Windstar Cruises Completes Fleet Renovation
The small-ship luxury cruise line finishes its US$18million refurbishment program on all three of its sailing yachts. With the completion of Wind Spirit's dry dock Windstar Cruises' $18 million fleet-wide renovation project is now finished. The project, which began in December of 2011, encompassed all three sailing yachts in a stem-to-stern renovation that enhanced public spaces, dining venues, staterooms and suites, as well as new sails.
South China Sea Energy Exploration by Chevron
Chevron Corporation's China subsidiary signs production sharing contracts for exploration blocks in the Pearl River Estuary, South China Sea. Chevron's agreement…
Cruise Ship Internet Access Contract for O3b
O3b Networks contracted by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, to provide high-speed satellite-delivered broadband service aboard 'Allure of the Seas'. The new contract will allow more than 8,000 guests, staff and crew members traveling the Caribbean to connect to the internet at fiber-like speeds at sea. Royal Caribbean was the first to enlist O3b’s new maritime offering O3bMaritime aboard, Allure of the Seas’ sister ship, Oasis of the Seas when they signed a contract last summer.
Nuclear-powered Icebreaker to Bow Out
Russian icebreaker 'Rossiya' leaves Murmansk for the Gulf of Finland on probably her final voyage. Rossiya has sailed on the Northern Sea Route for nearly 30 years. It is still uncertain when she will be laid up and what will happen to the vessel afterwards. Rossiya was taken into service in 1985, as the world’s fourth nuclear-powered icebreaker. In 1990 she became the first Soviet vessel to take foreign tourists to the North Pole.
New Class of Compact Tugboats Turning Heads
Originally conceived as a training vessel, the Robert Allan designed BRAtt has developed into a class of small but tough workboats. Adrenalin Marine Ltd. of Delta, B.C. was chosen as the licensed builder for all BRAtts in North America and to date has built three of these innovative new vessels. The BRAtt is not only a very cost-effective tug for training, but an ultra-compact workboat which can operate in small ports and perform specialized functions such as ship-handling…
Piracy Dropped to a 5-year Global Low in 2012
Piracy on the world's seas at a five-year low, with 297 ships attacked in 2012, compared with 439 in 2011, according to the ICC global piracy report. Worldwide figures…
Dean Corgey to Serve on Port of Houston Commission
Houston City Council appoints Dean Corgey, V-P of the Seafarers International Union Gulf Coast Region, to serve as member of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Corgey's appointment fills the seat previously held by Janiece Longoria, who was named Port Commission Chairman January 8 during a joint session of the Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court. She had served as the city appointee to the commission since 2002.
MSC Develops Business in French Port
MSC develops business with terminal operators Haropa, in the Port of Le Havre. with the launch of 3 new container feeder shipping services. MSC will start a significant phase of business development at their new terminal in the port of Le Havre, by receiving the first vessel for three new feeder services. By the end of January, 2013, MSC will offer three new weekly feeder services via Le Havre. Operated by vessels of a unit capacity of 1…
FPSO Mooring Inspection Contract for Welaptega
Welaptega Marine awarded contract for a mooring inspection & fitness for purpose evaluation on 'Dhirubhai-1' floating production storage & offloading (FPSO) vessel.
SD Extends Range of Naval Ship Models
California-based SD Model Makers announce the expansion of their made-to-order, museum quality, naval warship model offerings. The company offers made-to-order, museum quality, replica models of any modern naval warship, including aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, patrol craft, submarines and more. From historical warships like the first United States Navy's aircraft carrier -- the USS Langley…
Hydrex Offers Swift Underwater Thruster Work
Hydrex divers are able to keep ships out of drydock with a wide range of repair & maintenance work on all tyrpes of thrusters. Hydrex say they can assist shipowners with almost any problem they encounter with their vessel’s thrusters. A wide range of repair or maintenance work can be carried out to all types of thrusters. An entire unit can be overhauled, propeller blades or seals can be replaced or…
Bulk Ship-Loader Added at S. Africa Terminal
A R140-million, general bulk ship-loader installed at Richards Bay in Transnet Port Terminal’s (TPT) R33-billion Market Demand Strategy (MDS) investment programme. Custom-built to complement the terminal’s operational envelope, the loader was designed in Austria and built in China, however South African engineering company SANDVIK has managed its entire procurement. The loader's capacity is a guaranteed 2500 tons per hour (tph) at a bulk density of 1.9 tons per cubic meter (t/m3).
Mariner Awarded Major Port Everglades Contract
Mariner Selected to Provide Advanced Maritime Situation Management System at Port Everglades, Florida . The Mariner Group, LLC, (Mariner) announced today that it…
NOIA Reacts to Salazar's Pending Departure
NOIA President Randall Luthi Comments on Pending Departure of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. “On behalf of the National Ocean Industries Association, I thank Secretary…
UKHO launches 2013 Digital Integration Workshop
The UK Hydrographic Office has unveiled the first dates of 2013 for its renowned Digital Integration Workshops, the first of which will take place in Limassol, Cyprus on 31 January.
American Equity Underwriters Honors Signet Shipbuilding & Repair
On Thursday, November 1, 2012, American Equity Underwriters (AEU) presented Signet Shipbuilding & Repair (SS&R) with their 2011 Safety & Health Best Shipyard Award. The award recognizes the shipyard that is superior among all other shipyards in terms of claim frequency and severity performance among all AEU members. Signet received recognition within the small shipyard category and credits the achievement to making safety a priority at every organizational level.
Fourth Online ECDIS Familiarization Course Released
Following the release of the third online course, Hamburg-based online training specialist, Safebridge, has now released its ECDIS familiarization training package for the Transas Navi-Sailor 4000.
GE to Provide MTU with LM2500 Gas Turbine
GE Marine reports that it will provide MTU Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany, with one LM2500 gas turbine for the German Navy’s fourth Baden-Württemberg-class (F125) frigate. For each new F125 frigate, MTU will provide the German Navy with one LM2500 gas turbine, two electric motors and four diesel generator-sets in combined diesel-electric and gas turbine propulsion arrangement. The keel for the first F125 frigate was laid in November 2011 at the Blohm +Voss shipyard in Hamburg.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 61.6 million tons in 2012, a slight improvement over 2011. The increase, 245,000 tons, is equal to about four cargos in a 1,000-foot-long vessel operating at current drafts which are significantly reduced by the dredging crisis and falling water levels. If a vessel that size was able to load to depths available when the Lakes were at near record highs in 1997, it could carry that much cargo in 3.4 trips. Shipments from U.S.
Navis Engineering Delivers DP System for Viking Grace
Finland-headquartered DP manufacturer Navis Engineering has delivered its dynamic positioning system for the innovative cruise ferry Viking Grace. The 214-m long Viking Grace, delivered to her owner Viking Lines by the Turku-located STX Europe shipyard on January 10, 2013, is said to be one of the most environmentally-friendly ships built. It is the first large scale passenger ferry to be powered by liquefied natural gas, which reduces emissions significantly.
