Number 060** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS ... · 03/03/2009 · DAILY COLLECTION OF...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 060

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Number 060** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 03-03-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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Rien and Inge Snoep celebrated their 35-years marriage onboard HAL’s ZUIDERDAM, above seen the couple together with Capt. Werner Timmers at the wheelhouse of the

cruiseliner enroute from Curaçao to Panama.



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The Ayton Cross seen passing Greenock Photo : Derek Sands ©



China launches most advanced maritime patrol ship

China has launched its most advanced maritime patrol ship off the coast of Weihai city in eastern Shandong Province, said an official with the Ministry of Transport Sunday. It is a 114-meter-long patrol vessel equipped with a helicopter. Nicknamed "Haixun 11", the ship was completed Saturday. It will be put into use in June, said Liu Gongchen, deputy director of the maritime bureau under the ministry. The ship is capable of carrying out maritime search-and-rescue missions, monitoring coastal waters, and serving as a command post, he said. The launch of the vessel would enable the country to expand its maritime patrol scope and have longer and more regular patrols. Haixun 11 can sail as far as 6,000 nautical miles (6,900 miles) on one fuel supply. Its top speed reaches more than 40 km per hour. Source : xinhuanet

US praises China anti-piracy role off Somalia A top U.S. defense official praised China's contribution to anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia on Saturday, following two days of talks in Beijing that marked a resumption of military consultations after a half-year suspension. The visit by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sedney added to signs of an optimistic start to ties between Beijing and President Barack Obama's administration. A visit the week before by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was also praised for setting an overwhelmingly positive tone for relations. China had suspended most military contacts last October over Washington's agreement to sell $6.5 billion in advanced weaponry to Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as a breakaway province. And while China continues to complain about such sales, Sedney told reporters that both sides were dedicated to improving relations. "The focus was not at all on obstacles. The focus was on how we can move forward, how we can make progress, and how we can try to make joint efforts ... to achieve common goals," Sedney said at a briefing at the American Embassy before his departure for South Korea. Sedney had special praise for China's contribution to the anti-piracy flotilla patrolling the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast. Chinese sent two destroyers and a supply ship to the region in December, and on Thursday state media said its sailors had rescued an Italian merchant ship from pirates. "The work they've done has been highly professional, it's been highly effective, and it's been very well coordinated with the United States and the other navies that are working there," Sedney said. The sides also reaffirmed the six-nation process of urging North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs and discussed possible Chinese contributions to nonmilitary programs in Afghanistan, he said. The U.S. is preparing to send 17,000 more soldiers and Marines to join the 38,000 fighting a strengthening insurgency. Afghanistan lies on China's western border. Sedney said he held 13 hours of talks on Friday with a delegation led by Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua, the Chinese Defense Ministry's head of foreign affairs. That was followed by a shorter meeting Saturday morning with Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff for the People's Liberation Army. China's official Xinhua News Agency said Friday's talks also covered bilateral maritime security, as well as international and regional security. It also quoted Qian as saying that contacts would remain tenuous unless the U.S. removes remaining obstacles to improvement.



"China-U.S. military relations still stay at a difficult period. We expect the U.S. side to take concrete measures for the resumption and development of our military ties," it quoted Qian as saying. Source : google.com

Tanker escapes pirate attack The 74,000DWT tanker, ‘Lia’ has had a close call with pirates, but managed to escape unscathed. The vessel’s 26 crew, all of whom are Indian nationals, are unhurt, and the ships is continuing its journey to China. The Liberian-flagged panamax tanker ‘Lia’ is managed by Seearland Shipping, the Netherlands, and Italy’s Motia Compagnia di Navigazione. The ‘Lia’ had loaded its cargo of naphtha in Amsterdam and was proceeding to its discharge destination in China. The vessel arrived at the meeting point in the Gulf of Aden and was waiting for a naval escort to assist the vessel in the transit of the Gulf of Aden. The vessel was given military escort by a Chinese warship along with three other vessels. On February 24, the vessel experienced an engine malfunction and was forced to stop. The officer of the watch detected on radar two high-speed craft approaching the vessel and closing in dangerously. The Master raised the alarm on board and the crew started taking action as per the standard vessel security plan. The Master asked the Chinese warship for immediate helicopter assistance, which arrived on the scene within minutes of the request. The helicopter positioned itself over the craft and the craft then ceased the pirate’s approach to the ‘Lia’. The vessel escaped the attempted attack and resumed its voyage. Source : Baird

UK P&I Club benefits from widespread support at renewal

The has achieved a renewal just one per cent short of its general premium increase of 12.5 per cent for the 2009 policy year. Its Members renewed their expiring cover with the Club at 11.5 per cent higher premium overall compared to 2008, before any changes in the terms of the insurance cover were taken into consideration. The Club’s total mutual owned tonnage now stands at 104 million tons. This represents a reduction of just over seven per cent on the 112 million tons entered in the 2008 policy year. Approximately three-quarters of the tonnage which moved was from five Members, of whom only three left the Club completely.



Ninety-five per cent of the existing Member fleets renewed their entries with the UK Club. Less than four per cent of those renewing chose to move a part of their entered fleets to other P&I providers. The depth of support was evident in the Club’s two strongest markets, Greece and Japan. Although totalling 40 per cent of the membership, only 18 ships out of 1,300 from these regions did not renew. Support was particularly strong across the Asia-Pacific region where the UK Club’s regional office network is well established. Overall, there was a small increase in tonnage entered from this region. New tonnage also came from China, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the United States. The volume of chartered entries in the UK Club experienced a smaller reduction of approximately five and a half per cent. Before allowing for changes in terms of cover, renewing Members’ premium achieved the general increase requirement for fixed premium entries of seven and a half per cent. The UK Club’s chartered entries of around 60 million tons at the end of the 2008 policy year contributed to a total entered fleet of over 170 million tons. Hugo Wynn-Williams, Chief Executive of Club managers Thomas Miller P&I Ltd, said: “As the largest club to announce a supplementary premium before renewal, the UK Club has been very much in the headlines. It was inevitable that its rivals would make a competitive challenge for some of the Club’s prestigious membership. “We are grateful for the loyalty and support our Members have shown the Club at this difficult time. The increase in renewing premium achieved is an important element in the Club’s long term financial strategy of correctly pricing risk and preserving capital.” The UK Club will release its year end financial results in May. Source: UK P&I Club

New cruising twists at unforeseen prices

HAL’s EURODAM – Photo : Rien Snoep ©



As cruise line executives watch their revenues sinking faster than an anchor, they would love to find a way to reduce capacity by delaying the launch of this year's flotilla of new ships. But that's not going to happen -- once those keels are laid, it's full speed ahead. When ordered, those new ships were expected to come into a market growing by double digits. When cruise line execs are pulling out their hair, you can pull out your suitcase knowing that their dismay is to your benefit. This past week's Ports and Bows has one cruise at $33 a day. In 2008, the major cruise lines launched eight ships, each with capacity of 2,000 passengers or more. The glut of new ships coming online this year will mean plenty of good deals for cruisers who still have the money to spend. This year, those same major lines will launch seven new ships carrying a combined total of 22,000 passengers. The biggest ship, Oasis of the Seas, will be a whopping 40 per cent larger than the line's Freedom-class vessels, currently the world's largest cruise ships. It's not only the major cruise lines that are in expansion mode. River cruising, which also experienced a growth spurt, will launch seven new boats on European rivers. The luxury brands Seabourn and Silverseas will launch two new designs. New ships bring a whole new cruise experience, as proven by last year's winner in my opinion, Celebrity's Solstice.It was Celebrity's first new ship since 2002 and except for a few flaws, it got it right. Seven designers worked on the interior, several who had never worked on a ship before. The result is an almost perfect blending of their designs from one section of the ship to the other. In 2009, the winner, in my opinion should be Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, if for no other reason than its size with 5,400 passengers. The ship, launching December 2009, is built on the concept of neighbourhoods -- seven in all, including one for kids, recreation, entertainment and so on. Oasis is scheduled to stay close to home in Florida, operating seven-day cruises out of Fort Lauderdale. The cruise line is ensuring that passengers stay onboard to spend their money, with only three ports scheduled on each cruise. For the winter of 2009-10, those ports will be: St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau. During the summer of 2010, it will stop at Labadee, Haiti (the line's private enclave), Falmouth, Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico. Also floating out this year are: - Equinox -- a sister to Celebrity's Solstice.

- Carnival's Dream, which will be the largest Carnival ship at 3,600 passengers. - MSC Cruises rolled out the 3,800-passenger Fantasia in December, and will follow up with her sister ship Splendida this spring. - Carnival's Costa line will offer two new ships: Pacifica and Luminosa. Based on double occupancy, Luminosa will carry 2,200 passengers; Pacifica, a sister for Concordia and Serena, will carry 3,000. - German line Aida will launch the 2,000-passenger AIDAluna.

The majors not adding to their fleets this year are Princess, Cunard, Holland America and NCL. There is no stopping the growth, with nine new ships of 2,000 passengers or more launching in 2010.



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Above seen the PRINCESS DAPHNE arriving in Durban early Monday morning for the first time. It is quite amazing that a reefer ship built 54 years ago should still be plying her trade as a cruise ship.

Photo : Shiphoto International ©

NAVY NEWS India starts assembling home-made

aircraft carrier in search of sea supremacy India Saturday formally pushed the button for assembling its first home-made aircraft carrier by holding a keel laying ceremony at the Cochin shipyard in the southern port city of Kochi, reflecting what its military leaders call the country's "a quest for sea supremacy". By this, India will join the elite club of aircraft-carrier-making nations like Russia, the United States and France, said local media expressing euphoria over the event. The country's defense minister A.K. Antony said when inaugurating the assembly ceremony that "this indigenous warship of the Navy will showcase India's technical prowess and warship building capabilities to the world." "It is a crucial milestone and a moment to cherish in the country's maritime history. The indigenous aircraft carrier will make the Indian Navy strong and self reliant," he said. Calling the keel laying a history-making event, the Indian Navy chief Admiral said the home-made aircraft carrier shows India's "quest for sea supremacy."



"Economic and geo-political developments have reemphasized the need for a self reliant navy," Mehta told the media. The indigenous aircraft carrier with a tonnage of 37,500, designed by the Indian Navy, can operate Russian MiG-29K, Ka31 helicopters and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft fighters. It will have two runways for takeoff and one for landing, and can accommodate up to 30 fighter aircraft. It is expected to be completed by 2011 and put into use by the Navy by 2014. The biggest warship to be ever built in India, all with home-made steel, the carrier will be about five times larger than the 6,700 tonne Delhi class of destroyers, the largest warships made by India. The carrier will also be equipped with home-made long-range surface-to-air missile system with multi-function radar and close-in weapon system, according to navy officials. With a length of 260 meters and a breadth of 60 meters, the warship will be propelled by two shafts, each coupled to two LM2500 gas turbines developing a total power of 80 megawatt, sufficient to attain speeds sufficient to attain speeds over 28 knots, said the officials. The project started in 2002 with the designing but was launched into fast track in 2006 when the construction of the warship building blocks began in Kochi. India purchased the INS Viraat aircraft carrier from British Royal Navy in 1986, and thus became the only nation in Asia currently operating such warships. Source : xinhuanet

US Navy freezes surface ship maintenance funds

The Navy froze funding for surface ship maintenance across the fleet in early February, deferring some $450 million worth of work for repair shipyards on the East and West coasts, according to a shipyard advocacy group. The reasons behind the funding freeze were unclear at press time, along with how long it’s expected to last. Two Navy spokesmen declined to give details, saying they couldn’t release any information before the end of a budgetary review. The freeze affects ships scheduled to begin their maintenance availabilities later this spring, but work will continue on ships already in the yard. If the freeze keeps up, ships scheduled for regular maintenance in late March or April won’t be able to go into shipyards in San Diego and Hampton Roads, Va. Officials at those shipyards, in turn, are worried they will have to lay off their skilled workers, but industry officials in Virginia said they hoped it wouldn’t come to that. About $135 million of the deferred maintenance money would have gone to Hampton Roads yards, said Mal Branch, president of the Virginia Ship Repair Association, which represents the repair yards. In a statement asking for help from Virginia’s congressional delegation, the association said the funding cut would be “devastating” to its members. Representatives for the San Diego Ship Repair Association could not be reached for comment. Branch said he and Virginia repair yard officials already knew this year’s work would be cut by about 35 percent, but they were caught off guard by the sudden, unexplained end to funding. A Feb. 2 message from Naval Surface Forces Atlantic to regional repair centers for Hampton Roads and Naval Station Mayport, Fla., told them not to award any new repair work. The Navy has frozen maintenance funds before, when it was directed to plan for what it would do given a certain budget cut, Branch said, but in those times it always gave that as the reason. Lt. Cmdr. Phil Rosi, a spokesman for Fleet Forces Command, would not confirm the funding cutoff and said only that the Navy was reviewing its operations and maintenance funding for this fiscal year.



“Proactive assessments are normal and prudent business practices, which allow us to balance the priorities of the combatant commander with the need to maintain trained and ready forces,” Rosi said. He declined to say whether the Navy’s four repair yards, managed by Naval Sea Systems Command, were affected by the funding freeze. NavSea spokeswoman Katie Roberts also did not answer questions on the subject. Complicating the funding situation is the Feb. 5 grounding of the cruiser Port Royal, which occurred three days after the freeze began. The Port Royal’s repair bill is expected to be high and could draw money from ships with previously scheduled repairs, resulting in less work done on those ships or postponed trips to the yard. “Every time you get one of these expensive-to-repair incidents that was unplanned for, the money’s got to come from somewhere,” said retired Rear Adm. Joe Carnevale, who works as the government affairs agent for the Shipbuilders Council of America. “There are some contingency funds to do maintenance work that’s unexpected, but not to the degree of something like Port Royal.” He compared the potential effects of the Port Royal repair job to the consequences of the 2008 fire aboard the carrier George Washington, or the 2005 accident in which the submarine San Francisco hit an undersea mountain. In both cases, the Navy pulled maintenance money from other carriers or submarines to pay for the damaged ships’ repairs. Branch agreed that he thought repairs to the Port Royal — which is homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and laid up in a dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard — would affect maintenance funding for his members in Virginia. But even as that is factored in, Branch said he hopes the Navy soon will resume paying for regular shipyard maintenance availabilities. “We’re cautiously optimistic there’ll be no suspension of availabilities, that the spigot will be turned back on, there won’t be a delay. Or if there is a delay, it’ll be minor — and if there is one, it won’t result in any layoffs.” Source : navytimes

Russian navy to get at least 3 carriers A Russian news agency is reporting that an admiral said the navy may commission at least three nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. RIA-Novosti has quoted Vice Adm. Anatoly Shlemov as saying that engineers have begun work to design a new carrier. Shlemov said Friday the prospective carriers will be nuclear-powered and have a displacement of 50,000-60,000 tons, according to the report. His statement appeared to contradict comments by Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov that the navy should focus on smaller ships, no bigger than frigates or corvettes. Ivanov's statement signaled that authorities ditched the plans for building new aircraft carriers that they discussed before the current financial crisis set in, draining government coffers. Source : msnbc

USS Port Royal repairs to cost millions The cruiser Port Royal suffered widespread damage after it ran aground Feb. 5, according to an internal Navy report that detailed problems not only with propulsion gear, but also weapons, radars and other topside systems. The preliminary damage assessment, a copy of which was



obtained by Navy Times, depicts a ship in need of repairs that will cost tens of millions of dollars and take months in a dry dock, experts agreed. Not only did the grounding cost the Port Royal several propeller blades, its sonar dome and both its anchors, the ship suffered extensive damage as it lay aground and rolled with the surf for three days before it was pulled off by salvage ships. Some of the problems cited in the report include: • Both drive shafts and their support struts suffered heavy pressure and twisting, and one seal leaked where the shaft goes through the hull. • Instruments on the ship’s underside, including its devices for measuring speed and water depth, were damaged when they struck the bottom. • The hatches of the forward and aft vertical launch cells, which hold Port Royal’s arsenal of missiles, were damaged as the ship’s hull rolled and flexed with the waves. • The antennae and other equipment on the ship’s mast endured “severe shock” as the ship rolled on its reef. The shocks also affected the alignment of Port Royal’s Aegis radar arrays and other sensitive gear, costing the ship the use of its Aegis sensors as well as its ballistic-missile defense capability. • The ship’s wastewater and seawater ballast systems are clogged with sand and coral from the reef, which backed up half of Port Royal’s heads and prevents it from running its air conditioning. A lack of air conditioning not only makes spaces less comfortable for the crew, it means the ship can’t cool its suite of advanced electronics gear. As broad as the cruiser’s damage was, inspectors might find even more problems as they inspect its internal equipment, especially in its engineering spaces. The Port Royal definitely needs new propellers and a new sonar dome, but depending on how much pressure and twisting the ship suffered when it grounded, the cruiser also could need new drive shafts, main reduction gears and main engines, maritime engineering consultant John Tylawsky said. Navy Times showed Tylawsky Navy-released photographs of the ship in dry dock and asked for an educated assessment of what engineers might find as they go over problems caused by the grounding. Replacing the Port Royal’s main engines — four LM 2500 gas turbines — is a relatively routine job; the ship is designed to change out its turbines in about a day. But new reduction gears, which turn the ship’s drive shafts, would be a much taller order. Commissioned in 1994, the Port Royal is the final Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and it contains the last reduction gears of the class. It might be possible to cut reduction gears out of the four mothballed Tico-class cruisers and fit them into the Port Royal, but that would be a very expensive, complicated job, a retired former cruiser captain said. Katie Roberts, a spokeswoman for Naval Sea Systems Command, would not answer questions about the feasibility of putting another ship’s reduction gears into Port Royal. She referred questions to Pacific Fleet. A spokesman for Pacific Fleet said he could not comment on the condition of the Port Royal, or potential repairs, because the Navy hadn’t finished its inspection. The Port Royal went aground about 90 minutes after sunset on its first day of sea trials after a four-month, $18 million yard period. In the weeks after tugs and salvage ships freed it Feb. 9, ripples from the



incident continued to spread. On Feb. 19, the Navy and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced that the Port Royal had gone aground on a coral reef, not sand and rock, and that the cruiser’s steel hull had damaged the coral blocks. State and Navy divers, from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, were inspecting the broken areas of the reef and trying to glue them in place with rubber cement. That news that the ship struck a coral reef sparked anger among Hawaii’s environmental groups, as did the lack of detail about the damage and the recovery efforts, said Robert Harris, director of the Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club. Hawaii state officials and the Navy have turned away Honolulu newspaper and television reporters who have tried to go near the reef to see the damage. After the grounding, all surface ships were tasked with completing a series of internal reviews by Feb. 27, in a safety standdown ordered by Naval Surface Force commander Vice Adm. D.C. Curtis. The review was prompted by the

cruiser mishap and the loss of a sailor during a boat-lowering operation in the Middle East earlier that week. The crews of other ships have watched with trepidation to see how much money it would take to repair the Port Royal, said a second retired cruiser captain. The unexpected repair bill could get so high that it could draw money from other ships, forcing them to scale back or postpone scheduled maintenance.

A further complication was a Feb. 2 order — which came three days before the Port Royal grounding — that froze all maintenance spending for surface ships. The Navy had deferred about $450 million in payments, but Navy spokesmen would not say why. On par with the money worries was hurt pride in the surface fleet, the second cruiser skipper said, after the very public grounding and revelations about how much damage it caused. “Cruisers are symbols of excellence, not just in the surface force, but for U.S. power as a whole,” he said. “When something like this happens, it hurts the corporate pride. It hurts the culture.” Source : navytimes

Submarines - Automation Kills Submariner Spirit

The Australian Navy has six Collins class subs, which are the core of Australian naval power, and the sailors who serve on these boats are not happy. The Australian admirals are at a loss about what to do. Recently, the navy sent in some psychologists, to discuss the matter with the sailors, and obtain details from the sailors themselves. The results were demoralizing for all concerned. The sailors felt unappreciated and overworked. Half of them were getting out of the navy as soon as their current enlistments were up. Many found the work boring, and felt they spent too much time at sea. As a result, only enough qualified sailors are available to provide crews for three of the six Collins class subs. Each boat requires a crew of 45 highly trained sailors (eight of them officers.) The initial navy response was to offer large cash bonuses to get existing submarine sailors to stay in the navy, and to attract qualified recruits to serve on subs. This helped a bit, but at the expense of officer morale. The bonuses increased sailors annual pay by up to $38,000, which meant officers were now making less than many of the men they commanded. Not enough new recruits were attracted. The submarine service has high standards, thus many of those who were interested, were not qualified to



undertake the long training courses. The global recession may help, because the Australian economy has been booming, providing many opportunities for the kind of guys who would qualify for the submarine service. The Collins class boats were built in Australia during the 1990s, and are based on a Swedish design (the Type 471.) At 3,000 tons displacement, the Collins are half the size of the American Los Angeles class nuclear attack subs, but are nearly twice the size of s European non-nuclear subs. Australia needed larger boats because of the sheer size of the oceans in the area. There were a lot of technical problems with the Collins class boats, which the media jumped all over. The design of these subs was novel and ambitious, using a lot of automation. This reduced the crew size to 45, but resulted in a higher workload for the submarine sailors. This is a major reason for the morale problem. Another problem with the small crew was that every one of the sailors had to be pretty sharp to begin with, then required years of training to learn the job, and more responsibility for each sailor as well. The Australian navy has been suffering from a serious geek shortage for several years now. With a total strength of 13,000, being short a few dozen people in some job categories can have serious repercussions, and that's what happened to the submarine force. For example, the navy is short about a third of the marine engineering officers it needs. There are less serious shortages in officers specializing in electrical systems and weapons systems. Australian warships have been active in the war on terror, resulting in many crews being away from home for up to six months at a time. There are shortages of both officers and sailors with technical skills. The situation is further complicated by a booming economy, and big demand for those with engineering degrees, and a few years of experience. This makes it easy for engineering officers to leave the navy and get a higher paying, and more comfortable, civilian job. The navy is responding with cash bonuses, better living and working conditions, and other fringe benefits. But the submarine force cannot have their working conditions improved much. While the subs are of modern design and recent construction, they are still subs. That means not much space or privacy in there. All Western navies have similar problems, and have applied similar solutions, with some degree of success. U.S. subs have the advantage of being larger (the nuclear propulsion) and with larger crews (nearly three times the size of the Collins class boats). This apparently helps. Other nations have small, modern, diesel-electric boats like the Collins class, but do not send them off on long voyages. Australia can't avoid the long voyages, because Australia is surrounded by large water areas, that require a lot of travel time to traverse. It is boring to transit all of that distance, and that was exactly what the dispirited sailors reported when asked. At the moment, there is no solution in sight. So while Australia can buy modern submarines, they have not yet found a way to obtain crews to operate the boats. Source : strategypage

Brazil Seeks $3.6 Billion to Build Submarines, Folha Reports

Brazil’s plan to build five submarines in cooperation with France may be jeopardized as the global financial crisis undercuts access to credit, Folha de Sao Paulo said, citing unidentified navy officials. Brazil is seeking 8.5 billion reais ($3.6 billion) for the project announced last year to build one nuclear-powered and four diesel-powered submarines, the newspaper reported. Brazil’s navy and defense ministry did not return e-mails and telephone calls by Bloomberg News seeking comment. Source : bloomberg

Royal Navy Still Sinking: Eight More Warships to Go



In 1997, the British government said the Royal Navy needed 32 frigates and destroyers to protect the country’s interests. Today, the Royal Navy has just 22 surface warships. With the Type 45 destroyer program cut in half to just six vessels, surface combatant numbers will drop again, to as low as 14 under current plans, when old Type 22 and Type 23 frigates begin paying off in six years. The Royal Navy is already too small. Consider that, in order to send a ship to patrol for Somali pirates as part of the E.U. naval force, London had to pull a frigate from the regular South Atlantic station. There is no “flex” in the fleet as it stands. With further cuts, core missions will inevitably drop away. The fleet’s only hope is a vaguely-defined program to build a family of small warships to replace the four Type 22s and 13 Type 23s that comprise the majority of the surface fleet. The “Future Surface Combatant” program is supposed to build up to 18 “modular” ships optimized for Anti-Submarine Warfare, land attack and patrolling, with the first ship to join the fleet around 2019. That’s four years after the Type 22s begin retiring. Type 23s pay off starting in 2019. “Given the current funding situation, we should be aiming to support the build of a new combatant about every 12

months or so,” Commodor Steve Brunton, one of four officers assigned to study FSC, wrote this year. If the Royal Navy gets one FSC (concept art pictured) per year starting in 2019, the fleet will drop to 14 surface combatants by 2023, since Type 23s will initially retire faster than FSCs can be built. After 2023, fleet numbers might creep up to a new peak of 24, comprising 18 FSCs and 6 Type 45s.

And that’s the best-case scenario. Under current plans, the Royal Navy circa 2020 will be a very strange force. There will be just six high-end warships to protect two 65,000-ton super-carriers, plus a mixed flotilla of old Type 23s and FSCs numbering just over a dozen. It’ll be a top-heavy force with too few destroyers to escort the carriers into a shooting war, and too few frigates to perform day-to-day patrolling during peacetime. It’s a fleet optimized for nothing. Source : warisboring

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MUSTANG LAUNCHED AT KOOIMAN

At the Gebr. Kooiman yard in Zwijndrecht last Friday the newbuilding tug MUSTANG was launched, the tug is having a length of 30.8 mtr, beam of 11.00 mtr and is powered by 2 Mitsubishi engines for (an expected) bollard pull of 75-80 ton, the tug will be delivered during April to the owner G.Bouwman Towing &Shipping b.v. uit Zierikzee, in

the background at the photo below the tugs BRENT for Iskes, and VIKING for Koerts are seen fitting out. Photo top : Wim Kosten – www.maritimephoto.com ©

Photo below : Piet van Roon ©



SA Navy hoping to revive SA's shipbuilding industry

THE South African Navy (SAN) hopes to use its requirement for six new vessels to help revive the local shipbuilding industry (see Engineering News February 20, 2009). The programme will involve the construction of three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and three inshore patrol vessels (IPVs). It is necessary to point out that South Africa does have a shipbuilding industry, but it is very small, not only in comparison to the overall manufacturing sector, but also in comparison to the country's ship-repair and refit industry. Yet, with the right encouragement, shipbuilding could be a much bigger business in this country. The Navy is clearly determined to do its bit, but recognises that what it can directly do is limited, given the small number of ships it seeks. What the Navy hopes is that other African countries, which also need new OPVs and/or IPVs, will chose the same design selected by the SAN and have them built in South Africa. To this end, the SAN has invited other African navies to send officers to join the South African project team working on the OPV/IPV programme. This is excellent, but far from enough - but it is also as far as the Navy can go on its own. There is the question of how African navies will finance such acquisitions. The case of the Namibian Navy is instructive. Last month, it took delivery of a 200 t patrol vessel and two 45 t patrol boats from Brazilian private-sector shipyard Inace, as part of a deal managed by Brazilian State-owned company Emgepron. These vessels should arrive in Namibia next month (March). Two more 45 t patrol boats will be handed over next year. The total contract for the five vessels was reported to be worth $35-million. The Brazilian Navy has been assisting with the development of the Namibian Navy since 1994. Also, in 2004 the Brazilian Navy transferred an old, but still fully operational, 900 t patrol ship to the Namibian Navy, free of charge. Yet, despite all this assistence, what swung the contract for the new vessels Brazil's way was the fact that the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) provided Namibia with a favourable financial package to fund the deal. Namibia provides another, parallel, example. The country's Ministry of Fisheries and Marina Resources had a 1 400 t patrol ship built in the Freire shipyard in Spain (it was ordered in 1999 and delivered in early 2004) - it was funded through the Namibian-Spanish financial cooperation programme. So, if South Africa is to be able to sell locally-built OPVs and IPVs to African navies, the country must be able to supply the necessary financial packages as well. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), or some other local funding agency, must be ready and willing to provide suitable deals in realistic time scales. And the interest rates must be competitive. I have often been told that the IDC charges market rates for its loans, which I have always found odd - it is, surely, primarily meant to promote national industrial development, and only secondarily to make a profit? In sharp contrast, the BNDES charges interest at rates that are far below market levels, and has always done so. Other countries also have funding agencies that can offer African countries below-market-rate financing to order vessels from their shipyards. And a number of these are interested in providing OPVs and IPVs to African navies. Not to mention those countries that might supply such vessels, particularly IPVs, free of charge. That is what Australia did for the small navies, coast guards, and police forces, of the South Pacific island nations. From 1987 to 1997 no fewer than 22 examples of the 162 t Australian-designed and built Pacific Patrol Boat were built and given to these countries. Subsequently, from 1997 to 2003, they all received mid-life refits in Australia, and in 2000 the Australian



government announced that it would continue to support the patrol boat programme until 2027, at a cost of some Aus$350-million. In addition, all the abovementioned programmes enjoyed high-level political support in the supplying country. Thus, the Brazilian programme took place within the framework of a formal, bilateral, naval cooperation agreement. The deal for Namibia to acquire a vessel from Spain was concluded during a State visit to the country by the King and Queen of Spain. And, of course, the Pacific Patrol Boat programme was and is an Australian national policy, decided by the Federal cabinet. It is a tough environment out there, and if South Africa is to compete successfully and build OPVs and IPVs for Africa, which needs them badly to protect its growing offshore resource sectors and counter the rapidly expanding threat of piracy, it must not only have suitable designs and the necessary shipyards. It must also have the necessary financial packages, and high-level political backing. The SAN's idea is a good one, but it needs other State departments and agencies to come on board as well, if it is to have any chance of success. Source : engineeringnews

The DSV KINGFISHER seen alongside the THIALF Photo : Fedde Visser ©

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES Vesborg to sail on Spodsbjerg-Taars

Nordic Ferry Services A/S will re-introduce the ferry Vesborg on the Spodsbjerg-Taars service from the beginning of the summer season. Presently Vesborg is sailing on the Samsø-Hou run, but is due to be relieved next month by the newbuilding Kanhave, which is under construction at Perama, Greece, as the first in a series of four identical units ordered by Nordic Ferry Services. From the beginning it wasn’t planned that Vesborg should sail for Nordic Ferry Services, but delays at the Greek shipyard made it necessary to purchase the ferry. It will be used as an extra ferry to take some of the pressure off the popular service from Spodsbjerg to Taars. Vesborg was built at Ørskovs in Frederikshavn in 1995. Source : shipgaz - Bent Mikkelsen



REDWISE MARITIME SERVICES B.V.Amersfoortseweg 12-E

3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands

Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879

[email protected]

www.redwise.com

India likely to double LNG imports this year Last year, India imported between 6.5 and 7 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) of LNG. This year it could go over 13 mmtpa, according to analysts. “We expect the demand for LNG to be far greater this year than what it was last year on account of a shortfall in domestic gas supply,” a senior official from Royal Dutch Shell, India, told local media on the condition of anonymity. “The overall economic slowdown in the West will favour LNG supplies to India as new capacities are also being commissioned the world over,” he added. Shell and Total are operators of the Hazira LNG terminal in Gujarat with a capacity of 2.5 million tonnes (mt) a year. Shell completed ‘de-bottlenecking’ of its terminal in December, increasing its capacity to 3.6 mt per year. Historically, LNG demand has largely emanated from the Asia-Pacific region, primarily due to Japanese and South Korean requirements, which account for over 50 per cent of the world LNG trade. “With falling industrial demand coupled with the fall in crude oil prices, spot demand from these two regions has suffered,” said a senior official from Gujarat State Petronet Ltd. India is a gas deficit country. Power and fertiliser plants consume 70 per cent of the gas available in the country. Inadequate supply of gas forces them to operate at 50-60 per cent of capacity. At present, power plants in the country are getting 34-35 million standard cubic metres per day (mcmd) supply against the requirement of 70 mcmd. Currently, spot LNG is trading at $8 per million British thermal units (mBtu), whereas naphtha is trading at $13 per mBtu in the spot market. In December, LNG was trading at $10 per mBtu, whereas naphtha was trading at $7.04 per mBtu. While industry players believe that the gas-based power companies are waiting to operate on full capacity and expansion of city gas distribution in the country will boost demand for LNG, some analysts believe that demand for LNG could be high only if domestic natural gas from Reliance Industries’ Krishna Godavari basin fails to meet the demand. According to the gas utilisation policy, the first tranche of gas from RIL’s KG basin, which is said to be 14 mcmd per day, will be made available only to 15 urea units of major fertiliser companies. RIL is likely to ramp up production to 80 mcmd within a year. LNG demand will also increase with the Rs 2,700-crore Dabhol LNG import terminal due to be commissioned in Maharashtra in March and Petronet in final stages of expanding its Dahej facility to 10 mmtpa. Source : seatradeasia

State ferry Lituya to return to service The state says the ferry Lituya will resume service between the communities of Ketchikan and Metlakatla. The Alaska Marine Highway Service says service is scheduled to resume next Thursday after conducting U.S. Coast Guard sea trials.



High winds caused the 181-foot ferry to break free of its moorings Jan. 30. It grounded near Scrub Island. Among the damage was dents to the keel coolers and bottom plating, and the damaged steel was replaced with new metal. Source : The Associated Press.

Dover continues to buck economic trend Dover continues to buck the UK's economic trend with the number of cars travelling through the port in January increasing by over 20 percent on the same month last year. In addition, passenger figures for January show a 14 per cent increase and the number of coaches using Dover has increased by 20 per cent on the same month last year. Nearly three-quarters of a million people used the port in January and the number of cars reached nearly 150,000. The figures come as research into Dover's traffic volumes over the past 12 years by Scott Wilson, the leading international design and engineering consultancy, shows the port of be a gauge of UK performance as a whole. The research highlights the correlation between activity at the port and UK manufacturing and employment since 1996. Plotted together, the volume of inbound freight through the Port of Dover and the indexed growth of manufacturing output in the UK show an approximately parallel trendline, indicating that an increase in inbound freight corresponds to a proportional increase in manufacturing output. Since 1996, inbound freight at Dover has grown by 115 percent and UK manufacturing output has increased by 7.6 per cent. According to the same research by Scott Wilson, the volume of outbound freight through Dover shows an inverse relationship with unemployment, with the average annual 1.7 per cent growth of outbound freight traffic, which has increased by 126 percent since 1996, over double the decline of unemployment in the UK in the same period. "Research of the activity at the port over the past 12 years shows Dover to be a true barometer of the economic condition of the UK as a whole. We only hope that Dover's continued growth will soon be reflected in the overall state of the UK economy," says Bob Goldfield, Chief Executive of the Port of Dover. Source : Port of Dover

The SMIT DOMINICA seen in Rotterdam – Caland canal Photo : R&F van der Hoek - LEKKO ©



Kon. Wilhelminahaven zz 22 3134 KG Vlaardingen (Port No 650) The Netherlands www.mariflex.net tel (24 hrs) : +31 (0) 10 434 44 45 [email protected]

Seacor stacks Seacor Marine has cold-stacked 15 offshore support vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico so far this year, parent Seacor Holdings said Friday. The US owner blamed the layups on a drop in oil and gas prices, which has reduced offshore vessel work in the region. Further reduction is expected for this year. "The company continues to monitor market conditions and will cold-stack additional vessels as it deems appropriate," Seacor said. "The company cannot predict when conditions might warrant reactivation of the cold-stacked vessels." The units will remain unmanned and inactive during the cold-stacking period.

The 12,300-bhp anchor handler Seacor Vantage Photo : Piet Sinke ©

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

Seacor sees an overhang in US-flag offshore vessel capacity, despite the relatively smaller orderbook compared to international markets.



Still, the company says the large international newbuilding overbook could add to oversupply in the North Sea, Asia and West Africa, even with cancellations and delays. "Reduced activity combined with tighter capital and credit markets has created uncertainty over new construction of offshore equipment," Seacor said. "The industry order book for new equipment remains large but if and when these assets will be delivered is uncertain." (Read the full annual report here.) But the company says Seacor Marine's limited orderbook, diverse fleet and broad geographical coverage will help it weather a downturn. It might even eye buying opportunities. "The company's strong financial position should enable Offshore Marine Services to capitalize on opportunities as they develop for purchasing, mobilizing or upgrading vessels to meet changing market conditions," Seacor said. Based in Houma, Louisiana, Seacor Marine operates a fleet that includes anchor handlers, platform supply vessels, crewboats and mini supply vessels. TradeWinds reported last week that New York-listed Seacor Holdings defied falling demand for anchor handling tug-supply vessels in the gulf to report an improved, $71.8m fourth-quarter profit.

The ZIM PANAMA seen in the Panama canal region Photo : Ronald van Kessel / Rien Schoon ©

Record snowfalls: holiday avalanche through Dover

World-beating snowfalls in the Alps, Pyrenees and even in the "newer" resorts in Bulgaria and Slovenia attracted a massive rise in the number of tourist cars and passengers through the Port of Dover over the school-half term. School holidays varied around the country, and while most take a one-week break, others cover a fortnight. "But a comparison of the same two-week period last year and this year shows a 14 per cent increase in passenger numbers, hitting nearly 480,000, and a rise of 15 per cent in cars - that's nearly 74,000 in the fortnight," says Kate O'Hara, head of Marketing for the Port of Dover.



"Winter holidaymakers who travel by car and ferry benefit from being able to book their tickets, put the skis in the roof-rack and just go." Brian Rees, spokesman at P&O Ferries, says: "This year, we saw many more late bookings, but the snow forecasts tempted many to abandon plans to stay at home. And for those who might normally take long-haul ski trips to the USA and Canada - with all the `excess baggage' of airport travel - the prospect of the best skiing in the world on their European doorstep proved a huge draw." Traffic volumes were helped by the addition of LD Lines' two new services from Dover to Boulogne and Dieppe which went live on 12 February; and SeaFrance reported a 28 per cent increase in traffic during the main half-term week (14-21 March) compared with the same time last year. For real time information about services, port conditions and the weather go to www.doverport.co.uk/travelreport

Kuwait port workers strike for higher pay Hundreds of Kuwaiti port workers stopped work at the Gulf state's three commercial ports on Monday demanding a pay raise and better working conditions. "The response to the strike has been comprehensive and work was completely halted at the three ports," the head of the ports trade union, Ali al-Sukoni, told AFP. Workers are demanding a 35 percent increase in their basic salary "which has not been increased since 1977," Sukoni said. They are also demanding a raise in incentives and better working conditions. Sukoni said that almost all the 930 workers joined the partial strike "which will continue until the government accepts our demands."

Dockwise performs well over 2008

The EXPLORER – Photo : Henk van der Heijden © Heavy lift player Dockwise has managed a big profit turnaround in 2008, erasing the previous year’s big loss. The Bermuda-based owner said it made $49.97m on a net basis, against a loss of $75.77m in 2007. Revenues jumped to $456.6m from $290.1m over the same period.

Boss Andre Goedee said: “2008 was an outstanding year. We completed the transformation of our company while also delivering against demanding financial objectives. “I am encouraged to see Dockwise tendering successfully for an increasing number of projects." Looking ahead, Dockwise said it was seeing little evidence of cancellations, rate cuts or reduced mobility in its traditional rig market, despite the global economic slowdown. “In view of our backlog, and progress in the first quarter to date, Dockwise anticipates a financial performance comfortably within debt covenant requirements,” it added



The owner offloaded two 1979-built heavy-lift vessels earlier this month, leaving it with 16 other ships with which to focus on “premium cargoes Source : Tradewinds

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

FLEET EXPANSION FOR ISKES TUGS

ISKES tugs in IJmuiden purchased the 1977 built tug BUGSIER 12, the 26 mtr tug with a bollard pull of 30 tons is expected within several days in her new homeport IJmuiden where the tug will be renamed SIRIUS and prepared for

operations Photo : Piet Sinke ©

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

Harwich: Stena jobs shake-up A MAJOR jobs shake-up has affected about 60 people after one of the largest ferry operators in the world cut its freight services.



Stena Line, which operates out of Harwich Port, is to withdraw the Stena Transporter route on Sunday, with the reorganisation of up to 30 British jobs. Bosses said the economic climate meant the firm had seen a massive fall in the number of freight units being distributed last year- and it had no choice but to take action. But it insisted there have been no forced redundancies for its 30 British officers, with jobs being found for them elsewhere in the company. Pim de Lange, Stena Line’s North Sea area director, said: “It is very unfortunate but I have never seen the business drop down as fast as it did last year.” He said the firm had seen a 20 to 25 per cent drop in the amount of freight volume it distributes. “I am very glad in this unfortunate situation we have been able to solve the crew problems without forced redundancies because we have a number of offices where they can be received. “A number of them have taken voluntary redundancy because they are over 60,” Mr de Lange added. “Everybody is making heavy losses at the moment, we have do to something, that is why I am glad that despite the situation, I am happy that we have been able to solve the UK problem without the forced redundancies,” he said. Staff will be paid until the end of next month while the vessel continues to be used to relieve another in the Irish Sea and laid up at Rotterdam Port. Two remaining freight vessels will run between the Hook of Holland and Harwich and the Hook of Holland to Killingholme, Lincolnshire. Source : harwichandmanningtreestandard

Beamer and Seal Carr of Forth Estuary Towage pulling a Van der Wees Transport's barge past Forth Rail Bridge (1st March 2009). The barge was towed from the Tees by the tug Sms Shoalbuster, with the tow up river to

Grangemouth being transferred just east of the bridge, off Hound Point. Photo : Iain McGeachy ©

Supras set back Cosco Zhoushan has again been stung by delivery delays after the arrival of three supramaxes was put back by up to eight months. The hold-up means at least 18 bulkers have been delayed at Cosco yards over the past three months. Singapore-listed Cosco says an Asian shipowner is behind the 57,000-dwt vessels but is tight-lipped about the identity of the company. In an announcement issued late Friday night Cosco says the vessels will now be delivered between six and eight months behind the original schedule. The last ship will now hit the water by May 2010 instead of September 2009, it explains. Cosco says the original contract was signed on 8 June 2007, a day it announce newbuilding orders worth $1.19bn for 30 bulkers and car



carriers. Cosco International Ship Trading penned 12 of the bulkers and four of the vehicle carriers. The identity of the other owners was kept under wraps. TradeWinds later revealed Great Eastern Shipping, Goldenport, Atlantic Bulk Carriers and Geden Lines each ordered two of the 57,000-dwt units. Portline of Portugal and Ince Denizcilik of Istanbul booked three each. In late January this year we reported Goldenport had put off delivery of four supramaxes at Cosco Zhoushan. The previous week two other Cosco yards announced a single European owner was delaying delivery of another four 57,000-dwt supramaxes and three 80,000-dwt panamaxes by up to 13 months. In December Cosco Corp (Singapore) announced seven 57,000-dwt bulkers being built at Zhoushan were to be delayed. STX Pan Ocean and Portline were fingered as the owners involved. Source : Tradewinds

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

www : www.svitzer-coess.com

Ship cruises into big welcome Passengers of the Deutschland cruise ship were the first to experience a new initiative by Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (QTEA) officials to ease entry procedures and warmly welcome visitors to the country. The 400 passengers and 260 crewmembers of the Deutschland, a tourism ship cruising through the Gulf, were greeted on their arrival on ground in “true Qatari hospitality”. The visitors arrived to a musical welcome by a Qatari band, and were offered Arabic coffee and dates as they watched a falconry demonstration. “We will always remember our first steps in Qatar, and we are eager to see more of this charming country,” a German couple remarked. Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser bin Abdullah al-Thani, the director of Borders and Passports Department at the Ministry of Interior, was on hand to receive the ship. “When the department received a request from the cruise ship to make a stopover in Qatar, all the departments concerned immediately worked to issue entry permits for the ship. “We also moved to provide the documents necessary for them to visit the landmarks in the country, in addition to easing entry procedures and exit of vehicles used by the tourists,” he said. “We co-ordinated with the Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and Doha Sea Port Customs to provide comfort and leisure to the tourists, who were made up of people of 25 nationalities, and to ease the process of their exit from the port and their visit to the landmarks in the country,” the director added. Lieutenant-Colonel Abdul Hadi Zabin, the assistant director of Borders and Passports Department, elaborated: “The number of counters at Doha Sea Port were increased to 12. The entry procedures for transit ships were simplified.” The tourists were given brochures and maps by QTEA personnel, and were given a briefing on Qatar and the numerous activities and attractions they could enjoy during their stay in the country. Organised by Gulf Adventures,



the tour agent of this cruise, tourists are offered a desert safari to Khor Al Udaid, a tour of the fine artworks of the Museum of Islamic Art, an extended tour of the capital, including a stroll on the Corniche and of Souq Waqif. Golf addicts could as well appreciate an early round at Doha Golf Club. Commenting on the new initiative, QTEA chairman Ahmed al-Nuaimi said: “Our efforts to have new visa procedures for cruise passengers represent a new way of putting into practice our strategy to encourage people to stay for 48 hours. “It will enable us to attract travellers to Qatar, and help them discover our culture and our unique landscape. “We have been discussing with major tour operators and cruising companies the possibility of adding Qatar on the Middle East cruising map. “ Source : Gulf Times

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

Seen in the port of Burntisland which is in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland moored the Damen Galati 2008 built RSV/Tug KINGDOM OF FIFE.

Photo : Jim Prentice © http://Caledoniantransportphotos.blogspot.com

B O E K B E S P R E K I N GDoor : Frank NEYTS

“Warships 2008”. Bij het Britse Conway verscheen zopas de dertigste editie van het standaardwerk “Warships”, nu als “Warships 2008”. De samenstelling gebeurde onder leider van stichtend redacteur Anthony Preston, samen met John Jordan. In deze jaarlijkse titel willen de samenstellers van het boek een overzicht geven van recente studies/bevindingen op het vlak van marineschepen, waarbij de klemtoon ligt op historisch onderzoek. Het boek is een opeenvolging van een tiental, goed onderbouwde, historische artikels. Deze jubileumuitgave vormt daar geen uitzondering op.



Zo komen dit jaar ondermeer de allereerste Japanse vliegdekschepen aan bod, het ontwerp van kleine battleschepen tissen 1919 en 1953, de Japanse mijnenleggers ‘Itsukushima’, ‘Okinoshima’ en ‘Tsugaru’, de schepen van de Italiaanse kustwacht 1914-1986, en de Franse kruiser ‘De Grasse’.

Door de hoge kwaliteit van de opgenomen bijdragen wist deze jaarlijkse uitgave van “Warships” een niet weg te denken plaats te verwerven onder de gezaghebbende maritieme publicaties. “Warschips 2008” (ISBN 978-1-84486-062-3) telt 208 pagina’s en werd als hardback uitgegeven. Bestellen kan via de boekhandel of via Conway/Anova Books, 10 Southcombe street, London, W14 0RA, UK. Tel +44.20.7605.1400, Fax +44.20.7605.1401.

The compiler of the news clippings disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided through this free service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information. If you want to no

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