Messages

16

Shipping News and information / Re: Container vessel MOL COMFORT broke in two and sank off India

« on: June 28, 2013, 09:31:30 AM »

The mysterious AHTS must be "SCI Urja": http://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/77370/india-cochin-shipyard-delivers-fourth-ahts-to-sci/

She is of Vard (formerly STX) AH-03 type

17

Shipping News and information / Re: Tow of the GLOBAL CHANGE?

« on: March 08, 2013, 02:12:58 PM »

No, it can't be. The vessel being towed is much larger than the Tristar sisters, and must be an old FSO of VLCC or possibly suezmax size. (The tell-tale FSO signs here being e.g. helideck aft, extra crane aft of midships and no rudder.)

Color and funnels does not match the "Oloibiri". Hope someone can solve it.

18

Shipping News and information / Re: Two 400,000 dwt VLOC for Oman Shipping

« on: April 09, 2012, 01:39:38 PM »

The four Oman Shipping Valemaxes have been assigned "vale" names, which are:

Vale Liwa
Vale Sohar
Vale Shinas
Vale Saham

http://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/51555

19

Shipping News and information / Re: "Ore Fabrica" ore transhipper (ex VLCC) ready for action at Subic

« on: February 29, 2012, 03:33:29 PM »

Great photos of "Vale Brasil", "Ore Fabrica" and "Ore Pantanal" rafted together here (see bottom of page):

http://www.bedeschi.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=155&lang=it

20

Shipping News and information / "Ore Fabrica" ore transhipper (ex VLCC) ready for action at Subic

« on: February 08, 2012, 06:55:49 PM »

Vale is readying the "Ore Fabrica" transhipment terminal at Subic to receive "Vale Brasil" this weekend. "Ore Fabrica" is the former Frontline VLCC "Front Duchess".

Tradewinds has some news on her today: http://www.tradewindsnews.com/drycargo/663516/vale-plots-grand-opening

Antipodean Mariner has some very interesting pictures and details here:
http://antipodeanmariner.blogspot.com/search/label/ore%20fabrica

The following is a hotlink to one of his pictures (which I hope he does not mind). Check out his always interesting blog for the rest.

21

Shipping News and information / Re: "Vale sells four of its 19

« on: January 29, 2012, 09:23:26 PM »

The giant 300,000 dwt transhipper is ready. Picture here:

http://www.xrshipyard.com/english/UploadFiles/2012126142144450.jpg

22

Shipping News and information / Re: Six Dead After COSTA CONCORDIA Runs Aground

« on: January 26, 2012, 02:31:42 PM »

New pictures of the vessel listing before tipping over have emerged:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/26/costa-concordia-cruise-liner-pictures-lifeboast_n_1233035.html

23

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia - wreck removal or salvage for repairs and relaunch ?...

« on: January 23, 2012, 11:06:36 PM »

Video of the reef she grounded on:
http://www.vgtv.no/#!id=48648

24

Shipping News and information / Re: Six Dead After COSTA CONCORDIA Runs Aground

« on: January 20, 2012, 01:01:53 PM »

Costa apparently says delay in evacuating was "unjustifiable", and that no lives would have been lost had they evacuated immediately:

http://www.tradewindsnews.com/costa/662597/evacuation-too-late

25

Shipping News and information / Re: Supply vessel from the film "North Sea Highjack" / "Ffolkes"

« on: January 18, 2012, 06:33:16 PM »

The above info is for the new "Tor Viking".

The old one in the film is IMO 7407063, built 1975, renamed "Red Penguin I" in 1989, "Seabulk Penguin I" in 1998 and has sailed as "Butler Penguin I" since 2008. She is now owned by Butler AG Ltd.

A recent picture can be found here: http://www.agbutlerltd.com/equipment.html

26

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia captain ignored orders to go back to the ship

« on: January 18, 2012, 02:03:22 PM »

Lloyd's List Intelligence hits Costa in the knees with this publication of old and new AIS data:

http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/sector/ship-operations/article389069.ece

"Both routes passed within a few hundred metres of each other and the tracking data, obtained through Lloyd

27

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia captain ignored orders to go back to the ship

« on: January 17, 2012, 05:04:31 PM »

A disgrace!

28

Shipping News and information / Re: Costa Concordia - wreck removal or salvage for repairs and relaunch ?...

« on: January 17, 2012, 01:05:37 PM »

My two cents: I think she's a CTL. There are too many openings in her superstructure. Further, they cannot simply patch her and pump out the water like "Sally Albatross", because she's on her side. Also, they cannot right her before patching like they did on the "Herald of Free Enterprise", because there's nowhere to put the piles for the pullers. The water depth  outside the vessel is apparently about 100 meters. Even if they could pull her right, she would not be on flat seabottom like the Herald was, and it would be extremely difficult to keep her upright while patching her before pumping her dry.

29

Shipping News and information / Re: Six Dead After COSTA CONCORDIA Runs Aground

« on: January 16, 2012, 08:48:46 PM »

The evidence that she was doing hard to starboard when she grounded is that the stab-fin is intact, and that the damage is starting quite far aft and getting deeper further aft.

If you stand at the bridge wing of a ship and look aft when she is starting a hard turn, you will see that it is the aft that does all the turning at first, going sideways before the bow picks up.

Imagine the master's feeling after it happened:

30

Shipping News and information / Re: Six Dead After COSTA CONCORDIA Runs Aground

« on: January 16, 2012, 09:45:19 AM »

I agree completely. The video from August 2011 is one piece of evidence showing it has happened before, although obviously not so close as to hit the rocks.

I see some of the mainstream media are now picking up on the "sail-by" part of the story, see e.g.:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9016769/Cruise-disaster-Captain-neared-Italian-rocks-to-greet-friend-on-shore.html

It is tragic - and deeply ironic - if this is true in the year of the 100th anniversary of the "Titanic", where the captain chose a more dangerous route through iceberg infested waters. If it is true, "Costa Concordia" and several lives has been lost because of a master willfully choosing to take the vessel dangerously close to shore to greet someone and/or just show off, and then ending up running her into the rocks at high speed. If it is true, the sheer recklessness and stupidity is mind-boggling.