Nord news

Autumn 2006
NORD NEWS

2
G O O D B Y E “ N O R D S U N ”
Insert: The last crew of MV “NORDSUN” the
photo was sent in by Capt. Samaranayake
Front Cover: MV “NORDWOGE” the photo
was sent in by Capt. Galhena
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006

Dear Seafarers and Readers!
Looking back to this Summer, the main event for many of this world was the World
Championship in Soccer 2006 that took place in Germany.
Before the opening on June 9 th , we really did not have good weather in this country.
However, it was remarkable, all of a sudden like a blessing in the sky, it changed by one
hundred percent and the sunny, warm weather stayed with us for seven and a half weeks
continuously.
At the beginning I confess I was most hesitant if this sport would stimulate or impress me
like so many other people being younger or older. Over the weeks while going through
the city, looking at so many faces from all over the world - ‘happy faces’ - communicating
with their neighbour in the arena, at the bar or in front of a big TV screen, I am now
convinced soccer is the sport of the world! The German cities were crowded with
international guests, laughing people everywhere - we saw exchange of opinions - and the
world was our guests and friends. The spirit of friendship was in the sky and watching
more and more games even I could see the difference of quality amongst the teams. The
final game I think was breathtaking. Italy became the world champions and our team
totally unpredictably ended on 3 rd rank. For many of us these games in Germany will stay
as the top event in 2006.
From the shipping side we can report that we meanwhile sold MV “NORDSUN”
as well as MV “NORDCLIFF”. We thank especially our General Manager
Capt. Keith Obeyesekera and his team for their efforts in these projects, because
sometimes selling is not that easy.
The charter rates as you are always interested in, are at the moment varied: Lower in
containers, rising again in bulkers and friendly in tankers.
By wishing you calm seas and happy sailing
I remain
Christiane E. Oldendorff
September 2006
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006 3

4
In a previous issue of our magazine we
looked at the different types of ships and
their main characteristics. We mentioned
that the container ships carry most of the
world's manufactured goods and at times can
carry the equivalent of 10,000 heavy trucks.
Containerisation, is the breaking down of goods
into standardized units that can be handled by
mechanized and frequently automated
equipment. In the past, manual labour, or old
fashioned equipment was used at the docks and
huge numbers of workers (stevedores) were
employed to move cargoes, sacks and crates, for
storage in warehouses or onward transportation.
The British Railways introduced containers just
before World War II. However, the containers
had rounded tops and were more like
demountable railway wagons than stackable
unitised containers. Then the United States
Government was the first one to introduce
unitisation during World War II, with the use of
containers. In 1950, the Danes pioneered
containerisation with two small ships of 550 tons
DWT, offering a door to door service to other
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
Containerisation -
ports via Copenhagen. However, standardised
land infrastructure was not readily available, so
that the venture was limited in its development.
The man whose vision made containerization
happen was Mr. Malcom McLean. He was born
on November 13, 1913, in North Carolina. In
the midst of the Great Depression in 1934, he
established a trucking company which by 1953
became the second biggest road haulage
operation in the US. In those days the world of
road haulage and sea transport rarely coincided.
Mr. McLean was the first one to realize that to
improve efficiency, the containers needed to be
easily transferable from one mode of
transportation to another, as part of a
comprehensive system. He had the great vision
of carrying demountable truck bodies from his
semi trailers on board ships. "Why wait for the
cargo to be loaded onboard a ship instead of the
whole truck to be loaded at once"?
The next step was putting his vision to practice.
Rather than convincing a sea carrier that his plan
was worthy of trying, he sold his trucking

How it all started
company and bought a coastal tank ship operation
the "Pan Atlantic Steamship" company. He then
set out to make his vision a reality. The small fleet
of the "Pan Atlantic Steamship" consisted of World
War II built T-2 Tankers. The ships were already
fitted with a wooden spar deck to carry fighter
aircrafts. With minimum modifications the
container age began on April 26, 1956, at New
Jersey when the first T-2 tanker was loaded with
58 trailers for transportation to Texas.
Realising that the use of Tankers was not very
convenient and that a ship that could carry boxes
below decks would be more efficient, more
vessels were converted and in 1957 the first of
these vessels "Gateway City" entered service.
Their decks were cleared, their width was
increased by sponsons and they were fitted with
two rail mounted gantry cranes giving them self
sufficiency. They were able to lift 35 ft vans
from the quayside and stow 226 of them on deck
and in the holds. In 1959 the Pan Atlantic
became the "Sea-Land Service" serving a growing
number of ports, buying tankers, cargo ships and
military surplus vessels and converting them to
container ships. Containers were also developing
fast and soon the basic dry box was developed
which evolved into refrigerated and ventilated
containers, side loading units and “open tops”,
inside stout frames of appropriate dimensions
and a whole range of other specialist units.
By the end of the 1960's the 42 ships of the US "Sea
Land" were covering both the Atlantic and the
Pacific ports and the Japanese and Europeans were
developing and building their own containerships.
Mr. McLean sold his interest in the flourishing “Sea-
Land” Company in the late 1960's and turned his
attention to other interests like real estate and life
insurance. He returned to marine transport in the
late 1970's with the purchase of the United States
Lines and introduced a round the world service with
a dozen 4,456 teu ships. These Jumbo-Econoships
were launched in 1984 and they successfully
transited the Panama Canal. But the quadrupling of
fuel prices and the economic circumstances rendered
them uneconomical and they had to be scrapped.
With the introduction of containerisation, ports
that were dependent on manual labour and
stevedoring went into sharp decline and became
largely obsolete. However, its benefits are vast
and undisputable. Briefly, they relate to greater
efficiency and reduced costs, faster and larger
vessels, reduced delays in port, and greater cargo
security.
Nowadays, goods are transported in standard
sized containers from trains to ships and can be
transported worldwide in a “Door to Door”
service. Almost every manufactured product we
consume spends some time in a container.
Approximately 90% of non-bulk cargo
worldwide moves by containers stacked on ships
and 26% of all containers originate from China.
As of 2005, some 18 million total containers
make over 200 million trips per year. There are
ships trading that can carry over 9,000 TEU.
Maersk, the biggest container company in the
world that bought over “Sea Land” have now
launched the “Emma Maersk”, a 11,000 TEU
nominal capacity vessel and designers are
working on ships capable of carrying 14,000
TEU. Predictions have also been made that at
some point the size of container ships will only
be constrained by the Straits of Malacca (one of
the world's busiest shipping lanes), with ships as
long as one quarter of a mile and 190 feet wide.
Mr. McLean died in 2001, at the age of 88.
He was the "father of containerization" and also
one of the principal architects of a technology
that has facilitated the world trade and
globalization. He revolutionized and sped up
cargo shipping and the entire transportation
chain and reduced its costs, so that people
throughout the entire world are now able to
bring their products to the global marketplace.
In memory and recognition of Malcom McLean's
achievement, the US Merchant Marine Academy
at Kings Point is to become the home for a
collection of records, photographs and artifacts
relating to the history of containerization and it
will be called the "McLean's Container Centre".
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006 5

6
It has been over 10 years since I visited Australia,
a long time to be away from immediate family,
friends and such a beautiful country.
I first migrated to Australia in 1973 with my four
brothers leaving our three sisters and parents
behind. It was our responsibility to financially
support the family and Cyprus had little
opportunities for employment at the time. It
turned out to be the right move as 1 year later
Cyprus was invaded and we immediately arranged
for our sisters and parents to join us in Australia.
Migrating to Australia was not easy particularly
because of the English language which was
unknown to us at the time. Nevertheless, the
opportunities were there and amongst all the other
migrants, we managed. Within a little time we
got together a home and slowly, slowly over the
years each one of us built a family and home of
our own. In 1993, my wife and I decided to
return to Cyprus with our three sons.
Wanting to visit Australia was always on my mind
but it was not an easy decision to make. The distance
was always one of the obstacles I encountered when
trying to decide, as well as the expense of flying there.
It took me approximately six months to get my act
together and once I finally picked up the phone and
booked my flight, then it was only a countdown to
the big day - Thursday June 22, 2006! I was ready to
fly back to Australia.
The journey is a 20 hour flight with a stopover in
Bahrain and Singapore when flying with Gulf
Air. For most people just the thought of flying
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
Jimmy goes “Down Under”
By Demetris Theouli
for so many hours puts them off the whole idea
of visiting this faraway continent. Not for me!
My two brothers Andreas and Louis were at
Sydney airport to meet me. They took me to see
my parents and to my great surprise not only did
I see my parents but they held a surprise
welcoming for me and I saw lots of familiar faces
I hadn't seen for years. This was a very emotional
time for me. It turned out to be a great party.
The first weekend arrived and we organized to go
sightseeing. We walked through the beautiful
greenery of the Botanical gardens, visited
Circular Quay, Harbour Bridge and had a nice
lunch outside the Opera House. These are the
main attractions of Sydney for any tourist to visit.
In the week to come I had a family wedding to
attend to which was something I looked forward
to very much. My nephew was getting married.
This was a big family event.
Spending time with family was what I enjoyed most.
Seeing my parents again, reminiscing the good times
and telling them our news from Cyprus over lunch
or dinner. All the other family team members were
busy with their daily routines, mainly at work. So I
took the time to visit my brother Andreas at his
confectionary factory and my sister Penny at her
Charcoal Chicken Restaurant.
Time passed rather quickly for me and it was most
enjoyable. When I shall return again to Australia, I
do not know. However, the next time I would like
to take all of my family back so that it will be
a nice "family" holiday.
The Darling Harbour

In April 2006, it was decided by the
management of our company that I would
take part in the office staff exchange
program, which allowed me to work in the
Personnel Department of the Limassol office for
two weeks. My journey started on Sunday, 28th
May in the morning, when I took the first flight of
my life to Larnaca via Frankfurt. It was quite nice
to leave the cold and rainy weather behind me
which we had been having in Germany for weeks.
I arrived on the island of Cyprus in the afternoon
and was welcomed by Mr. Demetris Theouli who
picked me up at the airport in warm and sunny
weather. After picking up my luggage we went by
car to Limassol and Mr. Theouli dropped me off
at a nice hotel with palm trees and a pool,
conveniently located close to the office.
On Monday I met my colleagues in the office at
Libra Tower, all of whom I only knew by name
and voice through many telephone calls, with the
exception of Mrs. Barbara Zorpa who had been
in our Hamburg office for two weeks in
November 2005.
I worked together with Mrs. Zorpa and
Mr. Skowronek as they are handling the vessels
which are managed by the Hamburg office. I was
given four vessels for which I handled all crewrelated
tasks after I was introduced to their
working methods.
On Tuesday, 30th of May I had the opportunity
to visit MT "NORDMARK" which was at
anchor in Limassol Bay, together with Capt.
Ivanov, Mrs. Zorpa and Mrs. Agathocleous. I
enjoyed our trip very much, also in view of the
fact that it was my first time on a Tanker.
After working one week in the office I was
looking forward to the weekend. On Saturday we
went to Curium and Paphos, which is located in
the Western part of the Island. I remember that
the morning was very foggy and we couldn't see
the sea from Curium. But the weather improved
and we had a beautiful day at Curium beach and
My visit to the Limassol Office
By Katja Daniel
Miss Katja Daniel on the left, together with
Mrs. Efimia Agathocleous, Personnel Officer of
Reederei “NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.
Miss Katja Daniel with Capt. Ivelin Ivanov,
Personnel Manager and Mrs. Barbara Zorpa,
Personnel Officer, both of
Reederei “NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.
in Paphos. The next day we went to Agia Napa,
which is located in the Eastern part of the Island
and enjoyed the day on the beach.
On 9th June my last day on the island,
Dr. Schwarz, Capt. Yarmov (our new Training
Master) and myself were invited by the staff of
the Personnel Department for a "Meze". We
went to a small and beautiful tavern and enjoyed
the last evening very much.
Finally, I would like to thank all colleagues who
made my stay there unforgettable, and of course
I thank our management for giving me the
chance to work in our office, in Limassol.
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006 7

8
SEA STAFF STAFF
PROMO PROMOTIONS
TIONS
1 JANUARY 2006 - 30 JUNE 2006
RANK NAME DATE VESSEL
(new) PROMOTED ON
Captain Uditha Karunatileke 08/01/06 NORDBEACH
Kazimierz Gierat 07/06/06 NORDPOL
C/O Vladimir Tret'yak 24/02/06 NORDMARS
2/O Murukkuwadura Mendis 13/01/06 NORDMORITZ
Pero Kristic 26/01/06 NORDHAWK
Milko Kostov 14/02/06 NORDVENUS
Miho Lale 08/06/06 NORDMERKUR
Michail Perenesenko 17/06/06 NORDCLIFF
3/O Jehan Jiffrey 12/02/06 NORDRIVER
Aleksandar Pudar 26/03/06 NORDBEACH
Igor Tatarchuk 07/05/06 NORDTRAVE
Nedyalko Apostolov 21/05/06 NORDSTAR
Mangala Perera 22/05/06 NORDSTRAND
C/E Stoyan Stoyanov 07/05/06 NORDMARK
Andrzej Pawlowicz 13/05/06 NORDMOSEL
Pawel Blasiak 16/05/06 NORDATLANTIC
Zhivko Georgiev 22/05/06 NORDMED
3/E Nileththi De Silva 12/05/06 NORDSKY
Niksa Nocilo 25/05/06 NORDSTRAND
Suminda Athauda Mudiyanselage 29/05/06 NORDPARTNER
4/E Nedelcho Nedelchev 03/01/06 NORDRIVER
Zdzislaw Makar 14/02/06 NORDEMS
Dhananjaya Karunathilake 19/02/06 NORDPACIFIC
Cristian Olaru 24/02/06 NORDTRAVE
Dejan Stojkovic 03/06/06 NORDFALCON
Nicu Tiu 08/06/06 NORDMOSEL
E/O Sergiy Sanin 04/01/06 NORDMARS
Krzysztof Szypowski 10/02/06 NORDWESER
Ryszard Musielski 02/03/06 NORDEAGLE
Sen/El Bogdan Pyrc 29/01/06 NORDWOGE
Miroslaw Jedruch 02/02/06 NORDMOSEL
Mrsulja Niksa 01/04/06 NORDBALTIC
Rohan Kasthuriarachchi 04/04/06 NORDSTRAND
Przemyslaw Zawierucha 01/05/06 NORDRHINE
Sathyamurthy Pahieerathan 19/05/06 NORDLAKE
El/n Jagath Rathnayake 06/05/06 NORDMED
Denis Baranov 07/05/06 NORDSEAS
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006

The long way from H (Hartlepool) to H (Hamburg)
From Hartlepool......
After five years with Reederei "NORD"
Klaus E. Oldendorff GmbH I look back through
the years to when I first started my working life,
in Hartlepool, Co. Durham, England in 1964,
before 25 years later in September 1989 arriving
in Hamburg.
In 1964 the town of Hartlepool was coming to
the end of its connections with the shipbuilding
industry after many successful years of producing
small iron hulled ships. But at the same time
Hartlepool was also a small thriving port which
dealt mainly with iron ore, timber and coal
products which came from Scandinavia. They
also loaded for export the products produced
from these raw materials, the 360 degree circle steel
plate, to other countries to build cars, ships etc.
The coal and steel industry are still there now but
greatly reduced, the costs of producing these
materials being outweighed by the fact that they can
be produced and imported cheaper from other parts
of the world, but this is the same everywhere,
especially in Europe where it seems we have fallen
foul of the former sleeping giant in the East who has
now woken with a vengeance (which reminds me of
a saying by Confucius "Beware the little yellow
men").
So with the loss of the shipbuilding industry in
Hartlepool, the local steelworks, where I had my
first job, and the coal industry started to suffer, it
was time to rethink and look for other forms of
work before the unemployment problem became
By Alan Stoddart
too serious as many young people at that time
started loosing their jobs. At first there seemed
only short periods of work available, which was
very comfortable. Then in 1977 a break came,
the chance to work abroad and a firm that I had
worked for previously gained a contract in
Poland where I had the opportunity to work for
a period of 21 months, after which I decided to
visit a school friend who had emigrated to
Australia. After spending 4 months in
Queensland I returned home. Then in 1989 I
had the good fortune of finding a job in
Hamburg through a local English paper and here
I've been ever since.
The first 22 years in Germany included 2 periods
of work with an English /German concern in the
engineering trade and a 2 year period with a
Shipping firm, before in 2001 I joined Reederei
"NORD" Klaus E. Oldendorff GmbH where I
am at present working in the Accounts
Department. I have greatly enjoyed and am in
fact still enjoying working for Reederei
"NORD" Klaus E. Oldendorff GmbH. During
the past five years of my working life I have seen
a steady growth in the company and with so
many competitors in the shipping industry this
must be a good sign for the future.
Just as a reminder to those wondering about
Hartlepool !!!, the port is still there with its main
import / export now being grain, there is also a
thriving Marina.
To Hamburg...........
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006 9

10 NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
ALLATSEA..........

ONBOARD OUR SHIPS
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
11

THE FIRST SPECIAL SURVEYS OF OUR
Time , they say waits for no man, and not so long ago (5
years) our Company received six new Panamax Bulk
Carriers built in the SAMHO Korea Shipyard. The time
had arrived for their dry docking and Class renewal.
Scope of the works were prepared according
to the vessels’ requirements and present IACS
regulations, fortunately not as stringent for vessels
built after the year 2000. Due to trading patterns, the
shipyard was chosen approximately one month before
the vessel's scheduled dry docking. Behind us 4
successful dry dockings of MV “NORDELBE” and
“NORDWESER” in COSCO Shipyard in Dalian,
China; MV “NORDEMS” in COSCO Shipyard in
Guangzhou, China and latest one - MV
“NORDRHINE” in China shipping International
Shipyard (Changxing) in Shanghai.
The Works described by C/O Z. Szkutnik, were
carried out on all 'sisters' so far and will also be done on
the remaining two vessels “NORDMOSEL” and
“NORDTRAVE”, ready for dry docking shortly,
probably in same area. With great help from the vessels’
crews, planned works were completed and the vessels
readied for service for the next 5 years.
By Grzegorz Kowalczyk, Technical Superintendent
of Reederei “NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff GmbH
12 NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
MV “NORDRHINE” AT SHANGHAI SHIPYARD
After discharging a cargo of iron ore at the port
of Xingang, the vessel sailed to Shanghai, where the
shipyard and the docking was arranged. There were only
two days of passage and those days were very busy for all
crew - it was necessary to clean all cargo holds and
prepare the vessel for the dry docking. Ballast tanks were
already prepared for inspections and necessary repairs.
The Crew spent many days inside the ballast tanks
removing tons of mud and cleaning them prior to final
acceptance by the GL surveyors.
On July 16, 2006 the vessel berthed at "China
Shipping International Shipyard" Shanghai. Shanghai
is geographically located at the South bank of the
Changxing Island, 31 degree north latitude and 121
degree east longitude. Changxing Island is situated in
the middle of the Chinese coast and is a major sea outlet.
The Shipyard workers commenced assembling the
stages in cargo holds to be ready for sandblasting and
painting. The Deck crew removed the old rubber seals
from the hatch covers and commenced derusting of the
sealing channels. Engine staff was also very busy with
repairs and inspections. They started to prepare temporary
cooling for domestic refrigeration and air conditioning
plants for the whole duration of the dry dock period,
when the vessel cannot supply same. All machinery was
opened up for either examination or repairs. The auxiliary
and gas boilers were externally surveyed and the engine
room was inspected by the GL surveyors.
During the next two days we removed all the
equipment from both lifeboats and prepared them to be
sent ashore for inspection. We also removed the wires from
the gangways and sent them ashore for repairs.
August 19, 2006, was a very busy day for everyone.
With the aid of two tugs and in a very light ballast
condition as drafts were reduced to a minimum for
docking purposes, the vessel entered the floating dock.
After she rested on the blocks all bottom plugs from the
ballast tanks were removed in the presence of the ship's
chief officer. Next, all of them were marked (to be
suitably identified for replacement) and secured in the
ship's locker. The sea valves were opened for overhauling
and survey. The outside hull was inspected and found in
excellent condition. No indents were found on her
external hull as the paint coating was in very good
condition. The power and cooling water were connected
to supply the domestic refrigeration and air conditioning
plants and safe access to the ship was arranged.

'RIVER CLASS' PANAMAX BULK CARRIERS
The Shipyard staff commenced high pressure
washing the hull and cleaning her from keel to rail prior to
painting. Both anchors and cables were lowered to the
dock bottom and ranged. The cable Kenter shackles
(after high pressure washing and cleaning) were refreshed
with white paint and banded. The chain lockers were
cleaned and painted. The liferafts and fire extinguishers
were landed ashore for their annual inspections and the
gangways unlashed, disconnected and sent ashore for
necessary repairs at the workshop. The lifeboats were also
taken for "on load" tests. All manholes on main deck and
tank tops - the only access to ballast tanks - were opened
for inspections. After ventilation of the tanks the GL
surveyors with the deck officers of the vessel inspected all
spaces, where usually ballast water is carried. As soon as
the ballast tanks were accepted by the surveyors, the
shipyard workers commenced derusting and painting of
all the rust affected areas. After a few days, the works inside
the ballast tanks were completed.
They say the shipyard has a good geographical
location, but unfortunately painting works on the outside
hull were many times interrupted by heavy rain falls. A few
days passed before the whole hull was covered with 6 coats
of paint!! After grit-blasting and sweep-blasting of the
external hull the blasted surfaces were cleaned up with dry
compressed air and two coats of primer applied. Once
dry, the surfaces were covered with a "sealer" coat.
Afterwards, two or three coats of finish paint are applied,
depending on the manufacturer's option. Finally, the
outside hull was covered with six coats of "Chugoku"
paint on her port side and five coats of "KCC" paint on her
starboard side. It would be interesting to see which paint
will appear to be the better one ...? Only time will tell!
Whilst all this was happening on deck, the
engine officers checked and overhauled sea valves and
replaced the Impressed Current Cathodic Protection
system "ICCP" anodes. The insulation of cathodes and
the proper sealing of cable connections were also checked
out. The echo sounders and log sensors were replaced and
the new sea chest anodes installed. The measurements of
the pintle bush clearances of rudder were taken and the
propeller was polished.
After painting of the outside hull was complete
the vessel was almost like a brand new ship. Before
undocking it was necessary to check if all outside outlets
are properly secured and the vessel was safe to leave the
floating dock. All bottom plugs were vacuum tested and
additionally cemented, the sea chest checked and
overboard valves closed. Both anchors were heaved up and
housed. The mooring ropes were fixed on the newly
overhauled mooring winches. The final inspection was
carried out by the Master and the vessel was declared ready
for undocking.
Unfortunately, due to bad weather, undocking
was postponed for a few hours until the next day. The next
day was rather exciting for everyone. In the morning the
yard started to immerse the floating dock. The pilot
boarded the vessel and she was refloated. Due to near gale
winds the berthing at the repair berth took almost seven
hours.
After berthing was completed, additional
scheduled works on deck commenced. All cargo holds
grit-blasted and painted. Many inspections and many
corrections of paint coats were done before the “finish”
coat of paint was applied. Tons of grit were removed from
the cargo holds. All GL inspections were passed and the
ship's certificates were renewed. The vessel could finally
sail to her next port of destination.
Though dry docking a vessel is a very strenuous
task, when one looks at ones achievements it sure is a
satisfying experience.
By Z. Szkutnik - Chief Officer
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006 13

14
In June 2006, I went to Athens for a few
days to escape from the everyday routine.
The "Posidonia" exhibition was held in
Athens during that time and I took this
opportunity to spend some time visiting
this international maritime event.
Posidonia is the world's biggest shipping trade
exhibition and the only gathering of the entire
global shipping community with a strong
presence of exhibitors and visitors from all the
parts of the world. Posidonia with its
continuous growth became the largest
commercial event in the shipping calendar, with
all the major enterprises in every region
represented at the exhibition.
The founder country, Greece, has organized this
biennial event for the last 35 years proving to the
world its long shipping history and its overall
contribution to the international shipping
industry. Greece, a country of just over 10 million
people, has a fleet of about 5,000 vessels, totaling
approximately 150,000,000 dwt which represents
20% of the world shipping, worth about US$30
billion. On the European stage, Greek controlled
tonnage accounts for 60% of the EU owned fleet,
which becomes very significant with over 90% of
EU exports carried by sea.
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
P O S I D O N I A 2 0 0 6
Posidonia 2006, the 20th edition in its history,
took place from the 5th until the 9th of June at
the Hellenikon Exhibition Centre, which is the
site of the former Athens Airport. This is the
first year that the event was held at this place,
however, this was the only way to accommodate
all the companies that showed interest in
participating at the exhibition.
This biennial event is sponsored by the Greek
shipping community and participation during
this year reached a total of more than 1,600
exhibitors from 78 different countries,
including 25 national pavilions and about
16,000 visitors from around the world. Nearly
300 Greek and international journalists were
registered for the event representing a full
range of the world's shipping specialist
media, as well as major global news
agencies including Reuters, Bloomberg,
Dow Jones Newswires, etc.
The span of products and services on this year's
exhibition covered every aspect of the shipping
industry, with shipyards being the strongest
participants among the others. Asian shipping
giants that exhibited this year included South
Korea's top seven builders i.e. Hyundai,
Samsung, Daewoo and Hanjin. South Korea's
traditional shipbuilding competitors, Japan and
the relative newcomer China also increased their
participation during Posidonia 2006. China's
increased interest was mainly due to the fact that
there is an increase in the number of Greek
newbuilding orders which have reached a total of
more than 100 vessels in Chinese shipyards, as
well as to the anticipated opening of this vast
country's shipping and shipbuilding industry to
foreign direct investment.
Besides the shipbuilders, classification societies
from Britain, Germany, the U.S., France and

By Demetris Georgiades
other maritime nations also showed a strong
interest this year. Several equipment and IT
suppliers as well as companies offering
technical, professional and financial services
had their usual participation in the exhibition
like in previous years.
Apart from the traditional exhibition,
Posidonia’s celebrations included a wide range
of other events that have become tradition over
the years, such as the official regatta, for the
“Posidonia cup”, the unofficial but longstanding
Posidonia tennis tournament and of
course a series of colorful parties that were
organized on each of the 5 Posidonia days. The
combination of business and pleasure for those
who participated in the exhibition offered
valuable contacts, renewal of old friendships
and conclusion of major deals.
A highlight during the Posidonia week was
"The Posidonia Maritime Policy Forum"
which was attended by leading figures from
the Greek and international community,
senior government representatives and
Posidonia exhibitors and visitors. The Forum
addressed strategic issues for both Greek and
international shipping, with high-level
discussions and debates.
The 20th edition of Posidonia, closed in
Athens on June 9, 2006, with the global
community reaffirming its commitment to
the biennial event. The show organizers have
already received a flood of early provisional
bookings for the next event, which will be
held on 2 - 6 June 2008. This strong global
interest is an indication of the Posidonia's
international appeal and re-affirms the
worldwide influence of Greek shipping and
the country's dominant position in the global
maritime community.
Vesak Lanterns on the “NORDSTAR”
By Capt. Buddhadasa
The crew of “NORDSTAR” celebrated the Vesak
festival, on May 13, 2006, by lighting a Vesak
Lantern, in shape of a lotus flower, flanked by six
other smaller lotus flower lanterns. Vesak is an
important day in the Buddhist calendar. It signifies the
Birth of Sidhartha Gauthama (what Buddha was called
before attaining his Buddha status), Enlightenment and
Parinibbana of Buddha. The Vesak festival and Buddhism
itself with its associated terminology are novel to our
fellow colleagues at sea who are from diverse religious and
cultural backgrounds.
Enlightenment is the attainment of Buddha-hood, which
is the realization of Dhamma, the Truth. Samsara is the
condition of continuous cycle of birth and death, which is
synonymous with suffering. Buddha found cravings as the
cause for this ever-revolving circle of birth and death. He
realized that cessation of Samsara is achieved, by
eliminating completely the root cause, that is cravings. In
other words, Buddha had discovered the elements of
existence, their causal connection and a method to
suppress forever their active efficiency and secure their
quiescence. The status thus acquired, by development of
insight, through meditation, is called Nibbana, the
sainthood. The word Arahant means a saint in the Pali
language. The Arahant’s actions are not influenced by
cravings and therefore do not produce kamma, the
transmitted mental force of the act, the fuel for samsara. As
such, for Buddha or an Arahant, when life comes to an
end, it is not termed as death but Parinibbana, the
culmination of Nibbana, where no re-birth will follow.
The lotus flower symbolizes the Enlightenment. The lotus
comes out of mud, the sea of samsara with its ills and
afflictions, but stays above with no smearing of mud.
The lighting of lanterns symbolizes, in a similar way,
the teachings
of Buddha,
which helps
the mortals
towards
ultimate
deliverance,
from suffering
to the blissful
state, the
Nibbana.
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006 15

16
THE HISTORY OF WINE AND TH
The ancient people,
worshippers of nature
and beauty, chose
Cyprus as the centre for
the adoration of the
Goddess of Love
Aphrodite, and the
God of Wine and
merrymaking
Dionysus. The Greek
tragic dramatist
Euripides picks "the
kindly slopes" of Cyprus' Olympus as the home of
Dionysus (known as Bucchus in Roman).
According to the legend, Dionysus was the only one
out of the twelve Olympian Gods and Goddesses to
have a mortal mother, Semele. He grew up in
Maenads living with Nymphs, tigers, Muses and
Graces. On the hill "Nysa" where he lived, there
grew many grapes and Dionysus gave the gift of
wine to humans, whereas the gods of Olympus
enjoyed "Nectar" which is the quintessence of wine.
Around 2500 B.C. the Egyptians while trading with
the isle of Crete passed along the secret of wine
making to the Greeks. Prior to this expansion in the
Mediterranean trade, the art of wine making
belonged to the Egyptians. The Egyptian wine was
frail due to the poor growing climate and could not
be made in large enough quantities for the masses.
It was a delicacy of the Pharaohs, and the Gods.
Everything changed for wine when it landed in
the hands of the Greeks. This single event in the
evolution of wine, more than any other, would
define its role on Earth for the next four
thousand years. It was in Greece - and by
extension Rome, that wine would become a
drink of the people and begin a spontaneous and
rapid expansion throughout the world.
Amphorae were invented by the ancient Greeks
and adopted by the Romans as the principal
means for transporting and storing wine, oil,
olives, grain, fish, and other commodities. They
were produced on an industrial scale from Greek
times and used around the Mediterranean until
about the 16th century.
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
Wine has been produced in Cyprus for over
4,000 years. The sublime climatic conditions in
this part of the Mediterranean are very beneficial
for the production of wine. Its production going
back for thousands of years has been confirmed
by various historical references. The Cypriot
wine was considered so delectable that the
Pharaohs consumed it in large quantities and
King Solomon praised it in his poems. Its high
quality was also greatly appreciated by the
ancient Greeks and Romans. Euripides, the great
tragedian, refers to the Cypriot wine mentioning
the term "the Cypriot Nama". He also states that
thousand of pilgrims from various parts of
Greece flock to Cyprus to attend the festivities
held in honor of Aphrodite, goddess of love and
marriage. During those festivities they quenched
their thirst drinking the Cypriot "Nama".
The oldest wine in the world "Commandaria" (a
very sweet red wine) - has a documented history
going back to the late 12th century when the
Knights Templar ruled the land. During the
Third Crusade, Richard the “Lion-Heart”
landed in Limassol to free his betrothed
Berengaria of Navarre, who was held captive by
the Byzantine sovereign. They were married in
1191 in the castle of Limassol (still preserved in
excellent condition). At the great party that
followed the wedding, everyone enjoyed this
lovely wine. King Richard pronounced it "the
wine of kings and the king of wines"… When
the knights of the Order of St. John bought
Wine vats used for the fermentation of wine

E LIMASSOL “WINE FESTIVAL”
The festival
mascot
dressed in
traditional
local attire
and holding
grapes and a
wine flask
dominates the
entrance
of the gardens
during the
festival.
Cyprus from King Richard, they called this wine
after their headquarters (Grand Commanderie)
and started exporting it to Europe where it
became famous. The King of France Philippe
Augustus crowned it the “Apostle of Wines" in a
wine competition he organized, thus making it
synonymous with nobility, aristocracy and
culture. Nowadays Commandaria is recognized
by the European Union, Canada and the United
States of America as an official appellation of
Cypriot origin.
The formation of the ground (rocky and infertile
mountain slopes) made the cultivation of the
vine yards difficult, especially in the old days
when no small tractors were available. It
required hard work and the use of plough or
mattock to cultivate the vines. Sometimes, the
cultivation was even done by hand. The rocks
that were dug up were used to build stone walls
and mounds in order to keep in the soil and the
rain water for vines, since Cyprus' climate is very
dry. The grapes have to be very mature to make
Commandaria, therefore, the harvest starts after
mid-September. The grapes are laid out in the
sun for 10 - 15 days, to allow the water to
evaporate and the sugar to concentrate. Then
the grapes are transferred to wineries where they
are ground and pressed, in order to extract their
juice. The juice is then kept in the wine vats
(large earthenware) and the fermentation that
follows produces the wine. Part of the extracted
By Yiota Pavli
juice is also used to make Paluze (a mixture of
grape juice, flour and rosewater). "Paluze" and
almonds are the primary ingredients for the making
of "Sisioukos" the traditional Cyprus delicacy.
Since ancient times, Cyprus became a place of
festivity to celebrate the production of wine.
The Wine Festival that takes place in September
of each year, may be considered a variation of the
ancient festivities, a revival of the worship and
rites in honour of the god of wine Dionysus and
the goddess of beauty Aphrodite.
The Limassol Wine Festival was organized for
the first time in 1961. Since then it has become
an established annual event of merrymaking and
fun with its reputation spreading beyond the
boundaries of the Island. More than 100,000
persons (not only locals but thousands of
tourists) independent of age, race and standard
of living, meet in this festive atmosphere to
participate in the Festival and play a starring role
in this euphoria. It takes place in the Limassol
Municipal Gardens, in the first week of
September and it lasts thirteen days. The setting is
very nice with the gardens in all their summer glory.
The visitors have the chance to taste some of the
best Cyprus wines which are offered free charge.
Since the vine growing and wine making is
mainly developed in the region of Limassol, the
biggest wine industries are set up there and they
contribute in the organizing of the Festival.
Apart from wine, the traditional Cypriot dishes
and mezes are also served. The festival's
atmosphere is enlivened by folklore dances and
songs as well as theatre performances and reenactments
of customs relating to wine making
and timeless traditions.
There is an old Medieval German saying "Drink
wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep and you will
not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be
saved, therefore, drink wine and be saved."
Or as the motto of the festival goes
"Drink wine, it gives life", inviting
everyone to participate in the fun!!
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
17

18
A month of working for Reederei “NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.
- An exciting Experience
By Rosen Ivanov
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
During the month of July there was a new face around
the office in Limassol. Mrs. Oldendorff gave me the
marvelous chance to be a trainee where I was to
complete a round through all departments of the
Limassol office and learn through integrating and
aiding in those departments.
I wasted no time getting my hands dirty, so I began
with the more familiar Personnel department - you
know my dad works there. I had been assigned to
carry out various tasks through which I became
familiar to the type of work and, I believe, I managed
to help the Personnel Officers with their work. As time
progressed I moved through to the Technical department where I assisted with the analysis of costs and
allocation towards budgets. As my technical knowledge was practically non-existent it was very
interesting for me and I learned a lot about the types of vessels and their engines. Later I spent some time
in the Accounting department where I was kindly instructed and supervised by Nicos Pissarides.
However, in the end, I found myself returning to the Personnel department as it seemed like the place
where I could apply myself and help out the most.
Finally I "graduated" and I am looking forward to my further studies in university. I am extremely
grateful that I had been given the opportunity to experience the rhythm and atmosphere of working in
Reederei "NORD" Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.
You might remember Krasimir Halachev. He was
featured in our magazine not long ago, on the
happiest day of his life. Getting married!
Congratulations are again in order, since he
completed five years of service with Reederei
“NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.
Congratulations
Thank you very much and hope to see you all again!
Mr. Halachev graduated from the University of
Economics in Varna, Bulgaria in 1997 with a
Master's degree in economics. He worked for four
years for Intersail - one of “NORD”s crewing
agencies in Bulgaria. In 2001 he moved to Cyprus
to start work as a Personnel Officer in Reederei
“NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd., a position he holds to date. He has been taking care of crew
matters on ships from the container fleet including the delivery of the newbuildings from Aker and
STX shipyards. In Cyprus he also met his wife Althea, and they married in 2005. He is pictured here
on the right, receiving his commemorative five year watch from Dr. Michael Schwarz, Managing
Director of Reederei “NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.

Reederei “NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff GmbH
Welcome to New Staff
Mrs. Magdalena Struthoff
Mrs. Magdalena Struthoff was born on January, 4 1975 in
Poznan, Poland. She has been living in Bremen since 1996
where she finished her studies of politics at University, in
2003. In 2002, she also graduated from university in
Poland/Poznan where she successfully obtained a degree in
European Studies (Law, Culture, Economics and History of
Europe). During her studies Mrs. Struthoff completed
several apprenticeships for example: in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in Warsaw (EU-Department) and at the
Law Office in Maastricht/Netherlands (EU-Law).
Mrs. Struthoff joined Reederei "NORD" Klaus E. Oldendorff on July 3, 2006 as a secretary. She is
happily married to a German citizen. They intend re-locating to Hamburg next year as both she and her
husband work there. In her free time she likes to dance, skate and go skiing. Because of the fact that she
is also a qualified tourist guide she likes to travel and go sightseeing as well. Mrs. Struthoff hopes to be
a good support for her colleagues; she is open-minded, hard-working and reliable. She likes to work as
part of a team, solve different problems, broaden her horizons and getting in touch with people who are
looking for new challenges.
Mr. Rodolfo Galiza
Congratulations to Mr. Rodolfo Galiza on
completing five years of service. Hailing from
the Philippines, he joined Reederei “NORD”
Klaus E. Oldendorff in June 1998, as a wiper on
board the “NORDLIGHT”. He also sailed on
“NORDGULF” and “NORDISLE”. In
December 2003, he was promoted to oiler and
has since then sailed on “NORDLIGHT”,
“NORDPOWER” and “NORDVENUS”.
He is pictured here in the middle with
Capt. Cedomir Kontic on the right and Mr. Plamen
Atanasov, Technical Superintendent of Reederei
“NORD” Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd. on the left.
NORD NEWS
Reederei “NORD”
Klaus E. Oldendorff Limited.
Libra Tower, 23 Olympion Street
P.O. Box 56345
3306 Limassol - Cyprus
Tel: +357 25 841400
Fax: +357 25 345077
Tlx: 5938 RNKEO CY
E-mail: mail@rnkeo.com.cy
Website: www.rnkeo.com
NORD NEWS is the Company Magazine of
Reederei “NORD”
Klaus E. Oldendorff Limited.
While NORD NEWS is primarily
directed at our seastaff,
it is also sent to
our close business associates.
NORD NEWS Autumn 2006
19

REEDEREI “NORD” KLAUS E. OLDENDORFF
PRESENT FLEET AND NEWBUILDINGS ON ORDER
M.T. “NORDPOWER” 319.000 tdw Tanker 2003
M.T. “NORDENERGY” 319.000 tdw Tanker 2003
M.T. “NORDMILLENNIUM” 301.500 tdw Tanker 2000
M.T. “NORDMARK” 105.000 tdw Tanker 1998
M.T. “NORDSTRENGTH” 105.000 tdw Tanker 1998
M.T. “NORDVENUS” 75.000 tdw Product Tanker 2004
M.T. “NORDMARS” 75.000 tdw Product Tanker 2004
M.T. “NORDNEPTUN” 75.000 tdw Product Tanker 2004
M.T. “NORDMERKUR” 75.000 tdw Product Tanker 2004
M.V. “NORDELBE” 75.000 tdw Panamax bulker 2001
M.V. “NORDWESER” 75.000 tdw Panamax bulker 2001
M.V. “NORDEMS” 75.000 tdw Panamax bulker 2001
M.V. “NORDTRAVE” 75.000 tdw Panamax bulker 2001
M.V. “NORDRHINE” 75.000 tdw Panamax bulker 2001
M.V. “NORDMOSEL” 75.000 tdw Panamax bulker 2001
M.V. “NORDWELLE” 34.000 tdw 2600 TEU 2005
M.V. “NORDWOGE” 34.000 tdw 2600 TEU 2006
M.V. “NORDATLANTIC” 33.850 tdw 2478 TEU 2003
M.V. “NORDPACIFIC” 33.850 tdw 2478 TEU 2003
M.V. “NORDBALTIC” 33.850 tdw 2478 TEU 2003
M.V. “NORDMED” 33.850 tdw 2478 TEU 2003
M.V. “NORDSTRAND” 34.062 tdw 2280 TEU 1993
M.V. “NORDEAGLE” 27.000 tdw 2105 TEU 1997
M.V. “NORDFALCON” 27.000 tdw 2105 TEU 1997
M.V. “NORDHAWK” 27.000 tdw 2105 TEU 1997
M.V. “NORDSTAR” 22.878 tdw 1730 TEU 1998
M.V. “NORDSEAS” 22.420 tdw 1684 TEU 1996
M.V. “NORDCLOUD” 22.420 tdw 1684 TEU 1997
M.V. “NORDRIVER” 22.420 tdw 1684 TEU 1997
M.V. “NORDCOAST” 22.420 tdw 1684 TEU 1997
M.V. “NORDLAKE” 22.450 tdw 1524 TEU 1994
M.V. “NORDPOL” 20.275 tdw 1354 TEU 1994
M.V. “NORDPARTNER” 20.275 tdw 1354 TEU 1994
M.V. “NORDSKY” 14.120 tdw 1158 TEU 1990
M.V. “NORDBEACH” 14.120 tdw 1158 TEU 1991
NEWBUILDING 062 116.000 tdw Tanker 2/2007
NEWBUILDING S1209 45.000 tdw 3500 TEU 6/2007
NEWBUILDING S1210 45.000 tdw 3500 TEU 7/2007
NEWBUILDING S1217 45.000 tdw 3500 TEU 4/2008
NEWBUILDING S1218 45.000 tdw 3500 TEU 6/2008