daily collection of mar itime press clippings 2014 –...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 346

Distribution : daily to 31675+ active addresses 12-12-2014

Number 346 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Friday 12-12-2014

News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

CROWLEY working for SARENS transiting the Miraflores Lock transporting the 8th and

final new lock gate for the future Pacific locks on the Crowley Barge 455-4. Photo : John Ara ©

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IN MEMORIAM

Ik moet weer op zee gaan, Een goed schip en in ’t verschiet

Een ster om op aan te sturen, Anders verlang ik niet.

Na een lange periode van afnemende gezondheid is op 57-jarige leeftijd toch nog onverwachts overleden

KORNELIS VAN DER ENDE

KEES

26 april 1957 7 december 2014

Kees hield van bloemen

De plechtigheid voorafgaande aan de begrafenis zal plaatsvinden vandaag, vrijdag 12 december, om 13:00 uur in de aula van begraafplaats Emaus, Emaus 6 te Vlaardingen, waarna Kees wordt

begeleid naar zijn laatste rustplaats

Na de begrafenis is er gelegenheid tot condoleren en samenzijn in de ontvangstruimte.

****KEES, RUST ZACHT ****

Correspondentie adres : Hans van der Ende Mosberg 54 4708 NA Roosendaal



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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

A SADLY MISSED SILHOUETE ON THE CLYDE

Photo’s : Iain Forsyth © Left : Flying Phantom, launched from Fergusons Port Glasgow on 11.11.1981 assisted by her company sister Flying Demon shortly after she entered the River Clyde

The FLYING PHANTOM was a tug built in 1981 for the Clyde Shipping Company

and based in Greenock in Scotland. As a consequence of business takeovers and mergers, by 2001 she was owned by Svitzer Marine Ltd of Middlesbrough, though still based on the Clyde.

Right : Happier times returning to Victoria Harbour Greenock after docking Queen Elizabeth 2 at the Container Base.

She sank in the River Clyde at Clydebank on 19 December 2007, with the loss of Stephen Humpreys (captain), Robert Cameron (engineer) and Eric Blackley (deckhand) with only Brian Aitchison surviving. She was one of three tugs assisting the bulk carrier Red Jasmine. On the night of the accident, there was extremely poor visibility, due to heavy fog.

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Following the incident the Marine Accident Investigation Branch carried out a full investigation on the accident, and their report was published in September 2008. The MAIB concluded that failings in the safety regime of the harbour authority Clydeport, as well as operational shortcomings by the tug operator, contributed to the capsize of FLYING PHANTOM and the loss of the three crew-members. Left : A forlorn sight Flying Phantom lying at the top of King George V Dock Glasgow with her top monitor cut away during the salvage operation.

Earlier reports that criminal charges had been laid against Clydeport and Svitzer were confirmed on 22 April 2013. In October 2013, Svitzer pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws, and was fined £1.7 million. In September 2014 Clydeport was also fined. The Phantom carried four company liveries in her life, Clyde Shipping Company, Cory Ship Towage, Wijsmuller Marine and lastly Svitzer Marine.

Ship live photo The EMMA MAERSK inbound for Rotterdam-Europoort – Click on the photo to see the Video !

Photo / Film : Cees van der Kooij ©

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA86UkAdTK4&list=UUDj-bLkfn3RqZ1v_lMZvCgQ�

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Tugboat seized, skipper and crew detained off Labuan

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Labuan has seized a tugboat for violating the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 (MSO) in the waters off Labuan Tuesday night. MMEA Labuan chief enforcement officer, Maritime Captain Che Adnan Md Isa, said a local skipper, 18, along with his three crew, including two Indonesians, aged 19 to 44, were detained for further investigation.He said they were detained under the Ops Sejahtera, which was conducted around 8pm, a few nautical miles from the shoreline of Labuan and spotted the vessel plying suspiciously.During a check, MMEA's enforcement team found the tugboat operator failed to produce a Certificate of Competency and had not reported to the port authority on the change of skipper handling the vessel, which is a must under the MSO."The boat has been surrendered to an investigation unit and until the operator can prove documents the boat will be detained," he said.He said the operation would be intensified to ensure vessel operators adhered to MSO's requirement. Source : dailyexpress

The SUPER SERVANT 3 anchored off Singapore – Photo : Piet Sinke © – Click on the photo !

Oil tanker adrift off coast of Nova Scotia after loss of steering

An oil tanker carrying 675,000 barrels of crude oil was drifting Wednesday off the coast of Nova Scotia after losing its steering. A spokesman for Teekay Corp., the ship’s owner, said the AUSTRALIAN SPIRIT started having problems Tuesday evening.Jonathan Anthony said the tanker was about 70 kilometres southeast of Halifax early Wednesday afternoon and it wasn’t near any other ships. One tugboat, the ATLANTIC LARCH, had reached the vessel and another tugboat that is capable of towing the tanker was expected to arrive by the evening, he said.“The crew and cargo are safe. … We obviously take it very seriously, but there’s no imminent danger,” he said in an interview from Vancouver. Keith Laidlaw, an environmental response officer with the coast guard, said if the steering can’t be fixed then the tugs will make a towing plan to bring the tanker into harbour for repairs.The vessel was not in danger of breaking up and its drift towards shore had slowed as seas calmed, he said, adding that if the ship is towed that wouldn’t begin until Thursday morning.Laidlaw said the vessel’s towing plan would have to be approved by Transport Canada. Source : The Canadian Press

New Korean Register head aims to restore confidence after Sewol

The Korean Register of Shipping's new chairman and CEO Park Bum-Shik aims to restore the classification society's reputation following criticism concerning the Sewol disaster in April. Park, formerly the Korea P&I Club chief operating officer was inaugurated as KR's new chief in Busan on 9 December.

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"We should build healthy corporate culture with respect and enough communications, fulfill KR's own classification duty faithfully, strengthen global competitiveness, and create new business opportunities," Park said during his inaugural speech.

"Let's turn our current crisis into an opportunity to become a prestigious classification society," he added. Park also urged employees to restore sense of pride and credibility at home and abroad. Former KR chief Chon Young-Ki stepped down after the Sewol disaster. The Sewol capsized during a routine Incheon-Jeju trip on 16 April, leaving 304 out of 476 passengers either dead or missing. There has been a criticism of poor safety inspection of Sewol, which KR conducted two months ahead of the disaster.

Park is a Korea Maritime University graduate in navigation science. He has a doctorate degree in business administration from the same school.He headed the maritime division of Pan Ocean Shipping and was the executive vice-president of Wilson Korea Insurance before joining Korea P&I club in 2006.According to a KR press statement, approximately 400 employees attended the ceremony. Source : ihsmaritime360

KiwiRail Admits It Will Charter ‘El Lemon Dos’

Interisland Rail Ferry ARATERE berthed in Picton 16th December 2013 and approaching dawn.

Photo: Dianna Robjohns © KiwiRail was quick to dismiss New Zealand First’s statement that the ferry ARAHURA would be replaced with the rust bucket STENA ALEGRA. But today that’s just what KiwiRail announced.“Why was our information, that came directly from KiwiRail at the coal-face, denied,” asks New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Does no one at KiwiRail know what is really going on? Or why were they trying to cover it up?“Spanish-built STENA ALEGRA has proved totally useless in its time on Cook Strait filling in for the ARATERE which has had endless problems.

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Stena Alegra anchored at #1 anchorage off Picton NZ. Photo : Alan Robjohns ©

“The STENA ALEGRA should remain moored off Indonesia where it is awaiting repairs, it has no place on an important New Zealand route that is a vital transport connection. “KiwiRail says the STENA ALEGRA will be chartered to replace ARAHURA but it cannot even dock property to take railway wagons so the freight has to be loaded on to other vehicles.

“Where’s the Minister on this? Missing, just as previous Minister Brownlee was. It seems running a ferry service is just too hard for the National government.“How much more money is going to be poured down the drain in yet another half-hearted decision.“Tens of millions were spent and wasted on the ARATERE, a fortune has gone on hiring the STENA ALEGRA and now more will be put into the charter and the upgrade of KiwiRail’s second lemon.” Source : business.scoop

LA, Long Beach urge Obama to break west coast dock impasse

PRESIDENT Barrack Obama has been urged by the heads of the two largest US ports to pressure on the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to end the contract impasse that is crippling west coast ports and threatening the nation's economy.

Chief executive of the port of Long Beach, Jon Slangerup, told a dinner meeting that "enough is enough" and that "these guys have to get back to work". Executive director of the port of Los Angeles, Gene Seroka, said that the mayors of Los Angeles and Long Beach are in constant contact with the White House and are demanding federal pressure to achieve quick results.

A White House spokesman said in mid-November that the US president was confident the two sides could reach a deal. The ILWU and PMA would both have to request a federal mediator to get the process going, but the president could pressure them to seek one.The ILWU's members are working, but very slowly. The PMA said that beginning in late October, workers in Seattle and Tacoma reduced crane productivity from 28 container moves per crane per hour to less than 20, the reports Newark's Journal of Commerce.

The Marine Exchange of southern California issues daily reports showing containerships at anchor in Los Angeles-Long Beach range from four or five to more than 10, depending upon the day of the week. The PMA said the ILWU is filling only 50 per cent of the work orders for skilled equipment operators needed for yard work.

The ILWU and PMA began contract negotiations in May. The ILWU has been working without a contract since July 1, and with no contract there is no grievance machinery in place. That means employers are helpless in preventing work slowdowns. The one development that needs no explanation is the increasingly bitter public exchanges that have taken place between the PMA and ILWU since October."It has gotten worse," Mr Slangerup said. The stalemate should send a clear signal to the White House that it is time for action. "The President has to act. It is long overdue," he said.

Mr Seroka said the ILWU-PMA contract impasse has created an environment of inertia that is preventing all of the port stakeholders, including shipping lines, terminal operators and labour from addressing the pressing operational issues that are contributing to the congestion. These conditions have clearly resulted in a loss of cargo in what should have been a banner year at the ports. Mr Seroka noted that Los Angeles' volumes are up 7.5 per cent even with all of the problems. "Where would we have been without this?" he said. Source : Asian Shipper



Ship live photo The DUBAI AMBASSADOR inbound for Rotterdam – Click on the photo to see the Video !

Photo / Film : Cees van der Kooij ©

Container terminal sector experiencing change with a new breed of operator

By Gavin van Marle

A new breed of international container terminal operators has emerged over the past few years to challenge established companies which have traditionally dominated the sector.Localised players, such as ICTSI, SSA Marine, Eurogate and HHLA, have always had particular strengths in certain areas, but for almost a decade the container terminal operating industry’s four main global players have been ever-present in bidding for new concessions and privatisation opportunities – Hutchison, PSA, DP World and APM Terminals. Now however, according to the latest Global Terminal Operators Annual review released by Drewry, two new entrants have been added to the list of global terminal operators this year – France-based Bolloré and China Merchants Holdings International (CMHI). Drewry’s director of ports, Neil Davidson, described CMHI as “a significant new entrant this year”, calculating that after its 49% acquisition of the CMA CGM’s Terminal Link subsidiary, the company now has a 3.6% market share of the global container terminal industry.

In contrast, the largest box port operator in terms of volumes remains Singapore’s PSA, which has an 8% global market share, and last year handled 61.8m teu, around half of which was at its flagship Singapore transhipment hub.

In terms of market share it is followed by Hutchison with 7%, APM Terminals with 5.5% and DP World with 5.1%.

He added that APMT and DP World had the most developed geographical spread of the four main operators.“The strategy of terminal operators varies from company to company – all the pure stevedores and hybrid carrier/operator companies remain active, mainly in terms of greenfield and brownfield expansion, but also because of a degree of acquisitions,” Mr Davidson said.

He added that at the same time, investments by shipping lines in dedicated facilities had ground to a halt, with several looking to offload minority stakes in their terminals to financial investors.Nonetheless, the sector has remained

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fantastically profitable, with terminal operators maintaining an EBITDA margin of 20-45%, depending on “the level of risk in each operator’s portfolio”, which operators maintained even in 2009 when the financial crisis decimated volumes.In addition, merger and acquisition activity has intensified as financial investors have looked to re-enter the sector, while emerging operators, particularly CMHI, have sought to expand their networks.“CMHI has aggressive expansion intentions and further acquisitions seem particularly likely,” he said.

“At the same time, regional players such as Gulftainer and Yilport will be contending for global container terminal operator status soon,” he added.Drewry has forecast that global container terminal volumes will reach 840m teu by 2018, with an average growth rate per year of 5.6%, and this would increase terminal utilisation from the 67% seen in 2013 to a near-critical 75% by 2018.Meanwhile, the impact carriers grouping themselves into four major alliances will also be far-reaching, “because of the concentration of volumes that that brings and the logical desire of the alliance members to bring the volumes together in one terminal”.He said currently volumes are often spread across different terminals in one port, which requires either inter-terminal transfers or separate calls at different terminals in one port – and this is “creating a lot of pressure for concentration of capacity in ports”.

Mr Davidson continued: “One of the big issues is that is that capacity is fragmented for historical reasons in many ports – so that both physically and in terms of ownership capacity is often scattered around, and bringing that together in a fewer number of larger terminals in one port is difficult because it is a significant expense – but that’s the nature of demand, which is also tied in with the introduction of bigger ships, and begs the question of who is going to pay.” Source : The loadstar

09-12-2014 : The GO CAPELLA IMO 9528938, 2009/2310gt ex Hako Jewell till dec 2010, off Sorrento to Geelong,

Photo : Andrew Mackinnon – www.aquamanships.com ©

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Mergers and alliances shake up container carrier rankings

Mergers and acquisitions and soon-to-launch alliances are changing the rankings of the JOC Top 40 Container Carriers in U.S. containerized trade. Volume increased 2.7 percent year-over-year to 23.7 million 20-foot-equivalent units in the first nine months of 2014, with Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. accounting for 21.4 percent of total trade. The two partners in the 2M Alliance, scheduled to launch in January, had combined U.S. exports totaling nearly 2.2 million TEUs, or 22.9 percent of the market, while their 2.9 million TEUs in U.S. imports gave them a combined 20.4 percent market share.

MSC and Maersk sit in the top 2 spots of the JOC Top 40 Container Carriers rankings with MSC in first place, holding 12.8 percent share in U.S. exports and 10.5 percent share in U.S. imports through September. Maersk follows with a 10.1 percent share in U.S. exports and 9.9 percent share in U.S. imports through September. In total U.S. trade, MSC garnered an 11.4 percent share and Maersk controlled 9.9 percent through September. The two carriers operating in the U.S. trades increased their volumes by 5.9 percent year-over-year — more than twice the rate of the industry as a whole — to 5.1 million TEUs.

Members of the pending Ocean Three Alliance — CMA CGM, China Shipping and United Arab Shipping Co. — ranked fourth, 18th and 21st in U.S. exports, respectively, and sixth, 15th and 18th in U.S. imports for the nine-month period. Altogether, their volume through September was nearly 2.5 million TEUs and 10.4 percent of the total trade, positioning the O3 between the individual volumes of MSC and Maersk.

Ship live photo The MAERSK EINDHOVEN inbound for Rotterdam – Europoort Click on the photo to see the Video ! Photo / Film : Cees van der Kooij ©

Here are three other things we can glean from the data through September and events that will shape the rankings in the future:

Q. What about mergers and acquisitions in the container carrier landscape?

Hapag-Lloyd’s merger with CSAV received approval from competition authorities on Dec. 1. The combined carrier ranked third in U.S. exports through September, with a 7.6 percent market share and 2.1 percent year-over-year growth, and the No. 4 spot in U.S. imports with a 7.1 percent share and 15 percent year-over-year growth, according to PIERS, the data division of JOC Group.

In October, Brazilian orange juice producer Cutrale Group and investment firm Safra Group acquired Chiquita Brands International, the fruit and vegetables company that owns Great White Fleet. The unsolicited deal came after Chiquita’s board of directors rejected a stock-for-stock merger with Dublin, Ireland-based Fyffes, which owns seasonal carrier Agriex. Great White ranked 25th in U.S. exports and 20th in U.S. imports in the first nine months of the year, while Agriex ranked 37th in U.S. imports. In September, Saltchuk Resources closed on its acquisition of Tropical Shipping/Thompson Line, which operates in the U.S.-Caribbean trade, adding to the former’s shipping portfolio that includes Totem Ocean Trailer Express serving the U.S.-Alaska trade, and Sea Star Line, operating between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Tropical and Thompson will remain separate brands and will operate as sister companies to Sea Star. The three brands ranked ranked 19th in U.S. exports and 27th in U.S. imports through September. In late August, Russia-based Baltic Reefers acquired NYKCool from NYK Reefers. The name has changed to Cool Carriers AB, and its

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25-vessel fleet will remain independent and based in Stockholm. After ranking 40th among U.S. import carriers in the first half of the year, Cool Carriers didn’t make the rankings through September.

Germany’s Hamburg Sud is scheduled to acquire the container operations of Chilean carrier CCNI on Dec. 31, and Matson is scheduled to acquire Horizon Lines, including its Alaska operations, in 2015 upon the completion of the sale of Horizon’s Hawaii operations to Pasha Group. Separately, Horizon Lines will terminate its Puerto Rico liner operations by year-end.

The NYK VENUS outbound from Rotterdam – Photo: Cees van der Kooij ©

Q: How big was U.S. trade in the first nine months of 2014?

U.S. imports increased 5.4 percent to 14.3 million TEUs, and represented 60.3 percent of total U.S. trade. Volume at 16 of the JOC Top 40 Import carriers declined year-over-year. U.S. exports totaled 9.4 million TEUs, down 1.1 percent year-over-year. Individual carrier results were mixed, with year-over-year declines at 22 of the JOC Top 40 Export carriers.

Q: How big is the global container fleet?

As of Dec. 1, research analyst Alphaliner calculated active global capacity at 18.8 million TEUs on 5,978 ships, including 18.3 million TEUs of capacity on 5,034 fully cellular ships. Year-over-year, that’s 5.9 percent, or more than a million TEUs, of additional liner capacity, while netting 35 more ships in the fleet. Since early September, active liner capacity has grown another 1.3 percent, or nearly 250,000 TEUs, while netting 18 more ships in the fleet. Source : JOC

The BF AURELIA inbound for Rotterdam – photo : Krijn Hamelink ©

BIMCO again protests EU demand for cargo info in CO2 emissions rule

SHIPOWNERS's Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) has again voiced displeasure at the European Union's demand for cargo information in its proposed reporting system on shipboard CO2 emissions.

BIMCO said the demand not only creates red tape, it has no bearing on the environment and may damage prospects of reaching an international agreement at the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO), reports London's Tanker



Operator."We find it hard to see how the cargo data will be of value as it serves no purpose for limiting CO2 emissions or assessing ships' future performance capabilities," said BIMCO deputy secretary general Lars Robert Pedersen.

BIMCO has repeatedly voiced concerns over the European Commission's (EC) requirement to report information about cargo when a vessel enters the emissions control area (ECA), which from January 1 includes the English channel, the North and Baltic Seas.This could be is commercially sensitive, BIMCO argued, saying that the EC Regulation on monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) creates a unilateral European system that will become operational as of 2018, applying to ships above 5,000 gross tonnes arriving and/or departing from EU ports.Apart from reporting data on CO2 emissions and distance sailed, this regulation will require ships to report cargo-related information, which BIMCO said will create problems related to data reliability, confidentiality, reporting responsibilities and obligations.

The regulation still needs approval of the European Parliament and Council of Ministers, a process that need not entail further changes to the specifics of the agreement, which is expected to be finalised by January. Source : Asian Shipper

Adding insult to injury as another decision of the European Court of Human Rights is even more repugnant and insulting to all

Seafarers who have survived Piracy Attacks.

Close on the news that the French government has been ordered to pay thousands in compensation to Somali pirates who had attacked French ships, "because the pirates' human rights were disregarded when they were arrested". The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has again given a ruling that Denmark has to compensate nine Somalis suspected of trying to hijack a Danish ship in 2013 because they were detained too long before being brought before a judge. Each Pirate received 19,600 Danish crowns ($3,247) for the 13 days they were detained, a spokesman from the prosecutor in Copenhagen said The nine Somalis were charged with piracy after they attempted to hijack a tanker vessel Torm Kansas, in the Indian Ocean in November 2013. They were arrested after their unsuccessful attack by the Danish Navy support ship Esben Snarre. Roy Paul Programme Director of MPHRP said that obviously it was 13 days before they could be brought before a judge in the Seychelles . In media reports of the judgement it has stated that 'according to Danish law, a citizen cannot be held in custody for more than 24 hours without being brought before a judge' but these pirates from Somalia are nether citizens of Denmark or the EU so why does this rule apply to them? The judges don't seem to know about the horror these armed criminals cause to the seafarers and their families. The judges appear to be looking at the letter of the law not the spirit. It is there to protect innocent people but it is being used to reward

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criminals. MPHRP would be happy to introduce the judges to some of the piracy survivors that MPHRP supports and enable them to listen to their stories of how their captors took away all their human rights but they have never been compensated." Roy Paul added "On behalf of the seafarers and their families and our industry partners we are requesting the leaders of the States in the European Union to take urgent action against these crazy judgements . These Pirates received US$250 a day for being held. To assist the crew of a vessel which was held for 1000 days would the ECHR hear their case and grant them the US$25,000 they deserve for suffering at the hands of criminal Pirates. For the 30 seafarers and fishers who have now been held for four years what would the ECHR award them as compensation? However they will receive nothing, not even their wages". Read more: http://www.mphrp.org For more details please contact Roy Paul on email: [email protected] : Tel: +44 (0) 7917735042.

Agents for OSPREY FEARLESS The owners of the "OSPREY FEARLESS" have elected Landfall Marine Contractorsb.v. of Ridderkerk, the Netherlands for the exclusive agency-representation of this seagoing ASD tug, which forms a perfect match with Landfall's existing fleet of tugs. As a result of this new management agreement, Landfall now operates and manages a total of eleven medium-sized ocean going anchorhandling tugs between 14 en 53 tons bollard pull, which further increases their flexibility and service to the international towage market. The ASD tug" OSPREY FEARLESS" is prompt available in Blyth, United Kingdom area. The 47,7 tons azimuth thruster propelled tug is equipped with a double drum 80 tons waterfall winches on the aft deck and one 80 tons winch on the forward deck which makes her very suitable for harbor and terminal services as well. “OSPREY FEARLESS” is looking for any worldwide towages and / or time-charters. For further information, kindly contact our office in Ridderkerk or check our fleetpage on our website.

2014 a good year for Italdraghe - 2015 looks good too

Italdraghe, Italy's leading dredging equipment builder, has had an extremely busy year. During 2014 it has seen increased sales of its popular range of BD dredging heads for excavators which have been put to use not only in river, lake and coastal projects but in mining applications, particularly in South America. In early spring, Italdraghe commissioned an SGT 250 cutter suction dredger for the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy. The vessel was assembled and successfully launched in the port of town Gorgora, on Lake Tana.

Also in spring, Italdraghe sold a BD 250 excavator dredging head to a long-established Italian dredging contractor working on a beach replenishment project at the mouth of the Tagliamento River in northern Italy. Another BD 200 dredging head was shipped to a gold mining company in Guyana, South America, for river gold dredging. This was supplied as part of a complete package of dredging equipment including a newbuild cutter suction dredger, booster station and several motorpump units.

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Later on in the year another complete set of dredging equipment was delivered to a diamond mining company operating in Mali, consisting of a PD 200 cutter suction dredger and supporting self-propelled dredging unit fitted with a BD 150 dredging head. Both machines are working in tandem on extracting diamonds from a river. A BD 150 was purchased by a European company to be used for small scale dredging works narrow canals and a new SGT 150 dredger was delivered to a small fishing harbour, Donna Lucata, near Ragusa in Sicily. Commissioned on site by Italdraghe technicians and complete with dredging pipeline and floats, the cutter dredger comes within a turnkey package contract awarded to Italdraghe last year.2014 has seen a particular increase in demand for equipment for the precious mineral extraction from South America and Italdraghe has responded by increasing the number of small dredging and mining units exported and also by working with its local dealers to ensure that end users are guaranteed immediate availability of spares on-site.Italdraghe's healthy orderbook for the rest of 2014 and start of 2015 includes confirmed orders for a significant number of both standard and highly-customised dredgers for Italy, the Middle East and Asia. Source : Dredging news online

18 Chinese boats take shelter in island off Basilan

At least 18 Chinese fishing vessels were intercepted by the Philippine Navy near and island off Basilan since Monday while taking shelter due to the bad weather brought by tropical storm 'Ruby.' Rear Admiral Reynaldo Yoma, chief of Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), said the 18 fishing vessels, measuring about 72-foot each and manned with 16 crews per craft, were spotted off Langhil Island near Muhammad Adjul island town off Basilan.

A Navy team with representatives from the Bureau of Customs (BoC), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Bureau of Immigration conducted investigation on the vessels. Yoma said initial investigation revealed that the Chinese fishing vessels came from Indonesian waters and proceed to South China Sea when they decided to seek shelter due to typhoon Ruby. The ships' fish tanks were also empty.“Based on their pre-plotted course in their maps they just want to seek shelter here while the typhoon is battering the parts of the country,” Yoma said. Yoma said the fishing vessels will be guarded to ensure the fishing vessels will not overstay as they will be allowed to leave once the weather condition is already safe. “It is their right to seek shelter due to force majeure,” Yoma added. Source : philstar

Alewijnse to Refit Nordnes BY MAREX

Leading marine technology expert Alewijnse Marine Systems is playing a significant role in a program of electrical repairs and modifications to the Nordnes. A modern flexible fallpipe vessel, she is owned by Van Oord, a leading contractor in dredging, marine engineering and offshore energy projects. Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen, part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, has been awarded the contract by Van Oord to refit the Nordnes. The 166 meter vessel is used to position rock on the seabed for the protection and stabilization of offshore structures such as pipelines, cables and offshore platforms.

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen has subcontracted the electrical repairs and modifications to long-standing partner Alewijnse Marine Systems, which has a permanent presence at the shipyard. With just a five-week window in which to complete the project, Alewijnse has assembled a strong team of technicians to ensure that the work is completed on time and to specification.

The work is required due to wear in the course of its offshore activities. The two primary tasks for Alewijnse are to renew all the steelwork that supports the electrical cabling and the upgrading of the Cargo Control System. Other important electrical repairs include the modification of the crew mess and the overhaul of the navigation light mast.

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Alewijnse’s work on site has started in November and will be completed by mid- December 2014. This order from Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen further reinforces the position that Alewijnse has developed in the offshore refit sector and demonstrates the wide range of skills and capabilities that the company can bring to projects of this complexity.

Unique partnership

Alewijnse project leader Perry Eikelenboom is delighted to be working with Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. “Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen is always looking for skilled partners with whom to work on their client’s vessels. This contract gives us the opportunity to do what we do best; share our knowledge and expertise to create solutions that best meet our clients’ needs. We are proud to have built such a unique partnership with Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. “

More refit orders

For Alewijnse, this is its second visit to the Nordnes while she is in the Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen yard. Alewijnse Marine Systems also previously partnered on repairs and maintenance projects on other Van Oord vessels. Alewijnse looks forward to winning further refit orders in the future, based on its unique service and maintenance partnership with Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. Source : MAREX

Despite improving conditions, dry bulk carriers’ sales lag behind during the past

quarter Perspective goes a long way when it comes to shipping and more particularly the dry bulk market as of late. Despite the relatively healthy state of the market, even compared to last year, as well as the elimination of the oversupply issues which have plagued the market over the past four years, ship owners have refrained from snapping up extra tonnage in the SnP market during the last quarter. According to shipbroker Intermodal, activity has been particularly soft. According to SnP broker, Mr. George Iliopoulos, “this is more obvious if one looks at the number of potential buyers inspecting sale candidates. During the same period last year, for every dry bulker, Handysize up to Cape that was up for sale there were numerous of interested buyers inspecting, while most of them would end up offering as well. This resulted in a dynamic upward drive in prices in the SnP market during that period”. According to Iliopoulos, “a representative example of this drive is a ’99 built Japanese dry Panamax that was inspected a year ago by thirteen prospective buyers and acquired ten offers before finally being sold for a price in the region of USD 14,5m. This marked the start of a period of elevated activity lasting for the first five months of 2014. However, the strong momentum of the market started to weaken just before the summer season kicked off and purchasing interest for dry vessels naturally declined as the freight market started to witness further challenges”. Intermodal’s broker added that “looking back, this period is reminiscent of the end of 2012/start of 2013 when the lowest post 2010 sales for Supramaxes and Panamaxes were recorded. An example of this is that a 7-year old Panamax that was sold at circa USD 15m when today an equivalent sale would go for approximately USD 17mil. Another reason for the increased pressure on the SnP market, apart from the bad performance of freight rates, is the overabundance of vessels for sale in the dry market. A large number of vessels have entered the second hand market in the last two months mostly from Japanese owners following the performance of the Japanese Yen. As a result, most prospective buyers have a number of alternatives and therefore apart from very exceptions offer at fairly low levels compared to what owners are looking for”. This is therefore another characteristic of the SnP market nowadays, which is also weighing down on activity volumes, the shipbroker said. Iliopoulos noted that “in fact the growing gap between buyer and seller price ideas is exactly what is forcing many owners to withdraw their vessels from the market. It is worth noting that a number of such vessels were Japanese-owned which is uncharacteristic of Japanese owners, who are traditionally known to sell at the best obtainable prices once they are set on selling their assets”. Moving forward, “the The big question troubling potential buyers is whether this is a good time to invest in the dry market or if waiting a little longer will reward them with even lower levels. The belief that we may sooner rather than later be revisiting the price levels of 2012 is gaining more and more support lately. It remains extremely challenging to discern whether we have reached the market’s lowest point in order to invest and calling the floor of a market is always more of a guess rather, which makes any predictions an uncertain bet; it is safe, however, to say that prices during the past few months have certainly been attractive and the coming period has the potential to be extremely busy in terms of interest in the SnP market.In any case, we should hope that the dry market picks up in 2015 to return to healthy levels in order for vessels to become attractive due to their freight rates and not their low prices, as that’s where the true value lies after all”, the broker concluded. Meanwhile, in the demolition market, softening prices were predominant for yet another week across the Indian sub-



Continent, “whileChinese breakers have also decreased their bids sharply, remaining comfortable in sustaining the gap between their prices and those offered by the competition in excess of $100/ldt . Despite fundamentals in the market remaining on the edge of the developments surrounding the oversupply of cheap Chinese steel, it seems that the prices levels the market has now reached have helped certain breakers move away from the sidelines and get back into action. This translated into increased activity this past week, the majority of which was in fact recorded in India, where a fairly stable Rupee seems to have offered some extra level of confidence to local breakers. Average prices this week for wet tonnage were at around 250-455 $/ldt and dry units received about 230-430 $/ldt. Source : Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Robert Allan Ltd. Designed ART 80-32 Rotortugs® Delivered in Hong Kong and

Ready for Deployment to Western Australia

The RT DISCOVERY and RT ENDEAVOUR ART 80-32 class Rotortugs®, have been delivered by Cheoy Lee Shipyards to Owner’s Elisabeth Ltd. The vessels are currently in Hong Kong and are ready for deployment to a busy commodity Port in Western Australia. These two vessels represent the first half of Elisabeth Ltd’s four boat order with Cheoy Lee Shipyards.

The Advanced Rotortug® (ART) designs incorporate the patented triple Z-Drive Rotortug®, concept, featuring enhanced omni-directional manoeuvrability, and the benefits of a fully redundant and precise propulsion machinery configuration. The Owner as well as Rotortug B.V. provided significant input into the requirements for this design, and Robert Allan Ltd. developed a unique, customized design optimized for their operations.

The ART 80-32 has an installed power of 3 x 1765kW, delivering well over 80 tonnes of bollard pull in both ahead and astern directions. The hull form has been developed from Robert Allan Ltd.’s high performance escort tugs and has been adapted to suit the Rotortug® concept, providing enhanced stability, sea-keeping and escort performance. The design process involved

a detailed CFD study of different hull forms to determine the preferred hull characteristics.

Left : ART 80-32 hull in CFD side stepping test at 6 knots

Particulars of the new design are as follows: Hull : - Length : 31.95m - Beam : 12.60m - Depth (Least Moulded) : 4.82m - Extreme Draft 215 DWT : 6.31m



- Extreme Draft 75 DWT : 5.91m - GRT 491 Capacities: - Fuel oil capacity: 200m3 - Fresh water capacity: 32.8m3

Machinery: - Three Main Engines CAT 3512C HD rated 1765 kW @ 1800 RPM ("C" rated, IMO Tier II Compliant) - 3 x Schottel SRP 3000 Z-drives (2 forward, 1 aft) with 2.3m fixed pitch propellers driven through MCD 3000 LD slipping clutches - 2 x CAT C6.6 genset (143 ekW @ 1500 RPM) and 1 x CAT C4.4 genset (51.5 ekW @ 1500 RPM) - Kraaijeveld Safe Winch Forward electric towing winch and anchor windlass - Kraaijeveld Safe Winch Aft electric towing winch - FIFI 1 equipment includes a single 2850 m³/hr pump driven off the Port main engine, 2 x 1200 m³/hr monitors, water spray, as well as foam system capability of 300m³/hr from the starboard monitor. Ship-handling fenders at the bow comprise an upper row of 800 mm diameter cylindrical fender and a lower course of W-fender. Sheer fenders consist of lightweight Polymarine foam type fender,300 mm x 300mm.

The tug was constructed to LR Classrequirements with the following notation:

LLOYD'S 100A1 TUG, LMC, UMS, IWS, Fire-Fighting Ship 1 (with water spray)

On trials, the RT DISCOVERY and RT ENDEAVOUR achieved essentially equal ahead and astern speeds of over 13.5 knots and sidestepped at over 7 knots.

The vessel has been outfitted to high standards for a crew of6 people. The main deckhouse contains the entrance lobby, galley, mess, two officer cabins each with ensuite WCs, and a common WC. The lower deck contains 2 double berth cabins each with ensuites, a laundry, and galley stores. The wheelhouse offers exceptional 360 degree views and unobstructed views of the entire fore and aft working decks from a single control station thus improving safety of crew by ensuring working areas around winches, staples, and mooring bitts are clearly visible to the operator. Entry from the main deck to the engine room is first through the switchboard room which offers sound isolation to the main deck accommodations. Access to the engine room is then through doors leading from the switchboard room. With the Rotortug® thruster configuration, a modern high performance hull form, exceptional 360 degree wheelhouse views, and an optimized and safe arrangement of the tug’s working areas, the RT DISCOVERY and RT ENDEAVOUR will be valuable, high performance, workhorses in the demanding service of Western Australian.



OPA 90 – Final phase out of single hull tankers

It has been a long road since the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was first implemented and as of 1 January 2015 single hull tank vessels will be phased out for use in the USA. The Association has had reference to the Coast Guard Maritime Commons update of 5 December 2014 in preparation of this update. The development As of 1 January 2015 the US will have phased out all single hull tank vessels and all single hull tank vessels with double sides or double bottoms which would operate by carrying oil in bulk in both US territorial waters was well as the exclusive economic zone of the United States. Republished here for member’s reference are:

• 46 USC 3703A – Specifying tank vessel constructions standards • 33 CFR 157.10D – Double hulls on tank vessels design standards • NVIC 10-94 – US Coast Guard guidance

Hot tip: It is important to note that vessels not constructed to the standards of 33 CFR 157.10D will be considered as single hull vessels. Loss prevention advice Members trading to and from the US with tankers will no doubt already be familiar with these provisions, although it may be prudent to review the same in advance of 1 January 2015. In case an owner or charterer operates a vessel that is classified as “single hull”, which means that it is not in compliance with the standards set out in 33 CFR 157.10D, need to ensure that their vessels are not trading in US waters for the carriage of oil in bulk on or after 1 January 2015. This means it will be necessary to review existing charter arrangements with respect to trading liberties and to ensure future charters are not simply based on older pro forma terms which may no longer be suitable. Source: Skuld

Left : Jan & Mary van der Klooster wishing you al a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2015

CLICK on the cards ! Right : Seasons greetings from Ton Nahuijsen

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Asia Dry Bulk-Capesize market 'imploding' on lack of cargo

By Keith Wallis Rates for capesize bulk carriers on key Asian routes, which crashed close to six-year lows on Wednesday, will continue their inexorable fall in the face of few fresh cargoes, brokers said."The market is not very pretty. I've never seen it this low in my time. There is absolutely nothing happening," one Singapore-based capesize broker said on Thursday. "Capesizes are a disaster," a Hong Kong owner of dry bulk ships including capesize vessels told Reuters on Thursday. Capesize spot rates from Australia to China are down to the equivalent to $5,500 per day, below the daily cost of operating a 180,000 dwt (deadweight tonne) capesize ship, the Singapore ship broker said. Daily operating costs, including crew wages, repairs and insurance, for a capesize iron ore and coal carrier are around $7,300 per day, according to accountancy firm Moore Stephens. Rates have fallen due to a lack of iron ore cargoes from Brazil and coal from South Africa. There have been limited cargoes from Australia, the Singapore broker said.Rio Tinto was the only major miner actively chartering capesize ships this week, according to Reuters freight data. "There is no sign of a rebound. The market keeps coming off," the broker said.The capesize market is "imploding on a close to total absence of prompt demand," Norwegian ship broker Fearnley said in a weekly note on Wednesday.Freight rates for the Western Australia-China route were at $5.67 per tonne on Wednesday, the lowest since January 2009, and down from $6.79 a week earlier. Rates for the Brazil-China route were also at their lowest since January 2009 on Wednesday, closing at $15.18 per tonne against $16.72 a week earlier.Rates in the smaller panamax market will also continue to slide next week as the number of ships available for charter outpaces the volume of new cargoes, a Singapore-based panamax broker said on Thursday."I think it will steadily soften over the next week. We are still seeing a lot of tonnage available," he said. Daily rates for a panamax transpacific voyage fell to $7,341 per day on Wednesday, down from $8,263 per day last week. This is the lowest level since Oct. 1.Freight rates for smaller supramax bulk carriers rose to around $13,000 per day, up from $12,000 per day, for voyages from Indonesia to India, Fearnley said in its weekly note.The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index closed at 911 on Wednesday, down from 1,079 last week. Source : Reuters (Editing by Anand Basu)

Attacks soar in Asian seas as pirates bare their fangs

Piracy in Asian waters has hit its highest levels this year since a piracy watch centre started keeping tabs in 2006. There have been 169 actual or attempted sea attacks reported so far this year, predominantly in Indonesia, the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Singapore, according to the ReCAAP Information-Sharing Centre.

The number of incidents, logged from January to last month, has surpassed full-year figures in the last five years, and the previous record of 167 in 2010.Sea robbers are not only becoming more active, but also more daring and violent.

Piracy incidents are categorised from three (less significant) to one (very significant) in the figures.There have been 12 Category 1 incidents, which commonly involved the siphoning of oil from one ship to another, so far this year - surpassing the previous record of eight in 2011.While Category 3 incidents remained fairly consistent, there have been 71 petty theft or "minimum significance" incidents so far this year, just shy of last year's record of 73. ReCAAP stands for Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia.

The escalating violence in the region's waters is once again in the spotlight, following the death of a Vietnamese sailor after armed pirates hijacked his ship in the South China Sea on Sunday. A gunshot wound was found on the right side of engineer Tran Duc Dat's forehead.The surge in piracy comes amid concerted efforts by countries in the region to watch over their waters.They have taken part in coordinated patrols in busy waterways and deployed naval staff in a multinational anti-piracy watch centre, called the Information Fusion Centre, based at Changi Naval Base.

Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are still involved in joint sea and air patrols along the Strait of Malacca.

This was declared a "war-risk" zone in 2005 by the Joint War Committee of Lloyd's Market Association - which represents the interests of those who underwrite the marine hull war business in the London market. It dropped the risk classification a year later. Maritime security analyst Jane Chan said that while the spike in piracy looks worrying, the overall situation may not be as bad."The good news is that there could be more awareness among shippers, hence



more people are reporting the incidents. The downside of it could be the fact that not enough is being done to stop or deter the pirates."

The research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said it remains to be seen whether countries in this region will be willing to expand patrols to cover more areas. She added: "Littoral states must decide if they want to go beyond patrolling and taking action in their own waters but also in the South China Sea, where more and more vessels are being hit." Source : The Jakarta Post

NAVY NEWS

The Dutch AOR AMSTERDAM now named 158 BAP TACNA left Den Helder naval base for the last time and headed for her new homeport “base naval del Callao” in Peru Photo : Ron Daman www.newdeep.nl ©

Spanish Warship ESPS Navarra Heads for Home After Counter-Piracy Deployment

with EU Naval Force On 10 December 2014 Spanish Navy warship ESPS Navarra headed for home after completing a deployment with the EU Naval Force in the Indian Ocean. ESPS Navarra joined Operation Atalanta, the EU’s counter-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia, on 23rd July. Since then she has completed a range of duties, including the escort of a World Food Programme vessel to protect it from potential pirate attack. The Spanish frigate also conducted counter-piracy patrols

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in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin and, in coordination with staff from EUCAP Nestor, assisted in the training of maritime forces in the region. The warship also met a number of local seafarers at sea in order to help strengthen mutual trust and understanding and to better understand the pattern of life at sea.

ESPS Navarra also invited local Somali leaders on board to discuss their issues and concerns. This visit was seen as an important step towards strengthening counter-piracy cooperation between the international community and the local authorities.The ESPS Navarra is now steering a course for Spain. After sailing more than 31,000 nautical miles, the crew leaves the Horn of Africa region content in the

knowledge that they have made a significant contribution to the European Union’s efforts to keep the waters in the Horn of Africa safe for all seafarers. Source : Eunavfor

Civilian-crewed vessels see larger role in amphibious ops

With the gator Navy busy and undersized, officials hope the duct tape that covers the remaining gaps are the ships of Military Sealift Command. Top officials are confident that mobile landing platforms, pre-positioning ships, joint high-speed vessels and even tankers can ease the mission load. Adm. Bill Gortney, who ended his run as head of Fleet Forces Command on Nov. 24, is among the supporters.

"Can we use a lower-cost capability to do some of those low-end missions? Absolutely," said Gortney. "If we can provide the same capability for lower cost, and that frees up more money for readiness of the rest of the force or to recapitalize more of the high-end assets, that's what we need to do."

The auxiliary ships of MSC are becoming more central to fleet operations as demonstrated in the recent Bold Alligator exercise, which included the joint high-speed vessel Choctaw County. JHSVs and other MSC vessels can augment amphibious operations -- once a fleet mainstay -- but have their own complexities, including putting their civilian crews in the middle of dangerous operations.

The fleet remains well short of the Marine Corps' stated goal of 38 amphibious ships; it had 31 as of December, according to the Naval Vessel Register.Closely tied in is the issue of cost. Building new a JHSV costs about $180 million, about one-third the cost of a littoral combat ship. It has a crew of fewer than 30 civilians with an annual operating cost of $26 million, according to MSC data. In comparison, the LCS has a core crew of 50 sailors and mission-module crews of 15 to 20 sailors, and costs $79 million to operate annually, according to the Government Accountability Office. A frigate has 170 sailors and costs $54 million in annual operations costs, while a destroyer has approximately 250 sailors at an annual cost of $88 million.

On the other hand, MSC ships have drawbacks. They are not manned to fix battle damage and are crewed by Navy civilians, raising questions about how much they can participate in an offensive action like an amphibious assault under the laws of war. But from a practical standpoint, recent exercises have put MSC ships to the test in uncontested sea space, and found them up to the task.

The Choctaw County served as a launch pad for special operators, launched riverine and diving teams, and delivered a host of fuel trucks in Bold Alligator 2014, which concluded in early November. The dry cargo ship Medgar Evers served as an alternate command, control, operational and logistics platform.Similarly, the dry cargo ships Lewis and Clark and the Sacagawea "offer tremendous flexibility to the Marines" in pre-position missions, said Rear Adm. Larry Jackson, MSC's deputy commander. They have conducted flight ops with the MV-22 Osprey and successfully implemented the command and control suite in recent exercises. And the afloat forward staging base Ponce continues to prove its worth in the Persian Gulf, where the non-combatant ship (with a hybrid crew of 55 sailors and 165



civilians) conducts mine clearing and partner training. Officials and analysts are urging the Navy to move quickly from concept to commitment. The two existing classes of LCS are under intense scrutiny from Pentagon leaders. There is little money for new ships, and those that remain are burdened by maintenance backlogs and the retirement of frigates in 2015.

Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, believes that the continuing shortfall in small surface combatants will mean higher op tempo for those that remain, to include cruisers and destroyers, which should be protecting flattops, providing ballistic missile defense, conducting anti-submarine warfare, and the like.

"The mission package concept should be expanded and separated from only being associated with the LCS program," Clark, a former adviser to the chief of naval operations, wrote in his Nov. 24 report, "Commanding the Seas: A Plan to Reinvigorate U.S. Navy Surface Warfare.""This would enable … noncombatant ships to do [small surface combatant] missions that otherwise would fall to large surface combatants," his report said. "The self-contained combination of operators and equipment associated with mission packages enables these capabilities to be deployed on other Navy, Coast Guard, and Department of Transportation ships."Clark sees no reason to stop there. He recommended the Navy evaluate other mission packages such as signals intelligence, airborne surveillance, counter-illicit trafficking, and electronic warfare.MSC is also interesting in new ways to augment Navy missions, the MSC deputy commander said.

"The ideas are coming fast and furious from all corners of the Navy, which is good," Jackson said. "We're having those discussions with fleet customers not on a daily basis, but certainly on a regular basis. We don't even know what missions we will be called on to do in the future, but we are doing our best to explore all of the opportunities." Source : marinecorpstimes

The Dutch KAREL DOORMAN seen loading materials and food in Vlissingen alongside is seen the tanker NAUTILUS , the KAREL DOORMAN is departing today from Vlissingen for her 2nd trip to the the Ebola hit countries in west Africa Photo : Hans van der Linden www.aerolin.nl @AerolinPhoto BV

Taiwan could complete first indigenous submarine in 2024: official

The military is studying Taiwan's ability to build indigenous submarines, with a defense official saying Wednesday that the first submarine could be completed in 2024. The Kaohsiung-based China Ship Building Corp. is expected to be the main contractor for Taiwan's indigenous submarine program, said Administrative Deputy Defense Minister Kao Tien-chung during a legislative committee meeting.In response to questions from lawmakers concerned about the progress of Taiwan's submarine program, Kao said the first local submarine could be completed in 2024, according to the current plan.The first stage of the plan is to finish a blueprint for the design, which is expected to be completed between 2016 and 2019, according to the Navy.In 2001, then-U.S. President George W. Bush moved to help Taiwan acquire eight diesel-electric submarines, but there has been little progress since then, prompting Taiwan to seek its



own solution.Taiwan is also seeking U.S. assistance in technology transfers to help build its own submarines to replace its aging subs. Source : focus Taiwan

SHIPYARD NEWS

River Cruiser Ro-Ro Drydock operation

Shipyard De Schroef in Sas van Gent (NL) is presently accommodating the 135 m. river cruise vessel “EMERALD SUN ”, scheduled to be launched in 2015. The river cruiser arrived at the yard in two prefabricated hull sections, which had already been outfitted with glass windows, pipes, electrics etc. prior arrival at the yard.

The front hull block section of the river cruiser was rolled onto pontoons by means of heavy duty 24-wheeled

transporters. A push boat took the pontoon with the front hull section to Shipyard De Schroef, where the section was rolled off the pontoon directly onto the 162m x 22m floating dock. While the forward hull section was carefully being positioned on the floating dock’s keel blocks and supports, the aft block section was already being prepared for transport in a similar manner. Upon arrival of the aft hull section at the drydock, both block sections were accurately lined up in order to weld the block sections together with utmost precision.Looking back on the operation, the yard’s general manager Huib Kuiper states: “An operation like this requires utmost accuracy and, certainly as the hull sections had already been outfitted to a large extent, torsion of the hull is to be excluded completely. The use of

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very flexible heavy duty transporters, combined with the strength and stability of the drydock, makes this kind of Ro-Ro operation a great alternative to lining up block sections on slipways”. More information is available on the shipyard’s website: www.deschroef.com

China adds 9 firms to list of shipyards for favourable policy treatment

China has added nine shipyards to its "white list" of firms deemed worth of favourable policy support, as it attempts to tackle overcapacity that has weighed on the global shipping market. In September, it published a list of 51 yards which it later cut to 50. These yards, which it says are judged to comply with requirements such as ship emissions, are expected to get favourable policy support, such as bank credit and export tax rebates. The nine include subsidiaries of state-backed firms China State Shipbuilding Corporation China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company and Aviation Industry Corporation of China according to the list put up on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's website on Wednesday.China has more than 1,600 shipyards and analysts predict that about a third will shut as the industry struggles to emerge out of a shipping capacity glut that has hit freight rates. Last year, it laid out a detailed three-year plan to restructure the industry. Source : Reuters (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

New Head of Risk Management for BMT Asia Pacific

BMT Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of BMT Group, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has appointed Joanne Tse as Head of Risk Management based in Hong Kong. The new appointment will help support the regional growth of risk consultancy services - principally in the transportation and construction sectors.

Joanne will be actively involved in developing and managing risk projects for our growing client base. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the rail industry specialising in risk assessment and management, safety assurance, and corporate/enterprise risk management. Rejoining BMT after three years at Willis Insurance Brokers, Joanne’s previous tenure focussed on rail engineering projects involving operational and construction project risks. She delivered insurance, risk management and technical services to 15 railway operators, across Asia and worldwide. Additionally, Joanne led underwriters in providing risk surveys to hotel, resort and casino clients and extended professional coverage to the oil refinery industry.

Joanne is actively involved in the wider risk community. She is currently Vice Chairperson of the IET Hong Kong Management Section Committee and has acted as facilitator for numerous risk identification workshops, as well as providing strategic risk management consultancy to the Hong Kong Government As a specialist qualified by The Institute of Risk Management (IRM) in business continuity and crisis management, Joanne is experienced in disaster recovery consulting work in the telecommunication and logistic industries. Joanne is a Chartered Engineer. She holds a

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Mechanical Engineering degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and an MBA from the City University of Hong Kong.

PLEASE MAINTAIN YOUR MAILBOX, DUE TO NEW POLICY OF THE PROVIDER, YOUR ADDRESS WILL BE “DEACTIVATED”

AUTOMATICALLY IF THE MAIL IS BOUNCED BACK TO OUR SERVER If this happens to you please send me a mail at [email protected] to reactivate

your address again You can also read the latest newsletter daily online via the link :

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Maersk spuds Xana well offshore Denmark The jackup Noble Sam Turner has started drilling the Xana exploration well in Danish North Sea license 9/95, which is near the Svane gas discovery. According to partner Noreco, the main target is upper Jurassic sandstones around 4,600 m (15,092 ft) beneath the seabed. It is estimated to take 140 days to reach target depth. If the well is successful, Xana could contain 130-235 MMboe, Noreco claims.Maersk Oil is operator; the other partners are DONG E&P and Danoil Exploration. Source : PennEnergy

Click HERE for the LIVE STREAM WEBCAM in Hoek van Holland Berghaven

Svitzer extends contract Svitzer has extended its contract with Egyptian LNG in Idku for five years. The new contract will keep the AP Moller-Maersk salvage subsidiary’s four tugs and three pilot boats in north Africa until 2020. Egyptian LNG and Svitzer started their collaboration in 2005.

They have worked closely to find the best solutions for Egyptian LNG’s current gas export requirements. Torsten Holst Pedersen, managing director for Svitzer, said: “We are very happy to continue the successful partnership with Egyptian LNG.“For nearly 10 years we have been able to operate efficiently and with a supreme safety standard at the terminal.

“We are confident that the cooperation will be beneficial for both parties during the next five years as well.” Egyptian LNG accommodates two trains of 3.6 million annual capacity each. Source : Tradewinds

HAVENARBEIDSWETTEN SPANJE EN BELGIË STRIJDIG MET EU-RECHT

EU-HOF IN LUXEMBURG KRAAKT MONOPOLIES VAN DOKWERKERS

Gisteren heeft het Hof van Justitie Spanje veroordeeld wegens de strijdigheid van zijn havenarbeidswetgeving met het EU-recht. De zaak werd gestart door de Europese Commissie op basis van een klacht. Het Hof oordeelde dat de verplichtingen voor havenwerkgevers om aan te sluiten bij het lokale poolbedrijf (Sociedad Anónima de Gestión de Estibadores Portuarios of SAGEP) en deel te nemen in het kapitaal ervan, en het verbod om havenarbeiders buiten deze pool aan te werven, strijdig zijn met de vrijheid van vestiging, welke wordt gegarandeerd door het EU-Werkingsverdrag. Deze beperkingen vormen hinderpalen voor ondernemingen uit andere EU-landen om zich in Spaanse havens te vestigen. Het Hof onderlijnt dat noch de goede dienstverlening in de havens, noch de bescherming van de werknemer dergelijke beperkingen van de ondernemersvrijheid kunnen rechtvaardigen. Die doelstellingen kunnen immers worden verwezenlijkt met minder verregaande maatregelen, zoals via private pools of interimkantoren en opleidingen georganiseerd door de werkgevers zelf.

Meteen zet deze uitspraak het zeer vergelijkbare Belgische havenarbeidsregime, dat is gebaseerd op de zgn. Wet-Major, sterk op de helling. Dat regime behoudt het werk in onze havens voor aan erkende havenarbeiders. De bijhorende lokale Codexen bevatten tal van bijkomende restricties. Tegen het Belgische stelsel zijn bij de Commissie niet minder dan acht klachten ingediend.


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Professor Eric Van Hooydonk voerde in 2013 een omvangrijke studie naar havenarbeid in de 23 maritieme lidstaten van de EU uit, waarin o.m. in Spanje en in België tal van problemen werden blootgelegd, waaronder archaïsche en kostenverhogende regels en praktijken en een 'closed shop' die het werk voorbehoudt aan vakbondsleden. Een toenemend aantal EU-Lidstaten regelt de havenarbeid op basis van het algemene arbeidsrecht en de principes van een open arbeidsmarkt, en niet meer op grond van exclusieve poolsystemen die fundamenteel van de normale regels afwijken. De boodschap die het Hof vandaag geeft is dat normale regels inderdaad kunnen volstaan om de legitieme belangen van de havens en de werknemers te beschermen.

De nieuwe uitspraak is derhalve een opportuniteit om in het belang van de competitiviteit van de havens en van de tewerkstelling van toekomstige generaties havenarbeiders een modernisering van verstarde regels te realiseren en om terug te keren naar normale arbeidsverhoudingen.

Redelijkerwijze zouden de Belgische werkgevers- en werknemersorganisaties nu snel werk moeten maken van diepgaande hervormingen, zoals de Europese Commissie al lang (tevergeefs) vraagt. De Commissie heeft ook tegen België een inbreukprocedure geopend. Indien België geen hervormingen doorvoert zal ons land een gelijkaardige veroordeling oplopen als Spanje.

Grondige hervormingen zijn eens kans om de uitzonderlijke productiviteit van onze havens te koppelen aan een hedendaagse arbeidsorganisatie en om de attractiviteit van de havens voor hun klanten en voor werkzoekenden te verhogen.

Eric Van Hooydonk Advocaten behandelt momenteel een tiental havenarbeidsdossiers.

Brent Crude futures price tumbles to $64,24 in London, in New York - to $60.94

On December 10, 2014, IPE Brent crude oil lost $2,6 to $64,24 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe Exchange. Light Sweet Crude dropped by $2,88 to settle at $63,82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Source : PortNews

Kochi port gets go-ahead for nautical depth dredging

Kochi Port’s plan to carry out a nautical depth study aimed at reducing the recurring dredging expenses has received the Shipping Ministry’s approval. The Ministry has approved a grant of ₹10 crore for studies on siltation and optimal ameliorative measures in which it will bear 50 per cent and the balance by the port. It is for the first time that an Indian major port is going ahead with a nautical depth dredging, a concept which was in use in most of the Riverine ports in Europe like Netherlands, Belgium, Germany etc.

A senior port official said that the new study would help the port to implement this new concept here to reduce the depth to be dredged as well as cutting down maintenance dredging cost to about 30 per cent.According to him, Kochi port has a muddy bottom unlike most other Indian ports that have hard bottom. The Indian National Hydrographic Organisation had prescribed 10 per cent under keel clearance for dredging, which was increasing the quantity to be dredged as well as dredging expenditure. However, most of the European ports with muddy bottoms are carrying out shipping operations with under keel clearance based on a study to fix the navigable density of fluid mud. It helped reducing dredging quantities and expenditure.

As per the existing standards, Kochi Port has to dredge 10 per cent more than the draft of the ship to ensure proper clearance without hitting the bottom. In Riverine ports like Kochi, the channel bottom is made up of either loose clay or sand. Therefore, dredging was required only five per cent more than the draft of the ship.The water injection method was used in Riverine ports require for dredging wherein water is pumped at high pressure to the bottom of the channel. The clay and sand at the bottom get stirred up in the process enabling vessels to sail through the suspended particles without getting stuck.If the port is successful in curtailing the dredging expenses, the official pointed out that it would be a big achievement and beneficial in the long run. The high and recurring dredging expense is having a dent on port’s revenue forcing the management to doll out ₹170 crore last year, especially with the commissioning of the Vallarpadam container terminal. Source : thehindubusinessline



BOEKBESPREKING Boek 'Nog juist gesproken' weer verkrijgbaar!

De tweede druk van het door Anja van Rijs geschreven boek 'Nog juist gesproken' is gereed!

Anja had het niet verwacht, maar de eerste druk was dermate snel uitverkocht dat herdruk al binnen enkele maanden noodzakelijk bleek. Natuurlijk is Anja erg blij dat het boek zo’n succes is, getuige ook de vele positieve reacties van lezers. De tweede druk is uitgegeven via Brave New Books die samenwerkt met Bol.com en daar is het dan ook te bestellen: www.bol.com

'Nog juist gesproken'

Hoe beschrijf je Indonesië? Wat is Indonesië? 'Gordel van smaragd', jazeker, met het lichtgevende groen van de sawa's en een schitterende rijkdom. Maar er is zoveel meer. Wonend in Jakarta, raakte Anja gefascineerd door het land en haar bewoners. Hoewel Nederland van bepalende invloed op Indonesië is geweest, zullen we de essentie van dit land en haar cultuur nooit helemaal doorgronden. Het is simpelweg te groot en te veelzijdig. Zodra je denkt een tipje van de sluier op te lichten, blijkt het tegenovergestelde ook waar. Dat nodigt uit tot verdieping, meer willen weten van het hoe en vooral het waarom.

Op zoek naar de kwintessens van Indonesië, kwam ik in gesprek met een groep Indonesiërs die in Nederlands-Indië zijn geboren en de transformatie naar de Republik Indonesia alsook de uitbouw van de jonge natie aan den lijve ondervonden. Hun connectie met elkaar en Nederland is de opleiding aan het Koninklijk Instituut Marine (KIM)

begin jaren '50, als gevolg van de afspraken in 1949 rond de onafhankelijkheid van Indonesië. Zij kwamen van verschillende milieus en eilanden vanuit de archipel en vonden daarna hun weg door Indonesië en de wereld. Hun verhalen zijn persoonlijk. Geschiedenis is niet per definitie wat is gebeurd, geschiedenis is ook wat mensen zich herinneren. Hun lange levens overspannen roerige tijden: ze zagen het koloniale tijdperk eindigen; de Japanners komen en gaan; de nieuwe staat geboren worden en zich ontwikkelen. Twee verhalen beschrijven resp. de Bersiap-tijd en hoe het is om als Javaan op te groeien in Nederlands-Nieuw-Guinea. Anja’s gesprekspartners leefden in verscheidene politieke systemen, tussen hoop en dictatuur, in economische opgang en conjuncturele neergang. Ze zagen presidenten komen en gaan, sommigen gekozen, sommigen niet. Ze zagen macht opkomen en macht corrumperen en daartussen vonden ze hun eigen weg. De weerslag van Anja’s gesprekken met hen is verwoord in dit boek. Hun land is nog volop in ontwikkeling; hun levensverhalen zijn bijna voltooid en hun specifieke taal dooft uit. Ook daarom vond Anja het belangrijk hun verhaal vast te leggen voordat het in de tijd verdwijnt. Omdat niet iedereen de contemporaine geschiedenis van Indonesië paraat heeft, heeft Anja een samenvatting daarvan toegevoegd als historische context bij de interviews.

Het unieke van 'Nog juist gesproken' is dat het is geschreven vanuit een Indonesisch perspectief en zo een aanvulling vormt op hetgeen reeds bekend is vanuit de Nederlandse optiek over die tijd, inclusief de onafhankelijkheidsstrijd. Daarbij merkt Anja dat de wederzijdse kennis van en in beide landen tanend is. Voor veel Nederlanders lijkt de geschiedenis van Indonesië te stoppen bij de in 1949 verleende onafhankelijkheid, met een opleving rond de Nieuw-Guinea-kwestie in 1963. Toch gaan Indische Nederlanders in Nederland steeds vaker op zoek naar hun roots of de achtergronden van hun (groot)ouders en neemt daarmee de belangstelling voor Nederlands-Indië en Indonesië toe. Het gedeelde verleden geeft hoe dan ook een band tussen Nederland en Indonesië, een basis voor een op moderne leest geschoeide samenwerking nu en in de toekomst.

Het boek 358 pagina’s tellende boek Nog juist gesproken kompleet met illustraties is te verkrijgen voor 32.50 Euro via www.bol.com inclusief verzending naar uw adres KLIK HIER om het boek online te bestellen Misschien een boekentip voor de feestdagen? ISBN10 9402125833 - ISBN13 9789402125832

http://www.bol.com/�

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KNOT Offshore Partners LP Announces Entry into Agreement to Acquire Dan Cisne

KNOT Offshore Partners LP (KNOP) (the “Partnership”) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, KNOT Shuttle Tankers AS, had entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire KNOT Shuttle Tankers 20 AS (“KNOT 20”), the company that owns the shuttle tanker Dan Cisne, from Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (“KNOT”) for a purchase price of $103.0 million less approximately $82.1 million of existing bank debt ($23.4 million of which will be prepaid by KNOT 20 at closing) related to the Dan Cisne (the “Dan Cisne Loan”). The acquisition is expected to close on or before December 31, 2014, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Dan Cisne is a 59,000 deadweight ton shuttle tanker, built by Cosco Nantong in China. The vessel was purchased by KNOT in September 2014 from J. Lauritzen. It is operating under a twelve year contract with Transpetro, with a remaining firm contract period of 8.7 years. Including the Dan Cisne, the Partnership will have a fleet of eight vessels with an average age of 3.2 years and with a fixed average employment of 5.4 years.

The Partnership’s management believes that the acquisition will be accretive to unitholders and has recommended that, upon completion of the acquisition, the Board of Directors of the Partnership (the “Board”) consider an increase in the quarterly cash distribution of between $0.010 and $0.015 with respect to the quarter ending March 31, 2015. This corresponds to an annual increase of between $0.04 and $0.06 per unit, or 2.0% to 3.0% per unit to an annualized distribution of between $2.00 and $ 2.02 per unit. Any such increase would be conditioned on, among other things, the closing of the acquisition of the Dan Cisne, approval of such increase by the Board and the absence of any material adverse developments or potentially attractive opportunities that would make such an increase inadvisable. The Partnership paid a distribution of $0.49 per unit with respect to the quarter ended September 30, 2014, which represents a cumulative increase of approximately 30.7% since the IPO. The purchase price will be settled by way of a cash payment of approximately $8.8 million, subject to post-closing adjustments, including adjustments related to interest rate swaps in connection with the Dan Cisne Loan, and with seller financing provided by KNOT in the form of a loan in the amount of approximately $12.0 million (the “Seller Loan”).The cash payment and payment of the post-closing adjustments will be financed with the Partnership’s own funds.

The Dan Cisne Loan matures in September 2023 and has an annual interest rate equal to 2.40% above LIBOR. This loan is repayable in semi-annual installments of $2.2 million increasing to $3.75 million and a balloon payment of $8.0 million in September 2023. The Seller Loan is non-amortizing and matures in five years and has an annual interest rate equal to 4.50% per annum above LIBOR.The Board and the Conflicts Committee of the Board have approved the purchase price and terms of the share purchase agreement and the Seller Loan. The Conflicts Committee retained an independent financial advisor to assist with its evaluation of the acquisition. Source : KNOT Offshore Partners LP

RECENTLY UPLOADED HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS :

CLICK ON THE SHIPSNAME TO VIEW AND / OR DOWNLOAD THE PHOTO

Shipsname Type Photo Location Photo Date BOURBON EXPLORER 509 PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 BOURBON EXPLORER 509 PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 BOURBON EXPLORER 509 PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 BOURBON EXPLORER 509 PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 GO EXPLORER PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 FAR SWORD AHTS Singapore 09-12-2014 DAVID TIDE II AHTS Singapore 09-12-2014 MANIVIKI ROVER PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 NORMAND BALTIC AHTS Singapore 09-12-2014 NORMAND BALTIC AHTS Singapore 09-12-2014 TOISA SONATA PSV Singapore 09-12-2014 SEA WEASEL AHTS Singapore 09-12-2014 PACIFIC RIGGER AHTS Singapore 09-12-2014 KOTA LAZIM Containervessel Singapore 09-12-2014














https://www.flickr.com/photos/33438735@N08/15804116509�



KOTA LAZIM Containervessel Singapore 09-12-2014 FS ENDEAVOR Tanker Singapopre 14-11-2014 FS ENDEAVOR Tanker Singapopre 14-11-2014 HAWK Heavy lift vessel Singapore 09-12-2014 HAWK Heavy lift vessel Singapore 09-12-2014 HAWK Heavy lift vessel Singapore 09-12-2014 HAWK Heavy lift vessel Singapore 09-12-2014 DONGBANG GIANT NO1 Heavy lift vessel Singapore 09-12-2014 MAOHI Tanker Singapore 14-11-2014 SUPER SERVANT 3 Heavy lift vessel Singapore 09-12-2014

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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The new “SONNE ” (built 2014 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany) 03. Dec. 2014 @ Kiel Canal on way to Las Palmas, Spain. Photo : Tony Zech © WWW.ZECH-PHOTO.DE - PHOTOGRAPHY

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