DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER

DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER

DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER : Wednesday 23-5-2001

EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS Smit works on world's longest suspension bridge Smit Maritime Contractors have installed the first pier head for the world’ s longest cable-stayed bridge on May 12th. Kinopraxia Gefyra, the French and Greek consortium building and operating the RionAntirion Bridge, awarded Smit the management contract for the towout and installation of the four pier heads last year.

The bridge - 2,250 metres in length and with a five-span suspended deck - will connect the south west and north west of Greece when it opens in 2004. It will relieve the region’ s busy ferry services and reduce transit time from 45 minutes to five minutes. Over 10,000 cars are expected to use the new bridge daily. The bridge is designed to withstand collision damage from a large vessel, wind speeds of up to 250 km per hour and an earthquake registering Richter Scale 7. The construction process is challenging as the water depth at location is 65 metres and the seabed conditions are difficult. Furthermore, the area is renowned for seismic activity/tectonic movement. The bridge’ s four pylons each consist of four concrete legs embedded into a pier head. The pier heads each measure 90 metres in diameter, with a height of 9 metres. Believed to be the largest base foundations constructed for a bridge, they are being fabricated in a drydock at Antirion, Greece. The drydock, purpose-built for this task, is 200m long, 100m wide and 14m high. The drydock has two levels and its design enables two piers to be constructed simultaneously. The majority of the drydock work is performed on the upper level. The unit is then transferred to the lower level for completion of the remaining works before being floated out to the wetdock. Each 70,000 tonnes pier base will be towed one mile to the wetdock for the final construction phase. In the wetdock, some 30,000 tonnes of concrete will be added to each pier unit. Four anchorhandlers – Havila Champion, Esvagt Gamma, Golfo de Bengala and Toisa Gryphon – will tow the pier bases from the wetdock to the nearby installation site. On arrival at the installation area, the vessels will connect up to pre-laid moorings (for increased stability) and lower each pier head into position by means of winches. The first pier head (M3) was towed to the wetdock during September of last year. The installation of M3 commenced on May 12 and was completed within 24 hours. On May 14, following the installation of M3, the second base (M4) was towed from the drydock to the wetdock. The M4 will be installed during November. The other two pier heads – M1 and M2 - will be positioned at the bridge site during May and November 2002.”

Four die from methanol drinking

Four Ukrainian seamen died and two others were very ill after drinking methanol which they brought aboard the ship illicitly. The men left their vessel at the port of el-Dekheilo in Egypt, having obtained permission from the chief officer to go ashore to buy cigarettes and toiletries. They also purchased a quantity of 'white liquid'

PSi-Daily Shipping News

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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER from a pharmacy and consumed it after returning to the ship. Within 24 hours of the ship's departure for Bilbao, the men concerned were taken seriously ill. The vessel diverted to Tobruk where they were hospitalised. Signum Services investigated the incident on behalf of the owners and the UK P&I Club, with whom the vessel is entered. The master confirmed that the crew were aware that company policy did not permit alcohol consumption on board. Samples of the liquid sent to a UK laboratory were found to be methanol. The owners have circulated the laboratory's report to crew managers with a view to preventing similar incidents.

Coast Guard probes ship steering system

Just last week, a Coast Guard officer began wondering about the complexities of modern vessel-control systems and asked for an evaluation of how they work. Now, that routine review has been given added urgency by an incident Saturday aboard the cruise ship Norwegian Sky that injured 78 people. "I've been on some new vessels recently, and I've seen ever-more-impressive systems on the bridge" and wanted to make sure they have adequate backups in case of a malfunction, said Capt. Michael Moore of 13th Coast Guard District's base in Seattle. One such system - an autopilot navigation system - is being cited as a possible cause of the accident aboard the 853-foot Norwegian Sky at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The vessel, built in Germany and launched in 1999, was about 70 miles west of Port Angeles Saturday afternoon when it suddenly turned at a high speed, causing it to list 8 degrees. Water sloshed out of a swimming pool, threw objects off shelves and sent passengers to the decks. The Coast Guard has reported the unexplained turn took place as the ship's first officer noticed the autopilot seemed to be malfunctioning. The first officer reportedly disengaged the autopilot, then turned the ship manually to restore it to course. Precisely when the violent turn took place - while the ship was under autopilot or on manual control is expected to be a focus of an investigation by the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office. Whatever the investigation's findings, the use of autopilots already has generated concern on local waters. "We have some concerns with the new system the cruise ships are using," said Capt. Bill Bock, president of the Puget Sound Pilots Association, who noted that no pilot was aboard the Norwegian Sky at the time of the incident because the ship hadn't reached Port Angeles, where a pilot would have boarded. Pilots are stationed in Port Angeles to guide ships through Puget Sound. John Bash, chair of the oceanographic-ships committee of the Marine Technology Society, a national group of marine-technology experts and consultants, suggested a couple of scenarios involving autopilot navigators: "The computer could have interpreted something improperly. Someone could have put in a 6 instead of a 4 and it could come around 170 degrees, and that would be one hell of a turn." He said such a turn could also have been caused by a glitch in the way modern cruise ships often are navigated, using a pre-plotted system and a series of "way points" to set the ship's course. The effect is that the ship's navigator will use a computer keyboard and monitor to set up a course, with the ship automatically assuming a new heading when a particular "way point" is reached. Getting the wrong information at a way point or having an incorrect course entered could cause such a turn, said Bash. Autopilot navigation systems have been involved in some highly publicized cases. One was off Nantucket, Mass., in 1995 when the cruise ship Royal Majesty went aground with 1,509 people aboard. An investigation showed that a link to a global positioning system, or GPS, had been severed an hour into the cruise when an antenna cable broke. The result was the autopilot held to a course, not correcting for wind and currents.


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER The Norwegian Sky has seen other problems. A crewman died onboard in July when a watertight door crushed him, apparently as he was moving laundry through the door. And in September 1999, the Norwegian Sky went aground while on a scenic cruise on the Saguenay River near Quebec in Canada, with 1,924 passengers on board. It was under the guidance of two local pilots at the time.

Four new oil spill response vessels for Marine Dept THE Peninsular Malaysia Marine Department will get four new oil spill response vessels to boost its emergency and search and rescue operations. Although built specifically for oil spill response, the 24 metre catamarans would perform multifunctional tasks, said the departments industry control division head Jamil Murshid. He said the first of the craft were scheduled to be delivered this month while the remainder would be handed-over by the end of September. "Previously our oil spill boats were strictly dedicated to combatting oil pollution but the new vessels can be deployed for various purposes such as search and rescue and buoy tender work," he said. Jamil said the contract was signed between the department and the boat builders, Terengganu-based Kay Marine, on Dec 30 1999. He added that the project cost RM25 million with each catamaran costing RM6.4 mil. "With a speed of 20 knots, they will be capable of responding faster compared to the older boats, many of whom are more than 20 years old. Among the uses specified in the contract include transportation of oil combatting equipment up to offshore waters in Malaysia and to combat oil pollution. Others functions are to provide assistance in search and rescue operations, as a back-up standby vessel for salvage operations and a logistics boat for navigational aids. The cratf are able to operate safely in oil rich environment and is capable of operating offshore till up to 100 nautical miles away from the shore. Jamil said a unique feature of the catamarans were that they had a 2.5m wide deck area from the forward to the aft to accommodate equipment such as forklifts. Regarding the on-going port state control, he said a total of 128 ships had been inspected since the beginning of the year till April 15. "This works out to an average of 40 ships a month which is good, and we are stepping up on the checks to ensure that we meet the 70% target set by the Tokyo MOU. "Out of that number, 13 were detained for not conforming to safety standards outlined in the various regulations. "This year we hope to inspect 800 vessels under the port state control and 200 vessels under the flag state control."

Blast KOs Gorm 'for weeks' The Gorm platform in the Danish North Sea could be out of action 'for weeks' following an explosion in a gas compression pipe late Sunday night, shutting in oil production of more than 120,000 barrels per day. Maersk Oil & Gas, the leader of field operator the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC), said today that investigations have "progressed to the point where it can be concluded with reasonable certainty that the cause of the explosion was a ruptured pipe in module 5 on the Gorm C platform. The pipe in question was a high-pressure pipe from a gas compressor".


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER The company added: "The pipe rupture occurred so quickly that even though the automatic fire and gas detection systems as well as the emergency shut-down systems in the module were functioning correctly, production was not fully shut down until immediately after the explosion. "The shut-down helped prevent any major fires but the explosion caused material damage to the module in question. It is not possible to say at this time when Module 5 will be back in operation." Official sources say the explosion is one of the worst ever offshore Denmark and the damage to the Gorm Charlie platform is extensive. Maersk said representatives of the authorities have been on board to investigate the accident. The explosion has moved the blast walls, suggesting significant structural damage, and although much of the equipment looks intact, it has been contaminated by water that was triggered by fire alarms. The explosion happened when gas was drawn in to the intake on a gas compression turbine and then ignited. An official source said the pipe was used to carry gas from the IP compressor to the interstage cooler. "They have found a big leak in the pipe. The Force Institute of Denmark will now investigate the cause of the leak," he said. UpstreamOnline understands the Danish Energy Agency will not allow DUC to reopen the Gorm platform until it has the results of Force's work. It will also take time for the integrity of the platform structure, equipment and instruments to be examined after cleaning. Asked how long Gorm could be down, a source in Denmark said. "It is hard to say but I would personally say weeks." An official said: "It may be a minor incident by your standards but for Denmark it is major...we have big material damage." The Gorm platform processes oil output of around 47,000 bpd from the Gorm field, some 43,000 from the Halfdan satellite, 29,000 from Skjold and a combined 2000 bpd from Dagmar and Rolf. A Maersk spokesman said all output remains shut in at the moment. He said it had not been necessary to evacuate the nearly 100 people on board, giving support to reports the explosion was minor. The blast happened on 20 May at 23.46 hours Danish time. Two people received minor burns but only one required medical treatment by the nurse on duty, Maersk said. Maersk, part of the AP Moller group, operates and owns 39% of DUC. Its two partners, Shell and Texaco, own 46% and 15% respectively

Mammoet had Smit niet nodig voor berging Rotterdam - Het uitblijven van financiële garanties is het consortium, dat bijna een jaar lang met de Russische autoriteiten heeft onderhandeld over de berging van de onderzeeër Kursk, funest geworden. Directeur F. van Seumeren van Mammoet had het zó voor elkaar. Hij heeft zelfs de hulp van de internationale Kursk-stichting niet nodig. Begin september takelt Van Seumeren de atoomonderzeeër van de bodem van de Barentszzee. Mammoet uit De Meern doet dat wel samen met het Rotterdamse bergingsbedrijf Smit Tak. Van Seumeren begrijpt dat enigszins vreemd klinkt, want de Rotterdammers waren, samen met hun consortiumpartners Heerema en Halliburton, toch dé aangewezen partij om de Kursk te bergen. Dat de Russen begin vorige week het consortium bedankte voor alle moeite en drie dagen later hun handtekening zetten onder een contract met Mammoet is nog tot daar aan toe. Maar, dat Mammoet vervolgens met Smit Tak in zee gaat, is best een beetje merkwaardig geeft Van Seumeren toe. Hij was ook helemaal niet van plan om met Smit zaken te doen. Van Seumeren had, en heeft, contacten met een andere 'natte' specialist. Hij is specialist op het gebied van takelen en, sinds de overname vorig jaar van Mammoet, ook op het gebied van zwaar-transport, maar heeft nog nooit een schip geborgen. Een maritieme partner voor het bergen van de Kursk was een voorwaarde om de klus te klaren. Mammoet en Smit kennen elkaar. Enkele jaren geleden nog hebben ze nauw samengewerkt bij de bouw van de Størebelt-brug in Denemarken. Bij Smit in Rotterdam waren ze begin vorige week niet erg vrolijk toen vanuit Moskou werd gemeld dat het contract aan een aandere partij was gegund. Maar toen snel duidelijk werd dat Mammoet de nieuwe partner van de Russen was, werd de teleurstelling overboord gezet.


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER Van Seumeren was niet moeilijk te overtuigen dat de Rotterdammers moesten meedoen, wist Smit's directievoorzitter N. W. G. Buis gisteren te melden. ,,Wij hadden gewoon een strontgoed verhaal. Ze konden niet om ons heen.'' Beide bedrijven hebben voor deze klus een joint-venture opgericht, Mammoet-Smit, waarin beide een evengroot belang hebben. Bij Smit is de afgelopen dagen onder hoogspanning gewerkt om de plannen van Mammoet te bestuderen en te vergelijken met de in de afgelopen maanden opgedane ervaring. 'Eigenlijk een heel mooi plan', luidde bij Smit de conclusie. Eenvoudiger vooral, in vergelijking met de eigen plannen, en beter te controleren. Mammoet gaat om de Kursk te lichten twintig tot vierentwintig speciale vijzels installeren op het ponton Giant van Smit Tak. Nadat de zwaar beschadigde voorzijde van de Kursk is afgezaagd worden in het resterende deel van de romp gaten geboord waarin pluggen voor het vastmaken van de hijskabels worden bevestigd. De vijzels worden met één computer bestuurd en maken het mogelijk om, ongeacht de zeegang, het wrak van de onderzeeër spanningsloos op te hijsen. Groot voordeel van deze methode is dat alle benodigde materieel klaar ligt. Voor de aanpak door het 'oude' consortium moest 's werelds grootste kraanschip Thialf worden aangepast. Ook moest er een speciaal hijsframe worden gebouwd. De Mammoet-methode is beproefd. Voor de zekerheid wordt deze zomer nog in een laboratorium in St. Petersburg het lichten van de Kursk gesimuleerd. Mammoet-directeur Van Seumeren heeft met de Russische autoriteiten een vooruitbetaling van zestien miljoen dollar, ongeveer veertig miljoen gulden, afgesproken. De hele operatie is in fases opgedeeld. Elke fase moet vooruit worden betaald. Over het totaalbedrag wil Van Seumeren geen mededeling doen. Eerdere schattingen van de bergingsoperatie bedroegen een kleine tweehonderd miljoen gulden. De gezamenlijke voorbereidingen zijn al aan de gang. Binnenkort wordt in de Russische marinehaven Moermansk een kantoortje geopend. In Schiedam wordt de komende weken het werkponton Giant gereed gemaakt. Eind augustus, begin september wordt op de Barentszzee met de daadwerkelijke operatie begonnen. Het is de bedoeling dat de Kursk in de laatste helft van september wordt gelicht.

Argentina blow as UABL towboats switch to Panama flag ARGENTINA’ S struggling maritime register is to receive a new blow following a decision by South American barge giant UABL to move around half its towboat fleet to the Panamanian register. Seven towboats and around half the company’ s 330-strong barge fleet will be reflagged in Panama, sources say. The remainder of the company’ s 14-strong towboat fleet is already registered in Panama. Under Argentine legislation, shipowners are allowed to register vessels locally and fly a foreign flag, a process known as ‘ double-flagging.’The legislation is under review. Switching to the Panamanian register will reportedly reduce UABL’ s crewing costs by between 30% and 40%. Following a merger last year between US-owned ACBL Hidrovias and Buenos Aires-based Ultrapetrol, UABL is the largest player on the South American inland waterway system. The 50-50 joint venture company controls a fleet of more than 330 barges, shipping dry bulk and liquid bulk products from river ports in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil to seaports for export. Last year’ s merger was sparked by poor operating margins. Barge operators in the inland waterway network, known as the ‘ Hidrovia’ , have failed to make significant headway in recent years against the region’ s truckers. The move to reflag the fleet in Panama is considered part of this cost-cutting exercise. The UABL barge fleet active on Argentine coastal trades will remain under the Argentine flag. The Argentine register is considered uncompetitive by the industry. The high costs are blamed for the small volumes of coastal traffic along the country’ s long coastline. “The Argentine flag wants to attract ships, but it is very expensive,”said Buenos Aires-based maritime consultant Martin Sgut. “When you add this to coastal trade restrictions, which reserve the trade for Argentine-flagged vessels, the result is no coastal traffic. It’ s a simple question of one minus one equals zero.”


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CASUALTY REPORTING MARINE BAY TITAN (U.S.A.) London, May 21 — A press report, dated today, states: The body of a missing crewman from m tug Bay Titan was found yesterday inside the vessel, which sank in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Steven Pollert had been missing since the Bay Titan sank in the canal May 11 while pulling a barge. Pollert's body was found when crews raised the tug from near the bottom and drained it, Delaware state police said. (See issue of May 21.) BRITISH HARRIER (IsleofMan) Gibraltar, May 18 — M tanker British Harrier departed Gibraltar on May 17. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of May 16.) BRUIN BAY (U.S.A.) London, May 22 — Following received from Coast Guard Juneau, dated May 17: A Coast Guard helicopter crew delivered dewatering pumps to 74-ft fv Bruin Bay (135 gt, built 1954), with five crew members, taking on water 10 miles south-east of Cordova at Egg Island this morning. The Bruin Bay started taking on water around 0400 today. A crew member radioed the Coast Guard at 0430 hrs, requesting assistance. The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter from Cordova to assist the vessel's crew. A vessel in the area also responded to assist. The helicopter and the other vessel provided six dewatering pumps to the BRUIN BAY. The fishermen used five pumps to control the flooding and save their vessel. The vessel's skipper beached the vessel on Egg Island to prevent her from sinking. After beaching the fishing boat, her crew repaired cracks in the hull before proceeding to Cordova following high tide. The Bruin Bay is owned by Wood Fisheries Inc of Sitka. No injuries are reported and Coast Guard officials will investigate the incident. CHANCE NO.1 (Vanuatu) Busan, May 22 — Mfv Chance No.1 sailed Busan under tow at about 1000, May 21, bound for the Philippines. — Lloyd's Sub-agents. (See issue of May 10.) CIC VISION (DIS) London, May 22 — A press report, dated May 21, states: A flame-ravaged vessel (mv CIC Vision) located about 20 miles east of Venice, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico, continues to burn this morning, Coast Guard officials say. The fire broke out around 1000 yesterday in the vessel's engine-room, then spread to the cargo hold. The vessel and her 12-member crew were bound for Mobile, Ala, carrying a load of Brazilian wood. There are no reports of injuries or environmental damage from the fire. (Note — CIC Vision sailed Itaqui Apr 30 for New Orleans.) London, May 22 — Following received from New Orleans MSO, timed 0847, UTC: Mv CIC Vision (3,810 gt, built 1994) still smouldering in cargo hold. Vessel has power and intends to proceed up Gulf Outlet to Louisiana. CONRAD London, May 22 — A press report, dated today, states: M water tanker Conrad, which had just left Malta, sank a few miles off the Tunisian coast on Friday (May 18). The Conrad, a small bunkering vessel, used to belong to E. Zammit & Sons Ltd, but was sold and was on its way to its new Tunisian owners. It fell foul of the strong winds on Friday evening and sank. The seven sailors on board were rescued. (See issue of May 21.) DEMARES (United Kingdom) London, May 22 — A press report, dated today, states: A blaze broke out in the engine room of mfv Demares (171 gt, built 1984) yesterday after a welding accident. Four units of Grampian Fire Brigade were called to attend the fire on the Demares which was docked in Peterhead Harbour at Birnie's Pier. A police spokesman said: "The fire broke out around


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER 1100 hrs. It is believed to have happened after a welder dropped one of their instruments accidentally. "No crew were on board and the workers were able to leave the vessel on their own. "A number of firefighters were required. Due to the type of fuel which was burning they had to rotate their crew because there was only a limited time they could stay down there." No one was injured in the incident. A spokeswoman for the Fire Brigade said: "Around 19 crew and one officer attended. They were using breathing apparatus and it was under control by 1210 hrs. A spokesman for Don Fishing, agents for the vessel said the extent of the damage had not yet been determined. He said: "Parts of the vessel were still smouldering for a long time. The fire engines were on hand until about 1600 hrs." DUOBULK (NIS) Tallinn, May 22 — Mv Duobulk, 2,097 gt (built 1982), cargo "splinters", grounded while leaving Virtsu Harbour, Estonia, en route to Kalmar at 1700, local time, May 21. The vessel was refloated. At present she is waiting for underwater inspection. — Lloyd's Agents. GLORY STAR (Panama) London, May 22 — Following received from Hong Kong MRCC, timed 0010, UTC: Mv Glory Star sailed Hong Kong May 19, bound Susaki. (See issue of May 18.) GOLDEN BAY (Liberia) Istanbul, May 22 — Understood m bulk carrier Golden Bay has been unable to refloat by her own means and appears to have requested assistance. Reported part of her cargo will have to be transhipped onto another vessel, on completion of the necessary formalities. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of May 16.) KATSURAGI (Panama) New York, May 19 — M container vessel Katsuragi arrived New York today, from Norfolk, Va. — New York Maritime Association. (See issue of May 18.) KURSK (Russia) London, May 22 — A press report, dated May 21, states: A Dutch consortium hopes to raise a nuclear submarine Kursk and the remaining bodies of its 118-man crew from the seabed in September, 13 months after the vessel exploded and sank in the Barents Sea, the company manager said today. Russia will pay a $16 million advance to Mammoet Transport BV to lift the submarine from a depth of 356 feet, said Frans van Seumeren. The full cost of the task was not disclosed, but van Seumeren said Russia would make more payments at various times. The advance was to be paid this week. If bad weather forces the consortium to scrap the project, "we will just go home" without any commitment to complete the mission, said van Seumeren. Russian and Norwegian divers retrieved 12 bodies from the submarine last November, but their mission was called off because of rough weather and danger from broken equipment inside the submarine. There are two nuclear reactors on the vessel, which had an explosion on board during a training exercise on Aug 12. Environmentalists have voiced concern over the danger of radiation leaks during a salvage operation, but the Russians have said the reactors automatically shut down before the submarine sank. Mammoet proposed raising the submarine using a huge barge equipped with 20 anchored hydraulic lifting devices. It will then be taken to the Russian port of Murmansk. It would only be after the submarine is lifted onto a dry dock at Murmansk that the bodies of the 106 crewmen would be retrieved, van Seumeren said. That would be the responsibility of the Russian government. Divers will begin in June to sever the damaged front part of the submarine and attach cables to the hull. It will be September before the submarine will be hoisted up. The actual lifting will take 12-15 hours, and towing the vessel to Murmansk will require up to a week, said van Seumeren. The work will be done in a joint venture between Mammoet and Smit International. (See issue of May 21.) OKTAVIUS (Sweden) London, May 22 — Following received from Aarhus MRCC, timed 0504, UTC: M tanker Oktavius refloated at 1930, UTC, May 21, and was towed to an anchorage four miles


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER south of Amager Island, near Copenhagen. The cargo which was pumped out of the vessel is being reloaded, and a divers' inspection is being carried out. (See issue of May 22.) PAOLA (Malta) Singapore, May 21 — M tanker Paola is currently still Tuas Finger Pier, West, Singapore. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of Mar 9.) PIETROSUL (Romania) See "Ocean Fishing Co" under "Seizures & Arrests." QUEEN OF CAPILANO (Canada) London, May 22 — A press report, dated today, states: Ro-ro mv Queen Of Capilano (2,855 gt, built 1991) pulled away from her dock while still tied up, tearing out the wing wall at Snug Cove dock on Bowen Island, Vancouver. Witnesses said a deckhand left one of the lines tied as she was leaving for a short trip to nearby Horseshoe Bay. A British Vancouver Ferries spokeswoman says the vessel continued to her destination. A crane to repair the damage was brought on board and the vessel returned to Snug Cove. Regular ferry services resumed later. BC Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Dykes told the Vancouver Province: "There was at least a two-sailing wait, and they turned away people for a while until the ferry got running again. REPENT (U.S.A.) London, May 22 — A press report, dated May 21, states: Repairs began today on the only bridge to the north-western tip of St. Mary Parish, and the Coast Guard continued its investigation of why tug Repent hit it. Repairs on the Louisa Bridge are expected to take about three weeks, the Coast Guard said. The tug, owned by American Tugs out of Amelia, was hauling six barges loaded with salt when she hit the Louisa Bridge last Thursday (May 17). One barge and the bridge were damaged. The crash destroyed about 28 feet of the bridge. State transportation department ferries have been shuttling people and cars across the Intracoastal Waterway since Friday. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway channel in that area is closed to marine traffic while repair crews are at work, but will be opened each day at 0900 hrs and 1300 hrs to clear traffic, the Coast Guard said. (See issue of May 19.) SEA VENUS (Panama) Emden, May 21 — M vehicle carrier Sea Venus sailed Emden on May 19, bound Charleston. — Lloyd's Sub-agents. (See issue of May 1.) ST.CLAIR (U.S.A.) London, May 22 — A press report, dated today, states: Two American Steamship Co. vessels were transferring cargo of coal from m bulk carrier St.Clair (27,482 gt, built 1976) to the other late last night at the Clure Public Marine Terminal in Duluth after she was damaged Sunday (May 20) en route to Nanticoke, Ontario. The St.Clair sustained damage of an unknown origin to her starboard side No. 1 compartment, according to deckhands working to unload the cargo last night. "They're unloading her and they think they have a problem in the hull," said Ed Ruisi of Guthrie-Hubner, Inc., the vessls's agent in Duluth. "We don't know what the damage is, if there is any. That's why they are unloading her. Nobody knows what they hit. They just don't know." M bulk carrier Indiana Harbor was called into the Duluth-Superior harbour to take on St.Clair's cargo of about 36,000 tons of coal, Ruisi said. The Indiana Harbor arrived at about 1600 hrs, yesterday, the Aerial Lift Bridge reported. Ruisi said the extent of the damage couldn't be determined until the coal could be off-loaded and the vessel could be inspected. Crew members estimated it would take until early this morning to transfer the cargo. The Coast Guard is also expected to investigate the incident. The St.Clair had left Duluth at 0720 hrs Sunday, only to return at 2037 hrs. Davis Helberg, executive director of the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth, said it was likely the St.Clair would be taken to Fraser Shipyards in Superior for repairs. "There are reports of damage below the waterline," he said. SUPREME FLYER (Singapore)


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER Visakhapatnam, May 21 — M tanker Supreme Flyer is still in port repairing. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of May 18.) TOM TALBERT (U.S.A.) London, May 22 — A press report, dated today, states: Coast Guard personnel from Marine Safety Office (MSO) St. Louis are investigating the breakaway of five loaded barges in tow of m tug Tom Talbert (635 gt, built 1971) on the Upper Mississippi River near Wood River, Ill., this morning. The breakaway of the port-string of barges from the Tom Talbert's tow happened at about 0330 hrs as the vessel was travelling southbound on the river. The five breakaway barges subsequently struck barges located at the National repair yard, causing a subsequent breakaway of five empty barges. Initial reports indicate that four people, aboard vessels at National repair, were injured in the incident. Three of the four injured people were transported to Alton Memorial Hospital and were reported to have suffered shoulder and back injuries. Three barges have sunk as a result of the breakaway. By 0800 hrs, 13 grain barges and the five empty barges from the National repair yard had been safely corralled. A loaded grain barge and a loaded coke barge sank in the Mississippi River near the I-270 Bridge. A third barge, a 200-foot work barge from the repair yard, reportedly sank near the National facility between the Cherokee Dock and the entrance to the Chain of Rocks Canal. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port St. Louis has closed the Chain of Rocks Canal until such time as the exact location of the sunken work barge is identified and the impact to safe navigation can be assessed. Coast Guard Investigators from the MSO have ensured that required drug and alcohol testing was conducted on those crew members directly involved in the incident. The causes of the accident are under investigation. PORT STATE CONTROL FRANCE St. Malo, May 22 — Mv Soyana (1,798 gt, built 1969), which arrived St. Malo May 20 (from Archangel), detained by Port State Control on May 21. — Lloyd's Agents. ROMANIA Bucharest, May 21 — Mv Urouba 1 is still at Midia under Port State Control detention. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of Apr 26.) PIRACY INDIA London, May 22 — A press report, dated May 21, states: A dispute between a Mumbaibased shipping agent and a firm that chartered a vessel has turned into a case of kidnapping and piracy on the high seas, with the police now trying to track down the vessel which was allegedly hijacked and commandeered out of Kandla port earlier this month. The tanker M.T. Meera was allegedly hijacked after it docked at Kandla port in Gujarat on May 5 and was commandeered out three days later. Flying a Honduras flag, the vessel had a compliment of 13 crew members on board under Captain Manik Gyani before she disappeared. A case has been registered at the Yellow Gate police station in Mumbai. Senior Inspector V.B. Mahale attached to Yellow Gate police said," The Superintendent of Police at Bhuj has been alerted about the hijacking and he is running a check on the missing vessel and crew." A First Information Report, dated May 16, has been registered against one Nilesh Bansal of Global Commodities Trading and T.R. Patel of Pearl Shipping who chartered the ship, under sections 365, 367, 406 (related to kidnapping of the crew) and 120 B of the IPC. Police began investigations after a complaint was lodged by Captain Satnam Singh Sai, MD of Sitara Shipping, the firm appointed to manage the ship by its owners, Paco Shipping. Just how they pulled off this alleged hijack on the high seas is not clear, but the shipping agent claims Bansal and Patel engaged a new compliment of crew, which overpowered the earlier team under another master. Prima facie it appears the hijacking of the 1000-odd dead weight tonne ocean-going tanker was a fall-out of a dispute that occurred after she was chartered by Bansal on Mar 14. Earlier, the vessel had made a trip from Mumbai through Kandla to


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER Dubai and back. The incident occurred when the vessel, valued at around Rs 2 crore, set sail from Mumbai harbour on April 27 on a second trip with 900 tonnes of high speed diesel for Kandla. On reaching Kandla, Patel appointed Evershine as agents for discharge of cargo there. The new company was ordered to take direct orders from Bansal, it is alleged. Evershine was ordered to discharge the cargo at the behest of Bansal and Patel, who have offices at Gandhidham, allegedly in violation of the agreement signed with Sitara Shipping. The shipping agent lost contact with the vessel at this point. Captain Singh says his worst fears were confirmed when the ships master Manik Gyani failed to respond over the vessels single band radio. Inderpal Singh, an associate of Satnam Singh, said "Normally, he took instructions from the Mumbai-based principal twice each day." Inquiries revealed that the vessel had sailed out of Kandla and was heading for Dubai on May 9. The ship had been placed under the command of one Captain Deb, police sources informed. However when contacted, Ramesh Bansal, brother of Nilesh Bansal, said the complaint of hijacking was false as the ship had set sail with all required documents on May 10 and the crew had reported to the owner that the ship was in Dubai. The Kutch police have also registered a complaint of alleged hijack. "From the preliminary investigations so far, it appears to be a case of technical hijacking, which may later turn out to be a civil case. The entire case appears to be a business suit," said Kutch Superintendent of Police Vivek Srivastava this evening. Interestingly, the official pilot of Kandla port who piloted the ship for navigation through Kandla Creek has not reported any hijacking. SEIZURES & ARRESTS BEST 1 (Romania) Bucharest, May 21 — Mv Best 1 is still under arrest at Constantza. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of Apr 26.) JAMEEL (Honduras) Bucharest, May 21 — Mv Jameel is still under arrest at Midia in respect of former vessel's agents unpaid agency fees. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of Apr 26.) YAMBURG (Cambodia) Bucharest, May 21 — Mv Yamburg (11,854 gt, built 1980) was arrested at Constantza Mar 28 by Transoptimal, Turkey, in respect of unpaid bunker claim. — Lloyd's Agents. (Note — Yamburg arrived Constantza Mar 18.) BLACK SEA SHIPPING London, May 22 — M passenger vessel Odessa, presently lying at Naples, will be sold at auction Jul 10, by order of the Tribunal of Naples. (See issue of May 4.) OCEAN FISHING CO Bucharest, May 21 — M stern trawlers Pietrosul, Ozana and Jijia are still under arrest at Midia in respect of unpaid port expenses to Constantza Port Administration by their owners, Ocean Fishing Co, Tulcea. Ozana is also under arrest in respect of unpaid repair costs. — Lloyd's Agents. (See issue of Apr 26.)

SHIPYARD NEWS MBO at Cammell Laird (Gibraltar) DIRECTORS of Cammell Laird’ s Gibraltar repair yard have completed a management buy-out from Cammell Laird Group’ s receiver PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Andy Boardman, financial and commercial director, told Fairplay this morning that a seamless transition was already under way and that the MBO had the full support of the government. He confirmed the yard was currently working on three vessels


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER and that a FPSO was alongside. “The order book presently stands at £1.5M ($2M),”he said, but would not reveal the price paid for the yard. Other members of the buy-out team were MD Mel Smith, operations director Tom Parry and director John Stafford.

Firms announce construction of new ships Vessels to be built by Daewoo of South Korea Canada Maritime, a division of CP Ships, and Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line announced Monday they have ordered three new ice-strengthened container ships for joint service between North Europe and the Port of Montreal. The vessels are to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Heavy Machinery of South Korea for delivery in 2003 and will be deployed between Montreal, Antwerp and Hamburg, the companies say. The 3,500 teu vessels will be the largest container ships on the St. Lawrence River. It is the third time in seven years that Canada Maritime and OOCL, long-time partners in the St. Lawrence Co-ordinated Service (SLCS) have commissioned new tonnage for simultaneous deployment. Two of the ships will be owned by Canada Maritime and one by OOCL. The two carriers say the new ships, 294-metres long, 32.2 metres wide, with a draft of 10.78 metres, will enable them to meet anticipated capacity and stay within draft limitations of the St. Lawrence. Nominal capacity will be 4,100 teu. Marking its 20th anniversary this year, SLCS is one of container shipping's most enduring partnerships. Since 1996 SLCS has also been co-operating with Cast, Canada Maritime's sister company. All three lines compete with each other and with the many other carriers serving the North Atlantic trade. By cross-utilizing ships, each line is able to offer more comprehensive and efficient service to their respective customers on three separate Montreal gateway routes. The new vessels are the third set of three sister ships to be commissioned by OOCL and Canada Maritime under the SLCS cooperative alliance. The first group, 2200-teu Canmar Fortune, Canmar Courage and OOCL Canada, entered service in 1996, linking Montreal with Antwerp and Hamburg. The second set, 2800-teu Canmar Pride, Canmar Honour and OOCL Belgium were delivered in 1998, linking Montreal with Thamesport, Antwerp and Le Havre. "OOCL is committed to serving the ever increasing needs of our customers in the unique gateway of Montreal," Ted Wang, managing director OOCL (Europe) Ltd. said in a news release. "These new buildings, which will be introduced in 2003, are planned for the anticipated trade growth. They will not only cater for the increased volume but will also deploy the latest technology in navigation and icebreaking capability to ensure uninterrupted service to the Port of Montreal." Terry Burrows, senior vice- president CP Ships, responsible for the Montreal Gateway services of Canada Maritime and Cast, said the new ships are part of a CP Ships group-wide $1 billion US fleet replacement program announced last year. "By commissioning these ships, we are able to demonstrate once again our ongoing strong commitment to this key regional market," he added.

German Tanker orders new ships at Lindenau FAST-GROWING German Tanker Shipping is expanding its fleet further. The Bremen company has ordered three tankers from Kiel-based shipyard Lindenau Werft, due for delivery in January 2002, mid 2003 and end of 2003. There is also an option for a fourth vessel. All vessels will be of 32,000 dwt and cost more than $30m each. They could have been obtained cheaper from an Asian yard, but German Tanker stuck to the Kiel builder. “The proximity and the quality of work at Lindenau were decisive,”said Emil Hartmann, one of the two managing directors.


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER The present fleet of the young company comprises seven double-hull tankers with a combined capacity of about 160,000 dwt. This includes the latest addition, the 32,000 dwt Seamullet, which took up operations in April and was also built by Lindenau. With their size of 32,000 dwt, the new vessels are an ideal size for employment throughout Europe, their owners claim. They could still call at ports that depend heavily on the tides, such as Hamburg. Together with two other shareholders, managing directors Hartmut Meyer and Emil Hartmann set up the shipowning company at the beginning of 1998. All tankers fly the German flag and are classified by Germanischer Lloyd. The company takes pride in its high safety standards. Mr Hartmann said that, after the Pallastanker accident in 1998, reports clearly stated that communication problems of badly-educated, multinational staff increased problems in dangerous situations. “That is why we operate safe ships, built on European yards, with experienced European management staff and a well-trained German crew.” The customers, which include all major international oil companies, reward this attitude, also in financial terms, the managing director said. “The Erika incident gave the quality shipowners like us a real push,”Mr Hartmann said. “The big oil conglomerates did not want to risk their reputation by employing cheaper, but rather dubious, shipowners

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES AP Moller interested in Greek ports AP Moller Chief Executive Jess Soderberg expressed interest in the Greek ports of Athens and Thessaloniki, during his visit to Greece last Friday.

Mr Soderberg, who was accompanied by Maersk Hellas Limited general manager Erik Nielsen, discussed issues concerning foreign investment and privatisation with Greek port officials.

DFDS orders three Ro-Ros DFDS Tor Line has contracted the Flensburg shipyard in Germany for three Ro-Ro ships with an option for five more ships. Delivery of the first ship is expected in September 2003. The transaction value was not disclosed. Measuring 200 metres in length, the ships have a speed of about 22 knots and a capacity of 4,000 lane metres, corresponding to about 275 trailers, each 13.6 metres in length.These vital statistics place the newbuildings among the largest shortsea Ro-Ro ships on the North European market. The vessels are expected to enter service on the route between Esbjerg and Immingham, England (BritanniaBridge) and the route between Gothenburg and Ghent (Euro-Bridge). Times of sailing, sailing frequency, as well as duration of voyage have been considerably improved. The strategic fleet renewal programme will strengthen DFDS' competitive ability, the company announced. "The contracting of the three large Ro-Ro ships is an important initiative in the strategy to reduce the average age of the Ro-Ro fleet. The objective is to gradually reduce the average fleet age to about ten years, and only own about 50% of the fleet. The remaining number of ships is to be chartered on short or long term contracts."


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Oceania service from Maersk Sealand Maersk Sealand has revealed a new direct service between Australasia and the Americas commencing in September this year. The service will offer fixed day arrivals and departures, and provide connections with the Caribbean, and Central and South America, via Balboa and Manzanillo. The Oceania Service, which will offer acceptance of dry as well as refrigerated cargo, will offer extensive coverage of Eastern Australia, calls at both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and coverage of the East and West coasts of the United States.

Corinth Canal blocked for fifth day Some 150 striking workers have blocked the entrance to the Corinth Canal with two pilot ships in protest of the Greek government's concession to Sea Containers. Costas Demou, the president of the seafarers' union, said the canal will remain close to traffic until all 156 jobs are secured. Reports say 66 workers have been unemployed for several days and there are fears their jobs will be made redundant. The workers are also protesting against the construction of a container park on an archaeological site near the canal. Sea Containers, which has agreed to pay USD 1 million to acquire the 40-year concession, has reassured workers that it will not axe jobs nor build the container park. The Corinth Canal crosses the narrow isthmus between mainland Greece and the Peloponnisos, connecting the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs, approximately 30 nautical miles due west of Athens and Greece’ s largest port, Piraeus. Some 12,000 vessels transit the canal annually. At the western end of the canal, Sea Containers expects to develop a ferry terminal and yacht marina, while at the eastern end it plans to build a major tourist center on the 130 acres of land included in the concession. The main Peloponnisos/Attica motorway crosses the canal with convenient exits and there are annually 3.5 million persons crossing the isthmus in cars and buses. The Greek government is building a light railway from Athens to the canal and the new ring road around Athens will link into the motorway.

Actie in haven Greenpeace heeft dinsdagmorgen met een ponton aan twee gele boeien de Chemiehaven afgesloten. Met de actie wil Greenpeace de sanering van de haven afdwingen. Volgens Greenpeace staat de sanering al sinds 1993 op het programma van de gemeente Rotterdam, maar is er nog steeds niets aan gedaan. Het gaat om een oude vervuiling van dioxines en pcb’ s, die uit de lozingspijpen van Shell en Akzo Nobel kwamen. Greenpeace wil nu een signaal afgeven zodat zo snel mogelijk begonnen wordt met de schoonmaak van de haven en is van plan de actie vol te houden totdat er een toezegging komt.

Strikes cost ECT dear ROTTERDAM terminal operator ECT has been hit hard by the cost of strikes, which are continuing today, at its Home and Delta terminals. ECT manager Hans de Ruiter told Fairplay that so far strikes have cost the company at least DF5M ($2M) in lost income. Inland barge organisation CBRB and container lines also reported losses in the "millions."


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER ECT management and transport organisations are considering taking the dispute to court and recovering damages from the unions. "We certainly cannot meet the unions' demand for higher wages," De Ruiter said. "We have offered a 5.26 per cent rise, but that was not accepted. You have to bear in mind that each per-cent pay increase involves DF2.5M." The unions have countered by saying that the real value of the increase is no more than three per cent when compared with an earlier pay deal.

Gaat ECT kapot of wordt ECT gezond? "ECT wordt kapot gemaakt", aldus een woedende cargadoor over de huidige stakingen. Een begrijpelijke reactie, zeker als je eigen schip het slachtoffer is, maar of hij gelijk heeft is nog maar de vraag. Het zou wel eens zo kunnen zijn dat ECT juist gezond wordt gemaakt. Nog voor zijn aantreden vorig jaar stelde topman Van den Driest vast dat de onderneming aan de rand van de afgrond stond. Ontevreden klanten weken uit naar andere havens of eisten een eigen terminal en de naam ECT werd in de markt geassocieerd met begrippen als duur, langzaam en arrogant. Hij is natuurlijk niet voor niets op die plek terecht gekomen: bij van Ommeren had hij immers al bewezeneen zwalkend bedrijf te kunnen 're-engineeren' en stevig op poten te kunnen zetten. Zulks moest ook bij ECT gebeuren, en gezegd dient te worden dat hij er geen gras over heeft laten groeien. In de krap anderhalf jaar dat hij het bedrijf leidt, is er meer veranderd dan in de voorgaande tien jaar. De complete top is vervangen (ook al zijn de meesten uit eigen beweging verkast), het bedrijf heeft zich teruggetrokken uit allerlei heilloze buitenlandse avonturen, het heeft een veel duidelijker divisiestructuur gekregen en de Home en de Delta worden over enige tijd zelfs aparte bedrijven. En last but not least worden er ruim 200 ECT'ers afgevloeid die, om het maar bot te stellen, niet goed genoeg meer waren in de ogen van het management. het heeft er alle schijn van dat hij nu ook een forse slag op het gebied van de loonkosten wil maken. Dat is ook niet zo gek: het bedrijf heeft geen keus. ECT voelt de hete adem van de concurrentie meer dan ooit in de nek. Niet alleen van havens als Antwerpen (dat al jarenlang 'Rotterdamse' lading wegtrekt) en van de sterk expanderende Duitse havens maar ook in Rotterdam zelf, waar de kleintjes Hanno en Uniport en het nieuwe Maersk Delta met goedkopere CAO's de tarieven onder druk zetten. Om nog maar te zwijgen van Ceres in Amsterdam dat naarstig op zoek is naar een 'launching customer'. Vorstelijk betaald Daar komt bij dat ECT, om het eufemistisch uit te drukken, niet slecht betaald. Wie de totale (CAO)loonsom deelt door het aantal werknemerskomt uit op het ronde getal van anderhalve ton. Trek daar de werkgeversbijdragen van af en je komt op een gemiddeld salaris van een ton, in ruil voor een 32- urige werkweek in continudienst. De meeste ECT'ers weten zelf ook wel dat ze niet slecht zitten: "Je wordt bij ECT vorstelijk betaald om zo min mogelijk te doen", viel laatst uit de mond van één van hen te noteren. Dat neemt niet weg dat de werknemers zich de laatste jaren inderdaad terughoudend hebben opgesteld. De loonruimte boven de prijscompensatie is besteed aan pensioengaten en afvloeïïngsregelingen, onder meer voor de jongste reorganisatie. En anders dan wel eens gedacht wordt, is het relatief rustig gebleven bij het grootste overslagbedrijf van Rotterdam. Wel zijn er nu en dan korte werkonderbrekingen geweest, maar grootscheepse stakingen zijn er al jaren niet. De grote vraag is natuurlijk wie de langste adem heeft. Hebben de bonden hun leden goed genoeg in de hand om ze keer op keer tot actie te bewegen en om uitwassen te voorkomen? Of heeft de directie genoeg doorzettingsvermogen en steun van haar aandeelhouders om de acties uit te zitten, het korte-termijn verlies te slikken in de hoop de invloed van de bonden te beperken. Als ze dat lukt, weegt de winst op lange termijn ongetwijfeld tegen de huidige schade op. Vanuit een dergelijke sterke onderhandelingspositie wordt het immers een stuk gemakkelijker om de loonkosten beter in de hand te houden en andere doelstellingen, zoals het opvoeren van de produktiviteit te realiseren. Op de koop toe Op dit moment valt onmogelijk te voorspellen welke kant het nu opgaat, maar zeker lijkt het dat ECT


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER een langdurig conflict tegemoet gaat. Van den Driest heeft vooraf formeel en informeel laten weten hoe dan ook niet toe te zullen geven aan de eis van twee procent bovenop de automatische prijscompensatie en acties op de koop toe te nemen. En wie Van den Driest een betje kent weet dat hij geen onzin verkoopt. Toch weet de directie natuurlijk ook dat zij met vuur speelt. Een paar dagen staken levert het bedrijf meer schade op dan er in directe zin te verdienen valt met en goedkopere CAO, dus zo bezien valt deze staking niet te winnen. Maar de kans op blijvende, veel grotere schade imagoverlies en wegblijvende klanten- is zeer reëel en het is maar de vraag of de eventuele winst in de vorm van minder vakbondsmacht daar tegenop weegt. Ook de directie staat dus onder grote druk om de duur van de acties zoveel mogelijk te beperken. Het moet daarom niemand verbazen als er binnenkort nog iets uit de achterzak komt; bijvoorbeeld alsnog toegeven aan de looneis in ruil voor aanvullende afspraken over een hogere productiviteit.

NAVY NEWS The Philippine Navy Anniversary: Navigating the nation into the new millennium THE Philippine Navy traces its origin to the pre-war Off-Shore Patrol (OSP) created as an off-shoot of a news report that a mystery flotilla had been sighted conducting maneuvers off Davao Gulf on April 10, 1938. Four days after the sighting, President Manuel L. Quezon summoned Assemblyman Romualdo C. Quimpo to Malacañang for a conference. Quimpo was the Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Privileges and a Member of the Committee on Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Navigation. Acting on the news report, President Quezon ordered the creation of OSP as a unit of the Philippine Army. Three years after it was created, World War II broke out in the Pacific on December 8, 1941. Undaunted by enemy superiority, the OSP fought with zeal, courage, and heroism. Because of its fearless raids on enemy ships, the squadron was dubbed the "Mosquito Fleet'' mainly because of its minuscule size. Nevertheless, it attacked with a deadly sting. The squadron relied on speed and surprise to attack larger vessel at close range. As a result, 65 percent of its men were awarded the Silver Star and other decorations for gallantry in action. This is a heroic legacy that the Philippine Fleet cherishes, perpetuates, and lives by to this day. Today, May 23, 2001, as the country charts new challenges in a millennium characterized by fluid exchanges among economies and where the protection of the country's sovereignty has become even more complicated, the Philippine Navy continues to carry the tradition. Despite its limited resources, the Navy has kept up the task of safeguarding the Philippine seas and territory. With the impending modernization of its fleet, the Navy should be able to play its vital role in the country's development in this century. We greet the Flag Officer in Command, Vice Admiral Victorino S. Hingco, and all the men and women of the Philippine Navy on the occasion of its 103rd Anniversary

7th Fleet command ship to visit Townsville, Australia ABOARD USS BLUE RIDGE, Western Pacific -- Sailors and Marines aboard the 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) will take a short reprieve from Exercise Tandem Thrust '01 with a twoday port visit to Townsville, Australia, May 24-25. The 7th Fleet staff is currently participating in Tandem Thrust '01, a combined U.S.- Australian military training exercise taking place in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia, until May 29. The purpose of the port visit is to provide crew members an opportunity for sight seeing, cultural exchanges and to foster goodwill between the United States and Australia. Since departing their forward-deployed base of Yokosuka, Japan, March 20, Blue Ridge's crew has visited Shanghai, China; Pattaya, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore; and Darwin and


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER Cairns Australia, during its annual three-month underway period. Blue Ridge, with a crew of 900 officers, Sailors and Marines, is commanded by Capt. David Ziemba and part of the Navy's forwarddeployed naval force in Yokosuka, Japan.

MOVEMENTS 3 newbuild Project 716 LCU’s build in Poland for the Yemen Navy arrived last Saturday in the Port of Rotterdam onboard a heavylift vessel of Jumbo shipping and were offloaded during Monday and Tuesday.


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DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER

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