Maritime CEO Lubricants Special

Lubricants Special www.maritime-ceo.com

Challenges and Solutions In association with:

Visit us at Hall A2, Booth 219 at SMM in Hamburg

MARINE LUBRICANTS

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UNIMARINE provides cost efficient lubrication solutions and expert technical services to the shipping industry.

For worldwide and 24/7 high performance marine lubricants deliveries contact our global team: marinelubs@unimarine-lubricants.com www.unimarine-lubricants.com

Introduction

Contents 2 5 6 8 10 12

Challenges LNG as a fuel The world of UniMarine Unique lube player Solutions Hamburg

An ASM publication Editorial Director: Sam Chambers sam@asiashippingmedia.com Associate Editors: Jason Jiang jason@asiashippingmedia.com Katherine Si katherine@asiashippingmedia.com Correspondents: Athens: Ionnis Nikolaou Bogota: Richard McColl Cairo: Camelia Ewiss Cape Town: Joe Cunliffe Dubai: Yousra Shaikh Hong Kong: Alfred Romann London: Craig Jallal Mumbai: Divya Lad New York: Suzanne Smith Oslo: Hans Thaulow Portland: Joshua Samuel Brown Shanghai: Colin Quek Singapore: V Subramanian Sydney: Ross White-Chinnery Taipei: David Green Tokyo: Masanori Kikuchi Contributors: Nick Berriff, Andrew CraigBennett, Charles De Trenck, Paul French, Chris Garman, Lars Jensen, Jeffrey Landsberg, Peter Sand, Siddhartha Sanyal, Eytan Uliel Editorial material should be sent to sam@asiashippingmedia.com or mailed to Office 701, 9 Renmin Lu, Zhongshan District, Dalian, China 116001 Commercial Director: Grant Rowles grant@asiashippingmedia.com Sales Director: Helen Ong helen@asiashippingmedia.com Maritime ceo advertising agents are also based in Japan, Korea, Scandinavia and Greece — to contact a local agent email grant@asiashippingmedia.com for details MEDIA KITS ARE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AT: www.maritime- ceo.com All commercial material should be sent to grant@asiashippingmedia.com or mailed to Asia Shipping Media, 20 Cecil Street, #14-01 Equity Plaza, Singapore 049705 Design: Tigersoft Design Printers: Allion Printing, Hong Kong

Lubricants Special

Vital time to learn more about marine lubricants sector

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fter insurance and crew pay, it is lubricants that rank as the third most expensive item on the daily operating costs of a ship for an owner. As this magazine shows, lubricants can count for up to 17% of a vessel’s outlay.

What’s more there has never been a more bewildering choice of lubes, reflecting the hugely changing environmental scene that shipping faces going forward.

What Maritime CEO has set out to do, in association with lube specialist UniMarine, is to identify challenges and solutions facing shipowners when selecting a marine lubricant. To do this in depth we contacted around 100 shipowners and managers to assess what bothers them with today’s lube industry and then we mapped out how to solve many of these problems.

On top of that, there’s a look at various interconnected topics such as LNG as a fuel and scrubbers, and since Maritime CEO and UniMarine will be both be present at SMM this September we have thrown in a useful travel guide to Hamburg on the back page. We hope you find this magazine of value.

Sam Chambers Editor Maritime ceo

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Challenges

More than just price There’s plenty that owners and managers will demand when choosing a lube supplier

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t is fair to say that the selection of lubricants onboard ship has never been more tricky or scrutinised.

Since the market crash of 2008 cost cutting has been uppermost in ship operators’ minds, desperate to stay afloat in what have been intensely tricky financial times. After insurance and crew costs, lubes make up the third highest cost in the daily running of a ship, typically accounting for 10% on average, but occasionally running as high as 17% of costs. However, price is not the most important aspect shipowners and operators look for when selecting a lube supplier, according to a wide-ranging survey carried out by Maritime CEO for this magazine.

In compiling the magazine, Maritime CEO sent out a survey to a number of shipowners and managers on key lube issues. Price, while important, for sure, only ranked number three in the selection criteria.

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Michael Moschonas, chief technical officer with Greece’s Almi Tankers, lists product quality and suitability, the reputation of the supplier, technical support and services, worldwide availability of all grades, before mentioning price.

On the issue of price a fleet manager in the tanker sector based in Singapore tells Maritime CEO: “Some might say rebates based on volume, but I would prefer a good upfront price with no accounting games.”

Ian Claxton, managing director of Thailand’s Thoresen & Co, says quality product with no contamination, a guaranteed delivery period without delays to vessel or offhire and strong after sales support such as laboratory testing, training on use and handling, product news and regulatory information updates, all go a long way when selecting a lube supplier.

Meanwhile, the purchasing manager of one of the world’s largest

containerlines has another thing he is looking out for when choosing a lubricant company. “Since some new regulations are coming in, we are looking whether their products are recommended by the equipment maker,” he says from the firm’s European headquarters.

Quite so, agrees Kishore Rajvanshy, managing director at Hong Kong’s Fleet Management.

In the last year there has been a change in rules for engine design which requires a change in the grade of lubricating oil, Rajvanshy explains.

This is specific to new electronic engines where there is a requirement for TBN 100 for cylinder lubrication.

“The stock and availability for this grade is not there in many maritime ceo

Challenges

normal ports of lifting and in other ports it is a much bigger challenge,” he says, adding: “For the VGP compliance, the availability for the stern tube lubrication which will match the stern tube seal maker requirement is also a challenge. Approvals for major brands are pending.”

Global availability Rajvanshy, as with almost all respondents, touches on the issue of global availability, something that clearly vexes a huge percentage of shipowners and managers.

“We want a supplier who works with us to achieve the best physical asset protection, security of supply and competitive costs for supply

Lubricants Special

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The greatest challenge the industry is facing is actually being able to supply the correct grades that the ships need, at the ports where they need the oil’

operations,” says Mark Haslett, director of procurement at Wallem Ship Management.

“The greatest challenge the industry is facing is actually being able to supply the correct grades that the ships need, at the ports where they need the oil,” says Haslett. A number of the majors are focused on big ships in big ports so there can be a limited choice of suppliers for smaller vessels such as bulk carriers

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trading routes with smaller ports, he adds.

Wallem takes care to set up appropriate contracts for each vessel and owner. Thus the Hong Kongbased manager can select a supplier with suitable geographical coverage, unlike large volume aggregators which simply attach each new ship to a contract which prioritises the headline grabbing ports of Rotterdam and Singapore. ●

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Challenges

Understanding the industry’s concerns Maritime CEO surveyed close to 100 owners and managers in compiling this magazine.

Below are some of their thoughts

How well are you technically supported and informed on new lube products such as biolubes, high BN cylinder oil or ultra-low sulphur cylinder oil?

Manufacturers will advise and push new products that comply with any new regulations via many communication channels, reckons Ian Claxton, managing director of Thai shipowner, Thoresen & Co. Nevertheless, the introduction of both biolubes and especially TBN 100 cylinder oil was not handled particularly well by the industry, argues Mark Haslett, director of procurement at Wallem Ship Management.

The VGP deadline in December 2013 was known well in advance.

When an engine maker stipulated the use of TBN 100 cylinder oil for a whole range of engines - effectively changing the recommendation away from grades that had been previously approved to use - oil companies began to respond with products.

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Technical support is becoming increasingly critical for seagoing engineers to ensure that the feed rates are optimised for the benefit of the engine and costs.

How well supported do you feel at shipyards in terms of lubricants?

Supply to shipyards is usually okay, most of our respondents reckoned, but it can be at a high cost if it is for a newbuild. Repair yards do not appear to be an issue.

The procurement boss for a leading European containerline had this to say on the matter.

“Now regarding the newbuilding yard, there are too many third parties especially which make the final delivery very complicated and often in stupid packaging. Under contract the LO delivery is FAS or FOB, but for newbuilds, you have to take care of the yard clearance, help them to get the custom clearance and the process

may vary from a city to another; in short it is pretty messy.”

For newbuildings a useful piece of advice Maritime CEO picked up is to put the minimum onboard in the yard and take the maximum at the first bunker port. The cost can be 25-40% cheaper depending on the shipyard location.

Do you feel you are technically well supported by onboard and ashore lube engineer visits?

As long as the lubes are not purchased like a commodity, the operator tends to get good technical support, most of our respondents said.

One fleet manager in the tanker sector in Singapore moaned that lube suppliers do not seem to visit in the same way that, say, chemical suppliers do. Nevertheless, when it comes to onshore, lab testing and analysis of issues is first class, he adds.

One liner respondent says his company never gets visits and feels that his ships are better supported by engine makers regarding lube oil than the lube suppliers themselves.

“The interest of the lube oil maker is that you spend more on oil, our interest is to decrease the feed rate hence we will not listen to their advice and more follow the engine maker recommendation with whom we may have a warranty,” he points out.

Regarding lube oil analysis, there appears to be mixed messages coming from the majors, says another liner executive whereby owners might get an alert on a particular item from one company while a rival maintains the same product is fine.

“What is your level of confidence in the analysis made by the lube oil maker,” he questions, “as its interest is for you to replace the lubes onboard.” ●

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The introduction of both biolubes and especially TBN 100 cylinder oil was not handled particularly well by the industry

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maritime ceo

Challenges LNG as fuel

Lots of hot air Inevitable? A way off? The debate rages on

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little while back James Ashworth, lead consultant with Singapore-based oil and gas consultancy, Tri-Zen International, told Maritime CEO that shipping is going through a seismic shift in its adoption of LNG as a fuel.

Not mincing his words, he stated, “We are witnessing the greatest change in shipping since Winston Churchill advocated the move from coal, a UK plentiful strategic reserve, to imported oil for the Royal Navy.”

Arguably the beginning of this July may well have been the moment when the overplayed ‘chicken and egg’ discussion about LNG as a fuel came to an end. On July 2, Japanese line NYK ordered the world’s first LNG bunkering vessel.

In a joint initiative to develop a global market for the LNG bunkering business, NYK concluded a framework agreement with France’s GDF Suez and Mitsubishi Corporation to distribute LNG in Europe.

The vessel will be delivered in 2016, and will be based at the port of Zeebrugge. The vessel will deliver LNG to LNG-fuelled vessels operating mainly in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Going forward, the joint venture is looking to roll out similar vessels across the globe.

In Northern Europe, about 50 LNG-fuelled vessels — most of which

are ferries, cruiseships, and offshore related vessels — are already in operation.

To support the increasing number of LNG-fuelled vessels in operation, the challenge is to develop and improve the supply infrastructure. Despite NYK’s commendable start much more needs to be done in this department, says Erik Lewenhaupt, a senior executive with Sweden’s Stena.

“The world fleet is large and in many segments it will not be economically feasible to convert vessels to other propulsions,” he maintains, adding: “It will therefore take a considerable time before we see changes away from fuel oil propulsion in larger numbers.”

However, on the longer term Stena believes LNG together with methanol has a large potential to be big marine fuels.

“The challenge with LNG,” says Lewenhaupt, “is the infrastructure and the pricing where we need to see investments in shore tanks, terminals and bunker vessels on a large scale to make this an accessible alternative worldwide as well as more competitive pricing which is linked to the market price of LNG and not bunker oil to compensate for the substantial handling and investment costs for shipowners.”

Ethane first This July Ocean Yield, an Oslo-based shipowner, placed orders for three ethylene gas carriers of 36,000 cu m capacity to be built at Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering in China. Each will be powered by a single MAN B&W ME-GI low-speed, dual-fuel engine. The engines will run on ethane, which ethylene carriers are also equipped to transport, and represents the first time ethane has been used as fuel to propel an oceangoing vessel.

MAN Diesel & Turbo said ethane was chosen as fuel, in preference to HFO, due to its more competitive pricing as well as the significantly shorter bunkering time it entails. As a fuel, its emissions profile is also superior to HFO, the engine maker said.

Lubricants Special

As these factors are still uncertain Stena is also running a parallel track with methanol which is equally environmentally friendly - but easier to handle as a marine fuel. Stena will in 2015, as a world first, convert a large ropax ferry, Stena Germanica, to methanol propulsion.

One tanker manager in Singapore questions whether there is critical mass yet for this huge fuel switch.

“Do you build bunker vessels for LNG to supply non-existent ships, or do you build ships and hope that bunker suppliers will set up shop,” he muses, suggesting that dual fuel is likely to be the answer for the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, Thoresen boss, Ian Claxton, will be holding off any LNG investments for the time being.

“Initial expense, space lost to fuel storage, safety and, of course, the reliance on the current cost differential between LNG and bunker oil to pay for the additional cost of equipment not being reliable 10 years ahead, all contribute towards this technology being a non-affordable luxury for the average dry bulk operator at this time,” he says.

Bureau Veritas has recently published a comprehensive set of guidelines on LNG bunkering. BV’s technical director, Jean-Francois Segretain says, “Fears over [LNG’s] availability in the bunker chain are holding back owners from adopting it. Part of the issue is that ports and terminals wishing to provide LNG as bunkers and shipowners wishing to have LNG-powered ships do not have agreed international standard bunker procedures to work to.” All this will change soon. ●

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coverage

Globally on call With more than 850 ports covered right across the world UniMarine can guarantee lube solutions to any ship, anywhere, any time.

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maritime ceo

coverage REGULAR

Lubricants Special

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UniMarine

Expertise everywhere The shipping industry has been crying out for a more responsive lubricants company. One has emerged

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s this magazine serves to show, selecting the right lubricant has rarely been more challenging and confusing for shipowners. At a time when the lube sector is contracting, not just in size but also in the range of services offered it takes someone new, brave and innovative to find the necessary solutions and to tailor make them to individual shipowner requirements. UniMarine was founded last year, yet its heritage stretches a long way back as a member of Denmark’s United Shipping & Trading (USTC), a global group of companies serving the marine market since 1876 and a global leader in marine bunkering.

As a shipowner and operator USTC controls a fleet of large, modern, chemical and product tankers and has a global footprint covering shipping, point-to-point logistics, supply of bunker fuels and marine lubricants. UTSC realised the lubricant market was in need of a new direction and seized its opportunity

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with the creation of UniMarine.

Singapore-headquartered UniMarine has drawn together a global network (see pages 6 and 7) covering more than 850 supplied ports in a remarkably short amount of time. Arguably more important has been UniMarine’s remarkable recruitment of many of the world’s top experts in marine lubricants. In every major port UniMarine has genuine lube solution providers in place to assist shipowners with whatever their needs are.

With a lube veteran, Caroline Huot, at the helm, UniMarine has been quick to listen to owners’ needs and concerns and to address them in a transparent manner, shaking up the sector in a dramatic way. UniMarine’s commitment to tailor make lube solutions is very much positioning the company as a boutique brand, albeit one that is able to offer very competitive prices.

“If we study the marine lubricants market today versus 10 years ago,” says Huot, “most of the major suppliers have limited their services

in many ways.” She lists availability of products, geographical coverage, 24/7 customer service and technical support. “This has paved the way for the entry of both physical suppliers and original solutions suppliers like UniMarine. I believe the marine lubricants market may well be more atomized in the years to come and that the picture we shall see in 2020 onwards will be rather different from the one we used to know some years ago.”

The shipping industry has come to expect close cooperation between engine

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Most of the major suppliers have limited their services in many ways

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maritime ceo

UniMarine

manufacturers and oil suppliers in order to be sure that new engine designs are matched with the proper lubricant at the right time and in all the needed locations, Huot says.

In the past there was an obvious understanding of the cyclical nature of shipping so that support in tough times was implicit as was sharing some of the benefits during growth periods. Right now such understanding has somewhat disappeared, Huot reckons: the marine lubricants market has become more split up and less cooperative than it was before, when objectives and interests of suppliers were much more aligned with OEM requirements and owners’ requirements.

“At UniMarine,” Huot stresses,

Lubricants Special

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The marine lubricants market has become more split up and less cooperative

“we have united shipping and lubrication passionate experts cooperating with reliable suppliers and partners to form a team dedicated to supplying fleets with tailor made lubrication solutions globally answering all your needs without compromise, 365 days a year and 24/7.

“We believe that success in the coming years depends on meaningful partnerships, transparency in operations and a firm commitment to the values and philosophy that underlie our shipping community.”

UniMarine’s unique network of suppliers worldwide is designed

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to offer owners high performance products and technical support based on the concept of ‘regional supply’ in order to offer what is best where it is the best.

UniMarine understands that smooth operations imply servicing the needs of both onboard and onshore teams in a timely manner with the best combination of high performance products meeting all the technical requirements of the engine and auxiliary equipment manufacturers, expert customer services and high performance used oil analysis services. ●

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Solutions

Navigating regulatory and technical changes Shipping faces great challenges with a raft of new laws coming in. However, answers are to hand

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wners have both short- and long-term concerns when it comes to lubricants: everyone wants to see support from the lube suppliers in term of cost efficiency in order to help the vessels OPEX budgets. Practically that means efforts on the product cost itself but as well improvements in terms of port availability. For instance, if bulk supply is available when needed the owner can save the drum cost, if extra charges are minimized assuming that marine lubricants service should be 24/7 as are vessels operations, that is also helping.

The reduction in availability is a concern for everyone, says UniMarine boss, Caroline Huot, and it is not just in terms of grades around the world, but also there are less and less brands.

“No one is making an effort to supply any more,” she says.

With Singapore offering the cheapest lubes one piece of simply advice from Huot is for owners to take on big quantities there,

Standby help UniMarine provides its marine clients with a 24/7 contact both via phone and email recognising that vessels operations cannot be delayed due to time difference.

Says Wani Ariappan, UniMarine’s customer service manager, “A BlackBerry is an indispensable tool in this role and we

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organized well in advance. It is then vital for owners to work with their suppliers to get a better average price around the world.

“The right information will get you a better price,” she says.

In the old times there was an obvious understanding of the cyclical nature of shipping by the lube suppliers so that support in tough times was implicit as was sharing some of the benefits during growth periods.

Right now, Huot reckons, such understanding has somewhat disappeared with each party pursuing very often its own interests.

In the long term, owners expect a very close cooperation between OEMs and lube oil suppliers in order to be sure that new engine designs are matched with the proper product and at the right time.

“There is an expertise gap in this business,” Huot says, explaining that new generations of marine engineers do not focus anymore on marine lubricants as a career downstream in the oil industry is the less attractive

sector compared to upstream.

“There is a whole generation missing,” Huot says. Furthermore, lubrication education is a tiny part in the courses of maritime universities and there is less and less cooperation between oil suppliers in general and maritime institutions. “At UniMarine we intend to renew these cooperation activities and resume lubrication courses, practical courses - testing, interpretation of analysis, as well scholarships for promising cadets interested to learn more on lubrication,” Huot asserts.

always carry them with us, being ready to reply to customers’ inquiries at any time of the day or night and to liaise permanently with the physical supplier in charge of the physical delivery. We are also closely working in liaison with our other customer services worldwide which allow following up inquiries round the clock, hence providing a real 24/7, non-stop service to our clients.

“After many years in the business

I have created strong relationships with physical suppliers, majors and customers, which have become like a big family.” ●

maritime ceo

Solutions

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No one is making an effort to supply any more

ECAs

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Various new emission control areas that come into place in 2015 raise a lot of issues pertaining to the availability of fuels geographically - and therefore of fuel management when tramping in various areas of the world - and of the right lubricants when burning ultra-low sulphur fuel.

A new generation of cylinder oil is needed to cope with the particular challenges of an extra low sulphur percentage and lube suppliers research and development need to anticipate the new operating conditions carefully.

A look at the ongoing controversy on which cylinder oil to use for super long stroke engines and when slow steaming and it becomes clear owners would benefit from a closer cooperation with the OEMs on this as well.

Another regulatory constraint closer to us is the USA Vessel General Permit (VGP) – EPA rules which will apply from December onwards: owners need to be prepared and understand the need of checking the OEMs approvals of the biolubes range they select as well as their real in-ports and shipyards availability well before in order to make sure not to have any surprise when starting to

Scrubbers With the January 1, 2015 deadline fast approaching and a number of Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) setting tough new sulphur limitations, scrubbers are very much in the spotlight. This gas-abatement technology has been used for many years across shore-based industries, however the application of the technology is still relatively novel to the maritime industry.

Lubricants Special

use such ranges. Again, in a marine lubricants market where more and more suppliers keep appearing, those committed to providing proper advice to shipping shall be of high value.

If we study the marine lubricants market today versus 10 years ago, most of the major suppliers have limited their services in many ways (availability of products, geographical coverage, 24/7 customer service, technical support) hence paving the way for the entry of both physical suppliers and original solutions suppliers like UniMarine.

“I believe the marine lubricants market may well be more atomized in the years to come and that the picture we shall see in 2020 onwards will be rather different from the one we used to know some years ago,” Huot says.

Fighting cold corrosion UniMarine has launched a unique piston underside oil analysis program, Cylinder Scrape-Down Oil Analysis (CSDOA), to deal with marine main engine cylinder liners cold corrosion problem, something that has been execrated by the advent of slow steaming.

UniMarine’s CSDOA is a laboratory-based technical service, monitoring parameters of piston underside oil. The CSDOA not only is able to identify cold corrosion of cylinder walls and provides early warning the engineer to be on the There are two main types of scrubber systems: ‘wet’ and ‘dry’.

Although it is true that shore-based industries widely use dry systems, wetsystems are more common within the maritime sector.

A wet scrubber system uses seawateror freshwater with the addition of chemicals to ‘wash’ the harmful components from exhaust gases. Forthe majority of owners, sea waterscrubbers will be the option of choice.These systems use a chemical process known as wet flue gas

Heading onboard A key aid to help reduce an owner’s lube bill is to get an expert from a supplier onboard ship. Sadly, in these days of perennial cost cutting fewer and fewer ship visits take place. UniMarine is committed to help all its customers with visits to their ships.

Thomas To, UniMarine’s senior technical manager, says owners want visits onboard to fix problems that might be missed otherwise.

“Engineering staff onboard are not familiar with machinery lubrication in general,” he says, noting how often they lack knowledge in lubricants, are not clear about OEM lubrication requirements and tend to rely on used oil analysis for addressing lubrication problems rather than their own experience. ●

alert for cold corrosion, but also benefits other main engine related areas such as optimisation of cylinder oil feed rate.

Lab testing Giving owners peace of mind by providing equipment to verify what they are buying is correct and working properly is something vital in today’s hard-pressed shipping market.

UniMarine has developed what it calls LubeSafe Minilab which offers a variety of services.

desulphurisation (FGD) whereby flue gases containing SO2, an acid, come into contact with sea water. The sea water, an alkaline, acts as a buffer and dissolves the sulphur oxides. ●

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Hamburg

Beyond the exhibition floor

For those attending this year’s SMM, there’s plenty to enjoy in the grand city of Hamburg

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t a loose end in Hamburg?

Germany’s second largest city and “Gateway to the World” won’t disappoint.

A visit to Hamburg must begin at the old harbour area on the Elbe River, the city’s heart since the 12th century, and a perfect area to discover on foot. Start at St Michaelis Church, where you can climb the tower for a fabulous birds-eye view of the city. Then stroll to the Landungsbrücken (“landing bridges”), from where a boat cruise will give you a real sense of what Hamburg is all about – ships, docks, and the sea (about an hour; English tours available, so ask).

Walk along the waterfront on the Elbpromenade, dotted with souvenir stores, boutiques, and restaurants.

Make sure to try Hamburg’s very own Fischbrötchen (fish sandwich), available from snack bars along the way. The permanently moored Cap San Diego cargo ship, now a museum, is worth a look. And if you happen to be in the neighbourhood early on a Sunday morning (4.30am - 9.30am) don’t miss the Fischmarkt – a truly fabulous open-air market, since 1703.

Great crowds, atmosphere, views and music, not to mention boisterous hawkers, will more than compensate for the early start.

Continue your walk to the HafenCity, Hamburg’s redeveloped maritime quarter, nowadays a glittering showcase of warehouse conversions, cutting-edge

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architecture (like the Hamburg Cruise Centre, built out of 40 sea containers), theatres and museums (the International Maritime Museum is the best of the bunch).

Although stealing the show here is Miniature Wonderland, the world’s largest model railway. No, it’s not just for kids, and no, I am not kidding.

With over 12,000 m of track, 890 model trains, and 200,000 human figurines, you will be blown away by the sheer scale and detail of it all, whatever your age.

Done with the sea? Head north into Hamburg’s Altstadt (Old Town), to the imposing sandstone Rathaus (city hall), and the lovely open public square that surrounds it. A short tour of the sumptuous interior halls will be well worth the effort.

From here you can simply wander aimlessly, through narrow streets lined with grand buildings, which speak to Hamburg’s wealth as a trading city. If you’re feeling peckish, now would be the time for Franzbrötchen, a pastry that looks a bit like a croissant, with a cinnamon and sugar filling – seriously addictive, and unique to Hamburg. Here you will also find the city’s best shopping – whether in one of the plush indoor shopping arcades, or on the main shopping drag of the Jungfernstieg.

But you can’t escape the water for long in Hamburg. Stretching into the city’s north are the Alsters – two large, artificial inland lakes, surrounded by luscious green parks and

crisscrossed by walking trails, so you can stroll here for hours, read a book under a tree, or even sunbathe on the grass (in winter, when the lakes freeze over, you can sometimes iceskate). For a really special experience though, hop on a preserved steamboat for a romantic putter across the waters. By law all lake-facing buildings in Hamburg must be painted white and their roofs covered with copper, so the views are beautiful, especially as the sun sets.

Then, once darkness falls, head to the Reeperbahn, Hamburg’s notorious and slightly seedy red-light district, in the city’s west. People either love it or hate it here, but these days it’s as much a tourist attraction as anything else, with restaurants, theatres, musicals, live shows and good-old people watching on offer (for those not so interested in the world’s oldest profession).

So there you have it – Hamburg in a day (or two or three) – a wonderful mix of the old and the new; the land and the sea; great architecture and natural beauty. All steeped in the centuries-old maritime culture of one of Europe’s busiest ports.

Oh, and by the way, in case you’re wondering: yes, the hamburger can indeed trace its origins to this city. Apparently migrants from Hamburg to North America brought with them their beloved Frikadelle, a ground-beef patty mixed with onion, spices and egg, pan-fried. The rest, as they say, is history. ● maritime ceo

Visit us at Hall A2, Booth 219 at SMM in Hamburg

MARINE LUBRICANTS

JUST TELL US WHERE AND WHEN

UNIMARINE provides cost efficient lubrication solutions and expert technical services to the shipping industry.

For worldwide and 24/7 high performance marine lubricants deliveries contact our global team: marinelubs@unimarine-lubricants.com www.unimarine-lubricants.com

Asia Shipping Media Pte Ltd 20 Cecil Street, #14-01 Equity Plaza, Singapore 049705 www.asiashippingmedia.com