
mariners on a humanitarian level," he said. "I am very proud of all of
the hard work put forth here today.”
To show their appreciation, the Italian crew members presented Oscar
Austin with a swordfish that they caught on their trip out.
Oscar Austin recently arrived in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations
and will conduct Theater Security Cooperation engagements over the next
few weeks before returning to homeport in Norfolk, Va. (Source: USS Oscar Austin Public Affairs)
• 2006-02-21 12:13:18 • Category: 0
|
|
New Fees for Tug Services at Panama Canal
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP)
announced that effective April 1, 2006, there will be rate increases
for tug and linehandling services due to rising operating costs. The
decision was made by the Republic of Panama's Cabinet Council, upon a
recommendation from the ACP's Board of Directors. Rates for tug
services will increase 7 percent and rates for linehandling services
will rise 4 percent. Fees vary by vessel size. Rates for these services
have not been increased since March 2004. However, increases in
operating costs due primarily to sustained fuel hikes have impacted
tugboat and linehandling services, making it necessary to adjust rates. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-21 12:06:14 • Category: 0
|
|
Canadian Ships to Join Training Exercise with U.S. Navy
Five Canadian warships left Halifax
on Monday for a three-week training exercise with the U.S. navy,
reports said. The flagship of the exercise will be HMCS Montreal, which
will be jointed by HMCS Ville de Quebec, Summerside, Moncton and
Preserver, Navy officials said. The vessels will join three U.S.
destroyers, along with Canadian fighter jets and land forces. Canada's
only operational submarine, HMCS Windsor, is also expected to take
part. About 1,000 personnel will participate in the exercise, set to
take place in waters off Canada's Nova Scotia and Norfolk of U.S.
Virginia and Boston, Mass. Joint Task Force Atlantic is one of
several regional command centres responsible for conducting domestic
operations under Canada Command. The centres were announced last year
to focus on disasters at home. Combat capabilities will be tested in
the areas of anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare and boarding
operations. (Source: Xinhua)
• 2006-02-21 12:04:47 • Category: 0
|
|
Signal to Repair Boomtown Barge
Signal International, a company known
for its work in repairing and renovating offshore drilling rigs, will
be repair the hull of the Boomtown Casino barge. The barge, heavily
damaged during Hurricane Katrina, was moved to Signal last week for
hull repairs, according to information from Penn National Gaming, which
owns the casino. Company officials said they expect to have the barge's
repairs completed and the casino back in operation by the end of this
year. The exact cost of the repairs were not released, but company
spokesman Ron Schnoor said the hull repairs were estimated at less than
$1 million. (Source: Mississippi Press)
• 2006-02-21 12:04:05 • Category: 0
|
|
Warner backs Navy effort to mothball JFK
U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, who in December
capped a successful drive to save the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy,
on Friday jumped to the forefront of a new effort to retire the ship. As Navy officials briefed lawmakers on safety
assessments that indicate the 38-year-old JFK is unfit for duty, the
Virginia Republican told reporters he is satisfied that the 11 carriers
remaining meet the military’s needs. Although that force will be the smallest in
decades, Warner argued that a contemporary carrier “is far more
effective as a fighting platform than the carrier of a decade ago.” He said he now believes the $2 billion or more
needed to repair the Kennedy and keep it in service over the next five
years would be better spent on new shipbuilding. Warner’s announcement and his introduction of a bill to repeal a six-week-old law requiring the Navy to maintain at least 12 aircraft carriers, is likely “the end of the line for the Kennedy,” said Scott Truver, a naval programs analyst. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Warner is perhaps Congress’ most influential voice on defense issues. The announcement might also trigger a bitter fight in Congress between Virginia and Florida lawmakers. The latter group has been working for months to bring one of the Navy’s five Norfolk-based carriers to the Kennedy’s homeport of Mayport, Fla., if the Kennedy is retired. “We need to repair the JFK as soon as possible so we’re not reducing our carrier fleet from 12 to 11 in a time of war,” Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. , said Friday. “And while the Kennedy is under repair, we need to move a nuclear-powered ship from Norfolk to Mayport as soon as possible – so all our other carriers aren’t sitting ducks in one port.” Warner was joined Friday in his change of heart on the Kennedy by Reps. Jo Ann Davis, R-1st District; Thelma Drake, R-2nd District; and Robert C. Scott, D-3rd District , who were all allies of retaining the ship just a few months ago. “Because we’ve spent all our money on tax cuts, there is very little left over for shipbuilding,” Scott said Friday. “We’ve been told they could waste $3 billion on the Kennedy, but it’s going to come out of shipbuilding somewhere else. “If that’s the only choice we have, it’s not much of a choice,” he added. Drake asked, “Even if we had the extra money, what’s the best way to spend that money? They’ve pretty well convinced us it’s not on the Kennedy.” The Kennedy is one of two conventionally powered carriers in the Navy. The other is the Kitty Hawk, based in Yokosuka, Japan, and scheduled to be retired in 2008. Navy leaders last month announced a $10 million study to assess the environmental impact of dredging and renovations needed to outfit the Mayport base for a nuclear-powered carrier. That study also is expected to cover the cost of other basing options in Mayport, including the assignment of an Expeditionary Strike Group, a collection of amphibious ships outfitted to carry and support Marine forces. Because each carrier has a crew of about 3,000 sailors, the ships are enormous economic generators for their homeports. The loss of just one flattop would drain about $225 million annually from Hampton Roads, according to estimates developed by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. But an expeditionary group has about as many sailors as a carrier, Truver noted Friday. Assigning one to Mayport could help the Navy mollify Florida lawmakers upset about the loss of the Kennedy while avoiding a fight with Virginians over a Norfolk-based flattop, he suggested. Last year, the Navy canceled plans to spend $350 million overhauling the Kennedy so that it could remain in service until 2018. A senior Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday that inspections have uncovered new and more expensive problems, including deterioration of “sheave foundations” housing the ship’s arresting gears, the mechanisms that snag and hold aircraft as they land on the deck. Late Friday, the Navy announced that all the arresting gears have been “decertified,” meaning they can no longer be used and only helicopters can land on the Kennedy’s deck. Two of the Kennedy’s four catapults also have been judged unsafe and the others are operating under safety waivers that expire in June, the official said. Additional waivers for half of the Kennedy’s boilers, which produce steam that powers the 90,000-ton carrier and its catapults, are scheduled to expire in September, the official added. Repairs to the arresting gear would cost an estimated $160 million, the official said, and an overhaul would require more than $400 million. Retaining and operating the ship through the Pentagon’s current five-year planning cycle would cost a total of $2 billion, Warner confirmed. The Kennedy has been moored in Mayport since late last year and has not been deployed overseas since 2004. Navy leaders concluded more than a year ago that the ship should be retired as soon as possible. But Warner argued through 2005 that its fate should be decided as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review , a Pentagon study of the military’s entire force structure that was not concluded until earlier this month. Other lawmakers, including Rep. Davis and Sen. Nelson, argued that any cut in the carrier force is unwise with the nation engaged in a worldwide war against terrorism. The QDR recommended an 11-carrier force, which is projected to drop to just 10 flattops early in the next decade but to return to 12 by 2019. “To achieve this expansion while managing limited resources, it is necessary to retire the aging conventional carriers that have served this country for so long” Warner said in remarks inserted late Thursday in the Congressional Record. (Source: The Virginian-Pilot)
• 2006-02-21 03:55:49 • Category: 0
|
|
Shipping accidents off the Chinese coast leave 61 missing
Two ships were apparently driven against the rocky coast of eastern
China in rough seas. First, a Chinese fishing boat with 27 people on
board sank there; three sailors were rescued but the others are still
missing. Only hours later, a Panamanian freighter sank there, leaving
rescuers looking for 37 crew members. A Chinese official said the ship
was carrying a cargo of seafood to Indonesia, but he didn't know the
ship's name or the nationality of its crew. Typhoons and other rough
weather conditions frequently lash Pingtan, an island just off the
Fujian coast about 370 miles south of Shanghai. (Source: The Press Association)
• 2006-02-21 03:51:49 • Category: 0
|
|
Canada to get tough on illegal fishing
Canada's new Fisheries Minister, Loyola Hearn, has indicated that
Canada will take on the responsibility of policing the waters beyond
its 200-mile territorial boundary, particularly in areas off
Newfoundland that have been overfished for many years. Canada currently
can issue citations to boats guilty of overfishing, but these citations
carry very little weight. Mr. Hearn says that new actions could include
closing Canada's ports to vessels from nations that violate the
regulations. The World Wildlife Fund last year criticized Portugal,
Spain, Russia and Canada for fishing at levels that made the recovery
of stocks impossible, so Mr. Hearn has some backers. But his more
aggressive approach is bound to have its critics. (Source: National Post)
• 2006-02-21 03:51:04 • Category: 0
|
|
Mitsubishi Launches Hatsu Smile
On February 4, 2006, Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries’ Kobe shipyard launched Hatsu Smile, the fourth in a series
of ten 7024TEU S-type container vessels that the shipbuilder is
constructing for the Evergreen Group. Like the first three ships in the
series, Hatsu Smile will be operated by London-headquartered Hatsu
Marine Ltd.
Hatsu Smile was named by Mr Chang Kuo-Cheng (K C Chang), Vice Group
Chairman of Evergreen Group and Chairman of Evergreen Marine Corp. The
honour of cutting the ceremonial rope sending the traditional bottle of
champagne against its bow to launch and send the vessel on its way down
the slipway was given to Mrs Kuo Yeh Chiung-Yu, wife of Captain S Y Kuo
who is also Vice Group Chairman for the Evergreen Group.
The Evergreen Group is taking delivery of 18 large post-Panamax
containerships over the period 2005 to 2008 – ten S-types and eight
8063TEU C-types – allowing the Group companies to upgrade existing
services and phase out older vessels.
Hatsu Smile is due to be delivered to Hatsu Marine towards the end of
May and will commence her maiden voyage to Europe shortly thereafter.
As well as the four S-type vessels, the Hatsu fleet also comprises five
6332TEU E-class vessels plus two 1618TEU P-class vessels currently
deployed in regional Asian services within the Evergreen Group. All
ships fly the UK flag. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-18 14:32:41 • Category: 0
|
|
Ships Abandoned at UAE Ports
The Khaleej Times reported that at
least two ships are currently being abandoned at UAE ports, with some
16 seamen of Asian and Middle Eastern origin being left at the mercy of
charitable organizations like the Mission to Seafarers. One tugboat
with four crew members and a small tanker vessel with 12 seamen are
currently being abandoned by their owners at Hamriyah in Dubai and
Hamriyah Port in Sharjah respectively. The four-member crew, all
Indians, of the tugboat, which is owned by an Iraqi, has not been paid
for four months now, and is now relying on the mission. The tug has
been sold to another Iraqi. The other ship, a feeder diesel smuggling
vessel, has 12 crew members, including Syrians, Pakistanis and
Bangladeshis, who have also not been paid by the owner for several
months now. The ship used to smuggle diesel from Iraq, carry it to Iran
to avoid sailing into international waters and then come to the Gulf,
from where its load used to be discharged onto bigger ships. At any
given time, there are at least 100 ships in this area, whose crew has
not been paid for months. To be able to address more issues of this
kind, The Mission to Seafarers in Dubai, which is part of the
international organization that cares for seafarers regardless of race
or religion in over 300 ports around the world, launched its charitable
appeal ‘The Angel Appeal.’ The aim of the project is to raise over $1
million before the end of this year to build and equip a boat
appropriately named ‘Angel’ to support some of the estimated 140,000
seafarers using the East Coast Anchorages of the UAE each year.
(Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com)
• 2006-02-18 14:31:20 • Category: 0
|
|
Seabulk Pride Leaves Bay
The Seabulk Pride, a tanker that was
anchored in Kachemak Bay last week after it ran aground, departed
Kachemak Bay about 9:30 p.m. Feb. 9. The 600-foot double-hull tanker
had been in Homer about a week as it was inspected and repaired after
ice pushed the ship away from its dock in Nikiski and it was grounded.
The Seabulk Pride pulled into Port Angeles, Wash., on Feb. 14. Because
the tanker had lost one anchor, it was escorted by a tug as it came
into port. The tanker is to be inspected at Port Angeles before it can
be moved to Anacortes, Wash., to offload its cargo. The Coast Guard has
required tests of the ship’s cargo piping before its 3.9 million
gallons of petroleum products can be pumped off. The tanker will also
be required to have protective booming around it as the cargo is
offloaded. After the Seabulk Pride has offloaded cargo and cleaned its
tanks, it will go to a shipyard for repair, probably in Canada. Repairs
will be checked by the Coast Guard. (Source: Homer News Online)
• 2006-02-18 14:30:21 • Category: 0
|
|
Crowley to Build 400 x 105 ft. Deck Barges
Crowley has awarded a two-barge
construction contract to Gunderson Marine of Portland, Oregon, with the
first vessel to be available for service in early 2007. The new
construction of these two Heavy Lift Series 400 x 105 ft. deck barges
to handle project work for the offshore energy industry in the Gulf of
Mexico will expand and keep current Crowley's fleet for customers of
the company's marine services business segment.
Crowley's new Heavy Lift Series 400-x 105 ft. barges will provide both
the capacity and deck strength needed to accommodate the favored larger
units for deepwater development. The barges will also be suitable for
use in other regions, including Alaska, where Crowley has regularly
performed summer sealifts to the North Slope.
Crowley's new barges will be classed by the American Bureau of Shipping
and receive certification from the United States Coast Guard. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-18 14:29:34 • Category: 0
|
|
57 Missing After Ships Sink
At least 57 people are missing after
two ships sank in high winds in the Taiwan Strait off southeast China,
the state news agency said on Friday, according to a report on
www.cbc.ca.
Xinhua said the first ship, carrying 37 people, struck a reef near coastal Fujian province's Pingtan island late Thursday. The Fujian Maritime Safety
Administration says the ship, headed for Indonesia, was fully loaded
with aquatic products when strong winds carried it onto the reef.
About two hours later, a fishing boat with 27 people sank near Pingtan
island. Three people were rescued, but the rest are missing. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-18 14:27:50 • Category: 0
|
|
Wreckage of Egyptian ferry found
Transport Minister Mohamed Loutfi Mansour said the
al-Salam 98 was found in 800m (2,600 ft) of water, 90km (56 miles) from
Egypt's port of Safaga. He said experts would lower a robotic submersible to take pictures and search for the vessel's voyage data recorder. Only 388 out of more than 1,400 people on board survived the disaster. Ships carry a voyage data recorder, similar to a plane's
black box, to record information about the vessel's location, direction
of travel and weather conditions. Mr Mansour said the Egyptian authorities were now
working with international salvage experts to try to recover the device
from the al-Salam Boccaccio '98, which was operated by El-Salam
Maritime. When they launch the salvage mission at the weekend they
will also photograph the wreckage in an effort to establish why the
ship sank. It is believed that the 35-year-old ship, which was sailing in bad weather, ran into trouble when a fire broke out below decks. The accident has prompted accusations of negligence,
with the crew accused of ignoring warnings to evacuate after the fire
took hold and the ship began to list. The anger of relatives has increased because of a lack
of information about their loved ones, most of whom were Egyptians
working in Saudi Arabia. (Source: BBC News)
• 2006-02-18 14:01:18 • Category: 0
|
|
Indian workers protest the departure of the Clemenceau
The decision by French President Jacques Chirac to stop the decommissioned aircraft carrier Clemenceau
being broken up in the shipyards of Alang on India's west coast marks a
victory for environmentalists. But shipyard workers wanted the job, and
are planning days of protests and hunger strikes. Girish Luthra, whose
company Gujarat Enviro Protection and Infrastructure was due to remove
the toxic materials from the Clemenceau, said this ship could
have given jobs to 300 to 400 workers. And it could have spelled the
beginning of an upswing in an industry that has lost work to
Bangladesh, China and Pakistan. (Source: Khaleej Times Online)
• 2006-02-18 13:57:33 • Category: 0
|
|
Indian sailors 'traumatised by beatings'
Ten alleged Somali pirates "tortured" the crew of an Indian dhow that they hijacked and also attacked other vessels off the coast of Somalia before being captured by the United States Navy last month, a Kenyan court heard on Tuesday. Captain Akbar Ali Suleiman said he and his 15 crew were regularly beaten and denied food by the accused who then used the dhow as a base to stage unsuccessful attacks on three ships in the area during the five-day ordeal. "On all those days, there was continuous torture," he said on the first day of testimony in a landmark piracy trial in this Indian Ocean port city. "The accused were eating our food and not allowing us to eat anything." Suleiman said the defendants - armed with handguns, assault rifles and grenade launchers - made their intentions clear after seizing his dhow on January 16 and demanding satellite phones and $50 000. "Once inside, they started beating and threatening us and making demands," he said. "They said that our ship was under arrest and that they were after other ships." He said the alleged pirates had secured three small speedboats to his dhow and used them to launch failed attacks on three commercial ships, the last of which prompted US naval intervention. The suspects were captured by the US destroyer Churchill on January 21 about 85km off the Somali coast, after they tried to attack a Bahamanian-registered freighter a day earlier. The US military brought the suspects to Mombasa late last month after Kenyan authorities agreed to prosecute the case in a bid to rein in an epidemic of piracy of the unpatrolled Somali coast. Defence lawyers are seeking to quash the charges - the first-ever test of Kenya's anti-piracy laws - claiming Kenyan courts have no jurisdiction in the matter, an argument Mombasa magistrate Beatrice Jaden has thus far rejected. But the defendants have pleaded not guilty and claim they were illegally abducted by the United States while fishing in international waters. They could face life in prison if convicted.The US seizure of the alleged pirates came amid a surge in ship hijackings off the coast of Somalia where the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported 37 attacks on vessels since mid-March last year. Somalia has had no functioning central administration since the 1991 ousting of Mohammed Siad Barre and pirates have increasingly taken advantage of the lack of authority to ply the 3 700km coast. (Source: Sapa-AFP)
• 2006-02-17 04:18:23 • Category: 0
|
|
USS Porter Trains with Black Sea Navies
The guided-missile destroyer USS
Porter (DDG 78) arrived in the Black Sea in early February to train
with the Ukrainian and Romanian navies.
As part of a strategic focus to the south and east, Commander, U.S.
Naval Forces Europe/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet (CNE/C6F) have increased
engagement in the Black Sea in an effort to increase cooperation with
regional partners. “This is my second time in the Black Sea in the past
nine months and the third time we have had ships operating here,” said
Capt. Tom Rowden, commander of Task Force 65 and the senior embarked
officer aboard Porter. “The Ukrainian and Romanian navies are both
emerging partners in the U.S. European Command theater and I have seen
significant progress in our ability to operate with them. This will
continue as long as we take full advantage of the opportunities we have
to work together, and when we do this, it makes us all better at what
we do.” During their time in the Black Sea, Porter Sailors will
participate in passing exercises, Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure
(VBSS) evolutions, and other shipboard training with their Romania and
Ukrainian counterparts. (Source: U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs)
• 2006-02-17 04:14:21 • Category: 0
|
|
Panama Canal Christens Drill Barge Baru
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) held
the christening ceremony of its new drill barge "Barú," named after
Panama's only volcano. Entirely manufactured by Panamanians, the Barú
is 51 meters long and 15 meters wide, nearly the size of two basketball
courts. The new, state-of-the-art barge will play an instrumental role
in the Canal's dredging initiatives. Dredging (deepening and widening
navigation channels and other areas by extracting mud, rock and sand)
is fundamental to maintaining and improving the Panama Canal's
infrastructure. The Barú is equipped with four drilling rigs that can
bore holes up to 30 meters in a single pass. The drilled holes are
loaded with explosives and detonated to fracture the rock. The blasted
material is then removed by floating equipment, such as the dipper
dredge the Rialto M. Christensen. "The ACP's Industrial Shipyard
Division, together with local Panamanian workers, accomplished an
enormous task and overcame several challenges building such a large
craft. The Barú is one of our best industrial achievements. This is a
momentous event as we christen this barge during the dredging
conference organized by the Western Dredging Association (WEDA) - in
the presence of the world's dredging industry representatives," said
ACP Director of Engineering Agustin Arias. One hundred craftsmen from
Panama were specially commissioned to construct the Barú, which was
designed by De Donge Shipbuilding. These workers constructed the barge
with the ACP's Industrial Shipyard Division, which allowed for an
exchange of information and a transfer in technology. The Barú boasts
sophisticated apparatus for controlling and monitoring drilling
operations. It also has many amenities that will provide for added
comfort to the crew. Such components and systems include: air
conditioning and ventilation, hydraulics, potable water and sanitation.
The construction of the new barge is part of the Canal's Permanent
Modernization Program, which includes investments in technology,
capital improvements and operational measures to increase capacity. The
more than $1.5 billion investment has allowed the ACP to improve and
enhance the waterway's current infrastructure and services, thereby
guaranteeing to its users reliable schedules and safe transits. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-17 04:13:26 • Category: 0
|
|
Saigon Shipyard Completes Largest Vessel
The Saigon Shipbuilding Industry
Company (SSIC) handed over Wednesday a 6,500 ton freighter to the
Saigon Shipping Company. The Saigon Queen, which cost $7.2 million, is
103-m long and 17-m wide, and has a top speed of 23 km per hour, is the
largest vessel built by the shipyard.
On its maiden run, the ship will carry agricultural products to China.
The SSIC, a subsidiary of the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry
Corporation, is building two more freighters of the same size for
state-run shipping corporation Vinalines and the Can Tho Marine
Transport Company.
It is scheduled to hand over the vessels at the end of this year.
The company has won contracts to build ships for Canadian and Danish
companies. (Source: Thanh Nien)
• 2006-02-17 04:12:40 • Category: 0
|
|
Lermontov sinking still lures conspiracy buffs
Despite talk of hidden evidence, the sinking of the Mikhail Lermontov 20 years ago today left few unanswered questions. Ruth Hill reports. Richard Prebble, Minister of Transport when the Mikhail Lermontov sank in the Marlborough Sounds in 1986, still gets phone calls from "conspiracy theorists". When the Russian luxury liner went down that night, it left rumours and innuendo swirling in its wake, talk of sealed evidence under lock and key. But Mr Prebble says it is "completely untrue" that the New Zealand Government suppressed evidence. "This has to be one of the most clear-cut cases ever," he says. "The pilot, Captain Don Jamison, never disputed that he made the decision to take that route and it was wrong and that was why the ship sank ... "But why he decided to guide the ship over a passage that he actually knew was too shallow, I don't think he'll ever be able to answer." Captain Jamison told the inquiry he had been working 80 hours a week for the four months before the accident and was mentally and physically exhausted. The Mikhail Lermontov's last voyage was billed as "The Two-Week Cruise of a Lifetime" - but it nearly ended in the loss of hundreds of lives. Under the command of Captain Vladislav Vorobyvev, the ship left Sydney on February 6, 1986. After visiting Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington and Picton, the ship, with 734 people on board, left Waitohi Wharf on the afternoon of Saturday, February 15, heading for Milford Sound. Captain Jamison, the Marlborough Harbour Board harbourmaster, pilot and acting general manager, joined the ship to guide her out of the Marlborough Sounds. For some unexplained reason, Captain Jamison directed the helmsman to steer between Cape Jackson and the lighthouse, barely 460m from shore. Passengers reported hearing a thud around 5.37pm. That was the pinnacle rocks gouging a 12-metre gash in the hull. Water flooded in, short-circuiting the electrical systems and killing the engines. The ship started to list badly but no alarm sounded. There was a public announcement to say that dinner would be an hour late. However some passengers suspected something was amiss when crew members appeared wearing lifejackets. Captain Vorobyvev dashed to the bridge and ordered the ship to beach. Maritime officials say his decision to put passenger safety before the ship saved hundreds of lives. A mayday call was issued. Havelock fisherman Michael Harris was one of the first on the scene. He had been anchored about halfway along Cape Jackson with another fishing boat when he saw the huge liner squeezing through the gap. "I turned on the radio and they were already sending out distress calls," he remembers. The two fishing boats immediately followed the stricken ship as it headed for the shore. Mr Harris grabbed his camera and his photos are the only record of the Mikhail Lermontov's final hours. He was very impressed with the actions of the liner's crew. "They handled it really well, I thought, did a terrific job, with a lot of help from locals." Only one person was killed: a 33-year-old Russian engineer. About 20 fishing boats and recreational vessels came streaming out of Picton to help with the rescue. The Arahura, which had been en route to Picton, diverted to the scene and arrived at 9.30pm. The Navy vessel Taupo also searched throughout the night for those lost in the water, and survivors adrift on liferafts. Everyone worked through the pitch-black night in driving rain. The rescue efforts were complicated by the fact there was a 25 knot southerly, which blew the ship back offshore toward Gannet Point near Port Gore, 56km from Picton. Finally, at 10.15pm, the Mikhail Lermontov hit the seabed with its bow, and the boat rolled on to the port side. Witnesses described the deafening roar as the ship went down, crashing, banging and hissing. A preliminary marine inquiry by the New Zealand Government, which was released on March 6, 1986, blamed Captain Jamison for the accident, praised the Russian crew for their efforts in saving all the passengers, and declared the lifesaving equipment on board the ship was adequate. Insurance claims were believed to total around $100 million. The harbour board reached an out-of-court settlement with the owners. The Soviet Union conducted its own inquiry, as was its right under international maritime law. A man with a striking resemblance to Russian President Vladimir Putin was present at the inquiry in Australia, and can be seen in newspaper photos accompanying Captain Vorobyvev to court. Mr Harris was flown to Sydney by the port company - but he was never called to give evidence, which he says "surprised" him. His only contribution was to show his photos to the lawyers and tell them what time each was taken. Twenty years later, he says he is not interested in getting into "the whys and wherefores" of the sinking. "It all gets a bit controversial, many people have got a lot of views and have written a lot of things on it. "All I know is what I saw." Captain Vorobyvev was given a four-year jail sentence by his Government, but that was suspended. Mr Prebble says his personal opinion was that it was "very hard on the captain, who wasn't even on the bridge at the time". There was never any doubt that it was the New Zealand pilot that was at fault, he said. "The only reason he wasn't charged was because there were no charges we could charge him with," he says. An "oversight" in New Zealand law at the time meant that New Zealand-registered pilots working on foreign ships could not be prosecuted. In fact, it was only in 2003 that the law was changed to correct this anomaly. "The ministry did write to him, suggesting very strongly that he surrender his pilot's licence, which he did. "I understand that he reapplied for it later, and was reissued with it." Mr Prebble said he wrote to the Russians to offer to hold an inquiry, but was told in no uncertain terms that it was not necessary. "They were very clear that it was their ship, they were going to hold the inquiry and they would send us the results of the inquiry, which they did." Captain Jamison has never spoken publicly of the sinking and worked for Strait Shipping for 10 years before his retirement in 2001. Meanwhile, the 155m Mikhail Lermontov lies almost perfectly intact in about 50m of water, and has become one of Marlborough's most popular diving attractions. (Source: New Zeland Herald)
• 2006-02-17 04:10:49 • Category: 0
|
|
Repeat of Sea Empress disaster feared
On 15 February 1996 the Sea Empress was holed below the
waterline as it entered the Cleddau Estuary in west Wales. Thousands of
sea birds were killed and 120 miles of coastline contaminated when oil
spilled from the vessel in Britain's only national coastal park. A huge
cleanup managed to reopen the beaches within months, but it has taken a
lot longer for the fragile foreshore habitat to return to normal.
Moreover, a lack of emergency vessels in the Irish Sea, an increase in
ship-to-ship oil transfers, and a lack of planning measures are not
keeping up with the changing risks from shipping. A study commissioned
by environmental group WWF believes the UK's coastline remains
vulnerable to another massive oil spill. The report was published on
the anniversary of the Sea Empress disaster to highlight the risks of increased shipping traffic. (SOurce: BBC News)
• 2006-02-17 04:04:20 • Category: 0
|
|
Asbestos in the SS Norway causes scrapping problems
The fate of the SS Norway has been the subject of speculation
since May when it was towed from a German port where it was consigned
after a 2003 boiler explosion. Rumors had been circulating for months
in shipping and marine circles that the vessel was to be sold to an
Asian ship-breaking company. And Haji Lokman Hossain, a Bangladeshi
scrap merchant, hopes to win the contract. He has has offered to buy
the ship for 12 million dollars (US), despite warnings from his
government that it will not allow the vessel to be broken up there.
French workers who built the ship claim it contains 1,250 tonnes of
material that contains asbestos, and the Bangladesh government insists
that the toxic material be removed before it enters the country. (Source: Yahoo! News)
• 2006-02-17 04:03:16 • Category: 0
|
|
Calls for Improvement for Sydney Ferries
The State Government has ordered
Sydney Ferries to come up with a way to lift its performance by next
week, saying too many vessels were out of service. According to The
Sydney Morning Herald, at least 80 percent of ferries were supposed to
be available, but the rate over the past two months has been 77 per
cent - too low to ensure ferry services run on time. The Herald
revealed that half of Sydney's most modern ferries, including most of
the RiverCats, were lying idle at the Balmain maintenance depot. The
ferries' 80 per cent availability requirement is not as high as that
for State Transit, which needs to have at least 90 percent of its bus
fleet on the road at morning peak hour. (Source: The Sydney Morning
Herald)
• 2006-02-16 03:35:30 • Category: 0
|
|
Tanker to Arrive in Port Angeles
A 601-foot tanker that was refloated
last week after it ran aground in Alaska is due in with escort to Port
Angeles Harbor. The Seabulk Pride left Alaska's Kachemak Bay Feb. 8
after the Puget Sound captain of the port cleared it to sail down the
coast first to Port Angeles, then to the Tesoro refinery dock in
Anacortes to offload its cargo of heavy crude and gasoline. Then the
seven-year-old, double-hulled tanker will sail to a dry dock in
Victoria for repairs to two small cracks in its outer hull. The Seabulk
Pride's first port of call in Washington state will be Port Angeles,
where a joint Coast Guard and state Department of Ecology inspection
team, along with an American Bureau of Shipping surveyor, will meet the
ship. The Seabulk Pride was being loaded at a Tesoro Refinery dock on
the Kenai Peninsula on Feb. 2 when an ice floe knocked it from its
moorings. It drifted onto a nearby beach, where it was grounded
upright. An investigation, completed with the help of divers, found a
water ballast tank in its outer hull with two 5-inch to 7-inch cracks.
(Source: Peninsula Daily News)
• 2006-02-16 03:31:59 • Category: 0
|
|
Seaspan Buys Two Ships
Seaspan Corporation announced that it
has agreed to purchase two new building vessels from affiliates of
Conti Holding GmbH & Co. KG of Germany, increasing Seaspan’s total
fleet to 25 vessels. Seaspan will acquire the two 3,500 TEU vessels
upon their delivery in February and July 2007 respectively from
Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in China. The total delivered cost is
expected to be approximately $50 million per vessel, subject to certain
pre-delivery expenses remaining at budgeted levels. Seaspan also
announced that it has arranged simultaneous twelve-year charter
agreements for these vessels with Cosco Container Lines Co., Ltd. at
$19,000 per day. Seaspan Management Services Limited will supervise the
construction of the new vessels and operate both ships for Seaspan at
an initial fixed rate of $4,200 per day. Each new vessel is expected to
contribute between $5 million and $5.5 million in incremental EBITDA
per annum upon delivery. This will result in an increase in
distributable cash when the vessels are delivered and operating. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-16 03:13:55 • Category: 0
|
|
USS Ross Honors Ship's Sponsor
The crew of guided missile destroyer
USS Ross (DDG 71) took time to honor their sponsor during an at sea
memorial service Feb. 11.
Helen Lou Ross, who passed away Jan. 15, had sponsored the ship since
she christened it with a bottle of champagne during a ceremony in April
1996.
Mrs. Ross was the wife of the ship’s namesake, Capt. Donald Kirby Ross,
who had received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in USS
Nevada (BB 36) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.
The ceremony was scheduled to coincide with a simultaneous Celebration
of Life ceremony being held several thousand miles away in Bremerton,
Wash. by the family and friends of Mrs. Ross.
“It was an honor to give tribute to such a remarkable lady and great
inspiration to USS Ross,” said Cmdr. Dan Shaffer, commanding officer of
USS Ross. “Being able to do it at sea in conjunction with the family’s
celebration of her life made it even more special.”
Following the ceremony, a bouquet of flowers was set adrift by Command
Master Chief Sharon Laguna, The ship's command master chief.
Following her sponsor duties in conjunction with the christening and
commissioning of USS Ross, Mrs. Ross had continued to stay in contact
with the ship and had sent a letter just weeks before her death, urging
Team Ross to continue the ship’s legacy of achievement and
congratulating them on their service to the nation. During the eulogy,
Shaffer read from that letter, and from a letter he had sent on behalf
of the crew to be read at Mrs. Ross’s ceremony in Bremerton.
Shaffer’s eulogy to the woman affectionately known to the crew as Lady
Helen, ended with the words, “May God bless Lady Helen and the country
she served.”
USS Ross is currently homeported in Norfolk, Va., and is heading to the
North Atlantic to take part in a multi-national coalition course called
Neptune Warrior. The course, run by Joint Maritime Operational Training
Staff Northwood in the United Kingdom, is the last complex training
event for USS Ross before she deploys in the spring of 2006. USS Ross
has embarked the Commander and staff of Destroyer Squadron 24 who will
certify Ross for deployment following the Neptune Warrior course. (Source: Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic)
• 2006-02-16 03:07:37 • Category: 0
|
|
Barge Headed for Repairs
Tugboats began towing Boomtown
Casino's gambling barge on Feb. 13 to a dry dock in Pascagoula, where
it was expected to arrive around midnight. The repairs at Signal
International should take about three weeks. Penn National Gaming,
which owns Boomtown and Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, has committed to
rebuild its Coast properties. However, a timeline has yet to be
announced. Company executives are expected to release more information
this week when they issue a quarterly earnings report and host a
conference call.
(Source: Biloxi Sun Herald)
• 2006-02-16 03:06:42 • Category: 0
|
|
Jamestown Metal Marine Delivers Casino Vessel
Jamestown Metal Marine Sales, Inc.
has successfully delivered the completed Blue Chip 2 casino vessel to
Blue Chip Casino, at Blue Chip’s Michigan City, Ind., facility. The new
vessel, which replaces the former vessel, is
approximately 400 feet in length with a beam of 200 feet and provides
about 65,000 square feet of
gaming area on a single deck. In addition to the gaming area there is
another 82,000 square feet of
back of house and future gaming areas on other decks. Jamestown began
the on-site construction
project in the late fall of 2004 with the erection of steel units in
the construction basin specially
constructed for the project. Over the succeeding fourteen months
Jamestown, working with its key
subcontractors and suppliers, produced the largest casino vessel ever
built in the United States,
including hull fabrication and erection, machinery and mechanical
installation, electrical installation,
interior finishes, and the gaming facilities.
Jamestown’s on-site project management staff coordinated all aspects of
this fast track project in
concert with Blue Chip Casino’s local construction management team. The
resulting vessel is
unmatched in its unobstructed access having all gaming positions on one
level. The vessel is
moored to its pavilion offering ground level access from the vessel to
Blue Chip’s adjoining hotel
and parking facility.
On January 28, 2006 the former vessel, Blue Chip, slipped the moorings
it had occupied for 7 years
and the new Blue Chip 2 was motored into position to adjoin the newly
renovated support pavilion.
The flowing arches of the high ceilings and the open space
uninterrupted by support columns
provide a grand view and openness unseen in other casino vessels built
to date.
The Blue Chip 2 meets the applicable requirements of the Indiana Gaming Commission, as well as
the United States Coast Guard. The design and production engineering for the vessel were
developed by Guido Perla and Associates and the interior design was produced by the interior design
firm of Andrea Piacentini Design, both of Seattle, Washington. Jamestown’s considerable
experience working with both design companies on other projects greatly benefited the project. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-16 03:06:14 • Category: 0
|
|
Jumbo Cat Ferry Features Six Waterjets
The 68m catamaran Maria Dolores will
shortly go into service with Malta-based Virtu Ferries on the company’s
established Malta – Italy route, propelled by no fewer than six Kamewa
waterjets, three in each hull.
A speed of about 36 knots with the engines running at 90 per cent of
full load will link Valetta with Catania in three hours, with Pozallo
in 90 minutes and provide a service to the Italian mainland at Reggio
Calabria in four hours. Maria Dolores was designed and built
to a high standard by Austal in Western Australia to suit the owner’s
requirement for a fast ferry capable of carrying trailers, coaches and
other high vehicles together with cars and 600 passengers. The ferry
will provide a scheduled freight service for Maltese industry while
catering for an increasing tourist traffic. As well as having a 4.6m
clear height in the vehicle deck, Maria Dolores also has a large water
clearance height in the tunnel. In combination with T-foil and
interceptor ride control, this will give the ferry the ability to
operate its Mediterranean routes year-round. Virtu Ferries wished to maintain
engine compatibility with its existing fleet, and it was not easy to
supply the power requirement with a conventional quadruple engine
layout. A six jet solution has therefore been developed, with three
engines in each hull, all connected to individual waterjets through
reduction gears. This is thought to be the first sextuple waterjet
installation in a fast ferry. Power per unit is 2,465kW and the
waterjets chosen are the Kamewa 80 S II series from Rolls-Royce. To
find space for three waterjets in the transom of a slim catamaran hull
involved some interesting engineering of the intakes and drivelines.
Two steerable and reversible water jets are installed side by side in
each hull and a booster jet without steering is placed above and
between the steerable units. The lower jets are driven by two engines
in the forward engineroom, while the upper booster jet is coupled to an
engine in the aft engine room which is raised to to give the correct
driveline height. The system provides operating
flexibility and propulsion redundancy, as well as a high propulsive
efficiency under different operating conditions. The four lower jets
provide excellent manoeuvrability and mean that several economic speeds
are available for off-peak operations, while the booster jets can be
brought in to provide the power for the full loaded service speed. Both Austal and Virtu Ferries are
established users and specifiers of waterjets from Rolls-Royce. A
recent Austal delivery was the innovative large trimaran fast ferry
Benchijigua Express, now in service in the Canary Islands, which is
fitted with three Kamewa waterjets in the centre hull – two
steerable/reversible 125 SII units and a 180 BII booster jet giving the
126m long vessel a speed of 40 knots. Virtu Ferries operates the 51m
catamaran ferry San Gwann on its Malta – Sicily service. This 39 knot
fast ferry is equipped with four Kamewa 71 SII waterjets each handling
2,320kW. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-16 03:04:06 • Category: 0
|
|
Life jackets on sunken ferry of 'low quality'
A few days ago, a rescue expert told a private Egyptian TV that the life jackets on Al Salam 98, a ferry which sank in the Red Sea early this month with around 1,400 aboard, were of low quality. He claimed that the substandard life jackets cost $1.25 (about Dh4.5) apiece against $6.5 for a top-quality jacket. "This catastrophe exposed negligence, which must not go unpunished," Hamdi Al Tahan, the chief of the Transport Committee at Egyptian Parliament, told a stormy session this week. He was speaking after a visit to the Egyptian port of Safaga. "It was found out that the accident took place 100km off Egyptian coasts and that the ferry made no distress call, a matter which raises question marks. " Al Tahan told angry MPs that rescue operations began ten hours after the tragedy. Since the ferry sinking on February 3, experts have lashed out at what they brand as bussiness of death in sea transport. (Source: Gulf News Report)
• 2006-02-16 03:01:23 • Category: 0
|
|
Time for India to Develop Own Submarines
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam yesterday said it was time for India to develop its own submarines. Kalam became the first president to make a sortie in a submarine — INS
Sindhu Rakshak — on the concluding day of the two-day president’s fleet
review. Witnessing the intricacies of submarine operations, including the
simulated launch of torpedoes, the president said he was delighted to
be in the submarine and meet the officers and sailors in their working
environment. “My underwater journey in the submarine has given me the exposure to a
new world and a great experience. My greetings to all of you,” he told
the Indian Navy personnel.“A strategic navy like ours needs a submarine fleet. The government
recently launched construction program of submarines with
state-of-the-art technology in the country which, I am sure, will pave
the path for adding more and more submarines to our navy and
simultaneously enable building of strong indigenous know-how in design,
development and construction. We will be able to do it in much faster
pace now due of the experience gained in our earlier construction of
SSK-submarines,” the president said. “Independent of whatever foreign collaboration, it is essential for the
Indian Navy to launch the design and development of two types of
submarines, one of the conventional class and the other strategic with
long endurance capability. I have seen and studied the KILO Class
submarine and SSK class submarine and also long endurance submarines
that are taking shape,” he said. “Since our submarine crew in future warfare would have to perform under
the sea for long duration with high maneuver capability, there was need
for providing more space for strategic weapons and sensors and making
the interior design crew-friendly,” he added. Kalam said India had made advances in the design and development of
aerospace systems and sensor technology such as sonar, gyro system and
control system design, structural design for stealth characteristics
and hydro dynamic configuration. “I have always seen naval design teams have shown the capability for
indigenous design. Also, a long endurance submarine is being developed
with partnership. This should give confidence to build special class of
strategic submarines indigenously,” the president said. (Source: Arab News)
• 2006-02-16 02:59:20 • Category: 0
|
|
Thousands Expected to View Mid-Day Royal Rendezvous
February 23 Marks Maritime
History as Venerable Ocean Liners Queen Mary 2 and Queen Mary Meet for
First Time in Long Beach Harbor. Long Beach area residents can
enjoy a shore leave lunch break on February 23, when Queen Mary 2 sails
into the Port of Long Beach for her first-ever meeting with her
predecessor and namesake, Queen Mary. The two ships will unite in Long
Beach harbor for a jubilant afternoon greeting, from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. The historic event will be
marked by singular fanfare and celebration, including a whistle
salutation between the ships that will be heard from up to ten miles
away. The first-time salute will take on even more meaning as Queen
Mary 2 carries one of her namesake's original whistles. Commemorative festivities will
take place onboard both ships and along the coastal city's shores. The
city of Long Beach has pulled out all the stops by arranging for
fireboats and a flotilla of ships, yachts and boats to be in the
harbor, as well organizing a squadron of skytypers who will create a
series of messages throughout the historic occasion. In another nod to
history, skytyper Greg Stinis will return to the skies of Long Beach
harbor for a repeat overhead performance on February 23. Stinis had
carried out the same aerial celebrations over Queen Mary when she
entered Long Beach for the first time in 1967. "This much anticipated historic
event is being made possible through a great collaboration between many
enthusiastic officials and organizations in the City of Long Beach, to
whom we are very grateful," said Carol Marlow, president and managing
director of Cunard Line. "I want to especially acknowledge and thank
Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard for their
support." "The meeting of the Queen Marys
is a unique opportunity to witness the convergence of Cunard's
illustrious past with the line's 21st century future," said Marlow. The
first 1,000 well-wishers along Shoreline Village will receive a
commemorative Cunard flag to help herald the ship's noon-time arrival. For additional details including driving directions, visit http://www.thequeenmarysmeet.com. (Source: PR Newswire)
• 2006-02-16 02:55:56 • Category: 0
|
|
Arthur Kill oil spill response
Over 30,000 gallons of crude oil was spilled in the Arthur Kill
waterway Monday morning while oil was being transferred from a barge to
the Chevron Asphalt Plant. Chevron, the US Coast Guard, the
Environmental Protection Agency, and divisions from the states of New
York and New Jersey are contributing to cleanup efforts. The cause of
the spill, which has stretched to Staten Island, is still under
investigation. Cleanup efforts are expected to take several weeks. (Source: Newsday.com)
• 2006-02-16 02:53:04 • Category: 0
|
|
New Zealand fishing council proposes trawling ban
The Seafood Fishing Industry Council,
representing the fishing industry, has proposed almost a third of New
Zealand's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) be closed to the controversial
method of bottom-trawling. The areas are not currently fished, but it
is feared that new technology could make them viable. Greenpeace is
less excited about the plan, since it isn't clear if the designated
area is actually at risk from bottom-trawling. The environmental
organization will continue to push for a complete moratorium on
bottom-trawling. Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said New Zealand would
support a global moratorium on the fishing practice, but only if it had
sufficient international backing to make it a practical option. (Source: The New Zealand Herald)
• 2006-02-16 02:52:26 • Category: 0
|
|
French warship ordered home
French president Jacques Chirac has ordered the decommissioned warship Clemenceau
to abandon its voyage to an Indian shipbreaking yard and return to
France. France's decision is a victory for environmental groups, which
had challenged the legality of sending a vessel laden with toxic
substances to be scrapped overseas, where worker and environmental
safety protections aren't as strong. But India is not as pleased, since
the decision could cost thousands of jobs for its shipbreaking industry
— both for this ship and future work. French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie had ordered an inquiry
into Technopure, the company that stripped asbestos from the warship
before it left for India. The defense ministry has admitted it has
"trouble tracing" some of the asbestos-contaminated materials
officially removed from the ship, and that there was a discrepancy
between the amount of asbestos removed, and the weight recorded at the
landfill site. Alliot-Marie has also asked the prosecutor to
investigate "the disappearance of a number of pieces of equipment from
the ship. (Source: Yahoo! News)
• 2006-02-16 02:51:22 • Category: 0
|
|
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships will be integrated into Media Library in the next couple of months. An example can be seen here.
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every ship ever used by the United States Navy. Since all its volumes were published by the US Navy between 1959 and 1991, its contents are in the public domain.
• 2006-02-15 13:27:08 • Category: 0
|
|
Coat Guard Responds to Oil Spill
The Coast Guard is responding to an
oil spill at the Chevron Perth Amboy facility, in Perth Amboy, N.J.,
that was reported yesterday, February 13.
The spill occurred during a transfer of approximately 1.5 million
gallons of number six heavy fuel oil from a barge to the facility. It
is unknown how much of the product entered the water.
A New York Police Department over-flight confirmed the spill stretching
from the Chevron facility to Smoking Point, Staten Island, in the
Arthur Kill.
Chevron Perth Amboy has assumed responsibility for the spill and has
contracted Clean Harbors and Atlantic Response to help with the
cleanup.
The Coast Guard has setup a safety zone from the Outer Bridge Crossing
to Fresh Kills, Staten Island, to contain the spread of the spill. This
area is closed to vessel traffic.
Coast Guard investigators from Sector New York are on-scene overseeing
the response. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-15 02:03:44 • Category: 0
|
|
IMO Offers Support After ferry Accident
On his return from a one-day trip to
Cairo in the aftermath of the tragic loss of the ferry al-Salam
Boccaccio 98, IMO Secretary General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos explained
the purpose of his mission as follows: "first, to demonstrate the
solidarity and compassion of the IMO membership to the people and
Government of Egypt and those of other nations affected (in particular
to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims of the tragic
accident) and to provide moral support at the heavy loss of life
suffered; and, secondly, to assist the investigation of the accident by
facilitating the provision, through IMO's technical co-operation
programme, of independent technical expertise and advice."
Mitropoulos added that this assistance was intended to ensure that the
outcome of the investigation would not only identify, beyond any doubt,
what caused the accident, but would also identify what lessons, if any,
might be learnt so that, through the IMO system, prompt and expeditious
action was taken to prevent similar accidents happening in the future.
During the visit, Mitropoulos met, inter alia, with the Prime Minister
of Egypt, Dr. Ahmed Nazif, and the Egyptian Transport Minister, Mr.
Mohamed Mansour, and other officials as well as the Panamanian
Ambassador to Egypt, Jorge Ramón Valdés Charris and the Panamanian
experts nominated to assist in the investigation.
Mitropoulos expressed his appreciation to the Government of Egypt and
the Government of Panama, as the flag State, for their co-operation
with IMO and their willingness to co-operate with each other and any
other Government with a substantial interest in the case, in the joint
casualty investigation. Mitropoulos stressed the need for the
investigation to be as thorough and transparent as possible and be
characterized by high standards of integrity - a statement, which was
endorsed by the representatives of both Egypt and Panama.
"I look forward to a speedy completion of the investigation and to
receiving its report, including its conclusions and recommendations, in
good time, so that any remedial action which may need to be taken from
IMO's perspective is taken without delay to the benefit of the
international maritime community and all those who go down to sea in
ships," he said. "We owe this to the memory of the innocent victims of
the ill-fated ship and their families, who have the right to know what
caused the accident which deprived them of their loved ones."
Mitropoulos paid tribute to those who participated in the search and
rescue operation for their efforts under adverse weather conditions.
"Once again, I express the deep condolences and profound sympathy of
all the IMO Members, the Secretariat and my own personal sentiments of
sorrow, grief and compassion to the families of those lost in the
accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them in these dire times." (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-15 02:03:08 • Category: 0
|
|
Man Convicted of Scuttling Boat
The U.S. Attorney for the Central
District of California stated that a man was convicted six federal
charges related to the scuttling of his boat in the port of Los Angeles
in 2005. The convictions were for two counts of water pollution, one
count of attempting to obstruct the Coast Guard investigation, two
counts of making false statements to Coast Guard investigators, and one
count of sinking a boat in a navigation channel. He faces a maximum
sentence of 26 years imprisonment.
(Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-15 02:02:11 • Category: 0
|
|
Kirby Marine Orders New Towboats
Kirby Marine has 241 active towboats
and 887 active tank barges with a total capacity of 16.4 million
barrels. The company’s ongoing repower program that has seen 46 Cummins
engines installed to date. More recently the publicly traded
corporation has announced plans for two new builds the first of which
will be delivered in September 2006. The 90x35x10-foot vessel will be
built by Quality Marine of Houma Louisiana to a design by Maine-based
naval architect Corning Townsend. The new vessel will be powered by a
pair of Cummins KTA38 M2 engines rated at 1050 HP each at 1600 RPM
each. The engines will turn into Twin Disc MG5600 gears with 6.4:1
rations. The propellers are 82x63-inch and mounted on 7.5-inch tail
shafts. Electric service for the vessel will come from a pair of 99 Kw
generator sets. Deck equipment will include a pair of Nabrico 40 ton
electric over hydraulic winches. Tankage on the new towboat includes
22,144 gallons of fuel, 12,040 gallons of water and 513 gallons of
water.
With an estimated bollard pull of 42,000 pounds the towboats will each
push three 30,000-barrel barges on canal and river operations.
Accommodation will be provided for four to six crew-members. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-15 01:56:58 • Category: 0
|
|
Northrop Grumman Awarded $93.8M Contract Modification
The U.S. Navy exercised a $93.8
million contract modification option to Northrop Grumman Corporation
for detail design and the procurement of long-lead-time material on the
LHA 6 amphibious assault ship program.
This is the first option exercised on the initial contract,
awarded in July 2005. With this option, the total contract value has
increased to $203.7 million. If all options are exercised, the contract
has the potential to reach $264 million.
The advance procurement LHA 6 construction-related contract was
awarded last summer, with funds earmarked for major equipment and
material such as propellers, reduction gears, five 500-ton air
conditioning units and electrical switching equipment, as well as for
advanced planning and systems engineering. This new award also supports
additional material acquisition, but predominately provides funding and
authorization for LHA 6's detail design.
The LHA 6 will replace the LHA 1 class of amphibious assault
ships, and will have the flexibility to operate in the traditional role
as the flagship for an expeditionary strike group as well as
potentially playing a key role in the Maritime Prepositioning Force
Future. As the Navy's Seabasing plan matures in the next few years, the
flexibility to operate with the expeditionary strike group and as part
of the Maritime Prepositioning Force Future will make the LHA 6 a vital
part of the Sea Base.
Northrop Grumman delivered five USS Tarawa-class (LHA 1) and
seven USS Wasp-class (LHD 1) ships to the Navy, with an eighth, Makin
Island (LHD 8), currently under construction. The LHA 6 Class will be a
variant of the gas-turbine powered LHD 8 and will launch tilt-rotor
helicopters and fixed-wing, short take-off vertical landing aircraft in
support of amphibious operations. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-15 01:56:02 • Category: 0
|
|
S.F. Cruise Ship Industry Growing
San Francisco’s cruise ship industry
is booming. After years of declining business, the dry dock’s return to
financial health means blue-collar jobs growth, tourist spending by
visiting crews, sales tax for the city and fees for the Port of San
Francisco. At least six, and possibly eight, cruise ships will be
dry-docked there this year, up from one in 2000. Each contract
generally ranges from $1 million to $5 million for piping, electrical,
plumbing and painting upgrades. Millions more go to subcontractors,
some of them local firms, that work on refurbishing cabins and redoing
casinos, for example. Local businesses and city coffers also get a
piece of the spending. For example, more than 1,000 crew members live
on the Monarch while it’s docked, eating in restaurants, shopping and
visiting tourist spots. San Francisco Ship Repair is rebounding after
the Navy pulled out of the Bay Area in 1992. Business plummeted from
$64 million in 1990 to its nadir of $22 million in 2001. Last year,
revenues were $39 million from servicing a mix of military vessels,
cargo tankers, tugs and cruise ships. The business was also able to
capitalize on the downsizing of a Portland dry dock in 2001. (Source:
San Francisco Examiner)
• 2006-02-14 02:30:06 • Category: 0
|
|
Hyundai Heavy to Import Chinese Steel Plates
According to reports, Hyundai Heavy
Industries Co., Ltd., has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. to import wide and heavy plates for
shipbuilding.
Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to import 180,000 tons of steel plates
from Baosteel yearly. Hyundai Heavy Industries said that the price was
lower than that offered by Japanese steelmarkers and a South Korean
report said that South Korea would gradually enlarge imports of China-
made steel plates for shipbuilding.
South Korean shipbuilders mainly bought wide and heavy plates from
Japan besides the local supply. But the two sides have had different
opinions on pricing since the second half of 2005.
South Korean shipbuilders believed that export prices of plates for
shipbuilding should be lowered now that the global steel price fell.
Baosteel started production of the five-meter wide and heavy plate last
year and the first phase is designed to reach an annual production
capacity of 1.4 million tons.
Previously, no steelworks in mainland China was able to produce
five-meter wide and heavy plates and most domestic shipbuilders had to
import such plates from South Korea and Japan.
Production of wide and heavy plates in Baosteel, whose parent company
is a Fortune Global 500 company, is believed to help reduce procurement
costs of the Chinese shipbuilding industry.
(Source: SinoCast)
• 2006-02-14 02:28:12 • Category: 0
|
|
Tank Barge Damages Marina in Port of Memphis
On Saturday night the Coast Guard
Command Center in Memphis was notified by the towing vessel A. Dean
Heasley that one of the two barges they were towing had struck the
Riverside Park Marina. Coast Guard investigators were dispatched to the
scene of the accident. The marina sustained significant damage but no
injuries were reported.
The marina holds many houseboats and is home to approximately 60
people. Many of the boats were affected by the accident with one
reported to be taking on water.
The two tank barges, which were empty at the time of the accident, were
being towed to the refinery in the port for a scheduled loading.
West-Northwest winds of 15 mph were reported last night and may have
been a factor in the casualty.
The crew of the towing vessel was tested on scene by the Coast Guard
for evidence of alcohol with negative results. Mandatory drug testing
of the crew was also ordered by the towing vessel company, the results
are pending. The Coast Guard and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency will coordinate on the marine casualty investigation into the
circumstances surrounding this accident. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-14 02:24:33 • Category: 0
|
|
West Asia Maritime to Get Cargo Vessel
According to reports, Chennai-based
shipping company West Asia Maritime Limited has signed an MOU with
Japanese shipbuilding major Mitsui for constructing a huge cargo vessel
on contract for 12 years, with an option of purchasing it at a
pre-determined price during the contract period.
The $33.2 million dollar ship would be delivered in the first quarter
of 2008.
The 56,120 DWT bulk carrier would be used by his company for moving
bulk cargo.
(Source: newKerala.com)
• 2006-02-14 02:22:13 • Category: 0
|
|
Aker Yards to Build PSV
Aker Yards has confirmed an optional
agreement with Siem Offshore Inc for the building of two Platform
Supply Vessels. The value of the contract is approximately NOK 275
million. Delivery is scheduled for second quarter 2007 from Aker Yards,
Aukra. The vessels are of Vik Sandvik design, VS 470 Mk II. The vessels
will be equipped with dynamic positioning, special product tanks,
azimuth thrusters and accommodation for 34 persons. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-14 02:21:38 • Category: 0
|
|
New Zealand's New Navy Vessel Ready for SeaTrials
The first vessel in the New Zealand
government's $500 million navy upgrade has come off its slipway in a
Dutch shipbuilding yard.
It will be used to carry troops and cargo, allowing them to be
disembarked at sea.
It has been built as part of Project Protector, with seven vessels
planned.
Officials say that it will be followed by sea trials, with the vessel
due in New Zealand by the end of the year. (Source: Radio New Zealand)
• 2006-02-14 02:20:56 • Category: 0
|
|
Cruise Ship Breaks Free from Moorings
Coast Guard Lt. Ronald Fogan and
Petty Officer 2nd Class Josh Hobson review the voyage data recorder of
the cruise ship Ecstasy, while some of the ship’s officers look on. The
Coast Guard received a report that the Ecstasy, currently housing New
Orleans Police Department officers, had broken free from its moorings
at the Poland Street Wharf and was drifting down the Mississippi River
near downtown New Orleans. Fogan, a foreign vessel inspector, and
Hobson, a marine investigator, were dispatched from Coast Guard Sector
New Orleans to investigate. There were no reported injuries or marine
accidents in association with the incident. The incident remains under
investigation by Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
The Coast Guard responded to the report of an 855-ft. cruise ship
having broken free from its moorings and drifting down the Mississippi
River near downtown New Orleans.
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans was notified that the cruise ship
Ecstasy, of Carnival Cruise Lines, was drifting into the river from its
berth at the Poland Street Wharf.
New Orleans Coast Guard units immediately began broadcasting notices to
mariners recommending they stay clear of the ship, as well as
coordinating the use of civilian tugboats to regain control of the ship
and return it to its berth. The ship traveled less than a mile down
river before the captain and crew, with the assistance of a river pilot
who went aboard, were able to drop the ship's anchor and secure its
position, about 300 feet from the Mississippi River's West Bank near
Algiers, La.
The ship came to rest outside of the river's navigational channel and
does not appear to have made contact with any other vessels. There are
no reported injuries in association with the incident and the
Mississippi River remains open.
Tugs have since returned the ship to its berth at the Poland Street
Wharf. The ship is currently being used to house New Orleans Police
Department officers.
Coast Guard investigators and inspectors from Sector New Orleans
conducted crew interviews as well as reviewed the ship's voyage data
recorder. The cause of the accident is under investigation. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-14 02:20:14 • Category: 0
|
|
Chinese Govt. to Take Over Private Firms
The Chinese government will take over
from private companies the pilot ships on certain waterways, Xihua
reported. New pilot stations will be set up under local port
authorities. On some waterways, a local pilot will board a ship to
guide it to its berth. Piloting a foreign vessel represents also an act
of state sovereignty and most governments in the world take it very
seriously. In China, there are 35 pilot stations, 15 of which belong to
large port companies. (Source: Xinhua)
• 2006-02-14 02:18:41 • Category: 0
|
|
New Catamaran from Seascape Marine
Seascape Marine Builders, an
affiliate of Seaforth Marine Group, both of Maple Ridge, has almost
finished its 72-foot, jet-powered catamaran, titled appropriately, the
Ultimate2, which costs about $7 million. The customer is a German
client in the Dominican Republic. It took two years to build the boat,
from scratch, in the Albion Industrial Park. The Ultimate2 is designed
to speed across the water at 80 km/h on its hydrofoils.Two
1,650-horsepower Rolls Royce engines, which will power the water jets.
(Source: Maple Ridge News)
• 2006-02-14 02:17:56 • Category: 0
|
|
General Maritime to Sell Tankers
General Maritime Corp said it would
sell nine OBO Aframax tankers to Tanker Pacific for $247.5 million to
fund its paying down of debt and other corporate purposes. The company,
which will realize a net gain of $16.6 million from the sale, also said
it planned to close its technical office in Piraeus, Greece. (Source:
Reuters)
• 2006-02-14 02:17:27 • Category: 0
|
|
Dubai wins P&O bid war
Gulf-state backed Dubai Ports World declared victory in a $6.8 billion
bidding war for UK ports group P&O after Singaporean rival port
operator PSA International withdrew from the field on Friday. Dubai
Ports is confident that P&O shareholders will back its bid at a
meeting next week, giving it control of P&O ports on six
continents. The move would create the world's third-largest ports
group. P&O Chairman John Parker said, "The combination of P&O
and DP World has compelling strategic logic and will create significant
opportunities for both businesses and their employees." (Source: Gulf Daily News)
• 2006-02-14 02:16:40 • Category: 0
|
|
Fairweather Out With Engine Problems
The Alaska Marine Highway System announced today that it is
estimating the fast vehicle ferry M/V Fairweather will be out of service
until mid-April due to a problem with all four of its MTU diesel engines.
“It is apparent that the cylinder sleeves on the engines have developed
hairline cracks, which have allowed coolant to enter the cylinders,”
said Captain John Falvey, AMHS General Manager. “We have been in contact
with the manufacturer and are proceeding with a plan to replace all the
sleeves on the engines, which we estimate will take nine to ten weeks.”
The MTU diesels are manufactured in Germany and use an aluminum block.
They were chosen for the fast ferries in an effort to keep the weight
down. Like other diesel engines, they have steel sleeves inside the
cylinder, in which the pistons move up and down. The cause of the
hairline cracking has not been determined.
The Fairweather and its sister ship, the M/V Chenega, were in the
Ketchikan shipyard for regularly scheduled annual maintenance when the
problem was diagnosed. The Fairweather had to have one of its engines
replaced under warranty last year when it developed a coolant leak due
to a manufacturer’s defect. Falvey said it is unclear how much of the
current breakdown will be covered by warranty. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-13 02:52:06 • Category: 0
|
|
Pacific Coast Wreck Revealed
Lost since the 1980s, an old wreck has made a comeback. Union Pacific Line's 1925-built SS Catala, once plied the Canadian route, ferrying miners, loggers and adventurers to the northern wilderness. The Glasgow built ship was retired in 1958. In 1962, the twin funneled steamer was used as a floating hotel during the Seattle World's Fair, after which she was towed to California to become a floating restaurant, then in 1963, she was moored at Ocean Shores, WA, for use as again as a floating hotel and base for the Ocean Shores fishing charter fleet. On New Year's day 1965, she was wrecked in a great storm, 70mph winds and high tide left her beached at Damon Point. Refloating attempts were abandoned, and the ship lay rusting until the 1980s when most of her superstructure was hauled away for scrap and the sand gradually covered her hull. This years powerful winter storms have stripped away the sand, revealing the hull, and the ship is beginning to re-emerge at Damon Point State Park in Ocean Shores, once again becoming an attraction. As news spreads, hikers are making the three quarters of a mile walk to the recently evolving shipwreck site. (Source MaritimeMatters.com)
• 2006-02-12 11:50:36 • Category: 0
|
|
Classification society questioned about Red Sea ferry
The European Maritime Safety Agency is questioning Rina over its certification of the Al-Salam Boccaccio,
which sank last week with the loss of almost 1,000 lives. The ferry has
undergone several conversions to boost its capacity to 1,400
passengers. It sank when a fire broke out shortly after setting sail.
Rina, the Italian shipping organization that certified the ferry, said
that it inspected the seaworthiness of the vessel twice last year. The
port authorities of Duba, from where the ship sailed, also said that
the vessel had passed safety tests a day before it set sail. The
Maritime Safety Agency is on a fact-finding mission and is not accusing
Rina at this stage, but it is hoping for tighter maritime safety
legislation. (Source: Financial Times)
• 2006-02-11 11:23:14 • Category: 0
|
|
Russia launches project to create next-generation nuclear sub
Russia's Navy Command has approved a
project to design and build a next-generation submarine with limited
displacement, Anatoly Shlemov, head of the Defense Ministry's Naval
Orders, Deliveries, Armaments and Hardware Department, told Interfax. "A submarine of this class will guarantee the combat reliability of
Yury Dolgoruky-class strategic nuclear-powered missile submarines and
fulfill other tasks performed by multipurpose nuclear submarines,"
Shlemov said. "The displacement of this class of submarines must be 5,000-6,000
tonnes," the military said. (Source: Interfax)
• 2006-02-10 12:08:25 • Category: 0
|
|
Cargo vessel sinks in SW China river
A cargo vessel loaded with batteries sank after running aground in the shallow waters of the Xijiang River in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Wednesday. No casualties occurred despite a heavy loss of goods, reported rescuers. The vessel, carrying 14,560 boxes of batteries, was en route from Wuzhou City, Guangxi, to Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province via the waterway, the largest tributary to the Pearl River. Rescuers deployed by the Maritime Rescue Center based in Wuzhou salvaged about a tenth of the goods from the sinking vessel, which belonged to the Wuzhou Water Transportation Company. The accident cost the company 2 million yuan (US$250,000). Due to a lingering drought, the water level of the Xijiang River dropped to 1.96 meters on Wednesday, only 18 centimetres higher than its lowest ever mark. This has caused a bottleneck of water traffic from the landlocked Southwest China region to the coastal province of Guangdong. (Source: China Daily)
• 2006-02-10 12:06:45 • Category: 0
|
|
Guidelines for Vessels Operating in High Risk Waters
The U.S. Coast Guard announced the
availability of Maritime Security (MARSEC) Directive 104-06 providing
guidelines for U.S. vessels operating in high risk waters. Because the
Directive is designated Sensitive Security Information (SSI), it is not
subject to general release. Rather, copies may be obtained from a USCG
Captain of the Port (COTP) office by covered persons with a need to
know. Owners and operators of vessels that may operate in areas where
acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships are prevalent must
include the performance standards listed in the MARSEC Directive in
their vessel security plans. 71 Fed. Reg. 7054 (Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-10 12:00:10 • Category: 0
|
|
Internet Equipment Ruled Essential Part of Cruise Ship
In an unpublished decision, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that internet
communications equipment is an essential part of a cruise ship and is
to be included when the ship becomes subject to a maritime lien. In the
instant case, petitioner leased telecommunications and internet
equipment to the operator of a cruise ship. Petitioner retained
ownership of the equipment and provided service and maintenance. The
ship was arrested for unpaid shipyard work totally unrelated to
petitioner’s equipment. The ship was sold at a judicial sale.
Petitioner sought to recover the value of its equipment, which was
included in the ship sale. The court held that “it is unimaginable in
today’s world that a luxury cruise ship could be successful without a
fully functioning telecommunications system.” Therefore, petitioner’s
equipment was found to be appurtenant to the ship and properly included
in the sale. Motor-Services Hugo Stamp, Inc. v. M/V Regal Empress, No.
04-14179 (Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-10 11:59:29 • Category: 0
|
|
Matson to Convert Containership
Matson Navigation Company, Inc.
(Matson) has begun the first conversion of one of its C-9
containerships, MV Mokihana, to a combination roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro)
and container vessel to further strengthen its Hawaii service
capabilities. With the conversion, the vessel will have ro-ro and
container capacity comparable to two vessels in Matson's service today,
the dedicated ro-ro vessel Great Land and the containership S.S. Lihue.
The new garage will have the capacity to carry 1,350 vehicles. The plan
is part of a multi-phase program that began in 2003 and is designed to
provide Matson's auto customers with the two service features they
prefer: frequency of service and ro-ro capacity. The total cost for
this phase of the project, which includes construction of the garage,
expansion of the company's interisland barge capacity, shoreside
facility improvements and investments in new information technology for
auto shipments, is estimated to be $45 million, with completion by
mid-2007. Matson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alexander &
Baldwin, Inc. of Honolulu The converted ship will join Matson's two
other combination ro-ro/containerships in the company's Hawaii service
in 2007. The Mokihana is one of three C-9s in Matson's Hawaii fleet.
Matson's previously stated long-term strategy is to continue to add
state-of-the-art ro-ro capacity to meet the Hawaii auto market's
demands. Since 2003, Matson has more than tripled its ro-ro capacity,
as a result of chartering the dedicated ro-ro vessel Great Land and
adding an above deck garage to the S.S. Lurline. The conversion of the
Mokihana will further that progress.
Other recent Matson initiatives that have enhanced the company's auto
carriage capabilities include direct ro-ro service to and from Maui and
the Big Island of Hawaii and the West Coast, reducing transit time and
eliminating the transshipment process. The Mokihana will also make
direct calls to and from the Neighbor Islands. Matson is also investing
in new information technologies for auto shippers. Matson's new auto
management system, VINsight, has been fully implemented on the West
Coast and in Hawaii, providing customers with real-time information on
the status of all autos in Matson's transportation network. It also
improves the efficiency of processing vehicles at Matson facilities by
utilizing barcode technology, eliminating a number of manual procedures
under the former system. In 2005, Matson introduced a new system,
Navigator, for auto manufacturers. The first release involved Ford and
its Hawaii supply chain partners. The web-based system will allow
customers to more effectively view and manage the end-to-end movement
of their shipments. It also has a delivery mechanism that notifies
customers immediately of any disruption to the shipment process, so
that corrective actions can be taken. In 2006, this system will be
expanded to all auto manufacturers. Hoppes also emphasized that
reliability is another service advantage for Matson. "With our fleet of
active Hawaii service vessels, as well as reserve ships, Matson is
fully capable of ensuring reliability for all of our customers,
including the auto market," said Hoppes. "If a Matson ship needs to be
temporarily taken out of service, we have enough reserve capacity to
prevent any disruption or delay in our scheduled service." He also
added: "In addition to continuing to receive the support of most auto
manufacturers, we are also proud of the fact that our efforts have been
formally recognized by these valued customers. Matson continues to be
certified under Ford's prestigious Q1 program. In addition, Toyota
presented Matson with its Toyota Logistics Partners Excellence Award in
2005 for marine services on-time performance." Beyond providing auto
manufacturers with premium service, Matson is equally committed to
remaining the state's premier carrier of privately owned vehicles. The
company's website has a special section for individuals shipping
vehicles called "Ship Matson for the Wheels You Love." The website has
been designed for consumers to book a vehicle in four easy steps.
Matson provides ocean transportation, intermodal and logistics services. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-10 11:58:40 • Category: 0
|
|
General Maritime to Sell Nine Tankers
General Maritime Corporation
announced that it has agreed to sell nine OBO Aframax
tankers en bloc to Tanker Pacific for $247.5 million. The company expects to
realize a net gain of $16.6 million from the sale. The company intends to
utilize the proceeds to pay down debt, for corporate purposes which may
include share repurchases, and for any future acquisitions that the Company
may consider. Deliveries of the nine vessels are expected to be concluded by
June 2006. After the completion of the sale of these nine vessels and following the
delivery of four Suezmax newbuildings expected between March 2006 and 2008,
the average age of General Maritime's fleet will be reduced to 7.5 years.
General Maritime also announced that upon delivery of the final of the
nine OBO Aframax tankers, the Company plans to close its technical office
located in Piraeus, Greece, operated by General Maritime Management (Hellas)
Ltd. General Maritime will maintain its commercial office in London, operated
by General Maritime Management (UK) LLC and its technical office in Lisbon,
operated by General Maritime Management (Portugal) Lda. The Company will also
retain its commercial and technical office in New York, General Maritime
Management LLC. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-10 11:57:02 • Category: 0
|
|
Wreckage reopens raw emotions
Cape Town - Salvage tug Smit Amandla reached the wreck of the yacht,
Moquini, drifting upside down and without a keel, about 500 sea miles
east of the Wild Coast on Wednesday night. The Durban-based Moquini disappeared during a race between Mauritius and Durban with six crew aboard during September last year. The crew was led by experienced skipper Graham Cochrane and included
Neill Tocknell, Sheldon Dickerson, Mark Dickerson, Kurt Ostendorf and
Michael Goolam. Denise Cochrane, the skipper's widow, said: "At present I'm in the Cape. "I looked forward to starting the year on a positive note. "My daughter has enrolled for a course at the University of Cape Town. "This discovery has opened old wounds." Cochrane said although the emotions of the next of kin would be tested
by the dramatic discovery, she hoped a thorough investigation could
prevent similar disasters from happening in future. The tanker MT Algarve found the drifting yacht on Sunday at 33.32 S and 38.21 E. André Botes, chief of SA Maritime Search and Rescue in Panorama, Cape
Town, was quick to react and asked the tanker captain, Patrick le
Masson, to remain in the area for 12 hours. Le Masson managed to determine the drift patterns while the Smit Amandla was asked to sail for the wreck with divers on board. Photographs of the wreck were sent from the tanker, and Bill Tyler, who
designed the Fast-42 yacht, immediately recognised it as the Moquini. "The keel could have been ripped off on impact. The bow also seemed to
have been in a collision, and the propeller area showed signs of
disintegration," he said after studying the pictures. Initially, it was speculated that one of 39 containers that were lost
from the freighter, Eugenio, on August 7 along the coast of Madagascar,
might have drifted into the path of the yachts. Tyler said the absence of the keel could have caused the vessel to roll over fast while still retaining its mast. Only a thorough investigation would provide a clearer picture. Two or three of the crew might also have been asleep in the cabin, and
there was a distinct possibility that their remains might be found. The fact that the lifeboat was stored in the hull might have proved fatal. Matthew Thomas, who helped co-ordinate the search for the wreckage at
the time, said it might be brought home for further investigation. On September 13, Denise Cochrane was the last to make contact with the crew via satellite phone, speaking to them about 12:40. Shortly after midnight (01:17) the Moquini transmitted its position (25.50 S and 47.44 E) for the last time. On September 16, a single distress call was received from the Moquini at 03:40. A search was launched, but nothing was found before Sunday. (Source: www.news24.com)
• 2006-02-10 03:49:54 • Category: 0
|
|
Pacific Needs More Navy Presence
The Pentagon, in its strategic
Quadrennial Defense Review, supports an increased Navy presence in the
Pacific but gave few details on how this vision might take shape. The
Pentagon has indicated that the decision would not be made until after
release and evaluation of the Quadrennial Defense Review. Guam and
Hawaii are being considered as possible locations for Navy carriers.
It’s been reported that the estimated cost of basing an aircraft
carrier on Guam is $5 billion, compared to $2.2 billion for Hawaii. The
Pentagon report offers no details about carrier basing, noting only
that the Navy plans to have at least six operationally available and
sustainable carriers in the region. The Navy currently bases five
aircraft carriers in the Pacific: two in San Diego, two in Washington
state and one in Japan. The Quadrennial Defense Review also says that
60 percent of U.S. submarines will operate in the Pacific, but it does
not outline how that balance will be achieved. (Source: Stars and
Stripes)
• 2006-02-10 03:45:42 • Category: 0
|
|
Navy Goals Requires Bigger Funding
The Navy sent Congress a 30-year
shipbuilding plan that would reverse the decline in the fleet and build
it up from the current 285 ships to 315 in five years and sustain it
above that number for more than a decade.
But to make that plan work, the Navy must get its annual ship
construction funding up from the proposed fiscal 2007 level of $9.7
billion to $13.5 billion in two years, keep it at that level or higher
for decades and get the average cost of its ships down substantially. A
number of naval analysts have warned that getting the higher amount of
shipbuilding funds that the plan requires and getting a lower cost of
ships would be very difficult. The plan was required by the Armed
Services committees, whose members have complained repeatedly over the
years of the rapid drop in the size of the combat fleet, from the high
of nearly 600 in the early 1990s. The current fleet is the Navy's
smallest since just before World War I. To maintain the buildup would
require an average annual ship construction account of $13.5 billion
over the decades. The plan sets out the optimum fleet force structure
as 11 aircraft carriers, 88 large surface combatants -- destroyers and
cruisers -- 55 of the relatively small Littoral Combat Ships, 48 attack
submarines, 14 ballistic missile submarines, four of the missile boats
converted to carry conventional missiles and special operations troops,
31 "expeditionary" vessels, 30 combat logistic ships, 12 Maritime
Preposition Force (Future) ships and 20 support vessels. But the plan
shows that force rising above those numbers in some classes and falling
below in others. The attack submarine force, for example, falls to 40
near the end of the plan. (Source: www.govexec.com)
• 2006-02-10 03:44:40 • Category: 0
|
|
Ships Suspected in Estonian Oil Spill
An investigation committee headed by
the Estonian Central Criminal Police now suspects 15 vessels of the oil
spill off the Estonia coast that resulted in death of thousands and
aquatic birds. The Liberian oil tanker Flawless, had notified
authorities of problems already when approaching the Muuga seaport. The
vessel had sustained a seven centimeters crack in its hull. The
Estonian Maritime Administration inspected the ship after the
announcement, and investigators have now cleared it from oil spill
suspicions. The oil found in the sea is from a ship's fuel tanks, not
oil carried by oil tankers as cargo. The oil landed on the Estonian
shore possibly in the late evening January 31, even though the first
observations were not reported until the the next day. Estonian Border
Guard Detachment airplanes will increase the number of their weekly
surveillance flights over the Gulf of Finland from one to three.
Cleaning up the Estonian coast of oil has been terminated for the time
being. (Source: www.hs.fi)
• 2006-02-10 03:43:40 • Category: 0
|
|
Navy Patrols Seas for Pirates
A U.S. Navy destroyer detained and
boarded a suspected pirate ship in the Indian Ocean last month, aiming
to see that terrorists do not lash up with pirates in the Asia-Pacific
region. The destroyer, the USS Winston S. Churchill, was ordered to
intercept the suspected pirate ship on Jan. 21 after the U.S. Central
Command, from its forward headquarters in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf,
was contacted by the International Maritime Bureau, based in Malaysia.
The maritime bureau monitors piracy all over the world, but especially
in Asia. It took the U.S. warship several hours of maneuvering and
firing warning shots to get the smaller vessel to surrender. A Navy
boarding party then confiscated a cache of small arms to disarm the
ship before sending it on its way. That effort, broadly defined,
includes tracking thousands of ships, much as aircraft are monitored,
knowing what cargoes the ships are carrying, driving off pirates when
they attack a ship, or recovering the ship if it is seized. For several
years, leaders of maritime nations from India and Sri Lanka in South
Asia to Singapore and Australia and South Korea and Japan in Northeast
Asia have worried that terrorists would seek alliances with pirates,
particularly those operating in the South China Sea. Through that sea
lane passes more international shipping each year than through the Suez
and Panama canals combined. Terrorists who might seize, for instance, a
large oil tanker and scuttle the vessel in the Straits of Malacca
between Singapore and Indonesia would wreak economic, political,
military and environmental havoc. Until now, the U.S. Navy has been
reluctant to engage pirates because the service is stretched out with
other duties. Asian coastal nations maintain that they do not want
outside powers, notably the United States, operating in their sovereign
waters, where many pirate assaults occur. Many Asian naval officers
argue that combating piracy is the job of law enforcement, not navies.
Many U.S. Navy officers agree but assert that some Asian nations lack
the proper ships -- small, high speed and adequately armed -- to defeat
or capture pirates. Moreover, coordination and intelligence sharing
among the littoral nations has not been fully developed. (Source: Washington Times)
• 2006-02-10 03:42:23 • Category: 0
|
|
Suez canal reopens after blockage
The Suez canal has reopened after tug boats moved a cargo ship which had blocked the canal on Wednesday. Traffic in one of the world's busiest waterways is now moving again. The 93,000-metric ton Hong Kong-flagged ship drifted from its path and became wedged across the canal as it travelled from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The canal is among Egypt's highest revenue-earners - lost income is estimated to be several million dollars for each day that the canal is closed. The incident happened at 1100 local time (0900 GMT) on Wednesday near the town of Ismailiya, Egyptian officials said. They said strong winds may have been a factor. Some 7.5% of world sea trade passes through the canal, which is 190km long (118 miles) and 300m wide (984ft) at its narrowest point. (Source: BBC News)
• 2006-02-10 03:41:42 • Category: 0
|
|
Despite increased traffic, the Gulf of Finland may be safer from oil spills
accident, which spilled 20,000 tons of heavy fuel oil off the coast of
Brittany, France, is seen by many as a turning point for the oil
industry. The European Union responded by drawing up new safety
regulations. Oil companies, realizing that they are vulnerable in case
of a major accident, are being more careful about the safety of the
ships they use. And in 2004, a mandatory ship reporting system for the
Gulf of Finland came into being, operated jointly by the Finnish,
Russian and Estonian governments, which has reduced the risk of
accidents by as much as 80 percent. (Source: he amount of oil flowing through the Gulf of Finland has increased by
some 200 percent in less than 10 years. A reminder of the risks came in
late January, when a comparatively small oil spill off the Estonian
coast caused a 20-mile-long slick that killed at least 5,000 birds in
Estonian and Finnish waters. But the December 1999 ErikaInternational Herald Tribune)
• 2006-02-10 03:39:48 • Category: 0
|
|
India spies on Chinese destroyer
The Indian Navy's reconnaissance
aircraft and spy drones have detected, tracked and photographed a new
Chinese destroyer and tanker traveling through the Indian Ocean region.
The two vessels were spotted by a Tupolev-142M long-range maritime
patrol aircraft. Sources said the newly-commissioned Sovremenny class
destroyer, built for the People's Liberation Army Navy at Russia's St
Petersburg-based North Shipyard, was "picked up" as soon as it entered
the Arabian Sea from the Red Sea. The tanker was replenishing or
refueling the destroyer at the time. This is the second time in recent
months that the Navy has caught the Chinese on the high seas. In
December, a TU-142M had photographed two new Chinese submarines near
the Cape of Good Hope. (Source: The Times of India)
• 2006-02-10 03:39:03 • Category: 0
|
|
Polish shipyards are losing skilled workers
Poland's New Szczecin Shipyard lost over a thousand skilled workers to
jobs in western Europe last year; the yard had started with 5,500
workers. West European yards have long sought to employ experienced
Polish shipyard workers, but the demand has grown since Poland joined
the European Union in May 2004 and labor restrictions were lifted in
Sweden, the UK and Ireland. Szczecin has had to train inexperienced
workers to fill employment gaps. But Poland's unemployment rate is
still 17.3%, so European recruitment isn't seen as the country's
biggest labor issue. Employers say the biggest cause of labor shortages
in skilled trades is a decline in vocational education since Communist
times. This has hit other employers hiring specialized craftsmen, as
well as shipyards. (Source: Financial Times)
• 2006-02-10 03:38:18 • Category: 0
|
|
Cuts are sinking the Navy
The Royal Navy has been cut to shreds and no longer
has enough ships to deal with a major crisis, Britain’s most senior
sailor warned last night. First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West slammed the
Government for slashing spending on the fleet and said the policy put
British interests around the world at risk. He even suggested Tony Blair’s boasts about having increased defence spending were a deceit. Falklands hero Sir Alan, 57, fired a final
broadside at ministers in an exclusive interview with The Sun on the
eve of his retirement. In comments that will embarrass Mr Blair, he said:
“The resources, bearing in mind inflation and other things, do not
allow us to do the things we need to do.” He added: “We’re playing games with our assets to make sure we meet our commitments. “Over time, we won’t have the forces available
should there suddenly be a strategic shock — and by strategic shock I
mean something like the Falklands, which is a classic example. “The security and wealth of this country depend on
the sea and the Navy. If you let things run too far down, you put that
security in jeopardy.” Sir Alan — who served for 41 years — also branded Government calculations on the size of the fleet “rubbish”. He said: “On a day-to-day basis around the world, we are very stretched.” But he said he was proud the Navy has two giant
new aircraft carriers, a new generation of nuclear submarines, and up
to eight new Type 45 destroyers. And he thanked the Navy’s men and women, who he said were “loyal, hard-working and superb”. (Source: The Sun)
• 2006-02-09 13:19:49 • Category: 0
|
|
Two coins for the keel of MSC Orchestra
Following tradition when a new MSC Cruises vessel is built, two coins
have been soldered on the inside of the keel of MSC Orchestra. The first coin was presented by the ship owner and the second by the representative of the shipyard. Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises and Patrick Boissier, president
of the Yard, yesterday in St Nazaire, France, in the presence of the
managers of MSC Cruises, laid two coins in the middle of the keel of
MSC Orchestra. This is a tradition aimed at bringing good fortune to the ship as it cruises around the world. After the delivery of MSC Lirica in 2003, and MSC Opera in 2004, MSC
Musica will make her debut in June 2006 and finally MSC Orchestra in
2007. MSC Cruises will continue expanding the fleet with another two vessels
commissioned for delivery in 2008 and in 2009: MSC Fantasia and MSC
Serenata. These two ships will be the largest ever been built for a
European ship owner and the third largest in the world to date. (Source:
Independent Online)
• 2006-02-09 13:17:40 • Category: 0
|
|
NOAA Approves Grant to Aid Search for John Paul Jones' Flagship
From Naval Historical Center Public
Affairs
The Naval Historical Center’s (NHC) search for Revolutionary War naval
hero John Paul Jones' ship Bonhomme Richard received further support in
early February, when it was recommended for funding through the
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office
of Ocean Exploration's competitive grant process.
The NHC and Ocean Technology Foundation (OTF) plan to launch a search
for Bonhomme Richard off the coast of England in July.
"You cannot find an underwater archaeological site more important to
the U.S. Navy than that of John Paul Jones' Bonhomme Richard," said Dr.
Robert Neyland, head of the NHC's Underwater Archaeology Branch.
"Locating and identifying the remains of this great ship would validate
Jones' accomplishments, do great service for U.S. Naval history, and
rekindle public enthusiasm for America's naval heritage."
"We appreciate NOAA's support on this project," added Capt. John
Ringelberg, president of the OTF, "but more importantly, we're pleased
that they recognize the value of this expedition to maritime history."
The team has already conducted extensive historical and archival
research, and is using the latest computer technology to simulate how
the ship may have drifted during a 36-hour period after the battle.
During the July search, they will conduct surveys of the ocean floor
using a magnetometer, which can detect large amounts of metal ballast
underwater, and high-tech sonar systems that can identify anomalies on
the ocean bottom. "NOAA feels this project involves a technically sound
approach to search for the wreck, and it will be led by a professional
and competent team of researchers," said Lt. Jeremy Weirich, the Office
of Ocean Exploration's Maritime Archeology program manager. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-09 13:15:23 • Category: 0
|
|
Crane Removes Containers to Aid Vessel
According to the reports, a container
vessel APL Panama, stranded since Christmas Day off an Ensenada beach,
now has its own jetty. Salvors commissioned the 500-ft. rock-and-sand
ramp and hired a giant crane to carry containers ashore. The operation
is the latest in a series of attempts to lighten the ship's load and
get it floating again. Weighed down by cargo and pinned in by sand, the
880-ft. The ship was on a trans-Pacific route, and its cargo included
electronic components for Baja California manufacturing plants as well
as parts for car factories in central Mexico. The delay in delivery
prompted Nissan, the Japanese car manufacturer, to stop producing
vehicles for three days last week at its Aguascalientes facility. Led
by Florida-based Titan Maritime LLC, salvage efforts since the
grounding reportedly have succeeded in moving the bow 35 degrees, about
a third of the distance necessary to pull it away from shore. A major
effort late last month involved six tugboats and a barge equipped with
hydraulic pullers, with a combined capacity of more than 80,000
horsepower. The Baja California construction company Amaya Curiel y Cia
S.A. de C.V. built the jetty. Leaders of the salvage effort had hoped
they wouldn't have to resort to the land-based operation. They
initially relied on a Sikorsky Sky Crane helicopter to remove some of
the lighter containers from the ship. But many of the boxes weigh more
than the helicopter's 20,000-pound carrying capacity. Titan Maritime
executives have told local officials that they are also hoping to bring
in a more powerful helicopter, a Russian-made Mil-25 to lift the heavy
containers. (Source: San Diego Tribune)
• 2006-02-09 13:12:59 • Category: 0
|
|
Lifeboat Fatalities Caused by Severe Corrosion
The Australian Transport Safety
Bureau (ATSB) issued the report of its investigation into the deaths of
two crewmen and the injury of three more during a lifeboat drill on a
bulk carrier off Port Hedland, Western Australia on 7 October 2004. The
lifeboat was being lowered when the after on-load release hook failed,
causing the lifeboat to unexpectedly fall 16 meters into the sea below.
Investigation revealed that the lifeboat’s after hook’s keel stays were
severely corroded, allowing them to fail under a normal load. The
ship’s maintenance and survey regime was determined to be deficient.
(Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-09 13:12:14 • Category: 0
|
|
USS Ohio Rejoins Fleet
The first of four Ohio-class Trident
missile submarines being converted to carry guided missiles and Special
Operations Forces (SOF) rejoined the fleet in a return to service
ceremony at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor Feb. 7.
In December, USS Ohio (SSGN 726) completed conversion to a
guided-missile submarine capable of carrying more than 150 Tomahawk
cruise missiles and more than 60 SOF members for extended periods. This
conversion is a major step forward in the Navy’s ability to fight the
global war on terrorism.
During the ceremony, guest speaker Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice
chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke of the new role Ohio will have
as it steers towards danger, rather than away from it.
Annie Glenn, the ship’s sponsor, presented the crew a ship’s patch worn
by Sen. John Glenn on his return to space in 1998. The patch was
autographed by all seven astronauts aboard the shuttle and will now be
displayed in the wardroom. USS Michigan (SSGN 727), USS Florida (SSGN
728), and USS Georgia (SSGN 729) are also undergoing conversion to SSGN
and are scheduled to return to service over the next two years. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-09 13:11:19 • Category: 0
|
|
TOP Tankers Reports on M/T Flawless
TOP Tankers Inc the owner of the
double hull 154,970 dwt M/T Flawless, announced that on January 23,
2006, the vessel reported a minor fuel oil overflow on the vessel's
deck to the Estonian Environmental Inspectorate. The incident occurred
when the vessel was in international waters having departing Tallinn,
Estonia, and after loading a cargo of fuel oil. The overflow occurred
when bunker fuel was being transferred between tanks, and was estimated
at between 1.5 and 2.0 cubic meters. The overflow was contained on deck
and the crew immediately began clean-up procedures.
As the vessel is presently in transit, the Company's superintendents
have not been able to inspect the vessel since the overflow incident.
However, the Company believes that reports received from the vessel to
date make it appear highly unlikely that this minor overflow could have
caused any of the pollution that has been recently found on the
Estonian shoreline. The Company has also received Estonian media
reports to the effect that the pollution there appears to have been
caused by oil sludge, which has very different characteristics from the
bunker fuel of the Flawless. The vessel's technical manager has also
advised the company of a report that on January 23, an Estonian
Coastguard helicopter flying over the area where the Flawless was
steaming did not report any pollution in the water. TOP Tankers takes
all matters concerning pollution extremely seriously and, together with
the vessel's technical manager, Hanseatic Shipping of Cyprus, has
established strong and effective controls as well as procedures
designed to ensure that the Company's vessels operate to the highest
standards to avoid pollution. The Company stated that it will continue
to work closely with the Estonian authorities in this matter and will
assist in identifying the cause of this pollution incident, which the
Company firmly believes was not connected with the Flawless. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-09 13:09:50 • Category: 0
|
|
Bid Solicitation for New Passenger Vessels
An invitation to bid on the
construction of a new Passenger Only Ferry and a new Cargo / Passenger
Ferry for Puerto Rico Maritime Transportation Administration of
Fajardo, Puerto Rico is expected later this month. Bristol Harbor
Marine Design is currently developing the performance
specifications for
the vessels.
A Request For Proposals for both vessels is expected.
Preliminarily, the vessels include
one Subchapter K Passenger Only Ferry; and one Subchapter K
Cargo / Passenger Ferry.
Commensurate with publishing the RFP, preliminary performance
specifications will be
accessible by visiting BHMD’s website at:
http://www.bristolharborgroup.com/downloads.html,
and selecting the documents under “Project 05484 –Passenger Only Ferry
and Cargo /
Passenger Ferry for Puerto Rico Maritime Transportation Authority
(Fajardo, Puerto Rico)”. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-09 13:08:25 • Category: 0
|
|
Coast Guard Training Continues Despite Incidents
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Air
Station Humboldt Bay is continuing standardization training as well as
a pair of search-and-rescue operations. On Feb. 4, the Coast Guard
received a distress call by cell phone regarding a 23-year-old man who
was swept down the Mad River while trying to rescue his dog. The
following day, the Coast Guard assisted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s
Office with a search for two men in a raft who failed to return as
planned from a day trip on the Van Duzen River. Deputies spotted a
yellow object in the river and called in the Coast Guard, who flew over
the area and confirmed that the object was a partially submerged raft.
The Coast Guard continued to search the area from the air, while the
Sheriff’s Posse was called out to conduct a thorough ground search.
Eventually, family members of the missing persons contacted the
Sheriff’s Office to report that the missing men had unexpectedly
contacted their family. On Feb. 6, the Coast Guard flight evaluations
continued, with standardization training exercises performed in
conjunction with the Coast Guard Cutter Barracuda, stationed at Woodley
Island. Exercises are expected to conclude this week. (Source: The Eureka Reporter)
• 2006-02-09 03:38:21 • Category: 0
|
|
Tanker Grounding in Alaska Update
On behalf of the Unified Command, the
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) released a
Situation Report stating that divers examining the hull of the tanker
Seabulk Pride found that the hull, propeller, and shaft sustained minor
damage. Inspections continue and temporary repairs are ongoing. Plans
call for the tanker to transit to the West Coast for offload of its
cargo, subject to Coast Guard approval. (Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-09 03:37:23 • Category: 0
|
|
Wärtsilä Engines for Geo Vessel
The new offshore support vessel of
Aker ROV 06 design will be equipped with Wärtsilä main engines.
Wärtsilä Corporation has been awarded a contract worth about EUR 2.7
million in November 2005 by the Norwegian shipbuilder Aker Yards ASA to
supply main engines for a new offshore support vessel contracted by the
Norwegian subsea operations company Geo ASA. The vessel will be constructed at
Aker Yards' Søviknes shipyard in Norway, with delivery due in May 2007.
Its main engines will be four six-cylinder Wärtsilä 32 diesel engines
with a combined output of 11,520 kW at 720 rpm.
Of the Aker ROV 06 design, the vessel will be employed in subsea
operations, primarily for the offshore oil & gas industry. It will
be capable of worldwide operation, including the northern oceans. The
vessel will principally serve as a mothership for unmanned
remotely-operated subsea vehicles (ROV) which can be launched by crane
over both sides of the vessel as well as through a moon pool. Important requirements concerning
the choice of engines included low fuel consumption and fulfilment of
the Clean Design notation of DNV classification. The Clean Design
notation sets high environmental standards for the control and limiting
of all types of emissions and discharges. These standards involve not
only the choice of equipment in a vessel, and its installation design
but also a vessel's operational procedures.
Geo ASA carries out subsea operations in three main fields: seabed
mapping of topography and other levels of sediments; inspection,
maintenance and repair of offshore installations; and offshore
construction support with ROV. Geo ASA is a subsidiary of DOF ASA,
a major owner and operator of offshore vessels. DOF is a
long-established customer for Wärtsilä engines, having built some 20
vessels powered by 70 Wärtsilä engines. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-09 03:35:52 • Category: 0
|
|
New shipping rules to benefit maritime labor
ome 1.2 million seafarers could gain better working conditions under
new rules that are likely to be adopted this month. The proposed new
Maritime Labour Convention, which has support from shipowners, labor
unions and more than 80 states, is due for a final reading at a
two-week International Labour Organisation conference beginning
Tuesday. Countries worldwide would have powers to inspect ships that
dock in their ports and seize them if labor conditions aboard are
substandard, even if the vessel is flying the flag of a state that has
not ratified the new rules, the ILO said. The "bill of rights" is aimed
at toughening enforcement of fragmented and sometimes outdated rules,
which allow some owners to treat crew poorly by registering vessels in
countries with slacker labor standards or checks. (Source: Reuters)
• 2006-02-09 03:34:52 • Category: 0
|
|
Court panel divided over toxic ship
India's Monitoring Committee on
Hazardous Wastes was asked to prepare a report on whether to allow a
decommissioned French warship to be scrapped in India. The report will
be reviewed by the Supreme Court, which will make a decision on
February 13. But the panel has split into two camps, each of which has
submitted its own report to the court. One report had no objection to
the ship being scrapped in the western shipyard of Alang as long it was
done under strict supervision. The other report says the Clemenceau should not be scrapped in India. (Source: Reuters)
• 2006-02-09 02:44:10 • Category: 0
|
|
Ferry owner delayed news of sinking
Egypt's presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said Tuesday the owners of
the Red Sea ferry that sank last week did not inform the government of
the disaster for nearly six hours. Awad said the government first heard
from owner Al Salam Maritime Transport Co. that the ship was in danger
at 7 a.m. Friday, and was feared sunk at 7:45 a.m. By most accounts,
the Al-Salaam Boccaccio 98 sank no later than 2 a.m., five
hours earlier. Other reports say the ship sank at 1 a.m., which would
have made the delay in notification at least six hours. The public did
not learn of the disaster for several more hours after the government
was notified. Questions have also been raised about whether the vessel
was seaworthy, with accusations that corrupt government officials had
conducted inadequate inspections of the ferry. (Source: CBC News)
• 2006-02-09 02:43:06 • Category: 0
|
|
Costa Serena Cross Section Arrives
The fore end section of the Costa
Serena arrived in Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyards in Genoa
recently. The Costa Serena is the second of Costa Crociere’s three new
sister ships due to enter service over the next four years.
The fore end section of the new building is about 91 m in length and
3,200 gt. It left the Palermo yard, where it was assembled, on February
1, and will now be placed in the building graving-dock at the Sestri
Ponente yard; there, it will be fitted to the aft end section of the
ship, which is currently under construction. The cut of the first
plates of Costa Serena started in April 2005.
The Costa Serena is the second of three 112,000 gt sister ships with
guest capacity of 3,780 ordered by Costa Crociere from Fincantieri and
entailing a total investment of almost 1.5 billion euros. The first of
the three, the Costa Concordia, will enter into service in July 2006;
the Costa Serena in May 2007; the third vessel, whose name is yet to be
announced, will be completed in summer 2009.
Thanks to the arrival of these three new ships, the fleet bearing the
Costa Crociere brand, currently Europe’s largest and most advanced,
will be 13 strong by 2009, with an increase in capacity of over 50%. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-08 03:25:34 • Category: 0
|
|
U.S. Navy Assists in Egyptian Ferry Search and Rescue
A U.S. Navy P-3 Orion from Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 Golden Swordsmen
assisted search and rescue operations for survivors of the sunken
Egyptian ferry Al Salam Boccaccio 98 in the Red Sea, Feb. 4.
The ferry, carrying an estimated 1,400 passengers, sank about 50 miles
off the coast of Egypt at approximately 2 a.m., Feb. 3. The VP-47 crew
flew for almost 15 hours to assist Egyptian authorities in the search
efforts.
“After a thousand mile transit the aircraft was still able to provide
seven-and-a-half hours of time on station looking for survivors using
its infrared capability,” said Lt. Christopher Ellison, Commander Task
Force 57 operations scheduling officer. “The aircraft searched for and
guided ships to survivors throughout the night and into the morning.
The P-3 was a vital tool to the overall rescue effort as the P-3 was
the only asset capable of searching the large area for survivors in the
dark.”
CTF 57’s P-3 Orions are an unobtrusive force that provide a valuable
service to operational commanders throughout the U.S. Naval Forces
Central Command area of operations. P-3s are the over-the-horizon eyes
and ears for the operational commanders both on the land and at sea.
They provide key support to the overall mission of maritime security
operations (MSO).
MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime
environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security
efforts of regional nations. MSO deny international terrorists use of
the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport
personnel, weapons, or other material. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-08 03:23:53 • Category: 0
|
|
Harbor Pilot Dead after Accident
While transitioning from the Island
Princess cruise ship to the waiting pilot boat, Capt. David "Kawika"
Lyman was pitched overboard, injured by the pilot boat, possibly even
the propeller. He was recovered by the pilot boat
captain, and brought to Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor, where members of
an awaiting American Medical Response ambulance crew brought him to
Wilcox Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. United States
Coast Guard marine safety investigators were on the scene Sunday night,
and continue their investigation because of the seriousness of the
accident. State and federal laws mandate that licensed, experienced
harbor pilots be at the helm of large, foreign-flagged ships, including
many cruise ships, maneuvering in and out of Hawai'i's harbors, with
Nawiliwili considered the trickiest of them all. While it is an
occupation with high wages and built-in job security, because there are
only a handful of licensed, experienced pilots in the state, it is also
one that involves inherent dangers, including regular exposure to
unpredictable elements. The Nawiliwili Harbor entrance requires
captains to perform a full "S" turn in order to avoid the protective
seawall and jetty, sometimes with only a few feet to spare before
shallow reefs come into play in the shallows of the northern section of
the harbor, not far from Kalapaki Beach. Waves along the eastern shore
of Kaua'i were around five to eight feet. (Source: MSN)
• 2006-02-08 03:22:53 • Category: 0
|
|
Captain refused to help ferry
The captain of a Red Sea ferry has
admitted that he steered clear of a doomed ship that sank between Saudi
Arabia and Egypt last week, leaving about 1,000 people feared dead,
rather than help rescue survivors. He said he did not respond because
he feared his own passenger ship, the Saint Catherine, could
sink if he turned back in bad weather, which included high waves and
fast winds. Captain Salah Gomaa did say he sent out a call for help to
other ships in the area. Both the Saint Catherine and the Al Salam 98, which sank, are owned by the Egyptian company El Salam Maritime Transport Co. (Source: Reuters)
• 2006-02-08 02:42:27 • Category: 0
|
|
Gorbachev Nominates 1961 Soviet Sub Crew for Nobel Prize
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev nominated the crew of the
ill-fated Soviet nuclear submarine K-19, which suffered a loss of
coolant accident on July 4, 1961, for a Nobel Peace Prize this week. "Through the courage of the heroic sailors, a reactor explosion and a
consequent environmental catastrophe in the ocean were averted," Mr.
Gorbachev wrote. "An explosion on board the K-19 could have been taken for a military
provocation or even an attempt to launch a nuclear strike on the North
American coast. An immediate response by the United States could have
triggered a Third World War," he wrote. All information about the 1961 accident was kept secret in the USSR until 1990, he said. The K-19 incident was recently the subject of a National Geographic
feature film starring Harrison Ford called "K-19: The Widowmaker." (Source: www.fas.org)
• 2006-02-07 08:20:20 • Category: 0
|
|
9,000 gallons of oil leak into N.J. river
A ruptured tank spilled
more than 9,000 gallons of refined oil into a river Sunday, causing an
eight-mile oil slick, authorities said. At least two water companies temporarily stopped taking water from the
Passaic River after the 9 a.m. spill, said Passaic County Sheriff's
Department spokesman Bill Maer. The leak started at a factory in Totowa, about 20 miles west of New
York City. Oil was flowing "like a spout" into the water, said
sheriff's department Capt. James Hearney. "A lot of homeowners are smelling it," Hearney said. "It stinks." Authorities were setting up floating booms in the river to contain the
slick, he said. The state Department of Environmental Protection was
headed to the scene. (Source: www.thestate.com)
• 2006-02-07 08:07:55 • Category: 0
|
|
INS Bangaram to be commissioned on Feb 10
INS Bangaram, a fast attack craft of the Indian Navy, will be commissioned on February 10. The ship will be formally commissioned by Vice Admiral SCS Bangara, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command. The 46-metre INS Bangaram is an improved variant of the existing high
speed vessels. It offers a cost-effective platform for patrol and
rescue operations at sea and has combat capabilities with matching
firepower. The ship would be an additional asset in the inventory of the Southern
Naval Command here, the defence PRO said in a release on Sunday. Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, the
ship is capable of doing high speeds and will facilitate effective
patrolling in the seas. (Source: www.hindustantimes.com)
• 2006-02-07 08:03:22 • Category: 0
|
|
Interpol Says Mastermind Of USS Cole Attack Among Those Who Escaped From Yemen P
A man considered a mastermind of the USS Cole bombing that killed 17
sailors in a Yemeni port in 2000 was among 23 people who escaped from a
Yemen prison last week, Interpol said today. Al-Badawi was among those sentenced to death in September 2004 for
plotting the USS Cole attack. Two suicide bombers blew up an
explosives-laden boat next to the destroyer as it refueled in the
Yemeni port of Aden on Oct. 12, 2000. Another of the 23 escapees was identified as Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeiee,
considered by Interpol to be one of those responsible for a 2002 attack
on the French tanker Limburg off Yemen's coast. That attack killed a
Bulgarian crew member and spilled 90,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf
of Aden. (Source: www.latimes.com)
• 2006-02-07 08:00:39 • Category: 0
|
|
No hope for clipper's homecoming
Hopes that a ship built on the River Wear could return to the north-east of England after almost 140 years have finally been scuppered. The City of Adelaide was built in 1864 by a Sunderland shipyard. It is the oldest surviving clipper in the world - the only other is the Cutty Sark. It was hoped the vessel could return to Sunderland, from its current home in Scotland, as a floating museum. But the Scottish Maritime Museum says the ship is now likely to be scrapped. In 2002, Sunderland City Council commissioned a £25,000 study to see if the 176-ft long former passenger and cargo sailing ship could be brought back to its Wearside home. Sunderland Maritime Heritage Group hoped the vessel would become a popular attraction in the city. But it now appears the vessel is beyond saving and is set to be broken up, although the Scottish Maritime Museum has hinted that sections of the vessel could be available to heritage groups. The City of Adelaide, later renamed The Carrick, made 23 voyages to South Australia transporting families from Britain and Ireland to the colony. After serving as a passenger ship, cargo vessel and Royal Navy training clipper, she was eventually sold to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the River Clyde in Scotland. Sunderland-based historian Stuart Miller said: "The vessel was quite spectacular when she was launched all those years ago. (Source: news.bbc.co.uk)
• 2006-02-07 03:17:08 • Category: 0
|
|
Fire, crew cited in Egyptian ferry disaster
More than 700 people are still unaccounted for from the ferry al-Salam 98,
which sank on Thursday night while on its way from Duba to the Egyptian
port of Safaga. Accounts from survivors and crew members suggest that
the tragedy began when a fire broke out on board. Water used to fight
the blaze apparently flooded the car deck, pooled to one side, and
caused the ship to list and quickly sink. Surviving passengers have
accused the captain and crew of negligence, saying the captain
abandoned ship before making sure everyone was safe, and the crew
members didn't get them into lifeboats. Still unanswered is why the
crew failed to send a distress signal, or evacuate the ship — since
there seems to have been plenty of time to organize an evacuation.
Egyptian media have also accused the ferry operators of making the ship
unsafe by adding extra decks after purchase. (Source: The Guardian)
• 2006-02-07 03:12:29 • Category: 0
|
|
No wrongdoing found in New York boating accident
Sheriff's officials investigating a tour boat capsizing last fall that
killed 20 passengers have concluded that neither the vessel's owner nor
its captain committed a crime. The Ethan Allen appeared filled
to capacity on a calm day when it suddenly tipped over, sending
passengers into Lake George. Twenty people died. The Warren County
Sheriff's Office looked into whether there was any intentional,
reckless, or negligent conduct that amounted to a crime and submitted
its findings to prosecutors. They are conducting their own
investigation into the accident and could still pursue a case. The
National Transportation Safety Board has yet to issue its final report,
but has said it is examining modifications to the boat that may have
affected its stability. Federal lawsuits have been filed in two states
alleging negligence by tour boat company Shoreline Cruises Inc. and
Paris, claiming that there should have been another crew member, life
vests should have been accessible, the boat was flawed and it was
overcrowded. (Source: TimesUnion.com)
• 2006-02-07 03:10:10 • Category: 0
|
|
al-Salam 98 judged unsafe to operate in European waters
The al-Salam 98, which sank in the Red Sea, has a history of
safety issues. One of eight similar vessels operated by Townsend
Thoresen, it was the sister ship of the Herald of Free Enterprise, which sank in 1987 off the coast of Belgium. Another sister ship, the al-Salaam 95, sank in the Red Sea in October. European regulations introduced after the Herald of Free Enterprise
sinking made it illegal to operate either vessel in Europe. The rules
introduced in the late 1990s ensured that "roll-on, roll-off" ferries
were redesigned for stability. Andrew Linington of Numast, the British
ships' officers union, said that "If a ship is unsafe, it is unsafe
wherever it operates." But legislation is not as stringent in
developing countries. (Source: Independent Online)
• 2006-02-07 03:09:11 • Category: 0
|
|
Trust supports Alang's desire to dismantle the Clemenceau
Bhavnagar-based NGO Samvardhan Trust, which works for the environment
and human resource development, has said it will hold protests and
organize rallies if the French warship Clemenceau is not
allowed to be brought to Alang for dismantling. The Trust will hold a
seminar for Greenpeace activists to discuss shipbreaking and asbestos
handling. The Trust will also hold rallies to spread awareness about
the working conditions at Alang, and to prove that the shipbreaking
yard is capable of handling asbestos. (Source: Ahmedabad Newsline)
• 2006-02-07 02:35:05 • Category: 0
|
|
HMS Daring Offers Charging Capabilities
The Royal Navy has launched a new
warship that will offer its crew an iPod charging point, a CD player,
and internet access in every cabin. The HMS Daring is the first of six
Type 45 Destroyers that come with a $1 billion price tag. The 150-meter
long vessels will come into service in 2009. At 7350 ton, the 14 deck
warship is capable of tracing and destroying hostile objects as small a
cricket ball traveling at three times the speed of sound several
hundred miles away. Inside, the ship offers each cabin an array of
technological capabilities such as the iPod charger and five radio
channels dedicated to the ship. (Source: http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk)
• 2006-02-06 16:02:01 • Category: 0
|
|
Ferry Victims' Relatives Riot at Ship Offices
It has been reported that hundreds of
grieving relatives attacked offices belonging to the owners of a Red
Sea ferry which sank with 1400 people on board. Rioters threw furniture
into the street and burned the company's signboard. Police had to be
called to intervene and fire tear gas to restore order after the mob
broke into the offices of El Salam Maritime in the Red Sea port early
in the morning and began throwing everything out into the street. The
company owned the Al-Salaam Boccaccio 98 which sank early on Friday
with the loss of about 1000 lives. The rioters took a large photo of
one of the company's ferries and burned it in the middle of the road.
Riot police who were guarding the nearby port gates quickly dispersed
the crowd. Some rioters set fires to tyres on roads leading to the
port, effectively closing the roads. But firefighters arrived and
extinguished the blazes. Only 401 people are known to have survived the
sinking of the ferry. Most of the passengers were low-income Egyptians
returning from working in Saudi Arabia. Relatives of the passengers
have complained that the firm failed to inform them about who had
drowned and who had survived. (Source: CBC News)
• 2006-02-06 15:52:13 • Category: 0
|
|
RCL Orders 220,000 GRT Cruise Ship
Royal Caribbean International orders a new generation cruise vessel from Aker Yards.
The contract price being approximately $1.07 billion, this is the most
valuable ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding.
The 220,000 GRT ship, a prototype developed under Project Genesis, will
be delivered from Aker Yards, Finland in autumn 2009. The order means
5,800 man years of work for the yard.
The contract includes an option for a similar vessel.
"After developing so many generations of cruise ships together over the
35 years of our partnership with RCCL we are excited about jumping so
far out in front of cruise-ship design with this highly innovative and
exciting new ship" says Yrjö Julin, President responsible for Aker
Yards Cruise & Ferries business area. "Working together we will
create an unparalleled experience for the next generation of cruisers."
"It is exhilarating to take such a giant step into the future", said
Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain. "Project Genesis truly
is a remarkable ship. Its bold design, daring innovation and
technological advancements will delight our existing customers and help
us draw in new ones". He also said Royal Caribbean to be fortunate to
have such gifted collaborators as Aker Yards.
Taking a huge leap of 43 percent in size from the new record breaking
"Freedom of the Seas" to be delivered for Royal Caribbean from Aker
Yards in April, the new giant of the cruise market will be 360 m long,
47 m wide, 65 m high above waterline and accommodate 5,400 passengers.
The previous deliveries from Aker Yards to Royal Caribbean include
eleven newbuildings, and there are three more in the present orderbook,
the world s largest cruise vessels in the Freedom class, to be
delivered in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Consisting of 18 newbuildings, the total value of the order book of Aker Yards in Finland is some
4.3 billion euro after this contract.
The contract is subject to final confirmation of buyers financing. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-06 15:45:57 • Category: 0
|
|
Blount to Construct Excursion Vessel
Blount Boats, Inc. has signed a
contract with Wendella Sightseeing Company, Inc. to construct an 89 x
30 ft. steel excursion vessel. The vessel was designed by Timothy Graul
Marine Design and will operate in the Chicago area.
The 300 passenger vessel will be powered by twin screw Caterpillar
engines. Delivery for Hull #320 is scheduled for April 2007 via the
Erie Canal. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-06 15:42:30 • Category: 0
|
|
Horizon Offshore Purchases DP2 Vessel
Cut 988
Horizon Offshore announced that its subsidiary, Horizon Vessels, Inc.,
has agreed to acquire the Sea Wrangler, a diving support and deepwater
reel pipelay vessel. The company expects to complete the purchase later
this month and to finance a portion of the purchase price. Horizon
intends to rename the vessel the Texas Horizon and place it into
service as soon as possible following routine maintenance due to the
vessel's current laid up status. The company intends to utilize the
vessel to support its Gulf of Mexico operations in both the U.S. and
Mexican market areas. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-06 15:41:21 • Category: 0
|
|
Tanker Refloated in Alaska
On behalf of the Unified Command, the
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued Situation Report
#5 stating that a tug and response barge were en route to the scene of
the grounding of the tanker Seabulk Pride in Cook Inlet. Situation
Report #6 stated that response tugs managed to pull the tanker off the
beach. The tanker then got underway on its own power. A transit plan is
being prepared to escort and relocate the tanker to a safe location to
continue damage surveys. Situation Report #7 indicates that Kachemak
Bay in Cook Inlet will be used as a place of refuge where the tanker
will undergo a complete check for integrity. The U.S Coast Guard issued
a Press Release stating that vessel traffic in Cook Inlet is being
considered on a ship-by-ship basis and that ice rules are in effect. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-06 15:40:33 • Category: 0
|
|
Ferries to Provide Assistance in Future Disasters
To address future disasters, the Bay
Area Council is working in Sacramento with the governor and legislative
leaders on major infrastructure bond proposals, which may well set the
agenda for decades to come. Being discussed is the legislation authored
by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland eight years ago, and signed into law by
the governor, regarding the Bay Area Council’s proposal for a
comprehensive high-speed water transit system that -- in addition to
significantly improving daily traffic -- would provide a highly
flexible disaster recovery transportation system. This new system
recognized that the waters of the bay could be transformed from a
transportation obstacle into a transportation asset, with high-speed
ferries running to all communities with waterfront access. In addition
to improving daily mobility for tens of thousands of residents, in a
disaster these ferries would shuttle supplies, responders and victims
around the region, even while roads, bridges and trains would still be
closed for inspection and repairs. By necessity, the system would have
terminals ringing the bay -- from Alviso and Moffett Field near San
Jose to Port Sonoma and Benicia in the North Bay, in addition to
existing facilities in Oakland, San Francisco, Marin and Vallejo. Yet
the system has never received the funding it needs to build more than a
modest three new routes, the first scheduled to start in 2009. (Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
• 2006-02-06 15:39:32 • Category: 0
|
|
72 Feared Dead In Ferry Sinking
About 72 passengers are still missing
from a ferry that sank in waters off Kupang in Indonesia's East Nusa
Tenggara province, China View reported. Search and rescue teams are
still trying to find the 72 missing passenger. Most of the passengers
on the ferry are presumed to have drowned. Rescue teams found 34 bodies
and 125 other passengers floating in the sea. Most of the passengers
had life jackets. Search and rescue team would continue searching for
the missing people until February 7-- a week after the boat sank. The
government has deployed three naval war ships, a surveillance aircraft,
a police helicopter, a police patrol boat, three tugboats owned by
state shipping company PT Pelni and three vessels from state ferry
company PT ASDP to aid rescue efforts. (Source: China View)
• 2006-02-06 15:37:18 • Category: 0
|
|
Poor Weather Blocks Ship Rescue
Poor weather conditions and strong
ice-break have blocked the rescue operation of Bulgaria's Katya Z ship,
stuck in the Sea of Azov off Ukraine. Three tugboats have managed to
break the iceberg under the right board of the ship. A check proved
that the systems of the ship are working properly and that it would be
able to sail. The rescue operation would continue once the weather
improves. The ship with 18 sailors onboard run aground in the Sea of
Azov on January 28. Katya Z has 14 Bulgarian sailors and four
Ukrainians onboard. All crew members are feeling well. (Source: Sofia News Agency)
• 2006-02-06 15:16:48 • Category: 0
|
|
Recovery Efforts for Miss Kelley Continue
The U.S. Coast Guard and California
Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response
recently ceased the pollution response operations onboard the fishing
vessel Miss Kelley. Early on January 26, in Fort Bragg, the U.S. Coast
Guard rescued two fishermen from the fishing vessel and began pollution
response efforts when the vessel stranded on a beach near the Noyo
River entrance. Oil-absorbent pads were placed in the fish hold to
remove the oil contained in that space and then removed and properly
disposed. Further actions to contain and remove the oil were impossible
because of the remote location of and high energy surf conditions
around the vessel. On January 30, the tanks were sounded again and were
found to be empty. The response and cleanup efforts have ended because
there is no further threat of pollution, but recovery efforts for the
vessel continue. (Source: The Eureka Reporter)
• 2006-02-05 14:30:22 • Category: 0
|
|
Egyptian ship with 1,400 aboard sinks in the Red Sea
The Egyptian passenger ferry Al Salam Boccaccio 98
carrying about 1,400 people sank in the Red Sea early Friday during bad
weather. Rescue ships and helicopters pulled dozens of survivors and
bodies from the water; 263 survivors have been counted so far. Most of
the passengers were Egyptian workers returning from their jobs in Saudi
Arabia. At least four Saudi and four Egyptian ships were involved in
the search effort, arriving about 10 hours after the 35-year-old ferry
was believed to have sank. As darkness descended Friday at the site
there were fears the death toll could be extremely high. It is believed
that the ferry did not have enough lifeboats. It was not immediately
clear what caused the ferry to sink. (Source: CNN.com)
• 2006-02-05 14:29:07 • Category: 0
|
|
Tanker runs aground in Alaska, spills fuel
n oil tanker being loaded with fuel broke free of its dock in the Cook
Inlet port of Nikiski and ran aground. Officials at the refinery where
the 575-foot Seabulk Pride was being loaded said the ship's
cargo tanks were not breached, but that an unknown amount of fuel
spilled into Cook Inlet southwest of Anchorage. The Seabulk
broke free overnight, possibly after being hit by a large piece of ice.
There were no reports of injuries. It was not immediately known how
long the tanker drifted before running aground onto soft silt. Tug
boats are headed to the area to rescue the ship, which refinery
officials said came to rest about a half-mile north of the dock. (Source: Canada.com)
• 2006-02-05 14:27:44 • Category: 0
|
|
Stowaway case in South Africa heard
The captain and two crew members of the Bahamas registered ship Mv African Kalahari
were accused of throwing seven stowaways into the sea in Durban
Harbour. Five survived the ordeal and reported the incident, two
Kenyans died. The captain and crew members' written guilty plea to the
Durban Regional Court reveals that they looked after the stowaways once
they were discovered, and befriended them. The stowaways described
deplorable circumstances in their country, and asked not to be handed
over to authorities. The captain decided not to hand them over, but the
only way of escape was to disembark over the sea-facing side of the
ship and swim to the wharf. The captain said, "We did not hear the
cries for help of the two who drowned." While initially facing murder
charges, only two finally faced charges of culpable homicide and, along
with the Polish captain, charges under maritime law of "endangering the
life of persons on board a ship." The men have been given suspended
sentences and fines. (Source: The Mercury)
• 2006-02-05 14:26:58 • Category: 0
|
|
European Union investigates disposal of the Clemenceau
Brussels is investigating France's decision to send the ageing Clemenceau
aircraft carrier to be scrapped in India amid concerns that the move
contravenes European Union waste shipment legislation. If Brussels
decides that it is unhappy with the French government's reasons for
taking the ship to India, it could start legal action against France
via the EU's waste shipment legislation. The main debate is over
whether the ship constitutes hazardous waste — as claimed by Greenpeace
— and so not allowed to be transported abroad under the Basel
Convention, or property of a sovereign state — as France argues — and
thus exempt from the charter. (Source: MSN Money)
• 2006-02-05 14:26:01 • Category: 0
|
|
Greenpeace will tackle pirate fishermen
After spending some two months battling Japanese whalers, Greenpeace
will now work to expose illegal fishing. Greenpeace expedition leader
Shane Rattenbury said activists had succeeded in disrupting the whale
hunt, and have helped expose the often "gruesome" deaths the whales
face. But now, in a year-long campaign to save the world's oceans, the
organization's two ships, Arctic Sunrise and Esperanza,
will confront pirate fishing ships off west Africa's coast. This area
is seen as a target for pirates, since the region's countries have few
resources to protect marine life or enforce regulations at sea. (Source: Reuters)
• 2006-02-05 14:25:04 • Category: 0
|
|
Russia needs another aircraft carrier
Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir
Masorin has been quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the country
will build one or two more aircraft carriers, in addition to the one
now in service, the Admiral Kuznetsov. He did not say when this
would happen. Funding issues have forced the Navy to abandon some
ships, and keep others docked for years, because of shortages of fuel
and spare parts. But booming oil prices have helped to pad the Navy's
budget. A crucial task will be to preserve the Kuznetsov so
seamen and pilots can conduct regular training. On a recent trip into
the Atlantic last year, one of the ship's jets slid off the deck and
crashed into the sea while trying to land. (Source: The Globe and Mail)
• 2006-02-05 14:23:53 • Category: 0
|
|
Estonia investigates oil spill
A thick oil slick has landed on the shores of northwest Estonia. The
oil spill was detected over the weekend and has turned out to be more
serious than originally thought. Hundreds of birds have already died,
and several thousand more birds have been covered in oil, and are also
expected to die. According to the Estonian Waterways Department, more
than 100 ships passed through the area around the time the oil spill
presumably occurred. The source of the spill, about 20 tons, is still
being investigated. (Source: Reuters)
• 2006-02-05 14:22:45 • Category: 0
|
|
Triple-Engine Tug From Rodriguez
In mid-January Rodriguez Boat
Builders Inc. of Bayou LaBatre Alabama installed three Cummins KTA38 M0
diesels in the finished hull of a new 90 by 32-foot tug for Hughie L.
Cheramie, Inc. of Galliano Louisiana. With the engines installed in the
new hull the already completed steel work for the deckhouse was lifted
into place and the tug showed its final shape. Finishing would take
another three months with delivery to the owners scheduled for April.
Except for the engines and the owner supplied double-drum towing winch
the boat is a virtual sister ship to the Gloria G. Cherami built at
Rodriguez a few years ago. Electrical service will be supplied by two
Cummins 4BTA 60 kw generator sets. The boat will be ABS load line
inspected. The three Cummins mains will generate 850 hp each at 1800
RPM for a combined 2550 hp driving the boats three props. This will be
the seventh boat that Rodriguez has built for Huey Cheramie. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-03 03:00:39 • Category: 0
|
|
Carnival Names New Ship
Carnival Splendor is the name
Carnival Cruise Lines has chosen for its new 112,000-ton cruise ship
scheduled to enter service in spring 2008. Representing a new class of
ship for the line, the 3,006-passenger vessel will be constructed by
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and feature an innovative new design,
including the largest spa and children’s facilities in the Carnival
fleet. Highlights include a 17,800-square-foot spa. A 5,500-sq. ft.
children’s playroom will be located mid-ship. Located aft will be a new
sports deck featuring arena-style seating for games and other events,
while a reservations-only supper club will be located atop the poolside
Lido restaurant, providing diners with magnificent ocean vistas. The
mid-ship pool – one of four on board – will be enclosed by two full
decks of glass walls. The area will be covered with a two-deck-high
retractable dome that can be closed during inclement weather. A large
balcony will encircle the upper deck of the pool area. The vessel will
also include 1,503 staterooms, 60 percent of which will offer an ocean
view with 60 percent of those featuring private balconies. Carnival
Splendor is one of three new ships currently under construction or on
order with Fincantieri. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-03 02:59:11 • Category: 0
|
|
Navy Ship Provides Assistance to Disabled Cargo Ship
A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1661,
assigned to Assault Craft Unit Two (ACU-2) approaches the port beam of
the distressed motor vessel Al Manara as a MH-60S Seahawk helicopter
pass overhead. Nassau supplied the ship with 10 days of food and water
using LCUs and Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) while the ship waited
for a tugboat to pull it into port. Nassau is deployed as the flag ship
for Expeditionary Strike Group Eight (ESG-8) supporting maritime
security operations (MSO) in the 5th Fleet area of operations. MSO seek
to preserve the free and secure use of the world's oceans by legitimate
mariners and prevent terrorists from attempting to use the maritime
environment as a venue for attack or as a medium to transport
personnel, weapons or other material that could support their efforts.
U.S. (Source: NavNews)
• 2006-02-03 02:57:31 • Category: 0
|
|
Court Rules on Salvage v. Finds
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit ruled that the law of salvage rather than the law of
finds applies to the on-going work related to the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The court also overturned the lower court’s actions regarding
certain artifacts that had been retrieved and taken to France in 1987,
ruling that the court had no in rem jurisdiction over those artifacts.
The decision includes a lengthy comparison of the law of salvage and
the law of finds. The case was remanded to the trial court with
instructions to apply the principles of traditional salvage law to the
wreck of the Titanic in a manner that serves either the owner or,
absent an owner, the public interest and at the same time provides an
appropriate award to the salvor. RMS Titanic, Inc. v. The Wrecked and
Abandoned Vessel, No. 04-1933 (Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-03 02:56:29 • Category: 0
|
|
Panama Canal Receives ISO 9001 Certifications
The Panama Canal Authority stated
that its Industrial Shipyard Division and its Electrical & Aqueduct
Division received ISO 9001:2000 certifications based on audits of their
Quality Management Systems.
(Source: HK Law)
• 2006-02-03 02:55:12 • Category: 0
|
|
New Cruise Ship Delivered to HAL
Holland America Line took delivery ms
Noordam from Fincantieri-Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. at a special
ceremony in Venice, Italy. The Noordam will depart Venice on Friday,
February 3, for her new homeport, New York City, where she will offer
10- and 11-day Caribbean cruises beginning with her maiden voyage on
February 22, 2006. That same day, the official dedication ceremony will
take place with Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin serving as
godmother.
"The Noordam is the fourth and last of our popular Vista-class ships,
which represent the four points of a compass,” states Stein Kruse,
president and chief executive officer, Holland America Line. "With this
major accomplishment, next we set our sights on the recently announced
Signature-class series."
Like her sister ships, the Westerdam, Zuiderdam and Oosterdam, the new
Noordam boasts a spacious design for public areas and staterooms.
Eighty five percent of her staterooms have ocean views, with 67 percent
of all staterooms sporting verandahs. She is the first ship to be
delivered with all Signature of Excellence amenities in place,
including plush Euro-top mattresses and flat panel TVs and DVD players
in all cabins, new dining options, the Culinary Arts Center presented
by Food & Wine magazine and the pampering Greenhouse Spa and Salon. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-03 02:53:58 • Category: 0
|
|
Super Yachts to Bring Profits to Miami
According to Miami Today, Miami is
poised to become the next destination for those who sail - and those
who follow – super yachts, the size of small cruise ships and staffed
by up to 50-person crews. In 2002, the last year tracked, super yacht
owners contributed about $576 million to the economies of Miami-Dade,
Palm Beach and Broward counties, including $34.6 million generated in
business taxes. In March, the second annual International Super Yacht
symposium will convene at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The
two-day symposium March 15-16 is being held in conjunction with the
22nd annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, which is expected to
draw nearly 10,000 attendees and more than 900 exhibiting companies
from more than 100 countries March 13-16. Conference sessions cover
pertinent industry issues, including shipbuilding and design, product
development and distribution, shipboard management, technology and the
future of the cruise industry. (Source: Miami Today)
• 2006-02-03 02:52:36 • Category: 0
|
|
Naval Ships Rescue 114 in Indonesia
Naval vessels rescued more than 100
people after a packed ferry sank in heavy seas off Indonesia, but
dozens could still be missing, the Edinburgh Evening News reported. Two
navy ships had picked up 114 people. One person was confirmed dead.
While a passenger list put the number of people on board at 106, it
could have been as high as 160. The ferry was traveling from Kupang, on
Timor island, to nearby Rote island when authorities lost contact with
it during the evening voyage. (Source: Edinburgh Evening News)
• 2006-02-03 02:51:48 • Category: 0
|
|
U.S. Execs to Discuss Cuban Oil Reserves
In the two years since oil reservoirs
were discovered off Cuba's coast, Canadian, Chinese, Indian and
Norwegian companies have lined up to explore the potentially lucrative
Caribbean waters. U.S. oil exploration in Cuban waters - along with
most U.S. trade - is prohibited under a 45-year-old U.S. embargo
designed to undermine Fidel Castro's communist government. This week,
American energy executives meet their Cuban counterparts in the first
private-sector oil summit between the two countries. Cubans hope to
inform the businessmen of their country's oil potential while
undermining the embargo, which has often frustrated American
corporations. The three-day meeting is sponsored by the U.S.-Cuba Trade
Association, along with Valero Energy Corp., the United States' biggest
oil refiner, as well as the Louisiana Department of Economic Development and the Texas Port of Corpus Christi, among others. (Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
• 2006-02-03 02:50:43 • Category: 0
|
|
More Big Tankers, Lower Profits?
The abundance of big tankers, the
very large crude carriers (VLCCs) of some 300,000 deadweight tons,
makes several analysts express reservations about the projected
revenues of the category this year. In 2005 the revenues of VLCCs
dropped by 40 percent compared with the "golden" year 2004 when a lack
of vessels and the great increase in demand pushed freight rates to
extremely high levels. Analysts expect the current trend to continue
and forecast an additional decline of profits by 30 percent for the
entire year. On the positive side, shipowners are generally optimistic
about the market, as daily rates for VLCCs carrying oil from the Middle
East and from West Africa come to at least $100,000. This is attributed
to the market's seasonal character, because when the summer demand for
oil was less, the rates had fallen. Since the autumn, though, when
demand again increased with the coming winter, optimism returned. (Source: International Herald Tribune)
• 2006-02-03 02:50:02 • Category: 0
|
|
Russian Navy Plans Expansion
The Russian Navy plans to build 20
new frigates over the next 15-20 years. The Navy plans to build a large
series of these ships, at least 20 and at least five ships for each
fleet [Black Sea, Baltic, Pacific, and North Atlantic]. By Russian
military classification, a frigate is a large multi-purpose escort ship. (Source: RIA Novosti)
• 2006-02-03 02:48:00 • Category: 0
|
|
Navy Launches HMS Daring
HMS Daring, the first of the Royal
Navy's $10 billion fleet of six Type 45 Destroyers, was launched into
the River Clyde in Glasgow on February 1. Weighing 7,350 tons, Daring's
launch - on time and within budget - is seen as a symbol of rebirth in
the Clydeside shipbuilding yards which faced devastation six years ago.
Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, launched Daring at a ceremony at the
shipyard in Scotstoun which was also attended by the Defense Secretary,
John Reid. HMS Daring slid into the water and was maneuvered into place
by three tugs, who guided her a few hundred yards down river to a dry
dock where the finishing touches will be carried out, including the
fitting of her guns. The second and third ships in the six-ship order -
HMS Dauntless, Diamond, Defender, Dragon and Duncan - are already being
built. BAE Systems hopes the order will be extended to eight. The
contract will keep about 3,000 workers employed until the end of the
decade at Scotstoun and its sister yard Govan, across the river. (Source: Times Online UK)
• 2006-02-03 02:47:27 • Category: 0
|
|
Tanker Aground in Alaska
According to a Reuters report, an oil
tanker with 360,000 barrels capacity was struck by an ice floe and ran
aground today while loading oil products at an Alaska refinery, citing
a state official and the refining company.
According to the Reuters report, refinery owner Tesoro Corp. did not have an estimate of the amount of product released.
The Tesoro-chartered double-hulled tanker, the Seabulk Pride, was
loading heavy vacuum gas oil and unleaded gasoline from the refinery in
Nikiski, Alaska, on the Cook Inlet. The ship was reportedly aground
about half a mile north of the dock, and the vessel's tanks were
reported to be secure. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-03 02:46:01 • Category: 0
|
|
Chinese Government Donates Gunship to Sierra Leone
In order to boost the capacity of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Armed Forces (RSLAF) the Government of the People's Republic of China
has donated an escort gunship to the Government of Sierra Leone to be
used by the Sierra Leone Navy to carry out convoy escort, fishery
protection, naval patrols, and surveillance in the offshore areas of
Sierra Leone.
The ultra-modern gunship is equipped with radar, two 37 mm guns, two
25mm guns, a ship radar, associated communication and navigational
equipment and other state-of-the-art features. In another development the Government of the United States of
America had indicated that it would donate three naval boats to the
armed forces of Sierra Leone. These interventions will enhance the capability of the naval wing of
RSLAF to meet its challenges of providing round-the-clock naval
presence of patrolling and surveillance the coastal waters of Sierra
Leone and of dealing with any threat in its offshore zone in a measured
way. The government and people of Sierra Leone appreciate profoundly
these gestures by the governments and peoples of the United States of
America and the People's Republic of China. (Source: http://allafrica.com)
• 2006-02-02 03:06:05 • Category: 0
|
|
Ontario curbs wreck diving
Divers wishing to explore the legendary Edmund Fitzgerald and two other
Great Lakes shipwrecks in Canadian waters will need a licence from the
Ontario Ministry of Culture under a newly approved regulation. The rule also limits access to the Hamilton and the Scourge, U.S.
merchant schooners that sank in Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. “The sites we have chosen for special protection are unique,” Culture
Minister Madeleine Meilleur said in a news release. “We want to ensure
that these fragile underwater sites – all of which contain human
remains – are treated with care and respect.” The Fitzgerald, a 222-metre iron ore carrier, sank in Lake Superior
during a fierce storm Nov. 10, 1975. All 29 crewmen died, and their
bodies were not recovered. Fifty-three of the 72 crewmen aboard the Hamilton and Scourge were
killed when the ships went down during a squall in August 1813, north
of Port Dalhousie. Their gravesite, 90 metres deep, was discovered in
1975 and explored separately by Jacques Cousteau and the National
Geographic Society. Several groups have used mini-submarines and robotic cameras to inspect
the Fitzgerald wreckage, located 162 metres below the surface about 27
kilometres northwest of Whitefish Point. The ship, broken in two, lies
just across the international border on the Canadian side. During a privately financed 1994 expedition, leader Fred Shannon of
Mount Morris announced that his team had discovered and photographed a
body on the lake bottom near the pilot house. The partly decomposed remains could not be identified. But Mr. Shannon
angered some relatives of Fitzgerald crew members by using brief images
of the remains in a documentary video. They urged Canadian officials to
declare the wreck site off-limits to future explorations. “We've always contended that this is the men's gravesite,” Cheryl
Rozman, daughter of Fitzgerald watchman Ransom “Ray” Cundy, . “It gives
us family members peace of mind to know that the site will be protected
from unauthorized visits.” She and other relatives backed the Michigan legislature's enactment in
1997 of a law making it a felony to photograph human remains on Great
Lakes bottomlands without consent of the victim's next of kin. In 1999, family and friends of the crew held a consecration service
aboard a Coast Guard cutter at the spot where the ship went down. Doing
so, they said, created a moral obligation to treat the site with the
same respect as a cemetery. Obtaining a licence for future explorations of the wrecks will not be
easy, said Michael Johnson, manager of heritage operations for the
Ontario culture ministry. Only missions with “a really good scientific
purpose” will be approved, he said Tuesday. “We would like to see a very serious justification for wanting to see
those wrecks,” Mr. Johnson said. The regulation, he said, “makes
explicitly clear that we do not want sport divers visiting those
vessels, or anyone doing unapproved surveys of any kind.” The regulation was imposed under the Ontario Heritage Act, which was
revised last year to toughen penalties for looting or intentionally
damaging marine archeological sites, including heritage shipwrecks.
Mr. Shannon said Monday that he had not heard about the regulation. “I have absolutely no problem with any legislation that would bring
solace to the families,” he said, adding that he had no intention of
attempting another Fitzgerald dive. (Source: www.theglobeandmail.com)
• 2006-02-02 03:04:01 • Category: 0
|
|
US warship dumped rubbish, says resident
A Sunshine Coast resident says the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was dumping rubbish off Queensland's coast before it docked in Brisbane last week. There has been widespread criticism of the US Navy after rubbish, believed to be from the ship, washed up on the state's beaches this week. The ship's Lieutenant Commander Gary Ross says the allegations are being investigated. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says warships do not have to abide by laws that prohibit the dumping of rubbish while at sea. Mooloolaba's John Wynne says he saw lines of rubbish behind the ship last week."We would have been probably 15 to 20 kilometres offshore - there was a line of rubbish bags," he said. "They were every 200 or 300 yards apart but they were in a distinct line so it just appeared that they were throwing them over as they were travelling." Several bags of rubbish have been collected; the latest washed ashore at Mudjimba on the Sunshine Coast yesterday. Lieutenant Commander Ross says the American Navy has strict guidelines for the disposal of rubbish aboard ships at sea. "By all indications it is an accidental dumping because our policies and procedures are very strict with regards to the disposal of plastics and in no way do we dispose of plastics out here at sea," he said. "We have methods to store them on board and properly dispose of them when we pull into port." (Source: www.abc.net.au)
• 2006-02-02 02:55:49 • Category: 0
|
|
Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract for Work on USS Toledo
Northrop Grumman
Corporation has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy
for maintenance work, known as a depot modernization period, on the
nuclear-powered submarine USS Toledo (SSN 769). The initial planning
contract is valued at approximately $34.7 million. The total estimated
value, including the actual execution, is valued at approximately $175
million.
Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector is the prime contractor
for the work, which will include planning and scheduling, engineering,
material procurement, fabrication, maintenance and modernization work.
The ship is scheduled to arrive in September for a performance
period lasting approximately 13 months, 10 of which will include dry
dock work. Planning work will begin immediately. This is a competitive
award under a Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) multiple award
contract.
Toledo is the 26th Los Angeles-class submarine built by
Northrop Grumman Newport News. It was christened on August 28, 1993 and
commissioned into service February 24, 1995. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-02 02:50:45 • Category: 0
|
|
Natchez Barge Accident Investigated
A rainsquall that reduced visibility
appears to have been the cause of a barge hitting a piling of the
Mississippi River bridge at Natchez this past weekend, the Biloxi Sun
Herald reported. The investigation is ongoing.
As for previous reports that a power failure caused the accident,
there's no evidence the barge lost power before the accident. The
accident happened at about 8 p.m. on January 28 and involved a barge
from Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel of Pine Bluff, Ark. There were no
injuries. In addition, MDOT crews inspected the piling above the water
level Sunday and found no damage.
(Source: Biloxi Sun Herald)
• 2006-02-02 02:50:04 • Category: 0
|
|
Tanker sinks in the English Channel
A tanker carrying phosphoric acid has sunk in the English Channel. The
vessel was badly damaged and listing after it collided with a cargo
ship around 30 miles northwest of Guernsey early on Tuesday, and sank
shortly after midnight. French rescue workers were hoping to tow the
vessel to Le Havre, in France, before it went down in one of the
busiest shipping lanes in the world. A one-mile exclusion zone has been
set up around the wreckage, with warning signs pointing out the
wreckage to other vessels. Twenty-two crew members on board the Ece
tanker, which is registered in the Marshall Islands, in the Pacific
Ocean, were rescued by British coastguards, the RAF and their French
counterparts nearly two hours after they abandoned ship. None were
seriously injured in the incident. If it leaks, the phosphoric acid
would have a "fleeting and localized lethal effect." Generally, experts
are more concerned about the fuel oil carried in the ship's tanks. (Source: Yahoo! News)
• 2006-02-02 02:49:14 • Category: 0
|
|
Russian Navy announces changes in submarine fleet
Admiral Vladimir Masorin, commander of the Russian Navy, announced at a
conference that Russia's fleet will be equipped with four modern series
of submarines. The Borei series of nuclear submarines, and a new
multipurpose submarine armed with sub-launched cruise missiles, will
form the backbone of the Navy's fleet. The latest diesel powered
submarine, the St. Petersburg, which is being built under the
Lada project, will be commissioned this year after trials are
completed. Finally, design of a new type of nuclear submarine will
begin soon. (Source: RIA Novosti)
• 2006-02-02 02:47:52 • Category: 0
|
|
US dockworkers target pollution cuts at West Coast ports
Union dockworkers on Monday launched
their first campaign to reduce air pollution from vessels calling at
ports along the US West Coast, joining a wider global effort to curb
pollution from shipping. Without new pollution controls, regulators
expect California's ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will contribute
20 percent of all air pollution in the Los Angeles basin by 2025. A
study published last year found that diesel fumes from the two ports
raise the risk of cancer for people living up to 15 miles inland. The
International Longshore and Warehouse Union aims to cut emissions from
diesel-fueled vessels calling at West Coast ports by 20 percent by 2010
and to reduce pollution from trucks and cargo-handling equipment on the
docks. The union will work with carriers and the port authorities to
meet its goal, but has not ruled out making it part of negotiations
during the next contract talks, in 2008. (Source: The New York Times at International Herald Tribune)
• 2006-02-02 02:46:28 • Category: 0
|
|
Piracy attacks drop in 2005
The International Maritime Bureau reported Tuesday that total piracy
attacks worldwide dropped to 276 last year from 329 in 2004. This was
the lowest number reported to its Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala
Lumpur since 1999. But 23 vessels were hijacked, the highest number
since 2002. Although no crew members were killed compared to 30 in
2004, 12 were still missing. Indonesian waters, with almost 30 percent
of the world's attacks, were the most treacherous despite a drop in
attacks from the year before. Attacks in the notorious Straits of
Malacca also fell significantly, prompting the IMB to credit
governments for increased security patrols. Pirate activity grew in
some regions, especially Vietnam, Tanzania and Somalia. But Iraq stood
out "as a new world piracy hotspot," with 10 attacks in 2005 after none
the year before. Most of Iraq's attacks were on vessels anchored near
the Basra oil terminal and Umm Qasr off the country's southeastern
coast. (Source: News24.com)
• 2006-02-02 02:44:49 • Category: 0
|
|
Crew Rescued from Tanker
The U.K Coast Guard helicopter, India
Juliet, from Lee on Solent airlifted ten crewmen from the tanker Ece
which was in collision with a bulk carrier General Grot-Rowecki. Twelve
other crewmen were also rescued from the ship by the St. Peterport RNLI
lifeboat. All twenty-two of the crew have been taken to Guernsey.
No serious injuries have been reported.
India Juliet is now re-fueling in Guernsey and will be returning to the
scene to assist as necessary. A French naval tug is now on scene
assessing the situation with 'Ece'. Once the assessment is complete,
plans will be made regarding the possible removal of the ship.
The 8,003 ton chemical tanker, Ece is Marshall Islands registered and
was reported to have damage with some of its cargo leaking. The bulk
carrier, 'General Grot-Rowecki' reportedly has no damage. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-01 02:29:17 • Category: 0
|
|
USS Forrest Sherman Commissioned
More than 3,000 guests attended a
ceremony on January 28 at Naval Air Station Pensacola to commission the
Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98). Built by
Northrop Grumman, the ship received its commissioning orders to join
the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet. Ann Sherman Fitzpatrick, ship's
sponsor, ordered the officers and crew to
"man our ship and bring her to life," and with a response of "aye, aye
ma'am," the DDG 98 crew moved through the crowd to take their positions
on the ship. The new destroyer honors Adm. Forrest Percival Sherman,
who
served as the Chief of Naval Operations from November 1949 until his
death in July 1951, the youngest man to occupy the office. A previous
ship named in his honor earned a Navy Unit Commendation and performed
distinguished service off Lebanon (1958), Quemoy-Matsu (1958), Cuba
(1961), and in the Indian Ocean (1980). Many Northrop Grumman employees
lived and worked on the ship
while the company's Pascagoula, Miss. facilities were being rebuilt
after suffering major damage from Hurricane Katrina. Company
executives and facility managers utilized the ship's berthing areas,
mess decks and office spaces while developing the plan to restore the
shipyard and resume shipbuilding. Cmdr. Michael G. Van Durick, a
Scranton, Pa., native and 1986
Naval Academy graduate, is the ship's first commanding officer, which
has accommodations for 383 officers and enlisted personnel. The
9,200-ton Aegis destroyer has an overall length of 509.5 feet, a
waterline beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 32 feet. Four gas
turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.
This highly capable multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of
operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea
control and power projection. USS Forrest Sherman will be capable of
fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously. The ship
contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support
maritime defense needs well into the 21st century. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-01 02:27:26 • Category: 0
|
|
M. Ship Launches Experimental Vessel
M. Ship Co. launched the M80
Stiletto, designed as an operational experiment for the Pentagon's
Office of Force Transformation (OFT) and an example of the next
generation of military vessels that combines new materials (carbon
fiber), with a networked architecture and a revolutionary hull.
The M80 Stiletto initiative is part of OFT's Wolf PAC Distributed
Operations Experiment, conducted in association with USSOCOM, to
explore command and control of geographically dispersed, but networked,
autonomous and semi-autonomous military forces. This new concept of
operations by the Department of Defense is in response to diffuse
threats that are perceived as emerging in the future.
The M-80 Stiletto and Wolf PAC operational experiment was USN (ret)
Vice Admiral Arthur Cebrowski's vision for a more adaptive force using
high numbers of smaller, faster networked vessels designed for
littoral, or near shore, waters and costing less to build than
conventional ships, said Cmdr. Gregory Glaros, Stiletto's project lead
and a military transformation strategist who worked for Cebrowski.
Cebrowski died last November, but the new Navy Expeditionary Combat
Command (NECC), announced in January 2006, is, in effect, implementing
the vice admiral's vision for expeditionary combat in the 21st century,
said Glaros.
The 88-ft. long vessel features M Ship Co.'s patented M-shaped hull
that provides a stable yet fast platform for mounting electronic
surveillance equipment or weapons, or for conducting special
operations. The hull design does not require foils or lifting devices
to achieve a smooth ride at high speeds in rough conditions. Its
shallow draft means the M-80 Stiletto can operate in riverine
environments and potentially allows for beach landings. The
fuel-efficient M-80 Stiletto is equipped with four Caterpillar engines,
yielding a top speed in excess of 50 knots (nearly 60 miles per hour)
when fully loaded and can be outfitted with jet drives for shallow
water operations and beaching. "The M-hull form creates a natural
surface effect that not only enhances top-speed performance, but uses
the bow wave energy to reduce the overall wake signature," said Bill
Burns, co-founder of M Ship Co., noting that the military is also
interested in 40- and 120-foot vessels of similar design. "This makes
the boat faster and more maneuverable because it remains flat, with
almost no heeling, even during high-speed turns. The vessel's
proprietary design also gives it a low-radar profile."
The M-80 Stiletto is also notable because it is the largest U.S. Naval
vessel built using carbon fiber composite and epoxy building
techniques, which yields a very light, but strong hull.
M Ship Co. is in discussions with several major defense contractors to
capitalize on the success of the M-hull technology for the emerging
military market for vessels that can operate in alignment with the
NECC's new focus on "brown water" operations. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-01 02:25:55 • Category: 0
|
|
Leaking Barge Shuts Ohio River Traffic
Commercial traffic was halted along a
five mile stretch of the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky,
following a barge accident, www.planetark.com reported. A barge
carrying 20,000 barrels of liquid asphalt and 14,000 gallons of diesel
fuel broke away from its tow the afternoon of January 26 as it was
approaching the McAlpine Locks. The barge went over the spillway and
was pinned against the K&I Railroad Bridge. The Coast Guard was
evaluating when it could reopen the stretch from mile marker 606 to
611. An unknown amount of liquid asphalt and fuel had leaked into the
river from the barge, which was still pinned against the bridge on
January 27. No injuries related to the accident were reported and the
cause of the accident has not yet been determined. (Source: www.planetark.com)
• 2006-02-01 02:24:21 • Category: 0
|
|
Crew of Stuck Vessel Doing Well
According to Focus News, the
Bulgarian crew onboard the Katya Z ship are well and expect help from
the tugboat Belarus after the Katya Z became stuck in the ice. Two
tugboats were sent earlier to help the stuck ship, but there was no
result because of their low power. There are 14 Bulgarians and four
Ukrainian citizens on board the ship. The area in which the ship has
stuck freezes often and there have been similar incidents before. (Source: Focus News)
• 2006-02-01 02:23:40 • Category: 0
|
|
Suspected Pirates Handed Over to Kenya
The United States Navy handed over
suspected Somali pirates it captured off the coast of Somalia after
firing warning shots at their ship, in the first sign of a military
crackdown on Somalia’s anarchic coastal waters. According to
www.angolapress-angop.ao, the suspects, detained at a police station in
the coastal city of Mombasa, were handed over to the police on January
29 and could be tried within the following days. A missile destroyer,
the USS Winston S. Churchill, and other U.S. naval forces in the area
located the pirate ship after receiving a report of a piracy attempt on
January 20. After unsuccessful attempts to contact the ship, the pirate
ship finally stopped after the destroyer fired warning shots, and the
crew effectively surrendered. The navy says sailors discovered small
arms on the ship.
(Source: www.angolapress-angop.ao)
• 2006-02-01 02:22:31 • Category: 0
|
|
Raytheon Delivers Submarine System to Australian Navy
Raytheon Company delivered the
Collins-class submarine tactical command and control system to the
Royal Australian Navy and will lead the installation and integration
onboard the HMAS Waller, the first Collins-class diesel submarine to be
equipped with the advanced tactical command and control system.
Raytheon's AN/BYG-1, developed to replace Australia's existing combat
management system, enables interoperability with the U.S. Navy and
other enhanced features. Delivery to Australia follows the completion
of a simulated exercise during which U.S. and Royal Australian Navy
operators detected, classified and located targets and launched several
hundred MK48 ADCAP torpedoes, Harpoon missiles, and various
countermeasures. (Source: www.marinelink.com)
• 2006-02-01 02:20:45 • Category: 0
|
|
Speculation on an aircraft carrier for China
Although Chinese military and political officials believe that the
People's Liberation Army Navy must add aircraft carriers to its fleet,
the vessels are expensive, and need a fleet of warships for support and
protection. Most experts have assumed that a Chinese carrier was
decades away. But it is now emerging that China has a more ambitious
plan. Work now appears to be under way on a carrier purchased from
Ukraine, which analysts speculate could be used for training, or even
upgraded to be fully operational. And Rick Fisher, vice president of
the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said "I am convinced
that before the end of this decade, we will see preparations for China
to build its first indigenous aircraft carrier." Beijing has denied
these claims, but most naval experts agree that China will almost
certainly build or buy aircraft carriers. As recently as 2003 in its
annual report to Congress on China's military, the Pentagon said China
appeared to have "set aside indefinitely" its plans to acquire a
carrier. But work on the Ukraine carrier seems to contradict that. (Source: International Herald Tribune)
• 2006-02-01 02:19:48 • Category: 0
|
|
|
|
Forum |

|
Older News... |
| VrijGebied
|
|