DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243

Number 243 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 16-09-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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The ZEUS seen at Maaspilot station - Photo : Hans Hoffmann ©

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CONTENTS EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Aanmeldingen stromen binnen bij Team Delta Lloyd Antalina rides out Ike; crew of 22 safe Boskalis to make cash offer for Smit Voornemen Bod Boskalis Bod Smit Interationale Euro 62,50 per aandeel Smit Internationale begon met stoomboot Boskalis: van lokale baggeraar tot wereldtopper FNV fel tegen opsplitsen Smit Internationale Smit wijst bod Boskalis af SMIT REJECTS INVITATION TO DISCUSS BREAK-UP PROPOSAL Rescuers save scores after Turkish ferry sinks ATTACKS CONTINUE IN GULF OF ADEN AND INDIAN OCEAN Dronken kapitein gepakt op Westerschelde EU denkt over marinevloot voor kust Somalië Channel Tunnel delays for months Somali pirates want ransom from Egypt Ships return to Port Victoria after pirate attack Little left of Blackpool's Riverdance ferry

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Naval activity – Operation Oxide to be held off Durban

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Washburn and Doughty deliver first boat since yard fire The New Voyager under construction Croatian union workers threaten to strike Cosco shipbuilding stock tumbles to 2-year low in Singapore New PRISCO’s tanker is launched at STX Shipbuilding Company Nam Cheong says there is uptrend in demand for OSVs

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

No Bow sale TBS BUYS HEAVYLIFT SHIP Ferry offered for charter or sale Holyhead misses out as vessel visit cancelled Bleaker outlook for containers, says analyst Diamond Offshore Rig Suffers Damage Hapag-Lloyd to Establish Australia Service Ike causes minimal damage at Port of Houston Lerwick dredging project almost complete Pier closed after paddle steamer collision SMM Set for Hamburg Dubai Ports rakes in cash and Maersk enjoys first half profit Great Offshore & Varun Shipping best bets in shipping sector

NAVY NEWS SHIPYARD NEWS

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES


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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The BLUE STAR I seen arriving for the last time in Zeebrugge from Rosyth, after discharging her passengers and cargo the ferry departed from Zeebrugge with destination Greece - Photo : Henk Claeys ©

Aanmeldingen stromen binnen bij Team Delta Lloyd

De belangstelling in de Nederlandse zeilwereld voor een enerverende reis om de wereld is groot. Amper vijf dagen na de presentatie van Team Delta Lloyd in Amsterdam staan er op het kandidatenlijstje van keuzeheer Maurice Paardenkooper al ruim veertig namen. Hij heeft nog drie weken om drie of vier Nederlanders op de boot van de Ierse schipper Ger O'Rourke te stationeren. Diens huidige team bestaat uit veertien man, allen buitenlanders. Uiteindelijk mogen er tien zeilers mee op avontuur. Zaterdag 4 oktober start de tiende editie van de Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante met acht jachten. De finish van de tiende en laatste etappe is eind juni volgend jaar in Sint Petersburg.

,Ik heb zelf wat mensen gebeld, maar de meeste zeilers hebben zich zelf aagemeld'', liet Paardenkooper maandag weten. ,,Het is een bont gezelschap van jonge, ervaren en olympische zeilers. Delta Loyd wil graag Nederlanders in het team van O'Rourke opnemen, maar ik wil eerst weten wat de huidige ploeg goed en minder goed kan. Daarna kan ik de Nederlandse deelnemers invullen.'' Paardenkooper wilde nog geen namen noemen van zeilers die in aanmerking komen voor het spoedproject van Delta Lloyd. Wel bevestigde hij de aanmelding van de olympische 470-broers Sven en Kalle Coster. ,,De kans dat zij op de eerste etappe naar Kaapstad mogen meevaren is evenwel niet zo groot. Ik zal toch in eerste instantie voor mannen kiezen die enige ervaring hebben in het offshore-zeilen.'' Paardenkooper, de grote man achter het zilveren Yngling-succes bij Peking 2008, benadrukte dat Team Delta Lloyd in het begin van de race nog een open karakter zal hebben. ,,We moeten er eerst voor zorgen dat de boot netjes en Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 goed in Kaapstad aankomt, het liefst ook nog met een aardige klassering. Daarna kunnen we kijken of en welke veranderingen we in het team moeten aanbrengen om de boot competitief te maken. Want we willen tijdens de Volvo Ocean Race natuurlijk niet in onze onderbroek komen te staan.''

Antalina rides out Ike; crew of 22 safe A tugboat on Saturday reached a disabled freighter carrying 22 people, hours after the ship road out Hurricane Ike without power, Coast Guard spokesman Mike O'Berry said. O'Berry said the tugboat Rotterdam arrived shortly before 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET). Repairs will be made aboard the Antalina, which has a broken fuel pump, while at sea, he added. The tugboat will then tow the ship to Port Arthur, Texas, where it will undergo additional repairs and eventually offload its cargo- petroleum coke, a petroleum byproduct. The crew members aboard the Antalina, a Cypriot-flagged freighter, are all in good health, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Ron Labrec. The freighter suffered no major damage from the storm, said Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for the company that manages the ship. Aircraft from the Coast Guard and Air Force were sent Friday afternoon to try to rescue the crew of the freighter. But high winds forced the military to abort the rescue, O'Berry said. The Coast Guard then instructed the freighter to contact it each hour. It also told told the crew to turn on the ship's emergency radio beacon so its position could be monitored.

Boskalis to make cash offer for Smit

Royal Boskalis Westminster NV announced today that it intends to make a cash offer of €62.50 per share for all outstanding shares of Smit Internationale NV. The offer values Smit at €1.13 billion. The offer price implies a premium of approximately 30% relative to the closing price of &euro: 48.19 of Smit ordinary shares on September 12, 2008; and a premium of more than 27% relative to the average closing price of an ordinary share of Smit during the last month.

The SMIT HUMBER – Photo : Hans Hoffmann © Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 Boskalis said the intended offer fits within its aim of being a leading service provider with creative and innovative solutions for infrastructural challenges in maritime, coastal and delta areas in the world. It said a world class maritime service provider would be created by adding salvage, heavy lift, transport and terminals (via Lamnalco) to Boskalis. But it said that "harbor towage is not perceived to be an operational activity which in the long term will add value to or otherwise form a logical fit with the other activities of the combined company. As part of the envisioned transaction, harbor towage will be placed with a third party thereby also creating an improved outlook for continuity and long term growth for this part of business." Boskalis said its management board has invited Smit to enter into discussions "to come to a transaction that will be supported and recommended by the Board of Management and Supervisory Board of Smit." Source : MarineLog

Voornemen Bod Boskalis Bod Smit Interationale Euro 62,50 per aandeel

Dit is een openbare mededeling van Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster nv, ingevolge artikel 5:59 lid 1 van de Wet op het Financieel Toezicht. Dit is geen openbare mededeling dat een openbaar bod wordt uitgebracht, noch een aanbod tot aankoop of verkoop of een uitnodiging tot het doen van een aanbod tot aankoop of verkoop van enige effecten in het kapitaal van Smit. Boskalis is voornemens een bod in contanten uit te brengen op Smit Internationale NV van EUR 62,50 per aandeel - Bod op alle uitstaande aandelen van Smit voor een totaalbedrag van EUR 1.113 miljoen in contanten Door de combinatie zal een maritieme dienstverlener van wereldformaat ontstaan: - Salvage, Heavy Lift en Transport zullen bij Boskalis worden ondergebracht - Samenvoeging Terminals met Lamnalco Group - Desinvestering Harbour Towage Op basis van de biedprijs van EUR 62,50 per gewoon aandeel bedraagt de waarde van het bod op Smit in totaal EUR 1.113 miljoen. Het bod vertegenwoordigt: - een premie van circa 30% ten opzichte van de slotkoers van EUR 48,19 per aandeel Smit op jongstleden vrijdag, 12 september 2008; en - een premie van ruim 27% ten opzichte van de gemiddelde slotkoers per aandeel Smit gedurende de afgelopen maand. Boskalis is van mening dat het bod voor de aandeelhouders van Smit 'full and fair value' biedt. Het bod zal worden gedaan onder voorwaarden die gebruikelijk zijn voor dit type transacties. Het voorgenomen bod past in de strategie van Boskalis die erop is gericht een toonaangevende dienstverlener te zijn op het gebied van creatieve innovatieve oplossingen voor infrastructurele uitdagingen in de maritieme, kusten deltagebieden in de wereld. Door de samenvoeging van Salvage, Heavy Lift, Transport en Terminals (via Lamnalco) met Boskalis ontstaat een maritieme dienstverlener van wereldformaat met logisch op elkaar aansluitende operationele activiteiten en met uitstekende mogelijkheden voor verdere ontwikkeling en groei. Zowel de competenties als de cultuur van beide bedrijven sluiten nauw aan. Bovendien zal de integratie van Terminals met Lamnalco aanzienlijke synergievoordelen opleveren. Harbour Towage wordt niet beschouwd als een operationele activiteit die op lange termijn waarde toevoegt aan of anderszins logisch samenhangt met de overige business activiteiten van de gecombineerde onderneming. Onderdeel van de beoogde transactie is dan ook dat Harbour Towage wordt ondergebracht bij een derde partij, waardoor ook dit bedrijfsonderdeel beter vooruitzicht kan hebben op continuïteit en groei op lange termijn. Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide Page 5 9/15/2008


Wegens het complementaire karakter van de activiteiten en de ontwikkeling van de markten waarop beide bedrijven actief zijn zal de transactie weinig tot geen negatieve gevolgen hebben voor de werkgelegenheid. Naar de toekomst toe zal het samengaan juist leiden tot een krachtiger onderneming met betere vooruitzichten op groei, waardoor aan medewerkers van beide ondernemingen meer mogelijkheden voor persoonlijke ontplooiing kunnen worden geboden. De nieuwe combinatie zal nog beter in staat zijn om haar klanten onder vaak complexe omstandigheden wereldwijd te bedienen met optimale inzet van mensen en materieel. Het bestuur van Boskalis heeft Smit uitgenodigd om in overleg te treden omtrent de voorgenomen transactie. Doel van het te voeren overleg is te komen tot een transactie die wordt ondersteund en aanbevolen door de Raad van Bestuur en de Raad van Commissarissen van Smit. Links : de SMIT POLEN gezien in Balhaf-Jemen Photo : Crew Smit Polen © Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster nv is een internationaal opererend concern met een leidende positie op de wereldmarkt van baggerdiensten. De kernactiviteiten van Boskalis zijn aanleg en onderhoud van havens en vaarwegen, creatie van land in water en bescherming van kusten en oevers. Met belangrijke thuismarktposities in Europa en daarbuiten richt de onderneming zich op alle in de baggersector voorkomende diensten. Daarnaast heeft zij posities in strategische partnerships in het Midden-Oosten (Archirodon) en in offshore dienstverlening (Lamnalco). Boskalis heeft de beschikking over een veelzijdige vloot van meer dan 300 units en is actief in circa 50 landen, verspreid over vijf continenten. Boskalis heeft (inclusief zijn aandeel in partnerships) circa 8.000 medewerkers in dienst.

Smit Internationale begon met stoomboot Smit Internationale is al ruim anderhalve eeuw een van de parels van het Rotterdamse havengebied. De maritiem dienstverlener, die wereldwijd actief is, werd maandagmorgen naar eigen zeggen ,,verrast'' door het voorgenomen overnamebod van baggeraar Boskalis. Vorig jaar haalde Smit met bijna 2800 werknemers een omzet van 546,5 miljoen euro en een nettowinst van 105,6 miljoen euro. Smit scherpte in mei de groeidoelstellingen voor de komende vijf jaar aan. Zo wil het bedrijf bij de havensleepdiensten over vijf jaar een winstgroei van 50 procent realiseren en moet de winst van de terminalactiviteiten verdubbelen. De geschiedenis van Smit Internationale gaat terug tot in 1842, toen de 65-jarige Fop Smit begon met het veilig de haven van Rotterdam in loodsen van schepen. Hij begon met een stoomboot, de Kinderdijk, en bouwde zijn diensten in de loop der jaren uit met een aantal sleepboten. Aan het einde van de negentiende eeuw bouwde het bedrijf een zeewaardige sleper en met het slepen van een baggeraar van Rotterdam naar Spanje werd de stap naar zee gezet. In het begin van de twintigste eeuw volgde een periode van zware concurrentie met een andere sleepdienst in Rotterdam, de Internationale Sleepdienst, en de bedrijven besloten in 1923 te fuseren tot L. Smit & Co's Internationale Sleepdienst. Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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Het gefuseerde bedrijf had inmiddels veel maritieme kennis en ging zich ook richten op berging. Halverwege de twintigste eeuw zette het bedrijf zich internationaal op de kaart met het verwijderen van ruim veertig scheepswrakken uit het Suezkanaal. Smit Internationale richt zich met zijn diensten vooral op de scheepvaart, producenten van vloeibaar gas en olie, verzekeraars en regeringen. Het bedrijf beschikt over een vloot van ongeveer vierhonderd schepen. Vandaag de dag wordt het bedrijf geleid door topman Ben Vree (54). Financieel directeur is Gert Bruinsma (39).

Boskalis: van lokale baggeraar tot wereldtopper

Begonnen als lokale Sliedrechtse baggeraar langer dan een eeuw geleden, is Boskalis inmiddels wereldwijd actief. Met de overname van de vloot van Smit wil het bedrijf uit Papendrecht definitief zijn naam als maritiem dienstverlener van wereldformaat vestigen. Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster houdt zich bezig met de aanleg en het onderhoud van havens en vaarwegen, het creëren van land in water en het beschermen van kusten en oevers. Zo lopen er projecten in het Midden-Oosten en werkt het bedrijf mee aan de aanleg van de Tweede Maasvlakte. Boskalis werd begin vorige eeuw opgericht door een aantal families in Sliedrecht, de ,,bakermat van de Nederlandse baggerindustrie''. Na de Eerste Wereldoorlog werkte het bedrijf mee aan de strijd tegen de zee in de Zuiderzeewerken. Vanaf de jaren dertig raakte Boskalis via de oprichting van Westminster Dredging Company in het Verenigd Koninkrijk betrokken bij grote landaanwinningsprojecten in West-Afrika. Ook werkten de bedrijven aan projecten in Australië, Canada, het Midden-Oosten en andere plekken op de wereld. Na de watersnoodramp in 1953 ging het bedrijf aan de slag met de Deltawerken, waaronder de enorme stormvloedkering in de Oosterschelde. Boskalis ontwikkelde complexe technieken, waarnaar de vraag wereldwijd toenam. Tegen het einde van de vorige eeuw begaf Boskalis zich steeds vaker op het overnamepad om de marktpositie wereldwijd te verstevigen. Het bod van ruim 1,1 miljard euro op Smit Internationale is daarvan het laatste voorbeeld. Door de sterke vraag naar landaanwinning heerst er momenteel schaarste aan schepen en materieel. Met de overname van Smit schakelt Boskalis een maritieme dienstverlener als concurrent uit. Boskalis boekte vorig jaar een nettowinst van 204,4 miljoen euro op een omzet van 1,87 miljard euro. Het bedrijf telt achtduizend werknemers en beschikt wereldwijd over een vloot van meer dan driehonderd schepen.

FNV fel tegen opsplitsen Smit Internationale

FNV Bondgenoten is fel tegen het opsplitsen van maritiem dienstverlener Smit Internationale. Baggeraar Boskalis deed maandag een voorlopig bod op Smit en wil bij doorgang van de overname de havensleepdiensten aan een derde partij verkopen. ,,Als de sleepdiensten verkocht worden, betekent dit dat de werknemers niet langer zeker zijn van hun werk en al helemaal niet van hun arbeidsvoorwaarden'', stelde bestuurder Joost van der Lecq van FNV Bondgenoten maandag in een verklaring. Alleen al bij de havensleepdienst van Smit in Rotterdam werken volgens de vakorganisatie ongeveer 130 mensen. Maar het gaat ook om de werknemers bij de sleepdiensten in Vlissingen, Terneuzen, Antwerpen en andere buitenlandse havens, aldus FNV Bondgenoten. Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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Smit wijst bod Boskalis af

Maritiem dienstverlener Smit Internationale heeft het voorlopige overnamebod van baggeraar Boskalis naar de prullenbak verwezen. Volgens Smit onderwaardeert het bod de onderneming en is praten met Boskalis niet in het belang van Smit. Het bedrijf maakte dat maandag na het sluiten van de beurs bekend. Boskalis bracht eerder maandag een voorlopig bod van 62,50 euro per aandeel uit op Smit Internationale, ofwel ruim 1,1 miljard euro in totaal. Bij doorgang van de overname zou Boskalis de havensleepdiensten van Smit verkopen aan een derde partij en de terminaldivisie onderbrengen bij Lamnalco, een gezamenlijke onderneming van Boskalis en een Saudische partij. Smit stelt echter overtuigd te zijn van zijn strategie van geïntegreerde maritieme dienstverlening en vindt het voorstel van Boskalis daarmee in strijd. De directie en de raad van commissarissen van Smit hebben daarom besloten dat “overleg met Boskalis niet in het belang is van de onderneming en de daarbij betrokken partijen”. Het aandeel Smit Internationale is maandagochtend met ruim 28 procent omhoog geschoten op de beurs in Amsterdam. Beleggers zien het voorgenomen bod van baggeraar Boskalis van 62,50 per aandeel Smit wel zitten. Tegelijkertijd kreeg Boskalis een tik te verwerken. Het aandeel daalde 5 procent. De baggeraar betaalt met het voorgenomen bod op Smit een premie van 30 procent op de slotkoers van het aandeel Smit afgelopen vrijdag. Bron : DFT

SMIT REJECTS INVITATION TO DISCUSS BREAK-UP PROPOSAL

SMIT confirms receipt of Boskalis’ invitation to enter into discussions in relation to a contemplated transaction. Boskalis’ proposal comprises: • •

the acquisition of SMIT by way of a public offer (EUR 62.50 per share) followed by a split up of SMIT in three parts: Harbour Towage shall be divested to one or more parties, yet to be identified; Terminals shall be sold to Lamnalco (a joint venture of Boskalis with Rezayat); Salvage, Heavy Lift & Transport shall be combined with Boskalis.

SMIT is committed to its corporate strategy as successfully executed over recent years and has strong confidence in its proven strategy of integrated maritime services going forward. Both the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board of SMIT believe that Boskalis’ proposal contradicts with SMIT’s strategy. Furthermore, Boskalis’ proposal undervalues SMIT on a stand-alone basis, failing to recognize the value of SMIT’s strategy. The Executive Board and the Supervisory Board have concluded that entering into discussions with Boskalis is not in the interest of the company and its stakeholders. SMIT rejects the invitation of Boskalis. Source : SMIT

[email protected] www.nexumcm.nl Contact : Ad de Kock M: +31 .653.813178 Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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Rescuers save scores after Turkish ferry sinks

Rescuers saved some 100 people from a ferry that sank off the Turkish coast and scoured the sea Monday for at least four missing passengers after finding one body, officials said. The 118-metre (390-feet) long ferry, loaded with 73 trucks and two cars, capsized late Sunday, shortly after setting out from Bandirma, on the southern shore of the Marmara Sea in the country's northwest, for Istanbul. It was not immediately clear why the ferry sank, but officials and survivors said the vessel began listing to the left as it pulled out of the port. There were 106 people -- including 27 crew -- on board the vessel, and 101 of them had been pulled out of the water, Selahattin Hatipoglu, the governor of Balikesir province, where Bandirma is located, told the Anatolia news agency. One passenger, a truck driver who did not know how to swim, died and four other passengers remained unaccounted for, the governor said. The deputy head of Turkey's maritime agency, Mehmet Solgun, earlier offered little hope of finding the four missing people alive. "The fact that we have been unable to reach these four people gives strength to the possibility that they are still on board the vessel," Solgun said. A frigate, a mine sweeper, four coast guard vessels and two helicopters were taking part in the search along with 21 divers, the Turkish navy said in a statement. The wreckage was some 20 to 30 meters (65 to 100 feet) underwater, Hatipoglu said. An investigation was underway into the cause of the accident and police were questioning the ferry captain and two assistants, the governor added. Some survivors have blamed the accident on the crew, claiming the ferry was overloaded. But the owner of the ill-fated vessel, Marmara N maritime company, denied the accusations, saying the ship was carrying less than half of its capacity. "The ferry, which can carry 100 trucks and a total of 5,273 tonnes, had set out with 75 vehicles that were carrying 2,400 tonnes," said the statement carried by Anatolia.

The MSC BALI seen at the Westerscheldt River, the MSC BALI is the former SEA-LAND EXPLORER Photo : Richard Wisse ©

ATTACKS CONTINUE IN GULF OF ADEN AND INDIAN OCEAN

SOMALI-based pirates are continuing to mount attacks on merchant ships transiting the Gulf of Aden but attention has switched to some extent to far out in the Indian Ocean close to the Seychelles where pirates are once again targeting fishing vessels. Pirates fired rockets of some description at the French tuna fishing boat Le Drennec on Saturday but they failed to board the vessel. However recent attacks have led to some 20 French fishing vessels abandoning fishing until the security situation improves. Meanwhile, in the Gulf of Aden the Panamanian-flag, Japanese controlled tanker Golden Elizabeth was reportedly attacked yesterday by eight pirates in a small wooden boat in the Gulf of Aden.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 It has emerged that a Canadian destroyer successfully chased away pirates who were close to boarding the 75,413 dwt bulk carrier Orsolina Bottiglieri. According to press reports the destroyer HMCS Iroquois was 36 miles away when suspect Somali pirates swarmed around the Italian flag merchant ship while it was transiting the Gulf of Aden early this month. According to Canwest News Service the commander of the Coalition task force now protecting merchant ships, Canadian Commodore Bob Davidson said: "We received a call on the radio to let us know the pirates were coming. He said that a helicopter from a US warship also came tot he scene. There were no reports of shots being fired.” Source : Maritime Global Net

Dronken kapitein gepakt op Westerschelde Een dronken 50-jarige kapitein van een 64 meter lang zeeschip is zondag aangehouden op de Westerschelde. Dat heeft de waterpolitie maandag bekendgemaakt. De Russische kapitein van het Letse schip had met 1,7 promille ruim twee keer de toegestane hoeveelheid alcohol in zijn bloed. In de scheepvaart ligt het wettelijk toegestane promillage op 0,8. Hij viel op doordat hij aan de verkeerde kant voer en niet uitluisterde op het verplichte marifoonkanaal. Hij kreeg een boete van 1000 euro en een vaarverbod van zeven uur.

EU denkt over marinevloot voor kust Somalië De Europese Unie overweegt een maritieme missie te sturen om voor de kust van Somalië piraterij tegen te gaan. Een aantal lidstaten wil al onder eigen vlag schepen sturen. In Brussel komt een eenheid die de Europese inzet gaat coördineren. Dat hebben de EU-ministers van Buitenlandse Zaken maandag afgesproken tijdens overleg in Brussel. In de Golf van Aden worden door Somalische criminele bendes voortdurend schepen gekaapt, sinds juli al zeker tien met in totaal meer dan 130 mensen aan boord. De piraten eisen vervolgens losgeld.

The "Volvox Asia" seen at the coast of Nusa Dua Bali Photo : RW ©

Channel Tunnel delays for months Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 Police have been gathering samples from the scene of the fire Eurotunnel has said it will take "several months" before Channel Tunnel services are operating normally again following last week's fire. French police are investigating the causes of the blaze in the north tunnel, which remains closed. The lengthy repair work can only begin once investigators conclude their work. A third of the usual volume of traffic is passing betweenEngland and France through the south tunnel. The schedule will be reviewed on Thursday. An average of 116 services carrying people or freight is going through the tunnel daily, compared with a daily average before the fire of between 300 and 400, according to Eurotunnel. Services will remain at that level until Thursday, when the tunnel organisers will look again at revising the schedule. The north tunnel remains closed while the French authorities investigate the fire which broke out on a freight train seven miles from Calais on Thursday. Eurotunnel spokesperson John Keefe told the BBC that "it is likely that the process of clean-up, removal of the damaged train and repairs will take several months. "That will follow the time taken by French police to fully investigate - and we have no idea of that time. "That's entirely in the hands of the French police." The 16-hour blaze was put out on Friday morning. On Saturday, the south tunnel came back into limited use, with some lorry shuttles and a reduced Eurostar passenger service operating. Eurostar said that 60% of high-speed passenger services are running with intervals of several hours between trains. See layout of Channel Tunnel There is a minimum of 30 minutes delay to each journey at present. Travellers with bookings up until Sunday with non-essential journeys to make are encouraged to ask for a refund or re-schedule their trip. Eurostar said: "Travellers should check-in as normal for the train times given on their tickets and we will try to put you on one of the next available trains. "This could mean waiting a long time before boarding. Journey times will also be significantly longer." The company said the check-in for travellers departing from London's St Pancras International would close at 18.45 (BST) while passengers in Paris must clear check-in by 20.00 (CET). Thirty-two people on board were led to safety when the fire broke out. Fourteen had suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation. The source of the blaze has not yet been identified but French officials say a lorry carrying chemicals, which is understood to have overturned on the freight train, was close to the seat of the fire. It was carrying the chemical phenol, a toxic product used by the pharmaceutical industry. Conservative MEP and transport spokesman Timothy Kirkhope has demanded a full enquiy from the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority on chemicals in the tunnel. A Eurotunnel spokesman, who has visited the affected tunnel, was keen to dampen down the explosion theory as "entirely speculative". French authorities are responsible for carrying out the investigation into the fire, although Kent Fire And Rescue Service said it would be supporting the inquiry. The Channel Tunnel has suffered several incidents since it opened to traffic in 1994 although only one - a fire in 1996 – caused serious injuries.

Somali pirates want ransom from Egypt

SOMALI pirates who recently hijacked an Egyptian ship have demanded a ransom payment for the vessel and its 25 crew members, Egypt’s state news agency said last Monday.

The state news agency added that Egypt is optimistic the crisis will end soon. Somali gunmen hijacked the boat as it plied the increasingly dangerous Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 The ship is the latest taken in a series of such hijackings in a major global sea artery used by nearly 20,000 vessels a year heading to and from the Suez Canal. “The hijackers asked for a monetary amount to free the ship,” state news agency MENA quoted assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs Ahmed Rizq. “There are continuous and heavy contacts to settle this problem in the shortest time possible,” he added. He did not say how much money the pirates had asked for. Somali gunmen are holding more than 10 ships for ransom at Eyl, a lawless former fishing outpost now used by gangs. One of those ships, an Iranian chemical carrier called Iran Deyanat, fetched a US$200,000 payment from its owners, but was not released as expected on Monday, a regional maritime group said. “It was supposed to be released, but now they are saying the US$200,000 was for facilitation only. “They want more money for the ransom,” said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenyan-based East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme. He said the pirates were angry because when they opened the cargo of the Iranian ship, several Somalis died, while others lost hair and suffered skin burns. “It must have been a very dangerous chemical,” he said, without identifying the substance. Hijackings have become commonplace off Somalia, especially in waters next to the semi-autonomous Puntland region. Pirates often treat hostages well in the expectation of a ransom. The owner of the Egyptian vessel was in contact with the crew and said they were in a good condition, MENA reported. Source : The Star

The AMANTEA seen moored in Rotterdam-Europoort Photo : Jan Verhoog ©

Ships return to Port Victoria after pirate attack

Some French and Spanish fishing ships registered here decided to return to the safety of Port Victoria at the weekend after one of them was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The buccaneers who were in a speedboat tried to board the French ship Drennec but failed due to a heavy swell after which they fired two rockets at it without claiming any victims or causing major damage. The captain of the tuna boat was reported as saying that he, like most other French and Spanish skippers fishing in the area, had decided to return to port in Seychelles pending naval protection. “The Drennec is expected here this afternoon and we expect others to come in soon after,” a harbour master in Victoria said yesterday. This is not the first time that both passenger and fishing vessels have sought refuge in Seychelles. In November 2005, the cruise liner Seabourn Spirit which had 151 passengers and 161 crew members diverted to Port Victoria after it was attacked by pirates on its way to Mombasa from Egypt. Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 The pirates failed to board the ship which reached Seychelles and was escorted by the country’s coast guards to Port Victoria where its damaged hull was repaired. In April this year, the Spanish fishing vessel Playa de Bakio with 26 crew members was escorted by a frigate to Victoria after it was released by Somali pirates. Somalia, a poor Horn of Africa country ravaged by civil war and without a functioning central government since 1991, has become a focal point for world piracy over the past few months. Source : Seychelles Nation

www.tos.nl

TOS Rotterdam (+31)10 – 436 62 93

E-Mail [email protected]

Little left of Blackpool's Riverdance ferry

BLACKPOOL beach is holding on tenaciously to the last remnants of Riverdance. There are no signs of the wrecked vessel as the tide rolls out, but parts of the port side remain under the sand. And it could be another seven weeks before contractors can clear it away and declare the job over.

PGC Demolition is now using diggers to reach the last pieces of the ship, with workmen working below ground level with cutting torches to get the metal out. After that there will be four weeks of sonar scanning and raking of the site to ensure not a fragment remains. Project manager Mark Quinn said: "The main structure has gone. All that is left in the sand is part of the port side it was lying on, so from the beach there is very little to see. "It has gone on as long as it has because we've been asked to be meticulous to ensure there were no accidents or pollution. Riverdance has been beached opposite Anchorsholme Park since it was hit by a freak wave on January 31 during a journey from Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland to Heysham. Twenty three crew and passengers were airlifted to safety during a dramatic air and sea rescue. No-one was injured during the massive operation. The decision to break up the ship was taken after more than two months of efforts to refloat it failed, largely due to bad weather. Salvage operations have been hampered by the weather with workers having to abandon their efforts due to high winds and rain. The stricken ferry has attracted thousands of tourists to the area with local businesses experiencing a huge increase in trade over the first few weeks of its appearance. So far the work has taken 18 weeks and the metal has gone to scrapyards, the main one being in Liverpool. The two 40-ton engines were salvaged and sent to be a company in the North East for parts. Mr Quinn explained they had to overcome a number of obstacles to remove the Seatrucks vessel. He said: "Touch wood, we've not had one reportable accident, we've not lost any pollutants or oil - it couldn't have gone better. "The tidal implications caught us by surprise, having to work in five or six-hour windows or just an hour at times. Sometimes you can't work at all. "It isn't the biggest job we have done but it is the biggest maritime job we have ever done and the most high profile job - and we've had some good press out of it!" Source : blackpoolgazette


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NAVY NEWS

Naval activity – Operation Oxide to be held off Durban

The South African and French Navies are to hold joint exercises off the KwaZulu Natal coast during early October, it has been learned.

Code named Oxide the exercise will involve at least one French Navy ship, the patrol frigate FNS Floreal which is based at La Reunion in the Indian Ocean, and a number of South African ships. Observers from the Mozambique military forces are also believed to be attending. South African ships expected for the exercise include the combat support ship SAS Drakensberg, the Valour class frigate SAS Isandlwana, the submarine SAS Charlotte Maxeke and the strike craft SAS Isaac Dyobha. A coastal reconnaissance C47 will also take part. The various navy ships will be alongside in Durban harbour on 3 October. Meanwhile SAS Drakensberg will sail for La Reunion next Thursday to rendezvous with and accompany the French warship back to South Africa, during which planning for the exercise will also be carried out.

HMS Liverpool (D92), (Photo : Ian Shiffman © ) a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy arrived in Cape Town harbour for a routine visit. One of the Royal Navy’s auxiliary vessels, thought to be the fleet oiler Grey Rover was expected in Simon’s Town at the same time. Source : Ports.co.za

SHIPYARD NEWS


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Washburn and Doughty deliver first boat since yard fire

Washburn & Doughty, USA, has delivered their first vessel since the fire which destroyed the company’s main construction building.

‘Linda Moran’ was tied to the company's barge when the fire broke out on July 11. Thankfully, due to light winds and local lobstermen who towed the vessel away from the barge, the ‘Linda Moran’ survived undamaged. The new articulated tug/barge (ATB) measures 38.8 metres in length with a beam of 10.9 metres and a depth of 5.4 metres. The vessel’s owner is the Moran Towing Corporation, USA, and it was designed by Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering Corp. The vessel is surveyed by the American Bureau of Shipping and complies with applicable SOLAS regulations. Source : Baird Online

The New Voyager under construction

Above seen the Norman Voyager under construction in the Vincentini shipyard in Italy. The new vessel has a freight capacity of 2250 lane metres, which allows the transportation of up to 120 trucks/trailers. The Norman Voyager, is also designed to carry up to 800 passengers in 110 cabins and reclining seats. Onboard there is a bar, restaurant, cinema, Wifi area and comfortable lounges to relax in during the crossing.


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Croatian union workers threaten to strike

Union workers in Croatia’s shipbuilding industry are threatening to strike unless the Government agrees to meet with their representatives. Croatia’s Union of Metal Workers (SMH) and other shipbuilding unions have requested to be part of Croatia’s ongoing privatisation and restructuring of shipyards. Vedran Dragicevic, the vice president of the SMH told BalkanInsight.com that the union’s last meeting with the Government was five months ago, and that the Government promised the unions that they would be involved in all processes and decisions. Croatia’s shipbuilding industry employs some 11,500 workers, with another 5,000 subcontractors. SMH comprises 4,500 members. Croatia has been struggling to come up with a sound restructuring program to pitch to the EU, which said that shipyards must be economically viable without state subsidies, BalkanInsight reported. Source : Baird Online

Cosco shipbuilding stock tumbles to 2year low in Singapore

Cosco Corp. Singapore Ltd., the shipbuilding unit of China's biggest shipping company, fell to a two-year low in Singapore trading today, Bloomberg reports, on fears a global economic slowdown will hurt demand and affect orders for new vessels. The stock dropped 7.7 percent, to S$1.56 as of 10:45 a.m. local time, on course for its lowest close since Sept. 13, 2006. Cosco Singapore has plunged 73 percent this year on the Singapore exchange, the biggest drop among the Straits Times Index's 30 members. Increasing concern that orders for new ships may ease amid a slowdown in global economic growth prompted Merrill Lynch & Co. and DBS Vickers Securities to cut their share-price estimates for Cosco Singapore last week. "Shipyards are cyclical stocks that will be affected by the global slowdown,'' Bloomberg reported Daphne Roth, Singapore-based head of equity research in Asia at ABN Amro Private Bank, as saying. "Cosco Singapore hasn't won any orders this year and with a lot of orders already contracted, there's concern about oversupply in 2009.'' Source : Seatrade Asia

New PRISCO’s tanker is launched at STX Shipbuilding Company

New tanker which will be the first in the world classed as Winterization D (-25) has been launched. This vessel ordered by PRISCO is under construction at STX Shipbuilding Company Ltd. (South Korea), PRISCO press center informs. As Mr. Konstantin Globenko, Director of Technical Department, PRISCO, says in two months the new tanker built for transportation of oil products, chemical cargoes, and vegetable oil will be delivered to shipowner. Now Korean shipbuilders complete the building of the new vessel and fit her up with equipment. PRISCO inspectors control the building of the new ship. The new tanker (beam 32 m, length 183 m) will be of 51 000 tons deadweight. The Corporation operates 19 tankers with their aggregate deadweight of 1 352,777 tons. Ice class vessels including large-capacity ones equipped for operation in freezing seas conditions make up the core of the Wompany’s fleet. The PRISCO’s fleet and Management comply with all the international standards and safety criteria. The Primorsk Shipping Corporation’s activities include Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 commercial and technical management, agency services and training qualified specialists in sea transport and gas-andoil producing industry. The Public Corporation “Primorsk Shipping Corporation” is an advanced company providing the highest quality transporting services, enjoying its clients’ and partners’ confidence and acting in its shareholders’ interest. Source: Port News

Nam Cheong says there is uptrend in demand for OSVs MIRI-BASED shipbuilder Nam Cheong Dockyard Sdn Bhd expects revenue to increase more than three fold this year due to the up trend in demand for offshore support vessels (OSVs). The specialised shipyard for the construction of OSVs registered RM425mil in revenue last year. Leong Seng Keat Executive director Leong Seng Keat told StarBiz that Nam Cheong’s current order book stood at RM3.2bil and would last until end 2010. All of the vessels in Nam Cheong’s order book consist of OSVs. “The outlook for the OSV segment in the local shipbuilding industry will still be strong. “This is in view of the number of oil and gas activities in Malaysia and its surrounding waters. There will not be a lack of demand for OSVs,” he said, adding that this would be the driving force of its financial forecast this year. However, he cautioned that Malaysian shipbuilders would face competition from other Asian countries particularly China. Early this month, Nam Cheong signed a contract with classification society, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), to class 10 of its new OSVs. DNV will also provide Certification of Materials and Components (CMC) for two Rolls Royce-designed vessels due for completion by 2011. The move was to ensure that Nam Cheong’s OSVs are fit and acceptable for any trade in any part of the world. These vessels will either be used for trade by the yard’s own management company or sold on the spot market. The construction of the 10 OSVs will begin in the first quarter of next year and scheduled for completion in mid 2011. The 10 vessels comprise two UT755LN vessels with dynamic positioning II (DP II) notation while the rest are UT755CD vessels with dynamic positioning I notation. DNV Maritime (Malaysia) country manager Knut Ording said DNV saw a trend towards high-end offshore market in South East Asia’s shipbuilding industry. “We also observed that companies in this region are keen to work with DNV for the added value we can provide based on our vast experience in the offshore market such as the North Sea. “In this regard, we are delighted to team up with Nam Cheong which has over 40 years of experience,” he said. DNV is an independent foundation and global provider of risk management services. Through a network of 300 offices in 100 countries, DNV serves a range of industries, with a special focus on maritime and energy sectors. In order to support its growing order book, Leong said, the shipyard was in the midst of upgrading its existing yard to double capacity. Upgrading works is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. Currently, the Nam Cheong yard sits on 30 acres of land and is able to produce 12 vessels annually. Nam Cheong was incorporated in 1962 and is the leading OSV builder in Malaysia. Last year, it delivered the country’s first DP II OSV. Source : The Star Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

REDWISE MARITME SERVICES B.V.

Amersfoortseweg 12-E 3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879 - [email protected]

www.redwise.com

No Bow sale

Odfjell executives tell TradeWinds that the Norwegian owner has not sold a chemical tanker widely reported as sold off. Numerous shipbroking houses reported last week that the Odfjell Asia had sold the 20,000-dwt Bow Santos (built 2004) for between $40m and $41m. The deal was said to include a charterback arrangement, and at least one report said the unidentified buyer was USbased. Tradewinds reported in October that Odfjell Asia II declared an option to buy the Shin Kurushima-built ship from Japan’s Santoku Senpaku. No purchase price was named.

Dredging, Reclamation Works project: KPT 'halfheartedly' tries to convince CWE to cut FCC

Karachi Port Trust (KPT) is "half-heartedly" negotiating with M/s China International Water & Electric (CWE), its would-be contractor for US $342.617 million Dredging and Reclamation Works (DRWs) project, for lowering the 48.03 percent foreign currency component (FCC) in its rates for the project. It may be mentioned here that according to financial laws it is mandatory for the government institutions to prepare PC-I for any project involving FCC above 25 percent. However, KPT, that terms itself to be a "self-financing" profitable organisation, seems less serious to convince the Chinese firm on its point of view, sources told Business Recorder on Sunday. They said CWE has demanded FCC $152.429 million or 48.03 percent of the total cost ($342.617 million) of DRWs project, which is one of the three major parts of KPT's $1.6 billion Pakistan Deep Water Container Port (PDWCP) project. CWE had come up with the lowest bid of Rs 20865424934 that includes Rs 10042944492 as local currency component and Rs 10822480442 as FCC which is to be calculated at the rate of Rs 60.90 per dollar, said the sources. They said since KPT was perceiving itself to be a revenue generating self-sufficient semi-governmental institution, it was less wary of any such law, which provides for observing a lengthy documentary process, like preparing PC-I and getting it approved by the finance division. That was why KPT was avoiding to submit its case to the ministry of finance, claimed the sources adding that even the so-called self-sufficiency, in terms of project-financing, may not authorise Karachi Port's operator to dodge the law. Brigadier Syed Jamshed Zaidi (Retd.), General Manager Planning and Development Division of KPT also shrugged off a question whether KPT should have prepared PC-I for DRWs project. The retired army officer said that since KPT Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 was a revenue-generating (both in rupees and dollars) and self-financing organisation it did not need to go for such formalities (PC-I). He, however, said his side was negotiating with the bidder to review its demand for around 50 percent payment in foreign exchange (dollars). Zaidi said even though dollar constituted a major part of KPT's earnings, yet "it would be beneficial for us if we get the FCC slashed." It would be recalled that the Department Tender Committee (DTC) of KPT has also recommended to the KPT management that it should negotiate the possibility of lowering the percentage of FCC with the bidder. Under the contract CWE would dredge a hard compacted sandy soil at Sector I and II by 32 million cubic meters (mcm), including 24 mcm to be dumped and 08 mcm to be reclaimed. KPT has a plan to undertake PDWCP project in three phases, including Marine Protection Works, Construction of Quay Wall and Dredging and Reclamation Works. Source : Imran Farooq

TBS BUYS HEAVYLIFT SHIP

Registered dry cargo shipowner TBS International Limited says it is buying the CEC Cardigan a 1997 built, 8,874 dwt heavy-lift multi-purpose tweendecker with two 150 ton cranes, combinable up to 300 tons. TBS says has agreed to acquire this vessel charter-free for $20.6m with expected delivery during the fourth quarter of 2008. To be renamed the Zia Belle the acquisition will be TBS's first tweendecker with heavy-lift gear, a cargo capability in demand for project shipping worldwide. Following this purchase, TBS' fleet will comprise 47 vessels with an aggregate of 1.4 million dwt, consisting of 24 multi-purpose tweendeckers and 23 handysize/handymax bulk carriers. In addition, TBS has on order with Chinese shipyards six Roymar Class 34,000 dwt multi-purpose vessels with retractable tweendecks, of which two are scheduled for delivery in 2009 and four in 2010. Joseph Royce, chairman and CEO said: "We are excited to announce the acquisition of the M.V. Zia Belle, our first heavy-lift tweendecker, which solidifies TBS' operational capabilities in project cargoes and complements our multipurpose tweendecker fleet. Adding heavy-lift capability in the TBS Fleet will better enable TBS to service our growing list of customers engaged in global projects in the energy, mining, steel, construction and infrastructure industries which require vessels with heavy-lift capabilities. Unlike a traditional dry bulk company which charters its vessels to other companies or trades its ships in the spot market, TBS has been able to achieve consistent growth with the implementation of our 'Business First, Fleet Second' strategy as well as our foundation of direct customer relationships. Despite the volatility in the shipping markets, our business continues to grow and we continue to evaluate opportunities to expand our fleet." Source : Maritime Global Net

The HOEGH KOBE is the former MAERSK WIZARD Photo : Henk de Winde © Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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Ferry offered for charter or sale

A Channel Islands ferry is being offered to other operators with winter services to charter or buy.

HD Ferries, which owns the vessel HD1, has stopped sailings between Guernsey, Jersey and France until at least 2009. HD spokesman Phil Jones said if the vessel was sold in the meantime, HD would find an alternative vessel for the Channel Islands' routes if resumed. The vessel has been linked to a possible service in the Bahamas next year run by a sister company of HD. HD blamed fuel costs and the economic slowdown for its announcement it was pulling out of the Channel Island routes until at least Easter 2009. The firm said if there was strong political opposition to the company returning to Jersey, it would probably not come back. After the firm pulled out of its Channel Islands service, Jersey States said it was unlikely the company would be allowed a ramp licence again. Source : BBC NEWS

Holyhead misses out as vessel visit cancelled

ANGLESEY councillors have highlighted the "desperate need" for a new cruise liner berth in Holyhead by 2010, after the town missed out on a tourist windfall. Visiting vessel The Jewel of the Seas was due to be met by ferry tenders to transfer passengers from ship to shore on Tuesday, but stormy weather and gales of up to 60 knots saw the plans scuppered. As a result, the ship, which carries up to 2,501 passengers, sat out the storm off the Island's north coast. A spokesman for the county council said: "Naturally, we're extremely disappointed that the passengers aboard the Jewel of the Seas were unable to come to shore today - our tourism officers have put a great deal of work into preparing for the visit, but we were beaten by the weather. "With winds reaching up to 60 knots, it simply wasn't safe to bring hundreds of passengers to shore by tenders." To avoid future disappointments and ensure that visiting tourists can reach Holyhead, the authority say they are currently in talks with various agencies to ensure that Holyhead will have an adequate berth within two years. The spokesman added: "This disappointment further highlights the desperate need for a new berth for cruise ships visiting the port of Holyhead. "We are currently working closely and pro-actively with the Assembly, Anglesey Aluminium and Stena Line with the aim of securing a new berth by 2010." Vessel owners Royal Caribbean International explained that they too were disappointed; a spokeswoman said: "At Holyhead, the ship requires tenders for guests to come and go from the ship as the port cannot accommodate a ship of this size. "Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the day indicated high winds - this means that tenders may not be able to operate. "The Captain of Jewel of the Seas therefore decided that in order to avoid any potentially unsafe situation for guests and crew, the ship could not call into the port." She added that under usual circumstances, the tenders at the port allowed " efficient access to both the ship and port for all". The 13 deck, 293m long vessel is currently on a 12 night transatlantic cruise from Harwich to Boston. A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government said: "We are fully committed to securing provision of enhanced facilities for visits by major cruise ships at Holyhead - and our aim is to have an along-side berth available for the 2010 cruise season." Source : North Wales Chronicle, UK


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Bleaker outlook for containers, says analyst

World ocean container trade activity is increasingly reflecting the slowdown in economies other than the already-weak US economy, according to financial analysts Global Insight. The body has revised downwards it near-term estimates of ocean container trade from the "already-weak volumes" forecasted for 2008 and 2009 on the back of what it calls the "accelerated deterioration in the economies of some of the developed countries in Europe and Asia". "We have been concerned with the growing number of economic indicators for the European Union that point to a greater loss of consumer confidence thant had been previously anticipated," says Paul Bingham, managing director of Global Insight's Trade and Transportation Group. "Indicators now suggest that the EU is headed towards recession. Industrial production in the Eurozone fell 1.9% in May, according to recent Eurostat data, the sharpest drop since 1992. In Germany, the government is warning that the economy could contract by as much as 1.5%, while both Italy and Greece have seen industrial production slump 6.2%." As a result Global Insight now believes that the annual growth rate on Far East-to-Europe trade will be no more than 2% in 2008, with some further downside risk remaining. For the Mediterranean/Black Sea, trade growth will likely drop to less than 4%. It also believes that "2009 will remain weak, as the recessionary tendencies will be slow to work themselves through towards recovery". As regards US containerized imports Global Insight is now forecasting a decline of 8.2% in 2008, compared to a previous projection of a 7.1% decline. This revision is based mostly on a deteriorating outlook for imports through the Gulf ports. One bright note, however, is the raising of the 2008 US export growth forecast from 17.7% to 22.6%. Major export destinations for which forecasts have been significantly raised upwards include Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea. US containerised exports in first half 2008 grew 26.6% year-over-year but the that rate is expected to now slow, reflecting worsening production prospects in Europe and the appreciation of the US dollar. Source : Seatrade Asia

Diamond Offshore Rig Suffers Damage

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. reported that tracking devices indicate all of the Company's rigs maintained station during Hurricane Ike, and 10 of 12 units most impacted by the storm appear to have suffered relatively little or no damage according to reports from start-up crews and visual air inspections. Of the remaining two, visual inspections by air indicate the 350-ft. IC jack-up rig Ocean Tower, which was directly in the path of the storm, lost its entire drilling package, including the derrick. An assessment team will fly to the Tower today, weather permitting. The jackup unit Ocean Drake is in a Galveston shipyard, but due to access issues has not been inspected. The company is working to re-crew its rigs and resume operations as quickly as practical. Source : MarineLink

Hapag-Lloyd to Establish Australia Service

Hapag-Lloyd is starting along with a partner shipping line a direct service with weekly departures from Europe to Australia at the end of November 2008. Twelve modern vessels with adequate reefer capacity will be deployed in this service offering short transit times to ensure an enhanced coverage of the Australian market. Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 Subject to regulatory approvals, this will be the only direct service from Europe to Australia via Suez. It will replace the previous ANS service. Northbound the service will continue to call at Singapore and Colombo. Ports in Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka will be added to the rotation.

HAPAG’s HOUSTON EXPRESS seen at Maaspilot station Photo : Fred van der Spek © The vessels to be deployed in this service will be capable of carrying 2,800 standard containers each on this route with a round voyage time of 84 days. The port rotation will be Tilbury, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, La Spezia, Damietta, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore, Port Kelang, Chennai, Colombo, Damietta, Malta, La Spezia and back to Tilbury. New Zealand is to be called at with an independent service in future improving our presence in this market. The Australia/New Zealand transport market is continuously expanding. Container volume between Europe and Down Under came to approx. 550,000 standard containers (TEU) last year. According to Global Insight, this total will exceed 600,000 TEU by 2009 with annual growth rates of 4-5%. Southbound cargo is chiefly paper, cardboard, cellulose, chemicals and machinery, while mainly food (particularly meat) and beverages (wine) are shipped to Europe. Source : MarineLink

Ike causes minimal damage at Port of Houston

The Port of Houston Authority said that is in an asset assessment and operations recovery mode. Based on preliminary assessments, the PHA facilities have limited negative impact from Hurricane Ike.

"As is most of the Houston area," said a statement, "we are without electricity and we are operating with limited temporary power from generators." Initial assessments of the PHA terminals revealed minimal wind damage that knocked down a few fences, containers, and electrical lines. Facilities also received expected minimal water damage that caused some standing water. "Overall, the Port Authority facilities and its assets are in good shape considering the magnitude and strength of the hurricane," said Saturday's statement. "All PHA wind blown debris has been contained on the PHA property. The vast majority of the cargo is safe, secure and undamaged." All of the vessels docked at the PHA terminals are secure. The Rickmers Seoul marine vessel did break loose, but it was contained and secured within a matter of minutes thanks to nearby tug boat operators.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 PHA is working with CenterPoint Energy to establish power as soon as possible. Pending the establishment of power, it expects to open the PHA at 7 a.m. on Monday, September 15 to focus on clean up and further assessments. PHA said it would make a determination Sunday evening on when it could receive truck traffic and would notify the trucking industry accordingly. Source : MarineLog "As far as the Port of Houston opening to vessel traffic, we rely on the Captain of the Port to make that determination." said the statement. "At this time, that determination has not been made. We will continue to coordinate communication and assessment efforts with the local and regional port coordination team." Source : MarineLog

Lerwick dredging project almost complete

Lerwick Port Authority’s £12 million dredging project has reached a significant stage. The dredging phase is almost complete and some dredging plant will leave Lerwick in the next few days.

Drill and blast operations were completed ahead of schedule by the barge Playmate and she has now been released along with one of the disposal barges. The backhoe dredger Manu Pekka is finalising the extraction and it is expected she will be released next week with the second disposal barge. Wider and deeper navigable water has been provided with now 9m of water depth throughout the north entrance and channel, at Greenhead Basin and at the landing berth at Shetland Catch. Additional areas deepened include at Heogan where the landing berth access is now 8m deep, at Mair’s Yard where it is now 6m deep and at the inner harbour anchorage where an area has been taken down to 10m. Contractor Westminster Dredging is preparing surveys of the dredged areas prior to replacing the navigation buoys to mark the newly deepened channels. Source : Dredging News Online

Pier closed after paddle steamer collision

YARMOUTH Pier was closed to the public today (Monday) after it was hit last night by the historic paddle steamer Waverley. The pier was shut less than six months after it was re-opened following restoration costing nearly £500,000 and just a month and-a-half after the Duke of Edinburgh gave it the royal seal of approval.

Engineers were today assessing the extent of the damage after the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world collided with the pierhead. The collision happened at about 8.30pm and passengers were instead disembarked at Cowes. Harbour commissioners confirmed the pier would be closed to the public until further notice and could give no indication of when it might re-open. Waverley, which itself has been recently extensively restored, was celebrating the 30th anniversary of first arriving in The Solent with a programme of south coast sailings that was due to include a further visit to Yarmouth. The cause of the collision was being investigated alongside an assessment of the damage, which includes that to pier superstructure and a corner structural pierhead pile.


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9/15/2008


SMM Set for Hamburg

At the beginning of 2008, the order book was estimated by the British shipbuilding market experts of Lloyd's Register Fairplay (LRF) at 10,055 ships ordered, and 329.7m gross tons (GT). By the beginning of July those figures were up more than 10 percent to 11,200 newbuildings and 363 million GT – a new high. So the maritime equipment suppliers among the total of 1,950 exhibitors from 55 nations will have full order books to show at SMM 2008. This premier fair of world shipbuilding will for the first time occupy all eleven exhibition halls of the New Hamburg Trade Fair at the 23rd shipbuilding, machinery & marine technology, international Trade Fair Hamburg, to be held from September 23 to 26, which means more exhibition space than ever before, at 87,000 square meters. The organizer Hamburg Messe looks forward to attendance by 47,000 trade visitors from all parts of the world. There will be more than 300 first-time SMM exhibitors, including seven leading Korean shipyards, who are presenting themselves at the Korean pavilion under the heading of “New Challenge through Innovative Creativity for a Better Future”. In fact, the success already achieved by Korean shipyards is hard to improve on. Clarkson Research indicates that Korean shipbuilders took orders for over 431 newbuildings in the first half-year 2008, for a total of 12.4 million CGT (Compensated Gross Tons – the tonnage weighted with the amount of work needed for the respective ship type). That was more than 50% of all newbuilding orders worldwide, and confirms their number one position among the shipbuilding nations, ahead of China, whose yards accounted for 34.3% of new CGT tonnage ordered in the first half of 2008. Even though shipowners were more reticent in their orders in the first half of this year than in the first half of last year, all shipyard capacity is booked for a number of years with new orders for more than 190 million CGT. South Korea’s share of that is 35.2% according to LRF, closely followed by China with nearly 31%. That means the Chinese shipbuilding industry has definitively overtaken Japan (market share 16.4%), which now takes third place. And the leading shipbuilding nations have to get used to more new names – the Philippines (in 5th position for orders taken worldwide, with a 1.4% market share), Vietnam (6th position with 1.4% market share) and India (9th position with 1.2%). China’s neighbors have been following her rise to shipbuilding power carefully, and have invested heavily in their own shipbuilding industries. In Europe, the German shipyards lead the field (4th place with a market share of 1.9%) ahead of Italy (7th place with 1.3%), Romania (8th place with 1.3%) and Turkey (10th place with 1.2%). Nearly 1500 newbuildings were delivered in the first six months of this year, with a total of 21 million CGT. The dynamism of world shipbuilding is also reflected at SMM 2008. The Chinese exhibitors have doubled their exhibition space compared with the previous SMM. And more Korean companies are coming to Hamburg this year, too. 60% of all exhibitors have their head offices abroad. Apart from Germany as the SMM host country, the Netherlands have the largest contingent of exhibitors, followed by the UK with 120 companies and Norway and Denmark with 97 each. More countries than ever before are represented at this year’s SMM. For the first time, there are also companies from Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico and Serbia. Vinashin (Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation), the umbrella organization of the Vietnamese shipbuilding industry, has returned to the world’s premier shipbuilding fair after a temporary period of SMM abstinence. The national pavilions give a concentrated overview of the capabilities of various countries – there are 22 of these pavilions at SMM 2008. The keynote topics at SMM 2008 are environmental protection and energy savings. Hall A1 in particular is a forum for companies offering environmental protection technologies and products, and treatment systems for ballast and freshwater, oil separation systems and environmentally sound waste disposal systems, etc. Source : MarineLink

Dubai Ports rakes in cash and Maersk enjoys first half profit DP World, the rising star among port operators saw its post-tax profits soar by more than 50% to USD287 million for the first half of 2008. Turnover increased by 32% for the same period to USD1.6 billion while container throughput at the various terminals jumped 21.6% to 13.6 million TEU.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 During the period under review two additional terminals were added, at Dakar in Senegal and Sokha in Cambodia. During the second half of the year DP World will also add terminals at Tarragona (Spain, added in July) and Ma’alla in Yemen. "DP World remains committed to expanding its already strong presence in the faster growing emerging economies together with the more mature economies where capacity is constrained,” said DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem. “Its particular focus on the East-West trade routes via the Suez Canal and on origin and destination cargo positions fits perfectly to capture the long term growth potential evident in these regions. Despite the current uncertainty surrounding short term global growth, we will continue to invest for the longer term." CEO Mohammed Sharaf described the results as particularly pleasing in light of the fact that the industry overall has seen a slow-down in volume growth in the Asia-Pacific region, and that DP World is operating in a more challenging global financial and economic environment. “We expect this trend of outperforming the industry to continue through 2008, and anticipate delivering full year results in line with expectations." It’s also been a good half year for the AP Moller-Maersk Group, which has been able to announce first half profits (after accounting for discontinued operations) of DKK11.9 billion (USD2.4 billion). This reflects a 40% increase year on year. Revenue went up by 13% to DKK148 billion (USD30.4bn), thanks mainly to higher oil prices and an increased share from oil production but higher freight rates and volumes also played a part, the group statement said. The Group’s shipping arm showed a profit of USD73 million, compared with a loss of USD219m for the appropriate period in 2007. Nevertheless the Group statement said that continuing high bunker prices, a slow down in global trade and significant new tonnage entering the global container fleets had impacted negatively on its results. Average freight rates increased by 12% compared with 2007 whereas bunker prices were 63% higher than in the first half of 2007. Maersk Line and Safmarine jointly handled 3.5 million FEU during the half year period for 2008, up 5% on the first half of 2007. Of this volume Maersk Line handled 3.1 million FEU, up 4 percent. – source : DP World

Great Offshore & Varun Shipping best bets in shipping sector

The shipping sector performed better in the quarter ended June ’08 compared to the previous few quarters in terms of sales growth (excluding other income) of the top five shipping companies. However, the aggregate profit of these companies fell primarily due to higher dry dock expenses and foreign exchange (forex) losses. Companies like Great Offshore, Mercator Lines and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) upped the momentum of sales growth in the first quarter of FY09. The revenues of Great Offshore and Mercator Lines grew by 39.8% and 68.1%, respectively. This was primarily due to expansion of fleet size and higher revenue days. Great Offshore’s profit fell due to a decline in forex gains and lower contribution of the high-margin offshore business and higher dry dock expenses. The consolidated profit of Mercator Lines was flat due to high dry docking expenses and forex losses. Varun Shipping’s income from freight and chart hire was flat in Q1 FY09, on the back of high growth in the past fiscal year. This aberration in growth was due to lesser-thanexpected revenue days as three of the 11 LPG carriers remained idle during the quarter. Interest and depreciation costs also increased during the period. A combination of low revenue growth and increased expenses affected the company’s margins adversely. Similarly, Great Eastern Shipping’s revenue grew by 10.3%, which was less than that seen in previous quarters. This was partly due to the 15% drop in revenue days in the quarter ended June ’08. The company’s costs were stable, apart from dry docking expenses, which shot up to Rs 36.5 crore in Q1 FY09, compared to Rs 9.5 crore in the corresponding period last year. Profit growth, excluding the gains on sale of ship and the impact of Accounting Standard-11, was in line with revenue growth. Shipping companies are going through a rough patch, which is evident from the day rates and charter rates. The Baltic Dirty Tanker Index, which is the benchmark index for oil tanker rates, stood at close to 1,300 at the start of January ’07. Subsequently, it increased to over 2,000 in December ’07. Today, it Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide Page 25 9/15/2008

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 stands at more than 1,400. Before getting unduly worried about the fall in tanker rates, we should bear in mind that the rates increased dramatically towards the end of ’07 as the winter season peaked and importers piled up inventories. At that time, there was shortage of very large crude carriers (VLCC) tonnage, which resulted in a spike in day rates for tankers. Going by the order book, it seems that a large number of crude oil tankers will be added to the fleet in ’09. Hence, it is unlikely that we will witness any spike in the rates going forward, especially in light of the slowdown in the global economy, which will have an adverse impact on crude demand. The Baltic Dry Index, which is a benchmark index for rates of dry bulk carriers, stood at 4,421 at the start of ’07. It crossed the 10,000 mark in December ’07. As of now, the index stands at less than 5,000. The most crucial element for day rates of dry bulk carriers is the import of iron and coal by China. Imports have dipped after peaking around March-April ’08. The monthly imports of iron ore have reduced from 42.9 million tones (mt) in April ’08 to 37.4 mt in August ’08. But iron ore imports are still on the higher side compared to ’07. Imports of coal have come down sharply from 4.16 mt in May ’08 to 3.39 mt in July ’08. Though it is clear that there is a slowdown, it is not as sharp as the fall in the Baltic Dry Index, which indicates that the correction has factored in the worst-case scenario. It is very difficult to take a call on the future of day rates, given the volatility seen in the past few months. But one thing is for sure: the global order book reveals that supply will easily match demand. Moreover, if the global economy slows down, the day rates can dip further. Source : India Times

MOVEMENTS

The MSC FRANCE seen in Cape Town, the MSC FRANCE was built as the COPIAPO during 2004 at the CSBC shipyard at Kaohsiung-Taiwan and renamed MSC FRANCE during December 2007 Photo : Ian Shiffman © Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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OLDIE OF THE SHOEBOX

The Smit tug ELBE seen during one of her first voyages departing from Flushing Photo : Wim Kosten Sr - http://www.maritimephoto.com ©

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Today’s wind (+6Bft) and wave (+3m) chart. Created with SPOS, the onboard weather information & voyage optimisation system, used on over 1000 vessels today.


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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

MT Jo Cedar meets Sedov en route to Ilhavo (Portugal) - Photo : Pablo Gerrits ©

….WHO IS WHO…


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Above seen the newsclippings correspondents in New Zealand Ross Walker from Dunedin and Alan Calvert from Lyttelton. The above photo is taken at Windy Point, Lyttelton where many of the shots for the newsclippings are taken from. Ross Walker is aged 62 and a Fire Fighter in the Southern City of Dunedin. Alan Calvert is 46 years old and is working for a large retail hardware store as a Retail Manager. Ross is married and has two children and is photographing ships since he was aged 12 and Alan since 1980. Alan is divorced and only have a Huskey Dog to look after Thanks ROSS and ALAN for your support from New Zealand, as everybody around the globe knows, compiling the shipping newsclippings is pending on input from all readers around the world, and your photo’s are always more then welcome !!

THANKS !!! Distribution : daily 4775 copies worldwide

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 243 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 want to no longer receive this bulletin kindly reply with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

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