The days of anonymity at sea are long gone. With LRIT and satellite based AIS tracking the office has, for some time now, had access to the precise location of your ship… in real time. The next wave of innovation came with remote monitoring systems used for reasons as diverse as anti-piracy monitoring and live webcams from the bridge of cruise ships.

While remote monitoring of vessel operations may be a popular upgrade for the vessel manager of tomorrow, for those of us working aboard ships it will create more questions, and subsequent phone calls from shore, than it answers. The next wave of technology, however, might actually be helpful to the average mariner… remote system management.

To this end Wartsilla is the first major marine manufacturer to announce remote management with it’s new Condition Based Monitoring service. In a recent press release they tell us:

The CBM on-line service uses a combination of on-line monitoring of mechanical and thermal condition (with in-built sensors, for example), system efficiency data and many other indicators to assess the condition of an engine. All this information in the shipboard system in real time transmitted 24/7 to Wärtsilä service engineers at the CBM Centre in Vaasa, Finland, Wärtsilä Norway and the Seadrill office in Stavanger Norway. The service team then accurately assess the overall status and condition of the plant – and ultimately the maintenance it needs, and make regular reports to the engine users based on established guidelines and specific operating conditions.

Marine installations use satellite communication to connect to the CBM Centre. An engine installation can be connected to the CBM Centre through the Internet using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection or through the e-mail server onboard the ship. There is also a manual alternative for data collection and e-mail sending which uses Wärtsilä’s special software.

Once connected, the CBM Centre receives operation data information about the specific engines including load and ambient conditions. The received data are automatically analyzed by the special Wärtsilä developed analyzing software. The most common for marine installations is still to send a batch of operating data once a day to assess engine condition. In the future the 24/7 online connections will be more and more common because of the increasing satellite connection capacity and reduced data transfer costs.

While more than a few Captains will probably continue to experience “unexpected” communications failure when they don’t want calls from the office… they might first have to clear outages with the Chief.

So while we wait for an intrepid engineer to start a forum post title “Pimp My Engine Control Room” (A thread I’m honestly looking forward to reading!)… the following are a few of the ideas mentioned. Your mission is to pick the 2 that you would most like installed on your vessel.

If you have additional ideas please head over to our forum and post them HERE.

Since the initial launch of our Maritime Jobs Board gCaptain has helped countless mariners find jobs at sea. To my surprise one, Jeffrey an engineer and fellow Fort Schuyler alumni, recently used the job board to find a job aboard my ship! A ship, I myself found, via the maritime employment section of our forum.

Needless to say we have been very please with the results of the Jobs section but this has not come without a considerable amount of work for the gCaptain team. Further, the most time consuming task of managing the board has been processing the countless resumes submitted to us each day. The gCaptain team has so far made a valiant effort to match resumes with jobs but this task has pulled us from our focus of providing you with the world’s best maritime content.

This left us with two options. We could 1) filter all incoming email and send resumes a separate folder to organize when time allows OR 2) filter resumes by charging for the service of connecting candidates with companies. We have decided to go with option 2 so… Today, we are excited to announce the launch of the all new resume submittal service!

A short FAQ:

What happens when I submit a resume?
Your resume will be shared with various recruiting companies (not headhunters) that we know are looking for your qualifications.

Why do you charge money to submit a resume?
This service was designed primarily to separate those individuals who simply copy and paste their resumes, blasting them out to every address they can find on the web, from those who are serious about finding a new job. So if a gCaptain recruiting-partner finds you a job (or if you’re unable to find a job with our help!) the fee will be refunded to you.

What are the different packages?
We have three levels of packages as described on our sign-up page. Each additional level comes with a higher price but also more personalized service. For example, the resumes of subscribers to the Silver package will also be distributed to recruiters on social media sites like Linkedin. Subscribers to the Gold package will get personal career advice and professional editing of their resume OR C.V.

Does this mean you will stop offering free career information?
Absolutely not. As always feel free to contact myself or post a career related question to our Maritime Employment Forum and the gCaptain team will be happy to help you out. The Gold package is simply for those who want the extra step of us walking you (and your resume!) through the process.

What if I’m not pleased with the results?
The service comes with a 100% money back guarantee. Remember, the primary cause for creating this new package is to help us handle the high volume of resumes, not to close the door on you. So if, for any reason, you are not satisfied we will refund 100% of the money spent.

How do I get started?
Simply visit our new new resume submittal service page and be sure to contact us via email or phone (+1-805-720-6268) if you have any questions.

This weeks incident photos and video is of the M/V CMA CGM Debussy pinning the tug Vadeni.  The incident occurred on March 8th at the Port of Constanta, Romania.  Cargo Law has some of the details:

73,157-gt French container M/V CMA CGM Debussy (IMO 9235907) struck the stern of Turkish cargo M/V Haci Fatma Sari (IMO 7600079) while maneuvering in the port of Constanta, Romania, and nearly sucked under the harbor tug Vadeni (IMO 7623423) which was caught between the vessels, causing considerable damage, on Mar. 8.

More on this incident, including additional photos and details, can be read on the forum HERE.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to gCaptain forum member “Coastwatch” for bringing this to our attention.

AIS has been a revolutionary product and, regardless of your opinion on its use, has changed the way mates handle heavy traffic situations. Jotron, makers of various SOLAS compliant marine safety electronics, is looking to bring this revolution to Search And Rescue operations with the introduction of an AIS enabled Search And Rescue Transponder (SART).

The device will work similar to traditional SARTs but, rather than show the position of a lifeboat on your 3cm radar, will transmit the exact GPS coordinates to all AIS enabled devices within VHF range.

We are excited not only by the product itself but the advancement of new ideas for sharing of data among the AIS network. gCaptain recently discussed the topic with the Coast Guard’s office for marine safety and is working with them to outline ideas to take AIS and data sharing from a point-to-point system to a web of collaborative sharing. Here is a basic summary of our question to marine safety:

AIS is a great system but it’s linear and data is stuck in predefined categories. Can a system be developed that facilitates discussion and information sharing between ship captain, pilots and VTS? We would be very interested in a system that facilitates discussion and allows collaboration between all parties.

One example of the failure of linear communication would be the Pasha Bulker incident. At first notice of the weather system that eventually caused the vessel to drag anchor and run aground, 56 ships were anchored in Newcastle Harbor. Each vessel received the same information via weather fax but 46 ships decided to head for the safety of sea, 10 stayed behind, 3 dragged anchor and one landed on the beach. Why had 10 captains interpreted the weather data so differently from the other 46?

Another example is the alission between the Cosco Busan and the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Why did her pilot decide to get underway while others delayed departure?

The answer to both questions lies in the minds of each Captain but our knowledge of vessel operations brings us to the conclusion that there is a sever lack of collaboration among Captains. This is particularly troubling in aggregate. Why? If we assume Captains have and average of 20 years on the job then the cumulative experience in Newcastle harbor that day exceeded 1120 years. In a time when the average employee can work from home with full access to company data, conference calls, shared documents and such why do we not share safety critical information between ships? The answer lies first in the attitude of self sufficiency that is present in the minds of most ship Captains but this is only half of the problem. The other half derives from the lack of systems capable of this type of collaboration. Could a system like AIS be transformed to allow the sharing of data, conditions and ideas?

I do not believe an AIS enabled SART will prevent the next big incident but the imaginative thought behind the idea combined with the use of existing infrastructure towards a specific goal (saving lives) is an encouraging notion indeed and gives us wide hope for the future.

For more creative uses of AIS technology be sure to read THIS POST over at Panbo. Also stay tuned for a look at AIS receivers aboard AeroMech AUV’s!

Here is an investigation report covering an accident where a fisherman alone on his fishing vessel managed to get caught in his fishing gear and it took a navy boarding team to set him free.

It is funny because the guy lived to tell about it. (He was seriously injured which is not funny.) That said, there are important safety lessons to be learned here and thankfully the entire report is only one page as copied below. So it is a simple matter of just taking five minutes to read it.

Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents – Denmark

Occupational accident – MARIE – 9.12.2009

Summary

The accident occurred on 9 December 2009 at approx. 1230. The fishing skipper, who was alone on board, was about to heave the trawl after the first haul when he was caught by a bridle and pulled up onto the net roller. The fishing skipper was caught on the net roller in approx. 6 hours before he was relieved by the Navy and a rescue helicopter. The fishing skipper was seriously injured in the accident.

Analysis and conclusion

Immediate causes (6.1)

Unsafe acts

The fishing skipper was alone on board and was caught by a bridle and was trapped because he worked right at the net roller, while it was turning.

Unsafe surroundings

It is the assessment of The Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents that control levers which are hindered in or do not automatically return to neutral position pose a significant safety risk when using net roller equipment.

Contributing causes (6.2)

Persons involved

The fishing skipper was aware that it was unsafe to stay in close vicinity of the net roller during operation.

Safety System

It is the assessment of The Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents that it is totally irresponsible to operate the net roller, and then work with the lines, when you are alone on board. It is the assessment of The Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents that the task by the net roller was conducted without any sort of safety precaution and that the risk was unacceptably high.

Safety Culture (6.3)

It is the assessment of The Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents that the circumstances of the accident and the poor state of maintenance on board demonstrated that there has been insufficient attention to safety on board.

Recommendations

The Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents recommend all owners of fishing vessels and fishing skippers, to pay special attention to proper maintenance of control handles, which must go to stop when released, so they will not pose a safety risk. – Danish Maritime Authority

There is no word on whether he had a knife with him nor if having one might have permitted him a way of escaping.

Cross-posted on my blog here.

Update 03/16/2010

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was in San Diego on February 5th to speak at a Town Hall meeting with port leaders from around the country at the first ever “National Port Summit”.

After his speech I had a brief meeting with him to specifically discuss MarAd’s “Marine Highway Program” and was also able to share with him some of the initiatives and progress the AMH advocacy website has made since launching in February, 2009.

During our meeting we discussed the obvious benefits of Marine Highways such as the energy savings, pollution reduction, congestion mitigation and safety.  I also pointed out how the benefits of ‘Marine Highways’ naturally meshed with the President’s top transportation priorities: improving transportation safety, investing for the future, and promoting livable communities, which he had just testified about a couple of days prior to our meeting.  One thing that really grabbed his attention was some of the eye-popping stats I shared with him comparing the safety of using water versus its other modal counterparts.  Although I’m sure he already knew the safety advantages, he commented that this information “needed to get out there”.

The Secretary was very gracious and accommodating and said I could follow up after our meeting with a few questions I had for him about his views on the future of “America’s Marine Highways”.

After a month with just a few minor obstacles to overcome, such as “Snowmaggedon”, a DOT furlough, etc., I’ve received his answers and they are listed below.  (I only bring up the delay because one of the questions was regarding the TIGER Grants which were yet to be announced.)”Question: The 2011 Budget doesn’t include funding for the ‘Marine Highway Program’, how important is the program to this administration and what resources will USDOT give the program?

Expanding the use of our underutilized Marine Highways, while not the answer to all freight and passenger transportation problems, addresses several of the Administration’s priorities. It can help reduce congestion on our surface transportation corridors, improving the delivery of freight and passengers. This is good for economic recovery and jobs. It helps us conserve energy, especially our use of foreign oil, and it can help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is one of the few programs that can contribute to all these objectives without having a downside. While the FY 2011 budget proposal contains no specific line item funding for Marine Highways, other funding mechanisms can help advance this program. For example, the TIGER Discretionary Grants we announced last month included three projects that directly support Marine Highways, which is discussed below. We will also continue to leverage the FY 2010 funding to support the grant recipients and help them demonstrate success of these transportation services.

In addition, we will work at the national level to remove impediments to the Marine Highway, develop and propose incentives, and conduct research that can help us get more sustainable and efficient services in place in the future.

Question: Marine Highway services create and sustain long term high paying jobs.  Did the Tiger Grants Program include funding to expand and create Marine Highway services?

Yes. There were 51 projects funded by the TIGER Grants and seven of them were maritime- related. Three projects, totaling about $58.3 million, specifically support marine highway projects. This money will buy cranes, improve Marine Highway terminals and road and rail connectors and even purchase a barge.

There is another round of TIGER Grants for the current Fiscal Year for $600 million and I hope to see more competitive Marine Highway applications again – they offer benefits that speak directly to the TIGER Grant criteria.

Question: Your counterparts in Europe are taking an aggressive approach to boosting marine transport as part of a plan to reduce congestion on land and reduce freight emissions.  They also are exploring using alternate fuels such as LNG and Fuel cell technologies.  This administration has started to emulate the high speed rail investments overseas.  Are you in favor of a comparable investment in America’s Marine Highways?

There is strong precedent for effective governmental action in this area. The European Union (EU) is faced with many of the same issues as is the U.S. regarding surface transportation congestion, environmental impacts of transportation systems, and energy conservation. The EU recognizes the benefits of greater reliance on waterborne transportation as an important means of reaching its goals regarding sustainability and competitiveness. It has an active and longstanding policy of promoting short-sea shipping and has invested millions of Euros toward that end. As a result, container and barge transport has seen tremendous growth over the last few decades, with annual European traffic crossing the one million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) level by 1991, two million TEU by 1996, and three million TEU by 2000[1]. Estimated barge traffic in 2004 reached four million TEU. Short sea shipping currently represents 40 percent of intra-EU exchanges in terms of ton-kilometers[2].

But it should also be noted that there are differences between freight transportation systems of Europe and the United States. Europe’s freight rail system is less efficient than the U.S. system and many of their largest industrial centers are in close proximity to water. Nonetheless, the remarkable growth of short-sea shipping in Europe highlights both the viability and the potentially high payoff of government support to this mode. We are looking closely at the European example as we consider our own policy and funding options.

Question: The private sector most always is the innovator and principle investor in new vessels.  However, one of the challenges for vessel operators, especially new market entrants, is the high cost of getting their designs for more efficient vessels constructed or to finance innovations in fuel and “green” technologies. What can the federal government do to help stimulate those investments and a shift to greener vessels?

Creating demand for water-borne transportation should be the first priority, as it effectively serves an incentive for vessel owners to build new ships, as well as providing incentives for the ports themselves. With increased demand, capacity will follow. And as we build new ships, they will meet or exceed today’s emissions standards, making them far more environmentally sustainable than our current fleet of older ships.

Incentives for cargo owners and surface transportation service providers can be aimed at inducing the re-direction of freight and passengers that better utilizes the excess capacity of our Marine Highways. We are looking at potential incentives that do this while we continue traditional programs, like Title XI loan guarantees, to help remove barriers to new vessel acquisition. Additionally, in 2007, Marine Highway vessel owners became eligible to utilize Capital Construction Funds for vessel construction, which also helps make new vessels more affordable.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 also directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, to conduct research on the environmental benefits of marine highways, including research on new technology and vessel designs. The goal is to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and lower transportation costs. While no specific funding has been provided to conduct this research, the Maritime Administration is incorporating Marine Highways into its overall research and development strategy and will make the most of existing resources and research relationships to advance this important component of the Marine Highway Program.

[1] Rob Konings and Hugo Priemus, Terminals and the Competitiveness of Container Barge Transport, Ports and Waterways, Transportation Research Record No. 2062, 2008.
[2] European Commission, “Maritime transport: What do we want to achieve?” at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/maritime/index_en.htm.

To educate everyone on the use of air bags as a cost effective technique used for ship launching, we reached out to Song Tao of Qingdao Evergreen Shipping Supplies Co.,Ltd. Let’s here what he has to say…

What were the first uses of air bags in the launching of ships?

The history of marine air bag ship launching dates back to 1981. Xiao Qinghe ship repair and building shipyard, located in Jinan city of Shangdong Province, launched a 60 DWT tank barge with air bag suspension on January 20, 1981. Seven air bags were employed in that project. One was 2 meters in diameter and 6 meters long and used for elevating.  The remaining six air bags were 0.8 meters x 6 meters long and acted as the rollers. The initial intention of that trial launch was to develop a prompt, less landform limited ship launching method for warfare purposes.

How has the technology advanced since then?

Over the past twenty years, the airbag ship launching system has made advancements in not only the air bag, but also the ship launching/landing technology. The first generation air bags used a rubber dipped canvas as a reinforcement layer to form the air chamber trunk. Two cone-shaped molds were then used to make the ends and everything was stuck together.

With today’s air bags, the whole-enlacing-technology used for manufacturing is done together.  Rubber dipped synthetic-tyre-cords are used as the reinforcement layers with the trunk and two cone-shaped ends made at the same time.  Everything is enlaced together, so the whole air bag doesn’t have any joints. Due to the development of rubber chemistry, the performance of the rubber employed in the latest air bags is highly enhanced and about 15 times of the first generation bag with the same specifications.

Regarding the launching/landing technology, it has also developed. In the beginning, only small and flat bottom ships located on a fabricated slope could be launched with air bags. Now this technology is more flexible and less limited by the ship and landform. Now any type of ship with a DWT below 55,000 and in a place with enough launching space can be launched using air bags. The launching slope even can be aclinic.  It has really developed into a cutting edge technology for launching ships, and especially useful for some marine emergencies.

They look very similar to Yokohama Fenders, how do they differ?

The main use of Yokohama fenders and Evergreen air bags are definitely different. It is well known that Yokohoma fenders offer an effective fender system providing a soft and stable berthing condition to ships. Evergreen air bags are widely used for ship launching, landing, heavy transport and air lifting. Due to the special use, structures of Evergreen air bags are optimized for safety and built for heavy duty use. The surface layers are enhanced for anti-abrasion and are pierce resistant. Even if they are somewhat wounded, Evergreen air bags can still work safely until repaired. The length of air bags are usually more than 10 meters and two cone-shaped ends make them look like huge sausages. Also, Evergreen air bags never use tires and shackles.

What are the advantageous to using this system over traditional ship launching techniques?

An air bag ship launching system does not need the traditional fabricated slipways so it saves time, investment, land, etc. Air bags need no extra maintenance and after use they can be cleaned and folded in the corner to wait for another mission. It is easy to find that air bags’ elasticity can give more protection to the launched ship. A remarkable character of air bags is that the working height can be changed to redirect the ship or object being launched by adjusting the inner air pressure. For this character it is peerless compared to traditional ship launching techniques.

So what are the other uses for this system?

Evergreen air bags are not only used for ships, floating docks and caisson launching but they are also cutting edge for ship landing, heavy transport, marine salvage, etc. It is a versatile tool for many marine applications.

What was the most challenging mission your system has assisted with?

The most challenging mission we ever participated in was the ancient ship named “Nanhai No.1” salvage project. The project was called the most complicated and expensive salvage project in China’s history. (photos of salvage project below)

It had been revised 6 times and been demonstrated 4 times during the preparing 4 years.  In June 2006, the top 22 experts were collected to demonstrate the latest project which finally got approved after two days of discussion.  It was finally decided to the best idea was to build a large caisson to contain the ship, then lift the caisson out of the water and onto land by air bags.

The Nanhai No.1 weighed 2,800 tons under water and when brought out of water, it weighed some 4,800 tons. The caisson was brought out of the water and placed on a submerged barge then carried to a temporary port. All we needed to do with air bags was land the caisson from the barge and move it to its final residence, a specially built museum named “crystal palace”. The tides and dropping off weights, along with the caisson moved to land, made the barge’s working height and direction change every time. We had to adjust the inner pressure of air bags placed under the caisson to redirect it to close the port or change the height of caisson bottom to reach a better condition for landing. On 12/25/2007 The first attempt to land the caisson was canceled because of a violent 4 meter wave when the caisson was near the port. During the next day’s floodtime, it took more than 3 hours to land the caisson on the temporary port successfully with 16 huge air bags. The remaining 365 meters from the temporary port to museum was comparatively easier for the air bags to carry the caisson. On 12/28/2007, we completed our goal when the caisson arrived at its new home, the “crystal palace”.

Any disadvantageous to using “Air Bags”?

Air bags ship launching technology can not be used for side-launch of big ships, so it is somewhat limited for ship launching. And it needs more calculation for the launching/landing process.

Is your company working on any new ideas for the future?

Yes. As was mentioned before, air bag ship launching technology can not currently be used for ship side-launch. We are working hard on the improvement of air bags and a design made for ship side-launch. We have two goals to achieve in the near future: one is to enable ship side-launch with air bags and the other is to launch DWT 100,000 ships using air bags.

How can we learn more about the product?

Our website, qingdaoyongtai.com, is a good place to start. We have plenty of marine air bag ship launching/salvage cases presented there that are of help.

Marine Air Bag – Ship Launching Photos

No reader of this blog needs to be told that the risk from Piracy is real and growing.  We have seen it change from something that only happens in movies to the cold reality of US Navy SEALs shooting three Pirates dead and millions of dollars in ransom paid out.  If you are a ship owner you have seen your costs escalate steadily when traveling through high-risk areas.  Though the numbers might vary, a doubling of cost over the past two years is not out of the question.

The response to this threat has been documented here on gCaptain repeatedly and, pending developments, the consensus concerning the appropriate response appears to be one that is restrained.  Enter the “Less Lethal” suppliers.  These companies provide munitions for crowd control as well as the weapons that project them.

A relatively recent entrant to this arena is Bates & Dittus LLC, a company based in Connecticut, USA.  B&D manufactures a line of launchers that have found acceptance both with police and SWAT teams as well as companies that provide High Seas Security.  
One of their clients, who only hire former SOF and experienced law enforcement officers, use such devices as part of a layered approach to high seas security.

The flexibility of these weapons is something that is attractive to users as well as the fact that they do not require licenses (at least in the US).  As such they can be purchased over the counter and included in ships stores as simple flare launchers.  The thinking is that firing “disruptive” rounds, such as flares, flash-bangs and smoke, can create a threatening environment that would deter the potential depredations of the pirates, and with no loss of life.

The TBL-37 Tactical Launcher (pictured above) manufactured by Bates & Dittus is not limited to just shipboard operations.  Catalina Aircraft Trust, LLC plans on equipping their new turboprop amphibious patrol aircraft with multiple tactical launchers (2 launchers on board the aircraft and 1 launcher in the under wing mounted RHIB) to give the aircrew the flexibility of dispensing multiple types of tactical rounds to support various maritime missions from search & rescue to anti-piracy interdiction.

It seems that this approach, as exemplified by the products of Bates and Dittus LLC, represents a cost effective intermediate step between paying a ransom and opening fire with lethal weapons.

More information can be read at www.BatesAndDittus.com

Pictured above: The TBL-37 is a launcher chambered in 37mm and made to the highest standards of American workmanship. Constructed of 6061 aircraft grade aluminum and 4140 hardened steel, it is rugged while maintaining a reasonable weight. The standard finish is matte black.

There is a full barrel length Picatinny rail on the top and a short rail under the muzzle. These allow the owner to interchange accessories thus providing the ultimate in flexibility.” (from www.BatesandDittus.com)

Deep Water Writing has been Girl Watching in Singapore Harbor – “This boat would circle us every evening as curious Singaporeans looked on from their tacky dinner cruise experience. A steel hull with fake cannon ports and a dirty exhaust stained transom, this motorized replica of a Junk never inspired me to buy a ticket.

“The dinner cruise sets out from Marina South Pier with the skyline of Singapore behind. The three towers to the right are currently under construction to become Asia’s most spectacular entertainment destination, Marina Bay Sands. The tops of the three buildings are to be joined by a ship like structure complete with rooftop gardens. While it would be free for you or I to have a go at the roulette tables here in a year’s time it will cost each Singaporean $100 to enter.”  See Ship Spotting on Deep Water Writing »

Wake Turbulence – Chasing the Queen Mary 2 in San Francisco Harbor See full size »

Abandoned cruise ship SS Aquarama, formally known as the SS Marine Star, was a World War II troop ship for the United States Navy. In 1952, it was converted into the largest passenger ship ever to operate in the Great Lakes – See full size – MaritimeDigital Archive

Calliope of the America Queen. Photo by Peter Knego 2007 See: Paddlewheel Blog AMERICAN QUEEN: Cincinnati to Pittsburgh »More photos: Maritime Monday 205 A , Maritime Monday 205  

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Opens Talks with STX

South Korea’s STX Offshore and Shipbuilding, the world’s fourth-largest marine builder, plan to open talks this year with Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) to help it break into the regional market for offshore support vessels.

The budding alliance between STX and ADSB, based in Musaffah, is part of a wave of new connections between UAE and South Korean companies after the US$20.4 billion (Dh74.92bn) nuclear plant contract that Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation awarded to Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO) in December.

• keep reading on The National »

A Russian seaman directs a French Mistral warship on the Neva River in St. Petersburg. Russia is in talks to buy four such vessels from France.  Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press

As Its Arms Makers Falter, Russia Shops Abroad

In today’s Russia, the $40 billion military equipment industry is withering alongside civilian manufacturing.

Once-legendary Russian weapons are suffering embarrassing quality-control problems. Algeria, for example, recently returned a shipment of MIG jets because of defects.

An aircraft carrier refurbishment for India is four years late and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.

In perhaps the most poignant sign of trouble, Russia’s own military is now voting with its rubles: Moscow is in talks with France to buy four French amphibious assault ships. If a deal is struck, it would be Russia’s most significant acquisition of foreign weapons since World War II.

• keep reading on NY Times »
• See also: NATO Takes Cue From French Warship Deal With Russia »

Australia News Site Posts Regular Reports on Somali-Seized Vessels, Crews

• Background and current info: Status of abducted vessels and crews in Somalia »

Brazil Start-Up Eyes $5.6bn Public Offering

OSX Estaleiros, a start-up company aiming to supply ships and other equipment to the oil and gas industry, is to raise up to R$9.9bn ($5.6bn) in the second big Brazilian initial public offering in five months.

OSX will use part of the proceeds to build a shipyard in Biguaçu in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Last month it signed a technical co-operation agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea under which Hyundai will provide technology and training to help build and operate the shipyard. Under the agreement, Hyundai will buy 10 per cent of OSX’s shares.

• keep reading on Financial Times »

Puerto Angamos, Chile

Chile’s Port Capacity Restored

Much of Chile’s port and terminal capacity is back in operation following the earthquake, according to Hamburg Sud, one of the larger carriers serving the country. The northern ports of Iquique, Antofagasta and Port Angamos are fully operational, Hamburg Sud said in a report.

The TPSV terminal where Hamburg Sud calls in the Port of Valparaiso is 90 percent operational. Several older berths at the port can not be used due to structural damage. TPSV will temporarily suspend its assigned berthing windows and vessels will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dock structures at the Port of San Antonio have not been damaged and will be put back into service when power is restored to the facility.

• keep reading on Break Bulk »

Frio Hellenic on the Port of Valparaiso, Chile – from Shipspotting »

Chittagong: Worker Dies in Ship-Breaking Accident

Mar 12 – A worker was killed early Friday as a steel plate fell on him at the Bhatiari ship-breaking yard in Sitakundu. The accident refocused attention on the precarious working conditions in the ship-breaking industry, which claimed around 500 lives since 1990.

The latest casualty is almost certain to further step up demands from the rights group to improve safety condition in the yards.

Workers said the heavy plate fell on Saroj at around 2.30 am when he was working at the Bhatiari Steel and Ship Breaking Yard. He was immediately admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. He died in the morning.  (bdnews24.com)

• 4 injured in Alang fire »
• Shipbreaking Industry May Shift to Africa

With India and Pakistan also tightening regulations for ship breaking following a recent IMO ruling one school of thought suggests this industry will simply move continents. Ingvild Jenssen from the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking has told the Ecologist magazine how tougher regulations simply relocated the ship breaking industry in the past from East Asia to south Asia and could see the industry shift to Africa soon.

keep reading on Steel Guru »

City of Amsterdam to be Prosecuted Over Dumping of Toxic Waste

AMSTERDAM - The city of Amsterdam must face full responsibility for failing to supervise a ship that later dumped toxic waste in the economic capital of the Ivory Coast, the Dutch supreme court ruled on Wednesday.

In 2006, slops from the cargo ship Probo Koala, chartered by commodities trader Trafigura, were dumped in the West African city of Abidjan, the main city in Ivory Coast.

• keep reading on Reuters Africa »

March 10 – The Coast Guard Cutter Elm pulls a buoy out into the ocean that had been beached on the northern part of Pleasure Island since late January.

Coasties Rescue Beached Beacon

And just like that, every visitor’s favorite photo prop is gone from Carolina Beach.

A little more than an hour is all it took for two Coast Guard crews and a cutter to haul the washed-up Carolina Beach sea inlet buoy back to sea Wednesday afternoon.

The project originally was scheduled for Thursday, but Wednesday’s calm sea and warm weather proved perfect for the job. About a dozen bystanders gathered to watch as the 225-foot Coast Guard cutter Elm maneuvered close to shore about 2 p.m. to start buoy-rescue procedures.

• keep reading on Star News Online »

Work started Monday morning on the demolition of the Becky Thatcher

Crews Begin Demolishing Historic Ship on Ohio River

Demolition crews began the sad task of demolishing 111 years of history that lay tipped over in the Ohio River as a clamshell scoop tore into the upper decks of the Becky Thatcher, a steamship lost to the same waters she once surveyed.

"You can replace boats, but you can’t replace a ship that was built in 1899. It was the largest one left that was on the river," said Jeffrey Levin, the Nashville property investor who bought the Becky Thatcher in 2004 as a floating restaurant.

Burdened with snow and listing, she began to take on water Feb. 21 and tipped into the river. Monday, the pilot house, the small chamber atop riverboats from which the captain steers, jutted from the water until the giant scoop tore into it as the historic vessel was slowly ripped apart.

• keep reading on the Pittsburgh Post Gazette »
• More about the Becky Thatcher – Historic riverboat sinks in Ohio River »
• vessel history - Steamer Mississippi AKA Showboat Becky Thatcher »

Crowley Lands Haiti Shipping Contract

Crowley Liner Services Inc. has received a contract worth up to $22 million from the U.S. military to provide emergency port services in Haiti.

The Jacksonville-based shipping company will repair Port-au-Prince’s piers and beaches, provide warehousing, cargo consolidation, and transport cargo, according to the U.S. Transportation Command contract. The contract runs until April 15.

• keep reading on Jacksonville Business Journal »

Expect a Rough Ride on the Baltic Sea

Like the Sea Shepherd’s crew before she rams a Japanese whaler, the  world’s dry bulk shipping industry continues to brace for impact.

Ahead, off the bow, lies a massive oversupply of new vessels due to join the global fleet … and not even the seemingly insatiable demand for bulk goods for import into China and India appears sufficient to absorb the gargantuan glut.

Into this highly uncertain and likely volatile business environment steams a new IPO launched by Genco Shipping & Trading. Shares of Baltic Trading drifted onto the Big Board on Wednesday at the low end of its targeted pricing range between $14 and $16 per share.

• keep reading on Motley Fool »

Stuck in Port – When ships make fewer calls in US ports, producers must wait longer to get their goods abroad.

Export Revival Threatened By Shipping Bottlenecks

Minnesota farmer Wayne Knewtson has 2,000 acres of soybeans, and soy-milk makers in Vietnam eager to buy his crop. The only problem: delays of three and four weeks in shipping them. His customers "are not happy," Mr. Knewtson says. And because he doesn’t get paid until the beans arrive in Vietnam, he has had to take out a loan to cover expenses on his farm.

The U.S. finally is enjoying some strength in exports, thanks to economic recovery in Asia and a generally weak dollar. But just as U.S. goods find demand abroad, there’s a problem getting them there.

• keep reading on Wall Street Journal »

Farrell Lines Adds Two Ships to Fleet

Maersk Lines Limited is breathing new life into a time-honored name in U.S. shipping.

It has added two U.S. flag roll-on, roll-off vessels to the fleet of its Farrell Lines subsidiary. The two new additions — the Alliance Beaumont and Alliance Charleston — complement the Alliance St. Louis and Alliance Norfolk, which have been U.S. flag vessels since February 2008.

The Farrell Lines fleet now consists of four roll-on, roll-off vessels. The Alliance Beaumont was brought under the U.S. flag on February 21 in Dubai, and this vessel will participate in the Maritime Security Program (MSP). The Alliance Charleston was reflagged on February 12 in New York.

Both vessels have 710,000 square feet of total stowage capacity, representing 7,900 car equivalent units and over 250,000 square feet of deck space for military cargo.

• keep reading on Marine Link »

Former Mariner Now Navigating the Art World

He’s a self-described “bubba” who spent 30 years in the maritime industry, never thinking of art as something he might do. Then he visited the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Soon after his National Gallery visit, McDonald bought a “few little colored pens” and tinkered around with sketching. An article in a local magazine brought him to a metal embossing class. That set him on a path to study and learn the ancient art form of repousse; copper embossed into three-dimensional figures.

“The learning curve included a lot of very bad Navy language” and some nights that didn’t end until 2 a.m., he said. Now “Works in Metal,” McDonald’s solo shows, hang in galleries.

• keep reading »
• The Art of Frank McDonald »

French Navy Hands Suspected Pirates Over to Somalia

French navy officers handed over 22 suspected Somali pirates to semi-autonomous Puntland’s authorities and they will be arraigned in local courts, officials said on Saturday

"The French navy handed over these pirates, two skiff boats and video evidence showing the kind of weapons they were carrying," Mohamed Sicid Jaqanaf, Puntland’s deputy police commissioner, told a news conference at the Bossaso port while receiving the suspects.

"This video shows their intention was not fishing…or other civilian work. They (the French) threw the confiscated weapons and ammunition into the ocean. The pirates will be taken to court soon." The French frigate spotted and seized the suspected pirates 85 miles off the Mogadishu coast last week.

• keep reading on Reuters »

French Shipping Line Seeks Outside Investors

The world’s third-largest container shipping line is seeking capital from outside investors for the first time in an attempt to tackle a liquidity crisis that has dragged on for months and left it unable to complete payments for new ships.

Marseilles-based CMA CGM has held talks with Louis Dreyfus Group, France’s only other large shipowner, Goldman Sachs and Butler Capital Partners, among others.

• keep reading on Financial Times »

VoxEfx’s (very nice) Baltimore Gallery on Flickr »

Governor Leads Groundbreaking for 50-foot Berth at Port of Baltimore

Project will support 5,700 jobs in Maryland; make Port more competitive

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 8, 2010) — Governor Martin O’Malley was joined today by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as he led a groundbreaking for construction of a new 50-foot berth at the Port of Baltimore. When completed, the project will accommodate larger ships and attract more cargo to Baltimore.

The 50-foot berth is a key element of the 50-year agreement between the Maryland Port Administration and Ports America Chesapeake to lease and operate the 200-acre Seagirt Marine Terminal. Under the agreement, Ports America Chesapeake took over operational control of Seagirt in January. The state continues to own the facility.

• more »
• Local Video report – Port Expands To Accommodate Larger Ships »

The subs need a 36-foot draft and the depth must be correct to ensure they don’t run aground and to allow the base divers to perform maintenance and inspections underneath.

Groton Navy Sub Yard Dredge Completed Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget

Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) recently completed its scheduled comprehensive, maintenance dredging project, 11 days ahead of schedule and more than two million dollars under budget.

The project entailed removing more than 97,000 cubic yards of Thames River sediment from the areas around each of SUBASE’s piers and quay walls.

Performed by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, the effort brought down the berthing depth of the piers at SUBASE to the original design depth of 36 feet, plus two feet over-dredge.

• more on Dredging Today »

Gulf of Aden Pirates Having Less Success

As shipping companies employ defensive tactics, the percentage of successful attacks falls slightly despite a 62% increase in the number of attempts in the Gulf of Aden in 2009.

Although pirates last year made many more attempts to board ships in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, the number of successful seizures was about the same as in 2008, according to the U.S.-organized multinational maritime force here.

There were 198 attempts at piracy in the vast region last year, a 62% increase from 2008, but only 44 attempts were successful. In 2008, there were 122 attempts and 42 successful acts of piracy.

• keep reading on LA Times »

Guyana: New Vehicle Carrier Rolls Out Operations

A greater number of vehicles will be heading to Guyana’s shores as the largest roll on/roll off vehicle carrier to ever visit Port Georgetown begins operations between here and the Far East.

The maiden voyage of the Hoegh Caribia was celebrated with a cocktail reception on the ship’s decks yesterday. It is owned by Hoegh Autoliners, one of the world’s largest vehicles carriers. Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC) is the local agent/terminal operator for the company.

• keep reading »

Hospital Ship Comfort Returning Home from Haiti Mission

The hospital ship Comfort has been released from duty off the coast of Haiti and will begin its journey home to Baltimore this week, the Navy announced Tuesday.

The Comfort discharged its last patient Feb. 27, but at the height of the humanitarian relief effort the ship was taking aboard critically injured people as often as every six minutes. The ship’s master, Capt. Bob Holley, said helicopters brought Comfort its first patients before the hospital ship had even sighted land.

Statistics from different sources have varied, but an announcement Tuesday from 4th Fleet put the total number of people treated by Comfort at 871. The ship performed 843 surgeries over the course of its Haiti mission, according to the latest numbers, and nine babies were born on the ship, including one set of twins, Holley said.

• keep reading on Navy Times »
• Haitians wary of US military reduction  »

Hudson River Dredging: EPA Tells GE to do Better Next Time Around

Levels of PCB contamination in the Hudson River are far greater than first estimated and General Electric’s dredging operation must improve before the next phase of the toxic cleanup starts in 2011, according to a new report from federal regulators.

In the 272-page document, the Environmental Protection Agency analyzed GE’s work nearly 200 miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge, to clean up decades-old contamination from the polychlorinated biphenyls.

GE, which is responsible for the pollution, also analyzed the first year’s operation and has released its own 247-page report.

• keep reading on Dredging Today »

A Metropolitan Police Department boat, foreground, escorted the Shonan Maru No. 2 to Harumi pier in Tokyo on Friday.  Itsuo Inouye/Associated Press

Japanese Coast Guard Arrests Anti-Whaling Skipper

TOKYO — The Japanese Coast Guard on Friday arrested an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand who had boarded a whaling ship in the southern Antarctic last month.

Peter Bethune, a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was brought back to Tokyo by the whaling ship, the Shonan Maru 2, after he boarded it without permission on Feb. 15. Coast Guard officials were waiting for him at the docks in Tokyo, along with a throng of Japanese reporters and television crews.

Mr. Bethune, 44, was being held in Coast Guard custody in Tokyo, said a guard spokesman, Tomoyuki Suzuki, who added that Mr. Bethune had been formally charged with “vessel invasion.” A Coast Guard investigation was under way, he said, and it was expected that Mr. Bethune would be transferred to police custody on Sunday.

• keep reading on NY Times »

Liberty Cuffs

Cold is the Sea explores an old school Navy tradition where sailors had handmade patches sewn inside the cuffs of their jumpers. SCPO Daniel D. Smith’s article on "Liberty Cuffs" can give you a full rundown on the history of this sartorial practice. Navy uniform threads on Military.Com and the US Militaria Forum have some personal photos of Liberty Cuffs and anecdotes about getting and wearing them by real, gen-u-ine sailors.

For these cuffs I decided to illustrate the submarine warfare badge (because it’s so cool) and a mermaid (how could I not)… and painted in red and green stitching on the wearer’s port and starboard sleeves to mimic running lights.

• See full size »

Major Red Sea Research Expedition Planned

SAUDI ARABIA – The world renowned King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) will launch March 10 a major marine research expedition in the Red Sea.

The expedition, the second of its kind, will be undertaken in the Greek research vessel R/V Aegaeo to expand on the "inadequate knowledge" of the Red Sea’s hydrography, microbial diversity and physicochemical properties, according to the expedition’s website. One aim is to conduct research on how to preserve life in the Red Sea, which is threatened by industrial pollution, excessive fishing, and the anchors of diving professionals which damage the coral reefs.

• keep reading »

Maritime History Buff Embarks on Mammoth Project: Creating Database of Every Vessel Ever Built in the U.S.

Long New England Winter Drives Man to Madness

Thousands of ships over hundreds of years have navigated the rolling waters of Maine’s Penobscot River across the street from Jon Johansen’s home. Inspired by that history, Johansen set about documenting every ship ever built along the shores of the state’s largest river.

What started as a modest endeavor has turned into a gargantuan undertaking: Johansen is attempting to create a database of virtually every vessel built in the United States.

• keep reading »

Ngqura – Container Port for the Future of African Shipping

SOUTH AFRICA – Anyone who came across the developing port of Ngqura, as one of our staff did in 2005, was staggered by the scope of the development.

Sitting upon the shoulders of Port Elizabeth at the mouth of the Coega River, the huge industrial development within which the new port exists, itself carries the weight of expectation of the indigenous population in terms of a new source of employment. Now the vast investment of time and resources is starting to pay off.

• keep reading on Handy Shipping Guide »

Noordhoek Takes Delivery of DP2 Diving & Construction Support Vessel

Noordhoek in The Netherlands has taken delivery of the DPII DSV Noordhoek Constructor from Niigata shipyard in Japan. The company said the vessel is currently on route to the North Sea.

The new vessel is specifically designed for efficient diving operations in the harsh North Sea environment, has an overall length of 76m with an 18m beam, and a 12-man single bell saturation diving system with the latest technology; complete with a self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboat.

• keep reading on DP News »
• photo sequence on Noordhoek Constructor build process »

Panama Canal Expansion Holds Opportunity for U.S. Agriculture

A container ship full of grain moving through the Panama Canal today will hold about 200 million bushels. When the massive Panama Canal expansion project is complete in 2014, that number will more than double, and potential efficiencies for moving U.S. agricultural products overseas will be astounding. 

About 6% of the Panamanian GPD is derived directly from the canal. With 40% of ships moving through the man-made waterway originating in the United States and 27% being destined there, interest in the canal from both countries is easy to understand.

• keep reading » (video)

Pioneering Deep-Sea Robot Lost to a Watery Grave

A pioneering deep-sea robot, which could function unmanned and un-tethered to a surface ship, was lost at sea this week. The loss of the 15-year-old Autonomous Benthic Explorer, or ABE, comes as a blow to scientists who study the ocean’s floor.

ABE could stay under water for an entire day; it ventured into some of the most remote and risky places on earth, making detailed maps of mid-ocean ridges and was the first autonomous vehicle to locate hydrothermal vents. That’s why it earned a spot on Wired magazine’s list of The 50 Best Robots Ever.

• Keep reading on Discover Magazine »

Port of Los Angeles: What February Traffic Says About the Economy

Sometimes port traffic gives us an early hint of changes in the trade deficit. Although containers tell us nothing about value, container traffic does give us an idea of the volume of goods being exported and imported.

Loaded inbound traffic was up 33.8% compared to February 2009. (up 9.5% compared to last year using three month average). Loaded outbound traffic was up 32.7% from February 2009. (+33.5% using three months average) This was also an easy YoY comparison for exports, because U.S. exports fell off a cliff in near the end of 2008.

• keep reading on Business Insider »

Shaped by Our Shipping Pt. 2: Thinking Inside the Box

• Shaped by Our Shipping, Pt 1: Empty wooden ships led to paved roads »

Anyone who’s ever moved house knows you’ve got to put everything in boxes, which is why U-Haul sells them.

Shipping companies figured this out as early as the 1700s; prior to that you had the "break bulk" cargo system, which meant scores of dockworkers going up and down gangplanks with bolts of fabric and sacks and whatnot across their shoulders. The boxes and crates loaded onto ships differed in size, shape and composition depending on where they came from.

In the 20th century, organizations ranging from British railroad consortiums to the U.S. Army all made efforts to standardize their own shipping boxes, but it wasn’t until 1956 that an innovation appeared which has taken root around the globe and is still with us today: The invention of the shipping container.

• keep reading on Core77design »
• Shaped by Our Shipping, Pt 3: The Cargoshell is Flat vs. Fat »

Silent But Deadly Undersea Threat: Four Billion Gallons of Oil

Slightly off your radar screen, the Wrecks of the World: Hidden Risks of the Deep (WOW) conference held in Linthicum, MD in September highlighted a ticking time bomb. As industry and the regulatory arms converged at MITAGS to contemplate the mitigation and removal of as many as 4.3 billion gallons of oil lurking on some 8,500 shipwrecks around the globe, an emerging environmental threat became apparent.

For those who did not attend the conference, this is also probably a good time for you to turn up the “gain” on your radar. Those dots on the screen are not clutter…

• keep reading on Maritime Executive »

Spirit of Victoria Takes the Tiara on UglyShips

• Build: 1985 by Incat – Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; See Full Size »

Stranded Cargo Ship Dislodged from Clipperton Island

The French High Commission in French Polynesia says efforts have succeeded in dislodging a chemical tanker, which had run aground on Clipperton Island. The vessel was stuck since February the 10th on the uninhabited French island, which is about 1,300 kilometres southwest of Mexico and administered from Papeete.

The high commission says about 40 percent of the cargo of the Maltese-registered Sichem Osprey, carrying soy sauce, animal oil, and10,000 tonnes of toxic xylene – a solvent for the print, rubber and leather industries, was offloaded before two tugs managed to use the high tide to free the vessel. There are no signs of any pollution.  (Radio New Zealand Intl.)

Tanker, Drybulk Shipper Alma Files IPO Plans To Buy Vessels

Alma Maritime Ltd., a new international company founded to capitalize on the possibility of entering crude-oil and drybulk shipping on the cheap, filed plans Friday for an initial public offering to raise money for vessel acquisition.

It anticipates selling 11.3 million shares at a projected range of $19 to $21 each. Current holders have agreed to purchase another 3.1 million shares for $62 million. Alma said the prices to acquire vessels are at historic lows because of the recent financial crisis and developments in the seaborne transportation industry, particularly in the tanker and drybulk sectors.

• keep reading on Dow Jones Newswire »

Tugster as Paparazzi – Will manages to snag a snap of the 103-year-old Pegasus during as much-needed visit to the beauty parlor, Caddell’s drydock for a repair involving the tail shaft. Pegasus came out of the Skinner Shipyard in Baltimore on the banks of the Patapsco. See also: Pegasus High and Dry and Pegasus High and Dry 2

USS Olympia Seeks New Caretaker

During the Spanish-American War, Navy Commodore George Dewey stood on the bridge of the ship and uttered the words that became famous: "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." The vessel’s mighty guns fired the first shots of the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, announcing the United States as an international power.

More than a century later, this last surviving vessel of the Spanish-American War fleet and longtime Penn’s Landing attraction is looking for a new home and benefactor with deep pockets.

• keep reading on Philly.com »

 Video: Celebrity Eclipse passing through very narrow canal. You Tube »

Washington Watch: Polar Icebreakers Under  “Looming Crisis”

Pamela Glass / WorkBoat.com - Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen was right when, in his final State of the Coast Guard speech on Feb. 12, he suggested that the U.S. needs to develop a policy toward the Arctic that will guide decisions on what to do about the country’s aging polar icebreaking fleet.

So far, despite several studies and congressional hearings, no policy consensus has emerged. Allen warned that we’re reaching the “tipping point” on making a decision on the future of the USCG’s three polar icebreakers, two of which have exceed their 30-year service lives. He called the situation a “looming crisis.”

• keep reading »
• Ed. Note: If you get a chance to watch Modern Marvels: Icebreakers, don’t miss it.

World’s Largest Fireboat Undergoes Final Testing

Water cannons fired thousands of gallons of water hundreds of feet through the air Wednesday in St. Andrew Bay during the pumping trials of the world’s largest fireboat.

The final testing will be concluded in the next three weeks, and the New York City Fire Department will take delivery of the of the fireboat in early March, project manager Justin Smith said. The vessel — named “343” in honor of the number of firefighters killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack and its aftermath — was launched in September 2009.

Engineers spent more than 10 years designing the fireboat, which includes a decontamination room, an emergency medial area, equipment rooms and crew quarters.

• (more pics & video) – keep reading on Panama City NewsHerald » 

WTF of the Week: Bowsprite Puts Pen to Paper for Pimp My Ship

Inspired by gCaptain’s re-post of 59°56′N’s Pimp My Ship, Bowsprite has created a true Maritime Nightmare, crewed by dancers wearing Grunden’s survival chaps.  MORE »

NEMO, the large green building, is the largest science center in the Netherlands. It is located in Amsterdam. The architecture is by Renzo Piano. The (Dutch East India Company) VOC ship Amsterdam ran aground near Hastings, England on January 1749, on her maiden voyage to Batavia. A replica seen in front of the NEMO. The Nederlands scheepvaartmuseum (Netherlands Maritime Museum) the large building to the right. The museum is housed in a former naval storehouse, ’s Lands Zeemagazijn or Admiraliteits Magazijn, constructed in 1656.  Photo by B℮n.  You must see this full size »

English Coast - Stricken ferry Riverdance left stranded on Cleveleys beach after being hit by a massive wave during a severe storm in early February.  More »

Another view of the Riverdance – See Full Size »

This house is located on an island called Elliðaey near Vestmannaeyjar, a small archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The house was given to singer, Bjork from her motherland as a “Thank You” for putting Iceland on the international map.  source

Un Vaisseu Fantome; 19 octobre 1913 – Le Pole Meurtrier »

 Lighthouse at the beginning of the North Sea Canal – The North Sea Canal is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam. It ends at Amsterdam in the closed-off IJ Bay, which in turn connects to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. Photo by Ben »

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