MSC Flaminia departs the Jade-Weser Port in Germany in March. Photo: Reederei NSB

After more than six weeks of waiting at an anchorage off the coast of Constanza, Romania, the burned out MSC Flaminia has entered port for lightering operations and repairs, the ship’s operator said Wednesday.

A statement by Germany’s Reederei NSB said that the MSC Flaminia entered the Port of Constanza on May 17 where fire fighting experts will board the vessel to continue the investigation into the cause of the incident. The MSC Flaminia will have to be lightened prior to undergoing repairs at Daewoo-Mangalia Heavy Industries, a process that Reederei NSB says is expected to take about a month.

The 6,750 teu MSC Flaminia suffered a series of explosions in one of its cargo holds in July 2012 while underway from Charleston, South Carolina, to Antwerp, killing 2 and forcing the remaining crew to abandon ship about 1,000 miles from land in the Atlantic Ocean. After extensive firefighting efforts, the stricken containership was eventually towed to Europe and arrived at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in September 2012. A third crewmember later died from his wounds while at a hospital in Portugal.

The ship left the Jade-Weser Port in March and sailed to Romania, where it will undergo an overhaul at the Daewoo shipyard in Mangalia. Repairs include exchanging out the damaged center sections of the vessel.

The overhaul is expected to be completed by the end of September 2013, Reerderei has said previously.

MSC Flaminia’s cargo hold.

gCaptain’s previous coverage of the MSC Flaminia incident can be found HERE.

The M/V Tycoon prior to breaking free from its mooring at Christmas Island. Photo credit: ATSB

A broken shackle on the port’s cantilever mooring line lead to the January 2012 grounding and eventual catastrophic hull failure of the M/V Tycoon at Australia’s Christmas Island, an investitagation by Australian Transport Safety Authority has found.

On January 8, 2012, the M/V Tycoon, a Panama-flagged general cargo ship, broke free from its mooring in severe weather and ran aground along the jagged cliffs of Christmas Island’s Flying Fish Cove. The crew safely abandoned ship, but a day later the M/V Tycoon broke up against the rocks, spilling some 260 tonnes of bagged phosphate into the sea.

The ATSB’s final report, released Wednesday, found that the shackle connecting the port’s cantilever mooring line to its anchor chain failed and that Tycoon’s Master did not advise shoreside authorities of his concern over deteriorating conditions or that the cantilever mooring line had come free. The report also noted that Master also did not make proper use of the ship’s main engine or mooring lines to attempt to keep the ship in position after the mooring line came free.

Following the grounding, the M/V Tycoon’s owner, Singapore’s Tycoon Navigation SA, abandoned any attempts to salvage the vessel, forcing the Australian Government to step in and foot the $8.2 million bill for her removal.

The final pieces of the ship were removed in July 2012 by a salvage team from Titan Maritime, the Australian-based arm of Crowely’s Titan Salvage.

The full final investigation report can be downloaded from the ATSB website, HERE.

M/V Tycoon Photo Gallery:

The award marks the third consecutive time the organization has received the designation of leading classification society in the UAE. ABS won recognition in 2010, 2011 and 2013 (the event was not held in 2012). Bureau Veritas, ClassNK and Registro Italiano Navale also were nominated for the award.

“ABS maintains a strong presence in this significant shipping and offshore hub,” ABS Vice President, Middle East Region, Joseph Brincat said. “This award is an acknowledgement of the outstanding contributions by a classification society to the marine industry in the Middle East and reflects the hard work and dedication of our surveyors, engineers and supporting staff who contribute to regulatory and technology developments in the region.”

ABS continues to enhance its technical offerings in the UAE as well as class services that promote the highest safety and quality standards in the Middle East marine sector, Brincat added.

“Our standards of excellence in the Middle East and our international contributions toward the development of a more efficient marine and offshore industry distinguish ABS as a leader in class services for this crucial energy market,” ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki said. “We are honored to serve as the region’s top classification society.”

With a 150-year tradition of safety, ABS continues to be a leading global classification society, executing its mission to promote the security of life, property and the marine environment through development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.

U.S. lawmakers first called for the passenger “Bill of Rights” following the high-profile Carnival Triumph incident. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, announced Wednesday that its Board of Directors have approved the adoption of a “Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights”, a list of ten amendments addressing the basic freedoms of cruise ship passengers.

CLIA says that CEOs of its North American member cruise lines are to immediately verify in writing that they have adopted the Passenger Bill of Rights as a condition of membership in the Association.

The Bill of Rights details CLIA members’ commitment to the safety, comfort and care of guests in some key areas identified following a recent spate of high profile incidents.

“The Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights codifies many longstanding practices of CLIA members and goes beyond those to further inform cruise guests of the industry’s commitment to their comfort and care,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. “By formally adopting industry practices into a “Passenger Bill of Rights,” CLIA is further demonstrating consistent practices and transparency across CLIA member lines. The cruise industry is committed to continuing to deliver against the high standards we set for ourselves in all areas of shipboard operations.”

The Passenger Bill of Rights will be effective immediately for U.S. passengers who purchase their cruise in North America on CLIA’s North American member cruise lines, regardless of itinerary.

CLIA and its member cruise lines are actively communicating the Passenger Bill of Rights to the public and cruise line guests. The Passenger Bill of Rights will be posted on the CLIA and its members’ respective websites, and CLIA has provided to its nearly 14,000 travel agent members materials to communicate the Passenger Bill of Rights to current and prospective customers looking to book a cruise.

Below is the full text of the Passenger Bill of Rights, as adopted by CLIA’s members unanimously:

Passenger Bill of Rights

1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Master’s concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
6. The right to an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.
7. The right to transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
9. The right to have included on each cruise line’s website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.
10. The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website.

CLIA says it will submit the Passenger Bill of Rights to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), requesting formal global recognition and applicability under the IMO’s authority over the international maritime industry.

“From 2011 to 2012 the number of calls handled by our team in Japan grew by 10% and our SARD offer made up much of that development.”

“Japanese vessel operators and owners are positive about SARD because it guarantees efficient operation and fast turnaround. We ensure that our service experts make visits to customers on a timely basis to run evaluations on their time spent at each port. This enables us to improve our port operations in order to optimize the way we service our customers. In some cases, we have been able to save customers up to three hours per port call.”

Mr Iizuka continues:

“SARD is different to any other ships agency offer in the market right now, because it offers global, world-class services at a local level. Our team works in the same time zone and speaks the same language as our customers. What’s more, Japanese owners can take advantage of the scheme globally, not just in the home islands.”

WSS is investing in resources and expertise across North Asia to meet the increasing demands of this growing maritime hub. Specifically, it now covers 180 ports in Japan with four main service centres and offices located in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Moji.

Launched in 2010, SARD allows customers to deal with all their ships agency requirements from one central point, with improved communications between the agency and the operator, resulting in efficiency savings, predictable pricing and a single bank account for all payments, facilitating easy access to online job and tracking information.

Visit Wilhelmsen Ships Service on stand B25 at Bariship 2013.

- via Wilhelmsen Ship Service

Sister Ship of the Paul Clark, Margaret Norvell operating in the US Gulf of Mexico, image: Bollinger

LOCKPORT, La., Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has delivered the PAUL CLARK, the sixth Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard.

The announcement was made by Bollinger executive vice president of new construction, Chris Bollinger, “We are very pleased to announce another successful on-time and on-budget FRC delivery to the Coast Guard. The PAUL CLARK was delivered to the Coast Guard District in Key West, FL, and will be stationed at USCG Sector Miami. We are all looking forward to the vessel’s upcoming commissioning, as well as honoring and celebrating the heroic acts of Paul Clark.”

The 154 foot patrol craft PAUL CLARK is the sixth vessel in the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC program. To build the FRC, Bollinger Shipyards used a proven, in-service parent craft design based on the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708. It has a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessels 26 foot cutter boat. The FRC has been described as an operational “game changer,” by senior Coast Guard officials.

The Coast Guard took delivery May 18th, 2013 in Key West, Florida and is scheduled to commission the vessel in Miami, Florida in August, 2013.

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished him or herself in the line of duty. This vessel is named after Coast Guard Hero, Fireman First Class Paul Clark, who displayed fierce bravery in the highest traditions of military service during the allied assault on French Morocco during World War II. Clark served as a landing boat engineer and beach master on the USS JOSEPH T. DICKMAN. Clark displayed extraordinary devotion to duty in the face of enemy fire as he transferred an injured fellow crewmember to safety from the USS JOSEPH T. DICKMAN to the USS PALMER, then courageously returned to his station at the beach to complete the mission.

- via Bollinger Shipyard

With an approximate value of $9,400,000, the new boats are part of a multi-year, Coast Guard contract requiring the construction and delivery of up to 250 RB-Ms at a total contract value of up to $600 million.

Delivery of the 4 boats is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2014. This brings the total number of boats under Contract to 170. Marinette Marine builds 50% of the boats at its ACE facility in Green Bay WI. MMC’s Teaming Partner, Kvichak Marine Industries of Seattle, builds the other 50% of the boats at its Kent, WA facility.

“Marinette Marine Corporation is proud to partner with the United States Coast Guard to build the Response Boat-Medium. Our long history of delivering on schedule and within budget is a testament to our dedicated workforce and our commitment to quality and integrity in supporting the USCG’s mission,” said Chuck Goddard, President and CEO of Marinette Marine Corporation. “We look forward to continuing this long and successful relationship.”

About Marinette Marine Corporation

MMC was established in 1942 and since that time has designed and built over 1500 vessels for a wide range of government and commercial customers, including the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. Other current MMC programs include the construction of the U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a high-speed, leading-edge-technology ship; the University of Alaska, Fairbanks— Alaska Regional Research Vessel (ARRV); the U.S. Coast Guard Response Boat Medium (RBM); and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Survey Vessel 6. MMC is owned by Fincantieri Marine Group LLC, a subsidiary of Fincantieri-Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A.

Maersk Line has just released this time-lapse video of the Maersk Triple-E as a sequel to their first video of the vessel of the under construction at DSME in Okpo, South.

So we don’t know exactly how many pictures this time-lapse to stitch together, but the first one was 50,000 so we’re keeping in the ballpark.

WATCH: Building the World’s Largest Ship, PART ONE

This second video focuses on the Triple-E’s float out, which took place February 23. As Maersk Line notes on the Triple-E’s website, worldslargestship.com, it took four hours to fill the drydock with water, rushing in at a rate of 2,500 cubic meters of water per minute.

The first Triple-E, named M/V Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, is set for an on-time delivery June 28.

M/V Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller being towed into the Bay.

SEE ALSO: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Photo Tour

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bryan Blair/Released)

(May 21, 2013) – Combined Task Force 521 conducts convoy escort operations with a large natural gas tanker during International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2013 (IMCMEX). IMCMEX 13 includes navies from more than 40 countries and will exercise a wide spectrum of defensive operations designed to protect international commerce and trade.

(May 19, 2013) – (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bryan Blair/Released)

Lt. Bryan Wolfe, operations officer for CTF 521, speaks with the commanding officer of a large natural gas tanker, about plans for an upcoming mission during International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2013 (IMCMEX 13).