daily collection of maritime press clippings · pdf file · 2009-10-25daily...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 294

Distribution : daily 10675+ copies worldwide 25-10-2009

Number 294 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 25-10-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

Activities ongoing in Rotterdam-Waalhaven with Wagenborgs GROOTEBORG seen moored alongside the SILVER PEGASUS

Photo : Wim Korndorfer (c) Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos or

articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO :

[email protected] you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore, kindly send an e-mail with the word “unsubscribe” in

the subject line to [email protected], after receipt of this e-mail I will remove you from the distribution list soon as possible



EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The MELBOURNE STRAIT seen arriving in Willemstad – Curacao Photo : Kees Bustraan - www.community.webshots.com/user/cornelis224 (c)

IOC ship stuck near Haldia Port An Indian Oil Corporation vessel, carrying about 6,600 tonnes of kerosene, was stuck at the Auckland channel while entering the Haldia Port from the Sandheads. The Sandheads is a body of water around 127 miles southeast of the Kolkata Port in the Bay of Bengal. As the channel was clogged with silt, the ship had to negotiate the fringes of the channel and got stuck, Haldia Port marine operations division manager S.N. Choubey said. However, it was able to clear the channel after some time and was lying anchored, waiting for the next tide to sail into the dock, he said. Source : The Hindu



Container ship oversupply may last through 2011 : Evergreen Marine

A large number of new container ships due for delivery this year and next, and the possible return to service of idled vessels could extend industry oversupply into 2011, according to Bronson Hsieh, the chairman of Evergreen Marine, Dow Jones reported. Container shipping line operators have posted large losses since the end of 2008 following the onset of the financial crisis, prompting them to scrap old vessels and idle some of their fleet. Those moves, coupled with improvements in the global economy, have helped freight rates to rise recently.

Hamburg Sud’s CAP BYRON seen in Rio Grande - Photo : Marcelo Vieira (c)

Hsieh said the recent increases in freight rates would help the industry narrow its losses in the second half from the first half, but he warned oversupply remains a concern. This year, 286 ships with a capacity of 8,000 TEUs and above will join the global container fleet, while another 211 ships of this size will enter service next year, Hsieh said. "And there over 500 redundant ships, anchored outside ports, waiting to re-enter (service)," he said. "The industry may return to normal perhaps in 2012." Source: cargonewsasia

EU DRAWS A LINE IN THE WATER OFF SOMALIA

The European Union has said it cannot be counted on to respond nor can it be held responsible for ship hijackings outside the defined EU NAVFOR area of operations in the waters off Somalia. In a statement from the Council of Ministers regarding the hijacking of the stone-dumping vessel Pompei outside the protected zone earlier this year, the Council said: "The criteria applied when deciding whether to accept a request for protection are the vulnerability of the commercial vessels and the availability of combat vessels in the area concerned, bearing in mind the priorities laid down by the council and within the geographical limits set by the council. Pompei was not in the European naval force’s area of operations. The EU cannot be held responsible for events which take place outside the area of operations defined by the EU." Source : Maritime Global Net

MSC ENDS PIRAEUS CONTRACT Mediterranean Shipping Co has ended its long-running contract with the Greek port of Piraeus. The container line had been widely expected to make the move since the port awarded a 35-year box handling concession to Cosco Pacific earlier in the year and it is widely thought that MSC will now renegotiate a similar deal with the Chinese firm. Piraeus has been plagued by labour unrest following the signing of the Cosco deal. Source : Maritime Global Net



Above seen the Fjell moored in Visakhapatnam (India) in pre-ballasted condition awaiting to commence loading operations - Photo: Jack Geluk ©

VLIERODAM WIRE ROPES Ltd. wire ropes, chains, hooks, shackles, webbing slings,

lifting beams, crane blocks, turnbuckles etc. Nijverheidsweg 21 3161 GJ RHOON The Netherlands

Telephone: (+31)105018000 (+31) 105015440 (a.o.h.) Fax : (+31)105013843

Internet & E-mail [email protected]

Nordic Tankers in merger talks with Clipper Loss-making Danish shipper Nordic Tankers A/S said it was in talks with privately owned shipping group Clipper as part of a strategic search for alliances, partnerships or mergers. Shares in Nordic Tankers leapt as much as 17.9 percent to a four-week high of 34.20 crowns on Friday before cooling to 32.80 -- still up 13.1 percent. The price values the whole company at around 236 million Danish crowns ($47.5 million). The announcement came after financial daily Borsen reported on Friday that Bahamas-registered Clipper intended to take effective control of Nordic Tankers by acquiring a stake of around 30 percent. Nordic Tankers said in a statement that, according to a strategy announced in April, it was pursuing "opportunities for alliances, partnerships or mergers with a view to consolidation". "Nordic Tankers can announce that as part of this process talks with Clipper are ongoing," Nordic Tankers said. "If Nordic Tankers enters into a concrete agreement... a stock exchange announcement will be sent out." Tommy Thomsen, chief executive of Clipper Tankers, declined to comment on the group's intentions. "I cannot add anything to what Nordic Tankers says," he told Reuters. Nordic Tankers chairman Klaus Kjaerulff said: "We have been and are going through a process, and have been talking to various shipping companies, and everything we are doing is in the interest of the Nordic Tankers shareholders." He declined to give details beyond the company's statement, but said the talks with Clipper were wholly in line with the strategy announced at the annual general meeting in April. Borsen said Nordea has been engaged by Nordic Tankers as financial advisor. Nordic Tankers has ten wholly or partly owned



tankers, but the operation of its small fleet is outsourced. Clipper is a large player in the dry bulk business, but also has tankers, and a total fleet of more than 200 vessels. Source: Reuters

ORDER PAINTING OF YOUR FAVORITE SHIP Pix2Paint Maritime Art produces real hand made oil paintings from your favorite ship, harbor, seascape or skyline. In 5 easy steps we transform your photo or another digital picture into a

real hand painted oil painting which can be hanged in your house, office or cabin. From mini paintings (20x25 cm) and hand painted

post cards until very large paintings (120x180 cm) and with or without beautiful frames. We also offer the option to wrap your painting as a beautiful gift package and include a post card with

your own tekst before we ship it globally to your family, friends or big love.

Pix2Paint delivers against highly competitive prices and offers

free global shipping. Check www.pix2paint.com for more information or orders. You can also email Pix2Paints Dutch

management team via [email protected]

Our easy 5 step approach:

Step 1: go to www.Pix2Paint.com

Step 2: upload your photo or choose a standard painting or hand painted postcard from our large Online Art Gallery

Step 3: choose your size, type of painting and other options

Step 4: pay securely online

Step 5: you receive you hand painted oil painting painting at your

doorstep within 20 days.

If you find difficulties during the order process, you can order your painting also manually by contacting our support team

via [email protected]



SIGNS OF PROGRESS According to analysis from Drewry, there is likely to be some progress if carriers manage over-capacity Recession ravaged one economy after another in 2009, fulfilling earlier dire predictions for the global container industry, said Drewry Shipping Consultants in their latest Market Review & Forecast. Containership lines had to cut back drastically this year and still were not able to match the dramatic drop in volume. Over-capacity has become the most critical issue facing ocean carriers. Managing it and keeping costs contained needs some clear management focus if container businesses are to survive the challenging market conditions that will prevail until at least 2014, the report said. But the report is not entirely pessimistic. Global traffic should recover a little in the second half of 2009, and trade flows may recover by around 2.4 percent in 2010, Drewry predicts. They forecast average all-in East-West rates will climb approximately 18 percent. Costs have been held down, and wages, no longer driven by shortages of skilled mariners, are no longer rising, Drewry said. Source : ShipTalk

The VIKING POSEIDON seen moored in Galveston - Photo : Jan Plug (c)

India: Major container ports register 6.32% fall in handling

Top three containers ports — JNPT, Chennai and Tuticorin — run by private container terminal operators, showed negative growth in box handling during the first half of the current fiscal ended September 30. This, in turn, led to a decline of 6.32 per cent in container handling across ports. Major ports handled 33.28 lakh TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) in the first half of this fiscal against 35.52 lakh TEUs in the corresponding period last year, according to data provided by the Indian Ports Association. “The first half is normally dull, but it was not used to be negative growth. This year exports to both the US and European markets hit us badly,” said an official of a leading shipping line. “The second-half should be better, but we are not expecting a major change in the trend,” he said. Total textile and clothing shipments to the biggest market US from India till August this fiscal dropped by nearly 4 per cent to 1,830 million square metre equivalents (SMEs) compared with 1,905 million SMEs in the corresponding period last year, according to country-specific Major Shippers Report of the US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Office of Textiles and Apparel.



While export of apparel from India to the US increased by 5.24 per cent to 649 million SMEs (617 million SMEs), export of non-apparel dropped by 8.36 per cent to 1,180 million SMEs (1,287 million SMEs), the data show. At JNPT, there are two private terminals. One is run by the Gateway Terminals India (GTI), a joint venture between APM Terminals and the Container Corporation of India Ltd and the other Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal is operated by DP World Dubai. In Chennai, the private container terminal is operated by DP World and at Tuticorin it is run by PSA-Sical. Source: The Hindu Business Line

Pirates threaten to kill Ukrainians on hijacked ship Pirates, who have been holding a Greek-owned cargo ship since May 2, pledged to start killing Ukrainian crew members as soon as fuel on the ship runs out, the Russian Seamen's Trade Union said on Friday. The union urged Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to take immediate action to release 24 Ukrainian sailors. "All crew members need aid, the situation on the vessel is critical: pirates threaten to kill everybody as soon as fuel runs out and the diesel generator stops," the trade union said on its website. Water, food and medicines at the ship have run out completely, the union reported. The Ariana cargo ship was seized by pirates 250 miles southwest of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The ship was en route to the Middle East from Brazil and was carrying 35,000 metric tons of soya. The pirates, who demand a ransom of $10 million, escorted the ship to the Somali port of Hobyo. Source: rian.ru

The OCEAN DREAM seen arriving in Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan - www.community.webshots.com/user/cornelis224 (c)



ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ? PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE :

WWW.MAASMONDMARITIME.COMAND REGISTER FOR FREE !

Novoship’s tanker proceeds after repair Tanker Krymsk , that was smashed by a supply vessel 40 miles away from Galveston port (the USA, Texas), and damaged as a result of collide proceeded its route. As PortNews IAA learnt from the company’s press-service, on October 22, (local time), upon the end of repair the vessel will unmoor and proceed to the port of destination for unloading. It is also informed, on October 21, end of the day the vessel was inspected by the USA coast guard (USCG), by the American Bureau of Shipping DNV and by Profession and Indemnity Club representatives P&I. Krymsk tanker passed USCG inspection without comments. The American Bureau of Shipping approved the plan of repair. It is necessary to remind that the supply vessel AET Endeavour (operator - American Eagle Tankers), that maneuvered near Krymsk, bucketed the lying by tanker. As a result of bucketing one of the fuel tanks of the tanker was damaged, cargo tanks were not damaged. 50 tons of oil was spilt into the sea, 170 tons of oil was pumped into the undamaged tanks. All the crew members stay on board a ship, no victims found. The American coastal services proceed their work on liquidation of the incident results to the moment. Tanker Krymsk is a double-hull tanker of ‘Aframax’ class 115,600 tons dwt, was built in Korea in 2003 году. 70,475 tons of crude oil is loaded into the tanker, port of destination is Port Naches.

NAVY NEWS Navy ship the first to use new Techport

facilities



THE navy frigate HMAS Parramatta has become the first vessel to dock at the new $300 million Techport Australia facility at Osborne. The new 213m wharf is a critical component of the new facility and was developed after the state secured the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer contract. The facility, which is due to open in February, will include Australia's largest shiplift, capable of supporting a vessel of up to 9300 tonnes. Marking the milestone yesterday, Premier Mike Rann also said the Techport helped SA secure the future assembly of 12 next-generation submarines - a contract worth $30 billion. "Already we have established ourselves as the clear leader in the defence industry in this nation," he said. The Parramatta, which returned from its deployment to the Middle East earlier this year, is in Adelaide for Navy Week. It will be open to the public at Dock 2 Port Adelaide on today between 10am and 3pm. Source : News.com

The amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) takes on fuel from the Military Sealift Command ships USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) and USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) during an underway replenishment.

Blue Ridge is the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. Photo : U.S. Navy (c)

1 dead, 8 injured in helicopter crash on Navy ship

An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a Navy ship during training, killing one service member and injuring eight, the Navy said. Service members were rappelling down a rope from the helicopter to the USNS Arctic around 8 p.m. Thursday off the Virginia coast near Fort Story when the crash happened, Navy spokeswoman Lt. J. G. Megan Issac said. The helicopter crashed into the ship's stern and ended up on its side, Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, commander of the Military Sealift Command, said at a news conference Friday morning at Naval Station Norfolk. A small fire on the ship's deck was quickly extinguished. The cause of the crash was being investigated. A second helicopter took the injured people to a hospital for treatment. None had life threatening injuries, Issac said. Names of the dead and injured and their service affiliations were not immediately released. "We deeply regret that it occurred, but unfortunately, it is part of the business we do at sea," Buzby said. Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Phil Rosi said the training exercise involved the two Army helicopters and members of a Naval Special Warfare unit. "It was a routine visit, board, search and seizure exercise that takes place between Army and Navy units on a fairly regular basis," Buzby said, adding that ships like the Arctic are used because they are similar to merchant ships. The exercise trains the service members on how to quickly board a ship that might be threatened by pirates or terrorists, for instance, Buzby said. The Arctic has returned to Naval Station Norfolk, and the damaged helicopter remained aboard the ship.



The Arctic was damaged and will be repaired quickly. Its deck had superficial damage where the helicopter landed, but the ship's propulsion was not affected. Officials said the Arctic has no official home port but frequents naval stations in Norfolk and Earle, N.J. Source : AP

Chinese navy ship to visit Japan, South Korea A Chinese navy training ship will visit South Korea and Japan later this month as part of expanded military contacts between China and its neighbors. The visit of the Zhenghe to the Japanese port of Kure will be only the second by a Chinese naval vessel since World War II as the sides seek to overcome lingering mistrust. Many Chinese continue to resent Japan's brutal invasion of much of the country, while some Japanese are wary of China's rise as a regional military power alongside its growing economic clout. Commanded by Rear Admiral Liu Yi, the navy's deputy chief of staff, the ship will first call at the South Korean port of Chinhae on Oct. 29, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday. The ship's complement of 365 will include 230 cadets from four academies under the People's Liberation Army Navy who will carry out a series of exchanges with their South Korean and Japanese counterparts, the report said. Long known for its secrecy and insularity, China's military has vastly stepped up exchanges with those of other countries in recent years, with a particular focus on Russia, Central Asia, and traditional allies such as Pakistan. Contacts with Japan and South Korea have been less frequent, an outgrowth of Beijing's discomfort with their close treaty ties to the United States. The destroyer Sazanami became the first Japanese navy ship to visit China since the war, calling last summer at the southern port of Zhanjiang. A year earlier, a Chinese warship had dropped anchor off Tokyo in what was widely seen as a breakthrough in ties. However, in an indication that sensitivities remain, Japanese ships were not included in an international naval review earlier this year at Qingdao, the home of the Chinese Northern Fleet, even though Japanese officers were invited.

Warship launched on River Clyde

Photo : Iain Forsyth (c)

Thousands of people attended the launch of the Royal Navy's latest Type 45 destroyer on the River Clyde October 21st. When the Defender was launched at 15:23 hrs HMS Defender is the fifth of six ships commissioned to replace the existing fleet of Type 42 destroyers. With a price tag of £605m, each of the 150m-long vessels weighs about 7,350 tons and is designed to provide air defence cover. HMS Defender will be launched from BVT's shipyard at Govan in Glasgow. The yard has previously launched HMS Dragon in November 2008, HMS Diamond in November 2007, HMS Dauntless in January 2007 and HMS Daring in February 2006. The new vessels are due to come into service later this year and in 2010.



Above seen the 1944 built Mexican navy ship ARE-04 CORA, the US Abnaki class (ATA) fleet tugs is built as the ATF 103 HITCHITI at the Charleston SB & DD, Charleston, S.C., the 3000 hp tug sailed through the years under the names Chac, R-55, A-55; Cora, A-20; Hitchiti ATF 103, the tug was purchased from the US on 30-09-1978, ARE =

Auxiliar Remolcador. Photo : Jeroen van Kooperen (c)

D: 1,325 tons (1,675 fl) S: 10 kts Dim: 62.48 × 11.73 × 4.67 A: 1 76.2-mm 50-cal. Mk 22 DP; 2 single 20-mm 70-cal. Oerlikon Mk 10 AA

Electronics: Radar: 1 Canadian Marconi LN-66 nav. M: 4 Caterpillar D-399 diesels, electric drive; 1 prop; 3,000 shp Electric: 400 kw Range: 7,000/15; 15,000/8 Fuel: 304 tons

Crew: 75 tot.



Crew for new attack submarine arrived Severodvinsk

The crew for Russia’s new nuclear powered attack submarine “Severodvinsk” have arrived Sevmash shipyard where the submarine is under construction. Launch is planned in 2011. The crew was established already in 2005, and has undergone training at navy training facilities outside St. Petersburg, Regnum.ru reports. The crew and their families will live in Severodvinsk until all testing of the submarine is finished. “Severodvinsk” is the first in the “Graney” class of nuclear powered attack submarine. It is under construction at the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Oblast, and will be ready to be delivered to the navy in 2011. As BarentsObserver earlier reported, a source in the Russian Ministry of Defence told ITAR-TASS that at least six submarines of the “Graney” class will be built within the next eight years. Construction of the second submarine in the series, “Kazan”, started in July 2009. Vessels of the “Graney” class will be most silent submarines in the world, Regnum writes. According to Wikipedia, they will have a maximum speed of 16 knots surfaced and 31 knots submerged. They will be 119m long, 13,5m wide and 9,4m high. They will be armed with 24 cruise missiles of the type SS-NX-26. Source : barentsobserver

SHIPYARD NEWS

The newbuilding KBV 002 left the Damen Shipyard in Galati for trails in the Black Sea Photo : Huib Lievense ©

Singapore's Keppel Q3 profit rises 17 percent



Singapore's Keppel Corp., the world's largest builder of offshore oil rigs, said third quarter net profit rose 17 percent as costs fell. Keppel reported Thursday a net profit before exceptional items of 320 million Singapore dollars ($230 million) for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared to SG$273 million a year earlier. Keppel's orderbook for marine and offshore business fell to SG$6 billion from SG$7.7 billion in the previous quarter, but the company said higher oil prices would likely spur rig sales. Source : AP

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

Nevsky Shipbuilding-Shiprepair Plant launched the head vessel

bunker-tanker for coastal trade, deadweight - 850 tons The name of the vessel - OSLO-TANK (yard number 601) is built for Customer – «Haugland Tankers AS», Norway, daughter company of «Bergen tankers AS» under Project SK4902/10021 which was developed by Design Bureau «Skipskonsulent AS», Bergen Norway. Classification society - «Bureau Veritas». The vessel was designed in conformity with the requirements of «Bureau Veritas» for the class: BV 1 XHULL, XMACH., Oil Tanker ESP, AUT-UMS, Coastal Area and has the following particulars: Length overall: - 47,85 m, breadth - 10,0 depth - 4,0 m, draft - 2,85 m. Deadweight of the vessel of project SK4902/10021 - 850 tons. Cargo tanks cubic capacity - 750 m3. The vessel is intended for transportation of clean and dirty oil products with the flash point above 60С.

The vessel has twin screw propulsion plant, one continuous deck from fore to aft, double hull throughout in cargo area, sloped inner bottom in cargo area, cargo area subdivided into six cargo tanks, fuel tanks in the way of machinery space aft, accommodations and wheelhouse above main deck, gutter bar around main deck, all main deck structure below main deck, accommodations for 4 crew members, in three cabins. Trade area – coastal area, flag – Norway. Speed - 8,0 knots. Main engines (2 high-speed diesel engines «Mitsubishi») - 2х500 kw. Each engine to be coupled to the controllable pitch propeller diameter of 1,4 m via a flexible coupling and reduction gearbox. Bow thruster with fixed pitch propeller 200 kw. Vessel’s power plant includes two shaft generators - 450 kw each, and harbor generator 50 kw. Another vessel named BERGEN TANK, yard number 602 is built for the same Customer, is currently is being completed in the shed of « Nevsky Shipbuilding-Shiprepair Plant». LLC « Nevsky Shipbuilding-Shiprepair Plant » is located 40 km away from Saint-Petersburg in the town of Schliesselburg on the left bank of the river Neva. The shipyard is one of the oldest enterprises of water transport in the northwest of Russia which started its shipbuilding activity since 1952. Nowadays the shipyard builds sea and river vessels of various types and purposes and carries out ship repair works of all kinds. Slipway for rising of vessels of « Nevsky Shipbuilding-Shiprepair Plant » allows to launch and lift for repairs the vessels up to 140 meters long and dock weight up to 2500 tons.



Onega Shipyard puts into commission a bulk-carrier

Onega Shipyard LLC (Petrozavodsk) put into commission an eleventh multi-purpose baulk-carrier of ‘river-sea’ type, ‘Karelia’ range, deadweight in river/sea 3330/5490 tons, with two full-revolving rudder propellers on October 15, 2009. The vessel was given the name ‘Vladimir Noskov’, as of the designer’s information provided on the site – Marine Engineering Bureau. ‘Vladimir Noskov’ is number six in the range of vessels modified to operate on heavy fuel up to 380 cCt (fuel oil). ‘Vladimir Noskov’ bulk-carrier is designed for shipment of general, bulk, timber, grain and over dimensional cargoes; 8.5 and 9-feet containers and dangerous cargo of 1.4S, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 class and those stipulated in Attachment B of ВС Codex. The vessel will operate in inland water ways of the European part of Russia, including Volga-Don Canal and Volga-Baltic Route. The vessel has the following characteristics; length – 108.3m, width – 16.5 m, hull height – 5.5 m, deadweight in the sea as of 4.792 m gauge - 5490 tons; deadweight in the river as of 3.60 m gauge – 3,330 tons. Overall capacity of three holds 7,840 m3. It is planned to build 12 vessels of the design. First five – ‘Rossiyanin’, ‘Ukrainets’, ‘Belorus’, ‘Kasah’ and ‘Karel’ and the seventh, eighth and tenth, bulk-carriers ‘Vasilii Klimov’, ‘captain Abakumov’, ‘Captain Konkon’, are successfully operated by Orion Company. Sixth and ninth, ‘Nikolai Klinov’, ‘Mekhanik Kovalenko’ operate for Albatros.

Harm’s ORCUS seen fitting out in Cuxhaven Photo : Martin Kramer (c)

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES



The world’s ship delivery pioneer, Redwise, provides a top quality take-over, sailover, hand-over

service for every type of vessel, wherever you need it delivered

GLOBAL SHIP DELIVERY & CREWING

[email protected]

The RNLB Helen Comrie is seen above in Buckie during a maintenance period Photo : Iain Forsyth (c)

Paragon Shipping Inc. Announces New Three Year Charter Agreement for Diamond Seas

With Bunge S.A. Paragon Shipping Inc., a global shipping transportation company specializing in drybulk cargoes, announced yesterday that it has entered into a new three year time charter contract for the Diamond Seas. The vessel has been forward fixed on period time charter for 23 to 25 months at a gross daily rate of $16,250 with Bunge S.A., who also has the



option to charter the vessel for a further 11 to 13 months at a gross daily rate of $18,500 during the option period. Commenting on these developments Michael Bodouroglou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paragon Shipping, stated, "We are pleased to announce this new chartering agreement with Bunge. Not only have we secured a lucrative time charter during these challenging times, but we have done so with one of the world's leading chartering companies. This contract is scheduled to commence between April and July 2010 immediately after the expiration of the present charter, thus allowing us to forward fix our revenue stream." Mr. Bodouroglou concluded, "This new charter arrangement will increase our fixed revenue days in 2010 and 2011 from 92% and 72% to 96% and 81%, respectively. This is fully in line with our strategic objective of providing our shareholders with solid and visible earnings. We only have one vessel scheduled to come off charter during 2010, the supramax bulkcarrier Sapphire Seas, which we are actively marketing for charter now." Paragon Shipping Inc. is an Athens, Greece-based international shipping company specializing in the transportation of drybulk cargoes. The Company's current fleet consists of twelve vessels with a total carrying capacity of 765,137 dwt. Source: Paragon Shipping Inc.

PROFITS SLASHED AT HORIZON LINES US container operator Horizon Lines has seen its third quarter net profit drop 25% to US$8.4m on the back of legal expenses and the results of its anti-trust hammering in the US courts. Revenues were down to US$308m from US$352.6m in the third quarter of 2008. While volumes were still down, the company said there were potential signs that things had bottomed out and might be on the road to recovery, albeit slowly. Horizon Lines said that its free cash flow was likely to be on a similar level to the previous year, allowing it to meet its debt obligations without trouble. Source : Maritime Global Net

Spotted in Mumbai (India) the former Dutch trawler HD 27 now named JAL PALKHI, above seen moored on the Prince's and Victoria Dock. Photo : Hans Riedijk (c)

Ningbo's container volume up 9.4pc in September

The Port of Ningbo handled 1.05 million TEU in September, increasing volume 9.4 per cent year on year - and surpassing the million TEU mark for the first time, Logistics Week reported. Ningbo Port Group director Li Linghong said this year, the port's container volume, relying heavily on export, has suffered sharp increase due to downturn. The port recorded a year on year decrease of 10.5 per cent in its box volume during the first half of year, but it then recovered in July. Mr Li said it would be ideal if the port's container throughput could reach 10 million TEU by the end of December in view of this year's performance.



From January to August, the port lifted 6.5 million TEU, down 8.2 per cent year on year. To stop a cargo slide, the port has sought wider cooperation with freight forwarders. There have been 27 shipping lines launched at the port this year, raising the total of lines operating to 216, 114 are ocean shipping routes. The port has more than 900 vessels call every month, hitting a new record in September by reaching 952. Source : schednet

Germany pledges technical support for dredging rivers

Germany would provide all sorts of assistance for capital dredging of the silted rivers in Bangladesh, as the government has undertaken a massive plan for redeeming the dying rivers. The assurance came when German Ambassador Holger Wilfried Michael called on Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen at his office yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed various matters of mutual interest, especially the river-dredging plan. Mentioning the negative impacts of climate change on Bangladesh, the Minister sought cooperation in tackling the perils of climate change. State Minister for Water Resources Alhaj M Mahbubur Rahman and Additional Secretary Riti Ibrahim were present during the meeting. ADP best stimulus to face recession, help people out from under poverty line Source : The New Nation

As reported earlier this week Lloyds reported that creditors arrested all eight ships of GA Ferries in Greece and that the company is reported as having debts of about US $ 28.1 million !

GA Ferries is been operating one of the older Greek ferry fleets which include ferries built in Japan in the 1970's and

also the ex Free Enterprise Vlll which was built in 1974 and now sails as ROMILDA at the photo seen as the second from the left, the other ferries at the photo are the MARINA (left) , RODANTHI and the DALIANA (right)

Photo : George Vermeulen (c)

PIL, Wan Hai to buy slots from Cosco on Asia-Europe service

PIL and Wan Hai Lines are expected to continue purchasing slots from Coscon on the Asia-North Europe trade, taking about 600 TEU a week on the new NE1 service operated by the CKYH alliance, of which Coscon is a member along with "K" Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin. "This is a continuation of the slot arrangement that the lines had on the AES service operated by Coscon. This loop was phased out in October as part of the CKYH Far East-Europe service rationalisation programme," reports Paris-based AXS-Alphaliner. The port rotation for the NE1 service that uses eight 9,500-10,000-TEU vessels is Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe, Antwerp, Singapore, Ningbo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nansha, returning to Rotterdam.



PIL and Wan Hai Lines shelved their own Far East-North Europe loop in December last year and started instead purchasing slots on Coscon's Asia-Europe service (AES). "The move by the two carriers to stay in the North Europe trade despite their relatively small allocation contrasts with the decision taken by several smaller carriers to exit completely from the loss-making route. Malaysia's MISC will exit the trade at the end of the year and entirely withdraw from its participation in the Grand Alliance, while CSAV Norasia no longer serves the route since January, when it withdrew its eight ships of 4,400-6,500 TEU from the trade," the newsletter said. Source : Schednet

UK. Senior board changes at IHC Engineering Business

IHC Engineering Business (EB) announced 22 October that Dr Tony Trapp has been appointed Chairman of its Supervisory Board. Toby Bailey is to take over his role as Managing Director of the company. "I am very pleased to be passing over the reins to Toby, this is part of a long term succession plan, and it is appropriate to put that plan into action now," explains Tony Trapp. "Although I am stepping back from day to day involvement, I will remain an active ambassador for EB, watching it continue to go from success to success. It is in some ways a new chapter for EB, but in others it is very much business as usual." Toby Bailey, who was until today Sales and Operations Director, joined EB in early 2001 as Sales and Marketing Manager. He has been on the Board of the company since 2005. "I have worked closely with Tony Trapp throughout my time at EB and have learned a huge amount from him. He has a reputation for ensuring that those that work for him not only achieve their full potential, but exceed their own expectations, and I can certainly attest to that; I thank him for his continued support and encouragement. "Ours has been an interesting journey and together with EB's first class management team, I relish the forthcoming challenge working with some of the world's best engineers to deliver some truly ground-breaking projects." EB was founded in April 1997 by a four-man team of engineers, led by Tony Trapp. He managed the growth and development of the business from a start-up to a £27m success story, sold in Spring 2008 to IHC Merwede. The company specialises in designing, building and supplying engineering solutions for the offshore oil and gas, submarine telecom, defence and offshore renewables industries. Tony Trapp's success has been widely acknowledged, he was awarded the Entrepreneurs Forum 'Entrepreneur of the Year 2008'; North East Business Executive of the Year 2008 at the 25th North East Business Executive of the Year Awards; and he is currently the David Goldman Visiting Professor of Business Innovation at Newcastle University. Toby Bailey has played an active role in the rapid growth and development of IHC EB. Over the past eight years he has built strong links across the global offshore industry, and his knowledge of customers, projects and the IHC team will allow him to continue to take the company forward in the coming years. EB has won a host of awards over the past 12 years including 'Fastest Growing Company in the North East of England' in 2007, and a Queen's Award for Enterprise, Innovation in 2009. IHC Merwede is focused on the continuous development of its design and construction activities for the specialised shipbuilding sector, in particular the dredging and offshore industries. IHC Merwede is world market leader in the construction of specialist dredging equipment. IHC Merwede is also recognised as an outstanding builder of complex, custom-built vessels for offshore construction. The clients of IHC Merwede include major dredging companies, oil and gas exploration groups, offshore contractors and government authorities. IHC Merwede has a staff of approximately 2,800 at its locations in the Netherlands. There are also branches in China, India, the Middle East, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Source : BYMnews



Hellespont expands into Lion Republic The Hamburg-based Hellespont group has expanded its operations by opening a new company in Singapore. Hellespont Singapore Pte Ltd is responsible for developing relationships with key offshore charterers in Singapore, sourcing crews for the Hellespont-managed PSV fleet and establishing Hellespont as operators of offshore vessels in Singapore. Left : The HELLESPONT DARING seen moored in Cape Town Photo : Aad Noorland (c) Phrixos Papachristidis, Managing Director of Hellespont AG & Co KG, the parent

company of the German-based Hellespont ship management and marine services group, says, "We have a growing fleet of offshore vessels and we wanted to place the management and operation close to key charterers. Singapore is a key hub for offshore operations and ideal for operating our new fleet of PSVs. In the future we expect to expand the company there to provide third party management to other operators, not just in the offshore service vessel field, but also in our other areas of expertise with tankers, chemical tankers and bulk carriers." Source : Seatrade Asia

The Belgian pilot vessel 7 seen leaving the port of Ostend Photo : Henk Claeys (c)

Maersk adds Agadir, Helsingborg to Morocco-north Europe service

DENMARK's Maersk Line will expand the coverage in November of its Morocco-North Europe (KNSM) service, by adding port of calls at Agadir and Helsingborg.



The revised port rotation for the KNSM service is Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Helsingborg, Antwerp, Casablanca, Agadir, Leixoes and back to Rotterdam. The service uses three 850-TEU vessels, reports AXS-Alphaliner, which said the "rotation will be stretched from two to three weeks in the process" of adding the two extra port calls. Source : Schednet

Smit Harbour Towage's Liverpool-based tug Smit Barbados seen above returning to its base after assisting with the berthing of Queen Mary 2 at the Port of Liverpool on 20th October 2009.

Photo : Rob Blythe (c)

SUBSEA 7 ANNOUNCES CONTRACT AWARD ON P-55 DEVELOPMENT

Subsea 7 Inc one of the world’s leading subsea engineering and construction companies, announced today that it has been awarded an engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) contract from Petrobras (Petroleo Brasileiro S/A) for the Roncador field, offshore Brazil. The contract is valued in excess of US $200m. The workscope is to engineer, procure, fabricate, install and commission one 12” gas export line (38.7km long) and one 12” oil export line (42km long), connecting the P-55 platform to the PRA-1 platform. The scope of work also includes the procurement and installation of associated subsea equipment. The offshore pipelines and equipment installation campaign will take place between Q3 2010 and Q2 2011 and will be carried out by one of Subsea 7´s pipelay installation vessels. Engineering and project management work will be conducted at Subsea 7´s offices in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the fabrication of the rigid pipelines will be carried out at Subsea 7´s pipeline fabrication spoolbase at Ubu, Brazil. Victor Snabaitis Bomfim, Vice President of Subsea 7 in Brazil stated: “I am delighted that Petrobras has chosen Subsea 7 once again to perform this very significant project for the development of the Roncador field. This award further strengthens our position in the steel pipeline installation marketplace and is a result of our long term commitment to



the country.” The Roncador field is located in Campos Basin in Rio de Janeiro State coast in water depths range from 200m to 1800m.

Mitsui O.S.K.'s Container Unit May Continue Losses

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., the world’s largest shipping line by fleet size, said its container unit may be unprofitable for two more years as rising global capacity and slowing world trade damps rates. The unit will make a loss in the year ending March 2011, Executive Vice President Masakazu Yakushiji said in an interview in Tokyo yesterday. It may be able to return to profit the following year if rates rise, he added. The container unit, heading for a second straight loss this year, plans to cut costs 30 percent next fiscal year and delay new vessels to tackle the slump. Evergreen Marine Corp. and China Cosco Holdings Co., Asia’s two largest container lines, have also posted losses, as recessions in the U.S. and Europe slash demand for shipments of furniture, auto parts and consumer electronics. Shipping lines can only “lose less by doing less,” said Johnson Leung, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Tufton Oceanic Ltd., the world’s largest shipping hedge-fund group. “Oversupply is not something you can solve in a year.” Mitsui O.S.K., which gets about 34 percent of revenue from containers, has cut its box-ship fleet to 98 vessels from 115 since March. That reduction will contribute to support costs at the container unit falling to about 20 billion yen ($219 million) in the year ending March 2011, Yakushiji said. The company may also move some administrative work to countries with lower labor costs, he added. No further reductions in fleet size are planned at present, he added. “We’re working to cut losses” at the container unit, Yakushiji said. “We want to make it profitable within three years.” South America, Europe The company is boosting container services to Brazil and other South American countries to take advantage of a growing market, Yakushiji said. On Asia-Europe routes, the company has boosted rates by about $200 per container in the past few months, he said. Still, the outlook remains weak, he added. Industrywide, Asia-to-U.S. container traffic dropped for a 22nd month in July, with volumes falling 13 percent from a year earlier, according to the Japan Maritime Center. Container lines worldwide may lose at least $20 billion in 2009, the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, a shipping group, said on Oct. 7, citing Drewry Shipping Consultants Ltd. Mitsui O.S.K. rose 0.9 percent to 570 yen at the close of trading in Tokyo. It has gained 5.2 percent this year compared with a 5 percent increase for the Topix Index. The container division will probably have a pretax loss of 40 billion yen in the current fiscal year, the company said in July. Overall, the shipping line expects a net profit of 30 billion yen this fiscal year, helped by demand for shipping iron ore to China. The company will announce third-quarter earnings and any changes to its full-year forecast on Oct. 27. Source: Bloomberg

CNOOC starts building fourth LNG terminal



China's leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer CNOOC Ltd has started building its fourth regasification terminal to bring gas from tankers to domestic markets, the head of the firm said on Thursday. Asked about progress on the terminal at Ningbo, CNOOC General Manager Fu Chengyu said: "We have started construction." CNOOC won government approval for the project in July. The terminal will be able to take 3 million tonnes of the fuel a year when it is ready in 2012, and 6 million tonnes a year in a later second phase. The first phase will cost around 7 billion yuan ($1.03 billion). ($1=6.827 Yuan) Source: Reuters

BRO ETIENNE RENAMED IN MAERSK ETIENNE

In the port of Brest the Bro Etienne of Broström Tankers France, changed to Maersk colours and received her new name Maersk Etienne. - Photos : Jacques Carney (c)

DP World seeks £1bn London Gateway loan Port operator DP World is sounding out banks for a loan backing the construction of the London Gateway, a project combining a deep sea container port with a logistics park on the Thames east of London, bankers said. Initial talks are based on debt of about £1 billion (Dh5,8bn), split roughly into a £500 million syndicated loan with the rest to be covered by multilateral facilities, two bankers said.



Discussions are, however, at an early stage, both sources added, noting most banks have not submitted proposals to credit committees and the structure is therefore subject to changes. Banks are expected to submit their proposals by the end of the month. "[The sponsor] has issued some indications for the terms they think are appropriate and now banks need to think about what they think is appropriate," a project finance banker said. The tenor of the loan is expected to be in line with typically longer maturities for project finance loans and without a mini-perm feature. DP World is owned by Dubai World, whose real estate unit Nakheel is to refinance its debt in December. DP World has postponed some of its capacity expansion plans, including the London Gateway, to focus on developments nearing completion. International shipping has suffered over recent months as demand for goods collapsed in the wake of the recession, but bankers expect DP World's sector leadership should inspire prospective lenders. "The port sector is not the easiest at the moment as it's tied with UK trade... but DP World is a strong sponsor for this type of transaction, with huge experience around the world," the senior project finance specialist said. Source: business24-7.ae

EU to spend €500 million at ports The European Community (EC) has announced details of a first tranche of transport infrastructure projects aimed at streamlining shipping connections across EU member countries and links with its near neighbours. Quoting an official statement, LR-Fairplay said the €500 million (Us$750 million) package was a vital part of efforts to stimulate international trade during the recession. LR-Fairplay said dredging and reclamation work to support the integrated multi-modal London Gateway port and logistics development in the Thames estuary (€14 million) was included in the funding effort; as are port infrastructure work in Malmö Northern Harbour in Sweden (€5.9 million); dredging at Venice-Marghera port to improve access from the Adriatic (€3.9 million); and upgrades for the rail link between Felixstowe and the English Midlands (€9 million). Source : Dredging News Online

OOCL revenue falls 42 percent Orient Overseas (International) has announced that its revenues from its container arm, OOCL, fell 42.3 percent in the third quarter. OOCL announced an overall revenue of US$948.9 million from the July to September quarter in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The statement also took into account total revenue for the first nine months of US$2.77 billion, down 39 percent. Average revenue per TEU dropped 30.7 percent in the third quarter year-on-year. Despite an 11.5 percent reduction in capacity, OOCL's load factor was down 4.8 percent in the nine-month period, the company said. Source : Baird Online

Key China box index drops for first time since June

Alarm bells are ringing for liner firms as one of the most accurate gauges of the container index fell for the first time in more than four months today. The China Containerised Freight Index, operated by the Shanghai Shipping Index, dropped for the first time since early June today. Despite lines reporting increased volumes and some being successful with rate increases this news will be a hammer blow for the industry. The CCFI takes data from the leading 20 lines operating out of China. Its numbers have been consistently in line with the fortunes of the container sector over the years, especially since China accounts for one in two boxes moved. With container shipping often a precursor of the world economy, the drop in the CCFI has some analysts suggesting the global economy could be in for a nasty double dip recession.

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..



At the photos seen the newly built Damen Stan Patrol 3507 patrol craft PH 51

MAKO SHARK. A series of ten of these vessels is under construction for the

Singapore Police Coast Guard. The patrol crafts are capable of speeds over 35 knots.

Photo’s : Martijn van den Hoven



The compiler of the news clippings disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided

through this free service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information. If you don’t like to receive this bulletin anymore kindly send an e-mail with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line to

[email protected] receipt of this e-mail I will remove you from the distribution list soon as possible

daily collection of maritime press clippings · pdf file · 2009-10-25daily...

Documents