DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CL IPPINGS 2012...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2012 – 054

Distribution : daily to 21000+ active addresses 23-02-2012

Number 054 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 23-02-2012

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The BREMEN FIGHTER passing Maassluis enroute Rotterdam – Photo : Ria Maat ©

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The 1992 built MLT flag tugboat CAPTAIN OMAR berthed alongside the decommissioned EU beam trawler

BERENDINA HERMINA at Quay Wall 2, Grand Harbour Malta on Monday 20th February, 2012. Photo : Cpt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com ©

Italy sends top envoy to India over ship firing arrests


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Italy on Tuesday sent a top diplomat to India and said foreign minister Giulio Terzi will visit next week amid an escalating row over two Italian guards arrested for killing two Indian fishermen. Junior foreign minister Staffan De Mistura will "continue on a political level the action so far carried out by a delegation of experts from the Italian foreign, defence and justice ministries," the foreign ministry said in a note.

"Minister Terzi will visit personally next Tuesday," the note said. The Italian foreign ministry also claimed that Indian police had taken "coercive" and "unilateral" action when it escorted the two guards off the oil tanker where they were deployed as security guards and arrested them on Sunday. The guards, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, members of the elite San Marco Marine regiment, were on board the tanker to guard against piracy and Italy has said they mistook the fishermen for pirates. The tanker was sailing from Singapore to Egypt when the incident took place.

Italian authorities insist that the men should not be prosecuted in India as the tanker, the Enrica Lexie, was flying under an Italian flag in international waters when the shooting occurred on Wednesday off southern India. Italy's Defence Ministry has claimed the Indian fishing boat behaved aggressively and was repeatedly warned before shots were fired. It said the officers fired warning shots and the boat left "with no obvious damage." But India has protested fiercely against the deaths of the unarmed men and said that the suspects must face justice in local courts. Source : The Times of India

The VICTORIAN RELIANCE departing from Burnie on Tasmania, Australia's Northwest coast on her overnight

voyage to Melbourne – Photo : Glenn Towler ©

Market for container swaps still nascent The fledgling market in swap contracts to hedge exposure to volatile rates in the container freight market will take longer than expected to gain trading volumes as participants warm to the idea of using derivatives, brokers ACM/GFI said. The potential is huge, but volumes in container swaps are still very modest, said Cherry Wang, who runs the container derivatives desk for a joint venture between physical shipping house ACM and interdealer brokerage GFI.

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'It is the last of the shipping markets to have a derivative instrument that allows people to hedge their freight rates, so it's still a very new area for many people,' Ms Wang said. Freight derivatives, or FFAs, allow a buyer to take a position on freight rates at a point in the future. Container contracts offer the same hedging principle as those traded for dry bulk and tanker markets. The strong growth in container shipping in recent years has spawned indexes, which are increasingly being used as benchmarks for rates and will smooth the way for the wider use of derivatives, she added. Tonnage in the container sector soared 135 per cent over the past decade and accounts for half the US$7.7 trillion annual value of seaborne trade.

ACM/GFI launched container swaps about 18 months ago, and there has been some interest by potential clients and some trades to test the waters. But it will take further outreach to bring on board enough manufacturers who ship goods and enough container lines such as Denmark's Maersk Line for the swaps to gain liquidity. Many manufacturers are not familiar with using derivatives. 'It will take time for these guys in the logistics departments to actually get the skills required to trade derivatives,' said Will Leslie, head of the wet freight desk at ACM/GFI.

'We spent a lot of last year in the marketing and education phase, and I think it's fair to say that we've probably got at least another year of that,' he said. 'But what has been extremely encouraging is the interaction we now have with our potential customer base. We have some of the world's largest shippers and manufacturers now saying they want to use derivatives.' A clutch of other financial institutions are involved in container swaps, including Clarkson Securities Ltd, the futures broking arm of the leading ship broker, which launched the first container swap agreement in January 2010. Banks Morgan Stanley, Saxo and Credit Suisse also offer container swaps. Participants are ripe for hedging instruments due to the volatile and uncertain nature of container rates, Ms Wang said.

The container swaps eliminate counterparty risk since they are cleared by established clearing houses - the Singapore Exchange and Europe's LCH.Clearnet. Ms Wang said the weak rates did not help convince manufacturers to start hedging their exposure to freight. 'When you see rates going from US$1,300 at the start of the year to US$490 in December there's less of an incentive to hedge.' Source : Reuters

The car carrier MEDITERRANEAN HIGHWAY arriving in the port of Keelung (Taiwan) – Photo : E. Knisp ©

London Offshore Consultants Celebrates 25 Years in Singapore

London Offshore Consultants (LOC), one of the world’s leading independent marine and offshore industry consultancy firms, is set to expand its activities and office network in Asia Pacific, it announced Tuesday February 21, 2012.

LOC provides a range of specialist consultancy services on planning, design and execution of high value, complex marine and energy based operations through to technical advice on major shipping casualties. Its customers include the world’s leading oil and gas majors, contractors, underwriters, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs, other marine insurers, governments, lawyers, ship owners and a host of other maritime businesses.



As LOC this year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the founding of its Asia headquarters in Singapore, it announced it

is gearing up for another phase of growth in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. LOC Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Squire said today: “Despite the uncertain global economic outlook and the difficult times the shipping industry faces today, we have been able to expand our activities in Asia tremendously in the past five years.” “Our Singapore

office is now equal to our London headquarters in terms of activities and the business it produces for the group.” “Singapore is a good place to do business and it will remain our Asia hub as we expand our footprint into other major maritime and offshore oil and gas centres in the region.”

The Singapore hub has developed a network of offices in mainland China, Hong Kong and also in Thailand. LOC also has a thriving office in Perth serving the burgeoning offshore developments in Australia. Further development is planned in other countries in the region where there is already ongoing business including; Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea. LOC’s core activities in Asia include advising insurers on marine casualties, insurance claims, disputes and litigation, marine warranty surveys,



marine and engineering consultancy and surveys, inspections and audits. Mr Squire explained: “As an independent consultancy, we are mindful we have to be close to where our clients do their business. So we have expanded significantly in Asia in the past few years.” He added: “Singapore has always been our home base in Asia and from being staffed mainly by expatriates in the early days, our office there is now mostly staffed by local Singaporeans and others from a host of Asian countries.” LOC has long had a policy of promoting Asian talent within the company and this trend will intensify, he added. He noted that LOCs Asian staff understood the business cultures across the highly diverse continent, spoke the local languages and could deal with clients on the spot in real time. Staff numbers have increased in the Asia Pacific region in excess of 120% over the last five years and are predicted to grow similarly over the next five years. The Singapore office has increased its activities significantly in the past five years with revenues almost trebling over that period. Approximately 35% of the Group’s revenue is earned within the Asia Pacific region now, compared to just over 20% five years ago. Mr Squire added: “Our business streams in Asia are complementary and we have been able to grow because they balance each other.” “We are also aware that the local Singaporean underwriting market for both shipping and the offshore oil and gas sector is growing rapidly, furthermore we have noted that a number of the P&I Clubs are starting to make a big direct investment in Asia which we believe will be good news for us,” he added.

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The Dutch pilot tender ENDEAVOUR leaving the Koopmanshaven in Vlissingen to deliver a pilot to an inbound vessel

Photo : Cornelis H Murre ©

No more pilot-free sailing around Svalbard




To ensure safety at sea in the vulnerable fjords of Svalbard Norway is establishing a system for compulsory pilotage on the Arctic Archipelago. Compulsory pilotage in the fjords of Svalbard is an issue that has been discussed for many years. Many of the fjords on Svalbard are quite dangerous with strong torrents and narrow fairways.

The decree on pilotage will be put into force gradually. Already this summer, vessels going to the Svea coal mine will need to have a pilot onboard. From 2013 all passenger vessels with a length of 150 meters or more, which means all larger cruise vessels, will need a pilot when going into one of the fjords on Svalbard. Compulsory pilotage will come fully into force from the sailing season of 2014. All boats longer than 70 meters and all passenger vessels longer than 24 meters will then need to have a pilot when entering one of the fjords. Smaller boats used for tourist cruises and day trips can apply for exemption from the compulsory pilotage if the navigator on board has a Pilot Exemption Certificate, Svalbardposten writes. Source : BarentsObserver

Seen from the tug NEPTUN 11, the tug MTS VISCOUNT with the barge DN 109 passing astern of the tow (the barges DN 146 and DN 120) of the NEPTUN 11 off Dakar (Senegal) The NEPTUN 11 is enroute Vlissingen whilst the MTS VISCOUNT is enroute Zelzate (Belgium) – Photo : Capt Radboud Polee – Master NEPTUN 11 ©

Ship owners return to shipyards with new orders despite warnings from industry members

A series of warnings from senior industry leaders against more new building orders, it seems that a lot of ship owners are still looking for more deals with shipyards, oblivious of the concequences on the general market balance of demand and supply. Already plagued with oversupply issues, most shipping markets are having to sustain heavy pressures in terms of low rates, as a result of too many ships competing for too few cargoes. Still, as it turned out last week, there was a resurgence in activity in the new building market with report of new business being concluded across a variety of sectors. In its latest weekly report, Clarkson Hellas mentioned that “whilst new enquiry in the beginning parts of the year was somewhat tentative, these latest orders do help to highlight that interest is beginning to grow again as we proceed further into 2012. Newbuilding pricing has continued to soften and with the charter market continuing to look like it will remain somewhat challenging in the short term, owners are increasingly looking towards the future. As was witnessed throughout 2011 and in the early stages of 2012, many of the shipyards have focused their efforts in improving the efficiency of their designs and have made significant inroads to improving on their fuel oil consumption figures. Bunker pricing has historically been closely correlated to that of Crude Oil and with the potential for this to rise further on the back of any further growth in oil demand, or with simple price shocks in the market, the importance of these design improvements and the subsequent savings over current design on the water, cannot be understated. It will be interesting to see which owners over the coming months look to take advantage of the perceived oversupply of capacity in the market, to place orders and therefore take advantage of these potential future savings on fuel” concluded Clarkson Hellas. In a separate report, shipbroker Golden Destiny said that “the newbuilding business keeps its downward pace with shipyards feeling the pain from the slump of the freight markets. South Korean Shipyards, Sekwang Heavy Industries and Samho Shipbuilding, are set to finally close after failing to find a buyer, while 21st Century Shipbuilding is running out of work with not receiving new orders for several months now. Ship-owners are not in hurry to sign new deals either for dry or wet units waiting to see the performance of the freight market and the new trends in newbuilding prices. Overall, the week closed with 18 fresh orders reported worldwide at a total deadweight of 1,402,240 tons, posting a 5% week-onweek decline with 4 transactions reported for bulk carriers, 6 for tankers and for gas tankers. This week’s total newbuilding business is up by 20% from similar week’s closing in 2011, when 15 fresh orders had been reported with bulk carriers and containers grasping 53% share respectively of the total ordering activity. In terms



of invested capital, the total amount of money invested is estimated at region $1,32 billion with 1 transaction reported at an undisclosed contract price. The most overweight segment appears to be the LNG segment by attracting 61% of the total invested capital” said the Piraeus-based shipbroker in its report.

It carried on by mentioning that “in the bulk carrier segment, U-Ming Marine Transport Corp, a member of the Far Eastern Group, placed an order with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co to build up to 10 capesize vessels at a price of region $49,8mil each with delivery in 2014. Oceanfreight of Greece is said to have received a $120 million loan from China Development Bank ($108mil) and Bank of China ($12mil) for covering the construction of three bulk carriers from Jiangnan Shipyard Group Ltd. for delivery in 2013. The size has not been yet specified, but sources suggest that the units will be kamsarmaxes or mini capesizes. In the tanker segment, Norwegian shipwoner John Fredriksen has placed an order for four 51,000dwt product tankers, with an option for two more units, for delivery in 2013 at STX Offshore & Shibuilding at a total cost of $209 mil. Furthermore, the owner in an interview in Financial Times unveiled its plans for ordering VLCC units for his newly founded Frontline 2012 defying vessels’ market glut. In the gas tanker segment, the LNG newbuilding interest is very strong as the demand outlook from the two world’s largest consumers, Japan and South Korea, seems strong and owners are scheduling their investment plans. Sovcomflot of Russia has boosted its LNG orderbook at South Korean shipbuilder STX by declaring an option for two more units from its original contract placed at the end of May last year. Sovcomflot originally contracted two of the 170,200 cu.m LNG units at a price of region $205mil per vessel and now exercised its option for two more similar units with delivery in 4q 2014 and 1q 2015. Furthermore, Golar LNG has entered into two newbuilding contracts for 162,000 cu.m new buildings with fixed priced options for a further two with the Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. ("Hyundai") for delivery during the third quarter of 2014 and the other will deliver during the fourth quarter of 2014. The total cost of the two vessels is slightly above $400 million. Also, Greek player Dynagas is rumoured to be behind the order for an additional LNG pair, of 162,000 cbm, in South Korean Shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries that are scheduled for delivery in the following year, after confirming four LNG carrier newbuildings of 155,000 cbm last year. In last, Chinese shipbuilders is said to have been asked an indication for their availability to construct two 170,000 cbm LNG carriers that are expected to be owned jointly by UK-listed BG, CNOOC Energy Technology & Services and the Cosco China Mechants joint venture China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Co (CLNG)” concluded Golden Destiny. Source : Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

AVEVA expands in Korea AVEVA (LSE:AVV), has announced it has opened a new office in Seoul, Korea, that incorporates a dedicated product training centre, following an increased demand for AVEVA solutions. The office will also host sales, marketing, product support, and administration functions for AVEVA customers in Korea. “This new office, in particular the product training centre, enables AVEVA to offer a better service to our customers”, said EunJoo Park, Senior Executive Vice President of Korea and Japan division, AVEVA. “We can vastly increase the number of participants at this new training centre, as well as host more meetings. AVEVA has had offices in Korea for over ten years. In this time we have seen an increased demand for trained users in AVEVA products and solutions across the Plant and Marine industries. We are proud to be able to continue to demonstrate and strengthen our support and commitment to the Korean market”. In addition,

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AVEVA also operates the Marine Technology & Service Centre (MTSC) in Busan, Korea. The role of the MTSC is to provide engineering and research & development support. Source: AVEVA

The OSPREY in Singapore loaded with semi-submersible drilling rig 'Ensco 8505'

Photo : Dagfinn Thorsen - OFFSHORE HEAVY TRANSPORT AS ©

EU Ministers Seek Study on Climate Aid From Airlines, Ships

European Union finance ministers asked the bloc’s regulator to analyze how putting a price on greenhouse gases from global aviation and shipping could help raise funds to protect the climate. Carbon pricing would generate a signal to cut pollution more efficiently and has the potential to generate “large financing flows,” ministers from the 27-nation EU said in a statement today, after a meeting in Brussels that included a discussion on financing the battle against global warming. Ministers invited the European Commission, the bloc’s regulatory arm, “to prepare a reflection paper by June on carbon pricing of global aviation and maritime transportation” taking into account developments at the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization, according to the statement published on the EU website. The United Nations agencies have been unable to agree on measures to curb emissions from ships for more than a decade. The EU, which runs the world’s biggest carbon trading system, expanded its carbon curbs to include aviation at the start of this year and has said it may present its own proposal to limit shipping pollution if IMO doesn’t find a solution. Ministers also committed to continue work with other nations and institutions to determine ways to raise $100 billion a year in aid that rich states have promised by 2020 to help poorer countries protect climate, according to the statement. Last year a UN conference in Durban, South Africa, approved an instrument governing the so-called Green Climate Fund to channel climate aid. “We are happy to see finance ministers support efforts to get the Green Climate Fund up and running,” Meera Ghani, an expert at Climate Action Network, said by e-mail today. “All EU member States must make substantial pledges before the next UN climate conference in Qatar, at the end of this year.” Source; Bloomberg



The KING ROBERT seen moored at the y-palen in IJmuiden - Photo : Erwin Willemse ©

Birdseye view of the TI OCEANIA anchored off Singapore last Tuesday – Photo : Piet Sinke ©

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NAVY NEWS

The Taiwan Navy frigate FFG 937 HWAI YANG, built in 1971 as the USS BARBEY (FF 1088) part of the KNOX

class frigates the 134 mtr frigate was transferred / leased to Taiwan in 1994 and sold outright in 1999 Photo : E.Knisp

U.S. Navy Tries To Rein In Carrier Costs The new aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the largest and most expensive ship in the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding program, with a total price tag to develop and build the ship topping $15 billion. And the cost is rising for the ship, the first of a new class of nuclear-powered carriers likely to remain in production for several decades. The Navy, as part of its fiscal 2013 budget request released Feb. 13, is asking for another $811 million for “fact-of-life cost increases,” a figure that will drive the ship closer to a congressionally imposed cost cap.

Two of the Navy’s top officials explained the reasons behind the increase in a Feb. 17 interview with Defense News.

“This was a very unique ship,” said Bob Work, undersecretary of the Navy. “The original Navy plan was to spread the transition of technology over three ships, and in the 2002-2003 time frame the office of [then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld] directed the Navy to put most of the technology into a single ship, which made our challenge very, very high.”

The ship’s keel-laying ceremony was held in November 2009 at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., owned by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). The Ford is scheduled to be delivered in September 2015, but construction delays have put that date in doubt. And, to get a better handle on the design and avoid similar problems, the Navy is seeking to delay by two years construction of the next ship in the class, the John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), although that won’t change the one-every-five-years pace at which carriers are bought.

“We’re about 17 weeks behind where we need to be to launch in July of 2013,” Sean Stackley, the Navy’s top acquisition official, said Feb. 17. “I do not propose to make that time up, because right now the most important thing we’ve got going on with the 78 is controlling cost. “I expect the delivery will delay by at least that much,” Stackley



added. “But we’re managing that pretty tightly right now.” As for the Kennedy, Stackley emphasized that “we’re being very deliberate about capturing lessons learned from the lead ship. We do not want a build plan that repeats the build plan on the CVN 78.

“That means that all the things that precede the start of construction associated with design, plans, material procurement, they all have to be exactly in line. And the degree of completion, outfitting, etc., associated with the construction of the build units, we’re working that plan now so that CVN 79, frankly, is built to a higher degree of completion and readiness each step of the way, than CVN 78.” Stackley acknowledged that what he called the “optimal build plan” for the Kennedy “translates to a potentially two-year delay for the delivery.” Work and Stackley said development of the new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is not a factor in the Ford’s current cost growth.

“We continue to test and it continues to go well” despite “a couple of test wrinkles,” Stackley said of EMALS. “But we don’t have a scenario where the system is not meeting the testing requirement.” Production at General Atomics of the system’s components to be fitted in the ship also is “on schedule.” But changes to the dual-band radar (DBR) program developed by

Raytheon have led to a portion of the cost increases. “That’s a fallout of the previous decision to not install the volume search radar on DDG 1000,” Stackley explained, referring to a decision in 2010 to eliminate half the radar from the three Zumwalt-class destroyers. “That shifted the testing and integration requirements to the carrier, and that shows up as a bill on the carrier.” The $811 million is being added to the Navy’s 2014 and 2015 budget requests. The DBR accounted for most of the $208 million in government-furnished equipment; $330 million is for non-recurring engineering design — essentially first-of-class design work; and $273 million is for construction overruns. Construction costs for the Ford are capped by the 2007 defense authorization bill at $11.8 billion in 2008 dollars, including $2.9 billion for detail design work and $8.6 billion for ship construction. Not included in that total is $3.7 billion in research, design, testing and engineering money.

The ship’s cost growth has affected the Navy’s shipbuilding budget plans, which are already being reduced by the Budget Control Act. “It would be hard to say this $811 million caused a specific issue,” Work said. “But at the macro level it contributed to us moving a submarine from 2014 to 2018, and to deciding to shift a destroyer from 2014 to 2013. You can’t tie it directly, because we had a big cut in topline, so we were just juggling all the different requirements.” Stackley noted he is keeping the pressure on the shipbuilder to hold down further cost growth on the carrier program. “I’ve made it very clear to HII that the issues that are most dear to the Navy and shipbuilding also happen to be the most dear to HII and shipbuilding,” Stackley said. “Cost growth on the carrier has indirectly impacted those exact programs.”

Any delay in the delivery of the Ford will not affect a congressionally mandated waiver to allow the carrier force to temporarily drop to 10 ships — a move the Navy requested so that it would not have to perform an expensive refit of the carrier Enterprise to keep that ship running through 2015. The Big E, soon to make its final deployment, is set to begin inactivation in November. The 10-ship waiver is tied to the decommissioning of the Enterprise and the entry into service of the Ford, and not to any specific date. Delaying the Kennedy’s delivery to the fleet from 2020 to 2022 should not affect the Navy’s carrier levels, Work said, because of an overlap period of a few years before the carrier Nimitz — the ship the Kennedy will replace — is decommissioned. The Nimitz now is scheduled for retirement in 2025, although the date can change. “Going up to 12 carriers for a couple of years incurs cost on the operations and support side. And on the construction side it pressurizes the construction schedule, and we want to be careful it doesn’t create cost on the construction side,” Stackley said. “You lay out the optimal build plan for controlling cost on the carrier, and lay on top of that the operational requirements and the budget profile, and look for the sweet spot,” he added. Source : DefenseNews



Last Sunday the Dutch AOR A 836 AMSTERDAM departed from Den Helder naval base bound for Curacao

Photo : Hans Blomvliet ©

Taiwan to embark on submarine program After more than a decade of delays and reversals, the navy of Taiwan has confirmed that it will embark on a domestic submarine program next year, with a prototype to be delivered within three to four years. Taiwanese and US sources told the Taipei Times earlier this month that officials from the Taiwanese Navy had briefed a small group of legislators from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee during a classified meeting late last month or early this month. Legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party are also said to have attended the meeting.

While not mentioning the initial meeting with legislators, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported yesterday that the navy would brief senior government officials and legislators on the issue and seek budgets for the program within two months. One US source, who has been actively involved in efforts to procure submarines for Taiwan over the years, told the Taipei Times in a meeting on Feb. 11 that an unspecified budget for the 2013 financial year has been set aside for a domestic diesel-electric submarine program, which would involve a unique design and assistance from one or a number of foreign countries. The navy is reportedly aiming for a design with a relatively light displacement of between 1,000 tonnes and 1,500 tonnes.

A navy official told the Taipei Times earlier this month that the acquisition of submarines from the US remains the preferred option and that the door — at least on Taipei’s side — has not been closed on such a course of action. However, after more than a decade of aborted efforts following the offer by the administration of former US president George W. Bush in 2001 to provide eight diesel-electric submarines to Taiwan for the sum of about US$12 billion,



Taipei has since resigned itself to the reality that it will likely have to build them itself or acquire them from a third party, analysts say.

Local media have reported that three countries have expressed an interest in either assisting Taiwan develop its own submarine prototype or selling it ships recently decommissioned from their own fleets. Although it did not exclude such a possibility, the Ministry of National Defense yesterday would not provide confirmation on the matter. One country, Germany, has often been rumored to be a possible candidate for the program. However, an official at the German Institute, Taipei denied yesterday any knowledge of such efforts as being underway.

Greece has been another country that has been rumored as a possible candidate, although the economic crisis that has beset the country could make it difficult to realize such efforts. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方), who sits on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that acquiring submarines from abroad would be difficult, as most countries that manufacture them enjoy good relations with Beijing and were reluctant to risk compromising those ties over the sale of submarines to Taiwan.

Lin said a more feasible alternative would be for Taiwan to consult with international naval experts to develop its own subs. Source : Taipei Times

SHIPYARD NEWS

BMT Nigel Gee wins further Windfarm Support Vessel designs for Strategic Marine

BMT Nigel Gee Ltd, a subsidiary of BMT Group, the leading international maritime design and engineering consultancy, is pleased to announce it has won a contract to supply the design for the construction of eight new 20m Windfarm Support Vessels, including options, to be built by Strategic Marine, the Australian Shipbuilder. The vessels are to be built for Njord Offshore Ltd, a subsidiary of Norse Management UK which has a long history in the marine industry. This contract follows the

signing of the Teaming Agreement between Strategic Marine and BMT in September last year and reinforces Strategic Marine’s ability to provide offshore windfarm support vessels into the European market. Developed from BMT’s well-

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established range of Windfarm Support Vessels the Njord Offshore vessels will be 20m in length with a beam of 7m, powered by two MTU 8V2000M72 diesel engines with fixed pitch propellers and capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots. The vessels will be built to the DNV Wind Farm Service 1 notation and will be delivered later this year. Commenting on the significance of the order Ed Dudson, BMT Nigel Gee’s Technical Director, Ed Dudson, says: “These 20m vessels are the first in a range of Offshore Windfarm Support Vessel designs developed by BMT specifically for Strategic Marine. It confirms BMT’s ability to offer cutting edge designs for this fast growing market and demonstrates yet another success for the specialised vessel design team at BMT Nigel Gee.” Terry O’Connor, Chief Marketing Officer at Strategic Marine stated, “by leveraging the combined capabilities of BMT Nigel Gee and Strategic Marine, Njord Offshore have chosen to build a fleet of boats with us, which is a fantastic result. We intend to be the market leader in providing Support Vessels into the offshore wind-farm industry and these contracts are a significant milestone in us achieving our objective.”

Under construction at Hart Marine Mornington Australia is a 15.6 mtre ORC Pantocarere Pilot launch for the Port of Albany Western Australia, the third constructed by Hart after 2 successful launches for Port Phillip Pilots, more orders

are on the books, first trials will be in July 2012. Photo : Andrew Mackinnon – www.aquamanships.com ©

Polish shipyard to build second wind farm installation jack-up

Polish shipbuilder Crist S.A. is to build a second heavy lift jack-up vessel for German construction giant Hochtief Solutions. Being built for the installation of offshore wind farms, the vessel is to be named Vidar. It is set to start operating in 2013 and will be Hochtief's fourth heavy-duty craft, following its sister vessel, the Innovation, and the Odin and Thor jack-up platforms. It will be used for the company's own offshore construction contracts and will also be chartered out.

Rainer Eichholz, a member of the Hochtief Solutions Executive Board, says, "We are banking on the move to alternative energy sources and accommodating market players' huge demand with our special-purpose vessel." Like Hochtief's other heavy-lift vessels, the Vidar will be built at Crist's shipyard in Gdynia, where its somewhat larger sister vessel, Innovation, is currently being fitted out. The Innovation is to be operated and chartered out from mid-2012 by HGO InfraSea Solutions, a Hochtief joint venture with GeoSea, Belgium. Its first assignment will be at the Global Tech I wind farm, which Hochtief Solutions will be building in the German North Sea.

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Hochtief says it has already received "numerous project proposals for and inquiries about" the newly ordered Vidar. In parallel with the order for the jack-up, Hochtief Solutions has commissioned the construction of three large work pontoons.

Like Hochtief's other heavy-duty equipment, the new special-purpose jack-up vessel will also speed up installation and servicing times for the latest generation of offshore power plants. The Vidar's main features will be a 1,200-metric-ton crane, a loading capacity of up to 6,500 metric tons, a powerful engine allowing speeds of up to 12 knots, and the ability to work in water depths of up to 50 meters. These properties will make the Vidar one of the most powerful lifting vessels in Northern Europe. The financing of the vessel is by means of an operate-lease structure with a subsidiary of Santander acting as the lessor, and with the involvement of KfW IPEX Bank, Norddeutsche Landesbank, the Spanish CaixaBank, and Bankhaus Lampe. Source : MarineLog

Drydocks of the Western Ship yard in the frozen port of Klaipeda – Photo : Theo Smit ©

Malta Dock Workers File Claims after Asbestos Exposure aboard U.S. Navy Ships

The heirs of dockyard workers from the small Mediterranean country of Malta are filing liability claims in New York against American companies that provided asbestos products for U.S. Navy ships. Many of the workers are already deceased either mesothelioma or asbestosis. Others are struggling with respiratory illnesses linked to asbestos on those Navy ships docked for service, repairs or regular maintenance in Malta shipyards.

According to Maltatoday, one of the country’s leading news providers, the families of more than 400 workers have filed either individual or class action lawsuits in the United States. Most of the cases, from U.S. attorneys, were filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York. Although many of the companies named are no longer in business, there are more than 60 asbestos liability trusts in the United States worth a combined $37 billion. It can take up to 50 years after being exposed to asbestos for a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

U.S. Navy veterans and workers in the shipbuilding industry are two of the hardest hit occupational groups in terms of asbestos poisoning because of its past prevalence on ships. Although the U.S. military is protected by sovereign immunity and the Feres Doctrine from most liability, litigants can file against companies that provided toxic products used by the Navy. Most of the claims in the past involving Navy ships came from veterans or American shipyard workers.

This recent wave from Malta is relatively new. Much of it involved work done many years ago for the Navy at the HM Drydocks, which later become the Malta Drydocks. In the past, the trust money was protected against exposure that occurred on land outside the United States. The recent class action suits were combined with other shipyard workers in Great Britain and Greece who also are seeking compensation for asbestos exposure. Asbestos was used on warships from bow to stern, and most prominently in boiler rooms, engine rooms and any confined areas. It was used for its heat resistance, playing a large role in preventing fires aboard the ship.



As part of the recent wave of asbestos litigation, attorneys for the foreign ship maintenance works want their claims to be designated as “standard,” which requires less documentation of exposure and allows for easier compensation payouts. The “non-standard” designation, which they now have, are more stringently reviewed and each one is judged individually. One of the richest defendants is the Johns Manville Corp., which went into bankruptcy in 1982 to protect itself from a wave of litigation but came out in 1988. It was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2001.

According to Maltatoday, the Manville trust already has paid out $4.2 billion to asbestos-related injury claims. Source : asbestos.com

Moored at Serdijn Shiprepairs Rotterdam two sister vessels the mv "ELECTRA" and mv " ELUSIVE " owned by

JR Shipping Harlingen undergoing maintenance/repairs . Photo Joop Bartels ©

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ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

State to salvage shipping company Djakarta Lloyd

The State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry will proceed with the effort to salvage state shipping company Djakarta Lloyd despite the fact that the company is on the brink of bankruptcy, Tempo Interactive reports. Achiran Pandu Djajanto, SOEs Ministrys Restructuring and Strategic Planning Division deputy, said that the temporary salvage will be carried out as long as the bankruptcy issue is being processed through the Debt Payment Suspension institution. The

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salvage will be conducted regardless so that the company is able to pay the employees salaries, said Pandu, contacted by TEMPO on Friday. Pandu went on that the loaners demand to declare bankruptcy on the state-owned enterprise must be fulfilled. However, before the company is declared bankrupt, Djakarta Lloyd needs to stay alive through synergy with other SOEs. They [Djakarta Lloyd] has actually been given the task to deliver PLN [state electricity company] coal and Pertamina [state oil company] logistics, Pandu added. The task of delivering 1.5 million tons of PLN coal and Pertamina logistics have been given since January. However, due to the absence of ships, the task has yet to be executed. As soon as the company can lease a ship, they can begin operations. The assignment is fixed, Pandu said. Source : PortNews

TEAM HAS DISEMBARKED THREE STATE-OF-THE-ART PASSENGER BOARDING BRIDGES TO SINGAPORE TEAM Ports & Maritime, an ADELTE Group Company, has shipped from the Port of Barcelona three Passenger Boarding

Bridges to the International Cruise Terminal in Singapore where they are currently being reassembled.

TEAM Ports & Maritime, the world leading designer and manufacturer of sophisticated Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBBs) for cruise and ferry terminals, has successfully completed the assembly, testing and shipping of three boarding bridges for the International Cruise Terminal in Singapore. The first phase of this complex operation has been carried out during the last months in TEAM’s manufacturing plant in Monzón (Huesca) and in the Port of Barcelona.

The new Singapore cruise terminal under construction – Photo : Piet Sinke ©



In a second stage the three Passenger Boarding Bridges have been embarked on a special heavy lifter ship in a specific embarkation sequence, in order to be disembarked right on their final position in the International Cruise Terminal in Singapore, being operative without any additional movement. Each one of these SEDNA model PBBs was disassembled in four completely finished pieces to be shipped: two tunnels, two structures. TEAM has re-assembled all the different parts in a short installation operation. In October 2010, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) awarded to TEAM a contract of 7.6 million Euros

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OSD seals ten new PSV orders Offshore Ship Designers has sealed ten new design contracts for large diesel-electric Platform Supply Vessels for two major offshore operators building at three shipyards in Brazil, Japan and Spain. Swire Pacific Offshore Operations (Pte) Limited has ordered four IMT-997 Platform Supply Vessels to be built by Universal Shipbuilding Corporation in Japan and four sister vessels to be built at the EISA shipyard in Brazil.

The 97 m LOA 5,000 dwt vessels will be classed with DP2 capability and have diesel-electric propulsion systems with azimuth propulsion units. The vessels will be delivered progressively from early 2014. Craig Group’s Northstar Shipping has ordered two IMT-982 PSVs to be built at Balenciaga in Spain. The 83 m LOA vessels have diesel-electric propulsion systems offering greater fuel economy and efficiency. The vessels have an initial operating deadweight of 2,550 dwt, a useable deck area of 912 square metres and are powered by four MAK 9M20 1450 kW generator sets driving two Steerprop 1900 kWe Azimuths. The vessels are specially designed to operate at less than 5,000 tonnes displacement to work with older North Sea Structures where vessel size and weight restrictions apply and will be also classed with DP2 capability Neil Patterson, managing director of OSD-IMT, the UK arm of the OSD group, says, “The key elements of our IMT range of offshore support vessels are fuel efficiency and design for purpose. These leading offshore operators want vessels designed efficiently for specific tasks, and with these new designs we can tailor the hull, cargo systems, power and propulsion systems to the required operating profile. With offshore operators developing oil fields in deeper water and in more exposed environmental conditions, the requirements are for more efficient high capacity support vessels often with special requirements. OSD can design exactly what is needed,




through the IMT range of OSV’s and with our extensive experience of diesel-electric systems and regulations such SPS Code, IBC Code and Probabilistic Damage, our designs can built anywhere in the world at the most competitive price.”

Diana Containerships Inc. Announces the Delivery of a Panamax Container Vessel

Diana Containerships Inc., a global shipping company specializing in owning and operating containerships, yesterday announced that the Company took delivery of the Panamax container vessel, m/v "APL Sardonyx", a 1995-built vessel of approximately 4,750 TEU capacity, on Friday, February 17, 2012. As previously announced, the APL Sardonyx is chartered to APL (Bermuda) Ltd., or to a guaranteed nominee or to another entity of the NOL Group with similar or better net worth than APL (Bermuda) Ltd. for a period of minimum twenty-four (24) months plus or minus forty-five (45) days at a daily rate of US$24,750. The charterer has the option to employ the vessel for a further twelve (12) month period plus or minus forty-five (45) days, at a daily rate of US$24,750 starting twenty-four (24) months after delivery of the vessel to the charterer. After that period, the charterer has the option to employ the vessel for a further twelve (12) month period plus or minus forty-five (45) days, at a daily rate of US$28,000 starting thirty-six (36) months after delivery of the vessel to the charterer. Options must be declared by the charterer not later than twenty (20) months for the first option and thirty-two (32) months for the second option after the delivery date to the charterer. Daily rates include a total commission of 2% paid to third parties and Diana Shipping Services S.A. The employment of the vessel is anticipated to generate approximately US$16.7 million of revenues for the minimum agreed period of the charter. Separately, Diana Containerships Inc. also announced that it has completed the drawdown of an additional US$8.4 million under the previously announced revolving credit facility of up to US$100 million with The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, which may be increased to US$150 million subject to further syndication. With the drawdown announced today, Diana Containerships Inc. has completed the drawdown of a total of US$83.9 million under the above mentioned revolving credit facility. Including the newly delivered APL Sardonyx, the Diana Containerships Inc. fleet currently consists of 8 Panamax container vessels. The Company also previously announced the purchase of another Panamax container vessel, the m/v "APL Spinel", which is expected to be delivered by the end of February 2012. Source: Diana Containerships Inc.

The SVITZER MARKEN assisting the BOTTIGLIERI GIORGIO AVINO into the Ijmuiden locks

Photo: Marcel Coster ©



ABERDEEN HARBOUR BOSS WELCOMES THRIVING CRUISE SEASON

Aberdeen Harbour is preparing to welcome 10 cruise calls this summer, with four vessels making their first ever visits to the city. The arrival of Rembrandt van Rijn on May 5, will signal the start of the season. A 168-foot passenger ship, Rembrandt will spend a day berthed at the port, before embarking on an eight-day voyage around the Scottish Isles.

The tour will encompass Copinsey, an uninhabited island nature reserve and home to more than 1,000 pairs of nesting fulmars, Fair Isle in Shetland, the tiny islands of North Rona and Sula Sgeir in the north-west of Scotland, Lewis, St Kilda and Oban. Other liners to visit the harbour over the summer months will include Noble Caledonia’s Ocean Nova, Caledonian Sky and Clipper Odyssey, the Plancius, Fram and Ortelius.

Ocean Nova will begin its voyage on the East coast, arriving at the harbour in May, before sailing via Orkney and the Shetland Islands to one of Norway’s most stunning areas, Sunnfjord. Passengers will then be treated to three days of exploration around the main island of the Spitsbergen archipelago, with sights including immense glaciers, narrow fjords, and polar bears. The Ortelius liner, an ice-strengthened vessel primarily used for polar expeditions, is scheduled to arrive in Aberdeen in June. Accommodating up to 100-passengers, she is named after the cartographer of the first modern world atlas.

She will be followed by the luxurious Caledonian Sky, which will arrive in Aberdeen later in the month, before departing for the inner and Outer Hebrides, with destinations including Rum, Tobermoray, the Isle of Skye and Iona. The vessel features extravagant suites with viewing balconies, while passengers will have access to a panoramic observation desk, library and gymnasium.

Chief executive of Aberdeen Harbour, Colin Parker, said: “The number of cruise calls scheduled for Aberdeen this year is very promising. It highlights both the increasing popularity of cruising, while also reinforcing the attractiveness of Aberdeen as a destination. “The port is central to those vessels looking to explore the unique cultures and breathtaking scenery on offer across both the Scottish Islands and beyond. The slight rise is also a reflection of the growing number of cruise operators that are recognising the first class services and facilities on offer at the harbour. “We look forward to extending a warm welcome to this year’s vessels, including the Rembrandt Van Rijn and Ortelius, which are among those visiting the North-east for the first time.” Aberdeen Harbour works alongside the 14 member ports that make up Cruise Scotland, promoting the country as an attractive cruise ship destination for overseas travellers. The harbour is also a member of Cruise Europe, a long established organisation with similar aims for many European coastal states.

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MARITIME ARTIST CORNER

De naam ZWARTE ZEE zal voor veel zeevarenden ongetwijfeld een bekende klank hebben. Onlangs heeft Maritime

Artiest AAD KNOPS een schilderij gemaakt van de 'IERSE ZEE' (of de oude 'ZWARTE ZEE' zoals iedereen het schip bleef noemen) net na de aflevering in oktober 1966 bij de sloopwerf in Hendrik Ido Ambacht. Het schip kon niet

helemaal voor de wal komen omdat ze vast liep op een modderbank net voor de haveningang. In die toestand heeft Aad haar gefotografeerd en getekend; de foto en die schetsen heeft hij gebruikt voor het schilderij dat vervaardigd is

in olieverf op doek, 30 x 50 cm. Schilder : Aad Knops – Zoeterwoude

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

The 1953 built 13.950 grt UNIVERSE (Ex Universe Campus-76, Atlantic-71 Badger Mariner-57), was

owned by Seawise Foundation inc. Monrovia, above the UNIVERSE is seen arriving in Hong Kong October 1994, assisted by the 1976 built tug Yiu Liang 18 owned by Yiu Lian Dockyards Ltd H.K. - Photo : Iain Forsyth ©



…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The HUSKY seen breaking ice off Amsterdam last week – Photo : Willem Harlaar ©

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