DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161

Number 161** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS ***Thursday 31-08-2006 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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The RT MAGIC with the loaded AMT DISCOVERER seen enroute Rotterdam Photo : Frits Janse © PSi-Daily Shipping News

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SMITWIJS TOWAGE B.V. Westplein 5b 3016 BM Rotterdam The Netherlands Telephone: +31 10 412 6969 Telefax:+31 10 436 9587 E-mail: [email protected]

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Spliethof’s POOLGRACHT was spotted in the port of Catania (Sicily) Photo : Rosalie Wisse o/b Prinsendam ©

NEERLANDS LAATSTE STOOMZEESLEPER FURIE 90 JAAR PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 Het is best bijzonder: een nog in goede conditie verkerende stoomzeesleper van 90 jaar. Vooral bijzonder vooral omdat het varend monument “FURIE” een uniek stuk industrieel erfgoed is met nationale en internationale bekendheid. Het begon met een persbericht uit de Martenshoeker Courant van 24 december 1915: “Van de N.V. Scheepswerven v.h. Gebr. G & H Bodewes alhier, werden gisteren de kielen gelegd voor twee booten “Gebroeders Bodewes V” & “VI” welke door de machinefabriek Fulton alhier van machine installaties, groot 500 ipk, zullen worden voorzien”.

In mei 1916 was de tewaterlating en in augustus van dat jaar was de “Bodewes VI” klaar voor oplevering. Pas in 1918 werd ze verkocht naar Zweden, waar ze tot 1976 eerst als “HOLMEN III” en later als ” HOLMVIK” vooral houtvlotten gesleept heeft. Na een avontuur als filmster in de TV-serie Hollands Glorie kwam ze in 1978 permanent naar Maassluis. En daar begon een stel enthousiaste vrijwilligers met de zware klus om de sleper weer vaarklaar en zoveel mogelijk in originele staat te krijgen. Een klus die geslaagd is, want nu na 28 jaar ziet de jarige er prima uit en er wordt veel gevaren. Dat de “FURIE” bekend is bleek nog eens in 2000. Ze werd toen als achtste genomineerd voor de tentoonstelling “ De toptien van uw keus -- Het schip van de eeuw” van het Maritiem Museum in Rotterdam. Een hele eer om in het gezelschap te vertoeven van “NIEUW AMSTERDAM”, “TITANIC” en “WILLEM RUIJS”. De verjaardag van de oude dame wordt op zondag 3 september gevierd met een vaartocht en een etentje voor de vrijwilligers met hun partner. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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Box horror show for Maersk Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk has seen profit cut back in the first half as the cost of acquiring P&O Nedlloyd’s boxships hit the bottom line. Net earnings to 30 June were $1.17bn, compared to $1.85bn in the same half of 2005. Revenue soared to $21.06bn from $15.2bn, but depreciation and amortisation expenses jumped to $1.54bn, from $962m in the previous year.

The MAERSK MIAMI seen departing from Antwerp at the Westerscheldt River Photo : Ricardo van Liere © Tax was also up by $700m at $1.7bn. Container shipping lost $607m in the period, against a profit of $871m last year. Maersk called the result unsatisfactory and said Maersk Line did not manage to win a share of general market growth this year. Rates were on average 5% lower year-on-year, with fuel costs higher. The division’s financial expenses increased to $228m due to the investment in Nedlloyd, as well as in additional tonnage and in terminals. It added: “Development was partly negatively affected by changes in the service network and the integration of the organisations following the acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd as well as the implementation of new extensive IT systems.” This resulted in lower utilisation of tonnage than expected and higher unit costs. Maersk said freight rates had been under great pressure in most services, and the decline in rates had been both faster and stronger than market conditions indicated. But cargo volumes were expected to increase from the third quarter, partly due to seasonally higher demand. It added: “A considerably improved but negative result for the total container activities is expected for the second half year.” Tankers and other ship types contributed greater profit of $416m, compared to $274m in 2005. In the whole of 2006, Maersk expects revenue of DKK 270bn ($46bn) and a slightly higher profit of DKK 16bn, including more gains from ship sales.. Tanker markets remained stable, it said, while rates for the offshore drilling and supply activities had increased.

Douane onderschept 27 kilogram cocaïne in Antwerpse haven De douane heeft op 23 augustus 27 kilogram cocaïne onderschept op een schip in de Antwerpse haven. De drugs zaten verstopt in een lading bananen. Dat meldt het Antwerpse parket woensdag. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 De 'Hansa Visby', die onder Liberiaanse vlag vaart, kwam op 22 augustus aan in de haven. Het schip was afkomstig uit Colombia en was via de Dominicaanse Republiek in Antwerpen beland. De drugs zaten verstopt in een koelcontainer die geladen was met bananen. De douane nam de cocaïne in beslag. Voor wie de drugs bestemd waren, moet het verdere onderzoek uitwijzen.

GPS MARINE REFLOATES THE FEROX GPS Marine Services BV in combination with W.Smit (Waalhaven) succesfully refloated the sunken containerbarge “Ferox” at the Rozenburg locks in Rotterdam Europoort area.

Foto: Hans de Jong Maritime Pictures © The barge suddenly listed and capsized on Thursday 24th of August. The salvage operation took 2 days and the vessel was redelivered afloat to her owner on 29th of August late PM.

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The USNS T-AKR 296 GORDON seen enroute Rotterdam Photo : Jan van der Klooster © The USNS ship GORDON is built as the commercial containership JUTLANDIA during 1972 at the Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen, she and her sister named SELANDIA were regular visitors to the port of Rotterdam during the seventies, Both were lengthened in 1984 by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Ulsan, South Korea. A contract was let 30-7-93 for $425.6 million for longterm lease from Maersk/East Asia Co. and conversion as military vehicle carriers by Newport News SB & DD. Both sisterships were renamed for U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipients., The Jutlandia was renamed in Gordon and the Selandia became the USNS Gilliland (T-AKR 298). During the conversion in the U.S.A. both vessels were fitted with a 41-m-long, 7.3-m-wide, 160-ton-capacity centerline stern slewing ramp, internal vehicle ramps, side-port vehicle ramps on each beam (with ramps 15.2 m long and 12.2 m wide), and two paired 57.5ton-capacity (at 29-m radius) electric cranes; when the cranes are operating together, the pairs can lift 114 tons each at 29-m radius. Some container cell guides have been retained. There is a modular, portable ramp that can be attached to any of the three sides of the side ramps in lengths of up to 50 m when all four sections are used; it has a vehicle weight capacity of 160 tons and can be used to join the ship to a pier or lighter in up to a State 3 sea. Fin stabilizers were also added. Have six vehicle cargo decks totaling 30,843 m2. The ships can be unloaded in 96 hours. The centerline propeller has controllable pitch, while the outboard pair has fixed-pitch propellers Delivery dates slipped by about eight months. Conversion of this class and the Shughart class cost $1.06 billion total. Both were initially assigned to MPS-2 at Diego Garcia, but during 2001, both were reassigned to Surge Force duties and placed in 4-day reduced operating status layup at Norfolk, where they are managed by Patriot Contract Services. D: 33,163 tons light (57,000 fl) S: 24 kts (22 sust.) Dim: 291.39 (272.65 pp) × 32.24 × 11.00 Electronics: Radar: . . . Sperry RASCAR-ARPA nav. M: 1 Burmeister & Wain 12K84EF diesel (31,400 bhp), 2 Burmeister & Wain 9K84EF diesels (23,600 bhp each); 3 props; 78,600 bhp—CP bow-thruster Electric: 12,560 kw tot. ship’s service + 1,750 kw tot. emergency Range: 27,000/22 Fuel: 8,486 tons heavy oil, 874 tons diesel Crew: 13 officers, 32 unlicensed, 50 navy (2 officers, 48 enlisted)


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Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron Deploys to Kuwait

Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron (NCWRON) 34 from Naval Coastal Warfare Group (NCWG) 1 deployed to Kuwait Aug. 22 and 24 to provide harbor and port security. They are tasked to protect ships carrying supplies for allied forces in Iraq. “This is my second time going over there, and it feels really good to help our troops get what they need to accomplish their mission,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Martin Garcia of NCWRON 34. NCW squadrons use sensor platforms to provide a technical picture of the ports and harbors as they patrol the harbors for threats. “Since I’ve been with this squadron, I’ve had nothing but total confidence in my men and women to do the job successfully around the clock,” said Command Master Chief (SW) Timothy Draughon of NCWRON 34. NCWRON 34 has been training for the last four months preparing mentally and physically for their deployment. “It’s amazing how far we have come with our training. Everything we do as a team is done incredibly well and this is, by far, the best group of men and women I’ve ever served with,” said Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Richard Britton. NCWRON 34 is comprised of Naval and Coast Guard enlisted and reservist personnel and is scheduled to be in Kuwait for approximately nine months.

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Malaysia to Strengthen Shipbuilding, Repair Sector According to reports, aimed at stemming the outflow of capital for the acquisition of marine transport products, especially ships, the Malaysian Government will seek to strengthen the capacity and capability of the shipbuilding and ship repair sector in the country under the recently-launched Third Industrial Master Plan (2006-2020) (IMP3). Giving the push to the shipbuilding and ship repair sector is among the five strategic thrusts for the long-term growth and viability of the marine transport subsector. Last year, Malaysia imported various marine transport products and it has been estimated that the outflow of the capital for this sector increased by an annual rate of 3.6 percent during the 1996-2005 period. The country imported cruise ships, ferry boats, cargo ships and barges last year. Recently, MISC Bhd announced that it has allocated funds for the acquisition of mainly tankers and containerships. The perspective IMP3 noted there are 56 companies with manufacturing licences undertaking the building and repairing of commercial and naval vessels. In addition, there are more than 30 smaller shipyards producing mainly wooden hulls for fisherman and traders, smaller ferries, tugboats, barges, standby vessels and patrol boats, leisure craft yachts, cruisers and speedboats. The plan document said during the IMP2 period, major inroads were made in developing the shipbuilding and repairing sector

Net Profit Of Baltic Shipyard Up In H1 In January-June 2006 the net profit of the Baltic Shipyard JSC increased 3.9 times to 654.548 mn rubles, reports Prime-TASS. The pre-tax profit made 938.54 mn rubles having increased 3.9 times, sales profit - up 3.5 times to 173.12 mn rubles, gross profit - by 3.6 times to 185.954 mn rubles.

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Top : The passenger/car ferry CHI-CHEEMAUN seen arriving in the port of South Baymouth at the southern end of Manatoulin Island. Photo : John Attersley © The CHI-CHEEMAUN serves at the route South Baymouth,(Manitoulin Island) and Tobermory, (Ontario) in Lake Huron. The trip is worthwhile for anyone traveling in northern Ontario. During the crossing the Parks Canada staff on board will give you an interesting lecture on the history of the area and in particular Bruce Peninsular National Park. The ferry was built in 1974 specifically for the service by Canadian Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd., Collingwood Ontario for the Owen Sound Transportation Company Ltd. Vessel specs, 105.6 m long, 18.99 m breadth, 7040 BHP, twin screw with bow thruster, IMO number 7343607.

More information can be found on the site www.chicheemaun.com.

Cruise Ship Experiences Delays According to AAP, Brisbane’s new cruise ship terminal has been plagued by problems on its opening day. The $750 million Portside Wharf and Brisbane Cruise Terminal development on the Brisbane River at Hamilton welcomed its first vessel today – P&O's Pacific Star. The ship had been due to sail at 2pm but when passengers eventually boarded, the delay continued due to a problem with the vessel's holding tank. P&O spokesman John Richardson said the Pacific Star could not leave until a minor leak was fixed. Another 48 liners are due to berth at the terminal in the next 12 months – four times the number that visited Brisbane in 2003 when work on the development started

Libya Acquires New Tankers Libya Wednesday took delivery of three new oil tankers at its port hosting the Refining Company in Zaouia, as part of ceremonies marking the 37th anniversary of the country`s September 1969 Revolution. Baghdadi Mahmoudi, PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 9 8/30/2006

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 Secretary of the Libyan People`s General Committee took delivery of the three tankers - Ibn Batouta, Gardhabia and Intissar - new additions to the Libyan Maritime Transport Company`s fleet. The tankers built in South Korea by Samaho Hundai, one of the largest ship builders in the world, under supervision by Lloyd`s of Britain, cost US$165 million each, according to industry sources. They are equipped to carry three types of crude oil, and each could unload 3,000 cubic metres of crude per hour. The tankers were purchased by the Libyan Maritime Transport Company to meet the needs of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), in pursuance of local and international standards, and for operation in all ports. They will sail between several Mediterranean ports and in northern Europe, under a long-term deal of specifications signed with NOC.

Aboitiz to shed passengerships The Philippines’ biggest shipowner Aboitiz Transport System Corp (ATSC) is to concentrate on freight business after seeing its passenger numbers fall. Cut-price airline competition and rising fuel prices has been blamed for the decline. Erramon Aboitiz, vice president of holding company Aboitiz Equity Ventures, told the Inquirer newspaper the owner would like to sell or dispose of vessels that rely more on passenger load. Left : The Negros Navigation ferry SAN PAOLO seen discharging passengers at Puerto Princessa (Palawan) Photo : Piet Sinke © "We're still cashflow-positive, but the fuel costs are killing us," he added. "We got rid of one vessel, leased it abroad, and then we chartered another vessel, which has space purely for cargo.” The new vessel arrived two weeks ago and will start operations in early September. The 15 vessels in the fleet used to split their business 50/50 between people and freight, but ATSC has recently been moving fast ferries from inter-island routes and bringing in more fuel-efficient vessels. Aboitiz said a pure cargoship would consume half the fuel of a ferry. The company will bring in more cargoships if it can sell passengerships.

COSCO Opens Container Terminal Quanzhou Pacific Container Terminal Co., Ltd., jointly ventured by COSCO Pacific and Quanzhou Port, now has come into operation and celebrated its opening up on Aug. 28. Also the construction projects of a container terminal with a capacity of 100,000 tons in Shek Wu, and a multi-purpose berth with a handle capacity of 50,000 tons in Xiutu were handed over. The inital investment of Quanzhou Pacific Container Terminal Co., Ltd. amounted to $99.80 mn, mainly for the management and operation of 4 container berths in Shek Wu and 2 berths form Houzhou.It is estimated that the output could reach 600,000 TEU by the end of this year. Before the end of 2015, Cosco would make further investments up to 5 billion yuan for the infrastructure of terminals, warehouses, etc. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 It is planning that the new JV would contribute 2.6 mn TEU as output by the end of 2010, this would add Quanzhou as one of the top 10 container ports ;the ambitious goal by the year of 2020 would be 10 mn TEU.

SBM earnings stronger Dutch FPSO owner SBM Offshore has been boosted in the first half by the sale of a stake in one of its production vessels. It recorded net profit of $97.8m to 30 June, compared with $73.5m in the same period of 2005. Turnover rose to $823m against $607.1m, but the current figure includes $103.7m from the sale to Malaysia’s MISC of 49% of its FPSO Brasil. Operating expenses for the period included a sharp increase in expenditure related to the development of new products, it said. Major new contracts include, through a joint venture with Sonangol, a deal with ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration Angola for the fifteen-year lease and operation of FPSOs offshore Angola, plus an order from Chevron for an FPSO for the Frade field offshore Brazil. SBM said: “In the wake of the increased offshore exploration activities of the oil companies, the number of identified prospects and tender invitations for offshore facilities keeps growing steadily.” It is predicting a full-year profit of around $200m in 2006. SBM has 16 of its own FPSOs, plus another under management and three more under construction.

Tallink To Cut Jobs In Finland, Sweden A threat of industrial action against Tallink, the fast-expanding Estonian ferry operator, has been lifted following agreement with a Finnish union on a time-scale for pay rises. The Finnish Seamen's Union (FSU) had been planning action if the company, which operates ferries between Rostock in Germany and Hanko in Finland, did not implement agreed pay rises for its Estonian crews. Simo Zitting, the FSU president, says he is now confident Tallink will meet the scheduled rises taking Estonians to Finnish levels of pay. Under the agreement reached after Tallink ships were boycotted in Finland in June, pay rates rise initially to 60%, then to 70% at the beginning of next year and to 100% by the end of 2007, with the first increase backdated to the beginning of June. A working group has been set up by the FSU and Tallink to translate the increases into individual salaries. We have an agreement with Tallink and I don't see any reason to believe they won't follow it," Zitting says. Tallink acquired three Superfast Ferries from Attica Enterprise of Greece earlier this year and replaced multinational crews with Estonians and cut pay levels by, unions claim, as much as 75%. In June the Tallin-based company also bought Silja Line from debt-laden Sea Containers for EUR 450m ($578m) and 5m Tallink shares and has been warned by the FSU and Swedish counterpart Seko not to cut manning costs on the Baltic ships. A meeting next month between the company and the unions, including the Estonian Seamen's Union, is due to discuss union policy on social dumping" in the Baltic and plans for Silja. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 Zitting says Tallink has promised no radical changes" at Silja, whose ships employ around 2,000 Finns and Swedes, but adds there are still concerns over the company's plans. The FSU is also awaiting a decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the Viking Line case after it was referred to the ECJ by a British appeal court last year. Viking had initially won an injunction from a lower court against the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the ITF-affiliated FSU preventing any industrial action over the proposed reflagging of its ferry Rosella to Estonia. But the appeal court decided the case raised issues about European Union laws on which only the ECJ could adjudicate. Zitting says he expects the ECJ Advocate-General to make a statement on the case soon and the court to make a formal ruling before the end of the year. Estonian shipping group Tallink said on Friday it plans to cut 180 jobs in Finland and 80 jobs in Sweden following its 450 million euro ($575 million) acquisition of Silja Line from Sea Containers, according to Reuters News. "It will have significant impact on the bottom line," Keijo Mehtonen told Reuters, but declined to specify.

Tallink Re-Flag Estonian ferry operator Tallink group is to save $164 th. a year after registering its newly re-sited "Regina Baltica" under the Latvian flag. Latvia's attractive program of tax subsidies means the growing ferry company will not only save on income tax, but its Latvian seaman will also put more money in their pockets. Overall their wages are expected to increase by EEK 2.5m a year from the move. The 18,300-gt "Regina Baltica" (built 1980) joined Tallink's new Riga-Stockholm service in May after the original vessel the 16,400-gt Fantaasia (built 1979) was chartered out to Morocco's Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation (Comanav). The vessel previously served the route from Stockholm to Tallinn.

8,204-TEU newbuild Cosco Germany to be used on AE-1 service THE shipping arm of the Nordcapital Group E R Schiffahrt held a naming ceremony for its latest newbuild, the 8,204 TEU Cosco Germany, at the Tollerort container terminal in Hamburg, Germany, earlier this month. The containership was built by Hyundai at the Samho Shipyard in South Korea. She is being chartered for 10 years by Cosco, along with seven other super-postpanamax ships, ranging in size from 7,500 to 8,200 TEU. The Cosco Germany will be deployed on the AE-1 service that plies the Asia-Europe trade. The Cosco Germany is 334 metres long, 42.8 metres wide and possesses a draught of 14.5 metres. The naming ceremony followed the old maritime tradition of cracking open a bottle of champagne against the vessel's hull and was accompanied by a fireworks display. Erck Rickmers, ship owner and principal shareholder of Nordcapital, said: "We have a history of many years of intensive business contacts with China. Today's guests of honour from China are underscoring this long record of friendship." Nordcapital is chartering a total of 18 ships to Chinese shipping lines, including the above-mentioned eight for Cosco plus seven for OOCL and three for CSCL.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 E R Schiffahrt currently has 76 container ships in operation and under construction, with a total capacity of around 350,000 TEU, making it one of the world's largest container charter shipping companies.

MSC capacity up 150pc in five years SWISS-BASED Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has doubled its fleet and increased its capacity 150 per cent over the last five years, executives from the company told a recent gathering to mark the firm's 10th anniversary in Hong Kong. "This year we have already deployed nine 8,000 TEU vessels and four 9,000 TEU vessels," said Carolyn Becquart, line manager of MSC SA, the world's number two container ocean carrier. "Every week, we handle 43,000 TEU. Our vessels call among five continents." MSC HK managing director Kevin Schellack recalled the firm's Hong Kong beginnings. "When we established MSC HK in 1996, we offered only one weekly service, the Silk Service." Said Ms Becquart: "The scale of operations was modest, though we had ambitious plans." Today, the company provides 13 weekly services to the Far East, North and South America, Europe, Australasia, Africa and the Middle East. Mr Schellack recalled that 3,000-TEU and 4,000-TEU ships were typical in the beginning. "The trade has grown substantially," he said. "Last year we handled more than 1.9 million TEU. If we arranged all the containers along a straight line, it would reach a length of exceeding 11,000km - from here to London." Since the opening of the firm's Hong Kong operation, 18 mainland offices have opened in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhongshan.

Sushi à volonté De Crystal Serenity is het grootste cruiseschip ooit dat aanmeert in Antwerpen Amper een week nadat de machtige zeilschepen van de Tall Ships' Race het ruime sop kozen, hield gisteren opnieuw een maritieme mastodont halt in Antwerpen. Met een lengte van 250 meter is de Crystal Serenity het grootste cruiseschip dat ooit de Schelde is opgevaren. Een blik achter de - zwaar beveiligde - schermen. De cruiseterminal aan het zuiderterras in Antwerpen is zwaar beveiligd. Extra dranghekken worden geplaatst. Overal staat security. Journalisten moeten hun paspoort inleveren en krijgen een nummer om het luxueuze zeecruiseschip te bezoeken. Handtassen worden gecontroleerd. Fototoestellen gescreend. De Crystal Serenity maakt een twaalfdaagse reis van Stockholm, Warnemünde (Berlijn), Kopenhagen en Oslo via Edinburgh, Amsterdam naar Londen. Het is niet het grootste cruiseschip ter wereld, maar volgens de cruisegids Berlitz wel hét beste onder de middelgrote schepen. Eén dag houdt de varende wolkenkrabber halt in de metropool Antwerpen. Aan boord: 702 passagiers. Het luxueuze vaartuig, dat dertien dekken telt, maakt een vrij lege en vooral een ultracleane indruk. Pas rond vier uur 's namiddags druppelen de toeristen binnen. Uitgeput van één van de vele excursies. Met Brugge, en niet Gent, Breendonk of Brussel, als torenhoge favoriet. De cruisegangers kopen in de terminal allemaal nog snel een doosje Belgian Chocolats waarmee ze apetrots de metaaldetectoren passeren. ,,Nu kan ik met een gerust hart de oversteek naar Dover maken'', lacht een passagier. Voor een trip met de Crystal Serenity, die in 2003 gebouwd werd voor 270 miljoen euro, moet je toch wel even sparen. Het duurste verblijf is het 410 vierkante meter grote penthouse met veranda dat 22.500 euro kost. Zijn in de prijs inbegrepen: een persoonlijke butler, een eigen fitnessruimte, een bubbelbad, het obligate fruitmandje en een Yamaha-geluidsinstallatie. Voor een wereldreis van 110 dagen tast je ietsje dieper in je buidel: 80.000 euro. Heel wat goedkoper is de deluxe stateroom - 69 vierkante meter - op een van de lagere scheepsdekken: die kost 6.000 euro volgens de brochure. De kajuiten hebben een privé teakhouten terras vanwaar je een prachtig zicht hebt op zee. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 Toch krijgt Riet Goetschalckx de kriebels wanneer er over prijzen wordt gepraat. ,,Je hoeft niet eens rijk te zijn om mee op cruise te gaan'', zegt de Benelux-sales manager van Silverblue, dat Crystal Cruises vertegenwoordigt. ,,Deze reis in het noorden van Europa kan al vanaf 2.500 euro.'' Maar hoe je het ook draait of keert, de reis blijft alleen weggelegd voor gefortuneerden. De gemiddelde leeftijd ligt boven de 40. Vrouwelijke singles zijn in de meerderheid. ,,Dat is niet eens zo'n probleem'', vindt de Amerikaanse Georgia Freid (72). ,,Ik ben weduwe en ben hier samen met mijn tante. Zij is tachtig en was ooit getrouwd met een heel oude nonkel. ( lacht ) We zijn allebei alleenstaand. Er zijn voldoende ambassador hosts die met ons eten en dansen.'' De gezelschapsheren staan op de loonlijst van de rederij en moeten de dames begeleiden. In totaal werken er 636 bemanningsleden. Daarvan krijgt het merendeel een tijdelijk contract van een half jaar. ,,We worden goed betaald'', vindt Reka, een barmeisje uit Hongarije dat al twee jaar op het schip werkt. ,,Al leven we ook wel van fooien.'' Standaard wordt er dagelijks negen euro fooi per persoon betaald. Wie daar van af wil, moet dat uitdrukkelijk vragen aan de receptie. Het verzamelde geld wordt verdeeld. Voor Georgia Freid kunnen de loopjongens- en meisjes niet genoeg krijgen. ,,Tachtig euro is geen uitzondering. Iedereen is hier zo behulpzaam. Ze verdienen het.'' Fooien, alcohol, zinnenprikkelende massages en een bezoek aan de kapper zijn niet inbegrepen. Voor de rest is zowat alles aan boord gratis. Sushi? Dat kan, de Japanse brouwsels van meesterkok Nobu Matsuhisa worden à volonté geserveerd. Italiaanse specialiteiten? Geen probleem. In totaal is er keuze uit zeven restaurants. Wie de calorieën eraf wil trainen, kan dat in een immense fitnesszaal, een binnen-of buitenzwembad en een tenniscourt op het hoogste dek. Wie de moed heeft kan op het teakhouten terras toertjes lopen van 500 meter.

De CRYSTAL SERENITY opweg naar Antwerpen – Foto : Sjaak Klaassen © ,,Al kiezen de meesten voor de meer rustige activiteiten. Ze volgen computerles of leren een taal aan de University@Sea '', weet August Kobler (73), een gepensioneerd industrieel uit Zwitserland. In zijn eentje neemt hij plaats achter zijn keyboard. ,,Ik heb hier piano leren spelen. Het is mijn 49ste reis met de Chrystal Serenity, dus ga er maar vanuit dat ik het goed onder de knie heb. Al vindt mijn vrouw, een uitstekende pianiste, dat ik te hard op de toetsen tokkel. Ik ben nu een wals voor haar aan het componeren. Tja, ik ben een echte romanticus.'' Voor romantische zielen zijn er tal van bars waar er zachtjes piano wordt gespeeld. Tijdens de afternoon tea in de Palm Court speelt er een strijkersensemble. Elke avond is er in de Galaxy Lounge een grote pluimenshow. Nachtraven kunnen naar de bioscoop of de discotheek. Er is zelfs een casino met slotmachines. De rederij leent desnoods het gokgeld voor tot een maximum van 2.500 euro per cruise. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 Een strenge dresscode is er niet. Alleen tijdens de speciale gala-avonden worden de vrouwen aan tafel verwacht in een avondjurk. De mannen trekken een smoking aan. Wie maatpak en cocktailjurk thuis heeft gelaten, kan gaan shoppen in één van de vele kledingwinkels. Je kan er een ,,goedkoop'' broekpakje voor zo'n 250 euro aanschaffen. Wie dan nog centjes over heeft kan in de Art Gallery een Dalì, Picasso of Mirò op de kop tikken tijdens één van de drie veilingen. ,,Tuurlijk is het allemaal duur'', besluit Georgia Freid. ,,Maar we hebben er allemaal verdomd hard voor moeten werken. Waarom dan niet met volle teugen genieten ?''

MOVEMENTS THIS SECTION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY :

MULTRASHIP Towage & Salvage Scheldekade 48 4531 EH Terneuzen The Netherlands Tel : + 31 – 115 645 000 Fax : + 31 – 115 645 001 Internet [email protected] http://www.multraship.nl

The KAREL DOORMAN under tow of the THETIS enroute the Shipdock shipyard in Amsterdam whilst the CRYSTAL SERENITY departs from the city enroute to the IJmuiden locks bound for Antwerp. Photo : Radboud Polee ©


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The STENA CONSUL seen in Rotterdam-Europoort Photo : Jan Verhoog © On Saturday 2nd September @ 0900 the Hunt class minehunter HMS HURWORTH M39 is visiting Valletta. From Friday 22nd September - Monday 25th September the SACHSEN Class frigate FGS HESSEN F221 is visiting Valletta

AIRCRAFT / AIRPORT NEWS

Polar cleared for more China frequencies in 2007 POLAR Air Cargo, having received Washington's approval for additional flights to China, announced it would proceed with a new US-Beijing freight service next year. Photo : Piet Sinke © Already serving Shanghai, Polar recently received US Department of Transportation clearance for four additional weekly flights to Beijing starting March 25, 2007, increasing its US-China flights to 16 a week. "The DOT has granted Polar a valuable opportunity to increase our presence in the dynamic US-China market," said William Flynn, chief executive officer of US-based Atlas Air Worldwide, Polar's parent company. Polar commenced its all-cargo scheduled service to China in December 2004 with six weekly flights. Three additional flights were added in March 2005, and another three in March 2006. Atlas Air Worldwide's subsidiaries, which includes Polar, operate the world's largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighters, offering scheduled air cargo service, cargo charters, military charters, and aircraft leasing in which customers receive a dedicated aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance on a long-term lease basis. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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MARINE WEATHER THIS SECTION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY :

Internet: www.spos.nl Tel : +31 317 399800 E-mail : [email protected]

Today’s wind (+6Bft) and wave (+3m) chart. Created with SPOS, the onboard weather information & voyage optimisation system, used on over 500 vessels today.

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..


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The ASM ALPHA is the former SMIT LLOYD 106 seen recently in the Gul Basin in Singapore Photo : John Bruinsma ©

Wereldhavendagen Rotterdam Op vrijdag 1, zaterdag 2 en zondag 3 september zijn in Rotterdam de Wereldhavendagen. Spectaculaire shows Bezoekers kunnen op expeditie en kennismaken met de wereld van de Rotterdamse haven. Met bedrijfsdemonstraties en -presentaties op de kades en spectaculaire shows op het water krijgt men een breed en realistisch beeld van de PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 18 8/30/2006

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 161 Word Port Europe. Daarnaast openen de havenbedrijven hun deuren voor een kijkje achter de schermen. Lopend, per bus of per boot kunnen de havenbedrijven worden bezocht. Bereikbaarheid NS adviseert de bezoekers van de Wereldhavendagen te reizen naar station Rotterdam Centraal. Vanaf station Rotterdam Centraal zijn de havens prima bereikbaar met de metro. Retourtje Wereldhaven NS, de RET en de Wereldhavendagen brengen samen een handig alles-in-één kaartje uit 'Retourtje Wereldhaven'. Met dit kaartjes heeft u recht op: Een treinretour van uw vertrekstation in Nederland naar station Rotterdam Centraal. Indien u in het bezit bent van een Voordeelurenabonnement of een Jaartrajectkaart heeft u recht op 40% korting op de prijs van het treintraject. Retourtje Metro Wereldhaven, geldig in de RET-metro op het traject station Rotterdam Centraal-halte Wilhelminaplein. Een enkele reis Pendelboot Wereldhaven, geldig op het traject Rijnhaven-Willemskade-Parkkade.Retourtje Wereldhaven is te koop op alle NS-stations in Nederland via de Tickets & Servicebalie en via de kaartautomaten met aanraakscherm, onder de knop 'Acties'. U betaalt de waarde van het treinkaartje voor het traject waarop u reist en slechts 2,50 euro extra voor het retour met de metro en de enkele reis met de pendelboot.

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

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