Shipping

Dockyard delivers four vessels to Singapore

Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) delivered the first of a series of four 78 m Multipurpose Platform Supply Vessels for Greatship Global Offshore Services of Singapore on April 14, 2010.

This vessel was designed by a world renowned ship design firm, Seatech Solutions International of Singapore in collaborative consultation with the Owner and the Builder Colombo Dockyard.

The Greatship Rekha during her trials in Colombo waters

Over the past few years, Colombo Dockyard has accumulated a wealth of experience in building vessels for the offshore sector requirement and is now well geared to meet any kind of requirement that may arise in the offshore oil exploration activities being carried out in the Sri Lankan waters and offer its expert assistance in marine engineering.

The vessel has been designed, constructed and outfitted complying with the latest rules and regulations applicable to a Vessel of this type and size.

The plan approval and ongoing construction survey was performed by the Lloyds Register of Shipping.

The purpose of this vessel is to support offshore oil and gas fields on a twenty-four (24) hour per day basis and has an endurance of about 35 days and a cruising range of about 9200 nautical miles.

The vessel is built for operation in un-restricted waters and is capable of undertaking multi-purpose roles such as transportation of pipes, fresh water, diesel oil, bulk cement, stores, equipment, moving men, materials between platforms and shore, and also engage in external fire fighting, if the need arise.

Good maneuverability and station keeping is achieved by using twin controllable pitch propellers, twin rudders and transverse bow and stern thrusters.

Twin maneuvering consoles are fitted in the wheelhouse stations, forward and aft with 'joy-stick' controls.

The vessel being equipped with advanced dynamic positioning (DP) system assures safe and more efficient operations while working in close proximity to oil platforms/ rigs.

The wheelhouse is designed to ensure excellent all-round view.

UK suspends 'Titanic Laws' to bring stranded travellers home

London, Lloyd's List - the leading news and information service for the global shipping industry - has learned that the UK Department for Transport is allowing Dover ferry operators to carry passengers in numbers that would normally be illegal under rules against overloading, in a bid to repatriate travellers stranded by the aviation crisis.

French authorities are understood to have made similar provisions for French concerns.

SeaFrance confirmed that it had taken advantage of the one-off bilateral derogation, which expires at the end of the week, although P&O Ferries said yesterday that it would not do so, largely because of constraints on the availability of seafarers with the right skills in the off-peak period.

"The UK move suspends whole chunks of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, introduced after the Titanic disaster of 1912, so that vessels can take 10% more people than the maximum shown on the passenger certificate," says David Osler, reporter for Lloyd's List.

Hamburg Süd defies crisis

Hamburg Süd, too, was gripped by the world economic and shipping crisis. At 2.3 billion TEU, shipment volume in the liner business was 13 percent down on the previous year and freight rates dropped significantly.

Turnover consequently fell 28 per cent to 3.2 billion euros compared with 2008.

Against the backdrop of declining shipment volume, the container pool was significantly reduced by the return of leased containers and the sale of old owned boxes. In contrast, the slot capacity of deployed vessels, at 304,000 TEU, remained roughly constant.

The number of container ships, however, fell by 13 percent to 96 units. With the replacement of smaller charter vessels by larger newbuildings, the strategy of lowering unit costs is continuing.

The fleet operated by the Hamburg Süd Group, with the inclusion of 52 vessels in the tramp division, comprised 148 units, 36 of them Group-owned.

Last year saw the commissioning of a new Monte ship (5,500 TEU) and three Rio vessels (5,900 TEU), which will be deployed on the Europe and Asia to East Coast South America trade lanes together with the sister ships delivered in previous years. The program of increasing the owned share of vessels is to be continued in the years ahead. By 2012, twelve ships with a total capacity of some 80,000 TEU will enhance the Group-owned fleet.

They include ten vessels of the Santa class, which, with a nominal capacity of 7,100 TEU, will be the largest ships in the Hamburg Süd fleet.

In the crisis year 2009, investment volume was limited to a minimum of 167 million euros (2008: 530 million euros).

CASA focus on Hambantota Port Development Project

CASA (Ceylon Association of Ship's Agents) arranged a presentation on the Hambantota Port Development Project, recently at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The presentation was made by Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dr. Priyath B Wickrama. A large gathering including senior management of shipping agency companies representing all major shipping lines worldwide were present. CASA will keep their respective principals informed of the developments taken place so far and the facilities available for Port users to attract shipping lines to call Hambantota Port. CASA Treasurer Nimal Perera, CASA Vice Chairman Ralph Anandappa, CASA Chairman Nimal Ranchigoda, Dr. Priyath B Wickrama and CASA Secretary General Dhammika Walgampaya at the meeting.