Price EUR 7 No 1 – January 30, 2009 www.shipgaz.com
Brand new magazine
Shipgaz signs on to Immingham:
Onboard insight »Although Shipgaz Long way back is a new magazine, In March 2007, the tug Bohus was smashed to it stands on solid on the rocks off ground with a more splinters Härmanö. Captain Ole than centuryKristiansen tells his story long heritage« of his way back to work EDITORIAL, PAGE 4
after the trauma. PAGE 22
The engine department – a poor workplace? Too many sea engineers crawl and squeeze their way through work. Monica Lundh at Chalmers checks out why. PAGE 16
They call us divers. Guess why?
Adress: P O Box 370, SE-401 25 Göteborg, Sweden Phone: +46-31-62 95 70 Fax: +46-31-80 27 50 E-mail: info@shipgaz.com Internet: www.shipgaz.com ISSN 2000-169X Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Rolf P Nilsson +46-31-62 95 80, rolf@shipgaz.com
Marketing Director Lars Adrians +46-31-62 95 71 , lars@shipgaz.com
Assistant Editor-in-Chief Anna Lundberg +46-31-62 95 83, anna.lundberg@shipgaz.com
Sales Manager Tomas Lindberg +46-31-62 95 84, tomas@shipgaz.com EDITORS:
Pierre Adolfsson, News pierre@shipgaz.com Fredrik Davidsson, Newbuildings fredrik@shipgaz.com Robert Hermansson, Technical robert@shipgaz.com Magnus Hägg, Markets magnus@shipgaz.com Pär-Henrik Sjöström, Fleet Review, Retro par-henrik@shipgaz.com CORRESPONDENTS:
Dag Bakka, Norway dag@shipgaz.com
SALES REPRESENTATIVES:
Tobias Herrmann, Germany +49-4541-86 02 21 tobias.herrmann@shipgaz.com Leszek Szymanski, Poland +48-94-354 04 84 leszek@shipgaz.com ART DIRECTOR:
Olle Paulsson, olle@shipgaz.com PRINTED AT:
AB Danagårds Grafiska, www.danagards.se For further contact details, please visit www.shipgaz.com
Bent Mikkelsen, Denmark bent@shipgaz.com Madli Vitismann, Estonia madli@shipgaz.com
FRONT PAGE PICTURE
Godby Shipping on Åland operates a fleet of seven modern ro-ro vessels. Two 11,300 dwt ro-ro vessels, the M/V Misana and the M/V Misida, were delivered from the Sietas shipyard in Hamburg in October and December 2007. The company’s business concept is to offer high-quality shipping services that are tailor-made to the customer’s requirements. Read more about Godby Shipping on page 37 and on www.godbyshipping.fi
It’s only natural that a lot of people see us as divers. After all, Frog is Sweden’s leading marine construction and diving company. We’re internationally certified for ship inspections. We do all kinds of ship maintenance and marine service jobs. And although our main market is Scandinavia, we work all over the world. So if you are looking for a bunch of tough, professional, serviceminded divers, just call us.
Subscribe A subscription to Shipgaz gives you eight issues per year and a weekly newsletter by e-mail for only EUR 80 per year (plus shipping). For further subscription details, visit www.shipgaz.com/subscribe or Phone: +46 770 457 114 E-mail: kundtjanst@titeldata.se Web: www.prenservice.se
Price EUR 7 No 1 – January 30, 2009 www.shipgaz.com
Brand new magazine
WAT E R P R O O F
Shipgaz signs on to Immingham:
Onboard insight »Although Shipgaz is a new magazine, it stands on solid ground with a more than century-
long heritage« EDITORIAL, PAGE 4
Long way back
In March 2007, the tug Bohus was smashed to splinters on the rocks off Härmanö. Captain Ole Kristiansen tells his story of his way back to work after the trauma. PAGE 22
The engine department – a poor workplace? Too many sea engineers crawl and squeeze their way through work. Monica Lundh at Chalmers checks out why. PAGE 16
FR OG DYK AB, LeR GOD sGAtAn 1, 417 07 GöteBOR G , sw e D e n . 24 tim/h seR vice 031 303 33 00, FAx 031 303 33 99. www.fro g.se
4 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Intro
A new chapter WeLCoMe Come on in and browse lightly or dig in deep, be upset or soothed, be nostalgic or peer into the future, be surprised or just get wind in your sails. Together with us you can do it all. With the brand new shipping magazine Shipgaz we open a new chapter in describing North European Shipping. We hope to give you crucial information as well as entertainment, and in the mean time broaden your horizons. In this issue, we sign on the Tor Begonia and breath the air of the North Sea along with master Thomas Rubenson and his crew. Nils-Erik Eklund now enters his twentieth – and last – year as the head of Viking Line. He shares his exceptionally long experience of the ferry business with Shipgaz readers, showing a strong belief in the development of sustainable shipping. In March 2007, the tug Bohus was smashed to splinters on the rocks off Härmanö. Captain Ole Kristiansen tells his story of the difficult way back to work after the trauma. We visit lighthouses with intriguing histories to tell, both along the perilous water off Cape of Good Hope and on the New Jersey coast. Follow marine engineer Monica Lundh into an until recently very scantly researched area – the working environment of engine control rooms. She shares several hairraising examples of what the average seafarer has to work around daily. We also give you updates on the latest development in the ever-increasing criminality of the Gulf of Aden, on how the financial situation affects the circumstances of Norwegian shipyards, on what’s up in the IMO and much, much more. You are most sincerely welcome to the very first issue of Shipgaz.
»We open a new chapter in describing North European Shipping«
aSSiStaNt eDitor-iN-ChieF
Anna Lundberg anna.lundberg@shipgaz.com
Feature We let the lighthouses of the Cape of Good Hope guide us through the spectacular landscape of the South African southernmost coastline. page 40
NeWCoMer With the delivery of the Dan Eagle – recently back from a major conversion – the J Lauritzen Group will re-enter the offshore market. page 82
report After studying a group of vessels in a project group, Monica Lundh has many examples of creative solutions to work environment problems. page 16
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 5
Intro
58
Feature Göteborg–Immingham in 26 hours. Shipgaz paid a visit to the Tor Begonia, a ro-ro operating between Sweden and the UK. Meet master Thomas Rubenson and his crew and see what a true freight life is about.
Articles Winding way back Captain Ole Kristiansen tells his story of the foundering of the tug Bohus. page 22
Piracy According to the UN, around USD 120 million was paid in ransoms last year. page 26
From euphoria to concern The situation for Norwegian shipyards is changing rapidly. page 32
Lay-ups and scrapping Many vessels are presently on the move to lay-up berths around the world. page 36
Christmas at a shipyard When all else is closed for holiday, Fredericia Skibsværft has its busiest time. page 52
On the IMO agenda The launch of the LRIT system is tangled up in EU procurement rules. page 56
A growing Baltic actor Fjodor Berman of the BLRT Grupp talks about the great expansion. page 78
Post panamax newcomer The MSC Fantasia is the largest cruise vessel built for a European shipowner. page 87
A survivor of storms and disrepair In 1986 the citizens of North Wildwood saved the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. page 108
Regulars
The Portrait Nils-Erik Eklund has been the head of Viking Line for twenty years. He shares his exceptionally long experience of the ferry business. page 28
Retro The Liberty series is regarded as one of the most amazing achievements ever in shipbuilding. Despite that, the ships are known as the ugly ducklings. page 100
7 Editorial 8 Review 14 Market Review 90 Technical Review 94 Fleet Review 100 Retro
Courses 2009 BASED ON EXPERIENCE
6 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editorial
Our ambition is to offer courses that increase security and raise safety. Ashore and at sea. Below, we present a selection of the courses we provide at our course venues in Stockholm, Göteborg or on Käringön. Naturally, these courses can also be held at venues and times that suit you. Our courses are known for their high standard and quality. We are approved as education providers by the Swedish Transport Agency. Welcome to Scandinavian Safety Training Centre. ISPS Ship Security officer
Crisis management – STCW Crisis & Crowd Management
For mariners planning to serve as a Ship Security Officer.
For mariners serving as senior officers or for personnel in the safety organization on RoRo or passenger vessels.
COURSE CERTIFICATE: Course
certificate in accordance with guidelines issued by the Swedish Transport Agency.
COURSE CERTIFICATE: Certificate of competency and MCRM certificate.
Basic safety course –STCW Basic safety
MCRM – Maritime Crew Resource Management
For mariners planning to be part of a ship’s safety organization regardless of level and type of vessel.
For personnel in the shipping industry, safety managers and management groups. Also provided as a refresher course.
COURSE CERTIFICATE: STCW certificate in accordance with guidelines issued by the Swedish Transport Agency as well as a CPR competence card and AED heart-starter.
COURSE CERTIFICATE: Students who have successfully completed the course are awarded an MCRM certificate.
Basic firefighting course – STCW Basic firefighting
Handling fast rescue boats – STCW FRB (only on board your own vessels)
For mariners planning to be part of a ship’s safety organization regardless of level and type of vessel.
This course is designed for personnel in ship safety organizations who manning fast rescue boats and davit operators.
COURSE CERTIFICATE: Course certificate in accordance with guidelines issued by the Swedish Transport Agency.
COURSE CERTIFICATE: STCW certificate in accordance with guidelines issued by the Swedish Transport Agency.
Emergency preparedness
Management of fast rescue boats
This course is designed primarily for shipping companies and companies needing to build up and/or verify crisis management systems. COURSE CERTIFICATE: Course
certificate.
Medical care provider – STCW Medical Care For personnel who are responsible for and administer medical care on board ships with medical chest “A” as stipulated in SJÖFS 2007:11 COURSE CERTIFICATE: Course certificate in accordance with guidelines issued by the Swedish Transport Agency.
This course is designed for bridge teams in charge of fast rescue boats in man-overboard incidents and other sea rescue situations. COURSE CERTIFICATE:
Course certificate.
You can find more courses at sstcab.se Our whole course program, together with detailed descriptions, can be found on our web site where you can also order our course catalogue.
For more information and applications Tel. +46 31 701 05 10 • gbg@sstcab.se www.sstcab.se Our courses deal with life, property and the environment. We focus on preventive, corrective and follow-up measures by discussing what should be considered before, during and after daily incidents, accidents and extraordinary events.
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 7
Editor-In-Chief Rolf P Nilsson, rolf@shipgaz.com
Editorial
Welcome to the first issue of Shipgaz »We will focus on our professional readers in operative positions at sea and in shore based organisations«
ur aim is to give you worthwhile reading through work-related information, new knowledge, comments, analyses and also easy reading through features, interviews, ship presentations, technical news, fleet updates and much more. Although Shipgaz is new as a magazine, it stands on solid ground with a more than a century long and continuous maritime publication heritage, dating back from 1905 when the first issue of the Swedish Shipping Gazette was published. Although much has happened since then, the values and scope of Shipgaz is the same: to bring you a publication based on maritime professionalism, competence and integrity. Shipgaz is produced by dedicated writers and marketing professionals around Northern Europe, several with long experience of shipping and maritime transport at sea and ashore. Scandinavian Shipping Gazette has over the years been well received by its readership, so why the change? The SSG has had a very broad perspective on shipping with the ambition to report on all aspects of maritime business and seaborne transport. Shipgaz will continue along this path, but in our editorial work, we will focus on our professional readers in operative positions at sea and in shore based organisations. But be sure, there will be contents of interest also for professionals not directly involved in ship operations, but in businesses and industries related to it.
O
Our ambition is that Shipgaz should not only be seen as a traditional trade magazine, but as a source for new knowledge, where we will have a special eye on issues related to safety, environment and security, and as a tool for professionals in ship operations to monitor the world of shipping. The new Shipgaz is a magazine with a completely new design and you will also notice several editorial changes. Traditional theme issues such as Shipbuilding & Ship repair, Ports & Infrastructure etc have been dropped and instead of focusing once a year on those sectors, we will cover them
continuously, in a ship operation perspective. A new feature that we will put much emphasis on is onboard visits where we will feature the daily life and work on North European ships. We will also visit shipowners and ship managers regularly and present their views on manning, recruitment, environmental issues and all other aspects on ship operations and the challenges ahead, as they see it.
In parallel with the publishing of the first issue of the Shipgaz magazine, we are also launching a new, improved web site. This will feature new functions, new contents, an improved news service and more interactivity where you as a reader will have a better opportunity to make your voice heard, so check out www.shipgaz.com. And, of course, our by many requested e-mailed newsletter will continue to drop into our subscribers’ inboxes once a week. With these three products, the web site, the newsletter and the magazine, in an all-in-one subscription, we are able to bring you daily news, weekly updates and in-depth reporting on all aspects of shipping and maritime transport. ”There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”, Sir Winston Churchill once said, and we believe that this is the right way for us to bring you an even better product. But nothing is so good that it can’t be better, and all feedback with suggestions for improvements from our readers is welcome and highly appreciated. I wish you good reading.
*
Rolf P Nilsson Editor-in-Chief rolf@shipgaz.com
Forward, Midship & Astern PIRACY DOWN Even if it is way to early to say that the battle is won, anti-piracy measures off Somalia seems to have effect. More attacks fail as awareness grows on civilian ships and naval forces gathers in the area. Although the final solution must be political and found ashore, life seems to have become a little safer for seafarers on civilian vessels in the area.
DOWNTURN WINNERS The business cycle has come to an abrupt halt, and panic is widespread. Focus is on struggling companies, no cargoes in sight and laid-up vessels. But when there are losers, there will also be winners. The latter are those that best have managed their profits from the good years, that have the best competence and the highest entrepreneurial skills.
EU EMBARRASSMENT The launch of the LRIT system (se page 56) is postponed for six months, the reason being that EU hasn’t got its stuff in place thanks to bureaucratic procurement rules. The rest of the world is however ready, and other states are willing to offer EU help, among those Liberia. This should be a little embarrassing for Brussels.
8 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pierre Adolfsson, pierre@shipgaz.com
Review
Photo: dfds
JL sells part of DFDS Group
2
Hebei Spirit officers released on bail law The Supreme Court of South Korea has ordered the release of the two jailed officers from Hebei Spirit, Jasprit Chawla and Syam Chetan. The almost symbolical bail was set at USD 7,500. Both are to stay at a hotel in Seoul and are not allowed to leave the country without permission from the court. The release came after a presentation by the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal, KMST, of the investigation report at the IMO headquarters.
The Korean reporT claims that the master and chief officer failed to take appropriate avoidance actions and also increased the oil spill by applying inert gas. According to KMST, although being at anchor, this does not absolve the vessel from taking correct
avoidance action, which in this case would be to drag the anchor with the engine at full astern. The engine was however undergoing repairs, and was not prepared when the Hebei Spirit was hit by a crane barge, with three ruptured tanks as a consequence. The collision led to an 11,000-ton oil spill, the worst ever in South Korea. The officers argue that applying inert gas is a standard procedure to reduce the risk of an explosion and to save lives, which must come first. This is supported by international organisations, such as Intertanko that in a statement said: ”the use of inert gas is a standard procedure, and if that is the basis for officers to be sent to prison, then we have a major issue.”
Maritime lobby office to close business One of the maritime lobby organisations in Brussels has been forced to close its office for financial reasons – the Alliance of Maritime Regional Interests in Europe, Amrie. The Amrie has been lobbying for 15 years.
3
Photo: iNtertANko
business DFDS Group has got a new ownership structure as the main shareholder JL Fondet A/S has swapped some 45 per cent of the JL Fondet’s 51 per cent in DFDS Group. In return, the JL Fondet has received shares in DSV A/S equal to six per cent of the share capital. The two companies JL Fondet and DSV also have a mutual agreement on the sale of the shares in the future. In 2000, DSV purchased DFDS Transport (the road transport division) from DFDS. DFDS A/S will continue to be a listed company.
Photo: Broströms
Photo: stX eUroPe
1
Together again. Captain Jasprit Chalwa (second from left) and Chief Officer Syam Chetan (second from right) from the Hebei Spirit, reunited with their families.
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 9
Review Photo: port of Södertälje
Photo: Lloyd’s Register
4
Photo review
1. STX Europe expects the market for retrofits and refurbishments to grow significantly over the next few years. 2. Green light, the EU Commission has approved A P Møller-Mærsk’s acquisition of the tanker owner/operator Broström. 3. ROKS DSRV II, a rescue submersible, is the first submarine in South Korea to be classed by Lloyd’s Register. 4. Port of Södertälje continues to grow as container port. Turnover increased by a total of 12 per cent in 2008.
business The expansion of wind power at sea is rapidly creating a new branch within shipping. In Finland the shipping company Rederi Ab Fakir has been established, aiming at the Nordic market for construction of new wind power plants at sea.
The company has recently bought the deck barge KBV 868 from the Swedish Coast Guard as well as the Finnish dry cargo vessel Pamela for this purpose. By combining these two, a new special vessel for installation of wind power plants will be built, informs master mariner Joakim Håkans, who stands behind the project. “We transfer the technical equipment from the Pamela to the deck barge, which after that will be a self-propelled motor ship.”
The barge will be renamed Fakir and will have the superstructure aft. The aluminium superstructure and bridge from the previous tug Poseidon will be recycled and installed on the new vessel. The Fakir will also be equipped with 24 metres long support legs and two cranes for the construction work. Operations and management will be handled by Alfons Håkans.
Stena to withdraw vessel finance Stena Line has decided to withdraw one of its three vessels from the Rotterdam–Harwich service. The 1,200lane metre Stena Transporter will be laid up in Rotterdam pending the development on the freight market. The other two vessels on the route is the Stena Partner and the Stena Transfer, both with a capacity of 1,750 lane metres.
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
The deck barge KBV 868 and the dry cargo vessel Pamela in Pansio harbour, Turku.
The main engines and the two Aquamaster propulsion units of the Pamela are rather new. The deck barge is 20 years old, and constructed for oil recovery, but it is in excellent condition, Mr Håkans assures. “The KBV 868 is as good as new. It has been based in Härnösand and has never been used.”
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Growing market for wind power work
300
The worldwide fleet of LNG carriers in operation has now passed 300 units. It took 34 years for the fleet to reach 100 vessels and a further eight years for it to break through the 200-vessel barrier. The 300-ship mark has been reached just over two and a half years, reports the UKbased LNG World Shipping.
10 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pierre Adolfsson, pierre@shipgaz.com
Review
Photo: BeNt mikkeLseN
Huge oil fine for LISCO law DFDS Lisco has been fined EUR 700,000 by a court in Brest for an oil spill from the company’s freighter Vytautas. The Vytautas was heading through the English Channel in June 2007, when the French coastguard discovered a 37 kilometre long oil slick from the ship. The fine is even higher than demanded by the public prosecutor, who asked for a fine of EUR 650,000. DFDS Lisco has now sold Vytautas and the ship is now called the Klaipeda Star.
Photo: NordiC tANkers
Steen Bryde in legal dispute business The Danish Finanstilsynet (Danish Financial Supervisory Authority) has intervened in several actions taken by Steen Bryde, now CEO of Nordic Tankers. Finanstilsynet has cancelled the date for an extra ordinary general assembly on February 17 and instead called for one on February 2.
The auThoriTy also finds that Steen Bryde deliberately has delayed the request from a group of shareholders in opposition to Steen Bryde. The Finanstilsynet has also concluded that the takeover of the chairmanship of the board of directors by the CEO with a contract including a DKK two million compensation if he has to leave the company, is highly irregular and not in the interest of the shareholders.
Financial turmoil forces Mærsk to cut finance The Danish shipping giant A P Møller-Mærsk is likely to cancel orders and options on vessels in the months ahead as a consequence of the new policy of working only with projects financed by the group’s own cash flow. “We have decided to not try to finance our future projects from banks and other financiers as the market for financing is deep-frozen at the moment”, explains the CEO of A P Møller-Mærsk, Niels Smedegaard Andersen, in the in-house magazine Maersk Post.
“so There will be a drop in the number of planned projects in the next few years until things get back to normal again”, he adds. So far, A P Møller-Mærsk has not disclosed which projects will be postponed or delayed, but all the company’s business segments are believed to affected. In the first half of 2008, A P Møller-Mærsk invested about DKK 25 billion or nearly half of the amount invested in 2007. Its turnover in 2007 was DKK 280 billion. A P Møller-Mærsk has started to reduce the staff at its headquarters in Copenhagen
by around 100 persons. The 100 persons will be the first ever to be laid of at the head office. The CEO Nils Smedegaard Andersen has initiated a new organisation in order to improve efficiency. more responsibiliTy and decisionmaking will be decentralised to each profit centre. “We are sending a strong signal to all profit centres all over the world that the whole group needs to be more efficient and slimmer in order to be more profitable”, said Nils Smedegaard Andersen in an interview on Danish TV2. The noTice of lay offs at the Group’s headquarters in Copenhagen was followed by a notice of lay offs at the Maersk Line’s Nordic head office (Maersk Sverige AB) in Göteborg. Some 25 persons of the total staff of 225 have been given notice as a consequence of the downturn in the global economy. In December 2007 Maersk Line launched a new strategy to raise the profit in the company, as a consequence 3,000 employees were to be laid off.
»The usual way to do this in our industry is to throw in the towel and run for the hills« Tommy Rathleff, CEO of the trouble-stricken bulk operator Armada Singapore, on a restructuring plan for the company that owes more than USD 500 million and in which the creditors may recover 30 cents on the dollar, instead of 5 cents if the company is liquidated.
soUrCe: trAdeWiNds
The same goes for Steen Bryde’s personal friend and business partner Brian Petersen, who also has gained a lucrative, high compensation contract. Finanstilsynet called the contracts illegal. Recently Steen Bryde appointed himself as the new CEO of Nordic Tankers and resigned as chairman of the board of directors. Instead, he is now a member of the board and has appointed Jesper Bo Nielsen as chairman.
The A P Møller-Mærsk headquarters in Copenhagen.
StenaBulk_x2_ad_Shipgaz.pdf
09-01-16
07.10.23
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 11
TEAM STENA BULK Review
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Stena Bulk, a leading international tanker owner, controlling a fleet of more than 75 tankers from seven offices in six countries, have appointed Mr Jonas Kihlberg to the position as Senior Vice President of Stena Bulk AB and Head of Stena Bulk LLC, Houston, Texas. Mr Kihlberg returns to Stena Bulk after working four years outside the Stena Sphere. Before this, Jonas held various executive roles and positions within the Stena Bulk and StenTex Group of Companies. In announcing the appointment, Ulf G. Ryder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stena Bulk AB commented, "We are very pleased to have Jonas’ creativity and experience back within Stena Bulk. Jonas possesses a broad range of competencies within the shipping industry and we truly look forward to having him with us again".
LYSEKIL WOMEN´S MATCH
& MATCH CUP SWEDEN STENA BULK SAILING TEAMS – Linda Rahm and Mattias
Rahm with crews, defending champions of this years editions of Lysekil Women´s Match and Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand. Stena Bulk is one of the main sponsors of the World Championship in Lysekil. International sailing at its best with all the top ranked female match racing skippers fighting for the title.
Welcome to Marstrand and the World Championship in Lysekil this summer!
STENA BULK SAILING TEAM MARSTRAND 2008
Stena Bulk – Stena Bulk is one of the world’s leading tanker shipping companies, supplying customers with innovative solutions to their transportation and logistics needs. Stena Bulk is part of the Stena Sphere with excess of 17,000 employees and revenue of 6.5 billion USD (SEK 50 billion). www.stenabulk.com
TEAM STENA BULK LYSEKIL 2007
TEAM STENA BULK LYSEKIL 2008
12 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pierre Adolfsson, pierre@shipgaz.com
Review Danish shipping faces tax trap
The European Court of human rights.
finance Danish shipping is facing a tax trap in Spain in the aftermath of the termination of a mutual tax agreement between Denmark and Spain and France.
The TerminaTion was passed by the Danish parliament in order to stop the growing transfer of pensions to Danish retirees living in these two countries. The money saved earlier in life can be transferred to Spain with lower taxation, which has become too much for Danish politicians. Without the mutual tax agreement, Danish shipping could risk Spain taxing each freight contract.
Court rejects claim from Prestige master
“we are worKing on a solution in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Tax Ministry to avoid the huge bill we could face”, explains Jan Fritz Hansen, the Danish Shipowners’ Association, to the newspaper JyllandsPosten. Danish shipping will not face the same problems in France because of a mutual maritime agreement between the two countries. Photo: fiNCANtieri
Fincantieri’s yard Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA.
Fincantieri says no to deal
The verdicT has sparKed concern in international maritime organisations, the consequence of the verdict being that officers on ships involved in an accident can be jailed with a disproportionate bail imposed on them, waiting for a trial. According to Lloyd’s List, the P&I club
London Steamship Owners that paid the bail is considering an appeal. The Prestige catastrophe started on 13 November 2002 when the master sent out a distress signal in severe weather. The vessel was denied shelter in Spain, blocked from seeking a port of refuge in Portugal and subsequently sank after having broken in two on November 19, causing one of the largest and most expensive environmental catastrophes in European waters ever. ownership of The 1976-builT single hull tanker has been difficult to ascertain, but most indications point toward a Greek family. The vessel was registered in Liberia and flew the Bahamian flag. The disaster did not only spark an enormous political activity leading to new tanker rules, the legal battle is still on between Spain and classification society ABS, where Spain is chasing ABS with a USD one billion lawsuit through US courts, but in which the latter won the latest round.
»The 2008 statistics surpass all figures recorded by the PRC since it began its worldwide reporting function in 1991« The IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan on the latest piracy statistics.
soUrCe: imB
business The Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri will not take over the German repair yard Lloyd Werft. In May 2006, Fincantieri acquired 21.1 per cent of the shares in Lloyd Werft for EUR 8 million and the company had an option to acquire 51 per cent of the shares for EUR 20 million, but the option expired on 31 December, Lloyd’s List reports. The decision not to take over Lloyd Werft is due to the current global financial situation as well as the conditions for the shipbuilding industry.
law It was ok for a Spanish court to impose a EUR 3 million bail in the case against Apostolos Mangouras, master of the ill-fated tanker Prestige that sank in 2002 and caused a 77,000-tons oil spill. The verdict comes from the European Court of Human Rights in a case where Mangouras, who was jailed in Spain for almost three months and still has to report to the police in Greece every fortnight, has claimed that the bail is disproportionate to the accusations. In the verdict, the court says that there is a growing and legitimate concern regarding pollution and that it is important to ensure that those responsible will show up in court to be punished.
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 13
Not a giaNt, but a leader
Review
FuretaNk rederi ab
www.furetank.se
14 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Magnus Hägg, magnus@shipgaz.com
Market Review
When the world takes a break Analysis 2008 became a year that started in joy and ended in gloom for owners of almost all types of ships. The world halted during summer and by early autumn, the brake was pushed to the floor when trade took a break. Shipping was not unaffected, to say the least.
Upturns and downturns in shipping is of course not a new phenomenon and according to Clarkson Research Services there has been 22 cycles since 1741. But probably no trend change has been so fast as this one. Ships are being sent to lay-up by the hour and almost all shipping sectors are affected. Large bulk carriers are lying idle since there is almost no
demand for ore and coal. Some still sail, but at rates that in reality mean transport at below operational cost. Container vessels and car carriers are lying side by side. Some sources say that there are around 400 coasters laid-up in Europe. New vessels sail directly from the shipyard to a berth without any employment. At the same time, newbuildings from a record-large newbuilding order book enter the market in a tsunami-like fashion. World seaborne trade is to 90 per cent based on credits, and as long as banks refuse to open their vaults, shipping will suffer. If the current situation drags out in time, this will have significant impact also on terms and demand in the seafarers’ labour market.
Laid-up vessels mean lesser need for personnel and the current shortage can quickly be transformed to a surplus of seafarers. So, is the future of seafaring at danger? Of course not. Short term, we are in for a rough ride, but the world will not stop to revolve, and the basis for our society is trade. This is, will be, and has always been depending on efficient maritime transport. It is important that the shipping industry recognises this. Every downturn is followed by an upturn, and when it comes, qualified seafarers are needed. To plan ahead in HR and recruitment issues also in bad times is just common business sense. Rolf P Nilsson
Longterm fixtures during the second half of 2008
Charter rates for large anchor-handlers picked up from GBP 20,000 to GBP 250,000 per day – the highest rates ever paid. Also platform supply vessels have seen great variation in rates, from below GBP 10,000 to well into the 30s, although much of the dayto-day drama is not properly reflected by our index. It is no doubt that the current recession will have a slowing effect on the hunt for oil. The global energy ‘shortage’, which produced the excessive oil prices, must have been brought about by various developing economies, as the world’s total oil consumption has been stable or slightly shrinking over the last few years. Oil prices of USD 50 or less per barrel will have effect on the ambitions for exploration and construction, particularly for the expensive and most demanding projects. However, term contracts for 2009 and beyond have been done at good rates. Not unexpectedly, ordering of new offshore vessels trickled into a halt last year. Yet, the order backlog is substantial; 114 supply vessels for delivery in 2009 alone. Whatever 2009 may bring, the recent offshore bonanza has given rich opportunity for entrepreneurship, for commercial initiative and technological innovation. Dag Bakka Jr
Photo: Bent Mikelsen, Source: Clarkson Research Services
Offshore The only market unaffected by the economic meltdown in the autumn of 2008, was the offshore market. In fact, the market took off in May – just as the oil price began to collapse – to reach an all-time high in October.
The Maersk Fighter has got its charter for BPUK extended by one year with options for a further two years.
Remaining orders with Norwegian shipyards Charterer StatoilHydro ConocoPhillips Peterson Peterson Peterson SBS Marathon ASCo Peterson ConocoPhillips AGR Peak StatoilHydro Cirrus Energy Maersk Oil ConocoPhillips BP UK StatoilHydro Talisman StatoilHydro Team Marine Team Marine Venture BP UK BP UK ConocoPhillips Shell UK
Vessel Strilborg Volstad Supplier Rem Mermaid Siem Sophie Far Splendour Far Service Northern Gambler Island Earl Bourbon Eko UP Topazio Bourbon Tampen Shelf Express Northern Clipper Normand Mjolne Highland Sirit Skandi Stolmen Far Supporter Far Symphony Far Supplier Far Superior Olympic Progress Maersk Fighter Maersk Finder Island Commander Edda NB
Type ahts psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv ahts psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv psv
Operation ext 2 yrs from Sept ext 2.5 yrs until early 2011 3 yrs firm + opt, Nov 2008 1 yr option declared, July 2008 ext 1 yr until Dec 2009 3 yrs firm + opt, August 5 yrs firm + opt, December 5 yrs firm + opt, 1q 2009 ext 2 yrs firm + opt, January 2009 1 yr + opt, October ext 2 yrs until Dec 2010 1 yr firm, December ex 1 yr until Nov 2009 2.5 yr firm + opt, October ex 1 yr until Nov 2009 ext 1 yr until Nov 2009 ext 1 yr until end 2009 ext 1 yr until Jan 2010 ext 1 yr until Jan 2010 ext 1 yr until Jan 2010 1 yr firm + opt, Nov 2009 ext 1 yr firm + 2 yrs opt, end 2009 ext 1 yr firm + 2 yrs opt, end 2009 3 yrs firm + 3x1 yrs, del ex yard June 2009 5 yrs + opt, Edda Frigg forerunner, Jan 2009
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 15
Market Review Source: Clarkson Research Services
Newbuilding prices January 2009 (Clarkson Research Services) Tanker
Bulk carriers
VLCC
VLCC
3 months
MUSD 148 Handy
-10,2%
Handysize
3 months
MUSD 49
3 months
MUSD 148
-6.6%
3 months
MUSD 31.5
-10,2%
Gas
-17.5%
Container
LNG
1,100 TEU
3 months
MUSD 245
index
3 months
MUSD 23.0
-2.0%
-6.6
Waiting for balance ling demand. 3,000 mt wheat from S. France to Greece fixed at EUR 10 p/mt this week. Geir Jerstad Earnings estimates Past 12 months.
EUR/day 1,250 DWt 3,500 DWt
6,000
1,750 DWt 6,500 DWt
2,500 DWt
5,000
Source: Norbroker AS, January 16, 2009
Shortsea dry There is definitively less spot tonnage left open, but owners have decided to put ships in semi lay-up to reduce the number of positions quoted. Much to owners’ relief, there seems to be some sort of movement in the market moving from the smallest sizes and up, but it will for sure take several weeks before we will see any sort of balance in supply/demand ratio. The North European grain markets slowly seem to be regaining some momentum with both wheat and barley appearing from Sweden, Germany and the UK. Rates are obviously very low on these attractive cargoes, with EUR 22 paid for 3,000 mt from German Baltic to SC Italy while 3,000 mt of Barley was reported fixed from EC Scotland to Azores at EUR 18 p/mt. The Mediterranean is currently performing somewhat better than Northern Europe, at least when it comes to volume, but rates have been plunging here as well on fal-
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
6000
45
50 1
1,250 DWt
1,500
Mgo
iFo 180DWt 3,500
5000 1,200 4000 900
The financial crisis and the downturn dragged the Baltic Dry Index down from an all time high of 11,793 to a 22-year-low in just seven months. Few expect rates to start recovering before the second half of this year. Worrying is that steel mills cut productions, causing the major mining companies to reduce their output, which affects the Capesize and Panamax segments.
Looking ahead is also a bit scary. According to Clarkson Research Services, there are today 817 Capesizes of a total of 152.4 million dwt in order. Compare this to the existing fleet of 819 vessels of 143 million dwt! Vessels of 31.4 million dwt are scheduled for delivery this year, followed by around 60 million tons per year in 2010 and 2011. There will have to be massive scrapping and order cancellations if there is to be some sound balance between demand and supply, even if the wheels start turning in China. The large tanker segments enjoyed a fantastic 2008, with the best summer during the boom. In July, VLCC owners could fetch earnings of USD 170,000 per day. 1,750 DWt 2,500 DWt But also tanker owners will face har6,500 DWt der times with order books, according to Clarkson’s, at around 50 per cent of the existing fleets in the VLCC and suezmax segments. Rolf P Nilsson
Source: Norbroker AS, January 16, 2008
MGO Rotterdam CIF prices USD/ton
Week 5
Wet & Dry With the dramatic free-fall in mind during the second half of last year, many tend to forget that 2008 as a whole actually was a very good year for the bulk shipping industry.
The sector has earned a fortune during a couple of years and those owners that have managed their money well, will face opportunities the coming years. The future for others is definitely not so bright.
-9.8%
3 months
172
2008 – a good year despite crisis
3000
2000
300
1000
0
0 5
10
15
20
25
30
5
35
10
40
15
45
20
25
50
Week 1
30
35
Baltic Dry Bulk Indices 20 May ’08 end ’08 mid Jan ’09 Dry 11,793 784 889 Capesize 18,105 1,345 1,788 Panamax Week 11,425 571 529 Supramax 6,641 430 397 40 45 50 1 Handysize 3,382 284 268
Source: Baltic Exchange
600
16 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Klara Magnusson, klara@breakwater.com
Report Work environment
Photo: Monica Lundh
Serious shortages in engine control rooms
A sloping table, no place to put files but in your lap and one of your legs wrapped around the table because your chair rolls around in heavy seas … Engine control rooms often fall short in work environment and ergonomics, according to a new study. The purpose of the study – made by SSPA in cooperation with Chalmers University of Technology and the company MSI Design – is to map out shortcomings that can be seen in engine control rooms on board ships.
Monica Lundh, doctoral student at Chalmers University of Technology, has together with Peter Grundevik at SSPA and Erik Wagner at MSI Design visited seven vessels in order to document the design of the engine control room and to measure temperature, noise, light and vibrations. They also looked at how the alarm systems worked and conducted interviews with the crew.
“Our goal is to increase the level of knowledge and get a basis for future regulations that will improve the work environment in the engine department”, Monica Lundh says. This is – to her knowledge – the first time that anyone enters deeply into the matter of the ergonomics of the ship’s engine department and she thinks that the study has been well received by both onboard personnel and office employees of the shipping companies. On some ships the study group found working areas that Monica Lundh describes as very badly considered.
»There is no regulation saying that an ergonomic workplace is important for the safety at sea«
Monica Lundh is a doctoral student at Chalmers University of Technology.
“Today much of the chief’s work is done in front of a computer. Even so, you sit with the keyboard on top of a sloping panel with no room for your knees, so you have to sit crossways leaning over the keyboard to be able to see the screen”. Monica Lundh sighs. This scenario is seen only too often. The fact that the body is supposed to work properly for many years has not been seen as important.
When the computer entered the engine control room it was placed in a corner and it is still there, even though today’s chief needs a comfortable workplace, where he can get an overview of the engine control room. “The most obvious trend we have seen is that there are physical barriers
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 17
Work environment
Report Photo: monica lundh
Photo: monica lundh
Bad solutions. The chair rolls around in high sea, but the chief has learnt to wrap a leg around the table. Some buttons on the panel are hard to reach. Photo: monica lundh
Photo: monica lundh
A ladder ending with a sharp turn and high step – not great for moving heavy things. Work in the engine department often means crawling and bending. between the two places in the engine control room where most of the work is done. These two places must be integrated”, Monica Lundh says, talking about the computer designated administrative work and the alarm panel. Monica Lundh and her colleagues spent on average ten days on each vessel. The seven ships visited are owned by shipping companies associated with the study’s reference group. The shipping companies have been surprisingly positive, she says, pointing out that the aim of the study is not to find scapegoats but to increase the general level of knowledge. “The IMO guidelines for the bridge are significantly more extensive than the guidelines for the engine department. When the regulations are so
vaguely written it opens up for crazy solutions. I don’t want to say that the shipping companies build bad ships – they build as well as they can on the basis of today’s conditions. We want to change these conditions, creating regulations to settle future production.”
The shipowner’s situation is complicated according to Monica Lundh, since shipyards often have a ‘we have a solution for engine control rooms, take it or leave it’ attitude. When the order books are full for several years ahead, going somewhere else is not an alternative. “One problem is that these bad solutions are in fact accepted. There is no regulation saying that an ergonomic workplace is important for safety at sea.”
sspa SSPA is a maritime research and consultant company, founded in 1940. Among its activities are for example model tests, expertise in hydrodynamics and investigations regarding marine environment and safety.
The study group discovered that the differences in design between engine control rooms built in the mid 80s and modern ones are small. On newbuildings the switchboard is placed in a separate room, so the crew is exposed to electro-magnetic fields for only a short period at a time. “The radiation is low-frequency and it’s still not known if it’s dangerous or not, but in our study we show that the radiation quickly subsides”, she says.
The perfect engine control room has an administrative workplace from where the chief can survey all relevant operation values, having the equipment within sight and reach. A square room is often a good alternative. However, reality shows
18 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Klara Magnusson, klara@breakwater.com
Report Work environment
Photo: klara magnusson
Monica Lundh is a sea engineer who has gone ashore. She sometimes refers to her own experiences from the engine department.
that many engine control rooms are formed as narrow corridors. “If I had to summarize the study in one word it would be ‘overview’. As a chief you want quick information on the operation values and process status. This was easier with the analogous panels”, she says.
Starting up an engine in an analogous control room meant walking around turning on switchers and starting pumps and seeing that everything worked as planned. Today’s chief chooses a mode on the computer and does not get any feedback. If no
The project The project Engine Control Room – Human Factor is financed by the Swedish Mercantile Marine Foundation, Vinnova and the Swedish Maritime Administration. The project started in February and ended in November 2008.
alarms start to signal you just guess that all is fine. Many ship engineers interviewed in the study asked for a general map showing process information, as a receipt of everything being satisfactory. Having all the information on a computer also means that only the person in front of it knows what is happening, Monica Lundh points out. “But this is not an insoluble problem. If you know that there is a wish for it, a graphic picture on a wall screen could tell when the process is running.” For the onboard crew the problem
of the design of engine control rooms is no news. However, this is the first time they are actually asked what they think of their place of work. Why they haven’t complained earlier depends on professional pride, explains Monica Lundh, referring to her own years as a sea engineer.
“The challenge of this job is to dupe the technology, to make things work and run. There is an enormous creativity on the ships – instead of screaming ‘we can’t put up with this’, a ship engineer always finds solutions”, she says.
NO 1 2009 SHIPGAZ 19
Work environment
»I don’t want to say that the shipping companies build bad ships – they build as good as they can on the basis of today’s conditions« The study group discovered that the alarm panel could often not be seen from the administrative workplace. When an alarm calls, the chief has to leave his workplace to check where it comes from. This means many turns a day, back and forth between panels and screens that are not placed to work together but seem to have been placed, where there was a gap.
Report
Marine Engineers WANTED
RESULTS A summary of the results will be presented at the Rina conference in London in February 2009.
As the Simonsen fleet has undergone extensive modernization and we are currently awaiting delivery of yet another new vessel, we require motivated and qualified Marine Engineers.
One ship, built only six months earlier, had 1,800 alarm points calling and having to be reset at a blackout. When everything was back to normal the alarm system said so, and then most of the 1,800 alarm points had to be checked again. “I don’t give a damn about what’s normal! Just tell me what doesn’t work so I can fix it”, Monica Lundh says. She makes a comparison with one of the older ships, where the alarms were collected in a so-called blackout log. Only the most relevant information – what had caused the blackout – was shown on the screen. “New doesn’t necessarily equal good, is one of the conclusions made in this study. Reduction of noise and vibration is better on modern ships, but not always the alarm system. With too many alarms the survey is destroyed and you need help to sort out what’s important”, she says.
On two of the vessels the group also studied the design of the engine room. Their next step planned is – if the financiers give their OK – to continue and make an extensive study of engine room design as well. Monica Lundh guesses that the result will be similar to that in the study of the engine control rooms – half-baked solutions that certainly work but could be done in a better way. “Working in the engine department means moving heavy stuff; there is still a shortage of overhead cranes and lifting devices where needed.” On a supply vessel trafficking the North Sea, Monica Lundh had to climb down to a small platform on top
The successful applicants will receive: • Permanent vessel • Attractive salary • Modern fleet • 1:1 based on 30 day assignments • Good promotion prospects
The successful applicant has: • Class 1 or Class 2 Engine cert. of competency • Preferably oil and chemical certificates • Preferably tanker experience as marine engineer • Good English skills • Good IT skills
M.H. Simonsen is a family owned company operating 9 product tankers. The vessels are primarily engaged in the transport of vegetable oils and clean petroleum products in Northern European trade. We offer our vessels professional shore-based support, and acknowledge that our seafarers are vital members of the Simonsen family.
Send your application and CV to: Email:
nautic@mhsimonsen.com
Phone: Mobile:
+45 6220 2033 +45 2364 7633
Web:
www.mhsimonsen.com
4009
20 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Klara Magnusson, klara@breakwater.com
Report Work environment
Creative solution. When pulling a clapper in the other end of the room, the chief can make the brass hoop reset the alarm.
It is important to think of the function of things – otherwise conditions for accidents will be built in, according to Monica Lundh. Today, goal based rules are often mentioned in the IMO. Instead of having to be 12 mm thick, the rules lay down that a plate must endure a certain pressure. Monica Lundh and her colleagues On one vessel the engine want to introduce this way of thinkroom floor was divided into 20 ing also in the design of the engine plates, all of them in different department. forms. “What functions do you need in Imagine the scenario that an engine control room? You must be there is a leak and that you in able to overview processes and deal panic tear up all the plates to with administrative work, and basic find the leakage. Afterwards ergonomic requirements must be you will have a gigantic puzzle met. You should design the engine with 20 pieces and no idea of control room on the basis of these adv The shipping 13:56 Pagina 1 how they were placed. conditions”, she says. Gazette 24-01-2008
Scary examples from vessels in the survey
*
One chief told the study group that he had to walk nine km just to do his daily round. He also had to walk all the way to the end of a 122-metre long propeller axle to check operation values. One vessel had an engine control room formed as a narrow corridor and the chief’s working area was placed be-
hind a pillar. On a panel in the other end of the room was an alarm that often called. Tired of walking all the way around the pillar to reset the alarm, the engine personnel built an arrangement – a clapper leading to a small brass hoop via three pullies – so the chief could just pull the clapper to reset the alarm.
*
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Photo: monica lundh
of the main engine in order to get access to the top of the cylinder, with no rail to hold onto. “In the North Sea with its storms and heavy seas! If the main engine stops when we hold the vessel in position with DP, the problem has to be solved instantly. How am I supposed to work on the platform when I have to use one hand to prevent falling?”
40093 - NEVA2009AD_213x297.2.qxd
9/1/09
13:32
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 21
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22 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Bent Mikkelsen, bent@shipgaz.com
Report Life after Bohus
Photo: bent mikkelsen
Ole Kristiansen is back again on the tug Bestla, after the horrifying experience of loosing another tug on a Swedish reef in bad weather.
Ole Kristiansen’s long way back
The Danish captain was in the crew of four as towing supervisor when the tug Bohus was lost on the rocks off Härmanö, in the archipelago of Bohuslän, in March 2007. The crew members hardly got their feet wet but the incident gave the Danish captain a mental trauma bad enough to take him almost three months of recovery before he could stand on the deck of a tug again. During those three months of recovery he was not at all sure that he would ever go back to his job. “It was the most horrifying experience that I had ever had in my life”, says Ole Kristiansen.
“Not at first, but less than 24 hours after the incident it began to catch up on me. My head was full of thoughts about what had happened and what might have happened.” After the rescue operation − where
the crew was airlifted off the tug − and after debriefing both with the police and later at the Svitzer office in Nya Varvet, Ole Kristiansen left Sweden and went back to his ordinary position as captain of the tug Bestla, stationed in Esbjerg, Denmark. The following day he took off early in the morning in order to assist a car carrier docking in the harbour. It was a dark morning and the sea was choppy. “It was the worst thing I have ever experienced on a tug at work”, says Ole Kristiansen.
»It was the most horrifying experience that I had ever had in my life«
Ole Kristiansen had three months of recovery after the accident.
“For the first time I became deeply shaken with what had happened earlier on board the Bohus.”
“I had to manoeuvre the tug close to the bow in bad weather and I became nervous, the absolutely worst thing that can happen on a tug. I began thinking ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do this’, but I had to pull myself together and thought of my crew, where two persons were on deck just a few metres from a giant ship in bad weather.” “I managed to finish the operation, but as soon as it was over and the tug was safely moored at the quayside, I called the office and asked to be relieved and for some help.”
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 23
Life after Bohus
Report Photo: kbv/norrlandsflyg
»What if we had had to enter the water and had been hit by the tug« At home the troublesome thoughts in his mind kept rolling over and over, Ole Kristiansen explains. “The internal film from the Bohus was shown all the time in my mind. How things were at the time when the tug first hit the rocks, which was so frightening.”
When the crew members realized that the tug was drifting fast towards the rocks they made preparations to abandon ship, which means that they put on their survival suits. “I was in the wheelhouse trying to get into the suit when the tug hit rock”, says Ole Kristiansen. “Imagine the loudest noise that you have ever heard and multiply it ten times − that is how it sounds when a 300 ton tug smashes from a four-metre high wave down on a rock.” When the tug smashed onto the rocks, Ole Kristiansen lost his balance and was thrown to the floor. “The next thing was to close the survival suit. But how can you do that when the tug is hammering onto the rock and you need one hand to avoid being thrown around, but two hands to close the last zipper on the suit?” While Ole Kristiansen was fighting with his suit in order to survive, there was chaos in the wheelhouse. The impact on the tug slamming onto the rock was so severe that everything was torn to pieces in a short time. Cabinets were torn off the bulkhead and flew around inside the wheelhouse along with the computer, printer, bookshelves and all sorts of equipment. “While sitting on the sofa in the
The Bohus abandoned on the rocks off Härmanö, where it shortly after was torn to pieces. dark at night because I couldn’t sleep, it all came back again and again. All that thinking made me realize how close we were to being killed on board the Bohus”, says Ole Kristiansen.
“Think about what a cabinet tumbling through the wheelhouse would do to your head if you were unlucky enough to be standing in the wrong place. What if we had had to enter the water and had been hit by the tug. Or if one of us had been swept onto the rock with the same power as the Bohus. I am sure we would not have survived.” During the weeks that followed, these thoughts became worse and worse and Ole Kristiansen had to contact a psychologist to get some help. “I must say that from the first moment, I got full support from the
company. They arranged for all the external support that I needed and for as long as I needed it. But it took some time before I could find my way back to normal life again”, says Ole Kristiansen. He says that after several sessions with the psychologist he regained his confidence in being the captain of a tug. But still he very much regrets that he went back home the day after the loss of the Bohus. “I should not have done that and I put my crew and the tug in danger, but luckily I managed to finish the operation”, he says. When he came back on board, he was not alone during the first days. Ole Kristiansen was on board as an
»From the first moment, I got full support from the company« Total loss The tug Bohus was built in 1974 by Åsi-verken in Åmål, Sweden. The wreck was destroyed to the degree that it could not give any clues to the cause of the foundering.
No certain explanation to the blackout The tug Bohus lost power on both the main engine and the auxiliary engines while on a voyage from Wallhamn to Brofjorden on March 16, 2007, in heavy weather with wind forces up to 25 metres per second.
No exact explanation of why the tug lost power on the voyage has been given. Unfortunately, the wreck of the Bohus cannot give any clues, since the tug was torn to pieces on the seabed. Despite the tug being built
of thick plates with icebreaker strength, it was smashed into small pieces upon impact with the rocks off Härmanö. Divers have not been able to find any traces of the anchor winch in order to establish how
much anchor chain there was in the water at the time of the accident. It was believed that a piece of cloth in the day tank stopped the fuel lines to the engines and caused the stop.
*
24 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Bent Mikkelsen, bent@shipgaz.com
Report Life after Bohus
Photo: bent mikkelsen
»I thought that a trip towing in Sweden could be a nice break of routine« extra captain under supervision of the captain that he shares the tug with. “He was prepared to take over, if I lost my grip of the situation, but it didn’t happen and after a week we agreed that I could work again”, Ole Kristiansen explains. 50 per cent of the crew that was on board the Bohus on that particular voyage have still not been to sea again since the incident. The captain and the ship assistant have retired. The chief engineer is still active. The accident on the Bohus didn’t turn out to be the nice experience that Ole Kristiansen had hoped for. “In March there was little traffic in Esbjerg, so I thought that a trip towing in Sweden could be a nice break of routine for me”, he says. “But instead it became my second close call in the 26 years that I have sailed on tugs.”
In 1989 he had a close call, while being the captain of the tug Goliath Gøl working in Fredericia. During a tow from Lyngsodde pier a broken gob wire and a defect on the towing hook on board led to an accident that was very close to causing the Goliath Gøl to capsize. “We were unable to release the towing hook no matter what we did and the vessel didn’t make any speed ahead since there was a current of 4−5 knots”, says Ole Kristiansen. “It didn’t stop before the tug was lying down at a 90 degrees angle and
The Bestla assisting the Dana Sirena. It takes delicate manoeuvres to approach a large ship in rough weather. the seawater poured into the engine room from the top of the funnel lying on the water surface. It was not a nice experience and everyone saw their
lives pass before their eyes. But that incident did not leave any permanent psychological marks on me”, says Ole Kristiansen.
*
Our strength – your benefit Please visit us at: www.kockumsonics.com, www.polarmarine.se, www.texon.se
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 25
Life after Bohus
Report
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26 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Pierre Adolfsson, pierre@shipgaz.com
Update Piracy
PHoTo: US NAVY
A parachute dropped by a small aircraft, observed as it falls over the MV Sirius Star during an apparent payment.
Piracy still haunts the world fleet In 2008, piracy off Somalia became a major international media issue – reports of hijackings and kidnappings flourished. More and more navies are now targeting this widespread sea criminality. According to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, 111 attacks took place on vessels off Somalia in 2008, of which 42 ended with a hijacking. Hundreds of crew members were taken hostage. The latest information from the Centre shows that 13 vessels have been hijacked (mid January) and 245 crew members are being held hostage. The figures for the whole world has yet to be published. According to the United Nations, approximately USD 120 million was paid in ransoms last year.
Recently, a spectacular hijacking reached its end when Somali pirates released the VLCC Sirius Star and its crew of 25, following a USD 3 million ransom delivery, by a parachute. The 318,000 dwt Sirius Star, built 2008, is the largest vessel ever to be hijacked. However, in 2008, the international response to this area of sea
criminality was heavily intensified. Among other steps, the EU launched its antipiracy operation Atalanta, and in the middle of January 2009 the US established the CTF 151 (Combined Task Force). CTF 151 is a multinational task force focusing on conducting counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. This force will be an important complement to the CTF 150, which was established at the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom several years ago. “Some navies in our coalition did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions”, says US Navy Vice Admiral Bill Gortney and continues:
»Some navies in our coalition did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions«
Bill Gortney, US Navy Vice Admiral.
“The establishment of CTF 151 will allow those nations to operate under the auspices of CTF 150, while allowing other nations to join CTF 151 to support our goal of deterring, disrupting and eventually bringing to justice the maritime criminals involved in piracy events.” Naval ships and assets from more than 20 nations comprise the CTF 151.
Furthermore, in January three Chinese warships arrived to the troubled waters off Somalia – in 2008 seven Chinese commercial vessels were attacked by Somali pirates. The warships will work with other members of the international task force in the area, a spokesman from the Chinese Navy confirmed to BBC. It will be the Country’s first naval operation beyond the Pacific. The flourishing piracy seems to be creating unexpected military alliances.
*
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 27
Beskrivning
Adveto Advanced Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, is a world pioneer in electronic navigation. Founded in 1985, Adveto develops, produces and markets world class systems for electronic precision navigation of professional vessels with type approved ECDIS. Our customer base is wide and solid and the Adveto brand is well renowned. Our systems and products are highly
Titel
appreciated by maritime professionals all across the globe for world class quality and a superior user-friendly functionality. This also applies to the Adveto ECDIS product range with a functionality even beyond the ECDIS standard. Please visit www.adveto.se or www.adveto.com for more information about Adveto.
The market demand for the Adveto systems and products is steadily increasing. Furthermore, the recent IMO decision making ECDIS mandatory for a wide range of vessels presents a huge incremental potential for Adveto all across the world. Therefore, we are now recruiting an
EXPORT SALES MANAGER World class type approved ECDIS systems
The superior Adveto precision navigation functions are in many respects far beyond the ECDIS standard.
Based at Adveto headoffice in Spånga (Stockholm), Sweden, the Export Sales Manager will initially have the key responsibility to develop the Adveto business outside the Nordic countries by building and supporting a network of partners/distributors world wide. However, we also want the successful candidate to have the capacity to gradually take charge of the overall marketing and sales responsibility for Adveto world wide. The successful candidate should preferably have: • Shipping experience as Master or Officer • Sales experience from the maritime electronic business • Good knowledge of electronic navigation systems • Sales capability and experience, preferably internationally • Business mind and strong customer focus
• Excellent communication skills in Swedish and English, both verbally and written • Ability to work independently with a high commitment and a sense of entrepreneurship • Ability to spend many days travelling internationally
For further information, please contact Mr. Kent Sylvén, CEO of Adveto , tel +46 705 36 69 05. If you feel you are the right person for this key position, please send your brief application and CV to our recruitment partner DICTIMA, SE-163 29 Spånga (Stockholm), Sweden or by e-mail to info@dictima.se.
– electronic navigation systems for more than 20 years www.adveto.se • www.adveto.com
Photo: Pär-Henrik Sjöström
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 29
By Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
Nils-Erik Eklund
The Portrait
Born and raised in the world of ferries Alternative energy solutions will play a key role when future ferry generations are designed, says Nils-Erik Eklund, Managing Director of Viking Line. When Nils-Erik Eklund in early 2010 leaves his post as the Managing Director of Viking Line Abp – to be able to spend more time developing futurerelated issues – he has led the company for 20 years. This is an exceptionally long time and at the age of 63 MD Eklund thinks that it is time for a change of generation. MD Eklund has seen ferry traffic from the inside since his childhood. His father Gunnar Eklund was the driving force when Rederiaktiebolaget Vikinglinjen was founded in 1959.
Vikinglinjen was the first shipping company to introduce a pure car ferry service between Finland, Åland and Sweden. In 1963 Gunnar Eklund took the initiative to establish Ålandsfärjan AB. This company, later to be renamed SF Line AB and Viking Line Abp, is today one of the most successful ferry shipping companies in Northern Europe. After completing his studies in economics in Sweden, Nils-Erik Eklund has worked with the company since 1974. He was appointed as his father’s successor when his father retired as the Managing Director in 1990. For 35 years MD Nils-Erik Eklund has shown an active interest in questions
regarding alternative and renewable energy. “In the long run the demand for oil will decrease and the price tends to increase. We have to find alternative solutions to solve our need for energy. I think that these questions are closely related to the protection of our environment, which we will be handing over to the next generations,” MD Eklund explains. Environmental issues have been a high priority for Viking Line for more than two decades. These issues include for example new technologies for cutting down the consumption of energy.
»It is obvious that there is a strong interest and a real need to do something within this field« According to himself, creating and developing new ideas has always been a driving force for Nils-Erik Eklund.
MD Eklund confirms that the interest in and awareness of environmental issues have increased drastically within shipping. “After the release of our vision of a future low-energy ferry, I have received surprisingly much response from people and companies who have been working with similar questions. It is obvious that there is a strong interest and a real need to do something within this field.”
MD Eklund does not think that all available new technology may be adopted on the next generation of ferries at once. “It must be implemented step by step. Our future newbuildings cannot act as floating test beds for new technology. We are indeed able to test certain applications on our present vessels and adopt them on newbuildings if they turn out to be working solutions.”
As the sailing schedules are tight, MD Eklund does not see any possibilities to totally abandon diesel enginebased solutions in the foreseeable future. “On the other hand it is obvious that we will be able to achieve considerable reductions in the total energy consumption by applying new technology. Small improvements in many areas may together have a significant impact.” As an example MD Eklund mentions different measures taken by the technical department. These measures have resulted in a five per cent decrease in bunker consumption when the existing technical solutions are used. “As a matter of fact the ferries built today are still mostly based upon the
30 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
The Portrait Nils-Erik Eklund
Photo: mati
Photo: kari sarkkinen
The keel laying ceremony of Viking XPRS on April 16, 2007. Photo: viking line
Naming ceremony at Aker Yards Helsinki shipyard on September 14, 2007. Project manager Jouko Kunnari, Nils-Erik Eklund, sponsor Paula Koivuniemi and President Juha Heikinheimo of Aker Yards Cruise & Ferries. same technology as 20 years ago. Regarding bunker consumption they are out of date,” MD Eklund states. MD Eklund compares the following generations of ferries to the recent development within the car industry, where hybrid cars are now gaining ground. In addition to diesel engines, additional energy for propulsion could be generated by for example the wind.
“When my father sailed three times round the world on the sailing vessel Pamir in the late 1930s, a voyage from Australia to England took 95 to 100 days. Today it is possible to sail round the world in 60 days with sailing boats in non-commercial trade. It indicates that there has been a huge progress regarding sails and sailing. I don’t mean that we should return to the age of sail, but
»We try to find out what our customers really need and then realize it«
if the wind could offer a sufficient amount of additional energy we must definitively go for it in one way or another.” The interest in developing new ideas and creating something has been a driving force for MD Eklund. “I have been development oriented all my life and have an interest in solving small and bigger problems which people in different areas of life are confronted with. This is also what we have always done within Viking Line. We try to find out what our customers really need and then realise it in a way that makes it possible for them to travel comfortably for a low cost. This is our fundamental philosophy.”
Viking Line’s vision of the ferry of the future. Before ending the interview with one of the most influential persons in the ferry business, I just have to ask the question: Is there any secret formula behind the success story of Viking Line?
“We have always tried to establish a close relationship with our customers. Our goal is to offer what they explicitly want and also to quantify that demand. This way of thinking does apply to our whole organisation,” MD Eklund explains. “We have never mixed our business with personal prestige. Our company is not classy, but our services are. And we have always been very careful with money. We have only spent money on things that we believe that our customers might enjoy.”
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Viking Line’s fifty years of ferry traffic The history of Viking Line originates from the Åland shipping company Vikinglinjen, which became the very first to launch a regular service with car- and passenger ferries between Finland, Åland and Sweden on June 1, 1959. However, just a few days later the Swedish company Rederi AB Slite inaugurated another ferry
service across the Åland Sea. A new Åland ferry company named Ålandsfärjan was established in 1963.
These three ferry companies established co-operation in 1967 under the brand Viking Line. To avoid confusion the Vikinglinjen company adopted the name Sol-
stad, which later became a part of the Sally group. Ålandsfärjan changed its name to SF Line in 1969. Viking Line scored huge success and became in the early 1970’s the market leader in the ferry traffic across the Åland Sea. In 1987 Rederi AB Sally left Viking Line due to financial dif-
ficulties and change of ownership. In 1993 Rederi AB Slite went bankrupt. After this Viking Line became a subsidiary to SF Line and in 1995 the parent company changed its name to Viking Line. In the same time Viking Line became listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 31
Nils-Erik Eklund
The Portrait
Control your impact It’s about leadership. Control your impact. Global environmental concerns are increasingly becoming an issue which will impact on shipping as well. Long experience of ship legislation and international rule frameworks has clearly demonstrated that the shipping industry must actively engage in short- and long-term solutions to minimize emissions to air and discharges to sea. Our purpose is to safeguard life, property, and the environment. DNV provides a number of services that address shipping’s environmental impact – so that you can go ahead with confidence. Classification • Certification • Statutory Services • Maritime Consulting
DNV serving the Maritime Industry www.dnv.com
32 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Report Norwegian shipyards Photo: Dag Bakka jr
Aas Mek Verksted på Vestnes has concentrated on live fish carriers and small tankers, like the Fox Sunrise being fitted out in June 2008.
From euphoria to concern From high activity and an all-time-high order backlog, the situation for Norwegian shipyards has gradually turned from glee to growing concern. Years of brisk ordering and successful outsourcing have produced higher productivity and more advanced products, but also all sorts of snags and problems that have detracted from the profit margin at many shipyards. At least two shipyards have passed into bankruptcy during 2008. First it was Flekkefjord Slip, an experienced yard with several advanced vessels like research ships on it reference list. The yard was sold in June to US yachtbuilders Palmer Johnson for construction of large yachts and specialized vessels.
Then followed Solstrand, which was a part of Per Sævik’s Havyard Group in October, and at the end of the year also Karmsund Maritime
found itself in dire financial problems. The Florø shipyard – the only yard in Norway building vessels in the 40,000 dwt class – was also reported to have accumulated substantial losses which followed the yard from Kvaerner to Aker Yards, settled only by arbitration in March. The basic problem for many shipyards has been cost overruns and the affiliated problem of delays. As Hagland Offshore noted in its December report, of the 80 North Sea class supply vessels expected for 2008 deliv-
The basic problem for many shipyards has been cost overruns and the affiliated problem of delays
ery, only 54 were actually completed. The flexible organization with small shipyards and a large number of independent sub-contractors proved the salvation of the Norwegian shipbuilding industry in the 1980s.
Every ship to be constructed became a separate project, where the key to success became the strict management and timing of materials, equipment and manpower. Delays in delivery might easily lead to complications and re-scheduling of sub-contractors. This is exactly what happened on a large scale during the recent bonanza First, the increasing volume of hulls and steelwork meant that more sub-contractors had to be found in Eastern Europe. Not all of these were
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 33
Norwegian shipyards
Photo: Alf J Kristiansen
The reason why the yards have been able to step up productivity, lies large ly with the access to Polish and other East European guest workers
Report
Busy days at Karmsund Verft.
able to deliver the quality within the agreed deadlines. Horror stories recount fabrication of steel modules in Polish backyards with scant quality control and inspection. This happened particularly during 2006/07, and the situation appears to have improved after that. Delays in delivery led to late arrival at the contracting shipyard in Norway. And late arriving ships meant that sub-contractors had to be postponed, which caused severe problems for everyone involved. Delays easily led to several subcontractors arriving at the same time while the project management did their best to maintain progress thro ugh improvising. With hundreds of extra workers wandering around a ship waiting for access to do their bit, costs easily ran out of control.
As the boom mounted, the shipbuilders were able to charge higher prices to compensate for rising costs of steel, equipment and labour. Back in 2004, a standard platform supply vessel of the UT755 L-design had a building cost of about NOK 125-130 million. From there the price began to rise, reaching NOK 145 million by the summer of 2006 and 180 million at the end of the year. The value for this type of vessel appears to have reached its zenith a year later at NOK 220 million; a 70 per cent increase in three years. For more advanced types, like large anchor-handlers, rising costs and long delivery time of vital components like winches and engines also contributed to rising end prices. In addition, the integration of control, positioning and navigation systems often proved more challenging and time-consuming than anticipated. Looking at the annual production value of Norwegian yards, we find a strong increase over the last few
years. With an estimated annual production worth in the range of NOK 9 billion, the actual outcome was as low as 4.4 billion in 2004, rising beyond NOK 15 billion in 2007. The reason why the yards have been able to step up productivity, lies largely with the access to Polish and other East European guest workers. Skilled welders, steel workers, plumbers, electricians and other categories have been hired for shorter or longer periods and given temporary accommodation at the yards. The strong domestic labour market has ensured that many of these have been given Norwegian wages.
The shipyards have been part of the government-sponsored GIEK export financing scheme. During 2006/07 GIEK provided guarantees for NOK 4.9 and 11.4 billion, respectively; apparently for the top financing. The credit crunch arising last year obviously increased demands on the guarantee scheme, and from a total
giek Garanti-instituttet for eksportkreditt (GIEK) is the central gov ernmental agency responsible for furnishing guarantees and insurance of export credits. The Institute’s primary function is to promote export of Norwegian goods and services and Norwegian investment abroad.
frame of NOK 50 billion proposed in June, the assignment has recently been extended to NOK 110 billion. This should enable the shipyards and their customers to secure financing for the majority of the order stock. It is also very much in line with the centre-left government’s policy of keeping unemployment down.
What happens to the orders when a shipyard collapses? The case of Flekkefjord Slip may be illustrative. Here, the Elektron II, a heavy-lift vessel, was delivered in May 2008, after which all work came to a standstill. At the time yard no 189, a large offshore contingency vessel for Simon Møkster Shipping, was lying at the yard in the early stages of outfitting. Two more steel hulls were being built by contractors in Bulgaria. As a solution, yard number 189 was purchased by Simon Møkster Shipping and fitted out by the yard on a cost basis as Stril Herkules. The other two hulls were also acquired by
34 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Report Norwegian shipyards
In the case of Solstrand – a shipyard located at Tomrefjord midway between the towns of Aalesund and Molde – the bankruptcy in October 2008 followed excessive losses from cost overrun. In April last year, the Havyard group came in as new owners after a loss of NOK 112 million had to be tabled for 2007, and with 35 million in fresh equity, negotiations began for compensation of rising cost of steel and equipment. Some of the owners declined to pay up, after which the owner and the bank decided to liquidate the shipyard. Two large factory trawlers for Faroese account were duly cancelled, although two similar units for Norwegian owners will be built. Whether further orders may be cancelled at other yards, will largely depend on the offshore market, and, indirectly, on the oil prices. With order books full well into 2010 and even 2011, there is no rush to secure new orders. The order backlog at the end of 2007 amounted to NOK 76.4 billion, and a slowdown was expected for 2008. This was, indeed, what happened. During 2008, just 17 vessels were ordered at a total value of NOK 6.1 billion (USD 880 million), of which 5.7 are for offshore vessels. And the momentum has virtually trickled to a stop during the autumn. In the short run, the main challenge for the shipyards will be the internal organization to ensure efficient progress without unnecessary delays. The price for vessels due for delivery in 2009/10 are considerably higher than for contracts signed in 2004/05,
Photo: stx
their original interests, as there were favourable employment contracts involved. Solstad Offshore initially sought to complete as much work as possible on its Normand Subsea 7 in Bulgaria, but soon realised that the complexity was too much for the yard. The vessel was taken home to be fitted out at the Flekkefjord facility, which by now had been restored as Palmer Johnson Yachts Norway, on a separate contract. The last Flekkefjord order, another contingency vessel for Møkster, was initially thought to be cancelled, but is to be fitted out at another shipyard.
Brevik Construction, a part of STX Offshore Norway, completed the anchorhandler Far Scimitar in November 2008.
and much will depend on the yards’ ability to delivery at a profit. A 30 per cent decline of the NOK against USD and EURO may affect both ways, depending on the contract terms. The Norwegian-related costs like labour may become lower, whereas imported materials will become more expensive. And then everything depends on the currency stipulations of the contract. Shipbuilding is a complex business and there are many aspects beyond the
During 2008, just 17 vessels were ordered at a total value of NOK 6.1 billion The order backlog at the end of 2007 amounted to NOK 76.4 billion.
control of the shipbuilders. The recent boom, driven by offshore vessels, has clearly shown the importance of the technology cluster, of equipment, design and technology in which the shipyards have a central position. A survey of profitability of shipyards reveals great variation, in hard times as in good. A shipbuilding bonanza is often a time when everyone else is adding on their prices, so a rising market may be the hardest to navigate. For the shipbuilders, however, there is no alternative but stock up orders whenever the customers are knocking on the gate. Dag Bakka Jr
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Remaining orders with Norwegian shipyards by date of delivery 25
20
15
10
5
0 2009 25
20
2010
2011
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 35
Norwegian shipyards
CODAN MARINE
Report
HOW TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS MOVING AT ALL TIMES In our strive to maintain and develop our position as one of the leading and most innovative provider of marine insurances in the Nordic region, we have gathered some of the smartest and most experienced professionals in our field. Through our team you get access to the best loss-prevention and risk handling expertise, the right insurance services and all the advice and assistance you need, whenever and wherever you need it. In addition, and together with our team we have put together the Toolbox of Knowledge. The basic idea behind the toolbox is to offer our customer access to Codan Marine’s and Survey Association’s accumulated knowledge and experience throughout the years. The contents of the toolbox of knowledge are communicated by publishing reports and industry studies/discussions, holding seminars and arranged gatherings on topics of immediate interest. You deserve a marine insurance partner who really understands your business. Someone who listens and can deliver the kind of coverage and support that you need. A partner that believes that knowledge is invaluable to your business. Let us guide you through the uncharted waters of the future. Codan Marine – dedicated to keep your business moving at all times. www.codanmarine.com
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36 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Bent Mikkelsen, bent@shipgaz.com
Report Lay-ups
Photo: Zee-photo
Maersk Semakau is one of eight Maersk Line vessels, laid-up in Chinese waters.
Vessel operators reduce capacity by lay-ups The global economic downturn claims numerous victims. Several ship owners now take ships out of service in order to cut expenses. A large number of vessels are presently on the move to the lay-up berths around the world, while others are going to the traditional places for recycling, as the owners have realized that disposal of the vessels is the only practical solution, especially for ships more than 20 years old. Some of the operators have sailed older container carriers to the recycling yards in the Far East. The Mediterranean Shipping Company, MSC, has disposed of a handful of older box ships.
The Danish Maersk Line was one of the first of the major operators to take ships out of service in order to cut expenses, as it is more economical than operating half empty vessels across the oceans. The freight decline has been clear
for some months in the container business – at present around 210 vessels with a total capacity of 550,000 TEUs are lying idle. The number of idle vessels grew from 165 units comprising 420,000 TEUs to 210 vessels between December 17 last year and January 5, 2009, according to AxsAlphaliner. Axs-Alphaliner divides the ships into two categories: charter market vessels operating on the spot market and ships owned by the liner operators. Around 125 of the 210 ships are operating on the charter market. In total, 24 units between 5,000 and 7,500 TEUs are at present out of
»We see the number of boxes being reduced every week and had to cut down on capacity«
Michel Deleuran, Head of Network and Product in Maersk Line.
service worldwide. For container vessels between 1,000 and 2,000 TEUs, a total of 68 units are out of service.
According to Axs-Alphaliner the decline has yet to stop and the capacity will fall further, following the trend from the last couple of months. On the Far East-Europe trade, the number of boxes has decreased by 16 per cent since August 2008, from 418,000 TEUs to 351,000 TEUs a week. On the Far East-North America trade the decrease is nine per cent, from 376,000 TEUs to 342,500 TEUs a week. On the East-West trade the fall is 11.5 per cent, from 916,000 TEUs to 812,000 TEUs a week. Some months ago the Danish giant Maersk Line announced that a number of container carriers would be taken out of service in order to cut
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 37
Lay-ups
Report
»It will not have any effect on the staff on board, as the ships are laid up with crews still on board« down on capacity, especially on the Trans-Pacific run. So far six units belonging to the S-class have been moved to Chinese waters for anchoring in so-called red lay-ups. When red-laid up the whole crew are still on board working mainly with maintenance.
The S-class vessels are the Maersk Sembawang, Maersk Sebarok, Maersk Semakau, Maersk Serangoon, Maersk Seletar and Maersk Sentosa, all delivered in 2007 from Hyundai and of the type called Hyundai 6500. Maersk Line has also taken two older carriers, the Maersk Karachi and Maersk Kiel, out of service; they are also lying in Chinese waters. “We see the number of boxes being reduced every week and had to cut down on capacity”, explains Michel Deleuran, Head of Network and Product in Maersk Line.
Maersk line The company is a division of the A P Møller Mærsk Group and has a fleet numbering more than 470 container vessels and more than 1,900,000 containers.
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“By taking eight vessels out of the schedules we concentrate the cargo to the remaining vessels that are still running”, says Michel Deleuran. “It will not have any effect on the staff on board, as the ships are laid up with crews still on board, but if we decide to go into cold lay up (without crew on board) the seafarers will be transferred to other vessels within the group, as there is still a shortage of skilled seafarers”. The immediate plan is to keep the vessels out of service for six months, but it might be longer, depending on the market situation. “It is really a strange situation and a complete surprise for everyone in the market. If anyone had said to me six months ago that we would have to take ships out of the market, I would not have believed such a statement”, says Michel Deleuran.
THE OPTIMUM SOLUTION
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Bulk carriers from the 1980s are now heading for the beach of Alang as a result of the market situation and a rising demand for steel on the Indian continent. At present some 24 ships are waiting to be beached in Alang. Of the 24
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38 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Bent Mikkelsen, bent@shipgaz.com
Report Lay-ups
Photo: bent mikkelsen
»We will wait and see what happens in the future before we expose the company to a major purchase« units, 21 are bulk carriers of 8,000 – 9,000 tons of lightweight. The Indian recyclers in the Bhvanagar province are back in business after what turned out to be a small setback in the early autumn. The large number of bulk carriers being taken off the market cannot match the decline in rates and fall in cargo, so a lot of ships are semilaid up or just waiting for an anchor somewhere near the last discharge port. An example of this is the Bulgarian bulk carrier Yondanka Nikolova of 38,500 dwt. It has been lying idle at the roads of Århus since the early days of November 2008 after discharging a cargo at Århus. A sister vessel named the Petimata OT Rms had been anchored for more than one month off Fredericia in November and December before it picked up a cargo in St Petersburg bound for Ghent.
Lately coasters have started to sail to lay-up berths; the number of cargoes has fallen dramatically due to the financial crisis. In the first days of 2009 four relatively new mini-bulk carriers from the Reederei Erwin Strahlmann fleet arrived at Svendborg for lay-up. The four sister ships had been steaming slowly or lying idle at the
The Bulgarian bulk carrier Petimata OT Rms had to wait more than a month for the next cargo.
Torm The company runs a fleet of over 130 modern vessels, principally through a pooling corporation with other shipping companies.
usual spots like Skagen or Copenhagen roads, waiting for the next cargo. So the operator took the consequence and sailed the four ships (the Rodau, Levenau, Kossau and Steinau, all built in 2006/2007 and of 3,700 dwt) to Svendborg for lay-up in order to cut expenses. The four Strahlmann vessels come after some time with a couple of Icelandic controlled ships lying idle in a Danish port. For more than a month the container carrier Akrafell was lying at the old and now abandoned container terminal at Århus, waiting for the Samskip to gain more cargo on the service to Iceland. The Dregg’s only ship servicing Ice-
land, the Axel, has been lying in Thyborøn since early December.
The tanker market has only seen a small decline. However, the present circumstances have made the Danish tanker giant Torm to change its strategy for the coming years. Instead of a clear purpose of buying more tonnage and companies to add to the fleet, it now has a clear aim to ride out the financial storm on the large amount of cash in hand in the company. “We will wait and see what happens in the future before we expose the company to a major purchase”, says Mikael Skov, CEO of Torm.
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 39
Lay-ups
Report
Halfway between Cape Town and Cape of Good Hope we pass the Lighthouse Slangkop, operational since 1919 and measuring over 30 metres from base to balcony. Wild waves breaking against the many cliffs, strong undercurrents and the biting chill of the water make swimming impossible.
For centuries, the waters off the Cape of Good Hope have been regarded among the world’s most dangerous waters to navigate. Countless ships have foundered in these waters; seafarers in hundreds of thousands have found their last resting place here.
Letting the Lighthouses Lead the Way TEXT: LENNART JOHNSSON PHOTO: LEIF HANSSON
When driving from Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope and onwards to Cape Agulhas, there are constant reminders of the magnificence of the sea and the great impact of shipping on the area. ne early and rather chilly morning, we set out from Beach Road in Cape Town. Our first goal is the red-painted lighthouse Green Point a few kilometres from the centre of Cape Town. The lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse that is still functional in South Africa, in use from 1824. One luxurious residence after the other is spread over the hills beyond the lighthouse. Some hundred metres below lies the Atlantic Ocean and its mighty waves form an eldorado for wind surfers. In towns like Clifton and Camps Bay on the western coastal stretch of the peninsula, the really wealthy live. The residences here cost – at least before the ongoing financial turmoil – from ten million rand or 755,000 Euro. It feels awkward to see the extravagance, considering that nearly half of the population of South Africa lives below the so-called poverty line. But the houses are beautiful and fit the dramatic landscape perfectly.
O
At the Bayside Café in Camps Bay it is time for breakfast. This morning it is rather quiet. The tourist season has not begun. However, there are plenty of alert morning joggers and bikers. The price level is agreeable. At the Bayside Café the most expensive dish, fillet of beef with accompaniments, is 7.50 euro. Then the magnificent sea view is included. We get a solid breakfast for just under 2.80 euro per person. One route we plan to drive is along the famous Chapman Peak Scenic Drive. Unfortunately, the last part turns out to be closed. Boulders are blocking the road. But the view of the furious ocean some 300 metres below makes the extra kilometres of driving worthwhile. We turn around and drive a few kilometres north to Hout Bay. The location of the fishing village is astonishingly beautiful, in a bay with high mountains on one side and the Atlantic on the other. We are recommended to take a boat trip from Hout Bay to Duiker Island, which is crowded with seals. On just one rock I count well above 100 seals. In total, the seal colony of the island is at 7,000 individuals.
After the seal stop, we drive straight across the Cape Peninsula and reach the coast of False Bay. The water on the east side is warmer by several degrees than the water of the Atlantic on the west side. Simon’s Town is the headquarters for both the South African navy and the nation’s largest penguin colony, on Boulder’s Beach. But watching the pen-
The first lighthouse that we reach after setting out from Cape Town, Green Point, is also the oldest one.
 A giant seal colony at around 7,000 individuals are crowding the rocks just north of Hout Bay. A trip with a tour boat takes you really close to the seals.
 Clifton just south of Cape Town is one of the super luxurious small beach communities stringing the coast.
Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of South Africa, is the setting of the never-ending collision between two oceans. The figurehead outside the lighthouse of Agulhas stands as a reminder of the countless ships that have met their fate in the constantly rough sea.
Blandio dolobortion vendiametum niamcore modit, quis esecte velisl ulla feugait alit iureetue venismodion henibh erostie modit illaor iriure del delesequatue vel doloboreet adiat.
TTS_S
On Cape Point, 249 metres above the sea, is a lighthouse. Far down, furious waves hit the beaches and cliffs. On the Cape Point ostrich farm we learn that a female ostrich lays a new egg every sixth day. One egg gives an omelette large enough to fill six people.
guins does not match the thrill of the seal spotting an hour earlier, despite the fact that this concentration of penguins with its 3,000 individuals is said to be the largest in all of Africa. Next we choose to drive some distance inland on course to the first main goal, Cape Point. The landscape is different in the interior of the cape, more barren, in places almost mountain-like. The whole area around the Cape of Good Hope forms a part of the Table Mountain national park, which begins just south of Cape Town.
Suddenly we see the first ‘wild’ animal of the journey. It is an ostrich, reservedly watching the car. Perhaps the ostrich was just placed there as advertisement. A sign appears shortly afterwards, informing us that we are approaching the Cape Point ostrich farm. Joe, working on the farm, tells us about the life and behaviour of the ostrich. He says that there are 40 couples on the farm. Every year 600 young are hatched. It takes six weeks for an egg to hatch. The lecture pays off. Two giant, empty ostrich eggs are foisted on me, 50 rand (3.80) each.
»From the viewpoint at the highest top of the cape it is easy to grasp why seafarers fear these waters« We reach the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point half an hour later. For centuries, the cape has been a dreaded passing for seafarers. At the end of the 1840s, the Portuguese seafarer and explorer, Bartolomeo Diaz, called it the Cape of Storms, a good deal of the year that description lies closer to the truth than the name Cape of Good Hope. Vasco da Gama passed the Cape of Good Hope when he sailed to India in 1498. Almost a century later, in 1580, it was the seafarer Sir Francis Drake’s turn to be fascinated by the impressive scenery of the area. From the viewpoint at the highest peak of the cape it is easy to grasp why seafarers fear these waters. Far down, furious waves hit the beaches and cliffs. On Cape Point, 249 metres above the sea, is a lighthouse. Out of commission for a long time, it is a museum today. It was in service between 1860 and 1919
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The Cape Agulhas lighthouse contains a nice restaurant.
»It was here that the Flying Dutchman of fiction disappeared, doomed to be forever lost, sailing the oceans« and is said to have been visible from 67 metres out to sea. Unfortunately the lighthouse was badly placed in a cloud and fog zone. The lighthouse that was built later is on the Diaz Point. It was placed considerably lower, 87 metres above the sea. Inside the lighthouse of Cape Point the dramatic tale of the ship graveyard off Cape of Good Hope is told. According to the legend, it was here that the Flying Dutchman of fiction disappeared, doomed to be forever lost, sailing the oceans for all time.
Signs warn us not to feed or upset the baboons in the area; they can get aggressive and their bite is nasty. The warning is apparently missed by a group of young tourists. They crowd around a large baboon and try to irritate it with various faces and noises. Most tourists return to Cape Town after experiencing Cape Point. We choose to drive a further 150 kilometres. Our goal is the real southern tip of South Africa, Cape Agulhas. Cape Point is not the southernmost point, even if some guidebooks have deceived tourists to believe so. In 1921, the International Hydrographic Organisation established the fact that Cape Agulhas and none other is as far south as can be reached in South Africa. Just before dusk we roll into Cape Agulhas and the small town of L’Agulhas. Naturally we put up at the Tip of Africa, a small bed and breakfast with friendly
prices, claiming in their ads to be the southernmost hotel in South Africa. The landlady is talkative, as her husband is out hunting big game, and we are invited to a couple of glasses of wine, on the house. In the dark, we search our way to the southernmost restaurant of South Africa for a fillet of ostrich.
The next morning, the southern tip of Africa awaits, the beach where the warm water of the Indian Ocean meets the cold water masses of the Atlantic. I make a head start in the morning, pull on my runner shoes and head for the southern tip. The storm and the drizzle make me count on being the first on the spot to experience the oceans meeting. But as so often, I am wrong. Already crowding around the rocks marking the tip is a cluster of Japanese tourists. They ask if I can take their picture. Just as well that I go for it even if my jogging time is irritatingly cut. My lonely moment on the southern tip of Africa has become nothing but a dream anyway. In L’Agulhas lies South Africa’s second oldest still operational lighthouse, which also is a museum today. The 27-metre high lighthouse was completed on March 1, 1849. In 1936 it was electrified and was declared a national monument in 1973. Every five seconds the lighthouse of Cape Agulhas is lit and its light reaches 30 nautical miles. Anyone who manages the 71 steps up the stairs to the top has a grand view of the stormy oceans. Here, it is easy to understand that the coastal stretch is called the coast of ship graveyards. As proof of this, a figurehead stands outside the lighthouse. The figurehead was probably on board the French barque Marie Elise, which foundered off the southern tip of Africa on November 6, 1877.
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Mrs Petro Burger, landlady of the Tip of Africa Guest House, and her husband runs a cosy establishment with homelike atmosphere.
Lighthouses of South Africa The first modern lighthouse of South Africa was built at Green Point, in commission from April 12, 1824. It was followed by the Mouille Point lighthouse in 1842, the Roman Rock Lightship off Simon’s Town in 1845 and the Cape Agulhas lighthouse in 1849. Along the coast of South Africa there are 45 lighthouses. The last was built in 1988 at Groenriviermond on the west coast.
Looking for a chaLLenge
ElEctrical EnginEEr, DFDS tor linE
52 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Bent Mikkelsen, bent@shipgaz.com
Report Yard visit
Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
Selandia high and dry in the floating dock at Fredericia Skibsværft.
Busy Christmas in Fredericia
The Danish repair yard Fredericia Skibsværft A/S has another rhythm than the rest of the working life and holiday season in Denmark. The busiest time at Fredericia Skibs værft is when nearly everyone else has left their jobs and gone home to cel ebrate Christmas and the New Year. A visit to Fredericia on a Saturday between Christmas and the New Year shows that it is a normal working day with hundreds of workers busy fixing ships to be ready for sailing after the holiday period. “For a number of years it has been our busiest time”, explains Thomas An dersen, owner of Fredericia Skibsværft.
“We have a portfolio of customers with ferry operations and operators of ro-ro ships, which are laid up during the Christmas period. They come to us for their annual overhaul in order to
be ready to serve their customers when the coun try gets back to normal working times again in the first week of January”. “Our workforce know the sys tem and are most happy about it as they are paid better during these two weeks than other weeks as it is offi cial overtime”. “Most of our staff and sub-sup pliers have a general understanding for serving the customers in the best possible way whether it is Boxing Day or Sunday. We usually try to avoid anyone being at work on December
»We usually try to avoid anyone being at work on December 24«
Thomas Andersen is the owner of the shipyard.
24, but sometimes some people work until three pm and then go home to their families”, says Thomas An dersen.
The Christmas period in 2008 has not been as busy as usual, as several of the customers have changed ton nage and therefore have less need to consult a shipyard. “It is mainly Color Line, which has changed a fleet of five older ferries to two new (the Superspeed's)”, says Thomas Andersen. “The need for a shipyard for up grading and repair is much smaller with two newbuildings less than one year old than for the older ferries, which have been used intensively for
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 53
Yard visit
Report Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
many years, unfortunately as we are very happy for customers with older tonnage”, he adds. The Color liners that have left the ownership of the Norwegian compa ny are the Christian IV, Skagen, Color Festival, Peter Wessel and Prinsesse Ragnhild. An example of the docking of the Danish owned bulk carrier (lumber) Selandia, named after the famous world’s first diesel driven ship de livered in 1912. The present Selandia
Fredericia Skibsværft The yard has a staff of its own of 110 persons, supplemented by a staff of 474 persons hired by sub-suppliers.
arrived at Fredericia after a ballast voy age from Sete in Mediterranean France on December 22, which was the first day off for the majority of Danes.
On arrival and docking in the late afternoon the whole docking team at Fredericia Skibsværft was on duty un til late that day. Also the daily man agement, surveyors from the techni cal managers were present during the docking operation along with the crew of three tugs from Svitzer. The
bulk carrier was tied up in the dock at 3:30 pm ready for lifting the dock. “We had a number of staff ready to do the first preparations of the repair job to be executed on board”, explains Peter Krogh, project manager for Se landia during the docking. One of the items on the repair list was to close down, inspect and repair the heating boiler on board. “This was really a delicate job as the outside temperature was at or be low zero”, says Peter Krogh.
The Selandia – the very last ØK ship The bulk carrier Selandia was the very last ship to be built for the Østasiatisk Kompagni (East Asi atic Company), founded by the pioneer N. H. Andersen. When the ship was delivered from Stocznia Gdanska in March 1996 ØK, now named EAC Ship
ping, had already disposed of its liner service to Maersk Line. The company was still in the segment of product tankers and bulk, with a number of char tered vessels and the Selandia. In December 1999 the ship was sold to a Danish investment
company at the same time that the whole bulk operation was sold off to the Tschudi & Eitzen Group. The Selandia was originally part of a two-ship order, but dur ing the building of the Selandia the shipyard faced some finan
cial trouble, which made EAC Bulk cancel their contract for the second vessel, which had been allocated the name Jutlandia. However, the Jutlandia was completed and sold to a Norwe gian company and is still sailing as the Syrena.
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54 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Bent Mikkelsen, bent@shipgaz.com
Report Yard visit
Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
Selandia being guided into the floating dock by three Svitzer tugs.
Peter Nies, fsv dock team.
Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
Photo: Bent Mikkelsen
(Left) One of the cargo holds with a hatch to ballast tanks open for inspection. The second officer Jayan Thekke Veetil (right).
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»We had to raid all the electrical shops in Fredericia in order to supply the Selandia« “That was not good for a com bined Indian and Filipino crew, so we had to raid all the electri cal shops in Fredericia in order to supply the Selandia with a large number of electrical heating fans, as there was enough power supply on board but no central heating”, says Peter Krogh.
The crew was partly unfamiliar with the cold Danish weather, but the technical manager, The Eitzen Groups EMS Ship Management was prepared for the climate and on arrival in Fredericia everyone was equipped with brand new topiso lated boiler suits as well as balacla vas and gloves. “It is a rather cold working envi ronment for a person like me that lives in the tropical part of India”, explains second officer Jayan Thek ke Veetil. “It is much easier for those on board from the northern part of India, as their normal climate is much like the Danish winter weather”, he adds. The job on the Selandia in cluded inspection of ballast tanks, chain lockers, hatch covers, some engine repairs as well as installa tion of a new radio station. Also painting of the hull and bottom was done along with the removal of the propeller for inspection of the propeller shaft. The removal of the propeller involved two craned lorries from a local haulier, which supplies Fred ericia Skibsværft on a regular basis with crane coverage in the floating dock and on most of the shipyard’s land area. The Selandia was due to be taken out of the floating dock on January 2, but as in many cases at Frederi cia Skibsværft, the ship was ready ahead of time and on January 1 at eight pm the ship was moved out of the dock and moored at the nearby berth in order to finish the repair, which was estimated to take an other five to six days afloat.
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Peter Krogh, project manager for Selandia during the docking.
A PASS I O N F O R S H I P DE S I G N
no 1 2009 Shipgaz 55
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56 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Rolf P Nilsson, rolf@shipgaz.com
Update IMO
PHoTo: PÄR-HENRIK SJÖSTRÖM
LRIT, electronic charts and navigational watch alarm are some equipment that is, or will become mandatory on the bridge.
The world offers LRIT help to EU The Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO held its 85th session in November last year, and here are some decisions taken concerning ship operations. As from January 1 this year, the longrange identification and tracking of ships, LRIT, system has been ready for launching. However, when the IMO Maritime Safety Committee, MSC met for its 85th session last autumn, it was informed that the EU LRIT data centre would not be operational by then because of the EU procurement rules. So far the system consists of a LRIT centre in USA, eight data centres around the world and a database at IMO headquarters.
• A new International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code, IMSBC Code, was adopted, replacing the BC Code. The new code will enter into force a January 2011. • In a revision of the ISM Code, a new requirement for internal audits at shipping companies and on ships at least once a year. • The International Code on Intact Stability, 2008 IS Code, was also revised with the introduction of a new code that will enter into force on July 1, 2010. This will consist of a mandatory part and guidelines.
The IMO was founded in 1959. The current Secretary-General is Efthimios E Mitropoulos.
The committee also decided, on request by the World Meteorological Organization, to re-introduce guidelines on weather observation reporting by ships. Although being a voluntary task, it is considered important to keep the quality in reports to ships from weather services, and could also be useful for analyses of global climate change.
The message from EU made the committee agree on a transitional period with a general dispensation for ships to start broadcasting by the 30 June. Already now all ships however must have necessary certified equipment installed, ready for testing. The EU has however been offered help form the rest of the world, including Liberia, saying that they are willing to open up their data centres
for ships flagged within the EU. This might also be the plan B for the EU member flag states if EU does not succeed in establishing its own data centre in time. Other important decisions taken concerning ship operations during the MSC session were: • All ships above 150 gt are to be fitted with a bridge navigational watch alarm. This is a consequence of the Karin Danielsen collision with the Great Belt Bridge in 2005. Some ships are exempted until 2014. • During the period 2012 –2016, a mandatory requirement for electronic charts on ships will be gradually introduced. According to IHO, electronic charts cover around 800 ports and routes between them today.
Already now all ships however must have necessary certified equipment installed, ready for testing
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 57
Beskrivning
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The Tor Begonia Round Trip Shipgaz signed on the Tor Begonia together with master Thomas Rubenson and his crew. We give you the story of life and work on a North Sea ro-ro. TEXT & PHOTO: PIERRE ADOLFSSON
It is Tuesday evening and the city of Göteborg on the Swedish west coast is calm and quiet. But one place never rests – the port. n the raw weather, stevedores do their untiring and energetic work to serve all the vessels arriving at and departing from Skandiahamnen. The master of the Tor Begonia Thomas Rubenson, with his pilot certificate, manoeuvres the blue and white ro-ro vessel through the port with destination Immingham. The vessel is one of three sisters operating on the DFDS Tor Line’s freight service to Immingham. The crossing takes some 25–26 hours and the distance is around 500 nautical miles. “The company wants the masters to have a pilot certificate; of course it’s a matter of money. However, the arrangement is demanding, as I have to be on the alert all the time. But it’s working out quite well and I have no problem with my diurnal rhythm as you maybe would think. When we approach Skandiahamnen, the bridge wakes me up one hour before we reach the lighthouse island of Vinga. It takes around one hour from Vinga to the arrival”, says Thomas Rubenson, who has been working as a master since the early 1990s. He signed on as a seaman at the age of 15 and has served on five DFDS-owned vessels in total.
I
“The Tor Begonia is the very first newbuilding I have worked on. The benefits are many as I see it, as I have had the opportunity to be involved in the project from scratch, from when the vessel was being built at the yard. For example I have influenced the structure of the routines we use at arrivals and departures.” “And several crew members have also been serving on the vessel since delivery, for me as a master it is invaluable to have a crew with an in-depth knowledge of the vessel.” This evening, the chief mate Jonatan Christiansson is on the bridge as well. He works on a four-hour rolling watch scheme together with the two other mates. He signed on as a chief mate only one week ago. In the future it is not impossible that he will also be responsible for manoeuvring at arrivals and departures when on duty. Thomas Rubenson shows Jonatan Christiansson what to do and important things to be aware of. It is an ongoing training.
“My master colleague and I advocate the bridge management system, the mates are supposed to answer for the navigation while the master checks it out. It’s safer this way. I basically only navigate when we arrive and depart. However, the next step is to teach the mates to manoeuvre to and from quay. We think that this system helps our personnel to become more interested and involved in the operation of the vessel”, says Thomas Rubenson. On Wednesday morning, the Tor Begonia is sailing at 21 knots in winds around 21 metres per second.
A nice cup of coffee in the morning. Chief mate Jonatan Christiansson warms up for another spell of work.
»It’s my task to find things to do and get the men going on jobs; it’s important always to be one step ahead, it’s how we work«
In the engine control room, the first engineer Ulf Thörnelöf sits in front of a computer from where he gives his colleagues today’s tasks – this is the daily routine. The chief engineer is in his office some decks above most of the time, involved in planning and paper work. However, the chief engineer is always present at arrivals and departures, together with either the first or second engineer, who are on a rolling 24-hour watch scheme. “It’s my task to find things to do and get the men going on jobs; it’s important always to be one step ahead, it’s how we work”, Ulf Thörnelöf says and shows a thick pile of things that must be done between certain intervals, it can either be operation hours or a definite date. The work order list contains checks of: steering engine, MOB engine, urea injector unit, fuel injection valve, auxiliary engine crankshaft, filter, rudder trunk seals and boiler alarm, among other things.
Ulf Thörnelöf has been working at Tor Line
Thomas Rubenson He is one of the masters of Tor Begonia. Thomas Rubenson has been working as a master since the early 1990s and has served on five DFDS owned vessels in total.
since 1993 and has served on seven or eight of the company’s vessels. “So far the Tor Begonia is the best experience, there are few alarms and the number of serious incidents is easy to count. She is well planned and of high quality. Take a look at the electrical panels; they are in unbelievably good condition. It’s no surprise she was built in Germany”, Ulf Thörnelöf says while forming his hands like a straight Autobahn stretch. Ulf Thörnelöf has more examples: “We had an accident, where a crew member caused a smaller heavy fuel leakage in the engine room by mistake. After the oil was scrubbed away we brought in an extra guy for re-painting. We want everything to be in a fresh condition as if it was new. These kinds of things are very good for the work environment.” At around nine o’clock it is time for a coffee break – the control room is quickly filled with people longing for a cup, a cookie or just a chat. On the TV screen the latest Swedish and international news is rolling, alternated with analyses. The satellite communication enables you to watch television as well as be connected to the Internet – in the middle of the North Sea. “This is obviously an advantage; to be honest I’m more updated about the news coverage than at home. And having access to e-mail means a lot for contacts with my family, for people going to sea today it must be a matter of course to choose a ship with satellite communication.” The officer cadet Marcus Lindälv from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, who has been on an oil checking round, admits that satellite communication truly is an important factor when you go looking for employment. Today it is an employer’s market. “The important thing as I see it, is that the shipping company is not stingy, it can be everything from Internet to the environment inside the cabins. In some way, you want it to feel like you have the same comforts as if you were working ashore”, says Marcus Lindälv. No one argues. Why should they?
The electrical engineer Dario Dosen is limping badly, when he walks around in the engine department, an environment that breathes steel and power.
Safety equipment – always put on ear protectors before entering the engine department.
The first engineer Ulf Thörnelöf (left) and the electrical engineer Dario Dosen discuss the day’s tasks.
The officer cadet Marcus Lindälv on an inspection round.
In focus – the motorman Kim Henriksson does daily inspection rounds. When at sea the rounds take approximately 1,5 hours but when the vessel lies moored the same rounds take only forty minutes.
Dosen’s skills. The main engine had an electrical failure and the vessel drifted for one hour in the North Sea. The solution was a truly unusual one: by using electronic components from a TV set, Dario Dosen succeeded in repairing the engine. “It was actually the chief engineer’s old TV set, it was great that it could do some good”, he says, as if the creative solution was the most natural thing do in a situation like this.
It is calm and quiet in the galley and mess an
An instrument to rely on – a temperature calibrator for use in the engine department. The cook Sefik Kalkan prepares dinner. He serves three meals a day.
Four weeks ago he was injured by a radio-controlled model helicopter; a rotor blade broke off and hit his left ankle causing a bad wound that still shines red. “Actually I should have been resting for a longer time but we couldn’t solve it, my colleague has already covered one week for me. But I have asked to get away from the worst parts, in my condition I’m not able to lie down on the floor and crawl.” Dario Dosen has been working as an electrical engineer for 15 years, since he finished his training in Croatia, and has been serving on the Tor Begonia since delivery. Already six months before the vessel was delivered from the Flensburg yard in Germany, Dario Dosen signed on to check weld joints and alarm points among other things. “The last two months at the yard I checked 2,500 alarm points, it was a sweaty job. When the vessel is in operation there are about 500 alarm points that have to be checked regularly.” “It’s more about electronics today; the shipping companies are modernising and reducing staff in the engine departments. So today much of my work is to perform maintenance”, Dario Dosen says and fetches a temperature calibrator from a cupboard inside the workshop, which looks like any workshop ashore . “A gauge is not working properly, so it has to be calibrated. Look here, it doesn’t show the same temperature as the calibrator, as it should.” There is an episode on board that the other crew members gladly tell – it says something about Dario
hour or two after lunch, the crew have returned to their duties after gaining some energy. The only thing you hear is the cook Sefik Kalkan preparing dinner, apart from a muffled noise from the engine. The tools make sounds when they hit the pots, a water tap is turned on and something is going to be chopped – a knife shines in the air. On a white board someone has written: “Today is the national day of Turkey.” The jargon on board seems to be hearty. “It’s a good crew and they do know what they want. It’s everyday fare and they have no problem filling their stomachs, especially the guys working in the engine department”, Sefik Kalkan says and laughs. “But once a week I try to cook something special, I can serve everything from fillet of beef to sole. But Thursday is holy and reserved for pea soup.” Sefik Kalkan has also been working on the Tor Begonia since delivery. However, already in 1975 he went to sea, when he signed on a passenger vessel, but later he took a break from sea life for 15 years. “I ran a restaurant in Osby (southern Sweden) where I live. It was OK, but something drew me back to sea. I guess sea life and what it means suits me quite well”, Sefik Kalkan says and places some cabbage pudding in the oven.
It is past 10 pm Central European time on Wednesday when the Tor Begonia arrives in Immingham, a small town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary. The town is also located south east of Hull; a city that this year has a team in the highest English football league, the Premier League, for the first very time. The discharging and loading take approximately six hours, this evening the Tor Begonia arrived an hour and a half after high tide. It is not very practical to arrive exactly at high tide, as the traffic in the port can be very heavy at these times and tanker vessels with their larger maximum drafts get priority. This means that the Tor Begonia has to wait before she is permitted to enter the port. Tonight the second mate Stig Karlsson leads the forces, but it takes some time before discharging starts and he is frustrated. “I don’t understand why it takes such a long time; normally it begins as soon as we have arrived, but tonight there seems to be some kind of problem.” After a while the discharging starts and when it does it goes quickly. This is not an environment for lazy people. In place is also the able seaman, Tommy Bergström, who is responsible for the adjustable decks as well as hazardous cargo. Cars are placed on the adjustable decks.
The man with the magic hands – the electrical engineer Dario Dosen is appreciated for his skills.
Give me a hug – the stevedorer 'The pirate' (left) and the able seaman Tommy Bergström in Immingham.
»In Immingham the atmosphere is great, there is a guy we call the pirate, he always shakes hands and greets you with ’hello mate!’«
“I think we had around five cars at the crossing, compared to a capacity of around 350 cars on the adjustable decks. It has to do with the business cycle and the lay-off notices at Volvo and the decline in the car industry in general. This sailing we have more cars bound for Sweden, which doesn’t happen very often.”
The British stevedores are working methodically, trucks transport trailers as if on a conveyor belt. Tommy Bergström has intensive communications with his colleagues in Immingham. “It’s quite important to have good contact with the stevedoring company and the guys who are working; everything is much easier for us then. In Immingham the atmosphere is great, there is a guy we call the pirate, he always shakes hands and greets you with ’Hello mate!’”. A moment later the guy turns up and he certainly looks like just that, a pirate. A ring in each ear, a rich moustache and a coloured bandana tightly tied around the head. Close to the aft ramp the motorman Kim Henriksson sits in a small office, he is checking so no unauthorized person enters the vessel. “I sit here for four hours every time we are in Immingham. The safety regulations regarding the ISPS code are tough, but so far this evening I haven’t seen any terrorists”, Kim laughs and stresses that it is usually very calm, well aware of the fact that all the new safety regulations make it a real feat to even reach the quay.
The security check – you cannot enter the vessel without a visit here.
The second mate Lennart Hylander shakes his
The Tor Begonia • The Swedish-flagged Tor Begonia, 11,600 DWT, is built in 2004 at Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft, Germany. The vessel has a length of 199.8 metres and a breadth of 26.5 metres. The cargo capacity is 3,831 lane metres. Service speed is 22.5 knots. • The DFDS Tor Line is a part of the DFDS Group founded in 1866. The fleet of Tor Line consists of around 65 ro-ro, ro-pax, lo-lo and multipurpose vessels.
head when he gazes out over the weather deck. The Tor Begonia has a cargo capacity of 3,831 lane metres, but on the sailing to Sweden only around 2,400 lane metres are covered. The business cycle is definitely a matter of discussion on board, especially as DFDS has signed a contract with MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG to lengthen the Tor Begonia and two of her sisters by 30 metres. The conversions will take place in 2009 and will increase DFDS’s North Sea freight capacity by 25 per cent. For Lennart Hilander and his colleagues on the bridge it will be a challenge to manoeuvre a lengthened vessel, especially as the vessel is quite narrow,
Cars bound for Sweden. They are easy to count.
The able seaman Tommy Bergstrรถm during the early morning hours in Immingham.
»If you don’t react to an alarm within three minutes it will start to ring in the captain’s cabin as well as in the mate’s cabins« 26.50 metres. The hull’s beam is built to fit the DFDS basin in Immingham, but today the vessel calls a different location at the port. “You often think about how the vessel will act while in operation, how she will tackle different weather conditions, for example heavy storms. But everything is of course calculated and planned, so I do believe it will work out very well.” The winds have abated to around ten metres per second and visibility is good. During the crossing the Tor Begonia sails over the Dogger Bank, a large sandbank about 100 kilometres off the coast of England. In stormy weather the vessel avoids the bank due to the risk of grounding, the water depth ranges from 15–36 metres.
The bank is an important fishing area, with cod and herring being caught in large quantities. The naval references are also many, in the First World War for example, the Battle of Dogger Bank took place. It was a naval involvement between the Royal Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine. And for professional divers it is a gold mine of shipwrecks. The North Sea is rich in oil and gas fields; on the Tor Begonia’s route alone you pass several platforms working day and night to serve the worldwide economy with power for industries as well as consumers. At night the view is spectacular, when fires from the oil towers lights up the sea. Small stand-by vessels guard the platforms and when unauthorized vessels come closer than one nautical mile, the patrollers sound the alarm. However, it is not very common that commercial ships sail into the platform territories, as they have their fixed routes. An alarm starts at the instrument panels; it is an ordinary separators alarm, Lennart quickly responds to it by pushing a button. Silence prevails again on the bridge. “If you don’t react to an alarm within three minutes it will start to ring in the captain’s cabin as well as in the mate’s cabins. It’s not very popular.”
The chief mate Jonatan Christiansson, who takes over the navigation at four o’clock, is slightly out of breath, the explanation comes quickly. A badminton match, in combination with an oncoming cold. On one of the decks there is a court drawn, so Jonatan Christiansson is one of a few who have struck a backhand in the middle of the North Sea. “Actually it’s not very common for crew members to play, but now I had an opportunity. Right now I’m not feeling too good, I have a cold coming I think. At least it feels like that”, and he proved to be right, the very day after he started running a temperature. During the morning he has been occupied with paper work and e-mailing; much is about cargo planning, as it is his area of responsibility. “If I’m busy with these things during a crossing I try to focus on the next sailing; what kind of cargo we will have and what the weather will be like. You have to
Hi sister! During the sailing to Göteborg the Tor Begonia and the Tor Ficaria passed each other.
A truck serving the Tor Begonia at Skandiahamnen.
»The load of paper work has grown enormously since the introduction of the ISPS code« order things like lashings; add preparations and orders for maintenance and repairs – you see there are certainly things to take care of. When we call the port there is only marginal cargo planning.” “When the Tor Begonia is lengthened the old cargo routines will disappear. I’m looking forward to building up a well-functioning organization from scratch.”
Back in time, Jonatan Christiansson was actually not supposed to make a living as a seaman. “There was nothing that drew me to the sea and I have no connection with it in my family. Frankly, I started at upper secondary school at Lindholmen because I wanted to live in Göteborg”, He grew up in Kungsbacka; a small town located some 25 kilometres south of Göteborg. “At Lindholmen I studied to be an able seaman. But after my practical training on a vessel, I promised myself never to go to sea again. I felt that working in shipping was not my kind of business.” “So after the training I worked within the health care sector as a personal assistant one summer, but somehow things came to change rather fast. My classmates from upper secondary school told me what fun they had had at sea, so I changed my mind and wanted to give it a chance at least, even if it was a tough decision. And since then I have been working at sea. After three years as an able seaman on different Stena vessels, I chose to continue my training at the master mariner programme at the Maritime Academy in Göteborg. He gazes out over the sea, beyond the horizon someone is waiting for him, his pregnant girlfriend. “Since I met her it’s very important to have my home close, actually it’s a must”, says Jonatan Christiansson who lives with his girlfriend in Majorna in Göteborg, a district that is located only a few kilometres from the port and by car it takes approximately ten minutes. “It will certainly be more difficult when I become a parent, as you want to be at home as much as possible. But this is still one of the better places to work at for seamen. Even if I can’t sleep at home every night I’m able to come home and say hi every time the vessel lies in Göteborg.”
At seven o’clock on Friday morning the Tor Begonia arrives at Skandiahamnen after another crossing. Cold winds envelop the city and the discharging goes as swift as in Immingham. The master Thomas Rubenson knows exactly what awaits him: “The load of paper work has grown enormously since the introduction of the ISPS code. When we arrived in Immingham for example I had to send five documents just to the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The documents concern everything from cargo lists to hazardous cargo – you name it.” At nine o’clock in the evening, another spell of duty with 500 nautical miles of sailing across the North Sea to England awaits the crew of the Tor Begonia.
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Jonatan Christiansson The chief mate Jonatan Christiansson is 28 years old and lives in Göteborg. He grew up in Kungsbacka. He graduated from the master mariner programme at the Maritime Academy in Göteborg in 2005.
78 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Madli Vitismann, madli@shipgaz.com
Report BLRT Grupp
Photo: madli vitismann
The Western Shipyard was awarded the Lithuanian Product of the Year 2008 by the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists for the conversion of the oil platform serving vessel DP Falcon.
A growing Baltic actor
Fjodor Berman, Chairman of the BLRT Grupp, was interviewed in the very first issue of Scandinavian Shipping Gazette in 2001. Now we meet him again. By the time the first issue of Shipgaz is published, the Baltic Ship Repairers company will have grown into a Baltic shipbuilding and ship repairing group with 72 subsidiaries in seven countries, from Norway to Ukraine. Among them are some of the competitors mentioned in that interview in 2001.
Eight years with BLRT Grupp
Photo: Allan Alajaan
According to Mr Berman, the goal was not to buy up the competition, but rather to acquire selected promising enterprises. For instance, the ice-free Port of Klaipeda is closer to the shipping lanes, which is why it is equally wellsuited for clients from Poland, Sweden and Denmark, as well as from Southern European countries.
BLRT first attempted to purchase Western Shipyard back in 1998 but preference was then given to a Norwegian company. Nevertheless, three years later the Lithuanian shipyard was purchased by BLRT. Even that docks proved too small for some of the clients’ vessels: “Having acquired Turku Repair Yard, we can now offer our clients all the facilities they might need. There is no ship plying its trade on the Baltic Sea that we could not repair or modernise”, explains Mr Berman. “Practically all the ferries running
»There is no ship plying its trade on the Baltic Sea that we could not repair or modernise«
Fjodor Berman, Chairman of the BLRT Grupp.
2001: Western Shipyard purchased. Baltic Premator founded in Klaipeda. JSC Elme Metall founded. First Finnish ice-breaker enters dock in Tallinn.
2002: Rebuilding of Meretehas Shipyard begins. Reconstruction of the Ålandsfärjan.
between Finland, Sweden and Estonia are covered. We were not greedily grabbing every facility we could. In our day and age probably everything can be bought and sold, especially because the crisis has begun.”
The fastest way forward has been joint ventures in such fields that the group could not adequately deal with by itself. Mr Berman asserts that joint ventures do not merely use BLRT’s premises and workers: “For example, the Wärtsilä BLRT Management Board consists of one Finn and one of our employees, but anyone can be a Board Member because the joint venture hires staff independently”, says Mr Berman and continues:
2003: Dalmulder’s order for new merchant vessels. PKL’s tug order.
2004: Rebuilding of slipways at Peetri harbour. Huuhka BLRT Interior founded. Completion of first post-war merchant vessel built in Estonia – the Blue Sea.
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 79
BLRT Grupp
Report Photo: madli vitismann
»In our day and age probably every thing can be bought and sold, especially because the crisis has begun« “The company is part of Wärtsilä’s global network. The staff can thus work on different orders simultaneously, just like MacGregor also does. Huuhka & BLRT Interior helps to offer our clients services on the same high level available at other European shipyards, especially those in Finland, as these are among the best ones.”
BLRT has been using the shipyard in Turku as an example in many respects, to achieve the same level in Klaipeda and Tallinn. “The three shipyards develop common strategies; this is especially important when orders dwindle. The ship repair party was still in full swing at the start of this year. Yet now shipowners no longer have sufficient funds because their vessels do not have work, so the shipyard capacities currently exceed the repair order volumes”, opines Mr Berman. “But previously we experienced labour difficulties as there were no welders, compilers, etc. The wages were very high and all the prices kept rising. The situation is now improving but we have had to adjust next year’s budget nevertheless.” Last year the BLRT Grupp enjoyed profits that put the company on the top ten-list drawn up by an Estonian business newspaper. This ending year may yet become the most successful year in the group’s history so far. BLRT seeks optimal risk reduction options. “We have companies that sell metal for building ships and other structures, with service centres in Vilnius, Klaipeda and Tallinn. When the construction market was booming, they supplied it with materials, and now, as the construction market is stalling, they have 2005: Oil products terminal Dekoil purchased. Ciserv BLRT Baltica founded.
A hull is being constructed at the Western Shipyard in Klaipeda.
become suppliers for ship builders and repairers, selling metal frames, special steel and so on. Obviously, if these companies become unprofitable, we will close them down.”
“We are the market leaders in almost all of the ten current fields of operation. For instance, Elme Metall is the Baltic region market leader and our gas company, the joint venture with Messer of Germany, is also one of the leaders in the Baltic States and now we have jointly ventured into Ukraine”, Mr Berman points out. The Marketex is the global market leader in manufacturing fish-feeding complexes and fish farm servicing catamarans. “The unique products made by Marketex include 4,000-ton foundations for installing wind power generators in the sea. 70 mm thick steel is not used in shipbuilding and so we had no welders certified to work with it; the situation with ship hull weld-
2006: Wärtsilä BLRT Services founded. Marketex hands over to Odense the 1,000th lashing bridge.
BLRT Grupp 2007 figures Net sales: EUR 295.1 million Net profit: EUR 32.4 million Investments: EUR 37.1 million Cargo turnover: (at Vene–Balti harbour) 1.7 million tons Subsidiaries: 72 Employees: 3,233
2007: Turku Repair Yard
purchased. MacGregor BLRT Baltic founded. Liquid chemicals terminal in Klaipeda launched. Elme Metall builds factory in Vilnius.
ers is now easier, but those men can only be found at derricks.” “Now and especially over the next year we intend to improve efficiency. Our worst-case scenario for 2009 is to retain this year’s level. We will be heroes if we manage that because the decline in all sectors is enormous.”
30 per cent of the group’s operations are ship repairs and 10–15 per cent shipbuilding. Mr Berman prefers not to provide a straight answer to the question about the optimal shipyard size: “It is difficult to say. We have only 80 people in Turku but that is only our staff, not counting the subcontractors, so there are approximately 300 workers involved additionally. Those 300–400 people work in BLRT Rekato, BLRT Era and other companies of our group in Estonia.” In Klaipeda, on the contrary, BLRT divided the shipyard into several parts. “We will see how well the Turku 2008: 15th ferry hull completed for Fiskerstrand. Building of three ferries for Saaremaa Shipping Company starts.
80 Shipgaz No 1 2009
By Madli Vitismann, madli@shipgaz.com
Report BLRT Grupp
model can be applied in Tallinn and perhaps we will use it to some extent in Klaipeda, too. This reduces risks: minimum of our staff with subcontractors involved when necessary. But this is not a perfect solution. If we receive a very large order, we cannot be sure to have enough workers”, Mr Berman explains.
The contradiction between the need to be able to offer the whole range of relevant services and the fact that not all corresponding subsidiaries can remain profitable is solved by BLRT in the expected manner: “If we really cannot purchase a service from outside our group, we must certainly establish and preserve our own company rendering this service.” “BLRT Rekato was founded for this very purpose. This is evidently the
Photo: madli vitismann
»The whole world is affected by the crisis and we thus suff er all the more because 70 per cent of our output is exported« Blrt grupp BLRT is an industrial group with ship building and repair at the Tallinn shipyards as the core business. It was established in 1912.
A catamaran from the Marketex. best company in Estonia that does ship piping work. This service is required by other enterprises as well and we of course do not instruct our subsidiary to work exclusively for the BLRT Grupp.”
“I am convinced that we have already invested a lot into equipment, technologies and people. Many of our competitors do not have orders now.
We still do. But we cannot simply be glad about that – we should be more frugal and seek more orders.” “The whole world is affected by the crisis and we thus suffer all the more because 70 per cent of our output is exported. On the other hand, this 70 per cent export share allows us to be more competitive. After all, our products and services are still being purchased”, says Mr Berman.
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H b f a
s a t t
c in a
TÄRNTANK REDERI AB
Donsö Hamnväg 24 I 430 82 Donsö I Sweden Tel +46(0)31 97 20 00 I Fax +46(0)31 972003 www.tarntank.se
5O years
1958 - 2008
of successful performance
•
PRESENTS No 1 2009 Shipgaz 81
BLRT Grupp
Report
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82 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Fredrik Davidsson, fredrik@shipgaz.com
Newcomer Dan Eagle
Photo: j lauritzen
The Dan Eagle showing its new bow arrangement with closed connection and control centre.
Back in the offshore business
Lauritzen Tankers will take up a charter in a few months with the ‘new’ shuttle tanker Dan Eagle, which has recently been delivered after a major conversion at the Polish repair yard Remontowa at Gdansk. Lauritzen Tankers took in the product tanker Freja Pacific and changed it to a shuttle tanker for offshore loading, using a full dynamic positioning system. With the delivery of the Dan Eagle, the J Lauritzen Group will re-enter the offshore market. The company left this special market in the 1990s after a number of years as owner and operator of drill ships, jack-up rigs and semi-submersible drilling rigs in the fleet.
J Lauritzen entered the offshore business in 1975 with the drill ship Danwood Snow. The company quit
offshore in order to concentrate its business in other segments. The contract around the Dan Eagle, which also involves two newbuildings under construction in China, has been done in Lauritzen Tankers by its core staff, which originally came from the D/S Progress (Freja Tankers), which went bankrupt in the early years of this century. The core staff headed by Anders Mortensen went to J Lauritzen and started Lauritzen Tankers with a
With the delivery of Dan Eagle, they will re-enter the offshore market
fleet of time chartered product tankers and one offshore shuttle tanker in the portfolio.
This particular tanker, the Campos Transporter, was the basis for the present rebuild and the contract with Brazilian operator Petrobras. The Campos Transporter was especially designed for transport of crude oil from the Campos Basin in Brazilian waters. The field is one of the deepwater fields off Brazil, where it would be impossible or at least very expensive to transport the oil to shore via pipelines. So a shuttle tanker solution was
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 83
Dan Eagle
Newcomer Photo: j lauritzen
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1. Dan Eagle heading towards the Øresundsbron. 2. Dan Eagle was originally built as a product carrier in Korea in 1999 and rebuilt in 2008. 3. View of the deck from bow-control centre. 4. The first vessel with a red hull in the Lauritzen fleet was the Kista Dan, built 1951 as a polar vessel.
Dan eagle Home port .......................................... København Built by ...Hyundai Heavy Industries, No 1,149 Rebuilt by . .............Remontowa, Gdansk 2008 Class .....................DNV + A1, tanker for oil, ESP, CSA-1, VCS-2, SPM, E0, Naiticus (operation), T-MON, DYNPOS, AUTR, BLS North sea Owner .............................. Lauritzen Reefers A/S
Operator ..................................Lauritzen Tankers L o a ...............................................................186.1 m Beam............................................................. 32.2 m Draught......................................................... 12.2 m GT . ................................................................28,448 DWT ............................................................ 44,865 Cargo capacity 5 . 3,000 cbm/334,000 barrels
Pumps ................................................................... 16 Pump capacity........................... 7,910 cbm/hour Machinery .................................... MAN Hyundai type 6S50MC, 7,785 kW Speed .........................................................15 knots Thrusters . .............................Tunnel 2 x 1,720 kW, Retractable Azimuth 2 x 1,500 kW
Photo: j lauritzen
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Photo: j lauritzen
Photo: j lauritzen
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84 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Fredrik Davidsson, fredrik@shipgaz.com
Newcomer Dan Eagle Photo: j Lauritzen
ÂťIt was simply a matter of getting a ship quickly enough to meet the contractÂŤ tion on the Campos Basin is done at a depth of around 2,000 metres.
The Dan Eagle has been fitted with bow loading facilities during the rebuild in Gdansk. Several hundred tons of steel have been added to the hull and fitted with winches and cranes. In fact the new house on the bow is a complete control centre for manoeuvring the ship as well as working with connecting the hose from the sea surface. A normal and standard procedure is that the tanker approaches a hose connection lying on the sea surface. When it is close to the hose or the hose buoy the Dan Eagle will use its equipment to catch this buoy and winch it up to the deck and connect it with pipelines on the tanker. When the hose is secure, the loading can start. Modern shuttle tankers have the pipe connection in a closed area in order to avoid spill of the crude oil before the hose and buoy go back into the sea and the tanker takes off for shore storage. The Dan Eagle is now a highly manoeuvrable double hulled tanker with a full Dynamic Positioning system making it possible to do the delicate approach to the loading buoy and to stay in position while loading, as anchoring is impossible in 2,000 metres of water. The Dan Eagle has been fitted with two tunnel thrusters (one in the bow and one in the stern) and furthermore the tanker has been fitted with two retractable azimuth thrusters, one in the bow area and one in the stern area.
Together with the old main proThe extra deck house contains all the power needed for four extra thrusters. chosen involving D/S Progress and the Norwegian Ugland Group in a joint venture.
They purchased a tanker from D/S Norden named the Nordholt and rebuilt her as the Campos Transporter. The single hull sailed on the charter for
seven years and was sold off in 2006. The know-how and knowledge gained from operating and rebuilding this tanker was the basis for the rebuild of the Dan Eagle and the two newbuildings, which together on delivery will perform as a floating pipeline to shore in Brazil. The drilling and produc-
peller, the four thrusters are coordinated by the DP system and provide superb manoeuvrability and station keeping during loading. The installation of four thrusters has created an enormous need for more power and so a whole new engine room has been built on the old aft deck of the tanker. The aft deck is not needed on the shuttle tanker, as
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 85
Dan Eagle
Newcomer
The Dan Eagle has been created on the product tanker Freja Pacific, which originally was delivered from Korean Hyundai Heavy Industries in 1999 under the name of Hellas Serenity. The tankers were purchased by Lauritzen Reefers A/S in November 2006 and traded as a normal product tanker until the Brazilian deal was negotiated and finalised “It was simply at matter of getting a ship quickly enough to meet the contract”, says Anders Mortensen, head of Lauritzen Tankers. “We already had the Freja Pacific in the fleet and it was suitable for the rebuild so the project was executed”. The pair of new shuttle tankers were ordered at the same time at Guangzhou Shipyard International for delivery in 2010 with an option for a further two units. b ent mikkelsen
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Photo: j lauritzen
loading always goes via the bow connection and discharge goes via the midship manifold. The solution using the aft deck came up as it was impossible to put so much new engine power into the old engine room under deck.
After the rebuilding, the Dan Eagle started with some voyages as a normal product carrier. Here seen anchored in the port of New York.
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86 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Newcomer MSC Fantasia
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 87
Editor Fredrik Davidsson, fredrik@shipgaz.com
MSC Fantasia
Newcomer Photo: MSC Cruises
MSC enters the post-panamax age The recently delivered MSC Fantasia is so far the largest cruise vessel built for a European shipowner. MSC Cruises, based in Naples, has expanded rapidly in the last years. Founded in 1987, the company ordered its first newbuildings in 2000 and the MSC Lirica and MSC Opera were commissioned in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Today MSC Cruises is among the largest cruise shipping companies in the world with a fleet of ten vessels. Until 2012 the number of vessels will grow to 14 after completion of the ongoing newbuilding programme. A sister vessel to the MSC Fantasia is to be named MSC Splendida and will be delivered in 2009. There are also three of a total of six panamax vessels of the successful Musica class to be delivered in 2010–2012. All vessels on order are contracted from the STX Europe shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The MSC Fantasia is the first postpanamax ship in the fleet of MSC Cruises and the largest cruise vessel
in European ownership. She was delivered on December 10, 2008 and the official naming ceremony was held on December 18 in Naples. Artists like Lucio Dalla, Pino Daniele and Renzo Arbore performed on the party, ending with spectacular fireworks.
MSC Cruises is the fourth largest cruise shipping company in the world
Sponsor of the MSC Fantasia is the world famous Italian actress Sophia Loren, who also has named the five other newbuildings in the MSC Cruises fleet.
This builder states that MSC Fantasia is one of the most eco friendly cruise ships built. There is for example an advanced waste water treatment plant on board and to obtain maximum energy savings there is a cabin monitoring system that continuously controls the temperature in each cabin and keeps it constant without unnecessary use of energy. The MSC Fantasy is built to "comfort class" to safeguard the environment, meeting Bureau Veritas' ISO 14001
environmental protection criteria, thus offering its passengers optimum comfort. The MSC Fantasia has 1,637 cabins, of which 80 per cent are situated outside. There are a total of 18 decks, of which 13 are passenger decks. The maximum number of people on board, including crew, is set to 5,284. The public areas consist of for example a 1,700 seat theatre, five restaurants, four swimming pools, 20 bars, an interactive 4D cinema and a Formula 1 simulator. In connection to the naming ceremony of the ship, the Formula 1 simulator was officially opened by the Italian Formula 1 driver Jarno Trulli.
In the MSC Fantasia a new philosophy has been incorporated, where certain areas on board are in exclusive use for MSC Yacht Club-passengers. According to the owner the MSC Fantasia is the first ship to have an exclu-
88 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Fredrik Davidsson, fredrik@shipgaz.com
Newcomer MSC Fantasia Photo: msc cruises
VIP cabin. There are 99 luxury suites in the MSC Yacht Club area. sive VIP area on board, where its passengers can enjoy some privacy. The MSC Yacht Club includes 99 spacious suites, a bar, solarium, two hydro massage pools, a sky dome swimming
pool, a reserved observation lounge with bar, concierge and an observation lounge at the front where glass windows will enable guests to make the most of the amazing views. MSC
Fantasia’s VIP area provides details of an elegant yacht such as walnut for the wall panelling and decorative inserts of Alcantara.
Although the MSC Fantasia is operated on the contemporary market the MSC Yacht Club provides targeting parts of the upscale market segment with the same ship. According to Claes Tamm, managing director of MSC Cruises in the Nordic countries, the concept with a five star service on a vessel on the volume market is new. "Our MSC Yacht Club concept is suitable for example for families who want to pay some extra for a little bit of luxury. On board there are all kinds of activities for children, which perhaps not may be found on a ship exclusively operating in the luxury segment."The machinery arrangement of the MSC Fantasia includes five diesel generators and two electrical propeller motors coupled to two shaft lines with fixed pitch propellers. The total propulsion power is 20.2 MW. The MSC Fantasia is equipped with a dynamic positioning system and fin stabilizers. Pär-Henrik Sjöström
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 89
MSC Fantasia
Newcomer Photo: msc cruises
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1. Reception. The main foyer and the information office. 2. 4D Cinema. Interactive cinema. 3. Sponsor. Actress Sophia Loren during the naming ceremony in Naples. 4. I Tropici. The retractable covered pool.
MSC Fantasia Type ...................................................Cruise vessel Built by ..... STX Europe, Saint-Nazaire, France Owner ........ MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co, Geneva, Switzerland Operator ......MSC Crociere SpA, Naples, Italy IMO No ..................................................... 9359791 Newbuilding No ..............................................A33
Delivered ............................December 10, 2008 Flag.............................................................. Panama Class ...............................................Bureau Veritas L o a .......................................................... 333.30 m L b p ..........................................................296.00 m Beam, mld . ............................................... 37.90 m Draught, design ........................................ 8.45 m
GT . ............................................................... 137,936 DWT ............................................................. 15,000 Passenger cabins/beds . ...............1,637/3,959 Crew .................................................................1,325 Diesel electric machinery .....................5 diesel generators, 2 shaft lines Speed ........................................................ 23 knots
Photo: msc cruises
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Photo: msc cruises
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90 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Robert Hermansson, robert@shipgaz.com
Technical Review
Photo: codeCreation
Photo: iso
Warris new chairman of ISO People Dr Anne-Marie Warris, one of Lloyd’s register Group’s leading environmental and climate change experts, has been appointed as the Chairman of the International Standards organisation, ISO. Dr Warris has been involved in ISO activities since November 2000 as UK principle delegate to ISO/TC 207/SC1. Her experience of committee work includes her role as Vice Chair of the UK Emission Trading Group (ETG). At international level she has been a board member of International Trading Association (IETA) from 2000 to 2004 and she currently chairs the monitoring, reporting and verification forum in IETA. Dr Warris joined the Lloyd’s Register Group in 1989 to manage their environmental consultancy business. She is currently supporting various operations across the Lloyd’s Register Group including the Lloyd’s Register Marine Business Stream in the area of climate change.
Kappahl joins green project
software Improving elements of the ferry travel experience has been one of the driving forces behind the UK based software development company codeCreation who begun this work in 2005 after being selected by transport of London (TfL) to deliver a real time passenger information system (RPTI) for London River Services (LRS). Rather than adopting an existing landbased system for the maritime environment, codeCreation built a system solution based on its own telematics platform Odyssys, designed for the maritime and ferry market.
codeCreation provided a proactive rather than reactive network; individual assets continually sending out positional references to a server rather than the opposite way. The masters on the ferries are using a Photo: codecreation
environment The Swedish fashion chain Kappahl is the latest in a growing number of large Swedish import and export companies to join the Clean Shipping Project. Today, 18 companies are participating in the scheme. 77 of the largest shipping companies in the world have been asked for environmental standard information. This is stored in a database and with a Clean Shipping Index, companies can compare shipping companies’ environmental standards and on a voluntary basis include environmental protection terms when negotiating for cargoes. Regional governments and organisations in West Sweden commissioned the project, with co-financing by EU.
Smart ferries in the waters of London
RPTI-system.
touch screen to log onto their required route and in turn they are provided with linear visual information of their position regards to the timetable. This is achieved by separating the route into several hundreds of zones with the tracking technology able to recognise when a vessel moves in and out of a zone using GPS equipment. As the vessel travels into each zone the on board computer transmits a continuous positional reference, that is received by the GPS, to codeCreation’s server. This is then checked by the platform against a set timetable and relayed to the appropriate signs at each pier, to the vessel itself and to other clients such as TfL Journey Planner. This allows users to access real time journey information about their selected route on the TfL Journey Planner web site and also access ferry information including the exact position of any selected ferry via a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) enabled mobile phone.
For more information: Paul Singer, Tel: +44 (0)207 183 0198 contact@codecreation.com www.codecreation.com
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 91
Technical Review Photo: jotun
Photo: samskip
New energysaving antifouling
Extended online customer service services Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics has redesigned its existing electronic services and extended its online customer service capabilities and offers two different types of e-services: The new Service Web and direct EDI possibilities. EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange.
friendliness and functionality. Our technical team has been working hard preparing to release this new Samskip Service Web”. Besides the Service Web, Samskip also offers various EDI possibilities. EDI is especially attractive for those customers who ship large volumes with Samskip.
The Samskip Service Web is a web based application which means customers can log on to their accounts anywhere and anytime to get information about their shipments. The Service Web provides a full service enabling online bookings, track & trace, overviews of shipments and invoices. The new online services should be regarded as a natural extension of the existing Samskip customer service teams. Ragnar Ragnarsson, CIO of Samskip explains: “The existing interactive web site really needed improvement in terms of user
When using EDI the business system of the customer communicates directly with the Samskip business system to exchange information on bookings, shipment statuses and invoices. EDI is known to result in faster, more accurate and reliable communication between companies.
For more information: Ragnar Ragnarsson, Tel: +31 88 400 1400 ragnar.ragnarsson@samskip.com www.samskip.com/service web www.samskip.com/intro service web
Engine Protection Partner AS Schaller Automation’s Oil Mist Detector systems
P.O. Box 2668 Møhlenpris, NO-5836 Bergen, Norway Phone: +47 55 30 19 00 Fax: +47 55 30 19 01 www.epp.no
environment Late last year Jotun launched a new selfsmoothing and selfpolishing hydrolysis antifouling based on the silyl acrylate technology. SeaMate is a TBT free antifouling in full compliance with the IMO’s rules for ships which were fully enforced in January 2008. This antifouling enables vessels sailing between 12–26 knots to significantly reduce fuel oil consumption and carbon emissions. While sharing many of the benefits of Jotun's brand SeaQuamtum, launched as the first TBT free, selfsmoothing and selfpolishing antifouling in 2000, Seamate is a more affordable alternative. “We are confident that SeaMate will meet the market demand, especially in the tanker and bulker segments”, says Geir Boe, Divisional Vice president for Jotun Marine Coatings. The same silyl acrylate technology that is used in SeaQuantum is introduced in SeaMate and this technology has proved to reduce the build up of leached layers compared to ion-exchange technology that is normally used in other self polishing antifoulings.
For more information: Siri Moldestad Sanna, Tel: +47 3345 7000 siri.sanna@jotun.no www.jotun.no
Schaller Automation’s repair and service department – come directly to us, save time & money! ➢ repair centre – max 2 days repair time ➢ main stock for spare parts – 1 day delivery time ➢ sales of new and reconditioned VISATRON O.M.D. ➢ open 24 hours/7 days a week ➢ exchange unit service for all VISATRON systems ➢ overhaul and service of the following system series: VN /79, VN /82, VN /87 & VN /93
92 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Robert Hermansson, robert@shipgaz.com
Technical Review
education Kongsberg Maritime introduc-
es further flexibility and cost savings for Neptune ERS range and has developed a new touch screen based Engine Room Simulator configuration. The new simulator has been designed to offer realism to students and a new opportunity to broaden the range of courses without investing in expensive new hardware. The Neptune MultiTouch, a part of Kongsberg Maritime’s Neptune ERS portfolio, is already in use at the Georgian College in Ontario and has been chosen by the Åland University of Applied Science. The Neptune MultiTouch uses multiple touchscreens integrated with real-life engine room consoles and panels and enables quick and easy select between different simulation models. You can change from a VLCC to a Cruise vessel or another type of ship within seconds. The technology enables training on a number of well known engine and machinery systems such as ME Remove Console, Power Management console and engine room stations with Neptune ERS MAN B&W 5L90MC VLCC, ERS Pielstick 10PC4 Ferry M22 and ERS Diesel Electric AC Cruise Vessel DE22. Associated subsystems such as Start and Service Air Systems, HFO, DO and LO Purifiers and BildgeSludge Systems can be accessed. So far Kongsberg Maritime is the only engine room simulation provider that has received a DNV Statement of Compliance with Class A Standard for Certification of Maritime Simulators.
For more information: Mark Stuart Treen, Tel: +47 3303 2289 mark.stuart.treen@kongsberg.com www.kongsberg.com
Photo: Koepping Shipping Company
Photo: Kongsberg Maritime
Multitouch engine room simulator
The container vessel Aglaia, to which the Wärtsilä upgrade kit for slow steaming will be fitted.
Upgrade kit for slow steaming propulsion Wärtsilä has introduced a new upgrade kit for Slow Steaming for RTA and RT-flex low-speed engines to enable ship owners to make savings in fuel costs while slow steaming their ships. The upgrade kit allows Wärtsilä low-speed marine engines to be operated continuously at any power in the range from twenty per cent to 100 per cent. This means that ships can sail at speeds down to 60 per cent of full speed. Without modification with this upgrade kit, there is an increased risk of engine fouling and excessive component temperatures when operating below 50 per cent of engine load for longer periods. The upgrade kit overcomes such problems and allows the engines to operate at powers down to twenty per cent of full power.
The modified engine’s power is not permanently reduced and it can at any time operate at its full power. The first upgrade Kits were ordered in November 2008 by Koepping Shipping Company for two container vessels, each of them with eight-cylinder Wärtsilä RTA62U engine. The two ships are
Δ BSFC, g/kWh
A typical brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) curve for RTA and RT-flex engines, as standard and with the upgrade kit. It is not desirable to operate engines continuously at less than 50 per Δ BSFC, g/kWh cent load without modification.
+ 0 -
Standard Engine Transition Point Optimization Point
With Slow-Steaming Upgrade Kit 20 %
Load, % CMCR 100 %
Standard Engine Transition Point Optimization Point
1,200 TEU fast feeder container vessels and have a maximum speed of approximately 22 knots when the main engines are delivering 15,000 kW at 107 rpm. The upgrade kit is available for all RTA and RT-flex engines with multiple turbochargers. For ships that must comply with the IMO NOx emissions regulations, the restrictions imposed by the emissions limits will be evaluated in each case and a customized turn-key package may be offered. RTA and RT-flex engines can be safely operated continuously at loads above 50 per cent of the contracted maximum continuous rated (CMCR) power without modifications. The concept of the upgrade kit is to cut out a turbocharger when the engine is to be operated at low load. This increases the scavenging air delivery at low load for better combustion and more optimum temperatures of engine components. The cut out point depends on the engine configuration. The upgrade kit consists of shut-off valves in the exhaust duct before the turbocharger turbine and the scavenge air duct after the compressor together with a by-pass line to keep the turbocharger rotor spinning at a preset constant speed. The valves are remotely operated and the kit includes fitting a control system to operate the valves. The upgrade kit is delivered on a turnkey basis and includes engine performance analysis, cabling and installation, all materials and transport, service engineers that will do the installation and commissioning and emission measurement and certification.
For more information: Marit Holmlund-Sund, Tel: +358 10 709 1439 marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com www.wartsila.com
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 93
Technical Review Photo: GmbH & Co
Freer e-mailing system communication German Aug Bolten Wm. Miller’s Nachfolger (GmbH & Co) KG has, after six months trial on three of their vessels, decided to start using the se@COMM system provided by Telaurus Communications LLC. “Maintaining communications on all levels is vital to our business”, says Andreas Gober, Ships IT Manager at Aug Bolten. The Telaurus se@COMM system gives the crew members their own private e-mail address that is not locked to a single vessel. When they are not at sea, they will have
their e-mails delivered to their home address free of charge. Via the network structure on board the vessels, the employees can send and receive e-mails and SMSs in a private environment from any PC in the network.
For more information: Andreas Gober, Tel: +49 (0)40 3601-475 bolten-technical@aug.bolten.de www.aug-bolten.de www.telaurus.com
New performance evaluation tool software SeaTrend is a new product, developed by Force Technology, that will provide ship managers with continuous performance evaluation of the voyages, hull and propeller performance. SeaTrend aims to reduce fuel consumption and improve voyage efficiency in a simple manner. Data from the ships is reported to a central database and analysed. The ship manager has access via a web page to the data and performance analysis reports on a fleet wide basis. The analysis provide information to determine optimal cleaning intervals of the hull and propeller. SeaTrend is also a tool for evaluation of the performance gain of a dry docking and forms the basis for an evaluation of different hull treatment methods and paint systems. The continuous flow of data enables the manager to evaluate the ships’ speed and fuel oil consumption.
For more information: Kjeld Roar Jensen, Tel: +45 7215 7816, koj@force.dk www.forcetechnology.com
94 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Fleet Review Photo: Pär-Henrik Sjöström
The 3,743 dwt Annette Essberger, built by J J Sietas Schiffswerft in 1992, sailed under the name Alcoa Chemist since 1997.
Renamed with old names Renaming The most common reason for renaming a ship is no doubt a change of ownership. It is however quite rare that a ship gets its original name back – when this happens it is mostly due to changing the charter name after the redelivery from a time charter. For different reasons, valid at the time, six chemical tankers in the John T Essberger fleet were renamed in the 1990s. Recently, the owner decided to give them back their original Essberger names. This is in line with the aim to strengthen the image of Essberger Tankers and to emphasise the traditions of the company.
Here is the whole list of the Essberger tankers with their old and their new – but original – names: • The Tejo Chemist is now the John Augustus Essberger. • The Douro Chemist is now the Roland Essberger. • The Lima Chemist is now the Liselotte Essberger. • The Alcoa Chemist is now the Annette Essberger. • The Reno is now the Heinrich Essberger. • The Ebro is now the Eberhart Essberger.
Scrapping In the last days of 2008 the recycling yard at Esbjerg, Smedegaarden, finalised the breaking up of the Norwegian tug Jølle into steel pieces. This meant the end of a long life for a remarkable tug, which was built for trading in Esbjerg and lived most of its 45 years within the port and fairway to Esbjerg. Ordered by the state company Vandbygningsvæsenet on the fairly new Nordsøværftet at Ringkøbing, the tug became a sort of recognition for the shipbuilder Erik F Jacobsen, who had founded the shipyard only four years earlier. The tug was launched on April 5, 1963 as newbuilding no 11 and named the Søhesten (Seahorse) and was the first modern tug for the Vandbygningsvæsenet, which still had a fleet of three steam powered tugs. The main task for the Søhesten was to handle the bucket-dredger Odin and a number of nonpropelled barges in the continued dredging operation necessary to the keep the fairway to Esbjerg open from sand. It also became the Søhesten’s task to take both the dredger and the barges to other state owned ports like Frederikshavn, Hirtshals and Thyborøn whenever dredging was needed.
In 1976 the job finished with the sale of the steam powered dredger Odin, which the Søhesten delivered at Hamburg for recycling. Back home in Esbjerg the Søhesten was converted to a pilot boat for Esbjerg pilots. In 1986, the tug/pilot boat was offered for sale by public tender. Captain Niels Henriksen from Svendborg laid down an offer
for the tug of DKK 462,500 and became the owner of the Søhesten. “I was a little surprised that I got the tug”, says Niels Henriksen, Svendborg Bugser A/S. “It turned out to be a really good investment and we did a large number of jobs with her during the 19 years under our flag”. This includes the longest voyage ever for the Søhesten, a tow from Rotterdam to Thorshavn on the Faroese Islands. The voyage started on December 20, 1999 at Svendborg and via Ijmuiden the tug sailed to Thorshavn and was back in Skagen on January 11, 2000. During 2004 the tug was offered for sale and in February 2005 sold to Morten Hjorteset Shipping at Bergen, Norway. “I sold the tug with mixed feelings”, says Niels Henriksen. “Even though we re-engined the tug with a larger engine it became too small for most operations and in combination with the illness of the captain that had sailed most of the time on the tug, the decision was easy.” On Febuary 4, 2005, the Danish era ended for the Søhesten, that had the name changed to Jølle. Under Norwegian flag the ownership was changed in August 2006, when Eide Marine Service took over the tug. In July 2008 the Jølle sailed its last miles on a voyage from Høylandsbygd directly to Esbjerg as Eide Marine Service sold three tugs to Smedegaarden for recycling. And on December 19, 2008, the cutting machine took the last bits of the Jølle. Bent Mikkelsen Photo: bent mikkelsen
Essberger Tankers is one of the leading operators of chemical tankers within Europe. The fleet consists of 26 vessels designed for carrying a wide range of high grade chemicals. Under construction there are also six newbuildings with ice class 1A for delivery during the years 2009 to 2011. The company has its roots in a shipping company founded in 1924 by the German Naval Commander John T Essberger. In 2001 the company established the VOPAK Essberger Chempool together with Vopak Chemical Tankers. Three years later John T Essberger group acquisited Vopak’s chemical tankers and in 2008 the brand name of the operating company was changed to Essberger Tankers.
Life ended for old tug
The end of the line. Jølle ex Søhesten ready for the cutting machine at Esbjerg on December 14, 2008.
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 95
Fleet Review Photo: Pär-Henrik Sjöström
Move The dip in the world economy has also hit the ferry traffic between Sweden and Germany. According to Finnlines, the company’s customers predict even further worsening for the new year 2009. Due to the decreased volume of cargo units Finnlines has decided to withdraw the ro-pax ferry Nordlink from Nordö-Link’s Malmö–Travemünde service. The remaining ships Europalink, Finnpartner and Finntrader will continue on the route with a revised schedule.
Strengthened to Finnish/Swedish ice class IA Super, the Nordlink is powered by four Wärtsilä 9L46D main engines with an output of 10,395 kW each. Distributed to four cargo decks, the vessel has a cargo capacity of 4,200 lane metres, which is equivalent to a total of 276 trailer slots. In addition, there is a separate garage for private cars on two levels in the aft part of the superstructure with a total lane length of 300 metres. There is a drive through possibility on two decks. For passengers there is a total of 567 berths in 201 cabins, and the maximum number of passengers is set at 500. The passenger areas include a large restaurant, two bars, conference facilities, a shop and a children’s playroom.
Photo: joachim sjöström
The Nordlink will be transferred to Finnlines’ liner service between Helsinki and Travemünde on February 13. On her new route she will replace the older and smaller Transeuropa, which will start sailing on Finnlines’ TransRussiaExpress service between Lübeck and St Petersburg. The Nordlink is the fifth and last vessel of the Finnstar-type, built by Fincantieri in Italy. The class consists of the Finnishflagged Finnstar, Finnmaid and Finnlady,
all operated on the Helsinki–Travemünde route, and the Swedish-flagged sisters Europalink and Nordlink. The Nordlink was handed over to Finnlines in summer 2007 and completed the renewal of tonnage on the Malmö–Travemünde route.
Special assignment In December 2008 the heavy load carrier Zhen Hua 13 brought a cargo of container cranes for the port operators PSA HNN and North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven GmbH. During the first stop in Bremerhaven one crane was discharged. On December 17, 2008, the ship arrived at Antwerpen where the rest of the cranes were discharged. Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Co Ltd (ZPMC) in China is one of the largest manufacturers of cranes and large steel structures in the world. The main products are quayside container cranes, rubber tyred gantry cranes, bulk material ship loaders, bucket wheel stackers, portal cranes, floating cranes engineering vessels and large steel bridge structures. ZPMC also has a shipping company of its own, specialized in shipping its products all over the world. The fleet consists of former 60,000 dwt bulk carriers, converted into specialized vessels for transporting large container cranes and heavy structural pieces. The Zhen Hua 13 was added to the company’s fleet in 2006 after it had been conversed into a heavy load carrier. Built in Spain in 1983 as the Marine Renaissance, the vessel was renamed Dido and registered in the NIS register under the ownership of G Knudsen in 1989. The vessel changed name to Tamyra and hoisted the Cyprus flag in 1993 with Tsakos Shipping & Trading SA as manager.
The Zhen Hua 13 on the North Sea.
BerCom
Reshuffle due to decreased volumes
High air draft
– to install a vacuum toilet system
www.jets.no Sanitary Systems – made to please
JETS VACUUM AS. Myravegen 1, 6060 Hareid, Norway. Tel. + 47 70 03 91 00. Fax + 47 70 03 91 01. E-mail: post@jets.no
96 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Fleet Review
Retirement Nordic Ferry Services A/S will dispose of its oldest ferry Povl Anker in a plan that has been handed over to Trafikstyrelsen. When the new contract commences, the ferry will be 32 years old. According to the plan, Bornholmstrafikken will provide two HSC ferries for the service between Rønne and Ystad and the present two ro-pax ferries Dueodde and Hammerodde will be rebuilt. Both ro-pax ferries will be lengthened and one of them will have an additional accommodation section installed. The hulls will also be altered to provide a higher service speed. Nordic Ferry Services A/S turned out to be the only bidder for the contract for the ferry service in the period from 2011 to 2017. bent mikkelsen
Addition The Swedish energy group Vattenfall expands its fleet under Danish flag with another three tugs and four bulk barges. The group has purchased most of the assets from the bankrupt Britannia Bulk DK A/S, that closed down when the whole Britannia Bulk group collapsed as a victim of the financial crisis. Their Danish fleet consisted of four tugs and four bulk barges, which were laid up at Odense after the bankruptcy.
The receivers sold most of the fleet to a new Vattenfall subsidiary called Vattenfall Trading Service A/S with address in Copenhagen. The laid up fleet was taken over immediately and put back into service, performing on the same contract that Britannia Bulk DK sailed under. With Britannia Bulk the barges and tugs had been regular visitors in Vysotsk, Klaipeda and Swinoujscie, carrying coal to a number of destinations in the Baltic area and Germany. The tugs taken over are the Vindeby II (renamed VT Neutron), the Troense II (renamed VT Proton) and the Bregninge II (now named VT Electron). VT is short for Vattenfall Trading. The fleet of bulk barges consists of the
Stenability
…that’s the name of the game…
Photo: bent mikkelsen
Photo: bent mikkelsen
Ro-pax ferries to be rebuilt
More tugs to Vattenfall
14,500 dwt sisters Hjortø II (now VT Copenhagen), Skarø II (now VT Warsaw), Siø II (now VT Stockholm) and Drejø II (now VT Berlin). The tugs continue sailing under the Danish flag, manned by the same Danish crews as before. Including the recent acquisition Vattenfall’s fleet under Danish flag totals 12 units. Since 2006 Vattenfall has been the owner of the tug Joulius and the four coal barges Silur (7,700 dwt), Karbon (9,100 dwt), Trias (9,100 dwt) and Jura (10,883 dwt). They are mainly used for distribution of coal amongst the Danish power station from the import facility at Aabenraa. bent mikkelsen
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 97
Fleet Review
The Vedrey Fram from bankrupt Svithoid Tankers has been sold to Norwegian owners.
Newbuilding contracts in the Nordic market Month Nov Dec
Owner Garware Offshore Volstad Maritime No reported orders
Nat India No
DWT 4,500 108m
Type psv seismic
Shipyard Delivery Havyard 4q10 Bergen Group Fosen 1.10
Value
Remarks
NOK 689 m
ST-327L
Secondhand transactions in the Nordic market Month Name DWT Built Type Nov Bow Sky 40,000 2005 tanker Falster 3,925 2002 dry cargo Nord Saturn 76,620 2005 bulk Nordholt 55,697 2005 bulk Nanny 9.176 1993 tanker Nord Phoenix 82,417 2007 bulk Hera 12,000 1977 LPG Navigator II 69,000 1998 bulk Ice Trader II 43,700 1995 bulk Ice Power II 43,700 1995 bulk Endeavour II 70,000 1994 bulk Endurance II 70,000 1994 bulk MY Adriatic 13,000 2008 tanker MY Arctic 13,000 2008 tanker Samho Cordelia 13,000 2008 tanker Samho Gloria 13,000 2008 tanker Falkeid 2,179 1988 bulk BW Hebris 24,000c 1983 LPG Archimid 105,896 1985 tanker Trust 105,896 1986 tanker Enforcer II 24,000 1981 bulk Nord Vision 52,500 2004 bulk Cape Belle 7,179 1993 reefer Cape Blossom 7,179 1993 reefer Thor Marie 1,210 1987 dry cargo Dec Skandi Waveney 3,100 2001 psv Bow Santos 19,997 2004 tanker Vedrey Fram 3,502 2006 tanker Maersk Mahone 2,322* 1983 ahts KCL Bardu 33,660 1979 bulk * = gross tons c = capacity in cubic metres
From Price Buyer Remarks/New name Odfjell SE, Bergen NabCapital, UK bb back Alvinia Shipping, Cyprus Halten AS, Trondheim DS Norden, Copenhagen USD 29.5 m Greeks DS Norden, Copenhagen USD 28 m Greeks Red AB Älvtank, Donsö Coastal Sh, Canada DS Norden, Copenhagen USD 37 m Marmaras Nav, Greece Solvang, Stavanger breaking Britannia Bulk, London USD 77 m Viken Shipping, Bergen Britannia Bulk, London en bloc Viken Shipping, Bergen Britannia Bulk, London soft terms Viken Shipping, Bergen Britannia Bulk, London soft terms Viken Shipping, Bergen Britannia Bulk, London soft terms Viken Shipping, Bergen Korean owners Krisax, Nykøbing Korean owners Krisax, Nykøbing Samho Shipping, Busan Krisax, Nykøbing Samho Shipping, Busan Krisax, Nykøbing Falkeid Shipping, Stavanger Berge Rederi, Trondheim BW Gas, Oslo USD 20 m Pacific Carriers, Singapore PetroPod Ltd, Sing./Oslo PetroPod Ltd, Sing./Oslo Britannia Bulk, London USD 2.5 m DS Norden, Copenhagen USD 25 m Capewind Corp, Liberia Agder Ocean Reefer, Grimstad bb Eastwind Capewind Corp, Liberia Agder Ocean Reefer, Grimstad bb Eastwind Thor Rederi, Svendborg Tountzis, Manila Aries Offshore, Ålesund DOF, Austevoll Odfjell SE, Bergen Star Tankers, Haugesund bb back Svithoid, Stockholm Brøvigtank, Farsund A P Møller Mærsk, Cph Rolf Berg Drive, Tromsø T Klaveness, Oslo USD 3 m All details believed to be correct but not guaranteed
98 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Fleet Review
New website ...
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 99
Fleet Review
New website
... with improved news coverage and increased interactivity. www.shipgaz.com
100 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
Retro John W Brown
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Berthed in Baltimore. The Liberty ship John W Brown is restored to her war time appearance.
Proud survivor of the Liberty fleet
Most of the Liberty ships survived the war, but only a handful of them survived the 1970s. Today there are two operational Liberty ships left in the world – the John W Brown and the Jeremiah O'Brien. The John W Brown, which is now based in Baltimore, may not be the most spectacular preserved ship from the World War II era, but she is certainly one of the most remarkable. She is usually open for the public two days a week and draws visitors from all over the world. “It is a little bit ironic that the John W Brown is better known elsewhere in the US than in her home port Baltimore. One reason may be that our pier is quite remotely situated and not visible from the city. In the future we would like a better pier with adequate parking facilities for visitors”, explains Ron Carlson, who is a Project Liberty Ship volunteer.
Also Ron’s wife Vicki, son Dale and daughter Lisa are volunteers, so the whole family spends a lot of their spare time together on board the ship. Vicki is also the curator of the Merchant Marine Museum on board. “We receive a lot of donations of war time related objects from old
seamen”, Mrs Carlson says, showing a box including a seaman’s uniform and some documents in Russian, probably originating from the Murmansk run. Even in a great sea power as the United States it was not a matter of course to preserve one of probably the most famous series of merchant vessels ever built. The process started in 1978, when a seminar on Liberty Ship preservation was held aboard the floating maritime high school John W Brown, berthed at New York City. The participants then became determined to preserve at least one ship as a memorial museum on the East Coast. Although almost all of the Liberty ships having been commercially operated in a number of merchant fleets already had been broken up, there was still a handful of Libertys available for restoration. The John W Brown
»We receive a lot of donations of war time related objects from old seamen«
Vicki Carlson, curator of the Merchant Marine Museum.
became the logical choice and the nonprofit organization Project Liberty Ship was formed to work towards the preservation of the ship.
In 1982 the John W Brown’s career as a schoolship ended. When Project Liberty Ship searched for a suitable location for the ship in New York, they were not able to find a single berth in the entire harbour that would accept the ship. Instead the John W Brown was in July 1983 towed to the James River Reserve Fleet. In late 1987 the attempts to berth the John W Brown in New York were given up and instead Baltimore became an option. A meeting was held at the Baltimore Museum of Industry at the end of January 1988 and it was decided to permanently display the ship in the port of Baltimore, where she had been built 46 years earlier. The most difficult part of the project was still ahead. When the old ship arrived in Baltimore under tow in 1988 she was in quite poor condi-
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 101
John W Brown
Retro Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
In working condition. Volunteer Ron Carlson by the order repeater in the engine room of the John W Brown. Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Merchant Marine Museum. Vicki Carlson is the curator of the museum on board.
The Captain. Richard A Bauman Jr is the master of the ship.
102 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Retro John W Brown
Editor Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Standard equipment in 1942. The engine order telegraph, the steering wheel and the magnetic compass are the dominating the wheelhouse. Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Operating table. The troop surgery was added to the tween deck when the ship was modified to carry troops.
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 103
John W Brown
Retro Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
»Our main source of income is cruises, which always are well attended« tion. But today the John W Brown is a true gem. Restored by Project Liberty Ship volunteers, who so far have logged a total of more than 2.5 million working hours on board the ship, she was in 1991 ready to steam under her own power for the first time since 1946. The restoration continues and even if the ship looks great today, there is always much that has to be taken care of, Ron Carlson assures. “There are more than 2,000 members of the Project Liberty Ship, of which between 100 and 150 are active and regularly come to the ship. We have no paid staff at all, even the crew of the vessel during the sea voyages consists of volunteers only”, he explains.
Launched on Labour Day on September 7 1942, the John W Brown was named after a member of the General Executive Board of the Industrial Union, who suffered an accidental death in 1941. According to the web site American Merchant Marine at War
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
One of the volunteers on board this time is Kalevi Olkio, one of the real enthusiasts, who together with several other like-minded made the project come true. He became a member of Project Liberty Ship in 1978. He served on the Board of Directors of Project Liberty Ship until last year and for a number of years he was the curator of the Merchant Marine Museum on board. Aged 88, he no longer can participate in the work on board on a regular basis, but now and then he visits the ship to have a chat with his old mates. Fund-raising is of course an essential issue for the volunteers as it is extremely costly to maintain and operate a ship of this size. “Our main source of income is cruises, which always are well attended. In 2009 we are planning three cruises on the Chesapeake Bay and in 2010 our intention is to make longer voyages to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Providence, Rhode Island”, Mrs Carlson says.
Deck structures. Ron Carlson looking aft from the boat deck.
From the manoeuvre platform. The speed of the ship is adjusted from the main steam valve (www.usmm.org) any group which raised USD 2 million dollars in War Bonds could suggest a name for a Liberty ship. “The Liberty vessels were always named after deceased prominent Americans. As there were more than 2,700 ships built, many of them carried the names of rather obscure people”, Mr Carlson informs. The John W Brown initially traded as a merchant ship and made a six months long journey with war materiel for Russia. The cargo was discharged in the Persian Gulf for transit to Russia. When the ship returned to the United States she underwent a refit, adding capacity for carrying some 500 troops on the tween decks in the forward cargo holds. During the rest of the war the John W Brown spent a lot
of time carrying cargo and troops between the US and ports in the Mediterranean. After the war the ship carried cargo from the US to Europe thus participating in the rebuilding of the shattered European nations.
»The vessels were always named after deceased prominent Americans« There are more than fifty old ships as naval and war time memorials located all around the coasts of the US. Only five of them are merchant ships.
Shipping was indeed an international business even during the war. For example during the fourth voyage, starting in the US in April 1944, the crew consisted of 41 men of whom 12 were born outside the US, coming from countries such as Sweden, Finland, Norway, Latvia, Russia, Greece and Czechoslovakia. An interesting detail is that even
104 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
Retro John W Brown
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
Photo: pär-henrik sjöström
The manufacturing plate for the boilers of Babcock & Wilcox type, still in excellent condition.
Kalevi Olkio, a veteran volunteer.
enemies could work together under the US flag as Finland and Russia were still in war with each other in spring 1944.
mates deteriorated at the mooring buoys in the reserve fleets, the John W Brown was nearly as good as new. Today the old lady is in good hands. Hopefully new generations of volunteers will keep up the proud traditions of the Liberty fleet in the future and keep the John W Brown steaming for years to come.
The John W Brown was decommissioned in 1946, and loaned to the City of New York to serve as a floating maritime vocational school. This proved to be a lucky decision regard-
ing her later life as an operational museum ship. Mr Carlson says that the steam engine was kept in excellent condition due to continuous maintenance. While the condition of her former running
»The steam engine was kept in excellent condition due to continuous maintenance«
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StenaBulk_MAX_concept_high.pdf
09-01-08
11.43.42
No 1 2009 Shipgaz 105
John W Brown Retro THE STENA MAX CONCEPT PROBABLY THE SAFEST VESSELS EVER BUILT
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STENA BULK IS A LEADING INTERNATIONAL TANKER OWNER. T H E C O M PA N Y C O N T R O L S A F L E E T O F A B O U T 7 5 TA N K E R S F R O M O F F I C E S I N S I X C O U N T R I E S . S T E N A B U L K I S A PA R T O F T H E S T E N A S P H E R E W I T H M O R E T H A N 1 7 , 0 0 0 E M P L OY E E S .
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In 1927
… the Aslaug was delivered by Kjøbenhavns Flydedok & Skibsværft in Copenhagen for Danish Dampskibsselskabet Torm. In 1951 she became Swedish and re-named Singorita. She was subsequently sold to Germany and later flew the Lebanese flag, but her real period of fame came when she was found by a Danish film team, lying at the Greek island of Salamis and waiting for her final port-of-call. For a short period of pride, she became the Martha, leading lady in the Danish film s/s Martha, a film still having cult status among many seafarers. Shortly after in 1967, she ended her days in Split, Yugoslavia, but Scandinavian seafarers will forever remember her.
108 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
Retro Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
Painting: stig fyring
A survivor of storms and disrepair If you happen to be close to Atlantic City or somewhere near along the New Jersey coast, it is a good idea to travel further south to North Wildwood to visit the beautiful Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. The lighthouse, between Chestnut and First streets, was built by the Army Corps of Engineers under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel W F Reynolds in 1873, during the Victorian era.
It is a stick-style frame building with a long porch, delicate balusters and a four-storey high tower rising in the middle of the house through the pitched roof. It cost 25,000 dollars to build and it was considered a rather moderate cost at that time for such a sturdy piece of work. The building has stood up to Atlantic storms for 136 years and is still in near mint condition.
In 1889 a hurricane crashed into the coast and many residents were washed away from their homes and not so few were drowned. A mere dozen took refuge in the lighthouse and though the house was pounded by angry winds and hostile waves and the land around was flooded with cold and harrowing water, the people in the house were dry, safe, lucky and sound, though terribly frightened while the storm was raging. In 1964 the beautiful building was discontinued by the Coast Guard and
Many residents were washed away from their homes
replaced by a terrible tower that looks like an unhappy skeleton with a lit-up head. The empty house was boarded up to thwart vandals for 22 years.
The former lighthouse fell into disrepair and such a waste was hard to stand for people with a sense of responsibility. In 1986 the citizens of North Wildwood got permission from the Coast Guard to reopen the lighthouse and operate it privately as an aid to navigation. Restored to its former pomp and glory, the Hereford Inlet Light welcomes visitors during the summer. robert hermansson
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No 1 2009 Shipgaz 109
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
Retro
110 Shipgaz No 1 2009
Editor Pär-Henrik Sjöström, par-henrik@shipgaz.com
Retro Old Ship
Painting: håkan sjöström
The ugly ducklings
No other series of cargo ships have become as legendary as the Liberty ships. Still today, 68 years after the first vessel was launched, the production process of the ships includes so many revolutionary features that it has to be regarded as one of the most amazing achievements ever in shipbuilding. The story began with Britain loosing more and more merchant tonnage due to the aggressive warfare of German U-boats. To replace these Britain needed help from the American shipbuilding industry in producing new vessels. But there were no shipyards available as they were fully booked with naval orders. Henry J Kaiser, a major civil construction expert with no shipbuilding experience, came to the rescue and established two new shipyards, one at Richmond, California and one at South Portland, Maine. On December 20, 1940 His Majesty’s Government ordered thirty ships from each one of the two so far nonexistent shipyards.
The vessels ordered became known as the Ocean class and the first vessel, the Ocean Vanguard, was laid down at the Portland yard on April 14, 1941. The work on the shipyard itself proceeded simultaneously with the vessel, which was launched on August 16, 1941. The merchant fleet of the US was outdated when the war was already raging in Europe. To be prepared in
the name President Roosevelt was not impressed by the appearance of the new ship type and called it a “real ugly duckling”. In an attempt to improve the image, the name Liberty Fleet was used for the first time in May 1941. From then on they became the Liberty ships.
case of war the largest shipbuilding program ever was launched. A total of 200 ships of the EC2-type were ordered in January 1941.
Because of its simplicity and adaptability to mass production methods, the new type was based upon the British Ocean class. They were described as “five-year vessels”, which was their expected life span – provided they should survive the risks of war. The first Liberty vessel to be launched was the Patrick Henry, built by the new Bethlehem–Fairfield shipyard in Baltimore. A total of 2,710 Liberty ships in different versions were built during the following years by 18 shipyards. The majority of them were of the basic EC2-S-C1 type. The average building time for each vessel was 62 days and the building record was incredible eight days from keel laying to completion of the Robert E Peary at the Permanente Metals SB Corp Yard No 2 in Richmond. Blocks were prefabricated all over the US, delivered just on time to the shipyards and being welded together by a crowd of welders. A welded design
had been chosen because it was easier to train welders than riveters. Many of the workers at the newly established shipyards were women. At one time, more than 30 per cent of the shipyard staff on the West Coast were women. The Albert M Boe, delivered on October 30, 1945, is considered to be the last Liberty ship built.
It has rightfully been stated that the Liberty ship helped the US to win the war. They were in front line service everywhere there was a need for the allies to carry supplies: They shipped war material to Russia in the Arctic convoys, they formed the backbone of the Atlantic convoys, they took part in landings in the Pacific and they made the logistics work in the largest sea-borne assault ever at the beaches of Normandy. Most of these expendable, “fiveyear vessels”, survived the war and continued serving different merchant fleets of the world until the late 1960’s. A few Liberty ships were left under Cyprus flag in 1971 – this is the last year a Liberty ship is known to have been in commercial cargo traffic.
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