Wednesday 3 December 08 - 22:41
 

Boatbuild

  • Fishery protection RIB for South Wales

    01 Sep 2008

    Liverpool based commercial RIB builder MST (Marine Specialised Technology), which has in recent years made major inroads into the international market for military, police, search and rescue, border control and coast guard RIBs, has expanded its portfolio into fishery protection vessels. 

  • 'Tac-Cat' takes workboat to war zones

    01 Sep 2008

    Powered catamaran manufacturer Powercat is aiming for the global military market by teaming up with one of the world's leading tactical electronics and armour manufacturing companies to create and launch a completely new military boat. 

  • 'Asterix' breaks Blyth into new markets

    01 Sep 2008

    The first Blyth Workcat sold by the Canvey Island UK based builder to operators in Sweden has been delivered to Jonny Andersson and Claes Yngvesson.  

  • Sea3 story unfolds

    07 Aug 2008

    Building a folding boat may not be the most obvious way to spend your time, but innovator Peter Sylvester started to design them over 40 years ago.  

  • 'Off the shelf' Targa wins Met over

    25 Jul 2008

    Behind the delivery of the last of a set of 10 Targas to London's Metropolitan Police has been a story of innovation winning over expectation. 

Books

  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Oceans

    29 Aug 2008

    Whether you're an experienced sailor or learning the ropes, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Oceans is full of practical information on everything from how to find a crew position through to sailing as a profession. 

  • Coasters of Cornwall

    29 Aug 2008

    Coasters of Cornwall is the sixth book in the popular Coasters series by Bernard McCall. 

  • Integrated Bridge Systems Vol 1 – Radar and AIS

    29 Aug 2008

    As from 2008, all new marine radars must be able to display AIS data and plenty of work has been done to help ensure that the information is consistent, uniform symbols are used and there are protocols to provide a standard resolution of AIS, radar and chart images. 

Deck Equipment & Lifting Gear

  • New website for Rotzler winches

    01 Sep 2008

    Seeking out the right solution for hoisting heavy loads just became easier with the launch of Rotzler’s brand new website at www.rotzler.com.  

  • High-tech lightweight lines gain favour

    01 Sep 2008

    Samson Rope Technologies have just fitted out a fleet of 11 tankers, each of 76,600 DWT, with synthetic mooring line, leading to increases in safety, savings and handling speed for BW Shipping Managers Pte. 

  • Lemans goes the distance at SMM

    01 Sep 2008

    Lemans Nederland BV is joining the Dutch Pavilion sponsored by Holland Marine Equipment HME at the SMM 2008 in Hamburg.  

  • North Sea Winches sign up for Seawork 09

    01 Sep 2008

    Specialist marine winch manufacturing company North Sea Winches enjoyed a busy time at the Seawork show this summer, with one order following on from the exhibition and the prospect of more to follow.  

  • DP World lifts two new cranes into action

    01 Sep 2008

    DP World Southampton marked the commissioning of its two new super post-panamax gantry cranes with an event on Southampton Water recently.  

  • Safelaunch lifeboat release hooks go titanium

    01 Sep 2008

    Survival Craft Inspectorate (SCI) of Aberdeen is now offering its successful Safelaunch, failsafe on/off load lifeboat release hook mechanism in titanium.  

  • Deck equipment on display at SMM 2008

    01 Sep 2008

    Germany's Hatlapa Marine Equipment is headquartered in Uetersen, near Hamburg, so its staff will not have to travel far to man the company's stand A1.451 at SMM 2008. 

Diving & Umbilicals

  • Clean living with Slick Willie

    01 Sep 2008

    Contaminated environments can be something of a diving hazard, and it doesn't end when you get out of the water or the muck. Cable bundles are usually simply hosed down on deck, leaving crevices where bacteria or other contaminants, including radioactive particles, can lurk after a normal cleaning routine.  

  • Global popularity of underwater inspection system

    01 Sep 2008

    AC-CESS Co UK has been extremely successful of late selling their AC-ROV underwater inspection system to clients around the world. 

Dredging

  • Jumbo big sister on the slipway

    01 Sep 2008

    The keel laying of the Jan De Nul's mega trailing suction hopper dredger Leiv Eiriksson took place at the shipyard Construcciones Navales del Norte in Sestao, Spain, late last month.  

  • Dutch jumbos go super-size

    01 Sep 2008

    Dutch dredging giants Van Oord and Royal Boskalis Westminster have responded to unprecedented levels of land reclamation works in the Middle East by expanding the capacities of already large trailing suction hopper dredgers. 

  • Versatile dredger addresses tsunami legacy

    01 Sep 2008

    Damen Dredging Equipment of Nijkerk in the Netherlands has delivered a versatile cutter suction dredger to Sri Lanka, where it was urgently needed to clear small fishery harbours which remain silted by the December 2004 tsunami.  

Ferries & Short Sea Shipping

  • Short sea offered 'a break with tradition'

    01 Sep 2008

    An 'invitation to break with maritime tradition' is being offered in the form of a pilot study by Dutch firms Wagenborg Shipping, Flinter Management and Amasus Shipping. 

  • Jura ferry runs again after 36 years

    01 Sep 2008

    A gruelling five hour journey to the mainland from the Scottish island of Jura has been shrunk to a mere 45 minute hop to a local bus service by a new ferry which was officially launched last month. 

Hydrographic Survey

  • Marine Measurement Forum

    01 Sep 2008

    Gardline Environmental is to host the 43rd UK Marine Measurement Forum, at the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath on Wednesday 15 October. 

  • Galileo signal accuracy measured

    01 Sep 2008

    The accuracy of Galileo, Europe's multi-billion euro satellite positioning network due to become operational around 2014, is better than GPS according to a team of three researchers from Delft Technical University's Faculty of Aerospace Engineering in the Netherlands. 

  • Single beam survey software

    01 Sep 2008

    Dutch survey software specialists Quality Positioning Services (QPS) of Zeist have extended their established QINSy 8 series of data acquisition and navigation software modules with introduction of a new low cost suite specifically designed to support single beam survey operations, QINSy Inshore. 

  • Seatronics expands Houston base

    01 Sep 2008

    A $250,000 calibration laboratory and cable moulding facility doubling the size of its operations has been opened by Seatronics Inc at its Houston premises.  

  • Cemex opts for Transas ECDIS

    01 Sep 2008

    Transas Marine UK in Portsmouth has been commissioned to supply and install its Navi-Sailor 4000 dual ECDIS systems aboard Cemex UK Marine's fleet of seven vessels engaged in supplying dredged marine aggregates to domestic and continental European construction industries. 

Insurance, Legal & Finance

  • Finance deal gives Pendennis a lift

    01 Sep 2008

    An asset finance deal has enabled Cornwall UK based super-yacht builders Pendennis to acquired a new travel hoist capable of carrying vessels of up to 400 tons. 

  • City helps keep 'Cutty Sark' afloat

    01 Sep 2008

    It may seem unusual that City types from the rarefied world of finance are getting involved in historic ship restoration, but the vessel in question is the Cutty Sark and the City folk are actually some of London's top shipbrokers. 

Marine Civils by David Foxwell

  • Nakheel begins reclamation of Mina Rashid

    01 Sep 2008

    Nakheel, the developer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has begun reclamation work for the US$599m Mina Rashid project. 

  • Xblocs installed on breakwater at IJmuiden

    01 Sep 2008

    A total of 10 ‘Eco-Xbloc’ armoured units have been placed on the southern breakwater at Ijmuiden in The Netherlands in order to evaluate their ability to play a role creating habitats for marine life. A number of different armoured units made from different materials and with different surface textures will be monitored over three years to evaluate their ecological value.  

  • Van Oord awarded contract for quay wall in Dubai

    01 Sep 2008

    Van Oord has been awarded a contract to build a 5.5km quay wall on the Deira Islands in Dubai. Van Oord has already received an award for a 3.5km quay wall for the same project. The new order brings to 9km the length of quay wall that Van Oord will build on the Deira Islands. 

  • Survey work for Qatar-Bahrain causeway gets under way

    01 Sep 2008

    Survey work by a consortium of firms involved in construction of the $3 billion Qatar-Bahrain Causeway got under way recently. 

  • Crown Estate increases turnover from aggregates dredging

    01 Sep 2008

    The Crown Estate in the UK has announced a net revenue surplus of £211.4 million for the year ending 31st March 2008, a 5.6 per cent increase on last year. All of this money is paid to the Treasury for benefit of all UK taxpayers.  

  • DHI evaluates scour protection for wind turbines

    01 Sep 2008

    DHI, Vestas, and Dong Energy have recently finished an evaluation of the scour protection scheme implemented at the Horns Rev I Wind Farm, which is located off the North Sea coast of Denmark. It is anticipated that the study will provide valuable information that can be used in the design and construction of offshore windfarms and the scour protection that they need in future. 

Monitoring & Control

  • Smart solution for valve monitoring

    01 Sep 2008

    Netherlocks Safety Systems BV, the Dutch industrial safety specialist, has designed a new universal mounting system to safely and securely fix valve position indicator switches onto handwheel operated valves.  

  • Gustav puts Sentinel to the test

    01 Sep 2008

    With Hurricane Gustav bearing down on New Orleans at the time of writing, it will be interesting to follow the fate and judge the performance of the first of four new hurricane hardened water level observing stations which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administartion (NOAA) is installing at key locations in coastal Mississippi and Louisiana. 

  • Background monitoring for Welsh coastline

    28 Jul 2008

    Hampshire UK based Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) has recently supplied the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) with a data collection system for background monitoring at Skomer Marine Nature Reserve. 

Navigation & Communication

  • Thermal imaging aids navigation in Spain

    01 Sep 2008

    FLIR Systems’ input into the commercialisation of thermal imaging has allowed marine electronics specialist Redcai S.A. to add considerable value to the service it provides by bringing FLIR's thermal imaging expertise to a much wider customer base.  

  • Transas brings AIS to SMM

    01 Sep 2008

    Transas has just delivered onboard and vessel traffic monitoring systems to DFDS Canal Tours of Denmark  

  • NAV08 and ILA 37 do navigation double act

    01 Sep 2008

    This year the Royal Institute of Navigation’s NAV 08 is being run in tandem with the International Loran Association’s ILA 37 conference in London and will take place from 28 to 30 October 2008 at Church House, Westminster, London.  

  • New transceiver completes GMDSS package

    29 Jul 2008

    NavComms distributor Icom (UK) Ltd has added a new VHF/DSC marine transceiver  to its commercial line up. The unit is so new that only its first consignment has been sold.  

  • Rabbit gets to Core of offshore positioning

    28 Jul 2008

    Geonav Marine Systems is to use the RCM3600 RabbitCore and PowerCore 3800 in their I-Compass solution for marine navigation.The company specialises in the development of marine electronics and offshore positioning systems.  

  • First international winner for navigation award

    28 Jul 2008

    A cadet at the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) has become the first international winner of a prestigious navigation award from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). 

Navigational Aids

  • Data buoys enjoy Atlantic evolution

    01 Sep 2008

    A report out this month on an array of long term data buoys in the Atlantic shows that it has exceeded expectations - despite fishing damage, vandalism and bird droppings - and that demand for the information is growing with over 50,000 downloads of information in one year alone. 

  • ATONIS adds data for bright buoys

    01 Sep 2008

    This month sees the often humble buoy rising in the world of technology as a UK company steps into production of Automatic Identification System (AIS) units that will be fitted to many lighthouse authority marker buoys. 

  • Heads up in fast water

    07 Aug 2008

    A new large-size buoy with a twin keel hull design that has already won orders across the world, has recently found a special niche in waters closer to home.  

News

  • Marine industry and environmentalists unite

    01 Sep 2008

    Associated British Ports’ (ABP) sustainable manager Peter Barham, in his capacity as Chairman of the Seabed User and Developer Group (SUDG), has welcomed SUDG and the Wildlife and Countryside Link’s (Link) joint statement on the draft Marine Bill, citing it as an excellent example of industry and environmentalists working together to ensure the sustainable development of the marine environment.  

  • Strategic windfarm siting study underway

    01 Sep 2008

    ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) has been awarded a contract to develop spatial information layers on the location and economic value of commercial fishing and shellfishing activities in UK waters.  

  • Hamburg welcomes mega maritime show

    01 Sep 2008

    The world's largest maritime industry trade fair just keeps on getting bigger, as SMM 2008 extends into new exhibition halls which will allow more than 1,800 exhibitors from 55 countries to fill a whopping 87,000 sq/m of display space with the latest in cutting edge technology, alongside a host of conferences and specialist events. 

  • North Pole could be Danish

    01 Sep 2008

    Martin Pratt, of Durham University's International Boundary Research Unit, (IBRU) said last month that 'if pushed' he would come down on the side of a Danish claim to the North Pole.  

  • New cargo vessel for River Thames

    01 Sep 2008

    A newly introduced cargo vessel has appeared on the Thames serving a wharf upriver of the Barrier.  

  • RNLI takes over lifeboat operations at Cowes

    01 Sep 2008

    The UK's Royal National Lifeboat Institution has recently taken over the operation of the lifeboat at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The service was previously operated by the independent Cowes Inshore Lifeboat service.  

  • MHPA to host BPA annual conference

    01 Sep 2008

    The British Ports Association will hold its annual conference in Milford Haven on 8-9 October in an event hosted by the Milford Haven Port Authority. Non-BPA members are welcome to book for the open sessions and a trade exhibition will be held in conjunction with the conference. 

  • Bodan Shipyard makes it an even dozen

    01 Sep 2008

    The Bodan Shipyard in Kressbronn has won a Europe wide tender worth €11m to build its twelfth ferry for service with operators Stadtwerke Konstanz on Lake Constance from Spring 2010. 

  • Marine Bill MMO could revive Dibden Bay

    01 Sep 2008

    The Port City Futures conference in Southampton heard last week that the Dibden Bay Container Terminal plan could be revived by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), which will be set up by the current Draft Marine Bill.  

News Snips

Online exclusive

  • Blonde ambition for 'Boris Island'

    25 Sep 2008

    London's unpredictable new Mayor, Boris Johnson, caused a stir at the weekend by proposing Heathrow Airport be closed down and replaced by a new four runway facility operating 24 hours a day and built on 1,375 hectares of reclaimed land in the Thames Estuary. 

  • Port maniac does '230mph in 30mph zone'

    25 Sep 2008

    A man was fined almost £2,500 last week for riding his jet ski at nine times the speed limit on Southampton Water, the marine equivalent of driving 230mph in a 30mph zone. 

  • 'Green' ship recycling underway on the Mersey

    25 Sep 2008

    The first Ministry of Defence warship to be recycled in the UK for more than a decade has been towed into the Port of Liverpool. 

  • Salvors to produce Casualty Management Guidelines

    25 Sep 2008

    Marine salvage companies meeting in Malta this week decided unanimously to progress a project to produce best practice guidelines for Marine Casualty Management. 

  • Divers discover legendary Scillies shipwreck

    25 Sep 2008

    A tragic mystery involving a ship, a child star singer, her lovers, an illegitimate baby and a lot of money returned to the headlines last week after a gap of more than two centuries. 

  • Waterways transport turns Hamburg green

    19 Sep 2008

    The Port of Hamburg is heralding how the transport of goods provided by inland waterway vessels in service there has made a significant contribution to climate protection in the first half of 2008. 

  • RNLI in RIB lease agreement

    18 Sep 2008

    Two inshore RIBs have joined Dorset Police’s Marine Section fleet this week to patrol the coast and rivers of Dorset  thanks to a new collaboration with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. 

  • Humpback whale spotted on weekend crossing

    18 Sep 2008

    Passengers, researchers and crew on board P&O's cross channel ferry Pride of Bilbao enjoyed a rare treat at the weekend when a humpback whale was sited within the busy shipping lanes between England and France. 

  • Wind farm winds up shipping interests

    11 Sep 2008

    It has been a mixed week for offshore wind farm developments, with the UK's Chamber of Shipping expressing disappointment that the government's Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) has given consent to the development of the West of Duddon Sands Wind Farm site in Morecambe Bay.  

  • Modified Elbe dredging plans out to consultation

    11 Sep 2008

    The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and the Hamburg Water and Navigation Office (WSD), the two project developers involved, have applied to the planning authorities for a reconsideration of their revised plans for the deepening of the Elbe channel.  

  • Piracy toll sparks international action

    11 Sep 2008

    With the number of vessels being held by pirates around Somalia reaching ten this week, the director of Beluga Shipping, owner of the hijacked BBC Trinidad, has requested a 'convoy arrangement' along a safety corridor from the German Navy.  

  • Hybrid energy consent in East Irish Sea

    11 Sep 2008

    Low-carbon energy company Eclipse Energy UK has been granted government consent to enlarge its previously consented Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm and to generate and export electricity from the adjacent Ormonde Gas Fields development.  

  • NAV08 and ILA 37 do navigation double act

    04 Sep 2008

    This year the Royal Institute of Navigation’s NAV 08 is being run in tandem with the International Loran Association’s ILA 37 conference in London and will take place from 28 to 30 October 2008 at Church House, Westminster, London. 

  • Last chance to comment on South East Plan

    04 Sep 2008

    The UK Secretary of State published the Proposed Changes to the draft regional plan for 2006-2026, the South East Plan, on 17 July this year and a consultation on the changes is underway until 24 October 2008. 

  • Online mapping of Hurricane Gustav

    04 Sep 2008

    Real-time flooding and storm surge information was available as Hurricane Gustav approached New Orleans this week by visiting the interactive US Geological Survey (USGS) Water Hazards Map. 

  • Felixstowe South digs in this week

    04 Sep 2008

    The UK Port of Felixstowe held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday to mark the formal commencement of the Felixstowe South Reconfiguration project. 

  • Turkish ro-ro sinks in Marmara Sea

    18 Aug 2008

    At least one person drowned and four are still missing after a ro-ro ferry carrying about 150 people and 75 vehicles sank late on Sunday night in the Marmara Sea. 

Pollution

  • Arctic research ship skates on thin ice

    01 Sep 2008

    The 'Ice Chaser' survey team on board the James Clark Ross icebreaker returned last month from their exploration of the Arctic's sea ice with news on the environment, a hot topic since some forecasts have predicted an ice-free Arctic summer within the next ten years.  

  • Can the green ring prevent 'sewerage-cide'?

    01 Sep 2008

    A tell-tale dye system that shows if a boat discharges it's toilet or holding tank in the wrong place could well catch on in Europe. 

Port, Harbour & Marine Construction

  • Timely opening for Bremerhaven's €500m terminal

    05 Sep 2008

    The last container terminal extension on deep water in Bremerhaven, the CT 1V, was inaugurated  the 12th of this month, a year earlier than planned and just in time to take the overspill from continuing dynamic container growth.

     

  • Sustainable sea defenses for the Nederlands

    01 Sep 2008

    The creation of tidal marshes on the mudflat side of the Dutch Closure Dike (Afsluitdijk) will provide the Netherlands with a sea defense, a new nature area as well as recreation opportunities.  

  • Determining sound foundations for offshore wind

    01 Sep 2008

    Doncaster UK based Soil Mechanics has been awarded a £1.4 million ground investigation contract from power company EDF Energy for the proposed construction of an offshore wind farm located in the North Sea between Redcar and the mouth of the River Tees. 

  • Dutch partners for coastal protection works

    01 Sep 2008

    The two major Dutch dredging contractors Van Oord and Royal Boskalis Westminster nv have been awarded a contract by the Dutch Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management to reinforce a weak link in the Delflandse coast. The contract is worth €120m, of which Van Oord and Boskalis have an equal share.  

  • Biomass power plans for Port of Bristol

    01 Sep 2008

    The UK energy company E.ON announced plans last month to build one of UK’s largest biomass power stations at the Port of Bristol. 

  • Door opens for London Gateway construction

    01 Sep 2008

    A £400m contract was signed last month which will launch the first stage of construction for DP World's £1.5bn London Gateway container port and business park development at the former Shell Haven oil refinery site on the River Thames. The joint venture of Laing O'Rourke Infrastructure Ltd and the Belgium based DEME Group's Dredging International won the contract over rivals Costain and a Nuttall/Van Oord joint venture. 

  • Felixstowe port expansion begins

    01 Sep 2008

    Work has started on expanding the capacity of the UK’s largest container port. The first stages of the Felixstowe South Reconfiguration (FSR) involved demolition of the old dock basin and buildings, demolition of the oil jetty and moving one of the ro-ro pontoons to the southern end of the Languard terminal for use as a berth for tugs and a landing stage for pilot launches and workboats.  

  • Rotterdam starts construction at Maasvlakte 2

    01 Sep 2008

    Construction was finally starting this month on the €1bn first phase of Rotterdam’s giant new North Sea Maasvlakte 2 complex, which will eventually house deepsea container, distribution and chemical industry facilities and ease the strain on the main port. 

Power & Propulsion

  • Uncle Sam sends diesels to Europe

    01 Sep 2008

    America's GE Marine is going to supply eight medium speed diesel engines for two newbuild marine projects in Europe. Under the first contract, the Pennsylvania based engine builder will supply Skamek Power of Aalesund in Norway with V250 diesel engines to power a new offshore vessel to be constructed for owner North Sea Shipping of Bakkasund, Norway.  

  • Four engine workboat contract in Nigeria

    01 Sep 2008

    DF Coulam & Sons have landed a contract to supply two 2,500 hp handed 16 cylinder engines to a client in Nigeria which will replace two damaged engines onboard a tug/service vessel. The engines were built using reconditioned parts, and to the clients own specification, as replacements for engines supplied in the 1970’s 

  • Trinidad and Tobago Rolls out the fast craft

    01 Sep 2008

    Rolls-Royce waterjets have been selected for six new fast patrol craft that will help the coastguard protect the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. 

  • Waterjet thrust for Portuguese rescue craft

    01 Sep 2008

    Three newbuild 15.5m rescue craft for the Portuguese Navy vessels are the first of their kind to be completely designed and built in Portugal by that country's Arsenal do Alfeite.  

  • Steering a course to SMM 2008

    01 Sep 2008

    Van der Velden Marine Systems' presentation at SMM 2008 will include the EPS silent thruster, an Art rudder, a Barke rudder, a Timon rudder and Van der Velden Commander steering gear. On Wednesday and Thursday the company will host a 17:00 Happy Hour with refreshments and music on Stand 440 in Hall A4. 

  • 'Lucinda Smith' is a green machine

    01 Sep 2008

    Cindy and Jon Smith of Southport in Maine USA both have their tug licenses but these days they are mostly shore based, running Interport Towing & Transportation.  

  • Gearboxes galore at SMM

    01 Sep 2008

    ZF Marine presence at SMM 2008 will see the company display a variety of transmissions, controllable pitch propellers and electronic controls on their stand in Hall A3 (stand no. A3.300). Outside, between halls A3 and A4, a propulsion shaft-line with ZF W43100 gearbox and CPP will be shown. 

  • 'Making Progress Possible' at SMM

    01 Sep 2008

    Caterpillar Marine Power Systems (CMPS), which is headquartered in Hamburg, will carry the theme 'Making Progress Possible' through SMM 2008, presenting a range of innovations with its Cat and MaK marine engine brands. CMPS has been participating at SMM for many years, and the MaK brand has been on show since the very first SMM in 1960. 

  • Wartsila powers into ship design

    18 Jul 2008

    Finnish propulsion systems specialist Wartsila has acquired the global ship design group Vik-Sandvik, an independent group providing design and engineering services to ship owners and the ship building industry worldwide. 

Safety & Training

  • No margin for safety

    30 Aug 2008

    A potentially life threatening gap in legislation has been highlighted by distress signals company Chemring Marine, the parent company of the Pains Wessex and Comet brands. A spokesman has pointed out that in some countries, signals in annually serviced life rafts can legitimately be up to 17 months out of date before being replaced.  

  • Skills tide rising at Brightlingsea Harbour

    30 Aug 2008

    A learning centre has won a regional learndirect Achievement Award for its work with employees at Brightlingsea Harbour.  

  • Navigation training for HRH Prince William

    30 Aug 2008

    His Royal Highness Prince William, heir to the British throne, started a short attachment with the Royal Navy in June and following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather underwent training at the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) at Dartmouth. 

Security

  • Effective security for workboats

    01 Sep 2008

    From French luxury yachts to freighters, it seems that no vessel is immune from the scourge of modern day piracy attacks, writes Stuart Flynn of Securewest International. 

  • Wave goodbye to marine diesel crime wave

    01 Sep 2008

    These days of rising fuel costs have inspired a new breed of thief, marine diesel siphoners. Midnight transfers of fuel from both leisure and commercial craft are rising in tandem with the cost of energy. 

Tugs & Towing extra by Jack Gaston

  • A very public salvage operation

    01 Sep 2008

    Salvors sometimes complain that salvage has to be carried out in the public gaze. On 31 July Terneuzen based Multraship, working in cooperation with Belgian salvage operator URS Salvage & Maritime Contracting, refloated an Italian flag chemical carrier which grounded off the Dutch coast on a heavily populated tourist beach.  

  • Towlines

    01 Sep 2008

    The 35m triple screw anchor handling tug AK Burkut has been delivered by Hepworth Shipyard on Humberside to the Holyhead Towing Company Ltd in late July. A sister to the Afon Cadnant, built in the Netherlands in 2007, the new 54.5 tons bollard pull tug will be operated in the Caspian Sea, based in Kazakhstan, under a joint venture with Caspinsky Buksir.  

  • Robert Allan Ltd looks to the future

    01 Sep 2008

    Leading tug design company Robert Allan Ltd (RAL), based in Vancouver, has announced that a long-planned restructuring of the company has now been completed. The restructuring will ensure long term continuity of the high quality design and independent engineering service to the marine industry for which Robert Allan Ltd. has become so well known throughout its 78 year history. 

  • Fowey to ‘downsize’ its tug fleet

    01 Sep 2008

    A significant reduction in the traditional china clay trade has forced the Fowey Harbour Commissioners to reconsider the future of its current tug fleet.  

  • Fairplay and Multraship join forces

    01 Sep 2008

    Dutch towage and salvage specialist Multraship and Hamburg based Fairplay Towage have joined forces to create a platform for expansion. Under a recent agreement, Fairplay BV, the Dutch arm of the Fairplay group, will take a 50% shareholding in Muller Maritime Holding, the holding company for Multraship. The two companies joined forces in order to strengthen their strategic position and intend to expand their activities jointly. 

  • First new Milford tug in trouble

    01 Sep 2008

    Svitzer Waterston, the first of a fleet of brand new tugs to serve LNG shipping due to commence shortly at Milford Haven, had to be withdrawn from service just a few days after arriving at the port. The tug suffered a grounding incident whilst on trials and has had to be taken to dry dock at Birkenhead to have possible damage to the propulsion units fully investigated. Milford Haven Port Authority stated that the tug was able to return to a berth without assistance but the matter is being fully investigated and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is involved.  

  • Rederi reports exceptional progress

    01 Sep 2008

    At a recent seminar in Haugesund, Norway, Ostensjo Rederi A/S reported some major successes in the towage and offshore sectors and outlined their plans for the future.  

Tugs, Towing & Salvage

  • Hot August start for Kotug

    01 Sep 2008

    Last month got off to a busy start for Rotterdam based Kotug International BV. The liner SS Rotterdam arrived at the Maascenter buoy on Monday the 4th after a short voyage from Wilhemshaven, towed in by Kotug’s tugs RT Magic and RT Spirit.  

  • MaK keeps trouble out of Harms' way

    01 Sep 2008

    Since maritime services company Harms Bergung Transport & Heavylift GmbH in Hamburg re-entered the sea towage market in 2004, its first new generation, MaK-powered anchor handling tug Primus has proven its worth in daily service. 

  • Bollard pull buoy is world's largest

    01 Sep 2008

    The largest offshore structure in the Mediterranean was recently positioned 12 nautical miles off the Ravenna coast in 25m of water in order to test bollard pull. The zone is a special area equipped for testing the power and efficiency of tugboats. 

Vessel Repair & Maintenance

  • European operators spend big at ASRY

    01 Sep 2008

    With marine activity in the Gulf skyrocketing, the Bahrain based Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY) has again broken all previous records during the first quarter of the year.  

  • BV accesses safety for ship surveyors

    01 Sep 2008

    Classification society Bureau Veritas has developed guidelines intended to reduce the number of accidents to seafarers and surveyors during the inspection and maintenance of ships' structures. The guidelines will help yards to design in safety in detail. 

  • Repairs delay voyage of 'Discovery'

    01 Sep 2008

    The 700 passenger, 20,000gt cruise ship Discovery, owned and operated by the UK based Voyages of Discovery, had to cancel a scheduled cruise from Harwich in Essex recently when engineers were called in to attend to serious problems in the second of four main engines.  

  • Sinking 'Ice Maiden' leaves gap

    01 Sep 2008

    A&P Tyne is out hunting for a 'substantial' piece of work to fill the gap left by the sinking of Scottish C&M Group, and with it the Ice Maiden contract.  

MTU IRONMEN