daily collection of maritime press clippings 2009 - HELLESPONT

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 302 

Number 302 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 02-11-2009 

News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites. 

The Polish tug SERVAL seen with the Waker enroute te breakers in ‘s-Gravendeel 

Photo : Michel Kodde (c) 

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS 

SVITZER OCEAN TOWAGE 

Jupiterstraat 33 Telephone : + 31 2555 627 11 

2132 HC Hoofddorp Telefax : + 31 2355 718 96 

The Netherlands E-mail: oceantowage.sales@svitzer.com 

www : www.svitzer-coess.com 

The 2009 Sekwang Shipbuildng Co Ltd built HELLESPONT CENTURION seen outward bound from Amsterdam 

Photo : Marcel Coster (c) 



Maersk to axe 100 French jobs 

Maersk France plans to axe up to 105 jobs at its Le Havre, Marseilles and Paris offices, according to a General 

Confederation of Labour source. A company restructure would involve the displacement of workers from Marseilles to 

Maersk Frances office in Le Havre and the eventual closure of the Marseilles office, the source told Fairplay yesterday. 

Maersk France, which employs 360 workers at its three French locations, declined to comment on the cutbacks. 

The labour source told Fairplay that the restructuring of Maersk France would go ahead between now and June 2010. 

Source: cnshipping 

TITAN SALVAGE 

A CROWLEY Company 

Commercial Director – Based UK 

Titan Salvage is an international marine salvage company with its headquarters and main operational base in the USA 

and further operational bases in UK and Singapore. 

It invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the open position of Commercial Director. 

This is a senior group position that will be based in UK at Newhaven, East Sussex. Candidates must have a sound 

commercial marine background. Knowledge and experience of the international marine salvage industry will be an 

advantage. 

Candidates should submit applications by email to UKjobs@titansalvage.com or through the website 

www.titansalvage.com . 

Fellowship: Fuel cells on the brink of 

commercialization 

Now successfully installed aboard the OSV Viking Lady, fuel cell technology is one step closer to a commercial 

application for the maritime industry. Launched in 2003, the FellowSHIP project began with a feasibility study and 

completed basic design and development of fuel cell technologies for vessels by 2005. In 2006, the JIP began 

development of an auxiliary electric power pack (320kW) fueled by LNG, which was successfully installed in September 

aboard the Viking Lady, and offshore support vessel owned by Eidesvik Offshore on charter to Total. The third and 

final phase of the project, intends to be testing, qualifying and demonstrating a main fuel cell electric system, 

delivering between 1MW to 4MW of power. 

The success of the project so far has raised expectations that fuel cell technology is close to a commercial application 

and has resulted in a regulatory review to establish frameworks for moving the technology forward. The FellowSHIP 

project was developed in response to rising concerns about the environmental impact of harmful emissions to air, 

including NOx, SOx, and CO2. According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) AND University of 

Colorado (Boulder) study published earlier this year in the Journal of Geophysical Research, commercial ships emit 

almost half as much particulate matter pollutants into the air as the total amount released by the world’s cars. The 

study is the first to provide a global estimate of maritime shipping’s total contribution to air particle pollution based on 

direct measurements of emissions. The authors estimate that globally, ships emit 0.9 teragrams, or about 2.2 million 

pounds, of particle pollution each year. The study also notes that since more than 70 percent of shipping traffic takes 

place within 250 miles of the coastline, emissions represent a significant health concern for coastal communities. 



With new tougher, emissions regulations now being 

considered by the IMO and EU, demand for 

commercial alternatives to traditional onboard power 

systems has risen. 

Photo : Jan Plug (c) 

Fuel cell technology is not expected to manage the 

issue alone, but the technology represents a vital 

piece of the puzzle in certain shipping segments, 

such as short sea, local port traffic, commuter ferries 

and cruise ships and offshore, among others. The 

technology may also enable vessels access to clean 

energy while in port. The FellowSHIP project is a 

Joint Industry Project managed by Det Norske Veritas, Eidesvik Offshore, Wärtsilä Ship Power, Wärtsilä Ship Design 

and MTU Onsite Energy. The project has received funding from Norwegian Research Council, Innovation Norway and 

the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. DNV has approved the system considering all safety- and 

risk aspects of the installed equipment. The development of class rules for installation of fuel cells onboard is a critical 

part of the project. Source: DNV 

YOUR PARTNER IN WRECK REMOVAL, DEMOLITION AND MORE 

Iron Offshore 

Lijndenweg 5 

1948 ND BEVERWIJK 

The Netherlands 

Ph: +31 (0) 251 27 31 40 

Fax: +31 (0) 251 27 09 77 

info@ironoffshore.com 

Due to travelling and presence at the 

EUROPORT 2009 this week the 

newsclippings may reach you irregularly 

SAR buren slaan handen ineen 



Of het nu gaat om het opsporen van een schip, het redden van drenkelingen of het uitvoeren van medische 

evacuaties. Op het gebied van ‘Search and Rescue’ slaan de kustwachteenheden voor de Nederlandse Antillen en 

Aruba en van de marine van de Dominicaanse Republiek – die ook de kustwachttaken in haar pakket heeft – de 

komende week de handen ineen. 

‘Search and Rescue’ (SAR) vormt één 

van de hoofdtaken van de Kustwacht 

voor de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba. 

Omdat hun SAR-gebied grenst aan dat 

van de Dominicaanse Republiek, 

ondertekenden beide landen in 2007 

een overeenkomst om de 

samenwerking op dit gebied officieel 

vast te leggen. Om de procedures en 

werkwijzen af te stemmen, oefenen 

beide kustwachten nu jaarlijks samen. Dit gebeurt voor het eerst van 30 oktober tot 5 november. 

De kustwachtcutter Poema, een DASH-8 maritiem patrouillevliegtuig én de Dominicaanse cutters Capotillo en 

Canopus doen mee aan de oefening ‘Vigilante Eyes’. Daarin trainen deze kustwachteenheden diverse realistische 

SAR-scenario’s. De oefening vindt plaats nabij de Domincaanse Republiek en wordt geleid vanuit het 

coördinatiecentrum in Santa Domingo. Foto: Koninklijke Marine 

The FRONT CIRCASSIA seen moored at the MOT in Rotterdam-Europort - Photo : Rik van Marle (c) 

Pirated ship never registered 

A GREEK ship that has been held by pirates since 2 May was never registered with MSCHOA, its spokesman John 

Harbour told Fairplay today. Harbour stressed the importance of registering with the Maritime Security Centre (Horn of 

Africa) if a ship is to transit the Gulf of Aden, the Somali basin or Horn of Africa waters. 

The vessel, with 24 crew members and Maltese flagged, was seized in the Seychelles with a reported cargo of 35,000 

tonnes of soya. Pirates have agreed to a $3.5M ransom with owner Seven Seas Maritime, after initially asking for 

$10M, Reuters has reported. The centre is dedicated to safeguarding legitimate freedom of navigation and supporting 



EU security resolutions, said Harbour, who added: “The service is free, and at the moment only 80% of ships register 

with MSCHOA.” Source : MSCHOA – Safety at Sea 

Ship pilot begins prison sentence 

A Petaluma man who piloted a cargo ship that caused a major environmental disaster in 2007 recently began serving a 

10-month federal prison sentence. John Cota has begun serving the sentence for his role in the Cosco Busan oil spill, 

said his attorney, Jeff Bornstein, who did not disclose where Cota is being held. 

During the incident, on Nov. 7, 2007, approximately 53,000 gallons of oil were discharged when the ship collided with 

the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The discharge of heavy fuel oil from the Cosco Busan spoiled 26 miles of shoreline, 

killed more than 2,400 birds of some 50 species, temporarily closed a fishery on the bay and delayed the start of crabfishing 

season. 

Tens of millions of dollars in damages were caused to the bridge, ship and private parties. Cleanup costs have totaled 

around $70 million. In March, Cota pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor crimes 

of illegally discharging oil in the bay and killing thousands of birds. 

In exchange for the pleas, federal prosecutors dropped two felony charges 

that Cota lied on annual medical forms required by the U.S. Coast Guard. The 

plea deal called for Cota to serve two to 10 months in prison, and on July 17, 

he was given a 10-month sentence. Jeff Bornstein, Cota’s attorney, had asked 

the U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston to give Cota a two-month 

sentence. Also, Petaluma Vice Mayor Teresa Barrett, Cota’s wife, requested a 

lenient sentence, saying that her family had spent more than $500,000 on 

legal fees and faced more financial problems due to other pending lawsuits 

against Cota. 

On July 28, Illston rejected an appeal by Bornstein to allow Cota to serve half 

of the sentence in home confinement. Due to a foot injury, Cota did not begin 

serving his sentence when originally scheduled. Cota was licensed by the 

Coast Guard and state of California as a bar pilot. He was a member of the 

San Francisco Bar Pilots and was employed in the San Francisco Bay since 

1981. Barrett did not return phone calls requesting comment on her husband’s incarceration. Source : arguscourier 

VLIERODAM WIRE ROPES Ltd. 

wire ropes, chains, hooks, shackles, webbing slings, 

lifting beams, crane blocks, turnbuckles etc. 

Nijverheidsweg 21 3161 GJ RHOON The Netherlands 

Telephone: (+31)105018000 

(+31) 105015440 (a.o.h.) 

Fax : (+31)105013843 

Internet & E-mail 

www.vlierodam.nl 

info@vlierodam.nl 



Zodiac Shipping’s MSC Catania seen at Brest for technical maintenance. - Photo : Jacques Carney (c) 

PANAMA CANAL SEES TIMES FALL, 

USAGE FAIRLY STEADY 

The last fiscal year at the Panama Canal saw "Canal Waters Time", the average time it takes a vessel to navigate the 

Canal, including waiting time, drop sharply from 31.55 to 23.06 hours. Total canal transits were down 2.4% to 14,34, 

while tonnage fell 3.4%. While box traffic was down, general cargo, dry bulk and tanker transits were all up 

significantly. "While world trade continues to rebound from the downturn, the ACP remains committed to increasing 

the value of the Canal route for its customers. We closed the fiscal year with lower CWT numbers and solid overall 

metrics that reflect the ACP’s steadfast resolve to provide the most safe, reliable, and efficient service," said the 

Panama Canal Authority's (ACP) Manuel Benítez. Source : Maritime Global Net 

World’s largest cruise ship sails for US port 

It’s five times larger than the Titanic, has seven neighborhoods, an ice rink, a golf course and a 750-seat outdoor 

amphitheater. The world’s largest cruise ship is finally finished and Friday it began gliding toward its home port in 

Florida. 

The Oasis of the Seas will meet its first obstacle Saturday when it exits the Baltic Sea and must squeeze under the 

Great Belt Bridge, which is just 1 foot (30 centimeters) taller than the ship — even after its telescopic smokestacks 

are lowered. To be on the safe side, the ship — which rises about 20 stories high — will speed up so that it sinks 

deeper into the water when it passes below the span, said Lene Gebauer Thomsen, a spokeswoman for the operator 

of the Great Belt Bridge. 

Once home, the $1.5 billion floating extravaganza will have more, if less visible, obstacles to duck: a sagging U.S. 

economy, questions about the consumer appetite for luxury cruises and criticism that such sailing behemoths are 

damaging to the environment and diminish the experience of traveling. Travel guide writer Arthur Frommer has railed 

against Oasis and other mega-ships he calls “floating resorts,” suggesting that voyages on such large vessels are “a 

dumbing down of the cruise experience.” 

Oasis of the Seas, which is nearly 40 percent larger than the industry’s next-biggest ship, was conceived years 

before the economic downturn caused desperate cruise lines to slash prices to fill vacant berths. “Obviously we did not 

want or anticipate she’d be born into the most significant economic downturn since the Depression,” Royal Caribbean 



International President & CEO Adam Goldstein told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this month. “Even in 

this environment, we’re excited about her.” 

It sets sail as cruise lines clamor to increase capacity, adding newer — and bigger — ships to their fleets. 

The Oasis of the Seas has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members. 

Company officials are banking that its novelty will help guarantee its success. The enormous ship features various 

“neighborhoods” — parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of them will be a tropical environment, 

including palm trees and vines among the total 12,000 plants on board. They will be planted after the ship arrives in 

Fort Lauderdale. 

In the stern, a 750-seat outdoor theater — modeled on an ancient Greek amphitheater — doubles as a swimming pool 

by day and an ocean front theater by night. The pool has a diving tower with spring boards and two 33-foot high-dive 

platforms. An indoor theater seats 1,300 guests. 

Accommodations include loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and 1,600-square-foot luxury suites with balconies 

overlooking the sea or promenades. One of the “neighborhoods,” named Central Park, features a square with 

boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on 

and off at different levels. The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone 

with theme parks and nurseries for children. 

Frommer suggests that such ships should never even leave port: “Who would know the difference?” 

“If the life on ship were a vital one, then you might justify building a ship so large,” Frommer told the AP in an e-mail 

exchange. “But when the activities program consists largely of ziplines, surf-boarding, rock-climbing, a boxing ring, and 

imitations of Cirque de Soleil, when the lecture program deals with napkin-folding (the subject matter on other 

humongous ships operated by the same company), then there doesn’t seem much appeal to well-read, intellectually 

curious people.” 

Paul Motter, editor of Cruisemates.com, has said that other critics have also complained that these huge ships flood 

ports of call, dumping 5,000 people all at once in an area. Motter said suites are sold out for most of the trips. Junior 

suites are mostly sold out and there is availability in inside, ocean view and balcony rooms. 

He said ticket prices are still high for the Oasis, running $1,299 to $4,829, compared with $509 to $1,299 on the 

company’s next most popular ship, Freedom of the Seas. While environmentalists have said that the ship does not 

do enough to reduce air pollution and burns more fuel than a land-based resort, engineers at shipbuilder STX Finland 

said environmental considerations played an important part in planning the vessel. It dumps no sewage into the sea, 

reuses its waste water and consumes 25 percent less power than similar, but smaller, cruise liners. 

“I would say this is the most environmentally friendly cruise ship to date,” said Mikko Ilus, project engineer at the 

Turku yard. “It is much more efficient than other similar ships.” The Oasis of the Seas is due to make its U.S. debut 

on Nov. 20 at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida. Source : Khaleej Times 

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PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE : 

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Bankers demand CMA CGM chief Saade 

out before bailout begins 



TROUBLED French shipping giant CMA CGM, of Marseilles, rated the world's third biggest after Maersk and MSC, now 

faces angry bankers who want founder-CEO Jacques Saade removed before they will consider a bail out, reports 

Bloomberg and Tradewinds. 

"I cannot believe our financial partners would try to take advantage of our current situation, when the company is fully 

mobilised, when we are on the road to recovery and when the company needs all of the knowledge and experience of 

all its executive team. I have built up this company and we have made it a world leader with close to 17,000 

employees," responded Mr Saade in a statement issued to the shipping press. 

French lender BNP Paribas, which holds US$250 million of CMA CGM paper, was the first to demand his ouster, reports 

Bloomberg. Other banks are demanding reforms be demonstrably underway before agreeing to restructure the 

company's $4 billion debt or refinance the shipping line's 40-vessel newbuilding scheme. Bloomberg also said Mr 

Saade could become non-executive chairman of CMA CGM with major lenders given board representation and veto 

power. Mr Saade, who founded the line 30 years ago after fleeing the Lebanese civil war, took the initiative a few 

weeks ago to seek financial help and renegotiate or cancel ship orders. He also set a creditors' committee to find a 

cash injection, as well as making an appeal for government help. 

CMA CGM has denied French press reports that he has received an offer for his African liner subsidiary Delmas from its 

former owner Vincent Bollore, 

who was allegedly taking 

advantage of company's 

difficulties to buy back the 

shipping company he once 

owned. 

important companies to the French republic. 

The CMA CGM QINGDAO 

Photo : Wil Kik (c) 

There was no official response 

from Mr Bollore to these 

reports, reported Lloyd's List. 

The French government is also 

in talks with the banks on a 

restructuring the debt. CMA 

CGM hoped to draw on the 

state's sovereign fund set up to 

help troubled but strategically 

Clarkson's database lists the owner as expecting 37 boxship newbuildings from this year until 2011 including eight 

13,300-TEU monsters at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering at a time when smaller ships are top of the pops 

in the charter market. Hyundai Heavy Industries is building nine 11,356-TEUers and Samsung has five 8,465-TEU 

ships on order, quite apart from the 15 newbuildings on order from Hanjin. 

Private equity funds have shown interest in buying a stake in the company, said Bloomberg. Source : Schednet 



NAVY NEWS 

DR BERNADO HOUSSAY GETTING READY 

Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA) [Argentine Coast Guard] goes on with the readiness’ stage of Dr. Bernardo 

Houssay Oceanographic Motor Vessel. 



Photo : PNA (c) 

Prefectura Naval Argentina has launched the Dr. Bernardo Houssay Oceanographic Motor Vessel in Buenos Aires, 

after it had been hugely remodeled and adapted to the needs of the present century. 

The 43-meter-long ketch was initially launched in Copenhagen (DEN) bearing the name “ATLANTIS” for its original 

shipowner, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) (USA), in 1930. WHOI made it sail intensely, especially, 

for sea research purposes until the mid-60s, when the company transferred it to the Government of the Argentine 

Republic to be given to CONICET (National Council of Scientific and Technical Research). 

CONICET was created by the eminent Argentinian Medical Doctor Bernardo Houssay, who was awarded the Nobel 

Prize in Medicine in 1947, and was its first president. The “ATLANTIS”, already bearing the name “El AUSTRAL”, 

arrived at Argentina in January 1967, sailing from Boston (USA) to Buenos Aires (ARG). It was welcomed by Dr. 

Houssay. It joined the Argentinian research fleet and largely carried out its assignment until the mid-80s when it was 

definitely abandoned. 

In 1996, CONICET assigned the vessel to PNA requiring that sea research tasks continue being performed. 

PNA thus initiated a long and hard work to adapt the historical vessel to the requirements of this world of 2009, 

installing effluent treatment plants, applying non-polluting paint, using passive fire protection and other elements 

required by IMO for this type of vessels. 

In parallel, PNA will use the Houssay to train its officers and petty officers. The vessel has been already launched, and 

in late October 2009 the masts were stepped, the booms, running and standing rigging were fitted out, and the motor 

propeller and generators were installed. There are pending tasks which PNA is enthusiastically undertaking these 

days. Source : LUIS OSCAR ZUNINO - CAPTAIN (Ret.) 



Commander of Pearl Harbor sub 

The commander of the nuclear attack submarine USS La Jolla based at Pearl Harbor was relieved of his post "due to 

a loss of confidence in his ability to command," the U.S. Pacific Fleet submarine force said. 

Cmdr. Doug Sampson, who has been in command of the Los Angeles-class submarine since October of 2007, was 

relieved of command by the commodore of Submarine Squadron One, Capt. Stanley Robertson, the Navy said. "This 

action was deemed necessary due to the failure of Cmdr. Sampson to meet the high Navy standards necessary to 

remain in command," the Pacific Fleet submarine force said in a statement. 

Such a removal is usually a career-ender in the Navy. 

Lt. Cmdr. David Benham, a spokesman for the Pearl Harbor-based Pacific Fleet submarine force, said he could not go 

into a lot of specifics on the submarine skipper's removal. Those issues are under investigation, he said. "The issues, I 

would say concern some of the in-port planning, the operations and the administration, which fell short of the high 

Navy standards," Benham said. 

Benham said Sampson's "leadership of the crew was inadequate, and that caused the loss of confidence that led to his 

relief today." Benham said the actions did not immediately endanger anyone. The 360-foot-long, 9,600-ton submarine 

is in the Pearl Harbor shipyard for about 10 months of maintenance. "Neither the crew nor the public was ever in any 

danger in relation to the events that led to Cmdr. Sampson's removal," Benham said. Another official said the removal 

relates to required documentation of inspections and testing. 

The Pacific Fleet submarine force said administrative action also "has been taken or is being considered" for other crew 

members of USS La Jolla, but the number of crew members under scrutiny was not specified. Sampson will be 

temporarily assigned to Submarine Squadron One, the Navy said. Cmdr. Erik Burian, who previously held command of 

the Pearl Harbor-based sub USS Los Angeles, has taken command of USS La Jolla. 

Sampson could not be reached for comment. Benham said the La Jolla, commissioned in 1981, is in the shipyard for 

what's known as a "pre-inactivation restricted availability." The shipyard in January said the La Jolla was expected 

that month. The repairs were expected to take 10 months. 

Benham said the maintenance work preserves a sub's ability to conduct future operations until it is decommissioned. 

No date has been set for that decommissioning, he said. Sampson enlisted in the Navy in 1984, according to his 

official biography. He graduated from Auburn University, attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, 

and received his commission in November 1989. 

Sampson reported to his first submarine, USS Pogy in his hometown of San Diego in June 1991. He was the engineer 

officer on the submarine USS Florida in 1997, and was executive officer on board USS Pasadena in Pearl Harbor in 

January 2003. 

In October of 2008, La Jolla returned from a six-month western Pacific deployment, visiting Guam, Japan and 

Singapore. The submarine, which has a crew of about 140, can be armed with Mark 48 torpedoes and Tomahawk 

cruise missiles. Pearl Harbor has 17 submarines, with an 18th, the USS Texas, on its way to Hawai'i. 

Source : Honolulu Advertiser 

Navy identifies pilots who have been 

missing since their plane disappeared 

off Texas coast 



The U.S. Navy has identified two instructor pilots who have been missing since their plane disappeared Wednesday off 

the Texas coast. 

The Navy says 29-year-old Lt. John Joseph Houston, of Houston, and 30-year-old Lt. Bret Travis Miller, of East Troy, 

Wis., were both instructors with Training Squadron 28 at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. 

Rescuers resumed the search Friday morning for the pilots and their trainer aircraft not heard from since Wednesday. 

Coast Guard Petty Officer Charles Reaves says the a plane and a helicopter were part of the search effort. 

Naval Air Station Corpus Christi lost contact with the Navy T-34C Turbomentor training plane Wednesday afternoon. 

The plane's last known location was near San Jose Island. Source : Star Tribune 

Seen in Bremerhaven, KOTUG’s Rt Pioneer approaching the departing Alioth Leader to disembark the pilot 

Photo : Capt . Bas van Hoorn (c) 

SHIPYARD NEWS 

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Waterstraat 16 

2970 SCHILDE 

BELGIUM 

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Fax :+ 32 3 297 20 70 

e-mail : anglodutch@pandora.be 

Fast and Fuel-Efficient, Ultra-Long- 

Range, 200-foot Vripack 60M 

Expedition Motor Yacht 



Noted U.S. superyacht builder Derecktor Shipyards is pleased to present a ground-breaking new yacht project 

designed by the world-renowned Vripack studio of The Netherlands. The Vripack 60M Expedition Motor Yacht is a 

highly efficient, steel-and-aluminum vessel combining extreme seaworthiness and an outstanding range of 8,000 

nautical miles at 12.5 knots with a 

high-volume, custom interior. 

“This project is ideal for Derecktor 

Shipyards with their experience in 

constructing both high-quality custom 

superyachts and large commercial 

vessels. They are uniquely set up to 

build this no-nonsense, go-anywhere 

boat,” said Vripack Sales Director 

Marnix J. Hoekstra. 

The Vripack 60M Expedition MY is 

designed for unrestricted, long-term 

transoceanic voyaging with the owner and guests on board. Vripack’s naval architects gave her a round-bilge 

displacement hull with a flared blow, transom stern and straight, even keel for optimal seakeeping, speed and fuel 

efficiency. Measuring 61 meters (200 feet) overall, she has a maximum beam of 12 meters (39.4 feet) and a draft at 

half load of 3.2 meters (10.5 feet). Top speed with twin-engine propulsion is projected at not less than 14.5 knots at 

half load. The yacht’s 8,000 nautical mile (nm) range is calculated at 12.5 knots using one engine at 80 percent of load 

and includes a 15 percent weather allowance. “That’s the longest range you’ll find for a boat of this size and 

capabilities,” Hoeksta said. 

The hull’s enhanced scantlings will enable her to operate in arctic conditions. “She’s not Ice Class, but she’ll definitely 

be capable of nudging ice out of her path,” he added. Designed with seven levels of living space, including a private 

owner’s deck, the Vripack 60M will accommodate up to 14 guests served by a crew of 14 to 16 persons. The actual 

number of staterooms and the interior design are up to the owner’s discretion, however. “With a yacht of this volume, 

we can make any vision a reality,” Hoekstra said. 

For more information, please contact Marnix Hoekstra (marnix@vripack.com ) or Caroline van Rijswijk 

de Jong (caroline@vripack.com ) at +31 (0)515 – 43 66 00 or visit our website www.vripack.com 

BICENTANARIO HULL LAUNCHED AT DSME 

At the DSME yard in South Korea the hull for the newbuilding SSDR BICENTANARIO was launched 

Photo : Brendan Lally – OIM/Captain (c) 



Pool of Primorsk (Leningard region) 

shipyard investors defined 

A pool of investors of shipbuilding yard in Primorsk (Leningrad region) and its location are defined. As PortNews IAA 

learnt from Grigorii Dvas, Vice-Governor of Leningrad region, in the course of II Annual International conference 

‘Trilogia’, the shipyard shall be constructed to the west from Primorsk within the city boundaries. Design 

documentation is being prepared and technical-and-economic explanation of the project is being studied to the date. 

Grigorii Dvas refused to name the project investors with reference to commercial secret. He only mentioned that pool 

of investors is only preliminary defined. Leningrad region administration does not constitute its part. 

It is as well necessary to remind the project of a new shipyard in Primorsk of Vyborg shipyard implies building of 

vessels (200,000 tons water displacement) for gas shipment, ice-class tankers ( over 100,000 tons displacement) and 

drilling platforms. The project together with its infrastructure is estimated RUR58 bln. Working design elaboration and 

state appraisal passing are planned to be completed in August, 2010. Late September, 2009 Vnesheconombank 

approved first tranche of RUR700 mln for Vyborg Shipyard OJSC (VSZ, Leningrad region) for construction of a new 

shipyard in Primorsk. 

Hal’s newbuilding the NIEUW AMSTERDAM seen leaving the building dock - Photo : Rob Matthew © 

ChSZ (the Ukraine) launches a dumb 

barge for Bue Marine (Great Britain) 

Chernomorsky Shipbuilding Yard has launched a dumb barge design Y616 for Bue Marine (Great Britain). The vessel is 

designed for shipment in specially fitted out hold of brown mud that occurs in oil wells boring. 

The barge’s length is 71.9 m, width – 14.5 m, gauge – 2.5 m, deadweight -1200 tons. The barge has a reinforced iceclass, 

design elaboration was made to protect Caspian SeaCaspian Sea in development of Kashagansk oil field 

(Kazakhstan) as a part of numerous vessels deployed in the development. 

The design of the vessel was elaborated by design-and-engineering center GAHK ChSZ under American Bureau of 

Shipping regulations and all the international rules applied to the vessels of this class. ecology. The vessel was built in 



co-operation with Port-Service LLC. Port-Service LLC is registered in Nikolaev, it is occupied in shipbuilding and 

shiprepair. ChSZ and Port-Service LLC have been in co-operation for 4 years. 

Vietnam complete bulker for German owner 

Hyundai Vinashin in Vietnam has handed over a 56,000 dwt bulk carrier to the German shipping company E.R. 

Schiffahrt. The $50 million ship is being handed over 2 months ahead of schedule. 

The E.R. Bologna is 187.8 m long, 18.30 m high with the top speed of 14.5 knots. Vu Minh Phu, director of the 

Hyundai Vinashin, said that to gain this achievement, Vinashin had to invest $100 million in purchasing necessary 

materials and technology. The company also sent 130 workers and engineers to South Korea to absorb that country’s 

shipbuilding experience. This is Hyundai Vinashin’s second newbuilding delivered this year in a 10-ship series of bulk 

carriers for E.R Schiffahrt. Source : The Motorship 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ups 

newbuilding forecast 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has upped its newbuilding order forecast for the year, although it says interest in new 

commercial vessels remains weak. For the financial year ending March 31, 2010, MHI has upped its full order forecast 

to ¥140bn from ¥120bn previously. The company said the improved forecast reflected the situation of ongoing 

negotiations. 

Although MHI has upped its forecast new orders are much lower than last year. In the first hald of this year the 

shipbuilder has received six orders for an escort ship and five patrol vessels worth a total of ¥55.1bn, compared to the 

first half of the previous year when it bagged orders for 16 vessels worth ¥180.5bn. MHI said interest in the 

commercial vessels remained weak. The shipbuilder has an outstanding orderbook of 65 vessels, inclduing 19 car 

carriers, 14 boxships and eight liquefied petroleum gas carriers. 

Operating profits for MHI’s shipbuilding and ocean development divisions for the first six months of the financial year 

jumped to ¥12.5bn compared to ¥6.8bn a year earlier. MHI said profits improved as in the first half of last year it 

posted losses on exchange rates and steel prices. The shipbuilder upped its forecast for full year operating profits from 

¥11bn to ¥16bn. So far this year MHI has delivered five car carriers and two LPG carriers. Source: lloydslist.com 

STX Offshore in talks with bank to sell stake 

South Korean shipbuilder STX Offshore & Shipbuilding said it was in talks with the Korea Development Bank (KDB) to 

sell a stake in STX Heavy Industries Co. STX Offshore said in a filing to the Korea Exchange that it had chosen the 

state-run bank as a preferred bidder, but nothing had been decided. 

STX Offshore did not say how much of a stake in the company's unit it would sell. Source : The Motorship 



ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES 

Fred Olsen’s Bentago Express seen departing from the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 

Photo : Cornelia Klier (c) 

Estonian ferry redelivered and laid up at 

Nakskov 

Saaremaa Laevakompanii's ferry Viire has been redelivered to its Danish owner K/S Korsør ApS and is currently laid 

up in Nakskov and has been put up for sale via Klaus Heun Shipping Succ. The ferry was on bareboat charter to 

Saaremaa Laevakompanii for ten years, but has been redelivered as it will be replaced by a newbuilding currently 

under construction at Fiskerstrand Verft. The Viire is now back in the hands of Henrik Johansen, who is the owner of 

the company. However, he is still not allowed to own ships due to his punishment in the aftermath of the 

Scandinavian Star disaster in April 1990. Henrik Johansen was convicted as the beneficial owner of the ferry and 

lost the privilege of owning a ferry ever again. However, the legal system has chosen not to consider it a violation to 

be owner of this particular ferry as long as he is not the operator. Source : ShipGaz 



Sepec takes over its new ‘green’ coastal tanker 

The Seychelles Petroleum Company (Sepec) 

has taken delivery of its new tanker the 

Seychelles Paradise. 

The small coastal tanker, which was 

launched on August 14, has spent the last 

two months at the shipyard in Kiel, 

Germany, having its main deck fitted to the 

hull. A sea trial was carried out last week 

involving the Seychellois crew, senior Sepec 

staff – who will work closely with the vessel 

– and suppliers of key components for the 

tanker. All the design parameters were met 

and even surpassed. 

The Seychelles Paradise has been 

specially designed to be environmentally 

friendly, having a double hull, high manoeuvrability and being equipped with other features to ensure safe transport of 

oil products in Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone. The high manoeuvrability is achieved by specially designed twin 

rudders, propellers and a powerful bow thruster, allowing it to rotate upon itself. The tanker will be used mainly to 

carry various oil products to Sepec’s depot on Eve Island, Praslin. Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) will be carried in 

specialised tanks fitted on the deck. 

The new depot will support the fast-growing economy of Praslin and its satellite islands. LPG cylinders will no longer 

be transported from Mahe to these islands as the Praslin depot will have its own LPG bottling plant. President James 

Michel has hailed the delivery of the Seychelles Paradise as “another milestone which marks Seychelles’ leadership, 

both in the trade of petroleum products and in environmental protection”. 

“We are proud to add the Seychelles Paradise to our fleet of world class tankers,” he said. “It will operate much 

closer to home and will go a long way to improving the transport of such products within our waters. We congratulate 

Sepec and all its staff on this achievement, which is also symbolic of the spirit of innovation that is critical to our 

nation’s success.” The vessel will also function as a bunker tanker for ships calling in Seychelles, as well as a “training 

ship” for Seychellois cadets under the Sepec tanker training programme. It will not only be able to bunker large 

vessels that cannot now berth at the New Port but will also refuel smaller vessels offshore, reducing maritime traffic in 

the inner harbour. The Seychelles Paradise will leave Kiel today (Monday November 2), crewed by a team of 



Seychellois and two expatriates for its first international journey. The tanker is expected in Seychelles in December, 

when it will start its domestic operations with an all-Seychellois crew. Source : The Nation 

The Ruby Princess, seen arriving in Saint George, Grenada, October 30, 2009. - Photo : Ronald de Bloeme (c) 

Goede huisvesting buitenlandse 

werknemers beloond 

Huisvesting en vervoer buitenlandse werknemers projecten Maasvlakte 1 en 2 

Afgelopen woensdag in de Euromast te Rotterdam hebben Randstad Cross Border Staffing en United Homes het 

huisvestingskeurmerk van de ABU, de brancheorganisatie van de uitzendmarkt, in ontvangst mogen nemen. Onder 

toeziend oog van o.a. vertegenwoordigers van de Gemeente Spijkenisse, het Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, VRO en andere 

ABU leden heeft deze uitreiking op feestelijke wijze plaats gevonden. United Homes is hiermee de eerste 

huisvestingsbemiddelaar van Nederland waarvan de kwaliteit wordt erkend. De Certified Flex Home Norm is een 

initiatief van de ABU en de NBBU, de twee brancheorganisaties van de uitzendmarkt. De huisvesting voor buitenlandse 

werknemers die Randstad aanbiedt via United Homes 

voldoet aan de strikte eisen om als Certified Flex 

Home aangemerkt te worden. 

Links : Tom Gibcus (ABU) overhandigt het 

huisvestingskeurmerk aan Remko Stolk (Randstad 

Cross Border Staffing) en Ruben de Bruin 

(United Homes) 

Met de Certified Flex Home sticker kunnen 

gemeenten, omwonenden, brandweer, controlerende 

instellingen én arbeidsmigranten direct zien dat de 

kwaliteit is geborgd en de zaken geregeld zijn binnen 

de wettelijke kaders. Leden van de ABU die werken 

met arbeidsmigranten en daarvoor eigen 

huisvestingslocaties beschikbaar hebben, moeten 

voldoen aan de huisvestingsnormen zoals vastgelegd 

in de CAO voor Uitzendkrachten. 



Een onafhankelijke instelling controleert of deze huisvestingsnormen door leden op de juiste wijze worden toegepast. 

Zo moet onder meer voldaan worden aan een goede administratie, moet de woonruimte minimaal 10 m2 per persoon 

zijn en brandveilig zijn. Als blijkt dat aan alle eisen wordt voldaan, mag de huisvestingslocaties de sticker Certified 

Flex Home voeren. 

Een toast op de uitreiking van het huisvestingskeurmerk en de goede samenwerking. Van links naar rechts; Remco 

van Krieken (United Homes), Remko Stolk (Randstad Cross Border Staffing) Ruben de Bruin (United Homes), 

Wout-Jan Ykema (Randstad Cross Border Staffing) en Willem Hoogendijk (United Homes) 

United Homes (onderdeel van de International United Group en marktleider in huisvesting van buitenlandse 

werknemers) presenteert binnenkort tezamen met 3 andere bedrijven een totaalpakket van diensten voor o.a. het 

huisvesten, vervoeren en aanbieden van (buitenlandse) werknemers voor projecten op Maasvlakte 1 en 2 . 

MSC hikes US-Mexico to Med rate 

US$200/TEU hike December 1 

GENEVA's Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced a general rate increase for cargo North 

America/Mexico to Europe, Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East and the Indian subcontinent from December 1. 

The MSC LIBERTY seen enroute Rotterdam – Photo : Frans Sanderse (c) 

The company said the increases are necessary to preserve the existing comprehensive range of services that MSC 

offers between North America and Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, India, Pakistan as well as to 

advance freight rates towards a sustainable level. The increase on all container cargo will be US$200 per TEU and 



$400 per FEU for cargo moving to and from the US, Canada and Mexico to UK-northwest continent, west Med, east 

Med, Black Sea, north, east and west Africa, Red Sea, Mideast, India and Pakistan. Source : Schednet 

The WAKER seen at Maaspilot station inward bound - Photo : Carlo van den Putte (c) 

NYK to hike transatlantic rate 

US$150/TEU December 1 

NIPPON Yusen Kaisha (NYK), Japan's largest shipping operator is to raise general rates on its transatlantic shipments 

US$150 per TEU and $300 per FEU on dry and refrigerated containers in both directions from December 1. The move 

follows OOCL, and Grand Alliance to meet "severe economic challenges associated with NYK operating services in the 

transatlantic trade". The increase is to be carried out on all cargo under NYK Line independent of tariffs and service 

contracts. Source : Schednet 

The NORWEGIAN SPIRIT seen arriving in Willemstad (Curacao) 

Photo : Kees Bustraan - www.community.webshots.com/user/cornelis224 (c) 



The 294 mtr long, 2004 built MSC ANS (ex Hanjin Busan) seen arriving in Antwerp - Photo : Stan Muller (c) 

Novoship enlarges its fleet 

A new tanker NS Burgas, deadweight 156.6 thousand tons, enlarged OJSC Novoship’s fleet (Sovcomflot group of 

companies), company’s press-service informed. NS Burgas is the first of four tankers of ‘Suezmax’ class, ordered at 

Chinese shipyard Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries. NS Burgas became the largest of company’s 55 vessels. 

There is information, classification society Lloyd’s Register that monitored vessel’s building, classified NS Burgas as the 

vessel of highest ecological safety. For Jiangsu Rongsheng NS Burgas was the first to get EP (Enviromental 

Protection) sign. Besides, it was the first time in the shipyard’s history that the vessel obtained Green Passport – the 

document certifying ecological safety of the materials used fro tanker building. 

NS Burgas has the following characteristics: length – 274.5 m, width – 48 m, hull height – 23.7 m, full draft – 17 m, 

maximum speed – 15 knots, the tanker is capable of simultaneous transhipment of 3 types of cargo. 



The vessel was named in the honour of Bulgarian city Burgas – a starting point of Trans-Balkan pipeline planned to be 

constructed. A new range of ‘Suezmax’ class vessels of Novoship is in compliance with the requirements of Burgas- 

Alexandrupolis project. NS Burgas is currently charted by a large foreign oil company and will set off to be loaded in 

Hon-Kong for the first time on October 30. 

The average age of tanker Sovcomflot’s fleet is 6.1 years to the date which is almost twice as less as average world’s 

figure. At the same time the current shipbuilding schedule of the group includes 18 vessels of overall deadweight 1.55 

million tons. 

OLDIE – FROM THE SHOEBOX 

The JOLLY BIANCO seen above was built in 1969 at the Jos Meijer werft in Papenburg under yard number 555 as 

the SERVUS, the ro-ro vessel was sold to Ignazio Messina, Naples, Italy and renamed in JOLLY BIANCO during 1977 

under which name she sailed until 1987 when the 129 mtr long vessel was sold to John Khayat & Co., Beirut, Lebanon 

and renamed in FAST EGYPT followed the sale to Ragione Sociale Armatore, Naples which renamed the vessel in SEA 

ROAD during 1994 and her final name she got during 1997 when she was renamed NAJMAT JEDDAH by her new 

owner Baaboud Trading & Shipping Agencies in Jeddah, The ferry arrived at the breakers in Alang during May 2002. 

Photo : Coll. Kees van Huisstede (c) 

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY ….. 



The WAKER seen from the tug SERVAL enroute to ‘s-Gravendeel 

Photo : Hans Hoffmann (c) 

Dredgers of the World - 7th Edition 

CRSL has recently published the latest edition of its register Dredgers of the World. 

Now in its seventh edition, this well respected register has become the primary reference book on vessels in the 

dredging industry. With the on-going assistance of the International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) and 

many of the world’s best known dredging contractors the register is continually improving and expanding. 

This seventh edition provides even more comprehensive coverage of the world’s dredging fleet including specification 

and performance data for more than 1200 vessels. 

For the first time the new 7th edition also includes: 

An eight page colour montage 

Statistics on the world’s dredger builders 

Vessel information includes general information such as name, owner/manager, year built, type, classification, flag, call 

sign. 

Main dimensions information includes LOA, breadth, depth, drafts (dredging, loaded and unloaded), GT, NT, DWT. 

Machinery and power data includes main engine(s), available power (all modes of operation), and performance. 

Dredging and discharge equipment includes dredging depths, capacities (dredging and discharge), shore delivery 

system (if applicable), hopper capacity, pipe diameters. 

Information is also included on accommodation (if applicable) and type of mooring system. 



Additional data - this paragraph includes details on every element of a dredger's specification or performance not listed 

under the main information headings. 

Dredger types included in the latest edition of Dredgers of the World includes 233 backhoe, dipper, grab and clam 

shell dredgers; 18 barge unloading dredgers; 53 bucket ladder dredgers; 412 cutter suction dredgers (including bucket 

wheel dredgers); 32 types of special equipment - agitation, water injection and wormwheel dredgers; 39 suction 

dredgers; and 481 trailing suction hopper dredgers. 

Members of the IADC, CEDA, IAPH or The Institute of Civil Engineers will receive a 25 per cent discount when they 

purchase the 7th edition of Dredgers of the World. 

For more information telephone +44 (0)1531 634561, or visit our website at www.crsl.com 

The compiler of the news clippings disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising from 

the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided 

through this free service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information. If you don’t like to 

receive this bulletin anymore kindly send an e-mail with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line to 

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daily collection of maritime press clippings 2009 - HELLESPONT

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