Olympic Orders Two Large AHTS/construction

Transcription

8e jaargang, nr. 1
dd. 14 Januari 2007
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Aankoop, verkoop, nieuwbouw, vernoemingen, etc.
New Tug Put to Work on First Day of Job
It didn't take long for the state to make use of a new rescue tug stationed at the northwestern tip of the
Olympic Peninsula. Just before midnight on New Year's Eve, a wooden fishing vessel with two men and
hundreds of gallons of fuel on board was reported drifting near Cape Alava, the scenic beach in Olympic
National Park about 10 miles south of Cape Flattery. The new tug, owned by Crowley Marine Services
and named Gladiator, was not scheduled to take over from a Foss Maritime tug until midnight. But it had
arrived at its new station by 11 p.m. and responded when the call came in. The Gladiator towed the
disabled vessel into Neah Bay and turned it over to the Coast Guard, the state Ecology Department said
Monday in a statement. The state had expected Foss Maritime to keep a tug stationed at Neah Bay
through the winter, but Foss said it could not because of a shortage of tugs in the region. Crowley
Maritime Corp. of Jacksonville, Fla., responded by agreeing to provide a tug for $8,500 a day, plus fuel,
effective Monday. A rescue tug has been stationed at Neah Bay for the past eight winters The vessel
assists disabled ships to prevent them from drifting onto rocks and possibly spilling oil. It's the first line of
defense for the state's inland waters, with the next available resources 60 miles into the Strait of Juan de
Fuca at Port Angeles. Since 1999, the rescue tug service has assisted 30 disabled ships. State lawmakers
provided Ecology $1.4 million with the goal of providing about 200 days of rescue tug service this winter.
(Source: Seattle PI)
Olympic orders two large AHTS/construction vessels from Ulstein Verft
Olympic Shipping in Norway has ordered two large anchor handling/construction vessels from Ulstein
Verft. The vessels are of the ULSTEIN A122 design from Ulstein Design, which will be the largest anchor
handling vessels ever built and delivered by Ulstein. The value of the contract is approximately NKr 1.3
billion. “We are satisfied with the two ships we received earlier from Ulstein, and have two newbuildings
under construction there now. All of these vessels are operating, or will operate, in anchor handling and
subsea operations. Now, as we order two combination vessels, it is to strengthen our skills towards the
market we operate in,” said Stig Remøy, President of Olympic Shipping. “The vessels are environmentally
friendly because they have Clean Design and halve the energy consumption in important operations.
Much labour has been put into creating safer working conditions on deck. These are important focus areas
to us”. Gunvor Ulstein, CEO of Ulstein group, said she was "very happy" that Olympic has once again
chosen Ulstein to build advanced anchor handling vessels. “The new contracts demonstrates that the solid
relationship between Olympic and Ulstein is important when developing vessels for tomorrow’s demanding
marine operations. Ulstein´s strength lies in keeping design, engineering, electronic and production in one
group. Being able to coordinate our resources to create projects like these make us an interesting
cooperating partner,” she said. The vessels will be the first with a hybrid propulsion system developed by
Ulstein Design. The hybrid system allows the vessels to switch between diesel mechanical and diesel
electric propulsion, and to combine the two in hybrid mode in order to achieve maximum pulling power.
This makes the vessels more economical and environmentally efficient. "The ULSTEIN A122 is a multipurpose vessel for many different operations,” said managing director in Ulstein Verft Karsten Sævik. "A
vessel of this kind spends a considerable amount of time waiting for its next job, and then there is much to
save by using diesel electric propulsion. When the vessel sails in transit, it is an advantage if it uses its
diesel mechanical propulsion as it loses less propulsion effect at medium speeds." “When Olympic gets
the new vessels in March and October 2009, they will receive highly modern vessels to execute
demanding jobs. Both vessels will be equipped with a highly impressive winch from Rolls-Royce with a
huge 500 ton drum and two 450 ton drums. The vessels are prepared for a 250 ton offshore crane and
two different kinds of A-frames. They have DP2 (dynamic positioning) and an ROV garage. The vessels
can accommodate 68 workers," explained Harald Møller, deputy managing director at Ulstein Verft. The
Ulstein group will also undertake extensive work on the electrical side: Ulstein Elektro will deliver
*** Een J.v.d.Ster – Marcol Production ***
ULSTEIN COM, ULSTEIN IAS, switchboards, desks, motor control centres (MCC), engine starters and
navigation and communication components for the newbuilds. The vessels will be 93.8m long and 23m
wide, with bollard pull of more than 250 tons. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Siem Offshore orders another newbuild at Kleven
Siem Offshore has ordered another MT 6017 from Kleven. Kleven Verft in Ulsteinvik, Norway, has signed
a contract with Siem Offshore for the construction of a MT 6017 design MPSV. The design was developed
by Marin Teknikk working closely with the yard and owner. The contract is worth NKr 350 million, and the
vessel will be 93.7m long, with a beam of 19.7m, and a working deck of 1,047m2. There will
be accommodation for 68, and the contract includes an offshore crane and helideck. The vessel is a sister
vessel to the yard’s newbuilding number 323, a contract Siem Offshore placed with Kleven Verft in August
2006. The vessel will be delivered in the first quarter of 2009 as the yard's newbuilding number 326. This
is Siem Offshore's 11th contract with Kleven Verft. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Great Offshore takes delivery of another AHTS
Great Offshore in India has announced that it has taken delivery of a newbuild AHTS, Malaviya Twenty
Eight. The vessel was delivered on December 26th 2006. The company's fleet now stands at 39 offshore
vessels and rigs including two rigs, 25 OSVs, 11 harbour tugs and a construction barge. Great Offshore
'demerged' from GE Shipping towards the end of last year and was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange
on December 21st. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Rectificatie
In de laatste S & O Nieuwsbrief werd melding gemaakt dat de Lowgarth, zou zijn herdoopt in Jack Plane.
Echter via Lekko kreeg ik het bericht door dat dit echter niet juist is; i.p.v. Jack Plane moet dit zijn Charles
Plane. Zij is inmiddels als Charles Plane uit Lowestoft naar Nigeria vertrokken. (Bron Lekko)
From Owners we can develop the below mentioned tug for sale.
Name
: Boa Master (Tug)
Flag
: Norwegian
Built
: 1994 at Astilleros Armon Nav Spain
Class
: DNV
Dimensions
: 30.00 x 9.85 x 5.40 x 4.20 Metres (L x B x D x Draft)
Tonnages
: 362 GRT
Engines
: 2 x Caterpillar 3516 giving 4000 BHP
Propulsion
: 2 x Schottel 1212 azimuth propellers
Bollard Pull
: 53 Tonnes Continuous / 53 Tonnes Max
AH/Tow Winch
: 2 x Drums, 80 Tonnes Brake Load
Capacities
: FO 228 M³ - PW 50 M³
Firefighting
: 2 Monitors
Owners Asking
: USD 4,200,000
Comments
: Expected to arrive Stavanger, Norway medio February 2007.
Particulars believed to be correct but not guaranteed.
Lockport Builds Triple Screw Model Bow Tug
Dickie Adams’ at Lockport Fabrication has a triple screw model bow tug building for Russell Plaisance of
Galliano Louisiana. Powered by three six-cylinder Cummins KTA19 engines the boat is being built to a
Frank Basile (Entech and Associates Inc.) design. While a triple engine and triple screw configuration is a
common method of maintaining a shallow draft, this boat is interesting in that only the middle propeller is
fitted with a kort nozzles while the two outside props will be open. Basle explains that he has had vessels
built to this design with two Cummins KTA38s for main engines but since this owner will be using the boat
to service near shore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico the triple engine installation will deliver a similar
bollard pull with a shallower draft. The 84 x 27-ft. vessel has an 11.6-ft., molded depth and will be
delivered in the spring of 2007. (Source: Marinelink)
Bollinger Delivers ATB to Bouchard
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. of Lockport, Louisiana and Bollinger Gretna L.L.C., Harvey, La., have delivered
the articulated tug/barge (ATB) unit, tug Linda Lee Bouchard and barge B. No. 205 to Bouchard oastwise
Management Corp., Melville, N.Y. The double hull, ocean going asphalt, residual fuel oil Barge B. No. 205,
built at Bollinger Gretna meets the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) and is rated for
110,000 BBLs of product in sixteen cargo tanks. B. No. 205 measures 430-ft. long, with a 79-ft. beam and
a depth of 34 ft., and is constructed with a flat deck, as are all, of Bouchard double hull vessels. The barge
is certified ABS +1 Oil Tank Barge, USCG Manned Ocean Service, US flagged for grade A and lower
petroleum products. The vessel is outfitted with three John Deere cargo pump engines, three SC
Engineering cargo pumps and three John Deere generator units. Product temperature is maintained with
two 12,000,000 BTU thermal fluid heaters, and tank gauging is monitored with the Bergan Radar system,
and vessel is equipped with vapor recovery. The engineering, fabrication and construction of the barge
were a joint effort between three Bollinger locations, with Bollinger Lockport engineering providing design
support, Bollinger Marine Fabricators providing panel construction, and Bollinger Gretna building the unit.
The B. No. 205 is the thirteenth OPA’90 tank barge to come out of the Bollinger Gretna location. This
addition to the Bouchard fleet will give Bouchard fourteen OPA’90 barges in their fleet. The Linda Lee
Bouchard named in honor of the wife of president and chief executive officer of Bouchard Affiliates,
Morton S. Bouchard lII, is a 6,140 hp, 130 x 38 x 22 ft. oceangoing tug. The vessel is outfitted with the
Intercon Coupler System and tow winch. The vessel is ABS certified for Oceans trade, ABS Class
+A1+AMS Full Oceans and SOLAS. The main engines are two EMD 16/645/F7BA turbo charged units
rated for 3070 horse power each. The four generators, three primary and one emergency, are powered by
John Deere Tier II compliant engines rated at 99kW and 65kW, respectively. The next Bouchard hull
coming out of Bollinger Gretna will be an 80,000 BBL OPA’90 tank barge, B. No. 282, sister to the B. No.
280 that Bollinger delivered in May, 2006. (Source: Marinelink)
Rolls-Royce Gets Icelandic Coast Guard Contract
Rolls-Royce has won a contract to supply the design and a full equipment package for a multi purpose
coastguard vessel to be built by ASMAR in Chile for the government of Iceland. On completion in 2009 the
vessel will perform a variety of tasks, including coastguard duties and management of Iceland’s Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ), fishery control, standby and rescue, emergency towing, pollution prevention, oil
recovery and firefighting. To meet Iceland’s requirements, UT-Design in Rolls-Royce has developed the
UT 512 L. The starting point was the Norwegian coastguard vessel KV Harstad, type UT 512, built for a
Norwegian shipowner and chartered to Kystvakt . This ship has proved very successful since it entered
service at the beginning of 2005, and carries out duties comparable to those planned by Landhelgisgæsla
Islands (The Icelandic Coastguard) for its new ship. However, although the Norwegian vessel was the
starting point, the Icelandic one is substantially different. At 93.65m long it is about ten metres longer, and
broader, at 16m beam. The hull lines have also been revised to allow for the higher speed requirement of
more than 19 knots. The result is an easily propelled hull with bulb bow, a long forecastle, a foredeck gun
turret, a large wheelhouse set well back, and a working deck aft. There will be accommodation for 48
people in single and two-berth cabins. Rolls-Royce is to supply a package of equipment and systems. Two
Bergen main engines each rated at 4,500kW will provide the power in a twin screw arrangement with shaft
generators on the main gearboxes and CP propellers. In view of the high speed requirement, open water
propellers have been specified, but even so the bollard pull will be about 100 tonnes. A Rolls-Royce
dyanamic positioning system will meet IMO DP1 standard, working in conjunction with a Poscon joystick
system controlling the engines, CP propellers, high-lift flap rudders with independent steering gears and
the four thrusters. Two 450kW tunnel thrusters will be mounted at the bow, together with an 883kW swingup azimuth thruster. A third tunnel thruster will be installed in the stern skeg. The propulsion system is
designed to provide a high level of redundancy and good maneuverability. The machinery can be run in
several modes, reducing the amount of energy required to satisfy the vessel’s many operating profiles and
so minimising the environmental footprint. Increased tanker traffic, particularly northwest Russia to USA,
along environmentally-sensitive coastlines is one driving force behind Iceland’s investment in a large new
coastguard vessel. The UT 512 L will therefore have a bollard pull of about 100 tons, so that in an
emergency it can tow stricken tankers of up to about 200,000 tonnes deadweight. It will also have tank
capacity for recovered oil and a full outfit of oil booms and skimmers. Iceland has a fleet of three
coastguard vessels at present, Tyr, Ægir and Odin. These are well-respected but are now very old. The
new UT512 L will replace Odin and provide a much increased capability. The new ship will have a large
operating area in a region with challenging weather conditions. Rolls-Royce has drawn on long experience
with more than 500 UT-Design offshore vessels to offer a ship providing a safe and effective platform for
operations in all weathers. (Source:Jan van der Doe)
Larger Crewboat from Breaux’s Bay Craft
In keeping with the trend to larger crew/supply boat, Breaux’s Bay Craft of Loreauville, La., a have
developed a new 175 x 31-ft. design. The first vessel being built to the new design will be for Joel
Brousard’s J&B Operations of Lockport LA. Previously that yards largest boat was 162 x 30. The new
larger design will increase capacities from 17,000 gallons of fuel to nearly 25,000 gallons and rig water will
increase from 40,000 to almost 50,000. Propulsion on the new crew boat will be four V-16 KTA50 M2
engines rated for 1800 hp at 1900 rpm with a heavy-duty rating. The engines will turn 50x54-inch fourblade props on 5-inch through Twin Disc MG6848 gears with 2.93:1 reduction. Design speeds for the
vessel are approximately 29 knots light ship and 27 knots with 110 tons of cargo. Delivery of the new
vessel, to be named M/V Ms. Caroline, is scheduled for the early spring of 2007. (Source:Marinelink)
8e jaargang, nr. 2
dd. 21 Januari 2007
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Opgelet!! Fotograven
Wij de SmitWijs Singapore hopen de 24e januari in Rotterdam aan te komen, bestemming word de
Waalhaven, bij Smit. Vertrek met de SSP Piranema samen met de SmitWijs London naar Brazilie staat
nu geplanned voor de 26e Januari. Het bijzondere is dat de grote letters SMITWIJS na de dokking in
Tuzla niet meer zijn aangebracht, dit in afwachting van de nieuwe naam welke SvitzerWijsmuller gaat
vervangen. Zijn een nieuwe naam aan het verzinnen om al hun sleepboten worldwide onder te
benoemen. (Source: SmitWijs Singapore)
Offshore Ship Designers Create New Resource
Three offshore, ship and tug design and technical consulting companies have joined forces to provide a
new one-stop resource for oil companies, offshore operators, tug owners, ports and shipyards. Offshore
Ship Designers, based in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, bring together the skills, experience, innovation and
workforce of naval architects and engineers of Dutch companies Sea of Solutions BV, WorldWise Marine
BV and UK-based IMT Marine Consultants. The formation of Offshore Ship Designers follows the
acquisition of the majority shareholding in IMT by Sea of Solutions and WorldWise Marine, which was
completed at the end of 2006. Current projects underway at OSD include the design of a pipelay/derrick
vessel with a 3,000 tonne lift capability for the Larsen & Toubro Sapura Crest joint venture, the design of
four 60 tonne bollard pull escort tugs for a Turkish yard, and tender support for numerous PSVs and OSVs
for North Sea service. Recent deliveries include four IMT 992 Regional Support Vessels for BP
Shipping/BP Exploration Operating Company built at Yantai Raffles Shipyard, and the fifth in a series of
seven IMT 948 Standby Vessels for North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Limited built by Astilleros Balenciaga,
Spain. (Source: Marinelink)
Verret Shipyard Building Another for Blessy
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 Ted Verret reports that his family's Plaquamine Louisiana shipyard will be sea
trialing the new Blessey Marine push boat M/V Capt. Lance Dragon next week with a scheduled February
1 delivery. The 76 x 30 x 10-ft. towboat will be powered by a pair of Cummins KTA38 M0 engines rated for
850 hp each at 1800 RPM for a total of 170 rpm. Marine gears are a pair of Reintjes WAF562 with 6:1
ratios. The busy yard already has the keel laid and bulwarks formed for a 116x32-foot towboat for the
same customer. One of the assets of the Verret yard is its full service machine shop where the lathes are
busy working on shafts for the yard's own boats and for other customers that send shafts up to 32 feet by
12 inches for repair. In early December of 2006 machinist Mike Ferguson, with 28 years of lathe work and
related experience, had a pair of seven-inch by 23-ft. shafts ready for the new 76-foot Blessey towboat.
Both of the new towboats will be fitted with Thordon shaft bearings. In December he was shaping the
bearing blanks to the correct dimensions for the new shafts. Because it was cold in the shop, he was
working with the lowest category on a temperature chart supplied by the manufacturer that gave varied
tolerances depending on the ambient temperature. Once he had set up the lathe he let it run and the fine
strands of material peeled off in an arching and spiraling stream that piled up on the floor to be picked up
later with a hayfork. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Sale of Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessels MÆRSK LIFTER
18/01/2007 A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S have 17 January 2007 at 13:25 hours local time in Esbjerg, Denmark
delivered AHTS “MÆRSK LIFTER” to new owners International Transport Contractors Management BV.
The vessel has been renamed “Boulder”.
Stricken Ship in the English Channel Is Being Towed
Bloomberg reported that a container ship that ran into difficulties in the English Channel is now being
towed to the French port of Le Havre, said an official from the company that hired it. An official at
Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA in Geneva, which has hired the MSC Napoli, said the ship was under tow.
Earlier today, British Broadcasting Corp. reported that a vessel was sinking in the sea between England
and France. The U.K.'s Maritime & Coastguard Agency said the vessel wasn't being towed. All 26 crew
have abandoned ship and two Royal Navy helicopters have been dispatched to assist in the operation,
which is being led by the French coast guard, the Maritime & Coastguard said in a statement on its Web
site. Further questions to Mediterranean Shipping were directed to the ship's owner, Zodiac Maritime
Agencies Ltd. in London. Officials from Zodiac declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg News.
The vessel got into trouble off Lizard, the Maritime & Coastguard said. Source: Bloomberg. (Source:
Marinelink)
8e jaargang, nr. 3
dd. .. Januari 2007
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Crowley Expands Tug Business in Northern California
Crowley Maritime Corporation announced today that it has purchased the tug boat business of SeaRiver
Maritime in Northern California, effectively doubling the size of Crowley's tug fleet in the San Francisco
Bay Area. The two new Crowley tugs are the Goliah (4400 BHP) and Resolute (6800 BHP), two azimuth
stern drive tractor tugs built in 1997 and 1996, respectively. The purchase of SeaRiver follows Crowley's
reentry into the Bay Area in 2004 and the subsequent relocation of Crowley's Oakland terminal from 10th
Avenue to Berth 9 at the port in 2006. That move helped put the company's tugs closer to its customers.
(Source: Jan van der Doe)
Fred Wahl Marine building triple-screw tug
From the waterline up, the 72'x30' triple-screw tug being built at Fred Wahl Marine Construction for Ruby
Marine in Nenana, Alaska, isn’t much different from boats that work on the Mississippi River system.
Below the waterline, however, there’s a distinct difference. "She’s missing half a hull," said Matt Sweetsir,
who heads up Ruby Marine. That’s because the boat, which was designed by Entech & Associates,
Houma, La., only draws 3'6". To get that shallow, the 38" props are tucked up into tunnels. "The tops of
the propeller blades are just about at the waterline," said Mike Lee, general manager for Reedsport, Ore.based Fred Wahl Marine. The shallow draft is necessary because of the rivers the tug and its two
150'x40'x6' barges will ply. The 72-footer will push loads of fuel and freight on the Yukon, Kuskokwim and
Nushagak rivers in western Alaska. Portions of the rivers are particularly shallow in the spring and fall. "If
we don’t have three-and-a-half feet, we are not able to get to all the villages," Sweetsir said. There are a
couple of other aspects to the tug’s operation that aren’t found in the Lower 48. Besides seasonal shallow
water, the rivers quickly freeze during the minus-60º winters. Thus Ruby Marine’s tug will either be tucked
away in a slough or hauled up on the beach for the winter. To prevent pipes from freezing during the
winter layover, the plumbing is designed to be easily drained. "Even if the runs don’t look good, they need
to have slope and cleanouts to get the water out," said Lee. Between freezes, the rivers are navigable for
only about four-and-a-half months. "It goes from the last week of May to early October. Five [months]
would be great, but I’ve never seen it," said Sweetsir. With such a short season, there’s no crew rotation.
The crew that arrives in May stays "until the boat is put away," he said. Thus crew comfort is especially
important. Lee said there’s a recreation room on the boat. The boat is also air-conditioned. Granted, the
temperature only gets to about 85° for a month, but Sweetsir said he wants to do everything possible for
the crew to get plenty of rest, which can be difficult when there is daylight 24 hours a day. To reduce
engine noise, the overhead in the engine room has plenty of sound-dampening insulation. The main
engines are three 500-hp Lugger diesels. There’s also a pair of 55-kw Northern Lights generators, which
will be used mostly for hotel power. On the foredeck will be a pair of Nabrico 40-11-14 five-hp electric
winches, along with one Nabrico 40-11-M hand-operated winch. The all-aluminum house has three levels.
The hull, main deck and trunk on which the house sits are steel. The top of the 3' raised steel trunk is the
engine room’s overhead. Without the raised structure, there would only be 4' between the main deck and
the bottom of the boat, hardly enough space for an engine room. The tug will be delivered by early April.
Ruby Marine’s two 150-foot barges are under construction at Beoufway Contractors’ Louisiana facilities in
Houma and Amelia. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Boatbuilding Bitts
At a ceremony held on the New Orleans waterfront in late November, Florida Marine Transporters
christened three 90'x'32'x12' pushboats. The boats were built at Eastern Shipbuilding Group. The Panama
City, Fla., yard is building a total of 25 towboats for Mandeville, La.-based FMT. Six have now been
completed with the final 19 set for delivery at a rate of one every five weeks. The 25th and final pushboat
will be delivered in 2008. The three boats christened at the ceremony, the Tim Burns, Ronnie Rogers
and Chris Pike, are named after FMT employees. All feature twin 1,155-hp Caterpillar 3512s for
propulsion. FMT President John Roberts said the company now has 38 towboats. Some of the older ones
will be sold as the new boats are delivered. In addition, the company is adding 130 new 30,000-bbl.
barges to its fleet, said Roberts. The average age of the company’s tank-barge fleet is only three years.
Conrad Industries Inc., Morgan City, La., has signed contracts with Bay-Houston Towing Co. and
Suderman & Young Towing Co., both of Houston, for the construction of two 98' Z-Tech 7500-class
terminal/escort tugs. The ABS-classed tugs will provide harbor tug services for LNG vessels calling at the
Freeport LNG terminal, which is currently under construction in Freeport, Texas. G&H Towing Co.,
Galveston, Texas, will operate the two tugs, which will be built at Conrad’s Orange Shipbuilding facility in
Orange, Texas. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, the new Z-Techs will be the
second pair built in the U.S. The first two, also for Bay-Houston and Suderman & Young, have been under
construction at Main Iron Works, Houma, La., since the spring of 2005. Hurricane disruption and other
problems have delayed delivery. Conrad also announced a new contract with Foss Maritime Co., Seattle,
for the construction of three 35,000-bbl. double-skin barges to be equipped as bunkering barges for West
Coast operations. The 290'x62'x18'6" barges also will be built at Orange Shipbuilding, which is currently
completing two 26,000-bbl. double-skin barges for Foss. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Tug Will Help Ships Cope With Inlet Ice: PRESSURE: Standby Boat Has Been
Recommended to Avoid Catastrophes.
Jan. 17--A powerful tugboat is headed to Cook Inlet to help shepherd oil tankers in dangerous, ice-choked
waters. The move by Tesoro Alaska Co., which has a refinery and tanker dock at Nikiski, drew applause
from U.S. Coast Guard officers and oil industry watchdog groups. All say a tug could help avert a
catastrophic shipwreck and oil spill by standing by to corral a distressed or runaway ship. Watchdogs
called for a tug and other measures after a Jan. 9 incident in which lines securing the tanker Seabulk
Pride to the Nikiski dock were strained -- with one snapping -- when heavy, tide-driven ice pushed up
against the ship. It was the same tanker that broke away entirely from its moorings in similar icy conditions
last February, allowing the powerless ship to drift onto a beach just north of the dock. Rescuers using tugs
brought from Anchorage and elsewhere mounted a frantic and ultimately successful effort to refloat the
600-foot tanker, which was loaded with nearly 5 million gallons of petroleum products. British consultants
who studied Tesoro's dock and mooring procedures reported in December that "ships using the berth
have an unacceptably high risk of breakaway." They suggested increasing the number of mooring lines
and having a tug stand by as ways to improve shipping safety. Coast Guard Capt. Mark DeVries said
Tuesday he's pleased that Tesoro is bringing in the tug. He said the company told him the tug would be in
Cook Inlet at least through the winter when shifting ice can blanket parts of the Inlet. The 5,500horsepower tractor tug, operated by Crowley Maritime Corp., is coming up from Seattle and is due in Cook
Inlet this week, ahead of the next oil tanker scheduled to arrive at the Tesoro dock late this month,
DeVries said. "I'm quite excited," he said. "We all can sleep a little bit easier knowing that if something
goes wrong, we've got that extra asset down there." Jim Butler, a Kenai representative for Seabulk
Tankers Inc., operator of the Seabulk Pride and other ships calling in Cook Inlet, said the company
supports Tesoro's move to bring in the tug. "It's an important tool," Butler said. Whether a tug remains in
Cook Inlet in future years is part of a larger debate now going on about shipping safety, he said. Tesoro
spokesman Kip Knudson said his company is paying for the tug, named the Protector, but he didn't know
the cost. The contract is for this winter only, he said. "It's certainly going to add another layer of protection
to our marine operations," he said. Officials with the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council, a
Kenai-based oil industry watchdog group, praised the decision to bring in the tug. "Tugs play a role
everywhere that oil tankers port in the U.S., and it's time Cook Inlet saw similar safeguards, especially
during winter months when ice becomes such a hazard," said Michael Munger, the group's executive
director. The tug is expected to be used at the Nikiski dock and possibly at the Drift River dock on the west
side of Cook Inlet, the council said. While Cook Inlet has tugs based in Anchorage and other ports, the
one Tesoro is bringing in is much more powerful, said the Coast Guard's DeVries. The tug is similar to
Crowley tractor tugs used to escort the larger oil tankers in Prince William Sound, he said.
Bob Shavelson, with the Homer-based environmental group Cook Inletkeeper, also hailed the tug's
coming. "This is a huge step for industry because historically they have denied tugs make things safer," he
said. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Jaya Shipyard to Deliver AHTS
Sea Supply has announced that it expects to take delivery of its first large AHTS vessel Sea Cheetah
from Jaya Shipyard in Singapore on February 8th 2007. The delivery date is according to the original time
schedule. Deep Sea Supply has also announced that it has entered into a 3-4 month time charter with
Acergy for the vessel. The value of the charter is approximately US$6.5 million including fees for
mobilization and demobilization. The vessel will go directly to West Africa which will be the area of
operation. (Source: Marinelink)
Grote klus voor twee SmitWijsslepers
ROTTERDAM - Dit weekeinde staat er in de haven van Rotterdam weer een ouderwets grote sleepklus
voor de deur. Het Noorse olieproductieplatform SSP Piranema vertrekt dan bij de werf Keppel Verolme in
de Botlek naar zee. Het drijvende platform van Sevan Marine moet een plek innemen voor de kust van
Brazilië waar het in opdracht van de Braziliaanse oliemaatschappij Petrobras ruwe aardolie naar boven
gaat halen en verwerken voor verder transport. Het platform in de vorm van een reuzenkoektrommel met
opbouw wordt eerst door havenslepers van Smit en Kotug uit de haven van Keppel-Verolme gesleept om
daarna te worden overgegeven aan twee voormalige mammoetslepers van Smit Internationale, de
SmitWijs Singapore (1984) en SmitWijs Londen (1975). Beide slepers zijn deze week aangekomen in
Rotterdam. Aanvankelijk zou de sleep al gisteren op weg zijn gegaan maar dit is uitgesteld. Het transport
staat nu gepland voor morgenmiddag. De definieve beslissing daarover valt vanavond. (Source: Antoon
Oosting)
Bijlboeg snijdt en voorkomt paaltjespikken
Oude rotten herkennen er een klassieke bakdekkruiser in en voor wat betreft de contouren van de steven
zitten ze er niet ver naast. De bijlboeg van het opvallende Damen-ontwerp Fast Crew Supplier 3507 snijdt,
net als de toenmalige bakdekkers, het water doormidden. Voordeel is dat het aluminium vaartuig minder
gevoelig is voor golfbewegingen en geen last heeft van paaltjespikken. Op vrijdag 19 januari kreeg een
select gezelschap, bestaande uit potentiële klanten van Damen Shipyards en een ploegje maritieme
journalisten, de kans om aan de Maasboulevard te Vlaardingen kennis te maken met de
vaareigenschappen van de enigszins hoekige maar supersnelle crew supplier Sea Axe. Damen Shipyards
telt ongeveer vijftien productgroepen met elk zijn specialiteit. High Speed Crafts is één van die
productgroepen en daaronder ressorteert de range aan zogenoemde Fast Crew Suppliers. De Fast Crew
Supplier is een baanbrekend ontwerp, bedoeld om de ontwikkelingen in de offshore bij te benen. Jaap
Gelling, directeur van de productgroep High Speed Crafts: De offshore is voor wat dit schip betreft onze
belangrijkste doelgroep. Wij constateren dat de boorplatformen steeds verder van de kust verwijderd
staan en dat de karakteristieke robuuste supplier relatief traag is. Dergelijke vaartuigen kunnen weliswaar
veel gewicht meenemen, maar ze zijn veel langer onderweg. Het komt steeds vaker voor dat op een
platform plotseling materiaal nodig is of dat personeel snel afgelost dient te worden. Wij hebben daar op
ingespeeld door met een ontwerp te komen, dat twee keer zo snel is en ook nog een behoorlijke vracht
kan meenemen. De kracht van de Sea Axe is de bijlboeg, die ervoor zorgt dat de snelheid bij ongunstige
weersomstandigheden op hetzelfde niveau blijft. De wrijving van de bijlboeg is gering en dat garandeert
een snelle doortocht zonder problemen te hebben met het fenomeen paaltjespikken. De Sea Axe is 35,95
meter lang, 7,33 meter breed en heeft een diepgang van 3,30 meter. De bunkercapaciteit bedraagt 28
ton. Aan boord is ruimte voor veertig ton materiaal en de accommodatie is geschikt voor het vervoer van
dertig passagiers. Verder bestaat de accommodatie uit twee eenpersoons en twee tweepersoons hutten.
Uitgerust met drie Caterpillars C32C, goed voor een gezamenlijk vermogen van 4200 pk, haalt de Fast
Crew Supplier 3507 op volle snelheid ruim 22 knopen. Met minder gewicht aan boord bereikt de Sea Axe
gemakkelijk 28 knopen. In een bedrijfstak waar tijd geld kost, is snelheid van belang. Damen biedt zes
verschillende afmetingen in de range van supersnelle crew suppliers. Die varieert van 11,80 meter tot
58,50 meter lange crew suppliers. Recentelijk zijn er zo’n zes supersnelle crew suppliers in de range van
veertig tot vijftig meter lengte aan verschillende opdrachtgevers afgeleverd. De werf verwacht in de naaste
toekomst meer van dergelijke vaartuigen te kunnen bouwen voor de offshore. Het gaat hier om een
groeimarkt, zegt Gelling (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 4
dd. 04 Februari 2007
_______________________________________________________________
Two New Tugs for SMIT International
The Rotterdam based towing company SMIT International has ordered for her Terminal division two tugs
in Turkey. The contract for the building of the tugs was signed last week with Bogazici Shipping in
Istanbul. Both tugs will be built at the GeTa shipyard in Tuzla. The tugs will be built under Bureau Veritas
Classification and are from the Cintranaval-Defcar design. Both tugs named SMIT Europe and SMIT
Africa will be delivered May 2007. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
Two for CH Offshore
February 1, 2007, PG Marine in Norway has been awarded contracts for another two cargo handling
equipment packages for vessels building for CH Offshore at Universal Shipbulding's Keihin Yard
in Japan.CH Offshore in Singapore recently declared optional contracts for another two MX-A120 anchor
handlers, and PG's scope of supply is the same as the first two ships and is due for delivery in the third
quarter of 2009. PG Marine has now secured 16 shipsets in total from Universal, and has orders lasting
until 2010. Another four optional contracts are due to be exercised by the second quarter of 2007.
(Source: Leo Kramer)
Widow Files Federal Lawsuit for $30 Million Against Owner of Tugboat
The widow of a commercial fisherman who died after his vessel collided with a barge near the Key Bridge
last year has filed a federal lawsuit against the owner of a tugboat pushing the barge. Linda Lee Jordan's
complaint against Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. comes about two months after Great Lakes sued
her, as a co- owner of the fishing boat Linda Lee, alleging that Vincent Jordan was at fault. "It's a new suit,
it's their own, because the barge killed her husband and almost killed her son," attorney Michael J.
Winkelman said of the complaint. Regardless, the two cases will likely be consolidated by the court, he
said. Jordan and her son, Vincent Jordan Jr., are seeking $30 million in damages plus any amount to
compensate for the loss of the "Linda Lee." An attorney for Great Lakes declined to comment on the
pending litigation. The incident occurred on Jan. 17, 2006. The tugboat "Richard M. Lowry" was pushing
an empty barge from the Hart-Miller Island dumpsite to a dredging operation in the Curtis Bay Channel.
At about 2 p.m., the barge struck the Linda Lee, sinking it and tossing Vincent Jordan Sr., Vincent Jordan
Jr. and Dale Edward Monroe into the channel. Rescue workers were able to pull all three out of the water,
but resuscitation efforts on the elder Jordan failed and he was pronounced dead. The complaint claims the
fishing vessel called to the tug at least twice before crossing the channel but did not receive a response.
The defendants allegedly failed to run appropriate radar, sound a warning, maintain their course or
communicate their position, among other things. Consequently, "their vessel was caused to strike the
LINDA LEE without warning or notice resulting in the death of Vincent Jordan Sr. and serious and
permanent injures to the Plaintiff Vincent Jordan Jr.," according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in
Baltimore. The complaint includes causes of action for wrongful death, personal injury, property damage
and survival. The suit filed by Great Lakes in November accused the Jordans of negligence and of
operating the fishing boat while intoxicated. The company is seeking $250,000 and suggested Linda Lee
Jordan sell the salvaged boat, engines and tackle to satisfy a judgment in Great Lakes' favor.
Winkelman said his clients tried to negotiate a settlement with the company, but to no avail. The U.S.
Coast Guard has not yet released the results of an investigation into the collision. (Source: The Daily
Record (Baltimore))
Ingram Crew Saves 2 on River: Fast-Moving Ohio Searched for 3rd Person From
Sunken Tug
Jan. 21-- -- The voices in despair sounded as though there were people in the Ohio River, which seemed
unlikely late Friday because no emergency signals had been dispatched from any river vessels. Acting
quickly, crewmen of the motor vessel O.A. Franks followed the sounds of the voices and ran searchlights
across the frigid water until they caught the images of two men in life vests near the Illinois side of the
river, across from the Paducah riverfront at Broadway. The men in the 38-degree water were with the crew
of the tugboat Bruce D, which sank about four miles away in Livingston County on Friday night. Capt.
John Bivens and pilot Shane Brown steered the Franks toward the men, while Capt. Donnie Gifford kept
the motor vessel Terry Gifford to the rear of the Franks. The crews of the Franks and Gifford, both owned
by Ingram Barge Co. in Paducah, were assembling barges for towing when the distress calls were heard
about 11 p.m. Friday. The Franks crewmen threw a line with a life ring to the two men and pulled them
from the swollen river, while the Gifford crew notified emergency agencies, said Ingram spokesman Keel
Hunt in Nashville, Tenn. The rescued men were identified by the Coast Guard as Raymond Alexander
Lang, 33, of Metropolis, Ill., and Steven Fuller, 46, of Benton. However, the third crewman from the
sunken tugboat remained missing Saturday night after rescue agencies searched the river all day from
Livingston to Ballard counties. That person's name was not released. The two rescued crewmen were
taken to Western Baptist Hospital. Fuller was discharged Saturday. Lang remained in stable condition. A
big concern for rescue crews was whether weather would allow the search to continue today. The forecast
called for up to 112 inches of snow by this morning. Conditions on Saturday did not work in the favor of
the rescue crews, who faced swift currents, high water, and massive amounts of logs and other debris
floating down the river. "We're monitoring the weather because that's our biggest problem. It's supposed
to turn bad, but we'll play it by ear," Livingston County Emergency Management Director Brent Stringer
said. "With the debris and the current, we had to suspend the search at dark (Saturday) because at
nighttime we can't see, and it's dangerous with those conditions." Part of Saturday's search included
breaking up large tows that were moored along the Illinois side of the river, Stringer said. The McCracken
County Office of Emergency Management originally organized the search and rescue, but jurisdiction
switched to Livingston County after the tugboat was found there. Some of the questions that remained
unanswered Saturday were what caused the tugboat to sink and why it went down so fast. The tugboat is
owned by National Maintenance and Repair of Kentucky, based in Paducah. It is a subsidiary of McGinnis
Inc. of Cincinnati. The tugboat had been in a fleeting area near Owens Island and was moving barges one
at a time into a large tow when it sank within a few minutes, according to Lt. Jeffery Chapman, spokesman
for the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Paducah. "All we know now is that it went down rapidly,"
Chapman said. "We won't know the cause until we can raise it and do a complete investigation." It also
was unclear what time the tugboat sank. Judging from the distance the men traveled and the current,
rescue crews estimated that the tugboat could have sunk around 10 p.m. Friday. The tugboat went down
so quickly that its crewmen said they did not have time to send a distress signal, McCracken Rescue
Squad Chief Bob Wise said. It may take several days to allow river conditions to improve before divers
can raise the tugboat, Chapman said. Hunt praised the Ingram crews for their quick action. "It certainly is
an unfortunate situation, but one of the great traditions in the maritime industry is crews from other vessels
coming to the aid of another crew in distress," Hunt said. Initially, there was some doubt if the third
crewman managed to leave the sinking vessel. The other crewmen were suffering from hypothermia and
trauma when they were pulled from the river and gave conflicting statements before being taken to a
hospital, Wise said. "One said he made it out with a life vest and a life ring, like a buoy, and the other said
he did not know if the man made it out," Wise said. However, Chapman said there were reports that all
three made it into the water. "We have no reason to think he's still on the boat," Chapman said. The
tugboat, also called a harbor tug, is between 50 and 60 feet long and was discovered shortly before 11:30
a.m. Saturday at mile marker 931.4 in Livingston County near Ledbetter. Searchers reported that the
vessel was lying on its port, or left, side in approximately 50 feet of water and about 300 feet off the Illinois
bank, Wise said. It will be National Maintenance's responsibility to raise the vessel, Chapman said.
According to a company Web site, McGinnis operates six subsidiaries, including National Maintenance
and Repair. Efforts to reach the company for comment were not successful Saturday. The Coast Guard
marked the area where the McGinnis tugboat sank with lighted buoys. The river reopened to navigation
about 4:30 p.m (Source: The Paducah Sun)
Varun Shipping
Varun Shipping has signed Memorandum of Agreement to acquire two un-named 2001-built AHTS
vessels of circa 180 tonnes bollard pull. One of the vessels is scheduled to be delivered by end of
January, 2007 and the second in April/May 2007. "These modern and highly sophisticated world class
vessels will be used for deep sea oil exploration in the North Sea, Bay of Bengal and Atlantic Ocean off
the coasts of Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico," said the company in a statement. These vessels are of VikSandvik design and will be among the highest bollard pull AHTS under the Indian flag. With the acquisition
of vessels, the company will have completed an investment of around US$320 million of a proposed
expansion plan of US$400 million. (Source: Leo Kramer)
RUE and Mokster have ordered this MM6 from Westcon.
Riise Underwater Engineering (RUE) in Norway has announced that together with Simon Møkster Rederi,
the company has ordered a 66m, DP-2 multipurpose offshore vessel to be built at Westcon in western
Norway. The subsea vessel will be delivered in the second quarter of 2009, and RUE and Simon Møkster
Shipping will establish a joint company to own and operate the vessel. Møkster is handling the marine
operations, while RUE is responsable for the marketing and operational running of the vessel. The vessel
will be equipped with diving and ROV equipment. Kystdesign in Haugesund will deliver a Supporter ROV
system in August 2007. The vessel will primarily be engaged in air-/nitrox diving and ROV support
operations. All the diving and ROV-equipment will be located in a large hangar below deck. The vessel is
also fitted with a 60t heave compensated offshore crane. Designed by Multi Maritime, the design is
designated MM66. (Source: Leo Kramer)
SEABREEZE JANUARY MARKET REPORT
Market Round-up
Connector’s New Sector
The multipurpose AHTS / Safety vessel Esvagt Connector will depart from the British sectors in the
second half of February 2007. The vessel will go on charter to DPT (Drilling Production Technology) in
support of the MODU Bredford Dolphin, which is currently undergoing upgrades in Poland. It will be acting
as front runner until delivery of the first of Esvagt’s new builds currently completing in Singapore. This is
expected to deliver first week in April 2007. The as yet unnamed new build will remain with DPT and
Bredford Dolphin in the Norwegian Sector for a period believed to be around 3 years. The Esvagt
Connector is currently trading the North Sea spot market.
Awesome Orca Action
Bourbon Offshore were pleased with the announcement that their AX 104 AHTS Bourbon Orca has been
awarded a NOK 250 million term charter with Norsk Hydro. The DP II vessel will begin a three year firm
plus three one year options charter next month, in direct continuation of its current charter with Norsk
Hydro. It is understood that the Orca will join the Bourbon Surf and Skandi Admiral in Hydro’s pool working
out of Mongstad.
Subsea Seven Secures Fjord Fixture
Subsea 7 have chartered the Oestensjo VS 498 multipurpose vessel Edda Fjord for a period of six
months plus one month option. The contract begins around the 1st February and is for subsea
construction work based in the North Sea. The 98m LOA vessel has successfully worked recently for BP
America and Shell Nigeria as a flotel.
“B”s Buzz Back
The Pacific Blade and Pacific Brigand have recently joined the North Sea spot market and will be based
in Aberdeen for the foreseeable future. The two vessels owned and operated by Swire Pacific Offshore
(SPO) are Norwegian built UT720 design AHTS with 12,240BHP generating approx 150t bollard pull. The
sister vessels have recently completed their long term charter to Saipem supporting the Castoro Sei
pipelay barge. Saipem’s three year programmed has seen the vessels work throughout the North Sea, the
Mediterranean and the Middle East covering projects such as the Green Stream pipelay, Dolphin Gas
pipeline and most recently the Tweedsmuir project. SPO own and operate six UT720s all built around
1998. The sister vessels to the Pacific Blade and Pacific Brigand are spread across the globe from
Australia to West Africa and from Singapore to Sakhalin. SPO is excited about the prospect of working the
Pacific Blade and Pacific Brigand in the North Sea; they have not worked in the spot market since the
early 2000s when the market looked very different! The vessels are excellent workhorses ideal for rig
moves, construction support and supply runs.
REM’s Two Gems
Quick brief on REM Maritime: MT 6000 MK II PSV Rem Fortune has been chartered by ADTI for one well
(50-70 days) starting March. ADTI have also chartered the UT 755 LN Rem Supplier for five months firm
plus opts with commencement around end February.
Seabird Circles Over Mariner
Siem Rovde’s latest newbuild has delivered from Kleven Verft: it is called the Siem Mariner. This fine MT
6000 MK II PSV will probably work the North Sea spot market until the second quarter of this year. It will
then begin a five year firm plus three yearly options bareboat charter with Seabird Exploration who will
convert the vessel to a modern seismic vessel. . It should also be noted that Seabird Exploration also has
a USD 48 million option to buy the vessel upon completion of the charter. Siem Rovde had further reason
to celebrate after ASCO Talisman chartered the VS 483 PSV Ocean Carrier for seven months firm. The
contract began in mid January.
So Far, So Good For Ladies In Waiting
Farstad Shipping has helpfully summarized their latest news on vessel charters: First of all, the UT 722
AHTS Far Sailor and UT 722L AHTS Far Senior were extended for two years with Petrobras IDC of their
current charters which are due to complete in May 2007. Next up, the UT 741 AHTS Far Sovereign will
be firm with Saipem for 210 days from April 07 after the Italian company declared their option. BP Angola
has chartered the newbuild VS 470 MK II PSV Far Spirit for two years firm with a further year’s option.
The MPSV UT 755 Lady Melinda has started to front run for the newbuild which will deliver at the end of
March 2007. Once the newbuild Far Spirit arrives in Angola, the Lady Melinda will begin a six month
charter in Australia to Woodside Energy Ltd. Woodside currently have the UT 755L PSV Lady Grete
working in Kenya, however in June this year the vessel will leave to work on a three year plus one year
option charter for Reliance in India. Peak have chartered the KMAR 404 AHTS Lady Sandra upon
completion of its current Shell Malaysia job in May this year. The Peak charter is based in Australia and
will last for a minimum of 13 months. Last but not least, the 1987 built AHTS Lady Gerda has won a six
month plus options charter from Esso Australia supporting drilling operations in the Bass Strait. Total firm
contract value is around NOK 725 million— so, as we said, so far so good…
FinstaShip Fixtures
Shell have chartered two icebreakers from Finstaship for work up in the chilly conditions of the Beaufort
Sea. A three year contract is in place with the 230 tons bollard pull Fennica and the 202 tons bollard pull
Tor Viking (the Tor Viking is not owned by Finstaship but will be chartered in from Trans Viking
Icebreaking & Offshore.) The workscope of this charter includes oil rig towing, anchor handling and
maintenance in arctic conditions. Start up of the contract will be 2007.
Statoil Dig Deep
Statoil have contracted with DeepOcean for the MPSV Edda Freya to act as an inspection vessel in 2007.
The Edda Freya (already on term charter to DeepOcean) will be outfitted with two ROV systems and
ROV/Inspection engineers for start up in April 2007.
Newbuildings, Conversions, Sale & Purchase
Olympic Heavyweights
Adding to their modern fleet, Fosnaavag based Olympic Shipping have placed an order with Ulstein Verft
for two Olympian sized AHTS. Designated A122 design, these 250 ton + bollard pull vessels will be the
biggest anchor handlers ever built by Ulstein with an impressive LOA of 93.8m and 23m beam.
Complimenting these awesome dimensions will be a massive triple drum winch with one 500 ton drum
and two 450 ton drums. Much effort has been put into the design in respect of environmental friendliness
and crew safety. Of particular interest is the hybrid propulsion system which permits switching between
diesel mechanical and diesel electrical propulsion. The arrangement enhances power management with
maximum pulling power achieved by running the two systems in parallel. The specification includes
preparation for a 250 ton offshore crane, two sizes of "A" frame, DP2, an ROV garage plus
accommodation for 68 supernumeraries which will give the vessels considerable subsea support
capability. Charterers will have to wait until the first and last quarter of 2009 to trial the new Olympians.
Deep Sea Supply Have Some Fish To Fry
Deep Sea Supply have now taken delivery of their UT 755L Sea Trout. The 680 m2 deck PSV delivered
from the Cochin Shipyard in India in mid January, two and a half months after the scheduled delivery time.
It is unclear what the plans will be for the vessel. Deep Sea Supply have a further seven vessels due to
deliver from this yard during 2007 and 2008 (with the next vessel due in April this year).
Supply Service Select Solstrand
Faeroe shipowner Supply Service AS are to build a Havyard 832 CD PSV at the Solstrand AS yard in
Norway. Delivery for the 78.5 LOA 800m2 deck vessel will be September 2008. The Havyard 832 CD is
the first design to be built at a yard not part of the Havyard Group AS
Bigger, Better, Balder
No, this is not the working title of Die Hard 4...In fact this story is all about how our Brazilian office was
instrumental in Rem Maritime AS contracting their newbuilding MV Rem Balder to Petrobras for a period
of two years with an option for a further two years commencing in July 2007. The vessel is an AHTS of the
UT 712L design and is due for delivery from the Kleven Maritime shipyard in March 2007. This is Rem’s
first vessel for operation in Brazil and the Owners hope that they will increase their exposure in this area.
Sealion Place Order For Chinese Carry Out
Sealion Shipping Ltd, on behalf of Toisa Ltd, have placed several large orders for vessels at the Chinese
Wuchang Shipyard. The first order is for three VS 4616 anchor handlers. Delivery of vessel one is due in
September 2010 with the following two vessels delivering at six month intervals thereafter. Some details of
these Bahamian flagged AHTS include a bollard pull of 210 tonnes, BHP of 18,800 BHP and an LOA of 83
metres. The vessels will be marketed for world wide operations. The second order is for two DP II ROV
improved support versions of the VS 483 MK III PSV. August 2010 and February 2011 are the target date
for delivery of the first and second vessels respectively. The vessels will have additional accommodation
for 60 persons and will be prepared for the installation of a 50 tonne crane and a helideck, enabling the
vessels to work in both the supply and ROV market. The Wuchang Shipyard seems to be popular with
Sealion as these two orders are in addition to three VS 4612 D Class AHTSs and three VS 483 MK III
PSVs that have delivered or are under construction by the same yard.
Interesting Intervention
African Offshore Service, a Norwegian company, are to build a large well intervention vessel with delivery
scheduled for July 2009. Africa Offshore Service has lined up a ten year charter with the Angolan state oil
company (Sonangol) for the vessel. Norwegian based shipowners Island Offshore will operate this new
well intervention vessel.
Siem Sign For Single Supply Ship
Norwegian based shipowners Siem Offshore Inc. have entered into yet another contract with Kleven
Maritime. The Kleven yard will build a MT 6017 multi purpose PSV in a deal worth NOK 350 million.
Delivery is expected in the first quarter of 2009. The vessel will have an LOA of 93.7 metres, working deck
area of 1,047 square metres, accommodation for 68 personnel, and will be equipped with an offshore
crane and helideck. Siem Offshore have previously contracted with Kleven for a sister vessel back in
August 2006. This latest vessel is Siem Offshore’s eleventh contract with Kleven Verft.
DOF Off The Mark
DOF ASA, through its subsidiary DOFCON ASA, are to build an OSCV 03 construction vessel at Aker
Yards, Aukra Norway. The vessel is expected to deliver in June 2009 and is the second vessel of this
design under construction for the Norwegian shipowners. Details of the vessel include DP III, LOA of 120
metres, beam of 23 metres and a large offshore crane. Contract value is understood to be around NOK
500 million.
Volkswerft Durch Technic
Maersk Supply Service has placed an order for 4 multipurpose AHTS, plus two options, with Volkswerft
Stralsund of Germany. These vessels will be updated versions of the well established A class vessels
already in service and also built by the same yard. The vessels are due for delivery from summer 2009
onwards and will join Maersk's offshore fleet of 57 vessels in service plus 12 newbuildings. Meantime it is
reported that the subsea support / cable lay vessel Maersk Defender has been sold to IS Atlantic
Corporation Inc.
Vikings Rampaging In Spain
Trans Viking has ordered 2 + 2 newly designated VS 4622 clean design AHTS from Spain's Astilleros
Zamakona. The vessels will incorporate the latest environment and crew comfort innovations together with
safe deck devices. Designed as multipurpose AHTS / subsea construction vessels they will be prepared
for A-frame and crane installation with accommodation for 45 and extra provision on deck to house special
equipment. Superior winch packages will cater for deepwater operations and fibre rope. Ice class 1A and
de-ice capability will extend these vessels' capability to icebound and harsh environments.
Out Of Harm’s Way
German investment company owned, Harms Bergung managed VS 470 MK II PSVs Aeolus, Cerberus
and Centaurus have been sold. Fellow German company Nordcapital have bought the vessels and will
rename them E.R. Arendal, E.R. Bergen and E.R. Kristiansand with handover at various dates by the end
of February.
Boulder Rocks The Boat
Quick update on the sale of the Maersk Lifter to ITC (International Transport Contractors Management
BV): the new owners have now taken delivery of the anchor handler and have re-named it the Boulder.
The vessel will likely work the North Sea but ITC are open to worldwide employment. Later in February the
sister vessel, Maersk Leader, will also be handed over to ITC and re-named Blizzard.
Boa Loosen Their Grip
Norwegian based Boa Offshore has sold their 17,500 BHP anchor handlers, Boa King and Boa Queen.
These 200 tons bollard pull vessels were bought by Indian Varun Shipping with handover for the King and
Queen at the end of January 2007 and end of April 2007 upon expiry of current contract, respectively. Boa
will however retain management of the Boa King until further notice.
8e jaargang, nr. 5
_______________________________________________________________
Emergency response vessels for North Sea
Statoil has signed two letters of intent with the Danish shipping company Esvagt AS for delivery of two
emergency response vessels. The deals are together worth over NOK 900 million. The ships, both
newbuildings, will enter service as area emergency response vessels in
the North Sea. One of them will operate in the Sleipner/Volve area,
replacing the current vessel there, in addition to maintaining upcoming
emergency response requirements when the Volve field comes on
stream. The other vessel will operate in the Gjøa area. "With these stateof-the-art, robust craft, we're strengthening our emergency response
capabilities and safety in the North Sea," says Terje Breivik, head of
maritime operations in Statoil. The ships will be able to take 370 people
each in the event of a major accident. They will also be able to undertake emergency tows of drifting
vessels up to tankers and will be equipped with the latest oil spill prevention equipment. During bad
weather the ships can haul in smaller craft, for example man overboard boats (MOBs), via a special stern
sluice. The Esvagt shipping company, 75% owned by A P Moller - the Maersk group, will deliver the
vessels in the spring of 2009. The contracts have an eight-year duration with options of three times one
year. The vessels will be delivered with an x-bow, formed like a traditional Viking longship, which cuts the
water better. The emergency response vessels will have an overall length of around 76.5 metres and a
beam of 17 metres. They have a crew of 11 and are capable of 17 knots. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Newbuilding for Supply Services AS
Norwegian shipyard Solstrand AS has been awarded a contract to build a Havyard 832 CD PSV for
Supply Service AS in the Faroe Island, for delivery in September 2008. Havyard Maritime describes the
Havyard 832 as being intentionally designed to be between the medium size PSV (with a deadweight
of 3,200-3,500 tonnes) and a large PSV (with a deadweight in the 4,500-5,000 tonnes range). The
Havyard 832 CD has deadweight of 4,000 tonnes, which Havyard Maritime believes will give it
an advantage in the market, since the vessel has significant higher capacities compare to medium size
vessels and a very competitive price compared to larger vessels. The design is also very flexible, and
could be lengthened by approximately 5m if more capacity is required. The vessel's beam would also
enable it to be fitted with a ROV or more accommodation. The vessel will also bear the class notation
required for 'Clean Design.' (Source: Leo Kramer)
Sale of Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel to I.T.C.
06/02/2007 A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S have 5 February 2007 at 12:15 hours local time in Ijmuiden The
Netherlands, delivered the AHTS Maersk Leader to new owners International Transport Contractors
Management BV. The vessel will be renamed Blizzard. (Source: Clipping News)
URS Orders new tugs in Turkey
The Belgian tug operator URS ordered last week at the Dearsan Shipyard in Tuzla-Istanbul two new tugs
which will be delivered during April 2007 and July 2007 by the shipyard. The ASD tugs are of the
ROBERT ALLAN design developing 65 ton bp and are of the DEARSAN AQUILIA series, the tugs will be
used in the port of Antwerp, where the tugs will replace the Union Diamond and Union Sapphire which
then will be shifted to offshore and seagoing towing activities With this order in total the URS is having
now 4 tugs under construction , the first 60 ton bp tug out of a series of 2, under construction at Astilleros
Armon in Navia (Spain) will be delivered next week and is holding the name Union Amber, this “short” tug
is specially designed to operated in Zeebrugge – innerharbour, behind the locks , her sister which will be
named Union Jade will be delivered during May 2007 and will also join her sister in Zeebrugge. In view of
the large growth of traffic in the port of Zeebrugge the URS will be operating 7 tugs in this port. (Source:
Clipping News)
New Tugs named Bears
The new, in Tuzla – Turkey built, tugs for the URS (see above) will be named Union Kodiak and Union
Grizzly (Source: Rene de Maeyer)
Oldy for scrap
The famous URS tug FIGHTER was reported enroute from the port of Terneuzen to her last resting place
the breakers at Gent where the tug will be scrapped. (Source: Clipping News)
Ulstein Group gets massive order for well intervention vessel
A newly formed company, Marine Subsea Inc, has signed a contract with Ulstein Verft AS for delivery of a
SX121 well intervention vessel designed by Ulstein Design AS. This is the largest contract for a single
ship awarded to the Ulstein Group, and is worth around NKr 840 million. The ship is scheduled for delivery
in July 2009 and has already been contracted in Angola. “We are very pleased when our new customers
ask for ships with the characteristic ULSTEIN X-BOW. We are frontrunners in developing highly advanced
construction vessels loaded with equipment enabling them to perform demanding marine operations in
deep water,” said CEO Gunvor Ulstein. African Offshore Services, the holding company of Marine Subsea
Inc, is a newly established company that will carry out well intervention and other oil-service-related
operations in West Africa. Managing director Christian Nygaard said: "“We are very pleased to have
signed the contract for building this innovative vessel. The Ulstein Group is highly reputable with regard to
building state-of-the-art vessels and developing innovative design. Island Offshore Management, an
industry leader in well intervention, will be handling operations and management for us. That, along with
our extensive knowledge of West Africa, makes a solid start." Karsten Sævik, managing director of Ulstein
Verft AS, said this will be the third vessel of the type ULSTEIN SX121 to be built at Ulstein Verft AS. ”More
and more oil installations are now sea-bottom facilities, and we’re seeing an increasing demand for
subsea and construction vessels. Supplying vessels for this market will be an important priority area for
Ulstein Verft in the future,” said Mr Sævik. The vessel will be 120m long with a breadth of 25m and
accommodation for 100. The vessel will be fitted with a tower for module handling, a moonpool, ROV
hangar, offshore crane, helipad and a diesel-electric propulsion system. The vessel will also be fitted with
the newly developed ULSTEIN COM and ULSTEIN IAS from Ulstein Elektro AS. The principal
shareholders and founders of African Offshore Services, Mårten Rød and Gian Angelo Perrucci, have
more than 25 years’ experience in both onshore and offshore activities in Angola, Nigeria, Gabon and
Congo (Brazaville). In addition to ordering an ULSTEIN SX121, they recently signed an agreement to buy
three work/accommodations barges at a total value of NKr 580 million. These will be used in conjunction
with the building and maintenance of offshore installations. Board chairman Mårten Rød says the intention
is to further expand the fleet. (Source: Clipping News)
USCG To Hold Final Public Hearing on Tug Valour
The Coast Guard will hold the final public hearing for the investigation into the January 2006 sinking of the
tug Valour, which claimed the lives of three crew members. Coast Guard marine investigators have
recalled the crew of the Valour to obtain statements and finalize the timeline of events leading up to the
sinking. Facts collected at this final hearing will be developed into a conclusion to be presented in the
Coast Guard's final investigative report. Coast Guard marine investigators from Marine Safety Unit
Savannah and Sector Charleston, S.C., have spent more than a year piecing together the events from the
night Valour sank. The Coast Guard held its last public hearing regarding Valour March 1, 2006, in
Tampa, Fla. Valour was towing a fully loaded cargo barge approximately 40-miles east of Wilmington,
N.C., when the master of the vessel sounded the tug's general alarm due to a significant port list at about.
The weather off the coast of Wilmington was extreme that night with 30- to-50 knot sustained winds and
70-knot gusts with seas approximately 15- to-20 feet. One crewmember was swept overboard and
rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Six crewmembers were successfully recovered by the tug Justine
Foss, one able-bodied seaman was unable to be retrieved and one passed away soon after being
rescued. The Coast Guard launched an extensive search for the able-bodied seaman covering more than
1,700-square-nautical miles over a period of 16 hours using numerous surface and air assets. This search
was not successful. One crewmember is believed to have sunk with the tug. The Coast Guard's
investigation is intended to determine the causes of the accident and obtain information that may prevent
or reduce the occurrence of similar incidents. (Source: Marinelink)
ECO Expands Aggressive Newbuild Campaign
Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) announced plans to build several new anchor handling towing supply
vessels (AHTS), as well as more than a dozen new generation 280-ft. platform supply vessels (PSV) in its
affiliated shipyards in the U.S. All vessels are scheduled to join the ECO domestic fleet within the next
three years. Construction highlights feature seven new anchor handlers: Two (2) 348-ft., 21,600 HP new
generation anchor handlers and five (5) 288-ft., 16,000 HP vessels. Also slated for construction are
fourteen (14) 4,700 deadweight ton PSVs. All the vessels are slated for delivery between February 2007
and mid-2010, and will be constructed at ECO affiliated shipyards: North American Shipbuilding (NAS) in
Larose, LA, North American Fabricators (NAF) in Houma, LA and Gulfship in Gulfport, MS. One year ago
ECO announced plans for the first three AHTS vessels, and has now ordered the equipment for the
additional four. “ECO continues to provide the new generation vessels that meet the requirements of the
deepwater operators,” said ECO President Gary Chouest. The first 288’ x 66’ x 29.5’ AHTS, the Max
Chouest, is slated for delivery in March 2007 from NAS. The Joshua Chouest, the next 288-ft. AHTS
vessel in the series, is due for delivery in November 2007 from NAS. Three more are to follow with
delivery dates at six-month intervals beginning in mid-2008. These vessels feature 200 MT bollard pull,
DP2, increased capacities for both deck and below-deck cargoes and a deadweight tonnage of 4,236 LT.
The ships will also be equipped with a 500 MT three-drum winch, secondary winches, chain lockers, dual
tow pins, shark jaws and stern rollers. The first 348’ x 72’ x 31’ AHTS in the series, the Dino Chouest, is
scheduled for a May 2008 delivery from NAS. An identical ship is slated for delivery in June 2009 from
NAS. These vessels are also DP2, 210 MT bollard pull, new generation anchor handlers similar in size to
the Laney Chouest, a 348-ft. AHTS that has operated successfully for the past three years. These new
larger anchor handlers will be equipped with a 600 MT four-drum winch. To date ECO has delivered
twelve (12) 280’ x 60’ x 24’ platform supply vessels, with the Carol Chouest slated for delivery and
service in the Gulf of Mexico on March 1, 2007. The remaining fourteen (14) PSVs in this class are
scheduled for deliveries every eight weeks afterwards. The 280-ft. PSV series has truly revolutionized the
supply vessel industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Featuring a deadweight of 4,700 LT, these vessels feature
dedicated below deck tankage for 15,000 barrels of liquid mud. The vessels also provide a clear deck area
of 10,251 sq. ft (203’ x 50.5’), with a capacity of 2,700 LT. ECO also continues to add to its fleet by taking
recent delivery of several new 160-ft. fast supply vessels, designed and built by Breaux Brothers in
Loreauville, LA. ECO is also announcing the continuation of that newbuild relationship, with plans for an
additional twelve (12) fast supply vessels, with delivery dates between February 2008 and August 2011.
(Source: Marinelink)
Newbuilding order from Pacific First Shipping
Pacific First Shipping has placed an order with the ABG Shipyard for nine AHTS. The order is for five
vessels with 82 tonnes bollard pull and four vessels of 180 tonnes bollard pull. (Source: OSL)
TS Marine orders in Spain
TS Marine has placed an order for two MT6040 subsea vessels at Astilleros Huelva Spain at a cost of
GBP 130 million. (Source: OSL)
Varius sold
Harms Bergung owned Varius 7,230 bhp (AHT Blt.19 - 7230BHP) has been sold to a Greek Buyer on
private terms. (Source: OSL)
Three PSV’s from Harms sold
Harms Bergung has also sold its three recently delivered PSV's (2006) Aeolus, Cerberus, and
Centaurus to Nordcapital on private terms. (Source: OSL)
Boa sold two royals
AHTS Boa King and Boa Queen (Blt.2001 - 17,000BHP) have been sold to Varun Shipping India on
private terms. (Source: OSL)
SMIT-Lloyd 32 to Ierland
Mainport Ireland has purchased the Smit-Lloyd 32 (Blt.1984 - 4,500 bhp) from Seacor and renamed the
vessel Mainport Oak. The purchase is backed with a three-year charter to Petrobras. (Source: OSL)
Smit Internationale N.V. almost doubles net profit
Rotterdam, 09 February 2007 We herewith inform you that the net profit for 2006 will amount to
approximately EUR 75 million. This is almost twice the net profit compared to the year 2005 (EUR 38.3
million). The expected net profit, which was announced on 26 October 2006, was estimated to be at least
EUR 62 million. During the second half of last year the harbour towage activities in Rotterdam and
Antwerp exceeded expectations. This was mainly due to strong winds. The Salvage division also
experienced an extensive workload during the second half of last year. In addition a number of
settlements have been reached. The Salvage division’s results were substantially higher than the historic
average. The projects ‘Thunderhorse’ and ‘Artic I’ have not been settled yet. In the second half of 2006 the
Transport & Heavy Lift division experienced a high utilization, mainly due to the high workload from the
Salvage division. Further information will accompany the publication of the annual figures for 2006 on 8
March 2007. (Source: Smit)
Havila completes sale of UK rescue recovery operations
Havila Shipping ASA in Norway has announced that it has completed the sale of its UK standby operation
to Ocean Mainport Ltd. The sale of Havila Rescue UK Ltd, including the eight ERRV vessels it owned,
was completed January 31st. (Source: Clipping News)
Baydelta exercises tug option
Baydelta Maritime of San Francisco has exercised an option for a second 100-foot, 6,800-hp harbor tug
from Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Inc., Freeland, Wash. The yard has also received an order for a
similar tug from Minette Bay Shipdocking, Ltd., of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Nichols expects to
deliver its first Baydelta tug in June, with the optioned tug due in October. Delivery date for the Minette
Bay tug is set for December. The tugs have been designed by Jensen Marine Consultants, Inc., of Seattle
with ship handling as their primary purpose, although they will also be fitted for long-haul towing. The
vessels will mount Markey Machinery hawser winches forward for ship assist and escort and JonRie sternmounted towing winches for high seas towing service. The tugs will each be powered by a pair of Tier I
compliant 3400-hp Caterpillar 3516C diesel engines. In the Baydelta tugs, the engines will power two
Rolls-Royce 255 Z Ðdrive units. The Minette boat will use Nigata ZP41 drives. Nichols says that the
horsepower ratings will be among the highest posted for z-drive tugs. Increased horsepower is
complimented by a heavy skeg to foster ship handling and escorting. Potential Bollard pull has been
estimated at 85-90 metric tons ahead and 78-82 astern. Both the Baydelta and Minette tugs are arranged
with space for ABS Fi-Fi 1 fire fighting systems and the Minette tug will be fitted with the full ABS system
with two monitors, a deluge system, and foam tanks. This involves two 6,000 gpm pumps running off the
main engines. The Baydelta tugs will be fitted with 900-gpm fire pumps and monitors. Additional
machinery aboard each tug will include two 215 kW Cat C-9 generators and a 27 kW standby harbor
generator. The tugs will have unusually commodious and comfortable berthing; while a normal harbor
crew will include four people, the Baydelta tugs will accommodate up to 10 crew for longer hauls. Facilities
also include a laundry, galley, and a crew lounge. Tanks will hold 71,000 gallons of fuel oil, 1,500 gallons
of lube oil, and 8,000 gallons of fresh water. Tanks will also be provided for 1,800 gallons of waste oil and
1,400 gallons of sewage. The Minette Bay tug will have accommodations for six persons and fuel capacity
will be 69,400 gallons. Nichols Brothers also recently signed a contract to participate in building two 108 x
28-foot, 149-passenger catamarans for the Water Transit Authority in San Francisco Bay for delivery this
year. Nichols Brothers will participate with Kvichak Marine of Seattle in building these vessels. (Source:
Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 6
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SvitzerWijsmuller mag Adsteam hebben
SvitzerWijsmuller mag zijn Britse branchegenoot Adsteam Marine overnemen. Dat hebben de Britse
mededingingsautoriteiten bepaald. Het sleepbedrijf met Nederlandse wortels, tegenwoordig onderdeel van
het Deense Maersk-concern, wordt dankzij de overname het grootste sleepbedrijf ter wereld met een
wereldwijd markaandeel van 12 procent. In Groot-Brittannië krijgt SvitzerWijsmuller tweederde van de
markt in handen. (Source: Clipping News)
Oil Spill Closes Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway has been closed for six miles west of Lake Charles, La., due to an oil spill
today initially estimated at 700 gallons. A watchstander at Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur received a call
from Kirby Inland Marine reporting fuel from one of their tugs had overflowed into the ICW. The tug was
transferring fuel from its fuel tank to its day tank while moving along the ICW when the spill occured. The
area from mile marker 257 to mile marker 263 has been closed to all maritime traffic. Crews from MSU
Port Arthur are in the process of locating the leading edges of the spill, and Coast Guard Air Station
Houston crews launched an HH-65C helicopter to fly over the spill. Pollution Investigators from MSU Port
Arthur are on scene.
Intracoastal Waterway Re-opens after fuel spill
The U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Intracoastal Waterway after fuel that had been spilled earlier this
morning dissipated. Pollution investigators from Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Port Arthur assessed
the waterway and declared that there was no recoverable diesel fuel. The waterway had been closed for
six miles west of Lake Charles, La., after fuel being transferred from one tank to another on a tug owned
by Kirby Inland Marine overflowed, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard was notified by the Houstonbased company. The area from mile marker 257 to mile marker 263 was closed. Twelve tugs and barges
were delayed by the closure, but are now under way again, the Coast Guard said. (Source: Houston
Chronicle)
Kooren Rotor tugs voor Bugsier
The 3 rotortugs of the Kooren design and sold to Bugsier will be named Bugsier 4; Bugsier 5 and Bugsier
6. (bron website bugsier)
Far pair sold
Far Centurion and Far Crusader have been sold and will be named Romana and Nobleman. The new
owner is probably Specialist Marine Services. (Source: Leon de Hoop)
New Rampart for Østensjø
Østensjø has ordered at Sanmar Denizcilik a 85 tons ASD tug of the design Robert Allan's Rampart 3200
for operations at the new Shell Nyhamna terminal in Norway. Delivery July 2008 and for the same contract
are the Silex and two newbuilding mooring launches. (Source: Leon de Hoop)
Four AHTS’s for Pacific
Havyard International in Norway has secured contracts with ABG Shipyard Ltd India for delivery of design
packages for four Havyard 842 AHTS for Singapore-based owners Pacific First Shipping Ltd. This is the
first Havyard design to date to be built at a yard outside Norway. The Havyard 842 is designed by Havyard
Maritime AS, which now has nine vessels under construction. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Blade and Brigand on North Sea Spot market
Seabrokers reports that Pacific Blade and Pacific Brigand have recently joined the North Sea spot
market and will be based in Aberdeen for the foreseeable future. The two vessels owned and operated by
Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) are Norwegian built UT720 design AHTS with 12,240BHP generating a 150
tonne bollard pull. The sister vessels have recently completed their long term charter to Saipem
supporting the Castoro Sei pipelay barge. Saipem’s three year programme has seen the vessels work
throughout the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Middle East covering projects such as the Green
Stream pipelay, Dolphin Gas pipeline and most recently the Tweedsmuir project. Pacific Blade and
Pacific Brigand have not worked in the spot market since the early 2000s. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Havenslepers Smit willen staken voor een betere CAO
SCHIEDAM - Werknemers van Smit Havensleepdiensten in Rotterdam willen staken voor een betere
CAO. Dat hebben leden van de vakbonden FNV, CNV en De Unie tijdens verscheidene bijeenkomsten
laten weten. De bonden stellen de directie van moederbedrijf Smit waarschijnlijk nog deze week een
ultimatum. Gisteren waren er twee ledenvergaderingen op Smit- schepen bij het hoofdkantoor in
Schiedam en in de Scheurhaven in de Europoort. „Ik denk dat acties bijna onvermijdelijk zijn geworden,
zegt bestuurder Cees Bos van FNV Bondgenoten. Nog niet duidelijk is wanneer de eerste protesten te
verwachten zijn. Het CAO-conflict tussen de 240 werknemers van de havensleper en de top van het
maritieme bedrijf gaat volgens de bonden onder meer over de lonen en de wens van de directie flexibeler
te werken. „Als we niet uitkijken, hebben de mensen straks bijna geen vrije tijd meer, stelt Bos.
Woordvoerster Claudia van Andel van Smit beklemtoont dat er volgens de directie geen sprake is van een
conflict. „We zijn met elkaar in overleg. Eigenlijk moeten de onderhandelingen nog beginnen.’’ Ze heeft
geen idee wanneer beide partijen weer met elkaar praten. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Deep Sea Supply takes delivery of Sea Trout
Deep Sea Supply has taken delivery of the UT755L Sea Trout. Seabrokers said the 680m2 deck PSV
was delivered by Cochin Shipyard in India in mid January, two and a half months after the scheduled
delivery time. Seabrokers said it is unclear what the plans will be for the vessel. Deep Sea Supply have a
further seven vessels due to deliver from the yard during 2007 and 2008 (with the next vessel due in April
this year). (Source: Leo Kramer)
Keellaying Damen ASD Tug 2411
On February 3rd the keel was laid for the first of four Damen ASD Tugs 2411 by Song Thu Shipyard in
Vietnam. These four tugs were ordered by Damen Shipyards Gorinchem and will be delivered in 2008.
The ASD 2411 is one of the most successful ASD tugs with more than 25 delivered and under
construction in merely three years. The tugs will be equipped with Caterpillar 3516 engines and Rolls
Royce thrusters and will deliver 70 tonnes bollard pull. (Source:Damen)
Naming 'Adsteam Warang' & 'Adsteam Warrawee'
On January 31st the name giving ceremony of two Damen built ASD tugs 2810, 'Adsteam Warang' and
'Adsteam Warrawee', took place in Sydney (Australia). Approximately 260 guests participated in this
cheerful event that took place on the ferry terminal on Circular Quay. The Damen ASD Tugs 2810 were
built in Vietnam and deliver each an impressive 60 tonnes bollard pull. Both vessels are part of the
Adsteam fleet in Sydney's Bottany Bay and represent the 7th and 8th delivery by Damen to Adsteam out
of 12 tugs ordered. The naming of the tugs was performed by Mrs Ann Corlett (Warang), wife of Adsteam
Marine Chairman and Mrs Clare Martin (Warrawee), wife of Sydney Ports CEO. (Source:Damen)
Union Amber handed over
On the 15th of February the Union Amber was handed over to her owners URS. The Union Amber will be
operational in the inner port of Zeebrugge. The sister ship Union Jade will join her soon. (Source:Rene de
Maeyer)
ACL to Purchase Assets from McKinney Companies
American Commercial Lines Inc. announced that its subsidiary American Commercial Lines LLC (ACL)
has entered into an agreement to purchase twenty towboats and related equipment from the McKinney
group of companies (McKinney) for $15 million in cash. The transaction will double the size of ACL’s Gulfregion operations. The Company anticipates hiring approximately 200 former McKinney employees,
including certified captains and pilots. Commenting on the agreement, Richard A. Mitchell, Senior Vice
President Corporate Strategy, stated "The purchase of the McKinney assets will improve ACL’s vessel
operations in the Gulf region. It is an important step in our strategy to enhance the services we offer to our
customers." (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Hornbeck Announces 4Q Results
Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc., said earnings this year should be between $2.19 per share and $2.68
cents per share. The company said it expects a first-quarter profit of between 42 cents per share and 55
cents per share. Analysts estimate 60 cents per share. Hornbeck Offshore expects operating expense to
rise 25 percent, due to increases in labor costs, insurance and shipyard repair and maintenance costs,
while current rates for its offshore supply vessels and tugs and tank barges will remain constant. (Source:
Houston Chronicle)
Centaurus to Nordcapitol.
The VS470 MkII PSV “Centaurus” of Harms Bergung has been sold to Nordcapital Holding GmbH and
renamed “E.R.Kristiansand”. She began a medium time charter with Talisman Energy.
8e jaargang, nr. 7
dd. ..Februari 2007
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Opnieuw sleepboot naar museumhaven
De Maassluise museumhaven is vanaf zaterdag 17 februari opnieuw
een sleepboot rijker. De sleepboot Krimpen uit 1954 komt dan de
vloot versterken. De Krimpen is een havensleper zoals Smit er in de
jaren vijftig en zestig vele heeft laten bouwen. Ook scheepswerf De
Haas uit Maassluis heeft daarin een aandeel gehad met de bouw van
een aantal zusterschepen. Met hun bekende rode bandje in de
schoorsteen vormden zij jarenlang een vertrouwd beeld in de
Rotterdamse Haven. De Krimpen heeft hier bijna vijfendertig jaar lang
dienst gedaan en zij is met bouwjaar 1954 de oudste uit de serie. De
sleper is technisch in originele staat. De 325 pk sterke sleepboot komt zaterdag rond elf uur aan in de
buitenhaven van Maassluis en wordt feestelijk verwelkomd door de bijna even grote sleepboot Adriaan.
De Maassluise Sleepboothaven bestaat met de Krimpen uit een zestal vaartuigen, te weten de Elbe,
Hudson, Furie, Bruinvisch, Adriaan en Krimpen. (Source: Navigo)
Spain Receives New Coast Guard Vessel
The first of two coastal protection vessels has been delivered to Spain’s Maritime Safety Authority
SASEMAR. The main role for 220-ton bollard pull Don Inda is emergency towing of a tanker, as it is
equipped with a full range of equipment for recovering spilled oil. Rolls-Royce developed the UT 722 L
design -- derived from the anchor handler of the same type number, although they differ from an offshore
AHTS in many respects -- and provided the main equipment. Astilleros Zamakona, based at SanturceBilbao, built the vessels. The SASEMAR vessels have a large installed power and very powerful towing
winches, but are flexible enough to take on many other roles including pollution clean-up, escort towing,
rescue of ships and their crews, emergency co-ordination, firefighting and salvage. Don Inda is 80 m long,
with a beam of 18 m and a draft of up to 6.8 m. Hull depth to main deck is 8.25 m, considerably larger than
the normal UT 722 L. An important feature is the large tank capacity for recovered oil of approximately
1,730 cu. m. The installation of an oil/water separation system is designed to enhance this capacity
further. The recovered oil tanks will be filled with about 95 percent oil and five percent water, the separator
discharging water of a cleanliness meeting environmental regulations back to the sea, whereas normally
oilrec tanks would contain a mixture of about 50/50 oil and water. Because the recovered oil may have a
high viscosity, the tanks are heated, enabling oil to subsequently be pumped to another vessel or ashore.
This feature means that the SASEMAR vessels can act as pumping stations in the event of a massive oil
spill. Four Bergen eight cylinder B32:40 long stroke engines power the vessel, producing a total of 16,000
kW. Two engines are coupled to each propeller shaft turning a CP propeller, and a fire pump is geared to
the forward end of the inner engine of each pair. This propulsion system provides a maximum speed of
17.6 knots and a bollard pull of about 220 tons. Depending on the operating mode, either all four engines
can be run, or just one on each shaft line. In addition, there are powerful auxiliary generator sets, and the
swing-up azimuth bow thruster has its own independent 736kW diesel engine. Maneuvering is enhanced
by high lift rudders, twin stern tunnel thrusters and an additional bow tunnel thruster supplementing the
azimuth unit. The vessels are being built to Bureau Veritas Class and have dynamic positioning notation
AM/ATR, which corresponds to IMO DP2 standard. The towing winch on Don Inda is designed to use the
full bollard pull capability. This main winch is a two drum hydraulic Rauma Brattvaag unit sized for 83 mm
wire and capable of pulling 300 tons with a 550 ton brake holding load. For escort work there is a winch on
the foredeck with a 45 ton pull/250 ton brake load equipped with synthetic rope towlines. A strongly
fendered reinforced bow allows the SASEMAR vessels to push disabled ships. Deck layout aft is designed
to give a clear lead for towlines, but the vessels will be prepared for an A-frame at the stern which can be
put aboard when required, for example to undertake salvage of sunken vessels. (Source: Marinelink)
Maridive 212 Deliverd
ABG Shipyard has delivered a new AHTS, Maridive 212, to Maridive & Oil Services SAE in Egypt.
Maridive 212 is the second AHTS vessel delivered by the company, and the second vessel to be
delivered to Maridive in this financial year out of a total of seven orders received from the company.
Two Rotor®Tugs for Unterweser
Press release 16-02-07 - Kooren Shipbuilding and Trading B.V. has the pleasure to announce the sale of
two of their RT-80r class to Unterweser Reederei GmbH of Bremen, Germany. These Rotor®tugs are to
be built at ASL Shipyard Pte Ltd in Singapore. The tugs will have a bollard pull capacity of 80 metric tons
each. The high bollard pull, exceptional manoeuvring capabilities and comparable low draft, has been a
decisive factor of placing this order with KST. Delivery of the tugs will be between December 2008 and
February 2009. Unterweser Reederei GmbH also has the option for 1 + 1 RT-80r class additional tug(s)
during the building period. Both tugs will be powered by three ABC –8 DZC engines of min.1700 kW each
at 1000 rpm. The three azimuth thrusters will come from Schottel Propulsion Systems, they are of the
SRP 1215 CP type in 19A nozzles. The tugs will be classed by Germanischer Lloyd and will fly the
German Flag, All tugs will be equipped with fire fighting, foam and spray capabilities in line with the
required FF1 notation. The main dimensions of the tug are as follows: LOA 28.30 meters; Beam 12.00
meters and Draught 5.95 meters Kooren Shipbuilding and Trading B.V. and ASL Shipyard Pte Ltd are
building these tugs to the highest standard with various features not normally incorporated in a tug.
(Source: Europort Maritime Bulletin)
Marcon announces sale of AHTS Fratelli Neri
February 22, 2007 Marcon International in the US has announced the sale of the 6,600bhp AHTS vessel
Fratelli Neri (ex-Asso Cinque, Augustea Cinque, Off Barcelona) from European owners to Middle
Eastern buyers. She was built in 1977 by Maritima de Axpe SA of Bilbao, Spain. Dimensions are 197.6ft
length overall by 42.64ft beam with a loaded draft of 15.91ft. She is currently classed with RINA. The
vessel is powered by a pair of MAK 9M453AK 9 cylinder main engines producing 6,600bhp total at
550rpm. Propulsion is provided by Lips variable pitch props in fixed kort nozzles providing about 87 tons
bollard pull ahead. She is fitted with a Norwinch double drum waterfall towing winch. Vessel had been
working coastal anti-pollution control since 1999, but will now return to service in the oil industry. Marcon
acted as sole broker in the transaction and handled previous deals for both buyer and seller (Source: Leo
Kramer)
HOS
Halul Offshore Services Company has announced that it commenced the bareboat charter of Halul 28 on
January 22nd for impending ownership of the vessel. (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 8
dd. 4 Maart 2007
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New contract for Kleven Maritime
Posted: 26.02.2007 Kleven Maritimes yard, Myklebust Verft AS in Sande has signed a contract with Aries
Offshore AS, for the building of one platform supply vessel. The platform supply vessel, type VS 470 MKII
Iis developed in close cooperation between the yard and the owner,
and is designed by Vik-Sandvik, Fitar, Norway. Main operations will be regular supply functions and cargo
transport for the oil industry.The lenght is 73,4 meters, the breadth is 16,6 meters and the speed is
calculated to be 14,5 knots. The accommodation is arranged for up to 34 persons. - We welcome a new
customer and look forward to a fruitful cooperation, says managing director Per Kristian Furø at Myklebust
Verft. Aries Offshore Services (former S. Ugelstad Rederi AS) was taken over by new owners two weeks
ago. – It is a positive signal that we already after two weeks can enter into a newbuilding contract, says
managing director Per Lindseth at Aries Offshroe Services. With this contract included, Aries Offshore
Services will have a fleet of 6 modern platform supply vessels. The contract value is NOK 186 million and
delivery will take place in September 2008. Myklebust Verft AS has now 10 vessels in order, at a contract
value of NOK 1,9 billion. In addition Myklebust Verft is going to outfit three vessels for Kleven Verft, at a
value of NOK 1,4 billion. Kleven Maritime as a group has 30 vessels in order, at a contract value of NOK
9,7 billions. (Source:L.Kramer)
Harms Bergung sells PSVs
February 27, 2007 Seabrokers reports that Harms Bergung has sold the VS 470 Mk II PSVs Aeolus,
Cerberus and Centaurus. Fellow German company Nordcapital has bought the vessels and will re-name
them E R Arendal, E R Bergen and E R Kristiansand. The deal was due to be completed by the end of
February. (Source:Seabrokers)
NOR Offshore secures time charter for Nor Sky
February 27, 2007 NOR Offshore Pte Ltd (NOR), which is 50 per cent owned by Solstad Offshore, and
Veolia Environment have entered into a five-year firm time charter for the vessel Nor Sky. The vessel is
under construction in Singapore (red: at the Jaya Batam Yard) and is scheduled for delivery in April 2007.
The charter period will commence upon the delivery of the vessel.
Nor Sky is a smaller AHTS, equipped with a 20 tonne crane, 50 tonne A-frame and accommodation to 60.
The work scope for the vessel will include ROV support, subsea surveys, air and saturation diving, subsea
construction, inspection, maintenance and repair. (Source:Leo Kramer-photo :Hans van der Ster)
Pelican Offshore to build supply vessels for Middle East
February 26, 2007 Pelican Offshore Services Pte Ltd, the the offshore chartering arm of Penguin Boat
International Ltd, has signed a major shipbuilding contract worth about US$23 million with Abu
Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on behalf of Penguin Shipyard International Pte Ltd. The contract
with ADNOC calls for Pelican to manage the construction of three 55m high-speed Fast Supply
Intervention Vessels (FSIV) at PSI for delivery commencing in the third quarter of 2008, with an option for
one additional unit. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Bourbon Offshore and Oceanteam sign agreement
February 26, 2007 Bourbon Offshore and Oceanteam Power & Umbilical have signed an agreement
to co-operate in respect of vessels and services. The aim of the agreement is to further expand the range
of Oceanteam Power & Umbilical's services in combination with the wide range of specialised offshore
support vessels from Bourbon. The initial focus to be on West Africa and the Middle East.
Bourbon, through its subsidiary SONASURF, and Oceanteam, have recently been awarded a long term
field support vessel contract by BP Angola for its Greater Plutonium development in Block 18. In a joint
statement, the companies said: "The further development of the relationship, through a combination of
market knowledge, experience, services and resources, will allow both companies to enter into new
market segments and regions." (Source:Leo Kramer)
Bourbon to Expand Fleet with 46 New Service Vessels
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Bourbon is expanding its fleet with next-generation, innovative and highproductivity vessels to assist its oil industry clients worldwide in developing their continental and
deepwater offshore fields. Bourbon on Wednesday announced its new order of three series of modern
offshore service vessels, 46 units for EUR560 million (USD730 million) from the Sinopacific shipyards in
China (44 vessels) and West Atlantic Shipyard in Nigeria (2 vessels). --two series based on the GPA
design identical to the 36 vessels ordered by BOURBON in April 2006: --28 AHTS GPA 254 supply and
anchor-handling tugs with 80 tons traction --14 PSV GPA 654 platform supply vessels with 1600 tons
deadweight. All the 78 new vessels are principally intended for the replacement market operating in the
continental offshore in which more than 400 vessels now in service will be over 30 years old by 2010. The
characteristics of the new vessels will also make them excellent additional supply vessels for deepwater
offshore operations. They are all equipped with diesel-electric propulsion, classes DP2 and FiFi1.
Designed to optimize the carrying capacity of various products, they can each transport 640 m3 of liquid
mud. --one series of four PSV, Ulstein PX105 MACS supply vessels, 4400 tons deadweight, 88.8 m long,
with the X-BowTM and the PG-MACSTM system. This new series is the culmination of the optimization of
the design of the P105 and PX105 models, 4 of which are under construction for Bourbon, while 4 others
have already proven their operational value in the Bourbon fleet since 2005. Equipped with diesel electric
propulsion, classes DP2 and FiFi1, and a double hull, this series is "clean design" certified and meets the
highest standards of protection of the environment and comfort. The series includes two major
innovations: the positioning of engine exhaust on the water line, which does away with the funnel thus
allowing a 360degrees panoramic view from the bridge, and above all the MACS(TM) (Multi Application
Cargo Solution) system which increases storage capacity in the hold and enables different types of cargo
to be stored. These vessels therefore satisfy the precise needs of the international deepwater and North
Sea offshore industry while offering extremely profitable technological solutions to customers. With these
additional 46 vessels, Bourbon's Offshore Division has a total of 110 supply vessels on order as of 28th
February 2007. Deliveries will be made up to September 2011, when Bourbon will have the most up-todate fleet on the market. Christian Lefevre, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of
Bourbon, said: "These orders are strategic because they will allow Bourbon to affirm its leading position in
modern offshore with a multi-purpose fleet adapted for safety, maneuverability, environmental protection
and productivity. The construction of these vessels in series is in line with a proven and profitable
business model to reduce construction and maintenance costs. The success of this model is based on the
high level of industrial know-how that Bourbon has already demonstrated. It is also based on the tested
capability of China's Sinopacific shipyards to produce quality vessels, which has been confirmed by the
success of the 14 vessels already delivered and in operation and which give full satisfaction to our
customers. "With these orders of 2 series of new vessels intended both for deepwater and continental
offshore, and the PSV series dedicated to deepwater offshore, we will, with confidence, satisfy the needs
of all our customers for modern vessels." With 4300 professionals and a fleet of almost 250 owned
vessels, Bourbon offers in more than 25 countries a broad range of offshore oil and gas marine services,
towage, assistance, salvage and bulk shipping. By 2010, in line with its strategic plan, Bourbon intends to
become the leader in modern offshore oil and gas marine services by offering the most demanding
international clients worldwide the services of a full line of new generation, innovative and highperformance vessels. Classified by Euronext in the "Oil Services" sector, Bourbon is listed on Eurolist
Paris, Compartment A and is included in the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD) and the SBF 120 and
Dow Jones Stoxx 600 indices. The Offshore Division offers a full line of offshore oil and gas marine
services for the oil majors and super-majors and the leading state-owned oil companies. With almost 2500
employees, the Offshore Division has a fleet of 190 modern, powerful and multi-purpose vessels and is
preparing for the challenges of tomorrow with a large fleet on order or under construction. Operational in
more than 20 countries, the Offshore Division is expanding its presence in its historic areas of operations,
like the North Sea and the "Golden Triangle," the West Coast of Africa, Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico, and
is assisting the growth of its clients in new operating regions like Southeast Asia. In 2006, the Offshore
Division reported revenues of 376.6 million euros, up 35.8%. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Oceanteam sells 50 per cent of North Ocean 101 to Bourbon
March 1, 2007
North Ocean 101 will be re-named Bourbon Oceanteam 101. Oceanteam Power & Umbilical ASA has
announced that it has signed an agreement to transfer 50 per cent of the shares in the singlepurpose shipowning company that owns its first newbuild construction vessel, North Ocean 101, to
Bourbon Offshore Norway AS. The 50/50 owned company will be renamed Oceanteam Bourbon KS and
Oceanteam Bourbon AS in due course. Oceanteam's first newbuild will be renamed Bourbon
Oceanteam 101. The newbuild is currently under construction in Vigo, Spain and will be 123m long with a
breadth of 27m, has 2,000m² of free deck, a deadweight of 7,000 tonnes, 2 x 100 tonnes heave
compensated cranes and accommodation for 120 people. Bourbon, through its subsidiary SONASURF,
and Oceanteam have recently been awarded a long term field support vessel contract with BP Angola for
its Greater Plutonio development in Block 18. Earlier this week the two companies entered into a
commercial agreement allowing OPU to market its services through the Bourbon network. Two other ships
on order, North Ocean 102 and North Ocean 103, remain 100 per cent owned by Oceanteam Power &
Umbilical through 100 per cent owned single purpose companies. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Seabreeze report February 2007
Incredible, But True...
Fratelli D’Amato ‘s latest newbuild UT 755 L PSV has now delivered from the Rosetti Marino Shipyard in
Ravenna, Italy. The vessel has been named the F.D. Incredible and will be managed by Gulf Offshore
North Sea Limited. The F.D. Incredible is equipped with DP II, FiFi 1, Oil Recovery and has a deck area
of 640 m2 deck, as well as the usual UT 755 L extensive underdecks. The vessel is expected to work the
North Sea spot market for the foreseeable future.
Rolls-Royce Cruise Into South America
A couple of pieces of news came in this month regarding Rolls-Royce’s work in South America. First of all,
Companhia Brasileira de Offshore announced they are to build four UT 715 L PSVs at Allianca shipard
(near Rio de Janeiro) with delivery due in 2009 and 2010. CBO have already secured long term charters
for these vessels with Petrobras. The second bit of news was that the Asnavales S.A. shipyard in Chile
are to build two UT 745 CD PSVs for an undisclosed international shipowner. The above orders are in
addition to ten UT-design vessels currently being built in Brazil, and around forty vessels of UT Design
with related packages of Rolls- Royce equipment have been built in Brazil since 2000.
Aries Butts In
Aalesund based Aries Offshore Services are to build a VS 470 MK II PSV at Myklebust Verft AS. Aries
Offshore Services are formerly S. Ugelstad Rederi AS. Delivery of the 73.4 LOA vessel is expected in
September 2008.
Turquesa Turns Up
Brazil Offshore Services’ UT 722L BOS Turquesa (meaning turquoise in Portuguese) delivered from the
Itajai yard in Brazil this month. It has now started its eight year term charter with Petrobras. As we can see
below, the BOS Turquesa is fitted with Fi-Fi. :
Edison Expansion
Edison Chouest Offshore continues its fleet expansion programme by announcing more newbuilds from its
affiliated shipyards in the US. Seven new anchor handlers of between 16,000 HP and 21,600 HP and
fourteen 4,700 DWT PSV's are scheduled for delivery within the next 3 years. Additionally ECO has
recently taken delivery of several 160 Ft fast supply vessels, designed and built by Breaux Brothers in
Loreauville, LA. A further twelve of this class are due for delivery by mid 2011.
A Herculean Effort From Nomis
Nomis Shipping’s latest newbuild from Jaya Shipbuilding in Singapore has now delivered. The GBP seven
million anchor handling tug (the second in a three ship deal from the aforementioned Jaya) has now
started a five year with options contract for Chevron based in the Gulf of Thailand. Dea Hercules will be
operated by Nomis Shipping International of Singapore, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Aberdeen company.
TS Marine Take Two
Aberdeen based marine services company TS Marine have invested GBP 130 million in two vessels
designed for the niche subsea market. These MT 6040 vessels will be built at the Astilleros Huelva yard in
Spain. They will be equipped with specially designed subsea decommissioning and intervention support
packages. Fuel consumption on these vessels will be typically around 30% lower than other similar
vessels and will have on board environmental processing systems to safely handle well fluids and solids,
preventing discharge at sea. TS Marine plan to “exploit the burgeoning subsea decommissioning and rigless intervention market, where global expenditure is forecast to rise by 170% in the next eight years”.
Intervene And Enhance
Well Ops (UK) Ltd have announced the name of their new multi-service DP III dive support / well
intervention vessel: the Well Enhancer. Their parent company Helix Energy Solutions Group will build the
vessel at the Merwede Shipyard in the Netherlands. The vessel should deliver at the end of 2008 will be
capable of working in the North Sea, West of Shetland and the Gulf of Mexico. It will also be designed to
support subsea well intervention including coil tubing, electric line and slick line operations.
Boa Attracted By Magnetor
The 100 tons bollard pull anchor handler Miclyn Magnetor has been bought by Boa Offshore. It will be re
named the Boa Magnetor. It is thought that the vessel will arrive in the North Sea around May and will
probably be available for North Sea work thereafter.
Celtic Kicks Off
The largest seismic vessel in the world has now delivered from the Gdansk Shipyard. The Geo Celtic is
the first in a series of four seismic Skipsteknisk AS design vessels with a length of just over 100 metres, a
beam of 24 metres and a draft of 7.5 metres.
Cecon Seek Investors
Norwegian based company Cecon may build some large offshore construction vessels. It is understood
that Pareto Securities are looking for investors to build possibly six vessels at Quebec based Davies
Industries. The outline details of the vessels are an LOA of 130 metres, breadth of 28 metres, deck area of
2000 square metres and accommodation for 100 persons. It is hoped that three vessels would deliver in
2009 and the other three in the following year.
Rescuers Renamed
Ocean Mainport Limited have now officially purchased the Aberdeen based UK standby vessel operator
called Havila Rescue UK Ltd. They have now renamed the company Ocean Mainport Rescue Ltd with
operation of the business remaining unchanged.
Monsoon Reigns
Bourbon Offshore’s latest newbuild, Ulstein PX105 Bourbon Monsoon, has now delivered. The Ulstein
Verft built Clean Design PSV has now started her 10 year contract with BP Norway.
Bourbon Buy In Bulk
Sticking with Bourbon Offshore, the ambitious company has now placed a mega order for forty six
offshore vessels. The Sinopacific shipyard in China will build forty four of the vessels whilst the remaining
two will be built at the West Atlantic Shipyard in Nigeria. Twenty eight of the vessels will be GPA 254
anchor handlers, fourteen of them will be GPA 654 PSVs and the final four will be Ulstein PX105 MACS
supply vessels. If one takes into account the above mentioned forty six vessels, Bourbon now has one
hundred and ten supply vessels on order and delivering before September 2011...
He Who Dares, Wins
Sealion Shipping VS4612 anchor handler Toisa Daring has now begun its term charter with Noble Energy
in Equatorial Guinea after delivery in February. The 150 tons bollard pull Wuchang, China newbuild has
been contracted for around eighteen months by Noble.
Foss Maritime to build hybrid tug
Foss Maritime Company announced that it plans to build the world's first true hybrid tug boat, a "green"
vessel that will significantly reduce nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and carbon emissions.
It will also consume less fuel and be quieter than its conventional predecessors. Officials of the Seattlebased marine services company, say the project must still gain final board approval. But the decision to
move forward with the hybrid tug got a boost earlier this week as the Port of Los Angeles pledged
$850,000 to the project, in association with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the
Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners preliminarily approved a $500,000 contribution to the
vessel's construction. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have expressed interest in funding the
tug as part of their San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. In exchange for funding, Foss would agree
to homeport the new hybrid tug in Southern California for five years. The Foss hybrid tug is scheduled to
go into production later this year and will be delivered to Foss' Southern California operations in 2008. It is
a new-build project, a continuation of the Dolphin-class tug boat series built at Foss' Rainier, Oregon
shipyard. The Foss hybrid tug will look almost identical to its sister Dolphin-class tug boats, but will be
quieter, cleaner and more fuel efficient, using proven hybrid technology. The hybrid tug's drive units will be
powered by batteries coupled with diesel generators and feature a modified engine room accommodating
two 670 horsepower battery packs and two 335 horsepower generators. Although the main engines in the
hybrid tug will have lower horsepower than the existing Dolphin engines, overall the tug will have the same
total horsepower as its sister tugs. The 5,000 horsepower Foss hybrid tug will be primarily used for harbor
assist services. "This is exactly what the Clean Air Action Plan was intended to do--challenge companies
operating in the ports to come up with better, cleaner ways of doing business. And Foss has come up with
a great plan that benefits all of us," said Geraldine Knatz Ph.D. executive director of the Port of Los
Angeles. There are many environmental and health-related benefits to building a hybrid tug, including:
Reduced Emissions. The hybrid tug will reduce all emissions (nitrogen oxide, particulate emissions, sulfur
dioxide and carbon emissions) due to design efficiencies and lower fuel consumption. Initial estimates
show a 44 percent reduction in PM and NOx emissions for the same duty as the current Dolphin tugs in
Los Angeles/Long Beach. Lower Fuel Consumption. The hybrid tug design minimizes fuel consumption by
using a power management system to match the required power to the most efficient combination of
batteries, generators and main engines for that particular power level. For example, instead of idling the
main engines while in standby mode when alongside a customer vessel awaiting orders from the pilot, the
hybrid tug will run on battery power with the main engines shut down. The lower fuel consumption results
in reductions of carbon emissions, a contributor to greenhouse gas, as well as sulfur emissions. Noise
Reduction. Overall, the hybrid tug will be much quieter than traditional tugs, running on battery power in
standby mode and only bringing the generators and main engines online when higher power is required.
This will reduce noise exposure, protecting crews from hearing loss and reducing noise pollution. The
hybrid tug will be introduced in the Los Angeles/Long Beach market, as hybrid tug technology is best
suited for harbor tugs that need high amounts of power for short periods of time. While performing tug
assist jobs in this Californian harbor, tug boats spend little time at peak RPM, rarely utilizing each tug's full
horsepower. Tugs in Los Angeles/Long Beach spend up to 50 percent of their time idling, with the main
engines on and ready to respond, but with no power actually being used for propulsion. With Foss' hybrid
tug, energy is produced only on demand, so that idling of the main engines will no longer be necessary.
The hybrid tug design will make it adaptable for retrofit of existing harbor tugs. The flexible design of the
tug also has the ability to take advantage of emerging technologies such as improved battery and fuel
advances. Thetug could also take advantage of cleaner, less expensive shore power to charge the
batteries. "Foss is proud to be working with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles on such an
important project as the hybrid tug," said Gary C. Faber, president and COO of Foss. "This is just the
latest example of how Foss sits at the leading edge of maritime technology, engineering and shipbuilding.
As a company, we're committed to maintaining our natural environment. Foss anticipates there will be a
growing market for our 'green' tugs in the years to come." (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 9
dd. 11 Maart 2007
_______________________________________________________
Tug sold to Italy
SSG-RINGKØBING. Towing Company Jens Alfastsen in Horsens has sold the supertug Mira A to an
Italian operator, which took over the vessel in Assens this week. The tug joined the fleet only 15 months
ago. “We got an offer we couldn’t refuse”, explains the owner, Jens Alfastsen. We were very happy with
the tug and its performance, but the price we were offered was so good that I couldn’t resist it”, says Jens
Alfastsen. During its time under the Danish flag, the Mira A has worked with a huge stone barge running
from Norway to UK and lately with rig moves and anchor handling on the North Sea spot market. The tug
is the former Yorkshireman, built in 1976, and fitted with a double engine plant developing some 75 tons
bollard pull making it the most powerful tug under the Danish flag. History 1976/641 –Yorksman; 1988 –
Salvigour; 1989 – Comenda; 2005 – Mira A. (Source: Clipping News)
AHTS orders for Aker Yards
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with DOF ASA for the construction of two AHTS vessels, and an
option to build another two vessels. The value of the contract is approximately NOK 750 million (US$
121.8 million) per vessel. The vessels are Anchor Handling Supply Vessels, based on the Aker design AH
04. Delivery is scheduled in Q4 2009, and Q2 2010. The vessels will have a bollard pull in excess of 300
tons, a length of 108 m, a beam of 24 m and depth to main deck of 9.8 m. Each will be outfitted with a
triple drum winch of 500 tons. Accommodations are planned for 90 persons. The hulls for the vessels will
be built at Aker Yards, Tulcea in Romania and outfitting will be at Aker Yards in Norway. (Source: Clipping
News)
Museum belicht het werk van sleepboten op Westerschelde
MAASSLUIS - Bij nacht en ontij voeren ze uit om assistentie te verlenen aan schepen in nood.
Binnenvaartschepen, die waren vastgelopen op één van die verraderlijke zandplaten, vrachtschepen die
met elkaar in botsing waren gekomen en in brand vlogen of uit koers geraakte schepen met gevaarlijke
stoffen.
Union-slepers in actie voor de sluizen van Terneuzen. foto Archief Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum
In 1986 waren die heldendaden op het water voor het Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum in Maassluis al eens
aanleiding voor een expositie, gewijd aan het Slepen op de Schelde. Eenentwintig jaar later vormt het
sleep- en bergingswerk tussen de Westerscheldemonding en Antwerpen opnieuw het onderwerp van een
grote wisseltentoonstelling, die doorloopt tot en met 14 oktober. De tentoonstelling besteedt aandacht aan
de vroegere geschiedenis van de sleepvaart met bedrijven als de Unie van Redding- en Sleepdienst
(Union), Willem Muller, Polderman, Van den Akker, Dijkhuizen, de SHV, de Nieuwe Vlissingse
Sleepdienst en Van Aerde. Woordvoerder Nico Ouwenhand van het museum: ,,De tijd van hevige
concurrentie in het Zeeuwse. Verbaal in niet mis te verstane bewoordingen en een enkele keer zelfs met
de vuist werden meningsverschillen beslecht. Die tijd is gelukkig voorbij en in overdrachtelijke zin is de
regio wat betreft de sleepvaart nu in rustiger vaarwater terecht gekomen.'' De nadruk ligt nu niet op die
roerige periode, maar op de ontwikkelingen en gebeurtenissen in de afgelopen twintig jaar. Op het
verdwijnen van het aloude Willem Muller, eerst overgenomen door Wijsmuller, later door de Union en
uiteindelijk helemaal verdwenen, de oprichting en zegetocht van Multraship van diezelfde familie Muller en
de nieuwbouw van de Union. En ook passeert een groot aantal calamiteiten, vooral fotografisch, de revue.
Het museum is gevestigd aan de Hoogstraat in Maassluis en is dagelijks open van 14.00 tot 17.00 uur,
behalve op maandag en op eerste Paas- en Pinksterdag.
Vroon PSV chartered by Oilexco
March 6, 2007 Seabrokers reports that Vroon Offshore Services PSV Rig Express has been chartered by
Oilexco for work in the North Sea. "The Dutch flagged, 663m2 deck Vuyk Kenton design will start work for
Oilexco around April 2007, probably straight after delivery," said Seabrokers. The charter period is one
year firm plus one year option. (Source: Leo Kramer)
DeepOcean wins new contracts from Saipem
UK March 7, 2007 DeepOcean UK, the subsidiary of DeepOcean ASA in Norway, has announced that it
has received a Letter of Intent from Saipem UK for the provision of ROV & Survey services for the Dunbar
Project in UK with Mærsk Responder and Mærsk Recorder. The first part of the job will start in April with
Mærsk Responder and be followed by Mærsk Recorder in May. Total estimated time for the work is about
90 vessel days with a contract value of approximately £5.5 million. Johannes Lie, CEO of DeepOcean
ASA, said: "We are very pleased to be involved in this project with Saipem and for the first time be able to
combine the resources of our subsidiary CTC Marine Projects and DeepOcean in winning more work for
the Group.? . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Sical Torino chartered into Dutch sector
Vessel & ROV News - March 7, 2007 Seabrokers reports that February saw an agreement being reached
between Peterson Supply Link and Troms Offshore to charter the VS470 Mk II supply vessel Sical
Torino. The vessel is currently on charter to Apache supporting drilling and project operations, but she will
head south to the Dutch sector when she completes her charter in April. "The vessel has been hired for a
one year period at a day rate being quoted as agreeable to both parties, however we reckon it is probably
slightly more agreeable to the owners than the charterer based on current market conditions," noted
Seabrokers in the latest issue of its monthly report Seabreeze. . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Deep Sea Supply
Wednesday, 07 March 2007 RAPIDLY expanding John Fredriksen-controlled offshore support company
Deep Sea Supply is to take a 10.800 BHP Anchor Handling Tugs Supply vessel newbuilding on bareboat
charter Java Marine Lines through DSS subsidiary DESS Cyprus. DSS has a 1 year firm bareboat charter
with a purchase option at the end of the year. The vessel is to be delivered by Jaya Shipbuilding &
Engineering, Singapore in September/October 2007. DSS says it will operate the vessel in Asia, Middle
East and West Africa. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Rescue tug brings in distressed reefer
The Far-Eastern Shipping Co-operated reefer vessel Khorol remains under repair at Port Angeles,
Washington state, after it suffered engine failure on Friday. Temporary repairs had been made at sea but
a call was made to the US Coast Guard, which brought a response from the 7,200-hp rescue tug
Gladiator. Costs for the Crowley Marine Services tug are covered by the Washington State Department of
Ecology during the winter months when risks to shipping are greatest. A Coast Guard statement said:
"This incident points out the need for high horsepower tugs to be available to assist ships with loss of
power or other incidents that jeopardise the safety of the crew and the environment." The Gladiator,
which is stationed at Neah Bay to respond to vessels, particularly oil tankers, entering ecologicallysensitive Puget Sound, will remain in Port Angeles harbour until the repairs are made, or until a relief tug
can be found. (Source: Clipping News)
Tug Tows Disabled Ship to Shore
Mar. 7--The Khorol was flagging. Smoke was billowing out of the cargo ship's smokestack, a sign of
engine distress, and it was slowing down just four miles from its destination, Port Angeles. Then the ship
stopped cold. The engine was dead. Capt. Don Zeagler had to spring into action. Zeagler is one of the
captains of a tugboat stationed at Neah Bay each winter to rescue disabled ships in the Strait of Juan de
Fuca and off the Pacific coast. The boat's latest rescue unfolded last weekend with the usual high stakes:
if control of the ship was lost, it could run aground. "The environmental risk is very great," said Zeagler,
57. "It's an important job, and we feel fortunate that we're ... around to protect this coastline." The Khorol,
based in Cyprus, is a 377-foot-long refrigerated cargo ship that was trying to dock in Port Angeles to pick
up a shipment of salmon. It first reported engine problems to the Coast Guard on Friday night, about five
miles from the entrance to the strait. As a precaution, Zeagler and his crew of five took off in their 136foot-long tugboat, the Gladiator, but were later told the ship was making the necessary repairs.At noon
Saturday, with the Khorol now 25 miles out at sea, the Gladiator returned to the ship and sailed behind as
it lumbered slowly toward Port Angeles. When the engine failed near the port, Zeagler and his crew tied a
600-foot-long, synthetic fiber line to the front of the ship and pulled it into the harbor. Once the ship was
there, Zeagler needed to have more control and tied three lines to the ship's side and pushed the Khorol
the rest of the way. As the ship approached Port Angeles, the sea was calm and visibility was fair, which
made the rescue operation much easier, Zeagler said. "It just went really well for us." Zeagler, who lives in
Ballard, has been a tugboat captain 21 years for Crowley Maritime, an Oakland, Calif., company. He says
he has rescued a dozen ships in his career and towed barges all over the world, from Alaska to the
southern tip of South America. A rescue tugboat has been stationed at Neah Bay each winter since 1999,
first funded by the U.S. Navy and then the state, and has rescued 31 ships. The state pays Crowley
$8,500 a day, plus roughly $1,000 a day in fuel costs, to operate the boat. The company took over the
state contract on New Year's Eve and promptly received a call that night, rescuing a drifting fishing boat
near Olympic National Park. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Tampa Bay Shipbuilding Gets Orders for Articulated Tug Barges (ATB)
Overseas Shipholding Group Inc., the company that bought Maritrans Inc., said it will build three
articulated tug barges, each with a construction value of about $90m. The barges will be constructed at
Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair Co., while the tug boats will be constructed at Bender Shipbuilding &
Repair Co. in Mobile, Ala., according to a release from Overseas Shipholding. Tampa Bay Shipbuilding,
which is an affiliate of Bender and located at the Port of Tampa, previously handled projects for Tampabased Maritrans, which was sold in November for $455 million. A call to Tampa Bay Shipbuilding for
additional details was pending. The barges will have a carrying capacity of about 290,000 barrels. Each
barge will be connected to a 12,000 horsepower tug boat and will be capable of carrying refined
petroleum products as well as crude oil within the U.S. Jones Act market, the release said. The units are
scheduled to be delivered from late 2009 through late 2010. Overseas Shipholding, based in New York, is
one of the largest publicly traded tanker companies in the world and a market leader in global energy
transportation services for crude oil and petroleum products. (Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Island Offshore newbuild goes to Eni
March 8, 2007 Island Offshore’s latest newbuild anchor handler, which was due to arrive in late February
but slipped back to "early March" will start work with ENI Norway. Seabrokers reports that the newbuild UT
787 CD Island Vanguard has a 180 day plus 90 day option term charter with ENI Norway, beginning
straight after her arrival. The charter?s workscope involves assisting with subsea construction and anchor
handling support duties. It is understood that the contract is divided into three separate programmes and
in between these programmes the vessel may be available for work on the spot market. The Island
Offshore newbuild vessel comes equipped with DP II, moonpool, ROV hangar and accommodation for 54.
Washburn & Doughty delivers Wilmington tug
East Boothbay, Maine, has been awash with tugs in recent years, as local tug-builder Washburn &
Doughty Associates continues to get more and more contracts. The shipyard delivered two more tugs
recently and a third one was due to be launched Jan. 19. The April Moran for Moran Towing Corp., New
Canaan, Conn., was delivered in October, and the Sonie, built for Tug Sonie, an affiliate of Wilmington
Tug, Wilmington, Del., was delivered in November. The January launch is for another Moran tug. The
Washburn & Doughty-designed 92'x32'x13'9" April Moran is currently performing ship-assist and docking
work in Norfolk, Va. Power to drive the 92-footer comes from a pair of EMD 12-645F7B engines, each of
them delivering 2,550 hp at 900 rpm to a pair of Z-drives with 94.48" stainless steel props. With a pair of
monitors, a deluge system, and the ability to work a fire for a minimum of 24 hours, the April Moran
meets FiFi 1 classification standards. The two electrically powered FFS monitors can be controlled from
the pilothouse or at the monitors. A pair of 900-hp Caterpillar 3412C diesels and Nijhuis HGTFI-1-250.500
pumps supplies the water. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Wilmington Tug's 80'x32'x16'7" Sonie works
ship-assist and docking jobs on the Delaware River.The 80-footer has a pair of MTU 16V4000 diesels,
each pulling 2,360 hp at 1,800 rpm and turning Rolls Royce US205 Z-drives. A pair of Northern Lights
M99-C2 gensets produces 99 kw each at 1,800 rpm. Except for increased horsepower, the Sonie is just
about identical to the Capt. Harry, another tug designed by Robert Allan and built by Washburn &
Doughty in 1991. The Capt. Harry had 4,200 hp, said Hickman Rowland, Wilmington Tug's owner,
compared to the Sonie's 4,720 hp. Both the Sonie and April Moran have 50-hp Markey DEPC-48 electric
winches. The DEPC-48 winch has a drum capacity of 500' of 9"-circumference soft line. The Markey winch
exerts a maximum pulling force of 16,000 lbs. at 90 fpm. The light-line speed is 182 fpm. Wilmington Tug
is having another 80', Robert Allan-designed tug built at Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding in Somerset, Mass.
Due to be delivered at the end of 2007, it will be identical to the Sonie. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
First ATB for Vane Lines
Vane Lines Bunkering, a subsidiary of Vane Brothers, took delivery of its first ATB in January. The 6,000hp tug Brandywine (twin EMD 710s), matched with the Double Skin 141, is the first of two 145,000-bbl.
ATB units for the Baltimore-based company. The 123'x38'x22' Brandywine was constructed at
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, Wis., while the matching 480'x78'x36'6" barge was built simultaneously
at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The barge's deep notch is fitted for Intercon's new-generation
coupling system. The ATB can handle all Subchapter O products and will work primarily in the
Northeast (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Newbuildings at Martinac
J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Wash., is busy with several tugs, the first of which was about
to be delivered in January to Sause Bros. Inc., Coos Bay, Ore. The Mikiona is the first of two new
oceangoing tugs being built at Martinac for Sause. The 128'x35'x15' twin-screw tug is powered by a
pair of MTU 16V4000 main engines, each rated at 1,875 hp at 1,600 rpm. With 104" props in Nautican
nozzles, bollard pull is anticipated to be 130,000 lbs. Free-running speed should be 12 knots. The
Mikiona will also feature a new towing winch from Rapp Hydema. Martinac is also building a sister vessel
for Sause and a pair of Z-drive tugs for Signet Maritime Corp., Houston (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Katie Gonsoulin delivered to LeBeouf Brothers
Intracoastal Ironworks, Bourg, La., delivered the Entech-designed Katie Gonsoulin, another 72-footer, to
LeBeouf Brothers Towing last fall and was scheduled to complete a sister vessel early this year. The
boats are also powered by 850-hp Cummins KTA38 MO diesels. The mains are mated to 4-bladed
68" wheels through Reintjes 464 marine gears with 6:1 reduction ratios. An Entech triple-screw tug design
is currently underway at Lockport Fabrication for Russell Plaisance, Galliano, La. Powered by three
Cummins KTA19s, the 84'x27' tug will have two open wheels on the outsides and a ducted propeller in the
middle. Entech's Frank Basile said the design will provide the required bollard pull as well as shallow draft.
Lockport Fabrication is also finishing the Warren Thomas, the second of four 166', DP-1 supply vessels for
Supreme Offshore Services. Capacities include 2,500 bbls. of liquid mud and 33,000 gals. of methanol.
Entech design under construction at Chiasson
Another Entech triple-screw tug is under construction at Chiasson Welding, Larose, La., for Brice
Construction, Fairbanks, Alaska. The 84'x36' ATB tug will push a 248'x54' fuel barge. The tug and barge
will be connected with an Articouple system from Taisei Engineering in Japan. To achieve the desired
10-knot speed with the required shallow draft for river operations, three of Cummins' new 660-hp QSK19
M engines were selected. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Long term deal for Traveller
March 9, 2007 Seabrokers reports that Gulf Offshore UT 755 PSV North Traveller has been chartered for
a three year firm (plus one year option) term charter. Traveller will begin this work for Drilling Production
Technology (DPT) this month. It is understood that the prime reason for the fixture is to support the semisubmersible drilling rig Bredford Dolphin during its drilling programme in Norwegian waters. (Source: Leo
Kramer)
Smit Europe confess colour
The new build Smit Europe have received her first layer of paint.
The lady in red shows slowly her design shape. It is expected that
this 65 ton bollard pull tug will be delivered to her owners at the end of May, with her sister Smit Africa
follow 2 weeks later. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
8e jaargang, nr. 10
dd. 18 Maart 2007
_______________________________________________________
Turquesa delivered by Itajai
March 12, 2007 Brazil Offshore Services’ UT 722L BOS Turquesa (meaning turquoise in Portuguese) has
been delivered by Itajai yard in Brazil. Seabrokers reports that it has now started its eight year term
charter with Petrobras. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Esvagt Carpathia
It was reported that last week the Esvagt Carpathia has been delivered to her owners by the builders
ASL Shipyard – Singapore. (Source: Ton Has)
Boa acquires AHTS
March 13, 2007 Seabrokers reported in the latest issue of its monthly newsleter Seabreeze that the 100
tons bollard pull anchor handler Miclyn Magnetor has been bought by Boa Offshore. The vessel will
be renamed Boa Magnetor. It is thought that the vessel will arrive in the North Sea around May and will
probably be available for North Sea work thereafter. (Source: Seabrokers)
New charter
Posted: 13.03.2007 Deep Sea Supply has entered into a new charter with Total E & P Congo from 26
April 2007 for `Sea Halibut` (the 2nd PSV vessel delivered from Cochin Shipyard) for a period of 6
months (plus option of 3 + 3 months). The charter value for the firm period is approximately USD 6,2 mill
including mob and demob fee (net of withholding tax). `Sea Halibut` is expected to be delivered from
Cochin Shipyard early May 2007, and the AHTS vessel `Sea Bear` will hence be the forerunner until `Sea
Halibut` will arrive Congo (expected approximately 15 May 2007). (Source: Leo Kramer)
Coast Guard Responds to Rock Barge Incident
Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Port Arthur is responding to a marine casualty on the SabineNeches waterway involving a barge under tow, which became unstable and dumped its cargo of rock into
the water. The Coast Guard received a notice that the towing vessel Kacie Luhr, pushing four rock barges,
was taking on water and one of the rock barges had dumped about 1,650 tons of rock into the navigation
channel. Coast Guard smallboats transported all six crewmembers from the towing vessel safely to a
nearby tug. The Kacie Luhr and two of its barges remain partially in the waterway. Coast Guard
investigators conducted an initial survey of the towing vessel and the two damaged barges, while the two
rock barges that were completely unaffected by the incident were disconnected from the tow. The local
Army Corps of Engineers Office has aided and successfully located the channel blockage with a sonar
scan. In addition, local salvage team T&T Marine is currently on scene getting ready to safely remove the
damaged vessels. A broadcast notice to mariners was issued yesterday and a safety zone is in effect to
keep all vessel traffic a safe distance from the incident. The waterway is currently closed to deep-draft
traffic but open to most towing vessels and small boats. (Source: Marinelink)
Svitzerwijsmuller’s Offer On Adsteam Is Now Unconditional
SvitzerWijsmuller announced today (15th March 2007) that it has decided to waive the final outstanding
condition to its A$2.54 recommended cash Offer for all of the shares in Adsteam Marine Limited
(“Adsteam”). Accordingly, the Offer is now unconditional. Jesper T. Lok, CEO of SvitzerWijsmuller said:
“Now that the final condition to the Offer has been waived, we look forward to bringing the two
businesses together and to realising our vision of creating a global player in, and a preferred provider of,
safety and support services at sea”. “Ahead of us is the important task of integrating the two organizations.
Whereas we feel well prepared, we humbly recognize the importance of the work and are very conscious
of not underestimating the task”. “With more than 4,000 Colleagues, operating 500 vessels in some 35
countries around the World, we have a unique and unequalled opportunity to be the preferred provider
globally of safety and support services at sea”. As at 8.00am (AEST) on 15th March 2007,
SvitzerWijsmuller had received acceptances and acceptance instructions equal to 84,78% of Adsteam’s
issued shares. The Offer is scheduled to close at 7.00pm (AEST) on 23 March 2007 and Adsteam
Shareholders are encouraged to follow the recommendation of the Adsteam Board and accept the Offer
without further delay. (Source: SvitzerWijsmuller)
14 Vessel deal with Wilson Sons, Brazil
8 Damen Platform Supply Vessels (PSV’S) & 6 Damen Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tugs
Wilson Sons and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem have signed contracts for the construction of one 40 ton
bollard pull Damen ASD 2810, three 40 ton bollard pull ASD’s 2411 and two 70 ton bollard pull ASD’s
2411.All ASD tugs will be provided with Caterpillar main engines and Rolls Royce rudder propellers. A
forward towing winch is fitted on all tugs and an aft towing winch will be included on the ASD tug 2810. In
addition contracts were signed for the new building of six Damen PSV’s 7216 with a deadweight of
approximately 3.000 ton. All PSV’s carry fuel oil, potable water, dry bulk and optional liquid mud.
Propulsion is by means of two 1.500 kW Rolls Royce rudder propellers with controllable pitch propellers in
a diesel electric configuration with Caterpillar generator sets. The free deck area of these vessels is
approximately 600 m2. Furthermore an agreement was also reached for the construction of two Damen
PSV’s 8816 with a deadweight of approximately 4.500 ton and similar dieselelectric propulsion as the
smaller PSV’s, however with an input power of 2 x 1.920 kW. The deck area of the PSV 8816 is
approximately 800 m2. Damen Technical Cooperation (DTC) will provide engineering, components and
logistic support to Wilson Sons in Guaruja (Santos) were all vessels will be built. Completion of this highly
significant new building programme is scheduled for the beginning of 2010. Wilson Sons and Damen
enjoy a very successful cooperation which dates back to 1993 and since then a total of 26 Damen Tugs
have been built by Wilson Sons. Presently one Damen PSV 7216, which was contracted last year, is
under construction at Wilson Sons and is scheduled for delivery in March of this year. The six Damen ASD
Tugs will be operated in various Brazilian ports by Saveiros, the leading operator in Brazil. The eight
Damen PSV’s will sail under the flag of Saveiros Camuyrano Servicios Maritimos and will be chartered out
to Petrobras. (Source: Damen)
Nomis acquires Ocean Service from Oceaneering
March 15, 2007 Nomis Shipping has acquired the DP ROV/air diving/survey vessel Ocean Service from
Oceaneering. Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) said in its latest monthly report that delivery of the vessel to
its new owner took place in the Gulf of Mexico on February 27th. OSL said the vessel has been renamed
Dea Surveyor and will go straight to Singapore. (Source: via Leo Kramer)
Fratelli Neri sold
March 15, 2007 Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) says Fratelli Neri (built 1977 - 6,600bhp) has been sold
to Middle Eastern buyers. OSL estimated the price to be in the region of US$1,750,000. (Source: via Leo
Kramer)
Coast Guard, Rescue Tug Bail Out Boat at Neah Bay
The Coast Guard and the state-funded rescue tugboat at Neah Bay rescued a sinking fishing boat in the
bay, reported the Seattle Times. The 70-ft. boat Kristena Rose, with up to 5,000 gallons of fuel on board,
was taking on water in its engine room while stopped at Makah Marina. A Coast Guard boat and the
rescue tugboat responded and used pumps to get rid of the water. The pumping allowed some oil from the
engine room to escape, and the Makah tribe is helping with the clean-up. The Coast Guard also had
another rescue Tuesday, helping an elderly couple whose Nordic Tug had ran aground near Bellingham.
The 37-ft. Augenblick got stuck at the south end of the Swinomish Channel.The Coast Guard launched a
boat and transported the couple back to shore. (Source: Seattle Times)
Viking Offshore Welcomes First of Nine New Vessels to Fleet
Friday, March 16, 2007 Viking Offshore Services welcomed the first of nine new emergency response
and rescue vessels (ERRVs) to its fleet. The Viking Discovery was the subject of an official naming
ceremony at Aberdeen Harbor, representing the first phase of Viking Offshore's £55million investment
program in enhanced ERRV provision for the energy industry. The nine-vessel deal is the largest ever
single order for ERRVs and signals the company's long-term commitment to providing key field support
services for the oil and gas sector. The vessels will be certified to operate in UK, Norway, Denmark and
Holland. Chief Executive Graham Philip said: "The Viking Discovery is in the vanguard of a new-build
program that sets new standards for the sector in terms of vessel design and the provision of added value
services to customers, and ensures we remain the leading player in the sector. "All the new vessels will
feature a series of enhanced recovery and rescue features as well as class leading capabilities for in-field
logistic services. "We are delighted to welcome the Discovery to our fleet as part of a strategy to provide
added value services to the European offshore energy market in the long term." Aberdeen-based Viking
Offshore Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Viking Supply Ships A/S, which in turn is part of
Kistefos A/S, a privately-owned Norwegian investment company. The naming ceremony was performed
by Tracey Johnston, wife of Brian Johnston, The Royal Bank of Scotland's Regional Director, Aberdeen &
North Scotland. The vessel was blessed by Aberdeen port chaplain Rev Howard Drysdale. Viking
Offshore has established a long-term financing facility with the Bank of Scotland and The Royal Bank of
Scotland that, along with a significant equity investment from Kistefos, both funds the new-build program
and creates a stable platform for growth The investment program will allow Aberdeen-based Viking
Offshore to replace older vessels in its current 31 vessel fleet while increasing the number of multi-role
vessels and thus improving its range of value added services. The 55-meter Viking Discovery, which will
initially work on a contract with BP, is of the new IMT 955 design by IMT Marine Consultants of Montrose,
Scotland. All the new vessels, of similar design, are being constructed at the Astilleros Zamakona
shipyard in Spain and are to be delivered in a rolling program until early 2009. Crew facilities include a
well-equipped gymnasium, sauna, conference facilities and 15 single en-suite cabins, with capacity for up
to 22 berths. Graham Philip added: "The design combines first-class recovery and rescue resources
capable of serving multiple installations and offers the ability to undertake in-field cargo activities, offshore
warehousing and delivery of essential supplies." Viking Offshore's sister company, platform supply vessel
business SBS Marine, has taken delivery of two new vessels in 2006 with a third scheduled for delivery at
the end of March 2007. It currently operates five platform supply vessels in the North Sea and India.
However, the eastern area of Branscombe beach is staying closed as machinery used by contractors is
still there. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Havila Harmony Enters Hydramarine Yard
Posted: 16.03.2007.The Havila Harmony entered the Hydramarine yard for installation of a 150T Active
Heave Compensated crane. Hydramarine have complete facilities for such complex vessel installations,
incl.dry dock, large quay side cranes, accomodation etc. Havila Harmony will enter in a charter for TS
Marine and head directly to Australian waters. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Portos de Madeira verkoopt twee 1100 pk’ers
De Cabo Girao en Ponta do Garajau (beide 1,100 apk, 183/63) zijn in 2007 door Portos de madeira,
Madeira verkocht aan Lutmar, Setubal (Portugal) (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Grounding of Bohus on March 16, 2007
Tugboat Bohus suffered black-out and following stop of main engine en route from Wallhamn to
Brofjorden on March 16 at 14.25 hours. It wasn't possible for the crew to restart the engine before Bohus
grounded at the rocks at Härmanö Udde. Shortly after the grounding the crew was evacuated by a
helicopter from the Swedish Coast Guard. All of the 4 crew members are well after the grounding and
evacuation. Shortly after the grounding Bohus started taking in water and listed heavily. Salvage team
from Sweden and Holland has been mobilised. The vessel had at the time of the grounding 95mt of gas oil
and 4 mt of lubricating oil on board. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Danes buys tug in Finland
SSG-RINGKØBING. Danish bulk-operator Britannia Bulk DK A/S has enlarged its tug fleet with the
purchase of the Finnish owned (Alfons Håkans) tug Baus. It has now been renamed Vornaes II and flies
the Panama flag. The tug is unusual as it now has been owned by Norwegians, Swedish, Finnish and now
Danish owners during its 37-year long career. It will be converted into a pusher-tug and then work the fleet
of bulk barges owned by Britannia Bulk DK, which took over the SvitzerWijsmuller bulk barge fleet and
pusher tugs in 2006. Since then it has purchased an additional bulk barge from Alfons Håkans and now
also a tug to operate the barge. The Vornaes II was built in 1970 as the Baus by P. Høivolds in
Kristiansand S and is fitted with a MaK engine giving it a bollard pull of 32 tonnes. (Source: Clipping
News)
Hystory: 1971 - Baus (2) Bukser og Bjergningsselskapet A/S –
Oslo, (Nor); 1985 – Hans Oskar Pitea Bogserhats A/B", mng
"Wiren's Rederi A/B" – Pitea, (Swd); 1988 – Hans Oscar A/S
Sydvaranger" – Kirkenes, (Nor); 1997 – Rauma IV Suomen
Merisukellus Oy" – Rauma, (Fin); 1999 – Levator Suomen
Merisukelus – Helsinki, (Fin); 2001 – Baus Alfons Hakans" –
Turku, (Fin); 2007 Vornaes II Britannia Bulk DK A/S, (Den).
(Marcoldatabase: Hans van der Ster)
8e jaargang, nr. 11
dd. 25 Maart 2007
_______________________________________________________
Baus rectification
The compiler received a mail with following: I just read about Baus in your net magazine.I do not know if
you got book ALFONS HÅKANS 1945-2005 with fleetlist of all owned & chartered vessels of which I am
co-author. There is history of Baus. Baus was sold to Alfons Håkans in 1999 so it should be: 1996 Rauma
IV (Fin), Suomen Marisukellus Oy, Rauma. 1999 Baus (Fin), Suomen Marisukellus Oy, Rauma (Alfons
Håkans Oy-Ab, Turku. LEVATOR is not tug but barge built 1973, 1,970 gross, 4.484 dwt and owned by
Håkans. Risto many thanks for your amendment. (Source: Risto Brzoza)
Abeille Cires and Abeille Dalia on route to Tanger
On Saturday 17th March the Damen – Romania built newbuildings tugs Abeille Cires & Abeille Dalia
made a fuel stop at Valletta, Malta before completing their voyage to Tanger, Morocco. (Source: Lawrence
Dalli)
Indomitable to return to UK
The Adsteam tug ‘Indomitable’ will shortly be leaving the Falkland Islands en route back to the UK. The
‘Indom’ as she was known by many, has been providing towage and support services at Mare Harbour,
Stanley, since 1987 when the contract to provide these services was won by Alexandra Towing Company,
Liverpool. Prior to her leaving Liverpool and heading south, she was partially rebuilt and was equipped
with fire fighting and salvage pumps. A delivery crew from Redwise are to bring her back to the UK and it
is unclear what the future holds for this vessel. The ‘Indom’ was built in 1979 and had a sister vessel the
‘Formidable’. (Source: George Pennington)
Union Kodiak
It was reported that the URS new build tug Union Kodiak sailing out on the 20th march for some trails.
The Union Kodiak is the first one of a pair Robert Allen design and built at Tuzla’s – Dearsan yard. Her
sister Union Grizzly is still under construction and is expected to be delivered august 2007. (Source:
Hans van der Ster)
Aker stapt uit schepen
OSLO - Het Noorse concern Aker neemt afscheid van de scheepsbouw. Het bedrijf van de miljardair Kjell
Inge Rokke heeft voor 4,6 miljard kroon (565 miljoen euro) zijn gehele belang van 40,1 procent in het
scheepsbouwconcern Aker Yards verkocht aan Noorse en buitenlandse investeerders. Dat maakte Aker
gisteren bekend. Het is niet bekend wie de investeerders zijn, maar volgens Aker gaat het overwegend
om 'belangrijke institutionele beleggers'. Volgens een apart uitgegeven verklaring van Aker Yards zijn nu
22 procent van de aandelen in het bedrijf in Noorse handen en bezitten internationale partijen de rest.
Aker bood de aandelen vorige week te koop aan. Aker Yards is de grootste scheepsbouwer van Europa.
Het bedrijf heeft zeventien werven in Finland, Frankrijk, Noorwegen, Duitsland, Roemenië, Oekraïne en
Brazilië. Aker Yards telt ongeveer 20.000 werknemers. (Source: Navigo)
Hercules Offshore neemt Todco over voor USD 2,3 mrd
AMSTERDAM (FD.nl/Betten) -Hercules Offshore neemt sectorgenoot Todco over voor in totaal $ 2,3 mrd in aandelen
en contanten. Dat heeft de Amerikaanse dienstverlener voor de olie-industrie maandag bekendgemaakt. Hercules
biedt 0,979 aandeel Hercules en $ 16,00 in contanten voor elk aandeel Todco. Het bod biedt een premie van 28% ten
opzichte van de slotkoers van Todco op vrijdag 16 maart. De overname zal naar verwachting in het midden van dit
jaar worden afgerond. Na afronding zullen aandeelhouders Todco zo'n 64% houden in het gecombineerde bedrijf en
aandeelhouders Hercules circa 36%. Hercules verwacht door de overname de concurrentiepositie in de Golf van
Mexico te verbeteren, door meer schaalvoordelen te kunnen behalen en een grotere operationele flexibiliteit te
verkrijgen. (Source: Navigo)
Viking Offshore takes delivery of first of nine new vessels
March 20, 2007 Viking Offshore Services has welcomed the first of nine new vessels to its fleet. Viking
Discovery was the subject of an official naming ceremony at Aberdeen Harbour, representing the first
phase of Viking Offshore’s £55million investment programme in enhanced ERRV provision for the energy
industry. The nine-vessel deal is the largest ever single order for ERRVs and signals the company’s longterm commitment to providing key field support services for the oil and gas sector. The vessels will be
certified to operate in UK, Norway, Denmark and Holland. Chief Executive Graham Philip said: ‘Viking
Discovery is in the vanguard of a new-build programme that sets new standards for the sector in terms of
vessel design and the provision of added value services to customers, and ensures we remain the leading
player in the sector. All the new vessels will feature a series of enhanced recovery and rescue features as
well as class leading capabilities for in-field logistic services." We are delighted to welcome the Discovery
to our fleet as part of a strategy to provide added value services to the European offshore energy market
in the long term,’ said mr Philip. Aberdeen-based Viking Offshore Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Viking Supply Ships A/S, which in turn is part of Kistefos A/S, a privately-owned Norwegian investment
company. Viking Offshore has established a long-term financing facility with the Bank of Scotland and The
Royal Bank of Scotland that, along with a significant equity investment from Kistefos, both funds the
newbuild programme and creates a stable platform for growth The investment programme will allow
Aberdeen-based Viking Offshore to replace older vessels in its current 31 vessel fleet whilst increasing the
number of multi-role vessels and thus improving its range of value added services. The 55m Viking
Discovery, which will initially work on a contract with BP, is of the new IMT 955 design by IMT Marine
Consultants of Montrose, Scotland. All the new vessels, of similar design, are being constructed at the
Astilleros Zamakona shipyard in Spain and are to be delivered in a rolling programme until early 2009.
Crew facilities include a well-equipped gymnasium, sauna, conference facilities and 15 single en-suite
cabins, with capacity for up to 22 berths. Graham Philip added: “The design combines first-class recovery
and rescue resources capable of serving multiple installations and offers the ability to undertake in-field
cargo activities, offshore warehousing and delivery of essential supplies.” Viking Offshore’s sister
company, platform supply vessel business SBS Marine, has taken delivery of two new vessels in 2006
with a third scheduled for delivery at the end of March 2007. It currently operates five platform supply
vessels in the North Sea and India. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Statoil extends Normand Draupne again
March 20, 2007 Statoil has declared its last option for Solstad Offshore's Normand Draupne for one year.
Normand Draupne will be on contract until June 008. The extension is existing terms. (Source: Leo
Kramer)
Lady Hammond sold
The Lady Hammond (ex; Genua – 97; Seaman – 90) 1885/498 has been sold 11-2006 to Marine
Capabilities, Abu Dhabi without renaming. (Source: Leon de Hoop)
Skandi Yare extended by Petrobras
March 21, 2007 DOF has secured an extension to its time charter for Skandi Yare with Petrobras.
The charter is for four years from September 2007. DOF said the rate will provide an increase in EBITDA
of approximately NKr 16 million a year compared with the existing contract. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Bluestream extends Northern River
The Bluestream Group has extended its charter on the Trico Supply-managed Northern River by five
years until May 2012. Bluestream Group said that as part of the deal, the vessel will have moonpool
opened and additional taut-wire system installed during her next dry docking, which is planned for May
2007. (Source: Clipping News)
Zouros buys Bourbon Chieftain
MCT/Zouros Group, after succesfull negotiations with “Bourbon Offshore AS”, proudly announces the very
recent fleet addition of the AHTS/Multirole vessel “Bourbon Chieftain” 12,730 BHP / 150 TNS B.P. Built
1983. The vessel will be renamed “Chieftain” until the completion of her present contract, early summer
2008, with the Norwegian Coast Guard and the management will be carried out by the Norwegian
company “Troms Offshore AS”. (Source: Clipping News)
Gulf Offshore NS orders Aker PSV's
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with Gulf Offshore NS. Ltd. for building of two platform supply
vessels based on the Aker PSV 09 CD design. Gulf Offshore NS is the Aberdeen, Scotland, based unit of
Gulfmark Offshore. The total value of the contract is approximately NOK 530 million (about $86.2 million).
Delivery is scheduled in 4Q 2009 and 2Q 2010. The vessels will be equipped with dynamic positioning,
diesel electric propulsion and will have the class notation Clean Design. The vessels are designed for
good sea keeping performance, low fuel consumption and environmental friendly operations. Dimensions
are: Length 86.6 m, beam 19 m. Cargo capacity dwt is 4,850 tons In the past Gulf Offshore has been
involved in more than 30 contracts with Aker Yards. With this contract, four of the vessels in order by Gulf
Offshore are of Aker Yards design. The hulls for the vessels will be built at Aker Yards in Romania and
they will be outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway.
Lawrence Amboldt reported:
The Champion (ex. Tadami Maru-06, van Fukushima Kisen K. K., Iwaki) was sold by J. P. Knight to
Adsteam, her new name is Adsteam Intrepid. 4,400 apk, 2 x Niigata 6L28HX, 2 x Niigata ZP-31 rudder
propellers 257/05.
The Iide Maru was sold by Fukushima Kisen K. K., Fukuyama in 2007 to J. P. Knight her new name is
Kintore, 4,500 apk, 257/06.
J. P. Knight has sold the pusher Kennet (ex. Terese Marie-95, ex. Argo Knot-84, ex. City of La Crosse-83)
in 2007 to Uruguay. 2,250 apk (2xCaterpillar) 282/81
The Baltic Stevns (ex. Axel-88, ex. Bugsier 26-77) who was sold in 2002 to Ramsgate is in 2006
renamed in Baltic Warrior by Telco Ltd. with London registration, but she is still at Ramsgate. 1,600 apk,
223/64.
Olympic Elena delivered
March 23, 2007 Olympic Shipping in Norway has taken delivery of the PSV Olympic Elena, a MT 6009
design. The vessel will operate on term charter with BP in Egypt. (Source: Leo Kramer)
SIC's £14m tug spend
SHETLAND Islands Council is to spend £14m on two new tugs for Sullom Voe. The ports and harbours
department has recently signed the contract with the Spanish shipbuilder Union Naval, Valencia to
construct two Voith tractor, escort tugs to be delivered in the spring of 2010. The vessels will be 40m in
length and are described as being among the most powerful tugs in the world. Work on the vessels will
begin in 2009. The reason for the delay, ports and harbours general manager Jim Dickson said, was
because there was a three-year delay for engines worldwide. He said: "We had four shipyards that met
the technical and financial approval and from that we got three replies and Union Naval is the one we went
for." The vessels will be 40m long with a 14m beam and have an operational draft of 6.5m. Both will also
have a contract speed of 14 knots. (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 12
dd. 01 April 2007
_______________________________________________________
Lost barge safely delivered at Harwich
The Norwegian tugboat "Olsen" lost it's tow during bad weather at the Northsea on the trip from Norway
to Iran. The towing wire was broken twice 15 miles offshore Yarmouth. GPS Marine diverted immediately
the tug "Muria" to the scene. Around 0345 hours on the 26th of March the Muria arrived on the position of
the barge. After a few hours the crew successfully connected the barge and a Norwegian seaman,
suffering from hypothermia, was taken from the pontoon on board the Muria. On 25th of March at 15.00
hours lt the Muria delivered the pontoon and Norwegian crewmember safely to the port of
Harwich.(Source: Clipping News)
Dearsan – Turkey contracted for another Aquila serie tug
The third tug of Aquila series is sold to Iskes Towing & Salvage B.V. in Netherlands. Iskes Towage &
Salvage B.V. provides towage and salvage services for the Amsterdam/IJmuiden and North Sea areas.
This RAmparts 3200/65 Class ASD tug, Robert Allen design, has an overall length of 32 meters, a beam
of 11.60 meters. (Source: Dearsan)
Dearsan begins its ”Hercules tug series”
The, Robert Allen design, ASD 34/80E tug is a twin Z-drive, diesel powered terminal support and tanker
escort tug, designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling, escort and related
terminal support activities services. The vessel is equipped with a double-drum hawser winch forward and
heavy bow fendering for ship-assist and escort work. The hull, deckhouse, and wheelhouse are of welded
steel construction. The vessel is fully equipped for fire-fighting to a Fi-Fi 1 standard. The hull form
incorporates prominent side sponsons and a deep skeg for maximum escort performance and critically, for
maximum motion damping in a seaway. Named as Yard numbers 2057 & 2058 they have the following
dimensions. Length overall = 33.60 metres; Beam, moulded, extreme = 13.50 metres; Depth, moulded
(hull) = 6.03 metres; Maximum draft = 5.75 metres. Bollard pull, ahead = 85 tonnes (minimum) at 100%
MCR; Bollard pull, astern = 80 tonnes at 100% MCR; Free running speed at full power, ahead = 13.5
knots (minimum). (Source: Dearsan)
More vessels for Nomis Shipping
The company took delivery of the 1977-built medium sized PSV North Prince in January although the
vessel is being managed by Gulf Offshore until late April when the unit completes a 12
month charter with Shell. Consequently Nomis operate around 35 vessels which includes a small
newbuilding AHTS that is due for delivery early next year from the Fujian shipyard in China. (Source: Leo
Kramer)
Sartor acquires Scotsman Sea
March 26, 2007 Sartor Shipping in Norway has acquired the 1982-built medium sized PSV Scotsman Sea
(ME202) from Secunda Marine for around US$ 8 million.The vessel is currently trading the North Sea spot
market and will transfer to the new owners later this month. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Aker Yards to Build Supply Vessel
Aker Yards has signed a contract with GDV Shipping AS in Arendal, Norway, to deliver one Aker
PSV/ROV 06CD Platform supply vessel. The total value of the contract is approximately $65.5m. The hull
for the vessel will be built in Romania and outfitted in Norway. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the
4th quarter of 2009. The contract also includes an option for a similar vessel for delivery in the 2nd quarter
of 2010. Aker Yards has delivered, or have under construction, 28 vessels of own design. (Source:
Marinelink)
ASL Marine Wins Seven-vessel Contract
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 ASL Marine Holdings Ltd. has secured major shipbuilding contracts worth
S$164 million. These contracts are for the construction of seven vessels involved in offshore oil and gas
as well as port terminal operations. The seven vessels include six units of Rotor tugs secured from repeat
customers in Europe as well as one unit of Heavy Lift cum Pipelay vessel secured from a customer in
India. These contracts are due for delivery by 2009.The Group's shipbuilding order book stood at S$382
million as at 31 December 2006. With these new contracts, the Group's total shipbuilding order book has
increased significantly by S$164 million. These new contracts are expected to keep ASL Marine busy till
FY2009. Commenting on the new contracts, Mr Ang Kok Tian, Managing Director said, "The new contract
of the Heavy Lift cum Pipelay vessel reaffirms the continued demand from the offshore oil and gas sector.
We have been receiving constant enquiries from potential clients in Europe, Middle East and Asia. With
these contracts, our shipyards will be kept busy till FY2009. The industry remains buoyant and we are
optimistic that we will see further contract wins." According to an Offshore and Marine Outlook report by
Merrill Lynch1 published earlier this year, "The outlook for 2007 looks solid and is primed to at least match
that of 2006. Fundamentals remain extremely strong and we are optimistic that growth will exceed that
achieved in 2006." Mr Ang added, "ASL Marine is well positioned to ride on the robust growth of the
industry. These new contracts award marks another milestone achievement of ASL Marine in the area of
offshore projects." (Source: Leo Kramer)
Mitsubishi Makes Smith Maritime Tug Move
For over 20 years, the Elsbeth II, a 110-ft. Smith Maritime tugboat, has done extensive deep sea towing
and delivered military vessels around the world. When it came time for Smith Maritime owner Captain
Latham Smith to replace one of Elsbeth II's three engines, he relied on a Gulf Coast distributor for help.
Laborde provided the perfect fit for Elsbeth II - a Mitsubishi heavy-duty marine engine. "My new Mitsubishi
engine performance far exceeds my expectations," said Capt. Smith. "The maneuverability and
horsepower it provides are outstanding." A 6,000 hp ocean tug with a shallow draft and triple screws, the
Elsbeth II needed the Mitsubishi S16R-Y1MPTA engine from Laborde to complement its heavy-duty
design and operations. At 1,600 rpm, the engine provides 1,568 hp. "I love Mitsubishi's simple design and
power," said Smith. "The engine was easy to install and the crew has no problem servicing it while
underway." Complete with a double drum towing winch, two 7,000 lb. anchors, a two ton hydraulic crane
and an extensive assortment of automatic controls, alarms, electronics, searchlights and spare parts, the
Elsbeth II is well- equipped for any situation. She carries a crew of up to 7 and has berthing for 11. Smith
Maritime was founded in 1968 when Capt. Smith built his first oceangoing boat, the tug Elsbeth, with a
little help from his friends. From the successful operation of that initial boat, aboard which he and his wife
raised their 5 children, his company has grown into an international ocean towing and salvage service.
Smith has since constructed three more tugboats, including the Elsbeth II. For more than 25 years,
Laborde Products has provided the marine and industrial markets with a wide range of high-quality
products and parts. They distribute Mitsubishi, Yanmar and Hatz diesel engines and also package their
own diesel-powered generators, pumps, pressure washers and other custom diesel equipment. "I enjoy
the excellent relationship I have with Laborde," said Smith. "They offer superior service and support." As
Elsbeth II's other engines need replacing, Smith said he plans to use Mitsubishi models from Laborde.
One of the last family-owned salvage and rescue businesses, Smith Maritime vessels operate around the
world, but primarily between the U.S., Caribbean and South America. Their services include ocean and
coastal towing, dock and facility construction, pipe and cable laying, submersible operations, cargo and
dredge operations, salvage and rescue plus harbor, anchor and buoy handling. (Source: Marinelink)
Shipyard Begins Building Tugboats for Dutch Firm
The Da Nang-based Song Thu Co laid the keels for four 5,000 hp tugboats at a ceremony on Saturday.
The 24-metre long, 11-metre wide vessels, known as ASD (Azimuth stern driver) 2411, will be built by the
State-owned company for the Netherlands-based Damen group under a $18.75m contract signed last
year. The Dutch group will supply the design, technologies, and equipment for building the vessels.
Colonel Ha Son Hai, the company’s managing director, said the tugboats would be completed in 36
months. He said this year Song Thu would also build a 3,500 hp rescue vessel for the coast guard,
vessels to respond to oil spills, and multi-purpose vessels for use in the oil and gas sector. (Source: VNS)
Tugs Pull Boat from Sandbar
A 62-ft. commercial fishing boat that had run aground was dislodged early Saturday, Harbor Patrol officials
said. Two tugboats pulled the Emerald Sea to Newport Harbor just after midnight, where Coast Guard
officials will inspect it. The boat ran aground on a sandbar near 36th Street on Friday morning. Preliminary
reports point to operator error, officials said. (Source: LA Times)
SMIT has acquired 25 year contract in Italy
Rotterdam, 29 March 2007 SMIT and her new partner RR Panfido have been awarded a 25 year contract
for services to the Adriatic LNG Offshore Terminal in Italy. This prestigious terminal project will be the first
gravity based offshore LNG import terminal in the world. The contract consists of amongst others: towage
support for LNG Carriers, security watch and collision avoidance during LNG Carrier offloading, fire
fighting and emergency towing. Four new build tugs (70tbp) with a high tech fast render recovery winch
will be employed. Adriatic LNG (Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l) is developing this storage and
regasification facility offshore Porto Levante, Italy (North Adriatic Coast) for import of gas. LNG carriers
from Qatar and other potential suppliers will visit the terminal twice a week. (Source: Smit)
SMIT completes acquisition of Adsteam Liverpool
Rotterdam, 29 March 2007 Smit Internationale N.V. announced today that it has completed the acquisition
of Adsteam’s Liverpool towage operation. The two conditions as mentioned in the press release of
February 23, approval by the British Competition Commission and the finalisation of the Adsteam
acquisition by SvitzerWijsmuller, have been satisfied. With the Liverpool operation SMIT establishes its
first activities in the U.K. harbour towage market. (Source: Smit)
Hartmann AHTS orders for Fincantieri
March 28, 2007 LR-Fairplay reports that German owner A Hartmann is reported to have ordered eight
anchor handling tug supply vessels from Fincantieri in Italy for delivery in 2009 and 2010. The 76.5m
vessels will have a bollard pull of 180 tonnes and 600m² of deck space said LR-Fairplay's (Source:Daily
newbuilding News).
GPAI confirms order for GPA 670 MkII Special Products vessels
March 30, 2007
Bourbon has ordered four GPA 670 MkII Special Products vessels. Guido Perla, Chairman of Guido Perla
& Associates (GPAI), has announced that French marine services provider Bourbon Offshore has placed
an order for four GPA 670 MkII Special Products vessels, thereby expanding their well-proven GPA
designed fleet to 96 vessels, including 54 GPA 254 AHTS, 24 GPA 654 PSV and 4 GPA 670 ROV, which
were all ordered within the last year. The 70m GPA 670 MkII Special Products vessels, currently under
construction at Zhejiang Shipyard in China, will be equipped with two Z-Drive, open-water propeller units,
as well as two tunnel bow thrusters. The use of environmentally friendly diesel-electric propulsion results
in excellent fuel efficiency, as well as lower operating cost for the owner. "GPA’s priority is to ensure client
satisfaction. In addition to the fuel efficiency of the vessel, competitive pricing for the GPA 670 series, of
which Bourbon is already successfully operating ten vessels, provides the owner with an excellent return
of investment," said GPAI in a statement. "By applying the highest safety standards and comfort levels,
offshore operations are being conducted without risk to the health or security of crewmembers, thus
providing maximum dependability." The GPA 670 MkII will primarily be engaged in the transport of stores,
materials and equipment to offshore installations in tropical areas and distinguishes itself from other
platform support vessels mainly due to its ability to carry approximately 170 cubic meters of special
products in specially designed tanks located in the aft end of the vessel. Furthermore, the DP2- and FFV1certified vessel, which can accommodate 23 crew members, also provides the capability to carry 255
cubic meters of bulk material, as well as 1,083 cubic meters of liquid products. Delivery for the first GPA
670 MKII Special Products is expected at the end of May 2008 with the last due in December 2008,
increasing the number of GPA 670 PSVs Bourbon owns to 18. (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 13
dd. 08 April 2007
_______________________________________________________
Vroon Offshore Services orders four Platform Supply Vessels.
Den Helder, March 30th 2007, We are pleased to announce that Vroon Offshore Services has ordered four
Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) at the Cochin Shipyard in India. The new vessels are UT755LN designs
and are scheduled for delivery between October 2009 and March 2010. (Source: Vroon)
Harms took delivery Taurus
On Sunday 1 April 2007 the namegiving ceremony of AHTS Taurus took place at Muetzelfeldt Werft,
Cuxhaven. Taurus is the second of two 200-tons bollard pull tugs built for account of Harms Offshore
Hamburg. Sistership AHTS Magnus was already delivered to her owners in August 2006. During the last
week of March 2007 Taurus performed bollard pull tests in Stavanger and clocked 207 tons continuous.
Mid April she will enter into a long term contract with BP for duties in the Schiehallion field, west of
Shetlands. Two further units will be delivered to Harms during the second half of 2007, the 220-tons
bollard pull vessels Janus and Ursus. Two 280-tons b.p. units will follow in the course of 2008. For
particulars of all vessels see www.harms-bergung.de (Source: D. van Dijk)
Stichting zet zich in voor behoud Fighter
TERNEUZEN - De dertig jaar oude zeesleper Fighter van de Unie van Reddings- en Sleepdienst (Union)
is van de sloop gered. De sleepboot, die door de jaren heen werd ingezet bij tal van grote
scheepsongelukken op met name de Oosterschelde en een deel van de Noordzee, meerde begin februari
voorgoed af in Terneuzen.
Eigenaar Union draagt de statige sleper binnenkort over aan de pas opgerichte stichting Behoud Fighter.
Die heeft mooie plannen met de boot. Terneuzenaar Alain Dooms, één van de oprichters: "We moeten het
allemaal nog uitwerken, maar we denken vooral aan een educatieve functie. Als de sleper is opgeknapt,
kunnen we belangstellenden tonen hoe het leven aan boord van een zeesleper is. Ik kan me zo
voorstellen dat ook sleepbootspotters en bijvoorbeeld zeeverkenners veel belangstelling voor de sleper
zullen hebben. Maar er zijn natuurlijk veel meer leuke dingen te bedenken." Vanaf oktober is in de ruimten
aan boord zo goed als zeker ook een kleine expositie te zien, gewijd aan de historie van de Fighter.
Dooms: "Het is ontegenzeggelijk één van de meest aansprekende sleepboten die in het
Westerscheldegebied actief zijn geweest. Denk aan de heldendaden van de bemanning bij de
reddingsactie rond de Herald of Free Enterprise. En zo zijn er nog veel meer voorbeelden." De Fighter liep
in 1977 samen met het zusterschip Boxer van stapel op de werf van Rupelmonde. Jarenlang lag de
sleepboot - met legendarische kapiteins als Piet Oppeneer en Maarten van der Eijk - op station in de
Vlissingse Buitenhaven. Van daaruit spoedde de sleper zich niet alleen naar schepen die 'gewoon'
sleepbootassistentie hadden besteld voor hun reis naar Terneuzen, Gent of Antwerpen, maar ook naar al
die bergingsklussen. De stichting is momenteel op zoek naar een geschikte locatie waar de Fighter
permanent ligplaats kan kiezen. Het lijkt erop dat wordt gekozen voor de voormalige Veerhaven. Het
bestuur roept oud-bemanningsleden op mee te helpen de sleper op te knappen. Ook andere vrijwilligers
zijn welkom, net als sponsors en donateurs. De stichting wil de Fighter tijdens de Havendagen
presenteren. . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Note: Momenteel is nog niet zeker of de Fighter behouden kan blijven. Allerlei instanties lijken dit
ambieuse plan weer in de weg te staan. Ik zou zeggen behoud je verleden en leer er van.
Two New ASD Tugs Ordered and New Pushboat Built
Wednesday, April 04, 2007 Through the auspices of Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, WA, two
Dominican Republic based tug and barge operators ordered one newbuild Ulupinar series sister-tug each
from Turkish shipyard and tug owners, Sanmar Denizcilik Ltd. of Istanbul. The first of the two tugs will be
delivered from the shipyard in November 2007 and the second in January 2009. The ASD type tugs were
designed by Robert Allan, Ltd. and are classed RINA C + Hull & Machinery, Unrestricted Navigation.
Principal dimensions are 90' length overall by 30' beam x 13.25' depth with an operating draft of 14.5'.
Power is provided by two CAT 3515BTAs developing a total of 3,300BHP to Rolls Royce US 155
propulsion units with fixed pitch props in high efficiency nozzles. One each Rolls Royce hydraulic tow
winch with 23 tons line pull at 8m/min is mounted fore and aft in addition to 8" hydraulic tow pins and tow
hook aft. The forward winch spools 120m Amstel Blue rope and the aft winch 650m 40mm wire.
Firefighting is provided by a 650m3/h fire pump and Skum fire monitor. The tugs have a speed of abt.
12.5kn free running and expected bollard pull of 40mt. This is the fourth or fifth tug or barge Marcon has
sold these Caribbean Buyers over the years. Another newbuilding brokered was the delivery of a 1,200
bhp inland river push boat. The vessel was built in 2006 at Serodino Shipyard, Inc. in Chattanooga, TN
and was sold on completion to private interests in the U.S. Gulf region. The design is known as the "Tiger
Class", and is 52' x 22.5' x 7.5' depth of hull. She is a typical inland river 3 deck boat design with
twin Cummins KTA19M's providing a total of 1200BHP @ 1800 rpm. The vessel has a height of eye of
roughly 24' and is fitted with quarters for 4 crew on the second deck with a small galley, head and shower
on the main deck. Her plate thicknesses are 3/8" plate hull with ½" plate over wheels & bilge knuckles. win
Disc MG-5202DC 4.06:1 reduction gears drive twin fixed pitch 52" x 40" 4-blade Nibral propellers. The
vessel has two steering rudders and four flanking rudders. She is fitted with push knees forward and
electric barge winches. Two 40kW / Cummins 4B3.9 diesel generator sets provide auxiliary power and
light. Vessel has capacities for 6,000g fuel, 1,500g fresh water and about 165g lube oil. Marcon acted as
sole broker in all three newbuildings. Marcon has concluded a total of 21 sales and one charter to-date
this year - and we are only four months into 2007. We expects to conclude on several additional sales
within the next thirty days including three tugs over 4,000BHP and one anchor handling tug supplier.
Vroon Offshore Services takes delivery of MV Supply Express.Den Helder, March 30th
2007 We are pleased to announce that Vroon Offshore Services has taken delivery of MV Supply
Express, an advanced Platform Supply Vessel (PSV). The new vessel was delivered by Jiangsu
Zhenjiang Shipyard Co., Ltd in China. MV Supply Express has left the yard and is currently en route to the
North Sea. After some spot trading, she is expected to operate under charter out of Aberdeen from July
onwards. (Source: Leo Kramer)
ST Engineering US yard
April 4, 2007 ST Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) has announced that its US shipyard, VT Halter Marine,
has secured a contract to build a PSV for an undisclosed interest. The vessel, which includes owner
furnished equipment, is valued at US$23.5 million and construction is scheduled to begin in the second
quarter of 2007, with delivery planned for the fourth quarter of 2008. The PSV, which measures
some 285ft x 64ft x 24ft, is designed for a deepwater working environment. The completed vessel
will accommodate 3,500LT of deck cargo as well as large amounts of drilling fluids, diesel fuel and fresh
water. . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Another Axe Bow crew supplier delivered
April 3, 2007 Another Damen-designed 'Axe Bow' fast crew supplier vessel has been delivered.Silni
(which translates as 'Mighty' in Croatian) successfully completed sea trials earlier this year. Said Damen:
"Although severe weather at the time caused many problems at sea and on land it was the ultimate
conditions in which to test and prove the excellent seakeeping capabilities of this new Damen Fast Crew
Supplier (FCS) 3507."Damen has already delivered three Sea Axe Fast Crew Suppliers and has three
more under construction, ranging from the 33m aluminium FCS 3307 to the 50m steel hulled FCS 5009.
Silni has now been handed over owner Brodospas of Split, Croatia, and will work servicing various
production [latforms in the Adriatic. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Solstad Offshore could bid for Rem Offshore
Solstad Offshore in Skudeneshavn, Western Norway, has bought 40 per cent of the shares in Rem
Offshore and intends to bid for the remaining shares. Rem Offshore boss, Åge Remøy has close to 40 per
cent of the shares in Rem Offshore and intends to keep the company. According to Dagens Næringsliv,
Remøy and Solstad managing director, Lars Peder Solstad, plan to meet over Easter to discuss the
future. A merged operation would have a fleet of 62 offshore vessels, including newbuildings. However,
the outcome of these talks is by no means certain. Åge Remøy could bid for the company himself to keep
it located in Fosnavåg. Rem Offshore is now valued at NOK 2.0 billion. Published: 04.04.07 15.23
Aker Yards to build supply vessel for GDV Shipping
April 5, 2007 Aker Yards in Norway has signed a contract with GDV Shipping AS in Arendal, Norway, to
deliver an Aker ROV 06CD PSV. The total value of the contract is approximately NKr 400 million. The hull
for the vessel will be built in Romania and outfitted in Norway. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the
fourth quarter of 2009. The contract also includes an option for a similar vessel for delivery in the
second quarter of 2010. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Market Round up Seabreeze March 2007
Reliance Rely On Subhiksha
Varun Shipping’s recent acquisition Subhiksha (the ex Boa King) has been chartered by Reliance for a
two year contract. The 2001 Chinese built 192 tons bollard pull anchor handler is expected to begin her
charter in Indian waters upon arrival in early April.
Halibut On The Menu For Total
Deep Sea Supply served up a newbuild for Total E & P Congo, in the shape of the UT 755L PSV Sea
alibut (shown below). The vessel delivers from the Cochin Shipyard in early May, this year but the Sea
Bear will act as a front runner from end April. Total period of the contract is six months firm plus 2 x 3
month options.
Yare Goes Far
Some news from our Brazilian office - DOF UT 755 PSV Skandi Yare has been chartered by the national
Brazilian oil company Petrobras. Contract period is understood to be four years firm from September
2007.
Streams, Pools & Rivers
Trico Supply managed UT 745 L PSV Northern River has been extended by five years and will now work
for the Bluestream Group until May 2012. This extension deal also contains an agreement for the Northern
River to have her moonpool opened and additional taut-wire system installed during her next drydocking in
May 2007. There are no further options on the table for the DP II 1998 built vessel at this time.
Magnificent May For Mainport
Ocean Mainport Offshore Ltd UT 705 PSV Ocean Mainport has been term chartered by Acergy for much
of the summer. The vessel will begin the contract between the 10th and 25th May 2007 and is fixed firm
for seventy days with further options up to forty eight days. It will supply the Acergy Piper pipelayer in
Norwegian waters.
Independent Instructed
Sealion Shipping Global 1000 PSV Toisa Independent has been chartered by Statoil for work in
Norwegiannwaters. The charter begins in the first week of April 2007 and has a 100 day firm duration with
one month of options.
Gargano Gets Going
The beginning of March saw the DP2 UT755L vessel “Gargano” complete her long term charter with Shell
Europe. Due to a reduction in activities this year Shell decided to let her go onto pastures new. However
the gate to the new pasture was not completely open as, before she had a chance to do a bit of dabbling
on the spot market, Shell had her spot hired for a few cargo runs which ran into early April. The Gargano
has been with Shell since she delivered from the yard in January 2002. The vessel will shortly head south
to take over the ATP – North Traveller contract, which will then allow the North Traveller to head to
Norway to start her 3 year charter with DPT. The change over is expected to take place in early to mid
April. The Gargano will be kept busy with ATP supporting the drilling rig Ensco 70 till circa 3rd quarter this
year.
Fortune Firmed Up
Boa Offshore UT 706 Boa Fortune has been chartered by the Danish company Altinex. The one well
contract supporting the Noble George Sauvageau began in late March. After that job, which is expected to
complete early May, the vessel will go on charter to DONG for two wells firm. This DONG job is for
support of the Noble George Sauvageau as well.
GDV Get Going
Norwegian based GDV Shipping AS has signed a NOK 400 million contract with Aker Yards for an Aker
PSV / ROV 06 CD design platform supply vessel. The vessel will deliver in the last quarter of 2009 after
construction in Romania and outfitting in Norway. Details of the vessel include LOA of 94.9 metres, beam
of 20 metres and a deadweight of 4,400 tons. Furthermore, it is understood that the deal also contains an
option for a similar vessel for delivery in the second quarter of 2010.
From Service To Survey...
Oceaneering has sold their ROV vessel Ocean Service to Nomis Shipping. The vessel has been renamed
the Dea Surveyor and is currently enroute from the Gulf of Mexico to the Far East.
If Anyone Can, SCAN Can
John Fredriksen’s company Ship Finance International Limited are to acquire three newbuilding 3D
vessels from SCAN Geophysical ASA. This is based on a total price of $210 million, but the agreement
also includes a lease-back over twelve years with purchase options after six, ten and twelve years.
Delivery of these vessels from ABG Shipyard in India is expected at the end of January, April and July
2008. The vessels will have a high streamer capacity of ten tow points and streamer lengths of up to 10
km., corresponding to a total capacity of 80 km. These vessels will start a twelve year bareboat contract to
SCAN upon delivery from the shipyard.
Anchors Aweigh For DOF
DOF ASA has decided to build two Aker AH 04 anchor handlers with the option to build two more at Aker
Yards. These 108 m LOA, 300 ton bollard pull beasts will have accommodation for 90 persons. Delivery is
expected in the fourth quarter of 2009 and second quarter of 2010. Aker Yards Tulcea in Romania will
build the hulls but they will be outfitted in Norway.
Do The Hartmann
German based Hartmann Logistik are to build four Moss 424 anchor handlers at the Italian Fincantieri
shipyard. Delivery is expected in October and November 2009 and February and May 2010. Hartmann
Logistik already have six other Moss 424 anchor handlers on order.
Prestige Prepared
The Gulf Offshore NS Ltd Aker 09 design PSV named Highland Prestige delivered to the North Sea at the
end of March. Built in Soviknes Norway, the DP 1, diesel electric vessel is believed to be fixed for a three
year term charter with a Major for work in the Nor th Sea.
Volstad Vote For Name Change
Volstad Shipping ST 216 L CD PSV newbuild Arctic Viking has undergone a name change to become the
Volstad Viking. This newbuild should have delivered by the time you read this (was expected at end April)
from the Aker Brattvaag yard in Norway. The Volstad Viking is currently uncommitted and available for
work.
Sprite Sight
1987 built Ostensjo Rederii PSV Edda Fram has been renamed the Edda Sprite. This is because Ostensjo
have named their new PSV, currently under construction at Astilleros Gondan yard in Spain, the Edda
Fram. The Edda Sprite is currently front running a five year firm term charter with Shell, with the new Fram
expected to arrive in Aberdeen around the start of July. Incidentally, Edda Sprite was also the name of the
very first Ostensjo PSV taken on term charter by Shell back in 1978.
Once A Scotsman, Always A Scotsman...
Secunda Marine have now handed over their 1982 built ME 303 PSV Scotsman Sea to its new owners
Sartor Shipping. A new owner means a new name and Sartor have decided to rename the vessel the
Ocean Scotsman. It worked the North Sea spot market over the last third of March and is expected to
remain there for the foreseeable future.
BP Gets Bullish
BP UK has fixed the impressive Harms new build AHTS Taurus (19,000bhp / 200tbp) for a period of 3
months firm plus options. The DP2 vessel which is currently completing sea trials had a naming ceremony
on the 1st April 2007 in Cuxhaven. Upon delivery the vessel is expected to trade the North Sea spot
market for a period of two weeks, after which she will deliver to BP for FPSO/tanker assist duties West of
Shetland.
Gulf Sign For Aker 09
Gulf Offshore NS Ltd are to build two Aker PSV 09 CD vessels in a deal worth NOK 530 million. Aker
Yards in Romania will build the hulls, which will then be outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. These vessels
will have DP, diesel electric propulsion, Clean Design, LOA of 86.6 metres, extensive underdecks, beam
of 19 metres and a deck area of around 1,000 m2.
Chieftain Changes Sides
Bourbon Offshore AS has sold its multi role anchor handler Bourbon Chieftain to MCT (Maritime
Consortium of Thessalonika) /Zouros Group. The 130 tons bollard pull ME 303 MK II AHTS will be
renamed Chieftain and will be managed by Troms Offshore AS. MCT /Zouros Group will take delivery in
early summer 2008.
Spirited Away
Farstad Shipping VS 470 MK II PSV Far Spirit recently delivered from the West Contractors AS yard in
Olensvag, Norway. The vessel, which has a cargo capacity of around 3500 dwt, has been term chartered
by BP Angola upon arrival through to the end of 2008.
Viking Make A Discovery
Viking Offshore’s most recent field support vessel arrived in Aberdeen this month—the IMT 955 Viking
Discovery. The British flagged vessel has UK Class B Survivor Class as well as Danish, Dutch and
Norwegian Survivor Class. The Viking Discovery was built in Astilleros Zamakona, Bilbao, Spain and has
secured a six months firm contract with BP (working principally at the Andrew field and in the Southern
Sector). She is pictured below, upon delivery in Aberdeen, passing the Maritime Opera tions Centre. This
is the first in a nine vessel deal worth £55 million—the largest ever single order for ERRVs.
Dauntless Runs Sakhalin Gauntlet
Sealion’s latest VS 4612 anchor handler Toisa Dauntless emerged from the Wuchang yard in China on
the 21st March. This sister vessel to the Toisa Daring (see last month’s Seabreeze “He Who Dares,
Wins”) has 150 tons bollard pull, DP 1, and 12,000 brake horse power. Other details include an LOA of
69.6 metres, deck area of 483 m2, Fi-Fi 1 and various underdecks. All of these attributes will be useful to
her term charterer, Prosafe, who will use her offshore Sakhalin for around seven months beginning start
May 2007.
Sounds Good To Me...
Farstad’s latest UT 712 L anchor handler Aker Brevik newbuild Far Sound delivered in the latter half of
March. The vessel is equipped with Clean Class, DP II, FiFi II, 175 tons continuous bollard pull and nearly
16,000 brake horse power. At present, the Far Sound is working the North Sea spot market but we will
keep you advised of any changes.
Where There’s A Wilson, There’s A Way!
Wilson Sons are to build multiple vessels after signing a contract with Damen Shipyards in the
Netherlands. The vessels are as follows : 1 forty ton bp Damen ASD 2810 tug, 3 forty ton bp ASD 2411
tugs, 2 seventy ton bp ASD 2411 tugs, 6 Damen 7216 PSV (deck area 600m2) and 2 Damen 8816 PSVs
(deck area 800m2). This exciting contract will complete delivery around the start of 2010. All of the ASD
tugs will work in various Brazilian ports with Saveiros (lead operator in Brazil) whilst all of the PSVs have
been term
8e jaargang, nr. 14
dd. 15 April 2007
_______________________________________________________
Towing Solutions Awards Tractor of the Year Award
For 2006, Towing Solutions awarded the Tractor of the Year award to the 5,080 hp “reverse tractor” (ASD)
Dolphin Class designed by Robert Allan Ltd. These boats are owned and operated by Foss Maritime Co.
of Seattle, Wash. When Foss Maritime considered adding more tractors to their fleet, they first evaluated
the vessels in their current fleet in an attempt to identify additional potential towing requirements in the
various Ports that they serve. They quickly recognized that the twin 8,000 hp Voith Schneider true tractors
that they have in Puget Sound more than meet that area’s high speed escort needs. In San Francisco they
also have twin 6,250 Hp. Z-Drive reverse tractors (Foss refers to them as ASDs) that also more than meet
the escorting requirements of that Port. However, they did realize that in all of these areas there was a
common request from the pilots for high horsepower boats of high maneuverability that were small enough
to easily work in tight slips. To address this requirement, Foss turned to Robert Allan of Vancouver, BC
whose earlier “compact” tug design had been successfully operating in Hawaii. The 4,730 Hp. MIKIOI had
been delivered in 2004 but had been delivered as a day boat. As most of Foss’ West Coast ship assist
tugs are manned 24 hours a day, Foss worked with Robert Allan Ltd. and was able to install twin
staterooms in the forepeak of the boat to accommodate this requirement. Towing Solutions has selected
this design as our tug of the year as it takes advantage of the high bollard pull that can be delivered in a
small package using Z-Drives. Rather than build another boat in the 92 – 105 ft. class as had many of
their competitors, Foss elected to build this class as small as reasonably possible. This not only gives the
pilots the small highly maneuverable boat that they want for narrow slips and tight quarters, but it
substantially reduces the construction costs for the boat, giving them a economic advantage over their
competitors. Finally Foss and Robert Allan designed the boat with enough beam (stability) to allow this
“reverse tractor” (or “ASD”) to conduct all of the escorting maneuvers that a pilot might ask of them at
modest speeds (seven knots and below).
Bourbon Dolphin
Four missing after vessel capsize
12 April 2007, 18:15 GMT 19:15 UK Four people are missing, feared trapped inside a capsized oil rig
support vessel in the North Sea. Rescue teams said 10 people had been brought to safety following the
incident at 1700 BST, about 75 miles west of the Shetland coast. They said efforts to rescue the other four
Two rescue helicopters and an RAF Nimrod have
were continuing.
been scrambled to the scene. The coastguard has appealed for help from vessels in the area. An RAF
spokesman said the Bourbon Dolphin was thought to have capsized as it turned close to an oil rig.
Michael Mulford told BBC Scotland: "What we know is that a rig support vessel, while moving away from
the rig, has capsized. "A Nimrod which was flying over the Irish Sea training has been diverted to aid in
the search." Mr Mulford said Shetland coastguard scrambled its helicopter and a second North Sea
helicopter was also dispatched. He said: "Clearly this is emerging as a major incident." "Conditions are
not too bad, hopefully the weather won't be a huge factor although you never quite know. This is a fairly
hostile part of the North Sea we are talking about." Little was known about the condition of the 10 who
Norwegian-registered tug supply vessel
have been recovered.
Length: 75.2m Width: 17.0m Max draught: 6.5m Deadweight (max): 2,500 t Gross/net tonnage:
2,974t/892t Speed: 17.5 knots (trial) Capacity: 35 personnel Mark Clark, of the Maritime and Coastguard
Agency, said: "At the moment we've got a mayday signal out, with an emergency signal out with all
shipping in the area. "Anybody with diving support crews, dive equipment can get on the scene for us as
quickly as possible. "We're still searching and of course the difficult situation for everybody is if they are
still strapped inside the hull. And therefore we need to get to them as quickly as possible." Neville Davis,
rescue co-ordination centre manager, Shetland Coastguard added: "So far 10 persons have been
recovered. We will continue working with the assets available to us to try and locate the missing crew"
The Bourbon Dolphin, a new vessel, had been working in the vicinity of the Rosebank oilfield. It had a
number of roles in the North Sea, including anchor handling and towing, the installation of subsea
construction blocks and operations involving remote vehicles.
Shetland Co-ordinate search and rescue operation in North Sea
Shetland Coastguard are co-ordinating a Search and Rescue (SAR) Operation 75 nautical miles North,
West of Shetland where the anchor handling supply tug Bourbon Dolphin has capsized. Shetland
Coastguard scrambled the Coastguard Rescue helicopter Lima Charlie to the scene and are in
communication with the following three vessels which are also assisting in the SAR operation; Olympic
Hercules, Viking Victory, and Highland Valour. An additional civilian Rescue Helicopter is also on route
to the scene, as is a dive support vessel, Subsea Viking. The weather conditions on scene are good
visibility with moderate seas. Neville Davis, Rescue Co-ordination Centre Manager, Shetland Coastguard
said, So far 10 persons have been recovered. We will continue working with the assets available to us to
try and locate the missing crew
Eight feared dead in North Sea tragedy
AT LEAST three people died and five were missing, feared drowned last night after an anchor-handling
tug capsized suddenly in the North Sea off Shetland in relatively calm waters. Ten of the 15 on board the
Bourbon Dolphin at the time were rescued, but the Coastguard later confirmed that three of these had
died. Another five crew members were unaccounted for as the search was scaled back for the night, more
than six hours after the boat capsized in temperatures as low as 5C. Divers had been flown to the scene
amid fears the five may have been trapped in the vessel's upturned hull, however hope for the missing
crew members' survival was fading fast as the night wore on. It remained unclear why the state of the art
vessel capsized. It was reported to be turning away from the Transocean Rather drilling rig, 75 miles
north west Shetland, when the incident occurred 5:20 pm. Last night the chief executive of the Norwegian
firm that owned the boat said such an accident "should have been impossible". Rig operators Transocean
said of the 10 people were rescued, eight were recovered initially and another two were winched by
helicopter from the water at about 7pm. The seven were later airlifted to the Gilbert Bain Hospital in
Lerwick, Shetland. Fears that a 15-year-old boy was among those on board were prompted after initial
confusion about whether there were 14 or 15 people on the tug when it overturned. Reports from Norway,
where the boat was based, suggested one of the crew may have taken his teenage son on the voyage
with him. Last night a spokesman for Transocean said all 99 crew members on board the Transocean
Rather rig had been accounted for. The Coastguard confirmed that all those on board the Transocean
Rather were air lifted off late last night, because the Bourbon Dolphin - which had been handling one of
the semisubmersible drilling rig's anchors at the time the accident occurred - was still attached to the rig. A
spokeswoman for Shetland Coastguard said: "We can confirm that there have been three fatalities. "The
rig, the Transocean Rather, has been de-manned, with all non-essential staff being removed from the rig.
"This is due to the fact that the vessel is still floating nearby to the rig and while this poses a minimal risk,
for health and safety reasons the decision was taken to de-man." The vessel, owned by Bourbon
Offshore, is one of the newest supply vessels operating in the North Sea and was launched last year. A
spokesman for the owners confirmed that all members of the crew were Norwegian. The company has
launched an investigation into how the incident happened. Speaking from the firm's Norwegian
headquarters outside Ålesund last night, the company's chief executive, Trond Myklebust, said: "It is
unbelievable. The boat is new and the weather is good, and we are looking for the reason this has
happened. It should be impossible. What actually happened is still speculation at this stage." Mr
Myklebust said: "There are five people still missing and they are local people from this area. "The Bourbon
company yesterday established a place where the families could meet at the office canteen during the
evening. A priest and a doctor are at the place. It's very sad to meet the families without being able to give
them any good answers." Christa Roqueblave, a spokeswoman for Bourbon Offshore's international
headquarters in Marseilles, France, said: "At present the cause of the accident is unknown. Weather
conditions do not appear to be to blame as there were no storms when the ship went down and we do not
know of any collision as yet. Our priority is to assure the security of those aboard, then to protect the
environment and then to find the cause of the accident which will no doubt entail an examination of the
ship." Two rescue helicopters were scrambled to the site of the stricken boat shortly after it capsized
yesterday, together with a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft from RAF Kinloss. They were joined by supply
vessels and fishing boats in the area also attended the scene after a mayday call went out. Navy divers
were taken by helicopter from Faslane, via Lossiemouth, to the overturned vessel in the hope they could
free any crew trapped inside the hull. Mark Clark, at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency headquarters,
said : "We cannot see the (five crew members), therefore we can only assume they are under the hull.
"We need to get them as quickly as possible. We are making every effort to get to them." Michael Mulford,
a spokesman for the RAF said it would be a "severe test" for the divers. "If there is any possibility that
these people are in there and alive this will be their one chance of getting out." But by 11pm the rescue
operation was scaled back for the night and the five had still not been found. The 3,000-tonne vessel, built
in Norway last year, is 75 metres long and capable of accommodating up to 35 people.
Three dead, five missing in “Bourbon Dolphin” Capsizing
Three crew are dead and five remain missing following the capsizing of the anchor handling and supply
vessel ‘Bourbon Dolphin’ in the North Sea. Search operations are continuing for the five missing crew
and divers have been brought in to work on the vessel. Ten were rescued when the AHTS capsized 75
nm northwest of the Shetland Islands near the Transocean Rather platform.
Bourbon Dolphin update
Royal Navy divers using heat-seeking cameras were April 13th examining the hull of an oil rig support
vessel that capsized off northern Scotland, searching for five crew believed trapped inside. Three people
were confirmed dead after the Norwegian anchor-handling tug, the Bourbon Dolphin, overturned during
a routine manoeuvre 100 miles off the coast of Shetland, shortly after 5pm yesterday. Five more crew
were thought to be trapped inside the hull, possibly inside an air pocket. However, rescue workers said
today the missing crew were most likely not wearing survival suits and it would be "a miracle" if they had
survived. "We are not really expecting to find survivors now," a maritime and coastguard agency
spokeswoman said. "It would be a miracle if they had survived all night in 5C, freezing water. It's very sad.
There is a chance there is an air pocket somewhere, but that chance is ever so slim. We have to be
realistic about it." Jim Sinclair, the watch manager at Shetland Coastguard, said rescuers would send a
remote, camera-carrying vehicle under the boat before deciding whether it was safe for divers to follow.
"It's a fairly complex and delicate operation because the vessel, as you'll appreciate, is upside down and
stability is uncertain so you'd want to make sure of your own safety before going under the hull," he said.
Ten people were recovered from the vessel last night; eight soon after the incident while another two were
plucked from the water by helicopter about two hours later. There were three confirmed deaths among
those picked up, with seven crew taken to hospital in Shetland for treatment. The naval diving unit
continued to search throughout the night but a helicopter rescue operation was suspended at about
midnight. The 75-metre Bourbon Dolphin, which is one year old, had been working alongside the
Transocean Rather oil platform, at the Clair oil field, 75 miles north-west of Shetland, when it capsized
just 1,800m from the rig, at around 5.15pm. The drilling rig is operated by Transocean, the largest offshore
drilling company in the world, for Chevron. The 99 crew from the oil rig were later evacuated by three
helicopters for safety reasons. Of the ship's crew, 14 were from Norway, most of them from the small area
of Fosnavag, and one from Denmark. A Norwegian priest, Jens Jonson, who has set up a crisis group to
help the families involved said: "This is a catastrophe of great dimensions for this local community." A
spokesman for Shetland coastguard said last night that conditions were very calm at the time the vessel
capsized, with a slight swell building up as darkness fell. "I think everyone is a bit worried about how the
hell something as serious as this could have happened in such reasonable conditions." The boat's owner,
Bourbon Offshore Norway, have launched an investigation. Speaking from the company's headquarters
outside Alesund last night, Bourbon Norway's chief executive, Trond Myklebust, said: "It is unbelievable.
The boat is new and the weather is good."
Relatives of dead crew flying in
The families of eight crewmen killed or feared dead after a Norwegian anchor handling tug capsized in the
Atlantic are due to arrive on Shetland. A 15-year-old boy on work experience with the Bourbon Dolphin
and his father are among five still unaccounted for. Ten crew members were found after Thursday's
incident, about 86 miles west of the Shetland coast. Seven were in hospital, but three others died. The
mother of one survivor has described how he jumped from the boat. Staff from vessel owners Bourbon
Norway were also travelling on the chartered flight from Norway. We are not really expecting to find
survivors now The families of the crew had stayed overnight in the firm's offices where they were
counselled by a priest. A service was held for them on Friday morning before they began the journey to
Scotland. The air and sea rescue operation, which started after the incident at about 1750 BST on
Thursday, resumed at first light on Friday. The running of the rescue operation has now been shifted, with
response teams focusing instead on "salvage and recovery". The coastguard has said it would be a
"miracle" if the five missing crew members were found alive. Richard Crowther, regional operations
manager for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said a decision had still to be made on whether it was
safe for a Royal Navy diving team to enter the ship to search for the missing men. The divers, from the
Faslane naval base on the Clyde, have sent down a remotely operated vehicle to take underwater pictures
of the upturned vessel. Mr Crowther said: "The main risk for anyone going into a vessel like this is the
uncertainty of how stable it is. "There is no guarantee the five people who are missing are actually in the
vessel. To put divers into an upturned vessel that could sink at any moment is very risky and dangerous."
Winds were heavier than they had been on Thursday evening, but conditions were still said to be
"favourable" for the operation. Meanwhile, the mother of one of the survivors told Norwegian radio station
NRK that her son had been forced to jump off the ship as it began to flip over. Turge Drage said her son,
Egil Hafsas, had called her from Lerwick to tell how he and two other crew members managed to pull on
life jackets and leap into the cold sea before being picked up by another ship and airlifted to Shetland.
Two helicopters have been involved in the search west of the Shetlands, An offshore union leader has
said he believed the boat, which is less than one year old, could have been caused to capsize by an
anchor slipping up the side of the vessel. The Bourbon Dolphin had a number of roles in the North Sea,
including anchor handling and towing, the installation of subsea construction blocks and operations
involving remote vehicles. Anchor handling tugs are also used to supply oil platforms, tow them to
location, anchor them up and, in some cases, serve as recovery and rescue vessels. They are fitted with
winches for towing and anchor handling and have an open stern to allow the decking of anchors. A
spokeswoman for the coastguard said: "We are not really expecting to find survivors now. It would be a
miracle if they had survived all night in five degrees, freezing water. It's very sad." The coastguard
confirmed that the ship had still been attached to Transocean Rather rig by an anchor chain. Grampian
Police said they would begin an investigation into the incident once the search and rescue operation was
completed. A marine accident inquiry will also be carried out. The ship, which is less than one year old,
had been working in the vicinity of the Rosebank oilfield with a crew of 15. Trond Myklebust, manager
director of Bourbon Norway, said he could not speculate on what had caused the accident but confirmed
the vessel was carrying out an anchor handling operation with the rig and was connected to it.
Ulstein Verft issues statement on Bourbon Dolphin
Ulstein Verft shipyard in Norway, the yard that built the AHTS Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized in the
North Sea last night has issued the following statement: "We have been informed that Bourbon Dolphin,
delivered from Ulstein Verft in the autumn of 2006, has capsized. We cannot speculate on the reasons for
this accident. Our thougths go to the missing and the families of those involved", said Ulstein Verft's CEO
Gunvor Ulstein. Bourbon Dolphin is an A102 AHTS designed by Ulstein Design and built by Ulstein
Verft.
14-year-old boy among victims on tug as Royal Navy calls off search
A small Norwegian fishing village was attempting last night to come to terms with the disaster in which
seven men and a 14-year-old boy died when their tug capsized off the Shetland Islands. Oddne Remoy,
44, the captain of the Bourbon Dolphin, and his son, who was on work experience, were standing beside
each other on the tug’s bridge when it overturned on Thursday afternoon. Ten of the 15-strong crew were
quickly picked up from the water, although three had died. Throughout Thursday night and yesterday,
rescuers hoped that by some miracle Captain Remøy, his son and the three other crewmen might have
survived in an air pocket in a watertight compartment of the upturned hull. At 3.30pm yesterday hope ran
out. Royal Navy divers who had entered the deck area of the upturned vessel said it was too dangerous to
go farther into the hull because of the risk that the tug would suddenly sink. Relatives had already been
told there was little chance that the men could have survived for so long in the bitterly cold water.Last
night salvage tugs were preparing to tow the Bourbon Dolphin from the Rosebank oilfield to the Shetland
Islands. Only then could a full search be made for the bodies. The crewmen who had managed to escape
told their rescuers that the tug capsized suddenly while preparing to drop the last of eight anchors for the
drilling rig Transocean Rather. Anje Nilsen from Skittenelv, Norway, called his girlfriend from Shetland
yesterday to explain what had happened. Gerd Sorensen said: “He said it all went very quickly after the
boat started to tilt to one direction. When it happened he was on a tour outside on the boat deck and
grabbed a safety vest. “He just managed to run out and started to climb on the ship’s side. When he fell in
the water he saw a raft floating near by but could not grab it. Then it was hard for him.” Turge Drage said
her son, Egil Hafsas, recalled how he and two other crew members managed to pull on lifejackets and
leap into the sea before being picked up by another ship and airlifted to Shetland. Most of the crew
members came from Heroy, with a population of 1,748, or from other villages along Norway’s western
coast. One of the men came from Denmark. Relatives and friends gathered at Heroy’s church yesterday
to seek comfort and information from Bourbon Offshore Norway, the boat’s owner. Solvi Remoy, head
teacher at the Ytre Heroy High School, said: “It’s very, very sad and very tragic and it’s an awful day here
for us because we are a very tight-knit community. The teachers, the pupils, the staff, everyone knows the
family involved, everyone has been affected by this.” Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister,
said that the whole of the country felt involved in the suffering: “We are not many people so when
something like this happens, the entire nation is affected.” Accident investigators say that the capsizing is
unprecedented. The Bourbon Dolphin was only a year old, had an experienced crew and was operating
in relatively calm waters. Reidar Vetvik, who runs the fishing café Havly Center at Lerwick, Shetland, and
is also a Norwegian port priest, met the survivors yesterday. He said that the captain and his son had
been together on the bridge at the time of the accident. Several men did not have time to reach for safety
vests. “In one way or another, the big boat chain tilted to the boat’s side and wind and water powers
started to push the boat around in just a few minutes,” he said. “It went very quick. “They have a hard
time. When you are almost killed by a sinking boat and probably have several friends that are lost, it is
hard. This is all unreal for the men who slowly are realizing what has happened.” Workers on board the rig
said that they saw the 250ft (76m) ship maneuvering the anchor into position for the drop, then suddenly
make a sharp turn. The wire between the anchor and the rig was seen to tighten and run up the side of the
ship, forcing the boat on to its side. Minutes later it capsized, with the anchor cable still in place running
back to the rig. Jake Molloy, general secretary of the offshore workers trade union OILC, said: “They got
the impression that the anchor wire had jumped its stops and ran up the side of the vessel, providing
overturning force.” The vessel was estimated to have been 5,200ft from the rig when it capsized, around
the limit of the anchor chain length. “It was just about on site ready for the drop. We don’t know what made
the boat turn and the anchor chain run up — the boat could have reached the end of the wire, or there
could have been a steerage problem. But whatever has happened, has happened so fast.”
Craig Group launches largest ever vessel
April 12, 2007 The Craig Group’s biggest ever platform supply vessel has been launched in
Spain. Grampian Talisman represents an investment of £12 million by the global shipping and energy
services company and will join its fleet of offshore support vessels later this year. Craig Group division,
North Star Shipping, contracted Astillerios Balenciaga SA of Spain to build the 78.2m PSV. Grampian
Talisman is the ninth vessel ordered from Balenciaga by the group in five years and underlines its
commitment to and confidence in the North Sea. The new platform supply vessel, which was officially
launched by Samantha Craig - the fourth generation of the family in the company - and will go straight
onto a long-term charter in the North Sea. Talisman Energy UK Limited has awarded North Star Shipping
a five year charter for the vessel with multiple options. North Star managing director, Callum Bruce, says:
“We are proud to have launched this flagship addition to the fleet. Our fleet of multi role vessels has been
extensively modernised in the last few years and the addition of this high specification platform supply
vessel clearly demonstrates continued commitment to providing clients with cost effective innovative
solutions.” Designed by IMT of Montrose and measuring 78.2m in length with a 17m beam, the new
vessel will have 740 square metres of deck. Although a PSV, she will also be capable of meeting the
requirements of a 300 class emergency response and rescue vessel and be capable of carrying daughter
craft. Leading providers of emergency response and rescue, multi-role ROV survey and supply vessels,
North Star Shipping, currently operates a fleet of 29 vessels and has recently taken delivery of three newbuild emergency response and rescue vessels as part of a seven-ship new-build programme to modernise
its fleet. Douglas Craig, managing director of The Craig Group says : “This investment is part of our
overall strategy of diversifying and modernising our fleet, which began in 2001 with two new-build multirole vessels - Grampian Explorer and Grampian Surveyor. “This additional investment is good news for
the group, our industry and the North Sea in general, as it underlines our confidence in their long-term
future.” The total investment in a range of new vessels by The Craig Group since 2001 now amounts to an
impressive £70 million.
Grounded Barge Capsized
Thursday, April 12, 2007 The barge ITB-260 loaded with 3,324 tons of gravel capsized north of Gig
Harbor, Wash., when the tide came in, causing the load of gravel to shift and eventually spill into the
water. The tug Island Breeze was towing the barge when it reported to the Coast Guard that the barge
was taking on water. Over three hours later the crew of the tug reported they had pushed the barge
against the shore to prevent it from sinking. The Coast Guard is working with the owner of the barge to
ensure the damage to the barge can safely be evaluated before being allowed to proceed. This incident
did not result in the release of any petroleum products. The barge was transporting the gravel from
Dupont, Wash., to Kenmore, Wash.. The Island Breeze is owned by the Seattle-based company Island
Tug and Barge. The Coast Guard has assigned an investigator to this incident and notified the
Washington State Department of Ecology of the event. (Jan van der Doe)
Svitzer – our new Group indentity
Published: 2007-04-11 On 23rd March 2007, SVITZER announced having received acceptance of more
than 90% of the issued shares in Adsteam. Jesper T. Lok, Group CEO, said in that connection: “Now that
we have received acceptance from more than 90% of Adsteam’s Shareholders, we look forward to
bringing our two great businesses together. With more than 4,000 Colleagues, operating 600 vessels in
some 35 countries around the world, we have a unique opportunity to be the preferred provider globally of
safety and support services at sea.” The integration of Adsteam will mark also the launch of a new
common Group identity. Moving forward all towage and salvage activities of the Group will be branded
SVITZER: All Towage activities will be branded SVITZER Salvage will be branded SVITZER Salvage
SmitWijs will be branded SVITZER Ocean Towage Only ESVAGT and Express Offshore Transport will
continue under their current brands. The Maltese cross will be replaced by a four-bladed propeller,
however, used only as a funnelmark in order to allow SVITZER (as written to the left) to become our
known identity. Any questions to the change to SVITZER can be directed to Branding and
Communication Manager, Pernille Heinecke
Bollinger Completes Conversions on Dive Support Vessels
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., has performed conversions and modifications to three separate dive support vessels
for EPIC Divers & Marine. The first of the three conversions was completed on the 220-ft. x 45-ft x 21-ft
dynamically positioned (DP) Class II Dive and ROV support vessel EPIC Diver at the Bollinger Algiers
location. The EPIC Diver is one of the newest acquisitions to the EPIC fleet and will be their primary DP
and ROV support vessel. While at Bollinger the vessel renewed her regulatory status and documentation,
received DP system upgrades with the installation of the L3 Communications (Nautronix) NMS 6000
Duplex DP System, while taking on the new colors and name EPIC Diver. The vessel is ABS Certified,
DPII, and SOLAS. The second and third vessel upgrades both came out of Bollinger’s Larose facility. The
EPIC Explorer was delivered from the Larose facility after going through a full conversion from offshore
supply vessel to a four-point, 1000’ saturation dive support vessel, with upgraded accommodations for
forty-eight persons, newly installed 1,000-ft. sixperson Saturation Dive system and associated dive
support equipment, EBI 30 ton telescoping deck crane, 10–ft diameter Moon Pool, updated electrical
components, and renewed regulatory compliance meeting all USCG inspection criteria for subchapter I
certification. The vessel measures 210-ft x 40-ft x 14-ft with over 1600 feet of clear deck space. The third
vessel, the EPIC Seahorse, completed a life extension program renewing all regulatory requirements and
reconfiguring the vessel for optimum use of the back deck area, repositioning dive support equipment
below deck. The vessel measures 210-ft x 40-ft x 14-ft and is capable of providing a full range of subsea
project support as a fourpoint vessel.
8e jaargang, nr. 15
dd. 22 April 2007
_______________________________________________________
Changes in Nigeria
Jaya Valiant has been renamed Sanko Dolphin by Unknown to me owners.
The Seabulk Washington has been renamed WAO Ethiope by West Africa Offshore.
And only yesterday 15/4/2007 the Tidewater vessel Sea Hero suffered a serious engineroom fire in Onne
Port in which the Ch. Eng. was badly burned and she is now laying in Onne Port awaiting repairs. (Source:
Paul Bore)
Salvors Refloat Grounded Vessels in Scheldt
Salvage and towage companies Multraship and URS have successfully refloated two grounded vessels in
the past week in the River Scheldt. On April 10, the Swedish-flag RoRo car carrier Grande Argentina ran
aground off Terneuzen. The vessel, operated by Grimaldi Lines, was enroute from Antwerp when it
suffered a complete black-out, ironically within view of Multraship’s headquarters in Terneuzen. Having
swung hard to starboard, the vessel grounded on a sandbank. Working together, salvage teams from
Multraship and URS mobilised a total of nine tugs and salvage craft to refloat the vessel in a quick and
efficient operation. The salvors then escorted the vessel to Flushing, where an inspection revealed no
structural damage, and the Grande Argentina was cleared to proceed with its voyage. On April 15, the
same salvors came to the assistance of the Russian general cargo vessel Aleksandrov which, outwardbound from Antwerp with a cargo of steel and machinery parts, grounded on the ebb tide. Although the
salvors responded immediately, it was not possible to refloat the vessel on the same tide. But the salvors,
mobilising four tugs under an LOF agreement, righted the vessel in the early hours of April 16, and
escorted it to Flushing, where a diving inspection revealed no serious damage. (Source: Marinelink)
ASL Marine Secures New Contracts
ASL Marine has secured new shipbuilding contracts worth $76.6m. The contracts are for the construction
of six Anchor Handling Towing/ Supply Vessels, which are used to tow and anchor oil rig platforms as well
as other support services. Five of the units are expected to be completed in 2009, and the remaining unit
in early 2010. Source: CNA Five of the units are expected to be completed in 2009, and the remaining unit
in early 2010. Just three weeks ago, ASL Marine announced it had secured S$164 million worth of
shipbuilding contracts for one unit of Heavy Lift cum Pipelay Vessel and six units of Rotor Tugs. (Source:
CNA)
SBS Torrent joins the fleet
April 17, 2007 SBS Torrent, the fifth VS470 MkII to join the SBS fleet, was delivered by Karmsund
Maritime in Norway on April 4th.Torrent is due to depart for the West Coast of India where she
will commence a long term contract with Transocean. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Damen ASD Tug 2411 for Petersen & Alpers Hamburg
Petersen & Alpers has ordered a Damen ASD Tug 2411 for their harbour towages in the port of Hamburg.
The Damen ASD 2411 is a well proven harbour tug of which in the meantime 12 units have been delivered
to various owners world wide and another 12 units are under construction. Due to its high bollard pull of at
least 68 tons ahead and 63 tons astern, the excellent manoeuvrability, and the compact size of the vessel,
the ASD 2411 is a perfect vessel to operate in ports, like the port of Hamburg, were due to the growth in
physical size of calling vessel the space for manoeuvring is limited. (Source: Damen)
Montsacopa
De in 1998 bij Astilleros Zamacona – Bilbao (b.388) gebouwde Montsacopa van Soc. Remolcadores de
Barcelona – Barcelona is verkocht aan Odegaard Berging en herdoopt Mega Mammut (2). 269 brt; 4010
pk; lxbxd=25,85 x 9,70 x 2,82.; 2 x 4tew 6 cil. Normo. (Source: Jaap Bijl)
Nieuwe Claus voor Johannsen.
Via Dr. Jürgen Ehlers is informatie ontvangen dat J. Johannsen weer een Claus heeft. In 2006 door
Lindenau te Kiel gebouwd, bouwnummer 255. 5.027 apk 448 brt, paaltrek 64 t. De afmetingen heb ik
helaas niet. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Smit Fibri op weg naar Bonny Island
De nieuwe Alucat 1605 ‘Smit Fibri’ wordt momenteel per schip getransporteerd van Singapore naar
Bonny Island, Nigeria, waar ze pilotschip ‘Smit Warri’ gaat vervangen. De ‘Smit Fibri’ werd gebouwd in
Singapore door Damen. Zusterschip ‘Smit Oloma’, werd in 2005 opgeleverd en is sindsdien actief als
patrouilleschip op Bonny Island. (Source: Smit)
Last Call for Navy's Large Harbor Tugs
Large harbor tug Opelika (YTB 798) and Kittanning (YTB 787) follow
alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mustin
(DDG 89) as she gets underway on board Commander Fleet Activities
Yokosuka. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman
Bryan Reckard. By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Bryan
Reckard, Fleet Public Affairs Center Detachment Japan The U.S. Navy
large harbor tugs seem to have all but disappeared from most U.S. ports
over the last decade. But in a few ports around the world the Navy-owned
and operated tug endures as the backbone of port operations. Fleet
Activities Yokosuka happens to be one of the naval bases on which the legacy of the large harbor tug
continues to influence not only the operations of the port, but the Sailors that work aboard these perennial
workhorses of the Navy. A year ago Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Jared Kendrick would never have thought
he would be working on the diesel generators that power the large harbor tugs, or working shoulder-toshoulder with the boatswain’s mates that make up most of the tugs crew. That all changed seven months
ago, when he was assigned to the Large Harbor Tug Opelika (YTB 798). “I never had to know boatswain’s
mates jobs,” said Kendrick. “Here engineers work side by side [with] boatswain’s mates, that’s the big
thing. I had to learn a lot.” Kendrick has been in the Navy for just over six years, and was first stationed on
the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54). Although being assigned to
a large harbor tug is considered shore duty, according to Kendrick, life aboard a tug is considerably
different than your ordinary shore duty. “A lot of ships have emergencies, and they have to come in right
away. We’ll get called up at late hours sometimes,” said Kendrick. “You have to come in and pull the ships
in late at night when they have problems. I like that -- having to stay on your toes.” Many of the large
harbor tugs have been sold and taken out of the Navy Vessel Register over the last several years, making
the few that remain the last of their kind. Talking with the crew members of the Opelika it does not seem
likely that the memory of the U.S. Navy large harbor tug will be easily forgotten, as they reel off numbers
and facts, with the pride of knowing they are the last of a dwindling breed. For Kendrick, it’s the excitement
of the job that keeps him passionate about his assignment to the Opelika. “You are doing something
everyday, pushing the ships and getting them to where they need to go,” said Kendrick. “I like what I do.
You never know what’s going to come along. I like being able to say I actually love my job.” There are
currently five U.S. Navy large harbor tugs in active service status at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, including
the oldest large harbor tug in active service status, the Muskegon (YTB 763) launched in 1962.
(SourceMarinelink)
Agnes Candies Completes First Saturation Job for Spectra Energy
The Deep Marine Technology, Inc. long term leased Agnes Candies Saturation Dive Support Vessel has
completed its first job in the Gulf of Mexico. Working for Spectra Energy in 315ft water depth at Main Pass
282, the DPII Agnes Candies vessel, working with a 24hr crew on board, safely and efficiently performed
Pipeline Remediation tasks for the Client. The Agnes Candies can be adopted for a large spectrum of
work ranging from Repair and Installation to Inspection and Plug and Abandonment. Other possible uses
for the vessel include platform repairs; riser, anode, and hot tap installations; subsea tree and valve
assistance; and platform and pipeline inspection. (SourceMarinelink)
Petra Perdana Goes Shopping for AHTS Vessels
Petra Perdana Berhad's subsidiary, Perdana Venus Limited, has entered into two separate
Memorandums of Agreement with Nam Cheong Dockyard Sdn Bhd to purchase new Anchor Handling
Offshore Support Vessels. The purchase price is US $29,500,000 each. Both the acquisitions are
expected to complete upon the delivery of the respective vessels, which are to be constructed. One of the
vessels is expected to be ready for delivery in December 2009, and the other in April 2010. The
acquisitions are in line with the fleet renewal plan of Petra Perdana Group in providing the marine support
services to the offshore industry. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Two U.S. Flag Former WWII Tugs Sold Through Marcon International, Inc.
Hannah Marine Corp. of Lemont, IL contacted for the lease-purchase of the U.S. flag, twin screw tug
"Pacific Victory" (ex-Petro Challenger, ex- Marine Challenger, ex-Polar Challenger, ex-LT 789) from
Victory Towing, Inc. of Seattle, WA. The tug was originally built as the U.S. Army "LT 789" in 1945 by
Marietta Manufacturing as Hull 525 at their Point Pleasant shipyard on the Ohio River. She was one of 40
– 50 similar LTs built by Marietta during World War II. Once retired from service, she was converted in
1975-76 from her single screw configuration by Marine Power & Equipment of Seattle, Washington. She
now has triple rudders, twin fixed pitch open propellers of 115" x 90" and carries abt. 180,000 gallons of
fuel. When converted she was re-powered EMD 16-645E2's for total of 3900BHP, replacing the original
Fairbanks Morse 10-38TD-1/8, and fitted with Lufkin 4.39:1 reduction gears. She has a single drum towing
winch and her overall dimensions are 151.5' x 33' x 18.8' depth. She was idle and laid up for about 3 or 4
years in the US Gulf prior to purchase. The new Owner will undertake an extensive overhaul of the tug,
including both steelwork and machinery and renewal of her ABS Loadline. Hannah Marine intends to
place her into dedicated service in the US Gulf towing an 8,000 DWT ocean barge. Hannah currently
owns two similar ex-Marietta built LT tugs "Mary E. Hannah" and "James A. Hannah". Marcon has
handled a number other sales over the years for both the Buyer and Seller. Alaska Oregon Offshore
Marine sold their 3,600BHP, 140' tug "Marine Commander" to overseas buyers. Tug was renamed "Saje
Commander" is towing a 20,000dwt ocean tank barge purchased through Marcon earlier this year from
New York to West Africa. "Marine Commander", along with a sister-tug, were originally built in 1944 for
the U.S. government as the U.S. Navy rescue tug "ATR-128" with 1,500HP diesel electric drive and in
1948 was redesignated as ATA-201 "Challenger" until laid up in the Marad Reserve Fleet in 1961. Marine
Power & Equipment of Seattle purchased the tug, renamed her "Marine Commander" and completely
rebuilt both her and her sister-tug between 1978 and 1982. As vessels were originally very strongly built
with 1/2" and 5/8" hull plating they were good candidates for the rebuild. The propulsion systems were
totally replaced with modern 16 cylinder, 4,000BHP engines and gears with specially designed Coolidge
120" x 94" props. An emergency drive "take-them-home" system was also fitted to operate even with the
main engine shut down. The system is driven off the ship's hydraulic system via chain and sprockets on
the shaft, powered by separate 250HP auxiliary engines. All plumbing/piping was updated, electrical
equipment replaced including a new power distribution panel and towing machinery rebuilt and added to.
The superstructure on the 01 deck (officer quarters & pilothouse) was replaced with a prefabricated
aluminum house with a separate cabin for each crew member. After passing through several hands, the
tug was repowered again in 2006 with a remanufactured EMD 20-645E7 providing 3,600BHP at 900RPM,
rebuilt gearbox and bow thruster, after which she completed three heavy ship tows which were 5,000
miles each from start to finish. This was the fifth tug Marcon sold to Buyers and fourth tug sold either to or
from Sellers. Marcon was the sole broker. (Source: Clipping News)
Greatship (India) Ltd takes delivery of PSV
April 20, 2007 Greatship (India) Limited (GIL), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Great Eastern Shipping
Co Ltd, has taken delivery of the PSV Greatship Diya. GIL has a newbuilding orderbook comprising two
PSVs, six (80 tonne) AHT SVs, and a secondhand PSV contracted for delivery during the second quarter
of its fiscal year 2008. (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 16
dd. 29 April 2007
_______________________________________________________
New Danish towing company
Dan Tug A/S of Fredericia is the name of a newly formed Danish towing company set up by two mariners
and divers, who wanted to start a business on their own. Klaus Dresler and Klaus Kristensen started their
new company by purchasing two tugs from the towing company Jens Alfastsen of Horsens. It is the
Susanne A, with a 40 tons bollard pull, that has been taken over at the homeport of Horsens. The tug will
continue with same name for another three months on a time charter in the Mediterranean.
The other is the small tug Sanne A of seven tons bollard pull. The tug is one of the oldest vessels in
commercial work under Danish flag, built in Göteborg in 1908. Sanne A has changed name to Mads and
will continue working in domestic waters. This week the tug and its owners started on a salvage operation
of a pleasure yacht worth DKK 2.5 million at the port of Hou. At the towing company Jens Alfastsen only
one tug is left in the fleet now, the Luna A, after the sale of the largest tug Mira A in March.
Published: 23.04.07 15.38 (Source: Leo Kramer)
Bharti Shipyard Signs Contract For $43.3m
Bharti Shipyard said that it has signed a maiden contract for $43.3m with UP Offshore Bahamas, for
construction and supply of two platform supply vessels. (Source: Big News Network)
Stolt in Mississippi mishap
A two-mile stretch of the Mississippi River is closed today after a Stolt-Nielsen chemical carrier collided
with a tug towing a salt barge and sent the barge to the bottom on Monday, the Coast Guard said. The
24,000-dwt Stolt Creativity (built 1997) collided with the tug Norb Whitlock near Geismer, Louisiana,
around 1 pm local time on Monday, sending one of the 16 barges under tow to the bottom, the Coast
Guard said. Authorities closed the river between mile markers 182 and 184 pending a search to determine
the location of the sunken barge, and whether navigation is safe through the area. Both vessels were
travelling up river when the accident occurred. There was no report of pollution or injury and the accident
is under investigation, the Coast Guard said. (Source: Clipping News)
Panama Canal Tugs go Z-Tech
With the introduction of three new Z-Tech tugboats, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) introduces the
most powerful tugs in its history. The new tugs will replace aging boats in the Canal’s current fleet,
featuring cutting-edge technology that should lower lockage times by providing greater manoeuvrability
and 82 percent more towing power than the existing tugs. The Z-Tech tugs will assist vessels in the
process of going in and out of the existing locks and are equipped to handle first responder duties in
emergency marine fire-fighting situations. The new Z-Tech tugs, Darien, Veraguas I and Bocas del Toro,
represent the first three of eight tugs that will replace older boats within the Canal’s current fleet of 24
units. The remaining five tugs are scheduled to arrive between November 2007 and February 2008. Built
using the Z-Tech design from Robert Allan, Ltd. and PSA Marine, these tugs combine both the handling of
a tractor-style tug and an Azimuth Stern Drive tug. Each Z-Tech tug measures 89.8 ft. in length overall
and 38.22 ft. in beam, with a bollard pull of 61 tons. Additionally, the engines of the new tugboats have the
capacity to accelerate from standstill to full ahead in less than 20 seconds, without heavy smoking.
(Source: Clipping News)
Solstad sells three
Norway’s Solstad Offshore has offloaded its three most elderly anchor-handling supply vessels to German
and Norwegian owners. The 1,400–gt Normand Hunter (built 1982) will be delivered to RF
Forschungsschiffahrt in July, while Simon Mokster of Norway will take the 500–gt Normand Ranger (buit
1982) and the 1,600-gt Normand Prosper (built 1983) in May. Solstad said the ships were the oldest in
the fleet and have been sold for a price above their market values as assessed by brokers at 31
December last year. It will book a gain of about NOK 135m ($22.61m) from the deal. The sale leaves the
owner with 14 other anchor-handlers, plus supply ships and construction vessels. (Source: Clipping News)
Latest Sealion newbuild starts charter
Seabrokers reports that Sealion Shipping's latest delivery, the VS4612 anchor handler Toisa Daring
recently begun a term charter with Noble Energy in Equatorial Guinea. The 150 tons bollard pull
Wuchang, China newbuild has been contracted for around 18 months by Noble. (Source: Clipping News)
“Bourbon Dolphin”
Bourbon Dolphin Inquiry Underway
According to Rigzone, an inquiry into the cause of the Norwegian anchor handling tug supply (AHTS)
Bourbon Dolphin capsizing started Wednesday. The vessel capsized on April 12 during an anchor
handling operation with the Highland Valour. Anchor handling is known to be hazardous to the deck crew,
but capsizing is rare. According to reports, the Bourbon Dolphin had recovered an anchor from the
seafloor and was about to drop it to a new location when it overturned. The anchor was still attached to
the oil rig. According to reports, Syversen, the sole survivor on the bridge during the accident, added some
insight into the incident. He said the Highland Valour attempted five times to move an anchor. On the fifth
try the anchor chain dragged over the side of the AHTS, and the captain of the Bourbon Dolphin
requested that the Highland Valour move to the northwest. When the Bourbon Dolphin attempted to
release the inner pin of the anchor, the chain ran free and caught the outer tow pin, which caused the boat
to capsize. The emergency release was triggered, but did not perform as designed. Fifteen crew members
were onboard, seven survived, three bodies were found, and five are still missing, thought to be trapped in
the vessel. (Source: Rigzone)
Inquiry raises questions
26 Apr 2007, 15:14 The maritime inquiry into the sinking of the "Bourbon Dolphin" will be followed on
Friday by the naming of an investigative commission that will examine the circumstances around the
tragedy. The inquiry that began Wednesday in Ålesund raised at least as many questions as it answered
about the accident off the Shetlands that resulted in the death of eight persons. Maritime inspector NilsIvar Sørdal had his debut in the position for the nearly 11-hour hearing. "All material from the maritime
inquiry will be given to the commission. In my opinion the inquiry provided much valuable information that
will be very helpful in the investigative commission's further work," Sørdal said. One question that will
need to be answered is why the "Bourbon Dolphin", which was to have been an assisting vessel, operated
as the main vessel during the anchoring operation on the drilling rig Transocean Rather. It remains
unknown who made this decision, and why. The captain responsible for the other anchor handling vessel,
"Highland Valour", owned by Gulf Offshore and registered in London, was not present at the hearing. The
person in charge of the operation aboard the Transocean Rather, owned by the world's largest drilling
company Transocean, was absent. "The inquiry aimed to question some of the survivors as quickly after
the accident as possible. If we were to bring the companies mentioned here in it would be necessary to
take more time," Sørdal told news agency NTB. The first mate of the "Bourbon Dolphin" testified to a
range of errors and failures during the operation. The "Highland Valour" reportedly pulled the anchor chain
in the opposite direction requested, and that this was not the first time the London registered vessel had
made mistakes. The "Bourbon Dolphin" also appeared to have non-functioning emergency equipment and
there have been questions raised about the vessel's stability. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Bourbon Dolphin inquiry gets under way in Norway
April 27, 2007 The formal inquiry into the capsize of the AHTS Bourbon Dolphin got under way earlier
this week. The inquiry heard that the vessel capsized whilst handling an anchor with another
vessel, Highland Valour. Reports suggest that Bourbon Dolphin had recovered an anchor from the
seabed and was about to lower it to a new location when the vessel ran into problems. One of
the survivors of the incident said Highland Valour had attempted five times to move an anchor, and that,
on the fifth try the anchor chain dragged over the side of the AHTS.The survivor, Geir Syversen was
quoted in the Norwegian press as saying that Bourbon Dolphin and Gulf Offshore's Highland Valour "had
almost collided" at one point, and that the Bourbon vessel had put on full power on to prevent a collision.
He also told the inquiry that Bourbon Dolphin had to take the full burden of the chain they were handling
and her thrusters began to overheat due to the increased strain. Highland Valour was, he claimed,
radioed, and told to go northwest, but moved in the other direction. Mr Syversen told the inquiry it quickly
became clear that it was taking a great deal of effort to hold the ship in position. The captain ordered that
the chain be released but, the inquiry was told, the mechanism failed to work properly and the ship could
not get rid of it fast enough. Soon after the vessel heeled over. Other witnesses at the inquiry
said Bourbon Dolphin "was not meant to handle such a heavy task," and that when the job had first been
planned, the idea was that the vessel was to be assisting, not carrying the main load.
Bourbon Dolphin’s role under scrutiny
The role of the Bourbon Dolphin as the main operator in the anchor handling operation has come under
scrutiny as the vessel originally was designated as assistant anchor handler. Two weeks after the
accident, the managing director of Bourbon Offshore Norway, Trond Myklebust, has no idea why the
vessel?s role was redefined. Bourbon Dolphin was contracted to participate in an anchor handling
operation, but such contracts never specify which role is designated to which vessel. Much of the work
was directed from the semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Rather, but a spokesman from
Transocean, Guy Cantwell, says in a statement: ?I do not want to talk about the accident. We are
investigating the matter, the British authorities will possible investigate and a royal commission is
appointed in Norway. We will talk, but at the right time and to the right people?. P&I club Gard said they
needed more time to assess the possibilities of raising the Bourbon Dolphin from a depth of 1,100 metres,
but the mutual will issue a statement on the matter early next week.Published: 27.04.07 14.28
Stichting Sleepboothaven “Maassluis”
Vandaag 28 april is officieel de Stichting Sleepboothaven Maassluis van start gegaan. Deze stichting is
een samenwerkingsverband tussen de stichtingen van het Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum, van de Furie,
de Elbe, de Bruinvisch en de Hudson, waarbij wordt aangetekend dat ook de eigenaren van de Krimpen
en de Adriaan zover als in hun vermogen ligt meewerken.Het van start gaan van de nieuwe stichting werd
gevierd door middel van een grote "fles" met kennelijk geestrijk vocht die echter ballonnen in de kleuren
van Maassluis bleek te bevatten. Er was veel belangstelling van de zijde van de sleepbootliefhebbers, van
de gemeente en van de provincie. Gedeputeerde Van Hulten was bereid samen met wethouder
Scheerstra de fles open te trekken, waarbij de paardekrachten van de Adriaan goed van pas kwamen.
Met een gezamenlijke maaltijd van een groot deel van de 180 vrijwilligers van de betrokken stichtingen
werd de feestelijke dag afgesloten. (Source: Nico Ouwehand)
8e jaargang, nr. 17
dd. 06 Mei 2007
_______________________________________________________
Order of 2 large AHTS
Siem Offshore signs contracts for 2 large anchor handling vessels with Norwegian shipbuilding group
Kleven Maritime Kleven Verft in Ulsteinvik, Norway, in cooperation with its sister yard Myklebust Verft, has
signed two contracts with Siem Offshore of Kristiansand, Norway, for the delivery of two large and
environmentally friendly anchor handling vessels by Vik Sandvik design VS 491 Clean Design. Siem
Offshore already has 6 identical vessels under construction with Kleven Verft and Myklebust Verft The
vessels are sophisticated anchor handling vessels with supply capacity (AHTS) by the VS 491 CD design.
The contract value is OK 1,1 billion. The vessels are 91,0 m of length over all, with a beam of 22,0.
Installed power is 19.000 kW (28.000 Hp), capacity on the winch is 550t. Bollard pull is calculated at 300t.
The combination of environmentally friendly design and large capacities make the vessels especially
suitable for operations in the North Sea. The accommodation gives space for 60 people. The hull is
strengthened according to ice class Ice C, and may also work in northern waters. Furthermore they are
prepared for A-frame and ROV garage. The vessels will be delivered in March and June 2010. Siem
Offshore now has in total 12 contracts with Kleven. In total the two yards in Kleven Maritime has and order
book of 31 vessels at a value of NOK 10,5 billion. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Crane Strikes McTeer Bridge
On April 26, a crane being towed by the tug Sara Kaitlin struck the McTeer Bridge on the Beaufort River.
The barge under tow, Mobro 139, was carrying the crane that struck the bridge. The tug and barge were
heading south towards Savannah, Ga. The crane sustained minor damage. The operators of the tug and
barge, Savannah Marine Services Inc. and CML Equipment Company LLC respectively, are fully
cooperating with the Coast Guard. This matter is under investigation by the Coast Guard. South Carolina
Department of Transportation has closed the McTeer Bridge to vehicular traffic. The Lady's Island Bridge
(Wood's Bridge) is open to recreational vessel traffic on a restricted schedule as follows. Commercial
vessel traffic restrictions have not been implemented at this time. (Source: Marinelink)
Tractor Tug Begins Service
Wednesday, May 02, 2007 Boston's newest and most powerful harbor tug has been christened, crewed
up and has started serving customers of Constellation Maritime Co. The tug Leo is a 78-foot, 5,000
horsepower Dolphin-Class vessel built at Foss Rainier Shipyard in Oregon. The brand new ASD-powered
tug arrived in Boston on March 7 along with the Orion, a 3,000 horsepower, 95 foot Voith-powered tractor
formerly in service for Foss Maritime on the Columbia River. Together, the two high-powered tugs give
Constellation, a Foss subsidiary, a one-two punch that amounts to a significant competitive edge in
handling ship assists, harbor work, and future tanker escorts. Constellation deck and engine room
personnel have been working with Foss trainers in Boston and Long Beach, Calif., to become familiar with
operation and maintenance of the two vessels. Massachusetts State Commissioned Harbor Pilots also
have joined training sessions to learn how to best use the tugs. The Leo was christened during a
reception attended by about 150 people at the Boston Harbor Hotel on April 19. Among the guests were
customers, local dignitaries, U.S. Coast Guard and Navy officials, pilots, and representatives of Foss and
its parent company, Marine Resources Group. Constellation was acquired last year by Foss Maritime, one
of the nation's leading tug-barge companies, with harbor services and marine transportation bases in all
major ports on the U.S. West Coast (Source: Jan van der Doe)
First multi-purpose support vessel capable of operating anywhere in the world
launched at OTC
5/2/2007 HOUSTON --C&M Group's $100-million Ice Maiden I offshore support vessel has been officially
launched at the Offshore Technology Conference, the word's largest oil and gas event. Ice Maiden I will
be the first multi-purpose support vessel capable of operating anywhere in the world. Formerly the MV
Paardeberg -- a 14,000-tonne Russian Class ice-breaker -- the vessel is almost as long as two soccer
pitches. The vessel, which is currently berthed in the Atlantic Marine Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, was renamed Ice Maiden I by the UK's Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy, Lord Truscott, in a
link-up with guests attending a ceremony in the Reliant Stadium in Houston. C&M Marine Services is
converting Ice Maiden I into a multi-purpose construction vessel with state-of-the-art accommodation for
400 people. It will become the first mono-hull flotel to work in the North Sea when it goes on charter later
this year. "When fully-converted, Ice Maiden I will be able to offer accommodation, transportation and
workshop facilities for up to 400 people," says David Kellas, C&M operations director. "Her ice-breaking
capabilities and temperature controlled workshops mean that she will be capable of operating in some of
the harshest climates, including the Arctic Circle, where it is reported that over 30% of the world's
remaining hydrocarbons are located. Given these remarkable capabilities, Ice Maiden I will significantly
increase the window of opportunity for companies operating within the polar regions." The original Ice
Maiden I hull was built for the Russian Navy in 1991. The vessel is 167 m long with a 23-m beam and has
two 25-tonne capacity cranes and heli-deck capable of handling EH101 helicopters and with refuelling
facilities. Not only will the Ice Maiden I have ice-breaking capabilities, it will also include communications,
fiber optics, digital CCTV, passenger on-board control systems, special low-temp cabling, and all galley,
HVAC and PA equipment, the company said. . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Conrad Industries Announces Backlog and New Contracts
Thursday, May 03, 2007 Conrad Industries, Inc. signed six contracts for the construction of seven vessels
and a record current backlog of approximately $97.0 million compared to $84.5 million at December 31,
2006. Bay-Houston Towing Co. and Suderman & Young Towing Company, L.P., for which we are
currently constructing two tugs at our Orange Shipbuilding facility, have exercised options for two
additional 98', Z-Tech 7500 Class Terminal/Escort Tugs, sister vessels for the others under construction.
Settoon Towing has exercised options for the construction of two additional 214'x42'x12' 8,500 bbl. double
skin tank barges similar to two others under construction for Settoon Towing at our Morgan City facilities.
In addition,contracts were signed for one 120'x30'x7' deck barge, one 50'x30'x7' deck barge and one
100'x30'x7' spud barge by two other customers. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Seabreeze April Reports Market round up
Trico Peak In July
Trico Supply’s two ME 303 MK II anchor handlers Northern Chaser and Northern Challenger have
secured term charters with Peak Group. The charter period is one well firm plus one well options (with
each well expected to last between 30 and 35 days). The contract, supporting the Byford Dolphin semisubmersible, begins in a window between the 1st and 31st July 2007.
Prestige Part II
Further to last month’s article on the arrival of the Gulf Offshore NS Ltd Aker 09 design PSV Highland
Prestige (“Prestige Prepared”), we can now announce that the previously mentioned three year term
charter is in fact with ConocoPhilips. The charter is now well underway.
Moho, Bilondo, Congo
Total Congo has chartered the UT 742 offshore construction vessel Normand Progress and UT 718
anchor handler Normand Mjolne. Both vessels are expected to depart the North Sea around May 2007.
The contract itself is for support of the Moho/Bilondo project, which should release both vessels in July.
Anchorman Is No Fluke
The Specialist Marine Services 10,880 BHP anchor handler Anchorman has been chartered by BG for
three years firm work in the Mediterranean. The vessel will proceed from Brazil on the 9th April to Tunisia.
Harmony Hits Right Note
TS Marine has extended the charter of the subsea vessel Havila Harmony from three years to five years,
with two by one year options remaining thereafter.
Gabarus Gets A Go
Maersk Supply Service has been awarded a three wells firm plus one well option charter with Island Oil &
Gas for work in Irish waters. The 125 ton bollard pull anchor handler Maersk Gabarus began this contract
in mid April after moving the Petrolia from its work with Apache in the North Sea over to the Emerald Isle’s
sparkling waters. The base port for this term charter is Cork.
Saipem Secure Ship For Castoro Six
Gulf Offshore UT 705 PSV Highland Champion has secured term work in the North Sea with Saipem.
The 4,800 bhp, 1979 built vessel began the pipehaul work for the company from mid April. The period of
this charter supporting the Castoro 6 pipelayer is ninety days.
Merkur’s Mixture
Seabrokers believe that Venture / BG have issued a letter of intent for the Gulf Offshore NS Ltd managed
PSV Dina Merkur. It is understood that the UT 755L has lined up a two year charter with Venture / BG
supporting the NTVL in the North Sea. Seabreeze will keep you informed over the coming months of more
details on this...
Torrent Makes A Splash !
SBS Marine has now taken delivery of their VS 470 MK II PSV SBS Torrent. On the 4th April, Karmsund
Maritime yard in Norway completed the vessel and SBS then took delivery of her. The British flagged, DP
1 PSV is now on her way to the West Coast of India where a long term charter with Transocean awaits.
This VS 470 MK II design incorporates a welldeck, extensive underdecks, 710 squares metres of deck
area, four tunnel thrusters (providing high station keeping abilities, excellent fuel economy and Fi-Fi 1. The
DP II, Clean Class platform supply vessel has already proved useful to its Egyptian charterers, who have
been putting her six hundred and eighty three square metres of deck area and extensive underdecks to
good effect. Executive Vice President in Chartering and Operations at Olympic Shipping, Bjorn Kvalsund
is delighted with the BP charter, which has been brokered through Seabrokers. The vessel is named after
the daughter of BP Egypt’s Logistic Manager, Mario Solimano.
Thirty Something
Apache were doing a PSV swap around this month. No sooner had the VS470 Mk II PSV Sical Torino
gone off hire, when they hired the UT755L Malaviya 30. The Malaviya 30 has been hired for 3 months
firm plus numerous options, and will primarily supporting platform drilling operations on the Forties field.
Subsea 7 & Siem Sign
Subsea 7 Inc has chartered the Siem Offshore Inc MT 6016L Multipurpose Field & ROV Support newbuild
currently under construction at Kleven shipyard. The five year charter will commence immediately upon
delivery which is expected in March 2008.
Express Delivery From China
Vroon Offshore Service has taken delivery of their advanced 660m2 decked PSV Supply Express after
completion by the Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard Company Ltd of China. The Supply Express is enroute to
the North Sea where it is understood a term charter will commence in early June. Vroon Offshore Services
also had a further announcement this month: they have ordered four new UT 755LN PSVs from the
Cochin Shipyard in India. Delivery is scheduled between October 2009 and March 2010.
On The UP
UP Offshore are to build two DP II PSVs at the Bharati shipyard in a deal worth USD 43.4 million. The
vessels are based very closely on the VS 4408 design of their current vessels, UP Esmerelda and UP
Safira, but with one or two minor improvements gained from the experience these vessel have gained
working in the North Sea. Delivery for these two supply vessels is scheduled 2009. At present they are
uncommitted and available for worldwide work.
Balder Built
REM Offshore UT 712L newbuild anchor handler Rem Balder is been christening. The 78.3m long vessel
delivered from Kleven Verft shipyard in Norway at the very end of March. This fine looking vessel has
around 190 tonnes bollard pull, Fi-Fi 1, 16,000 BHP, around 530 m2 of free deck and various underdeck
capabilities.
A Great Ship Is Handed Over...
Greatship (India) Limited took delivery of the PSV Greatship Diya in April. The 2003 built UT 755L
platform supply vessel was previously known as the Gulf Offshore NS Ltd managed Waveney Castle.
The vessel continues working for Dolphin Drilling in India supporting the Bulford Dolphin.
Champion Checks In
Island Offshore’s latest newbuild UT 776E PSV Island Champion has delivered from the Aker Brevik yard
in Norway. UK charterers TEAM have fixed up the DP II vessel for five years firm plus five yearly options.
This 1030m2 decked vessel is the first ever built to this design.
Good Luck For Talisman
North Star Shipping’s biggest ever PSV, the Grampian Talisman , was launched this month in Astillerios
Balenciaga SA yard in Spain. The £12 million vessel with an LOA of 78.2 metres, has been awarded a five
year term charter with Talisman working in the North Sea. The IMT designed PSV has 740 square metres
of deck and also meets the requirements of a 300 class emergency response and rescue vessel.
Yellowfin Gets Green Light
Rigdon Marine has taken delivery of their Crewboat and Fast Supply Vessel, recently christened Rigdon
Yellowfin. This vessel was built by C & G Boatworks of Mobile, Alabama and is the first and smallest of
nine crewboats currently under construction for the US market. Details include LOA of 155 feet, four 1800
hp engines, capability of 50,000 gallons of water, 35,000 gallons of fuel and over 220 long tons of deck
cargo on a 100’ x 25’ free deck. Rigdon also had another delivery this month: a Rigdon 4000 Class PSV
called First and Ten which has just launched from Louisiana based Bollinger Shipyards Lockport. This is
based on the GPA 654 Class and is, unsurprisingly, the first of ten vessels being built at this yard. The DP
II, diesel electric vessel has an LOA of nearly 58 metres and is able to carry 4,000 bbls of liquid mud and
5,500 cubic feet of bulk.
Solstad Sale Of The Century
Norwegian based Solstad Offshore ASA have agreed to sell three of their circa 9,000 BHP anchor
handlers. The 1982 built 9,800 BHP Normand Hunter (on charter until June 2007) will be delivered to the
new owners RF Forschungsschiffahrt on the 1st July 2007. This German company has belonged to the
Linnhoff shipping group since 2001 (one of the affiliates of this company is URAG Unterweser Reederi
GmbH Bremen). The 1983 built 9200 BHP Normand Prosper (currently not on term charter) and the
1982 built 9200 BHP Normand Ranger (on charter to 2009) have been sold to Norwegians, Simon
Mokster Shipping AS, with delivery scheduled for 15th May 2007. These were the oldest vessels in
Solstad’s fleet but they have still managed to give Solstad a gain of around NOK 135 million which will be
booked in the second quarter of this year.
View Of The Volstad Viking
Volstad Shipping’s newbuild ST 216 L CD Volstad Viking has now delivered from the Aker Brattvaag
shipyard in Norway. The vessel was christened on April 28th and will trade the spot market for about a
month until commencement of a long term charter with ConocoPhilips. The Volstad Viking has 1060 m2
of free deck area, oil recovery, Clean Design, DP II and an LOA of 93.4m. Another two identical but
uncommitted Volstad Shipping vessels will deliver in Sept/October 2007 and June 2008 with all three
being managed by GulfMark.
Two New Stars For Venus
Perdana Venus Limited, a subsidiary of Petra Perdana Berhad, are to build two new anchor handlers at
Nam Cheong Dockyard after signing two separate Memorandums of Agreement. The deal is worth US $
59,000,000 in total with delivery for the first vessel in December 2009 and the second in April 2010.
Aker Yards to build AHTS for REM Offshore
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with REM Con AS a subsidiary of REM Offshore ASA for building
of two AHTS vessels. The vessels are Anchor Handling Supply Vessels, based on the Aker Yards design
AH 12. Delivery is scheduled in Q1 2010, and Q2 2010. The vessels will have a bollard pull in excess of
300 tons, and will be outfitted with a triple drum winch of 500 tons. Accommodation is planned for 70
persons. The hulls for the vessels will be built at Aker Yards in Romania, and outfitted at Aker Yards in
Norway. . (Source: Marinelink)
8e jaargang, nr. 18
dd. 13 Mei 2007
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De volgende sleepboten zijn in februari 2007 te water gelaten:
ms. Svitzer Ahvaz 2007 voor Svitzer W.M.E. 2007, 499 brt., Ang Sin Liu (ASL) Shipyard Pte.Ltd.,
Singapore (b.537)
ms. Svitzer Brani 2007 voor Svitzer/Wijsmuller 2007, 818 brt., Unithai Shipyard, Sriracha (b.115)
ms. Adsteam Colac 2007- 2007, 243 brt., Song C., Haiphong (b.512209) Vlag VCT.
ms. Adsteam Otway 2007- 2007, 243 brt., Song C., Haiphong (b.512210) vlag VCT.
Ik vraag mij wel af of de twee ADSTEAM-boten ook onder deze namen in de vaart komen. Ik veronderstel,
dat alle ADTEAM-voorvoegsels t.z.t. zullen worden gewijzigd in Svitzer. Zoals je ook zult hebben gelezen
verdwijnt ook de naam Wijsmuller. Voortaan is het overal Svitzer Harbour Towage. (Source: Jaap Bijl)
Abeille Normandie opnieuw verkocht
De ZOUROS HELLAS, ex MAGDELAN SEA, ex SALVOR GENERAL, ex ABEILLE NORMANDIE,
bouwjaar 1977, 13000 apk., is dit jaar verkocht aan Tsavliris en herdoopt in TSAVLIRIS HELLAS. De
sleepboot wordt te Kaapstad gestationeerd. (Source: Jaap Bijl)
Aker Yards to build anchor handlers in Vietnam
May 8, 2007 Aker Yards has entered into a contract with Aker Capital for construction of six anchor
handlers at Aker Yards new shipyard in Vietnam. The value of the contract is approximately NKr 1.5
billion. "We are very pleased by this contract as it confirms our strategy to offer state of the art offshore
vessels from our new yard in Vietnam to meet the increased demand in the Asian offshore market," said
Roy Reite, President Offshore & Specialized Vessels. "This contract is an ideal learning curve to develop
the yard going forward." "Being able to create new business with Aker after leaving the Aker group
confirms the strong business potential between our companies regardless of ownership," said Reite.
The vessels are based on the Aker Yards AH 08 design and the first delivery is scheduled for 2010, with
the sixth in 2012. The deal also includes an option to build another six vessels (Source: Leo Kramer)
SMIT Harbour Towage (U.K.) Ltd.- Liverpool
Gladstone (TS Herkules – 94; Herkules – 90) 1977/253 April 2007 to SMIT Harbour Towage UK and
renamed SMIT Gladstone.
Canada 1980/258 April 2007 to SMIT Harbour Towage UK and renamed May 2007 SMIT Canada
Collingwood 1980/259 April 2007 to SMIT Harbour Towage UK and renamed May 2007 SMIT
Collingwood
Bramley Moore 1984/336 April 2007 to SMIT Harbour Towage UK and renamed May 2007 SMIT
Liverpool
Trafalgar 1998/369 April 2007 to SMIT Harbour Towage UK and renamed May 2007 SMIT Trafalgar
Adsteam Waterloo (Waterloo – 05) 1987/301 April 2007 to SMIT Harbour Towage UK and renamed May
2007 SMIT Waterloo
Sanko Angel named at Jaya
May 8, 2007
The Sanko Angel naming ceremony took place at Jaya Shipyard. The President of Japanese shipping
giant Sanko Steamship Co Ltd has overseen the naming of his company’s newest vessel, the subsea
operations vessel the Sanko Angel. Mr Takeshi Matsui, who is both President and CEO of The Sanko
Steamship Co Ltd (Sanko Lines), personally invited Lily Lee to become the lifetime Lady Sponsor of the
new vessel and break the traditional bottle of champagne on the Sanko Angel. Lily, the wife of John
Giddens, the CEO of Hallin Marine (which has taken a long-term charter of the vessel), carried out her
naming duties at the Jaya shipyard in Singapore. Mr Matsui said he was "delighted" with the 76m vessel,
which is being fitted with Hallin Marine subsea equipment including Saturation Diving System; Air Diving
System; and ROV; at the Jaya yard. The multipurpose subsea vessel Sanko Angel boasts full class two
dynamic positioning (DP2) capability and is the newest vessel to join Sanko Line, taking its fleet to 130
vessels. Following the naming ceremony some 100 guests and clients of Sanko Line, Hallin Marine and
Jaya Holdings enjoyed dinner at Raffles Marina Yacht Club. Hallin Chief Executive John Giddens said:
“Hallin is delighted with the new vessel and honoured that Lily Lee was asked to be its Lady Sponsor. Our
long term charter of the Sanko Angel materially extends Hallin’s capabilities and scope." “Sanko Line has
had built a fine vessel that leads the way in design, capability and operation. Technically, Sanko Angel is
very advanced." “Sanko Line is a forward looking, progressive company which has been an excellent
partner and Hallin looks forward to building on that good relationship in the future,” Giddens concluded.
Wilson, Sons tug sinks in Santos
A tug operated by Wilson, Sons has sunk in the Brazilian port of Santos but the three crew onboard
escaped unharmed. The Pegasus sank at a point between the Fort of Itapema in Guaruja and Warehouse
15 on the right bank of the port. Capt Marcos Nunes de Miranda, of the Port Captaincy department in
Santos, said an inquiry into the accident had already been launched. “Apparently the vessel hit something
submerged in the channel and sank rapidly. This is the theory the inquiry will focus on,” he said. The 30m
Pegasus had left the Wilson, Sons base at Vicente de Carvalho and was en route to Pier Two, near the
Saboo terminal, where it was to participate in the berthing of the Frotabelem, a container vessel owned by
Frota Amazonica e Oceanico and operated by Log-in (the new name for Docenave, part of the CVRD
group). A Wilson, Sons spokesman confirmed there had been an accident, but offered no further details.
Rem Offshore to sell Rem Angler
Rem Offshore in Norway has agreed to sell the seismic vessel Rem Angler to Oceanfive Shipping AS.
Delivery of the vessel will take place on June 1st 2007. The sale of Rem Angler will give Rem Offshore
ASA a gain of NKr 70 million in the second quarter of 2007 and a cash contribution of NKr 99 million after
repayment of debt. Oceanfive Shipping is a newly founded Norwegian company operating from offices in
Volda, Sunnmøre. (Source: Clipping News)
Havila inks more AHTS units
Norwegian supply ship owner Havila Shipping has upped its newbuilding order at a Chinese yard to as
many as 10 units. Havila has set up a joint-venture with Singapore’s Pacific Carriers Limited (PCL) to
place two firm orders and a further two options for anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) units at Yuexing
Shipbuilding, Norwegian business daily Dagens Naeringsliv reported. The price for the latest orders is
believed to be around the $40m per vessel mark. Havila already has six smaller units on order at Yuexing
for delivery from January 2008 at a cost of $18.5m each, the paper said. If all the options are declared the
octet of units would represent a total investment of $270m. Havila is taking 50% of the latest two-plus-two
orders. The newest units are intended to be put to use in the Southeast Asia market once delivered. The
newspaper says Havila will not comment on the mooted deal but contract discussions are believed to be
at an advanced stage. Havila already has eight offshore supply vessels on order at a family-owned yard in
Norway. (Source: Clipping News)
Aker Yards to Build Supply Vessels for Nordcapital
Aker Yards has signed a contract with Nordcapital, Germany, to deliver two UT-776 CD Platform supply
vessels. The total value of the contract is approximately $112.6m. The hulls for the vessels will be built at
Aker Yards in Romania, and outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. Delivery of the vessels is scheduled for the
3rd quarter of 2009 and 1st quarter of 2010. The contract also includes an option for two similar vessels
for delivery in the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2010. (Source: Marinelink)
Rem Offshore orders two AHTS
May 10, 2007 REM Con AS, a subsidiary of REM Offshore in Norway, has entered into a contract with
Aker Yards for construction of two AHTS. The value of the contract is approximately NKr 1.4 billion in total.
The vessels are based on the Aker AH 12 design and will have a bollard pull in excess of 300 tons, and be
outfitted with a triple drum winch of 500 tons. Accommodation is planned for 70 and delivery is scheduled
for the first and second quarters of 2010. The hulls for the vessels will be built at Aker Yards in Romania,
and outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Hornbeck Offshore expands MPSV programme
May 9, 2007 Hornbeck Offshore Services in the US has announced that it has expanded its multi-purpose
supply vessel (MPSV) programme to include a 430ft new generation DP-3 MPSV to be constructed at a
European shipyard with an anticipated third quarter 2009 delivery. This 8,000 deadweight ton vessel will
be equipped with two cranes, a helideck, a moon pool and accommodation for 100 people. The primary
crane will have lifting capacity of up to 400 tons in up to 10,000ft of water depth and the secondary crane
will provide significant additional lifting capacity. The MPSV will be capable of operating globally.
However, the company plans to deploy the vessel in its primary operating market, the deepwater and
ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico. While this foreign-built vessel cannot qualify for Jones Act trade, the
company still intends to US-flag the vessel, which offers certain strategic benefits to the company and
its customers. The new DP-3 vessel to be constructed will be included in the company's MPSV program,
which currently consists of two US-flagged coastwise sulphur tankers that are being converted into 370ft
new generation DP-2 MPSVs. Based on current internal estimates, the aggregate total project budget for
these three vessels, before construction period interest, is now expected to be in the US$250.0 million to
US$270.0 million range, depending on final vessel configurations. The company plans to fund the
incremental cost of this DP-3 newbuild MPSV from current cash on-hand and projected free cash flow.
Hornbeck Offshore also has an exclusive four-year option to construct two additional sister vessels based
on the same DP-3 MPSV design at a US shipyard of its choice, which would qualify for domestic
coastwise trade under the Jones Act. The new vessels are designed to handle a variety of deepwater and
ultra-deepwater roles. They will be excellent platforms to support subsea construction, inspection, repair
and maintenance, well intervention, decommissioning projects and flotel services, as well as pipeline and
subsea wellhead installations with ROVs, saturation diving systems and flexible umbilical and flexible pipe
laying capabilities. Carl Annessa, the Company's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,
said: "Rather than developing a proprietary in-house MPSV design from scratch, we were able to identify
a highly reputable shipyard in Holland with an existing DP-3 design, which we have adapted to meet
our objectives. More importantly, however, we secured a calendar 2009 delivery, which we believe is one
of the earliest available delivery slots for a DP-3 vessel of this size and capability in the worldwide
shipyard community. Merwede Shipyard has an outstanding track record of constructing its own
proprietary vessel designs on-time and on-budget." (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 19
dd. 20 Mei 2007
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Polaris sold
The Finnish tug Polaris (Frisoy – 04; Bryteren – 00; Love – 94; Sjollen – 83) built1964, 256 GT owned by
K. Jousmaa Ky, Tammisaari was sold to Rauma Chartering and Towage Agency Ltd., Rauma without
change of name. (Source: Risto Brzoza)
Bourbon Offshore orders 4 Damen ASD Tugs 3213
On the 3rd of May 2007, Bourbon Offshore and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem signed a contract for the
construction and delivery of four Damen ASD Tugs 3213. This very powerful ASD Tug is the latest
development from Damen and the top of the range with a bollard of in excess of 83 metric tons. The tugs
are well equipped and designed for both offshore and terminal operations including fire-fighting equipment
based on Fi-Fi I requirements. The delivery of the first two vessels is scheduled for July 2009 and the
remaining two vessels will be delivered in December 2009. (Source: Damen)
Varun Shipping Company Limited Acquires AHTS
Varun Shipping Company Limited announced that it has taken delivery of second 16000 BHP Anchor
Handling and Towing Supply Vessel with Bollard Pull in excess of 180 tons. (Source: Clipping News)
Launch Day in Bourg, La.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 Joey Portier, yard manager at Intercoastal Iron Works, annoumced the splashy
launch that they had for Lebeouf Brothers Towing's latest push boat. As in others built to the Frank Basile
design, this 72 x 32-ft. push boat is powered by twin Cummins KTA38 M1 main engines rated at 1,000 hp
each. At Intracoastal Ironworks Joey Portier manages the yard for owner Raymond Viguerie. The yard
delivered one of the Basile-designed 72-footers, the Katie Gronsulin, to Lebeouf Brothers Towing in the
fall of 2006. They launched this one in early May and will deliver shortly. In line behind the Richard
Gonsoulin II are orders for at least one more for Lebeouf and then two for Higman Marine. At the same
time the busy yard is finishing up a 136-foot utility boat and continuing with their barge repair business.
Hybrid tug boat will be clean and quiet
A US boat-builder is designing what it claims will be the "world’s first true hybrid tug boat". Seattle-based
Foss Maritime says that the vessel will emit significantly less nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon and
particles than conventional tugs, as well as consuming less fuel and being much quieter. The 5,000hp
(3,73MW) vessel, which has received $850,000 of funding from the Port of Los Angeles, will combine
electric drives powered by two 500kW battery packs and 50kW diesel generators. Conventional tug boats
spend up to half of their time idling with their main engines running and ready to respond, but not using
much of the power they are producing. The hybrid tug’s engines and generators will only run when full
power is needed. At other times, the batteries alone will power the vessel. Foss estimates that the hybrid
tug will produce 40% less particles and nitrogen oxide than a standard Dolphin-class tug (shown above)
on which it is based. The company hopes to put the first hybrid tug into service next year. It is designing
the hybrid technology so that it can be retrofitted to existing tugs. (Source: Clipping News)
Further focus on core activities: SMIT sells inland river operation Gabon
Rotterdam, 17 May 2007 In line with SMIT’s strive to focus on its core activities SMIT announces that it
has sold its inland river operation in Gabon to Ortec Marine. The sale involves 7 tugs and 7 barges. The
personnel engaged in this operation will continue their employment with Ortec Marine.
Concurrent with its strategy SMIT retains its terminal operation in Gabon. (Source: Smit)
Union Kodiak
This morning, 10th May, URS Belgium officially received, as Gmay 1 built, Union Kodiak from the Turkish
shipyard 'Dearsan Shipyard'. The sister vessel, as Gmay 2 built, Union Grizzly will be expected during
this summer. Both tugs will be active in the Port of Antwerp where they will replace Union Diamond and
Union Sapphire which will go to sea. (Source: URS & Hans van der Ster)
The Union Kodiak left Istanbul port last Wednesday 16th May at 14.30 hrs, bound for Antwerpen. It is
expected; weather permitting, that she will arrive on the Scheldt river 26th May. (Source: Rene de Maeyer)
SMIT Africa
The SMIT Africa left last Thursday 17th May, the newbuilding shed at the Ge-Ta shipyard at Tuzla for
further outside construction. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd. Reported April 2007
Seaways International has ordered from Keppel Singmarine an AHT with 100-tonne bollard pull and DP 2
with delivery due in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Aker Capital has ordered at Aker Yards Vietnam, six AHTS of Aker AH 08 design plus six options at a
contract price of approximately NOK 1.5 billion (around USD 251 million) with first delivery scheduled in
2010, and the last in 2012. The vessels will have a length of 74.7 metres, a beam of 17.4 metres and a
deadweight of 3,000 tonnes.
Aker Yards will build two AHTS of Aker AH 12 design for Rem Offshore with a bollard pull in excess of 300
tonnes at a contract price NOK 1.4 billion (around USD 234 million). Deliveries are in the first and second
quarter of 2010. The vessels will have a length of 95 metres and a beam of 24 metres.
Lewek Shipping has ordered two UT788 CD AHTS from the Pan United yard in Singapore at a cost of
SGD 98 million. The two 30,000 BHP vessels are expected to deliver in the first and second quarter of
2009 respectively.
Great Offshore has signed a contract with Bharati Shipyard for the construction of a multipurpose offshore
support vessel worth USD 64.80 million. The vessel has a total power of 14,000 BHP and will be equipped
to support ROV, Diving, and Subsea operations. The vessel will have a dynamic positioning system with
full redundancy for DP2 operation.
Siem Offshore is to build two large VS491 AHTS at Kleven Verft and Myklebust Verftesign HTS at a cost
of NOK 1.1 billion for delivery in March and June 2010.
Supply Service AS has placed an order for a second PSV of HAVYARD 832 CD design which is
scheduled to deliver from the Fjellstrand yard in Norway during December 2008.
Bharati Shipyard has signed a contract for the construction of two PSVs for UP Offshore. The contract is
valued at USD 43.4 million.
Vroon Offshore Services has ordered four PSVs of UT755LN design from Cochin Shipyard in India to be
delivered between October 2009 and March 2010.
Nordcapital has placed an order with Aker Yard to build two UT-776CD PSVs at a contract value of
approximately NOK 680 million (around USD 113.6 million). Delivery of the first vessel is scheduled for the
third quarter of 2009 and the other vessel for the first quarter of 2010.
Seacor has sold two of its vessels, the Seabulk Carol 5,070 BHP AHTS and the Seabulk Takzim 4,760
bhp AHTS to an undisclosed Egyptian company and Amsbach Marine respectively.
AHTS Crowley Alliance (Blt.1983 - 1240 BHP) has been sold to Femcoborg on private terms. The vessel
has already been delivered and renamed Vengery.
Solstad has sold the Normand Hunter 9,800 bhp AHTS to RF Forschungsschiffahrt and will handover July
1. The UT704 Normand Ranger and UT704 Normand Prosper have been sold to Simon Mokster and will
handover around mid-May. Solstad will book a gain of around NOK 135 million (USD 22.61 million) from
the deals.
8e jaargang, nr. 20
dd. 27 Mei 2007
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Rederij Vroon neemt Schots bedrijf over
Zaterdag 19 mei 2007 - BRESKENS - De Breskense rederij Vroon bv beschikt sinds deze week over de
grootste vloot van offshore redding- en veiligheidsschepen van Europa. Vroon bereikte woensdag
overeenstemming over de overname van Viking Offshore uit Schotse Aberdeen. Deze redding- en
veiligheidsschepen opereren op de Noordzee. "Door deze overname is onze vloot uitgebreid met 31
schepen voor de offshore", weet Herman Marks, commercieel directeur van Vroon. "Vroon Offshore zelf
heeft er 21 in de vaart, zodat we in een klap niet alleen meer op de Nederlandse markt, maar ook op de
Engelse de grootste aanbieder van veiligheids- en bevoorradingsschepen geworden zijn." Onder de nu 52
schepen tellende vloot voor de Noordzee zijn ook werkschepen kompleet met duikers en
onderwaterrobots. Binnenkort zal dit aantal nog worden vergroot. Er zijn op dit moment voor het
overgenomen bedrijf, dat verder gaat onder de naam Vroon Offshore Services Ltd., negen en voor Vroon
Offshore in Den Helder dertien schepen in aanbouw. "We waren al heel actief op het Nederlandse deel
van de Noordzee, maar dit is niet zo groot", weet Marks. "De afstanden op het Nederlandse deel van het
continentale plat zijn korter. Daardoor hebben we hier aparte schepen voor de bevoorrading en de
veiligheid. In het Engelse deel van het continentale plat zijn de afstanden groter en hebben de schepen
beide functies." Voor de personeelsleden van Viking Offshore heeft de overname geen consequenties. De
650 koppige bemanning en het administratieve personeel blijven ongewijzigd in dienst. (Source; Wilma
Valk-BN de Stem)
MT6022 XL design selected by Gulmar Offshore May
21, 2007 Marin Teknikk, the well known Norwegian naval architects, have secured a contract with Hanjin
Heavy Industries & Construction Co Ltd in Korea for delivery of a design and engineering package for two
new MT 6022 XLs for Gulmar Offshore Midle East LLC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The new
multipurpose subsea operation support vessels were developed and designed by Marin Teknikk in close
co-operation with the owner over a period of eight months. The vessels are being constructed for
operation in the Middle East and Indian Ocean, in addition to the North Sea. They are therefore designed
for operation in areas with extreme environmental conditions. The vessels have a length overall of 115m
and beam of 22m and a strengthened working deck of 1,120m2 aft of the dive area. The accommodation
is arranged for 120 persons, and the contract includes diving system for 18 of divers, whom can operate in
two different teams at same time. The vessels are arranged with two separate dive moonpools in addition
to a third larger moonpool for construction work. The two MT 6022 XLs will also be equipped with
two large offshore cranes for lifting of modules weighing up to 150 tons. Other major equipment on deck
will be a hangar with LARS system for Work Cla ss ROV and an optional 'A' frame on the stern. The
vessels will also be equipped with a helicopter deck for the Sikorsky S-92 class. The first of the new
vessels will be delivered during in the summer of 2009 and the second will be delivered in the autumn of
that year. (Source; Leo Kramer)
Charter Contracts for two PSVs
Posted: 21.05.2007 Siem Offshore Inc and Electromagnetic Geoservice AS (EMGS) have entered into a
firm 3 years charter for one of the platform supply vessels that are under construction in Norway. The
charter will commence in the third quarter 2007. EMGS has also declared an option to extend the current
charter for the platform supply vessel “Sasha” until first quarter 2010. Both charters are for world wide
operation and the total value of the charters for both vessels is approximately USD 62 million.
Siem Offshore and EMGS have developed an efficient and successful offshore operational concept
through their long-term cooperation. Siem Offshore is very pleased to continue to support EMGS
throughout the new charter contracts. (Source; Leo Kramer)
Two AHTS vessels ordered from Damen Shipyards
Croatian operator orders after successful delivery of previous order. Following the successful building and
delivery of the Damen Fast Crew Supplier 3507 (Silni), Brodospas has now ordered 2 Anchor Handling
Tug Supply (AHTS) Vessels 6315. Construction will take place at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania
and the delivery of both vessels is scheduled for 2009. Brodospas, the well established Croatian operator
with their main office in Split, operates supply boats, anchor handlers and tugs. The newly ordered vessels
will boost the fleet renewal program which started with the Silni. The vessels will be deployed worldwide
however since the main activities of Brodospas are currently in Mediterranean it is most likely that the
vessels will start there. The AHTS 6315 is one of the latest designs from the Damen Offshore Series. The
Offshore Series include both AHTS and PSV type of vessels covering a bollard pull range from 80 to 160
ton (AHTS) and a deadweight range varying from 2000 to 4500 ton (PSV). The Brodospas vessels will
have the following main characteristics: Length approx.: 64.00 m Breadth: 15.00 m Draft design: 5.00 m
Speed: 15 knots Bollard pull: 120 ton Deadweight approx.: 1525 ton The vessels will be classed by
Bureau Veritas and the Croatian Register. The notation includes FiFi-1 and DP-2. Ample tank capacity is
available for fuel oil, potable water, ballast & drill water, dry bulk, liquid mud, brine and recovered oil.
Accommodation is provided for 29 persons divided over single, double and quadruple cabins. (Source;
Damen)
Maersk Reliance sold
May 22, 2007 A P Møller - Mærsk has confirmed that it has delivered the cable laying vessel Maersk
Reliance to her new owner, Rubicon MSV Holdings Limited in Singapore. The vessel will be on bareboat
charter to Maersk Supply Service until first quarter 2008 under her current name. (Source; Leo Kramer)
Gulmar behind Hanjin orders
Gulmar Offshore has emerged as the owner behind two offshore vessels ordered at Hanjin Heavy
Industries in a deal worth $200m. The two ships, which were ordered last month, will be delivered to the
UAE-based owner in the second and third quarters of 2009. The order also includes options for an
additional two ships meaning the contract could eventually be worth around $400m. The Gulmar Atlantis
and Gulmar Da Vinci will be DP2 multi-purpose support vessels built to a MT6022 XL design from
Norway’s Marin Teknikk. Designed over an eight month period the vessels are destined for operation in
the Gulf of Persia and Indian Ocean, in addition to the North Sea. Each ship will be 115 metres in length
overall, have a beam of 22 m and a strengthened working deck of 1120 metres sq aft of the dive area. The
vessels are arranged with two of separate diving moon-pools in addition to a third larger moon-pool for
construction work. The two MT 6022 XL will also be equipped with 2 off large offshore cranes for lifting of
modules, weighing up to 150 ton, on and off the seabed. Other major equipment on deck will be a hangar
with LARS system for Work ROV and one optional large A-frame on the stern. Accommodation is
arranged for 120 persons while the vessels will also be equipped with a helicopter deck for the Sikorsky S92 helicopter. (Source; Clipping News)
Ezra Awards Contract to Labroy
Ezra Holdings has awarded a contract to Labroy Shipbuilding and Engineering worth $25.1m. The
contract is to build an ultra-large pipe laying, accommodation, well service and maintenance vessel. The
vessel is to be delivered by the first half of 2009. It can be used for all types of deepwater work in
demanding weather conditions. The vessel is expected to broaden Ezra's market reach in the offshore
production and construction segment. (Source: Channel News Asia)
Guarino & Cox Designed ATB Launched
The first of a series of 12,000 hp ATB tugs being built for U.S. Shipping Partners, L.P. was recently
launched. But the occasion was devoid of the usually expected thrill and large splash. The building site
lacked suitable launching ways so a different, somewhat less dramatic, method was devised. Using
multiple tired high capacity transporters the tug was rolled onto a barge, then towed to a graving dock. The
graving dock was drained to allow the tug to be freed from the then ballasted barge. The dock was then
filled with about as much excitement as turning a tap to fill a tub allowing the tug to float free in its element.
Guarino & Cox, L.L.C. of Covington, LA, prepared the design and provided all engineering support for the
construction of the tug series and the accompanying 19,999 tonne DWT double skin tank barges forming
the ATB units. The design, equipment and standard of outfit of the tug and barge represent a considerable
advance in the state of the art of ATB’s. Greg Cox, a principal of Guarino & Cox stated that the owner’s
requirements placed a high priority on efficiency, safety, habitability and low life cycle cost in the design,
construction and outfit of the tugs and barges. Many exterior fittings such as handrails, hatches, water
tight doors and even the mast are fabricated of stainless steel to reduce maintenance. The
accommodations for the crew, officers and tanker men are spacious and outfitted to a high standard
uncommon for tugs. The tug and barge are connected with an Intercon 64 ft. coupler system. The 45.7
meter tug is powered by two Wartsila 9L32 heavy fuel engines rated at 4590 kW (6150 hp) each, more
than sufficient for a speed of 14 knots for the tug and barge combined unit. The remainder of the
propulsion train is also by Wartsila including reduction gears, shafting, 4 meter diameter Wartsila/Lips CP
propellers and HR high speed nozzles. Steering of the 192 meter long combined ATB unit is accomplished
by two Rolls Royce Marine high lift rudders with Tenfjord rotary vane actuators. The tug’s aft body differs
from many in that the shafts are not supported by struts. In lieu of struts it has twin skeg bossings to
organize the flow into the propellers. Extra care has also been exercised in fairing the nozzles and rudder
trunks into the hull to improve efficiency. Electrical power is amply provided by two 500 kW shaft
generators and one 260 kW Volvo Penta diesel generator. A 150 kW Volvo Penta diesel generator set is
also fitted for emergency power. Southcoast Electric Systems electrical boards and switchgear are
installed. Deck machinery, capstans and anchor winch, are electric and manufactured by Coastal Marine
Equipment, Gulfport, MS. The SOLAS rescue boat and davit are both by Schat-Harding. The heavy fuel oil
tanks, with a capacity of 224,200 U. S. gallons, have heating coils installed and an S-Man thermal oil
heating system. The fuel oil is purified, conditioned and boosted by Alfa-Laval units. Capacity of the tug is
224,200 U.S. gallons of heavy fuel oil and there is an additional 28,000 U.S. gallons of diesel oil. There
are also two tanks for fresh water totaling 18,600 U.S. gallons. The barges of the series production are all
identical in size and form and feature relatively fine ship shape fore bodies and the Guarino & Cox
developed ‘Blended Skeg’ after body. The first of the159 meter tank barges is arranged with cofferdams
and compartments for up to ten cargo segregations and equipped to carry up to 140,000 barrels of
chemicals or petroleum products. The other barges are primarily intended to carry up to 155,000 barrels of
oil or petroleum products with up to five segregations of cargo. FRAMO hydraulic pumps are fitted to both
types of barge for cargo and ballast service. Cargos are heated by an S-Man thermal oil system and
inerted by an Air Products nitrogen inert gas system. (Source: Marinelink)
More work for Farstad vessels
May 23, 2007 Farstad Shipping has been awarded a further one year plus one year option contract by
JVPC for the AHTS Lady Cynthia to continue in Vietnam in support of their long term drilling programme.
The vessel has been with JVPC almost continuously since 1995. Far Sleipner has been extended by
Petrobras in Brazil for a further two years from the expiry date of the ship's old contract in May 2007. The
vessel has been working with Petrobras since 1998 (Source: Leo Kramer)
Irving to build Upgraded Escort Series for LNG Terminal
Irving Shipbuilding Inc. of Canada, has announced a contract to build a series of three escort tugs for
Atlantic Reyser for LNG terminal operations. Like all Irving Shipbuilding’s previous tugs, the new vessels
will be based upon the very successful Robert Allan hull. Irving’s East Isle Shipyard has previously built a
number of tugs for escort operations in Saint John, NB and the Caucedo LNG terminal in the Dominican
Republic. More recently, experience (both in operation and design) has been gained in escort work in
Halifax harbour, handling post Panamax containerships. This experience has culminated in the new escort
variant of the popular design (of which 29 have now been ordered). From an operational standpoint, these
reverse tractor tugs are designed specifically for LNG escort and ship assist duties. The entire
superstructure has been moved even further aft to allow for optimal positioning of the forward winch for
indirect towing. The forward deck sports a frequency controlled high tension render-recover winch from
Ridderinkhof with 142 tonnes line pull, 222 tonnes brake. The forward staple is lined with stainless steel
and a stainless steel bulwark top extends around the bow area. Measuring 30.8m x 11.14m x 5.5m draft,
the LR-classed tugs will be powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3516B-HD series II main engines developing
(1,999 kW each at 1,600 rpm), coupled to Rolls- Royce Aquamaster US255 Z drives with fixed pitch
propellers of 2.8m diameter. A bollard pull of about 72 tonnes is expected. The bow is heavily fendered by
three rows of cylindrical fenders, complemented by D fenders aft and tires along the tug sides. Below the
waterline, a large “escort” keel forward provides effective indirect towing capability and enhanced course
keeping, especially when running astern. Auxiliary power requirements to power the escort winch and
other systems will be provided by two Caterpillar C9 gensets developing 250kW each. Irving to build
Upgraded Escort Series for LNG Terminal For emergency towing over the stern, a 75 tonne tow hook is
fitted. Two remote-controlled FiFi monitors supplied by FFS capable of a discharge rate of 1,200 m3/h will
be fitted forward of the wheelhouse. The monitors will be supplied by a dedicated pump of 2,700 m3/h
capacity, driven off the front end of the port main engine. Fire-fighting capabilities are further enhanced by
a water curtain of 300m3/hr and a deck manifold for supplying a shorebased fire fighting installations.
Comfortable accommodations for up to 5 will be provided, and the new tugs will be designed for
exceptionally low noise levels, using features developed in Irving Shipbuilding’s recent series of tugs built
for Nordane Shipping. All three tugs are to delivered by August 2008. (Source; Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 21
dd. 03 Juni 2007
_______________________________________________________
Preferred bidder for Tug Malta named
It was announced that Rimorchiatori Riuniti SpA, which operates towage and harbour services in the ports
of Genoa and Salerno, has been selected as the preferred bidder for the government’s shareholding in
Tug Malta Ltd. Negotiations between the Privatisation Unit and the bidder are to commence in the next
few days. The government is selling its 73.72 per cent shareholding in Tug Malta with the aim of obtaining
a strategic partner for the company that will help it to diversify its services. Rimorchiatori Riuniti SpA was
established in 1922 and also provides special towage services and offshore activities, including antipollution services. In naming it as the preferred bidder, the government said it had accepted the
Adjudicating Committee’s recommendation. Tug Malta was nationalized out of the private companies that
used to run the service before 1980. Its only area of operation was Grand Harbour, which was the only
shipping harbour in use. But 1989 saw the development of the Malta Freeport and Tug Malta began
investing in additional tugs to be able to service the southern port. Last year it took delivery of two new tug
boats. (Source: Clipping News)
New orders from Bugsier
Bugsier ordered two new ASD-tugs from Sanmar, Turkey. The two tugs are of the type "Sanmar Escort", a
Robert Allen Ltd design, and are due end of 2008 and beginning of 2009. The tugs will have an engine
output of 2 x 2,400 kW and provide 80 t bollard pull. (Source: Sanmar)
Rem Etive named
May 29, 2007 On May 19th the naming ceremony of Rem Etive, Rem Maritime's latest vessel, took place
at Kleven Shipyard. Rem Etive is named after a loch on the north west coast of Scotland. (Source: Leo
Kramer)
Fairmount Expedition named
May 29, 2007 On May 21st the name giving ceremony for Fairmount's ocean-going tug Fairmount
Expedition was performed by Mrs Giuliana de Heer, wife of Albert de Heer, Fairmount?s managing
director. The name giving took place at Niigata Shipyard, Niigata, Japan. The vessel will be delivered
on May 31st and like her four sister vessels will be delivered on time and within budget. (Source: Leo
Kramer)
Charter contracts for PSVS
Posted: 29.05.2007 Peterson Supplylink B.V. in Holland has declared an option to extend the charter of
the mid-size PSV `Sophie Siem` for an additional period of 12 months on existing terms. The contract
value for the new period is approximately USD 6.2 million Siem Offshore Inc and Venture Production
(North SeaDevelopments) Limited have entered into a two month charter for the large-size PSV `Siem
Mariner` to be used in connection with well stimulation services. The contract will commence early in July
2007 and the contract value is approximately USD 5.5 million. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Vroon takes delivery of another newbuild
May 30, 2007 Vroon Offshore Services Ltd (VOSL) formerly called Viking Offshore Services has taken
delivery of the second vessel in a £55million newbuild programme. VOSL, which assumed its new identity
following its acquisition last week by Dutch shipping company Vroon Offshore BV, hosted an official
naming ceremony for Viking Explorer at Aberdeen Harbour. The formal naming was performed by Mrs
Marja Doedens, Managing Director of Vroon Offshore Services BV, part of the wider Vroon Group. The
vessel was blessed by Aberdeen port chaplain Rev Howard Drysdale. Also present at the ceremony was
Pieter Vroon, Chairman of the Vroon Group BV Supervisory Board, and Herman Marks, Vroon Group BV
Commercial Director. VOSL Chief Executive Graham Philip said: We are pleased to accept delivery of the
second of nine vessels in what is one of the most ambitious new-build programmes undertaken in our
sector. We were also delighted to have Marja undertake the naming ceremony for us. Her participation
helped to symbolise a dynamic new era for VOSL as part of a group with a long and prestigious history in
the global shipping market. The new-build programme is also testimony to VOSL’s confidence in its longterm growth strategy in the European offshore energy market. The 55m Viking Explorer is of the new IMT
955 design by IMT Marine Consultants of Montrose, Scotland. It carries a series of enhanced recovery
and rescue features as well as class-leading capabilities for in-field logistic services.
All the new vessels, of similar design, are being constructed at the Astilleros Zamakona shipyard in Spain
and are to be delivered in a rolling programme until early 2009. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Buys Fairmount
After two years of collaboration with Fairmount Marine BV, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has strengthened its
services to the offshore industry through the acquisition of Fairmount, a Dutch company. the acquisition of
Fairmount Marine. For two years, since the common operation of the Gavea Lifter semi-submersible
heavy transportation barge, the two companies have learned to work together. Louis Dreyfus Armateurs
decided to acquire Fairmount to develop the company in the longer term. Ocean towage is a promising
market and LDA excels in developing niche sectors and added value. A global ocean towage specialist,
Fairmount was established 30 years ago by Mr Henk J. van den Berg. Fairmount delivers know-how and
expertise in ocean towage to operators of drilling platforms, barges and FPSOs (Floating Production
Storage and Offloading). Platforms, drillships and other large units can be docked on its semi-submersible
barges. Fairmount operates five modern and powerful (200 tonnes bollard pull) tugs, all delivered since
2005, as well as two semi-submersible barges capable of lifting 50,000 tonnes. Negotiations with
shipyards for two new semi-submersible barges and several tugs (in the 280 tonnes bollard pull class) are
already in progress. (Source: Marinelink)
Tugboat Captain Sentenced
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 The U.S. Attorney's Office said that Gary O. Burnham, of Michigan City, Ind., was
sentenced to serve 30 months in prison for operating as a ship's captain on a forged license, neglect of
duty by a seaman resulting in the sinking of the M/V Margaret Ann, and negligently causing a diesel fuel
spill in Lake Michigan. He was also ordered to pay $750,000 in restitution to Holly Marine Towing, the
owner of the vessel that sank in Lake Michigan under Burnham's command. The sinking of the Margaret
Ann caused a 250 gallon diesel spill in navigable waters. Commander Paul Mehler, III, Commanding
Officer, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago "expects that this will send an important message to the
entire marine community." The privilege to operate and maintain a vessel, whether commercial or
recreational, should be taken very seriously by the licensed mariner. The Coast Guard will continue to
remain vigilant and ensure the safety of the general public and the environment. This case was
investigated by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service Chicago Office, and was prosecuted by the Asst. U.S. Attorney Donald J. Schmid. (Source: Jan v.d. Doe)
Four new Ulstein X-Bows
The newly formed, Dubai-based shipping company Eastern Echo is building four ships of the ULSTEIN
SX124 design. These will be the first seismic vessels of Ulstein design and will be built with the ULSTEIN
X-BOW®. In total, five shipowners have chosen this new bow concept.
Ulstein Design is a young ship design company that has gained much interest worldwide. The contracts
with Eastern Echo are important for Ulstein Design, as their portfolio also will cover the seismic area. The
engineering department of Ulstein Verft are busy in the development of the project, and for Ulstein Elektro
these contracts are all-time highest. The international focus in Ulstein Design is thus important for the
Ulstein Group in total, says deputy CEO, Tore Ulstein. - My experience is that the most complete and
most knowledgeable environment in seismology and the offshore industry is in Norway. The ULSTEIN XBOW®- concept is interesting and an improvement compared to traditional ship designs. We are
convinced this will be a good design for us, particularly with regard to the environmental, says Director
Peter Zickerman of Eastern Echo. - It is very important to us that the crew have good, safe working
conditions, and we believe this design will be an important contribution towards that end.
SEISMOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH Sales manager Lars Stole Skoge of Ulstein Design says the
contracts are a breakthrough for Ulstein Design and the new bow concept in the seismology market.
- We commend the shipping company for the faith they have shown in us by committing to these new
designs, he says, and continues, - Most of the main equipment is also delivered by Ulstein Design. The
contracts amount to approximately NOK 400 million. Many of the project´s financial backers are
Norwegian, as are many of Ulstein Design´s subcontractors. Ulstein Elektro has extensive system
deliveries and ODIM will be supplying a complete handling solution for seismic equipment. TO BE BUILT
IN SPAIN The vessels will be built at the Barreras shipyard in Vigo, Spain. The first ship will be ready for
operation at the end of 2008 and the three remaining ships will be delivered a few months apart during
2009. All four ships will operate worldwide. They are equipped for 3D seismology and have up to 10
streamer winches each. EASTERN ECHO The newly established seismic company Eastern Echo has its
head office in Dubai and its operations office in Cyprus. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Charter contract PSV
Siem Offshore Inc and Five Oceans Services GmbH have entered into a firm three year charter for the
large-size PSV `Siem Carrier` for operation as a world-wide Cable Lay, ROV and Offshore Construction
Support Vessel. The commercial terms of the contract are confidential between the parties.Siem Offshore
Inc expects to invest USD 6 million in upgrade of the vessel prior to commencement of the contract. Siem
Offshore is pleased to have entered into this contract and look forward to build a long-term relationship
with Five Oceans Services GmbH. Siem Offshore Inc is an owner and operator of vessels for the global oil
and gas service industry. The fleet of 37 vessels, of which 16 are under construction at yards in Norway,
includes Platform Supply Vessels, Multipurpose Field- and ROV Support Vessels and large Anchor
Handling Towing Support Vessels. The Company is also a majority shareholder in the subsidiary Siem
WIS AS. Siem WIS is developing new technology that will enable safer, and more efficient, drilling, well
maintenance and well intervention services, including drilling of complex low/high pressure reservoirs.
www.siemoffshore.com. Five Oceans Services GmbH is a global service provider specialised on the
installation, maintenance and repair of submarine cables and offshore umbilical as well as related ROV
and offshore construction support. www.fiveoceansservices.com. . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Contract 4 Damen 3213 ASD schepen getekend
Gisterochtend werd het contract voor vier Damen 3213 ASD schepen getekend op het hoofdkantoor in
Rotterdam. Dit nieuwe type schepen beschikt over 85 tbp om te kunnen voldoen aan de groeiende vraag
naar krachtiger sleepboten in verband met de steeds groter wordende zeeschepen. De vier sleepboten
worden gebouwd in Vietnam en zullen worden ingezet voor zowel haven- als terminalactiviteiten. De
schepen zijn volledig uitgerust voor LNG terminal activiteiten. De eerste twee sleepboten worden naar
verwachting in april 2009 opgeleverd. (Source: Smit)
Bharati to build PSVs for Man Ferrostaal
June 1, 2007 Bharati Shipyard Ltd has announced that Man Ferrostaal AG in Germany has ordered
two large PSVs. The vessels will be 105m in length and will be fitted with Voith cycloidal propulsors
and diesel electric propulsion. Classed with Germanishcher Lloyd, the vessels will have a free running
speeds of 17 knots. Bharati is also responsible for detailed engineering for the vessels, which will have
cargo deck of 1,400m2, and deck load of 2,500 tons. . (Source: Leo Kramer)
Seaspan International order 6,500 bhp tug
As part of its fleet revitalization program, Seaspan International Ltd., North Vancouver, B.C., has just
placed an order for what it calls a "Titan of a tug." The new Robert Allan Z-Tech 7500 series design will
generate more than 75 tonnes of direct bollard pull. Speeds will exceed 12.5 knots ahead and 12.2 knots
running stern first. "This tug will be capable of generating in excess of 120 tonnes of line pull in the indirect
mode, which is significant for effective escorting maneuvers," says Doug Towill, Seaspan's VP, Marine
Services. "We will service both our Vancouver Harbour and Roberts Bank shipdocking customers with this
new ZÐTech tractor tug, as well as any other escort opportunities in our local waters." Seaspan says the
6,500 bhp tug will be outfitted with "the most environmentally efficient engines available, which exceed all
standards." Vancouver Shipyards, in North Vancouver, will commence construction on this exciting new
venture in October 2007 with completion scheduled for September 2008. Seaspan and Vancouver
Shipyards are both members of the Washington Marine Group. The newbuild will be the largest, most
powerful tractor tug to service the B.C. coast and will be the new flagship of Seaspan's shipdocking fleet,
which currently incorporates seven tractor tugs and seven conventional shipdocking tugs dedicated to its
local customer base. (Source: Clipping News)
Seabreeze May report
Fortune Has All The Luck
Total E & P has chartered the REM Offshore MT 6000 MK II PSV Rem Fortune. Period of this North Sea
charter, which began in May, is 90 days firm plus two monthly options. The Rem Fortune will
predominantly support the GA II during this charter.
DSS Decisions
There was a number of newbuild charter announcements from Norwegian based shipowners Deep Sea
Supply this month. First of all, they secured two West African three year term charters with Eni Congo
worth around USD 47.5 million in total. The PSV Sea Angler will begin work in mid August whilst the UT
755L PSV Sea Trout will begin in mid July. ENI Congo also has an option to extend both of these
contracts by one year. The next announcement concerned their 6,500 BHP newbuild anchor handler
called Sea Wolverine which is due to deliver around the 1st of October. This vessel will begin a two year
USD 10.8 million contract with Swiber in Singapore upon delivery from the ABG shipyard in India. Finally,
Petro-Canada Trinidad and Tobago Ltd has chartered the 15,000 BHP KMAR 404 anchor handlers Sea
Wolf and Sea Panther for 6—8 months in a deal worth around USD 15-20 million in total. The contract
should begin around October 2007, in direct continuation of present charterers EOG Resources.
Pioneering & Prospecting
Viking’s sixth and seventh newbuild Pan-European Field Support and Rescue Vessels (called the Viking
Pioneer and Viking Prospector) will go on a five year contract with five year options. It is understood that
the vessels will work predominantly at the Alwyn Dunbar area in the North Sea. These IMT 955L design
vessels will deliver in October 2008 and March 2009 respectively.
Vroon Take a Liking To Viking
Further to the above story, Viking Offshore Services have been bought by the Dutch based Vroon Group
for an undisclosed sum. Viking Offshore Services will be renamed Vroon Offshore Services although it is
understood that there will be no loss of jobs or changes to contracts (Viking employ about 685 persons).
This move “will create one of Europe’s largest offshore support fleets.” As a reminder Viking currently
have 31 ERRVs with a further 9 being built, while Vroon has an offshore fleet of 21 vessels (made up of
diving support, PSV and safety standby vessels) with 13 offshore vessels on order. Vroon’s red and white
livery (as well as their trademark large white “V” on the side of the hull) will be added to each of the Viking
vessels as and when they go into dry dock.
Esmeralda Mesmerises Peak
The UP Offshore (UK) Ltd VS 4408 PSV UP Esmeralda has been term chartered by AGR Peak. Period of
this charter is one year firm, with AGR Peak having the right to complete the well. The Transocean semisubmersible Sedco 704 will be supported by the UP Esmeralda, with the contract beginning in August
2007
Far But Not Forgotten
Farstad Shipping were awarded a one year plus one year option extension by JVPC in Vietnam for the HF
270 AHTS Lady Cynthia. Petrobras also extended the Farstad ME 202 PSV Far Sleipner for a further
two years from May 2007.
A Mars a day
The UT 786 CD anchor handler Havila Mars was christened on the 19th May in Bergen. This fine vessel
is chartered to Statoil for a 3 year firm plus 3 year option period. Sister vessel “Havila Mercury” will
deliver end September and will also embark on an identical charter with Statoil. Seabrokers have been the
broker for both of these term fixtures. The UT 786 CD design has the following merits: · Environmentally
friendly and clean design · Safe anchor handling deck · Economical fuel consumption · Good under deck
capacities · 400t capacity on main winch · Designed/equipped for ROV duties Vessel dimensions: LOA
86m, LPP 73.5m and breadth 19.9m. Great emphasis has been placed on the design having the most
modern anchor handling facilities, so it is robust enough to carry out safe anchor handling in all water
depths. The safety of the crew during anchor handling operations has been given top priority and every
effort has been made to keep the deck crew away from dangerous areas during anchor handling
operations. When the vessel is not in the anchor handling mode, its spacious deck area (660 sqm) and
under deck capacities give the Charterers an AHTS with PSV capabilities. Note that this is also the first
AHTS delivered with a sky lobby. As the old advertisement used to say “A Mars a day helps you work, rest
and play…”
SPEciaL Delivery
ESLP, a Mexican subsidiary of Energy Sea and Land Projects Inc, has chartered the Siem Offshore Inc
DP II Karmsund newbuild Siem Sailor for work in the Gulf of Mexico, with Pemex as their ultimate client.
The Siem Sailor is 51% owned by Siem Offshore and 49% owned by O.H. Meling, and is due to complete
construction in the last quarter of this year. Upon delivery the 1,000m2 decked diesel electric VS 485 CD
Offshore Supply Vessel will go straight onto the aforementioned five year firm USD 82 million term
contract, where she will be modified by the charterer to act as a small FPSO.
Petrobras Grab An Opportunity
Rem Balder will go to Brazil in September to start a long term contract with Petrobras. The Brazilian state
oil company has high expectations for this vessel... It has been agreed that the vessel will be equipped
with new deck handling manipulators from Rolls Royce fitted to cranes which can move along the cargo
rails. For Petrobras this will be an interesting test of equipment that can improve both safety and efficiency
during anchor handling operations. These manipulators were first installed onboard the Olympic
Octopus, and reports have been very encouraging so far. Contract period is for 2 + 2 years.
Siem Secure Several
Siem Offshore Inc PSV Siem Carrier has been term chartered by Five Oceans Services GmbH for
operation as a world-wide cable lay, ROV and offshore construction support vessel. The three year firm
contract begins in the fourth quarter of this year, however, prior to this the Siem Carrier will undergo a
USD 6 million upgrade. The Norwegian shipowner was also pleased with the news that their Sophie Siem
PSV has been extended another year with Peterson Supplylink.
Makeover For Mariner
May saw the contract being agreed between Venture Production (North Sea Developments) Limited and
Siem Offshore Inc to hire the Siem Mariner MT6000 Mk II DP2 PSV vessel. Upon delivery end June, the
vessel will get a major makeover to convert her from supply mode into well fracturing mode. Due to a
shortage of well stimulation vessels, Venture has hired the Siem Mariner and the services of
Schlumberger to carry out this service. Currently Schlumberger are mobilizing equipment from all round
the world, so when the vessel completes her Statoil charter she will undertake her “makeover”. Deck
equipment will occupy all her 950m2 of deck area, and most of her underdeck tanks and pumps will also
be used in this operation. The charter has a firm duration of 6 weeks with numerous options. Whilst the
vessel is performing the well frac. operations she will operate on DP2 and will have a large amount of
Schlumberger specialists onboard. Earlier this year the VS470 Mk II Sical Torino did a frac operation for
Apache. Seabrokers and Promarine (a Seabrokers company) have been involved with both of these
vessel charters, providing brokering and technical support. After the success of the first operation with the
Sical Torino we expectmore use of supply vessels for this type of operation in the future.
I See A Twenty Three
Great Offshore Limited has now taken delivery of their newbuild anchor handler Malaviya Twenty Three.
Furthermore, Great Offshore has announced they are to build a multi purpose offshore support vessel at
Bharati Shipyard. The USD 64.8 million vessel will have a helipad, 14,000 BHP, DP II and will be
equipped to support ROV, diving and subsea operations. According to Bharati, this is the “first time that
such a sophisticated and technologically multipurpose offshore support vessel is being made in India”.
Seabreeze Newbuildings, Conversions, Sale & Purchase
Nordcapital Spend Some NOK
Germany based Nordcapital are to build two UT 776 CD PSVs at Aker Yards. The NOK 680 million
contract also has an option for another two similar vessels for delivery in the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2010.
The hulls will be built at Aker Yards in Romania with final outfitting in the Norwegian Aker Yards.
REM Repeat
REM Con AS, a subsidiary of REM Offshore ASA, are to build two anchor handlers at Aker Yards in a deal
worth around NOK 1.4 billion. Delivery of these AH 12 design vessels is scheduled in the first and second
quarter of 2010. Details of the vessels include an LOA of 95 metres, beam of 24 metres, accommodation
for 70 persons and a bollard pull of more than 300 tonnes. As with the Nordcapital story above, the hulls
will be built at Aker Yards in Romania and will be outfitted in Norway.
Good Golly Miss Mollie !
The Siem Offshore newbuild MT 6017 MK II Siem Mollie has been contracted for a three years firm
charter with EMGS. This vessel is expected to deliver in Norway around the start of August 2007. EMGS
also extended the Siem Offshore VS 470 MK II Sasha through to the first quarter of 2010.
No Floundering For Halibut
Deep Sea Supply latest newbuild to deliver, the UT 755L Sea Halibut has now begun a six months firm
plus two three month options charter with Total in the Congo. The Cochin India built vessel is leaving the
yard, enroute for Africa.
Supply’s Surprise
Vroon’s 660m2 decked PSV Supply Express was christened upon arrival in Breskens (Vroon’s
headquarters in Holland) in late May. The vessel was christened by Mrs Carla Peijs, Deputy to her
Majesty, the Queen of the Netherlands. AGR Peak have term chartered this fine platform supply vessel for
work in the North Sea.
Etive Enters Service
The REM Offshore MT 6016 multi purpose field & ROV support vessel Rem Etive delivered from Kleven
Verft yard in Norway towards the end of May. This fine looking vessel has now begun her long term
charter working for TS Marine in the North Sea. Named after the breathtaking sea loch near Oban on the
West coast of Scotland, the Rem Etive has DP II, LOA of 93.5m, heli-deck, 140 ton Hydralift crane, moon
pool and is capable of making 16 knots.
Go, Go Giorgio
Finarge Navegaçao do Brasil Ltda managed anchor handler A.H. Giorgio has been launched and named
in memory of the Past President of Finarge Srl, Mr. Giorgio Parodi, who believed strongly in the Brazilian
market. The 12,240 BHP AHTS was named in Niteroi, Brazil but will not be available for charter until early
next year.
Six Of The Best
Aker Capital are to build six 3,000 ton deadweight anchor handlers at the new Aker Yards shipyard in
Vietnam. These vessels are to be of the AH 08 design with more than 145 tons bollard pull, an LOA of
74.7 metres, Clean Design, and efficient fuel consumption. The first will deliver in 2010 while the sixth will
deliver in 2012. There is also an option in this NOK 1.5 billion contract for a further six vessels.
Brodospas Beauties
Croatian based shipowner Brodospas has ordered two Damen 6315 anchor handlers from Damen
Shipyards Galati in Romania. Main details include an LOA of 64m, draft of 5m, breadth of 15m, bollard
pull of 120 tons, DP II and accommodation for 29 people. These newbuild vessels will deliver in 2009.
Ezra Ease Into Anchor Handlers
Lewek Shipping, a subsidiary of Ezra Holdings, are to build two Rolls Royce 30,000 BHP UT 788 CD
anchor handlers with delivery from the Pan United Marine yard (Singapore) in the first half of 2009 and
second half of 2009. Lewek have also set up an office in Aberdeen to target the North Sea market.
Fjellstrand To Supply Ship To Supply Service
P/F Supply Service are to build a second Havyard 832 CD platform supply vessel. Fjellstrand yard in
Norway will build the vessel with delivery scheduled for March 2009. Details include a deck area of 800
m2, LOA of 78.6m, Fi-Fi 1, DP II, a deadweight of 4,000 tonnes and of course Clean Design notation. This
means that P/F Supply Service have three Havyard 832 CD under construction. All three newbuilds are
presently uncommitted. There was also more news from P/F Supply Service with the announcement that
they are to sell a DP II PSV MT 6009 currently under construction. Siem Offshore are the buyers in this
NOK 219 million deal. The vessel will deliver around May next year.
Commander Commences
Shell E & P’s latest addition to their fleet delivered in the second half of May: the DOF MT 6009 Skandi
Commander. The 74.3m LOA PSV was built at the Fitjar yard in Norway.
S2500 Thunders In
ASL Marine shipyard of Singapore are to build a new generation heavy lift / pipelay vessel for the Larsen
& Toubro / SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd joint venture. This vessel, to be named the S2500, was designed
by Sea of Solutions, which are part of the Offshore Ship Designers Group. It will have a 10 point mooring
system, 3,000 short ton single post crane and can be upgraded to DP. Delivery is expected to be in 2009.
Sprite Quenches Astrea’s Thirst For Expansion
Oestensjoe Rederi AS 1987 built PSV Edda Sprite has been sold to Greek based Astrea Shipping
Company. Asso Divers will manage the 3,550 dwt vessel for Astrea with handover expected in July 2007
(this is when the newbuild ST 216 Edda Fram will deliver). The Edda Fram will replace the Edda Sprite in
Shell EPE’s fleet of term PSVs.
One Small Step For Man...
It is understood that India’s Bharati Shipyard are to build two large PSVs for Germany based Man
Ferrostaal in a deal worth 76 million Euros. The diesel electric PSVs will have a deck area of 1,400m2 and
will be fitted with two sets of Voith Schneider cycloidal propeller units at the stern.
Oceanteam Team Up
Bourbon Offshore Norway AS and Oceanteam Power & Umbilical are to exercise their option to build a
new construction support vessel at Metalships & Docks in Vigo, Spain. The vessel, which will deliver in
early 2010, will be 50/50 owned between Bourbon and Oceanteam via a new company called Oceanteam
Bourbon 2 AS. The 123m long Bourbon Oceanteam 104 will have around 2000 square metres of deck
area, accommodation for 120 persons and two large heave compensated cranes. Oceanteam are already
building three construction support / cable lay vessels at Vigo, of which the first, to be named Bourbon
Oceanteam 101 will also be 50/50 owned with Bourbon Offshore Norway AS. This vessel is due to deliver
in late summer 2007.
8e jaargang, nr. 22
dd. 10 Juni 2007
_______________________________________________________
Garware Offshore Receives New PSV
Garware Offshore Services Ltd announced that it has taken delivery of a newbuild PSV, Kamet, which
was built by Havyard Leirvik in Norway. The vessel, which is a UT 755L with clean notation, DP1 and
FiFi1 left Norway recently and is due in India by the third week of June 2007. The vessel will be deployed
with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd on a five year contract. (Source: www.oilpubs.com)
Western Spirit
After a 8 month refit and upgrade at A&P, Hebburn research vessel Western Spirit headed to sea this
morning (06:30am) 05.06.07. (Source:Kevin Blair)
BOURBON applies the first measures decided following the Bourbon Dolphin accident
Paris, Wednesday 6th June 2007 – 2.30 pm Following the accident of the Bourbon Dolphin on 12 April
2007 off the Shetland Isles, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate has just announced the first measures
designed to prevent any other accident of the same type. On 16 May 2007, the Norwegian Maritime
Directorate announced a series of specific measures applicable to Norwegian registered ships. These
measures were prepared in coordination with maritime parties such as designers, shipyards, captains and
experts in anchor handling. Pending the final conclusions of the enquiry, which will shed light on all
operational consequences of the accident, BOURBON immediately applied these measures to its entire
worldwide fleet of Anchor Handlers:
1. Study and inform about the limits of stability of boats based on the recommendations of the
Norwegian Maritime Directorate,
2. Define the actual bollard pull available during anchor handling operations,
3. Improve knowledge of emergency release system on the winch,
4. Establish procedures on anchor handling operations particularly on those managed in tandem,
based on the recommendations of the Norwegian Maritime Directorate. (Source:Bourbon)
Bourbon Offshore Norway creates a Bourbon Dolphin Foundation named “Bourbon Dolphin
Etterlattes Fond”
Paris, Wednesday 6th June 2007 – 2.30 pm In its continued support for the families
of the victims of the Bourbon Dolphin accident, BOURBON is creating a Foundation
specifically devoted to the families of those who perished at sea in order to maintain
their standard of living and in particular guarantee the education of their children.
The Foundation will be managed by a Board of Directors comprising 3 to 6
representatives of the Fosnaväg community (Norway) and Bourbon Offshore Norway who will be skilled in
several domains such as social, administrative, legal or financial. The Board members will be responsible
for of the strict adherence to the rules of governance and the management of the Foundation. The
contribution to the fund was made by Bourbon Offshore Norway, whose involvement will be strong and
permanent. The Foundation is also open to contribution from third parties (individuals or companies) and
is encouraging all public and private contributions to the fund. (Source:Bourbon)
Bourbon Atlas delivered by Bharati
June 6, 2007 Bharati Shipyard in Indian has delivered the MPSV Bourbon Atlas to Bourbon Offshore.
The vessel, which is equipped for oil recovery, will be mainly used for maintenance work in oil and gas
fields on the continental shelf of West Africa for the first charter and for ROV operations. (Source:Leo
Kramer)
Sleepboten varen in lange sliert voor record
dinsdag 05 juni 2007 om 12:41:55 Door met minstens honderd sleepboten 'kop aan kont' in een lange rij
te varen, willen de verenigingen De Binnenvaart en De Motorsleepboot een vermelding bereiken in het
Guinness Book of Records. Volgens de vereniging zijn al 150 boten aangemeld voor de recordpoging in
Dordrecht. De tientallen sleepboten varen zatermiddag 16 juni achter elkaar over de Oude Maas, langs de
kades, richting de Papendrechtsebrug. De sliert boten zal een lengte hebben van zo'n vijf kilometer,
schatten de organisatoren. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Tug sinks off B.C. coast, 4 rescued
Four crew members were rescued early Wednesday after their tug sank in the Nakwakto Rapids off B.C.'s
north-central coast across from the northern tip of Vancouver Island. They had radioed a distress call at
about 3 a.m. that their vessel was in trouble in the narrow channel at the entrance to Seymour Inlet. The
tug had been towing a barge to a heli-logging camp up the inlet. A Cormorant helicopter and a Buffalo
aircraft were dispatched from CFB Comox on Vancouver Island and found the men had managed to
escape on a life line to the barge, which had become anchored by the sunken tug. They were rescued and
taken to Port Hardy. Steve Church of the Victoria Rescue Co-ordination Centre said the strong current
appears to have been the cause of the sinking. (Source: Clipping News)
Two Tugs Christened in Germany
Kotug International BV said that the last two out of a series of four Rotortugs have been christened by
Kotug International BV during a small ceremony in the port of Hamburg last weekend. The 65 tons bollard
pull RT Antonie and RT Zoë were built at the ASL Marine Shipyard in Singapore through Kooren
Shipbuilding and Trading BV the holder of the successful Rotortug patent. The RT Antonie is named after
the nephew of Kotug's CEO Ard-Jan Kooren and was christened by sponsor lady Anne Lusher, wife of
Martin Lusher, partner with SSY in London and representative for Kotug International BV. The RT Zoë is
named after the sponsor lady Zoë Kooren daughter of Ard-Jan and Chrisje Kooren. The RT Antonie is the
7th tug in the Kotug fleet in the port of Bremerhaven. The RT Zoë replaced a less powerful tug of Kotug's
fleet of 4 tugs in the port of Hamburg and is the most powerful and maneuverable tug in that port. (Source:
Marinelink)
Afon Cadnant
The tugboat Afon Cadnant has been launched on the 31th May by van der Wees Transport at Dordrecht.
The tug is under construction at the Metaaldraaierij Sepers B.V. at Heerewaarden yard. Delivery will be at
the end of the month. LxWxD = 35x11.5x2.4 mtrs. 5.100 ehp, engines 3 cummins type KTA 50-M2,
Bollardpull 54 ton and speed 12 knots.
Coastal Guardian
The multicat Coastal Guardian was delivered to Neptune Marine Services B.V. – Aalst last April and in
management at Rederij Waterweg B.V. – Den Helder. She is 135 brt and has a length of 21.60 mtrs,
beam 9.04 mtrs and a draft of 1.8 mtrs. 1215 epk Caterpillar C18. Bollardpull 12.5 tons and 9 knots. Call
sign PHKF. She left the yard on 20-04-2007 for Den Helder. In April she left Den Helder for St.Petersburg.
Boston Towing and Transportation Company Wins Offshore LNG Project
Thursday, June 07, 2007; Vincent D. Tibbetts Jr., president of Boston Towing & Transportation, the
Boston division of the Reinauer Companies, announced that Boston Towing and Transportation Company
has been awarded a significant 20 year contract by Suez Energy N.A. LLC to support their Neptune
Offshore LNG Terminal. This contract includes the construction and operation of two additional vessels, a
128 foot, 5400 hp, controllable pitch Z Drive, FiFi 1 Offshore Support Vessel based in Gloucester, Ma, as
well as a smaller 101foot, 5400hp, controllable pitch Z Drive, FiFi 1 tug that will operate in the harbor, as
well as acting as backup to the larger offshore vessel. This will increase BTT's fleet to four tractor tugs in
addition to eight other conventional tugs. BTT has contracted with Robert Allan LTD of Vancouver B.C. to
design both vessels. Robert Allan currently has over 80 of his tugs being built worldwide and is considered
by many to be the most innovative tug designer in the world. The offshore vessel incorporates his latest
hull design, developed for the Marin study last winter, which will optimize sea-keeping, fuel efficiency and
crew comfort. The smaller tug is a proven design of his, of which there are numerous examples currently
being used around the world at offshore platforms. These tugs will be the first in the U.S. to incorporate
controllable pitch propellers with the Z Drives. This gives the vessels an infinite degree of maneuverability,
and also allows the FiFi Class One fire pumps to be driven off the main engines, saving weight and cost
by eliminating the fire pump engines found on all other FiFi Class One vessels. Both tugs will be equipped
with bow and stern winches and will be capable of remaining on station throughout all LNG discharge
operations. The larger tug will be able to self-load up to three containers for cargo operations, while the
smaller tug will be rigged to handle one container. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Tug sinks, crew rescued
A vessel sunk off Dwarka in stormy sea, but the Coast Guard rescued 14 of its crew. The vessel, Akash,
was towing an empty barge from Sikka, near Jamnagar, to Mumbai when its engine room was flooded on
Monday. The crew could not undertake any repair work, as the sea was choppy. After sending an SOS,
they moved into the barge. The Maritime Rescue Sub Centre, Porbandar, picked up the message and
alerted merchant and Coast Guard vessels in the area, a Coast Guard spokesman here said on Thursday.
Four ships, including Coast Guard vessel Samar, headed towards area. The rescue work was
challenging, as the sea was rough in view of cyclone Gonu that caused havoc in Oman. The Samar crew
struggled almost the entire night of June 4 to pass ropes to the rolling and pitching barge. Finally, they
towed the barge to Port Okha. Another Coast Guard vessel, Meera Behn, monitored the drifting Akash,
as it had 20 tonnes of high-speed diesel. The tug sunk after some time. The spokesman said there was no
oil slick. (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 23
dd. 17 Juni 2007
_______________________________________________________
Maersk Supply Service has ordered new offshore vessels
11/06/2007 Maersk Supply Service has ordered additional two 23,500 BHP multipurpose anchor handling
tug supply (AHTS) vessels from Volkswerft Stralsund in Germany The two vessels will be sister vessels to
the four multipurpose anchor handling tug supply vessels ordered in December 2006. The vessels will be
delivered in 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2010. The above mentioned vessels will join the current Maersk
Supply Service fleet of 55 vessels in operation and 16 new buildings on order. (Source: Leo Kramer)
SMIT obtains contract in Angola
SMIT and her partner Octomar Serviços Marítimos Lda have been awarded a contract for BP’s Greater
Plutonio Development, Block 18, offshore Angola. A new build floating production, storage and offloading
(fpso) vessel will be moored at a water depth of 1310 metres. Amongst others, the contract consists of the
following services: berthing and unberthing of export tankers, firefighting, oil spill control and safety
standby, pilotage, mooring and loading supervision, inspection, repair and maintenance of the offloading
hoses and buoy. A new build offloading support tug, a workboat and a mooring assist vessel will be
deployed. (Source: Smit)
Kindeace
Dit is de nieuwe Kindeace, momenteel onderweg van Japan naar Schotland. KINDEACE (ex. Fuji Maru07), 4,400 apk, 2 x Z-pellers, 2 x Niigata motoren, 258 brt, 32m50 x 11m40, 2005 door Kanagawa Zosen
te Kobe gebuwd, bouwnummer 536 voor Fukushima Kisen K. K., Iwaki en eerder dit jaar aan J. P. Knight
Ltd. verkocht. Zal te Invergordon worden ingezet. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Fairplay X
Plantain Marine Ltd. te Falmouth heeft de Fairplay X (ex. Lady Sybil-99) aangekocht en in
MTS Vengeance vernoemd. 1,900 apk, 28 t paaltrek, 156 brt bouwjaar 1988. (Source: Lawrence
Amboldt)
Pioneer
Scantug te Malmö heeft de Pioneer (ex. Sandsfoot Castle-03, ex. Elena B-98, ex. Afon Goch-91,
ex. Karet-82), 2,250 apk 231/67 overgenomen van N. E. Murray, Sheerness, eerst op huurbasis
zoals het ook bij de Sun London is gebeurd. Scantug heeft ook de Sea Endeavour (3,150 apk
221/80) op charter genomen. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Petroplus new owner
Targe Towing heeft de drie sleepboten te Coryton van BP nu aangekocht. Ze gaan voor
Petroplus, de nieuwe eigenaar van de raffinaderij te Coryton, verder werken. De 5,310 apk
Corringham, Stanford en Castle Point zijn in 2005 door Damen voor BP gebouwd. (Source:
Lawrence Amboldt)
Damen deliver Stan Tug 1907 to CMS
Clyde Marine Services Ltd. heeft de eerste Stantug 1907, gebouwd bij Damen te Gorinchem,
begin juni in gebruik genomen: de BRUISER. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Two from Northern Island to the Mediterranean
Twee sleepboten uit Noord-Ierland zijn voor de tonijnvisvaart naar de Middellandse Zee verkocht en
richting Malta vertrokken. Het gaat om de Samuel F (ex. Hornby-84, ex. J. H. James-70) van John
McLoughlin & Son (1,300 apk 222/64) en de Coleraine (2,580 apk 245/70) van Svitzer. De Coleraine is
inmiddels in Girl Clara herdoopt. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Nordcapital bestellt vier Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels bei Se Kwang
Heavy Industries
Weiteres Engagement im Offshore-Markt Hamburg, 12. Juni 2007. Die Hamburger Nordcapital hat
einen Vertrag mit Se Kwang Heavy Industries, Ulsan, Korea, für die Lieferung von vier Anchor Handling
Tug Supply Vessels (AHTS) vom Typ UT 786 CD unterzeichnet. Der Gesamtwert des Vertrages beläuft
sich auf etwa 300 Mio. US-Dollar. Die Ablieferung der Schiffe ist für das dritte und vierte Quartal 2009
vorgesehen. Umweltaspekte wie geschützte Tanks und die Möglichkeit zur Ballastwasseraufbereitung und
Ölrückgewinnung werden beim Bau berücksichtigt. Der Vertrag beinhaltet außerdem eine Option auf vier
weitere Einheiten mit Lieferterminen im Jahr 2010. "Mit der Bestellung dieser sehr modernen Anchor
Handling Tug Supply Vessels im Rolls-Royce Design weitet Nordcapital das Engagement im OffshoreBereich aus und diversifiziert mit einem neuen Schiffstyp das Angebot an Offshore-Schiffen", sagt Willem
Dekker, Geschäftsführer der OSM Schiffahrt GmbH & Cie. KG, Hamburg. Seit April 2006 hat das
Unternehmen bereits zehn Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) bestellt, die auf der norwegischen Aker-Werft
gebaut werden. OSM Schiffahrt ist ein vor kurzem gegründetes Joint Venture zwischen Nordcapital und
OSM Norwegen und verantwortet das Management aller neuen Schiffe. Das Hamburger Unternehmen
kontrolliert bereits eine Flotte von drei modernen PSVs. Mit der zusätzlichen Bestellung wächst die Flotte
bis Anfang 2010 auf insgesamt 13 PSVs und vier AHTS. Length 86 mtrs; beam 20 mtrs, weigth 3600 tons,
speed 18 knots (Source: Nordcapital)
Thom
De duwsleepboot Thom (023.04990) van E.G. v.d.Meer uit Arnemuiden is via R.A.Lastdrager uit Sas van
Gent verkocht aan VOF Margriet uit Urk die haar omdoopte in Margriet. Zij werd in 1930 gebouwd bij
W.Mulder in Stadskanaal als stoomboot Bona Spes II, ze was toen uitgerust met een machine van
VanCapellen van 200 ipk, de stoomketel was eveneens van Van Capellen en had een verwarmd
oppervlak van 52 vierkante meter. De eerste eigenaar was H.Vermeulen uit Dordrecht. Na diens
overlijden in 1952 kwam de boot in bezit van zijn kinderen. In 1956 werd ze gemotoriseerd met 325 pk
Caterpillar, die in 1966 werd vervangen door 385 pk Caterpillar. In 1969 werd ze verkocht aan J.M.van
Dodewaard uit Zwijndrecht die haar omdoopte in Jodi en in 1991 een 425 pk Caterpillar liet inbouwen.
Vanaf 1996 voer ze als Thom, eerst bij Suratho uit Terneuzen, vanaf 2000 voor J.Verboon uit Terneuzen
en sinds 2004 voor E.G. v.d.Meer. Source: Schuttevaer)
Tugboat Towed To Maritime Museum
WPBF reported that before it was retired in 1994, the tugboat, the Huntington moved an estimated 40,000
vessels during a 61-year career at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, including the USS John F.
Kennedy and the Queen Elizabeth 2, along with other luxury lines and submarines. Officials said the
tugboat is a fixture in American shipbuilding. Now the 109-ft. Huntington is in Florida for an exhibit at the
Palm Beach Maritime Museum. The Huntington will be used as an exhibit and a classroom for the
museum's West Palm Beach charter school maritime students. The exhibit is expected to open next
month, joining the Kennedy Bunker and the abandoned Coast Guard Station run by the museum on
Peanut Island. (Source: WPBF.com)
New "Handysize" tug addresses niche U.S. market
Two hulls now under construction 6/14 - Cleveland - TUGZ International, LLC, the well-known and
successful owner-charterer of the "Z Class", 4,000 hp multipurpose U.S. flag reverse tractor tugs designed
by Jensen Maritime Consultants, Seattle, is introducing a new Jensen designed tug to fill the niche
between the 2,000 - 3,000 hp tug market for harbor work, fireboats, and construction operations
as well as for coastal towing. The newly designed "HANDYSIZE" Class describes the new tug design as
just the right size, just the right power, environmentally sound, fuel efficient and versatile enough to
accomplish most tug jobs at the lowest operating cost, "when bigger is just too big, and smaller is more
than enough." This series of tugs will be built at TUGZ's affiliate Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio.
The shipyard recently opened new state-of-the-art facilities for tug and barge construction. Not new to
shipbuilding or to tug operations, some of the The Great Lakes Group of transportation companies have
been around since the turn of the 19th century and its tugs operate on all the Great Lakes, all the coasts,
Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska. For many years it also owned and operated a Gulf shipyard too. "There
is a real market need and we have had serious inquiries", said Ronald C. Rasmus, President of the
Group. "Studies have shown that there are more than 1,500 U.S. flag tugs over 30 years old in the less
than 3,000 HP range that will need to be replaced over the next few years. Owners of this Handysize
range are looking for a low cost, fuel efficient, versatile workhorse, and our new "HANDYSIZE" Class tug
design just fits the need." The Great Lakes Shipyard will build the "HANDYSIZE" Class tugs for sale, or for
lease-purchase or charter through its affiliate TUGZ. Two tugs are now under construction with deliveries
November 2007 and April 2008. The tugs are available as ASD's or as nozzled Twin-Screw Conventional
models for those operators whose work application makes the Z-drive unnecessary and too
expensive. Some operators believe that the conventional tugs will work better in ice and in debris-filled,
low, and muddy waters.The new tug has some very interesting features in its design to minimize operating
costs. Among them are using an ABS "ice-class" hull standard for sturdiness and icebreaking, if
applicable, the increased 5/8ths inch steel thickness and tighter framing in the bow and stern ensures an
increase in the useful life of the tug beyond the normal or statutory life. Because the tug is less than 79'
and less than 100 gross tons there are several advantages that translate to operational flexibility and
savings including only one (1) Licensed Operator is required - other crewing at Owner's discretion; Crew
not required to hold AB or OS ratings; Designed for two (2) man operation with bridge control of engine
room and deck winches; and high fuel efficiency. Measuring 74.0' (22.6m) in length with molded beam of
30.0' (9.1m) and maximum draft of 11.0'(3.3m) the tug attains a bollard pull of 36 short tons (72,000
pounds est.) and a free running speed of 12.0 knots from a pair of Cummins QSK 38 diesels each
developing 1,400 hp at 1,800 revolutions/ minute. These turn 72.0" diameter Kaplan type propellers inside
Type 37 stainless steel lined nozzles and Twin Disk MG 540 with 5.17:1 ratios. A pair of 65kW generator
sets provides the electrical needs while the standard 2,000 gpm fire pumps, which feeds a single forward
deckhouse-mounted monitor, is driven off one of the generators. Additional fire monitors and foam
capability for a fireboat version of the tug are available as an option. Keel coolers provide a saltwater-free
engine room. Ahead of a well insulated forward bulkhead are two twin-bunk crew cabins and a laundry.
On the main deck, a single cabin for the captain is located on the starboard side of the deckhouse
opposite the mess room, and a toilet/shower room is located portside aft. All the accommodations are air
conditioned. There is a full walk-around bridge deck with steps up from main deck, fore and aft. One
central door aft and internal staircase gives access to the traditionally laid out wheelhouse. Eleven
windows and three lower windows forward provide 360° view. The exhaust casings are cut off a waist
height to ensure good visibility. Amongst an impressive array of wheelhouse electronics is a pair of
radar units, a GPS, autopilot, compass, and an optional Techsol engine room monitoring and alarm
system. The tug is designed for seven-day endurance for coastal service and the tank capacities include
21,600 gallons of fuel and 1,800 gallons of potable water. More details about the availability of this 74-foot
Handysize tug and The Great Lakes Group of companies can be found on www.thegreatlakesgroup.com
Tug's Last Journey: The Huntington, a Part of U.S. Maritime History, Moves
to County
Jun. 13--RIVIERA BEACH -- During its 73 years on this Earth, it's kept company with such celebrated
historical figures as a queen and a Kennedy. It's old now and can't get around on its own anymore -- even
on water, its natural habitat. But even as a grand old tugboat that had to be tugged into port, the
Huntington cut a fine figure pulling into Riviera Beach Marina on Tuesday morning, on its way to calling
Peanut Island home as an exhibit of the Palm Beach Maritime Museum. Looking like an old train caboose
with a black base, old black steam pipe and red bridge deck with white trim, the Huntington is considered
a venerable fixture in American shipbuilding. The 109-foot tugboat was launched on Oct. 11, 1933, by the
Newport News Shipyard in Virginia and converted from steam to diesel in 1952. The tug moved an
estimated 40,000 vessels during a 61-year career, including the USS John F. Kennedy, the Queen
Elizabeth 2, Norway, Oceanic and America luxury liners and every submarine built at the shipyard through
1992. It was retired from service two years later. "They don't make them like this anymore," said Scott
Cowan, captain of the Amanda K., a larger tugboat that pulled the Huntington down to Florida from
its last berth in Norfolk, Va.He pointed to the vessel's black steel bulwark and deck rail: "Look at the
steel on this thing. It's so thick. This would be the hull on another boat." After its retirement in 1994, the
Huntington was converted into a museum on the Norfolk waterfront. Recently, the waterfront bought a
larger ship and donated the Huntington to the Palm Beach Maritime Museum, said museum founder John
Grant. The museum spent more than $100,000 to insure and ship the tug to Florida. Grant, who served on
the USS Iowa out of Norfolk in the 1950s, remembered the Huntington in its heyday.
"Everybody who was in and out of there remembers the Huntington," he said. "It was a really sharplooking tug." Cowan and co-captain Earl Wedemeyere spent a week moving the Huntington 815
miles from Norfolk at a speed of 5 knots. In addition to its own weight, the old steel boat was loaded down
by oysters encrusted to its bottom during its years in Norfolk. "Never have so many been paid so much to
go so slow," joked Wedemeyere. "We actually brought not just the boat, but the whole seafood market."
The Huntington will be used as both an exhibit and a classroom for the museum's West Palm Beach
charter school maritime students. The exhibit is expected to open next month, joining the Kennedy Bunker
and the abandoned Coast Guard Station run by the museum on Peanut Island. Grant said the ship was a
compliment to the rich history of the island, which was created from the soil dredged to cut the Palm
Beach Inlet. It saw the sinking of ships in World War II, became an Air Force base in the 1950s
and a training base for Marines during the Cuban missile crisis. "I think the kids are going to love it," Grant
added. "Kids love tugboats. That's what we were trying to do, inspire them." (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Safety Board Determines Cause of 2006 Barge Fire
Thursday, June 14, 2007 The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the failure of Athena
Construction to require its crews to pin mooring spuds securely in place on its barges led to an
unintentional release of one of the spuds. This resulted in a pipeline rupture that killed six. On October 12,
2006, the uninspected towing vessel Miss Megan was pushing two deck barges in the West Cote Blanche
Bay oil field in Louisiana, en route to a pile- driving location. Barge Athena 106 was tied along the port
side of barge IBR 234. The Miss Megan was secured astern of IBR 234 pushing both barges. While the
vessels were under way, the aft spud (a vertical steel shaft extending through a well in the bottom of the
boat and used for mooring) on the Athena 106 released from its fully raised position. The spud dropped
into the water and struck a submerged, high- pressure natural gas pipeline. The resulting gas released
ignited and created a fireball that engulfed the towing vessel and both barges. The master of the towing
vessel and four barge workers were killed. The Miss Megan deckhand and one barge worker survived.
One barge worker is officially listed as missing. The Board stated in its final report that Athena
Construction's manual contained no procedures mandating the use of the safety devices on the spud
winch except during electrical work. It was found that if the Athena 106 crew had used the steel pins to
secure the retracted spuds during their transit, a pin would have prevented the aft spud from accidentally
deploying. Furthermore, the spud would have remained locked in its lifted position regardless of whether
the winch brake mechanism, the spud's supporting cable, or a piece of connecting hardware had failed.
Contributing to the accident was the failure of Central Boat Rentals to require, and the Miss Megan master
to ensure, that the barge spuds were securely pinned before getting under way. The Board noted that
investigators found no evidence that the Miss Megan master or deckhand checked whether the spuds had
been properly secured before the tow began. While Central Boat Rentals had a health and safety manual
and trained its crews, the written procedures did not specifically warn masters about the need to secure
spuds or other barge equipment before navigating. The company's crew should have been trained to
identify potential safety hazards on vessels under their control. As a result of these findings the Safety
Board recommended that Athena Construction and Central Boat Rentals should develop procedures and
train the employees of its barges to use the securing pins to hold spuds safely in place before transiting
from one site to another. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Atlantic Hickory sold
De Atalantic Hickory (ex. Irving Miami-95) is door Atlantic Towing (Irving) in de maand april verkocht aan
Island Tug & Barge te Vancouver, B. C. en herdoopt Pacific Hickory. 7,200 apk (2xGM), 912/73, 46.79 x
11.79 x 6.26m (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
WesternGeco launches Western Spirit
June 14, 2007 Schlumberger has announced the launch of Western Spirit, the seventh Q-Marine vessel
to join the WesternGeco fleet. The vessel will begin work immediately with a high-specification 4D survey
in the North Sea for the integrated oil and gas company, Statoil. Equipped with Dynamic Spread Control
(DSC) - the new WesternGeco automated vessel, source and streamer steering technology - Western
Spirit provides superior repeatability for improved time-lapse studies for reservoir monitoring and
increased accuracy for sophisticated Q-enabled over/under and rich/wide azimuth surveys that help
characterize complex sub-surface environments. "Western Spirit is the first of three new Q-Marine vessels
that will join our fleet over the next two years,” said Dalton Boutte, president, WesternGeco. Q-Marine is
proprietary WesternGeco technology for enhanced reservoir-quality acquisition, processing and inversion.
Nok 240 million newbuilding contract
Posted: 14.06.2007 Havila Shipping ASA has entered into a contract with Solstrand Verft for building of
a new platform supply vessel (PSV) called Havyard 832 CD. The vessel is developed by Havyard
Maritime in close cooperation with Havila Shipping ASA. The vessel has a length of 80,4 m, breath of 17,6
m and 805 m3 deck-area. In order to meet environmental and comfort demands in the future the vessel
has; clean design class, catalysers, and DP 2. Delivery of the vessel will be during summer 2009, and
the contract price is approx NOK 240 mill. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Havila orders sophisticated dive support vessel
June 14, 2007 Havila Shipping has ordered a Dive Support Vessel of Havyard 858 DSV design at
Havyard Leirvik. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in February 2010 and will immediately enter into a 10
year firm bareboat contract with further option periods. The new vessel will be 120m overall with a 21m
beam and have a 250 tonne crane with accommodation for 120 people. With an ice class hull and Class 3
dynamic positioning, the vessel will be in compliance with the most demanding maritime and nvironmental
regulations worldwide. It will have a 24-man saturation diving system fitted with twin heave-compensated
diving bells certified for Norwegian regulations. The vessel will be jointly owned by Havila Shipping ASA
and a North Sea-based contractor who will operate her. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Acquisition of large-size PSV
Posted: 15.06.2007 Siem Offshore Inc has entered into an agreement with Simon Møkster Rederi AS for
the acquisition of the 1999-built large-size PSV `Stril Supplier` at a price of NOK 280 million. The vessel
is of MT 6000 design and has diesel electric propulsion, a deck area in excess of 900 square meters, and
full under-deck capacities including methanol. The vessel will be named `Siem Supplier` and delivered to
Siem Offshore in July 2007 after the completion of its current charter. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Tug sinks, 4 saved
Four people were rescued uninjured after the tug they were on sank in Seymour Narrows. The tug Glen
Shiel, owned by Moore Marine, capsized in the early morning hours of June 6 while in the process of
turning, says Major Mitch Leenders of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria. “There are very
significant currents in those narrows,” explained Leenders. “They are considered a dangerous area to
navigate.” The tug was girded by the barge of logs it was towing while trying to turn and sank quite rapidly.
Fortunately the four people on board the tug were able to get to the safety of the barge where they lit a
fire. The JRCC was alerted to the problem when the tug’s emergency beacon was activated and the signal
picked up by the search and rescue satellite. The lifeboat from Port Hardy Coast Guard station was sent
to the scene with back up from the Buffalo and Cormorant rescue aircraft from Comox. “The people had
started a fire on the barge, so it wasn’t too difficult to spot,” said (Source: Clipping News)
Cantwell bill calls for year-round Neah Bay tug
Senator Maria Cantwell introduced a bill Thursday to improve federal efforts to prevent and respond to oil
spills -- including year-round rescue tug at Neah Bay. The Washington Democrat says the measure would
implement long-sought environmental safeguards to protect U.S. waterways from contamination, and
would build on a 1990 law passed in response to the devastating 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.
Despite a drop in the number of spills since the 1990 law, Cantwell says the volume of oil spilled has not
decreased. Cantwell chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast
Guard. In 1992, vessels spilled 665-thousand gallons of oil. In 2004, the figure was 722-thousand gallons,
with 36 spills from tank ships in U.S. waters, 141 spills from barges and 15-hundred-62 spills from other
vessels, including cargo ships. Among other things, the bill would require that a user-funded tugboat be
stationed year-round at Neah Bay to assist any ships that might get in distress near the mouth of the Strait
of Juan de Fuca. The state has provided money for wintertime tug coverage the past few years. (Source:
Clipping News)
**SMIT VAART HET ZEEGAT UIT**
Afgelopen zaterdag werd in de Kuijperij in Maassluis het eerste exemplaar van het boek Overhandigd oor
Piet de Nijs, voorzitter van de Stichting “Help de Hudson“, aan Gert Vliegenthart van Vlierodam, het
boek wat geschreven is door Maarten Bezuijen, bevat 43 bladzijden met vele foto’s van het verleden tot
nu van de zeeslepers welke hebben gevaren voor Smit. 11 oktober 2006, een dag om nooit te vergeten
voor schrijver Maarten Bezuijen, die dag overleed zijn moeder, zij was de dochter van Maarten
Hoogendam die gedurende de Tweede Wereld oorlog machinist was op de Zwarte Zee, en na de oorlog
3e machinist werd op de Thames wat hij bleef tot zijn overlijden in 1962, Maarten zijn moeder groeide in
Vlaardingen op bijna altijd zonder haar vader , want die zat op zee en maakte vaak lange reizen. Dit was
de aanleiding van Maarten om dit boekje te schrijven, ter nagedachtenis aan zijn grootvader, MAARTEN
HOOGENDAM ( 1896-1962 ), in de tweede plaats werd op de bestuursvergadering van de stichting “Help
de Hudson” waar Maarten ook deel van uit maakt, die avond besloten dat de Hudson niet zal worden
uitgerust met een werkende hoofdmotor, in de derde plaats op dezelfde dag werd door Smit bekend
gemaakt dat de nog in de vaart zijnde zeeslepers, waarvan Smit toen nog 50% eigenaar was, zullen
worden overgedragen aan Svitzer-Wijsmuller wat ondertussen alweer vernoemd is in Svitzer Ocean
Towage en hiermee viel ook de Hollandse naam Wijsmuller jammer genoeg weg van het toneel. Dit alles
waren aanleidingen genoeg voor Maarten tot het op papier zetten van gegevens over de sleepboten die
onder de vlag van Smit hebben gevaren. De sleepvaart is zeker een plaats waardig in de maritieme
geschiedenis van ons land, volgens de schrijver in zijn toespraak, heden, anno 2007 wordt het steeds
moeilijker om Nederlanders te vinden die met schepen de wereldzeeën nog te willen bevaren. Men vaart
duidelijk een andere koers dan vroeger, en Maarten hoopt van harte dat de bergingsactiviteiten van Smit
niet dezelfde kant opgaan als de zeesleepvaart, want ook de berging is blijft een oer oude Hollandse
bedrijfstak waar we zuinig mee om dienen te gaan, de schrijver hoopt dat dit boekje mag bijdragen tot de
kennis van hoe groot de Hollandse zeesleepvaart wel is geweest en laten we waakzaam zijn dat we toch
niet alles zomaar te grabbel gooien, d.w.z. via het spuigat in de oceaan ten onder gaat. Het boekje “SMIT
VAART HET ZEEGAT UIT” met daarin vele foto’s is te koop voor 9 Euro aan boord van de HUDSON en
in het SLEEPVAART MUSEUM in Maassluis. (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 24
dd. 25 Juni 2007
_______________________________________________________
Maju Cepat Sold to Finland
Yxpila Hinaus - Bogsering Oy Ab of Kokkola bought ASD-tug from Maju Maritime Singapore, a joint
Venture of SMIT and Keppel. She is the MAJU CEPAT (IMO 9154892) built 1996 in China and of 298
gross tonnage, 32.82 meters long and 2 x Daihatsu engines with total power being 2,354 kW (3,200 hp).
She will be delivered by Redwise Maritime to new owners. The new name is not yet known (Source: Risto
Brzoza)
SMIT expands activities in Egypt
Rotterdam, 19 June 2007 SMIT herewith announces that it bought a share of 50% in Ocean Marine
Services in Egypt. Together with its partner for 25 years (the Shilbaya Group) seven work vessels will be
deployed on term charters for the Egyptian petroleum industry. Above mentioned participation is in line
with SMIT’s strive to focus its growth strategy on the pursuit of stability and predictability of its business
activities. (Source: Smit)
Guiness book of records
Het wereldrecord varen in kiellinie is gebroken. Dat gebeurde zaterdag in Dordrecht. In een lint van 6
kilometer zijn 148 duw- en sleepboten over de Oude Maas en Beneden Merwede gevaren. De boten
moesten kop-aan-kont gaan varen op. Tussen de bruggen naar Zwijndrecht en Papendrecht voer een
bonte sliert langs de kades. Er deden zowel historische- als hypermoderne boten mee. Het record komt in
het guinnes book of records te staan. Het oude record is ruimschoots verdubbeld dat stond op 70 boten.
In Dordrecht last weekend the “Guiness book of records” record was broken, in total 148 tugs lined up for
a parade on the river. (Source: Clipping News)
CDL to Launch Tugboat
Colombo Dockyards Limited’s (CDL) launch of the Anchor Handling Tug a boat, built for Great Ship
(India), is scheduled to take place next week, reported the Daily News. CDL had invested much resources
to modernize the previous repair dock No. 2 to a shipbuilding dock with increased tonnage and widening
of the entrance to handle beamer ships, which is at the Colombo Port. This is the first of the two Anchor
Handling Tug Supply Vessels (AHTSV) with a 80 Ton Bollard Pull capacity for Greatship (India) Limited, a
wholly owned subsidiary of one of India’s largest private sector shipping companies, the Great Eastern
Shipping Company, who are in the business of providing offshore oil field services catering to the oil and
gas E&P domain. Greatship will give some more orders in the near future as well. The keel laying to mark
the commencement of work on the first AHTSV was held on October 23, 2006 and work on the second
AHTSV commenced on December 21, 2006. The first and the second AHTSV’s are scheduled for delivery
in December 2007 and during first quarter of 2008 respectively. (Source: Daily News)
Merwede Shipyard confirms Hornbeck order
IHC Holland Merwede BV has confirmed that its subsidiary Merwede Shipyard received a contract for the
design and construction of a multi-purpose offshore support vessel for Hornbeck Offshore Services in the
US. Merwede Shipyard secured the order because of its ability to design and offer the vessel - including
the integration of cranes -within the required short delivery time and for a fixed price. The vessel will be
built under Yard No 717 and delivery will take place in the third quarter of 2009. The multipurpose
OCV will be capable of operating globally. However, the Hornbeck Offshore Services plans to deploy the
vessel in its primary operating market in the Gulf of Mexico. While this foreign-built vessel cannot qualify
for Jones Act trade, the company still intends to US-flag the vessel, which offers certain strategic benefits
to the company and its customers. Hornbeck Offshore also has a four-year option to construct two
additional sister vessels based on the same Type-22 MPOCV design at a US shipyard, which would
qualify for domestic coastwise trade under the Jones Act. The vessel will be built in accordance with the
Rules and Regulations of Det Norske Veritas, to obtain the following notation: DNV + 1A1, EO, SF,
Dynpos, AUTRO, HELDK, DK(+), ERN (99,99,93) and to the regulations of the Isle of Man Authorities.
The 8,000 deadweight ton vessel will be equipped with two cranes, a helideck, a moonpool and
accommodations for 100 people. The primary crane will have lifting capacity of up to 400 tons in up to
3,000m of water, and the secondary crane will provide significant additional lifting capacity. The ship was
designed by Merwede Shipyard in close concert with Hornbeck Offshore Services and has been based on
an enhanced version of the Merwede Type-22 design, Merwede Shipyard’s versatile 22m beam design. It
will be a fully dynamic positioned DP3 vessel, suitable for worldwide operation. (Source: Maritime Bulletin)
Tug en route for ship salvage operation
Tug boat central to the salvage operation for the Pasha Bulker, stranded off a Newcastle beach, will arrive
in the port city on Thursday. The Pacific Responder is sailing from Queensland to Newcastle ahead of
the big tides necessary for refloating the 40,000 tonne vessel, which is wedged on a sandbar 20m off
Nobbys Beach. The Pasha Bulker grounded during gale force winds and wild seas on June 8, and since
then more than 20 Australian and international agencies have been collaborating on the salvage
operation. Two replacement tug boats will carry out the Pacific Responder's normal duties by providing
emergency towing in the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait for the Australian Maritime Safety
Authority. "The tug is sailing from Cairns and expected in Newcastle on Thursday afternoon or early
evening," NSW Ports Minister Joe Tripodi says. "Pacific Responder is 64 metres in length and will assist in
laying sea anchors and chains as part of the salvage of the Pasha Bulker." The salvage plan also involves
three other vessels -the salvage tugs Woona and Keera, and the oil spill response vessel Shirley Smith.
Newcastle Port Corporation chief executive Gary Webb said the Shirley Smith would remain in Newcastle
as a precautionary measure while fuel oil was pumped from the Pasha Bulker's lower tanks to safer tanks
higher on the vessel. "The pumping of fuel oil is expected to take until Friday and the Shirley Smith will
return to Sydney," Mr Webb said. "It will then sail back to Newcastle for refloat of the Pasha Bulker on
Spring tides later in June." (Source: Leo Kramer)
New charter deals for Solstad
Solstad Offshore has entered into letters of intent related to chartering of two of the company's vessels.
The PSV Normand Carrier has been chartered for a period of approximately 100 days for operations in
the Mediterranean. The contract will start in September/October 2007. The AHTS Normand Master has
been chartered for a period of approximately 100 days for operations in the US Gulf. The contract starts in
November 2007. Both contracts are related to work in the subsea market. The total value of the contracts
is approximately US$19 million(Source: Leo Kramer)
Bourbon Dolphin disaster
Bourbon Dolphin wrong vessel for the job
As the Royal Commission into the Bourbon Dolphin got underway in Ålesund, Western Norway, the
head of Bourbon Offshore Norway, Trond Myklebust, himself an experienced anchor handling captain,
claimed that the vessel should never have been the main ship in the fatal operation. In an open hearing
Myklebust said that the operation should have been stopped when they realised that bigger vessels than
the Bourbon Dolphin were struggling. At one stage Bourbon Dolphin asked for assistance from the
much bigger Olympic Hercules, but that was refused by the town master on the semi-submersible rig
Transocean Rather. The Olympic Hercules has a bollard pull of 270 tonnes against only 194 tonnes for
the Bourbon Dolphin. The owners of the vessel, which sank north west of Shetland on 12 April, were
never informed of the technical difficulties in the anchor handling operation. Deep water anchor handling
operation is often done by moving the anchor first and connecting the chain afterwards.
A slacker wire could have saved Bourbon Dolphin
During the Royal Commission hearing about the illfated AHTS Bourbon Dolphin it was revealed that the
tow master on the semi-submersible Transocean Rather initially refused to give more slack on the wire.
The master of Bourbon Dolphin asked to have more slack on the wire allow the vessels more room to
manoeuvre. At first the tow master refused to give out more wire, but later relented when the captain
insisted. When captain Grim Bergtun, the master of AHTS Olympic was asked if he believed that the
accident could have been avoided had the wire been slackened, he answered “Yes”. The slack on the
wire had allowed Olympic Hercules to get pack in position through strong current and six metres waves.
The tow master appeared to understand that Bourbon Dolphin had difficulties, because he asked
Olympic Hercules to stand by to assist. According to captain Bergtun, the tow master also asked the
Bourbon Dolphin to terminate the job and get out of the area. Seven anchors were already in place and
the situation was not regarded as critical.
Bourbon Dolphin survived previous near-capsize
The anchor handler Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized off Shetland with the loss of eight lives in April,
almost capsized on a previous occassion, last December, it has emerged. According to a report on BBC
News Online, the disclosure was made during an inquiry in Alesund, Norway, set up to examine what led
to the Bourbon Dolphin to capsize. Said the BBC report: "On Monday the commission heard evidence
from Trond Myklebust, managing director of Bourbon Offshore in Norway. He said the decision on whether
or not a vessel was suitable for a job rested with the contractor, not with his company." "Mr Myklebust
admitted that he had since been told that the Bourbon Dolphin was 'marginal' for the job at the Chevron
oil platform and that he now knew it was not the first or even second choice of vessel," the report said.
------/////-----
Siem Offshore acquires Simon Møkster PSV
Siem Offshore has entered into an agreement with Simon Møkster Rederi in Norway for the acquisition of
the large PSV Stril Supplier at a price of NKr 280 million. The vessel is an MT 6000 design built in 1999
and has diesel electric propulsion, a deck area in excess of 900m2, and full under-deck capacities
including methanol. The vessel will be named Siem Supplier and delivered to Siem Offshore in July 2007
after the completion of its current charter.
Statoil extends well intervention contract with Island Offshore
Island Frontier will continue LWI work for Statoil into 2009. Statoil reports that a contract for light well
intervention (LWI) with Island Offshore Management and its alliance partners FMC Technologies Inc and
Aker Kvaerner Well Services has been expanded by Statoil. Worth NKr 600 million, the change means
that Island Frontier – originally due to be replaced next year April by newbuilding Island Wellserver –
will continue under the contract in 2008-09. “Cost-efficient use of LWI will give major savings,” said Tim
Dodson, acting executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway (UPN). “This method is an
important instrument for achieving our production goal for the Norwegian continental shelf and the target
of a 55 per cent recovery factor on subsea-produced fields.” Island Frontier and Island Wellserver are
due to provide services in parallel on Statoil-operated licences in the Tampen area of the North Sea and
Halten/Nordland in the Norwegian Sea. LWI is a wireline-based system for workovers in subseacompleted wells, and represents an important tool for Statoil in improving recovery from subsea wells.
Unlike well intervention from a drilling rig, LWI does not require installation of a riser. A ship is also much
easier to move than a moored rig. Leo Kramer
Solvik Offshore declares option
Fearnley Offshore Supply reports that Solvik Offshore AS has declared an option for the construction of
a VS 485 design PSV at Hellesøy Verft in Norway. Delivery is due in early 2009, and the contract value
is NKr 260-270 million
First of BP's Jigsaw ships finally phased into rescue mode
Seascope Offshore reports that BP is scheduled to retain a fleet of five large PSVs for the majority of 2007
– namely Normand Aurora (P105), Maersk Fighter (UT745), Maersk Feeder (UT745), Maersk Fetcher
(UT745) and Maersk Forwarder (UT745). In addition, the first of the company's four Chinese-built RSVs Caledonian Victory, Caledonian Vanguard, Caledonian Vision, Caledonian Vigilance – is reportedly
in rescue and recovery mode supporting multi-locations in the Central North Sea as the significantly
delayed ‘Project Jigsaw’ finally starts to be phased in. In the South North Sea, BP have sublet the medium
sized PSV ER Bergen (VS470MkII) from Lundin Petroleum to support a 1-3 well programme on the
Amethyst Field with Ensco 92. The vessel has been on charter to Lundin since April 2006.
Edda Sprite sold
Fearnley Offshore Supply has confirmed that Astrea Shipping Company in Greece has acquired the PSV
Edda Sprite (1987 – 3,550 dwt) for NKr 110 million. The ship's new managers will be Asso Divers.
Bluestream extends Northern River - plans DSV charter
Seascope Offshore reports that The Netherlands-based subsea contractor Bluestream
recently extended Northern River (a UT745L) for a further five years. The contract originally commenced
in May 2006. In addition, the company is thought to be finalising the long term charter of a newbuild DSV
that is under construction in Norway with delivery scheduled for December.
Multrship adds newbuildings
Dutch salvage and towage company Multraship has bought two newbuilding azimuth stern drive tugs for
delivery October 2007 and April 2008. The two multi-purpose tugs will be rated around 70 tonne bollard
pull and are currently under construction at the Vega Denizcilik Sanayi Ve Tic. Ltd. Sti shipyard in Turkey.
“Demand for reliable towage services in the North Sea is strong and we are pleased that we will be able to
expand our fleet of modern tugs by buying these two new vessels for early delivery,” says Leendert Muller,
managing director of Multraship. “We also have two Carrousel tugs building for us in Malaysia, set for
2008/9 delivery, which will together with these two new multi purpose vessels give our River Scheldtbased fleet a substantial boost to capacity. It is very important for us to be able to deploy good fire fighting,
salvage and oil pollution combating capacity rapidly in the busy Scheldt area.” Both tugs will be 35.7 m
loa, 12 m beam and will have a multi-role capability for harbour, escort and sea towage and also full
firefighting and salvage roles. They will have FF1 fire fighting, Escort towage and Oil recovery notations.
The first vessel will have two Caterpillar Engines, the second two ABC engines, delivering around 70
tonnes bollard pull through Z drive CP propellers. The vessels will have a double winch aft and a single
winch forward and a free running speed of around 13 knots.
SmitWijs Rotterdam & SmitWijs London renamed
The SmitWijs Rotterdam and the SmitWijs London are been renamed by Svitzer in Rotterdam &
London last week at the the Keppel Tuas shipyard in Singapore Both vessels will depart FPSO P-53
(Source: Kees Pronk Jr.)
Zeus
The tug ZEUS has changed name during drydocking at Antwerp. The tug will be renamed in FAIRPLAY
28. (Source: Peter Andriessen)
8e jaargang, nr. 25
dd. 01Juli 2007
_______________________________________________________
In Memoriam
Sleepvaart- en Offshore Nieuws ontving het droeve bericht dat op vrijdag vrijdagavond 22 juni op 77 jarige
leeftijd is overleden aan een slopende ziekte die hij op bewonderenswaardige en positieve manier heeft
gedragen. PAUL DE SMIT. Paul was voormalig hoofd bemanningszaken Smit-Lloyd B.V. Rotterdam
Namens alle lezers van de Sleepvaart- en Offshore nieuws wens ik Neeltje, Paul’s familie en vrienden
veel sterkte met dit verlies.
UPDATE - FIRE ON TUG OFF CROMER
12 members of the Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG National Response), comprising specially
trained Fire Fighters from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, are currently aboard the tug 'HT Blade' as
they prepare the vessel with the intention of it being towed to Lowestoft later today. 2 tugs ('Grey Salvor'
and 'Grey Vixen') are now on scene in order to tow the casualty tug to Lowestoft; it is currently
anticipated that the arrival time will be late this evening if all goes according to plan.
A 30 metre tug experienced a fire in the engine room approximately 2 miles northeast of Cromer this
morning (8am) with 3 crew aboard. Yarmouth Coastguard tasked Coastguard Rescue teams from
Lowestoft, Cromer and Felixstowe; as well as requesting the launch of the Cromer RNLI lifeboat to the
scene. A Rescue helicopter from RAF Wattisham transported the MIRG crew to the scene. The crew was
taken aboard the Cromer all weather lifeboat. The lifeboat and a cargo vessel 'RMS Riga' have been
dousing the casualty tug with water. Glynn Young, Watch Manager, Yarmouth Maritime Rescue
Coordination Centre, says: "Extensive boundary cooling has and is taking place around the casualty tug,
though the temperature is steadily dropping. Supplies are currently being taken out to the crews by the
Cromer RNLI Inshore Lifeboat. The Tugs 'Grey Salvor' and 'Grey Vixen' are on scene and will shortly be
commencing a tow of the vessel to Lowestoft Harbour, where they will be met by Suffolk Fire and Rescue
Service to evaluate the situation in a more secure environment for their personnel." (source: Leo Kramer)
Nieuwbouw voor Bouman Marine Services
BMS Holding BV heeft op 12-04-2007 bij scheepswerf Kooiman te Zwijndrecht een nieuwe zeegaande
sleepboot besteld. Deze boot is een kopie van de in het afgelopen jaar bij Scheepswerf
Kooiman gebouwde Meander en Isa met wel enkele uiterlijke en innerlijke wijzigingen. Enkele uiterlijke
wijzigingen zijn: De kop aan de duwsteven zijde 70 cm hoger, Diameter duwstevenrubber rond 80 cm en
doorlopend tot 1 meter onder de waterlijn, Straalbuizen 35 cm vrij hangend van het vlak met daarbij een
zware hakconstructie onder de straalbuizen door
,
De stuurhut pet aan de voor en zijkant minder breed, Drie grote ramen tot op de vloer van het stuurhuis in
de achterwand en een derde berghout in de zij ter hoogte van de stuurhut. Enkele innerlijke wijzigingen
zijn; Motervermogen hoofdmotoren 1700 pk elk, Boegschroef 450 pk en een iets andere tank en
store indeling. Deze boot zal onder de vlag van de werkmaatschappij BMS Towing BV gaan varen en de
oplevering staat gepland voor begin maart 2008 en zal gebouwd worden bij Scheepswerf Hoebee in
Dordrecht. In deze BMS Towing BV zullen ook de boten Indus en Willem-Bsr gaan varen. De boten SilJeske-B en Andre-B2 zullen blijven varen onder de vlag van de werkmaatschappij W Bouwman Marine
Service BV. Zie hieronder voor een artist inpression van de nieuwe boot. (source: Wout Bouwman)
Moran To Launch Pushboat
Monday, June 25, 2007 Around the end of June Moran Towing Corp. of New Canaan, Connecticut will
launch the Lisa Moran, a new triple screw push boat at the C&G Boatworks yard in Mobile Alabama. This
will be the third push boat in the extensive and varied Moran fleet. The firm's two existing pushboats were
repowered with Cummins engines earlier this year. Three Cummins KTA38 M0 mains, each one
producing 850 hp at 1800 rpm, will power the 77 x 30-ft. Lisa Moran. Each engine will turn into ZF model
W3310 marine gears with 5:1 reduction and five-inch diameter Aquamet 17 shafts. The hull has a molded
depth of ten feet six inches. Accommodations are designed for a crew of eight. Tankage includes 30,000
gallons of fuel, 5,000 gallons of water and 165 gallons of lube oil. The boat will be fitted with a Markey
TYS-24 towing winch and 65 ton Nabrico deck winches. The Lisa Moran's main engines were furnished by
Cummins Power Systems out of Baltimore and up fitted by Cummins Mid-South L.L.C. for delivery to C&G
Boatworks. Cummins Mid-South is the distributor of Cummins and Onan products for Arkansas, Alabama,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois, the panhandle of Florida, and western
Tennessee. (source: Jan van der Doe)
Bourbon Dolphin Disaster Continue
Bourbon Dolphin job would have been stopped in the Norwegian sector
Published: 2007-06-26 12.29 AHTS Bourbon Dolphin was grappling with a too heavy anchor in six metre
waves north west of Shetland when the vessel capsized on April 12th and later sank, the Royal
Commission sitting in Ålesund heard from crewmembers giving evidence. A Commission member pointed
out that operations in six metre waves would have been stopped in the Norwegian sector, while there is no
such limitation in the British sector. Captain Grim Are Bergtun of Olympic Hercules told the enquiry that
two other vessels were supposed to have done the job that Bourbon Dolphin had to take on. The
operational plan was for the vessel to assist others. But suddenly Bourbon Dolphin became the main
vessel of the operation. The charterer had asked for a vessel with minimum bollard pull of 180 tonnes,
while Bourbon Dolphin had 194 tonnes. However, with the thrusters going, the actual bollard pull was
much less. Bourbon Offshore managing director Trond Myklebust, told the Commission he had no idea
why the vessel was designated the main ship. He said it was up to the charterer to decide if the vessel
was up to the job.
Weitere Schiffe für Harms Bergung
25.06.2007 Die Flotte der Hamburger Harms Bergung Transport & Heavylift GmbH & Co. KG wächst
weiter. Das Neubauprogramm umfasst insgesamt zwölf(12) Fahrzeuge - neun Schlepper, ein schnelles
Crewboat und zwei Plattformversorger. Darin eingeschlossen sind die Schlepper „Primus", „Magnus"
und „Taurus" von der Mützelfeldtwerft/Ferrostaal, die bereits in Fahrt sind. Zusätzlich zu den vier in
diesem und dem nächsten Jahr noch folgenden Schleppern mit 220 beziehungsweise 280 Tonnen
Pfahlzug hat Harms Bergung bei Ferrostaal/Mützelfeldt zwei weitere Schlepper des Typs „Primus" mit 110
Tonnen Pfahlzug zum Stückpreis von 17 Millionen Euro bestellt.
HARMS Offshore orders MACS PSVs to new German design
June 26, 2007 HARMS Offshore, Germany has confirmed contracts for 2 + 2 PSVs of the 1400 MACS
design at Bharati Shipyard, India. The new design was developed at Hitzler Werft, Germany and will
have multi-cargo abilities for all dry- and liquid ulk cargo below deck.
Tug Malta
Tug Malta Ltd. (1980) is overgenomen door Rimorchiatori Riuniti uit Genua. Ze gaan ingaande eind juli
2007 de havensleepdiensten in de Grand Harbour van Valletta en in de Marsaxlokk Freeport voor hun
rekening nemen.
Swissco expands with order for three more vessels
June 26, 2007 Swissco International Ltd in Singapore has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary,
Swissco Offshore Pte Ltd has placed an order for three more vessels worth S$13.5 million. The Group has
placed order for a 70m offshore support workboat from a Chinese shipyard and expects delivery in the
second half of 2008. Prior to deployment, the vessel will be retrofitted in Singapore with specialized and
enhanced equipment. This highly specialized vessel will be able to accommodate up to 100 persons. The
Group has also placed order for another two vessels from an East Malaysian shipyard in Sarawak that
had delivered vessels to the Group previously. The order includes a 26m multi-purpose workboat and a
31m utility offshore support vessel. These two vessels are expected to be delivered by the first half of
2008. (source: Leo Kramer)
Greatship orders two anchor handlers
June 25, 2007 Fearnley Offshore Supply reports that Greatship, India has ordered a pair of AHTS at
Colombo Dockyard, Sri Lanka. The contract price is total US$35 million and delivery will be in January and
April 2009. (source: Leo Kramer)
Halt of Athena due to damage in engine room. The Athena is an MPSV operating under
contract for TOTAL E&P Congo.
Marseilles, 26th June, 7.30 pm This morning at 5.25 am (Paris time) the Athena, a BOURBON fleet Multi
Purpose Supply Vessel operating under contract with TOTAL E&P Congo, reported a technical incident
provoking entry of water in the engine room. It was 15 nautical miles off the coast of Congo, in transit
between the oil fields of Likouala and East Tchibouela. In conformity with BOURBON and TOTAL Safety
Management procedures, emergency committees were put in place immediately, on site in Pointe Noire
and in France. To optimize operations the anchor was dropped to immobilize the ship and the engine
compartments were cut off. The 63 people on board (26 crew members and 37 technicians) were
immediately evacuated onto the TOTAL barge situated in the vicinity. The Athena was then towed by
Achille, a BOURBON fleet Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel also under contract with TOTAL E & P
Congo, to the outer roadstead of Pointe Noire, where it is sheltering and safe since 07.00 p.m. Paris time.
All preventive measures have been taken and no pollution has been reported. Pumping and water
tightness of the hull are in progress before transferring the vessel to a shipyard for dry dock and repair.
(source: Bourbon)
Halt of Athena due to damage in engine room. The Athena is a Bourbon Multi Purpose Supply
Vessel
Marseilles, 27th June 6.30 p.m. Due to poor weather conditions, pumping and water tightness operations
on the Athena, which was towed and anchored yesterday evening to the outer roadstead of Pointe Noire
in the Congo subsequent to water entry into the engine room, had to be stopped during the night. The ship
is resting on a sandy bed at a depth of 10 metres and is listing over 50°. No lives are at risk. Smit Salvage
has been contracted to proceed with operations to rescue the vessel and to protect the site. Operations
have already started. In conformity with BOURBON Safety Management procedures, the causes of the
incident are under investigation and will allow the necessary conclusions to be drawn. (source: Bourbon)
Bourbon Offshore vessel Athena suffers partial flooding of engine room
June 28, 2007 Bourbon Offshore has announced that at 5.25am European time on June 26th, Athena,
one of Bourbon's fleet of multi-purpose supply vessels (MPSVs) operating under contract to Total E&P
Congo reported what the company described as "a technical incident" provoking entry of water in the
engine room. The ship was 15 nautical miles off the coast of Congo, in transit between the Likouala and
East Tchibouela fields at the time. Emergency procedures were put in place and the ship's anchor
was dropped and the engine compartments were shut off. The 63 people on board (26 crew members
and 37 technicians) were immediately evacuated to a Total barge situated in the vicinity. Athena was then
towed by Achille, a Bourbon AHTS which is also under contract to Total E&P Congo, to Pointe Noire.
No pollution has been reported as a result of the incident and pumping was started, with the intention of
towing the ship to a dry-dock for repair. However, on June 27th, Bourbon said that due to poor weather
conditions, pumping and water tightness operations had been stopped with the ship resting on a sandy
bed at a depth of 10m and listing by more than 50°. "No lives are at risk," said Bourbon. Smit Salvage has
been contracted to proceed with operations to salvage the vessel and operations are already under way.
Athena is a Vik-Sandvik-designed VS 4501 MPSV. (source: Leo Kramer)
Update: Thursday, June 28, 2007
Due to poor weather conditions pumping had to be stopped during the night. The Athena was towed and
anchored yesterday evening to the outer roadstead of Pointe Noire in the Congo. The ship is resting on a
sandy bed at a depth of 10 meters and is listing over 50 degrees. No lives are at risk. Smit Salvage has
been contracted to proceed with operations to rescue the vessel and to protect the site. Operations have
already started. In conformity with Bourbon Safety Management procedures, the causes of the incident
are under investigation. (source: Leo Kramer)
Swire Pacific confirms AHTS order
June 28, 2007 The Havyard 844 AHTS design was developed with a focus on deepwater. Swire Pacific
Offshore has confirmed that the company has placed an order for four 18,250bhp, 200 bollard pull AHTS,
to be built at Pan-United Marine’s shipyard in Singapore with delivery in 2010 and 2011. The company
said the Havyard 844 design was developed in close collaboration with SPO’s technical team with a focus
on offshore deepwater requirements. "These SPO 'D' class vessels are to be built to clean class and ice
class notations, and equipped with powerful 500 tonne Rauma Brattvaag winches. The vessels will have
ample power to support the latest generation semi-submersible rigs operating in deepwater and harsh
environments whilst having adequate tank capacities and clear deck space for other offshore
applications," said the company. The vessels will also adopt the latest DP technology and will carry FiFi 1
classification. The design also takes fuel efficiency and environmental concerns into careful consideration,
taking into account the variety of roles in which the vessels will likely be engaged. (source: Leo Kramer)
Island Valiant delivered by Aker Yards
June 28, 2007 Island Offshore in Norway says its new AHTS Island Valiant was delivered from Aker
Yards Langsten on June 22nd and is now available on the spot market. The vessel is a sophisticated
anchor handler specially designed for deepwater operations. Compared to near-sister vessel Island
Vanguard, Island Valiant has been extended by 7m, and accommodation increased to 60 persons.
Island Valiant has a permanently installed work ROV from Oceaneering and has equipment for deploying
and retrieving large suction anchors and subsea modules safely through a moonpool. A 90 tons subsea
crane with Active Heave Compensation (AHC) can be fitted to the vessel should this be required. The
design is a UT 787 CD from Rolls-Royce. (source: Leo Kramer)
Fairplay Towage charters offshore-tug
Hamburg-based Fairplay-Towage has bare-boated the offshore-tug „ZEUS“ from the Slovenia tugowner
Adria Tow, Koper. The tug has been renamed „FAIRPLAY-28“. The Voith-watertractor „FAIRPLAY-28“,
built by Spanisch shipyard Astilleros Armon in December 2006 is replacing the „Fairplay-27“, which after
1 year’s charter has been redelivered to her owners Bugsier og Berging, Oslo where she will start a
terminal contract for Statoil Hammerfest (Snøhvit-Project). „FAIRPLAY-28“ has already been re-painted in
the typical blue Fairplay-colours and will shortly start her duties in the Northsea within the Euro-Tug-Pools.
Euro-Tugs BV, a Joint Venture between Fairplay Towage und URS Antwerpen, is specialized in OffshoreServices as well as coastal- and worldwide towages (www.euro-tugs.com). The tug will be based in
Rotterdam and therefore also be available for harbour work, especially in Europoort. The slovenianflagged “Zeus//Fairplay-28” is a 34,5m long and 11,6m wide Voith-watertractor with a draft of 6,1 to 7.2m.
The tug is classed under Bureau Veritas (class-notation: BV I +Hull +MACH – TUG FIFI1 Water Spray –
unrestricted Navigation +AUT –UMS-RECOL). Two MaK 8M25 main engines with each 2640kW and Voith
propulsions of the type 32R5/250-2 provide a bollard pull of 73,5t and a free running speed of 14kn. A
Hatlapa Escort winch (type 900/680) with 700m of a 52mmØ tow-wire, Karmoy towing pins, Caterpillar
auxiliary engines (306 KVA) and a Palfinger crane (type PK 18080) are the main components of this
strong offshore tug. An allround fendering serves especially safe harbour and offshore-work. A Kvaerner
FiFi1-installation produces 1400cbm water or a water/foam mixture per hour and per fire-fighting monitor.
More information about Fairplay Towage can be viewed on www.fairplay-towage.com
K-Sea to acquire Smith and Sirius
K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. is to acquire Smith Maritime, Ltd. of Honolulu, Hawaii and Sirius
Maritime LLC of Seattle, Washington ("Sirius"). Smith is controlled by Gordon Smith, who is also one of
the three owners of Sirius and who will join the management of K-Sea. The total purchase price will be
approximately $205 million. The transactions are expected to be completed in July or early August. On a
combined basis, these operations include eleven petroleum tank barges and ten tugboats, aggregating
777,000 barrels of capacity, of which 670,000 barrels, or 86 percent, are double-hulled. The addition of
these tank barges will represent a 22 percent increase in the barrel-carrying capacity of the K-Sea fleet to
about 4.3 million barrels. The total purchase price will consist of approximately $195 million in cash and
assumed debt, plus K-Sea common units valued at approximately $10 million. K-Sea expects to initially
finance the cash portion of the purchase price through additional borrowings, which it expects to refinance
in due course. K-Sea also announced that its management will recommend an increase of $0.02 per unit,
or 2.9%, in the distribution to unitholders for the fourth quarter ending June 30, 2007, to $0.70 per unit, or
$2.80 per unit annualized. This will be the ninth consecutive quarter of increased distributions, and the
eleventh such increase since the company's IPO in January 2004. K-Sea also took delivery last week of
another new, 28,000 barrel double hulled tank barge, which is part of its fleet expansion and upgrade
program. Including the recently announced extension of this program, ten more double hulled tank barges,
totaling 524,000 barrels of additional capacity, are scheduled to be delivered before the end of calendar
2010, at which time K-Sea's total barrel-carrying capacity of over 4.8 million barrels will have more than
doubled from its capacity at the time of its initial public offering in January 2004. By the end of 2010, the KSea fleet should be more than 80% double hulled, depending on the rate of retirement of the remaining
single hulled vessels. Gordon Smith, President of Smith Maritime, stated, "We are excited to become part
of the K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. group of companies. Throughout the years Smith Maritime has
endeavored to become the leading tank barge operator in the Hawaiian Islands, greatly enhancing our
fleet with new double hull barges, as well as working to become one of the safest and most reliable
transporters of petroleum products in the U.S. We believe that merging with K-Sea will bring greater
opportunities for both our loyal employees as well as our customers in our continued growth and
expansion." Robert Dorn and Wayne Sundberg of Sirius Maritime jointly stated, "We are very pleased to
become part of K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P., a company whose business and culture closely
resembles our own. We are excited about the opportunities that this transaction provides to our
employees and to our customers, and look forward to continuing to strive for safe and efficient marine
transportation of petroleum products while working in the K-Sea family of companies." Timothy J. Casey,
President and CEO of K-Sea, said, "We look forward to welcoming Gordon Smith, Bob Dorn and Wayne
Sundberg, along with the other employees of Smith and Sirius, to our company. Together, we look forward
to continuing to build a high quality marine transportation operation. The management of Smith and Sirius
have built impressive operating teams which will significantly increase our growth potential." (source:
Clipping News)
SEACOR and Nabors in OSV venture
SEACOR Holdings Inc. and Nabors Industries Ltd. announced that they have entered into a letter of intent
to form a new company to own and operate a fleet of twenty offshore support vessels currently owned by
a Nabors affiliate. A subsidiary of SEACOR will be the majority owner of the new company, Sea Mar
Offshore LLC ("Sea Mar"), and will manage its 19 US flag and one foreign flag vessels. Nabors will be a
minority owner of Sea Mar, which will qualify for U.S. coastwise trade. Early termination of the waiting
period under the "Hart-Scott-Rodino" Anti-Trust Improvement Act of 1976 was granted on June 20, 2007.
The transaction is subject to definitive documentation and expected to close on or before July 13, 2007.
SEACOR is a global provider of marine support and transportation service, primarily to the energy and
chemical industries. SEACOR and its subsidiaries provide customers with a full suite of marine-related
services including offshore services, U.S. coastwise shipping, inland river services, helicopter services,
environmental services, and offshore and harbor towing services. SEACOR is uniquely focused on
providing highly responsive local service, combined with the highest safety standards, innovative
technology, modern efficient equipment, and dedicated, professional employees. The Nabors companies
own and operate approximately 640 land drilling and approximately 795 land workover and well-servicing
rigs in North America. Nabors' actively marketed offshore fleet consists of: 41 platform rigs, 14 jack-up
units and 4 barge rigs in the United States and multiple international markets. Nabors markets 25 marine
transportation and supply vessels, primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Nabors manufactures
top drives and drilling instrumentation systems and provides comprehensive oilfield hauling, engineering,
civil construction, logistics and facilities maintenance, and project management services. Nabors
participates in most of the significant oil, gas and geothermal markets in the world. (source: Clipping
News)
FAIRPLAY III CHRISTENED
In Rotterdam the latest newbuilding of FAIRPLAY Towage named FAIRPLAY III was christened by Emily
Hallgarten, the great-grand-daughter of the companies founder Richard Borchard. (source: Clipping
News)
8e jaargang, nr. 26
dd. 08 Juli 2007
_______________________________________________________
Albwardy Awarded Tug Contract
Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller (the joint venture company set-up by SvitzerWijsmuller and Qatar Gas Transport
Company - Nakilat), has awarded UAE's Albwardy Marine Engineering a contract to build five tugboats. A
keel-laying ceremony for the building of the five boats was held at the Dubai Ship Dockyard in Al Jaddaf.
(Source: AMEinfo)
Swire Pacific Offshore declares option for four V class anchor handlers
July 2, 2007 Swire Pacific Offshore has confirmed that the company has declared an option contract for
Labroy Shipyard to build four additional 8,810bhp 120 tonne bollard pull anchor handlers. The original
six IMT966 design SPO V class vessels were ordered in 2005, the first of which, Pacific Valhalla, will be
delivered in August 2007. She will be joined by sister vessels Pacific Valkyrie, Pacific Vanguard, Pacific
Victory, Pacific Viper, Pacific Vixen, and in 2009-10, the four additional vessels, Pacific Valour, Pacific
Vigilance, Pacific Vigour, and Pacific Vulcan. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Aker DOF Supply formed to own Vietnam-built anchor handlers
Six anchor handlers ordered from Aker Yards' Vietnam yard will be owned by a new joint company
established by DOF ASA and Aker Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aker ASA. Aker and DOF are
listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. Owned 50/50 by Aker Capital and DOF, the newly established Aker
DOF Supply will own the six anchor-handlers with DOF in charge of commercial and technical operations.
The contract value of the newbuilding series of six AHTS vessels is approximately NOK 1.8 billion. the
newbuilding order includes an option to build an additional six vessels.The delivery period for the vessels
is 2010-2012. DOF CEO Mr. Mons Aase comments: "DOF and Aker companies have been working
together for many years to develop both offshore vessel types and business opportunities. Aker Oilfield
Services was established earlier this year by pooling the know- how of DOF Subsea, Aker, Aker Kvaerner,
and Aker Yards. A new and even closer working relationship will be seen in Aker DOF Supply." The DOF
group currently has a fleet of 57 vessels in operation or on order. Aker DOF Supply's six anchor-handling
(AHTS) vessels are of the AH08 Aker Yards design. The towing power (Bollard Pull) of the vessels is
approximately 180 metric tons; their main engines are rated at about 16,000 BHP. The vessels will
conform to the strictest environmental standards, Det Norske Veritas Clean Design. (Source: Clipping
News)
U.S. Shipping Partners Takes Delivery of First ATB
U.S. Shipping Partners L.P. announced the delivery of its new articulated tug barge unit (ATB) the pusher
tug Freeport and the parcel barge Chemical Transporter. The Partnership believes the ATB Freeport is the
first IMO I ATB to be constructed in the United States. The ATB Freeport has successfully completed sea
trials and has received necessary certification by the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of
Shipping. The new vessel departed the shipyard on July 1, 2007 for its first load port in Louisiana, and
following completion of two routine design verification test procedures and arrival at the load port, it will lift
its first cargo, which is anticipated to occur at the end of this week. The vessel is already covered with
contracts of affreightment with major customers of the Partnership. This 19,999 dead weight ton IMO I
ATB is capable of carrying 140,000 barrels of the most sophisticated chemical cargos transported by
seagoing vessels. The ATB Freeport is the first of five ATBs U.S. Shipping Partners L.P. has contracted to
construct as part of its fleet expansion program. (Source: MarineLink)
Ahoy,
Op 2 juli is de 346 m lange FPSO "Petrobas 53" achter de "London" vertrokken uit Singapore, op weg
naar Rio Grande - Brazilië. In verband met de beperkte ruimte en drukte binnen Singapore port limits en in
Straat Singapore sleepte de "London" het eerste stuk in Straat Singapore alleen. Na passage van
Horsburgh Light in de Zuid Chinese Zee maakten ook de Chinese sleepboot "De Da" en de "Rotterdam"
vast. Voor de leken onder de lezers, de "London" en "Rotterdam" zijn de ex-Smitwijs London en exSmitwijs Rotterdam, tegenwoordig varend onder de vlag van Svitzer Ocean Towage.
Foto: Kees Pronk Jr.
Om het slechte weer op de Noord Indische Oceaan, veroorzaakt door de ZW-moesson, te ontwijken gaat
de route door de Indonesische archipel en. Via de Java Zee en Straat Sunda, tussen Java en Sumatera,
vaart het transport de Zuid Indische Oceaan in, richting Zuid Afrika. In het noordelijke gedeelte van Straat
Mozambique gooien de sleepboten één voor één los en gaan ze een tankstop maken in Durban, begin
augustus. Waarna de Kaap de Goede Hoop gerond wordt en koers gezet wordt naar Rio Grande in ZuidBrazilië. Verwachte aankomst te Rio Grande wordt eind augustus. De foto's van vertrek en overgeven
sleepverbinding van "London" aan "De Da" zijn gemaakt door de 2e stuurman van de "Rotterdam" Kees
Pronk jr. Voor mij is het na 46 jaar varen mijn laatste reis als kapitein. Begonnen in 1961 als afhouder op
de Scheveningse visserij, in 1965 als matroos o/g bij Wijsmuller en na 36 jaar Smit sluit ik mijn
zeemansloopbaan af bij Svitzer Ocean Towage (het vroegere Wijsmuller). Met vriendelijke groet,
Kees Pronk sr.
Note redactie. Kees geniet zo lang mogelijk van dit verlof. Veel gezondheid. Het is je gegund. Je hebt in
ieder geval voor een slepers opvolger gezorgd, dat is aan weinige voorbehouden. – Hans
Farstad Purchases Vessel Under Construction
Farstad Shipping has reached an agreement with Island Offshore to buy their newbuild no. 62 at Aker
Yards Brevik. Farstad will immediately enter into the contract with the yard. The newbuild is an AHTS of
type UT 712L (15.900 BHP) to be delivered in September 2008. The purchase price corresponds to a
vessel value of $68.6m. Farstad Shipping has a similar vessel under construction at the yard for delivery
in March 2008. During the last year the yard has delivered three of the same type of vessels to Farstad
Shipping. (Source: MarineLink)
Aker to Build Anchor Handling Supply Vessel
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with DOF Installer ASA based on the options given in the contract
between the parties of March 5, 2007. This is the first of two possible options in the connection of the
previous contract for building of 2 + 2 AHTS vessels. The value of this contract is approximately $130m.
The vessel is an Anchor Handling Supply Vessel based on the Aker Yards design AH 04 CD. Delivery is
scheduled in Q4 2010. The vessel will have a bollard pull in excess of 350 tons, and will be outfitted with a
triple drum winch of 500 tons. Accommodation is planned for 90 persons. The hull for the vessel will be
built at Aker Yards, Tulcea in Romania and outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. In the past DOF has been
involved in more than 30 contracts with Aker Yards. With this contract, 14 of the vessels in order by DOF
are of Aker Yards design. (Source: MarineLink)
Washburn & Doughty Delivers Eleanor F. Moran
On March 12, 2007, Washburn & Doughty Associates, Inc. of East
Boothbay, Maine delivered the Eleanor F. Moran, a 92 x 32-ft.,
5100 hp, Z-Drive Firefighting Tug, to Moran Towing of New
Canaan, Connecticut. The vessel is operating at the port of
Norfolk, Virginia. Eleanor F. Moran is classed ABS Maltese Cross
A1 Towing, Maltese Cross AMS, with Escort Notation, Towing
Service, Maltese Cross A1 Fire Fighting Vessel, Class 1. The
Firefighting 1 classification requires two monitors to each produce
5,280 gpm for a distance of 394 ft. at a height of 148 ft., as well as
a deluge system and the ability to sustain firefighting operations for
a minimum of 24 consecutive hours. Firefighting 1 equipment
includes two Caterpillar 3412C engines rated at 900 hp @ 2100
rpm and Nijhuis HGTFI-1-250.500 pumps located in the engine room. The pumps supply two FFS model
IM/FFS-1200LB electric FiFi 1 monitors mounted on the aft upper deck. Controls for the monitors are in
the pilothouse and locally at the monitors. The firefighting system also includes a deluge sprinkler system
and eight (8) fire stations located on the main deck. Eleanor F. Moran is powered by two EMD 12-645F7B
main engines that each produce 2550 hp @ 900 rpm. The propulsion system is completed by Schottel
model SRP 1215 FP Z-Drives with 2400 mm stainless steel propellers. Eleanor F. Moran is equipped with
John Deere model 6068TFM76, Tier 2 emissions certified 1800 rpm marine engines providing 99KW,
120/208 VAC, 3 phase power. One generator is normally on-line while the other is on standby. In the
event that the on-line generator fails, the standby generator will automatically start and go on-line. The
generator experiencing the failure will be automatically shut down. An IPS main switchboard is provided in
the engine room for distribution of 208-V 3-phase power. A Markey type DEPC-48 electric hawser winch is
installed forward and a Markey model CEWC 60 electric stern hawser capstan is installed aft. The sides
and stern of the main deck are fitted with Duramax 12 x 14-in. rubber "D" fender. The bow utilizes Viking
16" soft loop on the lower portion and Schuyler cylindrical rubber on the upper portion. Accommodations
are located in the deckhouse and include a mess/galley, two two-man staterooms, two one-man
staterooms, two heads and an assortment of lockers. Mitsubishi air conditioning systems allow for
independent climate control in individual staterooms. (Source: MarineLink)
Maersk takes option on Havila Princess
Mærsk Olie og Gas has declared an option for a further 12 months charter for the PSV vessel Havila
Princess. Mærsk has an option to extend the charter period for a further 12 months from mid-August
2008. Havila said the contract value "is based on market terms." (Source: Leo Kramer)
Edda Flotel to be built in Spain
Astillero Barreras in Spain will build Edda Accommodation's new vessel. Edda Accommodation has
placed an order for what it claims will be the world's largest purpose-built offshore accommodation and
service vessel at Astillero Barreras in Vigo in Spain. Edda Accommodation, part of the Østensjø Group, is
extending the Group's services by building a purpose-built offshore accommodation and service vessel for
a total of 600 personnel. The vessel will be delivered at the end of 2009 at a price of NKr 850 million. The
vesel - which has yet to be named - has been designed to meet clients' requirements for safety, efficiency,
comfort and low emissions to the environment. The vessel's dynamic positioning system (DP 3) and
five Voith Schneider propellers will provide a precise and stable position, resulting in low fuel consumption
compared to other propulsion systems. Edda TBN - which will be 130m long with a breadth of 27m - will
be equipped with a telescopic gangway installed on the 1,400m2 deck with a heave compensated
knuckleboom crane and two marine deck cranes. The gangway will provide safe passage of personnel
from the vessel to offshore installation. The cabins and offices on board are of executive standard with
additional recreation areas, such as fitness rooms, sauna, swimming pool and cinema. The new vessel
will be particularly suitable for operations in Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and South East Asia, but also in
more exposed areas such as the North Sea, Canada, and the Northern part of the Pacific Ocean. The
accommodation and service vessel will also be suited for transporting personnel to and from offshore
installations Since 2004, Østensjø Rederi AS has provided offshore accommodation by using the PSV
Edda Fjord. Edda Fjord has, with great success, provided accommodation to the Shell's Bonga FPSO
offshore Nigeria with 330 beds, and later 450 beds to the BP's Thunderhorse platform in US Gulf of
Mexico. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Havila Shipping sells Havila Force
Havila Shipping in Norway has, through its wholly owned company Havila Ships, sold the AHTS Havila
Force. The price was NKr 310 million, and the sale will give the group a booked gain of approx NKr 150
million. The buyer is an internal partnership called Viking Troll DIS, established by Fearnley Finans AS.
Delivery will be September 1st 2007. Havila Force is an AHTS vessel of VS 473 design, built in 2000
Aker DOF Supply to be established
District Offshore (DOF ASA) and Aker Capital in Norway are to jointly establish a shipowning company, to
be called Aker DOF Supply. “Many exciting business opportunities await Aker DOF Supply in a large and
growing market,” said Leif-Arne Langøy, Aker’s Board Chairman and President and CEO. “DOF is an
international supplier of services for the offshore oil and gas industry and a leading provider of supply
vessels. Working with DOF, Aker will actively participate in the development of the new offshore
shipowner, Aker DOF Supply.” Aker Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aker ASA. Aker and DOF are
listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. DOF CEO Mons Aase said: "DOF and Aker companies have been
working together for many years to develop both offshore vessel types and business opportunities. Aker
Oilfield Services was established earlier this year by pooling the know-how of DOF Subsea, Aker, Aker
Kværner, and Aker Yards. A new and even closer working relationship will be seen in Aker DOF Supply.”
Aker DOF Supply is owned 50/50 by Aker Capital and DOF. The newly established offshore shipowning
company will own a series of six anchor-handling (AHTS) vessels to be built at Aker Yards’ shipyard in
Vietnam and marketed to customers in Asia’s rapidly growing offshore market. In a statement, the two
companies said the six vessels will have greater towing capacity and more powerful main engines than
the vessel type presented in Aker’s May 2007 press release and notice to the Oslo Stock Exchange.
The value of the contract for the newbuild AHTS series is approximately NKr 1.8 billion. The ships are
specially designed to perform anchor-handling, towing, and supply services at offshore oil and gas fields.
The delivery period for the vessels is 2010 – 2012. As previously announced, the newbuilding order
includes an option to build an additional six vessels. All of the vessels will meet the strictest environmental
standards. The DOF group currently has a fleet of 57 vessels in operation or on order. DOF will be in
charge of commercial and technical operations for Aker DOF Supply via an agreement with DOF
Management. Aker DOF Supply will be established with NKr 60 million in equity. No decision has been
made regarding bringing in additional Aker DOF Supply shareholders. Aker DOF Supply’s six anchorhandling (AHTS) vessels are of the AH08 Aker Yards design. The towing power (bollard pull) of the
vessels is approximately 180 tonnes; their main engines are rated at about 16,000bhp. The AHTS vessels
will conform to the strictest environmental standards, DNV's Clean Design. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Deep Sea Supply Takes Delivery of AHTS
Deep Sea announced that it took delivery of the AHTS-vessel
Sea Jaguar from Jaya Shipbuilding and Engineering Pte Ltd in
Singapore. Twin screw Khiam Chuang design Anchor
Handling Tug/Supply Vessel is outfitted and equipped for
anchor handling, towing, fire fighting, dynamic positioning,
rescue , offshore supply and other related duties. The Vessel
will be classed as offshore support anchor handling supply
vessel, fire fighting class 1, DPS-2, ACCU for Unrestricted
Service. Twin maneuvering consoles are fitted in the wheelhouse stations, forward and aft. The Dynamic
Positioning with joy-stick controls provided at the aft controls. (Source: Marinelink)
Ulstein Builds for Marine Subsea
Marine Subsea Inc. signed a contract with Ulstein Verft for building
an offshore construction vessel specialized in inspection,
maintenance and repair operations (IMR/OCV) of the ULSTEIN
SX121 design from Ulstein Design. The value of the contract is
about $154.6m. The ship will be delivered in 2010 and is the fourth
vessel of the type ULSTEIN SX121 from Ulstein Design. The
vessel will be yard number 287 at Ulstein Verft. Marine Subsea
Inc. has previously contracted a similar vessel from Ulstein Verft for delivery in July 2009. ”We have great
faith in the Ulstein Group and are very satisfied working with Ulstein so far. In a pressured market with
many delays in both equipment and deliveries, it is important to have a good dialog with the shipyard. The
Ulstein Group is highly reputable when it comes to building state-of-the-art vessels and developing design.
We feel we’re in safe hands when contracting yet another vessel from Ulstein,” said managing director
Christian Nygaard in Marine Subsea. The ship will have the characteristic ULSTEIN X-BOW. “The vessel
with the new hull type can operate in all weather conditions. The hull shape makes for smoother sailing,
giving the crew a more comfortable and safer work platform. The bow improves the operations the vessel
will perform,” says Nygaard. “The hull design also gives the ship more volume in the forepart and thus
more space for accommodations than a conventional hull.” The vessel will be 120 x 25 m and
accommodate 100. It will be fitted with a tower for module handling, a moonpool, ROV hangar, offshore
crane, helideck and a diesel-electric propulsion system. The ship will also be equipped with ULSTEIN
COM, ULSTEIN IAS and the newly developed ULSTEIN NAV from Ulstein Elektro. (Source: Marinelink)
Eidesvik Orders Seismic Vessels from Ulstein
Eidesvik has ordered two large, state-of-the-art seismic vessels of the type Ulstein SX120 from Ulstein
Verft. The ships will be delivered in spring 2010. The contract total value is about $223.3m. Eidesvik is
known for innovation and a green profile. The ships that Eidesvik has ordered will be contracted by the
world’s largest seismic company, the merged CGG-Veritas. The ships are gentle on both the external
environment and the working environment onboard. We believe the Ulstein X-Bow smooth and gentle
motion in heavy sea makes it highly suitable for seismic operations, says Meling. The bow also helps
reduce fuel consumption, which means less pollution. The ships are classified as Clean Designs, meaning
they have a double hull and control of operational emissions. In oceanic seismic surveys, the sea bottom
is examined with shock waves in the search for gas or oil reservoirs. The seismic ships are equipped with
20 streamer winches with 18 corresponding towing points, and the streamer winches detect signals from
the seismic waves. The ships will be among the world’s largest of their kind, with a length 348 ft. and a
maximum width of 91 ft. (Source: Jan van der Doe)
Seabreeze report June 2007
Prosperous Times
Simon Mokster UT 704 anchor handler Prosper (the ex Normand Prosper) has been chartered by the
Norwegian state oil company Statoil to support the Transocean Leader semi-submersible over the
summer. The vessel has just begun (end June) the ninety day contract.
Neptune extend
Mokster also had further reason to celebrate after their VS 470 PSV Stril Neptun was extended by Statoil
through to 25th July 2008. This represents an extension of one year for the vessel which supports the
Sleipner field.
Island Intervention Good For Statoil
Island Offshore which has specialised in light well intervention, has been contracted by Statoil for work on
subsea wells in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Together with their partners, FMC Technologies
and Aker Kvaerner, Island will utilise their vessels Island Frontier and Island Wellserver during most of
2008 a n d 2009 to enter and replace equipment in subsea wells to improve production.
Island Valiant christened
The Island Offshore UT 787 LCD AHTS Island Valiant was christened on Saturday the 16th June at
Ulsteinvik. This fine vessel was built at Aker Yards, Langsten in Norway. The day began with the naming
ceremony, followed by lunch and a guided tour of the vessel. Drinks and and a banquet were held in the
evening at the Quality Hotel Ulstein, and a grand time was had by all. Some of the vessels details include:
DP II, Clean Design, moon pool, 200 tons SWL AFrame, ROV hangar, 740 m2 deck, large underdecks,
16,085 BHP and around 230 tons bp. The Island Valiant will work the North Sea spot market until August
2007, whereupon she will sail for Boston in the United States to begin around two months work with APL.
EMAS Enters Aberdeen
EMAS Offshore Limited has recently opened an Aberdeen office. The company, which is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Ezra Holdings Limited of Singapore, are “a provider of truly integrated marine solutions”, not
just “a simple provider of offshore vessels”. Their fleet is one of the youngest, with state of the art vessels
designed and equipped for deep water operations.
Reliance Repeat With Varun
India based Varun Shipping has secured a one year firm plus one year option charter for their 17,500 BHP
anchor handler Sudhaksha (the ex Boa Queen). The recently purchased 180 ton bp vessel has just begun
this term work in Indian waters for Reliance. Their other recently purchased sister anchor handler,
Subhiksha (the ex Boa King), is already on term charter in India to Reliance.
Solstad Secure Two Term Charters
Solstad Offshore ASA (SOFF) have received letters of intent related to the chartering of two of the
Company` s vessels. The PSV Normand Carrier has been chartered for a period of approx 100 days for
operations in the Mediterranean. Contract commencement is September/October 2007. The AHTS
Normand Master has been chartered for a period of approximately 100 days for operations in the US Gulf
with contract commencement in November 2007. Both contracts are related to work in the subsea market
and the charterers, as yet unnamed, are major subsea contractors. Total value of these contracts is
around USD 19 million.
Petrobras Decide On Deepocean
Deepocean and their Brazilian partner CBO have been awarded a 2 year contract with options with
Petrobras. The contract has a value of approximately USD 50 million and is due to commence during the
1st quarter of 2008. Deepocean will use a new ROV/survey vessel which will be delivered in 2008 from
Active Subsea on a bareboat basis.
ONGC Opt For Disha
India based ONGC has term chartered the UT 755 PSV Greatship Disha. The Greatship (India) Ltd owned
PSV has already begun this five years firm contract with ONGC. BP Egypt have had this vessel on term
contract since November 2006 where it received very good reports.
Queen Reigns For 5,000 Days
The crew of the Trico Supply PSV Northern Queen have now reached a quite remarkable milestone—This
vessel has surpassed 5,000 days (or 13.7 years) without an LTI. Peterson Supplylink has had this vessel
on contract since the 2nd July 1998 and were just as pleased as Trico with this safety statistic. To mark
the event, Peterson organised a barbecue on board the vessel at Ijmuiden as well as awarding 1,000
Euros to each of the eight crew members who have served for the full 5,000 days (500 Euros were given
to each of the remaining fourteen crew of the vessel). Each of the crew members were presented with a
Swiss watch from Trico, and, a brass plaque from the Trico board was presented to the crew which will
remain on the vessel. Well done Guys, and here’s to another 5,000 !
Colombians Welcome New Comrade
Continuing on our Trico theme, Petrobras Colombia has chartered the UT 704 anchor handler Northern
Comrade. The vessel has already left the North Sea and is enroute to the Transocean Marianas
semisubmersible which is currently in the Gulf of Mexico. This rig will then be towed to Colombia to begin
work for the aforementioned Petrobras Colombia. It is further understood that the Northern Comrade will
support the rig in these South American waters for circa 120 days..
Subsea 7 Up Their Fleet
UT 705 PSV Mariner Sea has been chartered for a one year firm period by Subsea 7. The vessel, which
has recently changed hands will be used by Subsea 7 for construction support duties from around the
start of August, this summer.
From Simon To Siem
Simon Mokster Rederi AS has sold the MT 6000 PSV Stril Supplier (pictured) to fellow Norwegians Siem
Offshore in a deal worth NOK 280 million. The 1999 built vessel will be renamed Siem Supplier and will
deliver to its new owners in July upon completion of its current charter with Statoil in the North Sea.
Corsairs of the Caribbean
North Star Shipping, a member of the UK based Craig Group, were pleased to view the launch of their
latest IMT 948 UKOOA Class B emergency rescue and recovery vessel—the Grampian Corsair. The
Grampian Talisman PSV is undergoing final outfitting prior to trials and delivery. Both vessels go on
charter to Talisman upon delivery.
Havila Lose The Force
Havila Ships AS has sold their VS 473 anchor handler Havila Force to an internal partnership called Viking
Troll DIS (established by Fearnley Finans AS). The 2000 built AHTS will be delivered on the 1st
September after being sold for 310 million NOK, giving the group a booked gain of around 150 million
NOK.
OSM’s Orders 6 Newbuildings,
OSM Schiffahrt, a fifty / fifty joint venture between Hamburg based Nordcapital Group and the Norwegian
ship manager OSM, are to build six Rolls-Royce designed offshore vessels with options to build another
six. Four of the vessels will be UT 786 CD DP II anchor handlers with a bollard pull of around 200 tonnes.
These vessels will be equipped with two 6,000 kW engines and will deliver from the Se Kwang shipyard of
Korea in the second half of 2009. The other two vessels will be UT 776 CD platform supply vessels (also
pictured) with delivery from Aker yards , Brevik in Norway, due in the third quarter of 2009 and the first
quarter of 2010 respectively. These two PSV newbuilds will have an optimised hull form designed for
greater fuel efficiency, and will have a deck area of just over 1,000 m2, as well as the usual extensive
underdecks. Total value of the contract to Rolls Royce, excluding the options, is around GBP 83 million.
Ulstein In Seventh Heaven
Solstad’s Ulstein Verft newbuildng the Normand Seven has won the coveted “Ship of the Year 2007” after
readers of Skipsrevyen (a Norwegian maritime magazine) and a select jury overwhelmingly voted for her.
This 130m long VS 4420 OCV is the first purely offshore construction vessel to be built in a Norwegian
yard (expected delivery is July 2007).
Maersk OK Options
Back in January, Maersk Supply Service placed an order at Volkswerft Stralsund for four multipurpose
anchor handlers with two options (see Jurassic January Seabreeze “Volkswerft Durch Technic”.) Maersk
have now declared the two options and will build these 23,500 BHP AHTS’s with delivery in the second
and third quarter of 2010. Maersk currently have fifty five vessels in operation and a further sixteen on
order.
DSV Decision
Havila Shipping ASA are to build a Havyard 858 Dive Support Vessel at Havyard Leirvik’s shipyard in
Norway. The DP III DSV will have an LOA of 120m, 250 tonne crane, accommodation for 120 people and
a unique 24 man saturation diving system with twin heave compensated diving bells certified for
Norwegian regulation. The vessel will deliver in February 2010 whereupon it will immediately enter into a
ten year bareboat contract with further option periods for an unnamed contractor.
Echo Sounds Off
Barreras Shipyard of Vigo, Spain, are to build four Ulstein SX124 seismic vessels for a newly formed
company called Eastern Echo. The Dubai based seismic company will receive their first vessel by the end
of 2008 with the three remaining vessels delivering a few months apart during 2009. Each vessel will be
equipped for 3D seismology and have up to ten streamer winches each. They will be the first seismic
vessels designed by Ulstein and, as you can see below, will have an Ulstein X BOW.
Seconds Out For Secunda
J. Ray McDermott, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase substantially all of the assets of
Secunda International Limited. The $260 million agreement includes Secunda’s fourteen offshore
multifunction vessels and their shore base operations. McDermott are an engineering and construction
company, with specialty manufacturing and service capabilities focused on energy infrastructure. The
transaction is expected to be finalised early in the third quarter of this year.
Desperately Cecon Davie (Not Susan)
Cecon has exercised the first of four options with Davie Yards ASA, regarding construction of a VS 4220
offshore construction vessel. The DP III vessel will have a 400 ton offshore crane, 130m LOA,
accommodation for 100 persons and will deliver in the third quarter of 2009. Cecon already have two
similar, but not identical, vessels on order with Davie. Davie Quebec Inc. (whose parent company is Davie
ASA) also had reason to celebrate after securing a $225 million contract with Cyprus based Ocean Hotels
Ltd for the construction of two multipurpose accommodation vessels. The first of the two VS 4004 vessels
will deliver in the third quarter of 2009. They will have an LOA of 100 metres and accommodation for 400
persons and will also be equipped with a 150 ton crane.
SeaMetric Doubles Up
Stavanger based SeaMetric International AS are to build the first 20,000 tonnes capacity Twin Marine
Lifter (TML) system, pictured below. Using two DP III heavy transport vessels with four 2,500 tonnes
capacity lifting arms (75m long which are extendable by 15m), the system will be used to install and
remove platform topside and jackets weighing up to 20,000 tonnes. ESSCA (Hongkong) Ltd in
collaboration with China Petroleum First Construction Corporation (CPFCC) and the JingJiang shipyard
have signed a contract for this vessel, with CPFCC project managing it. For more info on this vessel go to
www.seametric.com
Louis And The News
French based Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) have been very busy recently with both their takeover of
Dutch based Fairmount Marine and the ordering of new semi-submersible barges and tugs. Fairmount,
who are offshore and deep sea towage specialists, have five modern 205 ton bollard pull AHTS, various
smaller vessels, two semi-subs in operation and two under construction. This takeover enables LDA to
“meet the needs of the most exacting clients, notable in the offshore sector”. As regards the ordering of
new semi-submersible barges and tugs, it is understood that LDA are expected to place various orders for
two of these barges and for at least two 280 ton bp tugs with delivery in 2009 and 2010.
Swire Go For Four 844s
Swire Pacific Offshore has ordered four DP, Fifi-1 Havyard 844 design anchor handlers from Pan United
Marine’s Singapore shipyard. Delivery is expected to be in 2010 and 2011. Some of the details of these
vessel include, LOA of 87.5 metres, breadth of 20 metres, AHT winch of 500 ton capacity and a bollard
pull of circa 200 tonnes. The vessels also have Ice Class for work in Arctic waters, Clean Design as well
as good deck and underdeck capabilities. Total contract value is around US$ 267 million.
Delivery of 100th UT 755
Today's delivery of the platform supply vessel Dina Supplier is also the delivery of vessel no. 100 of what
is probably the most popular offshore vessel design ever: UT 755 from Rolls-Royce. Never before have so
many OSV's of the same design been sailing the world's oceans. Although the original UT 755 design is
more than ten years old, Dina Supplier is a very modern ship, equipped with the most current technology
solutions. The UT-concept includes both design and equipment. Dina Supplier is being delivered to
Myklebusthaug Offshore AS of Fonnes, Norway and is the owner's second vessel of the UT 755 LC
design. It is the sixth vessel of this type delivered by the Simek AS shipyard in Flekkefjord, Norway--which
has another four vessels of the same type on its order book. "This kind of tonnage is still attractive in the
market and the UT 755 series may well be the first offshore vessel design to reach 200", said Jørn Heltne,
Vice President of Rolls-Royce, when the contract for Dina Supplier was signed. Shipowner, Roald
Myklebusthaug, says the design was chosen because it is well-proven, simple, does the job and is wellknown worldwide in the offshore market. The company already one vessel of the same design, Dina
Merkur, in its fleet. "Dina Merkur has functioned exceptionally well during its first year in service. The
bunker consumption is especially low, and we have had purely positive feedback from the crew about
seakeeping qualities and noise/vibration levels", says Myklebusthaug. The UT 755 was conceived in the
early 1990s. The design team at Rolls-Royce predicted the need for a smaller PSV vessel than the
established success UT 705. The UT 755 vessels have proven to be flexible workhorses. The supply
capacity is good, and the vessels can carry out many tasks, including offshore inspections and
maintenance. The UT 755 design has been through a continual development process since the first
delivery in 1996. (Suffolk Supporter for Britannia/Suffolk Marine.) Today's UT 755 LC is 9.6 meters
longer than the first editions. This gives large supply capacity, notably a larger deck area, as well as
increased capacity for liquid goods such as mud, brine, base oil, etc. The vessel meets the environmental
demands of the "Clean" and "Comf-V(3)" notations. (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 27
dd. 15 Juli 2007
_______________________________________________________
Acergy S.A. order $180 million Diving Support Vessel
London, England – July 9, 2007 – Acergy S.A. (NASDAQ NM: ACGY; Oslo Stock Exchange: ACY)
announced today signing an agreement with Havila Shipping for a new build diving support vessel for
Northern Europe operations which will join the Acergy fleet in 2010. This new state-of-the-art vessel is
specifically designed for efficient diving operations in the harshest environments. It will be 120 metres
overall with a 23 metre beam and will be fitted with a 250 tonne crane and have accommodation for 120
people. The vessel will have high transit speed, an ice class hull, Class 3 dynamic positioning and be in
compliance with the most demanding maritime and environmental regulations worldwide. The 24-man,
twin bell saturation diving system will be certified for Norwegian regulations and will utilize the latest
technology. The design will reflect Acergy’s 30 years experience of diving operations in harsh
environments. The vessel will be owned 50/50 by Acergy and Havila and will be operated by Acergy for a
firm period of ten years. Acergy will have options to purchase or extend the charter. A unique feature that
Havila have to offer at a time of high shipyard activity is the ability to both design and build the vessel
within their own associated companies. Bruno Chabas, Chief Operating Officer, said “The addition of this
new diving vessel continues our fleet rejuvenation programme and adds an industry leading asset to our
operations in Northern Europe and Canada. This key asset will assist us in winning challenging SURF
projects and enable us to undertake pipeline tie-in, hyperbaric welding and inspection, repair and
maintenance work from a vessel which will differentiate Acergy from its competitors in terms of safety,
efficiency and productivity.” (Source: Acergy)
Deep Sea Supply Takes Delivery of AHTS
Deep Sea announced that it took delivery of the AHTS-vessel Sea Jaguar from Jaya Shipbuilding and
Engineering Pte Ltd in Singapore. Twin screw Khiam Chuang design Anchor Handling Tug/Supply Vessel
is outfitted and equipped for anchor handling, towing, fire fighting, dynamic positioning, rescue , offshore
supply and other related duties. The Vessel will be classed as offshore support anchor handling supply
vessel, fire fighting class 1, DPS-2, ACCU for Unrestricted Service. Twin maneuvering consoles are fitted
in the wheelhouse stations, forward and aft. The Dynamic Positioning with joystick controls provided at the
aft controls. (Source: Clipping News)
Damen newbuilding
Damen newbuilding hull 509819 arrived in Rotterdam
ONGC vessel sinks, five feared dead
Mumbai, July 9 As many as five persons are feared dead after a supply vessel of Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) sunk off the Mumbai coast today. "We have not yet lost hope and rescue operations
are on. But we fear four to five people may be dead," ONGC Chairman and Managing Director R S
Sharma told newspersons. Samudrika-10, an offshore supply vessel, was carrying 14 people on board
when it sank at 12.30 p.m. While nine were rescued, a search was on for the others. Sharma said there
might be two or three people other than the 14 manifested on board the ship. "We are trying to ascertain
facts," he added. Samudrika-10 was one of the 14 such vessels owned by ONGC, but it was operated by
private agency Seacal and all 14 people on board were its employees. Rescue operations by Coast Guard
and an ONGC team were on. "Helicopters have been pressed into service to locate the missing," Sharma
said, adding that operations of the Mumbai High fields - the country's largest oil and gas field - will not be
affected. According to Commander, Coast Guard Region (West), Inspector General A Rajasekhar, there
was no oil spill on account of the mishap. The accident is reminiscent of an incident in July 2005 when a
similar supply vessel sank after colliding with an oil station of the public sector company in the Mumbai
High fields. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Gulmar comfirms details of new vessels
July 10, 2007 Jean Michel Tissier, Managing Director of Gulmar Offshore Middle East LLC in Sharjah,
United Arab Emirates, has confirmed details of the company's recent order for a pair of MT 6022 XL Dive
Support Vessels (DSVs). Said Mr Tissier: "Gulmar has placed order for two dive support vessels of 115m
x 22m x 7m, with 18-man built-in saturation system with two diving bells of three-men each, two
hyperbaric life boats, a subsea crane of 140 tonnes, heave compensated, with 2,000m cable, a
subsea crane of 48 tonnes, one ROV of 200hp rated for 3,000m and accommodation for 120 persons."
The DNV-classed will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2009. "These two vessels are the latest
generation of multi-purpose DSV they are built taking the latest maritime rules and diving regulations,"
said Mr Tissier. "These vessels will reinforce Gulmar's fleet and development strategy to become one of
the key players in the offshore market," he concluded. (Source: Leo Kramer)
SMIT Elbe arrived in Rotterdam
The brand new ASD 2810 tug SMIT ELBE, yardnumber 511534, arrived from the Damen Poland Yard in
Rotterdam for the first time to execute trials until July 13th and bollard pull tests.
Another Damen Stan Tug 2208 for Trinidad & Tobago
Damen will again deliver a Damen Stan Tug 2208 to Trinidad & Tobago in 2008. In June Allan R. Singh
Contractors signed a contract for a Damen Stan Tug 2208 to be delivered in spring 2008. Allan R. Singh
Contactors is the first privately owned operator in Trinidad to decide for new building. Uptil now operators
in Trinidad were only making use of second hand equipment. This next Damen Stan Tug 2208 will be the
third vessel of this design to be delivered to the Island after the earlier two deliveries to state-owned
National Energy Corporation, the NEC Pride (May 2007) and NEC Spirit (July 2007). (Source: Clipping
News)
ONGC issues updated release on Samudrika 10
July 11, 2007 ONGC in India has issued a further release about the loss of the OSV Samudrika 10.
Samudrika 10 was in standby mode due to bad weather waiting to transfer cargo to ONGC’s drilling rig
Sagar Gaurav, which is operating in Bassein and Satellite field. It started taking water and sank around
12.30hr on 9th July, 2007. Samudrika 10 was operating in the sea at about 56 nautical miles from Nhava
Supply Base of ONGC at the time of the incident. The sea conditions were reported at the time of incident
as 3-4m swell, and 30-35 knots wind speed. The vessel was operated by SICAL Logistics Ltd, Chennai,
under an Operation & Maintenance Contract. Out of the 14 manifested crew members, nine were rescued.
A regional contingency committee consisting of ONGC, the Indian Navy, FODAG, Coast Guard and DG
Shipping were immediately informed and activated for search and rescue operations. In addition to one
ONGC helicopter and three ONGC OSVs and two British Gas vessels became involved in search and
rescue operations. Immediately after the incident, another ONGC helicopter was also pressed into service,
and an OGC support vessel was mobilized for rescue and search operations with divers and doctor on
board. On being apprised of the situation, Hon’ble Minister of Petroleum Mr Murli Deora asked
the Indian Navy to send an additional helicopter for search and rescue operations. All platforms, rigs and
vessels of ONGC in the area have been advised to keep a close watch during the night. Senior officers of
ONGC were rushed to the accident site to oversee the search and rescue operations. The rescued crew
were brought back to Mumbai by an ONGC helicopter after providing necessary first aid offshore and a
medical check up at the helibase carried out. ONGC said the vessel was constructed in 1986 and
completed its last statutory dry-dock in February 2006. Its next statutory dry-dock was due in November,
2008. "The vessel sailed on July 6th from Nhava Supply Base in full sea-worthy condition and complied
with all requisite certifications as per the statutory requirement," said ONGC. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Wilhelm Wilhelmsen sells 50 pct stake in Singapore-based supply vessel JV
Norwegian shipping group Wilhelm Wilhelmsen said it has sold its 50 pct stake in its Singapore-based
supply vessel joint-venture, Express Offshore Transport (EOT), to Macquarie Bank Ltd for an
undisclosed sum. No financial details were given, but Wilhelmsen said that its joint-venture partner,
Svitzer Far East, had also agreed to sell its 50 pct stake in EOT to Macquarie. EOT was established in
February last year by Wilhelmsen and Svitzer, a unit of Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk, to manage a fleet of
about 50 crewing supply vessels. The company specialises in the transportation of personnel and supplies
to the oil industry in the Middle East and south-east Asia. (Source: Clipping News)
Contract Signed for Winter Rescue Tug Coverage
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Crowley Maritime Corp. agreed to continue a contract
stationing a company rescue tug at Neah Bay from October 2007 through mid-March 2008. A rescue tug
has been stationed at Neah Bay since spring 1999. The tug has stood by or assisted 33 ships that were
disabled or had reduced maneuvering or propulsion capability while transiting along the coast and through
the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The actions helped ensure the ships didn't drift onto rocks and spill oil. "The
Neah Bay area is sacred to the Makah Tribe and Washington's coast is a world-class treasure," said Gov.
Chris Gregoire. "Having a rescue tug stationed in the area, especially during the stormy winter months,
means we can work to prevent catastrophic oil spills, keeping our beaches beautiful and our industries,
such as shellfish, fishing and tourism, healthy as well." "Flanked by the Olympic National Park along the
coast and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary where thousands of ships, including oil tankers
loaded with more than 40 million gallons of oil, traverse state waters every year," she said. "It is staggering
just how much environmental damage a large spill in the region could cause." Under the extended
contract, Crowley Maritime will begin stationing a company rescue tug at Neah Bay starting Oct. 1, 2007,
through mid-March, 2008. Lawmakers made about $1.45 million available to fund the tug for 168 days at
$8,750 a day. "We know that having a tug at Neah Bay has and will continue making a difference," said
Oil Spill Advisory Council chairman Mike Cooper. "Last year alone, the Crowley tug was deployed four
times. Every time a ship is disabled at sea, there is a serious risk of a catastrophic oil spill. Due to this risk,
the Council has recommended that a tug be permanently stationed at Neah Bay to provide year round
protection." Gregoire and Cooper noted that U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is working on a measure to have a
rescue tug stationed at Neah Bay year round. The Senator is still working on her proposal. "It is critical we
have a rescue tug stationed at Neah Bay. The area is one of the most environmentally sensitive and
valuable areas of Washington," said Dale Jensen, who oversees spill prevention, preparedness and
response activities for Ecology. "If oil is spilled, the damage to our environment starts and oil spilled in this
area is all but impossible to contain, even during the best weather conditions." Winter storms present a
higher risk of oil spills from the more than 7,000 tankers and cargo ships traveling through the Strait each
year. Cargo ships can carry more than 2 million gallons of fuel oil, and oil barges or tankers can carry up
to 40 million gallons of oil. (Source: Clipping News)
New charters for Ezra Holdings
Ezra Holdings Limited has announced 10 new charter contracts worth US$127 million. Said Ezra’s
Managing Director Lionel Lee: “Our latest charters at improved rates reflect the continued strength of the
offshore oil and gas sector globally and especially in Southeast Asia. The Lewek Stork will be the second
AHTS for the same client and will be deployed in India, another high growth market we are targeting to
expand our presence.” “Our diverse and highly equipped fleet provides support services from anchor
handling, towing and supply to prefabrication and construction of offshore exploration and production
facilities. Ezra, with its integrated service offering, is therefore well-positioned to ride the sustained surge
in E&P activities,” added Mr Lee. Ezra is chartering five AHTS and three Anchor Handling Tugs from its
existing fleet to various oil majors for operation in Southeast Asia. The charters are worth about US$69
million and are for periods up to five years, with options for extension. Apart from these contracts, Ezra is
also negotiating three-year charters worth US$58 million for two of its new vessels which are due for
delivery in the first half of the financial year ending August 31st 2008. (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 28
dd. 22 Juli 2007
_______________________________________________________
Tug boat runs aground near MMBT
A tugboat ran aground near the Newport News Small Boat Harbor this morning, spilling an unknown
amount of its diesel fuel. The Coast Guard has been on the scene throughout the day, trying to contain
and clean up the spill. The tug was carrying 34,000 gallons of marine diesel at the time of the accident, but
it's unknown at this time how much spilled, said Jerry Crooks, chief of investigations for the Coast Guard's
Portsmouth station. A sheen spotted by a Coast Guard plane near the north island of the MonitorMerrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel measured about a quarter mile long by 200 yards wide, Crooks said.
It's not clear why the Russell B. Murray, a 104-foot vessel owned by Express Marine Inc., ran aground,
Crooks said. Right now the Coast Guard is focusing on responding to the accident, and will investigate
later, he said. (Source: Clipping News)
Alam takes Jaya unit
Malaysia’s Alam Maritim Resources has bought an offshore supply vessel from Jaya Offshore of
Singapore. The move comes just a day after the Kuala Lumpur-based offshore vessel operator tied up two
of its units with shortterm charters. Alam has taken the 3,500-BHP supply vessel Jaya Puffin 3 (built
2005) from Jaya subsidiary Java Marine Lines for $6.65m, the company said in an announcement to
Bursa Malaysia on Friday. The acquisition is in line with Alam’s fleet expansion policy, the announcement
said, and will be funded through a combination of internal funds and a Sukuk loan facility. The China-built
unit will be deployed in waters off Malaysia and Southeast Asia to support exploration and production
projects. On Thursday Alam announced that its 1,470-gt Setia Tangkas (built 2007) has been chartered
to PCPP Operating Company for one year in a deal worth MYR 12.2m ($3.54m). The company has also
chartered its 1,678-gt supply vessel Setia Wangsa (built2007) for three months in a deal worth MYR
3.1m. Carigali Hess has chartered the ship to support its drilling program in Block A18 of the MalaysiaThailand Joint Development Area. Alam operates a fleet of about 15 vessels comprising anchor handlers,
supply ships and survey vessels. It also has nine newbuildings on order scheduled to be delivered
between now and 2008. (Source: Clipping News)
Damen Gets Contract for Tug
A contract has been signed with Astinave (Ecuador) for the delivery of a complete material package of a
Damen Stan Tug 1405 to be assembled at their premises in Guayaquil. The tugboat is destined for Suinsa
to assist coastal tankers at their berthing station. The vessel will enter in service in August 2008. (Source:
Marinelink)
Swire Orders 4 More Anchor Handlers
Swire Pacific Offshore ordered another four IMT966 anchor
handlers to the IMT Marine Consultants design. These follow six
similar vessels already under construction at Labroy Shipyards,
Singapore. Scotland-based IMT Marine Consultants, partner in the
Offshore Ship Designers Group, was responsible for the design of
these innovative and powerful vessels. The 120-ton bollard pull
vessels are optimized for world-wide service of offshore towage,
anchor handling and logistics support activities in all weather
conditions. One remarkable feature of the design is that the upper
part of the bridge deck can be removed and stored on the main
deck for passage into the Caspian Sea. The vessel’s beam is
optimised for Caspian Sea passage. The vessel is propelled by
two CPP propellers giving it a maximum speed of 14.5 knots. The design features two bowthrusters and
two stern thrusters of 600 kW each for joystick controlled DP operations. The Pacific Valhalla will be the
first vessel to be delivered and is scheduled in August 2007 with subsequent vessels being delivered at
two monthly intervals afterwards (Source: Marinelink)
New building for Sealion Shipping
Sealion Shipping has entered into a charter agreement with Bluestream NL BV in the Netherlands
regarding the newbuild MT6016L diving support vessel Toisa Palladin. The contract has a duration of five
years firm and commences upon delivery of the vessel from the Kleven Yard in the first quarter of 2008.
The Toisa Palladin will be a DP-2 DSV fitted with an 18 man dive system capable of providing saturation
diving to a depth of 300 metres. She is also fitted with a 140-tonnes heave compensated crane and has
accommodation for 100 persons. Kieran Pieters, Bluestream's Managing Director, stated, "We are
delighted to have signed this contract with Sealion Shipping and we look forward to the vessel's delivery in
2008. The availability of the Toisa Palladin will enable us to fulfil one of our key strategic objectives of
having the ability to expand in the diving and subsea markets. With the current strong market we are now
able to offer the exceptional capabilities of this vessel to our clients". Den Helder-based Bluestream also
has a five year charter on the DP2 diving support vessel Northern River, which is used for air diving
operations. (Source: Pas Publications)
Zeesleepbedrijf Henk J. van den Berg verkoopt Fairmount Marine aan Franse
groep
17-07-2007 Rotterdam - Zolang hij het leuk vindt, blijft hij aan het werk. „En ik vind het nog steeds erg
leuk.'' Hoewel hij het misschien best zou kunnen – want hij heeft gecashed, zijn bedrijf Fairmount Marine
bv verkocht – is geboren en getogen Rotterdammer Henk J. van den Berg er de man niet naar om nu te
gaan potverteren. „Ik zou me gewoon gaan vervelen.'' Of hij nu in de Quote 500 van rijkste Nederlanders
staat, weet hij ook niet. „Zit ik ook niet op te wachten. Het zegt me allemaal zo weinig. Je kunt toch maar
één biefstuk per dag eten.'' Sinds begin jaren '90 stampte hij voor de tweede keer in zijn leven een
zeesleepbedrijf uit de grond dat nu beschikt over de sterkste vloot hypermoderne zeeslepers en
halfafzinkbare pontons voor superzware zeetransporten. Vorige maand is hij ingegaan op een
overnamebod van de Franse groep Louis Dreyfus Armateurs. Volgens Van den Berg was daar een aantal
redenen voor. „De eigen opvolgingskwestie op langere termijn, de kinderen zijn allemaal te jong. Je moet
er echt goed inzitten om de continuïteit van de onderneming te kunnen waarborgen. Met een sterke
moeder als Louis Dreyfus kun je ook wat makkelijker verder uitbreiden.'' Maar voorlopig ligt zijn werk nog
hier, op de zestiende verdieping van de Hofpleintoren. Met dat verschil dat hij nu een door Parijs betaalde
directeur is. „Ik ben er zelfs in salaris op vooruit gegaan.'' Hij heeft de afspraak nog zeker twee jaar aan te
blijven als directeur. Henk J. van den Berg is misschien wel de belichaming van de geboren ondernemer.
Hij vertelt hoe hij, toen hij een jaar of tien was, van zijn oom een oude Remington-schrijfmachine kreeg.
„Daarmee speelde ik bedrijfje, Bergolines genaamd. Ik tekende in de atlas allemaal lijnen tussen
havensteden en stelde vaarschema's op. Luchtvaart, scheepvaartlijnen, transport, fascineerde mij altijd al.
Dat bedrijfje spelen is misschien niet zo gebruikelijk. Tegenwoordig zou je rijp voor de dokter worden
verklaard.'' In zijn loopbaan kwam Van den Berg op een gegeven moment terecht bij het grote
Rotterdamse sleepbedrijf Smit Internationale op de afdeling zware lading, het boeken van transporten.
Daar leerde hij ook de Japanners kennen. Toen hij bij het volgende bedrijf in een faillissement zelf op
straat kwam te staan, besloot hij in 1979 voor zichzelf te beginnen op de zolder van zijn huis. Hij ging naar
Japan en verwierf daar het agentschap voor het Japanse Fukada. „Dat liep direct goed. Ik had meteen de
wind mee. Na een jaar konden we al naar een mooi kantoor aan de Veerkade.'' Een paar jaar daarna
kreeg zijn bedrijf de beschikking over een aantal eigen slepers en pontons. Dat bedrijf verkocht Van den
Berg in 1989 aan een Engelse branchegenoot die toen al snel zijn Nederlandse dochterbedrijf leeghaalde
om het failliet te laten gaan. Het personeel werd ontslagen. „Een heel minne streek. Dat werd toen ook al
heel snel een conflict. Veelzeggend is dat het faillissement nog steeds niet is afgewikkeld.''
Van den Berg begon weer voor zichzelf. Opnieuw hielpen de Japanners hem daarbij. ,,Jij moet voor ons
doorgaan, zeiden ze. Japanners zijn in mijn leven heel belangrijk geweest. Ze hebben mij ook geleerd
maat te houden en wat betrouwbaar zaken doen is. En dat je ook wel eens je verlies moet nemen.'' Wat is
het geheim van zijn succes? „Een paar dingen die heel belangrijk zijn: je moet de kans krijgen, kansen
zien, en kansen grijpen. Je moet er op het juiste ogenblik zijn, moet 't zien.'' Zo'n moment was in 2002
toen hij besloot vijf supersterke zeeslepers te bouwen. Hij voorzag dat de behoefte hieraan enorm zou
toenemen met de aanzwellende boom in het opsporen en exploiteren van nieuwe olie-en aardgasvelden
op zee. Henk van den Berg had een meesterzet gedaan. De tarieven die nu voor sleepwerk worden
betaald, zijn inmiddels verdubbeld en Fairmount Marine is met zijn vloot nu marktleider, voor andere
bedrijven, zoals SmitWijs, die de boot hebben gemist door niet op tijd in nieuwe zeeslepers te
investeren. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Expositie bij Damen Gorinchem
door Nico J. Ouwehand
Vanaf heden is in het hoofdkantoor van Damen Shipyards te Gorinchem op de begane grond een kleine
maar fraaie en vooral zeer instructieve tentoonstelling te zien over de ontwikkelingen van de standaardsleepboten vanaf eind jaren zestig van de vorige eeuw. Bijzonder is dat ook particulieren deze expositie
kunnen gaan bekijken. Het inmiddels tot grote proporties uitgegroeide Damen-concern, met 33 werven en
andere bedrijven op scheepvaartgebied in binnen- en buitenland, is klein begonnen. In 1927 startten de
broers Jan en Marinus Damen hun eigen bedrijf. Niemand heeft toen kunnen voorzien dat mede dankzij
de goede inzichten van latere generaties Damen, waarbij de huidige directeur Kommer Damen een
voortrekkers rol vervulde en nog steeds vervult, de scheepwerven onder zijn leiding zo’n grote
ontwikkeling door zouden maken. Het concern Damen is wereldmarktleider met betrekking tot de bouw
van sleepboten. Zelf is de heer Damen daar bescheiden onder. Kritische figuren onder zijn personeel
beweren volgens hem wel eens “Is het een directiebesluit of is er over nagedacht?”. Het tekent de man
dat hij daar met humor en relativerend over kan spreken. Feit is dat hij zijn bedrijf focust op de
corebusiness: het maken van schepen via een ver doorgevoerde vorm van standarisering. Als de klant
een sterk afwijkend concept wil is dat moeizaam en slechts bij hoge uitzondering bespreekbaar. Wel is het
zo dat nieuwe types worden ontworpen mede aan de hand van suggesties van de grote klanten en
toeleveranciers van het bedrijf. Men spreekt in dat laatste geval liever van “partners”, waarvan sommigen
al meer dan 30 jaar zorgen voor een perfecte aansluiting bij de wensen van de werf. Inmiddels is het al
vele jaren zo dat orders voor de bouw van sleepboten uit alle delen van de wereld komen en de afnemers
juist gefocust zijn op de standaardsleepboten, omdat ze uitgekiend zijn en bij anderen meer dan
uitstekend blijken te bevallen. Bovendien zijn de levertijden redelijk kort, afhankelijk van de
orderportefeuille en het type schip. Casco’s, gebouwd op de buitenlandse werven van het concern, zijn
heel vaak al in voorraad. Voortdurend wordt op details gelet. Zo zijn recentelijk nog de besturingshandles
in het paneel van de stuurhut, links en rechts van de speciale stoel waarin de kapitein kan plaatsnemen,
zodanig ergonomisch aangepast dat er geen vermoeidheid van de spieren in de handen kan optreden.
Overigens is in de expositie een opstelling te zien van de besturing, zoals die plaats vindt in de anno 2007
af te leveren sleepboten. Daarnaast is er een ingenieus werkende opstelling gemaakt van een
stuurhandle en links daarnaast een verkleinde draaiende schroefconstructie met straalbuis, zodat de
bezoeker zelf kan zien wat de handelingen met de stuurknuppel voor gevolgen heeft voor de stand van de
schroef. In de tentoonstellingszaal zijn uiteraard scheepsmodellen te bewonderen. Bijzonder is een model
van de eerste “Pushy Cat”, een sleepvlet speciaal voor de natte aannemerij, waarvan talloze exemplaren
in de loop der tijd werden verkocht. De “Stantug 2600” was de eerste echt grotere sleepboot, waarvan er
in vier opbouwvarianten meer dan honderd werden verkocht. Daar bleek dus wel degelijk goed over te zijn
nagedacht. Begin jaren negentig werd dit type vervangen door de “ASD 3110”, waarvan er ook een kleine
honderd werden gebouwd. Het nieuwste type is de ASD 3213, waarvoor ook alweer orders werden
genoteerd. Wie interesse heeft in de tentoonstelling wordt aanbevolen contact op te nemen met de
receptie van Damen Shipyards te Gorinchem, tel. 0183 63 99 11 of via info@damen.nl Normaal
gesproken is men gedurende de reguliere kantooruren welkom. Voor diegenen die Gorinchem te ver weg
vinden: De expositie zal, in al dan niet weinig gewijzigde vorm, vanaf januari 2008 te zien zijn in het
Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum te Maassluis.
Union Grizzly
The URS owned Belgium tug Union Grizzly completed successful her trails last Wednesday, 18 July, at
Marmara Sea – Turkey. The, Robert Allen designed tug, is built as Gmay 2 under Turkisch flag and RINA
class on the Tuzla yard of Dearsan. The delivery to the owners is planned for August 3 after she will be
renamed Union Grizzly and brought under Bureau Veritas Class and Belgium flag. (Source: Hans van der
Ster)
S&Y’s Newest Tug Completes Sea Trials
Suderman and Young Towing Company, L.P. (S&Y) announced the completion of the sea-trials for its
newest tug Thor. The tug features ZTech drive, and is touted as the first of its kind in the western
hemisphere, with only four other Z-Tech vessels operating in the world. The Z-Tech design incorporates
the best of the design features from standard tug Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) and Z-drive configurations.
With its 360 degree turning wheel the design improves maneuverability while the Thor Z-Tech’s much
larger skeg boosts towing capability and directional stability. This new operational design will enable the
tug to handle tomorrow’s larger container vessels more efficiently. “Because of the deepening, from 40 to
45 feet, and widening, from 400 to 530 feet, of the Houston Ship Channel, bigger ships will call into the
Port of Houston’s Bayport Facility,” said Doyle. Designed to increase power, while providing more
maneuverability, the THOR Z-Tech will be able to “move more water, more quickly,” according to Doyle.
The Z-Tech design was developed by internationally renowned naval architect Robert Allan of Vancouver.
Sponsor Gay N. Greer christened Tug Thor Saturday, July 14, 2007 at the Port of Houston’s Barbour’s
Cut Container Terminal. More than 300 invited guests celebrated afterward in the Cruise Terminal.
BOURBON announces plan to sell harbour towage business to Grupo Boluda Corporación
Marítima
19 July 2007, As part of its Horizon 2010 strategy plan, in which the lion’s share of investment is in
offshore oil and gas marine services, BOURBON has announced the intention of Grupo Boluda
Corporacion Maritima to purchase the harbour towage activity of Les Abeilles. The acquisition plan is an
opportunity for Les Abeilles to grow and expand its harbour towage operations. The size and international
presence of harbour towage operators have become decisive factors for success in a market in which
many cases of consolidation have been observed in recent months. The acquisition plan would therefore
be totally relevant in view of the companies’ complementary geographical fields of operation, added to the
reputation of the buyer, who has clearly demonstrated his intention to invest and become a major player in
harbour towage. The sale of stock in the companies concerned would not have any impact on employees
who would retain their status, seniority and benefits. It should be emphasized that the plan concerns
harbour towage only, and does not include protection of the French coastline by vessels chartered by the
French navy and carried out by Les Abeilles International which will still be part of BOURBON. The project
is currently under instruction and consultation by the staff representative bodies of the companies
concerned.
About Les Abeilles
BOURBON port towage operations are carried out by Les Abeilles in the leading ports and terminals in
France, the Indian Ocean and along the African coastline. With a regularly renewed fleet of 66 tugs, the
company is acknowledged on an international level for its expertise and boasts a workforce of over 1,000.
Its port operations ensure that the Les Abeilles company guarantees the safety of ship movements and
fulfils an important role in protecting infrastructure, crews, vessels and the environment. About the
potential buyer, Grupo Boluda Corporacion Maritima Grupo Boluda Corporacion Maritima is a European
holding company boasting a growing portfolio which specialises in maritime services. In addition to
harbour towage the group is also present in sea container transport and ship building. Boasting a fleet of
127 modern tugs located in ports in Spain and Latin America (Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Argentina,
Uruguay and the Dominican Republic), the group has a workforce of 3,000 and posted turnover in 2006 of
EUR 490 million. (Source: Bourbon)
Island Offshore christens Challenger
July 18, 2007 Island Offshore has christened Island Challenger, UT 776 E PSV design which is being built
at Aker Brevik. The vessel will be delivered by the yard in a few weeks, and immediately commences a
three year charter with Statoil. (Source: O.S.O)
SMIT Elbe gedoopt in Sleepboot Museumhaven Maassluis
Vrijdagmiddag, 20 juli, is in de haven van Maassluis, onder grote belangstelling, de nieuwe
havensleepboot van Smit, de Smit Elbe, gedoopt door mevr. M.Karssen-Voordouw, de echtgenote van
Burgemeester Koos Karssen van Maassluis, nadat zij de welbekende woorden “Ik doop u SMIT ELBE en
wens u en uw bemanning een behouden vaart”, had uitgesproken viel de fles champagne tegen de beting
kapot. Het Shantykoor “De Sleeptros” zorgde voor een fantastische muzikale omlijsting. (Source: Hans
van der Ster)
Sanmar to build for Østensjø
Norwegian operator Østensjø Rederi has signed a contract with the Turkish company Sanmar for the
construction of an 80-tonne bollard pull ASD tug for delivery in 2008. Based on Robert Allen Limited’s
RAmperts 3200 design, of which Sanmar has built several called the Sanmar Eskort Class, this new
version has been modified by RAL to provide the higher bollard pull including a 400mm increase in
maximum beam. Further modifications to suit Østensjø’s particular requirements include a bow thruster,
increased recovered oil capacity and revisions to the deckhouse to suit Norwegian/North European
Standards. Ali Gurun, project director at Sanmar is confident of meeting these standards and is looking
forward to entering the challenging design modification process with Robert Allan and carl Amundsen,
operator’s special consultants. Sanmar has two more of the new 80-tonne ASD’s in build on a speculative
basis (red.Bugsier?) and negotiations with potential clients are progressing towards a positive conclusion.
The company reports having had a very busy 2006, delivering four tugs to Italian and UK owners, and two
for local operator and as well as a pair for its own fleet. Plans are to deliver 10 tugs and four workboats in
2007, and not less than eight tugs the year after. (Source: I.T.& S.)
Simek delivers Dina Supplier
July 20, 2007 Dina Supplier is the 100th UT 755 to have been delivered to dat. Simek shipyard in Norway
has confirmed delivery of its newbuilding number 114, Dina Supplier, a PSV for Myklebusthaug Offshore
AS, Fonnes, Norway. The vessel is a UT 755 LC, and - as previously highlighted in Offshore Shipping
Online - is vessel number 100 in UT 755 design series. As of today, a total of 134 UT 755 designs have
been built or are under construction worldwide. Myklebusthaug Offshore took delivery of a similar vessel,
Dina Merkur, from Simek in 2006. Experience from Dina Merkur has been put to use in the design of
Dina Supplier to improve the vessel by adding a stability tank on forecastle deck level aft of the
superstructure. This made it possible to increase the fresh water capacity of the vessel by using the
previous under deck stability tanks dedicated to fresh water. The loss in deck space was compensated by
lengthening the stern by 3m. The new stability tank will improve the comfort onboard for the crew by
reducing the movement of the vessel in bad weather. The naming ceremony for the vessel took
place on July 7th. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Labroy to build two PSVs for German concern
July 20, 2007 The Directors of Labroy Marine Limited have announced that the company’s subsidiary has
signed two shipbuilding contracts worth US$23,600,000 each, totaling US$47.2 million, with a German
customer for two 73.6m, 3,240dwt PSVs with DP2. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2009.
(Source: O.S.O.)
THT-Powertium orders two Damen Axe Bow Fast Crew Suppliers
July 21, 2007 Damen Shipyards in The Netherlands has confirmed that THT-Powertium and Damen
Shipyards Gorinchem have signed a contract for the construction and delivery of two FCS 3307 Damen
Fast Crew Suppliers. The vessels are already under construction at Damen Shipyards Singapore. The
vessels, featuring the newly developed Axe bow design, will have excellent seakeeping characteristics
and will be well equipped and designed for fast and comfortable transport of personnel and cargo to and
from the offshore production platforms. Delivery of the first vessel is scheduled for November 2007 and
the second vessel will be delivered in December 2007. (Source: O.S.O.)
Simple yet effective ASD from Turkey
Two type ASD 24/40 harbour tugs have been purchased from Med marine in Turkey by Remolques
Gijoneses SA for the company’s home port og Gijon in Northern Spain. Originally named by the yard Med
Istanbul and Med Eregli, in accordance with Turkish requirements whilst under construction, the new
owner has renamed the vessels Caudal and Cubria after local rivers. The ASD 24/40 is a class of simple
yet effective small ASD tugs which had its origins in the hawk Class tugs built for Seaspan in Vancouver in
the early 90’s. Through several evolutions and iterations of hull form and layouts, these tugs hve been
built in numerous quantities in Canada, Chile, brazil and now in Turkey. Powered by two caterpillar 3512B
diesels, each developing 1,575 hp at 1,900 rev/min, the 24.39 m x 9.15m tugs have stern mounted
Schottel 1010CP rudderpropellers. Electrical power is provided by a pair of 105kVA Caterpillar 3056
driven generator sets. All the cooling is by Bloksma box coolers. The starboard main engine also drives
the external fire-fighting arrangement supplied by Fire Fighting Systems A.S. This consists of a single
pump of 1.200m3/hr feeding two remotely controlled monitors mounted on a rear platform at wheelhouse
level. Virtually all the other pumps on board are by Bombas Azcue. A watertight door in the forward engine
room bulkhead leads to a locker room with wash hand basin. This room has further door forward into a
lobby with twin berth crew cabins either side, and a toilet/shower room ahead. A staircase leads up to
main deck level where the master’s quarters, mess, alley are located. The cabin has wash basin and desk
but does not have en suite facilities but a toilet and shower room is adjacent. Ther is access to the aft
deck, past a wet gear room, via weather tight door. The staircase up to the rear wheelhouse is L-shaped
with a landing at bridge deck level with an external door overlooking the aft deck. Steps from this landing
lead up to the raised wheelhouse floor around two sides of a chart table. The controls and nav/com aids
are located forward. There are similar single drum Data Hidrolic winches fore and aft with spooling gear.
Each has a 90-tonne brake load but the capacities are different. The aft towing winch can hold 600m of
40mm steel wire whereas the foreward unit holds 100m of 60mm polyester rope. Other deck equipment
from data Hidrolic includes a pneumatically controlled 90-tonne towing hook and towing pins. (Source:
I.T.& S.)
8e jaargang, nr. 29
dd. 29 Juli 2007
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Keppel clinches specialised ship contracts totalling S$350 million
23 July 2007: Keppel Singmarine Pte Ltd (Keppel Singmarine), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel
Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has secured four contracts worth a total of S$350 million (US$230
million) to build six offshore support vessels (OSV) and a derrick pipelay vessel. Delivery dates for these
vessels are expected between the second half of 2009 and the first half of 2010. This is the first time that
Keppel Singmarine is building a derrick pipelay vessel, and for a new customer, Global Offshore
International Ltd (Global Offshore). Mr Hoe Eng Hock, Executive Director of Keppel Singmarine, said,
“Derrick pipelay vessels are highly specialised ships that have to be tailor-made to owners’ requirements.
“We are glad that Global Offshore recognises Keppel Singmarine’s versatility and expertise in building all
types of vessels in accordance with owners’ specifications.” The 163-metre derrick pipelay vessel is a
multi-purpose construction vessel to be equipped with two units of 4500 KW electric propulsion thrusters,
six units of positioning thrusters, a 1200-tonne crane and pipelay equipment capable of operating in water
depths of 3,000m and handling pipes of 60 inches in diameter. These equipment will be supplied by the
owner.
The second contract secured is for another first time customer, Greatship Global Offshore Services Pte
Ltd (Greatship), for the construction of two 94-metre, 4,600 dwt, platform supply vessels (PSVs). The
PSVs will be equipped with diesel electric propulsion and dynamic positioning systems (DP-2).
The third contract was signed with repeat customer, Hadi H. Al-Hamman Establishment (Hadi), to build
two 60-tonne bollard-pull Anchor Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS) vessels with dynamic positioning system
(DP-2) for the Middle East. Hadi has placed a total of 16 vessels with Keppel Singmarine since 2001.
The fourth contract is for another repeat customer, LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft (LUKOIL), which has
commissioned Keppel Singmarine with the building of two Ice-Class multi-purpose standby and rescue
vessels for the Caspian Sea. These are the sixth and seventh vessels to be built for LUKOIL. Mr Hoe
added, “These contracts reflect the success of our strategy of focusing on offering our experience and
expertise in the design and construction of sophisticated and customised vessels for the offshore logistic
industry, an area where we can add the most value to our customers.” Keppel Singmarine has secured
contracts for over 50 OSVs since targeting its business on designing and building specialised vessels in
2002. Keppel Singmarine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation Limited through Keppel O&M,
is the specialised shipbuilding arm. Keppel O&M’s near market, near customer strategy is bolstered by a
global network of 20 yards in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and
the North Sea regions. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to
be the provider of choice and partner in solutions for the offshore and marine industry. Global Offshore
International Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Industries Ltd, a company listed in the US. It is a
leading provider of offshore construction, engineering and support services for the oil and gas industry
with its premium fleet of vessels. Greatship Global Offshore Services Pte Ltd is wholly-owned by
Greatship India Limited (GIL). GIL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GE Shipping. Hadi H. Al Hamman
Establishment is one of the leading general contracting, trading and marine service providers to the Oil &
Gas and Petrochemical Industries in the Middle East with its headquarters in Saudi Arabia. LUKOILKaliningradmorneft is a subsidiary to LUKOIL Oil Company, a leading Russian oil company with main
activities in oil and gas exploration and production, and production and sale of petroleum products. These
contracts are not expected to have material impact on the net tangible assets and earnings per share of
Keppel Corporation Ltd for the financial year of 2007. (Source: KeppeSingmarine)
Cecare Davanzali verkocht
De Cesare Davanzali (ex. Dragone-82, ex. Cesare Davanzali-81) is door Co.Rima - Societa
Cooperativa Rimorchiatori Ancona S.r.L. te Ancona verkocht aan Lutamar in Portugal en in juli
overgedragen. Die nieuwe naam is Guardiao. 2,200 apk (2xB&W) 330 brt, 32 t paaltrek, in
1964 door Cantieri Navale Riuniti gebouwd, 36m96 x 9m02. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Aker Yards to Build PSV for Portosalvo
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with Portosalvo Ltd.for building of one Platform Supply Vessel
based of the design Aker PSV 09 CD. The value of the contract is approximately $53.2m. Delivery is
scheduled in 4Q 2010. Portosalvo Ltd. also has an option for one more identical vessel. The vessel will be
equipped with dynamic positioning, diesel electric propulsion and will have the class notation Clean
Design. The vessels are designed for good sea keeping performance, low fuel consumption and
environmental friendly operations. The hull for the vessel will be built at Aker Yards in Romania and
outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. (Source: Marinelink)
Super tug tows Pasha Bulker to Asia
26 Jul 2007 The damaged Pasha Bulker freighter has begun its journey to Asia under the tow of a large
salvage tug. The ship left Newcastle today to the sounds of an artillery salute. Four shots fired from the
Fort Scratchley gun installation rang out across the harbour as the city officially farewelled the ship. It has
spent the past three weeks undergoing minor repairs in Newcastle for damage suffered during its threeweek grounding on Nobbys Beach. The ship is now heading east after being hooked up to Japanese
super tug Koyo Maru, which is described as one of the most powerful salvage tugs in the world. The
Pasha Bulker is being taken to Asia for major repair work to its damaged hull, propellor and rudder, after
Australian shipyards were deemed unsuitable to do the job. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Deep Sea Supply takes delivery of PSV
July 26, 2007 Deep Sea Supply has taken delivery of the third of eight PSV newbuildings it has on order
at Cochin Shipyard in India. Sea Angler, a UT 755L, will go directly to the Congo for a three (plus one)
year time charter with ENI Congo, as previously announced. Sea Angler is the fifth newbuilding delivered
to Deep Sea Supply this year. In connection with entering into longer term contracts, the company said it
is working to refinance some of its vessels in order to improve its dividend capacity. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Smit Internationale NV expects higher profits in 2007
Rotterdam, 27 July 2007 Smit Internationale announces that the results during the first half of 2007 are in
line with those achieved during the second half of 2006. The exceptionally good capacity utilization in the
Transport & Heavy Lift Division has continued, whereas the Salvage Division has also experienced a high
activity level. For the end of the second half of 2007 there is uncertainty about the order portfolios of the
same two Divisions, which makes it difficult to accurately estimate the annual results at this time. Based
on current forecasts Smit Internationale expects a marked increase in profit compared to 2006. Further
information will follow with the 2007 half-year results, which will be published on 16th August 2007.
(Source: Smit)
Smit Europe handed over
On July 26th, 2007 the Smit Europe (9396220) was handed over to her owners “Smit Internationale
Sleepbootmaatschappij “SMIT Salvor” BV, by the builder Bogazici Shipping in Istanbul.. The CintranavalDefcar designed tug has been build under Turkisch flag as “Bogazici 1” by the Genel Tasarim A.S. yard in
Tuzla under yard number 006. Direct after the handing over she was renamed “SMIT Europe” and
brought under the Bahama flag with call sign “C6WI9”. The tug is planned to sail on the 1st of August
bound for Rotterdam.
The tug is built under Bureau Veritas Classification with notations of Escorting, Towing, Anchor Handling,
Supply, Salvage, Firefighting 1, Oil recovering & Anti-oil pollution unrestricted area. The main dimension
length over all 32.50 meter, beam overall 11.70 meters and depth 5.60 meters with an average draft of
4.30 meters. The tug has a gross tonnage of 451 metric tons. The power comes from a pair of box cooled
Caterpillar 3516B High Displacement C-rating engines, each of them delivering 2000 kW (2720 hp) at
1600 rpm to a pair of Schottel rudder propellers SRP 1515 CP. This will give the tug a bollard pull of 68
tons ahead, 65 tons astern and a speed of 13.5 knots. A Schottel bow thruster STT 110T-LK gives the tug
an excellent maneuverability. Three Volvo Penta D 7A TA generator sets produce 130 kW each at 1,500
rpm. The spacious engine room has an air conditioned control room with the most modern electronic
power management system and an advanced monitoring system. The engine room is further equipped
with a Facet 15ppm oily water separator and a Facet Sewage treatment installation to meet the latest IMO
regulations. An Alfa-Laval fuel separator circulates the fuel in the daily service tanks to supply the engines
with the highest possible clean fuel. The large fuel bunker capacity and fresh water quantity gives the tug
the possibility for long distance towing. In the oil recovery room are two tanks, installed with heating coils,
available for oil recovery. With a pair of water/foam monitors, a deluge curtain system, and the ability to
work a fire round the clock, the SMIT Europe meets FiFi 1 classification standards. The two electrically
powered FFS monitors can be controlled from the pilothouse or at the monitors. A pair of, main engine
driven, Kumera FVIC 260 75F pumps supplies the water. Further in the engine room there is an oil
dispersant pump connected to the two spraybooms on the fore deck. The tug has a small workshop with
bench and vertical drilling machine to carry out small repairs for own or for salvage purposes. Two electric
driven 6 inch salvage pumps are located on the main deck. The tug has 130 ton brake load hydraulic
double drums towing winches. The DTW-45 winch has a drum capacity of 800 meters towing wire of 52
mm circumference and a drum capacity of 400 meters anchor handling wire of 52 mm circumference. A
reel winder on the upper deck carried an extra 400 meters wire 52 mm circumference. Further, the tug is
equipped with on the forecastle deck a hydraulic 200 ton brake load DMT ATW H900Kn fore towing and
combined anchor windlass for escort duties and anchoring. On the aft deck a DZR 24 chain stopper is
situated with 41 tons holding force. Mounted on the towing bit there is a DTH 65 towing hook with a
standard working load of 65 tons. A stern roller 1000 mm x 3000 mm and 130 SWL are fitted in tugs poop.
On the aft deck with strength capacity 5 tons/sqm are container fixtures to transport 3pcs 20ft ISO
containers. A 15 tons/m lifting capacity deck crane completes the tugs deck equipment. On the boat deck
is a rescue boat with a launching crane. The accommodation has heated and air-conditioned 4 single, 1
double and 1 four person crew cabins. The captains and chief engineer’s cabins have a separated
bathroom with toilet, shower and water basin. Further has the accommodation a mess room, galley,
provision room, store room and linen room. On the main deck are two containerized bathrooms with
shower, toilet and water basin. The modern toilets are fitted with an electric solenoid flushing device. The
mess room has a sofa which is dressed up with soft leather. The dining table and the cupboards are made
from handmade wood. The bridge is equipped with extensive nautical equipment and consist one Sailor
GMDSS, one Sailor Inmarsat-C, one Sailor Inmarsat-Mini-M, two VHF/DSC sets, two Sperry Marine
Master Radars, one Sperry Marine AIS, one Sperry Marine GPS, a Sperry Marine Satellite and Magnetic
Compass, a Sperry Marine Autopilot, a Sperry Marine Echo Sounder, a Sperry Marine Speed Log, a
Seiwa Chart Plotter and a Sailor Navtex. The beautiful good looking tug will be operated in the Rotterdam
– Europort under the SMIT Harbour Towage division and managed by SMIT Vessel Management
Services B.V. (Source:Hans van der Ster – Marcol production)
8e jaargang, nr. 30
dd. .. Juli 2007
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Hornbeck Offshore to Acquire Sea Mar Fleet From Nabors
COVINGTON, La., July 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS)
announced today that it has entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement with certain affiliates of
Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE: NBR) ("Nabors") to acquire 20 offshore supply vessels ("OSVs") and their
related business (the "Sea Mar Fleet") for cash consideration of $186.0 million, plus the cost of any fuel
inventory on such vessels. The Sea Mar Fleet is comprised of ten 200 class DP-1 new generation OSVs
and ten conventional OSVs. The Company has also agreed to purchase one 285-foot DP-2 new
generation OSV currently under construction at a domestic shipyard with an anticipated fourth quarter
2008 delivery. The expected cost of this newbuild vessel, prior to allocation of construction period interest,
is approximately $34.0 million, of which about $7.3 million will be paid to Nabors at closing. All of the
vessels to be acquired by Hornbeck Offshore are U.S. flagged and qualify for U.S. coastwise trade under
the "Jones Act" except for one of the conventional vessels, which is foreign-flagged. In addition, under a
separate agreement and effective upon closing, Hornbeck Offshore will manage five Nabors-owned
Mexican flagged vessels currently operating offshore Mexico. The Sea Mar acquisition will be funded with
cash on-hand and is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings. Cash utilized for this transaction
will not alter the Company's plans to fund its previously announced newbuild and conversion programs
from remaining cash on-hand and projected cash flows from operations. Closing is subject to customary
conditions, including third party consents and regulatory approvals, and is expected to occur in early
August 2007. Todd Hornbeck, the Company's Chairman, President and CEO, commented, "We are very
excited about not only acquiring a well regarded fleet of new generation OSVs, but also the opportunity to
attract Sea Mar's highly respected mariners and its shoreside management and support staff to become
part of the Hornbeck Offshore team. Sea Mar has an outstanding reputation for quality and safety, and we
believe that its operational culture is very similar to our own." (Source: Hornbeck Offshore)
Siem Offshore Orders Two Large-Size AHTS
30-07-2007 The Company has declared an option for the construction of two additional large Anchor
Handling Towing Supply vessels (AHTS) at Kleven Verft AS. The contract value is approximately NOK
1.1 billion, and the vessels are scheduled for delivery in third quarter 2010. The decision is in line with the
Company’s intention to become a major owner and operator in the segment for large AHTS. Following
this order of two AHTS, the Company has 10 similar AHTS under construction and has an option for
further two vessels. The vessels which are of Vik-Sandvik VS 491 CD design will have 28,000 BHP, a
bollard pull of 300 tons, winch of 500 tons, accommodation for 60 persons, full PSV capacities and are
designed with special focus on safe anchor handling operations. The engine configuration will enable
both diesel mechanical and diesel electric propulsion which, in combination with the hull design, will
represent efficient fuel consumption and reduced emission. (Source: Siem Offshore)
FARSTAD SELLS OLD-TIMER
Monday, 30 July 2007 OFFSHORE support specialist Farstad Shipping's wholly owned subsidiary P/R
International Offshore Services ANS sold the 24 year-old Lady Elizabeth to European Venture II AS for
US$10.6m. Farstad says: “Delivery of the vessel to the new owner will take place the first week in August
2007. The sale of the ME 202 design vessel will give a booked profit of about Nkr42.5m (US7.3m) in Q3
ONGC Hunts for New Offshore Ships
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has initiated negotiations with shipping companies to keep oil
from its Bombay High oil fields flowing after the Directorate General of Shipping recalled its 27 offshore
supply vessels for safety reasons. The top management of ONGC, led by its Chairman R S Sharma, flew
to Mumbai to meet top Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) officials to procure offshore supply vessels
(OSVs) urgently for deploying into the fields situated 160 km off the Mumbai coast in the high seas. SCI
takes care of operations and management of 22 vessels of ONGC (16 OSVs and 6 specialised vessels).
But the maintenance is outsourced to third parties. ONGC is unlikely to get more than 15 vessels from the
open market at this point of time, industry sources said. In a communication to both ONGC and the DG
Shipping, Sical said it took over 25 vessels for operation and maintenance on May 28 and it was not
feasible to carry out interim SMC audits due to shortage of time. (Source: Business Standard)
Sealink Readies No. 7 in OSV Series
East Malaysia continues to be a world hot spot in meeting the strong demand for oil industry support
vessels. As fleet operators and shipbuilders, Sealink Sdn. Bhd. plays a major role in this success. In early
August 2007 they will deliver the sixth in their 48-meter series of utility/off-shore-supply vessels to their
operations arm. As with the others in the series, the Sealink Vanessa 7 is built to a Conan Wu &
Associates design at 48x11-meters with a molded depth of 3.5 meters. These vessels have port and
starboard midship tankage for 295 cu. m. of fuel and 313 cu. m. water. Accommodation is provided for 24
crew members. The Cummins-powered vessels have a pair of Cummins 6CTA-powered 150 kW
generators, a Cummins VTA28 DM powered fire fighting pump. The main propulsion vessels are a pair of
Cummins KTA38 M2 engines generating 1200 hp each at 1800 rpm. The mains turn in to Reintjes
WAF572 gears with 7.09:1 ratios. The vessel’s four-blade 1.5x1.545-meter Kaplan-type propellers are
fitted with nozzles. An advantage to a yard that builds multiple vessels to the same design is that the build
rate can be very efficient. The Sealink Vanessa 7 was completed in 12 months from laying the keel to
delivery. Earlier vessels in the series include the Sealink Vanessa 3. The Sealink Shipyard currently has a
Cummins powered anchor handling tug under construction as well. (Source: Marinelink)
Siem Supplier delivered
July 31, 2007 Siem Offshore has taken delivery of a MT 6000 design PSV built in 1999, which will
be named Siem Supplier.The vessel was immediately fixed for a 15 day job in the North Sea at a contract
value of NKr 6 million. (Source: Leo Kramer)
KEPPEL NANTONG OPENS
Thursday, 02 August 2007 SINGAPORE-based Keppel Offshore & Marine has officially opened its new
wholly-owned subsidiary, Keppel Nantong Shipyard in Nantong, Jiangsu province, China. An inauguration
ceremony this week also the keel laying of two Anchor Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS) vessels for UAEbased Whitesea Shipping & Supply LLC (WSS), company based in United Arab Emirates and a harbour
tugboat for Singapore-based Keppel Smit Towage Pte Ltd (KST). These vessels are among the 18
offshore support vessels and tugboats that Keppel Nantong is currently building for a broad spectrum of
worldwide clientele. The yard has a capacity to build up to 25 such vessels on its 16-hectare site. Mr Choo
Chiau Beng, Chairman and CEO of Keppel O&M, said, “The addition of this Nantong facility has increased
Keppel’s newbuilding capacity in meeting the growing demand for specialised vessels to serve the
offshore field development market and growth in Liquefied Natural Gas terminals and maritime ports.
China is attractive as a cost efficient and competitive shipbuilding centre. We intend to increase our
investment in Nantong and optimise Keppel Nantong’s facilities to take on more and higher value
projects.” (Source: Leo Kramer)
Repeat order for Bharati
August 3, 2007 India's Bharati Shipyard Ltd has secured a US$44.03 million order from UP Offshore
(Bahamas) Ltd for two unspecified PSVs. UP Offshore (Bahamas) Ltd is part of Ultrapetrol (Bahamas)
Limited. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Departured from Tuzla-Turkey
The, Cintranaval Defcar design escort tug “Smit Europe” and the Robert Allan design tug “Union
Grizzly” departed this weekend from Tuzla from their Tuzla yards Ge-Ta and Dearsan resp. bound for
Rotterdam and Antwerp. It is expected that both tugs will arrive their home base after 10 – 14 days sailing
around 16 and 17 august 2007. Tugspotters has to be alert on the arrivals. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
Seabreeze July 2007 reported
Supplier Goes On Hire
Myklebusthaug’s most recent newbuild delivery PSV Dina Supplier has been term chartered by Norsk
Hydro. The vessel went straight onto Norsk Hydro for a spot job upon delivery back on 14th July and will
go on to a term charter with the same company in direct continuation of this for forty days firm plus 10
daily options.
Skipper Jumps For Joy
July saw Apache North Sea hire the VS470 PSV Siddis Skipper. The vessel is hired on a sublet basis
from Norwegian logistics company MLS. The contract period is 3 months firm with options till the end of
the year. The vessel is doing general support duties for Apache in the Forties field. Following this fixture,
Apache also declared the first of their options on the Malaviya 30 retaining her till the end of August with
further options remaining.
V’s Seize Their Chance
Two of Sealion’s PSVs, the Toisa Voyager and the Toisa Vigilant, have recently commenced work in the
Gulf of Mexico for fresh charterers. The Voyager has been fixed to Canyon Offshore until early
September, before she departs to Brazil for a two-year term with Petrobras. Meanwhile the Vigilant has
been fixed to Subsea 7, firm until January 2008 with options thereafter.
Peterson Pick Pair
Peterson were busy this month chartering both the UT 706 Boa Fortune and UT 755L Malaviya 20 for
term work in the southern sector of the North Sea. These PSVs have been fixed for at least four months
each with commencement expected in the first half of August 2007. Peterson has contracted these
vessels to support their jack up Noble George Sauvageau.
Princess Pushes On
Maersk Oil & Gas Denmark has recently extended the contract of the VS 470 MK II PSV Havila
Princess. The yearly option that has been declared brings the firm date of this contract up to mid August
2008. The Danish company has one yearly option left remaining with this vessel thereafter.
Farstad Fixing Frenzy
Farstad Shipping has confirmed a host of new longterm commitments around the globe. The Lady Valisia
and Lady Gerda will both go to Coogee for a 13 to 15 month drilling campaign off the North West of
Australia with the West Atlas jack-up drilling rig. Both vessels will work in the vicinity until the commitment
commences in October-time. On completion of its current charter in Mexico in August, the Far Swift
PSV/Accommodation vessel will transit to Brazil to commence a two-year charter with Petrobras in
September. Meanwhile, Arrendadora Ocean Mexicana has renewed the charter of the Far Scotia
PSV/Accommodation vessel in support of Pemex activities in the Gulf of Mexico. The new term period will
run for two years firm plus a one year extension option. In November, the Far Supporter will commence a
one year charter, supporting Talisman’s activities in the North Sea. The contract also makes provision for
four six-month extension options. The PSV is currently working for Norsk Hydro in Norway, until being
replaced by Farstad’s newbuild UT 751 E. Finally, from August, the Lady Dawn and the Lady Audrey will
be chartered by Woodside to support the Sedco 703 semi-submersible. However the Far Sky will takeover
from Lady Dawn around March 2008.
Reliance Relinquish Solstad Pair
Reliance Industries has exercised its option to terminate contracts for the Normand Jarl and Normand
Trym, giving 30 days advance notice. Both vessels have been supporting drilling operations in India.
Solstad Offshore has suggested that the decision is reflective of delays in Reliance’s drilling programme.
Queen Continues Her Rhapsody
Trico Supply ME 202 PSV Northern Queen was extended for another year by Dutch Logistics specialists
Peterson Supplylink. The PSV is now firm with Peterson until 2nd October 2008. Peterson has had this
vessel on contract since early July 1998. It is understood that there are no further options remaining after
this.
Champion Gets Charter
Supermajor Shell UK took on a bit of extra supply vessel tonnage in the last third of July. The Gulf
Offshore UT 705 PSV Highland Champion was fixed for five weeks firm plus seven daily options to
primarily support Shell’s cargo operations at Shearwater in the North Sea. This should keep the
Champion busy until early September.
Orders Galore
This month's newbuild section reflects the continued confidence in all sectors of the offshore market.
Despite lack of yard capacity and an ever growing number of orders there is no sign of activity slowing
down...This edition of Seabreeze includes news of 3 DSV's, 2 PSV’s, 4 Construction Vessels, 2 large
seismic vessels, an ultra-deepwater drillship and 12 anchor handlers!
Not “Two” Bad For SNAD
Vroon Offshore Services has acquired two AHTS vessels from SNAD. The Keen and the Kerob were
delivered to their new owners on July 1st and have been renamed the Keen Express and the Kerob
Express. Both vessel are already on long-term contracts in the Mediterranean; the Keen Express
continues with ENI out of Ravenna and the Kerob Express continues with Edison Chouest off Sicily.
CTC Get Out Of A Rut And Into The Groove With New Trencher….
CTC Marine Projects Ltd (a subsidiary of DeepOcean ASA) has announced that their DP II newbuild will
be named the Volantis. This vessel will “form part of a new spread that will include a work / survey class
ROV and the UT-1 Ultra Trencher, which at 2,000 KW will be the world’s most powerful jetting trencher.
The Volantis should be launched in late December 2007 with CTC taking delivery in early 2008.”
Pride Is A Cut Above The Rest
Island Offshore UT 755 LN PSV Island Pride was handed over to its new owners BUE at Fredrikshaven
in the last week of July. The vessel will have its bridge taken off at Istanbul and will then be taken into the
Caspian Sea to work for, amongst others, BP.
Play It Again, Siem / Here’s Lookin’ At You Kleven
Siem Offshore has declared options for two VS 491 CD anchor handlers to be built at Kleven Verft AS
shipyard in a deal worth NOK 1.1 billion. These 28,000 BHP anchor handlers will have a bollard pull of
around 300 tons, a 500 tons winch, accommodation for 60 personnel and are “designed with special focus
on safe anchor handling operations”. Efficient fuel consumption and reduced emissions will also be a
hallmark of these vessels, accomplished by utilizing both diesel mechanical and diesel electric propulsion
together with the improved hull design. Delivery date is schedules for third quarter 2010.
More new DSV orders placed
With the existing fleet of saturation diving vessels being mostly built in the 1970's and 80's it is not
surprising that new orders have been announced. What is surprising is the announcement of several such
ships within a short space of time. Sealion led the charge in March with the declaration that, having
considered various alternatives, they had decided to go ahead with a newbuild large IRM class Saturation
Diving Support Vessel, based on a lengthened version of the well proven MT6016 design. Next the major
subsea contractor, Acergy S.A., announced early July that it had signed an agreement with Havila for a
newbuild DSV. Not to be outdone, this was followed by an announcement from UAE-based Gulmar
Offshore that it had placed an order with Hanjin Shipyard in Korea for two Dive Support Vessels of 115 x
22 x 7m with a 18 man built-in saturation system. These vessels, which are due for delivery in the last
quarter of 2009, will have 1 x 140T heave compensated crane, 1 x 48T crane, 1 x ROV rated for 3,000
meters and accommodation for 120 persons.
Maritime Milestone
This month brought the news that the 100th UT755 had been delivered to her owners. The "Dina
Supplier" is the most recent example of what is arguably the most successful ship design of all time.
Although the design is now 10 years old (Trico's Northern Supporter ex Suffolk Supporter was the first
when delivered to Britannia/Suffolk Marine in 1996), it has continually evolved to incorporate all the latest
technological solutions. Dina Supplier is being delivered by the Simek AS yard at Flekkefjord to Norway's
Myklebusthaug Offshore AS. It is this owner's second vessel of the UT 755LC design. Simek has a further
4 vessels of the same design in their order book. With its popularity assured and global reputation as a
dependable and economic workhorse, its creator, Rolls Royce, is hopeful of reaching the 200 mark.
“X”citing Times for Eidesvik
CGGVeritas and Eidesvik Offshore ASA have entered into 12 years worth of contracts for two new large
Seismic Research vessels, with a total contract value of around NOK 2300 million. As a consequence of
this, Eidesvik Offshore has entered into a Letter of Intent for a shipbuilding contract with Ulstein Verft AS
for building two large Seismic Research Vessels with the innovative X-BOW® design. Length overall will
be about 106 metres and they will be capable of towing 16 streamers. The contract value to Ulstein Verft
is in the region of NOK 1250 million, with delivery scheduled for 2010. With these major contracts together
with the two contracts entered into for delivery this year, CGGVeritas will now have 7 large modern
seismic vessels owned by Eidesvik Offshore, operating on a world-wide basis for seismic acquisition
research.
Seacor & Nabors
SEACOR Holdings Inc. and Nabors Industries Ltd have entered into a letter of intent to form a new
company that will own and operate a fleet of 20 offshore support vessels, currently owned by a Nabors
affiliate. A subsidiary of SEACOR will be the majority owner of the new company, Sea Mar Offshore LLC,
and will manage its 19 US flag and one foreign flag vessels. Nabors will be a minority owner of Sea Mar,
which will qualify for US coastwise trade.
Ahoy From Labroy
Swire Pacific Offshore has ordered four more anchorhandling vessels of IMT 966 design from Singapore's
Labroy Shipyards. The 120-tonne bollard pull vessels will be capable of working worldwide, but were
specially adapted for operations in the landlocked Caspian Sea. The vessels will have a length of 66
metres and breadth of 16 metres and will be equipped with four dynamic positioning thrusters. Swire
already has six of the same class of vessels on order at Labroy, as well as six Havyard 844-design
vessels at Pan United Marine's Singapore facility. The first of the 10 IMT 966 vessels, the Pacific
Valhalla, is due for delivery in August, with the rest of the order to arrive at two-month intervals thereafter.
Aker Accept DOF Decision
The Aker AH04 CD design vessel will be built at Aker’s Aukra yard, Norway. The vessel will be equipped
with a 500 ton main winch and a large offshore crane. Delivery is scheduled to take place in October
2010. Aker Yards will also be building a PSV of Aker 09 CD design, having just entered into a NOK 310
million contract with Portosalvo Limited. The hull will be built at Aker Yards in Romania and outfitted at
Aker Yards in Norway. The PSV will be equipped with DP, diesel electric propulsion and will have the
class notation clean design. Delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2010. Portosalvo also have an
option for one more identical vessel. DOF ASA and Aker Capital are jointly establishing the offshore
shipowning company Aker DOF Supply on a 50/50 basis. The newly formed company will own a series of
six AHTS vessels, which are to be built at Aker Yards’ shipyards in Vietnam and marketed to customers in
Asia’s rapidly growing offshore market. They will all be of Aker AH08 design, with their main engines rated
at around 16,000 BHP and a bollard pull in the region of 180 tons. Delivery of the vessels will take place
between 2010 and 2012. The newbuilding order also includes an option to build an additional six vessels.
DOF will be in charge of commercial and technical operations for Aker DOF Supply via an agreement with
DOF Management. Meanwhile, DOF Installer ASA has entered into a contract with Aker Yards for the
construction and delivery of an additional new high-end subsea installation and construction anchor
handling vessel This was one of the two options that DOF Installer was granted back in February. The
second option has been extended to October 2007. The Aker AH04 CD design vessel will be built at
Aker’s Aukra yard, Norway. The vessel will be equipped with a 500 ton main winch and a large offshore
crane. Delivery is scheduled to take place in October 2010. Aker Yards will also be building a PSV of Aker
09 CD design, having just entered into a NOK 310 million contract with Portosalvo Limited. The hull will be
built at Aker Yards in Romania and outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. The PSV will be equipped with DP,
diesel electric propulsion and will have the class notation clean design. Delivery is scheduled for the fourth
quarter of 2010. Portosalvo also have an option for one more identical vessel.
Farstad Flip
Island Offshore has sold their newbuild UT 712L anchor handler, currently under construction at Aker
Yards Brevik in Norway. Farstad Shipping are the buyers of this 15,900 BHP vessel which is due for
delivery in September next year. It is understood that the purchase price is around NOK 400 million.
Meanwhile, P/R International Offshore Services ANS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Farstad Shipping ASA,
has sold the 1983 built ME 202 PSV Lady Elizabeth in a deal worth USD 10.6 million. Handover to new
owners, Romania based European Venture II AS, is first week of August 2007. The vessel is then likely to
leave the North Sea for employment in the Black Sea.
Volstad Get In Deep
DeepOcean has entered into an agreement with Volstad Maritime for a newbuild ST-256L type
construction vessel, scheduled for launching in March 2009.The agreement will be a limited partnership
with DeepOcean holding a 51% stake and having an option to purchase the vessel after 5 years. Volstad
will take responsibility for managing the commercial and technical aspects of the build. This is the second
vessel that Volstad will build for DeepOcean through its subsidiary CTC Marine Projects Limited.
Designed to CTC’s requirements, the newbuild will operate as a multi-role support vessel, with cable,
umbilical and flexible product lay capabilities.
Clough Set Off For Rem Offshore
Rem Offshore has entered into a long term contract with Clough Limited, for new building 321 at Kleven
Yard for June 2008 delivery. The contract is for five years firm plus three one-year options. The MT 6022
advanced multi-purpose subsea construction vessel will have an LOA of 117.35 metres, a beam of 22
metres and accommodation for 120 people. It is designed for construction, subsea operations, diving and
ROV services and will have a work deck area aft of the ROV section of roughly 1150 m2. It will be
equipped with a fully integrated diesel electric propulsion system, DP2, a deepwater crane of 200T, an
advanced ROV launch and recovery system for two work class ROVs and a 12-man saturation diving
system. Kevin Cain, COO of Clough’s Offshore Oil & Gas Business Unit, says: “We are excited about the
inclusion of this vessel into Clough’s subsea construction fleet. The vessel is a welcome addition to
Normand Clipper and Clough’s pipelay crane barge Java Constructor, which is currently undergoing a
major upgrade, and Clough Challenge.”
Global Pipe Up
Global Industries has announced the construction of a $240 million new generation dynamically positioned
combination derrick/pipelay vessel. The Global 1200 multi-purpose vessel, is designed for work in deep
and shallow water, with a high bollard pull to allow for pipelay without the need for supplemental tugs. It
will have an LOA of 162.3 metres, be capable of operating in water depths of up to 3,000 metres and
handling up to 60-inch concrete coated pipe. The vessel will also incorporate a 1,200 ton capacity crane
and a deepwater lowering system. It will be classed as DP2 and will be able to transit at speeds of up to
15 knots. Global anticipates that the Global 1200 will be operational by April 2010, as the company tries to
expand its fleet in order to increase its involvement in deepwater Subsea Umbilicals Risers and Flowlines
(SURF) and Engineering Procurement Installation and Commissioning (EPIC) projects.
8e jaargang, nr. 31
dd. 12 Augustus 2007
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Rodriquez delivers tug to Garber Bros
A particular strength of Rodriquez Boat Builders, Bayou LaBatre, Alabama is constructing shallow draft
model bow tugs. A fine example of this is the Sea Oak, the yard’s latest delivery of thiss class of tug to
Garber Bros, Morgan City. At 75 ft by 28 ft, the Sea Oak has three 600 hp Cummins KTA19M3 main
engines mounted side by side that drive three 64-inch x 51-inch, four blade stainless steel propellers via
Twin Disc MQ5222 reduction gears. Ronnie Totten, Garber’s operations manager, says the Sea Oak is
“The smoothest boat that I’ve got. There is just no vibration.” The Sea Oak’s large beam allows it to
maintain a routine draft of nine feet and if necessary, to get into around some of the shallow water oil
platforms. The bow tug has accomodations for a crew of six and tank capacities of 37,999 gals of fuel,
5,400 gals of water and 550 gals of lube oil. The Sea Oak joins five other boats in the Garber fleet.
(Source:Marine Log)
Bender building two for Trico Marine
Last September, Trico Marine Services, Houston Texas., placed a contract with Bender Shipbuilding %
Repair Co. Inc., Mobile, Alabama, for the construction of two GPA640 class DP2 equipped Platform
Supply Vessels (PSV’s). The contract was valued at about $35 million. The agreement quarantees the
construction costs of the vessels, as well as technical specifications and contains penalties for late
delivery. Trico is funding the construction costs related to each vessel from cash and cash flow from
operations. Except for the ‘paint job,” the vessels are near identical sisters to those built by Rigdon Marine
based on the GPA640 design from Guido Perla ans Associates, Inc., Seattle, Washington. The PSV’s are
diesel-electric, with three diesel-powered generators including two 1,825 kW (2,447 hp) generators
powered by 16-cylinder Cummins QSK60 D(M) engines and one 910 kW (1,220 hp) generator powered by
a Cummins KTA38 D(M) engine. This engine configuration has demonstrated excellent flexibility and fuel
savings as one or more of the generators can be shut down for stand-by or slower moving operations
such as seismic or cable laying that are often required of this type of vessels. The first 210 ft x 54 ft x 19 ft
PSV will be delivered in March 2008, followed by the second in July 2008. (Source:Marine Log)
Nico opts for newbuilds
August 9, 2007 Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) in the UK says Nico Middle East Ltd is to acquire two
newbuild AHTS of 5,150bhp. In the latest issue of the broker's monthly report on the market, OSL said
the vessels are currently under construction at Fuzhou, China and are scheduled for delivery in late-2007
and early-2008. The cost is in excess of US$23 million. (Source:Leo Kramer)
Bourbon Dolphin’s stability questioned
Published: 09.08.07 14.37 Two of Bourbon Dolphin’s captains, Frank Reisersen and Hugo Hansen, both
questioned the stability of the vessel, during the resumed hearing of the Royal Commission this week.
They told the hearing that they topped up with bunkers and fresh water as often as they could to increase
stability during operation, and they both said the vessel could be difficult to handle when the bunker tanks
were not full. Hansen also told the enquiry about an incident a few months before the fatal accident in
April. With three other AHTS’s, Bourbon Dolphin was manoeuvring a rig off Mongstad. When the thrusters
were running the vessel developed severe broad wise heeling towards port. Captain Hansen immediately
departed for Mongstad to bunker to improve stability. The commission also questioned how it was
possible to change crew in just one and a half hour when the new captain and two mates was going to
manoeuvre the vessel for the first time. Questions were also asked about the trim tanks, which under
special circumstances, like during sustained broad wise heeling, could exacerbate the heeling.
(Source:Leo Kramer)
Doop Smit Elbe goed voor Restauratie Museumsleper Elbe
De doop van de havensleper Smit Elbe in Maassluis heeft voor de museumsleper Elbe plezierige
gevolgen. Namens Smit, de eigenaar van de Smit Elbe, overhandigde de doopster een cheque van 1500
euro aan voorzitter Hans Hoffman van de stichting Maritieme Collectie Rijnmond, die het geld zal
gebruiken voor de restauratie van de museumsleper. De havensleper heeft 400 pk meer. (Source : PAS
Publicaties).
Hornbeck Completes Sea Mar Fleet Acquisition
Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc., has completed its previously announced acquisition of 20 offshore
supply vessels (OSVs) and their related business from certain affiliates of Nabors Industries Ltd. for cash
consideration of $186m, plus the cost of the fuel inventory on such vessels. The Sea Mar Fleet is
comprised of ten 200 class DP-1 new generation OSVs and ten conventional OSVs. The company also
acquired one 285-ft. DP-2 new generation OSV currently under construction at a domestic shipyard with
an anticipated fourth quarter 2008 delivery. The total estimated cost of this newbuild vessel, prior to
allocation of construction period interest, is approximately $34m, of which $7.3m was paid to Nabors at
closing. All of the vessels acquired by Hornbeck Offshore are U.S. flagged and qualify for U.S. coastwise
trade under the Jones Act except for one of the conventional vessels, which is foreign-flagged. In addition,
Hornbeck Offshore now manages five Nabors-owned Mexican flagged vessels currently operating
offshore Mexico. (Source: Marinelink)
SmitWijs Singapore renamed Singapore
De bedoeling is dat de Singapore Dindsdag en Woensdag gaat proefvaren, Dinsdagmorgen rond 8 uur
van de wal in de Waalhaven, dan naar zee en dan Woensdag in de namiddag terug. De Certificaten zijn
inmiddels allemaal op naam van de SINGAPORE. (Source: Capt. Harm Jongman)
.
8e jaargang, nr. 32
_______________________________________________________
Bisso Launches New Tug
Bisso Marine used the 700 ton capacity D/B Cappy Bisso to lift a new
635 ton tug Z-Drive Tractor tug. The draft of the tug was too deep to be
launched in Houma, LA at the Main Iron Works shipyard, so the tug was
lifted on to a materials barge where it was placed into support cribbing
then delivered via the Intracoastal Waterway to New Orleans, LA. Once
in New Orleans, LA, the D/B Cappy Bisso would again lift the tug from
the deck of the materials barge and place it into the Mississippi River at
the Foot of Walnut Street at the Bisso Towboat fleet.
Tug from Forward Marine
Forward Shipbuilding Enterprise Sdn Bhd. is a tug builder from Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. On a recent visit
the yard was typically full of tugs under construction including two boats in the water and a third ready for
the water. Being readied for the launch the 31 x 8.6-meter tug SS 3200 shows a fair hull with a fine bow
merging with a double-chine that sweeps aft in a manner that will bring good water flow to the 2300m/m
diameter props in nozzles. A pair of rolling chocks will contribute to crew comfort at sea. Driving thishull is
a pair of Cummins KTA50 M2 main engines each generating 1600 hp at 1800 RPM. The engines turn into
Reintjes WAF665 marine gears with 5.95:1 gears. Electrical generators are powered by two Cummins
6BTS5.9D(M). Scott & English (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. supplied the vessel's engines. A double-drum towing
winch is mounted on deck. The boat is built to GL class. (Source: Marinelink)
Newbuilding for Unterweser Reederei
In a repeat order, KST B.V., formerly trading under the name Kooren Shipbuilding and Trading, recently
closed contracts with Unterweser Reederei GmbH of Bremen, Germany for the construction of two
Rotor®tugs RT80-28. The vessels, in the past indicated as RT80-r, are expected to have a bollard pull in
excess of 83 Tons. Length of the tugs is 28 meter, and they will be powered by means of three ABC 8DZC
engines of 1760kW each, driving three Schottel SRP 1215CP azimuthing thrusters. The tugs will also be
equipped with FiFi 1, classified by Germanischer Lloyds, and will fly the German flag. Both tugs will be
constructed at ASL Shipyard Pte Ltd in Singapore for delivery to the owner in 2010. At the same shipyard,
KST B.V. presently is finishing the construction of three similar vessels for Bugsier Reederei GmbH of
Hamburg, Germany, and one similar vessel for an investment company in Southern Europe. Both orders
were previously acquired. After delivery of these vessels in the last quarter of this year and the first of next
year, ASL will commence with the construction of the first two Rotor®tugs RT80-28 for Unterweser
Reederei. In addition, KST B.V. is close to sign shipbuilding contracts for the construction of four more
Rotor®tugs of the type RT80-32, a tug with a bollard pull of minimum 80 tons and a length of 32 meters.
The extend of the present order portfolio indicates that the concept of a triangular propulsion configuration
has been acknowledged worldwide in the towing industry. Apart from shipbuilding for a diversity of clients,
KST B.V. is active in management of shipbuilding projects, and presently designing a multi purpose tug,
capable to carry out a wide range of activities. The vessel will be designed for working offshore, including
FPSO support, anchor handling, rig moves and cargo runs, and moreover be capable of carrying out
harbour towage. (Source: via Jaap Bijl)
One More Tug From Shin Yang Shipyard
Photo credit: Alan Haig-Brown courtesy of Cummins Marine. In
2003, Shin Yang Shipyard Sdn Bhd obtained the ISO 9002
certification in shipbuilding and maintenance and related metal
fabrication activities. By 2004 the yard had delivered 178
vessels of which 86 were tugboats. In August 2007 the yard
delivered their Hull #249, the tug Danum 61. Although the yard
regularly builds for export, this 101 x 31-ft. tug was delivered to
a Malaysian customer and is registered in Kuching Sarawak.
Suitable for work in the offshore oil industry the sturdy vessel
includes such features as a marked rescue zone on both port
and starboard sides with bulwark doors. On deck a 30-ton
towing winch, from Singapore’s ME Winch, carries 2,624 ft. of
44-m/m-diameter tow wire. The winch can be controlled from a console beside the full-length window that
gives good visibility of the towing winch aft along the deck to the hardwood beam that protects the
transom. A replacement for the sacrificial wooden beam is lashed in place under the starboard bulwarks.
The aft control station also has a toggle type control for the main rudders as well as a combined speed
and direction control of the bow thruster. Full winch and main engine RPM controls are also at the aft of
the wheelhouse. The expansive forward control suite as well as the radio communications desk and chart
table are built in an attractive blue and natural wood grain finish. The boat is fitted with a ComNav
autopilot and PAL Marine steering system. In the engine room a total of five Cummins engines, sourced
from Scott and English (Malaysia), meet propulsive and electrical needs of the tug. A single Cummins
NT855 powers the bow thruster while a pair of Cummins 6BT5.9-powered 80 kW generators provides
electric power. The main engines are a pair of Cummins KTA38 M2 engines each providing a heavy duty
rated 1350 hp at 1900 rpm. The engines turn into Reintjes WAS562 gears with 5.947:1 ratios. Shin Yang
Shpyard Manager Capt. Lau Choo Mee says that the Danum 61 is the 17th tug that his yard has built to
this successful and popular design. (Source: Marinelink)
Swissco Adds on 2 More Vessels to Fleet
Swissco International Ltd. said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Swissco Offshore Pte Ltd (SOPL) has
added two more offshore support vessels worth $5.7m to their vessel fleet. The first unit is a 147-ft. vessel
placed with a Chinese shipyard in Guangzhou slated for delivery in 2H08. This order is the fifth of its kind
to be placed with the same shipyard. This recent order is a testament to the Group’s belief in the high
demand of such vessels. The second confirmation is a 98-ft. aluminum fast craft, the third to be placed
with a Western Australia shipyard. (Source: Korea Times)
K-Sea Completes Acquisition of Smith Maritime and Sirius Maritime
K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. has completed the acquisition of Smith Maritime, Ltd. of Honolulu,
Hawaii and Sirius Maritime, LLC of Seattle, Wash. President and CEO Timothy J. Casey said: “We are
very excited about welcoming the Smith and Sirius operating teams to K-Sea. This acquisition immediately
increases our barrel-carrying capacity by 770,000 barrels, or 22% of our capacity of 3.5 million barrels at
June 30, 2007. In addition, our ongoing vessel newbuilding program, under which we have ten new tank
barges under construction, will add 524,000 barrels over the next three and one-half years. “These
transactions strengthen our operations on the West Coast and also expand our geographical presence to
Hawaii, thus providing a further platform for future growth. We have also enhanced our ability to service
those of our customers who have marine transportation requirements in more than one U.S. coastal
market. We believe this strengthens K-Sea’s position as a leading provider of refined petroleum products
transportation services in the U.S., and expands our ability to provide reliable and efficient service to our
customers.” (Source: Marinelink)
Aker Yard to Build Offshore Vessels for Solstad
Aker Yards has entered into contracts with Solstad Offshore ASA for building of one Platform Supply/
ROV Vessel of Aker PSV/ROV 06 CD design and one Offshore Subsea Construction and Maintenance
Vessel of Aker OSCV 06 L design. Delivery of the PSV/ROV 06 CD is scheduled to second/third quarter
2010, the OSCV 06 L is scheduled for delivery first quarter 2011. The PSV/ROV 06 CD is a platform
supply vessel with a hangar for ROV (remote operated vehicle), and with a dynamic positioning system
according to DP II class. The vessel will further be equipped with a 100 tons offshore crane and with
helicopter platform. The propulsion system is diesel electric. The OSCV 06 L is a sub sea construction
vessel with DP III dynamic position system, and will be equipped with one 400 tons and one 50 tons
offshore cranes, moon pools, helicopter platform and is prepared for two ROV systems. It is further
prepared for installation of pipe laying and cable laying equipment. The propulsion system is diesel
electric. Both vessels are designed by Aker Yards Project and are designed according to Clean Design
class, and for good sea keeping performance, low fuel consumption and environmental friendly
operations. The hull for the vessels will be built at Aker Yards in Romania and outfitted at Aker Yards in
Norway. tad Offshore ASA also has an option for up to two identical PSV/ROV 06 CD vessels. (Source:
Marinelink)
Sibu’s Sapor to Deliver Anchor Handler
With a track record in delivery of smaller tugs, Sapor Shipyard of Sibu in Sarawak East Malaysia, is
demonstrating an ability to build larger anchor handling tugs to meet the demands of the Malaysian
petroleum industry. Work crews were putting the finishing touches on 121-ft. vessel in early August 2007.
With a 34-ft. beam and a molded depth of 16-ft. this is an example of the current crop of smaller AHTs.
For its size the Omni Akira has some capabilities centered on the double-drum waterfall winch. The deck
winch has a 60-ton single line pull and a 120-ton brake power. Below decks a half dozen engines keep it
all working. A pair of Cummins QSM11-powered 250 kW generators supplies electrical needs that include
the electric-drive 3-ton bow thruster. An 80 kW gen set handles in-harbour loads. A Cummins KTA38
engine powers the boat’s 600 cu. meter per hour fire fighting pump. Main engines are a pair of Cummins
KTA50-M2s each delivering 1600 hp at 1800 RPM. This power gives the AHT approximately 42 tons of
bollard pull. Deck equipment includes a three-ton crane and a rescue boat. Accommodation is provided for
up to 20 crewmembers. (Source: Marinelink)
Norwegians to Build IMT Field Support Vessels in Russia
Norway's KS North Sea Rescue AS has chosen an IMT 955-N design for a series of six Field Support
Vessels to be built at the Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Plant, Russia. The vessels are a modified version of
the IMT Marine Consultants IMT 955 design of which nine are currently building at Astilleros Zamakona,
Spain, for Vroon Offshore. The Russian-built vessels will be operated by Stavanger-based Simon Møkster
Shipping AS. The deal to choose a UK design to build at a Russian yard was brokered by Norwegian
brokers Fearnleys, and the deal includes all equipment, which will be supplied through Russian firm VMF
Shipping. The multi-role IMT 955-N vessels are 55.0 m LOA Field Support Vessels and will carry out
logistics support offering cargo fuel, cargo potable water and deck cargo alongside their primary role as
standby rescue vessels. They are fitted with extensive ship/ship, ship to shore and ship/air
communications to allow the vessel to act as a command and control centre in the event of an offshore
facility emergency or disaster, as well as having extensive search, rescue, treatment and recovery
facilities for injured personnel or personnel in the water and emergency towing facility for assisting stricken
vessels clear of offshore installations. (Source: Marinelink)
Deep Sea Supply to sell and lease back five vessels
August 14, 2007 Deep Sea Supply Plc has entered heads of agreement for a sale and leaseback
transaction with Ship Finance International Limited for five of its offshore supply vessels. The gross sales
proceeds from the sale of the vessels is US$198.50 million. The transaction strengthens Deep Sea
Supply's cash position by US$96 million (the net sales proceeds) after repayment of the existing debt on
the vessels. The Board is currently considering the application of the net sales proceeds with a view to
improve the dividend capacity and facilitate additional growth. Deep Sea Supply has currently a fleet of 12
offshore supply vessels in operation and a newbuilding programme for another 16 vessels at shipyards in
Norway, Singapore and India with deliveries in 2007 - 2009. The above-mentione ddeal involves the
two AHTS Sea Cheetah and Sea Jaguar, which were delivered by Jaya Shipyard in Singapore in 2007,
and the three PSVs Sea Trout, Sea Halibut, and Sea Angler, which were delivered by Cochin Shipyard
in 2007. (Source: Leo Kramer)
DeepOcean lands subsea support vessel contract
08/14/2007 HAUGESUND, Norway – DeepOcean has a letter of award from TSMarine (Contracting) Ltd.
to provide the Normand Flower, two work ROV systems, and personnel. The contract is for a year
starting Jan. 2008 at £15 million ($30 million), with two six-month extension options also at £15 million.
The equipment is to be deployed on subsea commissioning, rigless intervention, and general support by
TSMarine in the North Sea. DeepOcean also has chartered two newbuild multi-purpose subsea support
vessels from Active Subsea ASA. Both vessels are 73.4 m (241 ft) long with DP-2 systems and an active
heave compensated 60-ton (54.4 metric ton) crane. The first charter begins in 1Q 2008 for two years with
two one-year options to work for Petrobras in Brazil. The second vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2Q
2008. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Smit Internationale N.V. sees net profit rise 60%
Rotterdam, 16 augustus 2007 • Harbour Towage Division performs in line with expectations. • Terminals
Division wins two new long-term contracts. • Extremely high volume of work and excellent results for
Salvage Division. • Good prices and excellent fleet utilisation for Transport & Heavy Lift Division.
Mid-year results 2007
• Net profit rose 60% from EUR 29.7 million to EUR 47.5 million. • Operating result increased 46%
from EUR 32.0 million to EUR 46.8 million. • The result of the associated companies increased to
EUR 13.1 million (H1 2006: EUR 9.6 million). • The net earnings per share was EUR 3.00 (H1 2006:
EUR 1.93). • The full-year profit for 2007 is expected to be clearly higher than for 2006.
CEO Ben Vree comments: "The exceptionally high results in the second half of 2006 were continued in
the first half of 2007, with our net profit rising 60% relative to the first half of 2006. So SMIT still has the
wind in its sails. Particularly the more volatile Salvage and Transport & Heavy Lift Divisions put in a good
performance. Our associated companies also showed further strong growth in the roll-out of our growth
strategy. The contribution of the Terminals Division decreased slightly in the first half of this year due to
the transfer of our subsea activities to the Transport & Heavy Lift Division. Of the two contracts secured,
the one in Angola will start to bear fruit towards the end of this year. The Harbour Towage Division
performed in line with expectations, despite the strikes in the Port of Rotterdam. In line with our investment
programme, investments remained high and were aimed partly at replacement and partly at expansion.
The acquisition of the harbour towage activities in Liverpool made a positive contribution. We therefore
expect 2007 to show a marked higher profit relative to our record year 2006.” (Source: Smit)
Another AHTS for Med Offshore
Med Offshore ordered an AHTS 6615 of the Damen Offshore series.
This is the second time Med Offshore orders an anchor handling tug
supply vessel from Damen, following the AHTS 6114, Med Otto, which
was elivered to Med Offshore in September 2006. Med Offshore, the
Italian shipping company owned by the Garolla Family, operates a fleet
of supply boats and anchor handlers while the holding company Sarda
Bunkers operates a fleet of tankers for the transportation of bunkers
and oil products. The newly ordered vessel will form part of the fleet
renewal program which started with the acquisition of the AHTS 6114,
Med Otto. It is designed and equipped for worldwide services. The
AHTS 6615 is one of the latest designs from the Damen Offshore
Series. The Offshore Series includes both AHTS and PSV type of vessels covering a bollard pull range
from 80 to 160 tons and a deadweight range varying from 2000 to 4500 ton PSV. (Source: Marinelink)
ACP Inaugurates New Tugboat Simulator
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) inaugurated a new tugboat simulator that will help train personnel and
enhance skill development to meet today's evolving international standards. With the goal of expanding its
training program to personnel at the local and international level, this new, innovative tool will be added to
the services currently offered at the ACP's Center for Training, Research and Marine Development
(SIDMAR), and will help solidify Panama's position as a maritime training hub. The new tug simulator,
known as the "Z-Peller," emulates the new generation fleet of tugs acquired by the ACP to assist in the
vessels' transit. Through a virtual database system that utilizes geographical designs of marine port areas,
the simulator allows for the accurate re-creation of many diverse stages in the tug process. ACP
Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta pointed out that few training centers provide the certification
that SIDMAR offers. "This 'Z-Peller' will allow ACP personnel to gain invaluable training, preparing us for
an expanded Canal and the transit of longer, wider ships. This simulator also demonstrates our
commitment to invest in state-of-the-art technology and workforce development, allowing us to provide a
reliable, efficient and safe service our customers can count on." (Source: Marinelink)
Crowley Christens 185,000-Barrel ATB
Crowley Maritime Corporation recently christened the third of ten new 185,000-barrel Articulated TugBarge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of by the end of 2010. The vessels
christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Resolve and barge 650-3. During ceremonies held at the Mobile
Convention Center on South Water Street, Nancy Schlueter, wife of Ed Schlueter, vice president of
Crowley's Vessel Management Services (VMS) christened the Resolve, while Alison Haber-Djuve, wife of
Karsten Djuve, regional chartering manager, BP Shipping USA, christened barge 650-3. Crowley's
Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from VMS, and operate it for BP
under a seven-year agreement. The 650-3 is the first vessel in the United States to be certified by Lloyds
Classification Society as complying with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization's
(IMO's) Green Passport program. This certification ensures that any and all potentially hazardous
materials that went into the original construction of the barge have been identified and will be properly
disposed of when the barge ceases trading at the end of its useful life. Crowley already has four, 155,000barrel ATBs and two 185,000-barrel ATBs operating. "We continue to receive positive feedback about
these ATBs, which further validates our continued investment in the build program," said Tom Crowley Jr.,
company chairman, president and CEO. "The ATBs that we currently have in service consistently provide
reliable, efficient and safe transportation for the petroleum products they are contracted to carry." Crowley
and VT Halter Marine jointly designed the ATB tank vessel. The barge 650-3 was built at Halter's shipyard
in Pascagoula, Miss., and the Resolve at its shipyard, in Moss Point, Miss. The new ATBs feature the
latest systems technology and double-hull construction for maximum safety and reliability. Not only does
the unit have the capability of transporting refined products, but it can also carry heated cargoes and easy
chemicals, which require special arrangements of vents, stripping systems, pump components and tank
coatings above that normally required for product carriers. All of Crowley's ATBs are built under the ABS
SafeHull program for environmental protection. This program puts the vessel design through an
exhaustive review to identify structural loads and strengthen the vessel structure. The 650-Class barges
will be 27,000 deadweight tons, 587 feet in length, 74 feet in breadth and 40 feet in depth. The fully loaded
draft will be 30 feet. There is an electric cargo pump in each of the 14 cargo tanks to assure maximum
cargo integrity and segregation flexibility; two anchor windlasses and associated equipment to enable the
vessel to accommodate offshore mooring operations; and a vacuum system with three retention tanks to
easily handle cargo changes. There is also a nitrogen generator and vapor collection system for maximum
safety. A layer of nitrogen covers products in the tanks to make the atmosphere too lean for combustion.
An enhanced mooring system features 1,000-foot Spectra-type lines on split drums with a high-speed
recovery rate of 100 feet per minute. The tugs meet all SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and ABS criteria,
and have a foam capable fire monitor; twin fuel-efficient heavy fuel oil engines; a noise reduction package;
and other upgrades to increase crew comfort. The communication and navigation equipment is among the
most technologically advanced in the industry today. (Source: Marinelink)
8e jaargang, nr. 33
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First of GPA-654 Supply Vessel Delivered by Bollinger
The first of 10 new Rigdon GPA-654 platform supply vessels, appropriately named First and Ten, has
been delivered from Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana. Another 22 of the vessels of the same 190-foot
design are on order by Bourbon Offshore from a Chinese yard. As with earlier Guido Perla-designed
supply vessels, the diesel-electric propulsion power in these vessels is being supplied by Cummins
Mid-South LLC of Kenner Louisiana. For these vessels the diesel electric package consist of two
Cummins KTA-50DM1-powered1235 KW and one Cummins KTA-19DM1-powered 425 KW main
propulsion generators and one 6BTA5.9G-85 KW SOLAS emergency standby generator. The First
and Ten is a 190- by 46- by18-foot PSV with two Azimuthing vertical electric drives and one fixed
electric L-Drive aft as well as two large tunnel thrusters forward. The redundancy of propulsion
systems on these vessels earns them DPII status. They are fully diesel electric with Silicon Controlled
Rectified (SCR) DC drives. A unique feature of the design has the engine room at the first deck level .
Not only does this allow for more bulk storage capability under the main deck but it also allows for
ease of maintenance and repair by it's key vendors like Cummins and AVK . The engines are
connected to the vessel management system by means of a Mod Bus arrangement supplied by
Cummins Mid-South using Auto Maskin panels. They tier into a Techsol vessel management system
and a Frank L. Bier DP system. Electric Power Design Inc. of Houston Texas and Yangzhoa China
provided the entire vessel power management system including all motor control centers, SCR system
and the actual drive motors themselves. Karl Senner Inc. also out of Kenner, La. supplied the Steer
Prop steerable propeller system. All vendors will remain constant on all 32 vessels to be constructed
both in the US and China. The vessels were designed under the guidance of Guido Perla and
Associates. The Rigdon 4000 PSVs have capacity for up to 4,000 barrels of liquid mud in an
independent and fully segregated, self-cleaning oval tank system. The design allows them to deliver
100% of their mud cargo to an offshore rig while reducing the client?s expense of tank cleaning.
Farstad Announces Sale of AHTS
International Offshore Services ANS, a wholly owned company of Farstad Shipping ASA, has reached
an agreement to sell the AHTS Lady Margaret. Buyer of the vessel is Vigeo Ltd, Farstad Shipping's
joint venture partner in Nigeria. The vessel is of design ME505 (BHP 8850) built in Australia in 1993.
Delivery to the new owner will take place at the turn of August/September. Vigeo will also take over
Farstad Shipping's part in the joint venture being the company in charge of the operations in Nigeria.
Due to the prevailing safety situation in Nigeria Farstad Shipping has decided to withdraw from that
market. The price for the vessel is $14.5m. This will give a booked profit of approx. (Source:
Marinelink)
ABG Shipyard Delivers Two Vessels
ABG Shipyard Ltd has announced that the company has delivered two vessels. The 173 ft. long, 90
Ton Bollard Pull Azimuth Drive Propulsion AHTS is able to carry out Anchor handling Towing Rescue,
Offshore Supply, Transport Pipes, fresh water, diesel oil, Stores, Materials and equipment, move men
and materials between platforms and shore, external fire fighting and other related duties. The vessel
is to supply, support the Floating Production Offloading Storage (FPSO) vessels, offshore oil and gas
field on a twenty four (24) hour per day basis. The Lamnalco Macaw is the second vessel to be
delivered to Lamnalco in this financial year. The Company has so far delivered 7 vessels, including the
present one, to Lamnalco Group. Besides, the Company is building another 5 vessels for the
Lamnalco group. The 208-ft., 80 T Bollard Pull Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) Vessel with Rolls
Royce propulsion is able to carry out Anchor Handling (Brattwag Deck machinery), dry bulk handling
(Progressive Technique), Towing Rescue, Offshore Supply, Transport Pipes, fresh water, diesel oil,
Stores, Materials and equipment, move men and materials between platforms and shore, external fire
fighting and other related duties. The vessel is to supply, support the Floating Production Offloading
Storage (FPSO) vessels, offshore oil and gas field on a twenty four (24) hour per day basis. (Source:
Equity Bulls)
Deep Sea Supply takes delivery of AHTS newbuild
Deep Sea Supply (Oslo:DESSC) has taken delivery of Sea Otter , a 63 m, 6,500 BHP AHTS-vessel
from ABG shipyard in India. The vessel will go directly to Indonesia for a four months time charter with
Conoco Philips at a rate of $17,500 per day or equal to an estimated value of $2.1 million Sea Otter is
the first of nine AHTS newbuildings for the company from ABG Shipyard in India, and the sixth
newbuilding delivered to Deep Sea Supply this year. A previously announced contract for the vessel
Sea Wolverine with Swiber at $15,000/day has been canceled. Sea Wolverine is the next vessel to
be delivered to the company from ABG Shipyard. It will be converted to a DP1 vessel and, due that
conversion, the agreed delivery date has been pushed back to to December 2007 rather than
September as previously announced. (Source: Marinelog)
Crew rescued as boat hits rocks
A crew has been winched to safety by
helicopter after a boat hit rocks off the coast of
Anglesey. All six crew were safe after
abandoning the 105-tonne Smit Cymyran off
Skerries Rocks, said Holyhead Coastguard.
Initially, the crew were lifted off the survey and
training vessel onto rocks before being airlifted
to a coastguard station. By early afternoon the
vessel was still being brought to shore at
Borthwen beach near Holyhead.
The crew abandoned the vessel after it struck rocks
During the rescue a lifeboat was close by to monitor for pollution as the area is important for seabirds
and there is a seal colony. Despite filling up rapidly with water, the 90ft vessel was refloated on the
rising tide. It is believed only one compartment was breached, and salvage pumps were airlifted from
RAF Valley to try to pump out the water. Jim Paton, area watch manager for Holyhead Coastguard,
said they received an emergency call from the Smit Cymyran around 1050 BST.
Flooding rapidly The incident happened seven miles east of Skerries Lighthouse and two miles from
Carmel Head. The crew said they were abandoning her after she had struck the rocks. An all-weather
lifeboat and a rescue helicopter from RAF Valley on Anglesey, were immediately sent to the Skerries,
about two miles off Carmel Head and the scene of many shipwrecks in the past. The boat is belived to
have struck the East Platters, east of the Skerries. Mr Paton said the crew
had been in "extreme danger" "The Skerries is
a notorious area for shipwrecks and they were
very fortunate." "The vessel was flooding
rapidly and had developed a list of 30 degrees
and was taking on a lot of water," he said. Mr
Paton said they believed the oil tanks on the
vessel had not been damaged, but a pollution
team from the Maritime and Coastguard
Agency was monitoring the situation. The
Marine Accident Investigation Branch has also
been asked to investigate. The boat was being
used to collect RAF personnel who were taking
part in a routine training exercise in which they
are dropped into the sea from a Sea King
helicopter. (Source: BBC)
Douala Tide sinks off Port Elizabeth
The Tidewater Tug "Douala Tide" sank off Port Elizabeth 23/08/07. One fatality, one critical others ok
- 7 crew members were picked up by the worlds fourth largest and most luxurious yacht "Octopus"
owned by Microsoft’s Paul Allan and 3 others were picked up by the NRSI, The Douala Tide was
enroute from the United Arab Emirates to be delivered in Douala in Cameroon and sunk in 6-8 meters
swell 25 nm offshore the Fish River Lighthouse. (Source: Clipping News)
Saipem charters Fairmount Summit
Fairmount in The Netherlands reports that Fairmount Summit has been chartered by Saipem for
a project on the Halfdan field. The project involves the tow of the laden barge S-44 and positioning her
close to Saipem's heavy lift vessel S-7000 for offshore discharge.The duration is expected to be 12-24
days. (Source: OSO)
Conversion of Polar Queen completed
Norwegian naval architects Multi-Maritime report that Rieber's conversion of Polar Queen on behald
of Acergy has been completed. The rebuilding of the former cable layer was completed at Damen Ship
Repair Yard in Rotterdam. The vessel is now one of the most advanced flexlay and subsea
construction vessels in the world. The vessel was originally built at Hyundai Mipo in 2001, and
the rebuilding was performed in two phases. The first phase was completed at A&P Teesside in the
UK last summer. There, all the cable laying equipment and the shelter deck were removed. Two large
pipe carousels and a helicopter deck were installed, and the main deck was strengthened to 10 t/m2.
The second phase at Damen, involved the installation of a 200 tonnes offshore crane (300 tonnes
inshore), a 340 tonne lay tension lay tower, a 400 tonne heave compensated deployment winch
system, ROVs and additional accommodation/office space. The vessel's beam was increased from
21.0 m to 27.0 by adding sponsons. Multi Maritime's involvement was design development, in cooperation with Acergy Group, lines design and stability documentation. When designing the lines for
the sponsons, great emphasis was put into fairing the sponsons smoothly into the existing hull.
Although this meant a more complicated construction, it paid of in that the vessel loose very little
speed due to the sponsons. In fact it reached a speed of 16 knots during the sea trials. Polar Queen
left the Dutch yard in mid-August 2007. Its first jobs are in West Africa, pipelaying in the Moho Bilondo
and Kizomba C fields. (Source: OSO)
New Iskes tug named “Triton”
The new built Rampart 3200 tug for Iskes Towage, under construction at the Dearsan yard in Tuzla –
Istanbul and under Turkish flag and RINA class, will be named Triton. She is the second tug with this
name for IskesTowage. (Source: Dirk Martens)
Reünie “Maarten Tromp”
Zoals u wellicht weet bestaat er een vereniging van oud-leerlingen en leraren van deze school. Deze
vereniging is ontstaan nadat een groep oud-leerlingen in 1979 een reünie heeft georganiseerd. Dit is
dan ook de belangrijkste bestaansreden van onze vereniging. Twee maal in de vijf jaar organiseren wij
een reünie, eenmaal een grote voor alle oud-leerlingen en een maal een reünie van wat beperktere
omvang. Dit jaar zullen wij weer een reünie organiseren en wel op 13 oktober 2007 in Hotel
Restaurant “De Beer” in Rozenburg. Deze reünie zal bestaan uit een middag en een
avondprogramma. Eventueel kunt u tegen gereduceerd tarief in het hotel blijven slapen. Er is dit jaar
voor gekozen zoveel mogelijk oud-leerlingen te benaderen via e-mail. Het zal u duidelijk zijn, dat we
niet over alle e-mail adressen beschikken en daarbij roepen wij dan ook uw hulp in. Wij zouden u
uitermate dankbaar zijn indien u ons eventueel bij u bekende emailadressen zou kunnen toesturen,
zodat wij ook deze mensen kunnen bereiken. Het succes van een reünie hangt tenslotte af van het feit
of u ook inderdaad oud klasgenoten tegenkomt. Op de website zal een deelnemerslijst worden
opgenomen waarop we de mensen die zich hebben aangemeld gaan vermelden. Op deze wijze
hopen we een groot aantal mensen te kunnen verwelkomen. U kunt ons bereiken via de website:
http://www.verenigingmaartentromp.nl Wij hopen velen van u te mogen ontmoeten op zaterdag 13
oktober. De reüniecommissie.
8e jaargang, nr. 34
dd. 02 September 2007
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Handysize Tug Addresses Niche U.S. Market
TUGZ International, LLC, an owner-charterer of the Z
Class, 4,000 hp multipurpose U.S. flag reverse tractor
tugs designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants, Seattle,
is introducing a new Jensen designed tug to fill the niche
between the 2,000 - 3,000 hp tug market for harbor work,
fireboats, and construction operations as well as for
coastal towing. The newly designed Handysize Class
describes the new tug design as just the right size, just
the right power, environmentally sound, fuel efficient and
versatile enough to accomplish most tug jobs at the
lowest operating cost. This series of tugs will be built at
TUGZ’s affiliate Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, Ohio.
The shipyard recently opened new state-of-the-art facilities for tug and barge construction. Not new to
shipbuilding or to tug operations, some of the The Great Lakes Group of transportation companies
have been around since the turn of the 19th century and its tugs operate on all the Great Lakes, all the
coasts, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska. For many years it also owned and operated a Gulf shipyard
too. The Great Lakes Shipyard will build the Handysize Class tugs for sale, or for lease-purchase or
charter through its affiliate TUGZ. Two tugs are now under construction with deliveries November
2007 and April 2008. The tugs are available as ASD’s or as nozzled Twin-Screw Conventional models
for those operators whose work application makes the Z-drive unnecessary and too expensive. Some
operators believe that the conventional tugs will work better in ice and in debris-filled, low, and muddy
waters. (Source: Marinelink)
Eregli Launched Mexican Tug
The Robert Allen design tug Rampart 3200 “TMM Tepalcates” , imo 9410698, was launched last
Wednesday 29th August at the Turkisch Eregli yard.by builder Medyilmaz, a subsidiary of Medmarine,
under yardnumber 02. The tug will be built for the Mexican owner TMM. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
Damen signs four tug contract with DP-World, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Damen Shipyards Gorinchem was awarded a contract for the construction and delivery of four 70 ton
Bollard Pull Damen ASD Tugs 2411 for DP-World's Jebel Ali operation. The Damen ASD Tug 2411 is
a very powerful and compact state of the art harbor tug of which a large number of vessels have been
delivered to Customers world-wide. Delivery of the first two tugs will take place in August 2008,
number three and four will follow at the end of 2008. Upon arrival in Dubai the tugs will immediately be
deployed and will provide tug assistance in the Jebel Ali Port. (Source: Damen)
New Rotor®tug orders for KST B.V.
In a repeat order, KST B.V., formerly trading under the name Kooren Shipbuilding and Trading,
recently closed contracts with Unterweser Reederei GmbH of Bremen, Germany for the construction
of two Rotor®tugs RT80-28. The vessels, in the past indicated as RT80-r, are expected to have a
bollard pull in excess of 83 Tons. Length of the tugs is 28 meter, and they will be powered by means of
three ABC 8DZC engines of 1760kW each, driving three Schottel SRP 1215CP azimuthing thrusters.
The tugs will also be equipped with FiFi 1, classified by Germanischer Lloyds, and will fly the German
flag. Both tugs will be constructed at ASL Shipyard Pte Ltd in Singapore for delivery to the owner in
2010. (Source: K.S.T.)
Rotor®tug deliveries
At the same shipyard, KST B.V. presently is finishing the construction of three similar vessels for
Bugsier Reederei GmbH of Hamburg, Germany, and one similar vessel for an investment company in
Southern Europe. Both orders were previously acquired. After delivery of these vessels in the last
quarter of this year and the first of next year, ASL will commence with the construction of the first two
Rotor®tugs RT80-28 for Unterweser Reederei. (Source: K.S.T.)
Rotor®tug newbuilding contracts
In addition, KST B.V. is close to sign shipbuilding contracts for the construction of four more
Rotor®tugs of the type RT80-32, a tug with a bollard pull of minimum 80 tons and a length of 32
meters. The extend of the present order portfolio indicates that the concept of a triangular propulsion
configuration has been acknowledged worldwide in the towing industry. (Source: K.S.T.)
Rotor®tug new design
Apart from shipbuilding for a diversity of clients, KST B.V. is active in management of shipbuilding
projects, and presently designing a multi purpose tug, capable to carry out a wide range of activities.
The vessel will be designed for working offshore, including FPSO support, anchor handling, rig moves
and cargo runs, and moreover be capable of carrying out harbour towage. (Source: K.S.T.)
Worry of over-ordering of offshore vessels
Published: 27.08.07 14.52 There is a growing worry that over-ordering of offshore vessels will lead to
a weaker market. A number of offshore operators have warned that the order boom has to stop or at
least be reduced. The latest to join the fray is Kristian Siem, chairman of Siem Offshore, who has 25
offshore vessels on order. He says that if “the wave of orders continues it cold become a problem and
the market could collapse.” Siem Offshore owns 14 vessels and is based in Kristiansand, while
operaton is located at the Rovde base near Ålesund. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Offshore Service Vessels Sold
Buruna Raya Logistics has signed an order for three 101.7 ft. offshore service vessels. The vessels
will be constructed at Strategic Marine’s Singapore Facility. Powered by three Cummins KTA 38
Engines giving the vessel a total of 3600 bhp, each vessel with be capable of reaching a maximum
speed of 27 knots. The vessels will have the capacity to seat 50 passengers, provide accommodation
for 8 crew members, and hold up to 134 tons of cargo on its 67 square meter cargo deck area.
(Source: Strategic Marine)
Hornbeck expands MPSV program
Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. has expanded its multi-purpose supply vessel (MPSV) program to
include a 430-ft (131-m) new generation DP-3 MPSV to be constructed at a European shipyard with
an anticipated 3Q 2009 delivery. The new vessel will be included in the company’s MPSV program,
which consists of two US-flagged coastwise sulfur tankers that are being converted into 370-ft (113-m)
new generation DP-2 MPSVs. Hornbeck has an exclusive four-year option to build two additional sister
vessels based on the same DP-3 MPSV design. COSCO also has secured five semisubmersible
heavy lift vessel (HLV) conversion contracts from Norway’s Front Line. The yard will convert five
suezmax tankers into semisubmersible LVs. These conversion contracts will be undertaken at
COSCO’s Zhoushan, Guangzhou, and Nantong shipyards. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Guidelines for immediate measures on supply ships and tugs used for anchor
handling
As a result of the tragic disaster with Bourbon Dolphin and after consultations with the industry as well
as shipmasters, the Director General of Shipping and Navigation decided, on 10.05.2007, to introduce
immediate measures for planning and safety management on vessels used for anchor handling. This
pending the report from the appointed special investigating committee. Anchor handling may implicate
a number of special marine operations. A high level of tensile force (tension) in the chain or wire may
cause great heeling moment and high astern or transverse speed of motion in the anchor handling
vessel. A simultaneous loss of trust force on the vessel’s own propellers and or fatal rudder position
may result in a rotation which leads to a considerable increase in transverse forces. Environmental
conditions as wind, waves and currents will also influence the operations. High astern or transverse
speed of motion may occur as a result of high hauling speed on the anchoring winches or as a result
of entire or partial loss of the vessel’s own bollard pull. Loss of bollard pull will cause the vessel to be
pulled astern with great force by the tension in a heavily strung anchor arrangement. By using towing
hooks, an emergency release of the hook may ensure that the ship is able to quickly relive herself
from the applied forces. For towing or hauling by use of winches, there is no equivalent release
method. Please note that the stability requirements for supply- and towing vessels allows for the angel
of heeling at witch the maximum righting arm (GZ-max) appears to be under 20 degrees, but not less
than 15 degrees. This means that even a slight heeling can be critical. Please also note that the angle
of flooding, which results in water on the aft deck, occurs before the vessel reaches the angle for
maximum righting arm (GZmax). Astern trim reduces the angle of flooding further. (Source: Clipping
News)
Aker Yards to Build Two AHTS
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with an International Shipping Company, for building of two
Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels of Aker Yards AH 12 design. The two vessels are scheduled
for delivery in Q4 2010 and Q2 2011. The hull for the vessels will be built at Aker Yards in Romania
and outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. Roy Reite, who is in charge of Aker Yards' Offshore &
Specialized Vessels business area, says: "This is an historic day for Aker Yards, both given the
magnitude of the order and the type of vessel. We are proud to be given the opportunity to design and
build the most powerful sister vessels in Aker Yards' history". The vessels will be equipped with a
hybrid propulsion solution and will have a bollard pull in excess of 350 tons. The vessels are designed
by Aker Yards Project and are designed for good sea keeping performance, low fuel consumption and
environmental friendly operations. High standard accommodation is planned for 70 persons. Aker
Yards' business area Offshore & Specialized Vessels now has in the orderbook 81 vessels, 14 of
these are Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels of Aker Yards design. Fast facts Vessel type Anchor
Handling Tug Supply Design Aker Yards Project / Aker AH 12 Length 94 m Beam 24 m Deadweight
5000 t Main engines 2 x 8000 kw Aux. engine 11000 kw Speed 17 knots Accommodation 70 persons
ABG Shipyard delivers OSV to Vroon
India's ABG Shipyard Ltd has delivered the diving support vessel VOS SATISFACTION to Vroon B.V.,
The Netherlands. The vessel is ABG Shipyard's first to be delivered to Vroon. which has two others
under construction at the yard. The 61 m vessel has a Norcrane four point mooring system and TTS
Model GPCKO 1250-30-20 knuckle boom crane. It is equipped for diving, rescue, offshore supply,
pipe transport, external fire fighting and other related duties. It is classed LR +100A1 +LMC +UMS
+FiFi-i "Offshore Supply Vessel", WS, SCM, PCWBT, LSA and PCAC3 (Source: Marinelog)
Sapor Shipyard delivers AHT
August 29, 2007 Sapor Shipyard has delivered the AHT Omni Akira. The 37m anchor handling tug
Omni Akira has recently been delivered by Sapor Shipyard of Sibu, Sarawak, East Malaysia. The
vessel has Cummins engines including two KTA50M2 main engines rated at 1600bhp at 1,800rpm,
two QSM11DM gensets rated at 250 kwe, and a KTA38M2 rated 1,200bhp which drives the firefighting
pumps. (Source: OSO)
Viking exercises option for two more newbuilds
Vessel & ROV News - August 29, 2007 Norwegian naval architect Vik-Sandvik says Trans Viking
Icebreaking & Offshore has declared options for a further two newbuilds at Astilleros Zamakona in
Spain. The contract is for two large AHTS vessels of VS 4622 design which will be delivered in
2010/11.The two options come in addition to the two vessels of same design which were ordered late
last year. (Source: OSO)
C H Offshore agrees to dispose of two vessels
August 30, 2007 The Board of Directors of CH Offshore Ltd in Singapore has announced that
the company has entered into two separate conditional sale agreements with an unspecified third
party, pursuant to which the buyer will purchase from the company for an aggregate cash
consideration of US$6.2 million, Osam Condor, a 1983-built 4,800bhp AHTS and Gema 1, a 1982built 4,800bhp AHTS. The purchase prices of US$3 million for Osam Condor and US$3.2 million
for Gema 1, amounting to an aggregate consideration of US$6.2 million, were arrived at on a willing
seller and willing buyer basis after taking into account future prospects, cash flow and potential
earnings of the vessels. (Source: OSO)
SeaBird agrees sale of Raven Explorer
SeaBird Exploration Limited has agreed to sell Raven Explorer for a price of US$17 million with
delivery within the first half of September. The vessel was intended converted to a shallow water 2-
D/3-D vessel, but modeling could not positively conclude the vessels suitability as a state of the art
seismic vessel. (Source: OSO)
8e jaargang, nr. 35
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Smit Africa launched
The Smit Africa (imo 9396232) has been launched on the 4th of September at 15.00 hours LT from
the Genel Tasarim Shipyard in Tuzla; Turkey as Bogazici 2 and with yard number 007. She is, the 2nd
and sistership of the Smit Europe, built by Bogazici Shipping Istanbul for Smit International
Rotterdam. The escort tug is from the Cintranaval Defcar design. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
New Multicat for Holyhead Towing
Holyhead Towing ordered at the Neptune Marine Services in Aalst a multicat.. The Dulas
Island, 25,10 x 10 x 2 mtr. 2 Cummins KTA38M2 totaal 2600 Bhp 28 Ton bollard pull and
9 knots will be delivered 2008 (Source: Leon de Hoop)
Neptune 8 sold
Neptune Marine has sold the Neptun 8 to Jan de Nul N.V., Brugge and renamed her DN 200.
(Source: Leon de Hoop)
JP Knight sold Kinross
Kinross from JP Knight is sold to Grupo Boluda S.A., Madrid and renamed V.B. Corsario
(Source: Leon de Hoop)
Agile tugboat ready for the giants of the Ship Channel
Thor, the newest tugboat on the Houston Ship Channel, is part of a breed of high performers being
brought in to handle a growing number of big ships. The $8 million tug's maneuverability is really what
sets it apart from most others, according to longtime Texas towing company Suderman & Young,
which owns the vessel. The company is touting the tugboat, which can turn 360 degrees and dock
sideways, as the slickest and most modern tug operating on the Texas Gulf Coast. With ever-larger
ships calling on the Port of Houston, Suderman & Young and others in the tugboat business are
buying tugs to help guide those vessels in and out. "They are talking about much bigger ships than we
have seen in the past," said Lamar Doyle, president of Suderman & Young, which owns nearly 30
other smaller tugs in addition to Thor. "We are just trying to get ready for whatever they will bring our
way to make sure we have the proper tug equipment to handle those ships." At the controls, Thor
relief master Nicoli Payne demonstrated what the boat can do by deftly making 360-degree turns near
the Fred Hartman Bridge. Most tugs, which are small, powerful boats designed to tow or push bigger
vessels, can't make such a surprising move. "You get more bang for your buck," the boat's captain,
Doug Caradec, remarked as he stood in the gleaming wheelhouse of the boat as it powered across
the water last week. Suderman & Young said it got the 98-foot tug as the landscape at the Port of
Houston is changing with the recent widening and deepening of the Houston Ship Channel, along with
the opening of the $1.4 billion Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal. Those developments mean
more and bigger vessels will be calling on the port, the company said. The company isn't alone, as
competitors also are updating their fleets. For example, Bay-Houston Towing has ordered three similar
tugboats, the first of which it is supposed to arrive in October, according to Capt. Tom Tray, vice
president and general manager of its marine division. This kind of activity is not confined to Houston,
by any means. Robert Allan, president of Vancouver, British Columbia based Robert Allan Ltd., which
designed the boat, said tugboat-building globally is going like wildfire. "I have been in this business 36
years now and never seen anything as hectic," Allan said. "We have something probably approaching
150 vessels under construction in 27 countries worldwide." Much of that activity is tied to the business
of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, and Thor is actually on the small end of what is being built worldwide,
he said. In terms of tanker handling, the oil industry is extremely safety-conscious and insists on the
highest standards of tug assistance in most ports, according to Allan. So if you can't offer the oil
industry a state-of-the-art tug and a highly trained crew, you are not going to get their business, he
said. Thor's design is only a few years old. Its roots are thousands of miles away, in Singapore. Allan
said the design firm came up with the Z-tech drive as a compromise between competing schools of
thought on how to design a tugboat in Singapore, one of the world's busiest ports. "The bow is low, the
stern is high, and the ship is more or less symmetrical," Allan said. "So it goes equally well in both
directions, and the control position is laid out to give the best possible visibility in both." The boat, built
in Houma, La., features a 360-degree turning wheel, making it nimbler than most other tugs, and a
large keel designed to boost its towing capacity. Robert Allan Ltd. has well over 20 Z-tech vessels
already delivered or under construction, from the Middle East to Australia. Three already have been
delivered to the Panama Canal, where a huge expansion project has just kicked off, and seven more
vessels are on order, Allan said. Payne said the boat's wide range of features will make it a valuable
asset as G&H Towing, which operates tugs for Suderman & Young. "Every ship in the Houston Ship
Channel we will touch," said Payne, who docked the Thor sideways at the port of Houston's Barbours
Cut terminal last week after completing a job. "From passengers to cargo, we are on it." Payne
maneuvered the big new tugboat near the tanker it was working with as the bigger vessel closed in on
the dock at the Exxon Mobil Baytown plant to load additional oil. Then Thor deckhand John Niday IV
tossed a line to a counterpart on the tanker, who secured it. "Thor, you just want to give me a bump in,
please," radioed the Houston pilot aboard the so-called Integrated Tug and Barge, or ITB. Payne
complied, moving the tanker into the dock to be secured for loading. In addition to Thor, which it
christened in July, Suderman & Young has two similar tugboats on order, which will arrive in 2008 and
2009. The towing company, whose roots date to the 1800s, is also proud of the power of Thor, with its
6,300-horsepower engine. That compares with a 4,000 horsepower engine on the tug accompanying it
last week, the Jupiter. "Because ships coming here are bigger, you need more horsepower," said Ted
Litton, executive a vice president of Suderman & Young. (Source: Clipping News)
Seabreeze August reports Market Round up
Dipti Does A Dash
This month saw Greatship India agree terms with Apache to charter the UT755LN Greatship Dipti for
a one-year period. Greatship will take delivery of the Island Trader in the later part of September, and
after a name and flag change, will commence her charter with Apache, supporting the Forties field.
The Greatship Dipti has a deck of 680m2, DP2, and the usual large under deck capacities. A feature
that differs this 755 from most is her two passive stabilizing tanks, which improve crew comfort, vessel
performance and fuel efficiency. This will be Greatship’s first long term charter in the North Sea, and
they are said to be looking forward to building a larger presence in the North Sea region in the coming
years
DeepOcean Relies on Rem
The Rem Etive is destined for India after DeepOcean secured a contract from Reliance Industries.
The vessel will commence the charter in December under the terms of a commercial agreement
between DeepOcean and TS Marine. The fixed term of the contract is three years (valued at USD 166
million) plus two oneyear options (valued at USD 118 million if exercised). The Rem Etive will be
supporting the development of oil and gas discoveries in Block KG-DWN-98/3 in Krishna Godavari
Basin in the Bay of Bengal. The multipurpose service vessel spread will be fully equipped for
operations in 2,000 metres of water, although the initial phase of the development will see installation
activities in 1,200 metres of water. 18 to 20 subsea wells and six manifolds are to be installed,
producing through export lines to an onshore terminal. The vessel will be utilised for all aspects of
deepwater installation, commissioning and IRM.
TS Marine Opt For Flower Power
Meanwhile, TS Marine will charter the Normand Flower from DeepOcean for one-year firm from
January 2008, with two six-month extension options. The initial contract is valued at £15 million plus
another £15 million if all options are taken. The vessel will be deployed on subsea decommissioning,
rigless intervention and general support duties in the North Sea.
Brigand Bound for India
The Pacific Brigand departed North Sea waters this month and is heading for India. The vessel will
go on charter to Cairn Energy, supporting project drilling activities for a period of four wells firm, plus
four option wells. She will therefore remain in India until at least early 2008.
Santana Hits Right Note For Petrobras
Petrobras has extended the charter of the Far Santana for another two years firm from October 2007.
The UT 730-design vessel has operated for Petrobras since delivery from Ulstein Verft in 2000.
Farstad says the charter rate is “considerably improved” and the contract value is approximately NOK
275 million.
Total Take Two As DOF Do The Double
DOF ASA has entered into two agreements with Total E&P UK, both with five-year durations. The
Skandi Buchan will kick-off the first charter in February 2008 and the Skandi Caledonia will start the
second charter in September 2008. The Skandi Buchan is currently on long-term charter to ASCO,
while the Skandi Caledonia is on charter to Norsk Hydro, front-running for the newbuild Skandi Aker
PSV 06CD. DOF says that the rates for the Total charters are roughly 30% higher than current rates
being achieved for the two vessels.
Island Challenger
Island Offshore took delivery of its newbuild UT 776 E design PSV this month. The Island Challenger
was constructed at the Aker Brevik yard. It has an LOA of 93 metres and a cargo deck area of
1000m². The vessel has gone straight on to a three-year charter with Statoil. The Island Patriot has
been front running for the Island Challenger.
Pool launches pre-Petersons
Vroon Offshore’s latest newbuild, the Pool Express, was launched this month from the Damen
Shipyard in Galati, Romania. The Damen 7216 - design vessel will go on five-year charter to
Petersons when it is delivered at the end of the year.
Aker builds more AH 12’s
Aker Yards has entered into a contract with an unnamed international shipping company for the
building of two new AH 12-design AHTS vessels. The deal is said to be worth NOK 1.7 billion and the
vessels are scheduled to deliver in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the second quarter of 2011. The
hulls are to be built at Aker Yards in Romania and outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway.
Rigdon Sport Some New Ships
Rigdon Marine have now taken delivery of the “First and Ten”; the first of ten newbuild diesel electric
Rigdon 4000 class PSVs. The vessel has immediately commenced a long-term charter with an
unnamed operator in the Gulf of Mexico. First and Ten is 190-foot x 46-foot x 18-foot and has two
Azimuthing ZDrives, a fixed L-Drive aft and two large tunnel thrusters forward. The remaining PSVs:
“Double Eagle” and “Triple Play” will be delivered before the end of the year. “Grand Slam”, “Hat
Trick”, “Home Run”, “Slam Dunk”, “Slap Shot” and “Touchdown” will deliver throughout the course of
2008, whilst “Knock Out” will be the last of the ten PSVs to deliver in 2009.
You Ought To See The Sea Otter
Deep Sea Supply has taken delivery of its newbuild AHTS “Sea Otter” from ABG Shipyard in India.The
vessel (pictured below) will go directly to ConocoPhillips India for a four-month commitment, at a day
rate of $17,500. The AHTS “Sea Wolverine” newbuild will be the next to deliver, but the vessel will now
be DP-1 and be ready in December (as opposed to September) after the cancellation of it’s contract
on delivery to Swiber.
Deep Sea leaseback
Deep Sea Supply has entered into a heads of agreement with Ship Finance International Limited for a
sale and leaseback transaction for five of its offshore supply vessels: two AHTS vessels, Sea Cheetah
and Sea Jaguar, and three PSVs, Sea Trout (pictured), Sea Halibut and Sea Angler. The sale price for
the AHTS vessels will be USD 55 million each and the sale price for the PSV vessels will be USD 29.5
million each. The bareboat charters with Ship Finance International Limited are for a period of 12
years with several purchase options during the charter period.
Hornbeck Back Sea Mar
Hornbeck Offshore Services has completed its acquisition of the Sea Mar fleet of 20 offshore supply
vessels and their charters, for a sum of USD 186 million. The fleet includes ten 200 class DP-1 new
generations OSVs and ten conventional OSVs. The company also acquired a 285-foot DP-2 OSV that
is currently under construction at a domestic shipyard and scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter
of 2008.
Volantis heads for Outfitting
CTC Marine’s newbuild multi-role subsea support vessel “Volantis” is now en route to the Fosen’s
Rissa yard in Norway for final outfitting. The hull has been build at the Fosen Mek Verksteder yard in
Sweden . Delivery is scheduled for December. The vessel will be on a six-year time charter from
Volstad Maritime.
Poseidon Purchased
Alfons Håkans has bought the 60 ton bollard pull tug “Stevns Icequeen” and expects to take delivery in
Denmark in the first half of September. She will be renamed “Poseidon” and will trade in Baltic waters.
The tug was built by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. in 2006. She has an LOA of 30.8 metres, draft of 5.55
metres and a maximum speed of 12.5 knots.
Keppel gets Great repeat
Keppel Singmarine has secured a repeat contract from Greatship to build another two 94-metre 4,600
dwt PSVs, for delivery between the end of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. Each vessel will be
equipped with DP 2, accommodation capacity for 64 people and a design speed of 14.5 knots. These
vessels will be similar to the two PSVs ordered by Greatship at the end of July.
UP OPtion
In another repeat order, UP Offshore has confirmed options for Bharati Shipyard to design and build
another two PSVs. The order is valued at USD 44.03 million. The VS4408 vessels will be clean design
and equipped with DP2. Back in April, the Indian shipbuilder was awarded its first contract by UP
Offshore for two PSVs worth USD $43.3 million.
Møkster Stands By
KS North Sea Rescue has chosen IMT Marine Consultants IMT 955-N design for a series of six field
support vessels to be built at Russia’s Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Plant. Once delivered, the vessel’s
will be operated by Simon Møkster Shipping. The mutli-role IMT 955-N vessels are designed to carry
out logistics support; offering cargo fuel, cargo potable water and deck cargo alongside their primary
role as standby rescue vessels. With a LOA of 55 metres, the vessels will have a length between
perpendiculars of 48 metres, bean of 12.7 metres, depth of 6.25 metres, standby operations draft of
4.15 metres and draft a maximum load of 4.65 metres. They will have a dwt of 760-tonnes, fuel
capacity of 330m³, 410m³ of potable water, and deck cargo area of 160m² and be capable of 12.9
knots. Classed by DNV, they will bear the notation: DNV+1A1 Standby Vessel, SF, EO, DYNPOSAUTR. The vessels will be fitted with DP-2 and joystick control system. The IMT 955-N design is a
modified version of the IMT 955 design, of which Spain’s Astilleros Zamakona are currently
constructing for Vroon Offshore.
MPI Buy
Vroon subsidiary MPI Offshore has ordered two windmill maintenance vessels at Medina Shipyard on
the Isle of Wight. The new vessels will be delivered next year. The South Catamaran 64/20m HS alloy
wind farm service vessel will have an LOA of 20.47 metres. The South Catamaran 47/15m HS alloy
wind farm service vessel will have an LOA of 15.43 metres. MPI Offshore is a leading offshore
windmill installation company in North-Western Europe, so this order marks its entry into the offshore
windmill maintenance market.
Solstad Select Aker Options
Solstad Offshore has entered into a contract with Aker Yards for the construction of a PSV/ROV
vessel and an Offshore Construction Service Vessel. The PSV/ROV will be of Aker PSV/ROV 06 CD
design and is scheduled for delivery in the second/third quarter of 2010. The PSV is fully equipped for
ROV operations, with DP-2, a helideck, a 100-ton offshore crane and accommodation for 69 people.
The OSCV 06 L design subsea construction vessel will be equipped with DP-3, a 400-ton and a 50-ton
offshore cranes, moon pool, helideck, accommodation for 140 people and is prepared for two ROV
systems. It is further equipped for the installation of pipe laying and cable laying equipment. Both
vessels will have diesel electric propulsion systems. Hulls are to be built at Aker Yards in Romania and
outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. Solstad also has an option for up to two identical PSV/ROV 06 CD
vessels.
Maggie May Be Renamed
Vigeo Ltd, Farstad Shipping’s joint venture partner in Nigeria, are to buy the Lady Margaret anchor
handler from International Offshore Services ANS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Farstad Shipping
ASA. Due to the “prevailing safety situation” in Nigeria, Farstad has decided to withdraw from
operations in Nigeria and Vigeo will therefore takeover Farstad’s part in the joint venture. Meanwhile,
Farstad’s UT 732 CD-design newbuild, Far Sapphire, will now deliver at the end of October.
Meling Buying Not Selling
OH Meling has ordered a VS 485 PSV from Eidesvik Skipsbyggeri shipyard. It will have a 1,000m²
deck and will be capable of lifting up to 70-tonnes. Accommodation will be for around 70 people. The
new PSV will incorporate various environmentally friendly features including protected fuel tanks and
lower engine emissions. Delivery is scheduled for the end of 2008.
Nico Newbuilds?
Nico Middle East Limited is rumoured to be acquiringtwo newbuild 5,150 bhp AHTS vessels, which are
currently under construction at Fuzhou, China. The vessels are slated for delivery in late-2007 and
early-2008 and the cost is said to be in excess if $23 million.
Havila Hails Phoenix
Havila Shipping ASA and Phoenix International Inc. have entered into a 10-year contract for the
Havyard 858 newbuild subsea construction vessel, which is scheduled for delivery from Havyard
Leirvik during Summer 2008. The vessel will be named the Havila Phoenix and will support oil & gas
industry initiatives in the Gulf of Mexico. There are additional option years beyond the 10-year firm
period.
Right Said Med
Med Offshore has ordered an AHTS 6615 of the Damen Offshore Series, which is scheduled for
delivery in 2009. The 1,800 dwt newbuild will have a bollard pull of 120-ton and a working deck area of
400m². This is Med Offshore’s second Damen AHTS, following on from delivery of the AHTS 6114design “Med Otto” in September 2006.
Olympic Newbuild to go Global
Global Industries has signed a long term charter with Olympic Shipping for a newbuild DP-2 multiservice, diving, ROV and deepwater construction vessel, which will join the Global fleet early next
year. The 105.9 metre x 21 metre vessel will be equipped with two moon pools, 1,000m² clear deck
space and a 250-ton heave compensated crane equipped for deepwater lowering in water depths up
to 3,000 metres. Global says: “This latest vessel further demonstrates Global’s strong commitment to
expanding its high quality fleet to accommodate the needs of our clients as we continue
implementation of our business strategy to increase involvements in the deepwater/subsea SURF,
IRM and decommissioning markets and integrated projects.”
Boa Offshore orders newbuild supply vessels and AHTS
Boa Offshore AS in Norway has placed an order for four multi-purpose supply vessels and four anchor
handlers of Vik-Sandvik design. The yard that will build the vessels has not yet been identified.
The AHTS vessels are of VS 491 design with main dimensions of 91m x 22m. The vessels will have a
bollard pull of approximately 270 tonnes with a 500 tonne anchor handling winch. The design will
accommodate 60 people and will have hybrid diesel electric/mechanical (DEM) propulsion. The four
supply vessels are of VS 495 design with main dimensions of 95m x 21m. The vessels are also
designed for hybrid diesel electrical and diesel mechanical propulsion, and have accommodation for
60. Said Vik-Sandvik: "The four new MPSV and AHTS vessels are state-of-the-art vessels designed to
meet all new requirements for the offshore industry, with a focus on safe operation, low fuel
consumption and minimised emissions." (Source: OSO)
Superior Endeavour resumes operations
Superior Offshore International in the US has announced that Superior Endeavour, a DP II vessel, has
returned to work after a US$25 million upgrade. "This state-of-the-art multi-purpose diving support
vessel can now work on deepwater jobs anywhere in the world and will have an immediate impact on
our bottom line," said Jim Mermis, president and chief executive officer of Superior Offshore
International. "Endeavour successfully completed sea trials following this significant upgrade and is
currently mobilizing for Mariner Energy's Bass Lite Project in the Gulf of Mexico assisting with the
installation of a new flowline into the Devil's Tower facility." The vessel upgrades include: • Installation
of a 12-man IMCA compliant integrated 1,000 foot/300 meter saturation diving system, including a
hyperbaric rescue chamber and a three-man diving bell. • Installation of a 50-ton knuckle-boom crane.
• A dynamic positioning system power management upgrade. • Overhaul of the main engines and
ancillary machinery. • Refurbishment of all shipboard piping. • Installation of new generators and
engines for the DP system. • Upgrade of the integrated 35-ton vessel pipe-davit system. • Installation
of an IMCA compliant surface diving system. • Upgraded and increased accommodations to house 71
persons. • Installation of client and project offices, with upgraded IT and worldwide communications
systems (Source: OSO)
North Star Shipping to acquire another newbuild
The Craig Group has announced that it is to build its ninth new offshore support vessel and has signed
a long-term charter with Chevron Texaco. This brings the number of new vessels commissioned by
the group to nine since 2005 and the total investment to £100 million. Craig Group's division North
Star Shipping has signed a deal with Chevron and Britannia that will see the new vessel on a longterm charter to the Alba and Britannia fields in the North Sea. The £12 million IMT 960 designed
vessel, due for delivery in 2010, will be an emergency response and rescue vessel with tanker assist
capabilities. At 60m long with a 16m beam, she will be equipped with two daughter craft and one fast
rescue craft. She will have a 20 tonne towing winch and a bollard pull of 95 tonnes and be classed
Fire Fighting 1. North Star managing director, Callum Bruce, said: “We are very pleased to have
secured this long-term contract. This is a multi-role vessel with the ability to provide emergency
response and rescue for more than one installation as well as having daughter craft, fire-fighting and
tanker assist capabilities. With 10 years’ experience of operating this type of vessel for other major
operators in the North Sea, we are delighted to be able to offer this service to Chevron and Britannia.”
In 2005, after building two multi-purpose ROV survey vessels, The Craig Group embarked on a £40
million investment programme to modernise its North Sea fleet with the speculative build of seven new
emergency response and rescue vessels. To date five of the new vessels have been delivered and all
seven have secured long-term charters. Grampian Talisman and a sister vessel, the biggest vessels
built by the Craig Group, were added to the newbuild programme in 2006. Grampian Talisman has
already been delivered and is working on a long term charter with her sister still to be delivered in
2009. (Source: OSO)
Karmsund Maritime secures newbuild AHTS contracts
Karmsund Maritime in Norway has secured a contract to build two VS 490 CD anchor handlers for an
unspecified international shipping company. The hulls will be built in Poland, and outfitted at
Karmsund. The total value of the contract is approximately NKr 1.24 billion. They will be delivered in
the first and third quarters of 2010, respectively (Source: OSO)
Petra Perdana invests in two newbuilds
September 4, 2007 The Board of Directors of Petra Perdana Berhad in Malaysia has announced
that Perdana Venus Limited (PVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has entered into
a contract with Shin Yang Shipyard Sdn Bhd for the construction and delivery of two offshore support
vessels. The company did not specify the type of offshore vessel. The first vessel is due to be
delivered by January 31st 2009 or within 20 months from the effective date of the contract or the date
of first payment, whichever is later, and the second vessel is due to be delivered on or before March
31st 2009 or within 20 months from the date of first payment of the vessel, whichever is the later.
Grampian Talisman delivered
September 3, 2007Grampian Talisman is the latest vessel to join North Star Shipping The 78.2m
PSV Grampian Talisman is the latest vessel to join the fleet of Aberdeen-based North Star Shipping.
Delivered from Astilleros Balenciaga in northern Spain in July, the IMT978 is the first of two sister
vessels designed by IMT Marine Consultants for North Star. IMT, part of the Offshore Ship Designers
group, has designed the IMT978 to meet the need for a cost-effective load carrier which can also
double as a standby vessel if required. It also has to meet the demanding safety standards of all the
different authorities overseeing the European continental shelf offshore fields, and have very good
sea-keeping and manoeuvering qualities in order to service deepwater platforms in high energy sites
such as the very high North Sea. The IMT978 design is 78.2 m LOA and 17m beam, giving a good
load area and a stable work platform. The moulded depth is 7.2m, and deadweight on a summer draft
of 5.5 m is 3,890 tonnes. That deadweight includes the possibility for 1,000 tonnes of deck cargo
secured on the 739m2 of deck space, which has a load capacity of 5 t/m2. The rest of the cargo is in
flexible below deck spaces which include 1,480m3 for fuel oil, 790m3 for potable water, 940m3 (10
tanks two grades) for liquid mud, 940m3 (10 tanks two grades) for brines, 262m3 (five tanks two
grades) for dry bulks, 230m3 DMA, 1,210m3 for drill/water ballast and 402m3 for recovered oil .
Tug & Barge casualty invetsiation
Thursday, 06 September 2007 U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Toledo is conducting a marine
casualty investigation on a tug-and-barge after the vessel turned over debris which was lodged in the
vessel. The tug and a connected barge, Cleveland Rocks, was transiting east on Lake Erie from
Kelleys Island, Ohio, to Cleveland on Monday. At 4 p.m., the 505-foot combined tug-and-barge
reported, to Coast Guard Station Lorain, they found debris lodged between the tug boat and the
barge. The debris was removed by the crew and provided to the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in
Cleveland. The tug-and-barge departed Cleveland, for the return trip to Kelleys Island, on Tuesday
morning. Marine Safety Unit Toledo contacted the tug-and-barge on Tuesday and notified them of the
intent to further investigate the recovered debris. MSU Toledo began its investigation Tuesday
morning. The investigation is on-going. (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 36
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Genoa operator orders new offshore/escort tug design
Rimorchiatori Riuniti of Genoa, Italy has contracted with Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of
Vancouver, B.C., to design a new offshore support and escort tug to add to its growing fleet of
versatile tugs. This latest vessel, designated an AVT 36/70 E tug by Robert Allan Ltd., will be the
second of a pair of almost identical Voith propelled tugs to be constructed by Astilleros Armon in
Navia, Spain. Both tugs, to be classed by RINA, will be suitable for a wide range of duties including
harbor towage and ship-handling, coastal towing, salvage and escort operations, firefighting and oil
spill respons. The second vessel is also equipped for heavy duty anchor-handling. Particulars of the
AVT 36/70E Class tugs are:
Length Overall 36.65 m
Beam, Molded 13.60 m
Depth, Molded 4.80 m
Maximum Draft (overall) 4.0 m
Power 5,280 kW
Bollard Pull 70 tonnes minimum
Tank capacities are:
Fuel Oil 218 cubic m
Reserve Fuel Oil 130 cubic m
Potable Water 67 cubic m
Engine Lube Oil 10 cubic m
VSP Oil 10 cubic m
Fi-Fi Foam 15 cubic m
Dispersant 2 cubic m
Recovered Oil 130 cubic m
Features of the first tug, now nearing completion, include a large aft deck to facilitate oil recovery
operations, a removable escort towbitt to ensure a clear deck during non-towing activities, and oil
dispersant spray capabilities. The second tug will have slightly different stern lines to incorporate a 3 m
long stern roller, and a set of shark-jaws. The design features a full raised forecastle running nearly
half the length of the tug to provide a high standard of accommodation and the best possible seakeeping capability for operation in exposed conditions. The vessel will be outfitted to the highest
standards for a crew of up to 14 people. Main deck accommodations include three two-person cabins,
four one-person cabins, a galley, mess, galley stores, workshop, oil lab, locker room/lobby, and deck
store. The deckhouse at forecastle deck level includes four one-person officer cabins. The
wheelhouse is designed for maximum visibility with a single control station providing maximum
visibility to both fore and aft deck working areas, with the emphasis on the aft deck. The lower deck
includes engineer's stores, and laundry facilities. All cabins are of a generous size, and boast en-suite
lavatory facilities. The noise level throughout the crew accommodation is predicted to be in the range
of 60 dBA, based on utilizing advanced methods of isolating main propulsion machinery, as well as
high grade insulations and floating floor techniques. Main Propulsion for the AVT36/70E comprises a
pair of MaK 8M25 diesel engines, each rated 2,640 kW at 750 rpm, and each driving a Voith model
32R5-265-2 cycloidal propeller in tractor configuration. This combination is predicted to deliver a
Bollard Pull of 70 tonnes, and provide a free running speed of not less than 13.5 knots. The indirect
escort steering force is estimated at 110 tonnes at 10 knots. The operating range at economical
cruising speed is estimated at 3,500 nautical miles (minimum). The electrical plant is comprised of
three identical diesel gen-sets, each with a 380 volt/50 Hz power output of 125 kW. Fire-fighting will be
to a Fi-Fi 1 Class. The main towing winch is a waterfall-style, double drum type, in which the upper
drum contains 1,000 m of 56 mm steel wire rope. The lower drum is a split configuration with a 250 m
synthetic hawser for escorting, and a 150-metre synthetic line for harbour towing. The anchor
windlass, in a horizontal axis configuration is fitted with two chain wildcats and two warping heads,
which are clutched separately. Towing flexibility is enhanced by the inclusion of a 70-tonne, radial arm
tow hook, while salvage and general stores/deck operations are aided by inclusion of a 25-tonnemeter knuckle boom crane. Shiphandling fenders at the stern (skeg end) comprise a 900 x 450
cylindrical fender above a row of 450 mm "W" block fenders. A 300 x 300 hollow "D" fender provides
protection at the main and foc'sle deck sheer lines, and "W" block type fendering is used again at the
bow. The first tug is scheduled for delivery in late 2007. The second vessel will follow approximately
one year later. (Source: Clipping News)
Tugboat tender delivers shipyard from doldrums
September 12, 2007 Durban - Southern African Shipyards has won tenders worth R400 million to build
five tugboats for Transnet for delivery in 2010. Prasheen Maharaj, the financial director for Southern
African Shipyards, said yesterday that the tugs were being procured through two tenders: one directly
from Transnet for three tugs for the Port of Nqgura, and one with Transnet National Ports Authority
(NPA) for two tugs for Durban. The Ngqura contract was signed in July, the Durban contract late last
month. The tugs would be delivered at two-month intervals in 2010, said Maharaj. Between 30 percent
and 40 percent of the contracts' value would be imported, as the engines and propulsion systems
would be supplied from Germany. All construction work would be done in South Africa and about 250
jobs would be created, he added. Transnet NPA spokesperson Gaynor Kast said the authority had
about 24 tugs in its fleet. The average age of the fleet was about 27 years. "The average lifespan of
our tugs is about 30 years to 40 years." Kast confirmed the tender award to Southern African
Shipyards. Maharaj said the company had begun to build capacity to service the contract, by hiring
people and equipping the site. The contract was significant, as it put Southern African Shipyards in a
stronger position to secure other deals, he said. "There had been interest from potential offshore
clients, but without orders in hand, the shipyard was unable to prove its capability." Southern African
Shipyards is confident that there will be more work to bid for. For instance, the SA Navy has indicated
that it will be procuring naval vessels. Southern African Shipyards was in the doldrums for many years
before Maharaj and chief operating officer Louis Gontier developed its site in Durban into the Bayhead
Marine Industrial Park, with a range of tenants focused on ship repairs. Last year the KwaZulu-Natal
Growth Fund provided a R24 million loan to redevelop the site. This enabled the two to buy the almost
defunct business that held the lease to this prime harbour site and its cranes, welding machines and
scaffolding. The lease runs until 2022. Thirty-eight tenants are operating at the site, and have created
about 800 direct jobs. But keeping afloat has been difficult for Southern African Shipyards. "The yard
has been waiting for 18 months for orders. The expenses have been horrendous," Gontier said. The
unsuccessful bidders for the Transnet tugs included Farocean Marine, a Cape Town-based business
that has built three inshore fisheries patrol vessels for the department of environmental affairs, along
with many other vessels. Another unsuccessful bidder was the joint venture between Dormac and
Damen Shipyards in Holland. The awarding of tugs tenders has been fraught with delays. At least two
tenders have been cancelled since 2004. The NPA tender that Southern African Shipyards has
secured was cancelled last year, after the process of awarding the tender was challenged by an
unsuccessful bidder. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Boston Towing to Get New Support Tugs
Boston Towing and Transportation Company have contracted with Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects
of Vancouver, B.C., to design a pair of new offshore LNG Terminal Support tugs to provide the
services required for The Neptune LNG LLC, Deep Water Port, offshore Massachusetts Bay. The
larger of the new vessels, designated as an ASD 39/70 Class tug by Robert Allan Ltd., will be the first
of its kind built and operated in North America, although there are numerous other RALdesigned tugs,
including many of the similar RAstar Class tugs currently building worldwide for major oil and LNG
terminals. The second vessel will be a modified RAmparts 3000 Class tug, which will primarily be
engaged in harbour duties, but will serve as the back-up vessel for the larger tug during service
periods. The new tugs will be suitable for a wide range of duties including harbour towage and shiphandling, fire-fighting, coastal towing, salvage and rescue towing operations, however the primary role
will be standing by tankers using the offshore mooring buoy. (Source: Marinelink)
Deep Sea Supply acquires newbuilding contracts
September 12, 2007 Deep Sea Supply has entered into agreements for the acquisition of three
newbuilding contracts; one VS470 MkII being built in Norway with expected delivery in May 2008, and
two 12,000bhp AHTS being built in Singapore with expected delivery in December 2008 and
March 2009. The total price for the newbuilding contracts is approximately US$100 million. (Source:
OSO)
O H Meling orders newbuild
Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) reports that OH Meling has ordered a newbuild of VS485 design from
Eidsvik Skipsbyggeri. The vessel will have a deadweight of 5,000 tonnes, a 1,000m2 deck and can lift
up to 70 tonnes. (Source: OSO)
Petra Perdana buying four more vessels
KUALA LUMPUR: Offshore marine services provider Petra Perdana Bhd has signed a
memorandum of agreement with shipbuilder Nam Cheong Dockyard Sdn Bhd to buy four
new offshore support vessels for about RM274mil. The vessels comprise two 300-men work
barges and two 165-men workboats. Executive chairman and chief executive officer Tengku Datuk
Ibrahim Petra Tengku Indra Petra said the company had been focusing on developing its marine
assets and resource capabilities to cater for the growing demand of the upstream oil and gas industry.
“Currently, there is a shortage of workboats and work barges for brownfield services and the demand
from domestic and regional oil majors is expected to surge in line with high oil prices and the
increasing number of ageing platforms,” he told reporters after signing the agreement with Nam
Cheong executive chairman Datuk Tiong Su Kouk. According to Ibrahim, Petra Perdana owns and
operates 23 offshore marine vessels comprising anchor handling towing supply (AHTS) vessels,
accommodation and work barges, workboats, platform supply vessels and fast crew boats, mostly
chartered to clients operating in Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Russia and West Africa. “With the latest
acquisitions, financed by a combination of internal funds (10% to 25%) and bank borrowings, the
company would have 17 new marine vessels comprising 11 AHTS vessels, four workboats and two
work barges. “These will be delivered over the next one to three years,” he added. Meanwhile Nam
Cheong executive director Leong Seng Keat said the company could manufacture up to eight vessels
a year on full capacity. “We are targeting to develop offshore support vessels for Malaysia’s mining
sector, particularly in oil and gas, which is set to grow 4% in 2008 compared with 3.3% this year,” he
added. Miri-based Nam Cheong is a leading offshore support vessel builder with an order book size of
RM2.7bil up to 2009. The company, which also supplies to overseas markets such as Singapore,
India, Australia and the Middle East, posted a more than 100% increase in revenue to RM170mil in the
financial year ended Dec 31, 2006 from RM55mil previously. In a filing with Bursa yesterday, Petra
Perdana said it was buying a new anchor handling/offshore support vessel for RM49.7mil from SK
Line Co Ltd, to be delivered by December 2008. In a separate filing, Petra Energy Bhd, a subsidiary
of Petra Perdana, said it received awards from Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd to provide two anchor
handling tug supply vessels this year. These contracts are valued at about RM36mil. (Source:
Europoort Maritieme)
Coast Guard Investigates Barge Sinkings
The Coast Guard continues to investigate the grounding and sinking of two barges on the Hudson
River near the Bear Mountain Bridge in Bear Mountain, N.Y., after the two barges broke free of the
Tug Buchanan 12. The Buchanan 12 was pushing 13 scow barges when two broke free. A scow
barge is a flat bottomed, square bilged vessel that typically carries rocks, gravel, dirt, and other similar
loose products. The tug's master immediately notified the Coast Guard Sector New York Command
Center on Staten Island, N.Y. The Coast Guard issued a broadcast notice to mariners, dispatched an
inspector and an investigating officer, and notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The tug master
reported that the barge B2002 lost most of its cargo of crushed stone after breaking free of the tug. It
drifted, took on water and then overturned 1.5 miles down river, and remains partially submerged on
the west bank of the Hudson northwest of Iona Island, N.Y. The other barge, C546, remains partially
submerged with its entire cargo one-half mile north of the bridge in the vicinity of buoy 33. There is no
report of pollution and no reported injuries. Buchanan Marine dispatched contracted divers from the
RandDive and Donjon Marine Companies to determine the condition of the two barges. Once the dive
survey is complete, Buchanan will submit a salvage plan to the Coast Guard Captain of the Port to refloat and move the two barges. The Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers determined that
the two submerged barges pose no threat to incoming traffic on the waterways. Buchanan Marine set
markers in the water near the submerged vessels to alert passing mariners. Coast Guard Sector New
York personnel, working with the owner of the Buchanan 12, ensured that the remaining 11 scow
barges and the tug were safe to finish the voyage to New York Harbor. As a precaution, Sector New
York required an additional tug to escort the Buchanan 12 and the 11 barges in case another break
away occurred. The Buchanan 12 and the remaining barges transited down the Hudson River with
the tug escort and arrived safely at New York Harbor. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of
the incident. (Source: Marinelink)
Mare Verde
On September 9, the supply vessel Mare Verde was launched at Miri, Eastern Malasiya
8e jaargang, nr. 37
_______________________________________________________
Shetland coastguard assist Russian tug
At 2.15 am this morning, September 15, a Russian tug, 'Stakhanovets', reported losing her tow with a
floating dock, to Shetland Coastguard. Her position was east of Shetland. There were severe weather
conditions with winds reaching gale force 9. The tug had 22 people on board. The vessel 'Caledonian
Vigilance' offered its assistance to the Coastguard and attempted to assist in the transfer of personnel
onto the floating dock in order that the tow line could be reconnected. However, due to weather
conditions this was not possible and the Coastguard is currently discussing other options with the tug's
captain. The Coastguard emergency towing vessel 'Anglian Sovereign' is presently enroute to the
location. The national interpreting service has been used in order to improve communication between
Shetland Coastguard and the crew. The Coastguard has been working with an interpreter in Canada.
Shetland Coastguard Watch Manager Alex Wylie says: "We are hopeful of a speedy conclusion to this
situation. At the moment we are enjoying a 12 hour weather window, which we are taking advantage
of. We have been experiencing severe weather conditions over the last few days and this is due to
return this evening. Weather conditions on scene are west-north-west, force 5-6 with a four metre
swell and visibility of ten nautical miles. (Source: Leo Kramer)
SMS sold Shoalbuster
The Shoalbuster in 2006 bought from Damen Marine Services – Hardinxveld is sold by Sindbad
Marine Services Ltd., Killybegs to C.M. Curik, Cayman Islands and renamed C.M.Curik (Source: Leon
de Hoop)
Bouwman renamed Andre-B (2)
With the arrival of the newbuilding Andre-B (3) the second Andre-B, of Bouwman, will be renamed
Wilco-B. (Source: Leon de Hoop)
Svitzer Orders Pair of Damen ASD Tugs
On September 10, Svitzer and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem signed a contract for the construction
and delivery two Damen ASD Tugs 2411. Although Svitzer already operates a few Damen Tugs in
their fleet of over 500 vessels, this contract represents the first direct order. The deliveries are
scheduled for respectively end July and end October 2008. Both tugs will have a bollard pull of
approx. 70 metric tons and will be built according to the UK MCA requirements and are well equipped
for various port operations. (Source: Damen)
Sold
N. E. Murray te Sheerness heeft drie sleepboten voor de sloop verkocht. Ze zijn alle dit jaar te
Queenborough gesloopt. Het gaat om de George V die in 1915 door J. P. Rennoldson & Sons te
South Shields gebouwd is en in 1954 tot een motorsleepboot is verbouwd met 1080 apk dieselmotor,
de Nore Crest (ex. Almwick-87) (119/55), die eveneens met een 1080 apk GM motor was voorzien,
en de NAJA (ex. Katra-91, ex. Agnes-84) (38/61) met een 495 apk Lister. De Nore Crest en de Naja
waren beide door P. K. Harris & Son te Appledore gebouwd. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Abeille Bourbon in dok
De Abeille Bourbon gaat op 2 oktober voor 35 dagen in de droodok om een structureel problem op te
heven. Gedurende deze tijd wordt de Abeille Languedoc te Brest vervangen. Welke weer, in de
Biscay wordt vervangen door de Bourbon Rhesos. De Bourbon Rhesos is een Schottel sleepboot
van 7970 apk en 1375 brt die in 2006 door Keppel Singmarine gebouwd is en een paaltrek van 100
tons heeft. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Eventful Week on the Columbia River - Crew Grounds Damaged Tug
*** J.van der Ster – Marcol Productie ***
Publication date: 2007-09-20 The tugboat Lori B and an empty barge sit beached on the Columbia
River at Chinook Landing on Wednesday afternoon. The crew intentionally grounded the boat after it
scraped the river bottom, cutting a gash in the steel hull, near Ackerman Island, shown in the
background. A 57-foot-long tugboat scraped bottom near Camas early Wednesday, cutting a gash in
the hull and forcing the crew to intentionally ground the tug and empty barge near Chinook Landing on
the Oregon side of the Columbia River. The grounding of the Lori B was the second commercial
vessel to scrape river bottom in the past week; an 872-foot-long container ship became stuck in the
river on Monday near St. Helens, Ore. "This is traditionally the low-water portion of the year," said Matt
Rabe, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, which controls river levels above Bonneville Dam.
"It's just a reminder that folks out on the river need to be mindful of the conditions." Based on the
incidents this week, the low-water warning applies to weekend boating enthusiasts and professional
mariners alike. "No doubt," said Jerry Grossnickle, chief financial officer for tug owner Bernert Barge
Lines Inc. in Oregon City. Wednesday's incident began about 2 a.m. The U.S. Coast Guard deployed
absorbent booms to contain and collect oily bilge water leaking from the hull, which contractors hastily
repaired with an epoxy. The Lori B was refloated by 4 p.m. Wednesday and escorted by an SDS
Lumber Co. tugboat downriver to a dry dock at Sundial Marine for closer examination.
The Lori B was bound for Sundial Marine with an empty barge from the Georgia-Pacific paper mill
when it scraped bottom near Ackerman Island. "It's not a main channel that they're using coming out
of Camas there," U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Travis Costigan said. "There's not a lot of water
in that area at this time of year." Crew felt a 'bump' Grossnickle said the four-member crew reported
that they felt a bump and later noticed water seeping into the engine room. Although the crew began
operating pumps to remove water, they quickly realized that the pumps were not keeping up with the
water pouring through a gash in the stern. "They decided the best course of action was grounding it on
soft sand," Grossnickle said. The gash turned out to be about 2 feet long and 4 inches wide, he said.
None of the tug's fuel tanks was affected by the gash in the stern of the boat's steel hull. Costigan said
that, while the boat was powering around Ackerman Island, its stern may have been riding lower in the
water. Grossnickle said the tug company will ask the Corps of Engineers to check the area for rocks
protruding from the bottom. The barge remained in place Wednesday afternoon, until it could be
hauled off during high tide. Despite a network of hydroelectric dams, the Corps of Engineers has little
ability to raise the water level below Bonneville Dam - at least until autumn rainfall replenishes
massive storage reservoirs in Eastern Washington, Montana and Idaho. Cindy Henriksen, the corps'
chief of reservoir operations in Portland, said the Columbia near Vancouver is 7 to 10 feet below
typical levels of just a few months ago. There simply isn't enough water available for the corps to
artificially raise the river any higher. "Wet year, dry year - this time of year is pretty much the same,"
Henriksen said. It marks the second time in four days that a vessel has scraped the Columbia River
bottom in the Portland-Vancouver area. The Hanjin Beijing, piled high with 40-foot-long shipping
containers, spent about three hours stuck along the Oregon edge of the 600-foot-wide shipping
channel on Monday afternoon near St. Helens. The massive ship - nearly as long as three football
fields - managed to wriggle free on its own power after apparently becoming stuck on a wave of sand
that had built up on the bottom. Rabe said the corps on Wednesday dispatched a boat to survey the
river bottom near St. Helens. (Source: Columbian)
Fairmount secures Deep Driller 5 tow
Cairn Energy has contracted Fairmount Expedition for the tow of the jack-up rig Deep Driller 5 from
Singapore to Bangladesh. The convoy is scheduled to depart September 14th. Fairmount
Expedition is expected to return to Singapore just before end of September for the towage of the
upgraded SSDR Sedco 702 to West Africa. (Source: Fairmounth)
Boustead Penang books OSV orders
Malaysia's Boustead Penang Shipyard Sdn. Bhd. (formerly known as Penang Ship Building &
Construction Sdn. Bhd.) today announced two contracts. A $12.85 million contract with Sealink Sdn
Bhd, Miri, Sarawak covers the construction of a 67 m dynamic positioning anchor handling tug supply
vessel, while a contract with Tanjung Offshore Services Sdn. Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, covers construction,
commission, testing and delivery of a 60.8 m well testing and servicing vessel along with the
machinery, equipment, tools and any other materials to be incorporated in the vessel. The well testing
vessel total contract value is RM 47.8 million ($13.6 million). (Source: Clipping News)
Island Endeavour awarded long-term contract by Peterson Supplylink
Island Offshore has been awarded a long term contract by Peterson Supplylink for its vessel Island
Endeavour. After delivery from Aker Brevik, the new generation UT 755 LN will work out from Den
Helder servicing platforms in Southern North Sea. The contract period is five years with five yearly
options. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Ocean Mainport invests in ERRV market
Offshore Shipbrokers says Ocean Mainport has acquired the supply vessel Amilcar. The vessels was
built in 1983, and is currently under conversion to safety standby (ERRV) configuration and will be renamed Ocean Swan (Source: OSO)
Ezra orders at Karmsund
Ezra Holdings in Singapore has awarded a S$162 million contract to Norway's Karmsund Maritime
Service to design and build an as yet unspecified type of support vessel. The vessel is expected to be
delivered by March 2010. It will join Ezra's two deepwater Rolls-Royce designed support vessels
which were ordered in May. These vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010. (Source:
OSO)
Ezra confirms order for additional deepwater multi-function vessel
Ezra Holdings Limited has confirmed that it has awarded a contract worth approximately S$162.4
million for the design and construction of a large 27,000bhp Multi-Functional Support Vessel (MFSV)
to Karmsund Maritime Service AS in Norway. The contract value includes the cost of sophisticated
equipment as well as integrated features such as an ROV hangar and foundations for a heavecompensated offshore crane and A-Frame which allow the vessel to provide subsea support services.
The MFSV will also be built to meet the stringent requirements of 'Clean Design' notation
for operations in the North Sea, including Norway. Said Ezra's Managing Director Lionel Lee: "This
latest newbuild is in line with our strategy to strengthen our position as an integrated support services
provider to the buoyant offshore oil and gas sector in the North Sea, South America and West African
markets.” “In order for the Group to tap meaningfully into the growth potential of these markets, we
intend to expand our fleet of large, well-equipped multi-functional support vessels to complement and
enhance the services provided by EOC Limited, our soon-to-be Oslo-listed production and
construction arm,” added Mr Lee. When delivered in the first quarter of 2010, this latest MFSV will join
Ezra’s two 30,000bhp, deepwater multi-functional support vessels which were ordered in May and
scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010. “These large vessels will form the Group’s special task force
to meet the high, yet varied technical and engineering needs of mid and deepwater offshore support
services and subsea support work. Together with EOC, these vessels are expected to drive Ezra’s
growth in the medium to long term,” explained Mr Lee. The MFSV will be equipped for various offshore
duties such as: offshore construction; subsea installation; ROV interventions; installation, maintenance
and repair; deepwater anchor handling in depths up to 5,000m; towing; supply runs; standby and
rescue; and tanker assistance. (Source: OSO)
Karmsund Maritime secures newbuild AHTS contracts
September 17, 2007 Karmsund Maritime in Norway has secured a contract to build two VS 490 CD
anchor handlers for an unspecified international shipping company. The hulls will be built in Poland,
and outfitted at Karmsund. The total value of the contract is approximately NKr 1.24 billion. They will
be delivered in the first and third quarters of 2010, respectively. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Indian companies to form new support vessel company
September 18, 2007 Sources in India say Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and ONGC could be
planning a joint venture in the support vessel market. The proposed company, OnShip, would be an
alliance between ONGC and SCI. SCI hopes that OnShip will eventually become a large offshore
service provider.SCI reportedly wants to have a presence in the entire spectrum of offshore industry,
especially the premium-end that includes drill ships and offshore platforms, said one source. A third
partner for the JV has not been ruled out - recent reports suggest Reliance Industries is also eyeing an
entry into this sector. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Long term contract for CSV North Ocean 102
September 21, 2007 Oceanteam Power & Umbilical ASA has signed a long term agreement with the
Mexican offshore construction and IMR company CICSA for a minimum period of five years plus
options.The contract consists of the CSV North Ocean 102 and Oceanteam additional services
supporting the contract. Oceanteam will support CICSA on a project by project basis with its range of
services including engineering, subsea support and installation services. The value excluding
additional services is minimum Euros 92 million over a firm five year period. CICSA also secured
options for an additional five years.To meet CICSA requirements, North Ocean 102's crane capacity
will be increased to 500 tonnes and the accommodation will be increased to 199 people. CICSA has a
500 tonne crane on order for delivery in the second quarter of 2008. Oceanteam expects to invest an
additional Euros 1 million in the vessel to support the contract. Additional investments and engineering
are reimbursable under the contract. North Ocean 102 is expected to commence operations in Mexico
June 2008, and is currently under construction at Metalships in Vigo, Spain. The DP2 vessel will be
137m long with a 27m beam and will have a 500 tonne and a 100 tonne offshore
crane, accommodation up to 199 people, a large moonpool and a working deck of 2,400m2 with deck
strength of 10tonnes/m2 (Source: Leo Kramer)
15e Internationale Lekko-dag
29 September 2007 - Westkant, Terneuzen, De vereniging van belangstellenden voor de sleepvaart,
Lekko, organiseert zaterdag 29 september voor de 15e keer de internationale Lekko-dag in
Terneuzen. Paviljoen "Westkant" is deze dag van 11:00 uur tot 16:00 uur het toneel van onder meer
de Zeeuwse Scheepsmodelbouw vereniging "Zuid-Zuidwest", Scheepsmodelbouw vereniging
"Vlissingen", de World Ship Society en Tugspotters.com. Lekko is met haar maritieme shop
aanwezig, waarin clubbladen, boeken en foto's verkrijgbaar zijn. Er is een Maritieme ruilbeurs, een
presentatie van statische scheepsmodellen, video / computer presentaties en rond 13:00 uur
vlootshow* met sleepboten van URS en Multraship; * = onder voorbehoud
8e jaargang, nr. 38
dd. .. September 2007
_______________________________________________________
Smit Labuan sold
Smit International Singapore has sold the Smit Labuan ( ex. Offshore Power – 1990) 1983/505, on
the 25th of September to her new owners Southern Coast Oilfield Services. Transgulf Shipping
Services LLC; Dubai U.A.E. will be the manager operator of the vessel. She will be renamed Ocean
Quest. (Source: John Bruinsma)
Bluebird trails
The Damen build DMS Bluebird commenced yard trials
Crowley to Build Largest and Fastest ATBs to Date
Crowley Maritime Corporation's Vessel Management Services subsidiary has signed a contract with
VT Halter Marine Inc. and Dakota Creek Shipyards to build three articulated tug-barge (ATB),
330,000-barrel tank vessels, the largest in the company's history and the fastest in their class. The
new vessels will be delivered in yearly intervals between the second half of 2011 and the first half of
2013. VT Halter Marine will construct the barges, which will have 78 percent more capacity than
Crowley's 650-class vessels (185,000 - barrel capacity) in its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Dakota
Creek will build the 16,320-horsepower tugs in its Anacortes, Wash., shipyard. Once received, the
three new Jones Act ATBs (Legacy/750-1, Legend/750-2 and Liberty/750-3) will be operated in the
U.S. coastwise trade by Crowley's petroleum services segment. These three new vessels will bring
Crowley's total ATB fleet to 17, including four 155,000-barrel and ten 185,000-barrel ATBs. "These
ATBs are being constructed to be some of the largest and certainly the fastest in the trade," said Steve
Collar, senior vice president and general manager, Technical Services. "Not only will they be able to
carry 330,000-barrels of product safely, but we also expect them to do so quickly - to the tune of 15.1
knots." The new ATBs will feature the latest systems technology and double-hull construction for
maximum safety and reliability. Not only will the units have the capability of transporting refined
products, but they will also be able to carry heated cargoes. The tug will be one of the first of it's kind
built to ABS R2 classification which provides a higher level of redundancy than found on a standard
product tanker or ATB. There will be a bulkhead dividing the port and starboard engine rooms that
allow the vessel to continue to operate on one engine in the event of a catastrophic incident such as a
fire in the other engine room. All of Crowley's ATBs are built under the ABS SafeHull program for
environmental protection. This program puts the vessel design through an exhaustive review to
identify structural loads and strengthen the vessel structure. The 750-Class barges will be 45,000
deadweight tons, 600 feet in length, 105-feet, six-inches in breadth and 54-feet, three inches in depth.
The fully loaded draft will be 35 feet. There will be an electrically driven cargo pump in each of the 14
cargo tanks and two slop tanks to assure maximum cargo integrity and segregation flexibility; two
anchor windlasses and associated equipment to enable the vessel to accommodate offshore mooring
operations, and a vacuum system with three retention tanks to easily handle cargo changes. There will
also be a dual mode inert gas system and vapor collection system for maximum safety. An enhanced
mooring system features 1,000-foot Spectra-type lines on split drums with a high-speed recovery rate
of 100 feet per minute. The tugs meet all SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and ABS criteria, and have a
foam capable fire monitor; twin screw Wartsila electronically controlled engines generating a total of
16,320 horsepower; a noise reduction package and other upgrades to increase crew comfort. The
communication and navigation equipment is among the most technologically advanced in the industry
today. Vessel Management Services, which is part of Crowley's Technical Services business unit,
provides technical project support services involving naval architecture and marine engineering,
contracting, on-site representation for ship, tug and barge construction and ownership of new vessels
for the parent company. Jacksonville-based Crowley Maritime Corporation, founded in San Francisco
in 1892, is primarily a family and employee-owned company that provides diversified transportation
and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of five operating lines of
business: Liner Services; Logistics Services; Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical
Services. Other services provided within these business lines include contract towing and
transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response; vessel
management, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. (source: Crowley)
More orders for Strategic Marine
Strategic Marine reports that Baruna Raya Logistics in Indonesia has signed an order for three 31m
offshore service vessels. The vessels will be constructed at Strategic Marine's Singapore facility.
Powered by three Cummins KTA 38 engines, giving the vessel a total of 3,600 bhp, each will be
capable of reaching a maximum speed of 27 knots. The vessels will have the capacity to seat 50
passengers, provide accommodation for 8 crew members, and hold up to 134 tonnes of cargo on their
67m2 cargo deck. All pre-fabrication work done from the Western Australian facility in the Australian
Marine complex. Delivery date of the third and final hull is February 2009. (source: OSO)
CH Offshore disposals confirmed
Fearnley Offshore Supply has confirmed that CH Offshore in Singapore has sold the AHTS Osam
Condor (built 1983 – 4,800bhp) for US$3 million and the AHTS Gema 1 (built 1982 – 4,800bhp) for
US$3.2 million to an undisclosed buyer. (source: OSO)
Swissco Samson sold
Brokers report that the AHT Swissco Samson (4,000bhp) has been sold to Australian buyers for an
undisclosed price. (source: OSO)
Boa Princess sold to Sinopec
The AHTS Boa Princess (built 1985 – 8,500bhp) has been sold to Sinopec, China for in excess of
US$8 million. Fearnley Offshore Supply reports that the vessel has already been delivered and
renamed Sinopec 381. (source: OSO)
Rem Offshore acquires contracts for two UT 755 LNs
Rem Offshore in Norway has entered into an agreement with Nordcapital to buy two ships under
construction at Aker Aukra. The vessels are of the UT755 LN design with delivery in February and
March 2008. The price for the contracts corresponds to a total value of approximately NKr 400 million.
(source: OSO)
Mosvold Supply to Build Two Anchor Handling Vessels
Monday, September 24, 2007 With a NOK 115 million private equity placement concluded, and a US
$21 million Convertible Bond Issue fully subscribed, Mosvold Supply exercised its options to build two
additional VS 491 CD large anchor handling vessels at Batamec Shipyard in Indonesia. The ships,
Hull Nos. 7049 and 7050 have a price of US $82.5 million and 84.5 million, respectively. They are
scheduled to be delivered in December 2010 and July 2011. (source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 39
dd. 14 October
_______________________________________________________
Svitzer orders new tugs for Danish waters
SSG-RINGKØBING. Svitzer A/S has signed up with Chinese shipbuilder Qianjin Shipyard in Qingdao
for a series of twelve tugs for delivery in 2009 and 2010. Four of these tugs will be dedicated for
Danish waters upon delivery. One of them will be a state-of-the-art salvage tug fitted with all kinds
equipment, including firefighting equipment, and have a bollard pull of 80 tons. The subsequent sister
ships will also be built to ice class 1A and have a bollard pull of 70 tons. All the tugs will be fitted with
Japanese Niigata engines. The four tugs will satisfy a need in the market, which is why Svitzer
chartered the two Nordane tugs Svitzer Nanna and Svitzer Njord. They will remain on charter until
the delivery of the Chinese newbuildings in 2009.(Source Clipping News)
Eerland 20 sold
Hedenmorgen 2 oktober 2007 om 09.00 uur is de Eerland 20 aan haar nieuwe eigenaar Lekstroom
Transport B.V. te Lekkerkerk overgedragen. .(Source Neeltje Snoeij)
Klassieke sleepboten, sterke verhalen
Maandag 1 oktober 2007 - STEENBERGEN - Ina, Anna en Dianne liggen gezusterlijk naast elkaar in
de haven van Steenbergen. Ze zijn prachtig versierd met kleurrijke vlaggen, de kajuiten glimmen
ondanks het gebrek aan zon. De drie zijn al op leeftijd, gemiddeld een jaar of tachtig. Ze behoren tot
de categorie 'klassieke sleepboten'. Vereniging De Sleper heeft dit weekeinde Steenbergen uitgezocht
voor haar tweejaarlijkse najaarsevenement. Zo'n twaalf motorsleepboten en opduwers zijn drie dagen
lang te bewonderen. Vooral zaterdagmiddag lopen heel wat mensen langs de kade om de antieke
boten te bezichtigen. De schippers komen uit Brabant, Zeeland en Zuid-Holland. Als 'stamboot'
hebben ze 'Antiquiteit' uitgezocht, een uit 1930 daterende motorsleepboot. Eigenaar is Yvonne Leget
uit Numansdorp, tevens voorzitter van vereniging De Sleper. Ze heeft een groot zeil over het dek
gehangen, zodat iedereen droog kan zitten. Mannen met scheepspetten op het hoofd, vertellen stoere
verhalen, terwijl jonge klare en plakjes worst rondgaan. Yvonne vertelt dat ze 'Antiquiteit' in 1995 heeft
gekocht van een 85-jarige schipper. "Pas toen is Antiquiteit uit de beroepsvaart gegaan. Mijn man en
ik troffen een sleper aan waar sinds 1930 niets aan was veranderd. Behalve dan de schoorsteen, die
had de schipper korter gemaakt. Wij hebben de schoorsteen naar de oorspronkelijke hoogte
teruggebracht. Voor de rest is vooral de buitenkant behoorlijk authentiek. Binnenin niet hoor. We
wonen op dit schip, dus een fatsoenlijke badkamer was een must." De schippers krijgen veel vragen
over de werking van de oude motoren. Maar ze wisselen zelf ook de nodige informatie en tips uit. "Dat
is het voordeel van zo'n weekend. Veel van ons klussen zelf", aldus Adriën de Groot uit
Raamsdonkveer. Aan de overkant van de haven wordt voor de eerste keer een nautische markt
gehouden. Vijf kramen staan voor restaurant Z'Onder Zeil en de loods van Tom Vermeulen. Nieuwe
en oude nautische artikelen als scheepslampen, touw, zwemvesten, gereedschap, marineblauwe
petten en jassen, zeil en niet te vergeten gerookte paling worden te koop aangeboden. Tom
Vermeulen heeft na dertig jaar verzamelen een deel van zijn zolder opgeruimd. Een groot deel van
zijn nautische verzameling is aan het eind van de zaterdag verkocht. "Maar ik kan makkelijk nog eens
zo'n markt houden hoor!" Toon van Drunen toont zich verrast door het succes van de scheepsmarkt.
"Hij is klein van opzet, dus we wisten niet precies wat we konden verwachten. De toeloop is heel erg
goed, dus we gaan hier zeker mee verder", aldus Van Drunen. .(Source BN, de Stem)
Spectaculaire show van stoere slepers
TERNEUZEN - Ze verdrongen zich op de pier om maar niets te missen van de spectaculaire
manoeuvres van zes sleepboten van Union Nederland en Multraship. Tientallen 'tugspotters' hielden
zaterdagmiddag het fototoestel in de aanslag, want je bent sleepbootfanaat, of je bent het niet. En de
meesten zijn het al jaren.De demonstratie van de slepers was het hoogtepunt van de vijftiende Lekkodag in paviljoen Westkant op de Terneuzense Scheldedijk. Het derde lustrum trok honderden
sleepbootliefhebbers uit Nederland en België. De spotters, modelbouwers en andere belangstellenden
wisselden informatie uit, ruilden fotomateriaal of verhaalden over de vele bouwuurtjes die ze
besteedden aan een schaalmodel. Vlissinger Hans Hoogesteger van Lekko, dat zelf ook met een
maritieme shop (clubbladen, foto's, boeken en artikelen) aanwezig was: "Belangrijkste doel van dit
soort bijeenkomsten is de sleepbootliefhebbers met elkaar in contact te brengen. Het is iedere keer
weer een enorm succes." Sleep- en bergingsbedrijf Multraship deelde in een stand foto's, sheets vol
technische gegevens over de slepers én cadeautjes uit. En de samenstellers van de gespecialiseerde
website Tugspotters.com demonstreerden hun werkwijze. Een al wat oudere sleepbootfanaat: "Iedere
keer denk je weer dat je het nu wel allemaal gezien hebt. En dan ontdek je weer allemaal
nieuwigheden. Je bent nooit klaar met deze hobby. Ik heb nu weer foto's bemachtigd van de nieuwe
slepers van Union. Juweeltjes!" .(Source PZC)
Seabrokers September market report
Bollywolf
The Red Wolf is departing the North Sea, bound for India. The tug will begin her transit at the end of
September and upon arrival in the region will commence a nine month charter with Allseas.
ADTI Eye I Classes
ADTI has struck a deal with Sealion for two vessels to carry out two one-well jobs, from a choice of the
Toisa Intrepid, Toisa Invincible and Toisa Independent. One of the two North Sea contracts will
commence in September, the other will begin in October.
DOF Subsea’s Brazil Thrill
Chevron has awarded DOF Subsea a three year contract (with two yearly options) to provide an
oilfield supply vessel, other equipment and services for a field off Brazil. DOF Subsea will fulfil the
charter with a vessel they have currently under construction and due for delivery in the third quarter of
2008.
Island’s Latest Endeavour
Norwegian based Island Offshore has secured a term contract for their newbuild PSV Island
Endeavour. Currently still under construction at Aker Brevik yard, the UT 755 LN supply vessel has
been chartered for five years firm plus five yearly options by Peterson Supplylink b.v. The vessel will
begin this charter upon delivery which is estimated to be around June 2008. The Island Endeavour will
work out of Den Helder, servicing some of the many platforms in the Southern North Sea.
“Water” Charter Say Owners Of Fjord
Troms Offshore were pleased with the announcement that their VS 470 MK II PSV Troms Fjord will
remain with Peterson after being awarded a new five year firm charter. Peterson also hold an
additional five yearly options. The Troms Fjord has been on charter with the Dutch logistics company
since the end of 2005.
Peak Provider
Rem Maritime UT 755LC Rem Provider has been contracted to Peak upon delivery from yard, which is
expected to be mid October 2007. The area of operations is the North Sea and the period is four
months firm plus options.
North Ocean in Gulf Of Mexico
CICSA, the Mexican Offshore Construction and IMR Company, has chartered the newbuild CSV North
Ocean 102, owned by Oceanteam Power & Umbilical ASA. The contract will begin in Mexico in June
2008 and the period is five years firm plus options for an additional five years. The DP II CSV North
Ocean 102 is currently under construction at Metalships in Vigo, Spain.
North Promise Christened
Gulf Offshore’s latest PSV delivered from the Soviknes yard, Norway in mid September. The Aker 09
DE PSV was christened North Promise in a ceremony held at the Seven Sisters in the
Geirangerfjorden of Norway. This DP I vessel has around 1,000 m2 deck area and extensive
underdecks which will be put to good use by Conocophilips in a five year firm contract. Conocophilips
will also benefit from the excellent fuel economy provided by the Diesel electric propulsion system
which pump out 10,700 BHP. Other details include a LOA of 86.6m, a breadth (moulded) of 19m and a
deadweight of 4,850 tons.
Craig Do The Dozen
UK based North Star Shipping has confirmed the order of its twelfth newbuild vessel - a NSS-IMT 960
ERRV equipped with tanker assist capabilities. The Balenciaga Shipyard will build the 95 ton bp Fi-Fi 1
vessel with delivery due in 2010. C h e v r o n has chartered this vessel on a long term basis where it
will work on the Alba and Britannia fields in the North Sea. Other details of this ERRV include a 60m
LOA, 16m beam, twin daughter craft and FRC.
Peak’s Plans For Invincible
AGR Peak have chartered the Fratelli D’Amato UT 755L PSV FD Invincible for term work in the
Southern sector of the North Sea supporting the Ensco 85 jack up rig.. The Gulf Offshore managed
supply vessel commenced the one well contract in the last week of September and is expected to be
away for between forty and sixty days.
Sound Thunders Down Under
Farstad Shipping has secured a four well firm charter for their UT 712 L anchor handler Far Sound.
The vessel left the North Sea at the end of September to work for Hess Australia supporting the Jack
Bates rig. The DP II, 175 tons bollard pull anchor handler will be based at Dampier, North Western
Australia and is expected to remain on charter for around five months.
Crusader Continues Conoco Campaign
The ME303 MK II Northern Crusader is to remain on term contract until the 20th November 2009 after
current charterers Conocophilips exercised their option. This vessel is actually also on bareboat
contract from Trico Shipping to Eidesvik Offshore ASA, who in turn exercised their option to extend
alongside the Conocophilips contract.
No Nonsense With Fluminense
Not quite in time for last month’s edition, but well worth waiting for: pictures of Norskan Offshore’s
newbuild AHTS, the Skandi Fluminense. The UT 722L design 18,000 bhp vessel delivered at the end
of August and has gone straight on to long-term charter with Petrobras.
Boa Tighten Their Grip With Newbuilds
Boa Offshore AS has revealed a spate of Vik-Sandvik design newbuildings this month. The company
has ordered four VS 491-design AHTS vessels and four VS 495 Multi-Purpose Supply Vessels. The
AHTS vessels will have a main dimension of 91 x 22 metres and a bollard pull of approximately 270
tonnes, with a 500 tonne AH winch. They will contain Hybrid propulsion. The MPSVs will have a main
dimension of 95 x 21 metres. They will be designed for diesel electric and diesel mechanical
propulsion. Both the AHTS and MPSVs will have accommodation onboard for 60 people.
Deeper And Deeper
Deep Sea Supply has entered into agreements for acquisition of three newbuilding contracts; for a
PSV and two AHTS vessels. The VS470 MKII-design PSV is being built in Norway and is expected to
deliver in May next year. The two 12,000 BHP AHTS vessels are being built in Singapore and are
expected to deliver in December 2008 and March 2009. DSS says that the total price for the
newbuilding contracts is approximately US $ 100 million.
Nordcapital News
Nordcapital has agreed to sell two of their DP I UT 755 LN platform supply vessels that are currently
under construction at Aker Aukra. Rem Offshore has confirmed they are the buyers in this NOK 400
million contract. These PSVs are due to deliver in February and March 2008. Nordcapital still have an
additional two DP II UT 755 LN PSVs under construction, but have made a hefty profit on the two they
have sold, when compared to the build price.
Bharati Builds
India’s Bharati Yard are to build two VS 4612 MK II anchor handlers. It is understood that two Cyprus
based companies, called Norwegian Shipping I and Norwegian Shipping II, have ordered these
vessels at a cost of USD 32.55 million each. Delivery of the first vessel is estimated in June 2009 while
the second vessel is expected in October 2009.
JP Knight Proclaim “Kinross No More”
JP Knight has sold the “Kinross” tug to Grupo Boluda SA, Madrid. She will be renamed “V.B.
Corsario”.
Vikings Long (For) Boats
Viking Supply Ships AS has declared their options for two DP II VS 4622 anchor handlersured from
Astilleros Zamakona shipyard, Spain. It is understood that Viking will take delivery in late 2010 and
early 2011, respectively. Back in mid December last year, Viking ordered two of these vessels with the
aforementioned options for two more. Main details include circa 220 tons bollard pull, LOA of 85.2m,
19,040 BHP, deck area of over 750 m2, Clean Design and Comfort Class. These vessels are currently
uncommitted.
In Cygnus And In Health...
DeepOcean ASA has revealed that “Cygnus” will be the name of the multi-role support newbuild
vessel which is being built in partnership with Volstad Maritime. Cygnus is scheduled to launch in early
2009 and will form part of the fleet operated by CTC Marine Projects.
Tracker On New Trail
DeepOcean ASA has revealed that “Cygnus” will be the name of the multi-role support newbuild
vessel which is being built in partnership with Volstad Maritime. Cygnus is scheduled to launch in early
2009 and will form part of the fleet operated by CTC Marine Projects. Vroon Offshore Services’ latest
emergency rescue and response vessel VOS Tracker had her naming ceremony on the 21st
September at the Maaskant Shipyard (part of the Damen Group) in Stellendam, Netherlands. Details
of the vessel include LOA of 48.2m, beam of 11m, maximum draft of 4.25m and 12 knots maximum
speed. Vroon advise that the VOS Tracker will be ready for operation from around 6th October and will
work the North Sea spot market until any term business is gained in UK, Norwegian or Dutch waters.
More For Mosvold
Mosvold Supply has exercised options to build two VS 491 CD anchor handlers at Batamec Shipyard,
Indonesia. Delivery is scheduled for December 2010 and July 2011.
Ferking In The Fleet
Solstad Offshore ASA took delivery of their latest anchor handler this month: the Normand Ferking
The vessel, which is “the world’s most advanced and environmentally friendly AHTS”, was christened
earlier this year and is apparently named after the ancient Norwegian king Ferking. Upon delivery the
newbuild went straight into a long term charter with Statoil.
Ezra Pound Out Another
Ezra Holdings are to build a VS 490 multi-function support vessel at Karmsund Maritime Service AS
with delivery expected in the first half of 2010. Contract value is understood to be S$162,353,200.
With 28,000 BHP, 750m2 deck, accommodation for up to 60 persons and Clean Design, it will be
suitable for North Sea operations including those in Norway. These operations will include offshore
construction, subsea installation, ROV interventions, installation maintenance repair, deep water
anchor handling (of up to 5,000m depth, towing, supply runs, tanker assistance, standby and rescue.
Sealink Building Anchor Handling Tug
In early 2008 Sealink Sdn Bhd of Miri, Sarawak, East Malaysia will take delivery of a new anchor
handling tug from their own shipyard. The 38-meter tug, with a waterline length o f36.3 meters and an
11.8-meter beam, is the first of three being built to a design by naval architect Khiam Chuan Marine of
Singapore. Powered by a pair of 2200 hp at 1800 RPM continuous duty V-16 Cummins QSK60 main
engines the 4400 hp tug will have a 60-ton bollard pull and 12-knot operating speed. The first vessel to
be delivered, designated Hull SSS122, will have Reintjes WAF872 gears with a 7.455:1 ratio. The
second AHT, currently designated Hull SSS156 with have Twin Disc MGN1727VC gears with 7.5:1
ratios fitted to the Cummins QSK60 main engines. For extended periods at sea the tug will carry 320
tons of fuel and 150 tons of water in the hull with its molded depth of 4.8 meters and a 3.8-meter
design draft. Tankage will also be provided for detergent and foam for the fire monitors. It will be fitted,
just back of the raised for’cle, with a waterfall winch carrying 1000 meters of 52 m/m wire and will have
a brake capable of holding 150 tons. A pair of tow pins and shark jaws will also be installed on deck
ahead of the live roller fitted into the transom. A pair of tugger winches will be mounted port and
starboard of the main deck winch. The vessel will have a 480-hp bow thruster. A 1200-cubic-meter per
minute fire fighting system will be supplied by pumps driven by power take off from both the starboard
main engines. Auxiliaries include three 245 kW generator sets. Accommodation will be provided for 18
crewmembers. The engineer will have a sound isolated switchboard room in the forward part of the
engine room. This is the first of three sister tugs on order. The second and third are expected to
deliver in 2008 as well. .(Source Marlink)
Pusher Towboat Delivered
Pictured is the launch of the M/V Christyn Renee, built by
Rodriguez Shipyard in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama. The boat is
powered by a pair of Cummins QSM11 engines, each
generating 355 hp at 1,800 rpm. (Photo by Charlie Rodriguez)
8e jaargang, nr. 40
dd. 21 October
_______________________________________________________
Svitzer swaps two tugs in Baltic operation
Published: 16.10.07 16.00 Svitzer A/S is about to change tugs in their barge train running from the
Baltic area to shipyards in Stralsund and Odense. The Svitzer Munin, flying Saint Vincent flag, will
shortly be sold back to Sweden and re-flagged to Swedish flag. The tug will also get its old name
Dynan back. Instead Svitzer has sold Per to Svitzer Limited and re-flagged the tug to Saint Vincentflag to be sailed by the Lithuanian crew. The reason for the swap is that Svitzer Munin cannot sail to
the port of Loksa as its draft is too big. Svitzer has also taken a sixth tug on charter for the barge train
operation. It is the Finnish tug Turva, which an Estonia crew sails between Loksa and Klaipeda with
steel components for shipbuilding. The six tugs operating in the Baltic is: Bauge, Bure, Stevns
Master, Stevns Icebird, Per and Turva.
Keppel Nantong Wins US$75m in Tug Contracts
Thursday October 18, Keppel Nantong Shipyard Co. Ltd (Keppel Nantong), the wholly-owned
subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), won three contracts worth a total of US$75
million, including owner furnished equipment, to build eight tugs. The first contract is secured from
Smit Internationale Beheer B.V (SMIT) to build two 90-ton bollard pull offshore support tugs. It will
have anchor handling, diving support, and fire fighting capabilities. Delivery of these two vessels is
expected in the first half of 2010. They will be deployed in West Africa. The second and third contracts
are awarded by Keppel Smit Towage Pte Ltd and Maju Maritime Pte Ltd. Each contract is for the
construction of three 65-tonne bollard pull twin-screw Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugs. They will be
built in accordance to the MTD 3265ST design, developed by Keppel O&M’s technology unit, Marine
Technology Development (MTD). The vessels are expected to be progressively delivered in the year
of 2011. Mr Lee Tai Kwee, President of Keppel Nantong, said, “With the eight new vessels, Keppel
Nantong has an orderbook of 26 vessels currently under construction on our 16 hectare site. We are
glad that our customers have confidence in the capability of this new yard which is just under two
years old.” Acquired by Keppel O&M in 2005, Keppel Nantong engages in the construction of
specialised vessels such as offshore support vessels and tugboats. Located along the Chang Jiang
River, it is about 110 km north-west of Shanghai. SMIT Internationale Beheer B.V is a division of
Dutch company, SMIT Internationale NV. The company engages in services relating to transport
barges, tugs, support vessels and self-propelled floating sheerlegs. It is a repeat customer of Keppel
O&M. Both Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime are 51/49 joint ventures of Keppel O&M and Smit
Internationale N.V respectively. Keppel Nantong Shipyard, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel
Corporation Limited through Keppel O&M, is the specialised shipbuilding arm. Keppel O&M’s ‘near
market, near customer' strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of
Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and the North Sea regions. Integrating the experience
and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to be the provider of choice and partner in
solutions for the offshore and marine industry. These contracts are not expected to have any material
impact on the net tangible assets and earnings per share of Keppel Corporation Limited for the
financial year of 2007. (Source: Keppel)
Bollinger Delivers for Bouchard
Pictured is Bouchard’s B. No. 295 and Bouchard Girls, converted and
retrofitted by Bollinger Gulf Repair and Bollinger Algiers, as an OPA’90
compliant ATB unit. Bollinger Gulf Repair, L.L.C. and Bollinger Algiers,
L.L.C, two Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., shipyards, have completed the
retrofit and conversion of a Bouchard Coastwise Management Co.,
barge and tug, respectfully, to an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit
utilizing the Intercon Coupler System. At Bollinger Gulf Repair, the 446foot, black oil Barge B. No.195 which has been renamed Barge B.
No.295, was transformed from a single hull to double hull vessel to meet
the requirements of OPA'90. The B. No. 295 measures 468-foot x 85.5-
foot x 38.1-foot, with sixteen (16) cargo tanks. A new ballast system was installed, and her stern was
modified with the matching Intercon ladder to accept the bow of the 127-foot tug BOUCHARD GIRLS,
which was retrofitted with ram assemblies of the Intercon system at the Bollinger Algiers facility. At the
Bollinger Algiers facility, the tug Bouchard Girls underwent her conversions, receiving a keel cooled
Detroit Diesel 8V-71 generator set producing 99 kW as back up for powering the Intercon hydraulic
system and main generator. The vessel completed renewal of all regulatory requirements, installation
of the Intercon system and received life extensions, as did the barge at Bollinger Gulf Repair. Morton
S. Bouchard III, president and chief executive officer of Bouchard Transportation Company Inc., said,
"We are pleased to announce that we have taken delivery of our fifth retrofit unit, the BOUCHARD
GIRLS and the B. No. 295 from Bollinger. This redelivery of a modern, compliant, OPA’90 barge into
our fleet represents another step forward in our company’s commitment to the petroleum industry."
Before the tug and barge arrived at the Bollinger yards, the shipyard pre-fabricated, sandblasted and
painted certain components that were used in the conversion of both vessels. The barge was
converted and inspected to the applicable rules of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for Class
Maltese A-1 Oil Tank Barge and the U.S. Coast Guard for the carriage of petroleum products of Grade
A and lower, for Manned Services in Oceans. Ben Bordelon, executive vice president repair, of
Bollinger said, "This double hulling of the Bouchard B. No 295 and the re-fit of the tug Bouchard Girls
using two separate Bollinger facilities exemplifies Bollinger’s unique ability to work with the needs of
our customers to complete the job. By using the strengths at our various facilities, we are able to mix
and match facility and personnel strengths to accomplish large projects, such as conversions, retrofits
and re-builds”. The end result of this project is a compliant safe operating tug/barge unit coupled
together with the Intercon connection. In simplest form, the patented Intercon system provides a single
degree of freedom allowing the tug to pitch about a transverse connection between the tug and barge.
All other motions are restrained so that the tug motions match barge motions in roll and heave. The
connection is mechanical, accomplished with two independently mounted ram assemblies, gear
driven, and configured for tug installation. The rams stroke transversely, engaging the vertical ladder
structures incorporated onto both sidewalls of the stern notch of the barge. The resulting connection is
rigid, mechanically locked, and fail-safe. Bollinger has additional OPA’90 new builds in various
production stages for Bouchard. The B. No. 282, an 80,000 BBL clean oil barge and the B. No. 260, a
60,000 BBL black oil barge are being built at Bollinger Gretna. B. No. 233, a 35,000 BBL clean oil
barge is being built by Bollinger Marine Fabricators in Amelia, Louisiana (Source: Marinelink)
Kirby Launches First In New Series
Following on the success of its 90 x 35-ft. series of towboats,
Kirby Marine has taken delivery of the first in a new series of 76 x
35-ft. boats. Building at the Raymond and Associates LLC
shipyard in Bayou LaBatr, Ala., the Capt. Bill English, is the first
of four currently under construction with the possibility of eight
more to follow. Although shorter than the earlier series, these
boats retain the robust beam of their cousins. Mark Davis, Kirby’s
representative at the shipyard explained that it is important to the
firm to retain crews. “The extra beam lets us make the boats a
little nicer and then we add internet access and flat screen TV
with surround sound for the crew,” he said. In the engine room
the new towboats continue the use of Cummins engines. These
are a pair of Cummins KTA38-M1 engines rated for 900 hp at
1800 rpm. Designed jointly by LaForce and Kirby the new boats
have the distinctive sloped and multi facetted wheelhouse
windows that provide great visibility. The interiors show influences
from modern ship docking tugs with split consoles allowing visibility through ceiling to deck windows.
At the same time traditional ‘sticks’ for both flanking and steering rudders. Although the steering is
electrically controlled, Davis explained, “We can adjust the tension on the sticks to replicate the
pressure that the captains are use to on the older boats.” Kirby operates more than 900 active inland
tank barges, 241 active towing vessels and five fleets on the U.S. inland waterway network.With these
boats, Kirby is setting a standard of excellence for both crews and clients for the delivery of petroleum
products on America’s inland waterways. (Source: Marinelink)
Havila orders another Havyard 832 CD PSV
October 15, 2007 Havila Shipping ASA has, through Havila Shipping Pte Ltd in Singapore, entered
into a contract with Fjellstrand Verft for construction of a Havyard 832 CD PSV. The vessel was
developed by Havyard Maritime in close co-operation with Havila Shipping ASA. It has a length of
80.4m, breadth of 17.6m and deck area of 805m2. In order to meet environmental and
habitability demands in the future the vessel has 'Clean design' class, catalysers, and DP 2. Delivery is
scheduled for the autumn of 2009, and the contract price is approximately NKr 260 million. (Source:
OSO)
DESSC delivers another newbuild
10/15/2007 Singapore -- Deep Sea Supply has taken delivery of the fourth of eight platform supply
vessel (PSV) newbuilds from the Cochin Shipyard in India. The Sea Pike PSV will go directly to Congo
for a three-year time charter with Eni Congo. The Sea Pike is the eighth newbuild delivered to Deep
Sea Supply this year. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Swiber adds four units
10/15/2007 Singapore -- Swiber Holdings Ltd. has made a $108-million acquisition of two subsea
support vessels and two deepwater anchor handling tug/supply (AHTS) units from Thaumas Marine
Ltd. Swiber subsidiary Kreuz Engineering Ltd. will take delivery of the 78-m (256-ft) DP-2 subsea
support vessels in 1Q 2009 and of the deepwater 70-m (230-ft) 10,000 brake horsepower AHTS a
year later. Swiber will provide its own equipment and will cover retrofitting costs for the vessels. The
subsea support vessels will be outfitted with a state-of-the-art system incorporating a self-propelled
hyperbaric rescue chamber and 100-metric-ton (110-ton) heave compensated crane. The units will
have accommodations for 146. Swiber, with 20 vessels under operation and 17 others on order, aims
to build a fleet of 41 international class units supporting its engineering, procurement, construction,
installation, and commissioning work by 2010. (Source: Leo Kramer)
BG International charter for Rem Offshore
October 16, 2007 Rem Offshore in Norway has entered into a time charter contract with BG
International Ltd for the PSV Rem Fortune. The contract has a firm period of two years, with 2 x 1
year options and is due to commence on October 25th. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Siem Hanne to enter service
Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) reports that Siem Hanne, Siem Offshore's latest newbuild, was
expected to complete trials in Aalesund on October 16th. The newbuild VS470 MkII PSV
is now available on the spot market until it commences a contract with Subsea 7 on October 26th.
(Source: OSO)
Hearing on Bourbon Dolphin stability
Published: 16.10.07 13.42 All through the Bourbon Dolphin hearings in Ålesund, Norway, the vessels
stability has been questioned and a special hearing opens next week to find the answers to some
important questions regarding stability. Both the builder of the vessel, Ulstein Verft, and the Norwegian
Maritime Directorate (Sjøfartsdirektoratet) have been summoned to the hearing. The last Bourbon
Dolphin hearing towards the end of September left a number of key questions unanswered. The brief
of the royal commission hearing was to find out what led to capsize and eventual sinking of the
Bourbon Dolphin northwest of Shetland last April. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Third 4000 PSV christened at Bollinger
Larry Rigdon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rigdon Marine Corporation (RMC), has
announced that Triple Play, the third in the series of 10 4000 Class PSVs for Rigdon Marine has been
christened at Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana. The diesel electric, DP 2 PSV, has a capacity
of 4,000 barrels of liquid mud in an oval, self cleaning, segregated tank system. The vessel has three
Z-Drives and two large tunnel thrusters forward. Triple Play joins Double Eagle and First and Ten
working in the Gulf of Mexico. The remaining seven Rigdon 4000 class PSVs will be delivered at
approximately 45 day intervals during 2007 and through the third quarter of 2008. (Source: OSO)
Siem Offshore to sell Ocean Knarr
Siem Offshore says it has entered into an agreement with Amber Navigation Company Limited for the
sale of the standby vessel Ocean Knarr (built 1985) for a total amount of US$10.5 million. The vessel
will be delivered to Amber Navigation in November. (Source: OSO)
Dina Aquarius sold
Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd reports that Myklebusthaug has sold the 4,100dwt PSV Dina Aquarius to FS
Shipping for a sum reportedly in excess of NKr 150 million.The vessel which is currently on term
charter to Talisman has been renamed F S Aquarius. (Source: OSO)
8e jaargang, nr. 41
dd. 28 October
_______________________________________________________
220 ton AHT “Janus” christened
Last weekend the latest addition to the fleet of Harms Bergung the AHT JANUS was christened in the
German port of Cuxhaven by Frau Bär, wife of the captain of the former tug Janus, this vessel is one
of a series of two, the sistership is called URSUS and is at present under construction at the
Mutzelfeldt Shipyard in Cuxhaven, the same yard who built the JANUS under yardnumber 254. The
JANUS is an 19.000 bhp Anchor handling tug with a length of 65 meter with an unusual beam of 18.5
mtr, the AHT is a robust looking vessel which is ready for action in the North Sea and other working
areas around the globe.
The Curaçao Towage Company is expanding its tugboat fleet
The Curaçao Towage Company, a subsidiary of the Curaçao Ports Authority is expanding its tugboat
fleet with a new tugboat. Two years ago CTC celebrated the arrival of two new tugboats called ‘Ola’
and ‘Manta’. With the arrival of these two tugboats the CTC noticed a big increase in jobs. The
increase reached to such a high level that the management decided to invest into another tugboat.
The new tugboat is DAMEN ASD 2810 and will be the second tugboat within the fleet of CTC of the
2810 model. The first tugboat of this type is the ‘Ola’, with 4930 BHP and 58.7 ton Bollard Pull. Like
the ‘Ola’, this new tugboat will be assigned to harbor towage jobs in the Caribbean. The Curaçao
Towage Company has been working with the ASD 2810 model for a few years and has had good
results with this tugboat model. Damen has pointed out that this type of tugboat has had tremendous
success on the market. According to tradition, the tugboat needs a name. Therefore the personnel of
the Curacao Ports Authority, the Curacao Towage Company and the Curacao Pilots organization are
planning a competition to invent a name for the tugboat. The name of the new tugboat must have
connotations of underwater flora and fauna such as is the case with ‘Ola’ and ‘Manta’. Curaçao Ports
Authority and in particular The Curacao Towage Company are very proud to have obtained another
new tugboat, which will be delivered in the last quarter of 2008. (Source: Clipping News)
Barge McNally Olympic lost
On October 8, while in tow of the tug Jerry Newberry, a line parted and the barge McNally Olympic
drifted ashore 10kn southwest of Hebron Labrador and is a total loss. She was on a return trip from
Deception Bay (far north Quebec) to Sorel. She was carrying quantities of fuel and waste oil which is
believed to have been dispersed by the 15 to 20 foot seas. At last report the deck house has broken
free of the hull. (Source: Charlie Gibbons)
Vroon Offshore Services acquires utility vessel operator in Italy
October 24, 2007 Vroon Offshore Services has announced that it has acquired all of the shares
in Società Armamento Lavori Marittimi (SALM) SRL in Ancona, Italy. SALM is a well-established
offshore utility vessel operator, owning five vessels, with one newbuilding on order. All of its vessels
are operated under long-term contracts with clients in the Adriatic and Mediterranean. With the
acquisition of SALM, Vroon Offshore is increasing its market presence in Italy and the Mediterranean
area, following the acquisition of the AHTS Keen Express and Kerob Express in July of this year.
Management of the SALM fleet will be transferred to Vroon's office in Genoa at the start of 2008.
Solstad wins LoI from Saipem
October 24, 2007 Solstad Offshore has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Saipem UK Ltd for
provision of four PSVs to support pipe laying operations for the period 2008 to 2012. Under
the agreement, Saipem will utilise Normand Aurora, Normand Carrier and Normand Flipper for
pipe transport in the Mediterranean, starting in the summer of 2008. For 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
Normand Aurora, Normand Carrier, Normand Flipper and Normand Vester will operate in the Baltic
Sea and the North Sea. Over the period the agreement represents approximately 3,500 days firm, plus
options to extend with another 1,500 days.
Coastal sells two utility vessels to Maridive
10/23/2007 MALAYSIA: Coastal Offshore (Labuan) Pte Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sabahbased Coastal Contracts Bhd, secured the sale of two utility support vessels to Egyptian oilfield
services company Maridive Offshore Projects S.A.E. at a combined value of US$11.5 million. The
3,200 bhp and 3,500 bhp utility vessels are now undergoing construction in China and are expected to
be complete for delivery in 2008. The deal came less than two weeks after Coastal closed the sale of
four offshore support vessels to Kreuz Engineering Ltd. at a combined value of US$108 million.
Coastal said its total order book now stands at US$233.1 million for deliveries through 2010.
OSV sinks offshore Mexico
10/23/2007 MEXICO: PEMEX Exploration and Production confirmed that the offshore support vessel
(OSV) Oficina Porvenir, owned by Transportacíon y Servicios Marítimos S.A. de C.V., sank
yesterday following an incident in the machine room that caused a hole in the vessel.The incident
occurred around 9:20 p.m. with 14 people on board. Assistance was requested from nearby vessels.
So far, 13 people have been rescued unharmed. The search continues for the sole missing person,
aided by six vessels, two helicopters and four patrol boats, along with assistance from the Ministry of
the Navy.Oficina Porvenir was collecting waste from the offshore facilities in the Bay of Campeche
when the incident occurred. The authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.
Senergy fixes three AHTS
October 23, 2007 Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) reports that Senergy has fixed three anchor
handlers - Maersk Detector, Maersk Assister & Balder Viking - which all went on hire on October
22nd in Aberdeen at reported rates of £30,000/day each.
DOF orders two PSVs at Cochin
October 22, 2007 DOF ASA in Norway and Cochin Shipyard Ltd in India have signed contracts for the
construction of Aker PSV 09 CD PSVs. One of the ships will be owned by DOF, the other will be
owned by Aker DOF Supply, in which DOF has a 50 per cent shareholdings. The contract price per
vessel is approximately NKr 245 million, and the vessels are scheduled for delivery in May and
September 2010. (Source: marinelog)
BOURBON announces order for 2 Multi Purpose Supply Vessels from
Socarenam, the French shipyard in Boulogne-sur-Mer
Following a European bid tender, BOURBON is announcing its order for two high-tech Multi Purpose
Supply Vessels (MPSV) from Socarenam, the French shipyard based in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The
design of these vessels is based on a concept established by Marine Assistance, and will be
developed by the consultant firm Bureau Mauric. The experience of these two French companies in
the concept of work vessels, has enabled them to come up with a vessel design adapted to the
requirements of BOURBON’s customers.
Christian Lefèvre, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of BOURBON
explains: "This order for two high-tech Multi Purpose Supply Vessels from a recognized French
shipyard reflects our desire to offer our customers high-performance multi-purpose vessels combined
with an excellent cost/delivery deadline ratio in line with our Horizon 2010 strategic plan. This contract
is proof that French and European naval shipyards can be competitive and offer a solid performance.
The choice of the Socarenam shipyard also reflects our desire to make investments and remain a
major socio-economic player in France. BOURBON is pleased to be able to build vessels at controlled
costs in France." The two MPSVs built by Socarenam will be used to provide support in specific,
demanding offshore operations, such as the maintenance of oil facilities or production maintenance
work and subsea inspections. They can house 103 persons under excellent conditions of comfort and
safety. Like all the new vessels in the Offshore fleet, the design of these MPSVs meets the BOURBON
standards. They are equipped with diesel-electric propulsion and a redondant dynamic positioning
system (Class 2). Moreover, the vessels have 8 anchors (compared with 4 normally found on this type
of vessel) which, combined with the Dynamic Positioning technology, offer greater flexibility in
operational positioning. Finally, these vessels have been designed with low draught to allow increased
accessibility in shallow zones such as estuaries or rivers. This order has been placed as part of the
Horizon 2010 plan intended to expand the fleet of offshore oil and gas marine service vessels. The
two vessels will be delivered in the second half of 2009. (Source: Bourbon)
Esvagt names third vessel from Singapore
Published: 26.10.07 15.16 Esvagt A/S named their latest new building from Singapore yesterday at
Esbjerg. The ship was named Esvagt Carina in a ceremony with Norwegian Berit Axelsen,
StatoilHydro, as the sponsor. The new ship will shortly take off for Norwegian waters and a long term
charter to StatoilHydro. The Esvagt Carina was delivered in the beginning of September as hull no.
815 from ASL Shipyard in Singapore, and has in the meantime sailed to Esbjerg under own power;
power delivered by five Cummins type KTA-19-D in a diesel-electric plant developing 2,425 kW to a
service speed of 12 knots. The ship is 46 metres long and have beam of 11.5 metres. The crew
normally consists of nine persons. The ship can accommodate up to 300 persons in case of
emergency. Esvagt still have five sister ships under construction at the ASL Shipyard in Singapore.
SCI selects Havyard 841 AHTS design
Havyard Group in Norway has confirmed that Shipping Corporation of India has selected Bharati
Shipyard Ltd to build four new anchor handlers based on the Havyard 841 design."When the SCI
tender was issued, Bharati chose to offer a Havyard 841 design and succeeded in securing the
contract in competition with other Indian and foreign shipyards," said Havyard Group in a statement,
noting that in the Havyard 841 it believes it has succeeded in combining its expertise in North Sea
technology with development of simpler solutions satisfying demand from the Asian market. "The
Havyard 841 design won in competition with well known design companies from Norway and Asia. In
addition to being competitive on price due to building-friendly design, the Havyard 841 proved to be
superior with regards to fuel economy and operating costs," said Havyard Group. There are now over
30 Havyard design under construction worldwide. The Havyard 841 is 64.80m long and has a
breadth of 15.70m and bollard pull of 80 tonnes. (Source: OSO)
MPSV Olympic Triton delivered
The MPSV Olympic Triton was delivered by Ulstein Verft shipyard in Norway on October
25th. After the name giving ceremony the ship will enter service in the North Sea. Olympic
Triton, an ULSTEIN P101, is the third vessel of this type built to date. "Because of the positive
feedback on those ships, Olympic chose a similar vessel, but further developed it into a larger version
of the deign. Our newbuilding is especially adapted for subsea operations, and thus it is essential that
the ship has steady motion,” said CEO Stig Remøy of Olympic Shipping. The ship is 95m long and has
a breadth of 20.5m, and is equipped with a ROV hangar, moonpool, a 150 tonne offshore crane,
helideck and accommodation for 100. The MPSV is also prepared for a tower and a 150-tonne 'A'
frame on the stern. The permanent crew numbers about 20 persons. Olympic also has a sister ship
under construction at Ulstein. “Canyon Offshore in Aberdeen has chartered the ship on a three-year
contract. Her first assignment will be a small job in the North Sea before heading for the Gulf of
Mexico. There the ship will operate until next summer,” said Mr Remøy. “The project team and the
other employees have done an excellent job, and the ship was delivered before the contract date. It is
a job worthy of respect and one we are proud of. We also wish to thank Olympic for the good
cooperation and wish the Olympic Triton good fortune on her voyages,” said Ulstein Verft's
CEO, Karsten Sævik. (Source: OSO)
StatoilHydro fixes Sea Tiger and Viking Troll
October 25, 2007 Offshore Shipbrokers Ltd (OSL) says StatoilHydro has fixed Sea Tiger and Viking
Troll to assist with the West Alpha rig move in Kristiansund on October 27th OSL said the rates are
understood to be fixed at circa NKr 275,000/day (Source: OSO)
DeepOcean subsidiary extends four Maersk vessels
October 25, 2007 DeepOcean ASA’s subsidiary CTC Marine Projects Ltd has successfully negotiated
extensions to its charter agreements with the AP Moller-Maersk Group for the four DP2 class multirole
vessels. Supporting the company’s subsea trenching and flex-lay operations, the two ‘R’ class vessels
(Maersk Responder and Maersk Recorder) and the two ‘A’ class vessels (Maersk Assister
and Maersk Advancer) will now be on charter to CTC until the first quarter of 2011, with two further
one year options on each of the ‘R’ class vessels to 2013. Available with global access, the two ‘R’
class vessels will continue to provide support for the company’s general trenching and flex-lay projects
and the two ‘A’ class vessels will provide trenching project and general construction support.
Guaranteed utilisation has been extended from a minimum number of days per year to 365 days each
year for Maersk Responder, Maersk Recorder and Maersk Assister. Maersk Advancer continues to be
available in accordance with advanced scheduling requirements (Source: OSO)
Severnaya Verf Laid Vessel
On October, 24 shipyard Severnaya Verf laid a replenishment vessel of VS 470 PSV project. The
customer is Siddis Skipper II AS (Norway). According to the press-service of the yard due to the
contract Severnaya Verf will build a vessel hull of the 1330 tons’ weight. The company has also a
option to build one more hull of VS 470 MPSV project (Source : SeaNews)
8e jaargang, nr. 42
dd. 04 November 2007
_______________________________________________________
URS Christened bears
URS – Towage and Salvage Union christened 25th October her in the Port of Antwerp. The Kodiak
was officially named by sponsor lady Mrs. Marleen Vanderpoorten, and the Grizzly by sponsor lady
Mrs. Inge Vervotte, with the customary breaking of a bottle of champagne. Both new ships are
stationed in the Port of Antwerp. The substantial growth of the port has made this fleet extension
necessary. URS now has 12 ships stationed in the Port of Antwerp. The newest two, Rampart 3200
designed Union Kodiak and Union Grizzly, have been specially designed for optimum deployment.
Both ships were built by the Turkish – Tuzla yard of Dearsan and are part of the ambitious new
development program of URS by which the shareholders have shown their confidence in the Antwerp
Company. The two ships are the third and fourth in a series of 12 new vessels that will be delivered
between 2007 and 2010 for the various towing sectors. The ships fly the Belgian flag. While the ships
were built in Turkey under Turkish flag and named Gmay 1 and Gmay 2 , the main components are
Belgian. The tugs are equipped with two main eight cylinder diesel engines of the 8 MDZC type of the
Belgian manufacturer “A.B.C.” totaling 3700 kW at 1,000 RPM and drive two ‘CP’ Azimuth propellers
(type SRP 1515 CP). These propellers, installed in “Kort” nozzles, operate independently with respect
to direction and RPM throughout the full range of 360°, ensuring perfect maneuverability. The deck
equipment was provided by “ROLLS-ROYCE/BRATTVRAAG”, which installed the very robust towing
winches with a brake force of 155 tonnes. The air conditioned cabins provide accommodation for 10
persons. The ships are equipped with the most advanced navigation equipment: radar, echo-sounder,
DGPS, compass, electronic mapping, multiple VHF sets, etc. The main dimensions of the sister ships:
Length 32.32m, breadth 12.2m, draught 5.36m, gross tonnage: 473 GRT.
First of 12 for Smit Rebras
The Robert Allan 2500 design SMIT Tupi for SMIT Rebras has successfully finished her trails last
week. The SMIT Tupi is the first of a serie of 12, 45 ton bollard pull harbour tugs. The first three tugs,
second and third respectively SMIT Tuxa and SMIT Tura, will be delivered in December. The SMIT
Rebras harbour activities will start in January 2008 in the port of Santos
Newbuilding Piriou
Op 14 oktober is de Abeille Camargue in haar thuishaven Marseille aangekomen. Zij heeft een
vermogen van 5286 apk, 2 x ABC motoren, 2 x Schottel, 336 brt, 65 t paaltrek, 30,30 x 10,40 x 4.45,
gebouwd bij Chantier Piriou. Concarnau, bouwnummer 280. De tweede van de serie van acht
sleepboten zal als Abeille Octeville deze maand in het water gaan bij Piriou met oplevering in
januari. De derde wordt de Abeille Rhone voor Marseille. Daarna zullen volgen de Abeille Yport
Abeille Trouville en Abeille Tancarville voor Le Havre en, in 2009, de Abeille Port Crau en Abeille
Estrelle voor Marseille. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Newbuilding Freire
Eind deze maand zal de RM Captaine Rouis Thomas aan Louis Thomas worden overdragen door de
werf P. Freire te Vigo. Zij is het zusterschip van de Captaine Albert Ruault die eerder dit jaar voor
Rouaan was gebouwd, 3480 apk, 2 x Mitsubishi, 2 x Aquamaster, 271 brt, 43t paaltrek. (Source:
Lawrence Amboldt)
Old Lady sold to Greece
Hamburg based Fairplay Towage has sold its deepsea-tug „FAIRPLAY XIV“ to Greece. The fourth
tug of this name in Fairplay’s 102 years of history was built 1970 as „Seetrans 1“ at Schichau-Werft,
Bremerhaven. 1975 the tug was sold to Raga Schiffahrts GmbH, Hamburg trading under her new
name „Raga 1“. As from 1978 the tug was laid-up in Cuxhaven before she was taken over by the
Hamburg towage company Petersen & Alpers which operated her under the name „Hanseatic“. In
1987 Fairplay Towage bought the tug from Petersen & Alpers and renamed her „Fairplay XIV“. Since
these days this very reliable tug is sailing in wordwide trade under the Fairplay flag together with her
sister „Fairplay IX“. In the course of her Fairplay life, she circled the globe various times. The voyages
performed since September 2006 alone are typical examples: in September 2006 the tug left San
Francisco with a tandem-tow of two pontoons heading for Las Raffan, UAE. From there she ballasted
to Nantong/China. Mid January 2007 „Fairplay XIV“ left the Nantong/Shanghai range with a pontoon
laden with various inland river hulls for Rotterdam where she arrived end May - 4 months later.
Thereafter she sailed for the Romanian Blacksea-port Tulcea to pick-up a newbuilding-hull for
Stavanger/Norway. Her next job was to tow an empty pontoon from Stavanger to Escravos/Nigeria
where the pontoon is used in a local offshore project. End December 2007 this pontoon will be picked
up again to Europe by the sister-tug „Fairplay IX“. After having delivered the pontoon in Nigeria the
Fairplay XIV demobilized to Piraeus where she arrived on 29th September. The hand-over to her new
owners took place on 2nd November. Due to her very economical fuel consumption and her sizeable
bunker-tanks which in combination enabled her for uninterupted towages of up to 90-100 days and
due to the tug’s very high reliability, „Fairplay XIV“ achieved a very high utilization in her years under
Fairplay-flag. On 2nd November the tug was delivered to her new owners „Diavlos Maritime“. She will
forthwith sail as „Pantadynamos“ under Panamian flag. (Source : Fairplay Towage)
Tugspotters vernieuwd
Na bijna een jaar voorbereiding presenteerden het Tugspotters team gisteren vol trots de nieuwe
generatie Tugspotters.Com! De nieuwe site heeft een meer hedendaags ontwerp en stelt het team in
staat om gebruik te maken van nieuwe technieken om bezoekers nu en in de toekomst een betere
ervaring te kunnen bieden. Het concept Tugspotters.com heeft sinds het begin, vandaag precies 4
jaar geleden, een enorme groei doorgemaakt. Dankzij de vele enthousiaste spotters, vrijwilligers en
sponsors is Tugspotters.com inmiddels een begrip geworden en trekt de site dagelijks tussen de
2500 en 3000 unieke bezoekers van over de hele wereld. De technische ontwikkeling van de site is
echter, door gebrek aan kennis en ervaring, achtergebleven bij de moderne ontwikkelingen op het
web. Hierdoor ontbrak het de redactie op den duur aan tijd en middelen om het groeiend aantal
inzendingen tijdig te kunnen verwerken. Mede daarom is er achter de schermen hard gewerkt aan een
compleet nieuwe website. Hiervoor werd de hulp ingeroepen van nieuwe media ontwerper Stefan
Scheele, die samen met de redactie heeft gewerkt aan een nieuwe opzet die een betere ervaring voor
de bezoeker en een efficientere manier van werken voor de redactie mogelijk maakt. Belangrijkste
veranderingen zijn een nieuwe vormgeving en indeling, om het voor de gebruiker duidelijker en
overzichtelijker te maken. Hierdoor is er ook ruimte gekomen voor nieuwe functionaliteit zoals het
kunnen reageren op, of zoeken in nieuwsberichten. Het laatste nieuws uit de sleepvaart is terug te
vinden op de Nieuws pagina. Ingezonden opnames van sleepboten hebben een eigen pagina, Spots
genoemd en Movements geeft een overzicht van alle binnenkomende en/of vertrekkende slepers. De
meeste pagina's kennen hun eigen categorieen, waarmee heel eenvoudig gefilterd kan worden op
bijvoorbeeld alle nieuwsberichten voor de regio "Maas & Rijn". Iets wat nog ontbreekt aan de nieuwe
site is het Foto Album. Deze is nog wel te raadplegen via een link naar de oude site, maar zal
uiteindelijk vervangen worden door een database systeem. Momenteel wordt er nog hard gewerkt aan
dit project, dus wordt vervolgd... Graag willen wij alle mensen die de afgelopen maanden hebben
geholpen met het testen van het nieuwe systeem hartelijk danken voor hun bijdrage en geduld! Voor
sommigen zal het misschien even wennen zijn, maar we hopen dat de nieuwe site in de smaak valt en
iedereen de nieuwe mogelijkheden weet te waarderen! Voor meer informatie, opmerkingen of vragen
kunt contact opnemen via het contact formulier op de site. (Source: Tugspotters)
Rigdon named 4000 class PSV
The Rigdon 4000 Class vessels in the “First and Ten” series will be named for sports terminology.
The next four vessels in the class are Double Eagle, Triple Play, Grand Slam and Hat Trick
(Source: MarineLog)
Keppel Delivers Sea Cheyenne for Gulfmark
Keppel Singmarine Pte Ltd (Keppel Singmarine), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore &
Marine Limited (Keppel O&M), has delivered an Anchor Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS) vessel to
Gulfmark Offshore Inc (Gulfmark) on schedule.The 140-ton bollard pull vessel was christened Sea
Cheyenne by Rex Carroll Ross, wife of Rex Ross, Director of Gulfmark Offshore, at a naming
ceremony on October 27, 2007. This is the third of eight vessels which Keppel Singmarine is building
for the company since 2003. The design of the vessels is developed by Marine Technology
Development (MTD), the ship design and development arm of Keppel O&M. Gene Leech, Executive
Vice-President of Gulfmark Offshore, said, “Keppel Singmarine has once again delivered their vessel
to us on time and to our full satisfaction. We are pleased to partner Keppel Singmarine in meeting the
growing demand for AHTS to support offshore oil and gas activities. Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chairman &
CEO of Keppel O&M, said, “We will endeavour to provide value-added services, particularly in
ensuring that Gulfmark’s five other vessels with us are completed on time and within budget.” The five
remaining vessels will be delivered in 2008. Sea Cheyenne, which will be deployed in Vietnam, is the
fourth vessel that Keppel Singmarine has delivered this year. The yard is expected to deliver one more
vessel before the year ends. Keppel Singmarine is currently building 17 vessels: 13 offshore support
vessels, a Floating Storage and Offloading vessel, two ice-breakers and a derrick pipelay vessel. The
yard is also building the hull of three jackup rigs for sister company Keppel FELS. Keppel O&M has a
total order book of 50 ships, with contract obligations stretching into 2011. Gulfmark Offshore, Inc
provides marine transportation services to the energy industry through a fleet of fifty-eight offshore
support vessels, primarily in the North Sea, offshore Southeast Asia, and the America. (Source:
Marinelink)
Two more VS 491 CD anchor handlers for Siem Offshore
Siem Offshore Inc. signs contracts for 2 large anchor handling vessels with Norwegian shipbuilding
group Kleven Maritime Kleven Verft in Ulsteinvik, Norway, in cooperation with its sister yard Myklebust
Verft, has signed two contracts with Siem Offshore Inc. of Kristiansand, Norway, for the delivery of two
large and environmentally friendly anchor handling vessels by Vik Sandvik design VS 491 Clean
Design. Siem Offshore already has 10 identical vessels under construction with Kleven Verft and
Myklebust Verft. The vessels are sophisticated anchor handling vessels with supply capacity (AHTS)
by the VS 491 CD design. The total contract value is NOK 1.2 billion. The vessels are 91.0 m of length
over all, with a beam of 22.0 m. Installed power is 20.640 kW (28.000 Hp), capacity on the winch is
500t. Bollard pull is calculated at 300t. The combination of environmentally friendly design and large
capacities make the vessels especially suitable for operations in the North Sea. The accommodation
gives space for 60 people. Furthermore, the vessels are prepared for a number of optional features,
like high capacity offshore crane, A-frame and deck crane for safe anchor handling.
The vessels will be delivered in October and December 2010. Siem Offshore now has in total 15
contracts with Kleven. In total the two yards in Kleven Maritime has and order book of 31 vessels at a
value of NOK 12.4 billion. (Source: OSO)
Ezra Holdings places repeat order at Karmsund
October 30, 2007 Ezra Holdings has ordered a second VS490 from Karmsund. Ezra Holdings
Limited has announced the award of a contract for a second large Vik-Sandvik-designed VS490,
27,000bhp Multi-Functional Support Vessel (MFSV) to Karmsund Maritime Service AS in Norway. This
follows its earlier contract for a similar MFSV, which was finalised six weeks ago. The repeat order has
been contracted at the same price - NKr 620 million - as the first MSFV. Like the earlier vessel, the
new MFSV is designed with features such as a ROV hangar and an 'A' frame, which will allow the
vessel to carry out well intervention and subsea installation services. The two-of-a-kind pair will be
delivered in Ezra Holding's FY2010, with the first vessel in the first half of 2010 and the second one
about six months after. Capable of achieving a bollard pull in excess of 300 tons, these vessels are
customised to meet the stringent environmental protection requirements for operations in the North
Sea, and provide ultra-deepwater anchor handling in depths up to 5,000m. Said Ezra's Managing
Director Lionel Lee: “Ezra is the first offshore support services provider in Asia with the vision and
valor to venture into the deepwater space. As offshore oil exploration moves into deeper waters, there
will be strengthening demand for large size MFSV. We have grown our fleet and service capabilities
strategically to capture the growth in this niche sector and are well positioned to reap the high earnings
yields.” The vessel will be equipped for various offshore duties, including offshore construction;
subsea installation; ROV interventions; IMR; deepwater anchor handling in depths to 5,000m; towing;
supply runs; standby and rescue; and tanker assistance. Ezra recently set up a global sales office in
Aberdeen to tap into the flourishing oil and gas exploration and production markets in the North Sea,
Africa and the Americas. Last week, the Group posted full year FY2007 results with net profit at
S$104million. This not only marked its fifth consecutive year of record profits but also surpassed all
market expectations. The Group currently manages 26 vessels and expects delivery of 11 more
vessels by 2010, including two 30,000bhp Rolls-Royce designed MFSV. (Source: OSO)
Oceanteam secures two more newbuild options
October 30, 2007 Oceanteam Power & Umbilical has announced that the company has secured two
additional options with MetalShips & Docks to build construction support vessels with delivery planned
for the third quarter of 2011 and third quarter of 2012. Oceanteam will target the vessels at its
established subsea and power and umbilical installation markets, with particular emphasis on subsea
services. Oceanteam is already building five large construction support/power cable lay vessels
at MetalShips & Docks in Vigo, the first delivery in the series being 50/50 owned together with
Bourbon Offshore Norway AS. This vessel, Bourbon Oceanteam 101, will start operations late
November 2007. (Source: OSO)
Siem Offshore co-operation agreement with Singa Star
November 1, 2007 Siem Offshore has announced that it has entered into an agreement for long-term
co-operation with Singapore-based privately-held company, Singa Star Pte Ltd.The initial elements for
this long-term co-operation are as follows: 1. Siem Offshore has exercised an option for two additional
large AHTS and transferred the shipbuilding contracts for the vessels to Singa Star. 2. Singa Star
grants an option for Siem Offshore to buy back the last of the two shipbuilding contracts.
3. Establishment of a pool for the 10 AHTS under construction for Siem Offshore and the two
additional vessels. 4. Siem Offshore to become the commercial manager of the pool, supervise
the shipbuilding supervision and provide technical management of the two additional vessels. 5. Singa
Star to become a 11.82 per cent shareholder in Siem Offshore. As reported in Offshore Shipping
Online, earlier this week, the Board of Siem Offshore exercise its option to enter into construction
contracts for two additional large AHTS at Kleven Verft. Singa Star has agreed to subscribe for
30,000,000 new shares to be issued by the Company following the publication of a prospectus later
this year. As highlighted above, Singa Star will thereafter hold 11.82 per cent of the
outstanding shares in Siem Offshore. The new shares will be issued after a prospectus is prepared by
the company and approved by the Oslo Stock Exchange. It is expected that the shares will be issued
in early December 2007 and the equity base of the company will increase from 223,891,866 ordinary
shares to 253,891,866 ordinary shares, each with a nominal value of US$0.01. The proceeds from the
share issue will strengthen the capital base of the company and will be used to finance the fleet of
vessels currently under construction. (Source: OSO)
Aker Yards to build more vessels for 'K' Line
November 1, 2007 Aker Yards has signed a contract with 'K' Line Offshore for four PSVs. The total
value of the contract is approximately NKr 1.4 billion. Delivery is scheduled between the fourth quarter
of 2010 and third quarter of 2011. 'K' Line is one of the world's largest ship owners/operators, mainly
focusing on containerships, car carriers, bulk, LNG and tankers. Earlier this year, 'K' Line ordered
two AH 12 design anchor handlers. Designed by Aker Yards Project, the Aker PSV 06 CD PSVs will
have Clean Design class notation, good seakeeping performance, low fuel consumption and will be of
environmentally friendly operation. The hull for the vessels will be built at Aker Yards in Romania and
outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway. (Source: OSO)
Seabreeze Market Round up October
Trip The Light “Fram”- tastic
The new Edda Fram joined the Shell fleet of offshore support vessels on the 15th October 2007. This
is the third vessel chartered from Edda Supply Ships to carry the name Edda Fram. The association
with Edda Supply Ships and their Norwegian parent company, Østensjø Rederi AS, now exceeds 30
years and during that time they have always been at the forefront of innovation. This new Edda Fram
has a number of features, which fall into the innovative category. The vessel can carry mud cuttings in
bulk under deck, transport low flash point liquids under deck and is fitted with Voith Schneider®
propulsion, which will provide enhanced manoeuvrability, increased stabilisation to improve crew
comfort and a reduction in fuel consumption (this is the first vessel to have both these underdecks and
this type of propulsion.) The Edda Fram has a five year contract with Shell.
Trico Two The Line For Eni Norge
Two of Trico Supply’s ME 303 MK II anchor handlers has been chartered by Eni Norge. The Northern
Corona and Northern Challenger both commenced these one well plus one well option contracts in
mid October.
Scouting Off India
Farstad Shipping UT 722: anchor handler Far Scout has been chartered by APL and Aker for term
work, The Far Scout left the North Sea before the end of October, bound for Singapore whereupon
some cargo was to be picked up and transported to offshore India. It is thought the Far Scout will be
remain in Indian waters for some time, with earliest return to Aberdeen perhaps January 2008.
Cougar Pounces On ENI
Deep Sea Supply KMAR 404 anchor handler Sea Cougar has been contracted by ENI Norway. The
vessel went onhire in the second half of October for one well firm and is understood to be working
alongside the West Alpha and Transocean Leader semi rigs
Brilliant Valiant
Island Offshore UT 787LCD Island Valiant has been contracted by AGR Subsea AS to carry out deep
water excavation work on the Ormen Lange Southern Field Development Project in June next year.
Island Offshore are familiar with this sort of work having carried out similar work in 2005 and 2006
using the Island Frontier on the Ormen Lange Project.The Island Valiant will have a special tower
system installed to allow safe and efficient deployment/retrieval of drill pipe through the moon pool.
Island Offshore has advised the ‘ Valiant will be chartered for at least thirty one days with a further
sixty daily options.
BG Gain A Fortune
Rem Offshore MT 6000 MK II PSV Rem Fortune has been term chartered by BG for work in the North
Sea supporting the Rowan Gorilla VI. The contract began on the 25th October and has a period of two
years firm with a further two yearly options thereafter. BG will no doubt benefit from the DP II, 941m2
deck area, 6,705 BHP and extensive underdecks that this 2004 Kleven Verft built PSV can offer.
Solstad Four Head To Saipem
Saipem UK Limited has sent a letter of intent to Norway based Solstad Offshore ASA to charter four
PSVs in order to support pipe laying operations between 2008 and 2012. It is understood that the
Normand Aurora, Normand Carrier and Normand Flipper will begin work in the Mediterranean
during the summer of 2008, whilst in the next four years after this, the Normand Aurora, Normand
Carrier, Normand Flipper and Normand Vester will be used in the Baltic and North Seas. To put it
another way, this hefty contract amounts to 3,500 days firm with further options for another 1500 days.
ISS Say Yes
Integrated Subsea Services has term chartered the Solstad multipurpose ROV vessel UT 705
Normand Tonjer in a NOK 210 million deal. The three year firm contract begins around the start of
the second quarter of 2008. ISS also have an additional two yearly options
thereafter.
Adding To The Armada
Eidesvik VS 473 Viking Troll has been contracted for several months work by Bumi Armada.The
vessel will leave the North Sea about the 15th November and will set sail for Nigerian waters to work
on the aforementioned contract.
Hav It All
Havila Shipping Pte Ltd of Singapore are to build a Havyard 83 2 CD PSV at Fjellstrand Verft shipyard.
The NOK 260 million vessel should deliver in Autumn 2009. Details include 80.4m LOA, 17.6m
breadth, DP II, Clean Design and 805 m2 of deck area.
So Far, So Good, Socarenam...
Boulogne based shipyard Socarenam are to build two MPSVs for Bourbon Offshore. The design was
based on a concept by Marine Assistance and will be further developed by Bureau Maric. Some of the
details include a low draft, diesel electric propulsion, DP II and eight anchors, hopefully allowing
greater flexibility during operational positioning in particular in shallow water zones. Delivery of the pair
is expected in the second half of 2009.
Volstad’s Version II
Volstad Shipping’s second ST 216L PSV the Volstad Supplier had her naming ceremony on the 20th
October after delivering from Aker Brattvaag shipyard. Details include DP II, Clean Design, over 1,000
m2 deck area, 93.4m LOA, four 1,900 kW engines as well as extensive underdecks. The Volstad
Supplier has a commitment with MLS / ENI through to early December 2007. This is the sister vessel
to the previously delivered Volstad Viking but Volstad also have a third vessel due for delivery from
the same yard in June 2009.
Extra Ezra
Lewek Shipping, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ezra Holdings are to build a 27,000 BHP multifunctional
support vessel with Karmsund Maritime Service. The MFSV will have Clean design, an ROV hangar
and foundations for a heave compensated offshore crane and A-Frame. Delivery is scheduled for the
second half of 2010.
Carina - Esvagt’s Latest Star
Esvagt’s latest newbuilding ERRV Esvagt Carina arrived in the North Sea in the last week of October
where she was christened in Esbjerg. This fine looking vessel (which was built at ASL Shipyard in
Singapore) has now commenced its five year term contract with Statoil.
If Anyone Can, Hanne Can...
Siem Offshore Inc. VS 470 MK II PSV Siem Hanne arrived in the North Sea this month after delivering
from the Aker Aukra shipyard. The 680m2 decked PSV is currently working the spot market. Other
details include DP II, 3,750 tons deadweight, 73.4m LOA. a welldeck and extensive underdecks.
Siem Like A Good Idea ?
Continuing the Siem theme, the Kristiansand based company are to build two additional 28,000 horse
power VS 491 CD anchor handlers in a NOK 1.2 billion deal. Ulsteinvik based Kleven Verft, in
cooperation with sister yard Myklebust Verft, will build the vessels (Siem already have ten identical
vessels under construction with these companies). Details of the vessels include LOA of 91m, 500 ton
winch capacity, 300 ton bollard pull, accommodation for 60 persons and preparedness for high
capacity offshore cranes and Aframes. Delivery is expected in October and December 2010,
respectively.
Pikes & Ocelots
The month of October saw the delivery of the 10,880 BHP anchor handler, Sea Ocelot. The Jaya yard
built vessel has been bareboated for one year by Java Marine Lines to Deep Sea Supply, who also
have an option to buy the vessel at the end of the period. The Sea Ocelot is currently working various
spot charters in south East Asia. Deep Sea Supply also took delivery of their latest newbuild UT 755L
Sea Pike. The Cochin shipyard built PSV proceeded immediately to West Africa to begin a three year
firm plus one year option contract with Eni Congo. This is the fourth of eight UT 755L PSVs for Deep
Sea Supply that India based Cochin Shipyard have delivered.
Canyon Try Out Triton
The P101 multifunctional subsea vessel Olympic Triton delivered to Olympic Shipping in late
October. Details of the vessel include diesel electric propulsion, DP II, 150t subsea crane, helideck,
950m2 of deck area and an LOA of 95 metres. The Ulstein Verft built vessel has now commenced a
long term charter in the North Sea with Canyon Offshore.
Achiever Over Here
It has been an exciting month for DOF with newbuilds arriving and more being announced. First of all,
the mighty Skandi Achiever arrived. The Norwegian company also signed contracts with India’s
Cochin Shipyard Ltd for two supply vessels. The Aker PSV 09 CD design vessels will deliver in May
and September 2010, with each costing around NOK 245 million. One of the ships will be totally
owned by DOF whilst the other will be owned by Aker DOF Supply (which DOF has a 50% stake in).
8e jaargang, nr. 43
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SMIT orders 11 newly built vessels
Rotterdam, 8 November 2007 Today SMIT and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem signed a contract for 11
newly built vessels.
Division Harbour Towage and Terminals
Two tugs (type ASD 2810) are replacements for the harbour towage fleet in Rotterdam. These tugs
will be equipped with a substantially higher bollard pull (60 tons bp) and are scheduled for delivery in
respectively May and June 2009.
Two vessels (type ASD 3211, 70 tons bp) will be built for SMIT Terminals and will be delivered in
respectively February and May 2009.
An additional four ASD 2810 type tugs (60 tons bp) will be deployed as replacement for and expansion
of this Divisions’ worldwide fleet. These tugs will be delivered respectively end 2008 and early 2009.
Division Transport & Heavy Lift
SMIT also has reached an agreement for the construction of 3 work vessels. These multipurpose
pusher tugs (approximately 28 tons bp) are sister vessels to our existing “B-class” vessels. The first
two of these vessels, which will be deployed for SMIT Transport Europe, will be delivered in
respectively May and September 2009. The last one is expected early 2010.
All fleet renewals and expansions fit into SMIT’s strategy of moving to the top-segment of the market
with long-term contracts, autonomous growth, fleet renewal and optimalisation.
Rimorchiatori Napoli orders four Robert Allan RAstar 2700 tugs
Rimorchiatori Napoli of Naples recently placed an order with Cantieri San Marco of La Spezia, Italy for
four new 28.0m x 13.25m RAstar 2700 ASD Escort tugs. These powerful, compact tugs are the first of
a new class of shiphandling/escort tugs developed by Robert Allan for the unique demands of this
Client. As in many other compact tugs, the major challenge was to put all the Owner's operational
requirements, and in particular a very high spec for indirect towing performance, together with a highstandard of accommodation for six crew into a compact and attractive package which offered good
shiphandling and escort towing capabilities. The new tugs will be used in coastal ports of southern
Italy served by Rimorchiatori Napoli. They are to be built to class RINA (C), Coastal Area Re, Towing,
Aut UMS, Fi-Fi Ship 1 with Water Spray, Salvage, TPF, reflecting multiplicity of duties. Demand for a
very high indirect performance as well as a reasonably high speed in such a short vessel led the
Owner to approve a recommended set of model-scale tests, which were performed at Vienna Model
Basin, under guidance of Offshore Research Ltd. of Vancouver acting on behalf of Robert Allan. Tests
included free-running speeds ahead and astern, Bollard Pull verification, and complete suite of indirect
steering and braking tests. It is a very welcome addition to the lexicon of tug performance data when a
unique new design such as this can be subjected to this scope of behavior verification before
construction is committed. As a "RAstar" Class design, the hull form incorporates the unique
sponsoned shape developed to maximize indirect steering forces as well as to provide maximum seakeeping capability. This hull has now been well-proven in both model and full scale tests on a wide
range of tug sizes to provide far superior performance than a conventional vertical-sided design. New
designs which purport to provide a high degree of offshore performance, but which are simply wider
versions of what has been the previous standard, have simply missed the point. RAstar designs can
demonstrate roll motions and roll accelerations less than one-half of the typical tug design. Propulsion
comprises two Wartsila 6L26 A2 diesels, each rated 2,040 kW at 1,000 rpm, driving a Lips CS250S/WN-K Z-drive with a 2,600 mm diameter controllable pitch propeller through a straight line hollow
steel shafting system. This will deliver a minimum Bollard Pull of 70 tonnes ahead, 67 tonnes astern,
and a free running speed in excess of 13kn, the latter amply demonstrated in the model tests, a
significant achievement for a tug of what can only be described as "chunky" proportions! The RAstar
2700 Class tugs are outfitted for a crew of six persons, in very comfortable, modern and well-equipped
quarters. The Master and Chief Engineer each have private en-suite lavatory facilities. A high standard
of noise abatement treatments are specified throughout, including resilient mounting of main engines.
The main hawser winch is a double drum, hydraulic winch supplied by Romagnoli, with capacity for 2 x
200 meters of high-strength synthetic towline. Aft towing will be provided by a radial-arm tow-hook and
a cruciform towbitt which incorporates a hydraulic capstan. The heavy-duty bow-staple is the first of a
unique new T-RAx design developed by Robert Allan to provide equal indirect line forces in both port
and starboard directions when working from either double or split type winch drums. Electrical power is
provided by a pair of 180kW gensets and a small harbor genset is provided for dockside ops to
minimize noise and emissions. Tugs have a full FiFi 1 rating. The fire pumps are driven from the front
end of the main engines through a Kumera gearbox, which also drives the hydraulic pumps, powering
the winch. Construction has just commenced, with delivery of the first vessel anticipated late 2008.
(Source: Marcon Int.)
Boston Towing & Transportation orders two at Derecktor
Boston Towing has contracted with Robert Allan to design a pair of new 128.3’ x 44.3’ x 19.45’
offshore LNG Terminal Support tugs to provide the services required for The Neptune LNG Deep
Water Port, offshore Massachusetts Bay. The larger of the new vessels, designated as an ASD 39/70
Class tug by Robert Allan, will be the first of its kind built and operated in North America, although
there are numerous other RAL design tugs, including similar RAstar Class tugs currently building
worldwide for major oil and LNG terminals. The second vessel will be a modified RAmparts 3000
Class tug, which will primarily be engaged in harbor duties, but will serve as the back-up vessel for the
larger tug during service periods. The tugs will be suitable for a wide range of duties including harbor
towage, shiphandling, firefighting, coastal towing, salvage and rescue towing operations, however the
primary role will be standing by tankers using the offshore mooring buoy. Both vessels will be built at
Derecktor Shipyards in Bridgeport, CT and classed ABS +A1 Tug, FiFi 1. The ASD 39/70 design
features a full raised foc’stle running nearly half the length of the tug to provide a high standard of
accommodation and best possible sea-keeping for operation in exposed conditions. Tug will be
outfitted to a high standards for a normal crew of up to eight people. The foc’stle level deckhouse
includes a spacious suite for the Master. Main deck accommodations include two single Officer's
cabins (each with spare bunks) with a shared en-suite facility, and two double crew cabins. There is
also a fully-equipped modern galley and a spacious lounge/mess room. Wheelhouse is designed for
maximum visibility with a single control station providing visibility to both fore and aft deck working
areas. Noise level throughout the crew accommodation is predicted to be in the range of 65-70 dBA,
based on utilizing advanced methods of vibration isolating main propulsion machinery, as well as high
grade insulations. Main propulsion for the ASD 39/70 comprises a pair of MTU 16V-4000 diesel
engines, each rated 2,000 kW at 1,800 rpm, driving a Rolls-Royce model US 255 CP azimuthing
propeller. The controllable pitch Z-drives provide enhanced fuel economy, operational flexibility, and
enable efficient operation of the main engine-driven fire fighting system. The Z-drives are bolt-in style,
arranged for removal afloat. This combination is guaranteed to deliver a minimum Bollard Pull of 67
tonnes, and provide a free running speed of not less than 13.5 knots. By current standards the power
is rather small for a tug of this size; however the latter was dictated by the demands to provide a high
standard of comfort and sea-worthiness for the crews who will be on station in fully exposed North
Atlantic sea conditions for up to two weeks at a time. The unique, sponsoned hull form, which this
design has in common with the Robert Allan RAstar Class tugs, provides roll amplitudes and roll
accelerations less than half those of other recognized "standard" tug forms of equal size and
displacement. These special design measures will provide the crew with a much safer work platform,
and much better rest conditions. Electrical plant is comprised of two 99kW gensets. Fire-fighting will be
to a Fi-Fi 1 Class, with pumps driven by the main engines with the CP propellers feathered. Main
hawser winch forward is a single drum, Markey EEPC-52 model, containing 750' 10" circumference
synthetic hawser, with a brake of 264 short tons. Aft tow winch is a Jonrie model 512 with a 2,500'
2.25" SWR for towing. Ship-handling fenders comprise an 800mm cylindrical fender above a row of
450mm "W" block fenders. A 300 x 300 hollow "D" fender provides protection at the main and foc’stle
deck sheer lines, and "W" block type fendering is used again at the stern. The RAmparts 3000 tug will
be similar to many of that tug class already in International service. The main difference between this
tug and its predecessors however will be the inclusion of a JAK-400 type push-pin system for ATB
barge operations. The propulsion plant for the 30 meter tug will be virtually identical to the ASD 39/70,
providing a very powerful, compact, and multi-functional vessel. The first tug is scheduled for delivery
in January 2009. The smaller vessel will follow approx. four months later. Boston Towing &
Transportation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reinauer. (Source: Marcon Int.)
Aker Yards to Build AHTS Vessel for DOF Installer
Aker Yards has signed a contract with DOF Installer ASA for building of a highly sophisticated Anchor
Handling Supply Vessel (AHTS). The value of the contract for the fourth vessel is approximately
$142m. The vessel is a declaration of an option announced on the contract announced in first quarter
of 2007 for building of 2 + 2 AHTS vessels. The vessel is an Anchor Handling Supply Vessel based on
the Aker Yards design AH 04 CD. Delivery is scheduled in first half of 2011. The vessel will have a
bollard pull in excess of 300 tons, and will be outfitted with a triple drum winch of 500 tons.
Accommodation is planned for 90 people. The hull for the vessel will be built at Aker Yards in Romania
and it will be outfitted at Aker Yards in Norway.(Source: Marinelink)
Volstad Supplier named
November 5, 2007 Volstad Shipping’s second ST 216L PSV, Volstad Supplier, had her naming
ceremony on October 20th after delivering from Aker Brattvaag shipyard. Details include DP 2, Clean
Design, over 1,000 m2 deck area, 93.4m LOA, four 1,900kW engines as well as extensive
underdecks. Seabrokers reported that Volstad Supplier has a commitment with MLS/ENI through to
early December 2007. This is the sister vessel to the previously delivered Volstad Viking but Volstad
also has a third vessel (this time equipped with catalytic converters) due for delivery from the same
yard in June 2009.(Source: OSO)
Deep Sea Supply sells and charters back again
Published: 07.11.07 17.26 John Fredriksen-controlled Deep Sea Supply is about to sell two AHTSs to
Ship Finance International and bareboat charter the vessels back for 12 years at USD 41,500 per day
the first two years and USD 27,500 per day for the last four years. The sale and leaseback transaction
involves the two Anchor Handling Tug and Supply Vessels Sea Leopard and Sea Bear which were
built at Kværner Kleven in Norway in 1998 and 1999. The sales price for the AHTS vessels will be
USD 63 million each. Deep Sea Supply has currently a fleet of 15 offshore supply vessels in operation
and a newbuilding program of another 16 vessels at shipyards in Norway, Singapore and India with
expected deliveries in 2007–2009. (Source: Leo Kramer)
Siem Offshore agrees charter with StatoilHydro
Siem Offshore Inc and StatoilHydro have entered into a firm three year contract for the mid-size PSV
Siddis Skipper. The vessel, which is 51 per cent owned by Siem Offshore, will be upgraded to a DP2
vessel and perform standby rescue and general support duties. The value of the contract is
approximately NKr 170 million and the charter will commence in the first quarter of 2008. (Source:
OSO)
Viking Troll heading for West Africa
Seabrokers reports that Eidesvik's VS 473 Viking Troll has been contracted for several months work
by Bumi Armada. The vessel will leave the North Sea around November 15th and sail for Nigerian
waters to work on the aforementioned contract. (Source: OSO)
Greatship orders again
November 9, 2007 LR-Fairplay's Daily Newbuilding News reports that Greatship Global Offshore of
Singapore has signed a contract for two more multipurpose PSVs at Mazagon Docks of Mumbai,
India. The vessels are expected to join the company’s fleet in the second half of FY2010 and will
have diesel electrical propulsion, helidecks and offshore cranes. The Fairplay report said the
vessels are larger and – claims Greatship – technologically more advanced than any PSV currently
operating in Indian waters. (Source: OSO)
Bharati wins PSVs from German firm
November 9, 2007 LR-Fairplay's Daily Newbuilding News reports that German owner Opielok
Bereederungs has ordered two PSVs from Bharati Shipyard in India. The total cost of the deal
is US$53 million. The vessels will be designed for use in the North Sea, and will They will join
Opielok’s fleet of boxships, bulkers, and ice-class multi-purpose vessels. (Source: OSO)
8e jaargang, nr. 44
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SMIT obtains terminal contract in Kuwait
Rotterdam, 13 November 2007 SMIT has been awarded a 4 year contract, with option to extend, by
the Kuwait Oil Company (KSC) to provide assistance to tankers calling at their oil terminals in
Kuwait.Whilst this is the first terminal assistance contract in Kuwait for SMIT, SMIT has a long track
record of service provision in this area, especially in its Salvage Division. SMIT will support the various
tankers calling at KSC’s shore terminals and a number of Single Point Moorings (SPM’s) offshore. A
total of 10 vessels will be deployed of which 3 smaller tugs of 35-45 tbp, 2 larger tugs of 70 tbp, 3 pilot
boats, 1 mooring vessel and 1 crane-equipped self propelled work barge. The majority of these
vessels will be new buildings. The contract will commence as per July 2008. (Source: SMIT)
Double-O7 completed her trials
The, on the Ge-Ta yard number 007 build, SMIT Africa completed her trails this weekend. The
Cintranaval Defcar designed vessel, build as Bogazici 2 by Bogazici Shipping, is the sistership of the
SMIT Europe. The vessel will be delivered to her owners this week. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
Blessey continues buildup of towboat and barge fleet: Capt. Lance Dragon
Blessey Marine Services, Harahan, La., is working toward building a fleet of 50 towboats and 100 tank
barges by the end of 2007.One of four new towboats added to the fleet this year is the 1,700-hp Capt.
Lance Dragon, delivered from the Verret Shipyard, Plaquemine, La., in early spring. It is the 47th
towboat in the Blessey fleet, which ranges in power from 700 to 4,900 hp. Capt. Lance Dragon, 75 feet
in length and powered by a pair of Cummins KTA 38M2 diesels with Reintjes 6:1 reduction gears, is
one of many new towboats built for Blessey in recent years by the Verret shipyard.In addition to its
new towboats, Blessey also takes possession of a steady stream of new double-hull tank barges, most
built by Jeffboat in Jeffersonville, Ind. Typical barges are 300 feet long with heated cargo systems and
the latest in vapour recovery and tank-gauging systems. Blessey expects to be operating 100 tank
barges by the end of 2007.The Company, founded by New Orleans businessman Walter Blessey in
1978, focuses on transportation of heated black oil products on the Mississippi and other inland
waterways. Blessey barges also regularly move clean oil products, petrochemicals and alcohols. As of
April, Capt. Lance Dragon was handling a pair of chemical barges. This particular towboat is named
after Lance Dragon, a 12-year towboat operator with the company, who is presently captain of the
towboat Beau Blessey, having joined the company as a pilot. At its christening ceremony the vessel’s
builders were eager to show off the eye-catching polished aluminium pilothouse consol that was
designed and built by one of the shipyard’s skilled metal workers. The tug’s deckhouses also have
stainless steel doors that were requested for ease of maintenance. Capt. Lance is equipped with the
Sim-Motion wheelhouse alert system, designed to detect inactivity by the captain or watchstander. “It’s
a proven fact that this system is actually working,” said Mark Dufriend, Blessey’s engineering
manager. “We know that because when the alarm goes off, everyone in the boat is immediately aware
of it.” The Sim-Motion system, when activated, senses inactivity or lack of motion in the wheelhouse. If
no motion is detected for a pre-determined amount of time — say, 30 seconds or one or two minutes
— the device will beep or buzz and require the watchstander to reset it to avoid activating an alarm. If
no motion is detected in a longer period of time, the devise will set off the boat’s general alarm system,
alerting everyone on board. “We’ve installed these on about 75 percent of our fleet lately, and from
what I hear, it’s working well,” said Dufriend. The Blessey engineer also noted that Capt. Lance is the
first newly built vessel to be equipped with Simplex shaft seals for its propeller shafts, replacing the
older-style bronze tubes with adjustable stuffing boxes. The Simplex system does not need to be
packed and does not leak, he said. Blessey also uses Thorndon stern tubes for its propeller shafts.
(Source: Professional Mariner)
SFI to acquire OSVs from Deep Sea Supply
November 13, 2007 Ship Finance International Limited (SFI) has announced that it has agreed to
acquire two additional offshore supply vessels from Deep Sea Supply, based on a total delivered price
of US$126.0 million. The sale and leaseback transaction involves two 15,000bhp anchor handling
tug/supply vessels (AHTS), Sea Leopard and Sea Bear, built in Norway in 1998 and 1999,
respectively. Deep Sea is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, with a market capitalization of
approximately US$600 million. The current fleet includes 15 offshore supply vessels, in addition to an
orderbook of 16 vessels to be delivered from 2007 to 2009. Deep Sea will provide a non-interest
bearing seller's credit of US$22.0 million, giving a net investment by Ship Finance of US$104.0 million.
This is planned financed with a senior loan facility of approximately US$77.0 million and an equity
contribution of approximately US$27.0 million. The equity portion will be funded from the company's
existing cash reserves. Expected delivery will be in November/December 2007. The charter contracts
are on bareboat basis and Deep Sea will therefore be responsible for all operating and maintenance
costs during the charter period. The seller's credit from Deep Sea will be fully amortized over the
charter period through a non-cash additional charter rate. This is the second transaction the Company
has entered into with Deep Sea in 2007. The first transaction, involving two AHTS and three PSVs,
was successfully concluded in September/October. As part of the new agreement, the company has
agreed that one of the vessels in the first transaction may potentially be re-purchased by Deep Sea
prior to the first agreed purchase option date. After the completion of the transaction, the company's
operating fleet will consist of 61 vessels, essentially all on medium to long term charters. In addition,
Ship Finance has 12 vessels on order. (Source: OSO)
Noordhoek orders new DSV/construction support vessel
Noordhoek Offshore in Zierikzee in The Netherlands has announced that it has ordered for a newbuild
diving/offshore construction support vessel for its Northwest European operations. Delivery of the new
vessel is scheduled for the second half of 2009. The new, state-of-the-art vessel is specifically
designed for diving operations in the harsh North Sea environment. The new vessel will have a length
overall of 76m, 18m beam, 100 tonne main crane and accommodation for 70. The vessel will have
Class 2 Dynamic Positioning and be in compliance with the most demanding maritime and
environmental regulations worldwide. The 12-man, single bell, saturation diving system will utilise the
latest technology. The vessel will be designed primarily for Saturation, Air and TUP (Transfer Under
Pressure) diving operations at depths of up to 200m. However, with a clear deck of 685m2, the 100
tonne main crane and a dual Light Work and Observation class ROV spread, the newbuild will clearly
be a multi role vessel, suitable for worldwide deployment. In a statement, the company said the design
will reflect Noordhoek’s 47 years experience of successful diving operations in the North Sea. Leen
Noordhoek, Noordhoek’s Managing Director, said: "We are delighted with the new addition of this
diving support vessel. It continues our fleet rejuvenation programme and adds an industry leading
asset to our operations in the North Sea." "The availability of this new vessel will enable us to fulfill one
of our strategic objectives, having the ability to win challenging projects and enable us to undertake
subsea construction and inspection, repair and maintenance work from a vessel which will differentiate
Noordhoek from its competitors in terms of safety, efficiency and productivity." "With the current
market situation we are in an unique position of now being able to offer the exceptional capabilities of
this vessel to our clients. The investment in a new vessel also demonstrates our vast commitment to
the subsea industry," said Mr Noordhoek. (Source: OSO)
RUE/Simon Møkster Shipping order second vessel
Norwegian naval architects Multi-Maritime have announced that Riise Underwater Engineering (RUE)
and Simon Møkster Shipping have ordered a second Multi Maritime-designed multi-purpose offshore
vessel. The vessel will be built at Westcon in Ølen, Norway (the yard's newbuilding number 33). The
new design, designated MM 73 MSV, is 7.2m longer than the MM 66 MSV design which Multi Maritime
developed in close cooperation with RUE. Said Multi-Maritime: "The main focus in the design process
has been to create cost effective and highly versatile DP 2 vessel. The main areas of operation will be
air/nitrox diving, ROV operations and module handling." The main features of the new MM73 MSV
include an active heave compensated 60 tonne knuckleboom crane, optimally positioned in the
midships area with a range over the port and starboard sides and stern of the vessel; and a Module
Handling System (MHS) capable of handling subsea modules up to 30 tonnes over the port side, via a
horizontal and vertical cursor arrangment with ship-integrated overboarding cursor rail system. The
vessel is designed to operate two work ROVs, in addition to one observation ROV, simultaneously,
from the side hatches in the hangar. The design also includes an aft slipway for SPM hose
maintenance and cable laying. The design will be a DP 2 vessel, with accomodation for 70, and
two large cargo holds below deck. (Source: OSO)
Seacor Marine takes delivery of first Flex Class AHTS
November 15, 2007 Seacor Marine, the wholly owned subsidiary of Seacor Holdings, has
taken delivery of its newest vessel, John Coghill. Built by Bender Shipbuilding and Repair in Mobile,
Alabama, the 265ft John Coghill features an environmentally friendly diesel electric power plant. The
DP 2 AHTS has 10,750hp four Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines, and what the comapny called "state-ofthe art Furuno electronic systems, diesel electric drives, generators, switchboards and automation
packages by Converteam," plus "generous crew ccommodation." The vessel was named in honour
of John Coghill, a retired Seacor Marine employee and long-time consultant who has overseen the
construction of the vessel. Seacor Marine's AHTS vessels are built to deploy and recover mooring
systems for deepwater drilling rigs in water depths ranging from 300-8,000ft and range in horsepower
from 8,000-15,000bhp. (Source: OSO)
PT Steadfast to build two Damen 1605 Fast Crew Suppliers
November 15, 2007 In October, PT Steadfast and Damen Shipyards Gorinchem signed a contract for
the delivery of complete material packages for two Damen 1605 Fast Crew Suppliers. The vessels are
the first aluminium vessels to be built by the shipyard, which is located in western Kalimantan,
Malaysia. "The vessels are of proven design and there is a lot of confidence that PT Steadfast will
successfully construct these vessels, assisted by Damen supervisors," said Damen in a statement.
The vessels are well equipped and designed for fast and comfortable transport of personnel and can
also be used as patrol boats near the offshore production locations. The delivery of the first materials
is scheduled for January 2008. (Source: OSO)
Rigdon receives Triple Play PSV
11/16/2007 HOUSTON -- Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana, has delivered the Triple Play to
Rigdon Marine. It is the third in a 10-vessel series of PSVs. The vessel immediately was deployed on
a term contract in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a diesel-electric, DP-2 PSV with a capacity of 4,000 bbl of
liquid mud in an oval, self-cleaning, segregated tank system. The PSV also includes three Z-Drives
and two forward tunnel thrusters. The Triple Play joins the Double Eagle and the First and Ten in
the Rigdon fleet. The remaining 7 Rigdon 4000 Class PSVs are scheduled to be delivered in 40-day
intervals during 2007 and through 3Q 2008. (Source: Leo Kramer)
8e jaargang, nr. 45
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Smit Africa delivered
On Wednesday 21st November 2007 the SMIT Africa (9396232) was delivered, by Bogazici Shipping,
to her owners Smit Internationale Sleepbootmaatschappij – SMIT Salvor BV. The Cintranaval Defcar
designed vessel was built as Bogazici 2 on the Ge-Ta shipyard in Tuzla under yard number 007. The
SMIT Africa is the sistership, of the in august this year from the same yard delivered, SMIT Europe.
Direct after her delivery the SMIT Africa, under management of SMIT Singapore, was contracted for
the salvage of the MOL Discovery which is grounded in the Red Sea at Ras Shukeir. On the same
Tuzla yard and with the same design, are under construction yard number 008 & 009. Those two new
built vessels will be delivered in June and July 2008 for the Adriatic LNG terminal. For this terminal
contract are under construction in Italy another two Cintranaval Defcar design tugs. Those two tugs
will be built under supervision of Panfido the JV partner of SMIT for a 25 years terminal contract. Both
Italian tugs will be delivered in August and September 2008 respectively. (Source: Hans van der Ster)
Smit Bioko delivered
The first ASD 3211 tug “SMIT Bioko” was delivered on November 16th from the Damen Gdanz yard
in Polen to Smit Internationale. After a short stop in Rotterdam for stores and supplies the vessel
departed to Equatorial Guinea were the tug will be operated by de division SMIT Terminals. The
sistership “SMIT Rio Mundi”, under construction on the same yard will, after here delivery, operate in
Equatorial Guinea also. (Source: Smit)
Signet America Launched
On October 29, 2007, the first of class Signet America, a
new AZ-30/80 Class tug, was launched at J. M. Martinac
Shipbuilders in Tacoma,Wash. The new tug is scheduled
to be delivered to its owners, Signet Maritime Corporation
of Houston in 2008. Signet America is the first of this new
class of ship-handling/escort tug, and was developed by
Robert Allan Ltd., Naval Architects of Vancouver, B.C., to
suit the unique operational requirements of this owner and
the physical restrictions (primarily a limiting draft of 17 ft., 6
in.) for operations in the La Quinta channel in the port of
Corpus Christi in which it will operate. The role of this tug will involve not only conventional shiphandling and escort work, but a lot of rig-handling and some short-haul coastal towing. After much
deliberation and examination of other existing well-proven Robert Allan Ltd. designs for these roles,
the Owners determined that a purpose-built, new design The tug was built to ABS Class notation A1
Towing Vessel, AMS, Escort, Fi-Fi 1 Propulsion comprises a pair of MTU 16V-4000 diesel engines,
each rated 3305 BHP (2,465 kW) at 2,000 rpm, and each driving a Niigata model ZP-41 Z-drive with a
2,700 mm diameter propeller through a hollow, in-line shafting system. This combination is predicted
to deliver a Bollard Pull of 80 tons ahead, 75+ tons astern, and provide a free running speed in excess
of 12 knots. Signet America is outfitted for a crew of up to six people. The crew is accommodated in
two double cabins in the lower deck space forward. A spacious, open-plan lounge and mess area
dominates the main deck, served by a fully-equipped galley. An open breezeway and access corridor
across the deckhouse enables all the interior accesses to be placed in a very sheltered location close
to the centerline of the tug, minimizing the potential for any ingress of water below decks, as well as
providing a full acoustic break between the noise source of the exhaust casings and the crew quarters
and wheelhouse. A deck-accessible toilet is also accessed off the breezeway for crew comfort. The
main hawser winch is a single drum, Model DEPCF-52S electric winch supplied by Markey Machinery.
The winch has a line capacity of 750 ft. of 10 in circumference (80 mm dia.) synthetic line, a brake
capacity of 307 tons (1st layer), and a line pull of 30,818 lbs (13,976 Kg) at a speed of 73 fpm (22.2
meters/minute) or 7,705 lbs (3,494 Kg) at 145 fpm (44.2 metres/minute) - 1st layer. Electrical power is
provided by a pair of Northern Lights gen-sets, each rated 99 kW. The tug has a full Fi-Fi 1 rating in
accordance with Class notation requirements. The two Stang/Counterfire 6,200 gpm fire pumps are
each driven VIA a PTO off the front of the main engines. Fendering of the Signet America was
provided by Schuyler Rubber, and comprises a Shibata 800 mm OD cylindrical bow fender, above an
array of Schuyler "soft-loop" fenders which extend around the full length of the main deck. (Source:
Marinelink)
Barge Towed
Island Tug and Barge Co. of Seattle, WA has completed the light tow of the 282' x 78' x 17.5' ocean
deck barge "KR-1" (ex- JI-281) from Seattle, WA to Astoria, OR with their single screw tug "Island
Champion" (ex- Mogul) for Knife River Corporation of Portland, OR. The tug was built in 1965 at
Albina Engine & Machinery of Portland, OR and produces about 35 ton BP. She is powered by a
single CAT 3606 diesel engine (repowered in 1997) and she produces about 2,800 BHP at 1,000 RPM
through Reintjes (5.074:1) gears, throwing a single 119" x 110" 5 - blade, stainless steel propeller. She
accomplished the tow of the 7,142 dwt barge at the end of 2,200' x 2" wire spooled from her Markey
(TYS-32) tow winch. The 1978 built, ABS+A-1 loadlined barge was brokered, by Marcon, to Knife
River Corp. from Victory Towing Inc. of Seattle in September of this year. (Source: Marcon)
Lease purchage for ex. “LT-789”
Hannah Marine Corp. of Lemont, IL contracted for the lease-purchase of the U.S. flag, twin screw tug
"Pacific Victory" (ex-Petro Challenger, ex-Marine Challenger, ex-Polar Challenger, ex-LT 789) from
Victory Towing, Inc. of Seattle, WA. The tug was originally built as the U.S. Army "LT 789" in 1945 by
Marietta Manufacturing as Hull 525 at their Point Pleasant shipyard on the Ohio River. She was one of
40-50 similar LTs built by Marietta during World War II. Once retired from service, she was converted
in 1975-76 from her single screw configuration by Marine Power & Equipment of Seattle, Washington
She now has triple rudders, twin fixed pitch open propellers of 115" x 90" and carries abt. 180,000
gallons of fuel. When converted she was re-powered EMD 16-645E2's for total of 3900BHP, replacing
the original Fairbanks Morse 10-38TD-1/8, and fitted with Lufkin 4.39:1 reduction gears. She has a
single drum towing winch and her overall dimensions are 151.5' x 33' x 18.8' depth. She has been idle
and in lay-up for some 3 or 4 years in the US Gulf. The new Owner intends to undertake an extensive
overhaul of the tug including both steelwork and machinery and renewal of her ABS Loadline. Hannah
Marine intends to place her into dedicated service in the US Gulf towing an 8,000 DWT ocean barge.
Hannah currently owns two similar ex-Marietta built LT tugs "Mary E. Hannah" and "James A.
Hannah". (Source: Marcon)
Ex “ATR-128” sold to Overseas buyers.
Alaska Oregon Offshore Marine sold their 3,600BHP, 140' tug "Marine Commander" to overseas
buyers. Tug was renamed "Saje Commander" is towing a 20,000dwt ocean tank barge purchased
through Marcon earlier this year from New York to West Africa. "Marine Commander", along with a
sister-tug, were originally built in 1944 for the U.S. government as the U.S. Navy rescue tug "ATR128" with 1,500HP diesel electric drive and in 1948 was re-designated as ATA-201 "Challenger" until
laid up in the Marad Reserve Fleet in 1961. Marine Power & Equipment of Seattle purchased the tug,
renamed her "Marine Commander" and completely rebuilt both her and her sister-tug between 1978
and 1982. As vessels were originally very strongly built with 1/2" and 5/8" hull plating they were good
candidates for the rebuild. The propulsion systems were totally replaced with modern 16 cylinder,
4,000BHP engines and gears with specially designed Coolidge 120" x 94" props. An emergency drive
"take-them-home" system was also fitted to operate even with the main engine shut down. The system
is driven off the ship's hydraulic system via chain and sprockets on the shaft, powered by separate
250HP auxiliary engines. All plumbing/piping was updated, electrical equipment replaced including a
new power distribution panel and towing machinery rebuilt and added to. The superstructure on the 01
deck (officer quarters & pilothouse) was replaced with a prefabricated aluminum house with a separate
cabin for each crew member. After passing through several hands, the tug was repowered again in
2006 with a remanufactured EMD 20-645E7 providing 3,600BHP at 900RPM, rebuilt gearbox and bow
thruster, after which she completed three heavy ship tows which were 5,000 miles each from start to
finish. This was the fifth tug Marcon sold to Buyers and fourth tug sold either to or from Sellers.
Marcon was the sole broker. (Source: Marcon)
Pete is sold to K-Sea
K-Sea Transportation of New York purchased the 6,500BHP twin screw tug "Pete" (ex- "Mister Pete")
from McAllister Towing and Transportation Co., also of New York. New owners will reportedly utilize
the tug on the U.S. West Coast through their Seattle based-company, Sea Coast Towing, Inc. The
149' x 40' x 22.2', raised foc'stle bow tug was originally built in 1976 by Halter Marine of Moss Point,
MS in 1976 for Jackson Marine Corp. Tug is powered by a pair of Alco 16-251F diesels with Lufkin
5.95:1 gears and 144" x 105" 4-blade stainless steel props providing a bollard pull of abt. 77 tons and
free running speed of about 15kn maximum. Tow winch is an Intercon double drum side-by-side winch
with 330,000lbs. line pull and capacity for 4,000' of 2.25" wire on each drum. "Pete" is to be renamed
"Barents Sea" although we were suggesting "Chukchi Sea" after sailing up there during the mid-70's.
"Pete" is being replaced in Portland, Maine by the 3,900BHP "Iona McAlister" - the only McAllister
tug with one "L", but that's another story. (Source: Marcon)
Dominican New Building in Turkey
Two Dominican Republic based tug and barge operators ordered one newbuild "Ulupinar" series
sister-tug each from Turkish shipyard and tug owners, Sanmar Denizcilik Ltd. of Istanbul. The first of
the two tugs will be delivered from the shipyard in November 2007 and the second in January 2009.
The ASD type tugs were designed by Robert Allan, Ltd. and classed RINA C + Hull & Machinery,
Unrestricted Navigation. Principal dimensions are 90' length overall by 30' beam x 13.25' depth with an
operating draft of 14.5'. Power is provided by two CAT 3515BTAs developing a total of 3,300BHP to
Rolls Royce US 155 propulsion units with fixed pitch props in high efficiency nozzles. One each Rolls
Royce hydraulic tow winch with 23 tons line pull at 8m/min is mounted fore and aft in addition to 8"
hydraulic tow pins and tow hook aft. The forward winch spools 120m Amstel Blue rope and the aft
winch 650m 40mm wire. Firefighting is provided by a 650m3/h fire pump and Skum fire monitor. The
tugs have a speed of abt. 12.5kn free running and expected bollard pull of 40mt. (Source: Marcon)
New Building “Tiger Class” delivered
Marcon International, Inc. is pleased to announce the newbuilding delivery of a 1,200BHP inland river
push boat. The vessel was built in 2007 at Serodino Shipyard, Inc. in Chattanooga, TN, and she was
sold on completion to private interests in the U.S. Gulf region. The design is known as the "Tiger
Class", and is 52' x 22.5' x 7.5' depth of hull, and she is a typical inland river 3 deck boat design with
twin Cummins KTA19M's providing a total of 1200BHP @ 1800 rpm. The vessel has a height of eye of
roughly 24', and is fitted with quarters for 4 crew on the second deck and a small galley with head and
shower on the main deck. Her plate thicknesses are 3/8" plate hull with 1/2" plate over wheels & bilge
knuckles. Twin Disc MG-5202DC 4.06:1 reduction gears drive twin fixed pitch 52" x 40" 4-blade Nibral
propellers. The vessel has two steering rudders and four flanking rudders. She is fitted with push
knees forward and electric barge winches. Two 40kW / Cummins 4B3.9 diesel driven generator sets
provide auxiliary power and light. The vessel has capacities for 6,000g fuel, 1,500g fresh water and
about 165g lube oil. (Source: Marcon)
C H Offshore sells Tropic Orion
The Board of Directors of CH Offshore Ltd has announced that its subsidiary Pembrooke Marine Pte
Ltd has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with a third party pursuant to which the buyer will
purchase from Pembrooke, for an aggregate consideration of US$2.9 million, Tropic Orion, a 1982built, 4,800bhp AHTS. The aggregate consideration of US$2.9 million was arrived at on a willing seller
and willing buyer basis after taking into account future prospects, cash flow and potential earnings of
the vessel. (Source: OSO)
“Sun” sold
As exclusive brokers, Marcon International has sold the 270' x 55' x 23' multi-purpose DSV "Sun
Carrier" (ex-Midnight Carrier, Cable Carrier, Cable Protector, Star Arcturus) from Offshore Energy
Holding LLC to private U.S. Gulf Coast interests. The Lloyds +100A1 classed, Vanuatu flagged vessel
was built in 1976 by Smith's Dock; Middlesborough, U.K originally as an offshore pipe carrier for Star
Offshore Services Marine Ltd. of Aberdeen. The 4,620BHP vessel is powered by a pair of British Polar
V12 SF112VS-F turbocharged diesels turning controllable pitch 4-blade stainless steel props, two
580HP United GillJet bow thrusters and twin balanced, free-hanging Becker rudders. In 1986 the
vessel was renamed "Cable Protector" and the next year converted into a Cable Layer by Global
Marine Systems, Ltd.. In 1992 she was further sold to Tuayau Shipping NV (Workships Contractors
BV) of Willenstad, Netherlands Antilles and renamed "Cable Carrier". Torch, Inc. of Gretna, Louisiana
purchased her while on charter to Western Geophysical in the North Sea in 1998. She remained on
that contract until March 1999. Torch's initial intentions were to upgrade the vessel, now named
"Midnight Carrier" to a pipelay/subsea construction vessel for deepwater operations in the Gulf of
Mexico. Torch converted her in 2000 at Bollinger Shipyard to a Dive Support Vessel by adding a large
four-point mooring system with four Clyde AD-250 waterfall winches, additional quarters to
accommodate 36 additional workers and an American 5299 crawler crane. In January 2005, Torch
filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and entered into an agreement
with Cal Dive / Helix, serving as a "stalking horse" bidder for Torch's fleet, including the "Midnight
Carrier". Pursuant to an agreed final judgment with the Department of Justice permitting Helix to
complete the Acergy acquisition in November 2005, Helix agreed to divest themselves of the
"Midnight Carrier", "Seaway Defender" and a portable saturation diving system. "Midnight Carrier"
was sold to Offshore Energy Holding LLC in 2007 and renamed "Sun Carrier". At the time of the sale
the "Sun Carrier" had been laid up in Louisiana with certificates lapsed for several years. Marcon
acted as sole broker in the sale and has represented the Buyers in over a dozen sales and purchases
over the last 20 years.
“Lady Claudine”sold to Italy
Haugland Shipping of Haugesund, Norway have sold the 1966 built Supply type vessel, "Urter" to
private Italian interests for an undisclosed amount. Built by Brooke Marine of Lowestoft, and originally
named the "Lady Claudine", this transaction represents just one of the many incarnations, including a
Safety Standby unit, this vessel has gone through since delivery. Most recently the vessel was known
as the "Torungen" ('94) and the "Putford Warbler" ('90). 160' by 35' and powered twin Lister ESS8
units producing 1700BHP, the unit has a 75' x 32' deck and capable of carrying 635t Deadweight. J I
Stie represented the seller in the transaction, whilst Marcon represented buyers. (Source: Marcon)
“Crowley Alliance”sold to Netherlands Antilles
Marcon International, Inc. is pleased to report the sale of the 12,240 BHP, 1,475 dwt. AHTS, "Crowley
Alliance" (ex-Maersk Tackler, Seaforth Atlantic, Federal Atlantic, Tawaki) to Netherlands /Antilles
Buyers. The vessel had most recently been working in the Sakhalin Islands in support of the rapidly
developing offshore oil industry. "Crowley Alliance" has in her life supported the oil and gas industry
in most areas of the world, from the North Sea to West Africa and from Brazil to the Far East. The
vessel was delivered to new Owners in Vietnam. The 68.5m x 14.5m x 6.9m depth, anchor handling
tug supply vessel was built in 1983 by Hyundai Heavy Industries of Ulsan, South Korea for Seaforth
Maritime Ltd. and was later owned and operated at various times by Fednav Offshore Inc. and Star
Offshore Services Ltd. before being purchased by Maersk in 1990 along with three "T-Class" sistervessels. She is heavily ice strengthened and classed Lloyds +100A1, +LMC UMS "Offshore
Tug/Supply Vessel" Ice Class 1A Super and Canadian Arctic Class II. The vessel's ice class means
that she has been able to work, where many other vessels could not. The vessel has a continuous
bollard pull of abt. 113 tonnes, provided by four Bergen / Normo KMBV-12 diesels of 3,060BHP each
and two Ulstein controllable pitch propellers in kort nozzles. Vessel is also fitted with two 800BHP
tunnel bow thrusters, one 800BHP stern thruster and an Ulstein joystick. Anchor handling tasks are
carried out by the use of a Brattvaag triple drum waterfall winch with a maximum pull of 260 tonnes
and static brake of 400 tonnes. Deck gear also includes a pennant wire reel, Triplex 300 tonne SWL
Shark jaws, Triplex towing pins, a 2.5m x 3.66mm stern roller and various hydraulic capstans and
tuggers. Two rig chain lockers total 204m3 and can hold abt. 7,000' of 3" chain. The vessel is also well
equipped with stoppers, shackles, chaser, grapnel, etc. for towing and anchor handling operations and
is approved by Noble Denton and Associates for any such operations. The 36.0m x 11.0m clear deck
aft can carry abt. 410mt deck cargo plus the vessel can provide significant tank capacities below deck
for both liquid cargoes and dry bulk. Accommodations are provided for a total of 21 persons including
crew in 15 cabins. This is the second time, in 18 months, that Marcon has been involved with the sale
of this vessel. Marcon International, Inc. represented Sellers in this transaction, while Offshore
Shipbrokers, Ltd. of Aberdeen, Scotland represented Buyers.
Oceqan Service sold to Nomis
Oceaneering International, Inc. of Houston, Texas sold their dynamically positioned Dive Support
Vessel "Ocean Service" (ex- Big Orange XVII) to Nomis Offshore Ltd. of Aberdeen, Scotland. The
Vanuatu flagged, 200' x 40' x 18' vessel was built to ABS +A1 Class in 1981 by Teraoka of Nandan,
Japan. She served the Seller as a multi-purpose ROV support vessel for many years in the U.S. Gulf.
A pair of CAT 3612's diesels drive 2,600kW generators supplying power to a pair of Electroquip
3,700BHP propulsion motors. With her 450HP bow thruster and independently operated Becker type
rudders she has proven to be very maneuverable with excellent station-keeping capabilities. Her new
Owner will immediately mobilize her out of the U.S. Gulf to Southeast Asia where she will undergo
refurbishment for her new role. Marcon International, Inc. represented the Sellers as exclusive broker
and Offshore Shipbrokers, Ltd. represented the Buyers. (Source: Marcon)
“Fratelli Neri” sold to the Mid-East
Marcon International Inc. is pleased to announce the sale of the 6,600BHP AHTS vessel "Fratelli
Neri" (ex-Asso Cinque, Augustea Cinque, Off Barcelona) from European owners to Mid-East buyers.
She was built in 1977 by Maritima de Axpe S.A. of Bilbao, Spain. Dimensions are 197.6' length overall
by 42.64' beam with a loaded draft of 15.91'. She is currently classed with RINA. Vessel is powered by
a pair of MAK 9M453AK 9 cylinder main engines producing 6,600BHP total at 550RPM. Propulsion is
provided by Lips variable pitch props in fixed kort nozzles providing about 87 tons bollard pull ahead.
She is fitted with a Norwinch double drum waterfall towing winch. Vessel had been working coastal
anti-pollution control since 1999, but will now return to service in the oilfield. Marcon acted as sole
broker in the transaction and handled previous deals for both buyer and seller. (Source: Marcon)
8e jaargang, nr. 46
dd. 02 December 2007
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Capitaine Rouis Thomas delivered
The Capitaine Rouis Thomas is delivered to her owners, the Thomas group, on the 24th October
2007. The under yard number 645, built tugboat, is a sister of the Capitaine Albert Ruault and is 286
brt. The two Mitsubishu engines, with a total of 3478 apk and two aquamaster propellers gives the
vessel a bollard pull of 43 tons. The vessel has a lenght over all of 24.99 mtrs with 9.50 mtrs weidth.
The Capitaine Rouis Thomas replaced the Capitaine Louis Thomas on the Gironde who has replaced
the sunken RM Margaux. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Yathreb 10 sold
The harbour authorities of the Swedish Halmstad has bought from Red Sea Marine Services the
Yathreb 10 (ex Jaya Pelican) and renamed Agir. She is the second tug under this name The Agir has
two schottel propellers with a bollard pull of 43 tons, 3300 apk Caterpillars and 375 brt. She was built
by Guandong at Guangzhou under yard number 2105. She has a length of 32 mtrs, breath 10.40 mtrs
and draft 3.80 mtrs. (Source: Lawrence Amboldt)
Korean Yard to build AHTS quartet
LR-Fairplay's Daily Newbuilding News reports that Sekwang Heavy Industries is about to sign a
contract to supply four anchor handlers to a German shipowner. A broker told Fairplay that if
confirmed, they will be delivered by September 2010. (Source: OSO)
Triple Play delivered and under contract
Billy Guice, Vice President of Marketing and Sales of Rigdon Marine Corporation, has announced that
Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana recently delivered Triple Play, third in a 10-vessel series of
PSVs. The Rigdon 4000 Class PSV was immediately deployed on a term contract with a major oil
company in the Gulf of Mexico. “Our Rigdon 4000 Class PSVs are very well received,” said Guice.
“These modern vessels are proving very versatile, exhibiting excellent sea-keeping characteristics and
are delivering significant fuel savings to their charterers, thanks in large part to the diesel-electric
propulsion philosophy. Bollinger Shipyards is to be commended for its high-quality standards and
skilled workmanship.” Triple Play is a 190ft x 46ft x 18ft, diesel-electric, DP 2 PSV, which has a
capacity of 4,000 barrels of liquid mud in an oval, self-cleaning, segregated tank system. The
PSV also has three Z-Drives and two large forward tunnel thrusters. Rigdon 4000 Class PSVs are
capable of serving a wide array of marine applications in all water depths. Triple Play joins Double
Eagle and First and Ten in the Rigdon fleet. The remaining seven Rigdon 4000 Class PSVs will each
be delivered at approximately 40 day intervals during 2007 and through the third quarter of 2008
(Source: OSO)
Simek to build Havyard design for Simon Møkster Shipping
Simon Møkster Shipping has signed a contract with Simek shipyard in Norway for construction of
a Havyard 832 CD RS rescue and standby vessel. The Havyard design will be delivered in October
2009. In addition to the functions of a PSV, the vessel is designed for rescue, safety standby and oil
pollution operations. The Havyard 832 CD RS is based on the Havyard 832 CD and was developed in
close co-operation between Simon Møkster Shipping and Havyard Maritime. Said Havyard Group:
"The Havyard 832 CD is a medium size PSV fulfilling the new requirements from the market. The
Havyard 832 has bigger capacities, better fuel economy and is more environmentally friendly than
existing medium size PSVs." The Havyard 832 CD RS will be 78.60m in length with a breadth of
17.60m, deadweight of 4,000 tonnes, and cargo deck of 755m2. (Source: OSO)
Sale of Anchor Handling Vessel Maersk Bonavista
The Maersk Company Canada LTD. have 26 November 2007 at 19:15 hours local time in Singapore
delivered AHTS “Maersk Bonavista” to new owners Drive Bonavista AS (Rolv Berg Drive). The
vessel will be renamed “Drive Bonavista”. (Bron: Maersk Supply)
DSV Toisa Paladin gedoopt
Op de Kleven werf in Ulsteinvik, Noorwegen, is vorige week het diving support vessel Toisa Paladin
gedoopt door mevrouw Karin Pieters, echtgenote van directeur Kieran Pieters van duikbedrijf
Bluestream NL uit Den Helder. Opdrachtgever voor de bouw is Toisa Limited, terwijl het operationele
management in handen is van Sealion Shipping. Het vaartuig is voor een periode van vijf jaar aan het
Nederlandse duikbedrijf vercharterd. De Toisa Paladin is een diving support vessel van het type MT
6016L en zal in het eerste kwartaal van 2008 door de Kleven werf worden opgeleverd. Het vaartuig is
uitgerust met een 18-persoons saturatieduiksysteem waarmee duikwerk kan worden verricht tot een
maximale waterdiepte van 300 meter. Verder is het voorzien van een DP 2 systeem en een
deininggecompenseerde 140-tons kraan. Aan boord is accommodatie voor 100 personen. De
voortstuwing is dieselelektrisch. Bluestream-directeur Kieran Pieters zegt over de nieuwe aanwinst
voor zijn duikbedrijf: “Met dit geavanceerde diving support vessel kunnen wij onze activiteiten
aanzienlijk uitbreiden en nog beter inspelen op de wensen van onze klanten.” In mei van dit jaar heeft
Bluestream NL ook al een vijfjarig chartercontract met de Amerikaanse rederij Trico gesloten voor de
DSV Northern River. Met dit diving support vaartuig zijn ondertussen voor de kust van Newfoundland
voor ExxonMobil bijna drie maanden lang inspectie-, reparatie- en onderhoudswerkzaamheden
verricht. Bluestream NL bv maakt deel uit van The Bluestream Group, met vestigingen in Den Helder
en in het Verenigd Koninkrijk, en is wereldwijd actief. Naast ervaren duikers beschikt Bluestream NL
over een vloot van onderwaterrobots (ROV’s). De kantoororganisatie bestaat uit ongeveer 50 mensen.
Gedurende de zomerperiode voeren ruim 125 duikers voor het bedrijf offshore installatie-, constructie-,
inspectie- en onderhoudswerk uit. (Source: Paul Schaap - PAS Publicaties)
AHTS SETIA MEGA sinks
An anchor-handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) sank off Malaysia during bad weather and rough seas,
offshore vessel owner Alam Maritim Resources said. The 14 crew of Alam Maritim Resources’ 496-gt
Setia Mega (built 2005) were rescued from the waters 100 kilometres off Kuala Terengganu on the
Malaysian peninsula, according to a stock exchange filing. (Source: Clipping News)
Vroon adds anchor-handler
Dutch owner returns to Italy for another raid on offshore sector. Dutch owner Vroon has returned to
Italy for another raid on the offshore sector. It has snapped up the anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS)
vessel Acqua Azzurra (built 1995) from Moby Lines. (Source: Clipping News)
Esvagt Champion named in Esbjerg
SSG-RINGKØBING. Esvagt A/S had its fourth naming ceremony this year in Esbjerg. It was the
Esvagt Champion, hull no. 816 from ASL Shipyard in Singapore that officially got its name. It was a
ceremony with Siraen Steimler, wife of captain Per-Gustav Steimler, Marine Department of
StatoilHydro in the role as the sponsoring lady. Esvagt Champion will after a few days sail to
Norwegian water for a timecharter running for the coming three years for StatoilHydro. There is even
options for a further couple of years. Esvagt Champion is the fourth of eight in the class, which will be
delivered from the Singapore shipyard. The ship measure 46 metres overall and 11.5 metres in beam
and is a standby safety vessel capable of accommodation some 130 persons (300 persons in
UKsector). The ship is diesel-electric powered by five Cummins diesels with an output of 2,425 kW.
Next ship from Singapore will arrive at Esbjerg at the end of January 2008. (Source: Clipping News)
8e jaargang, nr. 15
dd. 22 April 2007
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“Bourbon Dolphin” accident
Four missing after vessel capsize
12 April 2007, 18:15 GMT 19:15 UK Four people are missing, feared trapped inside a capsized oil rig
support vessel in the North Sea. Rescue teams said 10 people had been brought to safety following the
incident at 1700 BST, about 75 miles west of the Shetland coast. They said efforts to rescue the other four
Two rescue helicopters and an RAF Nimrod have
were continuing.
been scrambled to the scene. The coastguard has appealed for help from vessels in the area. An RAF
spokesman said the Bourbon Dolphin was thought to have capsized as it turned close to an oil rig.
Michael Mulford told BBC Scotland: "What we know is that a rig support vessel, while moving away from
the rig, has capsized. "A Nimrod which was flying over the Irish Sea training has been diverted to aid in
the search." Mr Mulford said Shetland coastguard scrambled its helicopter and a second North Sea
helicopter was also dispatched. He said: "Clearly this is emerging as a major incident." "Conditions are
not too bad, hopefully the weather won't be a huge factor although you never quite know. This is a fairly
hostile part of the North Sea we are talking about." Little was known about the condition of the 10 who
Norwegian-registered tug supply vessel
have been recovered.
Length: 75.2m Width: 17.0m Max draught: 6.5m Deadweight (max): 2,500 t Gross/net tonnage:
2,974t/892t Speed: 17.5 knots (trial) Capacity: 35 personnel Mark Clark, of the Maritime and Coastguard
Agency, said: "At the moment we've got a mayday signal out, with an emergency signal out with all
shipping in the area. "Anybody with diving support crews, dive equipment can get on the scene for us as
quickly as possible. "We're still searching and of course the difficult situation for everybody is if they are
still strapped inside the hull. And therefore we need to get to them as quickly as possible." Neville Davis,
rescue co-ordination centre manager, Shetland Coastguard added: "So far 10 persons have been
recovered. We will continue working with the assets available to us to try and locate the missing crew"
The Bourbon Dolphin, a new vessel, had been working in the vicinity of the Rosebank oilfield. It had a
number of roles in the North Sea, including anchor handling and towing, the installation of subsea
construction blocks and operations involving remote vehicles.
Shetland Co-ordinate search and rescue operation in North Sea
Shetland Coastguard are co-ordinating a Search and Rescue (SAR) Operation 75 nautical miles North,
West of Shetland where the anchor handling supply tug Bourbon Dolphin has capsized. Shetland
Coastguard scrambled the Coastguard Rescue helicopter Lima Charlie to the scene and are in
communication with the following three vessels which are also assisting in the SAR operation; Olympic
Hercules, Viking Victory, and Highland Valour. An additional civilian Rescue Helicopter is also on route
to the scene, as is a dive support vessel, Subsea Viking. The weather conditions on scene are good
visibility with moderate seas. Neville Davis, Rescue Co-ordination Centre Manager, Shetland Coastguard
said, So far 10 persons have been recovered. We will continue working with the assets available to us to
try and locate the missing crew
Eight feared dead in North Sea tragedy
AT LEAST three people died and five were missing, feared drowned last night after an anchor-handling
tug capsized suddenly in the North Sea off Shetland in relatively calm waters. Ten of the 15 on board the
Bourbon Dolphin at the time were rescued, but the Coastguard later confirmed that three of these had
died. Another five crew members were unaccounted for as the search was scaled back for the night, more
than six hours after the boat capsized in temperatures as low as 5C. Divers had been flown to the scene
amid fears the five may have been trapped in the vessel's upturned hull, however hope for the missing
crew members' survival was fading fast as the night wore on. It remained unclear why the state of the art
vessel capsized. It was reported to be turning away from the Transocean Rather drilling rig, 75 miles
north west Shetland, when the incident occurred 5:20 pm. Last night the chief executive of the Norwegian
firm that owned the boat said such an accident "should have been impossible". Rig operators Transocean
said of the 10 people were rescued, eight were recovered initially and another two were winched by
helicopter from the water at about 7pm. The seven were later airlifted to the Gilbert Bain Hospital in
Lerwick, Shetland. Fears that a 15-year-old boy was among those on board were prompted after initial
confusion about whether there were 14 or 15 people on the tug when it overturned. Reports from Norway,
where the boat was based, suggested one of the crew may have taken his teenage son on the voyage
with him. Last night a spokesman for Transocean said all 99 crew members on board the Transocean
Rather rig had been accounted for. The Coastguard confirmed that all those on board the Transocean
Rather were air lifted off late last night, because the Bourbon Dolphin - which had been handling one of
the semisubmersible drilling rig's anchors at the time the accident occurred - was still attached to the rig. A
spokeswoman for Shetland Coastguard said: "We can confirm that there have been three fatalities. "The
rig, the Transocean Rather, has been de-manned, with all non-essential staff being removed from the rig.
"This is due to the fact that the vessel is still floating nearby to the rig and while this poses a minimal risk,
for health and safety reasons the decision was taken to de-man." The vessel, owned by Bourbon
Offshore, is one of the newest supply vessels operating in the North Sea and was launched last year. A
spokesman for the owners confirmed that all members of the crew were Norwegian. The company has
launched an investigation into how the incident happened. Speaking from the firm's Norwegian
headquarters outside Ålesund last night, the company's chief executive, Trond Myklebust, said: "It is
unbelievable. The boat is new and the weather is good, and we are looking for the reason this has
happened. It should be impossible. What actually happened is still speculation at this stage." Mr
Myklebust said: "There are five people still missing and they are local people from this area. "The Bourbon
company yesterday established a place where the families could meet at the office canteen during the
evening. A priest and a doctor are at the place. It's very sad to meet the families without being able to give
them any good answers." Christa Roqueblave, a spokeswoman for Bourbon Offshore's international
headquarters in Marseilles, France, said: "At present the cause of the accident is unknown. Weather
conditions do not appear to be to blame as there were no storms when the ship went down and we do not
know of any collision as yet. Our priority is to assure the security of those aboard, then to protect the
environment and then to find the cause of the accident which will no doubt entail an examination of the
ship." Two rescue helicopters were scrambled to the site of the stricken boat shortly after it capsized
yesterday, together with a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft from RAF Kinloss. They were joined by supply
vessels and fishing boats in the area also attended the scene after a mayday call went out. Navy divers
were taken by helicopter from Faslane, via Lossiemouth, to the overturned vessel in the hope they could
free any crew trapped inside the hull. Mark Clark, at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency headquarters,
said : "We cannot see the (five crew members), therefore we can only assume they are under the hull.
"We need to get them as quickly as possible. We are making every effort to get to them." Michael Mulford,
a spokesman for the RAF said it would be a "severe test" for the divers. "If there is any possibility that
these people are in there and alive this will be their one chance of getting out." But by 11pm the rescue
operation was scaled back for the night and the five had still not been found. The 3,000-tonne vessel, built
in Norway last year, is 75 metres long and capable of accommodating up to 35 people.
Three dead, five missing in “Bourbon Dolphin” Capsizing
Three crew are dead and five remain missing following the capsizing of the anchor handling and supply
vessel ‘Bourbon Dolphin’ in the North Sea. Search operations are continuing for the five missing crew
and divers have been brought in to work on the vessel. Ten were rescued when the AHTS capsized 75
nm northwest of the Shetland Islands near the Transocean Rather platform.
Bourbon Dolphin update
Royal Navy divers using heat-seeking cameras were April 13th examining the hull of an oil rig support
vessel that capsized off northern Scotland, searching for five crew believed trapped inside. Three people
were confirmed dead after the Norwegian anchor-handling tug, the Bourbon Dolphin, overturned during
a routine manoeuvre 100 miles off the coast of Shetland, shortly after 5pm yesterday. Five more crew
were thought to be trapped inside the hull, possibly inside an air pocket. However, rescue workers said
today the missing crew were most likely not wearing survival suits and it would be "a miracle" if they had
survived. "We are not really expecting to find survivors now," a maritime and coastguard agency
spokeswoman said. "It would be a miracle if they had survived all night in 5C, freezing water. It's very sad.
There is a chance there is an air pocket somewhere, but that chance is ever so slim. We have to be
realistic about it." Jim Sinclair, the watch manager at Shetland Coastguard, said rescuers would send a
remote, camera-carrying vehicle under the boat before deciding whether it was safe for divers to follow.
"It's a fairly complex and delicate operation because the vessel, as you'll appreciate, is upside down and
stability is uncertain so you'd want to make sure of your own safety before going under the hull," he said.
Ten people were recovered from the vessel last night; eight soon after the incident while another two were
plucked from the water by helicopter about two hours later. There were three confirmed deaths among
those picked up, with seven crew taken to hospital in Shetland for treatment. The naval diving unit
continued to search throughout the night but a helicopter rescue operation was suspended at about
midnight. The 75-metre Bourbon Dolphin, which is one year old, had been working alongside the
Transocean Rather oil platform, at the Clair oil field, 75 miles north-west of Shetland, when it capsized
just 1,800m from the rig, at around 5.15pm. The drilling rig is operated by Transocean, the largest offshore
drilling company in the world, for Chevron. The 99 crew from the oil rig were later evacuated by three
helicopters for safety reasons. Of the ship's crew, 14 were from Norway, most of them from the small area
of Fosnavag, and one from Denmark. A Norwegian priest, Jens Jonson, who has set up a crisis group to
help the families involved said: "This is a catastrophe of great dimensions for this local community." A
spokesman for Shetland coastguard said last night that conditions were very calm at the time the vessel
capsized, with a slight swell building up as darkness fell. "I think everyone is a bit worried about how the
hell something as serious as this could have happened in such reasonable conditions." The boat's owner,
Bourbon Offshore Norway, have launched an investigation. Speaking from the company's headquarters
outside Alesund last night, Bourbon Norway's chief executive, Trond Myklebust, said: "It is unbelievable.
The boat is new and the weather is good."
Relatives of dead crew flying in
The families of eight crewmen killed or feared dead after a Norwegian anchor handling tug capsized in the
Atlantic are due to arrive on Shetland. A 15-year-old boy on work experience with the Bourbon Dolphin
and his father are among five still unaccounted for. Ten crew members were found after Thursday's
incident, about 86 miles west of the Shetland coast. Seven were in hospital, but three others died. The
mother of one survivor has described how he jumped from the boat. Staff from vessel owners Bourbon
Norway were also travelling on the chartered flight from Norway. We are not really expecting to find
survivors now The families of the crew had stayed overnight in the firm's offices where they were
counselled by a priest. A service was held for them on Friday morning before they began the journey to
Scotland. The air and sea rescue operation, which started after the incident at about 1750 BST on
Thursday, resumed at first light on Friday. The running of the rescue operation has now been shifted, with
response teams focusing instead on "salvage and recovery". The coastguard has said it would be a
"miracle" if the five missing crew members were found alive. Richard Crowther, regional operations
manager for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said a decision had still to be made on whether it was
safe for a Royal Navy diving team to enter the ship to search for the missing men. The divers, from the
Faslane naval base on the Clyde, have sent down a remotely operated vehicle to take underwater pictures
of the upturned vessel. Mr Crowther said: "The main risk for anyone going into a vessel like this is the
uncertainty of how stable it is. "There is no guarantee the five people who are missing are actually in the
vessel. To put divers into an upturned vessel that could sink at any moment is very risky and dangerous."
Winds were heavier than they had been on Thursday evening, but conditions were still said to be
"favourable" for the operation. Meanwhile, the mother of one of the survivors told Norwegian radio station
NRK that her son had been forced to jump off the ship as it began to flip over. Turge Drage said her son,
Egil Hafsas, had called her from Lerwick to tell how he and two other crew members managed to pull on
life jackets and leap into the cold sea before being picked up by another ship and airlifted to Shetland.
Two helicopters have been involved in the search west of the Shetlands, An offshore union leader has
said he believed the boat, which is less than one year old, could have been caused to capsize by an
anchor slipping up the side of the vessel. The Bourbon Dolphin had a number of roles in the North Sea,
including anchor handling and towing, the installation of subsea construction blocks and operations
involving remote vehicles. Anchor handling tugs are also used to supply oil platforms, tow them to
location, anchor them up and, in some cases, serve as recovery and rescue vessels. They are fitted with
winches for towing and anchor handling and have an open stern to allow the decking of anchors. A
spokeswoman for the coastguard said: "We are not really expecting to find survivors now. It would be a
miracle if they had survived all night in five degrees, freezing water. It's very sad." The coastguard
confirmed that the ship had still been attached to Transocean Rather rig by an anchor chain. Grampian
Police said they would begin an investigation into the incident once the search and rescue operation was
completed. A marine accident inquiry will also be carried out. The ship, which is less than one year old,
had been working in the vicinity of the Rosebank oilfield with a crew of 15. Trond Myklebust, manager
director of Bourbon Norway, said he could not speculate on what had caused the accident but confirmed
the vessel was carrying out an anchor handling operation with the rig and was connected to it.
Ulstein Verft issues statement on Bourbon Dolphin
Ulstein Verft shipyard in Norway, the yard that built the AHTS Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized in the
North Sea last night has issued the following statement: "We have been informed that Bourbon Dolphin,
delivered from Ulstein Verft in the autumn of 2006, has capsized. We cannot speculate on the reasons for
this accident. Our thougths go to the missing and the families of those involved", said Ulstein Verft's CEO
Gunvor Ulstein. Bourbon Dolphin is an A102 AHTS designed by Ulstein Design and built by Ulstein
Verft.
14-year-old boy among victims on tug as Royal Navy calls off search
A small Norwegian fishing village was attempting last night to come to terms with the disaster in which
seven men and a 14-year-old boy died when their tug capsized off the Shetland Islands. Oddne Remoy,
44, the captain of the Bourbon Dolphin, and his son, who was on work experience, were standing beside
each other on the tug’s bridge when it overturned on Thursday afternoon. Ten of the 15-strong crew were
quickly picked up from the water, although three had died. Throughout Thursday night and yesterday,
rescuers hoped that by some miracle Captain Remøy, his son and the three other crewmen might have
survived in an air pocket in a watertight compartment of the upturned hull. At 3.30pm yesterday hope ran
out. Royal Navy divers who had entered the deck area of the upturned vessel said it was too dangerous to
go farther into the hull because of the risk that the tug would suddenly sink. Relatives had already been
told there was little chance that the men could have survived for so long in the bitterly cold water.Last
night salvage tugs were preparing to tow the Bourbon Dolphin from the Rosebank oilfield to the Shetland
Islands. Only then could a full search be made for the bodies. The crewmen who had managed to escape
told their rescuers that the tug capsized suddenly while preparing to drop the last of eight anchors for the
drilling rig Transocean Rather. Anje Nilsen from Skittenelv, Norway, called his girlfriend from Shetland
yesterday to explain what had happened. Gerd Sorensen said: “He said it all went very quickly after the
boat started to tilt to one direction. When it happened he was on a tour outside on the boat deck and
grabbed a safety vest. “He just managed to run out and started to climb on the ship’s side. When he fell in
the water he saw a raft floating near by but could not grab it. Then it was hard for him.” Turge Drage said
her son, Egil Hafsas, recalled how he and two other crew members managed to pull on lifejackets and
leap into the sea before being picked up by another ship and airlifted to Shetland. Most of the crew
members came from Heroy, with a population of 1,748, or from other villages along Norway’s western
coast. One of the men came from Denmark. Relatives and friends gathered at Heroy’s church yesterday
to seek comfort and information from Bourbon Offshore Norway, the boat’s owner. Solvi Remoy, head
teacher at the Ytre Heroy High School, said: “It’s very, very sad and very tragic and it’s an awful day here
for us because we are a very tight-knit community. The teachers, the pupils, the staff, everyone knows the
family involved, everyone has been affected by this.” Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister,
said that the whole of the country felt involved in the suffering: “We are not many people so when
something like this happens, the entire nation is affected.” Accident investigators say that the capsizing is
unprecedented. The Bourbon Dolphin was only a year old, had an experienced crew and was operating
in relatively calm waters. Reidar Vetvik, who runs the fishing café Havly Center at Lerwick, Shetland, and
is also a Norwegian port priest, met the survivors yesterday. He said that the captain and his son had
been together on the bridge at the time of the accident. Several men did not have time to reach for safety
vests. “In one way or another, the big boat chain tilted to the boat’s side and wind and water powers
started to push the boat around in just a few minutes,” he said. “It went very quick. “They have a hard
time. When you are almost killed by a sinking boat and probably have several friends that are lost, it is
hard. This is all unreal for the men who slowly are realizing what has happened.” Workers on board the rig
said that they saw the 250ft (76m) ship maneuvering the anchor into position for the drop, then suddenly
make a sharp turn. The wire between the anchor and the rig was seen to tighten and run up the side of the
ship, forcing the boat on to its side. Minutes later it capsized, with the anchor cable still in place running
back to the rig. Jake Molloy, general secretary of the offshore workers trade union OILC, said: “They got
the impression that the anchor wire had jumped its stops and ran up the side of the vessel, providing
overturning force.” The vessel was estimated to have been 5,200ft from the rig when it capsized, around
the limit of the anchor chain length. “It was just about on site ready for the drop. We don’t know what made
the boat turn and the anchor chain run up — the boat could have reached the end of the wire, or there
could have been a steerage problem. But whatever has happened, has happened so fast.”
Ship of the dead will be towed back to shore
April 15, 2007, SALVAGE experts were yesterday drawing up plans to tow to shore the oil rig support
vessel that capsized in the Atlantic. Eight lives were lost in the accident in calm seas off Shetland last
Thursday and some of the bodies are believed still to be inside the ship. The dead included the Norwegian
skipper of the Bourbon Dolphin and his 14-year-old son, who was on the bridge with him as part of a
work experience assignment. The seven crew members who escaped told their rescuers that the ship
overturned while preparing to drop the last of eight anchors for drilling rig Transocean Rather. Three
bodies have been recovered, but five, including Oddne Remoy, 44, the skipper, and his son David are still
missing. Trond Myklebust, director of Bourbon Offshore, the ship’s owner, said his company had begun an
inquiry, including checking who was at the helm when the ship turned over. “I am sure the investigation
will give us information about that,” he said. The company’s inquiry is running alongside an official
investigation by the Norwegian maritime directorate. “We will investigate this and launch a thorough
review of the causes,” said Dag Terje Andersen, Norway’s trade and industry minister. The wreck of the
ship has been explored by navy divers, who found nothing, and yesterday the company Smit Salvage was
at the boat’s location, trying to recover an anchor chain seen as key to the investigation. The vessel was
carrying out a routine operation laying an anchor used to stabilise the rig when the accident happened.
Investigators believe the anchor chain, weighing up to 300 tons, may have jumped out of its guides and
run along the side of the vessel, pulling it over. Workers on board said they saw the 250ft ship
manoeuvring the anchor into position before making a sudden sharp turn. The chain between the anchor
and the rig was seen to tighten and run up the side of the ship, forcing it onto its side. Minutes later it
capsized with the anchor chain still in place running back to the rig. Tore Hoifodt, director of information for
the vessel’s insurance company Veritas, said it was highly unlikely that a failure of the winding mechanism
was to blame because there were three back-up motors. He added that it would not have been possible
for the crew to cut the anchor chain and they would not have had time to engage a tension control
mechanism to loosen it. Frank Reiersen, 36, co-captain of the vessel, who was in Norway at the time of
the accident, said: “It must have happened fast: the skipper only had time to send a Mayday signal. I
presume everybody understood what was happening and those that had the opportunity would have
grabbed their survival suits.” The missing boy was completing a week of work experience that is required
of all Norwegian teenagers.
Bourbon Dolphin sinks soon after the beginning of salvage operations
Following the accident of the Bourbon Dolphin, which occurred on April 12th off the Shetland Islands,
claiming 8 lives, the ship sunk at 9.16 pm local time and is lying at 3,600 feet (1100 m). SMIT SALVAGE
started the salvage operations in the middle of the day on April 15th after a complete survey of the
situation. The Salvage Team was composed of 2 tugs with crew and material, 4 specialized divers and
one Salvage Master in charge of the operations. The ship was first disconnected from the rig, and as the
weather conditions became bad (25 knot south-westerly wind and 4 meter high waves), it became
destabilized and then sunk before towage was possible. For the time being, most of the SMIT SALVAGE
teams have left the zone, except for one tug that remains for the moment on the zone to monitor the
current situation. Right from the start BOURBON’s teams have done all they could to help, support and
comfort the families in this painful situation. Jacques de Chateauvieux and Christian Lefèvre, respectively
Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of BOURBON and Trond Myklebust, Managing
Director of Bourbon Offshore Norway, were also present immediately with the families and are still by their
side. Yesterday, to give support to the seamen’s families, religious services were held on the Shetland
Islands and in Norway. In Norway the representative of the King of Norway, the mayor of the commune of
Heroy and Jacques de Chateauvieux spoke at the service alongside church ministers. The Management
of BOURBON and Bourbon Offshore Norway wish strength and faith to those who suffer today. They also
address their personal thanks to all those who, in Scotland, in Norway and in France, took part and helped
to carry out the operations in the best possible way. All BOURBON’s staff is now waiting to learn of the
detailed circumstances and the probable causes of this accident, to understand how such an accident
could have occurred. This will no doubt take several weeks of official investigations. The responsibility of
the police Inquiry has been transferred from the British to the Norwegian authorities who have appointed a
Commission of maritime affairs. (Source: Bourbon Offshore Norway AS)
Message from Jacques de Chateauvieux, CEO of BOURBON
Fosnavåg, April 14th 2007, 15:30 pm. Following the tragic accident of the Bourbon Dolphin, message from
Jacques de Chateauvieux, CEO of BOURBON:
Dear All,
Each and every one of us was speechless and tearful in the face of the Bourbon Dolphin tragedy. This
accident has claimed lives among our fellow crew members and family. Our first actions, thoughts and
prayers are for them, their families, friends and relatives. I have been witness to the extraordinary heart
felt commitment of our team in Norway to support everyone with appropriate information, action and
kindness. The emergency response of our Norwegian colleagues was carried out in a professional way,
adding high quality human behaviour to long established crisis handling plans. I felt the strong support of
the Fosnavåg area communities, the civil and religious representatives and the Government in Norway
extended to us in these circumstances. We are very grateful for the efficient handling of rescue operations
by the Shetland Coastguard and all those involved. BOURBON has received hundreds of messages from
all over the world, showing compassion and offering help, assistance and prayers. Thank you to all and
every one of you. You share the burden of our sorrow and give us strength to carry on at sea the service
we render to society as a whole. On behalf of us all at BOURBON, I wish strength and faith to all who are
suffering today, and my personal thanks to those in Norway, in France and throughout the world who have
once again given life to the ethical values we are striving for everyday. Today, at the closing of the rescue
operations and with crew members due to come home shortly, we are focusing on caring for our people
and their families. Hopefully soon, we will also know what occurred that made Bourbon Dolphin capsize. It
will however take a long and professional investigation to understand why this unbelievable and
inconceivable accident has happened. It will be our duty to the memory of our lost crew members, to the
world offshore industry, as well as a testimony to our endless commitment to safety, to make sure
everything is done to prevent such a tragedy happening again. I want to share with you the emotion of all
of us at BOURBON. Let us, however, also share the pride of building together a sea of trust. I would like to
ensure all the BOURBON crewmen worldwide and their relatives of my entire support for their daily
commitment in operations. What we are doing every day with professionalism and enthusiasm has value
to people we live with and helps to build a better world for everyone. In these hard conditions, where
solidarity is experienced every second, respectful for nature at sea, all of you at BOURBON deserve my
highest consideration.
Jacques de Chateauvieux
CEO of BOURBON
Capsized oil-rig vessel sinks
Monday April 16, 2007 12:58 AM The oil-rig vessel that capsized in the North Atlantic claiming the lives of
eight crew members has sunk, the coastguard said on Sunday night. A 14-year-old schoolboy on work
experience and his father were among the eight victims after the Bourbon Dolphin capsized around 75
miles North West of Shetland on Thursday. Shetland Coastguard confirmed the vessel sank at 9.15pm on
Sunday. It was initially hoped that authorities
would be able to tow the vessel back to shore to
look for the five bodies which are still missing
Tragic toll: The names of the missing presumed
dead, issued to the media at a press conference
at the Lerwick Hotel yesterday. They include the
44-year-old skipper of the Bourbon Dolphin
Oddne Remøy and his 14-year-old son David.
.
Three bodies were pulled from the water
along with seven survivors from the
Norwegian-owned
boat.
Shetland
Coastguard watch manager Neil Cumming
said: "It was released from a rig yesterday
and slowly it began to go down. "It was very
unstable." This will come as a blow to
operators Bourbon Offshore who had sent a
salvage team in the hope of towing the
vessel back to Shetland. They had sent two
tugs and a team of specialist divers to the
scene to begin to carry out investigations
into how the tragedy could have happened
and recover the five missing bodies including
the father and son. There were 15
Norwegian crew on board the handling
supply tug when it capsized.
Survivor tells his story
First published: 17 Apr 2007, 16:15 Geir Syversen is one of the seven crew members on board the AHTS
(anchor handling tug & supply) vessel who survived its capsizing last Thursday. Eight others on board
perished when the vessel overturned and later sank in the chilly North Sea off the Shetland Islands.
Syversen told newspaper Fredriksstad Blad on Tuesday that he was sure he'd drown as well. He said he
had duty on the bridge of the Bourbon Dolphin when the vessel suddenly began to tilt. He didn't worry at
first. "But then the alarm began to ring and the phone rang from the machine room," he said. "The skipper
tried to right the ship, but couldn't. Then things began to go very wrong." Syversen said there were six
persons on the bridge when the ship capsized "and I flew out. I tried to climb up onto the hull, but was
caught in the drag." The wind was blowing at 32 knots, the sea swells were nine meters high and it was
three degrees Celsius in the water. Syversen wasn't wearing a life vest. "Suddenly the winds died down
and the sun came out," he said. "It was remarkable." He met another crew member who also was in the
water, held on to his life vest and the two managed to get into a lifeboat. "Just then, I didn't think I'd ever
be coming home again," he told Fredriksstads Blad. He did, though, as they were later picked up by
search and rescue crews and flown to hospital in the Shetland Islands. A maritime inquiry into the sinking
of the vessel is scheduled to begin in the Søre Sunnmøre municipal court in the west coast town of Volda
on Friday. The first mate on board the doomed North Sea support vessel Bourbon Dolphin says the
maritime tragedy seemed "unreal," and he was sure he wouldn't survive.
Deceased from Bourbon Dolphin tragedy identified
April 17, 2007 Bourbon Offshore Norway has issued a further statement following the capsize of Bourbon
Dolphin last week. "Further to the accident of Bourbon Dolphin, Bourbon has, with great sadness,
received confirmation of the death of the three following crew members:
•
Oddne Arve Remøy (44), Herøy. Captain.
•
Bjarte Grimstad (37), Hareid. Chief Officer.
•
Kjetil Rune Våge (31), Ålesund (originally from Sande). Second Officer.
Five seamen are still missing:
•
David Remøy (14), Herøy. the Captain’s son.
•
Frank Nygård (42), Hareid. Chief Engineer.
•
Ronny Emblem (25), Ålesund. Second Engineer.
•
Søren Kroer (27), Ørum Djurs, Denmark. Electrician.
•
Tor Karl Sandø (54), Ålesund. Bosun
Consequences discussed with experts
17.04.2007 Gard is the liability insurer for the anchor handling vessel BOURBON DOLPHIN, which
capsized on 12 April and sank on 15 April in connection with efforts to salvage the vessel. Gard has
assisted the shipowner on insurance related issues, including the handling of aspects related to loss of
life, injury, repatriation and treatment of next-of-kin.
The salvage operation was conducted by the
Dutch company Smit Salvage, which is one of
the biggest and leading operators in this field.
The salvage was done under contract with the
shipowner and in agreement with Gjensidige,
Norway, which had insured the vessel. Gard has
been informed that Smit Salvage will issue their
own statements concerning the salvage attempt.
The ship has sunk in international waters about
85 nautical miles North West of Shetland. The
water depth in the area is said to be about 1,100
metres
The consequences of this situation are being discussed with experts, but it is too early to draw any
conclusions. Gard will continue to render support to the shipowner in their efforts to deal with the many
and large challenges following this tragic accident and hope that the forthcoming maritime enquiry may
answer what caused the capsizing of the vessel.
Statement salvage attempt “Bourbon Dolphin”
‘Bourbon Dolphin’ capsized on Thursday 12th April whilst performing offshore services for the drill
platform “Transocean Rather’. Subsequently, SMIT Salvage was contracted by Bourbon Offshore
Norway AS, to render salvage services to the "Bourbon Dolphin". The mobilization of the necessary
salvage personnel, craft and equipment started immediately. A salvage team of seven members was
flown to the Shetland Islands and the anchor handling tug ‘Zeus’, equipped with a diving spread and
salvage equipment departed to the casualty from Den Helder, the Netherlands. Furthermore, the AHTSV
‘Highland Valour’ was chartered and would depart from Lerwick, Shetland Islands, as soon as the
salvage team arrived. Unfortunately, owing to fog conditions and reduced visibility on the Shetland Islands
the salvage team encountered delays as a consequence of cancellation of inbound flights and suspension
of helicopter services. Meanwhile, discussions were held between all interested parties and the UK
Secretary of State Representative with regards to releasing the casualty by cutting the pennant wire/
anchor chain to which she was connected to the drill platform. This was considered necessary because it
was reported that the ‘Bourbon Dolphin’ was causing a threat to the drill platform and its personnel. On
Saturday 14th April in the late evening, the pennant wire was cut and the casualty was released from the
platform. The AHTSV ‘Olympic Hercules’ held the casualty in position awaiting the arrival of the salvage
team and craft. In the early afternoon of 15th April, the master of ‘Olympic Hercules’ reported a
deterioration in the condition of the ‘Bourbon Dolphin’. At around 18.00 hours, the salvage master
arrived on site and established that the casualty was unstable and in the process of losing her buoyancy.
Given the prevailing weather and sea state conditions at that time, (southwesterly wind 5 Beaufort and a
sea swell of 4-5 meters) it was deemed to be unsafe to carry out the towage or even perform preparations
such as a diving survey. At 21.15 hours LT the ‘Bourbon Dolphin’ was completely submerged and the
wire connection to the ‘Olympic Hercules’ had to be released. The vessel sank at the position of 61º
03.53N 003º 48.92W. The tugs remained on site to monitor the area.
BOURBON pays its last respects to those lost at sea
Marseilles, Wednesday 18th April 2007 – 1:30 pm In sympathy with the families, friends and relatives of
the victims of the Bourbon Dolphin accident, the entire BOURBON fleet worldwide will fly the company
flag at half-mast on Thursday 19th April. On the same day, and so that all BOURBON staff can
collectively pay their last respects to the victims, 2 minutes silence will be observed at 12h00 GMT,
14h00 French local time, in BOURBON offices and on board BOURBON vessels. A ceremony in memory
of the victims will be held at a later date in Norway, in which a delegation of BOURBON seamen and
sedentary staff will participate. The memorial service will be held after the funerals have taken place this
week in the strictest privacy. The Norwegian Maritime Directory’s inquiry to be held in the aftermath of the
accident will begin its hearings shortly. It should enable us to understand how the accident happened.
An independent Special Governmental Commission will also be set up by the Norwegian government, with
the objective of determining the causes of the accident.
Maritime inquiry into the loss of Bourbon Dolphin
April 20, 2007 A maritime inquiry into the loss of the Norwegian supply vessel Bourbon Dolphin, which
capsized and sank off Shetland with the loss of eight lives, is due to open at a Norwegian court today
(Friday April 20th). "The offshore industry hopes that statements by survivors will reveal important
information. The whole industry is anxiously awaiting what the enquiry will bring. I believe the enquiry will
give many of the answers we are all looking for at this time," said Njaal Saevik, CEO of Havila Shipping.
"We expect to gain new knowledge which we may use to introduce measures both on present vessels and
on new ones, in order that we may maintain the high safety record our industry is known for," Saevik said.
Bourbon Dolphin inquiry postponed until next week
April 20, 2007 Further to our recent news items about the proposed Board of Inquiry into the capsize of
Bourbon Dolphin, Offshore Shipping Online has learnt that the inquiry has now been postponed until
next week.
Bourbon Dolphin Tribute
Tributes have been paid to the eight crew lost when an oil rig support ship capsized off Shetland a week
ago. The funeral of the Bourbon Dolphin's captain and a memorial service for his 14-year-old son, who
is still missing, will be held on 20 Apr in Norway. On Thursday lunchtime (19 Apr), staff from Bourbon
Offshore Norway observed a two minute silence in all its offices. An accident inquiry into how the anchor
handling vessel turned over has been postponed until next Wednesday. The Bourbon flag is being flown
at half mast on all its ships around the world for the day as a mark of respect. Seven crew survived the
accident. Three bodies were recovered from the sea, while the other five are still missing. The inquiry had
been due to begin in Alesund, Norway, on Friday. However, this would have clashed with the funeral of
the ship's captain Oddne Arve Remøy, 44, and the memorial service for his son David Remøy, 14, on their
home island of Heroy. A statement on the Bourbon website said a ceremony in memory of the victims
would be held at a later date in Norway. It said: "The Norwegian Maritime Directory's inquiry to be held in
the aftermath of the accident will begin its hearings shortly. "It should enable us to understand how the
accident happened. "An independent Special Governmental Commission will also be set up by the
Norwegian Government with the objective of determining the causes of the accident." The Bourbon
Dolphin sank on Sunday, three days after it capsized 85 miles west of the Shetland coast. It is thought
the bodies of the missing five crew members may still be inside. It is not expected that the ship will be
raised from the seabed. However, the Norwegian Government has been asked if it could help cover the
costs to make that possible. The other crew members confirmed dead are chief officer Bjarte Grimstad,
37, and 31-year-old second officer Kjetil Rune Våge. The others missing are chief engineer Frank Nygård,
42, second engineer Ronny Emblem, 25, electrician Søren Kroer, 27, and 54-year-old bosun Tor Karl
Sandø.
An Overview of Trends in the
Tug Market
by Robert Beegle
May 2007
Marcon International, Inc.
Vessels and Barges for Sale or Charter Worldwide
Phone
Email
Website
360-678-8880
info@marcon.com
www.marcon.com
An Overview of Trends in the Tug Market
Marcon International, Inc. has closely followed the tug market since 1981.
While trends from yesterday created the towing industry we are familiar
with today, events now are shaping the tug market of tomorrow more than
at any other time in the past. Today’s trends indicate what the industry can
expect in the next 10 – 15 years. There have been many “ups” and “downs”,
both for the industry and Marcon, since we sold our first tug in the early
80’s. The best word though to describe the industry and the various trends
we are all experiencing today is “up”.
Marcon sales are “up”. Charter rates and revenues are “up”. Utilization is “up”.
Many owners report the highest level of activity and inquiries they have ever
seen. U.S. and overseas fleet sizes are “up”. Mergers and acquisitions are “up”.
Tugs on order in the U.S. and worldwide are “up”. Horsepower is “up”. Prices
are “up” - which is great if you are a Seller. Of course, not everything “up” is
positive. Costs for fuel, machinery, steel, paint and labor are also “up”. Repair
costs are up. The average U.S. tug age is “up”. Government regulations and
paperwork are “up”. Prices for second-hand and new tugs are “up” - which is
not so great if you are a Buyer - and the present newbuilding frenzy means
few slots are open for either fleet replacement or expansion. Even sistercompanies now compete head-to-head for equipment and newbuilding slots.
Good equipment and personnel are scarce and operators turn down business
because of the lack of the right tug, barge or the people to man them. One
local operator, with all of his tugs working, describes himself as being
“Boatless in Seattle”.
The first tug sold by Marcon was the 85’,
1800BHP “Big Brute” from Misener Marine
to Alaska Marine Charters for use in Dutch
Harbor, Alaska.
Like most companies involved with the towing industry, we have done very
well the last couple of years. Since we first opened our doors, Marcon has
sold approximately 200 tugs totaling over a half a million BHP. Seven
tugs have been sold worldwide already this year, including two newbuilding 3,300BHP Robert Allan design ASD tugs now under construction in
Turkey.
Marcon Tug Sales and Charters
Number of Tugs
Total BHP
Average BHP
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
21
12
5
8
12
11
19
7
35,915
25,240
25,885
16,490
45,240
48,388
47,264
30,200
1,170
2,103
5,177
2,061
3,770
4,399
2,488
4,314
1
Revenues, Day Rates and Utilization
Tug and barge prices are not the only thing that have increased. Revenues
are up. Many Owners report higher and sometimes even record earnings
and day rates.
Average Daily Rates or Time Charter Equivalent
Operating revenues from Crowley’s Marine Services segment increased
21.3% in 2006 compared to 2005. Hornbeck Offshore enjoyed improved
fourth quarter 2006 and record calendar 2006 results helped by tug-tank
barge revenues increasing 20.9% and day rates up 11% over the 2005 fourth
quarter. K-Sea Transportation increased average dayrates for their tug-tank
barge fleet from $5,444 for the quarter ending 31 December 2005 to $6,644
for the quarter ending 31 December 2006, while utilization improved from
78% to 84% over the same period. Before Tidewater sold 14 tugs to Crosby,
their U.S. fleet averaged $17,793 per day for the quarter ending September
2006, almost triple the $6,028 per day earned the beginning of 2000.
This upward trend is not limited to the United States. Last year was a
record year for Smit Internationale of Rotterdam as their 2006 net profits
nearly doubled over 2005. For Smit, the clouds definitely had a silver - or in
their case a golden lining, with a high volume of salvage work after the 2005
hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico and harbor towage in Rotterdam
and Antwerp exceeding expectations due to strong winds in 2006.
Paris-based Bourbon Group’s Towage & Salvage Division was up 4.3% for
the fourth quarter 2006 compared to the same quarter in 2005 and 12.9%
over the year. Adsteam Marine increased their net profit for the second half
of 2006 by 22% compared to the previous year with their U.K. revenues
up 31% over the same time period. One European operator reported 2006
average day rates for offshore and coastal towage in Northwestern Europe
were nearly double the rates earned in 2005, increasing to approximately
Euro 10-12,000 per day in 2006 from Euro 5-6,000 per day in 2005.
2
Fleet Size
There are more tugs operating worldwide today than at any time in the
past. One problem in reviewing statistics on tugs and other workboats in
domestic and international markets is that we are always comparing “apples
and oranges”. Our data comes from varied sources such as Lloyd’s Register,
the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others. Although
there are gaps in information, numbers constantly changing and each database using different parameters, we can still get a good idea of the trends.
While information in Lloyd’s Register only covers sea-going vessels over
100 gross register tons, there are many tugs either under that tonnage or in
inland service. According to Lloyd’s, as of January 2007, there were 11,760
“sea-going” tugs over 100GRT worldwide with a total of 28,116,599BHP
and an average year built of 1983. Even taking into account flags of convenience, the largest national fleet of tugs worldwide sail under U.S. registry.
We operate 1,427 “sea-going” tugs, or 12.1% of the world market, totaling
4,140,961BHP (14.7% of the global horsepower). Since January 2001, the
U.S. tug count is up 35.5% from 1,053 vessels. Total horsepower in the U.S.
during that same period of time increased over one million horsepower from
3,018,359BHP. The only negative is that the average age of U.S. sea-going
flag tugs over 100GRT also increased from 30 to 34 years.
Starting out in Edward Lloyd’s 17th century London coffee house, Lloyd’s Register
maintains a database of over 80,000 ships,
including movements, casualties, vessel characteristics and owners. In 1760, the Register
Society was formed by the coffee house
customers and it printed the first “Register of
Ships” in 1764.
Average horsepower of each tug increased
from 2,867 to 3,326 BHP. Of the 1,427 U.S.
flag tugs in Lloyds, 487 (43%) are powered by
EMD’s, 21% by CATs, 14% by General Motors / Detroit Diesels. Fairbanks still powers
6% of the fleet, mostly in older tugs.
Following is a breakdown of the U.S. sea-going tug fleet by horsepower.
Note that Lloyd’s only has data on 97 tugs under 999BHP. As most of the
“under thousand horsepower” class of tugs in the U.S. are below 100 gross
register tons, they are not included in the Registry. In reality though, there
are eight to nine hundred small tugboats in this horsepower range working
daily in U.S. coastal waters.
U.S. Sea-Going Tug Fleet Over 180 GRT by BHP According to Lloyds Register
Unknown
BHP
Under
999
1000
- 1999
2000
- 2999
3000
- 3999
4000
- 4999
5000
- 5999
6000
- 6999
7000
- 7999
8000
- 8999
9000
Plus
182
97
316
289
206
146
61
45
43
3
39
1,427
Avg. BHP
-
824
1,538
2,560
3,625
4,389
5,582
6,439
7,217
8,337
12,361
3,326
Avg. LOA
86.4
81.7
90.4
101.7
109.6
110.8
127.4
128.2
141.6
140.4
141.0
Avg. Beam
27.5
23.0
26.4
29.9
32.9
34.7
36.1
37.8
40.4
43.0
56.4
Avg. Depth
12.8
11.1
11.7
12.9
14.1
14.1
17.0
17.8
17.9
17.5
22.9
# Single Screw
154
80
196
89
22
12
3
2
2
0
0
560
28
17
120
200
184
134
58
43
41
3
39
867
1976
1953
1963
1973
1979
1987
1979
1988
1980
1986
1993
Total #
# Twin/Triple Screw
Avg. Year Built
Total
All dimensions in feet and tenths. Sub-types where provided by Lloyds, break down to 21 anchor handling; 75
articulated; 38 firefighting; 26 pusher; 3 recovery; 4 salvage; 4 offshore industry; 1,044 towing, arranged for pulling;
10 twin-hull and 99 water-tractor.
3
Data on U.S. flag tugs is also available from the U.S. Coast Guard “Merchant
Vessels of the United States” and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Waterborne
Transportation Lines of the United States”, however here also, we end up
comparing “apples and oranges”. Sometimes databases lump both tugs and
inland river pushboats together into one category as “Towing Vessels”. As of
a 31st December 2005 survey (with updates through 30 August 2006) the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported a total self-propelled U.S. fleet of
8,976 vessels of which 5,290 or 58.9% were “towing vessels”. Approximately
30.3% of the self-propelled fleet were tugs and 28.7% were true tow or pushboats – demonstrating the size and importance of the towing industry to
the U.S. economy. As of March 2007, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 6,871
registered towing vessels in the U.S. – including both tugs and pushboats,
with an average year built of 1971. This compares to 5,451 vessels with an
aggregate horsepower of 7,273,219HP six years ago.
Average Age of Tugboat
Fleet in 2005
Under 5 years
184
6 - 10 years
182
11 - 15 years
75
16 - 20 years
84
21 - 25 years
392
Over 25 years
1,797
Total
2,717
Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Summary of U.S. Towboat Fleet as of 2005
1990
1995
2000
2003
2004
2005
Pushboats
2,573
Tugboats
2,717
Total
Total HP
Average HP
5,210
5,127
4,995
5,172
5,314
5,290
8,709,914
9,107,738
9,347,780
9,883,667
10,012,020
9,983,351
1,672
1,776
1,871
1,912
1,884
1,887
Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
As of March 2007, the U.S. Coast Guard’s “Merchant Vessels of the United
States” database included eight 2007 built ”towing vessels”, only a small
portion of those under construction. Offsetting these eight new boats in
the U.S. fleet are nineteen towing vessels launched before the turn of the last
century. The oldest tug in active service in the U.S. is the 68’ single screw
“Sisters” (ex-“Fanny J”) owned by Hartley Marine out of Boothbay, Maine.
She was built in 1874, nine years after the end of the Civil War, as the
“Rebecca” and constructed of iron when the trend for most boats her size
was to be built of wood. Originally powered with coal-fired steam, she
worked in Philadelphia for nearly ninety years. Now propelled by a single
GM12V71 swinging a four foot diameter bronze prop, she still earns her
keep docking a cement barge, towing construction barges and assisting in the
launching of the latest trend of tugs built at Washburn & Doughty.
We have come a long way in the 133 years since the steam screw tug
“Rebecca” slid down the ways. Many U.S. tugs have been built, worked and
eventually sold abroad or scrapped over the years. We have seen coal-fired
steam engines shift to oil-fired, diesel, diesel electric and soon-to-be hybrid
propulsion; kort nozzles, steerable nozzles, shutter rudders; twin, triple
4
and even quad-screws - plus a whole alphabet of types from ASDs, ATBs,
Catugs, Combi’s, ITBs, Mor-Tracs, RTs (Rotor Tugs), SDMs (Shipdocking
Modules) and VSTs (Voith-Schneider tractors) to Robert Allan Z-Techs.
Newbuildings
An article in the April 4th 2007 issue of “Lloyds List Special Report on Tug
Design & Construction” by Jack Gaston is titled “Demand Hits Unprecedented
Levels” and starts out saying “at no time in its 175-year history has the tug business experienced such an intense and sustained period of tug construction.” We
agree. The level of tug construction, both in the United States and abroad,
is one of the trends that is “up”. Today’s dramatic flurry in new construction
cannot be explained by any one factor, but instead by a number of forces that
normally do not all come into play at the same time.
Ports worldwide require higher horsepower, more maneuverable docking
tugs to handle the increasing size of container ships, car carriers and tankers. New and expanding LNG
projects and oil terminals need
new specialized escort tugs. New
OPA’90 double skin tank barges in
the United States require higher
horsepower tugs to work them –
plus more owners are now looking to
using ATBs instead of towing on the
hawser.
The tugs of tomorrow have to be
more efficient – efficient in operation, manning, maintenance and fuel
consumption. Refurbishing older
tonnage can no longer fulfill all of
the needs for the future. Older tugs
were designed to operate with five
to eight man crews. Depending on the trade, tugs today are being designed
to operate with anywhere from two to six crew. This is necessary, not only
as a cost savings, but because of the extreme shortage of qualified personnel. While I do not expect to see an “Unmanned Tug” in my lifetime, more
automation is required, not only in the engineroom, but on deck. When you
also take into consideration the pressure for a reduction in fuel consumption
and control of emissions; the past practice of converting old tugs to meet
the standards of today and the future may become a less attractive option,
especially for shipdocking.
5
The tugs being ordered and operated today include very diverse types, but
generally can be broken down into five categories – with, of course, some
blurring of lines between various designs and trades.
•
•
•
•
•
Harbor / Shipdocking and Terminal Escort Tugs
ATBs / ITBs
Conventional Ocean and Coastal Tugs
Anchor Handling Tugs
Salvage Tugs / ETVs / High Horsepower Ocean Towing
Harbor / Docking and Terminal Escort Tugs
Harbor / shipdocking and terminal escort tugs dominate the newbuilding
scene – both in the U.S. and abroad. Almost half the tugs on the orderbooks in the U.S. are for shipdocking and/or escort service. These are
not being built as a simple replacement of existing, older designs, but
to meet new requirements. Ever
since the Staten Island ferry
“Nautilus” supplemented her revenues moonlighting by towing sailing
ships through the Narrows in 1818,
the demand has always been for
higher horsepower, better maneuverability and lower manning. This
evolution by itself is nothing new.
Pilots have always wanted “the biggest
and the best”. The harbor tug slowly
evolved over the years from a simple single screw boat to an all-around twin
screw tug capable of coping with both shipdocking duties and traditional
routine towing jobs. The “typical” harbor tug is now expanding to a more
powerful and maneuverable boat performing a variety of roles such as escort,
firefighting, pollution control and even salvage operations in adjacent waters.
We are today experiencing a technological revolution in tractor tugs equal to
the leap made in 1950’s and 60’s from single to twin screw boats.
Most shipdocking tugs now on order are “compact” tugs under 85’ in length.
They are capable of working in the tighter environs of busy harbors and
terminals with fewer crew while still providing bollard pulls upwards of 60
tonnes or more. Investment can be high, but an incentive is the savings in
operating costs. It is a delicate balance of paying the high cost of a new tug
against potential savings, but harbor tugs operate in a competitive market.
They are always fighting a downwards pressure on rates from shipowners.
6
New construction may be the only way a tug owner in a modern port can
provide the necessary services, achieve the reduction in operating cost to
remain competitive and hold onto their market share. Two new sophisticated “compact” tractor tugs can now do a job that might have taken four or five
tugs in the past. The one new tug will be more expensive, but it can operate
with crew costs that are less than half of a two conventional tug operation
plus fuel and other expenses are also reduced.
ATBs
Orders for new ATBs are growing. “Push tugs” and barges are now used
worldwide in such countries as Sweden, Denmark, Japan and Brazil for
various bulk dry and liquid cargoes, but by far the largest fleet of ITBs and
ATBs operating and under construction is in the United States. There
are approximately 23 new ATB tugs under construction in the U.S., most
married to double-skin OPA’90 ocean tank barges. In addition to these
newbuildings are a few conventional tugs, such as K-Sea Transportation’s
6,500HP “Barents Sea” (ex-“Pete”), being converted from other services. I
am not here to sell you on the efficiencies of ATBs compared to towing
on the wire, but as long as there is a need for large dry bulk and petroleum
barges, ATB conversion and construction will continue.
Conventional Coastal and Ocean Tugs
In comparison, the mid-horsepower range conventional coastal and ocean
towing market is one sector where we have not seen much new construction
in the United States. Only an approximate 8% of the tugs on order in the
U.S. are conventional ocean and coastal hawser tugs, although construction
of this type in Southeast Asia is strong. More sales of second-hand tugs
worldwide take place in this market sector than any other, as Buyers usually have a little more flexibility in their requirements than in other trades.
While there is a strong demand in the U.S. for conventional and ocean
tugs, most operators still find revenues may not warrant the cost of new
construction. Four notable exceptions are Sause Bros., Dann Marine
Towing, Western Towboat and Foss
Maritime. Marcon sees a continued
shortage in traditional coastal and
ocean going tugs over the next few
years. As older conventional tugs
working single skin petroleum
barges or docking ships are replaced by higher horsepower ATBs, ASDs, or
tractor tugs, many will be recycled to conventional coastal towing.
U.S. Shipbuilding Contracts as
of 1 Jan. 2007
Large Tank
Barges
Tugs
2007
23
23
2008
12
18
2009
4
7
2010
2
5
2011
0
0
2012
0
0
Total
41
53
* includes options and estimated deliveries
Credit: Colton Co.
7
The barge market is one indicator which can point to future trends for
conventional coastal and ocean tugs. Like the tug market, the U.S. market
for second-hand flat deck and similar type barges is tight. There are many
more potential buyers of barges than sellers in the market and new barge
construction is only recently starting to pick up in the United States. Like
conventional tugs, ocean flat deck barges are a major portion of production
for shipyards in Southeast Asia and China.
The majority of ocean deck barges now for
sale by Marcon are located in Southeast
Asia.
Anchor Handling Tugs
Anchor handling tugs are in demand overseas and are regularly being built
in China, Southeast Asia, India and Germany up to 18,000HP. With the
exception of Harvey Gulf International, most U.S. operators are building
straight supply or anchor handling tug supply vessels instead of anchor
handling tugs.
Salvage Tugs / ETVs / High Horsepower Ocean Tugs
The 1970’s were the “heyday” for big ocean salvage tugs. From 1976 to 1978,
twenty-eight powerful tugs over 10,000IHP were built for such renowned
names in the industry as United Towing, ITC, Safmarine, Fukada, Wijs
muller, Bugsier, Smit, Svitzer, Petrobras, Tokyo Marine and Les Abeilles.
A reduction of casualties in the 1980’s, competition from non-dedicated
resources such as anchor handling tug suppliers and falling earnings led to
lean times. Many salvage tugs were sold off to second-tier operators or even
scrapped. The traditional concept of commercial tugs standing by salvage
stations was revitalized in the 1990’s in a slightly different form throughout the U.K. and Europe because of environmental concerns at critical
geographical areas. This created
a market for dedicated large, high
horsepower ocean rescue / salvage
tugs or Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs) equipped to carry out
year-round rescue towing and first
response activities from the English
Channel to the Great Barrier Reef.
New dedicated rescue tugs are being built throughout the world. We at
Marcon welcome this revitalization. The first step in preventing oil pollution is to keep the oil in the ship and a strong towing and salvage industry is
necessary.
In December 2006, the U.K. Maritime and
Coastguard Agency renewed their contract
with Klyne Tugs Ltd. of Lowestoft to supply
four ETVs which are on stand-by 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year to respond to shipping
incidents in their area. Two are based in the
English Channel, at Falmouth and Dover to
cover the South West approaches and the
Dover Straits respectively. “Anglian Monarch”
at Dover is jointly funded and operated with
the French Government. Two are based at
Stornoway and Shetland Islands.
Another surprising trend occurred as companies providing long distance
ocean wet-tow of high-value barges, vessels and structures found a “silver
lining” in the cloud over the rest of our heads of high oil and gas prices. The
“death” of the high-horsepower ocean tug which was written about almost
8
as an obituary in various trade journals fifteen years ago has proven to be
greatly exaggerated. Old fleets have since juggled around under new
ownership; operators like International Transport Contractors (ITC)
brought tugs into this service from other trades, and Fairmount Marine B.V.
and Semco Pte. Ltd. recently built a series of high horsepower ocean tugs.
The latest list of U.S. commercial tug shipbuilding contracts from
“MarineLog” and Colton includes 63 tugs on order, more than double the 29
tugs in April 2006. The majority are over 5,000HP with approximately half
scheduled for delivery by the end of 2007. It remains to be seen whether all
options will be exercised, or if the tugs are delivered within that time-frame.
Regardless, it is obvious that we have an impressive flurry of newbuildings.
Looking at the global market, according to “Fairplay” a total of 493 tugs over
299 GRT are under construction through 2010 from Argentina to Vietnam
(including the U.S.) - up from 455 the first of this year and up from 379
in October 2006. These numbers probably reflect only 75% of the actual
number of tugs being built due to the GRT cut-off. The Netherlands still
leads “Fairplay’s” list with a total of 102 tugs under construction, up from 96
in January. They are followed by People’s Republic of China and Malaysia
each with 65 tugs under construction, the U.S. with 45, Spain 44, Turkey
41, Singapore 29, Indonesia 27, Egypt 12, Italy and India tying with 7 each,
Germany 6, U.A.E. 5, Philippines 5, Canada and Chile two each and Argentina, Iran, South Korea, Norway, Peru, Poland and U.K. one each.
Worldwide Tugs on Order Over 299GRT
Delivery Dates Worldwide Orderbook
Credit: Fairplay New Buildings Online 04/07
Most are in the 3,000 – 4,000HP category, with the majority scheduled to
be delivered within the next 12 months.
Summary of Tug Horsepower – Worldwide Tug Orderbook Over 299GRT
Under
1000
1,000
- 1,999
2,000
- 2,999
3,000
- 3,999
4,000
- 4,999
5,000
- 5,999
6,000
- 6,999
7,000
- 7,999
8000
- 8999
9,000
- 9,999
Over
10,000
Not
Known
Total
13
60
78
132
47
25
3
6
2
2
9
116
493
9
Newbuilding Tug Prices
Newbuilding costs for new tugs and barges continue to rise. Shipyards
report higher costs for machinery as suppliers absorb higher manufacturing costs. One overseas shipyard advised that their cost for thrusters and
winches will be increased by 15% for 2008 deliveries compared to 2007 and
that CAT diesels will be up about
9%. Another tug operator also
reports newbuilding prices up 20%
with much of the added cost traced
back to major component vendors
such as, but not limited to engines,
thrusters, winches, etc. As backlogs grow and open building slots
become a premium, the shipyards
themselves recognize and take advantage of the tightening market. It is the
old formula of supply and demand. Money talks. If you want a “relatively
prompt” delivery, you may have to pay substantially higher than if you are
able and willing to wait for three or four years for your vessel or barge.
Higher shipbuilding costs are a fact of life that are not going to change in
the near future. In 2004, Marcon sold a new ocean deck barge built overseas
in the mid $3 million range. In 2005 the sister-barge was priced at $4.75
million. The 2006 sister-barge is now on the market for $8 million. We are
still waiting for the price of a fourth barge in the series which will be ready
for delivery in October or November of this year.
“North American Steel Markets Monthly” published by American Metal
Market Research reports that although faced by high inventories and slipping steel prices in late 2006, domestic steel plate in the U.S. still increased
1.3% to $800-820 per tons over the year-to-date, while imported steel plate
increased 10.6% to $790 per ton over the same time period. Mills are looking to further increase prices with Nucor raising prices in March by $20/
ton. Plate orders have been high, not only for high-quality grades for oil and
gas industries, but also for general infrastructure, heavy equipment, railway
rolling stock, barges and vessels. Although there are periodic corrections
with every market, the underlying demand for steel remains robust.
Raw materials used to manufacture coatings
have risen significantly. The record rise in the
price of copper forced International Paint to
apply a surcharge of US$ 250 per liter for
copper-based antifouling products after
prices climbed from US$ 4,000 per metric
ton to over US$ 8,500/mt in May 2006. In
May 2007 copper was trading at US$8,224/
mt for a cash buyer. Zinc, used extensively
in anticorrosive primers, increased in price
by over 50% in 2005. While trading at US$
2,390/mt in March 2006 it further increased
to $4,294/mt as of May 2007.
Second-Hand Vessels - The Past Affects Today
With all the current newbuilding activity, why do we still have an average
U.S. fleet age of around 34 to 36 years? Up until the 1980’s many owners
regularly put their equipment on the market for sale as it reached 15 – 20
years of age and replaced it with newer or new built tugs. This created a
fairly regular cycle of renewing towing and OSV fleets. The over optimistic
forecasts though in the 1970’s created a construction boom that resulted
in an overabundance of tugs, OSVs and barges in the United States and
10
abroad. The bottom dropped out of the market. Too many vessels were
chasing too few jobs. Owners started undercutting each other to keep their
boats working – at times earning less than it cost to operate the vessel.
Second-hand laid up tugs were sold by banks, owners or the U.S. Maritime
Administration for sometimes less than 30 cents on the dollar. I still periodically look at some of the prices tugs were sold for in the mid-80’s and
just shake my head. As a result of this downturn, the building of new tugs
and fleet replacement came to a virtual stand-still. In the U.S. from 1975
through 1982 we built an average of 59 harbor, anchor handling, integrated
and conventional ocean tugs per year – plus probably close to 150 inland
river towboats and smaller tugs. This peaked in 1981 when over 400 towing
vessels of various types were built.
1,126 vessels or 26.4% of the U.S. tug and
towboat fleet that was built in the four years
between 1979 and 1982 still operate today.
392 of those were built in 1981 alone.
The number of ocean tugs constructed in the U.S. dropped to 22 in 1983
with only 7 built in 1984. There was no demand, so there was no need for
a supply of newbuilding vessels and barges. Construction of tugs in the
U.S. remained at this low level up until about 1989-90 when 14 tugs were
on order as of January 1990. Foreign operators also went through a similar,
although, not as dramatic, downturn.
U.S. Fleet Number of Tugs/Towboats by Year Built
Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Database 03/07
The lingering effect of that “boom and bust” time continues to ripple through
our maritime industry today. As the market started improving in the late
1980’s and early 90’s there was no ready source of tugs to expand the fleet,
replace older tonnage, and replace those vessels either lost or sold abroad.
Due to the Jones Act, we cannot import foreign built tugs like many countries. Although charter rates and revenues improved from the 1980’s slump,
owner confidence and day rates remained below the levels required to justify
most newbuildings. As the market improved, instead of building new tugs,
older vessels were repowered or refurbished and put into service, even
11
converting some older single screw ex-Coast Guard and Navy tugs to twin
screw and developing “combi-tugs” by fitting single screw boats with high
horsepower azimuthing bow thrusters or azimuthing stern drives. This need
to rebuild older vessels to fulfill the demand for boats is the main reason why
the U.S. sea-going tug fleet is ten years older than worldwide average fleet of
twenty-four years. Age though does not necessarily reflect the quality of the
fleet. Many U.S. tugs have been rebuilt and repowered several times during
their long lifetime as requirements changed for higher horsepower, more
maneuverability, lower emissions or alternate trades.
25 Largest Sea-Going Tug Fleets According to
HP Sorted By Age
Avg.
Age
8
Flag
Singapore
1,371,404
% Worldwide Fleet
4.88%
No.
Tugs
602
% Worldwide Fleet
5.12%
Avg.
BHP
2,278
570,515
2.03%
302
2.57%
1,889
Total BHP
12
Malaysia
17
Indonesia
1,772,099
6.30%
1,156
9.83%
1,533
18
Japan
2,389,280
8.50%
880
7.48%
2.715
18
India
571,467
2.03%
246
2.09%
2,323
20
U.A.E.
334,083
1.19%
129
1,10%
2,590
20
St. Vincent
329,721
1.17%
118
1.00%
2,794
21
Saudi Arabia
374,965
1.33%
128
1.09%
2,929
22
South Korea
942,255
3.35%
376
3.20%
2,506
22
Australia
453,139
1.61%
154
1.31%
2,942
22
Turkey
319,782
1.14%
143
1.22%
2,236
23
Netherlands
326,162
1.16%
126
1.07%
2,589
24
Russia
738,812
2.63%
301
2.56%
2,455
24
China (PRC)
737,313
2.62%
241
2.05%
3,059
24
U.K.
623,672
2.22%
235
2.00%
2,654
24
Spain
507,654
1.81%
192
1.63%
2,644
24
Mexico
408,856
1.45%
137
1.16%
2,984
27
Italy
810,530
2.88%
306
2.60%
2,649
27
Venezuela
275,278
0.98%
143
1.22%
1,925
27
Iran
269,525
0.96%
140
1.19%
1,925
28
Egypt
282,868
1.01%
116
0.99%
2,439
29
Panama
950,706
3,38%
299
2.54%
3,180
34
United States
4,139,738
14.72%
1,425
12.12%
2,905
38
Canada
462,247
1.64%
188
1.60%
2,459
39
Brazil
356,108
1.27%
135
1.15%
2,638
24
Worldwide
28,116,599
100.00%
11,760
100.00%
2,391
12
This lack of regular newbuildings over the years created a situation where
there are few willing sellers of good marketable second-hand tugs today.
Suitable candidates for refurbishing are even scarce. Many owners will now
only consider selling a tug provided they can earn a premium. Prices for
second-hand vessels soared and motivated Buyers today must pay two or
maybe three times what a similar tug sold for five years ago. In past “Tug
Market Reports”, Marcon was able to state that average “official” asking prices
for various horsepower ranges had, for example, risen 5%, fallen 13% or
stayed flat. We can no longer do that with any reliability, as most of today’s
sellers are not interested in posting official prices. Some Owners, while
inviting “best offers” now only “float” a number out there for us to indicate
“as brokers only”, but not as an official number to be published. With most
listings we can now only give “indications” and “price guidance” while Owners
hide their numbers behind a broker’s shield. We actually recommend this
to many Owners when listing equipment for sale in volatile and especially
upward trending markets. It is always difficult to increase a published price
if a particular market sector has a further upswing or if a Seller ends up with
two or more Buyers in a rare “bidding war”.
Marcon currently has 25 tugs listed worldwide between 4,000 and 5,000BHP with
only two official prices quoted. Of 61 tugs
for sale between 3,000BHP and 4,000BHP
only four have official quoted prices.
I tried to develop meaningful figures for this Conference to compare dollars
per horsepower paid for all of the tugs sold by Marcon since 2000, without
giving away actual prices and confidential information. After looking at
the spreadsheets, I found, as expected, that not only were we dealing with
“apples and oranges”, but we were also probably throwing in a few “bananas
and cherries” into the mix with single and twin screw boats, foreign and U.S.
flags, different ages, different Owner’s circumstances and obviously varying conditions. Even with all this mix, we still can see a trend. Buyers are
definitely paying more for their horsepower.
Marcon Average Tug Sale Price per BHP
Actual Sales
Price / BHP
Average
Age
2000
$352
33
2001
222
37
2002
202
36
2003
296
33
2004
372
30
2005
340
36
2006
502
36
2007
502
29
I believe we have reached or are very close to reaching the plateau on prices
for second-hand tugs, in both domestic and international markets.
13
Fuel Costs
The cost of fuel is a critical factor in shaping the towing industry of the
future. Just as we all endure daily at the gas pump, the price of marine diesel
is also up. In January 2000, the price of marine diesel in Houston was US$
217.50 per metric ton, peaking in October 2005 at over three-times that
level at US$ 687.67 per metric ton. As of 30th April the price for MDO
was US$ 560 per metric ton. Operators in Rotterdam who were used to
paying US$ 200 per ton at the beginning of 2000 now have to dig deep into
their pockets, paying by the end of April US$ 529.50 per ton.
Historic Bunker Prices (MDO)
The highest price now being paid, according
to Bunkerworld, is US$ 620/mt at Fujairah
in the Arabian Gulf.
Credit: www.bunkerworld.com
In the United States, Kirby Corp. of Houston, TX paid an average of US$
0.58 per gallon for diesel during the first quarter of 2002. This peaked the
third quarter of 2006 at US$ 2.08 per gallon, slipping to $1.71 per gallon
of fuel consumed for the first quarter of 2007. The cost of fuel in the future
is not expected to improve and is something we are going to have to live
with. One European operator commented that fuel costs are killing many
medium to long towages for MDO/MGO burning tugs and in fact only
the offshore market seems willing to pay these exorbitant consumable costs.
Keep in mind that other traditional competing modes of transportation
are also affected. The same amount of fuel will still take a cargo ton much
further on the water than it will by road, rail or air. The demand for better
fuel economy will continue to be a key factor in shaping the design of tugs,
barges and diesel engines themselves over the next fifteen years.
Most U.S. rail shipments are now subject
to a mileage-based fuel surcharge, which is
indexed to the price of on-highway retail
diesel.
Kirby Marine Average Cost/Gallon Fuel
14
Manpower
People, or the lack thereof, will have a dramatic affect on the towing industry
and tug design in the future. We have an aging workforce and a critical
shortage of marine personnel. Advertisements by operators looking for
entry-level and licensed crew are in just about every marine trade journal
you pick up. Gulf Coast companies have placed “Help Wanted” billboards
alongside freeways. Training programs offered in conjunction with maritime
schools and major operators are expanding. Recruiters are even trying to
“poach” crews right off tugs just back from a run. Everyone is facing manpower issues – not just in the towing industry. This is a long-term problem
and although crew wages are rising,
the problem cannot be solved just by
throwing money at it.
Along with the population as a
whole, the U.S. labor force is getting
older. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the median age of the
U.S. worker next year to be nearly
41. Over 40% of the workforce will
be 45 and older in 2008 and the
number of workers 25 – 44 years old
will actually decline. By 2030, 24.2%
of the population will be 65 or older,
compared to only 15.6% in 2000.
Age is only a small part of the problem – there have always been “old
timers” in this industry. Finding skilled people to work on the boats is
getting harder. Tug companies compete with supply boat operators, drilling
companies, shipyards and others recruiting from the same shrinking manpower pool.
More certificates, licenses and training are also being required, and although
more companies and schools are helping, much of it is at the time and
expense of the seafarer. Long hours and time away from families put a strain
on relationships plus licensed personnel can also now face potential criminal
or civil liability. An incident can not only cost a Captain or a Mate his or her
license and livelihood, but also leave them open to being declared criminally
negligent or a defendant in civil lawsuit. This is not just a problem in the
United States, but worldwide.
15
Summary
Despite the challenges, the towing industry in the United States is definitely
healthy. Financially, this is seen in the day rates, utilization and revenues
reported. From a broker’s perspective, it is also apparent by the lack of
surplus tugs and barges for sale.
When discussing newbuilding tugs, Marcon is regularly asked whether this
could be the start of another “boom or bust” period as experienced in the
1970’s and 80’s. My answer, for the U.S. tug market, is “no”. Tugs under construction and on-order in the United States at this moment only represent
approximately 2-3% of the total fleet, 4-5% of our “sea-going” tugs, and 7-8%
of the total horsepower. Newbuildings will continue at a strong pace for the
near term. Demand for tugs is still greater than supply. This will eventually
level out to where the pace of newbuildings reaches a balance with those tugs
that are retired, lost or sold abroad, and new equipment required for future
business.
Buyers of second-hand equipment and owners building new tugs and barges
now pay a “premium”. The premium will continue over the next two or three
years because of shipyard backlogs and the operator’s immediate demand
for the equipment. Several owners have recently admitted paying well over
what they felt was “fair market price” for a particular tug or barge, but it was
required for projects “now”, not tomorrow, and not in two years.
Greater use of waterborne transportation represents the future for developed and developing countries to get cargo off of congested highways and
rails. Tugs and barges move more freight per mile using less fuel and with
fewer emissions than land transport. For countries to continue their growth
and simultaneously reduce “greenhouse gases”, they require a strong, innovative maritime industry. Marcon expects the U.S. tug fleet to continue to
grow in numbers and horsepower over the next decade. Now is a good time
for companies to rebuild, explore new technologies and position themselves
for the years to come.
16
Appendix A
Latest Breakdown of Current U.S. Commercial Shipbldg. Deck Barge Contracts
Shipbuilder
Location
Type
Customer
Yard # or Status
Description
Delivery
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
775
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
776
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
777
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
778
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
779
195 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
780
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
781
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
782
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
783
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
784
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
785
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
786
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
787
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
788
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
789
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
790
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
791
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
792
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
793
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
794
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
795
120 ft.
2007
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
Option
120 ft.
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
Option
120 ft.
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
Option
120 ft.
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
Option
120 ft.
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
Option
120 ft.
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
Option
120 ft.
Conrad Industries
Morgan City LA
Deck Barge
Arkhola Sand & Gravel
803
200 ft.
2007
Gunderson
Portland OR
Deck Barge
Crowley Maritime
Firm
400 ft. by 105 ft.
2007
Gunderson
Portland OR
Deck Barge
Crowley Maritime
Firm
400 ft. by 105 ft.
2007
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
366
120 ft.
2007
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
368
120 ft.
2007
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
369
120 ft.
2007
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
371
120 ft.
2007
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Deck Barge
Undisclosed
372
120 ft.
2007
US Barge
Portland OR
Deck Barge
Young Bros.
Firm
Sep ‘07
US Barge
Portland OR
Deck Barge
Young Bros.
Firm
2008
US Barge
Portland OR
Deck Barge
Young Bros.
Firm
2008
US Barge
Portland OR
Deck Barge
Young Bros.
Firm
2008
Credit: Marine Log and Colton Co.
Appendix B
Latest breakdown of Current U.S. Commercial Shipbldg. Tug Contracts
Shipbuilder
Location
Type
Customer
Yard
# or
Status
Name
Description
Price
($mm)
Delivery
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
7800
12,000 hp
2007
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
7900
12,000 hp
2008
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
8000
12,000 hp
2008
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
8015
12,000 hp
2008
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
8016
12,000 hp
2009
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
Firm
12,000 hp
2009
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
Firm
12,000 hp
2010
Bender Shipbuilding
Mobile AL
Tug
OSG America
Firm
12,000 hp
2010
Chiasson Welding
Larose LA
Tug
Brice Construction
Firm
84-ft.
2007
Eastern Shipbuilding
Panama City FL
AHT
Harvey Gulf Marine
Firm
16,500-hp
Sep ‘07
Panama City FL
Tug
Seabulk International
Firm
96 ft., 5,000 hp
2006
Panama City FL
Tug
Firm
96 ft., 5,000 hp
2007
Panama City FL
Tug
Firm
96 ft., 5,000 hp
2007
Panama City FL
Tug
Firm
96 ft., 5,000 hp
2007
Panama City FL
Tug
Firm
96 ft., 5,000 hp
2007
Panama City FL
Tug
E. N. Bisso & Son
Firm
96 ft., 4,000 hp
2007
Panama City FL
Tug
E. N. Bisso & Son
Firm
96 ft., 4,000 hp
2007
Panama City FL
ATB Tug
U. S. Shipping
Firm
3Q ‘08
Panama City FL
ATB Tug
U. S. Shipping
Firm
4Q ‘08
Erie Shipbuilding
Erie PA
Icebkr Tug
Undisclosed
130 ft.
Erie Shipbuilding
Erie PA
Icebkr Tug
Undisclosed
130 ft.
Erie Shipbuilding
Erie PA
Icebkr Tug
Undisclosed
130 ft.
Foss Shipyards
Seattle WA
Tug
AMNAV
Firm
Independence
78 ft., 5,080-hp
Mar ‘07
Foss Shipyards
Seattle WA
Tug
AMNAV
Firm
Freedom
78 ft., 5,080-hp
Sep ‘07
Foss Shipyards
Seattle WA
Tug
AMNAV
Firm
America
78 ft., 5,080-hp
Jan ‘08
Gladding-Hearn
Somerset MA
Tug
Wilmington Tug
Firm
80-ft., 4720-bhp
Jan ‘08
Lockport Fabrication
Lockport LA
Tug
Russell Plaisance
Firm
84-ft.
2007
Main Iron Works
Houma LA
Tug
Bay-Houston Towing
Firm
Wesley A
98 ft., 6,300 hp
2007
Main Iron Works
Houma LA
Tug
Suderman & Young
Firm
Thor
98 ft., 6,300 hp
2007
Main Iron Works
Houma LA
Tug
Bisso Towboat
Firm
100 ft., 4,300 hp
Late ‘07
Martinac Shipbuilding
Tacoma WA
Tug
Sause Bros.
Firm
Mikiona
3,750-hp
Dec ‘06
Tacoma WA
Tug
Sause Bros.
Firm
Cochise
3,750-hp
Mar ‘07
Tacoma WA
Tug
Signet Maritime
Firm
6,220-hp
9.0
Nov ‘07
Tacoma WA
Tug
Signet Maritime
Firm
6,220-hp
9.0
Feb ‘08
Nichols Bros.
Freeland WA
Tug
Bay Delta Marine
Firm
100 ft.
Jun ‘07
Nichols Bros.
Freeland WA
Tug
Bay Delta Marine
Firm
100 ft.
Sep ‘07
Nichols Bros.
Freeland WA
Tug
Minette Bay
152
100 ft.
Dec ‘07
Appendix B (cont.)
Shipbuilder
Location
Type
Customer
Yard
# or
Status
Name
Description
Price
($mm)
Delivery
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Tug
So. Puerto Rico Tow
383
Hector P
4,200 hp
6.0
2007
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Escort Tug
Bay-Houston Towing
391
98-ft., 7,500 hp
2008
Orange Shipbuilding
Orange TX
Escort Tug
Suderman & Young
392
98-ft., 7,500 hp
2008
Patti Shipyard
Pensacola FL
Tug
Express Marine
167
102 ft., 3,000-hp Aug ‘07
Rodriguez Shipbuild
Bayou La Batre
Tug
Dann Marine Towing
Firm
Atlantic
Coast
3,000 hp
May ‘07
Rodriguez Shipbuild
Bayou La Batre
Tug
Garber Bros. Towing
250
75 ft.
Jul ‘07
Rodriguez Shipbuild
Bayou La Batre
Tug
B. & B. Marine
252
66 ft.
Sep ‘07
Rodriguez Shipbuild
Bayou La Batre
Tug
Branko, Inc.
253
70 ft.
Sep ‘07
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Resolve
9,280 hp
1H ‘07
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Commitment
9,280 hp
2H ‘07
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Courage
9,280 hp
1H ‘08
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Integrity
9,280 hp
2H ‘08
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Pride
9,280 hp
1H ‘09
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Achievement
9,280 hp
2H ‘09
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Innovation
9,280 hp
1H ‘10
VT Halter Marine
Pascagoula MS
Tug
Crowley Marine
Firm
Vision
9,280 hp
Wahl Marine, Fred
Reedsport OR
Tug
Ruby Marine
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
ATB Tug
Moran Towing
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
ATB Tug
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
Washburn & Doughty
2H ‘10
72 ft., 1,500 hp
Apr ‘07
Firm
5,100 hp
Jun ‘07
Moran Towing
Firm
5,100 hp
May ‘08
Tug
Moran Towing
Firm
92 ft., 5,100 hp
Mar ‘08
E. Boothbay ME
Tug
Moran Towing
Firm
92 ft., 5,100 hp
Jun ‘08
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
Tug
Moran Towing
Firm
92 ft., 5,100 hp
Sep ‘08
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
Tug
Moran Towing
Firm
92 ft., 5,100 hp
Dec ‘08
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
Tug
Moran Towing
Firm
92 ft., 5,100 hp
Mar ‘09
Washburn & Doughty
E. Boothbay ME
Tug
Moran Towing
Firm
92 ft., 5,100 hp
Jun ‘09
Western Towboat
Seattle WA
Tug
Western Towboat
Firm
120 ft., 4,200 hp
2007
Credit: Marine Log and Colton Co.

Olympic Orders Two Large AHTS/construction

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