DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231

Number 231** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS ***Wednesday 15-11-2006 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

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“Multratug 25 of Bourgas Tug Service seen assisting Tanker “Saint Nicholas” at Lukoil Terminal in Bourgas Photo : Pepijn Nuijten ©

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The WIND SPIRIT seen moored in the Port of Barcelona, the WIND SPIRIT is at present enroute from the Greek Islands to the Caribbean for the winter season. Photo : Lammy Erdtsieck ©

Lost From Ferry

British and French authorities have called off their search for two passengers from the P&O ferry "Pride of Kent". At November 13th at 02:40 hrs LT Dover Coastguard were alerted by the ship's captain that two members of a coach party were missing. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 The ship was searched twice without success, after which French authorities at Cap Griz Nez were contacted. Search and Rescue units involved in this search were the Coastguard Tug "Anglian Monarch", a coastguard spotter plane, Dover RNLI lifeboat, Calais and Boulogne lifeboats, two French helicopters and a French Navy Frigate. Weather at the scene was a Westerly Force 6, visibility good, sea condition moderate, and dry. Police investigations continue on both sides of the Channel.

Mystery Ship Detained India has detained an empty North Korean cargo ship bound for Iran after it strayed into Indian waters, baffling coast guard officials and police about the purpose of its voyage. "MV Omrani-II" developed a snag and entered Indian waters on October 29 and was towed to the Mumbai Port where the crew was being questioned by Indian intelligence and customs officials. “The crew has not been able to explain why they were sailing an empty vessel to Iran,” said a senior coast guard official on condition of anonymity on Thursday. However a senior official at the Directorate General of Shipping said: "They have told us that because it is a new ship they were testing it. But it is strange that they should need to sail as far as Iran." Officials said documents for the new 45-metre vessel were in order, although life-saving equipment was found to be deficient. A UN Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea after its October 9 nuclear test calls on UN members to take steps, including "as necessary" the inspection of cargoes to and from North Korea to prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. But Indian officials said they were not acting at the behest of the U.N. but simply because a suspicious ship had entered Indian waters. "The investigations are part of standard procedures that are followed when a ship strays into our waters," said A Banerjee, a top shipping official. In 1999, a North Korean ship was seized off western India after a search revealed it was carrying missile components, metal casings and technical manuals to Pakistan. The ship's manifest had listed sugar and water purification equipment. Indian officials said they wanted to ensure that the ship was not hiding any contraband or being used to ferry material related to North Korea or Iran's nuclear programmes. Pyongyang said last month that it had tested a nuclear device, while Iran says it is enriching its uranium to build nuclear power plants, rejecting Western concerns that it was planning to build a bomb. Military experts say Iranian missile technology is partly based on modified versions of equipment from other countries, such as North Korea. Along with Libya, the three countries are believed to have bought nuclear parts and know-how from the former head of Pakistan's nuclear programme, AQ Khan.

MARITIME AWARDS GALA PODIUM VOOR 3 WINNAARS Staatssecretaris Van Gennip reikt maritieme prijzen uit De EPS Thruster van Van der Velden Marine Systems en de oesterkotter Jacoba Prins van Maaskant Bruinisse zijn de winnaars van respectievelijk de Maritime Innovation Award 2006 en de Schip van het Jaar-prijs 2006. Samen met PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 Robert Hekkenberg, winnaar van de Timmersprijs 2006, werden de felicitaties en bijbehorende prijzen op 9 november jl. ontvangen uit handen van Staatssecretaris Karien van Gennip.

De winnaars werden bekend gemaakt tijdens het Maritime Awards Gala 2006 in Fort Voordorp te Groenekan, waar ruim 450 gasten bij aanwezig waren. Tweede Kamerlid Roland Kortenhorst leidde de gehele avond in goede banen. In haar speech voorafgaande aan de uitreikingen, gaf de Staatssecretaris aan dat de overheid de maritieme maakindustrie zeer serieus neemt. EZ heeft dan ook grote verwachtingen van het Maritiem Innovatieprogramma dat in januari 2007 door de Strategische Advies Commissie onder leiding van Rinnooy Kan beoordeeld zal worden. De jurybeoordelingen over de winnaars waren als volgt: Robert Hekkenberg met DIINAMO Hekkenberg ontving de Timmersprijs reeds in februari 2006 voor het DIINAMO model voor het doorrekenen van binnenvaart vervoersalternatieven voor wegtransport. Het winnen van de prijs heeft hem in staat gesteld verder onderzoek te verrichten en heeft ertoe bijgedragen dat hij zitting heeft in binnenvaartadviescolleges van de overheid. Van der Velden Marine Systems met de EPS Thruster Alhoewel het principe van de asloze schroef al langer bekend is, heeft dit MKB-bedrijf op een vernuftige manier een innovatiecoalitie gesmeed met andere bedrijven en kennisinstellingen, waardoor eigen kennis effectief werd aangevuld met die van derden. Tevens wordt geconstateerd dat de technische ontwikkeling gepaard gaat met een actieve marketingstrategie, waardoor de kans op succes verder wordt vergroot. Maaskant Bruinisse met de Jacoba Prins (YE-29) Het schip wordt als baanbrekend beoordeeld door de toepassing van nieuw vernuftig visgerei, dat door één man van binnenuit bediend kan worden. Tevens wordt door dit visgerei de impact op het onderwatermilieu door omwoeling aanzienlijk beperkt. Daarnaast wordt de emissie naar de lucht beperkt door de toepassing van zeer schone en zuinige dieselmotoren. Met het Maritime Awards Gala 2006 hebben de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging van Technici op Scheepvaartgebied (KNVTS), Vereniging Holland Marine Equipment (HME) en Vereniging Nederlandse Scheepsbouw Industrie (VNSI) in samenwerking met Stichting Ondersteuningsfonds Nationaal Instituut voor Scheepvaart en Scheepsbouw (NISS) een groots netwerkplatform gecreëerd voor de gehele Nederlandse maritieme industrie. Daarmee is naar de overheid en de politiek tevens een signaal afgeven dat de maritieme maakindustrie een sterke en innovatieve sector is. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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P&O cleans up in Vanuatu

Residents of Port Vila, capital of Vanuatu, have alleged that the P&O Cruises Australia vessel Pacific Star illegally dumped 500,000 litres of oil waste in the town's sewage disposal area.

The PACIFIC STAR seen at the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Photo : Brian Russell © In response, the residents have spoken out against the company and taxis have refused to carry P&O passengers. In a statement, P&O Cruises Australia confirms that schedule changes meant the ship had to offload oily water and oil residue in Port Vila, instead of taking it to Australia or New Zealand as per usual practice. The operator found that the residue had been disposed of inappropriately at the town's sewage disposal area. P&O apologized for the incident and said it took "immediate action" to ensure there would be no further landings in Vanuatu, and confirmed it is now working with government officials to implement a plan to remove and isolate the oil residue from the original site. The company’s agent has organized the relocation of the waste to a settling pit and remedial action has been carried out. Locals had wanted the company to be fined for their indiscretion as much as $35M.

Pirates Lose Face...And Maybe A Hand

"MV Viishaam1", the ship recently retrieved by Union of Islamic courts from Somali pirates, has docked at Mogadishu’s main seaport on Sunday (11 Nov) with the pirates, who are shackled, onboard. Many Islamic forces and officials have gathered at the port to imprison 8 Somali pirates who hijacked the UAE registered cargo ship on November 1, demanding $1million as a ransom to free the 14 Indian crew and their Ethiopian captain. Number of Islamic fighters riding in fast boats has set out from coastal district of Haradhere in central Somalia, which was notorious for piracy, chasing the hijacked ship after spotting it. The Islamist fighters stormed in the ship, overpowering the pirates after gunfight. The Islamic Courts spokesperson for the information department Sheik Abdirahman Mudey has told Shabelle that the criminals that are now in the hands of Islamic Courts would face three decisive penalties. “If the defendants are proved to have intentionally hijacked the ship, they will face three optional punishments: they will be executed or they will have a leg and a hand cut in cross or they will be expelled”, Mudey said, indicating the pirates would soon be on an Islamic trial. PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 The ship was carrying charcoal to the UAE when pirates armed with automatic weapons hijacked her off Somalia’s coasts.

Death wave tanker resumes journey

An oil tanker on which two crew were killed when they where struck by a massive wave has resumed its journey towards Texas. Two Indian crewmen died when the FR8 Venture was struck in the Pentland Firth on Saturday afternoon. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) officers have completed their initial enquiries into the deaths. Investigators will now study the evidence and produce a report on the Singapore-registered tanker deaths.

The two men who died were aged 31 and 39. A 27-year-old crew member was also injured. A coastguard rescue helicopter from Stornoway had been called to the scene and Longhope RNLI lifeboat was launched with a doctor on board. She was winched on board the vessel in winds gusting up to 60mph. Coastguards said weather conditions had been "horrendous", with strong winds, heavy seas and a high swell. Officers from Northern Constabulary boarded the tanker to carry out enquiries after it arrived back in Scapa Flow, Orkney, on Saturday evening. MAIB officials then arrived in Kirkwall on Sunday to begin their inquiry. The 42,000 gross tonne crude oil tanker, which is less than a year old, is owned by Freight Ship Management PTC Ltd.

PIONEER MOLDAVI ARRIVED IN IJMUIDEN

The Russian cargo ship PIONEER MOLDAVI which encountered a cargo shift during bad weather, whilst passing the northern Dutch coast, arrived safely in the Port of Ijmuiden, a lot of wood from the deck cargo was flushed ashore at the island of Terschelling Photo : Joop Marechal ©

Search for missing tug continues


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 THE search for four crew members of a supply tug that went missing on the KwaZulu-Natal coast last week would continue, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said. Spokesman Craig Lambinon said the search was "on going" for the vessel which was scheduled to stop at East London Harbour last Friday. The Hawk never reached its destination. A life jacket from the tug was found on Sunday. "We’re not speculating that the crew may have drowned. We’ll continue searching for them indefinitely," said Lambinon. He said a charter ship five nautical miles from Port Shepstone found the life jacket. The search was concentrated in that area. An empty raft, also believed to be from the tug, was found at nearby Shelly Beach on Friday. The owner of the tug said he believed the ship could have been run over by a bigger ship or that a "south-west buster (wind)" could have capsized it. Godfrey Neaden said he last had contact with the vessel on Wednesday. He said the crew did not use cellular communication or the ship’s radar transformers to send a distress signal. "[They] would have illuminated on any ships or radar screens in the area... but none of those were used," he said. The 16-metre-long boat was en route from Richards Bay to Cape Town

Bewusteloos door gas op trawler

Drie mannen zijn dinsdagochtend bewusteloos geraakt toen een mengsel van fosforzuur en schoonmaakmiddel ontsnapte. De mannen waren aan het werk op een visserschip toen de stof vrijkwam. Het schip uit Scheveningen ligt voor reparatie in Zijkanaal A in Velsen-Noord. De slachtoffers werden met de hijskranen van het schip naar beneden getakeld. Ze waren bezig om de ballasttanks schoon te maken. Ze zijn naar het Rode Kruis Ziekenhuis in Beverwijk gebracht. Twee personen waren al weer bij kennis nadat zij het schip hadden verlaten. Toch zijn ze uit voorzorg naar het ziekenhuis gebracht. Het derde slachtoffer is in het ziekenhuis al weer redelijk opgeknapt. Naar verwachting houden de mannen geen schadelijke gevolgen over aan het incident, aldus de politie. Er onstond geen gevaar voor de omgeving. In het schip was ook een vierde man aan het werk. Hij raakte niet onwel en kon de hulpdiensten waarschuwen. De brandweer ging met een speciale gaspakkenploeg aan boord. Er zijn vijf brandweerwagens naar de Velserkade gestuurd. Voor de brandweerkazerne in Velsen-Zuid is een herbezettingsploeg opgeroepen. Naar de ongevalsplek werden twee ambulances en de motorambulance gestuurd. Ook de officier van dienst van de ambulancedienst Kennemerland werd opgeroeopen. De Arbeidsinspectie en de waterpolitie stellen een onderzoek in. Het onderzoek richt zich op de middelen waarmee de schoonmaakwerkzaamheden werden verricht.

Grounded US tanker freed The US-flagged product tanker Kristin Poling was freed yesterday from Long Island’s East Rockaway Inlet after two days aground and following lightering of 994 tonnes of No. 2 home heating oil. The 2,717-dwt single-hull vessel, built in 1934 and owned and operated by Poling & Cutler Marine, ran aground on the inlet’s sandy bottom at about midday on Friday. The USCG says no injuries or pollution were reported and no hull breach occurred during the incident, which was managed by a unified command comprised of federal, state and local agencies together with the vessel’s owners. As a precaution to prevent an extensive spill in the event of a leak during the salvage operation, 6,000m of boom was deployed around the ship together with ten vacuum trucks, ten oil skimmers, 20 workboats and 45 contractors. The ship has been towed to New York where it will undergo inspection as an investigation continues into the grounding.


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CASUALTY REPORTING

Coast Guard Monitors Grounded Barge

According to reports, the Coast Guard is monitoring a 110-ft. barge that went aground near Kodiak, Alaska The barge was anchored when it broke free of its anchor line sometime during the night. Heavy winds and surf forced the barge onto a rocky cobble beach 1,000 yards east of the airport. The Marine Safety Detachment contacted Swenson Maritime Transportation who was in charge of the barge. They informed the Coast Guard that they were preparing to re-float the barge on the next high tide. The Swenson Maritime Transportation vessel Arch I and the Amak Towing vessel Kodiak King attempted to pull the barge free. Attempts will be made to re-float the Ava Lynn during high tide later this week. The Coast Guard is working with the Swenson Maritime Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and the land owner Koniag Inc. The circumstances surrounding the grounding are under investigation by Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak.

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Indonesian Navy in Darwin for training exercise The Australian and Indonesian navies are joining forces this week for a bilateral training exercise based at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin. HMAS Albany and HMAS Dubbo will be joined by patrol boats and two Indonesian vessels off the coast of the Northern Territory. Exercise Cassowary will be launched this afternoon by Maritime Commander Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas and his Indonesian counterpart.

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The FINNTRADER seen in dock at the Remontowa Shipyard Photo : Jacub Bogucki ©

Aker Philadelphia keeps up the momentum

Two days after the naming ceremony for the first product tanker in its ten ship series, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard achieved another significant milestone in the build program with keel laying for the third vessel in the series.

The first section of a double-hulled product tanker scheduled for completion in late 2007 was lowered into the yard's building dock, where construction is already underway on the second ship in the series. PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 9 11/14/2006

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 As part of the ceremony, coins were placed under the keel block recreating a long-standing tradition whereby shipbuilders hide special coins in the keel section of a ship as a permanent symbol of good fortune and safe travels. Michael Giantomaso, Vice President of Human Resources, and Stephen Lalumera, President of the Boilermakers Union, represented Aker American Shipping in the ceremony, with Captain John Marquis and Chief Engineer Ed Hastings, participating from Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG). When completed, each vessel will have a capacity of 46,000 deadweight tons (dwt) and be the most modern product tankers in the U.S. domestic fleet. The first ship in the program was formally named the Overseas Houston in a ceremony held at the yard on Saturday, November 11. It will be delivered by the end of 2006, with the second vessel scheduled for completion during 2007. All ten product tankers in the series will be owned by American Shipping Corporation, a subsidiary of Aker American Shipping, and chartered to OSG. To date, eight of the ten tankers in the build program are under signed time charter, with agreements in place between OSG and Shell, BP and Tesoro. In addition to the Overseas Houston and the two vessels under construction in the Building Dock, production on the fourth tanker in the series is advancing, with steel cutting having begun four weeks ago. Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. is the shipbuilding subsidiary of Aker American Shipping

BREDFORD DOLPHIN ARRIVED AT REMONTOWA

The Drilling rig Bredford Dolphin arrived at the Remontowa Shipyard at November 10th for a large overhaul Photo : Jacub Bogucki ©

VT Group Benefits from Acquisitions

Support services and shipbuilding firm VT Group said its interim results benefited from the positive impact of recent acquisitions, which traded in line with expectations. The company's earning per share jumped 22.3% to 12.89p. Due PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 to the strong results, the company increased the interim dividend payable to 3.25p a share, an 8.3% increase from 2005. Within the next six months, the group will find out whether its bids for three large military PFI support programmes have been successful.

Damen Delivers New Dry cargo Vessel In the first week of November 2006 Damen Shipyards Bergum handed over the new building dry cargo vessel "Blue Bay" to its owners Blue Bay GmbH & Co. KG of Oldenburg Germany. The vessel, the first vessel in a series of 4 units, will be managed by Otto A. Moller GmbH in Hamburg. The 3.800 tons vessel features a MAK main engine of 1.520 kW, running on gasoil and MDO. Different to the usual christening ceremony the vessel was still parked on the platform at the repair yard in Harlingen for the final paint job before launching and trials. After the successful trials the vessel departed for its maiden voyage to load steel bars in Kaliningrad for Antwerp. The second vessel, also for the same managers, will be delivered in the course of 2007, its sisters will follow towards the end of 2007. All vessels are in similar execution and layout, a dead weight of 3.800 tons at 5.42m draft has been realized.

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MORE PRESSURE ON TURKEY TO OPEN PORTS

THE foreign minister of Finland, which is the current EU president, has said that Turkey must open its ports to Cypriotflag ships within three weeks. Turkey is refusing to do so until the EU eases trading restrictions on Turkish-controlled North Cyprus. The row is threatening to derail negotiations on Turkey’s application to join the EU.

Seaspan Announces Delivery of New Vessel Seaspan Corporation announced the delivery of its 20th vessel, the Santos Express. The 4250 TEU vessel, which was built by Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., was delivered approximately seven weeks ahead of its contractual delivery date. The Santos Express is the seventh of nine Seaspan vessels to be chartered to Hapag-Lloyd USA. "The delivery PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 of the Santos Express is another milestone in the development of our company," said Gerry Wang, Chief Executive Officer of Seaspan. "We are pleased to have 20 vessels operating worldwide and we look forward to the deliveries of the 21 additional vessels we have contracted to acquire over the next three years."

The SAFMARINE IKAPA (former MSC Canada) seen in Rio Grande – Photo : Marcelo Vieira ©

BELSHIPS’ STRONG QUARTER

NORWEGIAN shipowner and operator Belships made a Q3 operating profit of amounted to US$2.4m, compared to US$1.3m in the same quarter last year. The company says the improved results are to the operations of its own ship, the Belnor, and Elkem Chartering's handysize operations. Operating profit for the first nine months of the year was US$5.1m against US$6.5m in the same period last year. The company notes that the dry bulk market continued to strengthen throughout the quarter, and the rates reached the highest level since early in 2005. Once more, one of the main factors for this was the vigorous growth in the China steel industry, but generally good economic conditions also contributed. Belships says: “Elkem Chartering chartered in vessels early in the summer for medium term periods at rates that are producing good results in the handysize operations, but freight contracts entered into previously naturally pull the results down.” Looking ahead Belships says: “The dry bulk market has continued to improve in the fourth quarter, and even though there are signs that may indicate a slow-down in economic activity in the USA, we expect the market to remain strong for the rest of the year. Handysize operations in Elkem Chartering are expected to continue generating positive contributions. The freight portfolio is continually being developed and will form a basis for expansion. The Pax Phoenix charter has been extended until the end of 2008 at a rate that will yield a contribution to Belships of around USD 2 million a year. Three years have now passed since the upswing in rates began in earnest, and this is the longest period with high dry bulk rates in modern times. The inflow of new buildings will decline in the coming three years, and if the increase in demand should last, the prospects are promising.”

Slow Discharge Strands Tankers

Seven tankers carrying some 210,000 tons of petroleum products have been stranded outside the Dar es Salaam Port due to its slow discharging process, according to local press reports on Monday. These seven oil tankers arrived in Dar es Salaam in the third week of last month. Flow meters, installed at the port to curb tax evasion, are discharging oil from tankers at a rate of 500 tons per hour instead of 750 tons per hour. Local oil importers are fearing that retail prices of petrol and diesel might go up due to accumulated demurrage charges at the port. Earlier last month, car importers in Tanzania also complained about the PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 handling capability of the Dar es Salaam Port that delayed the unloading of more than 1,000 motor vehicles from a roll-on/roll-off car carrier. A senior official from the Tanzania Port Authority told the newspaper that the port authorities were considering rehabilitating the ageing mooring facility so as to handle tankers carrying up to 100,000 tons of petroleum products

Cruise Vessel for Chilean Patagonia

The coastal scenery of Chile’s Patagonia supports a growing cruise industry that welcomed its latest entrant when the MV Atmosphere was launched at the Astilleros y Servicios Navales S.A. (ASENAV) shipyard at Valdivia in the South of Chile. The owners of the new 45 by 10-meter ship are promising deluxe accommodation for 36 passengers to be cared for by a crew of 24. Following her November delivery, the ship will cruise the central and southern Chilean Patagonia, covering over 750 kilometers/405 nautical miles from the bay of Puerto Montt (latitude 41°28' S and longitude 72°56' W) to the Taitao peninsula (latitude 46°41' S and longitude 73°57' W). The Atmosphere, which has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, will be equipped with a Zodiac, jet boats and a Bell 407 helicopter to take guest on adventure sightseeing and fly fishing expeditions to isolated rivers. A four fin stabilizer system has been installed for additional passenger comfort. The Valparaiso-registered ship, classed ABS A1 (E) Passenger Vessel AMS, has a water-line length of 41.65 meters, a 10-meter beam and a 4.4-meter molded depth. Main propulsion is provided by a pair of Cummins KTA38M0 engines each delivering 850 hp at 1800 RPM to variable pitch propellers.

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MC Shipping Sells Six Nasdaq-listed MC Shipping has sold 6 small LPG carriers to a German KG (limited partnership) company in which it will also take a 25% stake. MC Shipping has let the sextet of gas carriers go to the KG formed by finance house MPC Capital of Germany for a total consideration of $52m. Five of the units are set to swap hands by the end of the year with the sixth being delivered in 2007. MC Shipping is set to book net proceeds of $24m on the sale. The ships will all be chartered back to MC Shipping for a minimum of four years with the US-listed outfit also intending to invest between $5m and $5.75m for a 25% stake in the KG.

Maersk Increases Rate on Transatlantic Trade

Maersk Line will be implementing a rate restoration on the westbound Transatlantic and Canadian trade from North Europe to North America. The increase will apply for all cargo under Maersk Line independent tariffs and service contracts as agreed with our customers individually. The targeted level of increase will be a minimum of $300 per container and will be effective at the latest by 1 January 2007. Recent market developments have caused rate levels to PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 deteriorate to unsustainable levels, while we are facing increased cost pressures, and the increase will ensure that current service levels can be maintained.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Finalizes Pullmantur Purchase

Pulmantur’s BLUE MOON seen at Curacao - Photo : Kees Bustraan © Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has completed its purchase of Madrid-based cruise and tour operator Pullmantur S.A. Closing documents were signed today in Madrid. In August, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. signed an agreement with Pullmantur’s shareholders to buy all the company’s capital stock. Last month, the company received regulatory approval for the acquisition.

Maersk Increases Rate on Transatlantic Trade

Maersk Line will be implementing a rate restoration on the westbound Transatlantic and Canadian trade from North Europe to North America. The increase will apply for all cargo under Maersk Line independent tariffs and service contracts as agreed with our customers individually. The targeted level of increase will be a minimum of $300 per container and will be effective at the latest by 1 January 2007. Recent market developments have caused rate levels to deteriorate to unsustainable levels, while we are facing increased cost pressures, and the increase will ensure that current service levels can be maintained.

SIMOON LOADED NEW TOW WIRE PSi-Daily Shipping News

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Seen the tug SIMOON in Brest loading a new towing wire Photo : Jacques Carney ©

TECHNIP-SUBSEA 7 JV AWARDED SUBSEA INSTALLATION CONTRACT FOR THE STYBARROW PROJECT IN AUSTRALIA Technip and Subsea 7 announced that their Australian entities, Technip Oceania Pty Ltd and Subsea 7 Australia Pty Ltd, have been awarded a subsea EPIC installation contract by BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty Ltd for the Stybarrow Development Project. Located in approximately 800 m of water off the North West Cape of Australia, Stybarrow will be the deepest subsea production system in Australia to date. The joint venture contract, valued at over US$ 160 million, includes the design, manufacture, transport, installation and pre-commissioning of approximately 48 kms of flexible risers, flowlines and jumpers, to be fabricated at Technip’s flexible manufacturing facilities in Le Trait, France. The contract also includes the transport, installation and precommissioning of approximately 16 kms of dynamic and static umbilicals and associated electrical and hydraulic flying leads as well as the installation of the FPSO* Spider Buoy and Mooring System complete with anchors, all to be provided by BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty Ltd. The Joint Venture will perform the works from their offices in Perth, Western Australia. The offshore programme is scheduled to start in early 2007 using Technip’s construction vessel, the Deep Pioneer. * FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading): a converted or custom-built ship-shaped floater, employed to process oil and gas and for temporary storage of the oil prior to transhipment.


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RMS ST. HELENA SPOTTED IN ST. HELENA

Another picture of the RMS St. Helena, a cargo and passenger ship and the only transportation from the island. It sails between Cape Town, South Africa via Walvis Bay, Namibia and St Helena, British territory to Ascension Island, British Territory. The RMS St. Helena has a volume of 6,767 gross tonnes and has berths for a maximum of 128 passengers plus 56 officers and crew. It is one of the last remaining ships to carry the designation Royal Mail Ship. Photo : Gerrit Kersseboom ©

Mövenpick Royal Lotus named best Nile cruise ship

The new Mövenpick M/S Royal Lotus has been setting new standards since it began operations between Aswan and Luxor in November 2005.

The luxury Nile cruiser has just been awarded the accolade of 'The Best Nile Cruise Ship' by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. The award was presented in Cairo on September 27. The award was based on a number of key criteria such as the safety and comfort on board, modern design, outstanding gastronomy, and first-class service. "We're very proud to have been honoured by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism with this prestigious award," said Hubert Klemenz, vice president operations Egypt, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. "Our flagship has been widely praised for its comfort and the spacious layout of both the passenger cabins and the public areas." Nagui Erian, chairman of the owning company Nile Exploration Corporation, claims that the Mövenpick M/S Royal Lotus has been "exceptionally well received by its guests," since its launch last year. "On the strength of this resounding success we are planning to commission another Nile cruiser in 2007, the M/S Royal Lily. We are currently negotiating with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and hope that the international hotel chain will agree to take over the management of this vessel as well," Erian revealed. The Mövenpick M/S Royal Lotus is a floating luxury hotel with four decks. The 62 cabins, each 22m², are located on the upper decks so guests on board are always guaranteed perfect views of the landscape surrounding the Nile. For those in search of even more luxury, there are two Royal Suites at 45m² each. PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 16 11/14/2006


The main restaurant serves a variety of trademark Mövenpick buffets and menus with Egyptian and international specialities. The Salon Deck offers panoramic windows and comprises a lounge, bar and dance floor. The Sun Deck includes a swimming pool, whirlpool, pool bar and a canopied area. An internet corner and a fitness centre complement the on-board facilities.

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The NYK CANOPUS seen enroute Amsterdam Photo : Karel Stompe ©


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The MSC OLGA seen arriving in the port of Cape Town Photo : Glenn Kasner ©

AIRCRAFT / AIRPORT NEWS

VLM Airlines heeft nog lang geen genoeg van Fokker 50

De luchtvloot van VLM Airlines blijft de komende jaren bestaan uit toestellen van het type Fokker 50. In het nieuwe inflight magazine van de maatschappij schrijft operationeel directeur Frans Dechaene dat VLM erg tevreden is over de Nederlandse ‘turboprops’, maar dat de maatschappij best graag toestellen wil die een stukje sneller en groter zijn. Vervanging van de Fokkers is echter nog lang niet aan de orde, meldt directeur Johan Vanneste aan Luchtvaartnieuws.nl. Vanneste woonde dinsdag (14 november) op Londen City Airport de ‘doop’ van een Fokker 50 bij. Op dit toestel - een van de negentien Fokker 50’s in de vloot - werd onlangs de naam ‘City of Groningen’ aangebracht. Dat gebeurde als verwijzing naar de nieuwe route Groningen - Londen, waarmee VLM Airlines op 30 oktober van start ging. Vanneste verklaarde ‘positief verrast’ te zijn door het aantal boekingen dat inmiddels al voor de nieuwe route binnenkomt. Een goede ontvangst van de nieuwe verbinding binnen het VLM-netwerk was niet geheel vanzelfsprekend, omdat reizigers door een tussenstop op Schiphol kostbare tijd verliezen. En de voornamelijk zakelijke georiënteerde passagiers die met VLM Airlines reizen, zijn juist mensen die op tijdwinst uit zijn. Mede om die reden kiezen zij voor City Airport als luchthaven van vertrek of aankomst. Reizigers uit het noorden van Nederland met Londen op het verlanglijstje hebben overigens geen andere keuze dan VLM, inclusief de daarbij gepaard gaande 45 minuten oponthoud op Schiphol. Sinds het vertrek van prijsvechter Ryanair in 2004 kwam Londen niet meer op het lijstje met bestemmingen vanaf Groningen Airport Eelde voor. Volgens Vanneste betekent een positieve start van de nieuwe route nog niet dat een rechtstreekse lijndienst tussen Groningen en Londen City Airport al in zicht is. “In dat geval zouden we een vliegtuig in Groningen moeten stationeren. En dat is vooralsnog echt toekomstmuziek. Een tweede verbinding via Schiphol ligt eerder voor de hand.” Door de stop op Schiphol is het voor passagiers ook mogelijk om binnenlands te vliegen tussen Groningen en Amsterdam. In de praktijk maken niet veel van de VLM-passagiers van die mogelijkheid gebruikt. Negen van de tien personen die in Groningen aan boord gaan, stappen pas in Londen weer uit.


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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2006 – 231 VLM Airlines is momenteel bezig met het aanbrengen van een nieuw interieur in haar Fokker 50’s. De maatschappij denkt er nog niet over om de propellertoestellen door een nieuwe generatie vliegtuigen te vervangen. Vanneste: “we zijn bijzonder tevreden over de prestaties van de Fokker 50. Het is een perfect toestel voor onze activiteiten. Als je kijkt naar wat wij voor een gebruikte Fokker 50 betalen, ten opzichte van bijvoorbeeld een nieuwe ATR of Bombardier, dan is dat verschil gigantisch. Terwijl ik betwijfel of het rendement van zo’n nieuw toestel het haalt bij wat wij met de Fokker 50 realiseren.” VLM’s Regional Manager William Vet gaat nog een stapje verder. “De tijd van de Fokker 50 bij VLM zit er absoluut nog lang niet op. We merken bijvoorbeeld op het gebied van onderhoud niet dat de toestellen soms al zo’n vijftien jaar oud zijn. Het zou mij niet verbazen als VLM Airlines over tien jaar nog steeds met deze vliegtuigen opereert.” De huidige vloot van negentien Fokker 50’s wordt in 2007 waarschijnlijk nog met enkele vliegtuigen uitgebreid.

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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 500 vessels today.

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..


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Not a common view in the port of Willemstad, 3 large tugs moored behind each other as seen above the SALVIGOUR, SALVALIANT from SEMCO (Singapore) and the Smit Amandla Marine tug WOLRAAD WOLTEMADE Photo : Kees Bustraan ©

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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS

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