Messages

1

Shipping News and information / Re: Red sea and Suez canal

« on: January 13, 2024, 04:20:02 PM »

According to a newsletter Al Monitor, which is covering the Middle East, International Monetary  Fund figures show 35 percent less cargo was transported through the Suez Canal in the first week of 2024 compared with the same period last year.

The route circumnavigating Africa saw a 67,5 percent jump in cargo compared with the same period last year.

The Suez Canal in the fiscal year 2022 / 2023 earned Egypt 9.4 billion US dollars.

Regards 

2

Shipping News and information / Re: Cruiseship MAUD storm damage

« on: December 28, 2023, 10:55:21 AM »

In the same storm, Pia which caused damage to the Hurtigruten cruise ship MAUD, the big Danish container ship MAYVIEW MAERSK ( 18.270 TEU ) lost 46 containers overboard in the North Sea. 4 of the containers have since washed ashore on the west coast of Jutland, Denmark.

MAYVIEW MAERSK, at the time, was heading north in the North Sea - from Bremerhaven, Germany to Gdansk, Poland, when she encountered the rough coditions.

Shipping are being warned against the remaining containers and debris from the container ship still floating in the North Sea.

Regards 

3

Help and Advice / Re: Help locating and identifying a ship!

« on: February 13, 2019, 03:35:08 PM »

Quocvo, all the best to you.

With a amazing story like yours I felt pretty sure, that you would get a reply either from Avin or the captain himself. The best thing to do, now, is to arrange for a meeting with the captain and at least some of the Kriti Rubi crew.

On 2nd May 1975 the Danish container ship Clara Maersk ( Maersk Line ) rescued 3.628 Vietnamese boat refugees and brought them to Hong Kong. Video footage of Clara Maersk's arrival at Hong Kong, two days later, and an interview with the captain of Clara Maersk about this rescue mission is on YouTube. If you are interested, just search Clara Maersk Rescue on YouTube.

Most of the Clara Maersk refugees were later granted asylum in Denmark. A baby girl born onboard was named Clara ( after the ship ) and a small boy among the boat refugees later joined the company and became a Maersk Line captain himself.

Regards. 

4

Help and Advice / Re: Help locating and identifying a ship!

« on: February 10, 2019, 10:28:11 PM »

What a touching story.

Kriti Rubi to me looks like a cargo vessel of Avin International S. A.  ( Avin Liners ). You can contact this company via their web site www.avin.gr -       by mail to Avin International S.A., Irodou Attikou 12 A, Maroussi 15124, Athens, Greece - by email to [email protected] or by phone. Their telephone numbers are also on their web site.

Good luck.     

5

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia to be scrapped at Grenaa ?

« on: December 03, 2013, 11:09:29 AM »

Thanks Ben, it should be 291 m. ( not 391 m. ).

The quay in question has approval for ships of a length of up to 360 m. so it shouldn't be a problen.

Regards
 

6

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia to be scrapped at Grenaa ?

« on: December 01, 2013, 09:40:10 PM »

Sandygates ( earlier in this thread ) - for the time being there is very limited information available as to what plans the owners of the Costa Concordia wreck have concerning the dismantling of it. It's a known fact, however, that a number of yards have been contacted and asked about their interest in and capability of scrapping this wreck.

One of these yards is the Fornaes scrap yard in the Port of Grenaa. Their reply was, that they can do it. They have the facilities, the work force and the expertise to do it - in a safe way without causing harm to neither environment nor anyone's health. This is what this scrap yard is known for - environmental safe scrapping and no accidents in the work place.

The owner's enquiry to the Fornaes scrap yard indicates an interest in also considering an environmental friendly scrapping of their wreck with no further harm to people's health - if the safe transport of the wreck on the Seawise Vanguard can be guaranteed - merely my assumption, but I don't think it's unrealistic, wishful thinking.

Information as to how far the Seawise Vanguard can move the Costa Concordia wreck has yet to reach the public - with the acceptance of the insurance company all the way to Denmark.

The Seawise Vanguard has been hired for that time it takes to transport the wreck of Costa Concordia to the site where it can be scrapped. Royal Boskalis are very sure they can handle this operation with their Seawise Vanguard. Costa has yet to take the final decision. At this stage Costa is primarily interested in having the Seawise Vanguard at hand in case they decide, that this kind of transport is the right way to remove the wreck from Isola del Giglio.

Perhaps you are right and one day this wreck turns up somewhere else than in Denmark and will be scrapped there. However, it doesn't mean that the present shipping reports, speculations and opinions are naive and just a lot of nonsense. On the contrary. Environmental friendly dismantling of this wreck in a yard in Denmark capable of doing so without causing any further harm to neither environment nor people's health to me seems very meaningful.

Regards   

7

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia to be scrapped at Grenaa ?

« on: November 29, 2013, 11:23:04 PM »

In case the Fornaes Skibsophug is awarded this contract, which is not sure, the yard and the port can easily handle her.

The wreck would then be dismantled in a port area named Nordhavnen. The quay in that area can accommodate ships measuring up to 360 m. Costa Concordia, as you mentioned, measures 391 m. so a dispensation is required. However, that dispensation has already been granted by the relevant authorities.

The Fornaes Skibsophug is 3rd or 4th on the list of European ship breaking yards. Usually they handle small - and medium size ships. Until now ferries and navy ships have been among their biggest jobs.

It's important to emphasize, that the contact between Costa and Fornaes Skibsophug is a preliminary one - there is still a long way to go.

Regards

8

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia to be scrapped at Grenaa ?

« on: November 29, 2013, 12:36:55 PM »

With the panic - stricken evacuation of her 4.200 passengers and crew and 32 people losing their lives while on holiday on a Costa cruise ship, being wrecked on an Italian island right in front of the World's TV viewers, Costa cannot allow themselves any further issues concerning the Costa Concordia.

The safe transport of the wreck and the dismantling of it in a yard capable of doing so without causing further damage to the environment and people's health has to be a major aspect of the Costa considerations. They are a cruise company of a good reputation, their success is depending on their reputation and they are likely go very far to keep it that way. This could be the reason for their enquiry to the Fornaes Skibsophug in Grenaa, Denmark.

The Port of Grenaa in Denmark, in recent years, has expanded very much and is today looked upon as one of the most innovative ports in Denmark - with several big sites and projects going on mainly related to the growing Danish offshore wind mill industry. Fornaes Skibsophug is located within the Port of Grenaa and is spezialised  in the environmental friendly ship breaking business. It has invested a substansial amount of money in it. They were formed in 1993 and are operating under very strict Danish labor rules. Until this date, there has been, as to my knowledge, no accidents worth of mentioning in this yard.

I find it therefore very reasonable, that the owner of Costa Concordia has directed an enquiry to the Fornaes Skibsophug in Grenaa, Denmark concerning the safe dismantling of this wreck - especially if they want to avoid any unfavourable publicity concerning the environmental problems and health hazards usually associated with the dismantling of a big ship.

I've only very limited information as to the other yards in question, Piombino at Leghorn, Fincantieri at Perlermo and Aliaga in Turkey. They may have their environmental - and safety standards in place, as well, and follow them strictly. However, my impression is, that the Aliaga yard does have environmental - and working conditions, which to a certain degree  could be similar to those of the yards in Asia, but others may know this better.

Regards                   

9

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia to be scrapped at Grenaa ?

« on: November 25, 2013, 05:34:04 AM »

Costa has contacted several yards concerning the dismantling of Costa Concordia. The Fornaes Skibsophug in Grenaa, Denmark is one of them.

The contact between Costa and the Fornaes Skibsophug is described as preliminary but serious.The Port of Grenaa and the Fornaes Skibsophug is very much able to handle a ship of this size and the dismantling of it.

Costa Concordia is not been towed away from the Italian Isola del Giglio, but onboard the semi - submersible heavy transport vessel Dockwise Vanguard.

Regards.

10

Shipping News and information / Re: Oversupply of oil in our world and our ship spotting can prove it!

« on: April 27, 2012, 09:49:25 AM »

Lack of oil is a question of demand and supply of oil. Currently there is no over-supply of oil. On the contrary, there is a shortage of oil. This can be read directly on the oil price and the fact, that many tanker owners, right now, are experiencing very difficult times - some are even struggling for their existence.

In 1999 the price of oil was around 10 USD / barrel. Today the oil price is around 120 USD / barrel ( Brent ). There are several reasons for this significant increase:

1). The recent increase ( 15 - 20 USD / barrel ), is primarily due to fear of an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and Iran's threat to close the Hormuz Strait. Each day 17 million barrels of oil are passing this strait - equivalent to 20 pct. of global consumption.

2). Oil Peak: In the future the remaining oil may be increasingly difficult to extract.   It's a fact, since 1995 global oil production has barely been increased.

3). Iraq has problems with rebuilding its oil production.

4). Unrest and other problems in Libya.

5). Syria is out of the market.

6). Turmoil in both Yemen and Nigeria.

7). Increased demand for oil in the developing economies like China, India etc.

In the years to come, the demand for oil and the price of oil will likely increase. At some point, however, the threshold will be reached and changes in people's behaviour and  transition to other energy sources will reduce demand and lower prices - perhaps even make oil obsolete.

The Stone Age did not end because people ran out of stones - and the Oil Age will not end because people ran out of oil. ( Sheikh Yamani, Saudi Arabian oil minister 1962 - 1986 ).

Regards       

11

Site related news, functions and modules / Re: Code of Conduct

« on: April 11, 2012, 08:39:23 PM »

Fair enough with a code of conduct.

Ken, the topic / thread, which you are referring to, was initiated by an admin. wanting to provoke  a member - it was not a thread about a member " attacking " the admin - and it was a thread, which the admin. should have deleted much faster, than it actually happened.

The topic / thread was not left in disarray because the provoked member wanted to delete his comments. The topic / thread was doomed to be left disarray due to the quality of the initial posting.

Apart from that, the admin. is doing a well job, but please have a word with that member of the admin, who thought it pertinent to initiate the topic / thread, which you referred to.

Regards         

12

Shipping News and information / Re: Oldest Seagoing Ships In Service

« on: September 28, 2011, 10:00:04 AM »

Tankers with the classic bridge - amidship designs: Possibly the Russian tanker, OLEKMA could be a candidate. Built in 1964 in the Rauma - Repola Ship Yard in Finland and in 2010 still in active service. She was, at one point, converted into a replenishment tanker for the Russian Navy but in later years, I think, converted back to civilian service.

However, there could be older tankers with the bridge - amidship designs still afloat.

Phil - perhaps it's fair to say, the cable layer HENRY P LADING was built in 1930 as the tanker, PETER HURRL. She became ESSO K

13

Shipping News and information / Re: US training ship Empire State

« on: June 01, 2011, 07:20:31 PM »

Schedule - 2011 Summer Sea Term.

Fort Schuyler, New York   Depart 09. May.
Aalborg, Denmark          Depart 29. May.  Arrival 25. May.
Riga, Latvia              Depart 10. June  Arrival 06. June
Gdynia, Poland            Depart 14. June  Arrival 12. June.
Cobh, Ireland             Depart 26. June  Arrival 22. June.
Split, Croatia            Depart 10. July  Arrival 06. July.
Toulon, France            Depart 24. July  Arrival  ?  July.
Fort Schuyler, New York                    Arrival 06. August.

Regards
   

14

Trip reports / Re: Harbourdays Rotterdam

« on: September 05, 2010, 09:26:08 AM »

Enjoyable video Fred and with many interesting ships.Some of them I saw, as well, in Amsterdam during Sail 2010, fx Stad Amsterdam and Holland.

Your videos from that event - onboard Kruzenshtern and Shabab Oman - were also interesting to watch.
 
Thanks for uploading them.

Regards

15

Trip reports / Re: Rotterdam video 14 and 15 aug

« on: August 16, 2010, 01:57:40 PM »

Enjoyable videos, beautifully done and with a professional touch to them. They give an excellent impression of the shipping activities in and around the ports of Rotterdam.

In a few days ( 19 - 23 Aug. ) the Sail 2010 event takes place in Amsterdam. A very good possibility for further video filming and uploading to the internet.

Regards