The Maritime Association of Shipowners Shipmanagers and Agents (MASSA) is a non-profit making body of Shipowners, Shipmanagers and their Agents, registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and is based in Mumbai. Members include companies which have a long association with Indian Manning and are identified as traditional employers of Indian Officers and Ratings. MASSA is an independent organization which enjoys an excellent rapport and working relationship with the Government of India, Indian Shipowners and allied shipping interests, the National Union of Seafarers of India, Forward Seamen’s Union of India and the Maritime Union of India. MASSA is represented in various Statuatory bodies in the shipping industry. MASSA has formed a Trust named Maritime Training And Research Foundation (MTRF) which has been setup by MASSA Members to receive employers contribution and disperse the same as required towards Maritime Training to the new cadets who wish to make carrier in the Shipping Industry. MTRF has two Institutes namely MASSA Maritime Academy (MMA) at C.B.D. Belapur, Navi Mumbai, and MASSA Interface Maritime Academy (MIMA) at Chennai. MASSA sails on... Somali pirates release MV Suez, 6 Indians freed New Delhi: Somali pirates on Monday released MV Suez after almost 10 months of hijacking the vessel and all members on board. Twenty two hostages, including six Indians and four Pakistani sailor, have been released. The Indian Navy is said to be coordinating for the safe escort of MV Suez. Reports say that the ship is likely to be taken to Egypt as the ship's owner is from Egypt. The government is trying to get help to escort the ship as it may face problems. The pirates had taken the crew members, including Egyptians and a Sri Lankan, hostage after capturing the vessel MV Suez in 2010 and demanded $ 2.1 million for their release. The ship belongs to an Egyptian company. The freed Pakistani captain of the ship, Mohammad Wasi, told Geo News channel on phone that all the hostages had been freed. "I am very happy as my release is like a new life for me," he said. The Somali pirates had threatened the hostages on at least four occasions that they would be killed if the ransom was not paid, Wasi said. The pirates had given several deadlines and extended them as they were told that the money was being arranged. Wasi said 40 to 50 armed pirates would always guard the hostages, who were given only rice and pulses over the past 10 months. "The pirates would give us whatever was left after they ate," he said. The hostages had stored rain water and had been drinking that while they were being held on the ship. The freed hostages include six Indian, four Pakistanis, 11 Egyptians and one Sri Lankan, Wasi said. Most of the hostages are sick, he added. =================================================== Huge ship grounded off Bandra Bandstand MUMBAI: The city's iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link had a close shave on Saturday evening. A huge cargo ship—as big as INS Viraat or INS Vikrant— grounded just three km off the Taj Lands End, or the Bandra end of the sea link, at 8 pm, after drifting close to the mega structure. The 175-metre-long cargo ship, Wisdom, was being tugged by a sea bulk plover (ship used to tug vessels) and was on its way to the Alang scrapyard in Surat from Colombo. However, because of the rough weather, the rope holding the ships together got detached and Wisdom began drifting towards Mumbai at 1pm. The plover, however, continued to head towards Surat. The port authorities were immediately informed about Wisdom, which did not have any crew members, gradually moving towards the west coast of Mumbai. In fact, at around 5pm, the ship was visible from the sea link. As the cargo ship, Wisdom, began drifting towards the Bandra-Worli Sea Link on Saturday, the state police and Coast Guard were alerted and the movement of the vessel was constantly monitored. According to Coast Guard officials, the wind was blowing in the direction of the sea link and there was a possibility of the ship hitting the structure. Soon, the Coast Guard's patrol ship, ICGS Sankalp, was diverted towards Wisdom and a Dornier aircraft too was launched to monitor the situation. Also, all other state agencies were put on high alert to prepare for any eventuality, including the the vessel running aground or crashing into the sea link. However, thanks to the strong north easternly wind and water current, the ship began drifting off the Worli coast and moving towards Bandra and Khar. Around 8 pm, the vessel finally grounded 3 km from Taj Lands End. According to experts, had the vessel hit the sea link, it would have damaged the pillars and the viaduct. However, they also said the sea link's construction was such that it would have only caused minimum damage. Nevertheless, the state administration had prepared itself to close the sea link had the vessel come dangerously close to it. DCP Nandkumar Chaugule said they also received orders to stop traffic on the sea link in case the vessel came too close to the iconic structure for comfort. ================================================== SCI chairman calls for tougher response to piracy. INDIA’s largest shipowner has applauded the Indian navy’s approach to combating piracy following the return to Mumbai of eight Indian crew members from the released bulker Asphalt Venture.Shipping Corporation of India chairman and managing director Sabyasachi Hajara told Lloyd’s. =================================================== Indian Navy’s muscular approach could drive pirates to Malacca. IS THE late arrival by the Indian Navy in combating Somali pirates set to cause an even greater problem for the estimated 100,000 ship transits which take place in the 1m sq miles south of India, east of Maldives and south of Sri Lanka every year?As the shipping industry prepares to meet. =================================================== Eight Indian crew-members of hijacked ship return to Mumbai. Captain Ramesh Singh and seven sailors were released on April 15 by the pirates after reaching a deal with the owners of the vessel, which involved payment of an undisclosed ransom amount. However, the pirates -- who were supposed to release all the 15 crew members -- allegedly backtracked and took seven crew members, including six officers, on-shore to Somalia. The ship was released by the pirates. Those released waited on the vessel for their colleagues for a while before being escorted safely to the Kenyan port of Mombasa on April 28 with the help of Indian Navy, as staying in pirates-infested waters was not safe. After a couple of days of rest, they flew to Mumbai in the wee hours today, a representative of the shipping company told PTI over phone. "It is a wonderful feeling to be back home (and) to be reunited with our families...we remain deeply concerned that seven of our colleagues and friends remain in the hands of the criminal gang," Captain Singh was quoted as saying in an e-mailed statement. In the statement, Singh declined to give more details, saying he did not want to do anything which could compromise the safety of the remaining seven seamen. The pirates backtracked and did not release the entire crew demanding the release of their acquaintances, who were arrested by Indian authorities on suspicion of indulging in piracy in the country's waters. ===================================================== Maersk drives home clean shipping message. MAERSK’S announcement of what may turn out to be the world’s biggest shipbuilding order was a stunning public relations success. Instead of the usual low-key statement from the shipyard or shipowner with only sketchy contract terms divulged, the Danish shipping. ========================================================= Car carrier shortage looms as Japan production shrinks. CAR carrier lines are warning that stocks of finished vehicles in Japan have run out this week as carmakers continue to operate at reduced production levels and part suppliers stop manufacturing, leaving vessels arriving in Asia with nothing to load. ===================================================== Samho Shipping files for court protection. SAMHO Shipping, a Korean chemical tanker operator, has filed for court protection against creditors in a local court in Busan, where it the company is based.Samho, which owns 12 chemical tankers and one very large crude carrier. ======================================================= Danish chemtanker owners to merge. DANISH chemical tanker owners Uni-Tankers and Erria are in negotiations over merging their tanker operations to create a new jointly owned company.In an announcement to the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, Erria said that between now and August 1 the companies would examine the benefits. =========================================================== Released sailors refuse to return till colleagues freed MUMBAI: The eight Indian sailors released from the captivity of Somali pirates have refused to return to India until their remaining seven colleagues are also released, an official said here Sunday. "They have decided to express solidarity with their remaining seven colleagues and demanded that they should also be released simultaneously," National Union of Seafarers of India general secretary A.G. Serang told IANS. Terming it as a "rare act of courage," Serang urged for renewed efforts by Indian and international agencies to secure release of all the hostages, including Indians, in captivity of the pirates. High-ranking sources at the Directorate-General of Shipping ( DGS )) here said that they had no information about the current status of the hostage crisis involving Indian sailors and Somali pirates. An Indian Navy official said that a vessel is giving cover to the pirate vessel where the hostages are being held at a Somali port to ensure that there is no "re-hijack" of the Indian sailors. ====================================================== Somali pirates keep Indian hostages after ransom MOGADISHU, SOMALIA: In a move that could change the pirate-hostage equation, Somali pirates on Friday took in a multimillion dollar ransom, then released the ship and some of the crew but kept all the Indian crew members as hostages. A pirate said that the Indian crew members' hostage ordeal is being prolonged in retaliation for the arrests of more than 100 Somali pirates by the Indian Navy. "We decided to keep them because India is holding our colleagues," a pirate, Hassan Farah, said. "We released the other crew members who sailed away from our coast. We will keep these Indians until the Indians release our colleagues." Farah said the pirates in the stronghold of Haradhere have taken that collective decision. The Indian hostages are to be moved to land. A multimillion dollar ransom was paid for the ship Asphalt Venture, whose ownership is located in Mumbai, India. Pirates are receiving an average of USD 5 million to release ships and crew, and a ransom in that ballpark was believed to have been paid on Friday. It wasn't immediately clear how many of the 15 crew members aboard the Asphalt Venture were Indian. The ship was hijacked in late September. This pirate action marks a major departure from the standard pirate business model of release-for-ransom and could complicate international military efforts against the piracy trade. Earlier this year pirates killed four American hostages while US Navy warships were shadowing the hijacked yacht, the first time pirates had done that. The Indian navy has seized around 120 pirates, mostly from Somalia, over the past few months. Last month the Indian navy captured 61 pirates when they attacked a naval ship. Indian warships have been escorting merchant ships as part of international anti-piracy surveillance in the Indian Ocean area since 2008. Piracy has long plagued the shipping industry off East Africa, but violence has escalated in recent months. Pirates held some 30 ships and more than 600 hostages. ===================================================== Value of Danish fleet orderbook hits $12bn. Ship Operations DANISH shipowners have an orderbook of about 211 vessels, according to figures released by the country’s shipowners’ association.The total value of the vessels is about $11.8bn, and while it includes the ten 18,000teu vessels. ======================================================== MSC launches intra-Europe service. Service connects UK and Ireland with line’s hub port of Antwerp ===================================================== Japan demand pushes up Indonesia LNG exports. Tankers Back to Lloyd's List Asia INDONESIA’S exports of liquefied natural gas to Japan in March rose 7.7% above the monthly average, writes Hal Brown. Indonesia’s exports to Japan rose to over 2.6m cu m, compared with Indonesia’s monthly export average to Japan over the last 12 months of 2.4m cu m. ======================================================= Sailors' families lose hope as deadline expires. New Delhi: As the deadline to pay the ransom expired on Wednesday, the fate of six Indian sailors onboard MV Suez, captured by Somali pirates remains uncertain. With their pleas to the Government fallen on deaf ears so far, the families of the captive sailors are losing hope. After getting little more than empty assurances, they will hold a protest in New Delhi on Thursday and will march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament. The Opposition is also putting pressure on the Government. The BJP demanded answers from the Government and walked out of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj will take families of the kidnapped sailors to the Speaker on Thursday. ===================================================== Somali pirates use captive crew to attack vessels: Hostage MOMBASA: Somali pirates forced a hostage crew to hijack vessels in exchange for freedom, a released seaman said on Tuesday, indicating a change in tactics by sea bandits plaguing the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. "The other two options — beheading the captain or a $6 million ransom — were unworkable," Kenyan Joseph Amere said as he set foot on home soil in the port city of Mombasa. Somali pirates seized the South Korean MV Golden Wave in October and deployed the fishing vessel as a mothership, a strategy that has allowed them to extend their reach as far south as Madagascar and as far east as a few hundred miles off India. Amere, who had acted as the crew's chief negotiator with pirate bosses, said they had been illegally trawling for crabs off the shores of Somalia, a country mired in conflict and awash with weapons since the 1991 fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. The 43-strong crew, which included two Chinese and two South Korean nationals, had been forced to launch 17 raids on ships plying the busy waterways between east Africa and the Seychelles archipelago, he said. It was not possible to verify the reports. Pirates last week hijacked a U.S.-bound supertanker carrying crude oil worth about $200 million, one of the most valuable cargoes seized. The tanker industry said the Irene SL hijacking marked a significant shift in the impact of the piracy crisis which was spiralling out of control in the Indian Ocean. Pirate gangs are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, and despite successful efforts to quell attacks in the Gulf of Aden, international navies have struggled to contain piracy in the Indian Ocean owing to the vast distances involved. "It was a horrifying experience, constantly under guard and endangering our lives to hijack ships," said Amere, recounting how the crew had been forced to scale up the side of lurching bulk carriers and use weapons to commandeer vessels. "We were hapless and the Somali pirates used our numbers to their advantage." The Golden Wave was freed earlier this month. It was not clear if a ransom was eventually paid. ======================================================= Somali pirates hijack ship with 23 crew, including 10 Indians NAIROBI: Somali pirates hijacked a ship with 23 crew, including 10 Indians and a Danish warship freed a hijacked Yemeni fishing vessel that had been held for nearly a year, maritime authorities said on Sunday. The Maltese-flagged bulk carrier MV Sinin had 13 Iranians and 10 Indians onboard when it came under attack Saturday, the European Union Naval Force said.- The Times of India ================================================== Somali pirates arrested in South Korea SEOUL: Five Somali pirates were arrested on Sunday to be questioned over the hijacking of a South Korean chemical ship in the Arabian Sea and attempting a murder of the carrier's captain, local media reported. South Korea's navy rescued all 21 crew members aboard the chemical carrier Samho Jewelry on January 21 and captured the five pirates alive. Eight other pirates were killed. The five pirates, who the new agency said are at age between 19 and mid-20s, were flown to Busan, South Korea's southeastern port city, earlier in the day, to become the first pirates to stand trial in the country for seizing a South Korean vessel. The Busan District Court issued warrants to arrest the five pirates that the South Korean police have asked for on charges of maritime robbery and attempted murder, Yonhap news reported. Officials at the court and prosecutors' office in Busan were not immediately available for comment. They are accused of hijacking the 11,500-tonne ship this month and firing at the captain during a rescue operation by South Korea's navy. The captain of the ship was moved to a South Korean hospital for operation on Saturday and reportedly in a serious condition. The five Somali pirates have denied any wrongdoings and blamed their dead colleagues. ==================================================== Navy rescues 20 from pirates - The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard intercepted a vessel used by Somali pirates, 200 miles off Kochi in the Arabian Sea, following a joint operation. They rescued 20 fishermen from Thailand and Myanmar, held hostage on board the vessel. They also rescued 15 pirates who jumped into the sea during the operation and took them into custody. The vessel, Prantalay, belonged to Thai fishermen. It was hijacked by the pirates in April 2010. ===================================================== Somali pirates attack bulker off Mombasa. Ship Operations A BULK carrier was today attacked by Somali pirates just 10 miles northeast of Mombasa pilot station, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The vessel has not yet been named, but local media reported. ===================================================== Ship with 29 Chinese hijacked on Arabian Sea. BEIJING: A Panama-flagged freighter with 29 Chinese sailors on board has been hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the China Marine Rescue Centre (CMRC) said. CMRC received a report from the Ningbo Hongyuan Ship Management Co. Ltd at 11.26 p.m. (1526 GMT) Friday, saying the company's sailors on board the 'Yuan Xiang' were hijacked by pirates, Xinhua reported. The pirates told the company that the ship is being taken to Somalia. CMRC has so far failed to get in touch with the hijacked ship and the fate of the sailors remained unclear. The Arabian Sea, where the hijacking occurred, is not protected by the Chinese Navy fleet, CMRC said. ===================================================== Somali pirates attack three ships. Ship Operations PIRACY activity off Somalia appears to have stepped up in the last few days with several reports of successful and attempted piracy attacks. ====================================================== China’s imports of thermal coal are heading for record highs Set to hit record levels in November and December. ======================================================= Asian demand for coal drives trade. LNG capacity glut to remain until 2011 despite onset of ‘golden age for gas’ Global demand for natural gas was forecast to expand by 1.4trn cu m by 2035 to reach 4.5trn cu m. ======================================================== K Line to introduce Asia-Hawaii link. Containers KAWASAKI Kisen Kaisha has introduced a containership service that will link Asia and Honolulu, Hawaii, and will start in December, writes Liz McCarthy. ===================================================== India considers ban on all iron ore exports. Country needs increased quantities of iron ore to meet domestic demand from steel producers. ======================================================= US updates IRISL sanctions regime Friday 29 October 2010 Regulation THE US Department of the Treasury has updated its sanctions regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, by blacklisting 37 entities said to be “front companies” created to slip out of the original blacklist. ========================================================== Crew regain control of hijacked Beluga vessel. Citadel tactics leave Somali pirates unable to take control of heavylift vessel, Beluga Fortune. ======================================================== Maersk to cut Asia-Europe service. Weak volumes propel 10% capacity withdrawal ======================================================== Dynacom pays ‘knockdown’ $14.5m for older aframax tanker. Buys 1996-built aframax Morning Glory. ====================================================== Polaris linked to sale of single-hull VLCCs Conversion to VLOCs are increasingly popular as shipments to China rise. ======================================================== K Line to step in to rescue smaller owners. Carrier ready to take over newbuilding deals of Japanese lines facing financing problems. ====================================================== Pirates release six captured off Cameroon. Secret operation frees four Ukrainians, a Croatian, and a Filipino who were seized. ==================================================== Somali pirates hijack ship with 15 Indian crew: EU AP, Sep 29, 2010, 08.50pm IST NAIROBI: Somali pirates hijacked a cargo ship with 15 Indian crew on board off East Africa, the European Union naval force said on Wednesday. The Asphalt Venture lost contact with its owners on Tuesday night, said EU spokesman Lt Col Per Klingvall. He could not provide further details of the incident. The ship was carrying no cargo and was headed from Kenya to South Africa when it was attacked about 175 kilometres southeast of the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The attack is the second most southerly hijacking this year, said Dryad Maritime Intelligence, a private maritime security company. There have been four attacks off the Tanzanian coast in the past week, the company said. Somali pirates are currently holding at least 16 ships and more than 300 crew members captive for ransom. Somalia has been riven by civil war for the past 19 years. The lawlessness allows piracy to thrive off Somalia's Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coastlines because the weak UN-backed government is too busy fighting an Islamist insurgency. ==================================================== MEPC could be forced to vote on emissions. Political divisions over climate change remain roadblock to achieving consensus on key debates. ===================================================== Maersk Line rules out use of armed guards on its ships. Armed guards not the right response to tackling piracy in Somali basin. MAERSK Line has ruled out armed guards on its containerships despite concerns that not enough is being done to tackle the problem of piracy in the Somali basin. The Danish line has teamed up with Mediterranean Shipping Co and CMA CGM in the hope that their combined weight will carry greater influence in government circles. ======================================================= MSC prepared to use armed guards to protect its ships. Line may take unilateral action unless more is done to tackle piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. ======================================================== Stena protest marks start of ITF ferry campaign Ship Operations SEAFARER union activists from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Britain converged on the Stena Ferries office in Hoek van Holland in protest at controversial newspaper comments in which Stena boss Pim de Lange described UK. ===================================================== Singapore in move to become arbitration hub. Launch of its own ship sale form could pose a threat to London and New York. ======================================================= Hughes hits back at International Group critics. Describing it as a cartel is totally misguided , says Shipowners Claims Bureau. ========================================================= Ships openly allowed to carry arms in Saudi waters. Ship Operations VESSELS in Saudi Arabian waters are now openly allowed to carry weapons for self-defence against piracy, subject to certain restrictions, according to a memo from the Saudi coastguard seen by Lloyd’s List. Private security sources say that this has been happening in practice. =================================================== Plans for private piracy patrols slammed. UK firm to hire out private armed military ships in Gulf of Aden but experts warn of risks. ===================================================== Unions back use of armed guards on vessels. Ship Operations SEAFARER unions have backed the use of armed military personnel on board ships transiting piracy prone areas “where appropriate”, while at the same time reiterating their resistance to the arming of seafarers themselves.The policy brings the International Transport Workers’ Federation. ===================================================== Maersk on top after wilderness years. Internal efficiency drive puts Maersk in line for near-record full-year profits. ===================================================== Igor morphs into a Category 1 hurricane. (CNN) -- Igor is now an Atlantic Ocean hurricane and could reach significant strength by Monday, the National Hurricane Center reported Saturday night. With maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, Igor is a Category 1 hurricane and is moving west at 17 miles (28 kilometers) per hour, the center said. "Igor is expected to gather strength and become a dangerous Category 3 on Monday and may reach Category 4 strength on Tuesday or Wednesday," said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. The storm is not forecast to threaten land for at least the next five days as its center likely moves north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico, Hennen said. He added it is still too early to tell if Igor will be any threat to the United States. At 11 p.m. Saturday, Igor, the fourth hurricane of the season, was 1,275 miles (2,050 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/11/tropical.weather/index.html ====================================================== Maersk relocates inland terminals business. Container Inland Services to be amalgamated into APM Terminals. ===================================================== Australia turns away asbestos ships. Ship operators warned to check for asbestos in their vessels before trading them in Australia. ======================================================== Mumbai collision inquiry lays blame on bulker. Khalijia 3 primarily at fault in accident with MSC Chitra, according Directorate... ====================================================== Pirates get five years in prison. Seven pirates given jail sentences for attacking German navy supply ship ======================================================= Greece reinstates Ministry of Merchant Marine Cabinet reshuffle sees Louka Katseli dimissed from post ========================================================= Floating storage at lowest in 18 months as traders offload cargoes. Impact on tanker rates ‘not good’, according to Gibson analyst. ======================================================= Capesize newbuilding prices still too high. Shipowner Chih-Chien Hsu calls on yards to cut current prices by almost a third. ================================================ Warrant scheme raises $168m for Navios Acquisition VLCC swoop. Navios Maritime Acquisition meets its target to finance the purchase of a fleet of seven very large crude carriers. ==================================================== Bold conservatism of Navios tanker move. UK cadets forced to take second jobs Unions estimate up to 10% of officer cadets have to take second jobs to survive. =================================================== MSC charters reactivated Maersk boxship quartet. =================================================== Torm reduces losses in second quarter. Chief executive Jacob Meldgard points to ‘seasonality’ in the product tanker market. ===================================================== Union fears job cuts as LD Lines axes ferry route RMT demands urgent meeting over decision to pull two vessels from Dover-Boulogne route. ===================================================== India pledges to sign up to bunker pollution convention. MSC Chitra spill has focused Indian minds on how to pay for clean-up. =================================================== US approves new Jones Act feeder line American Feeder Lines’ planned coastal container service will include a series of 10 vessels of 1,300 teu ordered from two shipyards ======================================================= Ship collision: Efforts to contain oil spill in Mumbai harbour. Coast Guard fights to plug oil spill off. MUMBAI: The authorities Sunday launched efforts on a war footing to combat the oil spill from a Panaman ship which crashed into another vessel in Mumbai harbour, an official said on Sunday. The MSC Chitra had crashed into the St. Kitts-registered MV Khalijia-III on Saturday. Five Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and two helicopters have been pressed into service for checking the massive oil spill in the Mumbai harbour, around five km south of here, the official said. Besdies this, the ICG has requisitioned additional pollution control resources from Goa, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and other agencies. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Maharashtra Maritime Board are also in a state of high alert to mobilize resources for shore clean-up if required, according to the official. ====================================================== FIR registered against crew in ships collision PTI 2 hours ago An FIR has been registered against captains and crew members of both the cargo ships under relevant sections of IPC and Environment Protection Act, police said. ====================================================== Major oil spill fears as ships collide off Mumbai coast A cargo ship grounded at a worrying 25-degree tilt and discharging three to four tonnes of oil by the hour after a collision with another vessel barely five nautical miles off the city coast in the morning kept the navy, coast guard and port officials on high alert all of Saturday. ====================================================== Ship security fears grow after latest attacks MOL tanker blast and breaches to Gulf of Aden transit corridor raise fears of heightened risk to shipping across Middle East ===================================================== Cadet death probe raises jurisdiction concerns. Nautilus calls for detailed investigation into death of cadet who was lost overboard from a Safmarine boxship =================================================== Maersk Line in $3m settlement. Containers MAERSK Line in the US has reached a $3m settlement on unlicensed shipping services originating in or bound for Sudan and Iran, in violation of Washington’s economic and trade sanctions. =================================================== US shippers wary as box shortages continue. Large shippers concerned about supply as back-to-school and pre-Christmas peak season gets underway. ================================================== Shipowners failing to employ UK crew Nautilus claims owners using UK flag have broken promises given when tonnage tax came in ten years ago. ======================================================= Bulk carrier grounds off Mumbai Khalija 3 was carrying steel coils from China when water entered its holds. ======================================================== Singapore maritime trusts look forward Tuesday 13 July 2010 Finance THEY say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Executives at Singapore’s three listed shipping trusts are hoping this is not true.Following their much hyped debuts on the Singapore Exchange around four years ago, Rickmers Maritime Trust, First Ship Lease Trust. ---------------------------------------------------- Maersk disquiet over state aid package. Maersk reacts to news of German aid for slow steaming ====================================================== AP Moller-Maersk announces upward revision. Containers Company expects 2010 profit to beat 2008 figure of $3.5bn. Thursday 08 July 2010 ======================================================= Regulatory Reminder Subject: Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Ship Types: All crude oil tankers engaged in international trade Applicability: All tank ship owners and operators Effective Date: 1 July 2010 Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, adopted at IMO MEPC 58 on 10 October 2008, enter into force on 1 July 2010. Among the new mandatory requirements, Regulation 15.6 requires all crude oil tankers to carry on board and implement a ship-specific VOC (volatile organic compounds) management plan, approved by the Administration. The VOC management plan requirement applies to every tanker carrying crude oil regardless of whether it is a new or existing vessel. The purpose of the plan is to verify that the operations of a tanker, to which Regulation 15 applies, prevent or minimize the release of VOC as much as possible during cargo loading, sea voyage and discharge of cargo. The plan is to be prepared in accordance with the guideline provisions laid out in MEPC.1/Circ.680. It should be specific to each ship and at least: include written procedures and description of equipment/systems employed for minimizing VOC emissions during the loading, sea carriage and discharge of crude oil cargo; follow best management practices for preventing or minimizing VOC emissions; give consideration to VOC emission during crude oil washing (COW) operation; monitor the extent of VOC release by a system of record keeping; identify a person responsible for the VOC emissions control management; and identify a training program which facilitates the adoption of best management practices for the ship to control VOC emissions. Additionally, if tanker design modifications are made (such as using the method of increased pressure relief settings for VOC emissions control), the strength aspects need to be considered and evaluated in order to verify the ship’s cargo tank integrity is not affected. Plan approval scheme: The owner/operator may send the service request letter to the nearest ABS engineering office, together with a minimum of two copies of the ship-specific VOC management plan. Upon completion of review on behalf of the Administration, approved and stamped copies are distributed as follows: One copy to submitter (owner/operator) for placement on board the vessel One copy for ABS files Alternatively: The ship-specific VOC management plan may be submitted electronically on CD-ROM or as an email attachment to the ABS submittal database login group at the email address: O2Esubmittals@eagle.org. The approved copy of the VOC management plan, appropriately stamped, will be returned to the submitter electronically. ABS model VOC management plan: To assist tank ship owners and operators in complying with Regulation 15.6, ABS has made available a model VOC management plan as a reference for general use. This model plan is consistent with MEPC.1/Circ.680 and has the necessary guidance and clarifications, as well as the section templates on the contents of a VOC management plan. Areas where the ship-specific information/data will actually need to be filled in or modified by the user are highlighted. The model VOC management plan can be downloaded from the ABS website, Regulatory Information, Regulatory Newsroom section. Downloads: ABS model VOC management plan ======================================================= Odfjell order highlights confidence in chemical trades Shipowner and its partner order two of the largest chemical tankers ever to be built. ===================================================== Evergreen drops out of top five for the first time. Maersk retains top spot followed by MSC and CMA CGM. ======================================================== Somali pirates use swarming tactics. Multi-skiff attacks becoming more common as two chemical tankers are targeted in latest incidents. ==================================================== New naval tactics against piracy to alter risk levels in Gulf of Aden. ===================================================== Unions against flexibility in crew rest rules   ITF say exceptions allowed in revised STCW pose risk to seafarers and vessels’ safety.   ================================================== Ships failed to act on distress calls A number of vessels ignored multiple distress flares and maydays from a sinking ship in the Channel last December. A NUMBER of merchant ships ignored multiple distress flares and maydays from a sinking fishing vessel in the Channel last December, in apparent “dereliction of one of the most fundamental duties of the mariner”, according to an official Marine Accident Investigation Branch publication. One fisherman died as a result, leading MAIB chief executive Stephen Meyer to accuse some merchant vessels of failing to meet the longstanding legal and moral obligation to go to aid of those in peril on the sea. The former admiral has personally taken a number of shipping concerns to task directly as a result. ===================================================== UK to go ahead with ban on ship-to-ship oil transfers From October 2010, STS operations will only take place under licence in harbour authority areas. ====================================================== Clean Shipping Coalition gains IMO consultative status Pressure group gains consultative status at the International Maritime Organization. ======================================================= Arthur Regan makes shipping comeback Veteran teams up with Apollo Management in new shipping venture, Principal Maritime ====================================================== Flag states voice fears over Iran sanctions. International flag administrations concerned ships with Iranian links under their control could be targeted. ======================================================== Dutch court sentences pirates to five years’ prison Five Somalis found guilty of piracy offences in Gulf of Aden. =================================================== = German owners swap flags to protect against pirates. Shipowners flag-out vessels to allow mercenaries on board when transiting the Gulf of Aden. ======================================================== Somali pirates turn to Red Sea Thursday 10 June 2010 Ship Operations Pattern of piracy attacks change in June as Gulf of Aden patrols take effect. ======================================================= Maersk set to impose huge peak season surcharges. Line to bring in peak season surcharge on the westbound Asia-North Europe trade of $750 per teu, $1,000 per feu and $1,200 per high-cube. ================================================== Maersk to sell its last two medium gas carriers Tankers Group to sell Maersk Jade and Maersk Jewel to focus on operating very large and handysize vessels Monday 07 June 2010 ===================================================== Pirates shot dead as crew regain control of ship Up to nine people, including some Somali pirates, reportedly died after crew retake cargoship Rim. UP TO nine people, at least some of them thought to be Somali pirates, reportedly died today after a shoot-out on board the hijacked general cargoship Rim, operated by Libyan interests under the North Korean flag. Meanwhile, the pirates have captured another victim in the shape of a Panama-flagged general cargoship. According to EU Naval forces the 15,220 dwt, 1978 built QSM Dubai was seized early yesterday morning inside the internationally recommended transit corridor en route from Brazil. The vessel, which is owned by UAE-based Qawareb Ship Management had 24 crew from Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ghana on board at the time of the attack. Officers aboard the US warship USS Cole, which was operating under Nato’s anti-piracy operation in the region, reported seeing at least one person with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher on board the QSM Dubai after it was hijacked, however no further details on the attack were immediately available. Just a few hours later, EU naval forces were dispatched again after crew aboard Rim successfully retook control of the ship in a move that left one of the crew seriously injured and several pirates dead. The closest EU Navfor warship, SPS Victoria, was dispatched in order give medical assistance to the injured crew, however pirates in the vicinity initially tried to impede the operation by utilising another hijacked vessel the VOC Daisy. According to EU Navfor, once SPS Victoria’s helicopter approached the VOC Daisy pirates changed course but an undisclosed number of the pirates were killed during the incident that ultimately left Rim under the control of the crew. Nato forces believes the crew’s successful actions against the pirates, who had been holding Rim and its crew hostage since early February, was unprecedented. Wednesday 02 June 2010 by Richard Meade and David Osler Ship ======================================================== Maersk sells UK supermarket business Danish shipping and energy giant has sold its UK supermarket business Netto Foodstores --------------------------------------------- Ships openly allowed to carry arms in Saudi waters. Vessels can be armed for self-defence against pirates, subject to certain restrictions ==================================================== Shell halts Torm tanker charters Move comes less than six weeks after oil giant carried out an internal audit and inspection. SHELL has stopped chartering tankers owned by Danish shipping company Torm, less than six weeks after the oil company carried out an internal audit and inspection that disclosed safety concerns about how the ships were managed. Shell declined to comment on the reports, saying it was a confidential matter, while a public holiday in Europe meant Torm management were not in the office on Monday to approach for comment. New chief executive Jacob Melgaard has previously declined to talk to Danish press about the matter, also citing confidentiality. Monday 24 May 2010 by Michelle Wiese Bockmann and Martyn Wingrove Tankers ===================================================== Fears over growing piracy attacks in Cameroon CAMEROON is now known to have experienced two violent pirate attacks on the same day last weekend, after details of a second incident began to emerge today. Lithuanian concern Limarko Shipping, which operates the 1985-built, 5,002 dwt Argo, said that the vessel’s master, Dmitrij Baskirov, was seized during an attack on the reefer. David Osler - Wednesday 19 May 2010 ==================================================== Shortage of ships for naphtha raises rates LONG range one tankers taking Middle East naphtha to Japan saw spot market earnings double in the past month after charterers were faced with a shortage of ships for early June loadings, writes Martyn Wingrove. Spot rates for LR1s shipping 55,000 tonnes of naphtha on the Baltic Exchange TC5 route rose yesterday to W155. Martyn Wingrove - Friday 14 May 2010 ===================================================== Somali pirates release British ship with 6 Indians on board Pirates free St James Park after ransom payment UK-flag chemtanker St James Park, held by Somali pirates since December 28, was yesterday released on payment of a ransom, a statement from EU Navfor has confirmed. The 1993-built, 13,924 dwt vessel, which has been widely linked to Ofer brothers interests, had been on route to Thailand at the time of its capture."We have received information from the owner's representatives that the British vessel St James Park has been released on May 13 and all the 26 crew including 6 Indians are safe," a senior official in the Directorate General of Shipping said. "The vessel hijacked on December 28 last year from the Gulf of Aden is currently on route to a safe port of refuge," the official said. The official said the vessel was released after ransom was paid to the pirates at a Somalian port but there was no word on the amount. The number of Indians still held hostage by the pirates is 57 including those on board a Belgium-bound chemical tanker M V Marida Marguerite with 22 crew members including 19 Indians, hijacked on May 9 from the Gulf of Aden. The tanker en-route from Kandla in Gujarat to Antwerp in Belgium was carrying approximately 11,000 MT of chemicals. Somali pirates had seized 11 dhows (slow-moving vessels) with over 120 Indians on board over a month ago. Of them, five vessels, including a dhow, and 38 Indians continued to be in their custody. Repeated attacks on Indian vessels had also prompted the government to issue warning to dhows about the dangers in those waters, particularly along the sea-lanes of Salalah and Male. David Osler - Friday 14 May 2010 =============================================== Teekay Corp swings to $4m loss TEEKAY Corp said it has made good progress in its effort to pare back its heavy debt, even as it swung to a net loss for the first quarter of the year. The New York-listed tanker major, which claims to transport 10% of the world’s oil in its fleet of 154 ships, reported an adjusted net loss of $3.9m on the period. Rajesh Joshi - Thursday 13 May 2010 ====================================================== UN general assembly to discuss piracy PIRACY will be discussed for the first time by the United Nations General Assembly in New York on tomorrow. Although the subject has been raised several times at the UN Security Council, it has not previously been raised at the full General Assembly. It will focus particularly on the situation off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. Steve Matthews - Thursday 13 May 2010 ==================================================== Volcanic ash helps boost Irish Continental EUROPE’S aviation shutdown helped Irish Continental Group gain a passenger bonus from volcanic ash, while the Dublin-based operator has seen growth in container traffic and detected a modest improvement in the depressed ro-ro freight market. Roger Hailey - Thursday 13 May 2010 ====================================================== Iran crude floating storage levels hit record 5.8m tonnes IRANIAN crude in floating storage has risen 28% in two weeks to a record 5.8m tonnes, or 42.5m barrels, with 21 very large crude carriers now deployed, four more than two weeks ago. The country ramped up April crude production by 70,000 barrels per day to 3.8m bpd in April according to the International Energy Agency. Michelle Wiese Bockmann - Wednesday 12 May 2010 ======================================================= Somali pirates secure ransom to free Talca SOMALI pirates have today released Talca, a Bermuda-flag reefer associated with Padova-based DNG De Nadai Group, on payment of an unspecified ransom. The 1988-built, 11,055 dwt vessel was hijacked on March 23 on its way to Iran from Egypt. David Osler - Tuesday 11 May 2010 ======================================================== Intertanko calls for more aggressive action against pirates THE chairman of Intertanko has called for more aggressive military rules of engagement to tackle the expanding piracy scourge in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, claiming nearly half of all the estimated 1,000 Somali pirates operating in the area have been captured over the last 18 months but then released. Michelle Wiese Bockmann - Friday 7 May 2010 ===================================================== Pirates hijack tanker with 19 Indian crew Nairobi: Somali pirates armed with rocket- propelled grenades and automatic guns hijacked a chemical tanker off East Africa with 22 crew members, a majority of them Indians, on board, the European Union Naval force said on Saturday. Spokesman Cmdr John Harbour said there is little chance that military forces can storm the ship because officials don't believe the crew all made it to a safe room before the pirates boarded. The crew consists of 19 Indians, 2 Bangladeshis and 1 Ukrainian, he said. The ship -- the Marida Marguerite -- was heading from India to Belgium. Also on Saturday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said a Taiwanese fishing boat was hijacked off the Somali coast by pirates who demanded a ransom for the crew. The ship's Taiwanese owner lost contact with Tai Yuan 227 two days ago as it headed for the Maldives. When the owner resumed contact with the vessel a day later, he was told by hijackers to pay a ransom for the crew, the ministry said. "The boat has since changed direction to sail toward Somalia, so this may very well have been done by the Somali pirates," the ministry said in a statement. "We hope that the many other boats sailing in the area can stay alert and avoid the pirates from launching an attack at other boats from the Tai Yuan 227." It wasn't immediately clear how many crew were aboard the trawler. Foreign Ministry officials refused to provide contact information for the boat's owner, saying he wanted to remain anonymous until the crew was released. Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite the presence of about 35 international warships patrolling the waters off the lawless Somalia coast. ================================================= Torm to gauge market before taking on new pool partners DANISH shipowner Torm is unlikely to seek new partners to immediately replace the two Swedish companies that have withdrawn from two of its three pool arrangements. The Copenhagen-listed tanker owner operates its vessels in a medium-range pool and two long-range pools in conjunction with a number of other operators. Craig Eason - Thursday 6 May 2010 ================================================= UN mulls special court to try pirates A MEETING of the UN Security Council discussing Somalia has adopted a Russian proposal to consider the creation of a new regional court to prosecute pirates attacking shipping off the Somali coast. A unanimous vote of the 15 Security Council members called on UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to report within three months on options. Steve Matthews - Tuesday 27 April 2010 ===================================================== CAPESIZE SINKS OFF CHINA. A capesize bulker laden with iron ore has sunk off China after colliding with another ship in thick fog. The ship is the 178,739-dwt Bright Century (built 1997) Hong Kong-based shipmanager Bernhard Schulte confirmed to TradeWinds. A number of databases name New Asian Shipping Co as the vessel's owner, but a spokesman for Bernhard Schulte denied this. The incident occurred off Weihai City, east of China’s Shandong Province on Sunday at about 05:23 in the morning. The capesize bulker was in a collision with the Liberian-flagged handysize bulker Sea Success (built 1998). Unconfirmed reports say the Sea Success has sustained damage to its bow, which is now flooded, but still remained afloat. Chinese officials reported that the crews of both ships, a mixture of Chinese and Indian citizens, were rescued unharmed. Wainwright,TradeWinds, 02 May 10 US urges signing of piracy declaration COUNTRIES asked to sign up to New York Declaration to combat piracy and resist ransom payments. =================================================== Somali pirates threaten to kill Ariana crew David Osler - Monday 26 October 2009 SOMALI pirates say they will kill the Ukrainian crew bulk carrier Ariana, held since early May this year, as soon as fuel on the ship runs out, a Russian seafarer union has claimed. =================================================== Exmar secures bank finance for gas ship Martyn Wingrove - Monday 19 October 2009 BELGIUM vessel owner Exmar has gained finance to pay for its half of the new gas ship Expedient and has sold its share in the newbuilding Exquisite to improve its debt position. ===================================================== Pirates attack Chinese panamax David Osler - Monday 19 October 2009 CHINESE panamax De Xin Hai was seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean yesterday at around midday local time, according to a spokesman for EU Navfor. According to the Lloyd’s Marine Intelligence Unit database, the vessel is associated with Cosco Qingdao. ==================================================== 4 Indians on the board the ship hijacked by Somali pirates 4 Indians sailors are among 21 crew members on board the ship MV Kota Vazir that was seized from north of seychelles by Somali pirates on October 15. Pacific International Lines that owns the ship has refused to divulge any details about the incident. When CNN-IBN contacted the family members of the Chief Engineer of the ship they said the company had assured them that all crew members are safe. However, the incident raises some big questions: In September, NATO had reportedly warned of possible attacks by pro-Al Qaeda Somali pirates on Indian vessels and sailors over the next few weeks. Was this intelligence ignored? How did the pirates get away when international naval forces including the Indian Navy have stepped up patrolling in the Gulf of Aden? And Why is the Government of India not intervening in the matter? ================================================= AP Moller-Maersk to reflag from UK to Denmark AP MOLLER MAERSK is set to re-flag vessels from the British to the Danish International Registry as part of a wide-ranging simplification of its ownership and registration structure. A total of 55 vessels will be included in the group-wide simplification strategy, which will see 15 containerships and tankers leave the UK and 17 supply vessels exit ... ================================================== Tanker flat rates set to fall 26% in 2010 Falling bunker prices push down rates ================================================== Danish owners call for CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd capacity cuts Box lines should be forced to cut their fleet capacity in return for government financial support ==================================================== High crude inventories hampering tanker recovery HIGH global crude inventory levels are hindering the prospect of any recovery in the fragile tanker trades in the last quarter of 2009. =================================================== Maersk looks to axe over 280 officers Box giant aims to replace 170 of its 800 Danish seafarers with cheaper Asian crew and cut 113 of its 560 British officers through voluntary redundancies. ============================================= Jamaica aspires to become global shipping hub ================================================= Somali pirates kill another seafarer(Friday, 25 September 2009 ) MASTER deliberately murdered after refusing to divert course. Bid to grant immunity to seafarers who kill pirates ===================================================== Hamburg ship valuation formula adds up, says PwC SHIP valuation standard now fulfils the strict standards of German auditors’ association.  ==================================================== Germany confident Hapag-Lloyd aid will pass EU test GOVERNMENT sources optimistic that carrier’s bid for support will not be derailed following preliminary talks with Brussels. ====================================================== Pirates free Irene EM ============================================= MSC has no desire for bailout funds MSC chief Gianluigi Aponte says company will not be among those queuing for state handouts ============================================== Saadé slams European ban on liner conferences BRUSSELS accused of penalising Europe’s owners. ================================================= Maersk Tankers in bid to delay deliveries COMPANY negotiating with Asian yards to delay deliveries or reduce prices for vessels on order. ============================================= Maersk eyes investment opportunities after unveiling $1.8bn share sale OFFERING will give AP Moller-Maersk ready cash to grow in the offshores and port sectors. ====================================================== Evergreen plunges into the red Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine Corp has followed its mainland Chinese rivals, China Cosco and China Shipping Container Line, to reveal swathes of red ink between January and June. ======================================================== It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, its’s the size of the fight in the dog. –Mark Twain