Number 002 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 002

Distribution : daily 3650+ copies worldwide 1/1/2008

Number 002 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Wednesday 02-02-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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The QUEEN VICTORIA seen moored in the port of Lisbon Photo : Albert Kappers ©



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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The SEAWAYS 10 seen off the Angolan coast Photo : Jan Plug ©

90th anniversary of famous sea rescue RUSSELL CLAYDON

IT was the largest single rescue undertaken in the waters off the East Anglian coast, with 92 people plucked to safety from a stricken ship in treacherous conditions.



Passengers and crew tied themselves to the engine room of their ship after it ran aground at Walton in high winds and eventually broke in half. But they were all lifted to safety - 90 years ago - by brave rescuers in what has since become the world's oldest motorised lifeboat. Now, on the 90th anniversary of its finest moment, the James Stevens No.14 lifeboat, used from 1900 until 1928, is said to be “very close” to being restored to a seaworthy condition.

On December 29, 1917, the SS Peregrine of London,run aground on the Long Sand Head, off the Essex coast at Walton, in a force nine gale. The coastguard informed the Walton Lifeboat Station at 9.30pm of the emergency on the ship, which was carrying 59 passengers, including children and 33 crew, mainly Belgian refugees from the fighting in Flanders. An epic rescue mission, lasting almost 14 hours, then took place against a backdrop of easterly gales, heavy lashing seas, rain and sleet. The Peregine's Captain Bill Branthwaite had driven the ship across the sunken bows

of the Swedish steamer Iris - which had been wrecked the day before, and whose crew had been rescued by the Clacton lifeboat - after sending out an SOS through wireless telegraphy. Knowing that his ship might rupture at any time, the captain persuaded the passengers to move to the boat deck, where they were tied to the engine room skylight and funnel and covered in blankets and tarpaulins. With the ship's ribs breaking and time running out, the James Stevens No.14 reached them at 4am following an arduous search and used the help of a nearby Government patrol vessel, Clacton Belle, to begin the difficult transfer of passengers to safety. Shortly after the lifeboat left, the Peregrine broke in two. The crew then took shelter on the fore part of the wreck under the bridge until the lifeboat was able to return at dawn. On his return Coxswain William Hammond found considerably more dangerous conditions, with the Peregrine locked into the wreck of the Iris. It took six teams pulling the lifeboat alongside the bow of the Iris, competing with the heavy seas, to carry out the rescue of the remaining panic-stricken crew, who were all amazingly saved free of injury. The severely damaged lifeboat reached Walton quay at 12.15pm, where a large crowd had gathered to greet the survivors after the miraculous rescue. Praise for the rescue crew followed, culminating on January 12, 1918, when a letter was received from RNLI HQ confirming an award of the Silver Medal of the institution to the Coxswain Hammond and Bronze to the Second Coxswain, Mr J C Byford. John Steer, who wrote a history book on the Walton lifeboats, said: “They were lucky to survive. “A few months later a smaller ship went ashore and was seen by everyone but by the time they got there everyone was lost.” Mr Steer is among volunteers at the Frinton and Walton Heritage Trust who are continuing their work to restore the James Stevens No. 14 to be used as an exhibit and for cruises. The lifeboat was fitted with a petrol engine in 1906, becoming one of the first motor lifeboats in the RNLI. During its service it was launched 126 times and 227 lives were saved. Source : East Anglian Daily Times

See also : www.james-stevens-no14.org.uk/home.html

T&T Bisso salvages tug offshore Texas



T&T Marine Salvage's 600-ton (544-tonne) capacity derrick barge Big T and Bisso Marine's 700-ton (635-tonne) capacity derrick barge Cappy Bisso made a tandem lift of a 105-foot (32-m) sunken tugboat off Port Arthur, Texas. T&T Bisso, an alliance between T&T Marine Salvage of Galveston, Texas, and Bisso Marine of Houston, initially responded to the sunken vessel with the George T, a salvage support barge used for the diving survey and rigging operations. Once the diving survey and rigging operations were complete, the Big T was connected to the bow rigging and the Cappy Bisso,which mobilized from New Orleans, was connected to the stern rigging. The two derrick barges

then lifted the tug, which was successfully salvaged, refloated and delivered to its owner. The T&T Bisso alliance offers a strategic partnership to provide emergency, salvage, hazardous materials response, oil spill response, marine firefighting, diving response and OPA 90 coverage. Source : Energy Current

HAL’s AMSTERDAM seen in Bonaire. Photo : Alex van Roon ©

Cruise ship hits Antarctic iceberg A NORWEGIAN cruise ship with more than 300 people on board struck an iceberg as it drifted in the waters of Antarctica after an engine failure. The MS Fram carrying 256 passengers and 70 crew members suffered a breakdown in its propulsion system on Friday, said marine police in the port of Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina. "None of the passengers or crew were injured, there was no reported damage to the hull or spills, and there is no danger of sinking,'' a spokesman said.



The ship "was carried into a wall of ice'' after it suffered a two-hour blackout in the area known as Browns Buff, north of the Antarctic Peninsula. The incident was earlier confirmed by the ship's owner Hurtigruten which said it had suffered "no major damage". The Fram headed for Chile's Eduardo Frei Antarctic base under its own steam for inspection and is to return to Ushuaia, some 3580km south of Buenos Aires, arriving on Wednesday. The Fram had set out on a Christmas Antarctic voyage and is among a record 30 cruise ships expected in the area during the southern summer. The incident comes after a Liberian-registered cruise liner hit an iceberg in the freezing waters off Antarctica in November. The Explorer sank after all its 154 passengers, crew members and other employees had been evacuated into lifeboats.

Source : The Australian

The LILIAN NGOYI seen entering the port of Cape Town Photo : Glenn Kasner ©

The Lilian Ngoyi, was the first of three inshore environmental protection vessels, and was launched in November 2004.

In May 2002, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism placed orders for the construction of one 83 m offshore and three 47 m inshore fisheries and environmental protection vessels. A South African company, Farocean Marine (Pty) Ltd of Cape Town was building the three inshore vessels, which were designed by Damen Shipyards of Gorinchem, in the Netherlands. Photo : Piet Sinke © Lilian Ngoyi and her two sister ships carry 13 crew and two fishery inspectors. They are 47 m in length, have a beam of 8 m and a range of 3 500 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. They are capable of remaining at sea for 14 days. In addition to the fishery protection duties, the



vessels are also equipped to conduct oil spill countermeasure operations. The vessel is further equipped for Search and Rescue work, fire fighting and limited towing duties. All three ships are certified for operations up to 200 nautical miles from the shore. Although based in Cape Town, all three vessels are deployed around the South Africa coastline and will do tours of duty at various ports for several months at a time. They are monitoring a wide variety of resources, including rock lobster, abalone, line fish, squid, etc. and also carry out inspections of the demersal and pelagic fleets. In addition, they are capable of operating throughout the SADC region and will play a significant role in regional compliance initiatives. The ship is powered by two MTU 16V 4000 engines of 2720 kW each, driving two Wartsila Lips variable pitch propellers. On sea trials a speed of 25 knots was attained.

Photo : Piet Sinke © To increase manoeuvrability, there is a 75 kW transverse bow thruster. Electrical power is via two 180 kW generator sets. The Engine room is unmanned and the engineers on duty stand their watch in the wheelhouse, assisted by a locally developed machinery control and alarm system.

Bridge equipment includes two Arpa radars, an ECDIS chart system, differential GPS, a full GMDSS communication system and the standard array of navigation aids. The after part of the Wheelhouse is used by the fishery inspectors as an Operations Room. The core of the surveillance system is a Vistar 350 infra-red and low-light camera, (photo left) used in conjunction with a slave radar display in the Operations Room. Other surveillance systems are still under development. The 7.5 m inspection boat, which was locally constructed to double as the SOLAS Rescue boat, has an inboard diesel driving a water jet. Launching is via a Vestdavit over the starboard quarter.

The second vessel, is named Ruth First, and was delivered in March 2005 and the Victoria Mxenge followed in June 2005.

Contaminated fuel disables containership The U.S. Coast Guard has been continuing to monitor a drifting container ship that lost power Wednesday about 90 miles southeast of Nantucket, R.I. The Agaman, a 331-foot general cargo container ship, owned by the Komrowski Shipping Company based in Hamburg, Germany, was on a voyage from Cuba to Canada when contaminated fuel seized its engines and generators, rendering the ship powerless and adrift in 15-foot seas. There have been no reports of injuries. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., HU-25 Falcon jet crews made two trips to the Agaman, and two AMVER participating merchant vessels have remained alongside the Agaman since Wednesday. Both ships remained alongside Agaman as a communications conduit to the Coast Guard and as an immediate rescue platform should the Agaman



crew need to be extracted from their ship. The first ship to come to Agaman's rescue was the 524-foot bulk carrier Dual Confidence that arrived almost immediately Wednesday. It was relieved Thursday by the 598-foot Greek-flagged tanker Aegeas.

With help from the Aegeas chief engineer, the Agaman chief engineer was able to make repairs to provide limited power to operate the radios, but was unable to restore heat for the crew. "The crew of the Agaman will not have enough food to last the voyage and is keeping warm by wearing extra clothes and tending a fire on the poop deck, where they are cooking food," said Karavidas Georgios, the master of the Aegeas. The Aegeas remained on scene with the Agaman until the Moselle, a 595-foot Danish tanker, relieved them at 5:00 p.m. The sea state has subsided to less than 10-foot swells, but is expected to pick up gain Saturday.

DonJon’s ATLANTIC SALVOR seen moored in Venice (Louisiana) after hurricane Katerina Photo : Piet Sinke ©

Komrowski Shipping has contracted for the Atlantic Salvor, a 151-foot ocean-going tug from Hillside, N.J., based DonJon Marine Company, to take supplies to the Agaman crew and tow the disabled ship more than 170 miles to the Port of New York for repairs. The Atlantic Salvor arrived alongside Agaman at about 6 p.m. and took the vessel in tow. "The assistance rendered by these Amver vessels has helped us immensely," said Lt. Michael Nalli, the Coast Guard's command duty officer in Boston. "Because the Agaman is presently in no danger of sinking, the Amver vessels' assistance allows us to keep our cutters focused on protecting the homeland, enforcing our nation's fisheries regulations, and rescuing those in peril." The merchant vessels Dual Confidence, Aegeas and Moselle are Amver participating ships. Amver is sponsored by the U. S. Coast Guard, and is a unique, computer-based, and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. Rescue authorities can immediately identify the nearest participating merchant ship to assist anyone reporting a distress, anywhere on our world's oceans. "These Good Samaritan ships are exceptional examples of the over 3,200 Amver vessels available to assist mariners in distress every day," said Benjamin M. Strong, Amver Maritime Relations officer. "In fact, the Aegeas enrolled in Amver just this past May and has already earned a participation award for rendering assistance," he added.



Mystery container found on beach Experts are trying to identify a huge metal container that has been washed up on a beach in the Western Isles.

The tank, which is 27m high, has no markings and is thought to have fallen from a ship before being washed up on the west of Benbecula. It was discovered by a dog walker on Poll Na Crann beach - known locally as Stinky Bay - near Griminish. Stornoway Coastguard is using two numbers on the container to try to find out where the item has come from. The beach is known as Stinky Bay because of the fermenting seaweed found there. Alasdair MacEachen, assistant director of environmental

services at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar told BBC Scotland: "It's certainly generated a fair bit of interest with people walking on the beach or just travelling along the road, because you can actually see it from the main road along the west side of Benbecula. "It's a big object so you can't miss it, and it's not often you see something like that on the beach. "It would be standing almost 30m tall and really looks pretty much like a silo. I think it's a bulk storage tank of some sort, possibly for storing some liquids." Mr MacEachen said they may decide to anchor the container to the beach to stop it from floating out to sea and becoming hazardous to ships, but in the meantime he advised onlookers to keep a safe distance. "Although it looks as if it's empty and it's been ruptured, my advice would be not to go too close to it," he said. "It's a fairly light construction so you don't want it rolling on top of someone, and with that sort of thing you can never tell. "My advice would be to just observe it from a distance." Source : BBC

Boxship officer missing A US Coast Guard plane is searching for an officer missing from a containership, the agency said. The 23-year-old third mate of Evergreen’s 4,200-teu Ever Refine (built 1995) went missing early this morning about 130 kilometres off the coast of Virginia. A C-130 airplane from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, is looking for the Chinese crewmember. The ship’s crew conducted two thorough searches of the ship before contacting the Coast Guard, the agency said. Source : Tradewinds



The QUEEN MARY 2 seen departing from Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan ©

Saudis sued for $85m A US longshoreman who is quadriplegic after an accident aboard a Saudi conro is suing the ship’s owner for $85m plus interest. Johnnie Clark was paralysed in the January incident aboard the 4,070-lane-metre Saudi Abha (built 1983) at the port in Newport News, Virginia. The lawsuit names owner National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA), Dubai-based manager Mideast Ship Management and terminal operator Virginia International Terminals. At the time of the accident, Clark was operating a hustler to pull a trailer loaded with lumber onto the Saudi Abha,according to the civil complaint filed in a state court in Portsmouth, Virginia.

The SAUDI ABHA - Photo : Simon Brown ©

The Saudi Abha’s he began to descend a steep ramp, he was unable to stop his vehicle and crashed into a bulkhead wall,” the lawsuit says. He received numerous injuries, including the paralysing spinal cord damage, which may be permanent. The complaint claims that the injury occurred because the ship’s owner and manager were negligent.



But in a response to the complaint, attorneys for NSCSA and Mideast Ship Management denied all claims of negligence. They also denied having control of the ramp and of its incline. “NSCSA and MSM deny that they are indebted to plaintiff for any sum,” the document says. The attorneys also have denied that Mideast Ship Management controlled the Saudi Abha.

The case has been transferred to the US federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, after attorneys claimed the terminal operator was added as a defendant only to keep the case out of the federal courts.

Sunken tugboat to stay in water Vessel sank off N.C. coast Jan. 18, killing 3 crew members

A tugboat that sank off the N.C. coast a year ago, killing three crew members, may become another attraction for divers and fishermen in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The owner of the tugboat Valour scrapped plans earlier this year to salvage the 135-foot vessel from the sea floor about 35 miles southeast of the Cape Fear River. Now the company, Overseas Shipholding Group, is planning to leave the boat in the water and is working with the Coast Guard to remove pollution and navigation hazards. The Valour has been under water since Jan. 18, when it was pulling a barge with 5.5 million gallons of fuel and foundered in 15-foot seas and 40-knot winds. The barge broke loose, threatening to run aground on the shoals. That could have created a major environmental disaster if the heavy fuel oil had spilled into the ocean. One of the tug's crew members died of a heart attack and two others were lost at sea. The incident is still under investigation. The Coast Guard has not determined what caused the Valour to sink. To date, contractors have removed 18,000 gallons of petroleum and have marked the shipwreck with lighted buoys, Ensign James Litzinger, a Coast Guard spokesman in Charleston, said. The next step is to dig a trench in the sea bottom and push the tugboat into it to lower the profile. "Once the proposed operation is complete," Litzinger said, "the Valour will be free of any significant quantity of fuel." The tug sits upright in 100 feet of water near an area of underwater sandbars called Frying Pan Shoals. Litzinger said the shipwreck has already attracted fish and some interest from private divers. "That's going to be a great dive site," he said. But he said the vessel has not been officially abandoned, and the Coast Guard currently advises against diving on the site. The project is currently on hold because of weather and rough sea conditions, Litzinger said. Work is scheduled to resume this spring and summer. Source : Charlotte.com

Putin pushes the new Cold War Charles Miranda in London

IN FRONT of television sets right across Russia, people stared at grainy moving images of an ocean floor and a mini-submarine strobed occasionally with blue lights. A voiceover on the Russian state television network Rossiya news program told viewers that the submarine, which was more than 4km below the ice, was about to plant a flag claiming the Arctic ocean floor for Russia. As a mechanical arm from the submarine apparently planted the banner flag, the television commentator declared that the estimated 10 billion tonnes of hydrocarbons beneath the ice could now be mined and the riches passed to the Russian people. After a humiliating decade of debt default, the Kremlin was about to reward its people.



Flag-waving Russians took to the streets and cheered as days later, in early August, the expedition crews returned. But on the other side of the continent, a 13-year-old Finnish boy made a startling discovery. The photograph of the event on the front page of his daily newspaper looked remarkably similar to the opening scene from a DVD he had just watched: the 1997 blockbuster Titanic in which a mini-sub searches the ocean floor for the hidden wreck of the great ship. Sure enough, Russian film producers had stolen scenes from Titanic to pass off as the Russian expedition to the North Pole; the truth caused howls of laughter in the West but was never reported in the East. Like any good war, it all begins with propaganda. Win the hearts and minds of the people first, then any irrational action you take afterwards will only ever be greeted with air-punching support. But what normally follows is a deadly game of brinkmanship and for the past six months, that is what Russian President Vladimir Putin has been playing. It is brinksmanship that, by his own words, has now pushed the world to something like a Cuban-style missile crisis stand-off that threatens to blow out of all proportion. While the Titanic footage was laughable, what is not so funny is the mobilisation of Russia's troops and nuclear weapons along its border; aggressive posturing by the Americans; breakdown of diplomatic ties with Britain and the European Union; and the suspension of a key post-Cold War arms treaty that for decades has kept East and West apart. Relations between Britain and Russia started to break down last November when former KGB agent-turned-British-defector Alexander Litvinenko was fatally poisoned in London with a toxic radioactive gas. Scotland Yard believe he was killed by another ex-KGB man, Andrei Lugovoi, but Moscow has refused to hand over Lugovoi for questioning. Instead, Putin claimed on television that 30 people wanted by Russia for serious offences were hiding in London. Russian companies then set about demonising oil, gas and other foreign companies operating locally, for dumping toxic waste, for deforestation and other environmental "acts of terrorism". Foreign companies were urged to make financial or other concessions to the state. From last May, Russia stepped up its campaign of intimidation. The RAF was forced to scramble fighter jets for the first time in years to intercept Russian nuclear bombers flying near British airspace above the Scottish North Sea. The same happened in July and August; then in September a squadron of eight fighter jets and an airborne early-warning aircraft had to be scrambled to intercept eight Tupolev-95 Bear bombers. Norway also scrambled its fighters as the bombers cruised along its air border. Submarines were then detected off the British coast. It was a co-ordinated exercise with similar bomber mobilisation about the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic zones. Russia's new-found confidence stems from its booming economy. When Putin – who has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year – succeeded Boris Yeltsin in December 1999, the country was near collapse, with millions of people unemployed, state-employed bureaucrats, soldiers and scientists unpaid, and the pension scheme bankrupt. The nation split; former Russian states including Estonia, Lithuania and Hungary sided with the West. But the nation thrived as gas and oil exports drove economic growth at almost 8 per cent a year. Defence spending is now up by a quarter to $A35 billion a year. A new fleet of warships will be built, and supersonic bombers, fighters and missiles will be bought. By 2009, Russia will have one of the most advanced jet fighters in the world. On November 21, probably the most serious aggressive posturing was played out when Putin accused NATO of threatening Russian security and ordered his military to place the country's strategic nuclear arsenal on a higher state of alert.



He accused the NATO alliance of increasing military resources next to his borders. About the same time, the US announced plans to set up a missile shield operation including 10 interceptor missile launchers and a radar in Poland and/or the Czech Republic. The Cold War has begun to ice again. Source : Queensland Newspapers.

CASUALTY REPORTING HIGH

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EURO DEMOLITION BV Lijndenweg 5, NL 1948 ND BEVERWIJK

www.eurodemolition.com

Eight missing off Brunei Search still on for missing crew of Thai log-carrier which capsized in rough conditions last week. Eight crew members remain missing after their Thai vessel capsized in rough seas off the Brunei coast last week. Six crew from the 961-gt general cargo ship Emerald (built 1968) have so far been recovered alive, four apparently as long as four days after the ship sank.

NAVY NEWS

The former Belgian A 961 ZINNIA seen getting scrapped at the Van Heyghen Recycling facilities in Gent (Belgium) Photo : Jasper van Raemsdonck ©

Taiwanese navy celebrates 20th anniversary for submarines

GROWING THE FLEET: The two Dutch-made vessels were the focus of naval celebrations as a budget for more subs has been stalled by KMT legislators



By Jimmy Chuang New ships don't come easily for the nation's Navy. While commanding officers were celebrating the 20 years of service for the nation's two Dutch-made Zwaardvis-class diesel-electric submarines earlier this month, they must have been hoping for speedy legislative approval of a budget proposal for eight new US diesel-electric submarines. The budget remains blocked in the legislature by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). KMT Legislator Su Chi has said that the KMT legislative caucus would continue to debate the submarine purchase next year, while fellow Legislator Kuo Su-chun said the KMT would always support reasonable arms procurement, but continue to block unreasonable purchases. While attending the celebrations on Dec. 18 marking the 20th anniversary of the SS-793 Sea Dragon and SS-794 Sea Tiger at Mercury Port at the nation's largest naval base in Tsoying, Kaohsiung, President Chen Shui-bian expressed appreciation for the US government's promise of the eight new vessels, and expressed the hope that the budget proposal would be approved by the legislature as soon as possible so the deal can be carried out. Mercury Port houses the Navy's full complement of four submarines, which include two US-made Guppy-class (World War II era) vessels -- the SS-791 Sea Lion and SS-792 Sea Leopard -- as well as the two Dutch-made vessels.

The Navy's submarine fleet commander Rear Admiral Huang Shu-kuang said it was extremely difficult for the Navy to purchase proper submarines for defense purposes. As a result, the Navy has to do all it can to maintain the fleet while the Military of National Defense continues its efforts to buy more ships. Left : The crew of the SS-793 Sea Dragon submarine stand at attention on the submarine's 20th anniversary on Dec.18. 2007 PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI © "I would venture that we still have quality submariners despite the age of our vessels. I am also confident that our remaining

submarines are all in very good shape and capable of accomplishing all our necessary missions," Huang said. Just last month, the Sea Tiger and its crew completed a challenging long-term mission. But because of the sensitive nature of the exercise, the Navy could not provide any details. Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Wang Li-shen and family members of the Sea Tiger's crew gathered at Mercury Port to welcome the sailors upon their return. Naval tradition has it that when a big welcome like this is arranged it means that the vessel has been out at sea for more than a month. Retired Rear Admiral Ding Chien-ching, a former commander of the Navy's submarine fleet and the first captain of the Sea Tiger, said that to serve on a submarine is a tough job. The first group of sailors that was assigned to the two Dutch-made submarines had it even tougher as they participated in the entire building process of the two vessels. "I am quite proud to say that we know every single nut and bolt on those vessels," Ding said.



The retired captain said he and his fellow sailors arrived in Holland in 1983, when construction was just beginning on the two submarines. Every one of them participated in the process and they also did the final tests on their own when the two vessels were completed. "Our only hope was to finish the job as soon as possible so the two submarines could begin service as soon as possible," Ding said. In the Navy, submariners are regarded as hard-working and low-profile navy boys, he said. "That is because most of the time on board a submarine, we have to get a lot of things done instead of wasting our time complaining," Ding said. "That is what we were trained for and also the spirit of submarine personnel -- just shut up and do it." Ding's remarks were echoed by Captain Chan Ying-chi, current captain of the Sea Dragon. "People ask me what it takes to become a submarine captain. I tell them the spirit of `follow me' is the key in leading the crew," Chan said. As a leader, Chang said he always tries to encourage his fellow seamen by doing it first and doing it himself. "Gradually, you become a role model and the rest of the sailors will follow you," Chan said. "Do not complain. Just do it." The Zwaardvis Class (Swordfish) is a conventional attack submarine that replaced the Dolfijn Class in the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is based on the US Barbel Class with a teardrop hull design. Taiwan ordered two modified Zwaardvis Class submarines in September of 1981. A repeat order for four additional vessels was turned down by the Netherlands in 1992 following pressure from China. The Zwaardvis, which is 66.9m long, weighs 2,376 tonnes on the surface and 2,660 tonnes when submerged. It has six torpedo tubes. Top speed is about 20 knots (37kph). It carries 67 sailors, including eight officers and can dive to 240m. Source : Taipei Times

SHIPYARD NEWS

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Increase in ship reconstruction building at Colombo Port

Reconstruction and building of large scale ships and other maritime vessels inside the Colombo Port have recorded a tremendous increase during the first 11 months of this year. Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL) at the Colombo Port repaired 125 various vessels during the first 11 months of 2006. This has increased up to 157 during the first 11 months of 2007 marking a percentage of 25.6 per cent.



Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL) at the Colombo Port repaired 157 vessels during the first 11 months of 2007. CDL has repaired these 157 vessels as 39 general cargo vessels, 37 tankers, 31 fishing trawlers, five dredgers, 20 tug boats, six passenger vessels, 14 container vessels and four cement carriers. All these repaired ships and vessels belong to the public and private sectors of India, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Singapore, Greece, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands and Thailand. Besides these repair activities, CDL has also newly built and handed over two pilot launches, two fisheries patro vessels and one tug

boat making a total of five new buildings. Meanwhile, besides general vessel operations, the Port of Colombo has marked a growth of 48.4 per cent in receiving vessels for repairs and construction, water and food as well as to obtain bunkering facilities. During the first 11 months of last year, 62 vessels arrived at the Colombo Port and in 2007 it increased to 92. “The efficient and successful implementations of repair and construction activities of maritime vessels according to international standards inside the Colombo Port has effected towards the growth of the arrival of vessels into the Port of Colombo,” a spokesman said. It is expected to implement the ship repair and constructions at a wider scale once the Hambantota Port Project is completed. Source : Sri Lanka Daily News

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

RCL offloads oldie Regional Container Lines (RCL) has sold its 560-teu feedership Hari Bhum (built 1981) to Indonesian interests for $4m. The Thai intra-Asian operator said it expects to book an accounting gain of about $3.4m from the sale to PT Tanto Intim Line. Delivery of the ship is due to take place in January and will cut RCL’s fleet to 32 ships with an average age of 10 years. The Bangkok-listed shipowner said the proceeds from the sale would go towards the acquisition of replacement tonnage. Earlier this month RCL ordered a pair of 950-teu containerships at South Korea’s Dae Sun Shipping & Engineering for $24.4m a piece. Source : Tradewinds



SMIT acquires remaining 50% in URS

Photo : Piet Sinke ©

Smit Internationale N.V. agreed with Fairplay Towage to acquire Fairplay Towage’s 50% interest in URS. Through this acquisition SMIT will become 100% shareholder of URS, the leading towage provider in Belgium. The total consideration for this transaction amounts to EUR 182.5 million. The transaction will be paid partly in shares and partly in cash. The calculation is based on SMIT’s share price at closing of Euronext Amsterdam of 28 December 2007 of EUR 68.34. SMIT will increase its outstanding shares by issuing new shares to an amount of 9.99% of its outstanding shares, as per today which represents an amount of EUR 108 million. The cash consideration amounts to EUR 74.5 million. Closing of the transaction is expected in the first quarter of 2008 and is subject to regulatory competition authority filings and works council advice. CEO Ben Vree of SMIT says that URS in Antwerp is of strategic interest in SMIT’s network of harbour towage activities while the Antwerp harbour is expected to grow continuously. With this acquisition SMIT will be able to realize a number of synergies between its Rotterdam and Antwerp activities.

NOTE For the TUGSPOTTERS in the Rijnmond area the next :

Friday January 4th the tugs UNION RUBY and UNION EMERALD will depart from Antwerp and one of them will tow most probably ( weather pending ) the tug FIGHTER from Terneuzen, bound for Rotterdam, the same time the tugs UNION CORAL and UNION PEARL will depart from Zeebrugge, and all tugs will meet in Rotterdam, where the 4

tugs will be moored near the BANCKERT, most probably at the Parkkade in Rotterdam City centre where the tugs will be “on spec” for some time, most probably a good opportunity for the tug spotters to take some good pictures of

some of the latest additions of the URS over the last few years, all together on 1 photo ??



The "ship of the year 2007” awarded Deo Volente seen moored in Harlingen. Photo : Sipke Hogendorp ©

$50M set for Oakland harbor deepening President Bush signed an omnibus appropriations bill this week that included approximately $41.3 million for the Port of Oakland's harbor deepening Project. The bill also provides a little over $8.2 million for annual dredging operations and maintenance. The total funding, nearly $50 million, goes to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which is the federal agency responsible for the project. "With the Port of Oakland's already completed maritime infrastructure improvements combined with the Oakland Harbor Deepening Project and plans for new rail access at the port, we will be able to grow our cargo business," Port of Oakland Maritime Director James Kwon said in a written statement. Oakland is one of the primary ports providing cargo service to Hawaii and the harbor deepening project is seen as critical for handling more cargo from overseas. The Oakland seaport is the fourth-busiest container port in the United States. Source : San Francisco Business Times

The CS SOVEREIGN seen moored in Portland Photo : Piet Sinke ©



Thoresen orders at PT Pal Thoresen Thai Agencies has ordered four handymax bulkers at Indonesian shipbuilder PT Pal in a deal worth $157.6m. The Thai shipowner said it expects to take delivery of the vessels in July and October 2009 and April and July 2010. For the two ships delivering in 2009 Thoresen is paying 10% of the cost on contract signing and the remaining 90% on delivery. For the second pair 90% of the costs will be paid over four installments during the construction period with the final 10% on delivery. Thoresen says it stands to make a paper profit of $35m on the ships when they are delivered based on valuations by Simpson Spence & Young. According to estimates from the London broker the ships delivering in 2009 will be worth $50m each and those in 2010 $47.5m. Including these latest bulkers Thoresen now has nine newbuildings on order for delivery between 2009 and 2011. These include three handymax bulkers on order at Vietnam’s Vinashin and two 53,350-dwt bulkers at Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding. Source : Tradewinds

MOVEMENTS

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The PROGRESS ACE seen departing from Rotterdam-Europoort Photo : Arie Verheij ©



The CMA CGM FORTUNA seen enroute Rotterdam during her maiden voyage Photo : Henk van der Heijden ©

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The LNG BENUE seen moored in Cape Town Photo : Aad Noorland ©

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Number 002 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS...

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