Number 107 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS ...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 107

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Number 107 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 20-04-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

SPECIALE INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE – MAASVLAKTE 2

EDITIE

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

The MAERSK BATAM seen enroute Rotterdam-Waalhaven Photo : Piet Sinke ©



EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE 2009 Industrial Maintenance is de meest complete en grootste onderhoudsbeurs van Europa. Nadat de beurs in 2007 eenmalig verplaatst werd naar de maand juni, is de editie 2009 weer terug in april: van 21 t/m 23 april is Ahoy Rotterdam dé ontmoetingsplaats voor onderhoudsprofessionals. Met extra ruime openingstijden; dinsdag en woensdag is de beurs open tot 20.00 uur, op donderdag zelfs tot 22.00 uur. De dertiende editie van de vakbeurs staat garant voor een breed gamma aan exposanten. Niet minder dan acht brancheorganisaties geven acte de présence. Er is een uitgebreid beursprogramma dat volop gelegenheid biedt tot netwerken en profilering. En ook aan verdieping is gedacht: een congres, maintenance masterclasses en verschillende seminars bieden oplossingen voor actuele vraagstukken. Industrial Maintenance biedt een totaaloverzicht van de onderhoudsmarkt. Op de beurs exposeren ruim 320 bedrijven die aan uiteenlopende beheer- en onderhoudsorganisaties producten en diensten leveren. Nog niet eerder kwamen zoveel branche- en beroepsverenigingen samen onder één dak. Tijdens Industrial Maintenance zijn alle sectoren vertegenwoordigd in één branchepaviljoen: procesindustrie, infrastructuur, energie, luchtvaart en maritiem. Samen staan de verenigingen sterk met volop kennisuitwisseling tussen de branches onderling én richting de leden.

Tijdens de Industrial Maintenance presenteert United Homes, de specialist en marktleider in tijdelijke huisvesting van (buitenlandse) werknemers, tezamen met 5 andere bedrijven United Project Services. Een totaalproduct voor zowel de werknemer als de werkgever ten behoeve van grote projecten als Maasvlakte 2.



De TSHD’s ORANJE (links) en UTRECHT werkende aan Maasvlakte 2 Foto : Kees Bronkhorst ©

PUMA, Projectorganisatie Uitbreiding Maasvlakte, is een

samenwerkingsverband van de waterbouwers Boskalis en Van Oord. PUMA realiseert in opdracht van Havenbedrijf Rotterdam tussen 2008

en 2013 het eerste gedeelte van Maasvlakte 2.

Het toekomstbeeld van MAASVLAKTE 2

Tijdens Industrial Maintenance 2009 zullen er op het voorterrein van Ahoy diverse containers, kranen en lichtmasten geplaatst worden. Bedrijven die hun materieel presenteren zijn: A en E Europe, Baker Corp, Delta rent, Doornbos, Kleiss & Co, Lekkerkerker, Mourik, Reedijk, Riwal, Roteb, Swanenburg en Trustlube. Riwal zal de hoogste hoogwerker ter wereld plaatsen. Deze unieke machine met een reikwijdte van 36 meter en een hefvermogen van 600kg kan bezoekers tot maar liefst 102 meter de hoogte in vervoeren.



Industrial Maintenance 2009 vindt plaats van 21 t/m 23 april 2009 in Ahoy Rotterdam. Professionals kunnen zich registreren voor een gratis

bezoek via www.industrialmaintenance.nl/registratie

Openingstijden: Dinsdag 21 april : 10.00 - 20.00 uur Woensdag 22 april : 10.00 - 20.00 uur Donderdag 23 april : 10.00 - 22.00 uur

Op dinsdag en woensdag worden bezoekers tussen 17.00 en 18.00 uur voorzien van een gratis broodje en een drankje. Meer informatie:

www.industrialmaintenance.nl

Belgian ship seized as Dutch thwart pirate attack

Dutch marines Saturday freed 16 fishermen held captive by Somali pirates who launched a failed attack on a tanker in the Gulf of Aden, officials said, as a Belgian vessel was taken hostage by sea bandits. NATO and Dutch officials said an attack on a Greek-owned ship from the Marshall Islands, the Handytankers Magic,had failed but the nine suspected pirates had to be freed after being briefly detained. "This morning we intercepted a request for assistance from ... the Handytankers Magic, that had fallen victim to a pirate attack," Lieutenant Commander Alexandre Fernandes told AFP from aboard the Portuguese frigate Corte Real, which is under the NATO flag. "We immediately dispatched a Dutch NATO ship." A Dutch defence ministry spokesman said the attack on the tanker had been launched from a dhow, a traditional Arab sail boat, captured by pirates last Thursday. The pirates fled back to the dhow in small boats after the failed tanker attack, but a British naval vessel in the vicinity intervened and kept its guns trained on the group until Dutch marines arrived under NATO orders to board. The Dutch frigate, part of a NATO anti-piracy patrol operation, Allied Protector, had been escorting four merchant vessels some 10 miles away. "The marines found 25 people on board (of the dhow), nine of them suspected pirates," spokesman Robin Middel told AFP. They also found seven AK47 assault rifles and a rocket launcher, which were seized and destroyed. "The other people on the dhow were Yemeni fishermen who were hijacked by the suspected pirates." Middel said the suspects had to be freed on the instructions of a NATO squadron commander. "There exists no legal framework in the NATO for arrests to be carried out," he explained. The suspects were put back in their boat, and the freed fishermen sent on their way back home. Belgium meanwhile confirmed a ship belonging to the Jan de Nul group, which specialises in building artificial islands, had sent distress signals early Saturday and been captured about 150 kilometres north of the Seychelles. The 65-metre (213-foot) Pompei was spotted after having transmitting two alarms in the early morning hours and contact was lost. It was the first Belgian ship to be seized by pirates. Jaak Raes, the head of the Belgian crisis management centre, told a news conference that the nearest naval vessel, a Spanish ship, would only be able to reach



the area on Sunday. A reconnaissance flight by a Spanish naval helicopter revealed that the Pompei was towing a much smaller vessel -- thought to be a pirate boat -- and was turned towards the Somali coast 700 kilometres away. "For the present, we are trying to collect the maximum information in order to determine which path to follow," Raes said. "The most important thing is the lives of the men, not the ship or its cargo." The captain of the 1,850-tonne vessel is Dutch, and the rest of the crew comprises two Belgians, three Filipinos and four Croatians, he said. Somali pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden last year, an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau which tracks piracy. Heavily armed pirates operate high-powered speed boats and sometimes hold ships for weeks before releasing them for large ransoms paid by governments or ship owners. More than 150 suspected pirates were arrested by naval patrols in the Gulf in 2008.

A look at vessels still held by Somali pirates Some 18 ships and over 310 crew members are believed to be held by pirates off the coast of Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau, NATO and others. A look at the ships still being held: _ AUG 4: Pirates seize a Nigerian tug, the Yenagoa Ocean, with 11 crew members. _ NOV. 10: Pirates hijack a Philippines chemical tanker, the MT Stolt Strength, with 23 crew members. _ DEC. 16: Pirates seize a Malaysian tugboat with 11 Indonesian crew members. _ FEB. 22: Pirates take a Greek-owned cargo ship, the Saldanha, with a 22-member crew, off

Somalia's coast. The crew's nationalities are unknown. _ FEB. 28: State broadcaster in the Seychelles reports that Somali pirates hijacked the Serenity, a yacht with two Seychelles nationals on board. _ MARCH 25: Pirates seize Panama-registered, Greek-owned Nipayia with 18 Filipino crew members and a Russian captain. _ APRIL 1: Tour operator says pirates seized a tourist yacht and its crew of seven near the Seychelles. The Indian Ocean Explorer had dropped off its tourists before it was seized. _ APRIL 4: Pirates hijack German freighter Hansa Stavanger. It has 24 crew members: five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians, two Filipinos and 12 Tuvalus. _ APRIL 4: Pirates seize Taiwanese ship, Win Far 161, near the Seychelles islands. It has a crew of 30, including 17 Filipinos, six Indonesians, five Chinese and two Taiwanese. _ APRIL 5: Pirates hijack Yemeni fishing boat with 13 crew members in the Gulf of Aden. _ APRIL 6: British-owned bulk carrier, the Malaspina Castle, hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. It is carrying a crew of 24 from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Russia and Ukraine. _ APRIL 6: Pirates seize Taiwanese fishing boat with 30 crew off eastern Somalia.



_ APRIL 11: Pirates seize Italian tugboat Buccaneer off Somalia's north coast. Ten of the 16 crew members are Italian. The others are five Romanians and a Croatian. _ APRIL 14: Officials say two Egyptian fishing boats have been hijacked with a total of 36 crew. Boats seized either April 12 or 13th, it is not clear. _ APRIL 14: Pirates seize Greek-managed bulk carrier, the MV Irene E.M., in a rare overnight attack. The St.-Vincent and Grenadines-flagged ship with at least 21 Filipino seamen was sailing from Jordan to India. _ APRIL 14: Pirates capture the Lebanese-owned cargo ship the MV Sea Horse with 19 crew aboard. _ APRIL 18: Pirates seize a Belgian dredger, the Pompei, with two Belgians, a Dutch, three Filipinos and four Croatians onboard. Source : AP

"Dorian" rettet 75 Menschen von sinkendem Schiff

Hamburger Containerfrachter hat am 16. April vor der ostafrikanischen Küste 75 Menschen von einem sinkenden Passagierschiff gerettet. Ein Crewmitglied des Passagierschiffs wurde zwischen dem Rettungsboot und dem Schiffsrumpf eingeklemmt und kam dabei ums Leben, so ein Sprecher der Hamburger Reederei Komrowski. Die Besatzungen anderer Schiffe hätten vor der Küste von Tansania die Hilfe verweigert, weil sie eine Finte von Piraten vermuteten. Welche Nationalität die geretteten Passagiere haben, war zunächst unklar. Die "Dorian" der Hamburger Reederei hatte den SOS-Ruf des Passagierschiffs "Ile D'Anjouan" mit 76 Menschen an Bord gehört. Nach Rücksprache mit dem Internationalen Schifffahrtsbüro in London sei der Verdacht entkräftet worden, dass Seeräuber mit dem Notruf eine Falle gestellt hätten, berichtete der Sprecher. "Bemerkenswert ist, dass sich die "Dorian" außerhalb des Risikogebiets Piraterie mit Kurs auf Sansibar befand - während die Position des Passagierschiffs innerhalb der 'gefährlichen' Zone zu sinken drohte."

The ALBATROS departed under her new name SIR SILAS from Rotterdam Photo : Charles Bijl ©



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HAL’s ROTTERDAM seen at the N-shed passenger terminal, with bunker barge SMIT LiPUMA alongside, unusual to see a Smit barge bunkering a Dutch cruise liner in a South African port. - Photo : Trevor Jones ©

SOS success The threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean almost prevented a German ship from saving 75 passengers of a sinking boat on Thursday. One person was killed, however, while transferring from the stricken craft to the 1,524-teu Dorian (built 1994) off Tanzania in treacherous weather conditions. The Liberia-flagged boxship, which is owned and operated by Komrowski of Hamburg, received a distress signal from the 42-metre boat Ile D’Anjouan. Due to a surge in piracy in the region, however, some ships in the vicinity refused to answer the call for help while the Dorian’s mater was initially wary of responding. The German ship put in a call to the Maritime Security Centre in the UK which urged the master to heed the distress call. “High praise goes to the Maritime Security office with whom we were in regular contact,” said Komrowski managing director Roland Hoeger. “They were highly competent and gave us a lot of confidence that we should proceed.” Within one hour of receiving the distress signal the Dorian headed for the stricken vessel which it reached after four hours. Four children, 11 women, 32 men and 28 crew members made it safely onboard the boxship but one crew member fell during the transfer and was crushed between a lifeboat and the Dorian’s hull. The German ship has now reached Zanzibar where all 75 who were rescued are well and have disembarked.



The shipwrecked boat, which does not appear to have been registered anywhere, was sailing between Comoros and Zanzibar at the time. The Dorian was en route to Zanzibar on a regular itinerary in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf. Hoeger said Komrowski has taken extensive measures to avoid pirates in the region with the Dorian sailing 850 miles off the coast of Somalia when transiting between the Arabian Gulf and East Africa. This is 250 miles further out that the latest guidelines from various maritime bodies. Mombasa is the port furthest north along the coast where the ship calls while it stays within 12 miles of the African coast south of the Kenyan port. The owner has in the past re-routed some ships around the continent’s tip in order to avoid pirates, Hoeger said. Source : Tradewinds

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Investigation turns up dirt on foreign-owned freight ship

Coast guard officials and Hualien prosecutors said they found evidence that the Panamanian freighter Tosa was the ship involved in a collision that capsized the Taiwanese fishing vessel Hsing Tong-chuan 86 on Friday. Coast guard officials said they escorted the Panamanian freighter to Hualien for further investigation. The freighter arrived at Hualien Harbor about 3pm yesterday and is now under investigation by Hualien prosecutors. Hualien Coast Guard Deputy Chief Yang Chao-ching said they spent nearly a day in contact with the Tosa’s owners through diplomatic channels before escorting the freighter to Hualien for investigation. Investigators said they discovered fishing gear believed to belong to the Taiwanese boat that must have become entangled with the ship during the collision. Hsing Tong-chuan’s captain Ho Hsi-chuan and chief engineer Hsu Chung-wen remained missing at press time yesterday. Taiwanese and Japanese coast guard personnel continued their search for the missing men near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands, a fishery official said yesterday. The 99-tonne boat, based in Suao, Ilan County, capsized 37km west of the Diaoyutai Islands early on Friday. Eleven of the 13 crew manning the vessel were rescued by fishing boats operating nearby. Officials from the Maritime Patrol Directorate General under the Coast Guard Administration said a Japanese diver combed the interior of the sunken ship on Friday evening but did not find the missing men. Coast guard personnel from Taiwan and Japan will continue searching during the 72-hour “golden time” for rescue, the officials said. At first, three ships were suspected of involvement in the incident and the Panamanian tanker initially refused to put into Hualien Harbor for investigation, continuing its voyage to Singapore escorted by a coast guard vessel. The two other ships — the Fratzis Star of the Marshall Islands and the Hong Kong-registered CHS World — were also stopped, but were allowed to continue after radar data showed they were far from the collision site at the time. Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said Japan had dispatched five speed boats, two helicospters and three divers to assist in the search and rescue mission, while four Taiwanese coast guard ships and helicopters from the National Airborne Service Corps were also mobilized. The rescued Hsing Tong Chuan crew members include one Taiwanese fisherman, two Chinese, six Indonesians and two Filipinos.



The RIO DE JANEIRO EXPRESS seen in Rio Grande Photo : Marcelo Vieira ©

NATO frees pirate hostages, Belgian ship seized

Dutch commandos freed 20 Yemeni hostages on Saturday and briefly detained seven pirates who had forced the Yemenis to sail a "mother ship" attacking vessels in the Gulf of Aden, NATO officials said. In a separate incident, gunmen from Somalia seized a Belgian-registered ship and its 10 crew, including seven Europeans, further south in the Indian Ocean. "The Pompei is heading slowly towards the Somali coast," Peter Mertens, a spokesman for a Belgian government crisis centre, said. "We have had visual contact from a helicopter of a Spanish navy ship." Somali sea gangs have captured dozens of ships, taken hundreds of sailors prisoner and made off with tens of millions of dollars in ransoms despite an unprecedented deployment by foreign navies in waters off the Horn of Africa. The attacks have disrupted U.N. aid supplies, driven up insurance costs and forced some shipping companies to route cargo round South Africa, rather than risk approaching Somalia. NATO Lieutenant Commander Alexandre Fernandes, speaking on board the Portuguese warship Corte-Real, said the 20 fishermen were rescued after a Dutch navy frigate on a NATO patrol responded to an assault on a Greek-owned tanker by pirates firing assault rifles and grenades. Commandos from the Dutch ship, the De Zeven Provincien, pursued the pirates, who were on a small skiff, back to their "mother ship", a hijacked Yemeni fishing dhow. "We have freed the hostages, we have freed the dhow and we have seized the weapons... The pirates did not fight and no gunfire was exchanged," Fernandes told Reuters. The Corte-Real is also on a NATO anti-piracy mission. He said the hostages had been held since last week. The commandos briefly detained and questioned the seven gunmen, he told Reuters, but had no legal power to arrest them. "NATO does not have a detainment policy. The warship must follow its national law," he said. "They can only arrest them if the pirates are from the Netherlands, the victims are from the Netherlands, or if they are in Netherlands waters." He said an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade was later found on board the tanker, the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Handytankers Magic, managed by Roxana Shipping SA of Greece.



Mertens said fears grew for the Pompei, a dredging vessel, after it sounded two alarms early on Saturday when it was about 600 km (370 miles) from the Somali coast en route to the Seychelles. The ship was carrying two Belgian, four Croatian, one Dutch and three Filipino crew members. A pirate source who said he was on board the Pompei told Reuters in Mogadishu by satellite phone that the pirates would sail it to a coastal base. "We have hijacked a Belgian ship. We will take it to Haradheere," he said. Mertens said the Spanish Navy ship that sent the helicopter would probably make visual contact with the "Pompei"around 2000 GMT on Saturday, but did not have any special forces on board that could recapture the Belgian ship. "We have to think about their (the crew's) security before doing anything stupid and moving too fast," he said. The pirates had not made any ransom demands. Regional analysts and security experts say that without political stability in Somalia, which has been mired in conflict for 18 years, the pirate gangs will continue to thrive. On Friday, five gunmen in a skiff approached a Danish cargo vessel, the MV Puma, in the Gulf of Aden, prompting U.S. and South Korean warships to send aircraft to the scene. Last week pirates from the lawless Horn of Africa state captured two more ships and fired on two others. A French naval frigate seized 11 gunmen on Wednesday, foiling another attack. The Somali government plans to present its proposals to combat the sea gangs at a major donors' meeting on Somalia in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday. It says it needs more money to tackle insecurity on land and to provide jobs for the country's many out-of-work young men. Most of Somalia's pirate gangs operate from the semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland, where many of them say they first took to the seas to stop illegal fishing by European fleets and the dumping of toxic waste. In a Reuters interview late on Friday, Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole also blamed ship owners for paying ransoms that encouraged impoverished youths to join the gunmen. "But the root cause of this piracy, as everyone knows, is illegal fishing," Farole said in neighbouring Kenya. "That situation still exists, so any activity directed at eliminating piracy should also be combined with the elimination of illegal fishing by foreign trawlers."

Man dies on ferry crossing A man died on board an Irish Ferries vessel today after suffering a suspected heart attack. The incident happened on the Jonathan Swift fast ferry travelling from holyhead to Dublin at around 2pm.



The man is believed to have been from Northampton and was travelling with his wife and daughter when he suffered breathing difficulties about 40 minutes from port. A spokesman for Irish Ferries said a doctor travelling on board went to the man’s aid. “There was a doctor travelling as a passenger on board the ship and he was attended by that doctor,” he said. “The facilities on the ship were made available to the doctor, which included a defibrillator, but the man passed away while on board.” The man was taken by ambulance to hospital on arrival in Dublin. Gardaí were called to the ship but confirmed it was a sudden death. Source : breakingnews.ie

NAVY NEWS Carrier, strike group ships back in Va

Thousands of sailors aboard the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt are back in Norfolk after a seven-month deployment. Family and friends greeted the returning sailors Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk as the Nimitz-class carrier arrived home. Hours earlier, the guided missile cruiser Monterey and the guided missile destroyers Mason and Nitze sailed back to Virginia waters. The ships are part of a a carrier strike group that was deployed in support of maritime security operations in the Navy's 5th, 6th and 7th fleet areas of operations.

SHIPYARD NEWS

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

Bender contract canceled Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. said Friday that it is finalizing plans to sell three platform supply vessels to another customer after its original client, GulfMark Offshore Inc., canceled an estimated $76.5 million deal with Bender because of delays. Houston-based GulfMark told its shareholders in a public securities filing that Bender defaulted on its contract to build the three 245-foot vessels, which were scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2010. GulfMark said work on the vessels had stopped, an assertion that Bender did not dispute. GulfMark said that it would take an after-tax impairment charge of $29.2 million in the first quarter related to the vessels. In response to an interview request, company spokesman Bruce Croushore issued the following statement: "GulfMark has decided not to have Bender complete the vessels for them. Instead, with GulfMark's concurrence, Bender is in the process of closing the sale to a different customer. Construction ... will be completed by Bender in Mobile."



Maritime analyst Tim Colton put the value of the original deal at $76.5 million, or $25.5 million per vessel. This latest contract gone bad comes on the heels of last month's news that one of Bender's largest customers, Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. , canceled work valued at more than $500 million, also citing delivery delays. That work, for six tug-barge combinations and two tugs, involved three contracts dating back to September 2005. Bender said it reached an agreement to return vessel components to OSG, and Tom Bender, president and chief executive, said he was looking forward to "putting this chapter in the history books" and moving forward. In that case, Bender blamed delays on workforce and supply issues stemming from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Colton said that while Katrina can be blamed for all sorts of things, the OSG contract was an example of Bender biting off more than it could chew. "They took on more than they could handle and probably underpriced it, too," Colton said. Colton also suggested that the GulfMark contract was underpriced. Bender faces other legal action over alleged delivery delays. Trico Marine Assets sued Bender in December over a contract to build a pair of supply boats, which were delivered in August and November 2008. Trico said Bender owed it $3.46 million plus $1.55 million in late fees, but Bender countersued, claiming the delays were permissible and denying it owes Trico anything. The litigation, filed in U.S. District Court in Mobile, has not been resolved. Source : Al.com

Power cut Ukrainian shipyard 61 Communards has had its electricity supply stopped over unpaid bills. The Mykolaivoblenerho regional power distribution company turned off the lights on 10 April, yard director general Ihor Kozyrev told Ukrainian News. The yard was left with only emergency power after bills built up to unspecified levels for months. The country’s government allocated UAH 6m ($749,000) earlier this year to the state-owned shipbuilder to help pay wage arrears. The cash was also intended to go towards maintenance of the Ukraina cruiser at the Mykolaiv yard. But the industrial policy ministry wants to sell off some of the yard’s “movable property” to fully clear the back pay owed to workers. The ministry has submitted the proposal to the state property fund, which manages sell-offs of government-owned assets. There is apparently no question of privatising the shipyard, which can build vessels of up to 28,000 dwt. Source : Tradewinds

Sharp drop for Japanese shipbuilders A dramatic fall – the Japanese export ship orders fell 46.8 percent in the 2008 fiscal year (ending on March 31, 2009). This is the largest decline since 1992, according to the Journal of Commerce. In 2008, Japanese shipbuilders received export orders totalling 330 vessels (276 bulk carriers, 39 oil tankers and 15 general cargo vessels). The largest drop was seen in December, down 91 per cent. The order intake in March fell 81 per cent. Source : ShipGaz

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Mornes mess Swedish manager Thun has been criticised over its bridge manning levels after a bulker collided with a jetty in the UK. A report into the accident involving the 9,100–dwt self-discharging bulker Mornes (built 1991) found a series of mistakes in the lead-up to the clash at Hunterston Jetty on 11 March. The vessel was preparing to depart with about 8,000 tonnes of coal. The master completed his pre-departure checks and instructed the mooring parties to let go the head and stern lines before he had control of the propulsion system on the bridge, the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said. The ship started to move up the jetty as propeller pitch was inadvertently applied from the engine control room (ECR). The master attempted to clarify the situation with the chief engineer but was hampered by “poor quality communication equipment between the bridge and the ECR.” MAIB added that the second mate let go the after springs as the ship gathered speed and as the master tried to take control of the propulsion. However, the control levers in the ECR and the bridge were misaligned which prevented the transfer. By the time this was realised the forward springs parted and the ship made contact with a concrete dolphin at 3.1 knots, 70 metres ahead of the berth. The ship suffered structural damage to the bow area. MAIB wrote to Thun expressing concern that the master was alone on the bridge and strongly advising the company to review its bridge manning level requirements during port arrival and departure. Since the accident, Thun has:

• introduced more comprehensive bullet point arrival and departure checklists. • updated the Quality Management System manual to include propulsion system functional tests from the bridge

prior to arrival and before mooring lines are let go on departure. • made arrangements to change the communication system between the bridge and the ECR. • introduced drills for practising control and transfer of propeller pitch between the various control positions. • fitted a gag to the ECR propeller pitch control lever to prevent the inadvertent application of pitch.

Source : Tradewinds



The FLINTERCARRIER and FLINTERCROWN seen laid up in Rotterdam Photo : Frits Janse ©

Seven in ten UK Club ships attract high ratings

Some 70 per cent of the ships visited by the UK P&I Club’s own inspectors in 2008 were given a high rating with no comment or formal suggestions for improvement. This was six per cent higher than the previous year. The remaining 30 per cent attracted comments relating almost entirely to service and maintenance and safety standards, which the inspectors focus on during their four-hour checks. Again, there was a marked improvement on 2007. Ship visits enable managers to keep an eye on the quality of entered fleets. The inspectors, four ex-masters and a former chief engineer, visited 479 vessels in 2008----around 15 per cent of the total entered fleet. They concentrate on areas which could produce accidents and injuries, and other liability claims. If there is serious concern over quality standards on a vessel, a full condition survey is instigated by the inspector and carried out by an independent surveyor. Some 23 ships, just five per cent of those inspected, were deemed below standard in one or more areas and five---only one per cent---were considered sufficiently unsatisfactory to require a full condition survey. Two were general cargo vessels, two were oil tankers and one was a bulk carrier. Three were over 20 years old. Ships over 20 years old are particular targets for the inspectors, especially if they have not been visited recently or have not undergone condition surveys in the past five years. In 2008, 85 such vessels, including some with shortcomings noted in 2007, were inspected with 22 incurring recommendations for repair. For some time, the age profile of the UK Club’s entries has been younger than the average for the world’s oceangoing merchant fleet. Currently, 56 per cent of vessels are under nine years old and only 18 per cent are over 20. The world fleet averages are 52 per cent and 21 per cent respectively. Last year, inspections took place in the Netherlands, Belgium, Taiwan, USA, United Arab Emirates, China, India, United Kingdom, Singapore, Italy, Canada, Venezuela and Argentina. The pattern of ships visited was fairly representative of the Club’s profile. However, bulk carriers and general cargo ships had a higher proportion of visits. A recent study by Intercargo has indicated that UK Club entered vessels have one of the best records for low rates of Port State Control detentions. During 2008, some 252 third party condition surveys were carried out, the same number as the previous year. There were 175 initial surveys, principally on new entries----a few before but most shortly after acceptance. Surveys were also occasioned by insurance claims, class society changes, vessel age, the carriage of heavy fuel oil, inspection visits and reactivation after lay-up. Managers’ recommendations for repair were issued to 51 ships. For dry cargo ships, most related to cargoworthiness, particularly hatch covers. Disregard of the onboard ISM system was also noted on several vessels. About 30 per cent of surveys were follow up exercises to check that work had been carried out satisfactorily.



Since 2006, heavy fuel oil surveys have been required by the International Group on any tanker more than 10 years old which has carried HFO in the 12 months prior to renewal. All three UK Club tankers surveyed in 2008 were assessed as satisfactory. Ship names and condition survey dates are logged on an International Group database under procedures for ship safety, agreed and advised to states in the context of the IOPC Funds. Underwriters check this database prior to considering a ship for entry. By the end of 2008, total inspections since the scheme started in 1990 stood at 9664. Karl Lumbers, the UK Club’s Loss Prevention Director, maintains that the ship inspection programme has assumed much greater importance since it began. “Experience has enabled us to target the vessels and circumstances where inspectors’ observations and advice will be most valuable. In the great majority of cases, inspection provides an early warning system to spot shortcomings which might otherwise become more serious. Accordingly, masters and operators appreciate what the UK Club is doing.” Source: UK P&I Club

The tug ALPHONSE LETZER seen in Shanghai connecting up to the new build Smit barges which will be towed in tandem tow towards Europe

Photo : Ron van den Heuvel ©

Super Puma choppers to be temporarily grounded in the UK

Oil and gas companies operating off the coast of the UK are temporarily refraining from flying the two models of Super Puma helicopter subject to the latest recommendation issued by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). UK Oil and Gas said this will apply to all passenger flights over the weekend. The AAIB recommended that Eurocopter, with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), develop and implement an inspection of the internal components of the main rotor gearbox epicyclic module for all AS332L2 and EC225LP model helicopters as a matter of urgency to ensure the continued airworthiness of the main rotor gearbox. The AS332L2 was the model of Super Puma that crashed on April 1 killing all 16 people aboard. Twenty-five helicopters in the UK offshore fleet will be affected. This inspection is in addition to an earlier EASA Emergency Airworthiness Directive, and the AAIB said it should be made mandatory with immediate effect by an additional EASA directive. Representatives from the oil and gas companies together with helicopter operators Bond, Bristow and CHC Scotia will meet on Sunday afternoon to determine what further action needs to be taken in light of the implications of further details expected to emerge from the European Aviation Safety Agency over the weekend. AAIB's examination of the wreckage from the April 1 crash had identified that the accident occurred following a catastrophic failure of the main rotor gearbox within the epicyclic module, leading to main rotor detachment. The sequence of failure is now better understood, but further work is required to determine the initiating event.



The work continues as the final failure of the gearbox involved metal debris being shot through the meshing gears and bearings, absorbing energy from the engines and the rotor assembly, leading to the gearbox bursting. This has resulted in a large amount of secondary damage to all gearbox components, potentially masking the initial failure. Source : Energy Current

Mærsk rig arrived at Esbjerg yard for refit A number of subcontractors in Esbjerg headed by Semco Maritime have once again won a contract for the upgrading and refitting of a drilling rig at the quayside in Esbjerg. The latest contract is for a refit of Maersk Drilling’s harsh environment jack-up rig the Mærsk Gallant. The rig has arrived in Esbjerg after more than four years working in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The refit will involve several hundred persons. A whole site with containers comprising canteens and changing rooms has been built on the quayside. The rig was towed from Norway to Esbjerg by the Maersk Advancer. The Mærsk Gallant, built in 1993, will remain in Esbjerg for 30 days. Afterwards, it will be towed back to the Norwegian sector for drilling operations for Conoco-Philips for a period of twelve months. Source : ShipGaz

Above seen the load-out at GPC berth at Abu Dhabi ( Musaffah) of a Buoy (285 mt) build for Sapref South Africa on the BBC Greenland.

Photo : Capt. Will van 't Hek - GLOBAL CARGO CARE ©



MERGOR HALFWAY IN KOREA

In Busan (South Korea) Mergor has successfully passed the halfway point by completing the immersion of tunnel element 10 on the 18th of April. In total 18 tunnel element has to be placed on the seabed making a 3,2 kilometre long tunnel between Jungjuk and Gaduk Island. This tunnel is part of the Geoje Fixed Link which consists also two span bridges connecting Busan with Geoje island. The last tunnel element will be placed in april 2010. With tug boats each tunnel element is towed over 35 kilometres from the mooring location to the immersion

location. Here the specialist of Mergor will place the element (weight 48.000 ton) within the tolerance of 35 mm on the seabed and connect it to the previous layed element. Tunnel element 10 has been placed at a depth of 37 meters. With tunnel element 13 the deepest point 52 meter the deepest point will be passed. During the immersion process Strukton daughter company “OTN” Onderwater Techniek Nederland is using a Self Propelled Diving Bell (SPDB) “Aurora”. This specially modernized submarine is equipped with the latest navigation equipment and is capable to operate at depths up to 300meters. It’s used form underwater inspection and with its manipulators it’s a multi task peace of equipment. The “Aurora” can also be used as a diving bell.



The TSHD UTRECHT seen operating near the Maas Oost buoy for works on the Maasvlakte 2 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/

P&I Club warns for more stowaways The number of stowaways has declined steadily in recent years, not least due to the introduction of the ISPS Code. Now it seems that this trend has been broken. The Standard P&I Club reports that its number of claims has risen from 50 in 200, to 80 in 2008. The claims involved 87 stowaways in 2007 and 149 in 2008. According to Standard, stowaways are usually desperate people driven by economic and political forces, and in the current global economic situation this may escalate, especially in West, South and North Africa, the West Coast of Latin America, the Caribbeans, and some Red Sea and East Africa ports, and the risk is highest in ports with a lax ISPS regime. Nearly 50 per cent of the stowaways come from West Africa. Since 2000, the club has handled 982 cases involving a total of 2,051 stowaways. 45 per cent were found on container vessels, 16 per cent on bulkers, 11 per cent on car carriers and 9 per cent on ro-ro carriers. Source : Shipgaz

Above seen the YANGTZE harbour which will be the future corridor to the new Maasvlakte 2 Photo : Rik van Marle ©



OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX

The INDUSBANK seen from her near sister SMITHBANK Seen near Wick (Scotland) in July 1980

Photo : Willem Hoogendijk ©



…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The CMA CGM BIZET seen outward bound at Maaspilot station seen from the pilot tender Mercury 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/

DEZE SPECIALE BEURSEDITIE IS TOT STAND GEKOMEN DOOR :

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Number 107 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS ...

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