Shipping and Marine Issue 105 Final Edition

ISSUE 105

Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

French revelation

An underwater archaeology team is using 3D technology to explore, record and recover artefacts from an immaculately preserved shipwreck

moving forwards

Sea going careers are a vocation that nowadays should not worry any woman, however, 40 or 50 years ago this was not the case

NAVIGATING SAFELY

Robust and accurate navigation is a necessity if we are to ensure that shipping is safe and efficient

MODERN SOLUTIONS

The latest industry trends within the marine electrical engineering sphere - efficient, energy-saving, carbon cutting solutions

Health and SafetyIf you don’t have the time to read it all, read what you need Health and Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is: Clear, succinct and brief: With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you Practical, informative and comprehensive: Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use Unbiased, trusted and critical: Gives you the facts

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ISSUE 105 EARLY

Editor’s editor’s comment

Shipping &MARinE

ThE mAgAzInE foR mARITImE mAnAgEmEnT

French revelation

An underwater archaeology team is using 3D technology to explore, record and recover artefacts from an immaculately preserved shipwreck

moving forwards

sea going careers are a vocation that nowadays should not worry any woman, however, 40 or 50 years ago this was not the case

NAVIGATING SAFELY

robust and accurate navigation is a necessity if we are to ensure that shipping is safe and efficient

MODERN SOLUTIONS

The latest industry trends within the marine electrical engineering sphere - efficient, energy-saving, carbon cutting solutions

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing Director Mike Tulloch Sales Director David Garner Editor Libbie Hammond Staff Writers Matthew High Jo Cooper Drew Dann Steve Nash Editorial Administrator Emma Harris Production Manager Fleur Conway Art Editor David Howard Design Jenni Newman Jamie Elvin

Welcome to

2014

Well, 2014 has started with some serious weather!

With major floods in the UK, and a polar vortex in the US that is bringing sub zero temperatures across multiple states, January has brought misery to homeowners, difficulties to businesses and complications to the supply chain. What a way to start a New Year! Hopefully the worst is over, but if your business has been affected, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your story.

I’d also like to hear from you on what you are expecting from 2014. Is it going to see economic growth and expansion for the maritime sector? Is legislation going to be a problem? What about recruitment? If you have any subjects you’d like to see in these pages, just drop me an email.

Happy New Year!

Production studio@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth Head of Research Philip Monument

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Business Development Manager Mark Cawston Editorial Researchers Tim Eakins Laura Thompson Natalie Martin Gavin Watson Mark Cowles Joe Wright Advertising Sales Joe Woolsgrove Dave King Darren Jolliffe Finlay Johnson Nick Davies

If you would like a digital version of Shipping & Marine magazine contact Iain Kidd: ikidd@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: 044 (0)1603 274130 Fax: 044 (0)1603 274131

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk. ©2014 Schofield Publishing Ltd

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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contents Features

Profiles

4 News

30 Marine Fabricators 35 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines 40 Pure Superyacht Refit 43 Luyt Group 46 Offshore Liftboats LLC 50 Palmer Johnson 53 Safe Bulkers 56 TRIYARDS 59 Sungdong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. 63 Dynagas 66 Armona Denizcilik AS 68 SKF Solution Factory Marine Services 72 Svitzer Asia 77 Blohm+Voss Shipyards 80 Falmouth Harbour Commissioners 83 KNRM

Updates and announcements from the shipping and maritime arena

8 Moving forwards The maritime sector offers exciting career opportunities for female candidates. This feature profiles some of the most significant women active in the marine sector today

10 Navigating safely GPS alone is not sufficient for navigating in hazardous waters – we need for resilient position, navigation and timing systems

12 French revelation The French Navy, 3D pioneers Dassault Systèmes and renowned archaeologist Michel L’hour with his team are using innovative Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE technology to explore, record and recover artefacts from an ancient shipwreck

16 The data day Brendan Viggers takes a look at how big data will impact the maritime industry

18 Modern solutions The latest industry trends within the marine electrical engineering sphere - focusing on the appetite for more efficient, energy-saving, carbon cutting solutions

20 Looking to the future If there is one issue that continues to dominate the minds of quality ship owners and ship managers around the world, then it is recruitment

22 Staunch Support The growing offshore support industry and key strategies for success

24 Support across the world Offshore support vessels are now featuring state-of-the-art equipment and designs

26 Platform for growth: Dammam Shipyard Dammam Shipyard is ideally located in the Arabian Gulf to provide maintenance services to the shipping and marine industry

26

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86 ForestWave Navigation 90 Macduff Ship Design 93 British Marine Federation 96 Bibby Ship Management 98 Container Leasing A/S 100 Maritime Protection 102 A beko 104 Neptune Lines 106 A &P Falmouth 108 G lobal Davit 110 MEC Shipyards 112 Moran Towing Corporation 114 Dorian LPG 116 London Cruise Terminal/ Port of Tilbury 120 Swede Ship Marine 123 Thoresen Shipping

40

MARITIME NEWS China contract

The right gears

Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions has secured multiple orders to supply its Maritime Protection Inert Gas Generator (IGG) systems for installation on vessels under construction for operations offshore China. The Maritime Protection systems will be installed on three FPSOs for oil major China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

Two identical systems, comprising a deck house module with electric power, fuel and sea water supply/discharge, will be supplied for two FPSOs which will operate in the Bohai oil field in northern China. Both systems are designed for dual fuel operation and include a gas cabinet for natural gas delivery as part of the scope of supply.

The company has also been awarded a contract to supply two IGG systems for an FPSO which will operate in the Enping oil field in the South China Sea. The order comprises two totally enclosed deckhouse modules, one containing a complete marine diesel-fired IGG unit with associated equipment and control system. A second totally enclosed deck house module contains a flue gas system with scrubber, blowers, control system and other associated equipment.

Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading provider of innovative products, solutions and services, has launched its new two-speed marine gearbox offering notable economic and environmental benefits. The product will serve vessels having multiple operational modes or reduced transit speed, including among others RoPax ferries, offshore support vessels, tug boats, and fishing vessels.

Compared to a single mechanical propulsion system, a fuel consumption reduction of eight per cent was verified with Wärtsilä’s two-speed gearbox during sea trials. It is anticipated that further reductions of up to 15 per cent can be achieved; with a similar lowering of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulphur oxide (SOx) exhaust emissions.

These cost savings and environmental benefits are achieved by operating the ship’s propeller at low speed when maximum vessel speed or propeller thrust is not required. At the same time, the engine speed is kept constant, thereby allowing the electric power generation from the Power Take-Off on the gearbox to remain uninterrupted. Furthermore, the Wärtsilä two-speed gearbox will reduce noise emissions by as much as 20dB both inside the ship and externally.

This allows greater comfort for passengers and crew, while the reduced underwater radiated noise is important for fishing and seismic vessels, and is beneficial to marine life in general.

The Wärtsilä two-speed gearbox will be available with a high degree of modularisation in the power range from two MW to ten MW. This gearbox family has been designed in response to the increasing need for ship owners and operators to lower operating cost and to increase environmental performance.

These requirements are likely to become even more crucial in the future

Providing a secure environment Drum Cussac Ltd, the leading global business risk consultancy, has delivered an anti-piracy training programme for the Malagasy Navy at the Naval Base in Diego Suarez, Madagascar.

It is the first time that a private company has been permitted to partner with the Malagasy Navy. A team of Drum Cussac’s highly skilled and experienced risk management consultants worked closely with 30 Malagasy Naval personnel to enhance the Navy’s anti-piracy capability when operating in an offshore environment.

“Our training helps build credible and professional security teams that are capable of conducting anti-piracy and security duties generally,” said Andrew Nicholson, director offshore at Drum Cussac. “The training will assist the Malagasy Navy in providing a secure environment for the region’s offshore oil and gas sector. We have worked closely with the Malagasy authorities, agencies and regulators over a 12-month period and we hope to deliver further projects in the region.”

Dining experience Carnival Cruise Lines has launched new dinner concepts for the ships’ main dining rooms aboard the Carnival Glory. The two new concepts, American TABLE and American FEAST, reflect an increased investment by Carnival in its main dining room experience and incorporate the results of extensive testing and research conducted among Carnival’s past guests.

The cruise line’s management team spent time interacting with the leadership at a leading New York-based entertainment, food and hospitality organisation, to observe best practices and the organisation’s approach to culinary excellence.

Taking inspiration from that interaction, Carnival’s culinary team developed the new dinner concepts, which will be offered during a pilot period with some variation in the dishes, presentation style and other elements to gauge additional guest feedback before rolling out the program fleet wide in the latter half of 2014 and 2015. Other ships included in the pilot are Carnival Liberty beginning in January, and Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration starting in February.

Mark Tamis, senior vice president of guest operations, says: “Dining has always been a hallmark of the Carnival cruise experience and we’re constantly looking for new ways to provide our guests with exceptional meals and service that become a highlight of their vacation, bringing people together while creating fond memories. With our new American TABLE and American FEAST concepts, we have sought to create a delicious, fun, welcoming and highly satisfying main dining room experience and look forward to our guests’ feedback as we refine the program to take it fleet wide next year.”

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Extended co-operation Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI), the leading ship design company in China and NAPA, the global leader in maritime software solutions and services for ship design and operations, have agreed to expand their co-operation to cover ship performance monitoring.

The enhanced agreement will extend an existing co-operation that includes the application of NAPA software to SDARI’s ship design processes and NAPA’s Loading Computer, which enhances safe operation and maximisation of a vessel’s cargo carriage capacity.

Ship performance monitoring has been added to partnership’s scope in response to a shift in focus in the maritime industry from capital expenditure costs to operating costs, amid sustained high bunker prices. Demand for tools that provide ‘real time’ performance monitoring has risen sharply; playing a critical role in supporting ship owners, operators and charterers as they seek to optimise operational efficiency during the lifecycle of their vessels.

Crucial communications Maritime Communication Partner (MCP) has agreed a contract with leading subsea services company DeepOcean to provide state-of-the-art online and mobile communications for a newbuild MT6022 offshore vessel. The vessel, built

by Kleven and to be chartered from REM Maritime AS, will provide Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) services for all Statoil operated fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). This five-year IMR agreement, commencing in Q1 2014, is worth more than NOK 1.5 billion ($253 million).

MCP’s role will be to keep DeepOcean and Statoil connected.

The Telenor-owned business, an established leader in the mobile communications at sea market, will provide the new vessel with high bandwidth online services and mobile network coverage. This will facilitate the seamless transfer of large quantities of data between the vessel and DeepOcean and Statoil’s onshore operations, while providing excellent internet/Wi-Fi and mobile connections for crewmembers.

“The Statoil contract is DeepOcean’s largest ever client agreement, so it’s a real endorsement of our services that we’ve been picked to provide the communications solution for this landmark partnership,” comments MCP’s senior vice president offshore Tom Løwehr. “Our solution, anchored by our market proven CellAtSea network, will allow those onboard the vessel to communicate with their devices as they would at home, while Statoil and DeepOcean will enjoy reliable, fast and secure communication channels. For such vital operations, over such a large area, this quality of service is crucial.”

MCP’s solution features ‘multiple data link bundling’, which provides optimum bandwidth by combining multiple data links together with the VSAT. This means that when a ship is in position to connect with land- or oil rig-based mobile data networks (2G/3G/4G), or at harbour in the proximity of a WLAN access point, it does so, boosting the bandwidth available over the VSAT.

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New facility

A new purpose-built offshore survival-training centre, which will create up to 30 new jobs over the next three years, is being built on North Tyneside. The new offshore survival centre is being developed

by AIS Training to cope with the growing demand for training courses from the offshore industry. The 20,000 sq ft training centre will be built next to AIS’s headquarters on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate in North Shields and will complement the company’s existing 120,000 sq ft learning facility, as well as its emergency fire training facility at Newcastle Airport - developed with its OTN partners.

Featuring state-of-the-art facilities including an environmental pool, fire training centre and lifeboat and davit system; the centre will train workers from the offshore oil and gas, wind and maritime sectors in how to cope in the event of an emergency. The facilities have been designed to provide an extremely lifelike setting where workers will learn survival techniques for emergency scenarios such as a helicopter ditching at sea, sea survival, escaping from a smoke filled environment and evacuating via a lifeboat.

Insert. Twist. Done If you battle with bowlines, or struggle with slipknots, then help is at hand with the UK launch of the Super Rope Cinch. This patented device from Just Right Products is a revolutionary way to secure ropes without the need to tie or untie a knot.

Designed in the USA and already selling successfully through specialist US-based marine and outdoor distributors, as well as DIY chain stores, the Super Rope Cinch has been proven as a quick and easy way to secure ropes. This includes moorings lines onto a jetty, securing tent ropes, for luggage and other loads, tightening boat awnings, for fender lines, and even towing water skiers.

The Super Rope Cinch is fully waterproof and comes with a lifetime warranty. Its design enables ropes to be secured with vertical or horizontal pressure, and to be tied and untied in less than one second with a simple twist.

All users need to do is wrap the rope around the items being fastened, take one or both ends of the rope through the device, and then simply twist it locked. To release, simply press the release button and untwist to completely release the rope.

MARITIME NEWS Moored up Extra moorings and facilities are needed on London’s waterways to help address hotspots of overcrowding as increasing numbers of Londoners are turning to living on the water, a new report from London Assembly report has stated.

With house prices and rents rising to record levels in London, the report on behalf of the Environment Committee says more people are choosing to live on a boat as a more affordable option. Yet, the number of moorings and facilities, such as water supply and waste disposal, has not increased in line with demand.

Jenny Jones AM, who led the work on behalf of the Committee, said: “London’s waterways are one of the hidden gems of our capital and they are becoming increasingly popular as a place for people to live or spend their leisure time.

“There are many different reasons why people might choose to live on our canals or rivers, including it being seen as more affordable than trying to buy property in the capital. But it is not an easy life and boaters must be conscious of their responsibilities.

“Also, the number of moorings has not kept up with demand. This is resulting in hotspots of overcrowding, which creates issues among boaters and for communities living nearby. ”We have set out a number of recommendations, including a call for additional moorings, that we think can help address the overcrowding and improve relations between the different people who use the waterways. We urge people to take up our suggestions, and find new ways to work together so the capital’s waterways can continue to be a place for all to enjoy.”

Quick action Unique Seaflex were recently contacted by Saipem in Portugal who were looking to urgently conduct a 550t load test on a derrick barge located at Point Noire in the Congo.

With 100t of solid weights in hand, they required an additional 450t to complete the test.

The immediacy of the requirement demanded a swift response especially given the absence of any suitable equipment within the local market.

Unique Seaflex were the only company able to provide a quantity of 13 35t WaterLoad test bags plus accessories (manifolds, hoses etc) on a rental basis within the required timescales, so avoiding Saipem incurring un-necessary and expensive barge downtime.

The equipment package was flown down from the UK to the Congo, where it was met by an experienced Unique Seaflex technician with a BOSIET ticket who was able to assist Saipem’s crew with the rigging and the safe and efficient use of the WaterLoad Bags in accordance with LEEA Guidance 051.

Unique Seaflex’s global sales manager Chris Sparrow commented: “This is a perfect example of several benefits to clients of working with Unique Seaflex. Firstly, we hold the world’s largest stock of WaterLoad bags and accessories, available for near-immediate hire or sale out of multiple worldwide locations. Secondly, all these bags have been designed, constructed, certified and tested in line with LEEA Guidance 051 so that the client can be assured that what they are getting has the necessary levels of quality and traceability to satisfy their HSE requirements and to keep their insurers happy.

Thirdly, within our rental fleet we operate the most stringent test and inspection regime in the industry. And finally we are able to deploy skilled Seaflex personnel to site anywhere in the world to deliver on our support philosophy of ‘whenever, wherever’.”

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MARITIME NEWS Welding research BMT Fleet Technology Ltd (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, has announced its latest research project with the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) to evaluate recent advancements in Integrated Cold Electrode (ICE) welding technology. Jointly funded by industry and the US Navy through NSRP, this project will look at how this technology can improve productivity rates and reduce the construction costs of both commercial and naval vessels.

As the project lead, BMT will work closely with a number of partners including: HuntingtonIngalls Industries’; Newport News Shipbuilding; Marinette Marine Corporation; Elektriska Svetsnings-Aktiebolaget (ESAB); American Bureau of Shipping (ABS); Naval Surface Warfare Centre - Carderock Division and Defence R&D Canada. By developing, demonstrating, quantifying and implementing alternative lowdistortion, high productivity welding processes, an increase in affordability of ships can be realised.

Darren Begg, project manager at BMT Fleet Technology comments: “One of the main challenges that today’s shipyards face within the welding process is high distortion rates, which can result in costly rework and production inefficiencies. ICE is a breakthrough in conventional submerged arc welding technology developed by ESAB. Our main objectives for this project are to assess ICE’s ability to enhance the welding production rates, decrease distortion and costly rework, improve the properties of welds in high strength steels and therefore reduce costs, whilst increasing the integrity of the ship’s structure.”

Ferry refurbishment Red Funnel Isle of Wight Ferries has appointed marine design agency SMC Design and Southampton’s marine interior refit specialist Trimline, to deliver a £2 million interior refurbishment of car and passenger ferry Red Falcon in time for Easter 2014.

The investment will see the ship’s interior design and facilities replaced with a bright, modern and stylish new look, which will set the standard for cross-Solent travel. The design team were tasked to increase the number of internal seats by 55 per cent and create an interior design that optimises the space to deliver an unrivalled travel experience across the Solent. Murray Carter, operations director commented: “We have listened very carefully to our customers over the last few years to develop a new travel experience which will meet their needs – significantly more inside seats, more tables for food and drinks, air conditioning, a new pet lounge, better facilities for wheelchair users and an improved food and beverage offer are just some of the highlights.”

Paul Winter, acting CEO commented: “As a business we are committed to improving the way in which we serve our customers. I am confident that this investment does exactly that, and it comes at an exciting time for the company, as we aim to become the ‘preferred choice’ for all customers wanting to travel to and from the Island. We therefore believe that it will help deliver a boost to the Isle of Wight and Southampton economies. If the new design and layout proves as popular with customers as we expect, then I am confident that we can make further investments in customer service for Red Eagle and Red Osprey that would further raise our service standards in time for the 2015 summer season.”

Financing facilities

Ocean Safety has announced that the company has agreed a contract to supply two Port of London Authority (PLA) vessels with Dacon man overboard recovery equipment.

The Dacon products are to be supplied in July to the vessels - the Verifier, a 21 metre monohull and the Yantlet, a 15 metre catamaran.

The Verifier will be supplied with a Dacon Rescue Scoop, a crane operated recovery system favoured by commercial vessels, which is a manoeuvrable rescue net normally stowed compactly against the bulwark or railing when not in use.

The Yantlet will carry the Dacon Rescue Frame, a smaller manually operated system of articulated glass webbing, which is also compactly stored. Both vessels are coded to operate up to 60 miles offshore, and undertake work on the Thames and for third parties around the UK. In both cases the recovery nets form a cradle in the water and can be positioned underneath the person in the water, giving full length body support, and reducing the possibility of injury aggravation, before being lifted clear of the water.

Ocean Safety is the exclusive UK distributor for Dacon AS in Norway, manufacturers of the maritime man overboard rescue equipment.

“We are confident in the quality of the Dacon products that Ocean Safety is supplying us,” comments John Dillon-Leetch, Deputy Port Hydrographer at the Port of London Authority. “While underway our vessels have a number of different functions and that means we could be attending an incident of a person in the water in the Thames, if we are the nearest vessel. We therefore have to be equipped ready for an efficient casualty recovery, even if we are short handed, and the Dacon systems are designed to give maximum efficiency during these types of operation.”

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women in shipping

Moving

forwards

As equality and diversity have developed over the last 50 years more opportunities have become widely available for women in the maritime industry. Shipping & Marine profiles some of the most significant women active in the marine sector today The participation of women in the merchant marine has been achieved after a hard and tireless struggle that started with courageous women, to whom we owe credit for a significant transformation process.

Sea going careers are a vocation that nowadays should not worry any woman, however, 40 or 50 years ago they were a daring task for only the most intrepid. The first obstacles, most likely were her father, her mother, her family, teachers and why not, the vicar. Everyone would have told them that the sea was not a place for a lady. The same does not hold true today - a woman can now have an extremely successful career in the maritime industry in a number of specialised fields, although the representation of women overall in this area is still quite low.

At Spinnaker’s Maritime HR Forum Conference in June 2013, the delegates learned that out of 1.2 million seafarers, less than two per cent are female. A debate raged where some of the female HR directors attending said that for many women in shipping, it’s a case of having to ‘navigate the boys’ club’.

Business development director Teresa Peacock from Spinnaker Consulting, who is also membership secretary of WISTA-UK pointed out: “The Davies Report 2011 highlighted how difficult it was for women generally,” she stated. “Only 5.8 per cent of directors are female. Fortyseven per cent of graduates are female, yet only 19 per cent of senior management are female. We have a long way to go.

“What many people don’t realise,” Teresa added, “is that this isn’t just a female issue, it’s a business issue. It’s not just women who should be paying attention.” Spinnaker has successfully placed many women in shipping jobs, but increasing those figures is going to

take time. The first step is getting women attracted to the industry.

“Today women work on ships as well as being brokers, ship managers, maritime lawyers, recruitment agents, insurance brokers, lecturers, traders, surveyors, editors, intelligence, registrars, security and academia.

For instance, the director of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers is a woman,” remarks Maria Dixon, a consultant who started her shipping career over 30 years ago in the City of London as registrar for the Panamanian Registry. “I have been extremely lucky, all my mentors were men who helped me one step at the time up the ladder. However, I have heard many shocking cases about employers from ‘highly regarded’ companies behaving badly towards female staff, and how women decide to leave their jobs rather than become entangled in a legal battle. Those politically incorrect bosses should remember that they have wives, sisters, and daughters.”

Forty years ago, women were more used to be seen as secretaries, clerks, tea ladies; therefore those venturing into this world were pioneers who suffered discrimination – for example, as recently as the 1980s the Baltic Exchange would not allowed ladies in their premises wearing trousers, as read on their invitation letter to delegates for the WISTA conference at the time.

Maria Dixon, who has been the president of WISTA-UK since 2008 and a member for 20 years, added: “WISTA will be 40 this year and I will highlight one big gap that remains; the lack of equal pay.” Recently WISTA Cyprus president, Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou was officially appointed the Cyprus advocate for the European Commission initiative ‘Equality Pays Off’, which aims to help companies achieve sustainable business success by gaining access to untapped female talent.

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The women of WISTA Teresa Peacock, Business Development Director, Spinnaker Global Recruitment Teresa Peacock has worked in recruitment and search for over three decades. She completed a management buyout of the Locum Group, and subsequent trade sale to Reed Health some eight years later, after growing the business from a staff of 25 to 180. Her global experience of recruitment includes managing offices and recruitment projects all over the world; Europe, Middle East, Far East, Australia and New Zealand, America, Canada and Africa. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals and was invited to become Membership Secretary of WISTA in January 2013. Teresa joined Spinnaker Consulting in 2008 and works alongside the MD and Chairman as the business development director. Teresa has experience across a wide range of industry sectors and, given the skills shortages facing the industry, is the ideal person to deliver tailored recruitment solutions to Spinnaker’s clients. In addition, Teresa is responsible for Spinnaker’s internal graduate training scheme.

Sue Terpilowski, Founder and Director of Image Line Communications Sue Terpilowski started Image Line Communications, the leading specialist logistics and supply chain PR, marketing and visual events agency more than 25 years ago. Sue is a fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing and a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics. She has a diploma in Business Coaching and is also one of 50 LAB Profilers (Language & Behaviour) in the country. Sue has a wealth of experience in logistics and transport industries and is currently the Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses London Policy Unit and is also Vice Chairman of the London Region. She is also a member of the FSB’s UK Policy Committee and sits on its Local Government sub group.

Sue is also a board member of the London Business Network and a member of the London LEP and is an active member of two of its sub committees: Skills & Employment and Micro and SME’s.

Sue also is the Vice Chairman of the Ports, Maritime and Waterways Forum of the Chartered Institute of Transport (CILT). Her role in WISTA-UK is very active as Head of the PR and Press Committee.

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Liz Watton, Shipping Lawyer Liz is a qualified solicitor with over ten years’ experience. She has a degree in Law from Staffordshire University and completed her LPC at the College of Law, Chester. She has developed a keen interest in shipping law and has a particular interest in the consequences of piracy on the shipping industry.

She works with a number of clients based all over the world from ship owners and charterers to port terminals and offshore companies. She has carved out a career in shipping litigation and had worked with E.G. Arghyrakis & Co in The City of London for the last five years.

Liz holds the positions of WISTA UK secretary and also the Propeller Club Port of London secretary.

Dr Anne Marie Warris, a climate change expert, Founder of Ecoreflect UK Dr Anne-Marie Warris has over 25 years’ experience in sustainable matters and is a leading expert in climate change and environmental issues. She attends IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) where she in 2010 acted as UK expert to the IMO Expert Group on Market Based Measures. She has been involved with Monitoring, Reporting and Verification issues since 2000. While working for Lloyd’s Register she convened and facilitated the group developing the IMarEST paper submitted to IMO MEPC65 on ‘Goal-based approach to fuel and CO2 emissions monitoring and reporting’.

Anne-Marie was one of the drivers behind the ‘Sustainable Shipping Initiative’. She was in September 2013 awarded the UK Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA UK) Personality of the year 2013.

She holds a number of key external voluntary roles, all of them elected appointments such as chair of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) sub-committee responsible for environmental management systems as well as chair of ISO’s Joint Task Coordination Group for management systems and chair and board member of the Emissions Trading Group (ETG) UK Limited. AnneMarie took early retirement from Lloyd’s Register in April 2013 and via ecoreflect is staying involved with the industry. She blogs at http:// www.bunkerworld.com/forum/blogs/ and previously at http://blog. lr.org/author/anne-marie-warris/ She is a chartered Engineer and chartered Environmentalist as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and the Energy Institute.

women in shipping

Helene Hunter-Davies, Solicitor and Master Mariner, MFB Solicitors Helene Hunter-Davies has more than 20 years’ experience of the shipping industry. Commencing a dual cadetship at the age of 17, Helene worked for 12 years as a deck and engineering officer on a wide variety of vessels.

On moving ashore, Helene studied part time for the GDL and a Masters in Law. From 2003 to 2009, after two years in an OCIMF vetting role as deputy project manager for an oil major, Helene lectured for four years in Marine Law at one of the UK’s leading nautical colleges, Glasgow College of Nautical Studies. Here Helene was Head of School and had overall responsibility for the Certificate of Competency Courses for Deck Officers.

Joining MFB Solcitors in 2009, Helene qualified as a solicitor in 2012.

Helene specialises in Admiralty Law with a strong salvage/wreck removal focus and is part of MFB’s Casualty Response Team.

Helene is a member of WISTA-UK, an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute, a Freeman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Supporting Member of the LMAA.

Janet Strode, General Manager of the International Parcel Tankers Association (IPTA) IPTA was formed in 1987 by a group of chemical/parcel tanker owners who felt that the time had come for the interests of this high investment specialised sector to be represented and Janet Strode began working for the secretariat in 1990. A large part of her work involves attending meetings at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), where IPTA was granted consultative status as an NGO in 1997. Here she is charged with ensuring that the interests of the chemical/parcel tanker sector are represented and protected and keeping IPTA members advised of legislative developments that are likely to affect them. While maintaining a close relationship with both EU and USCG representatives, she also deals with other industry bodies.

Over the years Janet has developed a wide knowledge of legislative and regulatory issues affecting the chemical/parcel tanker industry. She was seconded to the IMO Secretariat to assist in the implementation of the MARPOL Annex II amendments that came into force in 2007 and was subsequently project leader for a series of workshops in various parts of the developing world to explain the revisions. She has spoken at numerous conferences on a range of topics relating to the shipping of chemicals, vegetable oils and biofuels and lectures regularly on regulatory issues .

Julie Lithgow, Director of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Julie became the director of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in September 2011. Most recently she was Head of Business Intelligence at Pole Star Space Applications initially working within intergovernmental liaison for IMO regulation and latterly working with the European Naval Force in the Gulf of Aden as part of the naval response process to vessel attacks on commercial shipping. Previously she was the Communications and Marketing Manager for V.Holdings Ltd, before which she was the Nautical Campus Manager of the Nautical Institute, the professional body for qualified seafarers.

Maria Dixon, CEO, ISM Shipping Solutions Ltd & President of WISTA-UK Maria founded ISM Shipping Solutions 15 years ago; it is a specialist in Panamanian Shipping matters; everything from ship registration to technical issues. With over two million GT registered, ISM is a small professional shipping practice, working 24/7 helping major shipowners & operators with Panamanian issues.

In March 2013, when the new Accreditation Law in Panama for maritime security companies to offer armed guards personnel on board Panama flag ships was approved, no one knew or understood the process, and ISM Shipping became leaders in the industry by preparing the documentation for the first ever company to be approved and later on for a large number of maritime security companies. Maria’s shipping career started in 1980 at the Panamanian Consulate, becoming Head of Shipping in 1990, managing over 1200 vessels and chairing over 10,000 closing meetings.

During her career at the Panamanian Consulate her main achievement was to conceive and design the new national system of legalisation of documents for Panama. Maria also developed the contingency plan for use by the world’s tankers when the MARPOL 69 & 92 conventions clashed back in 1998.

Maria was elected president of WISTA-UK in April 2008. She organised the WISTA International 2009 conference at the IMO Headquarters in London and the 2013 WISTA-UK Forum at Portcullis House in Westminster during London International Shipping Week.

WISTA In the last 40 years, WISTA, an organisation founded in London, has positioned itself as one of the most active and growing associations, with presence in over 30 countries and nearly 2000 members. A networking and mentoring organisation, WISTA became a silent movement, where local knowledge and networking became an indispensable tool for a woman in shipping. For further information visit: www.wista-uk.net and www.wista.net.

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Navigating

safely Dr Nick Ward explains why GPS alone is not sufficient for navigating in hazardous waters, and the consequent need for resilient position, navigation and timing systems to ensure safe and efficient shipping The 700 sq km iceberg currently floating in the Southern Ocean is by no means an isolated incident.

It is a sad fact that, as our oceans become warmer, ice hazards are increasing and posing greater risk to the vessels that frequent the shipping channels in polar regions. The effects of global warming also mean that new polar shipping lanes are opening up, so an increasing number of vessels are travelling the Arctic shipping route between Asia and Europe. Varying ice cover means that these routes are especially hazardous.

In the case of the 700 sq km Pine Island glacier, scientists have been tasked with tracking the floating hazard using Earth Observation satellites to help avoid any potential collisions. However, vessels also need to have their own reliable means of avoiding such hazards.

Most vessels are heavily reliant on satellite navigation, mainly GPS, for their position, navigation and timing (PNT) information. The Automatic Identification System (AIS), Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) and distress communications, are effectively dependent on GPS. Other systems such as radars and gyrocompasses, use GPS for stabilisation.

The problem is that GPS is not infallible, far from it. If it fails, mariners can lose most of their navigation information, increasing the chances of collisions, groundings and loss of cargo or indeed, lives. GPS, in common

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with other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), is vulnerable to interference, both accidental and deliberate, and even affected by solar weather.

In polar regions there are further issues. GPS suffers some loss of accuracy as a result of poorer satellite geometry in these areas and also, a lack of integrity. Satellite Based Augmentation Systems such as WAAS and EGNOS, that improve GPS accuracy and warn of loss of integrity, are not available in polar regions and there are few Ground Based Augmentation Systems. Also, many ships do not have receivers with RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring) capability, which enables the receiver to detect when the position information is wrong or unreliable. Radar can be used to detect icebergs, but pack ice can give confusing returns because of clutter. All of these factors hamper the ability of mariners to identify and avoid marine hazards such as icebergs.

It is clear that a resilient PNT system, which can provide position, navigation and timing data independent of GPS, is needed to ensure completely reliable maritime navigation and reduce the threat of marine hazards. Such a system would take over automatically in the event that GPS signal is lost, and prevent loss of navigation systems and information.

A range of resilient PNT systems is currently on trial or in

MARINE HAZARDS

Top left: Data rescue II report Top right: eLoran prototype receiver Main picture: Trinity House vessel Galatea on which recent eLoran trials were conducted

development, including radar absolute positioning, eLoran, IALA DGPS radiobeacon (and potentially AIS) Ranging Mode, and e-Pelorus.

Inertial navigation systems may eventually be suitable for civil maritime navigation, but are too expensive at present and lack long-term stability.

Of the candidate systems, eLoran is currently the most capable, technologically mature, widely available and cost effective.

This year, the GLAs carried out the world’s first successful demonstration of a prototype automatic resilient PNT system using eLoran onboard the Trinity House vessel Galatea out of Harwich. These trials successfully demonstrated that it was possible to detect GPS failure and transfer seamlessly and automatically to the eLoran service - avoiding even temporary loss of PNT data or hazardously misleading position information. eLoran technology is based on long-wave radio signals and is independent of GNSS, which have completely different failure modes.

Because its powerful transmitters are based on land, and much closer in distance than GPS satellites, eLoran has 10,000 times the signal strength of GPS at the receiver and is far less susceptible to jamming.

For these reasons, the UK has embarked on a programme of eLoran implementation to ‘back up’ navigational accuracy, integrity and availability in its waters, with eLoran monitoring reference stations being installed at seven major ports along the South and East coasts. This is a huge step forward, however most vessels will encounter many different ports during their journeys and encounter an array of marine hazards. To ensure truly reliable and resilient PNT at all times, back-up systems must be interoperable and implemented globally.

By operating in conjunction with the other Loran transmitters in Northern Europe, prototype eLoran in the UK will now cover the whole of the North Sea region and beyond. Further afield, nations such as the Republic of Korea and Russia are consulting with the GLAs to benefit

from our knowledge and experience of eLoran. The Republic of Korea and Russia also participate in the formal Far East Radionavigation Service (FERNS) that operates Loran-C together with China and Japan.

In the US, advanced Low Frequency technologies are being developed under government funding, which maintain compatibility with eLoran.

These developments across the globe indicate that eLoran can become a core foundation block of global resilient PNT, providing a reliable backup to GNSS for the majority of the world’s busiest ports and their approaches.

Polar hazards are just ‘the tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to the navigational challenges faced by mariners around the world every day.

Sea spaces are becoming more complex – with additions such as new offshore drilling platforms and offshore wind farms placing further restrictions on shipping lanes and causing bottlenecks. This pressure on ports and harbour entrances is increasing the risk of collisions and groundings, particularly if GNSS signals are lost. Robust and accurate navigation is a necessity if we are to ensure that the shipping, that we all depend upon for our food, energy and raw materials, is safe and efficient. This is only achievable through the global implementation of resilient PNT systems. n

Dr Nick Ward

Dr Nick Ward is research director at the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLAs). The GLAs of the United Kingdom and Ireland are Trinity House, the Northern Lighthouse Board and the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Together, they have the statutory responsibility for the provision of marine aids to navigation (AtoN) around the British Isles. The GLA joint mission is the delivery of a reliable, efficient and cost effective AtoN service for the benefit and safety of all mariners. For further information visit: www.gla-rrnav.org.

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French revelation Underwater archaeology reveals the future of the past with 3DEXPERIENCE technology

A revolution in underwater archaeology is centred on the Sun King, Louis the Fourteenth’s ship, La Lune (The Moon). The tangled political circumstances of the sinking in 1664, the immaculately preserved ship, an enormous trove of 60,000 different objects, and her recent discovery off the coast of Toulon, France make for a compelling archaeological site.

The French Navy, 3D pioneers Dassault Systèmes and renowned archaeologist Michel L’hour with his team are using innovative Dassault

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Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE technology to explore, record and recover artefacts from the site 300 feet below the surface. La Lune’s exploration is also a test site for new techniques of working with advanced equipment under the sea. The team’s work and findings therefore have significant implications for all future deep-seabed research and activity.

The impact on underwater archaeology of innovative 3D technology is revealing not just the past but also the future of our underwater planet.

Exploring the seabed and its treasures using the power of virtual reality is allowing people to interact with the world’s last frontier. Dassault

CASE STUDY

Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE Technology is, for the first time ever, enabling finds from hundreds of feet under the sea to be explored and accurately recorded and shared among experts and the public.

Deep and meaningful Wrecked ships can be historically important time capsules often beautifully preserved from the moment they sank. But the hazards and difficulties of under water archaeology have meant that few deep-water sites have been fully explored.

Strong tides and currents, bad weather, physical constraints on divers and huge expense severely limit the time and resources available for underwater archaeologists to work on the ocean floor. It is a necessarily slow and costly pursuit. Some wrecks are more than a mile deep and cannot be reached by any diver.

Dynamically shifting seabeds can expose and bury whole ships so that they appear and disappear over time. Sharing rare finds with the public is problematic, as the deep sites cannot be visited. And even the best archaeologists when working hundreds of feet down can easily

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disturb the site and damage the well preserved but often-delicate artefacts it contains.

Walking on The Moon Using a prototype underwater camera aboard a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) the 420 square metre La Lune wreck site is being captured with absolute accuracy in realistic 3D. The results are then shared with 3DEXPERIENCE technology. Using special Virtual Reality (VR) helmets and controls, the team enters the site to explore and experience it safely on dry land or aboard their command vessel. Their research vessel is equipped with a 1.5 square metre digital desk which displays the finds as they are collected and acts as the project’s nerve centre. Using this single source of data they collaborate to develop their discovery and recovery strategy and refine its detail and tactics; without disturbing the site. Subsequent physical exploration uses Dassault Systèmes virtual reality training technology that optimises diver and equipment efficiency while minimising potential damage and danger.

Suited to purpose The La Lune team has access to a remarkable Newt Suit. This metal carapace allows an aquanaut to descend nearly 1000 feet and potentially stay there for up to 48 hours. Often used to help raise torpedoes there are only 24 such suits in the world. They allow much more accuracy and delicate handling than a remote controlled submarine.

For crew training, the team uses immersive 3D experiences to make the most of the Newt Suit and other valuable submersible resources. Cedric Simard Dassault Systèmes La Lune project director said. “Training on equipment and artefact recovery techniques in a virtual environment maximises efficiency underwater. By improving time usage and handling accuracy on the sea bed where every second counts the greatest gains are made.”

Michel L’hour said. “Immersive 3D technology allows us to float over the site in a virtual deep sea. Never before has the seabed been viewed with such clarity. It’s like being in the water trying out tools and techniques without the problems.

We can practice and perfect all our manoeuvres on dry land.”

Time travel The team hopes to recover cannons and delicate pottery jars and plates, water bottles and musical instruments. However after 350 years on the seabed once recovered if they are not treated immediately

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CASE STUDY

they will disintegrate. Dassault Systèmes technology is deployed to generate 3D models of objects in-situ. Access to these realistic and accurately defined 3D digital models and their environments allows conservationists to better understand and plan for their recovery and preservation when they are brought to the surface.

This permanent 3D record is developing, with other project resources and data, into a virtual time machine that allows people to see stages of La Lune’s existence at any date. A wealth of La Lune project finds is already available online at: http://www.operationlune.com/en/ technologies/ so that archaeologists, academics, and the public can explore La Lune for themselves without getting wet.

On-going work on La Lune, that has already disclosed so much, is bringing underwater archaeology into a new age. Other previously unreachable time capsules can at last be explored.

The mystery of La Lune is haunting. Was it a royal cover-up, a wise precaution against the plague, perhaps we’ll never know the real circumstances of her demise. A specialist underwater film crew is capturing this dramatic exploration in a documentary series: Objective Moon - Rebirth of The Sun King’s Flag Ship. Their work shows that wrecks don’t give up their treasure or secrets easily. But by combining

science and 3DEXPERIENCE Technology more is revealed and shared every day bringing La Lune’s story to life more than three centuries after she was lost at sea. n

History of La Lune

A Marine Tragedy, Toulon 16 November 1664 Under pressure from The Sun King, Louis 14, La Lune (The Moon) was refused entry to the Mediterranean port of Toulon. A well-provisioned fighting troop carrier, the ship had returned from a Barbary Coast supply mission in support of a military operation in what is now Algeria. It was here that Louis had sought to stop all pirate activity.

Loaded with troops, food and horse cavalry the ship was equipped with a large galley (kitchen) to satisfy the needs of officers and men during what was thought to be a certain victory for France.

When she arrived on the North African coast the French force was desperately outnumbered by 12,000 enemy troops.

Ships anchored offshore were under massive attack from pirates and many lives were lost on both sides.

La Lune came as close to the coast as she could and was harassed by enemy craft and fast rowing boats manned by slaves determined to capture the ship, its valuable cargo and crew.

When La Lune made her retreat from the scene more than 1000 extra French troops had made it aboard. Senior officers, men and camp followers had reached their only hope of escape from the massacre. Large numbers were badly wounded and many died on the voyage home.

In the desperate departure nothing was carried ashore from La Lune to the beleaguered soldiers. The old, damaged and overloaded ship set out for home with its survivors. Canons, food, ammunition, arms and personal effects were still aboard.

On the grounds of plague infection danger La Lune was refused entry to the port of Toulon after four days sailing.

She stood offshore from the royal port and was redirected to the nearby Hyeres islands where the survivors were to be quarantined. Eight km into her unwelcome new voyage La Lune sank 300 feet to the seabed. Four hundred had already left the ship, 60 were saved at sea the rest, up to 1000 men and women, perished. To discover La Lune for yourself visit: http://www.operationlune.com/en/technologies.

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The data

day

Brendan Viggers takes a look at how big data will impact the maritime industry

The defence maritime industry is still finding its feet with big data but as it continues to march forward into the information age, the value of this intelligence cannot be overlooked.

There have been three ages of data in the maritime industry. Thirty years ago we started collecting data electronically through new IT systems, then we progressed to improving the way we capture information through better user interfaces and the introduction of more sophisticated systems to the advent of mobility. Today, maritime is just starting to adopt mobile strategies, whereas other industries have moved into the new age of predictive analysis and data crunching. The management and analysis of available data is becoming a priority, as organisations look to derive valuable insight on their operations.

When offshore, all communications have to travel back to base through one pipe, usually a form of satellite communications system. In order to maintain healthy bandwidth, any data sent back to shore must be relevant. This requires processing data onshore in order to glean deeper insights into current activity.

Big benefits?

Big data has enabled organisations to view their operations and results from a different perspective. For example, 30 per cent of the workforce could be focusing on a single asset, without management even being aware of it. Big data allows them to interrogate current activity and prioritise accordingly, whilst streamlining processes to boost efficiency.

Machine-to-machine technologies have accelerated the adoption

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of big data in other industries, with assets now capable of transmitting millions of rows of data per-second. This creates the following benefits for maritime professionals: l The ability to view operations from a different perspective l Highlighting focused areas of importance l Real-time access to data Access to intelligent data means maritime organisations can analyse fleet behaviour and deduce future risk assessments. With the F35 for example, Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) provide valuable insight into operations, flights and whether any tolerances have been exceeded, which is downloaded automatically from the asset to maintenance system. This gives an important preview into what maintenance will be required before the aircraft lands, helping identify common points of failure. The team is then able to request the right spare parts and an engineer in time for the aircraft carrier arriving back onshore. Big data also enables organisations to analyse how assets are being used. For example, one pilot may stress the vehicle more than another, which could lead to different levels of maintenance as an effect of human behaviour, rather than normal usage.

Current industry concerns As with any emerging technology, there are certain concerns surrounding big data in the maritime industry. l Autonomy is top of the agenda as we see the introduction of more HUMS equipment to the domain. Manufacturers need to

BIG DATA

provide intelligent systems that decide which data should be retrieved, without the need for human intervention. As autonomic logistics integration matures, we will see marked cost savings. l Cybercrime: Security is of paramount importance in the defence industry given the sensitivity of data often being transmitted.

Preventing assets being compromised when vessels are transmitting information is a top priority for maritime organisations. l Bandwidth remains a concern given ships only have one satellite link when out at sea. If not handled properly, raw data can have a detrimental effect on communications; meaning priority information is slower to transfer.

The next frontier Big data will empower IT professionals within the maritime industry to become advocates for change, as they learn to build and communicate business cases based on data analytics. In line with this, 2014 will see the rise of the mobile CIO in maritime, responsible for analysing data on-board the ship and creating collaborative working environments to increase operational efficiencies.

It will also drive a new type of failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA), meaning organisations are able to make better decisions on prioritising maintenance. In turn, this will create savings in capital as well as staff resource.

Another emerging trend is reliability-centred maintenance (RCM).

The UK Royal Navy is an advocate of RCM and has reported a significant reduction in cost of maintenance. As more organisations

deploy effective RCM strategies, the industry will be able to balance maintenance over risk.

‘Machine to machine’ or ‘the internet of things’ has played a role in the marine industry for some time already, with workers relying on sensors and cables to get readings to transmitting important information from planes automatically. As more organisations become aware of the value of data, and how this impacts innovation and operations, we will see a stronger uptake. It will be the larger organisations investing in big data over the coming years, with the small to medium-sized companies taking longer to follow suit.

There is work to be done in educating the wider maritime industry on the benefits of big data. Companies should look to the innovators and how they’ve used intelligent data to increase business agility and efficiency. n

Brendan Viggers

Brendan Viggers, head of product management for IFS Defence. IFS is a public company founded in 1983 that develops, supplies, and implements IFS Applications, a component-based extended ERP suite built on SOA technology. IFS focuses on industries where any of four core processes are strategic: Service & asset management, manufacturing, supply chain and projects. The company has 2000 customers and is present in approximately 60 countries with ,800 employees in total.

For further information, visit: www.IFSWorld.com.

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Modern

solutions Neil Mellenchip looks at the latest industry trends within the marine electrical engineering sphere - focusing on the appetite for more efficient, energy-saving, carbon cutting solutions helping to progress the world shipping market Electrical engineering often forms a key component of vessel repair and maintenance projects. The current market is placing greater demand than ever before on firms to deliver the complete electrical service, helping to drive efficiency and save both time and cash.

Project work within this sector usually requires design work, as well as the removal of obsolete equipment and the installation of updated electrical systems. However, in order to deliver high calibre solutions to tight time frames, it is essential to have an informed understanding

of industry developments. Marine installations are all bound by SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) and Classification requirements.

Frequent repair and maintenance works range from system engineering, power generation, power distribution and lighting surveys and upgrades, to delivery of complete electrical plant packages. Work is often carried out with the core aim of improving efficiency and driving down overheads. It can also be delivered to comply with a specific country’s environmental standards.

Many modern day marine electrical engineering projects further involve construction, modification and refurbishment of electrical control and distribution hardware. This requires support from electrical design and software development engineers.

In addition to fault finding and repair work to automated process control systems, there is frequently a need to repair or replace electric motors, electronic variable speed drives, generators, switchgear, PA/ broadcast equipment, telephone systems and satellite communication equipment.

Efficient solutions Vessel repair and maintenance projects present an opportunity to thoroughly investigate electrical infrastructure and identify ways to drive greater efficiency and energy savings. There is always a demand for more efficient solutions. One area that has seen strong

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electrical engineering

SeaKing apprentice in action

enhance the experience of offshore workers.

Multi-service IP networks can now be installed, which allow for simultaneous voice, video and data transmission. This solution is a marine application that combines enhanced telecom systems for internal communications. It further uses satcomm technology that enables the platform to be linked in to satellite broadcast and communication networks. This converts an offshore facility or vessel into a modern, high-tech platform.

Moving towards an IP network means that equipment can be remotely managed and usually doesn’t require any physical changes once installed, meaning upgrades and maintenance can be carried out remotely if required saving costly maintenance and support visits. progression in recent years is vessel lighting. The introduction of LED light fittings has helped to generate large savings for vessel operators.

Key benefits of the LED fittings include long-life expectancy rates and ultra efficiency, bringing energy savings of up to 90pc compared to more traditional forms of lighting. The LED fittings are renowned for their durability helping to drive down costs, without compromising on light quality.

There is also an increasing pressure on vessel operators to boost green credentials and cut down carbon emissions. The desire to reduce fuel costs has further led to many operators pushing for more efficiency technology. This has led to the use of Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) for seawater pumps applications. These pumps are used to transfer fresh water and seawater on board vessels for use with fire fighting, emergency cooling, ballast and sanitation.

Seawater pumps are among the largest energy consumers on board vessels. They often operate at full capacity when not required. Many vessels control flow through mechanical devices such as bypass valves and air dampers, which are inefficient and costly to maintain.

Variable Speed Drives help operators adjust the speed of these motors according to demand, reducing fuel and energy use as well as cutting CO2 emissions. They essentially reduce the amount of energy drawn from the motors and provide greater temperature control for engines and generators. This helps vessel operators to guard against rising fuel costs as well as meet green targets.

IT and satcomms solutions The shipping and marine sector has long been one of the most isolated and challenging environments in which to work but the availability of new technology is now revolutionising the sector. Advanced IT and satcomms solutions are helping to enhance the art of communication across the leisure, military and offshore sectors. This form of technology is essential for efficient communication, safety and managing crew welfare.

For instance, offshore workers are often deployed for lengthy periods and their welfare has a great effect on overall performance. IP (Internet Protocol) and satcomms services connect offshore facilities and vessels to voice, data and TV services. As a result, services that people take for granted on shore, such as phone, e-mail and video on demand can now

Introducing new technology One of the latest developments set to have a major impact on the global shipping sector is the introduction of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS). The IMO (International Maritime Organization) is now within striking distance of enforcing a convention making it mandatory for vessels worldwide to carry out ballast water management procedures.

Ballast water is essential for modern shipping operations, helping to stabilise vessels at sea. The seawater is pumped in and released at various stages of the journey to maintain safe operating conditions.

However, the operation poses serious ecological, economic and health problems due to the transfer and contamination of marine species.

BWMS are designed to reduce the environmental impact of ships as they travel across the seas. It uses techniques including ultra-violet light and chemicals to neutralise the effect of the water when it is deposited.

The world of marine electrical engineering moves fast. If electrical engineers are to meet the demands of the modern shipping era, they must adapt quickly to new advances in technology and stay abreast of pioneering trends. n

Neil Mellenchip

Neil Mellenchip is SeaKing Electrical Group business development manager.

SeaKing Electrical caters for the marine, industrial, commercial, military and offshore markets, specialising in electrical and electronics engineering. It delivers offshore wind market support, marine installations to SOLAS requirements, vessel survey and upgrades system engineering, complete mechanical & electrical packages and software development.

It further delivers construction, modification and refurbishment of electrical marine, commercial and industrial control. The firm can offer fault finding and repair automated process control systems, as well as repair or source and supply replacement electric motors, electronic variable speed drives, generators switchgear and PLCs. In August 2010, it achieved ISO 14001 Environmental management.

For further informantion vist: www.seakinggroup.co.uk

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Looking to the

future If there is one issue that continues to dominate the minds and operating strategies of quality ship owners and ship managers around the world, then it is the crucial factor of recruiting and retaining competent crewmembers

This is an important issue when you consider the level of demand for quality onboard personnel that is evident in the market contrasted with the declining supply of highly trained and available crewmembers.

More ships mean more employment opportunities and this creates more of a job buyer’s market: a tough prospect indeed.

Mark Robertshaw

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But according to Mark Robertshaw, commercial director of Bibby Ship Management Group and the new managing director for the company’s Isle of Man office, while demand for ship management services may be on the rise because of the need for a good supply of highly trained and competent seafarers, it is the managers who are exercising restraint as they work to ensure they pick the right owning partners to fit their management portfolios.

“Yes there is a lot of business out there but ship managers are being very selective about which tonnage they take onboard and indeed, who they work with. There are different markets for managers to look at Bibby Ship Management manages ships across a variety of sectors but has a focus on a number of niche markets with offshore being one area where we are very heavily focused.

“Bibby Ship Management has a massive capability in this area and has direct agreements with many oil majors,” he said. This is a key point when you consider that managers have to undergo a high level of due diligence and audit requirements to even get a foot through the door when it comes to working with the oil majors. He added: “We have a lot to leverage off when it comes to meeting the high demands of the global offshore sector.”

But, as Mark contends, at a time when the crewing factor is so important, if as a manager you are able to forge a stronger relationship with the crew, then that will enable you to deliver a better service to the client.

Bibby Ship Management has earned its spurs admirably in the crew management sector with successful recruitment and training efforts being undertaken in the key seafarer capitals of India and the Ukraine.

Training has to be more than just a tick box exercise, which is why the company has recently invested more than $1m in upgrading its Mumbai and Delhi training operations.

“One of the challenges we have in the industry is a lack of qualified crew and senior officers, particularly in the offshore sectors. It is clearly useful if some of them have come through the Bibby Ship Management training centres as we know who they are and the standard to which they have been trained.

RECRUITmeNT RECRUITMENT

‘‘

Everything about your company is measurable to potential recruits, from quantifiable factors such as welfare and working conditions to more intangible factors such as brand perception and heritage BP North Sea vessels

Bibby Topaz

“Having the training centres allows us to have a pool of seafarers and officers that we can utilise for our own and third party vessels. It is a great facility in Mumbai in particular. We are investing another one million dollars in the Mumbai and Delhi centres which is a clear commitment from us.

“One of the challenges we have is a global shortage of qualified crew, particularly offshore and a lack of senior officers, chief engineers, masters, chief officers, second engineers. So for us it is useful if some of them have come through the Bibby Ship Management training centre and we know who they are etc. which allows us to work with them then or even at a later stage.”

Personalised, quality assured and comprehensive crew management services are at the heart of Bibby Ship Management’s Isle of Man office, a renowned centre of maritime excellence and expertise.

Established in 1986, Bibby Ship Management (Western Europe)

Limited offers to the international marine industry a robust ISO9001 and MLC compliant recruitment process ensures that every seafarer is suitably qualified and experienced. Seafarers are sourced either directly or from a worldwide network of subsidiary companies and approved agencies, who use industry best practise to ensure that only the right calibre of candidates are recruited.

Mark pointed out: “We obtain references from their previous employers and ensure they have sufficient command of the English language, and arrange pre-deployment medical examinations and drug and alcohol testing. Once recruited, we continually appraise each seafarer’s performance and ensure compliance with all statutory and client specific training requirements.”

This comprehensive approach to recruitment has resulted in a low level of staff turnover and ensures the company’s vessels have a consistent supply of highly-qualified seafarers to the 50 plus vessels entrusted to its Statutory Management, which amounts to approximately 20 per cent of the gross registered tonnage sailing under the Manx Flag.

This business strategy is clearly proving successful, as evidenced by the fact that the company’s crewing operations around the world, including the Isle of Man, are projected to grow by 25 per cent in 2014.

Mark said: “Attracting talent is absolutely critical.

Everything about your company is measurable to potential recruits, from quantifiable factors such as welfare and working conditions to more intangible factors such as brand perception and heritage.

Bibby has more than 200 years of experience in the shipping industry which, combined with our modern approach to communication and welfare, stands us in great stead.”

Having recruited superior crew, retention becomes the important factor and Bibby Ship Management is proud to boast a 95 per cent level of crew retention with some seafarers having been with the company for more than 20 years.

Mark explained: “The key to this success is the relationship that we have built up with our personnel managers, our crew and their families over the years. Succession planning is also important and the investment we make in our award-winning cadet training scheme pays dividends in terms of providing us with first class cadets.” n

Bibby Ship Management Bibby Ship Management provides marine solutions to the global maritime industry. For more information visit: www.bibbyshipmanagement.com.

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The North Sea is one of the world’s harshest environments and the ultimate testing centre for the offshore support specialist. It has been said that if a company can survive in this tough and trying setting, then it can survive anywhere.

Established and accomplished providers of upstream support services have failed to adapt in the past and paid the price. It is no longer feasible to think you can take on the global game and comfortably win.

Who wants to make the next move when demand is outstripping supply? Oil prices have peaked and troughed consistently over the last five years. There is a noticeable personnel skills gap. These are problems we are all facing, so why don’t we find the solution by working better together?

have created a more efficient, slicker service. Our decision to provide sophisticated seatech solutions to our customers through a highly skilled survey department has been welcomed, as well as our new manpower business line. These businesses reflect our desire to evolve our company.

Feeding responsibilities

There is a shifting pattern of demand internationally. The US consumed 18 million barrels of oil a day in 2012, a drop of some three million since 2005. China swallowed nearly ten million barrels a day compared with 6.5 million barrels eight years ago. This movement shows how difficult it is for energy majors - they can be settled and supplying to one part of the world, but are forced to change priorities within a short timeframe.

Small-to-medium specialist companies can become their flexible service departments.

Collaborate to carry on Sharp thinking research and development professionals are coming The niche skills of small to medium firms can be allied to the pulling up with new technologies necessary to aid their clients. While battling power of industry majors to ensure oil and gas production can continue. against uncontrollable influences, such as a fluctuating economy and Energy majors have found that their needs are not being met from oil prices, suppliers and contractors are forced to think outside of the within, so they are calling in help from specialists. This has seen a rise box. New technologies and alternative ways of working are the key to in the number of entrepreneurial businesses being created in order to unlocking hidden reserves to keep up with an insatiable demand. serve global energy demands.

Inventing the tools to drill deeper and providing the logistics to reach At Viking SeaTech we are always poised for the next move. Over isolated parts of the world are challenging undertakings. But, over and the last two years, we have reacted to the needs of our customers and over again, offshore support companies are coming up with what is required. With substantial investment, commitment over many years and cutting edge technologies, large volumes of oil and gas are being located and produced for the hungry markets.

Of course, such rewards do not come without risk. Many easy to reach offshore reserves in UK and Norwegian waters have already been Bill Bayliss discusses the growing offshore extracted, which is why it is vital we support industry and key strategies for success learn to explore deeper waters and

Staunch

support

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offshore SUPPORT offhsore

devise new strategies for removal of these valuable hydrocarbons.

Risk management is a key area of planning for companies, whether operators, service providers, subsea firms or entrepreneurs. It is important to look under every bed of rock.

It is all very well coming up with the technology, testing it in theory and finding oil in a hard to reach place, but what if the timeframe for drilling arrives and the oil price is so low it isn’t economically viable?

Risk comes in a financial guise as well as from Mother Nature. In order to proceed profitably, oil and gas companies have to do their best to forecast oil prices over the period of their proposed activity - not an easy prediction.

Political instability and overseas regulations must also be overcome.

There are restrictions on when extraction can be carried out and these can change depending who is running a country at any time. Major operators want to go where the oil and gas is located, but political activities in various nations can be off-putting or simply too dangerous.

Decision makers have to gather as much intelligence as possible before sending staff and equipment to work.

a top priority and so developed our most recent creation, VS People.

With this department recruiting short-term and temporary contractors to the UK, Australia and Singapore markets, we have risen to fulfil client expectations. If an operator wants to move a rig from one place to another, they recognise our convenient package will meet their demands every step of the way.

Oil on the chain Slick subsea services are essential to the industry. With a drive to innovate, deliver and celebrate being part of a golden age of industry, offshore support firms will continue to adapt as a prerequisite. Product lines will continue to improve in order to build on relationships that have been fruitful to date. Viking SeaTech’s recent move into Indonesia is testament to its growth ambitions. It is a launch into the growing Asian market, where population is driving up energy usage faster than anywhere else in the world. It is already the fourth largest nation by population and could be the seventh largest economy by 2030.

Maintaining supplies Ready made When times are lean, many major companies in other sectors may choose to trim the workforce, however this does not make good business sense in the energy industry. The next peak in activity tends to pop up on the horizon as quickly as the last one vanished. The key lies in outsourcing, its important to remember that utilising service firms is cost effective.

When a major firm looks to move into a new overseas territory, it often finds its small partner firms already have a foothold there. This can be of huge competitive advantage and shows that integrating with smaller firms is intelligent networking, by doing this an otherwise daunting step up can become smooth and well informed.

With the lessons learned from harsh testing grounds, both at home and abroad, offshore service outfits are undoubtedly stronger. Ten years ago we thought the industry had reached its peak and decline was imminent. However, to date, we have worked hard to unlock doors in the natural environment to help operators extract large amounts of oil and gas from places on earth that were previously inaccessible. There is enough gas in Indonesia to supply the country for the next 50 years.

This is partnership working the likes of which has never been seen before. An industry that was once dominated by a few now needs many players to conduct the essential core. As offshore support, we ensure energy giants have the supply of services they need to satisfy the insatiable appetites of consumers around the globe.

Brains over brawn

Future challenges

Energy operators have historically had a financial clout that allows them to ensure a certain degree of technological development. However, the sophisticated technology being bankrolled and developed by their smaller counterparts can often overtake their own, so it makes sense to use what is here already. Energy operators watch closely to see what enterprising support companies can create, allowing them to reduce their own expenditure during testing economic times. They can add value to their own company by scouting the fast-moving technology marketplace first – there is little point in spending money to come up with kit that does the same job as an existing product. That said, with engineering money saved, major firms can still use their own research and development departments to bring forward some of the industry’s boldest inventions.

Despite challenges in the industry, when successful end results arrive the sense of achievement is immense. No major companies can tell exactly what is around the next corner. But, they can work closely with offshore support services to be prepared for the unexpected and be ready to move at short notice.

In the coming years, I foresee offshore support companies continuing to show the way. Many nurture an entrepreneurial spirit in a bid to resolve the energy market’s toughest problems. By continuing to move forward, it is possible to see previously unheard of routes into regions or oilfields become well-trodden and safe pathways. Being first to try a technique that becomes successful is good for individual businesses, but also for the industry’s future as a whole. n

One-stop-shop To retain their competitive advantage, offshore support firms are diversifying to please customers with an all-in-one package, which represents practical and cost-efficient offerings. At Viking SeaTech we can provide rig positioning, engineering, equipment supply and rental, mooring, inspection, maintenance and manpower services. These departments were built up as the different environments and changing needs of our clients emerged over the last two decades.

We have matured alongside our customers and can now give them a conception to completion programme that satisfies their complex requirements. We realised the provision of personnel would become

Viking SeaTech

Bill Bayliss is chief executive of Viking SeaTech, a leading supplier a comprehensive range of equipment and services to the offshore oil and gas industry. From conception to completion, from marine engineering to equipment supply and rental, from positioning, mooring and inspection to maintenance and manpower projects, the company’s offshore seatech services consistently increase customer uptime.

For further information please visit: www.vikingseatech.com

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Olympic Ares

Support

across the world

Today’s offshore support vessels meet a huge variety of needs and feature some of the most state-of-the-art equipment and designs in the maritime arena

Offshore support vessels (OSVs) may have begun life as simple ships that supplied oil rigs, but today’s next generation OSVs are incredibly technically advanced vessels, which have been designed to meet the support demands of deepwater drilling and subsea operations, as well as a raft of other applications.

According to the American Bureau of Shipping (www.eagle.org), ‘over the years, OSVs have evolved dramatically in terms of diversification, worldwide operation and water depth capabilities.’ ABS lists a number of recognised OSV categories, which is continually increasing - as well as the level of vessel sophistication.

Major OSV categories include: l Offshore Supply Transports and stores materials, equipment and/or personnel (excluding crew boats) to, from and between offshore installations l Anchor Handling & Towing Handles anchors of offshore floating installations and/or towing operations l Firefighting Carries out firefighting operations l Diving & ROV Support

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Provides support for diving system and underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) l Oil Spill Recovery Recovers oil from the water and near shorelines in response to an oil spill in the marine environment l Safety Standby Rescue Adapted with special features for evacuating and receiving personnel from an offshore installation, also used in the rescue and care of people from another vessel at sea l Pipe Lay Used in subsea pipeline installations l Heavy Lift Lifts heavy loads in oil drilling and production operations, offshore construction and/or salvage operations. Heavy lift OSVs have a lifting capacity of 160 metric tons and above l Well Intervention, Stimulation & Test Designed and equipped, either permanently or temporarily, to carry out well intervention, well stimulation and/or well test services l Escort Provides assistance to disabled vessels in emergencies involving impaired manoeuvrability due to loss of propulsion or steering or both l Wind Turbine Installation, Maintenance & Repair

offshore SUPPORT VESSELS offhsore

Used for installing, maintaining and repairing wind turbines l Cable Laying Service Used in subsea cable installations It is clear that OSVs are now an essential part of the global fleet, and this is reinforced when you consider the amount of maritime conferences and events scheduled this year, which are all dedicated to this area, and are taking place across the world. For example ACI’s 6th Offshore Support Vessels Summit (Wednesday 9 April 2014 - Thursday 10 April 2014 in Aberdeen, Scotland) will focus heavily on achieving operational excellence by utilising innovative OSV designs.

The event will include case study examples of the European OSV ship owners, ship operators and oil and gas majors, which will enable visitors to get an objective overview of the current industry challenges, caused by the rapid increase in deep sea exploration and production activities, pressure in sourcing experience crew, the new standards of the OSV performance and legislation requirements and recent developments within the oil and gas sector (www.wplgroup.com/aci/ conferences/eu-mos6.asp.)

IBC Maritime events (www.osvconference.com) is running three OSV conferences this year, in Singapore (7-9 April) Ghana (16-19 June) and Dubai (22-25 September), and these events will also be looking at the future of the market, as well as targeted global topics depending on where they are located. For example, the Offshore Support Vessels Middle East conference (which was hugely successful in 2013) will again be showcasing the oil and gas industry expectations, commercial trends and new contracting opportunities for OSVs in the region.

The second Annual OSV Middle East will once again bring together the movers, shakers and leaders of the OSV sector of the Arabian Gulf to discuss opportunities in and outside the region, optimising vessel performance and how to benefit from the region’s shipbuilding/ repair capabilities.

Later in the year, Informa Maritime’s 4th Offshore Support Vessel Conference is to be held in October 2014 in Oslo, Norway (www. informamaritimeevents.com/event/offshore-support-vesselsconference) and this will be looking at vessel design evolution and equipping the offshore fleet to access new frontiers.

New vessels Another factor highlighting the growing importance of OSVs is the amount of vessels that are being both chartered and commissioned. In November 2013 DOF Subsea, a provider of integrated subsea solutions, chartered a new multi-purpose vessel to assist in North Sea operations.

The company has entered into a long-term charter agreement with Reach Subsea for the newbuild construction support vessel (CSV) Normand Reach. DOF Subsea has signed a two-year contract with Reach Subsea with two one-year extension options.

The Normand Reach is due to be delivered before the end of May 2014 and will replace DOF Subsea’s existing Skandi Bergen vessel for high-end construction projects. The vessel is 121 m long and equipped with a 250 t AHC crane and two work-class ROVs. The new vessel will be completely dedicated to the North Sea and support DOF Subsea’s continuing growth strategy within UK and Norway. The first assignments for the vessel will be for execution of projects for global operators in the UK. These projects will be managed

by DOF Subsea UK. Also in November, Bibby Offshore added a construction support

Normand reach

vessel to its fleet, when it chartered the Olympic ARES. The agreement with Olympic Shipping will initially be a seasonal charter beginning at the end of Q1 2014 with options to extend. The vessel will be mobilised with ROVs from Bibby Offshore’s sister company Bibby Remote Intervention Limited and the companies together with Olympic Shipping shall jointly market the vessel.

Moving away from the UK, Harkand has ramped up its activity in Asia Pacific, with the first charters for support vessel Harkand Harmony and new ROVs. Under a deal with PTSC Offshore Services, the ROV support vessel Harkand Harmony has been deployed on its first charter since joining the fleet in August and is carrying out flexible lay operations in the Ruby Field, offshore Vietnam, with the charter expected to be completed in late November 2013.

In December Sinopacific ShipbuildingGroup and Rolls-Royce announced that Rolls-Royce has won an order to provide design and integrated equipment packages for two UT 771WP platform supply vessels (PSV) to be built by Sinopacific.

The contract incorporates MTU-engines as part of an integrated power and propulsion package within the successful UT-vessel series. The UT 771 WP design from Rolls-Royce enhances the ship’s performance with the signature wave piercing bow, designed to pierce through the waves in rough seas. The two vessels are scheduled for delivery in late 2015.

Moving into 2014, in January Seatankers received the sixth of 12 PSVs it had ordered from ULSTEIN, when ‘Sea Spear’ was delivered from Zhejiang Shipyard, Ningbo, to the Seatankers Group. The PX105 designed vessels are considered as large PSVs and the design is one of the most attractive PSV designs from ULSTEIN due to the combination of flexibility and large size.

‘Sea Spear’ is 88.9 metres long and 19 metres in the beam, and has a dead weight of 4,500 tonnes. The loading deck area is approximately 1000 m2. She is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system and a comprehensive electrical package delivered by Ulstein Power & Control.

Fitted with Azipull 100 propellers, she can reach speeds of 15.5 knots.

As the demands from clients require OSVs that can access deeper waters, move through Arctic ice, address a variety of challenging applications and be technologically advanced, multifunctional OSVs have been created that fill various niches or categories within the OSV market. Today’s OSVs have increased cargo capacity, panoramic navigation bridge visibility, large accommodation spaces, enhanced crew amenities and state-of-the-art propulsion and automation systems – they are truly vessels of the future. n

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Profile: Dammam Shipyard Lim Tide

Platform for growth:

Dammam Shipyard B

oasting geographic prominence in the Arabian Gulf, the King Abdulaziz Port of Dammam has seen huge developments since 1998, with the development of two International Container & Ro/ Ro Terminals, General Cargo, Bonded Zone and an Oil Production platform fabrication, the Dammam Port Authority are now focused on the development of the King Fahad Ship Repair Facility.

While the King Fahad Ship Repair Yard Facility at the Port of Dammam was established in 1984, “Dammam Shipyard is a new long-term lease concession issued by SEAPA (Saudi Sea ports Authority) to Al Blagha to support the marine, oil and gas industry in the Arabian Gulf.

“Dammam Shipyard is ideally located in the Arabian Gulf to provide maintenance services to the shipping and marine industry.

“Based at the King Abudaliziz Port of Dammam, our location

allows vessel and rig owners to remain in Saudi waters and remain on hire for their customers thus saving additional time and money,” explains the Port Director General Naeem Ibrahim Naeem.

“The Dammam Port Authority and Dammam Shipyard management are implementing new improvements in addition to their full re-accreditation process. In December the two floating docks were classified ‘In Class’ by IACS (International Association of Classification Societies) member. ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) have certified the welding procedures and Dammam Shipyard is fully certified. Full ISO and ISPS certification is in progress and is expected shortly. The Port of Dammam has grown phenomenally and there is a lot of potential for future growth for Dammam Shipyard, which is why ‘quality and continual improvement’ is our key mantra.” www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 27

Profile: Dammam Shipyard

Meo Ranger, docking

Double docking

With two large, fully classified operational docks and a number of berths alongside them, Dammam shipyard offers ample opportunity for routine dockings, as well as scheduled or unplanned repair or maintenance of any type.

Located on the Eastern side of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the centre of the Arabian Gulf, Dammam Shipyard's dock one is 215 metres LOA (length overall) and has 22,000 tons of lifting capacity; dock two is 165 metres LOA and has a lifting capacity of 10,000 tons.

Other facilities include 600 metres of quay berth, with draft of 10m datum with a tidal range of up to 2.7m, two 90-metre jetties, fully equipped engineering workshops, a test pull bollard and six dock/jetties cranes with a lifting capacity of 60 tons.

“Our fully equipped workshops, cranes, IACS classed docks, alongside our specialised workforce, allows Dammam Shipyard to perform services such as hull/steel fabrication, painting/blasting, mechanical and electrical works on both vessels and jack up

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rigs,” highlights Jason French - Chief Executive Officer - Dammam Shipyard.

Al- Blagha Holding Group specialising in Marine, Infrastructure and construction, have a long-term vision for Dammam Shipyard to fully support the growing marine, oil and gas industry in Saudi Arabia. “Having a long-term vision enables us to plan and service our customers to a high standard.”

Committed to quality, the shipyard provides training to newly recruited and existing employees in order to ensure compliance of regulations such as health and safety and environment.

Designed to give each worker a comprehensive understanding of theory and practical workings within an efficient and quality focused shipyard, the courses offer a clear overview of the region’s marine service sector and the work procedures in place at Dammam Shipyards that ensure customer satisfaction.

“Dammam Shipyard has a number of internal training programmes underway, along with external training centres based in or around the port of Dammam,” says Mr French.

“Customer service is paramount as it’s the customer that is the most important factor in any project. We have a truly international workforce and boast a strong team of talented international managers who look to serve the client by focusing on quality and fast turnaround of the vessel or rig. A company is only as good as its last job and a vessel in dock is not making any money for the client.”

It seems with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia growing there is still a great deal of potential for Dammam Shipyard as Saudi Arabia continues to be an excellent place for business particularly in the oil, gas and marine industries.

“Our mission for Dammam Shipyard in 2014 is simple; to be an internationally recognised shipyard within the marine, oil and gas industry. We aim to build up our reputation job by job, by offering: a first class service, fast turnaround of the vessel or rig, meeting all our customers’ requirements without having to leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” concludes Mr. French. l

Dammam Shipyard

www.dammamshipyard.com • Ideal Location for Marine, Oil and Gas Industry • Managed by Al-Blagha Holding Group • Expansive portfolio of services

Profiles

There are thousands of ships sailing the oceans

today, transporting every kind of cargo.

The global fleet is manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality and the companies involved in this sector are among the most technologically sophisticated of any in the world.

The prominent and successful companies that are highlighted in the next pages of Shipping & Marine provide real world examples of how state-of-the-art technology, best practices and modern innovations are put into practice in the maritime sector.

Marine Fabricators Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Pure Superyacht Refit Luyt Group Offshore Liftboats LLC Palmer Johnson Safe Bulkers TRIYARDS Sungdong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. Dynagas Armona Denizcilik AS SKF Solution Factory Marine Services Svitzer Asia Blohm+Voss Shipyards Falmouth Harbour Commissioners KNRM ForestWave Navigation Macduff Ship Design British Marine Federation Bibby Ship Management Container Leasing A/S Maritime Protection Abeko Neptune Lines A&P Falmouth Global Davit MEC Shipyards Moran Towing Corporation Dorian LPG London Cruise Terminal/ Port of Tilbury Swede Ship Marine Thoresen Shipping

Built to last

F

rom its base in Stockton-on Tees, England, Marine Fabricators has earned a strong reputation for providing robust medium to heavy fabrication projects for a number of applications. Since 1998 the company has supplied structures and equipment used within the renewable energy, marine, offshore and oil and gas industries. In addition to this more conventional structures can be constructed as required.

The company was established at the suggestion of some of its clients, who saw the potential for its founders to take a leading role in a niche market as founder and managing director, Steve Reed explains: “Originally two of us set the company up. We had previously been employed in similar work; that is to say marine and offshore manufacture. We were encouraged by some of our customers to begin our own venture, and we started with a large project to provide three carousels for a vessel conversion for DSND, as it was then. That company has since become part of Subsea 7.”

Since the successful delivery of its first projects, Marine Fabricators has continued to grow in strength and reputation, winning further business that has driven the expansion of the company’s fabrication facilities. “We originally started with two bays of the old shipyard fabrication hall, around 15,000 square

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feet, and we have since expanded that to seven bays in response to the increased workload. We are currently mostly involved in the production of cable and pipe laying equipment for ships. We have also undertaken offshore standard and other more specialised fabrication projects too,” says Steve.

Profile: Marine Fabricators

Universal Coatings & Services Ltd Universal Coatings & Services Ltd. are very proud to be associated with such a high quality engineering company as Marine Fabricators. The successful working relationship between these two companies dates back to 1999. UCSL specialise in high quality surface preparation and protective coating. They offer these services from their well-equipped Teesside facility and off-site anywhere in the UK. They are committed to delivering the highest standards of quality and customer satisfaction achievable, whilst endeavouring to meet demanding lead times.

The expansion of its facilities and a steady flow of orders have provided the stimulus for the company to double its annual turnover during the past five years as Steve elaborates: “With the increase in the amount of floor space that we had available to us we were able to turnover twice as many contracts and by increasing our workforce to meet demand we were able to increase our financial return accordingly.

“We are almost at single shift capacity now, limited by the floor space. We currently do not have any plans to expand on a permanent basis, however we do have options for the hire of another site. Then of course we would be operating two sites, which is never as efficient. So this is something we will consider in conjunction with our future workflow.”

In addition to its increase in workspace, Marine Fabricators has also invested in new equipment and tools to ensure that it is able to tackle larger and more complex projects. During 2008 and with financial assistance from One North East and The European Regional Development Fund, the company was able to obtain a

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Profile: Marine Fabricators

Murray Plate Group Murray Plate Group has a close working relationship with Marine Fabricators, understanding their business needs, supplying high quality plate and bespoke profiles to meet their exacting requirements.

Today the company serves a number of clients across a number of industries and its previous customers include 2H Offshore, Amclyde Norson, CTC Marine Projects, Heerema Hartlepool Ltd, EMAS AMC, BAE Systems and Technip Offshore Ltd amongst others. Its main customers at the moment are MAATS Tech as well as AmClyde Norson Engineering and the Norwegian company DEMAnor. Commenting on the company’s current customer base Steve says: “MAATS Tech are by far our current largest customer in terms of capital value and tonnage through the workshop.

DEMAnor are a new client and the first Norwegian customer for us. We manufactured a winch mounting system, which was then shipped to them in northern Norway. We have been discussing several large projects with them for renewables cable storage and handling equipment.”

A slight depression in the wider fabrication market has meant that Marine Fabricators has been able to retain a strong workforce and continue to hire experienced staff while the business has continued to grow. In addition to this, the company currently employs five apprentices and is considering adding another two during 2014.

The demand for new offshore construction vessels with pipelaying capabilities (particularly from Brazil) has allowed Marine Fabricators to continue to deliver further projects at a high standard, as Steve observes: “We have a strong track record,

new, wireless-controlled 30m span 40 tonne overhead travelling crane with a second similar unit (with an additional 10te auxiliary hoist) added in 2011. In 2009 Marine Fabricators manufactured and installed a triple-panel sliding door in bay number seven of its workshop. The 17.2 metre wide and 15 metre high door was constructed in response to specific project requirements and allows the company direct access to a load out quay directly from the workshop. The location on the River Tees allows Marine Fabricators to manufacture and deliver larger projects that would not normally be possible to transport via road or rail. The company’s position is further strengthened by its close proximity to a good local road network was well as the Tees Offshore Base and the deepwater Tees Dock. Good road links, including internal side roads enables Marine Fabricators to work closely with key sub-contractors like Universal Coatings, who thanks to Marine Fabricators transport links are able to provide painting solutions for projects up to 12 metres wide. At present, the company boasts a covered workspace of around 46,000 square feet as well as external storage and further internal floor space available as required. www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 33

Profile: Marine Fabricators

especially where carousels are concerned. We have shown that we are consistently able to build them very efficiently. We produce good quality products and do so on time – which is crucial.”

With its strong portfolio of completed works, ideally designed fabrication facilities and well-connected location, Marine Fabricators is set to continue long into the future. The company’s strengths are in its ability to provide solutions in a niche market as well as to take on more standard or larger projects. This diverse range of solutions makes Marine Fabricators Ltd a key partner for clients looking for reliable fabrication solutions. l Marine Fabricators Ltd. www.marinefabricators.co.uk • Diverse range of fabricated products • 46,000 square feet of covered workspace with substantial craneage • Well connected location

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Profile: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Cruise ship Braemar

Cruising along

nicely

W

“

e can trace our roots back to 1848 when the three Olsen brothers started the shipping company in Visden, which is based in the Oslo field; we have a long heritage and are now in the 5th generation of the family to be operating services in shipping, aviation, the offshore industry and renewable energy sector,” begins Mike Rodwell, managing director of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. “With offices around the world, we serve both the private Olsen companies as well as the publically quoted ones.

We established ourselves seriously in the cruising business in 1987, when the Black Prince was dedicated as a cruise product; since then the business has continued to grow, with Black Watch taken on in 1996, Braemar in 2001, Boudicca in 2006 and Balmoral in 2008.”

Viewing itself as the local, global cruise line, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines leads the way in operating cruises from regional UK ports; with ten ports on its list in 2014, the company is keen to bring the vessels to the market, enabling passengers to cruise from their local base to any of the 246 destinations in 85 countries the diverse firm has on offer. This availability to customers is a strategic advantage for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, compared to other liners that only operate from more traditional cruising ports such as Southampton and Dover. “Of course we will be operating out of Southampton and Dover in 2014 and 2015, however we will also be operating out of Harwich, Liverpool, Tilbury, Avonmouth (Bristol), Newcastle, Greenock (Glasgow), Rosyth (Edinburgh) and Belfast,”

says Mike. “On top of offering this benefit to our customers, we also go to more destinations than any other cruise line and offer the widest range of itineraries than any of our competitors.

Our extremely rich destination product offering is one of the key factors to our success.”

Offering everything from short Christmas cruises to 30-49 nights exotic cruises, the company constantly strives to offer new experiences to both returning and new customers. “Although we are predominantly ex-UK, we do offer flight cruises to the Caribbean and the Canary Islands as well as other flight cruise Cruise ship Black Watch

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 35

Profile: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Cruise ship Boudicca

packages as part of our longer voyage operations. In 2015 we will be launching the Asian Grand Voyage, which will have 13 maiden calls and will involve going to ports we have never been to before. This will give our high repeat factor guests a new and exciting experience, as we will be calling at locations such as Galle (Sri Lanka), Ujang Pandang (Makassar, Indonesia), Jeju City (Jeju Island, South Korea) as well as a number of ports in Japan that we have never been to before.”

Through merging land and sea content alongside some unique and iconic locations, the Grand Voyage is a prime example of Fred. Olsen’s ability to listen to the needs of its guests and deliver once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Furthermore, the company will continue to break new ground with its most ambitious voyage ever in 2015 with the launch of a 119-night cruise on the Balmoral.

Titled ‘Exploring the Far East’, the sailing is seven days longer than the 2013 ‘World Cruise’, and visits 19 more ports, including Malaga, Egypt, Mumbai, Sri Lanka, Ujung Pandang, Hong Kong, Singapore and Athens.

Jackson Nugent Vintners Jackson Nugent Vintners Ltd is today the leading wine supplier to the UK Duty Free/Travel Retail market with extensive coverage also of prestige London restaurants, hotels, wine shops and the global Duty Free industry.

The producers/agencies selected from the Old and New Worlds are chosen for the following reasons: Their commitment to the best possible quality at a given price point, their passion for wine-making and the wine identity of their region, control over sourcing of grapes and innovation, open-mindedness and good service.

Jackson Nugent Vintners offers producers and importers a broad insight into the changing trends of world markets and wine regions. This global view combined with the wide contact network that goes with it, aims to add significant value to all parties.

“Another development for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is the reintroduction of our Caribbean flight cruise programme in 2015; we haven’t offered this service for a few years and have seen a build up in demand for this. So far bookings have been fabulous.

We are also launching our first ever mystery cruise, which will depart from Tilbury in November 2014; only two people in the company know where our passengers and staff will be going and I’m not one of them, so that has caught the imagination of our customers and is going to be interesting. On top of this, we are offering the ‘Fast Cars & Film Stars’ cruise, which will coincide with the Cannes film festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. We also have the Braemar D-Day commemorative cruise, which will be going to Dunkirk in June 2014, 70 years since the D-Day landing.

As you can see, we have a lot of different products out there to please our repeat passengers and entice new cruisers.”

Keen to encourage the public to try cruising, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines launched the biggest initiative of its kind in the UK, the innovative ‘Fred’s Enjoyment Promise’ on 2nd December 2013.

Under the promise, people who have never cruised with the company will be able to try out a Fred. Olsen cruise, with the firm flying them home and refunding their cruise fare if they dislike the experience. “We have found that there is an increase in people wanting to take a cruise but are not actually booking one because they are not sure if the experience is for them,” explains Mike.

He continues: “If people come to us within 48 hours of being on our vessel and tell it isn’t their cup of tea we will fly them back from the first port of call. However, we are very confident of our product and believe this is an opportunity for us to demonstrate the confidence we have in our product. Every cruise line likes to say they have the most friendly crew on board, but I genuinely www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 37

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Profile: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Bancroft Wines Founded by entrepreneur Peter De Haan (ex Saga), Bancroft Wines maintains strong ties with the travel industry, working with premium brands to maximise opportunities available in wine. Recent enterprises with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have seen a successful launch of tailor-made own-label wines and bespoke winemaker themed promotions that link in both logistically and geographically to the Fred. Olsen brand.

Cruise ship Balmoral

Germstar Germstar pioneered the use of touch free hand sanitizers and infection control systems in global maritime industries and is a proud service partner to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

The Germstar touch free dispenser is designed for high traffic areas and unlike alcohol gels and foams, Germstar Noro leaves no sticky residue and will not dry out the hands, even with frequent use. If four ingredients kill 99.99 per cent of common disease-causing germs, why use more?

believe we have. Because of the size of our ships our staff know our customers by name and their favorite tipple before they approach the bar. We really do strive to make our cruise lines the friendliest afloat.”

Following extensive research with existing guests and the wider market of potential customers who are yet to cruise, Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s 2014/15 programme was launched in April 2013.

Already generating a large amount of interest, the company looks set to flourish over the coming years. “By extending our regional departure ports, visiting more locations and improving our key strengths we can emphasise our position in the market for the over 55s. Its important to keep our product evolving because the 60 years old today are a different beast to the one 20 years ago; no longer a question of looking at Vera Lynn and the White Cliffs of Dover, it is more rock and roll and even later music and entertainment options,” says Mike. “Ultimately we need to take initiative and look at what is going on in the market, to capitalise on the events going on in the world so we can offer an extremely appealing port product as we refresh and develop our fleet going forward.” l

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

www.fredolsencruises.com • Travels to 246 destinations in 85 countries • Wide range of itineraries • Cruises aimed at the 55 plus market

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Tailored

solutions

F

ounded by owner and project manager Nic Clarke in response to the increasing demand for high quality specialist refit management services in 2008, Palma de Mallorca based Pure Superyacht Refit today provides hands-on support and innovative, tailor-made solutions.

Recognised as a leading provider of superyacht services, the company offers commitment and integrity to its customers while setting the highest possible standards to deliver a superior service both on time and on budget.

Operating as the point of contact for clients, Pure is responsible and accountable for the tens of millions of euros in shipbuilder’s repairers and liability insurance it carries. Furthermore, it manages both subcontractors and the projects to fully remove any worries and concerns that customers may have. Tailored projects include initial planning, contractor tendering, processing selection and working to all class survey compliance and approvals. With a multilingual team of expert professionals, Pure prides itself on quality and reliability, thus ensuring an invaluable, accurate, clear and comprehensive service.

Previously featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in February 2013, Pure has continued developing its plans for expansion, as Nic discusses: “We aim to expand through opening an office in mainland Europe around March time 2014; this is due to us outgrowing our shipyard here in Palma and requiring greater lifting capacity as our growing client lists' vessels continue to increase in length. We have a lot of vessels that come to us and

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we do all the work possible in Palma before we relinquish the relationship with the client as it goes to facilities more suitable for lifting larger yachts. We have had requests to continue our relationship in this area and have been looking into locations, which is an exciting development.”

Also included in the company’s expansion plans is the broadening of its services in the superyacht sector with the addition of another proactive, hands-on project manager and a technical assistant to support and assist the project manager’s administration and project logging duties. “The addition of an assistant is essential to the successful running of Pure,” explains Nic. “It will free up the office manager to concentrate on the growing requests and responsibilities that our clients are trusting us with, such as shipping, receiving, accommodations and concierge and general administration duties. Furthermore, having a technical assistant will allow me time to get out and visit potential clients and keep a better overall view of all the projects.

“On top of this, we are implementing new software packages for CRM, database management and accounting that is being designed and written for us, so having an office manager take control of this will be hugely advantageous,” says Nic. Proud of the close working relationships Pure develops with clients, Nic is keen for the company to continue delivering a hands-on approach to projects: “We aren’t the sort of project management company to sit in the office and manage from there; I think there is a lot of value in being on the scaffolding of the

Profile: Pure Superyacht Refit

vessels and being on board with contractors. This is how we anticipate potential issues and maintain the highest standards. If non-conformities arise we can identify them quickly and provide a fast response which saves our clients time and money.”

Another way Pure offers a comprehensive and efficient service is through being authorised to provide in-house temporary importation (TPA) tax exemption benefit to its customers. This service enables Pure to offer yacht refits in a simple and coordinated manner, thus allowing clients an easier understanding of the project’s financial position in relation to the refit progress and deliver significant savings on the overall cost. “My accountant,

prior to joining Pure, has spent 13 years with the local tax office as an advisor for companies on their tax issues. She is one of the premier accountants on the island, which is why we are very lucky to have her. We are able to offer services that we feel no other company offers and we go above and beyond for our clients through being protective of their finances and tax situation and also having a great relationship with the customs agency here,” highlights Nic. He continues: “If an owner brings in a vessel under the tax free regime it saves them 21 per cent IVA Charges. Of course there is an administration charge for the responsibility we take and the extra work in relation, but this is negligible compared to the amount they save overall.”

Wholly independent, the project management firm operates as the middle person between the contractor and the client during accounting contracts; separating the vessel from any potentially negative relationship with the client is a major benefit to customers as Nic highlights: “There can be big problems if a contractor does the accounts for a client’s vessels works and there is a dispute over acceptance and payments as this could result in the contractor refusing to close customs compliances and not allowing the vessel to leave. However, because we are an independent company, our customers don’t have to worry about issues like this.”

Shortlisted as a finalist for the World Superyacht Awards, the ISS Superyacht Awards and The Yacht and Aviation Awards for its

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Profile: Pure Superyacht Refit

refitting of the 43 metre multi-million euro luxury yacht, Paramour, in early 2013, the innovative ISO 9001 Lloyds registered company has developed a world-renowned reputation for its ability to provide meticulously tailored packages to the superyacht market.

With turnover increasing 20-25 per cent each year, Pure is not only enjoying long-term relationships with returning customers, but is also generating interest from new clients with larger, more sophisticated vessels.

“We have been very lucky and have managed to attract new clients every refit period; we have two new customers on our books

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right now and also get a lot of repeat custom. In our five and a half years of business we have only had one client/vessel not return to us and Palma, that was because the yacht was sold to a businessman who based the yacht in the US and doesn’t travel to Europe. We understand the needs of our long-standing clients but vessels increasing from an average of 50-52 metres up to 65-75 metres bring new challenges and more sophisticated systems that require a higher skill level from our contractors. This means reinvesting in training, tooling and being more proactive which our contractors are doing, for more interesting and challenging projects, which is great,” says Nic. “Following the huge Paramour project we were selected as finalists for three different awards for being one of the top five best refits of 2012. More people are now realising what we can accomplish in Palma and what we can do for them at Pure, as well as the attractive financial benefits over a closed shipyard, the tax exemptions, the customer service we offer our clients, I think the future is going to be quite interesting for us as we look to bigger and better things in 2014.” l Pure Superyacht Refit www.pureyacht.com • Leading project manager for superyacht refits • Shortlisted for prestigious awards • Looking to expand into mainland Europe

Profile: Luyt Group

Reeling in the

customers W

ith origins stemming back to 1960 in the founding of Machinefabriek Luyt NV, Luyt Group was established in 2003 following a period of considerable growth within the winch market, supplying services to customers of all markets and industries.

Initially the winches were built for the fishing industry but as a result of the large demand for winches worldwide Machinefabriek Luyt began to design, develop and produce winches for other industries. Over the decades Machinefabriek Luyt has designed more than 800 winches for clients throughout the world. The Luyt Group provides a full range of maritime products and Machinefabriek Luyt B.V. remains one of its key members.

Shipping and Marine spoke to the family owned company that is today led by managing director Gert Jan Wiegman: “Within the group we have many years of experience in the field of maintenance and repair of aluminium workboats and engines for the maritime market. Luyt Group includes the companies Machinefabriek Luyt B.V., Dokbedrijf Luyt B.V. and Friesland Diesel Motoren B.V. (FDM) and operates from the locations of Den Oever and Harlingen in the Netherlands. We have approximately 50 people working within the Luyt Group.” The three companies work in unison with one another with the main activities centred on the construction of winches for the fishing and offshore oil and gas industries.

Gert Jan continues: “Winch building is the main activity within

the group and systems are being designed and developed in close co-operation with our clients. Durability plays a great role in the design. Our international clients in the offshore, dredging industry, fishing industry and other maritime sectors are located around Europe, but our services extend to operations in the Dubai, Egypt, the Red Sea, and Black Sea. “Furthermore we are active in the building of aluminium workboats and hulls up to 20 metres and the delivery and maintenance of ship diesel engines, generator sets and special filter systems. We were involved in the construction of landing crafts for the Dutch marines, and a catamaran for windmill

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Profile: Luyt Group servicing on the North Sea. We worked on a lot of small sweeper fishing vessels in the North Sea, and that is the second main activity. Our third focus is on the repairs and maintenance of vessels in the north of Netherlands. Maintenance & repair work can be completed at our locations in Den Oever and Harlingen. If there is a problem with the engine or with the winch, or any part of the vessel we can resolve it additionally offering a complete revision of the boats. Dokbedrijf Luyt B.V. located in Den Oever is the group’s dockyard and floating lift dock. From this location the company can complete work to tail shafts, propellers and shafts that normally lay beneath the water line whilst painting, power hosing, and anti foul line applications can also be applied.

Across a stretch of water slightly north in Harlingen, FDM specialises in the service and maintenance of engines onboard vessels.”

In March 2013, Luyt Group accepted the motor fishing vessel PZ-1053 from Penzance into its dry-dock for replacement of the propeller shaft. Whilst the vessel is in the dock, Luyt Group will also carry out various other maintenance works. The business is also involved in oil filtering systems, that process hydraulic oil for use in gearboxes, but additionally filters are designed to keep water out. “Our aim is to improve vessel oil management, to reduce cost for clients,” he explains.

Having established a worldwide competitive edge, supplying winches, the company has a portfolio of work in operation around the world. Durability plays a great role in the design and realisation of its products – it designs and produces systems that will last. Manufacture is carried out with durable materials and its winch systems are known to operate for more than 40 years.

Its designers are able to implement new demands regarding the usage of special materials and parts with respect to drive systems, brake lining, fuel reduction and usage of oil management. It

ELSTO ELSTO Drives & Controls is an importer and manufacturer of premium power transmission and control systems. Unique are the customised solutions for special applications for the offshore and heavy-duty industrial markets. The comprehensive production facilities and its own engineering guarantee the right solution for every application. The range of power transmission products is up to 1,300,000 Nm and 1200 kW covering gearboxes, inverters and transmission components. Most products are on stock guaranteeing short delivery times.

has developed a team of engineers and designers with years of experience that is available to create solutions utilising 3D design tools and as a result Luyt Group is able to design the winch to meet the client’s needs. Having agreed the final details and developed a final plan drawing, the design is then tested against whichever classification is appropriate, such as Lloyds or ABS. Once all is agreed, and construction is underway, the next stage is for the service engineers to go to site and run trials. It can be six months from the initial enquiry to the final execution phase.

“We are currently working on a project supplying ten winches for a large new hopper dredger,” announces Gert Jan. With a total length of 150 metres it is 22 metres in width and once completed will operate sucker winches, anchor handling, and towing winches, as well as several smaller winches. With the project over half way through, the final instalments will be completed when the vessel arrives in the Netherlands.

Winches can often be overhauled to gain a second life, saving on energy and materials, helping the environment. With some contracts being carried out in new regions, Gert Jan explained how the business first stepped over the shores: “We actually became involved in Egypt following Hurricane Katrina, which had resulted in one winch manufacturer going out of business.

The contractor was looking for a similar company to carry out some repair work on their winches and the replacement of gears.

In the last five years we have received 15 orders in the region.”

In November 2012, the company delivered a new 100 tonne winch for Petrojet in Egypt. The winch is operating as a pulling winch for a land installation and is equipped with a Caterpillar engine with hydraulic drive, and additionally has worked with Petroleum Marine Services (PMS) in Egypt, operating within the oil and gas industry.

“As we move into the future, we are looking to grow the winch aspect of our business. Previously, 70 per cent of winch sales were within fishery markets, a trend that began in 1960. In the last ten to 15 years we have seen a change in that and now 50 per cent of sales are made within oil and gas and other markets. It is our main focus to increase the winches sales to markets other than fishing. We aim to spend time and financial investment in that, as we continue to promote fluid relationships between the companies within our group,” he concludes. l

Luyt Group www.luytgroep.nl • Customised design for clients • Winch specialist for 54 years • Operates dry dock for maintenance

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Lifting the

standard F

or more than 25 years the founders of Offshore Liftboats LLC have provided services to industries in the Gulf of Mexico. Utilising a fleet of self-propelled, selfelevating deck barges, Offshore Liftboats enters 2014 as a continually developing operation. With a family history in designing and building liftboats, Michael Melancon established the business in 2000 having worked for more than 20 years with his Maritime Master’s License in his father’s own business.

The potential for growth within the liftboat industry inspired Michael to purchase the vessels off his father and, with the aid of finance, purchased a Class 105 and a 120 vessel. After 18 months of trading the business was in a position to construct an additional Class 175 vessel, and since has built four new Class 175, and four Class 200 vessels. The vessels provide living quarters, hydraulic cranes and stable platforms to offshore oil and gas production platforms. Capable of carrying out several operations at the same time, its liftboats can work in shallow water, and transport supplies and materials up to 700,000 lbs.

Whilst remaining very much a family operation, Offshore Liftboats today employs more than 50 people. Shipping and Marine magazine spoke to general manager Vanessa Pierce about the business as it enters the new year: “Our family has deep roots in the liftboat industry. My grandfather became one of the first liftboat operators in the Gulf of Mexico in the late 1970’s. We take pride in the fact that the company’s founder as well as many key land based staff are trained and licensed to operate liftboats.

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It is an aspect that offers our offshore crew and customers land support personnel who have hands-on knowledge of offshore operations.”

Working for large contractors such as Energy XXI and Chet Morrison, Offshore Liftboats is experienced in supporting operations ranging from plug and abandon, maintenance and repair, structural construction and repairs, to slick line, wire line, seismic, dive support and salvage. Providing details of the fleet

Profile: Offshore Liftboats equipped with a full back-up generator, ensuring our business can continue to operate.”

All activities are performed by experienced, safety conscious personnel, who take pride in the vessel and the success of the operations. Having a wealth of experience within the company, most of the training for personnel is carried out in-house. “We use a mentoring programme as on the job training for our vessel crews. No matter the level of experience people have when they join our company, everyone goes through the training to assure they are familiar with Offshore Liftboats’ company specific policies and procedures,” she adds.

With a dedicated HS&E department and manager, Offshore Liftboats deems safety as a top priority for customers and employees and has maintained an exemplary safety record.

Having developed a safety culture within the company, Vanessa describes the image around safety and its proven safety programme: “Our safety programme is not applied only to our Vanessa begins: “Over the last decade, we have built eight new vessels, the most recent being constructed with state-of-the-art features.” The new designs have taken into consideration its clients needs as well as implementation of technological advances the industry has observed. With the business headquartered in a notorious storm path in Louisiana, the state-of-the-art construction does not stop at its vessels as she continues: “Our office is also designed to operate in the toughest environment, built to withstand up to Category 4 hurricane winds and is

Conrad Founded in 1948 by J. Parker Conrad, Conrad Shipyard GmbH specialises in the construction, conversion and repair of a wide variety of steel and aluminium marine vessels for commercial and governmental customers including deck barges, tank barges, dump scows, lift boats, push boats, tow boats, crane barges, offshore tug boats, fireboats, patrol boats, crewboats, offshore supply vessels (OSVs), dredges and ferries. Its repair division conducts all types of drydocking and repairs as well as routine inspections required by the USCG, ABS, and other regulatory agencies.

Diversity in product mix has been Conrad Shipyard’s niche. Contact them today for your next marine vessel project.

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Profile: Offshore Liftboats

There is an excitement surrounding these opportunities and we are looking forward to the implementation of the changes that will ultimately improve the business for both our customers and employees

vessels. We hold our land-based employees to the same safety standards as offshore crews. As the oil and gas industry as a whole puts more emphasis on safety it has driven our company to continue to evolve our own safety programme. The evolving safety culture enables us to continue improving not just our safety department, but all aspects of our operation.”

Following the BP oil disaster in the region in 2010, considered the largest marine oil spill in history, Offshore Liftboats was subjected to the effects of the drilling moratorium set in place restricting activities of its customers to provide time to implement new safety requirements. In a demonstration of its flexibility, Offshore Liftboats resorted to the business plan that has been the long established backbone of the business and this was able to guide it through the challenging period and continue to move forward.

With the drive to continue advancing in 2014, the company is set to maintain the growth it has previously achieved as Vanessa explains: “We have two main focuses for the new year. The first is the construction of the L/B Lauren Frances, our latest vessel.

The L/B Lauren Frances will be the first class 230’ liftboat newly constructed for work in the Gulf of Mexico in more than ten years. It will also be the first liftboat of this size to be equipped with a 250 ton primary crane. Alongside this we will continue with the expansion of our safety programme. This

expansion has been supported recently by an opportunity to develop a working relationship with Halliburton and Chevron, which has guided us on fully upgrading our safety programme as well as our vessel maintenance programme. There is an excitement surrounding these opportunities and we are looking forward to the implementation of the changes that will ultimately improve the business for both our customers and employees.”

In 2012 the ownership of the business changed with the semiretirement of the founders. Remaining within the family the liftboat business now benefits from being the first in the industry to have female owners fully involved with daily operations.

Looking further ahead it is already in discussions surrounding the possibility of the construction of a Class 230 vessel. “Our vision for the future is to continue to grow and build our customer relationships. We will achieve this through fleet expansion and being able to supply our customers with the newest equipment,” Vanessa concludes. l

Offshore Liftboats LLC

www.offshoreliftboats.com • Family run liftboat operator • Operates in Gulf of Mexico • Expanding business and fleet

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Shaping the future of

yachting F

or almost a century, Palmer Johnson has maintained its brand values of design, performance and emotional appeal. These core ideals are deeply embodied in the spirit of the company and are reinforced and manifested in its beautiful yachts.

The story starts with humble beginnings as a wooden boat builder. As time passed and the ships evolved, huge milestones were achieved - famous Palmer Johnson yachts won every major championship race in the golden era of sailing yachts, for example. The tradition of bringing new ideas and heights of achievement to the market has continued and is still reflected in the groundbreaking design of Palmer Johnson’s Sport Yachts of the last decade and now in its revolutionary SuperSport series.

Palmer Johnson’s next generation SuperSport range contains superyachts that are swift, efficient, stable and deliver a exemplary yachting experience. It may sound implausible for a superyacht to be faster, more economical, more steady and more spacious without compromising performance or comfort, as it has not been achieved before now. However, the SuperSport delivers these benefits in a sleek and stunning carbon fibre body that has been designed without a single flat surface.

This series was completely re-imagined from the hull up,

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and this meant leaving the status quo behind and taking bold decisions to redefine the future of yachting. The end result is a masterful and intuitive blend of design, technology and performance, which is unique as a class of superyacht.

Alongside the SuperSport range at Palmer Johnson is the Sportyacht series, whose story began in 2004 when the company started out to create the ultimate Sportyacht. The result is an iconic design, which marries cutting edge styling and a distinctive sleek profile. As with every product created by Palmer Johnson, these yachts are engineered to the highest superyacht standards, built in aluminium from an iconic brand with true pedigree.

The Sportyacht range offers a more dynamic lifestyle for its owners – one that remains relaxed and elegant. Large open decks flow into sophisticated beach house interiors. Hulls feature exceptional sea keeping abilities, even at speeds of 28 – 32 knots and the range comes in different sizes from 120ft to 210ft.

The latest addition to the range is the new Palmer Johnson 35M Carbon Sport. Showcased at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2013, this new vessel is designed to create a new benchmark in yachting. An entirely new design, but with familiar cues, the PJ35M promises to offer its owners ground breaking performance combined with distinct flowing lines for aesthetic

Profile: Palmer Johnson

Every great company has a story and Palmer Johnson lives up to this adage. It is an authentic brand whose story for almost a century has been about vision, evolution and innovation

impact and a provocative presence. Its 100 per cent carbon fibre construction means it is sleeker, lighter, quieter, but stronger, and three times more stable. It also offers 30 per cent more living space.

Palmer Johnson has long been an innovator in yachting. It is a pioneer in aluminium construction, and now again in carbon fibre, both advanced materials of their time. Other vessels hold notable records - Fortuna, built for the King of Spain, was the fastest yacht in the world for a decade. Turmoil was the first explorer yacht built and this vessel has circumnavigated the earth three times.

It is clear that launching boats that change the rules is nothing new to Palmer Johnson. In May 2013 it revealed the flagship PJ 210, which has again been designed to dismiss clichĂŠs. It includes the spaces of a traditional tri-deck yacht but races to a 28 knot top speed, cloaked in the elegant flowing exterior lines of the much heralded Palmer Johnson SportYacht design created by Dan Lenard of Nuvolari-Lenard.

The signature unbroken line from transom to bow remains to give side-on flow while the finessed overall proportions means that the beauty of the yacht is enjoyed from every angle. The PJ 210 once again uses innovative design to influence the owner and www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 51

Profile: Palmer Johnson

guest experience on board. Focused on an elegant yet relaxed lifestyle, this stunning 64m balances and blends airy indoor areas with generous outdoor deck spaces, creating an open environment that emphasises panoramic sea views while ensuring privacy. Defined by distinctive design and stylish presence the PJ 210 is destined to be another truly iconic Palmer Johnson Superyacht.

The PJ 210 left the Palmer Johnson shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin at the end of May 2013 and headed directly for the Med where a full summer cruising schedule awaited her.

Every great company has a story and Palmer Johnson lives up to this adage. It is an authentic brand whose story for almost a century has been about vision, evolution and innovation. It is also a story of people, of a team of third and fourth generation families who live and breathe the brand, and the great yacht designers and naval architects who have worked with the company over the last 100 years. Every one of the more than 200 Palmer Johnson yachts built is still afloat today, a true testament to the pride and passion of its people. l

Palmer Johnson

www.palmerjohnson.com • Design and build super luxury yachts • Leader and innovator in technology • Highest quality used inside and out

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IEM Marine IEM Marine, formally Industrial Power Systems, Inc. (IPS) is a leader in the design and build of electrical distribution and control systems for the marine industry.

IEM Marine has been providing custom electrical solutions for Palmer Johnson’s yachts since 1996. Yacht applications typically require the ability to carry a significant amount of load in a relatively small footprint. These applications require the equipment to interface with numerous external systems utilising automation for different PLCs from vessel to vessel. IEM Marine’s flexibility allows for a custom approach in delivering quality, compact solutions, with various control schemes for these demanding electrical systems.

Profile: Safe Bulkers

Value &

reward

A

ppearing on the shipping horizon in 2007, Safe Bulkers was born from concepts that its founders developed with over 50 years of shipping experience.

With an impressive portfolio it has established an enviable reputation in the industry providing marine dry bulk transportation services, transporting bulk cargoes, including coal, grain and iron ore along worldwide shipping routes as company’s president Dr Loukas Barmparis explained to Shipping and Marine:

“We are a company with long history gained over many shipping cycles. We operate under consistent policies through which we managed to create value for our shareholders and remained profitable and paid dividends in all consecutive quarters since our IPO back in 2008.�

Safe Bulkers has tripled its fleet since then and currently owns 28 dry bulk vessels, with an aggregate carrying capacity of two and a half million deadweight tons. In November 2013 the average

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age of the fleet was only 5.4 years and consisted of Panamax, Kamsarmax, Post-Panamax and Capesize class vessels.

Displaying its tactical prowess at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 Safe Bulkers invested in four second-hand vessels, explains Loukas: “Although we have not invested in the second-hand market the last 25 years we’ve recently decided to invest opportunistically in four second-hand vessels. The

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acquisitions took place almost at the bottom of the market, thus these vessels have already been appreciated considerably.”

With the fleet now totalling 28 vessels, the company is already in a good position to respond to the demands it is receiving, but has furthermore made advancements to future charters with a further ten dry bulk new build vessels on order.

Complementing the numerically strong fleet, the vessels are additionally a technological asset as Loukas highlights: “Our newbuild vessels are of the latest technology, with a modern design and were contracted in Japan with electronic engines achieving considerably lower consumptions. They will be more flexible in slow steaming operations, and ready to compete during the next shipping cycle more efficiently.” The demand for slow steaming is still high and expected to remain for some time until charter rates increase. The cost of fuel oil influences clients to opt for additional days in charter hire to save on the fuel that would otherwise have been used to propel the ship at a faster speed.

Despite the many ships on the water, Safe Bulkers continually attracts charterers based on its reputation as Loukas explains: “Through our experience in the industry built over many years, we have built substantial relations with major market players and we can charter vessels with reliable charterers, consistently outperforming the spot market. In the past we were known for our substantial charter coverage due to a large number of fixtures

Profile: Safe Bulkers

contracted prior to 2009. Currently about half of our fleet is employed in the spot market as we are optimistic of the charter market for next year.”

The company has a dedicated management team, focused on lean operations and hands-on business approach as Loukas points out: “We enjoy one of the lowest and stable daily operating expenses at about $4,300. Our daily G&A which include public company expenses and management fees are about $1,200. This lean structure has supported our profitability and our dividend policy and has created additional value for our shareholders.”

Safe Bulkers has concluded within 2013 two additional offerings one for common and one for preferred equity totalling about $90 million in equity proceeds. Loukas highlights the company’s financial flexibility: “We have further strengthened our balance sheet through these additional offerings. We are focused to maintain a comfortable leverage and comply with our financial covenants.”

Following a challenging period Loukas gives his view on the opportunities and challenges ahead: “The charter market improved in September 2013 and we were able to contract vessels in the spot market at much higher levels. We will continue in this way until market changes offering extended possibilities. Oversupply of vessels is still the main driver of the shipping market. However, order book is declining until 2016. On the demand side, the past

few months we evidenced a strong increase of freight rates from about $7,000 to about $16,000. Seasonal demand of iron ore mainly on behalf of China in combination with the announcement of the Chinese plenum for boosting domestic growth have been main reasons for the reversal in the market trend. Good grain harvest from the US, in combination with the effect of splitting cape cargoes has increased demand for Panamax vessels. This has a very positive effect to our company which is presently operating about half of its vessels in the spot market.”

Looking forward, the strategy continues to follow the path of proven success as Loukas concludes: “Our approach is to invest in the low part of the cycle to efficient newbuilds, to maintain one of the youngest fleets in the industry and sell our oldest designs at strong market conditions, realising gains, expanding and renewing our fleet with modern energy efficient vessels that will support us in securing good contracts with charterers competing with lower energy and fuel consumption and better transportation capacity. We seek to expand our business sensibly according to our risk assessment create value and reward at the same time for shareholders as we’ve done for 21 consecutive quarters paying dividends so far.” l

Safe Bulkers

www.safebulkers.com

• Exposure to spot market • Expanding modern fleet • Tactical business thinking • Positive future endeavours

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Dynamic, distinct and

dedicated

T

RIYARDS (or the ‘Group’) is a leading integrated fullservice provider for the global offshore, industrial and marine industries with a focus in medium to heavy industrial works. Its diverse offering ranges from steel fabrication and electrical installation right through to equipment manufacturing service, while marine services include ship construction and ship repair for blasting and painting projects.

The business had experienced a vibrant evolution with an initial acquisition by Ezra as Vietnam’s Saigon Shipyard Co. Ltd in 2005. This wholly-owned subsidiary had its fabrication facility and skilled workforce subsequently upgraded to meet the rising demand for quality assets and deep capability expertise.

Ezra commissioned SOFEL in 2008 as a second fabrication yard located in Vung Tau, and acquired another in Houston in 2011.

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The three facilities were later rebranded as TRIYARDS to signify its consolidated positioning and integrated operations.

Today, TRIYARDS’ global presence in strategic and emerging markets has provided distinctive synergy to technologically challenging projects within the oil and gas industry. TRIYARDS SSY undertakes steel fabrication work and provides equipment manufacturing services in Ho Chih Minh, TRIYARDS SOFEL carries out vessel construction in Vung Tau and TRIYARDS Houston produces equipment such as specialty offshore cranes and A-frames which can be installed on self elevating units (SEUs) and offshore vessels.

In recent times, liftboats or platform service SEUs have contributed to a significant area of expertise for TRIYARDS. The Group continued to strengthen its focus between 2008 to 2010

Profile: TRIYARDS

Today, TRIYARDS’ global presence in strategic and emerging markets has provided distinctive synergy to technologically challenging projects within the oil and gas industry

turret for a floating storage offloading (FSO) in Indonesia.

With a continued approach towards customer-oriented solutions and track record for sustainable development, TRIYARDS has consistently pursued contract wins within the communities it operates. In May 2013, the Group also announced the launch of its newly designed Premium Class 400 HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) drilling jack-up rig, the TDU-400, making it only one of three Singapore yards with the ability to design build its own proprietary drilling jack-ups and SEUs. In July, TRIYARDS announced its first ship repair job with Mermaid Maritime for its recently commissioned 10,000MT floating deck. The Group had completed two other repair jobs since then. In addition to the winning momentum, TRIYARDS

with a series of six liftboats at that time that included one of the largest self-propelled jack-up rigs of its kind in the world and first liftboat to be constructed in Vietnam.

TRIYARDS enjoys a competitive position as a premium fabricator of SEUs to both onshore and offshore activities in Asia and recently secured two contracts valued at $59 million in October 2013. These additional orders will increase the visibility of the order book for TRIYARDS for the financial year 2014.

The SEU order is with an Asian-based client for TRIYARDS’ BH335. With a leg length of more than 100m (approximately 335 feet), it is capable of working in water depths of up to 70m (approximately 230 feet) and accommodate 160 personnel. It will be fitted with heavy-lift equipment manufactured at TRIYARDS’ yard in Houston. The other contract is for the construction of a www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 57

Profile: TRIYARDS

By focusing on sophisticated platforms and equipment to tackle the most complex offshore projects, TRIYARDS has established itself as a front runner in the fabrication of SEUs in South-east Asia also revealed its latest proprietary design third generation high specification SEU, the TSU 475. The Group hopes to secure a contract for either a TDU-400 or TSU 475 in the near future.

These contracts further reinforced TRIYARDS’ accumulated competencies and versatility in design range and capabilities since the ‘90s while it was then known as Saigon Shipyard. The Group’s earlier resolve to undertake subcontracting work met with exponential growth in the fabrication and provision of more than 50 diverters as part of worldwide products for a combined cycle power plant. The yard’s efforts culminated in a significant completion for fabrication and erection of a tank and piping system for the Nam Con Son pipeline project that is said to be the longest worldwide (400km). The pipeline is designed to bring primary gas from offshore Vung Tau to the onshore Dinh Co Condensate Plant.

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TRIYARDS’ portfolio of projects was given an additional boost with further contributions in steel structures, an access jetty and miscellaneous steel work to the My Thuan Bridge – an architectural representation of friendship and co-operation between the peoples of Vietnam and Australia. This led to an impetus towards improvement in living conditions for the Vietnamese citizenry residing in the delta region and throughout the country.

By focusing on sophisticated platforms and equipment to tackle the most complex offshore projects, TRIYARDS has established itself as a front runner in the fabrication of SEUs in South-east Asia. The Group’s ambitions and beliefs are guided with a common purpose by an experienced team of staff who constantly strive to achieve ‘On time, On budget’ targets without compromising operability and safety standards. l

TRIYARDS

www.triyards.com • Assets in market-driven technologies • Expertise in platform servicing self-elevating units (SEU) • Rigorous standards for design, fabrication and safety • Quality Assurance in ISO 9001 since 2011 and ISO 18001 (Occupational Safety) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) • Strong talent engagement with industry experience and fully Singapore managed yards

Profile: Sungdong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.

Experts on land and sea W

ith over 20 years of experience in shipbuilding and related industries and over 170 successful deliveries of constructed vessels, Sungdong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (SSME) has developed a commanding reputation that has earned it a place amongst the top ten shipbuilders in the world.

Since 2003 SSME has operated as a dedicated shipbuilder, largely focusing on the construction of containerships, bulk carriers, tankers, offshore plants and special ships such as purse seine fishing vessels. During 2012, SSME was awarded citation from the South Korean government in recognition of its construction of purse seiners for export and also won several notable construction contracts, including orders for a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel, shuttle tanker, containership, panamax tanker, kamsarmax bulker and purse seiners.

The company successfully transitioned into 2014 with a strong order book and performance record with customers based in Europe, America and Asia. Orders for 2013 reached as many as 47 vessels, with the total contract price reaching around US$2 billion. These orders included an order for eight 115,000 dwt LR2 tankers, with an additional four options available from Singapore’s Navig 8 and a separate contract for four 50,000 dwt MR tankers, including two further options from Horizon Tankers, an affiliate of Greece’s Target Marine Group. These orders alone reached a combined value of $539 million and the vessels are scheduled for delivery throughout 2015 and 2016.

From a technical side, SSME is able to offer industry leading and innovative construction processes that allow it to deliver even the most complex vessel designs. With several decades of experience in construction, the company has developed fabrication techniques that allow it to make the best possible use of the resourses and facilities that it has available. With a focus on the wider industry it employs its equipment and machinery in a flexible manner to merchant, offshore and onshore applications that help to ensure the company’s market competitiveness. Likewise, spatial

limitations are overcome through careful management and utilization of equipment and manpower.

In terms of its construction method, SSME is a world leader that has set several world firsts and set a number of impressive records. As the first large-scale shipbuilder in the world to adopt on-land shipbuilding as its main building method the company has shown an undeniable flare for innovation. During 2009 it completed the world’s first construction of a containership built using on-land construction, followed by the largest vessel constructed on-land at 180,000 dwt during May 2010. In addition to these impressive milestones, in May 2012 SSME achieved the world’s shortest launch time at only one hour and 48 minutes.

On-land construction offers several notable advantages that have made it an attractive and lucrative endeavor for SSME. It is an extremely efficient form of shipbuilding, in that ships can be built at almost any location using a variety of methods.

Additionally, it affords a high turnover rate from the yard and quality is thoroughly guaranteed, even down to the painting of the bottom of the ship. Economically the on-land construction

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Profile: Sungdong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.

Jiangsu(AsAc) Asian Star Anchor Chain Co., Ltd. Jiangsu(AsAc), was established in 1981, listed in Shanghai exchange stock, and is the largest chain maker and supplier of mooring chain, marine chain and accessories worldwide. ASAC is approved by API, ABS, BV, CCS, DNV ,GL, KR ,LR ,NK,RINA & RMRS on grade 2, grade 3 and grade R3, R3S, R4, R5 with updated ISO9001/14000/18000/HSE systems. With annual production capacity of 300,000 tons and max. size to dia187mm, it is proud to supply SUNGDONG Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.

process allows for ships to be built without dry-dock facilities, which means that floating docks can be used as additional berths for increased production. Required precedent work can also be carried out effectively, lowering working man-hours and landbased construction allows for ease of access to materials and equipment, negating costly logistical expenses and delays. On-land construction is also considered to be much safer than dry-dock construction and ships can be launched from a stable environment thanks to patented technology that manages and evenly distributes the pressures placed on the vessel. With most of the construction of vessels taking place on land, marine pollution is almost entirely eliminated and reduced construction times mean that a considerable amount of energy is saved.

The company’s construction facilities are supported by a dedicated design, research and development centre, which is fully approved by the Korea Industrial Technology Association.

The centre employs around 500 design experts who make use of state-of-the-art systems to carry out research into the most basic through to the most advanced shipbuilding technologies.

These facilities have allowed SSME to develop the industry’s first network digital welding system. The system was converted from analogue welding and applies a networked digital system so that the welding process can be monitored at offices in real time.

Additionally, the company has invested heavily in developing and incorporating design options that meet the diverse requirements of its clients and also responds to the growing level of environmental regulation within the industry. Hull form design technology develops hull structures that are suitable for vessel operational regions and produce greater speeds at reduced horsepower, while its propeller design optimisation system maximises energy

efficiency through efficient, low-vibration and low-noise design.

Energy is also saved through a number of key design features that are implemented by SSME. Its high-efficiency waste heat recovery system uses the waste heat generated by diesel engines to generate electric power, thereby increasing energy efficiency. In terms of the external structure and propulsion of vessels, mewis ducts recover pressure between the hull and ducts and converts it into propelling force and also improves the flow field that acts on the propeller blades. Additionally, propeller boss cap fins maximise the influence of vortexes created near the propeller to reduce energy loss.

Despite the challenges faced by the industry due to the global economic recession, SSME has remained strong and retains its place as an innovative market leader. However, the company has been wise in not becoming complacent and has taken steps to ensure that it is well positioned to best meet the future challenges of a volatile market. During March 2013 Mr. Yeon Sin Kim, a former head of sales, was appointed as CEO of SSME and promptly set about shaping the business for the future market, as executive vice president Mr. Bonick Koo elaborates: “Mr. Kim is an experienced financial expert with wide shipbuilding business experience in Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. (DSME) and Komarf (Korea Marine Finance Corp). As CEO, Mr. Kim has made an effort to recover from the unfavorable impact of the global financial recession during the past few years. For example, he has built a streamlined business structure to enable rapid decision-making and implemented financial management systems to ensure internal stability. Besides this, Mr. Kim has adopted a strategy based on profit, excellence and quality with a self help plan to achieve management normalisation for SSME.” l

Sungdong Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.

www.isungdong.com • Technically advanced vessels • Within world’s top ten shipbuilders • Innovative on-land construction

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Profile: Dynagas

New

endeavours

E

stablished in 2004 with the aim of providing high quality and flexible LNG shipping services to clients, Greece-based LNG transporter Dynagas has enjoyed ongoing growth and success over the last decade. With a fleet of six tankers operating worldwide, the company has four new-builds being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries, with whom Dynagas has a positive long-term relationship. Previously in Shipping and Marine magazine in 2012, Tony Lauritzen discusses the firm’s developments over the last 21 months: “In April 2012, our company had three LNG carriers on the water and seven under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries. We completed the construction and took delivery of three of these LNG carriers in 2013 – a doubling of our LNG fleet.”

Tony continues: “We have also completed an Initial Public Offering and listed Dynagas LNG Partners LP in New York on NASDAQ in November 2013. The purpose of this listing was to create a platform that would facilitate a relatively faster growth and to allow for participation in large-scale projects.” Operating in

gtt

GTT, the world leader in the design of LNG containment systems for LNG carriers, has worked with Dynagas and shipyards in the design, construction and commissioning of the ten LNG vessels ordered since 2004 by Dynagas.

The first vessels were specified innovatively as Ice Class vessels allowing them to operate in harsh sea environments. In 2011, GTT introduced the new low boil-off solutions (less than 0.1 per cent of cargo volume per day) for the membrane containment systems. Dynagas’ latest orders will be equipped with the new low boil-off Mark III Flex.

GTT will continue to collaborate with Dynagas for their future LNG projects.

an evolving market, the three current focal customers’ of Dynagas are Gazprom, BG Group and Statoil; looking for partners with a strong track record, financial robustness and cargo access, the company is used to working with a diverse range of major organisations. “Our core customer base is built up of three firstclass market participants who are leaders in their field. We have also concluded a term contract with Cheniere that we are very excited about as this company is a leader in the development US LNG exports; a future key market driver. This will involve lifting cargoes out of Cheniere’s Sabine Pass terminal, which is currently under modification and construction,” says Tony.

Managing crew recruitment and training in-house, Dynagas confidently provides charterers and stakeholders with the best possible performance and utmost reliability when it comes to ship management services. Dedicated to safety and excellence, the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified company has achieved incredible performance statistics, while its fleet has been comprehensively vetted by all leading charterers and thus has charters with first class organisations in place.

“Dynagas has achieved zero offhire for its fleet since the delivery of our first vessel; we can also evidence zero performance claims, which means speed, consumption, boil off and so on have consistently been within warranted levels. The reason for these strong results are many; in addition to building at top tier shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries, we also equip the vessels with proven and robust equipment from well established manufacturers with a good spare part distribution network,” explains Tony.

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Profile: Dynagas Cryostar Cryostar is the world’s leading supplier of cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems equipment for LNG carriers. A combination of the latest technology and a long-standing relationship with Dynagas and has led to the selection of Cryostar to supply of state-of the art fuel gas supply systems on their TFDE powered newbuildings. A world-wide support network, collaborative approach to support customer requirements and robust equipment has gained the support of all the major LNG carrier operators.

solution that allows us to fully monitor, control and direct a diligent running of the fleet to both our own and our customers satisfaction.”

On top of this, the company boasts a zero accident, zero insurance claims after five years of operation, which is due to its belief that health, safety and environment are an critical part of business practice. Elaborating further on this reputation for excellence, Tony highlights: “We believe that all accidents are preventable; in order to achieve these excellent performance statistics, we strive to implement a safety culture where our personnel adopt safety as a way of life. We recognise that health, safety, security and environment form an integral part of our business, which is why we have developed, implemented a healthy, safety, security and environment policy that our people at all levels adhere to. The system is structured so all risk observations are fed back in for continuous improvements.”

Using its experience in delivering high quality, safe and efficient marine transportation in harsh environments, the company made history in 2012 when one of its LNG carriers, OB RIVER, became the world’s first to transit and carry cargo through the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Performing all logistics, approval processes and risk analysis for this effort, the successful and ground breaking voyage was the vision of Dynagas chairman George Procopiou, who initiated research on ice classed tonnage for future LNG projects in sub zero and ice conditions, as Tony discusses: “In 2004, three ice-classed carriers were ordered for delivery in 2007 and 2008; this was the birth of Dynagas. Prior to the first NSR

International Paint Ltd. International Paint has proudly supported Dynagas since the company’s establishment in 2004.

Technology leaders in antifoulings, foul release systems, abrasion resistant coatings and ballast tank coatings for vessels being built, repaired or maintained, International marine coatings are engineered to deliver proven performance in service whilst representing value for money.

Working closely with its global customer base, International incorporates the latest sustainable advances and innovations into practical product development, clearly focused on maximising its customers’ return on investment in shipbuilding and vessel operation – worldwide.

voyage, we built up experience in sub-zero weather and ice bound areas for several years in areas such as North Norway and East Russia. We had been researching and risk-assessing the voyage for year and a half prior to the actual voyage and overcame several challenges due to substantial diligent planning” This dedication to quality and safety has kept Dynagas in good stead throughout the economic crisis, which proved devastating for many in the shipping industry; however, the last few years have had their challenges for the dynamic firm. “The most challenging area of our operation has been sourcing seagoing personnel,” states Tony. “When looking back we are particularly pleased that we spent a considerable amount of our time and resources on recruiting and training staff well ahead of our new-build deliveries as we believe crewing will continue to be a challenge for the industry over the coming years.”

Forward-thinking and benefiting from an excellent track record, Dynagas sees excellent growth opportunities ahead, as Tony says: “Due to natural gas being a commodity that is clean, plentiful and cheap compared to other energy resources, there is strong demand for LNG. In 2002 there were 12 countries exporting LNG and in 2012 the number had increased to 20. Numbers of importing countries increased from 12 to 25 countries during the same period, so we have seen a wide demand for our services. Going forward, we see increased demand for shipping out of the US, Australia, Africa and Russia.”

With four new-builds being constructed at Hyundai Heavy Industries, the company is fully prepared for future contracts and projects around the world. “Two of the new-builds will be delivered in 2014 and the other two will arrive in 2015. The vessels will be 162,000 cubic metres, powered by the most efficient and reliable tri-fuel diesel electric propulsion system, equipped with low boil-off technology and a ballast water treatment system. The size of these ships will give great voyage economics while retaining wide terminal compatibility. Overall, we want to continue growing our fleet and to expand our organisation into several large scale projects to become the number one transporter of choice,” Tony concludes. l

Dynagas

www.dynagas.com • Doubled LNG fleet in 2013 • Listed on NASDAQ since November 2013 • Achieved zero downtime since its inception

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Atlantis Antibes

Perfecting

partnerships

W

hen the waves created during the crash of markets in 2009 began to rock the boat of the shipping industry Atlantis Tankers Group sought support from its affiliated company Armona Denizcilik AS to navigate through the storm.

Based in Istanbul, Atlantis Tankers Group is active in the Baltic, North West Europe, the Mediterranean, South America and Western Africa. It specialises in the transportation of chemicals, refined oil products and edible oils for its customer base consisting of many first class traders including Exxon, Shell, Total and ENI. Today the organisation possesses a fleet of eight chemical/oil IMO2 tankers. All vessels are separately registered companies in Douglas - Isle of Man, and sail a Maltese flag, operating in the short sea shipping trade.

Founded in 2002 by Lorenz Weinstabl, director of Atlantis Tankers, Armona was initially developed with the purpose of contracting the building of new ships for Atlantis, determined to give customers value by having a large reliable fleet of modern vessels, comfortably meeting and exceeding safety standards.

The process of its involvement was essentially acting as a main contractor. “Where obtainable, a government incentive for the construction would be sought, and then a shipyard chosen where the full workmanship could be contracted. Armona itself then

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produced the ship design and workshop drawings, procuring and purchasing all equipment and materials and ensuring the timely delivery of each item to the shipyard. Armona was the point of contact for the classification of each vessel and mobilised the ships into trade,� explains Captain Levent Karsan, managing director.

The original vision out-sourced the technical management, initially to the Danish company Fabricus in 2004, and then to Atlantis Antalya riding a storm

Profile: Armona Denizcilik The offices of Armona Denizcilik

V-Ships of Glasgow in 2008 who was appointed to crew and technically manage all the vessels that were built.

But Armona’s expectations were not being met in the appointments of these professional operators, and with the short sea tanker market collapsing mid-way through 2009 freight rates very slowly increased over the following years, with severe volatility. Levent continued: “Third party operators could not please our demands in maintaining a good quality standard on the vessels and at the same time be cost efficient. That was the moment we decided to take crewing and technical management under our own umbrella.” After undergoing a business expansion into technical and crewing management in 2009, Armona was able to take over the control of the Atlantis Tanker fleet.

“With four ships in operation and four more rolling out from the shipyards we had obtained the critical mass to perform this operation with cost effectiveness. Within a short time the results proved that it was the only way of surviving the turmoil in the markets,” he added.

Freight is still far behind where it was before the financial crash, which is still sending ripples across many markets. The consensus is that there will be further increases in the coming months, but this will depend strongly on consecutive growth in the European and US economies.

He continued: “Becoming a quality operator did not happen over night. It took four years of hard work to establish a basis of profound confidence in flawless operation to demonstrate to first class traders and oil companies that they could feel confident to put their cargoes on board our vessels. To further enhance our position we agreed to undertake the crewing and technical management of a part of the tanker fleet of UK based Borealis, a rapidly growing maritime investor. Their judgement of our performance enabled us to benchmark our standing versus other North European operators that Borealis was contracting.”

Armona’s technical management is now in charge of a proportion of their fleet.

Having obtained the confidence that Armona was developing as a quality operator and with its customers recognising this, the next big step was a logical consequence of its own growth.

Levent shed some light on the first half of 2013: “Armona has focused on strengthening management systems and to find means of improving the procedures that the company follows. This has taken place with management reviews by third parties and dialogues with major oil companies.” As experienced ship builders, with such a broad array of experience in all aspects of crewing and chartering, the board of directors of Atlantis Tankers decided that on 1st November 2013 Armona would take over the commercial management of the group’s tanker fleet.

Atlantis Tankers has avoided the trend of building tankers to sell. “Dedication, striving for improvement and our financial capability have proven to be our strengths,” said Levent. It remains committed to owning and managing ships with success and market recognition. Looking ahead to the next three years he added: “We will take all opportunities to grow the business and we expect the markets to improve so we can harvest the patience and use it as a fundament to strengthen our position and to become a strong and reliable partner for the industry.” l

Armona Denizcilik AS

www.atlantis-tankers.com • Managing a fleet of eight tankers • Renowned for ship building expertise • Dedicated to improvement

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Marine alignment services

Profile: SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services

Calculated

S

developments

ince the inception in 1984 of Machine Support, the company now known as SKF Solution Factory – Marine Services was dedicated to providing machinery grouting services to the shipbuilding industry. Specialising in laser alignment services, the company developed a ground-breaking machinery chocking product, the Vibracon; having patented the product, opportunities for growth in new markets became available. The Vibracon is an accurate and easy tool to align rotating equipment. After obtaining the ISO 9001 certificate in 1997 and establishing subsidiaries in Germany and the US, it was acquired by AB SKF in 2000. With Machine Support operating as a separate unit under the SKF umbrella, the company continued improving its services, introducing the patented SKF Vibracon Low Profile. Based on the original Vibracon, a new product was designed for the repair market, offering an economic solution for repair and retrofit projects where costly shims, epoxy resins or milled chocks have been applied.

Through the addition of 3D measurements, vibration measurements and on-site machining to its service portfolio, the company became capable of providing complete solutions to its growing client base.

“We have operated as a 100 per cent SKF affiliated business since 2000, however the decision was made not to transfer our company name until 2010 and in 2013 we began operating as a business unit under the title SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services. There are a number of benefits to being part of the SKF Group; for example you have approximately 45,000 colleagues spread across the globe, which means we are represented in nearly every country in the world,” explains René Vermeulen, general

manager of SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services. “Furthermore, SKF has existed for over 100 years, and there is a vast amount of knowledge from coming up with solutions to previous challenges in other industries it operates in. This expertise can then be integrated into the marine world to find innovative solutions that are not known to this industry yet, which in my opinion is the biggest strength of SKF.” As the company’s products and services continued to gain a stronger reputation, SKF became focused on increasing its global client base, particularly in areas with booming shipbuilding business such as India and the Far East. Moreover, the company established marine offices in the United States that enabled it

SKF Vibracon adjustable steel machinery chock www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 69

Main picture: 3D measurement Below: On-site machining

to offer service activities as well as product sales throughout the US and Canada. Today, following almost 30 years of successful operations, SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services has developed an excellent reputation in mounting solutions and alignment services. “To be successful we think global, but act local,” says René. “You can’t do everything from one country, which is why we have employees working closely with our clients all over the world.”

Despite the challenges of remaining a profitable firm in the shipping industry during times of economic difficulty, SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services has continued to flourish due to its global presence, as René elaborates: “We have found that when activities slow down in one part of the world it picks up in another, which is beneficial to us as a company with worldwide coverage. Another thing we have noticed is that there is a trend for using diesel electric propulsion with the products we are selling; this is a product that we have a lot of experience in from using it in power generation.

Therefore people are already familiar with using our products and packages and original equipment manufacturers are standardised in these.”

With long-term experience in repair work to dredging, offshore, passenger, general cargo and container vessels working on projects around the world, SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services expanded its services into new-build installation and the development of software to create optimum precision onboard

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vessels. In 2009, these developments have been expanded further, with the addition of ShaftDesigner to the company’s portfolio. A revolutionary product, ShaftDesigner is the first software package to perform alignment and various vibration calculations under one single base model. “Our core business is focused around the alignment of a propulsion line onboard a vessel,” says Geoffrey de Vlaam, marketing and sales manager at SKF Solution Factory – Marine Services. “And this ShaftDesigner software is specialised in calculating the optimum position of the propulsion installation components; it was developed for our service department but over time we have developed modules to sell on the market to allow other companies the ability to execute these calculations.”

Geoffrey continues: “A very strong combination in our service offering is the extensive experience with trouble shooting onboard vessels and our knowledge of the theoretical background on alignment and vibration calculations. Furthermore, the software is beneficial to different phases of a ship’s life cycle, for instance it is useful in the design, construction and maintenance and repair phases of a vessel, so there are a lot of different clients that can benefit from this.” Aided by a 3D graphical interface that enables simple visual checks, the ShaftDesigner’s main features include a

Profile: SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services ShaftDesigner software screenshot of contact pressure in bearing bush

ShaftDesigner software screenshot of shaft alignment application window

ShaftDesigner software screenshot of double engine installation

base model for quick recalculations, calculations for alignment and whirling, bending, axial and torsional vibrations. The alignment module includes an offset explorer, jack load graph, geometric alignment, contact pressure, lubrication and hull deflections. The software is capable of generating customisable reports with various export options. “The ShaftDesigner can prevent problems as it can perform checks in the design phase, it can also solve problems

during repairs. Solving issues is something we do ourselves; besides selling the software we also sell the service to make calculations and find a solution for our customers. Not only do we supply a solution, we also have the ability to complete the modifications when it is related to alignment,” says Geoffrey.

Paul Vermunt, product manager at SKF Solution Factory – Marine Services, adds: “In relation to our alignment services, we have a highly successful re-adjustable chock, called SKF Vibracon, that is used for optimal alignments of propulsion shaftlines, main engines, generator sets, fifi-installations and pumps. SKF Vibracon is a renowned piece of instrumentation that makes realignments by readjustment of a shaft arrangement very easy; we have sold more than 1,000,000 of these and have a long, successful history of offering this solution to customers.”

Dedicated to innovation, the company develops everything in-house, where it applies innovative thinking and expertise to critical machinery. Furthermore, as part of SKF, the organisation is connected to another research centre that has a large focus on producing environmentally friendly bearings, as René highlights: “Employees are working on friction reduction and optimal alignment in bearings, which results in a lot of energy savings for customers.”

The company’s innovative, customer focused way of working has been enhanced further with SKF’s acquisition of Germanbased ship components provider Blohm + Voss Industries (BVI), a well reputed name in the marine world that boasts an excellent network of representation around the world. In line with SKF’s plan to assert itself as the leading application development partner to offer full asset life cycle management services to the shipping and marine industry, the acquisition of BVI complements the company’s existing service range, contributes to its market presence and establishes SKF as one of the major suppliers of marine sealing arrangements and bearings.

Discussing the acquisition, René highlights: “This strategic development was demonstrated at Marintec 2013 in Shanghai from 3-6 December, where the increased package of products and services was displayed. For example, SKF took the opportunity to show the SIMPLEX product range. SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services taking part in Marintec 2013 shows our customers that developing this division is serious business for SKF; it has made people aware that SKF now has an extended portfolio and the expertise. We have already utilised the strength of BVI as a brand and generated a lot of attention at the exhibition; our next step is to follow up leads from connections we made to set up contracts in the future,” says René.

Looking ahead, SKF Solution Factory – Marine Services will continue activating its large marine network, while also seeking out further opportunities for potential growth, as René concludes: “In 2014 we will look around for interesting companies that could strengthen SKF’s position in the marine industry while also focusing on our think global, act local concept. Looking further ahead, we want to create a competence centre with centralised engineering where we can spread our knowledge all over the world.” l

SKF Solution Factory - Marine Services

www.skf.com/marine • Leading worldwide solution provider • Part of SKF Group • Believe in ‘thinking global, acting local’

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FULL PAGE ADVERT

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Profile: Svitzer Asia

Svitzer to the rescue

F

rom its conception in 1833, the Svitzer group of companies has provided safety and support to clients operating at sea. With a worldwide coverage in over 40 countries the business employs a total of 4500 people.

The Singapore activity of Svitzer has two main focuses, towage and salvage. In an interview with Shipping and Marine, towage managing director Lise Demant and director for salvage Peter van den Bogaard provide an insight into the pulling force behind the company’s recent growth: “In Singapore we are in charge of operations from Sakhalin in northern far east Russia operation, through operations in China, East Timor and in Singapore,” says Lise.

In control of the salvage, Peter introduces the history behind the division: “We took over a salvage company based in Singapore 15 years ago. With 15 people in our Singapore office we operate a response team to react to any shipping incident in the region.

Alongside emergency response we provide preparedness contracts working with clients to be prepared for incidents in case of a shipping emergency.”

As a business dedicated to providing safety for its clients, Safety forms a strategic part of its own business and has the highest priority, as Peter details: “Safety is paramount in salvage and towage and we ensure all operations are carried out under safe conditions and by people with experience. Svitzer’s global salvage www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 73

activity has had three years without any incidents and we work hard to keep it that way.”

With many clients in the oil and gas industry safety is an intricate part of all Svitzer’s activities, and the company is in the process of rolling out a new harmonised management system based on the OVMSA standards to maintain the stringent standards that such organisations call upon. “Our efforts surrounding Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality are being made to push the barrier for what is possible within our industry,” explains Lise.

The towing business has gained global experience, both in safety and operational excellence, with boats in many environments.

In this time it has developed partners, in locations from where it employs and trains locals, as Lise details: “We have separate training programmes in several locations and we always consider how we can work best in the local community.

“Being part of the Svitzer Group has immense value in working geographically. No ports are exactly the same, but you can draw on experiences from different parts of the world. Additionally we are part of the A. P Moller – Maersk Group that expands the knowledge that we have.” Peter adds: “From a financial perspective being part of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group provides stability and necessary funding in order to maintain cash flow.” He continues: “In most salvage situations you also need a tugboat, and with Svitzer we have a global network of quality vessels within our own group.”

Addressing the strengths of the salvage business Peter stresses: “Salvage is people business and our company has some of the best salvage masters in the world. We know how to deal with emergency response situations and one strength is that we have proven to come up with innovative solutions and do not have a default mode in the handling of issues.” By remaining fluid in its

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approach to salvage, the company can effectively meet clients’ expectations and its track record proves that it is a very reliable salvor.

“We are currently working in Vietnam, where a vessel collision consequently ended with one grounding. Our team of specialists is extracting oil and containers, some with hazardous materials inside.”

Svitzer maintains the operation of 22 vessels in environmentally harsh conditions. The fleet includes multi service support vessels and smaller support crafts across ports able to perform entire marine services. Introducing the company’s approach to technology and solutions Lise adds: “We use the simulator training for our

Profile: Svitzer Asia

officers, we are also looking at new ways of using the simulator specific to the operation of a customer. Our innovative ideas encompass both new ways of setting up an operation and physical equipment.”

With employees regarded as the company’s main asset it is the driving ambition of each manager to maintain an attractive workplace and in turn its workforce is fully committed to deliver the service that its customers have purchased. “One of the key issues within the salvage industry is how to deal with mega containerships if one is involved in an emergency response situation. We have found a solution for efficient offloading containers from these mega containerships. I think it will be a game changer within the industry.”

“We have developed a modular system of craneage, using the expertise of our own salvage team and industry experts which we can fly in to the casualty location. The system is still in a design phase but we hope to start the building phase within the next year,” explains Peter, as Lise adds: “We are a very innovative business.

People on the ground come up with the great ideas and we allow those to be developed.”

Looking back to 2011, Peter recalls a project that brought about much media attention at the time: “MV Rena, a 236 metre containership grounded with approximately 2000 containers on board. The remote location and the adverse weather conditions made the operation challenging. There was a lift to 22 degrees so the working conditions were quite harsh. It had all the elements of a challenging salvage, and our salvage masters were in the spotlight.”

With further plans to strengthen the company Peter highlights: “We aim to further grow our regional presence by strengthening our salvage team in numbers and experience and become more independent of our headquarters in the Netherlands. Additionally we will focus on growing our client relationships and building strategic operational partnerships.”

With its primary focus in Asia, Svitzer is centred around developments within the port infrastructure. “Ports are being constructed or upgraded to cater for the bigger ships, that Peter also referred to. There are many developments within the LNG business and we see the growth in the entire region,” says Lise.

The increase in shipping activity ultimately leads to an increase in towage demands across the region.

Following the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), salvage contractors responding in US waters are subject to qualifying criteria to determine the suitability as a provider.

“Our track record proves that we are a reliable salvage company.

To meet the criteria we are required to cover the whole coast of the US and for that purpose we have built a strong network with tugboats operators and fire-fighting supplier etc. to respond to any incident in US waters. We are one of the last entrants in this market, which makes it a challenge but we believe we offer the best product. With the new regulation scope expanding to non-tanker vessels we are currently putting in all commercial efforts to obtain market share” explains Peter.

With the focus now on 2014 Lise expects to continue to grow the company. “Svitzer as a group has grown massively in the past 15 years but within Asia we are still a relatively small player, and we would like to change that.” Expressing the focus for salvage Peter adds: “Competition is very intense with nine salvage companies in Singapore alone. We aim to make sure we have the best emergency response capability within the region, so we will be developing that along with expanding our activity in wreck removal and decommissioning projects. We also see the value in developing preparedness plans with clients which would reduce incident time and ultimately cost of an incident.”

Concluding his vision for the more distant future Peter ends: “It is important that we create a good work place for our people to work safely and passionately in this challenging industry.

Recruiting and keeping experienced people has been a challenge in Asia so it is an important part of the plan. We expect to maintain our market shares in emergency response and further grow in wreck removal projects. If there is a good opportunity that suits our capabilities then we will go for it.” l

Svitzer Asia Pte

www.svitzer.com • Safety and support at sea • Full scope of towage services • Short notice salvage support

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Profile: Blohm+Voss Shipyards

The best of the

best T

he world of Blohm+Voss superyachts is one of exclusivity and superlative luxury. Each vessel is the realisation of one individual’s dream, and is designed and constructed around their wishes. These custommade yachts are a reflection of true innovation – they are for bold owners who are not afraid to demand perfection from bow to stern.

The Superyacht division of Blohm+Voss is one part of the company and works alongside divisions constructing Naval and Offshore Oil and Gas vessels. Historically the Superyacht department’s expertise has been in the creation of one-off, unique projects, in particular very, very large vessels. Patrick Coote, the recently appointed sales and marketing director for Blohm+Voss, gave more details about the company’s approach: “The superyachts that we build take approximately four years to construct and we usually only have one under construction at one time so we are the absolute opposite of a volume builder,”

Lloyds Register Group With 240 offices in 90 countries and 9000 employees, the Lloyd’s Register Group is one of the world’s leading classification societies. Through its more than 250-years of history, it has traditionally been closely associated with many shipping companies and shipyards. Mr. Ernst Voss worked as a surveyor for Lloyd’s Register after the opening of its first office in Hamburg in 1871, before he jointly with Hermann Blohm founded the Blohm & Voss shipyard and machine factory in 1877. Since that time a wide variety of ships have been built and repaired in close co-operation, from bulk to mega-yachts of the latest generation.

he said. “As a result we are totally about quality and not quantity. The amazing success of our philosophy is reflected in the fact that each of the yachts that we have built has immediately become completely iconic because they are unique in terms of design or performance or size.”

He added: “We don’t have any build platform or standardisation of product, we simply build totally unique vessels and customers don’t come to Blohm+Voss if they are looking for a big boat at a cheap price. Our customers don’t want to compromise on anything, they want a completely unique yacht that is absolutely the best of the best.”

Over the years, the Superyachts division has been working alongside the military and offshore departments that were enjoying full order books, which placed it in the privileged position of being able to cherry pick the very biggest and finest projects. As a result it has gained extraordinary experience in the creation of the most luxurious and impressive vessels on the sea today.

“Blohm+Voss has created a reputation for tackling projects that no-one else can handle,” confirmed Patrick. “Size isn’t really an issue for our facilities and on a daily basis we come up with new ways of designing engineering, new methods and materials, and push the envelope further on innovation and progressive design. We always want to find a way to achieve what the client wants, and when you look at yachts like ‘A’ (designed by Phillipe Starck) ‘Eco’ or ‘Eclipse’, it is clear to see that they are completely different to anything that went before www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 77

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Profile: Blohm+Voss Shipyards

them in terms of yacht design and performance and that is where we come into our own.”

As the superyachts arena has seen resurgence over the past year, Blohm+Voss took the decision to make the brand more present in the market. Patrick’s appointment in September 2013 was a major part of this strategy, as he explained: “It is my job to bring Blohm+Voss’ superior services to the attention of more clients in the flourishing superyacht market,” he said.

“The company has traditionally been very exclusive, but going forward it is my task to publicise Blohm+Voss’ capabilities as a master creator of superyachts, and my background in brokerage means I am close to the market and have a strong and solid network of contacts through the superyacht world that I can use to get our message across,” he said.

A prime example of how Blohm+Voss is thinking out of the box is the unique partnership the company entered into in October 2013 with Zaha Hadid Architects. This started with ‘The Mother Ship’ a 128m yacht concept, which features an interwoven network of meshes on the exterior. Unlike anything that has been done before, the Mother Ship is the point of departure for developing a unique circle of five exclusive 90m yacht designs, which offer a range of possible solutions based on a cognate platform. Zaha Hadid’s design is malleable to suit the individual’s wishes and the needs of a potential customer,

MTU MTU is one of the world’s leading providers of diesel engines and complete propulsion/drive systems for ships, heavy land and rail vehicles, and distributed energy.

Its product portfolio for yachts comprises engines and propulsion systems delivering power outputs of 466 to 10,000 kilowatts. They power series-built and displacement yachts as well as megayachts. They are complemented by standardised and customised automation systems for monitoring and control of the propulsion plant. Completing the product portfolio is MTU ValueCare service support at over 1200 locations around the world. Service includes engine maintenance, spare parts supply, and remanufacturing of engine components and complete drive systems.

Zaha Hadid

and therefore remains true to the traditional Blohm+Voss approach. The strength of the design of this ‘Unique Circle’ set of vessels is not just its functionality and form, but also its effortless adaptability.

“Given that we have a reputation for exclusivity we didn’t simply go to a yacht designer working in the industry and ask them to give us a slightly different version of every other yacht out there,” said Patrick. “We wanted something utterly unique that reinforced our position in the market as builders of custom vessels, and we were confident that Zaha Hadid would break the mould what a yacht could look like - as she does with all her work! Her design is groundbreaking in its styling, layout, exterior profile and interior design and that embodies the sort of work that we have done in the past and we would like to carry on with this in the future.”

The designs were only launched at the end of autumn 2013 and have already been featured on over 150,000 websites.

“They have really received huge attention and captured the imagination of the market because of how different they are to what else is out there,” added Patrick. “Now we just need to find some buyers!” l

Blohm+Voss Shipyards

www.blohmvossyachts.com • Constructs world’s largest and most luxurious superyachts • Most demand comes from Russia and the Middle East • Based in historic yard in Hamburg, Germany

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Exploring new

Falmouth Harbour front

markets

F

almouth Harbour, including the Carrick Roads, is renowned as the third largest natural harbour in the world. Dedicated to the ongoing viability and prosperity of the harbour, Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC) is responsible for the inner harbour at Falmouth, the southern part of the Carrick Roads, the Penryn River up to Boyers Cellars and a large part of Falmouth Bay. The organisation also provides small craft facilities for residents and visitors and 24-hour pilotage service to control the navigation of large vessels within the port.

“We are responsible for the safety and navigation of operations in the inner Falmouth Harbour area. We encourage stakeholders to respect Falmouth’s natural environment, provide 24-hour pilotage services and operate a number of leisure facilities to the small craft and leisure market. On top of this, we have a mooring buoy in the

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Carrick Roads, which has been used for some high profile casualty reception in the past,” begins Mark Sansom, harbour master and CEO of the FHC. Located in close proximity to the sea-lanes for the Atlantic and the Irish Sea, Falmouth has become the port of choice for vessels that are facing dangerous situations. “It has become a role of Falmouth over the years to deal with some high profile casualty reception for ships coming in with various problems,” says Mark.

“In preparation for these situations, we have developed a close working relationship with a number of partners, including the secretary of state representative and the maritime coast guard agency (MCA), and have worked with both organisations on more recent issues that have come up.”

To ensure full preparedness of potential emergencies, FHC

Profile: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

Trial dredge

FaB test device with operations manager Alex Whatley

and MCA worked together on a live deployment exercise for a European Research Project into the best practice of oil spill recovery in October 2013. “The MCA had some equipment they wanted to deploy within our port environment and we were only too happy to facilitate that as it gave us the chance to work alongside the organisation and for our staff to see how the equipment works. This exercise gave us the opportunity to know how to deploy this equipment in any real emergency in the future,” says Mark.

Responsible for managing the harbour in the best possible interests of its shareholders, FHC is involved in a diverse range of projects such as the Falmouth Bay Test Site (FaB Test); this is a pre-consented two square kilometre area located within Falmouth harbour, approximately five kilometres offshore Falmouth bay in water depths of 20 metres to 50 metres. “Through our stakeholder groups we became aware that there was considerable potential in the port for developments regarding renewable energy; we realised if we allowed testing in Falmouth bay this would substantially enhance the amount of business coming to the area and also be advantageous to the local supply chain,” highlights Mark.

Leased from Crown Estates, the FaB Test nursery facility offers wave energy device developers the opportunity to test components, concepts and even full scale devices in neutral wave climates alongside easy access to the nearby port infrastructure. Up to three devices can be deployed on the site, which aims to provide a flexible, cost efficient solution to the testing of wave energy technologies, moorings, components and deployment procedures.

The pioneering project resulted in FHC winning a coveted South West Green Energy Award in November 2012, as Mark enthuses: “We are delighted to be recognised for this award and hope it will further promote Falmouth’s potential as a development hub for marine energy. We have had the first wave device, Fred Olsen’s BOLT ‘Lifesaver’ wave energy converter, deployed for over 12 months now and are benefiting from a number of enquiries for other devices to be installed at the test site. FaB Test is showing every sign of becoming a useful facility in the market, so it is fully meeting our objectives of boosting the local supply chain and local economy.”

Focused on the conservation and optimisation of the harbour,

FHC is keen to develop partnerships that will ensure a prosperous and sustainable future. For example, it recently completed a project with Plymouth University to assess and manage the environmental impacts of operations undertaken within the harbour. The 30-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership was

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Profile: Falmouth Harbour Commissioners Pilot boat Arrow at work

launched in 2008 and involved science graduate Harriet Knowles taking on the role as a maritime sustainable development officer. Part funded by the government, the partnership was recognised with an award from the Economic and Social Research Council and resulted in a tailored management system that enabled FHC to become more environmentally proactive.

“The Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Plymouth University looked at the challenges that ports face in terms of expectation on managing the environment in an area that has a number of environmental designations.

The project was very successful and received an award; it was also encouraging for us to interact with our stakeholders and to look at how to ensure management measures are appropriate. We have quite a lot of programmes and major exercises coming up; in 2014, we are looking to join forces with European partners to demonstrate boom deployment and other types of response to set the model of European best practice,” says Mark.

Other projects include the specification, tender and management of a trial dredge in 2012, with FHC reiterating the need to dredge a deep water channel into Falmouth port at a public meeting in October 2013. Viewing the port’s expansion as an opportunity for more ships to come into Falmouth, including giant cruise liners, FHC anticipates a boost in economy through hundreds more available jobs and an increase of tourists into the area.

With commercial activities fairly low throughout 2012 and 2013 from a slow down in bunkering activities, FHC is focusing on developing and maximising the port’s abilities through the exploitation of new markets. “Bunkering activity is trailing off from the peak of the SECA regulations as low sulphur fuel becomes more common,” explains Mark. “The issues surrounding SECA, fuel quality and the policies surrounding that are regularly revised at the EU and further limit changes will come into effect in 2015.

We don’t know how this will affect our business, which is why we are looking at partnerships to develop the port and to diversify it as much as possible to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future.” l The current FHC board

Falmouth Harbour Commissioners www.falmouthport.co.uk

• Responsible for the inner harbour at Falmouth • Won a South West Green Energy award for its FaB Test • Works towards achieving port sustainability

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Profile: KNRM

Safety

strategy

E

stablished in 1824 to offer free of charge help and support to seamen in emergencies, the near bicentennial Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij, ‘KNRM’) has developed its knowledge, expertise and technology to ensure availability for any distress call at sea. “We are a charity and lifeboat service that has developed into a highly modern organisation that is available 24/7; nowadays we have around 2000 services annually for any incident or accident at sea or on the coastal waters and help approximately 3000 each year safely ashore,” begins Kees Brinkman, head of communications at KNRM. “We have a fleet of 75 lifeboats and 1300 volunteers at 45 lifeboat stations along the coast of the Netherlands and the estuaries; in case of emergencies the Coastguard Centre in Den Helder raises the alarm for the volunteer crews. Our expenditure is around 18 million euros a year and as a fundraiser we are dependent on donations and sponsorship; approximately 12 million euros comes from fundraising, while the other six million euros is generated by other means, such as our own reserves and commercial partnerships.”

With 50 paid staff and 1300 volunteers, the institution is based on three core principles that have ensured its continued success for almost 200 years, as Kees highlights: “We use a volunteer lifeboat crew, are supported by volunteer lifeboat donations and our service/help is free of charge.” So far, the organisation has accumulated 80,000 supporters that donate regularly, with donations increasing in recent years.

To ensure safety for both seamen in distress and the volunteers,

KNRM offers a vast amount of training and education to crewmembers, either independently or in co-operation with other emergency organisations such as the police, fire brigade, ambulance and the coast guard centre. “Our strategy for the future is to make sure our lifeboats are always ready and crewed by volunteers that are trained for the worst possible circumstances. We establised a joint venture with STC-KNRM, an offshore training centre in the Mainport of Rotterdam, which helps us to educate crewmembers and fully prepare them for emergency responses,” says Kees.

Operating in co-operation with the Netherlands Coastguard, a governmental organisation for surveillance and services at sea, KNRM offers the use of its lifeboats to the rescue centre on a permanent basis and guarantees availability of its volunteers at any time. This promise requires high quality, quick and capable vessels, which is why the organisation is making the development of a ‘next generation lifeboat’ one of its core priorities. As some of the organisation’s vessels will be reaching renewal stage over the next ten years, it entered a strategic partnership with Damen Shipyards Group in Gorinchem, TU-Delft (the faculty of mechanical engineering and marine technology at the Technical University Delft), and naval architects De Vries Lentsch following a generous donation from insurance firm ‘The Noordhollandsche of 1816’ in 2010.

Agreeing to the development of a wholly new, state-of-the-art lifeboat, both quality-focused organisations worked together to ensure all relevant innovations were incorporated in the design, engineering and shipbuilding of the new vessels. “Our current fleet consists almost completely of rigid inflatable boats that are www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 83

Profile: KNRM Damen Shipyards Group The Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution ‘KNRM’, together with Damen Shipyards Group and some of the best Dutch maritime experts (TU Delft, TNO, Marin, De Vries Lentsch Naval Architects) has created an advanced ‘on-scene co-ordination Search-and-Rescue vessel’.

The NH 1816 Class is a self-righting, fast, aluminium hulled SAR vessel with a composite wheelhouse and a modified Damen Sea Axe Bow which reduces vertical g-forces by 45 per cent and enabling top speeds of over 30 knots, radically transforming seaworthiness.

Principal innovations in hull design, ergonomics, communications and navigation systems give the NH 1816 Class superior capabilities to any conventional lifeboat. Speed, range, efficiency, seaworthiness and safety all have been fundamentally improved and crew comfort and ease of maintenance have been upgraded significantly.

In addition to the Axe Bow, the NH 1816 is outfitted with retractable rear fins that can be lowered for more course stability or raised to give extra manoeuvrability.

made of aluminum hulls; however, we have designed a new type of lifeboat that has an extraordinary hull shape, built in marine grade alloy, which is based on the ax bow principal that was designed by the technical university and constructed by Damen Shipyards over the past five to six years,” enthuses Kees. This hull type, following practical experience and intensive test tank testing, promises to reduce G-forces by 40 per cent for the craft itself, but more importantly for its crew. With this design feature the craft shall outperform many standard fast(er) craft in rough sea conditions.

Offering improved maneuverability at high and low speed, as well as improved directional stability with the waves, the Nh1816 19-metre long rescue vessel passed one of its most critical trials at Damen Shipyards group before being handed over to crew.

Designed to the most rigorous standards, the cutting edge rescue vessel righted itself to its normal position within a few seconds of capsizing. This life saving feature was created via the vessel’s low

point of gravity and the air bubble inside the wheelhouse, thus enabling the ship to right itself swiftly when capsized.

A completely new feature is that during such a capsize both engines remain running during 30 seconds, allowing the craft to regain its desired course immediately after righting.

While the structure of the vessel may be impressive, KNRM has surpassed itself by fully integrating ICT systems and offering improved connections with the Netherlands Coast Guard that enable the two organisations to send data back and forth without the need for marine VHF radio. “The integrated and ergonomically designed bridge is made out of a new computer base system that allows the crew to choose their own screen presentation on each of the five multi function monitors. This Ships Management System, made by British company Servo Watch, makes our vessel highly sophisticated and will influence how we run our fleet management, education and training. All volunteers must be able to efficiently use the screens on the ship to use it, but because the younger volunteer is more computer knowledgeable we believe this development will be the future for lifeboat crew to come,” says Kees.

Following the success of the first Nh1816, which will be tested along the Dutch coast with crewmembers in 2014, KNRM has two more of these new lifeboats planned over the next two years and anticipates interest from an international audience.

“Compared to our existing lifeboats, the new vessels are more multipurpose and could be used as guard or patrol vessels, for example, as they can reach speeds of more than 32 knots and are more comfortable for crew,” says Kees. On top of this, the organisation has future plans to increase its ability to help casualties through the exchange of video/webcam footage with coast guards and medical advisors. “In the future we will be able to send footage to our radio medical service to ensure a quicker consultation and medical response to casualties onboard ships,” concludes Kees. l

KNRM

www.knrm.nl • Voluntry search and rescue organisation • Works alongside the Netherlands Coastguard • Developed a state-of-the-art rescue vessel

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Wave of

F

success

ounded in 2003 by captain owners Gerrit Diepeveen and Sam Gombra, ForestWave Navigation ordered two new vessels during its establishment, both of which were multipurpose single deckers at 4500 Mts dwt. Following the unfortunate passing of Gerrit in 2006, Fred Diepeveen was given his father’s shares of the business. Using his experience as manager of a chartering department for a major short sea shipping firm, Fred joined co-founder Sam in 2010 to further develop the activities at ForestWave.

Since 2010 the company has been growing rapidly, today controlling an impressive fleet of 16 modern multipurpose vessels, with an average age of less than five years, and one cement carrier.

Ranging from 5000 to 10,000 dwt, the vessels have box shaped holds with wide hatchways to enable direct lowering of cargo into the required position within the hold. Furthermore, the majority of the ships hold the highest ice class, making them wholly capable

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of operating in challenging ice conditions without icebreaker assistance. Flying the Dutch flag, the vessels mainly sail around North West Europe, offering short sea services in areas such as the Baltic, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean as well as the Atlantic Basin and the Caribbean. On top of this, ForestWave also offers its customers excellent services in global multi-purpose shipping.

Operating as a one-stop-shop shipping firm, the company’s comprehensive service range includes chartering, technical and crew management, operations, administration, claims handling, project development, new-building supervision and sale and purchase. With a focus on delivering superior customer service through offering a service based on economic viability and trust, the company is proud of the strong relationships it has developed with its clients and suppliers over the last 11 years. Able to make quick, hands-on decisions, the personnel at ForestWave Navigation have the experience and knowledge to operate ships as cost

Profile: ForestWave Navigation

effectively as possible, while also meeting the rules and regulations of the shipping industry to ensure ships are kept in exceptional condition.

Not only focused on ship quality, the diverse firm also works with pro-active, experienced and dedicated masters, officers and crewmembers within its technical and crew management division to ensure optimum results from its vessels. It is this segment of the business that founder Sam Gombra is responsible for, using the experience he has gained from being a captain owner since the age

of 29 to ensure a successful and versatile service.

Keen to continue its trend of rapid growth over the last three years, ForestWave Navigation’s key objectives include organic growth through the acquisition of ships or the arrangement of joint ventures; the latter of which proved a successful strategic decision for the company in 2011. The partnership with Schulte & Bruns GmbH shortly after Fred joined the firm forms part of the network of chartering offices located in Papenburg and Hamburg in Germany.

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Profile: ForestWave Navigation

All offices within this network are connected via a single IT system, thus enabling a constant overview of all chartering operations for Schulte & Bruns’ 30-strong fleet of multipurpose vessels. Within this network and fleet, ForestWave Navigation is responsible for 12 vessels. Operating the joint venture from its office in Heerenveen, ForestWave Navigation offers owners either commercial management or time charter contracts based on the cargo contracts it has with Schulte & Bruns. Complementing the experience of Sam, Fred has more than 15 years of experience in the chartering sector and thus holds full responsibility for this department of the business.

Despite major successes in chartering and technical crew management services, ForestWave Navigation is keen to stay ahead

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of the competition with innovative ideas that are relevant to current market demands or issues within the shipping and marine industry.

Aware of the upcoming sulphur regulations that are coming into effect in 2015, one of the company’s key aims in 2014 is to market its design for an eco-friendly, super fuel efficient, 6700 dwt single deck vessel that meets all environmental requirements for the geographical areas it operates in.

With a diversified portfolio of services to offer its satisfied base of long-term customers, ForestWave Navigation has set up the foundations to continue its three-year growth trend.

Looking ahead, with a focus on the 5000 to 12,000 dwt range in multipurpose shipping, the firm’s future plans are to continue expanding its third party management and independently owned vessels, with plans for a further four ships in 2014. Furthermore, with a dedication for finding creative and technical solutions for its managed vessels, ForestWave Navigation will continue to create beneficial cost reductions and eco-friendly operations to its customers for years to come. l

ForestWave Navigation

www.forestwave.nl • Offer one-stop-shop services • Main operations in North-West Europe • Rapid growth since 2010

Profile: Rotortug

A new

direction R

otortug BV (KST BV) has evolved from its beginnings as an innovator of first-generation Rotor tugs to become a specialist in the design and marketing of the globally patented Rotor tug design. First constructed

by Mr Ton Kooren in Spain in 1999, the first generation of Rotor tugs were for the exclusive use of international maritime service provider Kotug; however, as demand increased for specialised towage services, the company took the strategic decision to begin building for third parties.

“Our turnkey Rotor tugs were sold to the likes of Bugsier, Urag, Smit, Boluda and Kotug,” says Evan Willemsen, managing director of Rotortug. “Throughout this time period we co-operated with Robert Allan Ltd on a number of the custom design projects that featured extensive model tests, which confirmed the added value of the Rotortug for towage operations and established the demand for more custom designed (Rotortug) solutions.”

In early 2012 KST BV and Robert Allan Ltd entered into an exclusive design agreement that gives prospective clients the option to make direct contact with either firm. Cementing its decision to deviate from shipbuilding and to focus on design consultancy,

marketing and training instead, the company changed its name to Rotortug BV on 1st January 2014. The first new Rotortug to be designed under this agreement, the third generation ART 80-32, is to be delivered to its owners at the ITS event in Hamburg, 2014.

“Each potential client can buy a design and license to build a Rotortug at their preferred yard with their preferred equipment, incorporating their own ideas and securing the main working principles into the design with Robert Allan Ltd. Under its new name, Rotortug BV will continue its focus on the marketing and development of the Rotortug as an established brand as well as other towage related solutions. Now that the shipbuilding aspect of the business is gone, it’s the perfect time for us to rebrand,” concludes Evan. l

Rotortug

www.rotortug.com • Designs and markets the patented Rotor tug • Exclusive design contract with Robert Allan Ltd • Rebranded company in January 2014

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TSM Brehat

Innovation afloat M

acduff Ship Design Limited operates as one of the most prolific naval architecture and ship design marine consultancies within both the commercial and fishing vessel industries. Since it was last featured in Shipping and Marine magazine in May 2013, the ship design firm has continued to tender its on-going contracts while securing new business in its domestic market within the UK as well as abroad.

The company was founded in 1993 and today employs nine staff that offer a comprehensive range of professional, technical services including full design packages, CAD drafting, profiling kit making, specification writing and feasibility studies, stability work, project management, lengthening, conversions, marine design and naval architecture. The firm’s diverse portfolio of services have seen it employed by owners, operators and by shipyards directly to provide solutions throughout the world. Macduff Ship Design has undertaken work for satisfied customers within the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Croatia,

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Malaysia, Poland and Turkey. Its international exports today account for around 66 per cent of the company’s turnover, up from 23 per cent in 2011 and 53 per cent during 2012.

In recent years, Macduff Ship Design has continued to pursue its share of overseas markets, winning new customers and repeat clients that reflect the company’s leading market reputation for work that has been approved by a spectrum of classification societies, including DNV, Lloyds, BV, ABS, NKK, and the United Kingdom MCA. Amongst its ongoing projects, Macduff Ship Design is currently undertaking a second round of designs in conjunction with the Turkish firm, Torgem Shipbuilding. The working relationship between the two companies began with a major contract that was signed in 2012 for a series of nine different vessels for ATCO in Saudi Arabia, which has now been expanded to include two further orders. The first contract includes additional orders for the 30m ASD Tug and 15m General Service boat, which were present in the phase one contract as well as a further three new designs. Three 19m steel

Profile: Macduff Ship Design

16m Sally Mcloughlin and Eileen Mcloughlin

pilot boats, a 15m dive boat and two 15m garbage boats complete the final compliment of vessels included in the contract.

The second contract in ATCO’s recent expansion is something of a milestone for Macduff and Torgem. The order calls for a 45m offshore security patrol boat with a speed of 35 knots and the vessel underscores the adaptability and diversification of both companies and signals an entry into a new market.

The final design of the vessel has been subjected to intensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and full tank testing, carried out by CTO in Poland to ensure optimised hull form and power requirements. The patrol boat will feature a quadruple engine installation, accommodation for 18 personnel and will be used to patrol offshore installations in Arabian waters. Kort propulsion are the suppliers of fixed pitch propeller systems to Torgem for all of these contracts.

Macduff Ship Design has also enjoyed successful contracts with the French company, Thomas Services Maritimes. The initial order called for a twin-screw harbour tug, the design

of which was originally based on the successful first-in-class, 16m Sally Mcloughlin. This was eventually developed into a 19m, azimuth stern drive (ASD) equipped tug with a predicted bollard pull of 30 tonnes. The TSM Albatre entered service during 2012 and so impressed and confident were the owners of the design of the vessel, that a second tug was ordered before the TSM Albatre was completed. This second vessel, the TSM Brehat was delivered in 2013 with identical equipment its sister vessel, but an increased length of 20.35m.

The TSM Brehat has an overall length of 20.35m, a beam of 8.2m and a moulded depth of 3.6m, making it one of the most compact and powerful tugs in service today. During sea trials, the vessel surpassed her contractual requirements, achieving a bollard pull of close to 33 tonnes and a free running speed of 11.4 knots using her twin Mitsubishi S12R main engines, each rated at 90/1040kw driving Rolls Royce US155 ASD units. The vessel is also rigged for both bow and stern towing with Ridderinkhof winches and is also capable of plough dredging using independent towing winches for the www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 91

Profile: Macduff Ship Design 45m Torgem patrol boat

Boustead 16m Macduff tug

plough. It also incorporates an aft gantry, which can be removed when towing and a large capacity deck crane. The layout and equipment on the vessel allow it to undertake a number of tasks including harbour and fairway maintenance duties, making the TSM Brehat and her sister vessel two powerful, efficient and profitable additions to the Thomas fleet.

As the company moves into 2014 it will seek to complete its current design contracts and look to expand its global market share, while maintaining its core market within the UK. With ongoing contracts in Turkey and Malaysia [Boustead], an order for a large 36.5m workboat for the Port of London Authority, a 24m dive support vessel for Beacon Offshore in Thailand and one for a 27.5m workboat for Macduff Shipyards, Macduff

Ship Design has an impressive order book that demonstrates its world-class reputation for vessel design. With working partnerships with shipbuilders including Torgem, Boustead and Macduff Shipyards, the company is well placed to provide acclaimed vessel design with the guarantee of comprehensive construction quality. l

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Macduff Ship Design

www.macduffshipdesign.com • Pioneering design • Secured largest single contract • Growing overseas market

Profile: British Marine Federation

Industry

voice W

BMF 100 years. Left to right: Murry Ellis MD, National Boat Shows, BMF President; Wille Welsh, CEO IAG and Howard Pridding, CEO BMF

Left to right: Howard Pridding, CEO BMF; Chris Livett PBA Vice Chair; Jonathan Hobbs, PBA Vice Chair and Roger Flitter, Operations Manager

hen the British Marine Federation (BMF) last appeared in Shipping and Marine magazine in December 2012 the business, which is the trade association for the UK leisure, superyacht, and small commercial marine industry, was continuing to grow and increase its influence to Government, agencies and key decision makers. A little over year on the organisation has continued to enjoy impressive growth.

“The BMF has continued to work hard throughout 2013 to meet the needs of our diverse range of members,” explains Howard Pridding, chief executive officer at the BMF. “We have maintained a full range of services and full representation and delivered two successful boat shows, in London in January and our PSP Southampton Boat Show in September, which both provided vital sales platforms for our industry. We have continued to place effort into customer service and engaging with our members. This has seen us not only maintain our membership levels, but experience growth with membership now standing at 1524 member companies spanning the whole range

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Left to right: John Denham MP, Mike Thornton MP and Howard Pridding BMF CEO

of the leisure, superyacht and commercial marine industry.

“In other developments we were delighted in October 2013 when the Passenger Boat Association (PBA) took a decision to become a group association within the BMF,” says Howard.

“The PBA Steering Group were looking to build on their strong history and tradition by becoming part of a larger organisation to strengthen the support for their members and increase their representational voice.”

Whilst it may have been historically associated with the leisure and superyacht sectors, when last speaking with Shipping and Marine Howard commented on the organisation’s expansion into the commercial workboat sector through the launch of its constituent group association – BMF Commercial Marine. This was seen as a rapidly expanding area, with membership growing from 30 to over 100 companies in under year.

“Membership of BMF Commercial Marine has held firm around the 100 mark, so the last couple of years have been more

Maricer As a member of the ‘British Marine Federation’, Maricer has enjoyed a long standing relationship dating back to when Maricer was established.

The British Marine Federation has consistently assisted Maricer in its quest to establish itself in new and emerging markets, with their extensive knowledge and advice on international development opportunities.

Maricer has been able to draw upon the resources of the British Marine Federation to gain access to other services available, such as UK Trade and Investment, health and safety guidance, and technical advice on new legislation/standards that have affected the day to day running of Maricer.

Maricer director, Ted Waring comments: “Being a member of the British Marine Federation has been an invaluable tool in assisting Maricer to establish itself as a truly global company.” He continues: “With new markets being opened up to the marina industry, Maricer are happy to continue supporting the British Marine Federation.”

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Mike Thornton MP with Hampshire constabulary

about consolidation than growth,” says Howard, providing an update. “Work is underway for a recruitment drive as this continues to be a growth sector. The Association, in conjunction with the BMF’s International Development team, is now looking at expanding its support to helping commercial marine members exhibit at some of the major international commercial marine shows and capitalise on the export opportunities these offer.”

Aside from representing the industry to Government, agencies

Profile: British Marine Federation and key decision makers, the BMF has a dedicated team of professionals that works on technical issues, regulations and developments that directly impact its members such as the MARPOL Annex VI Tier III NOx emission requirements, due to be initiated in January 2016. “2013 was an important year on this issue as the IMO’s Environmental Protection Committee met to discuss MARPOL Annex VI and its implementation,” Howard comments.

“The BMF, in conjunction with a number of international associations, undertook a major research study which led to the submission of a paper to the committee calling for an extension to the implementation date by three years for large leisure vessels and superyachts, to allow the necessary technical solutions to be developed and installed. A Russian proposal to postpone the implementation date by five years (to January 2021) across all forms of shipping was provisionally agreed, and we remain firmly involved in all the discussions to ensure our members and our industry get the right outcome.”

Alongside emissions developments, the Technical department has also been involved in other projects, as Howard explains: “We have been involved in the working groups that the MCA constituted to revise MGN 280 back into its constituent parts - the Brown, Yellow and Blue Codes. The Brown Code (for workboats) has progressed well. In addition the BMF, working in partnership with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), has been tasked with a review of the requirements specifically applicable to the subjects of the Yellow and Blue codes: recreational vessels (sail and motor) engaged in commercial activities, such as sail training and charter vessels.”

Of course, considering industry developments, one ongoing challenge across a number of industries is the challenge of sourcing skilled, experienced engineers and technical employees.

BMF recognises this trend, and as Howard explains, it is aiming to tackle the problem: “BMF hosted the 3rd annual Apprenticeship Awards evening at the PSP Southampton Boat Show in September and continues to promote apprenticeships and careers in the marine industry.”

Despite the various challenges that BMF is addressing, overall the industry, particularly the UK leisure marine sector is in a positive condition for the coming year. For example, overseas trade increased 7.7 per cent in revenue for 2012/12 and current performance indicators for the domestic market are recording levels not seen since before the economic crisis. The London Boat Show, which took place in early January, represented an ideal platform to celebrate the great position that the UK marine sector is in, and accordingly Howard is confident looking ahead.

“The leisure marine industry is in good shape going into 2014. Having exported its way back to growth and increased the delivery of goods and services to international markets to over £1 billion last year, the sector is now poised to capitalise on the improving domestic economy. UK boatbuilding is a manufacturing success story with a worldwide reputation, and the London Boat Show was a great way to showcase this expertise whilst also marking the start of a new chapter for the industry.” l

British Marine Federation (BMF)

www.britishmarine.co.uk • Represents the industry • Addresses important industry issues • Positive outlook

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Partnership

approach F

or over 200 years Bibby Ship Management has been trading in one of the most competitive and dynamic markets in the world. With the reputation as a high quality, safe and reliable owner and manager it operates out of offices in the UK, Isle of Man, Norway, Ukraine, India, the Philippines and Singapore.

Following a number of investments in the company profile over the last couple of years Shipping and Marine magazine spoke to chief executive officer Ed Rimmer about these developments and future path for the shipping business: “Alongside the acquisition of a marine survey company we have recently spent two million dollars on new simulator equipment for training centres in the Ukraine and India, as well as establishing a new senior management team tasked with taking the business forward.”

The worldwide shortage of seafarers is widely known and acknowledged, and Bibby has made the important investment in training facilities, ultimately supporting new generations with high quality training leading to a prosperous career. Students are travelling from West Africa, the Middle East and Asia to train at Bibby’s facility in India. With over 95 per cent of the students

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self-funding the training, Ed highlights: “We have employed master mariners with a wealth of experience to conduct the training and it is a real testament to the faculty that so many students are travelling the distance to train there.”

In November 2013 Bibby announced an expansion into marine surveying through the purchase of Murray Fenton (India) Surveyors Ltd. “The acquisition was a strategic move to diversify the business away from a transitional technical management company as we strive to become a complete marine services business. Murray Fenton is a well-known name which has provided us with a strong profile in the surveying market,” he added. The acquisition will see India’s service offering expand into marine, cargo and offshore surveying including marine audit services. Based in Mumbai and Gujarat, future geographic expansion into other areas of India is planned.

A new managing director, Arvind Mohan, has been appointed to spearhead the investment the business made in the opening of its Singapore office. After only two years of operating in the region, Bibby has successfully achieved its financial goals as Ed details: “This time last year we were operating seven ships

Profile: Bibby Ship Management

out of Singapore, and today we are managing 15. Although it is still a relatively small fleet, it is through this success that we have achieved a break-even situation so early. Functioning with Singapore as a hub, the new MD is pushing commercial activities into other areas of Asia, targeting Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.”

Being part of the Bibby Line Group, with half of the ship management business in the offshore sector, has provided a lot of opportunities that other shipping companies have not focused on. Reviewing the markets, Ed explains: “Our links with Bibby Offshore have grown significantly in the last couple of years and whilst some businesses are put off by the complex and high risk nature of offshore activities, our expertise in that sector is supporting us in our move to become a niche player in this market.”

Promoting a partnership approach with all its customers is a solution that has become habitual to the company having recognised that the whole market works more effectively in this way. Currently undergoing a trial with another internal division of Bibby, the business is gearing towards offering a fully flexible menu of services to clients. “The move is structured to provide customers with the option of selecting aspects of the service that we provide from crewing to back office functions. It’s a big step from the standard approach of a full technical team or crew, and the blueprint we are producing in the trial demonstrates the possibilities of this level of flexibility,” says Ed.

BP is one of Bibby’s long-term customers under this partnering approach, and through a £100 million contract officially awarded in March 2013, it has overseen the new building of two vessels during the last six months and has taken on four regional support vessels within the Caledonian fleet, and 200 crew, operating in the North Sea. The total fleet under Bibby’s management is currently 62, and with big plans to continue growth into new geographical areas by 2018, the business aims to be operating a fleet of 150 within five years. Looking towards the future, Ed concludes: “Our focus is on continuing investment in training. We see the worldwide shipping markets improving over the next five years and it is vital to have high quality trained people on board. Additionally we are aimed at realising potential in the tanker, container and offshore market as we diversify in to the wider marine services market. We recognise that it is going to be difficult to achieve our aspirations with organic growth alone so we will continue to seek suitable acquisitions and joint ventures that will grow each section of the business we are involved in.” l

Bibby Ship Management

www.bibbyshipmanagement.com • Worldwide operator • Increasing footprint • Focused on training

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Bulking

C

ontainer Leasing A/S was established in 1994 as a service provider and manager for a fleet of containers acquired by the CIT Group, New York from a Danish finance company. Since then the company has expanded by arranging finance of containers and dry bulk vessels for a number of ship owners globally with a focus on European, Middle East and Far Eastern based clients.

In 1997 the business established Container Leasing (UK) Ltd and expanded the fleet through investments in 45’ pallet wide containers both steel and curtain sided, provided for short and long term rental purposes. Supporting the portfolio of other specialised containers the company supports clients in defining, buying, manufacturing and arranging for the transportation of the containers to the market.

Expanding the business, Container Leasing made its first investment in a second hand container vessel in 2005 for time chartering operations as Ernst Nielsen, managing director details: “Prior to that we had financed other container vessels and dry bulk carriers on charters but this was the first time that we acquired second hand tonnage acting as a provider to various shipping companies on short term time charter contracts. We expanded that field over the years up until the financial crisis hit us in 2008 at which point we had ten vessels in operation.” Through the natural expiration of contracts the business reduced its fleet to two 1100 TEU container vessels namely CS Tina, and CS Setubal.

Following the financial crash it became difficult to obtain long term financing for assets such as ships and containers. For the first time in the container industry the average growth of eight per cent per annum was replaced by a downturn in terms of the number of containers being moved. For many Danish and other European banks already exposed to the shipping industry, holding

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up

toxic assets on their books, there was little inclination for the institutions to remain active in this segment. In contrast, Ernst explains that Container Leasing had the capacity to support the growth of the industry back into the correct channel. “We have been able to develop new funding sources which enable us to offer more competitive pricing to our clients, as well as the possibility to structure transactions with high leverage, long duration and a relatively high residual value as a purchase option.

“We are currently in the process of refinancing a larger fleet of containers as a sale/lease back transaction, which will free up capital for our client, whilst ensuring that the daily cost of the containers are similar or lower than containers rented on term lease contracts.”

By adapting to the requirements of its clients, through financial consideration it has provided a cost efficient structure. “Our organisation is relatively small and we do not have a massive overhead that needs to be covered as part of the overall pricing for our products,” adds Ernst.

“We have also been successful in obtaining competitive funding from banks and financial institutions, which are not otherwise represented in the marine sector, so we are bringing in new capital to the market,” he continues. Although the general downturn in the shipping market was a factor in reducing the number of vessels in the fleet, the business successfully outsourced its technical management, and is enjoying the benefits of synergies with other vessel operations, which overall has reduced its technical expenses.

“We have in the past sought partnerships with other companies

Profile: Container Leasing

for the purpose of joint operating vessels and we are looking to expand the vessel operation both on the technical side, but also on the commercial management,” he says.

With its two 1100 TEU vessels currently deployed in charting arrangement for Portline and Regional Container Line (RCL) the company enjoys a solid co-operation with charterers and is mainly active in Europe, West Africa and the Middle East, although is adapted for world wide operation. The company’s container interests cover the same region, although its clients operate the containers on a worldwide basis.

“At the moment, cash flow is more important than cost, and when clients look at a finance or a full payout basis compared to a three to five year term lease, it is cheaper to rent the container on the short-term basis, but on the long-term basis they are set to lose the residual value, as well as covering the repair and redelivery costs when the rental agreement ends,” explains Ernst.

Time charter rates of vessels have increased during 2013 by approximately 15 per cent, although this is still far off the pre-financial crises level. The current paradox in the chartering markets means that the time charter rates are almost the same regardless of size up to 4000 TEU. Older Panamax vessels are suffering the consequences of the cascading of larger vessels down to other routes, and are rapidly becoming obsolete. Although there is a slight improvement in the time charter rates, it is expected that the market situation for the Panamax will further deteriorate when the Panama Canal will be able to accommodate wider vessels.

“Keeping pace with the development of the container finance sector, ship operation, and promoting modern designed fuel efficient feeder vessels for long term chartering or finance is the long term vision. At the moment there is no real incentive to invest in making fuel-efficient vessels because with such low charter rates there is little justification of the expense. However, in Europe with focus on low sulphur fuel this move will eventually happen and we have seen some interesting designs of vessels. The next few years will see the shipping industry going from strength to strength and we welcome the opportunity to discuss with new lenders, lessees

and charterers for possible partnership or co-operation,” Ernst highlights.

“Our organisation is in a geographically strong position to attract the necessary skilled personnel through direct employment and by partnering up with individuals and companies with the necessary skills on an ad-hoc basis. In Denmark there is a significant amount of training around shipping people and it is an area of attraction for the industry.

“As we move into 2014, we plan to increase the number of containers on finance or sale/lease back arrangements, in addition to maintaining our presence in the ship segment, which will be expanded through management of third party owned vessels and partnerships with other owners,” he concludes. l

Container Leasing A/S

www.containerleasing.dk • Design and supply of special containers - Container Leasing UK Ltd. • Supports acquisition of transport assets • Operates as an independent ship owner

CS Ship Management CS Ship Management is a company created in 2011, in partnership with Container Leasing with the purpose of rendering ship management services to ship owners and operators worldwide. The company’s goals are the transparency with its customers, effective and safe salary transactions in time, Quality ISM, best crew management, and technical services. It is committed to bring mariners close to the company, by excelling in its services with them, and with the owners. All company transactions are clear, which always facilitates the easy operation of the ships.

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A maritime

safeguard W

ith over 40 years of experience with highly skilled engineers, Maritime Protection AS has a rich history in delivering inert gas systems for the marine and offshore industries. The company was first established in 1970 to provide inert gas systems for crude oil tankers, ore-bulk-oil carriers (OBO) and product carriers. Between 1970 and 2013 Maritime Protection enjoyed a lively history, becoming Permea Maritime Protection when it was purchased

by Monsanto Company along with a further three US companies during 1985. The 1990s brought with them further important developments for the company, when in 1991 Permea Maritime Protection became part of Air Products AS following the 100 per cent acquisition of Permea by the US company Air Products and Chemicals. By 1999 the division was fully integrated in the Air Products organisation.

The name Maritime Protection would not appear again for another decade, with the sale of Air Product’s assets relating to the Norwegian combustion gas generation business to Boss Montasje AS in 2009. Mr. Steinar Andersen, managing director of Maritime Protection, said in a press release: “The Air Products’ combustion gas generation assets we are acquiring today, will enable us to continue to serve the global shipping and offshore industries as one of the major suppliers over the years to come. By reactivating Maritime Protection AS, and also joining forces with Boss Montasje, we will be an excellent team to meet the future challenges. We will be able to deliver state-of-theart systems at competitive conditions, and create new business opportunities with local companies, serving the offshore industry and together take

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advantages of the effect of a synergistic relationship.”

The company continued to perform well and by 2013, Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions AS (WTS) had signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the share in Maritime Protection AS. The purchase is intended to capitalise on Maritime Protection’s impressive reputation and its four decades of experience to further increase the WTS portfolio within the marine and offshore segments. Today, the company’s main customer base includes shipyards in Korea, China and Japan as well as the barge market within the US. The offshore market in Brazil with contracts received from Quip and EEP for Petrobras FPSO’s is also of vital importance.

“I am very excited that we show our commitment to the maritime industry and its customers, with our second acquisition in six months,” says Petter Traaholt, president of Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS). “Maritime Protection has the hallmarks of a world class asset within this sector with a strong reputation and solid foundation. By investing and expanding what we can offer we not only strengthen our safety portfolio, but we can now deliver a complete range of inert gas solutions for offshore and marine applications.”

Inert gas is used to protect vessels carrying crude oil, hydrocarbon gases and refined oil products from fires and explosions. Inert gas is a mixture of gasses containing insufficient oxygen to support the combustion of hydrocarbons, which is produced through either a flue gas system or via a dedicated inert gas generator. These are used to keep the oxygen content of the tank atmosphere below eight per cent, which is reduced to as low as five per cent or lower in line with IMO requirements. For gas tankers the amount of oxygen acceptable within the atmosphere is as little as 0.5 – 1.0 per cent. Maritime Protection AS offers a

Profile: Maritime Protection

wide range of combustion based inert gas systems that are designed to withstand the demanding conditions of shipboard operations and its systems provide the lowest cost inert gas generation possible, without compromising on quality or safety.

The standard variants of systems that Maritime Protection AS delivers are divided into flue gas systems, inert gas generators, flexinert systems, dual fuel inert gas generators and a new generation of dry inert gas generators. The company’s flue gas systems cool and clean flue gas available from the ship’s boilers and distribute the gas to the cargo tanks, typically during cargo discharge. An important benefit is that flue gas contains less than the five per cent IMO requirement of oxygen; therefore no further treatment is necessary.

In situations where no existing supply of flue gas is available, inert gas generators offer an effective solution. Systems comprise of a combined burner and scrubber part, both of which are seawater cooled. Marine diesel oil or heavy fuel is burnt to produce inert gas with an oxygen content of between two and four per cent, this is then delivered to the scrubber part where cooling takes place and the gas is cleaned by sprayed seawater before being distributed to the deck area of the ship. Dual fuel inert gas generators function in the same way as standard generators except that they are able to operate using a combination of fuels, that is to say marine diesel oil, marine gas oil and natural gas. This application is most commonly used on floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels and other offshore installations where natural gas is available.

As Maritime Protection moves into 2014, it will look to capitalise on its new dry inert gas generator system. The design is mainly focused for use on LPG and LNG carriers and in addition to the classical inert gas generator based on combustion it employs a two-stage dehumidification system based on cooling and absorption. With a keen passion for developing new technologies, Maritime Protection offers an innovate replacement to classical two bed absorption towers that combines Japanese technology with Norwegian production expertise. The key element of the system is a rotating absorber and the combined, modern design of its inert gas generator, cooler and dryer requires less space and less energy in addition to being far more service friendly. This design, along with Maritime Protection’s wider product portfolio makes the company an invaluable partner on the frontline of vessel protection. Steinar concludes: “All of the process, mechanical and electrical design as well as assembly and shipment is carried out from Norway. Even the equipment must be price competitive; the firm’s highest focus is on the quality of its equipment as well as the service it delivers. Shipyards themselves are amongst its contract partners, while the vessel owner is the end user of the equipment.

As a unit of the Wilhelmsen family, the company’s future target will be to extend its service globally by utilising its own flying service squad as well as the Wilhelmsen global network.” l

Maritime Protection

www.maritimeprotection.no • Provides inert gas systems • Fire and explosion protection • Comprehensive aftersales service

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Professional &

flexible O

ver the years it has been trading trading the Abeko Group has acquired a depth and breadth of technical expertise. Abeko has a modern and diverse fleet of dredging and land equipment that it operates in innovative ways in order to meet clients’ requirements whilst offering economical and efficient solutions. Supporting this, its employees have a passion and enthusiasm that helps creates the best solution for the work it is involved in.

Renowned for maintaining a professional yet informal approach it has formed long lasting relationships with clients.

Shipping and Marine discusses the strategic position of the company with chief executive officer Kees Koster as it moves into future phases of growth. “We have had to remain flexible to serve our customers as well as we possibly can,” comments Kees.

The duration of large industrial projects like dredging and demolition almost always involves lengthy contracts. Seeking creative and smart ways to implement projects, the focus is on the client’s requirements, irrespective of the type or duration of the project. Abeko’s primary mission is to carry out the work safely, sustainably and economically. Recognising that projects are becoming increasingly multi-faceted, requiring a safe and environmentally responsible approach, with implementation in a short time period Kees explains: “The key strengths of the company are that we can provide good solutions to problems and offer clients a good service. The different solutions ultimately lead to a competitive price that wins jobs. As we aspire to achieve the most functional and economic result for clients, we create

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solutions that are the best result for our customers and for ourselves.”

Undertaking its main activities of dredging, demolition, logistics, stevedoring, and equipment hire the company’s work involves using powerful machinery. When the project requires it, Abeko has in the past adapted equipment to carry out the work, and continues to offer this service. As the business strives to continually provide the correct equipment for the work it has developed its premises to be sufficient to complete processes of converting equipment so that it can overcome individual challenges faced by each customer. “We have our own workshop in Holland where we are able to adapt equipment to perform to the correct standard to meet the demand from the client, and the industry that it is operating in,” he adds.

Geared towards the national and international market for small and medium-sized dredging and marine related projects, Abeko has a diverse and multi-functional fleet and related equipment that can be put to use in a wide variety of situations, offering clients a total package from tender to final delivery. In a stream of recent projects the company has proved itself as the right partner for dredging harbours, trenches for outfalls and landfalls, as well as for placing stone and concrete elements in breakwater constructions.

Focusing on some of the works previously undertaken that demonstrate the abilities of the business Shipping and Marine reviewed the phase one dredging works in Eemshaven. Over a period of two months the dipper dredger, Abeko Server 3, fitted

Profile: Abeko with a Komatsu PC800 excavator, was used for a harbourdeepening project. Dredging fine sand, soft clay and silt to a maximum depth of 15.5m approximately 230,000m³ was dredged.

The material was unloaded into split barges and transported by tug to a dumping area situated in the Wadden Sea. The two split barges with a hopper capacity of 600m³ each were selected to maintain the productivity.

Growing the business on shore, in 2012 investment was made in a brand new handling and storage area as Kees comments: “We were looking at new ways of increasing our turnover and investing in the new quay site has enabled us to grow our stevedoring services within the company which has been active for three years. It has strengthened our service offering and created synergy within the group as there is a lot of demand and interest there.”

From the ISPS certified quay, ships of various sizes can be unloaded of their mixed cargo by the aid of Abeko’s own equipment, amongst which are two multi dockers. The hydraulic excavators sited on pedestals handle a large amount of the dry bulk business that passes through. Utilising the 230 metre long quay the company is able to unload dry sand destined for ground and road construction, sustaining the on-going trade.

Returning to the water, Abeko’s focus on dredging has been developing well. Interest in the activity was first ignited when it began operating a backhoe dredger and growing from this it is now operating three backhoe dredgers complemented by a multi-cat and two split barges. With the arrival of a new trailing

suction hopper dredger, Contender, it is able to carry out capital and maintenance dredging work on harbours and waterways simultaneously, as well as land reclamation and sand delivery, with Kees adding: “We also invested in survey equipment such as survey boats, which supports the surveying that we are already able to undertake with our multi-cat.”

Operating mainly in Western Europe Kees concludes: “All the aspects of the business is on-going, and we keep a focus on that.

We have set up Abeko Dredging & Marine Contractors Ltd. the dredging company with its own team that focuses on the projects around the world.” Moving into the new year Kees is left in no doubt that the business model the company has based activities on throughout 2013 is a successful one and continues using the same framework as 2014 begins. l

Abeko

www.abeko.nl • New hopper dredger • Own workshop • Operating various backhoe dredgers

Motrac Hydraulics

Motrac Hydraulics is proud to have been working as a partner with one of the top on and offshore system builders, Abeko Shipping, for many years now.

Motrac Hydraulics operates as a system integrator, which is specialised in hydraulics. Its engineers can provide a solution to your technical problem. With their programme, which contains f.i. Linde Hydraulics motors and pumps, hydraulic gear products, valves and cooling systems, Motrac Hydraulics can provide you with the right, proven, long-lifetime, quality products.

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A key

player

N

eptune Lines (NL) is a leading independent short sea operator, working in the particularly demanding and competitive sector of pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessels and carrying about 800,000 units annually. It is strategically positioned in more than 30 key ports in 18 countries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and operates the largest fleet in the area, as well as the largest service network within the Med. NL is well known for its ability to offer tailor-made solutions and the flexibility to adapt when needed. As a result, it has established longstanding relationships with most of the major car and commercial vehicle manufacturers, which are maintained and enhanced by NL’s exemplary safety record – the company has one of the lowest claim levels in the industry. As Peter Menzel, Neptune’s commercial director, stated: “Our tailored service has yielded great results with a near zero per cent damage ratio and a very high level of performance during our customers’ quality audits.

“Most of our key customers have been working with NL for many years, including companies such as Renault, VW Group, PSA, Ford and many others. Our fleet,” he continues, “grows steadily in line with the constantly evolving demands of the automotive industry.”

Illustrating how its customers regard Neptune’s services, Renault Nissan Purchasing Organisation (RNPO) awarded the company with ‘Best Supplier for Delivery Management – SEA’ in 2010 and in 2012 Neptune Lines was crowned ‘Shipping Company of the Year’ by Automotive Supply Chain Magazine. In 2013, Neptune’s 25 year old second officer Ms Katerina Bakali, won the ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ award by same magazine, which also recognised the company’s female cadet program, which was instigated to reinforce the gender equity/balance of the crew.

Ports of call Neptune Lines has had an uninterrupted presence in the Black Sea for over two decades, and has transported more than 200,000 units to and from all the major ports located there in 2013. According to managing director, Ms Melina Travlos:

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“Even when volumes and demand dropped significantly as a result of the crisis in the sector, forcing all major carriers to withdraw from servicing the area, Neptune Lines remained in the Black Sea, providing reliable services tailored to the needs of its customers. This has earned us our partners’ trust, and has enabled us to expand our services by connecting all major ports of the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.” Specifically in the Black Sea, Neptune Lines calls at Constanta every five days, Illyichevsk weekly and Novorossiysk every ten days with six vessels - each vessel’s capacity ranges from 1800 to 4000 units.

“When our customers required high volume and high frequency services from Constanta to the Western Mediterranean as well as to North Africa, Neptune Lines was there to assist and established a new loop according to those specific requirements,” added Markos Vassilikos, NL’s fleet and operations director.

According to Ms Travlos, “for GEFCO, in 2008, we started to provide regular services from Italy and Spain to Illyichevsk. With the rising demand to have a direct port on entry into Russia, GEFCO and Neptune Lines (supported by the Russian logistics company TMBC) added a liner service to Novorossiysk in 2012.

This service presently offers access from Spanish, French and

Profile: Neptune Lines

Adriatic ports directly into Russia with the potential for further expansion to other areas.”

More recently, Ford started to use the Port of Constanta not only as port of exit for its Craiova production but also established a new logistics chain from Germany to Turkey via Constanta, based on Neptune Lines’ services.

In order to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of its customers and the evolving demands of the automotive industry, the company’s fleet is growing steadily. Today, Neptune Lines has one of the youngest fleet in Europe, with 11 PCTC owned vessels, time charter vessels and has two vessels with a capacity of 3200 medium sized cars under construction. These new buildings, Neptune Galene and Neptune Thalassa, with deliveries in January and March 2014 respectively, are similar in characteristics with the vessels built four years ago at HMD but have a large number of notable environmental features.

“With the enhanced measurement capabilities installed on these vessels, we will be able to accurately measure the combined environmental effects of the various efficiency measurements and compare these to previous project vessels. We anticipate an improvement of about 15 per cent in energy consumption in the

speeds between 16-17.5 knots at near full draft conditions as compared to the previous project vessels,” said Mr Vasilikos.

In addition, as Nikos Paterakis, NL’s finance director, added: “Investing in innovative technologies, and using the market’s best practices, we have a state-of-the-art Financial and Risk Management strategy, allowing to efficiently support our day to day business.”

Going forward, the company’s management can see the opportunities in using its accumulated experience to expand, as well as in exploring niche markets.

Neptune Lines’ future strategy will concentrate on its dense service within the Med & Black Sea in order to be the operator of choice. The Group has a continuous aim for fleet optimisation through balanced trades, and will maintain its quest for trust, confidence, flexibility and innovation for the benefit of its customers. l Neptune Lines www.neptunelines.com • Award winning staff and services • New ‘green’ vessels on order • Connecting the Black Sea and Mediterranean

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Future

prospects

A

&P Group operates seven dry docks across three strategic locations in the UK at Falmouth, Tyne and Tees, offering an extensive portfolio of services that can accommodate all ship repair requirements, ranging from emergency dockings to 25-year special surveys. All work is carried out under rigorous compliance with an integrated safety, health, quality and environmental management system fully certified under ISO 9001, 14001 & OHSAS 18001.

Growing through expertise, market-strength and dedication to delivering complex projects A&P has become a global leader in ship repair, conversion and marine services. A&P provides robust, bespoke solutions, maintaining a collaborative, open approach creating lasting and trusted partnerships.

A&P Falmouth operates in one of the world’s largest natural deepwater harbours. The ship-repair complex consists of three large graving docks including the largest dry dock on the UK south coast at 254m by 40m and extensive berthing facilities for vessels up to 100,000 tonnes.

Offering onsite engineering, electrical, paint and fabrication workshops, it is able to provide a complete range of marine repair services to the customer. As well as extensive workshop facilities across all disciplines Falmouth offers bunkering facilities, the ability to dock without gas freeing, in-water surveys and propeller polishing as well as strong support from OEM’s and other specialist contractors based in the area.

In addition, The Port of Falmouth handles over 100,000

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tonnes of product annually with over 30 firms located in the docks estate providing a full range of services including towage, ship’s agency, area port health, diving services, local surveyors and tank washing. Regarded as the gateway to Cornwall, Falmouth is used by over 20,000 cruise passengers annually.

Supporting the busy port A&P Falmouth announced the appointment of five new apprentices this year underlining the commitment to the future of the dockyard. Specialising in marine mechanical and electrical engineering the entrants will undergo significant training empowering the workforce.

Profile: A&P Falmouth

HR and development manager Paul Kneebone, who started his own career with the company in 1984 as an engineering apprentice, says: “An apprenticeship brings raw potential and talent into the marine engineering industry.

We are investing in the next generation so that we can continue to be at the forefront of marine engineering to support commercial and military fleets worldwide.”

Sixty per cent of current managers and supervisors at A&P Falmouth started with the company as apprentices and investment demonstrates the business is fully dedicated to building on the marine skill base that has sharpened over 150 years of ship repair at Falmouth Docks.

Operating with two core strap lines ‘Safety First’ and ‘Customer is King, Repeat Business is the key’ the attention has resulted in many long-term ship repair partnerships with companies including P&O, Grimaldi, Condor, Serco, Gulf Offshore, BAE Systems, Star Reefers and the Ministry of Defence.

In October A&P Falmouth completed the third successful project this year with the Grimaldi Group (54 in 12 years).

Grande Togo left Falmouth, escorted by A&P Falmouth’s tugs St Piran and Percuil with the Grimaldi car carrier’s distinctive yellow and white paintwork gleaming as it reflected in the afternoon high tide.

In November 2013 the fast cat, Condor Vitesse arrived in Falmouth. The 86 metre high-speed ferry operates between the UK and the Channel Islands connecting with ferry services on to France. With original construction by Incat Yards of Tasmania in 1997 the vessel was in dock for 20 days whilst general maintenance and survey work was completed on time.

From local domestic and commercial to foreign military, A&P Falmouth has a client base that arrives in a variety of forms and in October 2013 received a rare visit from a state-of-the-art warship, the Soobrazitelny, the first Russian military vessel in decades to berth at Falmouth. The strategic visit enabled the fuel and stores to be replenished, and after a long time at sea, its crew enjoyed the facilities the port had to offer.

Earlier in the same month, HMS Mersey arrived for a programmed six-week refit. The ship, managed by BAE Systems and part of the Fishery Protection Squadron, the oldest unit of the Royal Navy, patrols the waters of the UK and up to 200 miles in the Atlantic ensuring fishing boats and trawlers stick to internationally agreed quotas. After 391,653 nautical miles and 50,000 hours at sea, A&P Falmouth was selected for the repair work that includes a major painting programme.

Building relationships with new contractors, A&P Falmouth completed the dry-docking and repairs on the tanker Jipro Isis. The project, which was won against competing European shipyards included hull preparation and painting, tail shaft survey, main engine overhauls and class survey items. Mr Kim Supt. Iino Maritime says: “A&P Falmouth was chosen for the docking and repairs to Jipro Isis as their pricing structure was the

most competitive of the North European yards. The maintenance, painting and upgrade work was carried out in a safe and efficient manner and to a very high standard of workmanship. The vessel completed on time and on budget. The co-operation with the management and the repair-teams was excellent.’’

Following a string of successful contracts A&P Falmouth was chosen for the dry-docking and repairs to CSL Argosy, a selfdischarging bulk carrier, beating other European yards on both price and turnaround time. The vessel is 244 metres long with a 32 metre beam, a suitable size for the number two dry-dock.

In feed back from Beltship superintendent John Hendry says: “The work was carried out safely, efficiently and to a very high standard. I was impressed by the openness and co-operation of the yard project and management team, which resulted in a very successful and timely docking. We would have no hesitation in returning to A&P Falmouth in the future.”

Moving into 2014 with an expanded and satisfied client base the future prospects are looking very strong for the docks at Falmouth. l

A&P Falmouth

www.ap-group.co.uk • Ship repair and conversion • Developing workforce • Growing client base

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Survive and

thrive G

lobal Davit GmbH was founded in late 1999 to meet the specific demands of life saving equipment and deck cranes for all kind of seagoing vessels as well as for the offshore (gas, oil and wind energy) industries.

Since that time the company has evolved into the world’s leading manufacturer of launching systems for lifeboats and rescue vessels and is the preferred manufacturer of davit systems and deck cranes for various maritime sectors.

Situated in Bassum near Bremen in Germany, the past two years have seen Global Davit make significant investments into improving its facilities, including a new factory, new workshop and new test facility. These technologically advanced premises are complemented by a highly experienced staff – each team member has at least ten years experience in the sales, purchasing, production, quality control and service of davit systems and

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cranes within the marine and offshore industry.

In order to maintain efficiency and streamline operations, all documents are computer generated, using the latest software of Windows, AutoCAD/Inventor and Finite Element stress calculation, which ensures maximum compatibility with clients. Global Davit can also offer complete systems through an expanding international network of agents and associated companies. To fabricate these systems, standards and ‘specials’, the organisation has established joint ventures with renowned companies that have many years experience providing an efficient worldwide service.

In addition, and especially important given the critical nature of some of its products such as life boats and rescue vessels, all designs/products will be checked, approved and certified by national authorities as well as international operating

Profile: Global Davit classification societies, such as (but not limited to) the American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd and Lloyd’s Register of Shipping.

From its base in Germany, Global Davit offers a complete range of systems, which includes: l Rescue boat cranes l Rescue boat davit systems l Life raft cranes l Combined rescue boat / life raft / store handling cranes l Fast rescue boat davit systems with heave compensation features l Lifeboat pivot davit systems l Offshore davit systems for life- and rescue boat handling as well as for life raft handling l Fender davit systems l Free-fall lifeboat handling cranes l Store / hose handling cranes in various executions l Platform cranes for stores handling and personal transfer l Winches l Accessories suitable for deck equipment Given this incredibly comprehensive list of products, Global Davit can meet the needs of the most discerning customer. It aims to do this by incorporating customer demands into standard solutions, while realising the optimum combination between costs and delivery time on a highest quality level.

Additionally Global Davit is able to design and manufacture ‘special’ cranes or life saving equipment according to customer requirements. It is aware that there are a vast variety of possible combinations of survival and deck equipment, and as a result has developed a ‘systems scale programme’, from which it can produce the most suitable option to meet an individual requirement. Test equipment, including computer controlled sea state simulators have been designed and installed to simulate severe recovery circumstances and help to find the perfect solutions to any challenge.

In 2013 Global Davit saw an increasing amount of work coming through from the offshore windfarm sector, which is a fast growing industry and has requirements for high standards of safety. For this market the business manufactured a revolutionary electrically powered crane for installation on the transformer

platform of Riffgat, the offshore windfarm.

However, such is the variety of cranes and davit systems that Global Davit can provide, that a general description of what is available is impossible. For this market and its special requirements, it has a range of different types of davit systems and cranes that is constantly increasing. The range starts from small provision/cargo cranes with additional man riding features up to combined cranes for lifesaving, man riding and cargo handling.

It is clear that the company can provide a comprehensive range of quality systems, but the services available from Global Davit do not end with delivery. Its service department is ready to answer questions or meet requirements for a variety of aftersales options, including installation and commissioning, maintenance and annual or five-years service contracts.

OEM spare parts are also available from Global Davit, and these are offered with rapid delivery, which is especially important for spare parts. In order to meet these quick delivery times Global Davit keeps a lot of parts for standard products in stock, and has established a close co-operation with many manufacturers, created an optimised computer-based flow of goods and formed partnerships with reliable logistics suppliers.

All this works together in harmony to guarantee the best possible delivery for any spare parts customers might need.

The final jewel in the crown for Global Davit is its worldrenowned repair, crew and operators training course, which in 2013 featured participants from Australia, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the US. As we enter 2014, Global Davit is already looking at an impressive book of forward orders and huge growth is anticipated for the future. Offering the best of German quality and the finest service, the company looks set to maintain its world leading position well into the future. l

Global Davit

www.global-davit.de • Leading manufacturer of launching systems for lifeboats • Factory and workshops improved recently • Increasing work coming from offshore wind farm sector

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Best

value

M

EC Shipyards is one of the divisions of MEC Panama, a company that was incorporated in Panama in 1999. Today MEC Panama’s operations are divided into three other areas alongside shipyards - afloat repairs, underwater, and chandlering and between them they can undertake a range of services, such as afloat ship repairs, permanent dry ship repairs, temporary underwater repairs, permanent underwater repairs, ship bow thruster repairs, crane repairs, mechanical ship repairs and dry docking repairs.

It is the mission of the entire staff of MEC Panama to provide the best value in ship maintenance on the North and South American continents. The organisation’s goal is to provide proper ship upkeep at a reasonable price, in a predictable and agreed allotted time, at an acceptable level of quality.

The history of MEC is filled with significant developments and events. It begins in 1999 when the company was created with the aim of providing pollution control services in Panama. However, the company very soon became aware of the lack of cost effective and high quality ship repair services in Panama and the urgent need to provide ship repair solutions to vessels transiting the Panama Canal.

Between 2002 and 2005 and after a name change, MEC started to promote its services around the world, offering ship repair services to the ship owners calling at the ports of Panama

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and of the region. By the year 2005, the company was solidly established as one of the main ship repair companies in the Central American region. Also by the end of the year 2005, the company started to work with the Panamax Dry Dock Facility and Braswell Shipyard both owned by the Panamanian Government and managed by the Braswell family.

The company very quickly became the main contractor of the shipyard, servicing the three dry docks of the facility and gaining valuable experience as a shipyard repair service company. By the end of 2007, the company had decided to become a shipyard on its own and started on the path to achieving this goal.

Over the next two years MEC continued to work as a subcontractor at the shipyard facility, but began operating several small shipyard facilities on a lease basis. The main ones were the Canal’s facility in Mount Hope, which had a capacity for vessels 120 metres in length and 20 metres in breadth, and the former Astilleros Veracruz International, a slipway shipyard facility located on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal, with a similar capacity to the Panama Canal facility on the Atlantic.

2010 was a very significant year, as almost 11 years after founding of the company and the first repair services, MEC was able to buy the Veracruz facility and, on March 15, 2010, started operations in the new shipyard, with the entrance of a 700 ton small supply tanker vessel. Today, the company still carries out the afloat repairs that continue to be its customers’

Profile: MEC Shipyards

main requirement, but is in the process of upgrading the Veracruz shipyard to service vessels 150 metres in length and to have, in the next three years, a Panamax pier facility.

The developments for MEC have continued until the present day. In June 2012 it increased its capital structure in order to enable the process of taking its ship repair operations to the next level. This was achieved by establishing a partnership with Peikard International, a strong Panamanian commercial and financial group. With this new structure, MEC was ready for its next target: Braswell Shipyard.

Less than a month after the capital structure deal was agreed, MEC’s proposal for the ex Braswell Shipyard Facility was approved as the best valued. As a result its international bid was accepted for the commercial operation and administration of the Balboa Panamax Dry Docking Facility, ex Braswell Shipyard, for a period of 20 years.

Following two years of planning and improvements, the new shipyard opened in January 2013, after investments of $4.5 million were made into new cranes, welding equipment and updated facilities, with another $2 million of spending planned.

As of October 27th, 2013 over 40 vessels have been delivered under complete, special survey, class-approved repairs.

This new facility is being added to the MEC Shipyard portfolio, alongside its other locations. Its headquarters is based at the entrance of the Panama Canal, on the Balboa Port Terminal, with over 12 hectares of industrial shipyard facility.

The Balboa Port Terminal is a major facility, which includes three graving docks for vessels up to panamax size, with over 12,000 sqm of fully equipped workshops.

The facilities and services on site range from well equipped steel plating and pipe shops with computerised cutters, 400 ton hydraulic press, automated MIG and TIG welding equipment, to grit blasting and paint spraying services, arc submerged welding, and much more. With European and American hi-tech production equipment and excellent management with combined 300+ years experience, MEC Shipyards Balboa location is able to ensure high quality and just-in-time delivery.

In addition, the company also operates the previously mentioned Veracruz (West Balboa) Shipyard, which has over 1.5 hectares of shipyard facilities, at the Pacific side of the Panama Canal.

MEC’s Balboa Anchorage gives the organisation a variety of safe and deep draft anchorage locations, where it can perform any top side repairs, while at its Cristobal Anchorage, located on the Cristobal Inner Roads (with Panama Canal authorisation) it can offer full afloat repair services. Finally it operates Colon 2000, a panamax lay by berth available for emergency repairs at the Atlantic entrance of the Manzanillo Bay. These locations work together to create a successful and reliable company, which has established very strong relationships with suppliers and customers alike.

Going forward into 2014, MEC Shipyards has further plans for development and success. It is aiming to achieve certification of its quality system to ISO 9001, making further investments into the new shipyard and to ensure it can meet the needs of customers. These plans will help the company to continue delivering total customer satisfaction. l

MEC Shipyards

www.mecshipyards.com • Recently re-opened the Panama Shipyard • Leading dry dock facility in the area • Significant investments made into premises

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A history of

success W

hen Michael Moran reportedly painted the first emblematic white ‘M’ on the stack of one of the company’s tugboats during 1880, it was the beginning of a proud tradition that continues to endure well over 130 years later. Moran Towing Corporation was founded in 1860 as a towing brokerage, based at New York’s busy harbour before transforming itself into an owner and operator of tugboats with the purchase of a 50 per cent interest in the Ida Miller tug boat for $2700 during 1863. In 1994, Moran was purchased by the Tregurtha and Barker families who have a long maritime history of their own and who continue to operate Moran as a family company and in a manner that respects the company’s long history. Since 1994, Moran has experienced considerable growth and enjoys a strong market position and an impressive fleet of vessels.

Today Moran Towing Corporation operates a fleet over 100 vessels comprised of 95 tugs and 30 barges that service 16 ports throughout the United States, including nine sites along the east coast. The company has invested in localised management, dispatch and engineering facilities at all of the ports from which it operates, that are open for service 24 hours, 365 days a year. In addition to its operations within US waters, Moran also provides worldwide marine transportation services, including voyages to the Caribbean, South America and further overseas. Its customers include some of the world’s leading shipping, power generation, barge, mineral and commodity companies as well as government agencies and the United States Navy. Throughout all of the markets that the company serves it provides expert ship docking, LNG activities and general towing as well as the marine transportation of petroleum and dry bulk products.

Moran Towing Corporation has earned an exemplary reputation for providing world-class operations based on its years of industry service and experience, which have led to longterm customer relationships, including sole service agreements and joint ventures. Throughout its history, exceeding 150 years, the company has developed the expertise that enables it to carry out very large, complicated and demanding projects. During

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June 2012, for example four Moran Baltimore tugboats escorted and docked the heavy-load carrier MV Zhen Hua 13 at the Port of Baltimore. The ship was bound for the port’s Seagirt Marine Terminal, transporting four super post-panamax cargo cranes that each measured 14 storeys in height with a massive payload of 1550 tons per crane. The sizable cargo represented a significant logistical challenge as the vast ship was escorted through the Chesapeake Bay and eased into its berth.

The project required the co-operation of the US Coast Guard, the Association of Maryland Pilots, NOAA as well as the Maryland Department of Transportation and other organisations, owing to the scale and complex nature of the move. Ships making their approach to the Port of Baltimore via the bay are required to pass under the Chesapeake Bay (William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge) and the Francis Scott Key bridges. As the Zhen Hua passed under the structures with its cargo, the total clearance was as low as a slight ten feet. The horizontal girth of the cargo was equally challenging with the 450 foot tow passing though the bridges via a channel not exceeding more than around 750 feet. To compensate for these challenges tide, current, wind and swell were all given exacting consideration and the Zhen Hua waited at anchor within the bay until conditions were deemed ideal for the final phase of its journey to commence. Consideration to the operation of the ship as well as the safety of the general public also had to be accounted for as Paul P. Swensen, Moran Baltimore’s vice president and general manager explains: “The ship was ballasted

Profile: Moran Towing Corporation

to a draft of 38 feet to minimise its airdraft, and the crane booms were lowered from their maximum height. As a matter of precaution traffic was halted on both bridges before the ship passed underneath.”

The four Moran tugs escorted the Zhen Hua on her final 28 miles up the bay, while NOAA instruments collected real-time data providing information on tides, currents and the actual gap span between the brides and the cranes. The tugs flanked the ship in a T-square formation with the Mark Moran fastened via hawser to the vessel’s stern putting it in a position where had the need arisen, it could have it reverse almost instantly to pull the ship out of harm’s way. The Harriet and Surrie Moran were positioned next to the ship off its port and starboard sides respectively and could have been switched to indirect towing mode if the need had arisen. Thanks to its expert planning and execution however, the tow proceeded exactly as expected.

While serving its clients, the Moran Towing Company is dedicated to following its corporate philosophy as outlined in the company’s mission statement. The firm is sworn to provide marine transportation services in a hardworking, honest, efficient and loyal manner. In all of its operations it ensures that it accounts for the safety of its fellow employees and the protection of the marine environment. In doing this, the company operates a comprehensive safety management system (SMS), which coordinates planning communication and a uniform set of practices that are documented in Moran’s operating policy and procedures manual (OPPM). All of Moran’s operating procedures are

independently tested to ensure that they remain effective. It maintains ISM compliance and is also audited by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as well as holding certification as a responsible carrier within the Responsible Carrier Programme (PCP) of the American Waterways Operators (AWO). Moran encourages top-down safety practices, including its SMS as well as a peer-driven behavior-based safety initiative that operates from the bottom up.

In compliance with its mission, Moran is keen to remain creative and innovative within its business. To this end, it continues to expand its fleet averaging around two or three new vessels each year. Currently a new harbor tug, the Hayley Moran, is underway as of October 2013 and during February 2013 the company added three new tractor tugs to its total fleet. As 2014 begins, the Moran Towing Corporation is set to remain an vital part of America’s marine landscape, and will be for many years to come. l

Moran Towing Corporation

www.morantowing.com • Marine towing and transport • Sizeable fleet of over 100 vessels • New harbour tug under construction

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Positioned for

I

growth

n 1973 Dorian (Hellas) S.A. was formed as an independent ship management company and in 2002 the company entered the LPG market with two pressurized vessels and in 2006 extended its LPG presence by building three new fullyrefrigerated VLGC’s in Korea. In 2013, Dorian (Hellas) S.A.’s LPG activities were transferred to Dorian LPG Ltd., alongside a newbuilding programme entered into with Seacor Holdings Inc. and a number of reputable investors who were keen to see the company grow. Throughout its history and transformation, Dorian’s principles have always stuck to their fundamental goal; to build and operate the best vessels possible, and to meet the requests of the most demanding customers in the industry.

Having entered the pressure market, Dorian expanded in the LPG business. Shipping and Marine magazine talked to company director, Nigel Widdowson about the latest VLGC acquisitions and the LPG market: “With our operational experience, we saw an opportunity to progress into the VLGC sector in 2005 and entered with a series of newbuildings at Hyundai Heavy Industries.” At present, it owns and operates three modern VLGCs and one pressurised LPG vessel. As a result of steady expansion Dorian LPG ordered three new VLGC vessels that are being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd. for delivery in 2014 and early 2015.

Today, Dorian LPG is on track to become the second largest player in the VLGC market with the most modern fleet. The company first secured a contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries

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to construct three VLGCs with fixed price options for an additional three VLGCs and in the past few months, Dorian LPG has raised nearly $400 million from investors and acquired an additional 13 firm newbuilding contracts from Scorpio Tankers.

With 16 firm newbuildings now on order. With offices in the US, the UK and Greece, the company is well positioned for commercial growth. Focused on maintaining the company values for health, safety, environment and quality, all the VLGCs on order are ECO class, modern, fuel efficient vessels.

“The customer, as far as we are concerned, is the driving force of our industry. We always try to adapt to their requirements and provide first class vessels and service,” explains Mr. Widdowson.

Over the last 11 years Dorian LPG has worked closely in the pressurised and VLGC Sectors with Statoil, in addition is has time chartered vessels to Vitol, Shell and Petredec.

The US at the moment is experiencing an increase in production of shale oil and gas, which is turning the country from being a large energy importer into an oil and gas exporter.

Dorian has experienced a change in its trading pattern, and the developments indicate that this class of vessel will have a significant increase in ton miles. In 2014 production of LPG is expected to average around two million barrels a day, establishing the US as one of the top LPG exporting nations.

Absorbing the shift in direction Mr. Widdowson adds: “We anticipate future growth of exports from the US and forecast being heavily involved in that sector.”

Profile: Dorian LPG

Dorian’s strategy had previously been focused on period employment of vessels until this year when it witnessed consolidation in the VLGC sector. With exports of LPG from the US increasing, the company has had to adapt its original vision from operating vessels focused mainly on cargos loading in the Middle East destined for Europe and the US Gulf to operating vessels loading out of the US Gulf and the Middle East and discharging in South America and the Far East. Describing the adaptability of the business Mr. Widdowson says: “Our in house technical and commercial department is a key element of our business and allows us to respond quickly to the requests of our charterers. Our operations department is always available to respond to any questions.”

As a result of these changes in the market, the company sought finance under a private share placement on the Norwegian OTC of approximately $250 million, which allowed it to secure the original 3+3 VLGC newbuildings at prices that were at a cyclical low and have already begun to rise. With the new vessels due for delivery between 2014 and 2015 Dorian aims to secure period employment with first class charterers. The new vessels have been designed to comply with the new regulations, and two of the buildings are to be equipped with scrubbers utilising seawater to neutralise the sulphur oxide contained in the exhaust gas.

The ECO design of the vessels is aimed at reducing air pollution and, through a modified hull form and engine-save bunker consumption.

Prior to the closing of the private share placement in October 2013 Dorian LPG announced its agreement to take over a fleet of 11 VLGC newbuildings and two VLGC options from the US publically listed company Scorpio Tankers. “As we move into 2014 we plan to work on the integration of the newly acquired VLGCs into our highly experienced commercial and technical management team,” Mr. Widdowson confirms.

In 2011 Dorian (Hellas) S.A. received the ‘Working Safely with Suppliers’ Award from Statoil in recognition of its commitment to health, safety and the environment. As it charts its way into the new year it remains mindful of its responsibility, as Mr. Widdowson states: “We aim to provide the best possible service to our clients with environmentally friendly ships and operations, maintaining safe working environments and realising a sound return for our shareholders on their investment. Over the last 30 years we have provided safe, reliable, trouble free transportation, which is our mission statement and has been fundamental to our success and we continue to strive for that as we move forward into the next period.” l

Dorian LPG

www.dorianlpg.com • LPG shipping company • Operating VLGC fleet • Worldwide presence

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The quay to

cruising

T

he Port of Tilbury is London's major port, providing fast, modern distribution services for the benefit of the south east of England and beyond. A dynamic and diverse port, the location is able to handle a full range of cargoes, and possesses specialist expertise in the handling of paper and forest products, containers and ro-ro, grain and bulk commodities and construction and building materials.

Furthermore, London Cruise Terminal is based at Tilbury.

London's only deep water purpose-built cruise facility, it is situated conveniently just 22 nautical miles down river from Tower Bridge.

This position also means it is within 60 minutes drive of all the London ‘hub’ airports via the motorway network, as well as having a rail station just one mile away.

As a result of its beneficial setting, London Cruise Terminal has become increasingly popular as a turnaround port for Baltic and Northern European destinations as well as being perfectly placed for transit calls to visit England's capital city, Kent and the southeast.

In order to ensure that visitors to the Terminal receive the best cruising experience, the site features a full, year round service with minimal berthing restrictions resulting from tide or weather. It also offers a complete ‘baggage service’ for guests, from kerb-side through 100 per cent screening to cabin with dedicated porters, trained to assist elderly or disabled guests, for both embarkation and disembarkation. Retained by Cunard for its ‘White Star Service’ and now by London Cruise Terminal, The Baggage

Handling Company can collect baggage, after border controls and deliver to hotels in London, within the UK or forwarded overseas.

Once inside, guests will find a comfortable passenger lounge, and once ready to meet their vessel, they will access a 348 metre, floating landing stage, which gives unrestricted ship access to all side doors.

As recently as December 2013 the large, well-appointed, historic Grade II* listed cruise terminal saw an investment of £250,000 when the cupola, an ornate dome structure, which sits on top of

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Refurbished landing stage

Profile: London Cruise Terminal

the building, and has been in situ since 1929, was taken down in order to perform essential restoration work.

Perry Glading, chief operating officer for Forth Ports Limited, owners of the London Cruise Terminal commented: “It is of utmost importance for us to maintain the structural integrity and aesthetic façade of the cupola, which has sat proudly on top of our baggage hall at the Cruise Terminal for many years. We believe that it is entirely worthwhile investing in such a distinctive landmark which truly shapes the skyline of the Thames.”

Left: Proposed baggage claim, Centre: Proposed lounge area

This important project will be completed early in the New Year in readiness for a busy year in 2014. London Cruise Terminal is expecting an increased number of cruise calls in 2014, some 60 cruises and events are scheduled and in addition, Fred. Olsen Cruises is returning to operate from Tilbury in the autumn.

Looking forward, the terminal is already scheduling cruises in 2015 and 2016.

In order to continue to meet the evolving needs of its cruise passengers and vessel operators, London Cruise Terminal has

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Profile: London Cruise Terminal

developed an overall, multi-million pound phased regeneration scheme, which includes a variety of strategic investments; rebuilding the landing stage, which means that London Cruise Terminal could accept visits from larger cruise ships, Panamax such as the Queen Elizabeth, Eurodam and Arcadia or at 348m, Post-Panamax vessels, QM2, Celebrity or the new P&O Britannia.

Additional is to be invested annually through the next four years to refurbish the four foot bridges, vehicle ramps and moorings.

Currently, the terminal can handle 1200 passengers but a larger facility would allow up to 2000 and proposals to convert the old railway terminal into a baggage hall area of some 18,000 sq mt are well advanced. There will also be significant upgrading throughout, including technological advancements such as improved WiFi. These physical improvements are being made alongside a range of different marketing tactics, all designed to attract more visitors to the Cruise Terminal. These are being masterminded

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by the marine and cruise manager Captain Richard Exley – it is his ambition to make the Cruise Terminal at Tilbury London’s main cruise port. Captain Exley holds a position at the Essex Tourist Board, and is also keen to create useful partnerships with other operators, such as the one established with Thames Clippers. This allows passenger transportation into London by fast catamaran, and offers a unique, congestion free and fascinating entry to London up the river Thames in under one hour and while passengers take in the sights, their luggage can be sent on ahead and will be waiting for them at their hotel.

Having been the recipient of a customer service award in March 2013, it is clear that the staff at London Cruise Terminal are as important as any infrastructure or service improvement. Indeed, as Richard Exley highlighted: “We pride ourselves on providing an exceptional level of service for cruise liners, crew and passengers.

We are experienced mariners, with cruise line experience and truly understand the needs of the industry; whilst delivering an enhanced experience for passengers passing through our ports. Our London port allows easy access up the Thames…and close proximity to major airports. We are delighted to provide the ‘quays’ to England’s capital city.” l

London Cruise Terminal

www.forthports.co.uk www.londoncruiseterminal.com • London’s only deepwater purpose-built cruise facility • Cruise and Maritime’s home port • Fred. Olsen due to start using Tilbury in 2014

Bu Tinah

Upholding

traditions C

omprised of three modern and highly specialised shipyards situated on the west coast of Sweden Djupvik Shipyard, Swede Ship Composite and Swede Ship Yachtservice – today Swede Ship Marine can draw on the experience of a long tradition in shipbuilding.

The oldest of the yards, Djupvik Shipyard, has been building ships since 1890s, while deliveries to the Coast Guard and the Navy started in 1937. Welding in aluminium was introduced in 1950 and production in composite materials in 1979.

This particular shipyard is now specialised in aluminium and steel production, with a capacity of building vessels up to 40 - 50 metres. It also has extensive experience in service/ship repairs and conversions of vessels up to 40 metres in length. The customers of this location are mainly different authorities, such as the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration and the Sea Rescue Society. As a result, Djupvik Shipyard most often constructs and delivers patrol and surveillance boats, transportation boats, Search and Rescues, pilot boats and small passenger craft.

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Swede Ship KragerĂś

Profile: Swede Ship Marine Swede Ship Strömstad Hersti Hydén

However it also offers a wide range of other services with the following being regularly undertaken for clients: Plate works and welding, machinery and ship systems, electrical installations, wood works, high pressure cleaning, and sand blasting and painting.

The second yard affiliated to Swede Ship Marine is Swede Ship Composite, which builds vessels up to 40 metres in length, in composite materials. Among these are sea rescue vessels in different sizes, catamarans for seismic research and different passenger vessels.

Finally, completing the line-up, Swede Ship Yachtservice is a repair and service yard specialising in the maintenance of engines.

It is located in the port of Gothenburg at Nya Varvet, and from this facility it can offer the benefit of 35 years experience on serving ships and engines, with a focus on engine overhauls and repairs for the Volvo Penta and Scania brands - but other engines can also be serviced.

The location in the central part of Gothenburg with slipway and lifting capacity of up to 200 mT also enables this division to offer a full service of most ship related areas, including many of those also provided by Djupvik Shipyard.

The three yards come together under the Swede Ship Marine name, and they can all draw on an in-house engineering department, which can be used for the design of new vessels and the customisation of existing ships that are looking for refurbishments and improvements. The quality of work provided

by Swede Ship Marine is guaranteed by its ISO 9001 certification, and furthermore, the company also holds ISO 14001, illustrating its environmental credentials.

the latest search technology and extensive rescue equipment. It features fully redundant propulsion, manoeuvring, navigation and communication systems, as well as a flexible mounted super silent wheelhouse (59 dB(A) at 25 knots). Four fully damped crew seats and a four pax bench, are accompanied by medical equipment such as an ambulance treatment bench, oxygen equipment, advanced first aid equipment and heart starter.

The interior consists of three single cabins, a well-equipped pantry and living/dining area with a wide selection of recreation equipment. The portfolio of Rescue Crafts are wide and ranges from eight to 24 metres, built in aluminium and composite.

Fleet Thanks to the resources at its disposal, Swede Ship Marine is able to offer a variety of boat models such as coast guard vessels, rescue vessels and ferries. In the area of Navy & coast guard vessels, the organisation has a portfolio of different high performing patrol boats, surveillance craft and troop carriers.

A good example of this is the Patrol 27, a 45-knot multi-role combat vessel. This is based on a compact, efficient and flexible platform for medium range surveillance and weapon engagement, and its innovative design offers extreme area coverage and endurance for control of asymmetric threats in a flotilla configuration.

When it comes to rescue vessels, the 24-metre offshore, highspeed, multi-role rescue craft ‘Odin’ illustrates the capabilities of Swede Ship Marine. Odin is DNV classed and equipped with www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 121

Profile: Swede Ship Marine

Offshore rescue craft ‘Odin’

Completing the portfolio are Swede Ship’s other vessels, which include ferries, pilot boats and water taxis. A prime example of a Swede Ship ferry was delivered in 2013, and this 24-metre vessel was designed in co-operation with JEA Marine Consulting and built at Djupvik Shipyard. The ferry is built with a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure, and included propulsion via two Scania engines in combination with fixed propellers, as well as a bow thruster.

The passenger cabin has an open layout with individual seats and further seats on weather deck, all giving a total capacity of 150 passangers. Aft of the passenger cabin there is a large

cargo deck area with a crane for loading and unloading, while wheeled cargo could be handled via the bow ramp. This is the second vessel delivered to the same customer and the earlier was a 28-metre ferry with 200 passanger capacity.

Late December 2013 the first out of three Sea Measurement Vessels to the Norwegian Sea Mapping Authority was ready for delivery. The vessel is an 11-metre purpose built for the client and has been developed in close co-operation with the client to reach all set requirements. This vessel will be a contribution to set new standards for small measurements vessels and gives Swede Ship another range of products that will attract new potential customers.

It is thanks to the successful completion of vessels such as those described above that customers return to Swede Ship time and again. As recently as December 2013, Fredrikstad kommune in Norway ordered a new passenger ferry from the company and this new ferry will be almost identical to a previous contract for a ferry delivered in May 2013 and christened ‘Go’Vakker Thora’.

The new ferry is due to be delivered in July 2014, and going into the New Year, Swede Ship Marine looks set to enjoy further new orders, continued expansion and perhaps greater capacity to take on larger ships. l

Swede Ship Marine

www.swedeship.se • Three affiliated shipyards • Aluminium and composite vessels • Specialise in fast boats for Navy and Coast Guard

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Balancing

opportunity O

perating a fleet of 38 dry bulk vessels, comprised of 19 vessels that are owned by the company and a further 19 that are operated on behalf third party owners, Thoresen Shipping is able to offer it clients a sizable fleet with a host of options to meet the most exacting expectations and offer full peace of mind.

Thoresen Shipping represents the dry bulk-shipping arm of its parent company, Thoresen Shipping Singapore Pte. Ltd (TSS) and operates as a wholly owned division within the Thoresen Thai Agencies Plc (TTA) investment group.

Thoresen Shipping has a heritage of offering shipping related services that dates as far back as 1904, incorporating dry bulk services into it portfolio during 1985. During January 2013, Thoresen Shipping further increased its global position by opening a second chartering office in support of its main base in Singapore. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark the new office was opened to serve the needs of clients with cargos in the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.

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Throughout 2013, the company’s fleet expanded by three vessels and a further six are on order for delivery by October 2014. Acquisitions for 2013 included the delivery of M.V. Thor Breeze from Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group on 20 August 2013. The double skin supermax bulk carrier has a capacity of 53,506 DWT and was ordered in September 2007.

The vessel boasts four cargo cranes, each with a safe working load of 36 metric tons. The M.V. Thor is the second newbuild vessel ordered from the Vietnamese company and expands the Thoresen fleet to ten open-hatch, box shaped handy and handymax sized vessels and nine conventional grab-fitted supermax ships. The average age of vessels across the fleet is 10.5 years. Its own fleet is augmented by a sizable fleet of operated vessels that enable the company to maintain a strong global presence in delivering varied cargos, as commercial director Mike Anderson elaborates: “We supplement our own vessels with a disponently operated fleet of approximately the same size. This gives us greater liquidity, visibility and leverage

Profile: Thoresen Shipping

Left: Thor Brave and below: Mike Anderson, commercial director

in cargo contract negotiations, as well as being able to better serve our customer base. By having more hardware under our control it gives our customers greater options and peace of mind.�

The company operates a diverse range of vessels, which is typified by its equally diverse range of contract agreements.

Its operations range from contracts of affreightment, period and spot charters, with its fleet evenly distributed between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its customers range from clients dealing in dry bulk and break bulk commodities including, ore, coal, pet coke, cement, clinkers, bauxite, alumina, concentrates, scrap, fertilisers, grains and agricultural products to forest products, wood pulp, steels, pipes and windmills. Thoresen is able to count on the loyalty and repeat custom its clients due to it consistent on-time performance, reliability and flexibility.

During 2011 for example, Thoresen Shipping carried in excess of eight million tonnes of cargo with approximately 670 port calls and its sights are set even higher going into 2014. www.shippingandmarine.co.uk - 125

Profile: Thoresen Shipping

Below: Thor Brave and Thor Insuvi

“We appreciate that not only do our customers need competitive freight levels in order to ensure market share, but also a reliable, reputable and flexible carrier. We strive to meet and exceed their expectations in all these areas,” explains Mike.

“Due to the specific skills and strategies of our commercial teams we have been able to generate a yield on our tonnage, which exceeded our benchmark BSI index by ten per cent in the 2012 financial year. We are on course to substantially improve that benchmark performance in 2013.

“As with most companies we have a duty to the shareholders to extract the maximum value from our hardware in a responsible and sustainable manner. We make use of various tools at our disposal to achieve this and manage the risks associated with having a fleet of vessels to ensure they maintain a regular and optimal revenue stream. This is achieved through

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developing an appropriate cargo portfolio and physical trading strategy,” he observes.

In the face of the global economic downturn many operators have struggled to weather the difficult financial tides. Thoresen Shipping has embraced these challenging market conditions and forged ahead with a spirit of opportunity, determination and co-operation. With its impeccable record and leading expertise in vessel management and chartering the company fully expects to be in a stronger position to provide transport solutions to customers of all backgrounds once the market improves as Mike concludes: “Our goal is to have 30 owned vessels in the next three years. I’d like to see this happen alongside a disponent fleet of the same size, and a complete global footprint giving around the clock attention to customers, partners and shareholders.

“Due to our proven ability to beat the index I foresee TSS offering commercial management and pool services to third party owners, including vessels owned by banks and funds who don’t have the commercial expertise or infrastructure to manage them themselves, and owners that simply don’t have sufficient volume and market penetration to extract the same value that we achieve.” l

Thoresen Shipping

www.thoresenshipping.com • Operation of 38 vessels • Six new vessels for 2014 • Handymax and Supermax expertise

Shipping &MARINE

The magazine for maritime management

www.shippingandmarine.co.uk Editor: Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales manager: Rob Wagner rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

Schofield Publishing Schofield Publishing Limited Unit 10, Cringleford Business Centre, Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0) 1603 274131