gCaptain.com

(Image Source: blogimg.goo.ne.jp)

This week’s Interesting Ship of The Week was actaully recently named Ship of The Year for 2007 by The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers.  Her name is Brasil Maru, a 320,000 DWT iron ore carrier operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL).  The selection committee noted that the Brasil Maru is a pioneering vessel in reducing iron ore transport cost which will have a great effect on steel production.  A June 18, 2008 press release from MOL reads:

Brasil Maru Vessel Characteristics

First of all, the Brasil Maru reflects the needs of the times, offering high efficiency thanks to its large size. With deadweight tonnage of 320,000 tons which is one of the world’s largest, it is the optimal size to transport iron ore produced in Brazil. MOL, with its customer (Nippon Steel Corporation), shipyard (Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.), and shipowner (Tamou Line S.A.) spent a year and a half studying and designing the vessel. It was built in Japan, where such large-scale iron ore carriers had never been constructed, and is ideally suited to meet increasing demand for transport of iron ore from Brazil to Japan via shuttle service.

Starting with the Brasil Maru, more than 50 iron ore carriers in the 300,000 dwt class have been ordered around the world. The Brasil Maru is truly the forerunner of future iron ore transport.

The vessel’s design relied on the most advanced computer simulation to optimize environmental protection and safe operation. It offers high-performance course stability that takes water flow into account, and excellent maneuverability. In addition, UIT, a revolutionary method of treating steel surfaces, was used to more than double resistance to metal fatigue in the welded parts. [Continue Reading →]

The Sea Barge (SEABEE) can carry the aircraft of Army units without extensive sectionalization. The 200- by 100-foot (61- by 30.5-m) deck area between the deckhouse and smokestacks provides a suitable landing area for fly-on/fly-off operations. The SEABEE barges are stored horizontally on 3 decks, 12 each on the main and lower decks and 14 on the upper deck. One hundred and sixty containers can be carried on 10 of the 14 barges on the upper deck. Barges are loaded aboard the SEABEE ship by a 2,000-ton-capacity submersible stern elevator. Under ideal conditions the SEABEE ship can load or discharge its load in 13 hours.

The dimensions and pertinent characteristics of the SEABEE ship areas follows: Length 874 ft (267 m) Width 106 ft (32 m) Deadweight (max) 38,410 LTON (34 000 MTON) Speed 21.7 knots Dry cargo 44,350 MTON Barge capacity 38 barges.

The watertight, double-hulled SEABEE barge is the same width and one-half the length of the standard US commercial river barge. It is slightly larger, but has approximately twice the cargo-carrying capacity of the LASH lighter. The barges are readily accessible during the voyage by catwalk in the ship and by manhole hatches in the barges. Each barge is fitted for smoke monitoring and has water fire-extinguishing systems. Forced draft ventilation while underway is also provided. The SEABEE barge, with the seven hatch covers installed, has a draft of just less than 2 feet (.6 m). The shallow draft allows the barge to be drawn very close to an unprepared river bank. No deck winches are installed on the SEABEE barge. However, sufficient cleats are available for securing the barge. The mooring lines must be kept taut at all times to prevent drift caused by tidal action or strong river currents. As the barge is loaded, the shoreside edge of the hull will settle firmly its full length on the river bank. The settling will add stability to the barge and aid in loading. Should high and low tidal conditions be expected along coastlines it will be necessary to prevent the barge from settling on shore. The loaded lighter can be moved off the river bank easily by crane or by a small harbor tug. (source: GlobalSecurity.org)

This week’s vessel is the BEM Monge, a Measure and Test Ship of the French Navy.  The ship is equipped with extensive tracking technologies as well as trajectory processing and radio-electrical analysis, and specializes in taking measurements, processing data, and conducting naval and air surveillance.

In addition to its military functions, the BEM Monge participates in civilian missions for surveillance, space observation, and trajectography. The French space agency CNES has also used the BEM Monge to gather and process the launching parameters for the Ariane 5 space rocket.

(source: tanslate.google.com and consulfrance-boston.org)

National Theater - Hungary

Japanese Maritime Museum

Concrete Tall Ship Korea

Gerechtsgebouw, Antwerp

The Ship Residence

The Ship Residence - High upon a promontory on South Bass Island in Lake Erie at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, sits the Owners and Captains Quarters of the former Great Lakes Shipping Boat, The Benson Ford. The boat was built by Henry Ford and named after his grandson many years ago. After fifty years of service on the Great Lakes, the Benson Ford was scheduled in 1986 to be scrapped at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio. On the top front section of the boat were the walnut paneled state rooms, dining room, galley, and passenger lounge designed by Henry Ford for his own pleasure while traversing the Great Lakes on business. (Source: Sea-Fever)

Collingwood’s Vessel: a Retirement Home for Elderly Fisherman

Ship Drydock Design - The scheme is a retirement home for elderly fisherman that also houses a working men’s club for members of Newcastle’s fishing community,” Pearson writes. “As a reflection of the separation and torpor of this unique society, the scheme takes the notion of the ship in an architectural context, to create an ersatz environment which interacts with the city around it as if it were a dry docked vessel. The environmental technologies and the ways in which the notional ship has been translated into an architectural system are the focus of this study.” (Source: BLDBLOG)

BIG Maritime Museum Denmark

BIG’s Maritime Museum - BIG [the Bjarke Ingels Group], has recently won a competition [by unanimous decision, even though they apparently didn’t adhere to the design brief - ninjas in true form] to design the Danish Maritime Museum in Helsingør, DK. While searching for an appropriate site for the proposed project, the firm discovered an abandoned 150m long, 25m wide, and 9m deep concrete dry dock within eyesight of Kronborg Castle . (Source: MNY)

The Floating Islands

Floating Islands - A design by Vincent Callebaut Architectures, Floating Islands is a flexible masterplaned multi-energy town. By using current power generators and other green technology this is a futuristic design for green living. Callebaut’s vision is “creation which consists in mixing a scientifical and cultural survey with a computer programmatic approach in order to transcribe in architecture landscape distortions or ecosystem abstractions. Each architectural project at any scale, wants to anticipate through this digital hybridization, the future lifestyles by inventing new imaginary worlds. More poetic worlds. More equitable worlds. More natural worlds. Actually, more humanistic worlds! ”

Performing Arts Center, Seoul

Performing Arts Center, Seoul - ” Whereas the orchestra is in rehearsal, we continue our walk towards the places switched by the sound of the soprano and the violins. The both performing rooms of 1500 seats each are megaliths submerging from the floor. They are located at the extremities of the island and each of them is isolated from the road by two blocks gathering together annex functions like workshops and rehearsal rooms, public sanitary, offices and technical spaces. Their double layer of concrete protects the shows from feared sounds of low frequencies coming from the freeway traffic. They are very white and diffuse a extraordinary light ! The roundness of these hulls makes us think of the most beautiful ships and plays with the shadows of the linen seams which projects itself at the surface. ” (Source)

Nantes Slavery Memorial

Nantes Slavery Memorial, France - Bonder + Wodiczko are received an ACSA award for their work on the design of a memorial to the abolition of slavery [Memorial à l’abolition de l’esclavage] in Nantes, France. Visitors to the memorial will walk along an altered landscape, littered with plaques commemorating each ship that carried slaves into Nantes [the plaques will display the name of the ship, the date, the number of slaves on board, and the number of slaves who lost their lives on the voyage]. Having walked along the length of the glass [which you can see actually slips through the ground plane], visitors descend a monumental staircase into a subterranean passage where these three aforementioned witnesses - the river, the quay, and the sky - meet [through the reflection from the glass] in one confined space. (Source: Architecture.MNP)UPDATE: Reader Submissions

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee Art Museum - The Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion, the first Calatrava-designed building to be completed in the United States, first opened to the public May 4, 2001. On that date the museum opened the new exhibition galleries, larger museum store and auditorium in the Quadracci Pavilion along with the completely renovated and reinstalled permanent collection galleries. (Via Joe Smith)

Canada Place, Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal

Canada Place -  Constructed for Expo 86 as the pavilion for Canada and was the only venue for the fair that was not at the main site on the north shore of False Creek. It can be reached via the SkyTrain line and the nearby Waterfront Station subway terminus. The striking white sails of the building has made it a prominent landmark for the city, as well as drawing comparisons to the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. (Google Earth View)

The Windoc blocks the canal. Alex Howard

In August 2001 the Bulk Carrier Windoc was lined up on the Welland Canal’s Bridge 11 in Ontario Canada. After recieving the flashing amber approach light indicating that the bridge operator was aware of the vessel the captain lined up on the centerline and maintained a speed of 5 knots. Minutes later while the vessel was half way through the bridge started descending.

The Bridge Team’s Story

When the vessel was approximately halfway under the bridge, the third officer observed that the bridge signal lights were solid red and the lift span was descending. At 2053, the master sounded a few blasts on the ship’s whistle. The master, without identifying himself or the bridge in question, called the TCC on VHF channel 14 about the lowering of the bridge. The master quickly stopped the engines and ordered an evacuation of the wheelhouse.The master and third officer left the wheelhouse by the starboard navigation bridge wing. As they proceeded down the external bridge access ladder, the span of the bridge struck the vessel in way of the wheelhouse front windows, subsequently destroying the vessel’s wheelhouse and funnel. The wheelsman remained at his station in the wheelhouse and lay down on the deck as the bridge span passed overhead. He freed himself from the debris and descended by the deckhouse stairwell alive.

Miraculously no one was killed in the event. [Continue Reading →]

More photos of the M/V Riverdance can be found at Cargo Law and Ships Of The Mersey.

Photo By Gerard Stolk

Shipspotters (via Fred Fry’s Discoverer Entry) brings us Zhen Hua 10 Stranded on Beach near Rotterdam!

We detailed the sister ship Zhen Hua 5 ship in a previous video post titled: Time Lapse Video - Moving a Crane

Ship Of The Day tells us:

Today we have a very special report at Ship of the Day. In the night between friday and saturday, the heavy load carrier Zhen Hua 10 (IMO: 7917410, Port of Registry: Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines), which was anchored near Rotterdam, ran adrift in storm conditions and floated towards the Dutch coast, where she finally ran aground at the ‘Slufter’-beach at the Maasvlakte. For a while it appeared that the vessel was in danger of capsizing, but she was soon stable being stuck in the sand. The Zhen Hua 10 is loaded with 5 containercranes (of which one is destined for the new Euromax-terminal at Rotterdam) from Shanghai and has a crew of 33, which are still on board and not injured. Continue Reading…

Location of beached ship:

AIS Map by dirk.jan

Video of beached ship:

.

Related Links:

• Flickr Slideshow of Incident
• Shipspotters Discussion
• PortPictures - Incident Photos
• Pre-Incident Photos of Crane Ship Zhen Hua
• Original Tugspotter Blog Post
• VIDEO of the incident
• Time Lapse Video - Moving a Crane

UPDATE:

Dirkjan (creator of the AIS plot seen above) emailed us with the following update:

I have some news: Zhen Hua 10 is floating again since an half hour. I see this on my Shipplotter screen.
Earlier on Monday they managed to turn the vessel 90 deg,
heading to sea, and around midnight they used 3 harbourtugs
and one big tug (Janus IMO 9367504) and this was succesful.

Submarine cables world map. Click here for full-size version (Graphic: Telegeography.com)

Sea-Fever’s Peter Mello submitted the following story to our Maritime News Discoverer;

A flotilla of ships may have been dispatched to reinstate the broken submarine cable that has left the Middle East and India struggling to communicate with the rest of the world, but it took just one vessel to inflict the damage that brought down the internet for millions.

According to reports, the internet blackout, which has left 75 million people with only limited access, was caused by a ship that tried to moor off the coast of Egypt in bad weather on Wednesday. Since then phone and internet traffic has been severely reduced across a huge swath of the region, slashed by as much as 70% in countries including India, Egypt and Dubai.

While tens of millions have been directly affected, the impact of the blackout has spread far wider, with economies across Asia and the Middle East struggling to cope. Governments have also become directly involved, with the Egyptian communications ministry imploring surfers to stay offline so business traffic can take priority. “People who download music and films are going to affect businesses who have more important things to do,” said ministry spokesman Mohammed Taymur. Continue Reading At The Guardian…

Chart Of The Cable

Graph Of Affected Areas

(Source: Renesys)

UPDATE: 2nd Cable Reported Cut

The BBC Tells Us:

The first cable - the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) - was cut at 0800 on 30 January, the firm said.

INSIDE A SUBMARINE CABLE 1 Polyethylene cover 2,4 Stranded steel armour wires 3,5 Tar-soaked nylon yarn 6 Polycarbonate insulator 7 Copper sheath 8 Protective core 9 Optical fibres Not to scale

A second cable thought to lie alongside it - SEA-ME-WE 4, or the South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4 cable - was also split.

FLAG is a 28,000km (17,400 mile) long submarine communications cable that links Australia and Japan with Europe via India and the Middle East.

SEA-ME-WE 4 is a submarine cable linking South East Asia to Europe via the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

The two cable cuts meant that the only cable in service connecting Europe to the Middle East via Egypt was the older Sea-M-We 3 system, according to research firm TeleGeography.

The firm said the cuts reduced the amount of available capacity on the stretch of network between India and Europe by 75% percent.

As a result, carriers in Egypt and the Middle East re-routed their European traffic around the globe, through South East Asia and across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Continue Reading…

Related Links:

• Study on Subsea Cable Cuts
  
• Live Internet Status Report
• How To Fix An Undersea Cable

UPDATE 2:

The AP is reporting: Ships did not cut internet cable 

We interrupt your weekend reading to bring you an Inconvenient Truth; the maritime casualty list for 2008. This list is from CargoLaw.com and will only be available this weekend. On Monday we will return to our normal coverage of interesting maritime news but the list will, undoubtedly, continue to grow so be sure to email THIS LINK to all parties concerned with Maritime Safety.

Maritime Casualties 1Jand08 to 8Feb08

15-m tugboat Check-Mate III, under ferry transport, took on water and sank off the shores of eastern Newfoundland on Jan. 31. The two workers aboard did not survive. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

28-m Tawler Harvester PD 98 capsized at Karstensen’s Shipyard in Danish port Skagen on Feb. 4 at 2000LT. The vessel came to rest at a 90 degree list on the harbour bottom. The three works aboard were rescued by a nearby tug. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

136-ton F/V 102 Soyang capsized and sank in heavy weather 40 miles (65 km) southwest of Mara, South Korea on Jan. 30. 3 fisherman were rescued, but 10 crew remain missing. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

Unidentified 600-ton South Korean cargo ship sank after colliding with a 270-ton tug boat off the country’s west coast on Feb. 4. Two crew reported dead and another missing. Three crew were rescued. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

110-m Inland tanker M/V Eiltank 123 ran aground on the Rhine at Karlsruhe-Rappenwört on Feb. 1. The vessel’s cargo was lightered and the vessel was refloated and towed to the Rhine harbour in Karlsruhe where the remaining cargo was unloaded. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

115-m oil tanker Jinyuanyou 9 struck cargo vessel Jintaishun in the Yangtze Delta, China, on Jan. 30. Jintaishun sank immediately and only one of 17 crew believed to have survived. 15 bodies recovered. The cause of the accident is yet unknown, but low visibility because of snow is suspected as a contributing cause. Police have taken the master of the unharmed tanker into custody. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

12,887-ton refrigerated cargo vessel Horncliff was battered by a storm and took on water off Cornwall on Feb. 2. Injured personnel were air-lifted to a hospital. The vessel is now moored in Falmouth Harbour where surveyors found an 18-in (.46-m) hole in the vessel’s side. 90 containers were lost overboard. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

50-60-ft charter F/V Sun Seeker, with 12 people aboard, took on water and sank near Treasure Island, Florida, on Feb. 2 shortly after 1800LT. The U.S. Coast Guard and a good Samaritan helped the passengers to safety. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

71.5-m, 3,353-gt F/V Paerangi, built 2003, suffered fire while berthed in Bremerhaven on Feb. 2. The vessel was being enlengthened at the time. Two workers suffered intoxications and were taken into hospital. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

193-m, 22,899-gt Turkish ro-ro ferry Und Adriatik (IMO 9215488), Istanbul to Trieste with 22 crew and nine passengers, caught fire close to Croatian territorial waters, 13 nautical miles west of the Adriatic town of Rovinj, on Feb. 6. All crew members and passengers were safely evacuated and rescued by Greek ferry Ikarus Palace, which was sailing to nearby Venice. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Feb 6 2008).

Trawler Spinningdale, with 14 crew, was driven aground in gale force winds and high seas on the island of Hirta, St. Kilda, Scotland, on Feb. 1. All crew, who were unable to launch life rafts due to the severe conditions, were winched to safety by helicopter air rescue. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen and our Correspondents Charles Emberton, Tony Collins, A.L. Griffiths, and Ashley Black (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

155-m, 1997-built, Roll-on roll-off Seatruck Ferry Riverdance, with 150 tonnes fuel and cargo from Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland to the port of Heysham in Lancashire, washed ashore and ran aground in severe seas after being struck by freak wave off Blackpool, Irish Sea on Jan. 31. The vessel developed a 60-degree list. Rescuers airlifted 23 passengers and crew. A Rotterdam-based salvage team is on its way. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen and our Correspondents Charles Emberton, Tony Collins, A.L. Griffiths, and Ashley Black (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Navy bunker barge BAP Supe, with 17 crew and crude oil, exploded and sank in Zorritos, northern Peru, on Jan. 30 at 1045LT. All wounded crew have been rescued and transported to nearest hospital. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

295-m, 28,000-gt Dutch roro M/V Trica (IMO 9307684) struck cargo M/V Cleopatra on the eastern part of the Kiel Canal coming from astern on Jan. 29. Both ships were inspected in the locks in Brunsbuettel after the incident. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Indian Navy troop-carrier INS Jalashwa (former USS Trenton, bought from US Navy last year) suffered gas leak which killed five soldiers taking part in an exercise in the Bay of Bengal on Feb. 1. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Unidentified pusher tug with barge NORSUL 12 capsized near the port of Sao Francisco do Sul, in state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, on Jan. 20 at 2300LT. The 12 crew and pilot were reported safe. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

142-m Scandlines ferry Schleswig Holstein collided with quay in the port of Fredericia, Denmark. The ship suffered a gash of 7 metres length and 25 centimeters breadth and started to list toward the quay. The fire brigade prevented the ship from sinking. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

73-m Netherland-Antilles flagged cargo M/V Capadocia (IMO 8511938) suffered allision with the breakwater in Rijeka, Croatia, on Feb. 1 at 0530LT. The vessels bow suffered significant damage. The captain test positive on alcohol tests. The vessel was refloated under its own power on the same day. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Cargo M/V Gerda Vesta, with 10 crew, became grounded off the coast of Epanomi, near Thessaloniki, Greece on Jan. 28. No injures reported. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

1992-built Pluto Shipping Company’s 12,887-ton refrigerated vessel Horncliff, with 31 people aboard, lost 90 containers overboard in rough weather approximately 225 miles west south west of the Isles of Scilly on Feb. 1-2. Three people reported injured, one seriously. Several people airlifted from vessel. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

1981-built heavy lift carrier Zhen Hua 10, built 1981, ran aground off Hoek van Holland at Maasvlakte in 8-m waves on Feb. 2. The crew of 33 remained on board. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Cargo M/V Siddnath, with 17 Indian sailors and rice from the UAE to Iraq, capsized in heavy seas off the Bahrain coast on Feb. 1. No injuries reported. The crew were plucked from their life raft by police helicopter. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Two underwater cables that carry Internet traffic deep under the Mediterranean Sea, named FLAG Europe Asia and SEA-ME-WE 4, snapped on Feb 1. Service across a swath of Asia and the Middle East was disrupted, with India taking one of the biggest hits. The cause is not yet known, but vessel anchoring is suspected. Service has since been restored. From our Correspondent Brandon Byers (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

140-M Russian cargo M/V Volga 4004 (IMO 8720216) suffered a total machine blackout on the Kiel Canal at Kudensee thereby blocking the whole traffic on Jan. 29. The vessel was towed to Brunsbuettel and repaired. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

205-m, 640 TEU, 28,289-gt Dutch roro M/V Kraftca (IMO 9307360), built 2006, was in allision with the new Northern lock of the Brunsbuettel locks of the Kiel Canal. The lamps of the Northern chamber were torn off when the ship hit. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Feb 2 2008).

Unidentified Vopak tanker, loaded with benzol, exploded in the port of Rotterdam in the evening on Jan. 30. The explosion is believed to have occurred in the machine room as a result of an overheating pump motor. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Thurs. Jan 31 2008).

140-m barge train 2430 collided with 67.41-m Dutch dredger Ijsseldelta on the South Elbe on Jan. 31. The barges were carrying coal river upstream when they collided bow-to-bow with the dredger after having passed the Kattwyk bridge. The front barge sprang a leak in the foreship and had to be dewatered by the fire brigade. The dredger suffered only minor damage. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Thurs. Jan 31 2008).

German inland cargo M/V Heinrich collided with the lowering gate of the shiplift at Scharnebech, causing the wheelhouse to crash against it, on Jan. 30. The captain was injured and the wheelhouse suffered damage. The police started investigations why the gate was lowered while the ship was still beneath. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Thurs. Jan 31 2008).

118-m, 5,955-gt Marshall-Islands flagged chemical tanker M/V Cape Elizabeth (IMO 9272747), built 2004, ran aground in the outer Maas in Rotterdam on Jan. 26. The vessel stuck fast on the dam of the Geul harbour, but was refloated by two tugs of Smit Salvage after one hour. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Thurs. Jan 31 2008).

78.72-m. 1,859-ft German ferry Ostfriesland (IMO 88324622) ran aground in the port of Borkum island while departing on Jan. 28. The vessel was refloated after two hours and proceeded to Emden. The passengers remained on board during this time. There were no apparent damages. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Thurs. Jan 31 2008).

796-ft Panama-flagged Mediterranean Shipping Company’s cargo M/V Japan ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay on Jan. 28. No injuries or spills have been reported, and the vessel was freed after approximately 5 hours. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Unidentified cargo vessel collided with another cargo vessel at the estuary of the Yangtze River near Shanghai in China on Jan. 29. At least 10 people reported drowned, only 1 survivor reported. More than 50 feared dead. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Orkney F/V Excelsior took on water after hitting rocks on Deerness, eastern Orkney, Scotland, on Jan. 29. All crew rescued without injury. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

10,098-gt Finish bulk carrier Tali ran aground in the Jøssing sound in Rogaland on Jan. 29 at 0830LT. The vessel suffered water ingress but was safely towed to Titania quay in Jøssingfjord. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Lebanese-flagged cargo M/V Gevo Victory, with 14 crew, suffered water ingress, lost cargo, and ultimately sank in severe seas off the Lebanese coast on Jan. 30. All crew were rescued by German Navy vessel Bayern, with only one sailor incurring minor injuries. German warships patrol the Lebanese coast as part of a UN mission to stop arms shipments to the Lebanese fundamentalist Hezbollah movement. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

218.22-m, 40,485-gt, 14,268-dwt Liberia-flagged bulkcarrier M/V Trans Pacific ran aground at Hatter Barn off Samsø Island, Denmark on Jan. 27. A Coast Guard vessel, pollution control ship, and tugs were dispatched to the scene. Fuel lightering efforts were commenced in efforts to refloat the vessel. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Greek tanker M/V Edgeless (IMO 9000194) broke loose from its moorings at Marseille on Jan. 27. The drifting vessel was in allision with quay and suffered damages from impact. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Unidentified wooden boat, with at least 60 aboard, sank on Lake Tanganyika, off the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Jan. 30. At least 10 bodies have been recovered, and at least 3 people remain missing. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

A weekend storm in Santa Barbara, California washed five boats ashore from their anchorage on Jan. 26 and another 40-ft sail boat on Jan. 27. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Twin-hulled, 30-m, 288-tonne pleasure cruiser Millennium City took on water after striking unknown object near Westminster Pier on the River Thames in London on Jan. 26 at 2230LT. In an operation that lasted more than four hours, firefighters pumped water out of the vessel to keep it afloat and sealed. Salvage discussions ongoing. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Former Norwegian ferry Tjeldsunferja 3 sank at the Rådhus quay in Oslo on Jan. 16. The ship had been used as a floating restaurant. Only the superstructure remained above water. The ship was intended to be raised and repaired at Sjursøya. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

131.8-m 2006-built inland passenger M/V Viking Helvetia, with 14 aboard, suffered a machine room fire on the Rhine at Colonia in the evening of Jan 25. Two crew hurt, one of them seriously. The ship was able to berth with own power, and crew started to fight the fire. The captain called the fire brigade of Koeln which extinguished the flames. The vessel was intended to serve as a hotel ship during a fair in Colonia from Jan 26 on. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Scandlines ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was in allision with a quay in Trelleborg, Sweden, due to stormy winds on Jan 26 at 1400LT. The vessel suffered damage above the waterline, and will be replaced with ferry Ask until repairs have been completed. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

23.75-m 1984-built F/V Maarten Post - UK 53 broke lose from is moorings in the old fishing harbour of Cuxhaven on Jan. 28 at 1230LT. The ship was secured by the rescue boat Hermann Helms and the police until the tug Taucher Otto Wulf 8 was on scene and towed the ship back to its berth at 0230LT. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Dutch F/V Willem Jacob - UK 158 caught fire in the port of Lauwersoog on Jan 26. The fire was extinguished with assistance from the fire brigade from Zoutkamp and KNRM. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

Palmali Shipping’s M/V Brothers-12 (IMO 8881371) lost chief engineer, presumably overboard, at position 46.25N 037.20E, Azov Sea on Jan. 26. Search and rescue efforts suspended the same day in light of un-survivable conditions. From our Moscow Correspondent Mike Voitenko (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

3,933-dwt refrigerator vessel Ice Stream (IMO 8609814), en route to Vladivostok, Russia, suffered engine failure and reported adrift at position 45.36N 149.14E (Friza strait, Kuril Islands) on Jan. 25 at 1305LT. Salvage tug Atlas was dispatched to assist, and the problem was fixed at 1730LT, allowing the vessel to resume its voyage. From our Moscow Correspondent Mike Voitenko (Wed. Jan 30 2008).

55.4-m German inland passenger M/V Rheingold was in allision with a quay, sprung a leak, and developed serious list in Neuss in harbour basin I on Jan. 25 at 1800LT. 500 passengers had been waiting to board the ship for a party. The water ingress was contained and the leakage patched. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Cambodian-registered Russian cargo M/V Captain Uskov, with 17 crew aboard, reported missing after losing contact with coastal services in the East Sea of China on Jan. 20. The vessel set out from Nakhodka on Jan. 15 and was scheduled to reach Hong Kong on Jan 24. All vessels currently in the East China Sea have also been informed of the disappearance of the ship. Japan said it would send searchers to an area 221 miles (355 km) west of Shanghai, from where the ship last contacted the ground services. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen and our Moscow Correspondent Mike Voitenko (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

210-ft Dependable suffered fire in engine room at the Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May, New Jersey, on Jan. 24. The fire was put out quickly by firefighters from the U.S. Coast Guard, Cape May, and the Town Bank section of Lower Township with no injuries and no major damages. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

669-ft, 43,500-dwt, 33,070-gt Liberian flagged vessel Orange Sun collided with dredging vessel New York at Newark Bay, New Jersey, on Jan. 24 at 1351LT. The New York took on water and leaked a small amount of hydraulic fluid. No injuries were reported. Coast Guard Station New York immediately launched two small boat rescue crews who arrived on scene minutes after initial report. 140-ft Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon Bay was also dispatched to the scene. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

69-ft F/V Haeshin, with 3 crew aboard, struck a jetty and sank near Westport, Washington on Jan. 21. The Coast Guard rescued all 3 crew before the vessel went down. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

78-ft F/V Anna Marie, with 4 crew, ran aground near Copalis Beach, Washington on Jan. 23. The Coast Guard and other state, local and tribal agencies coordinated with the vessel’s owner to have the boat removed from the area. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

89-m cargo M/V Norsund (IMO 9007075), with cargo of salt, suffered machine damage and went adrift in the morning of Jan 25 near Gjeslingene. A Coast Guard vessel was to tow the vessel to Vårøy. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Cargo M/V South Michelle grounded in the Nakskov Sound, Denmark, on Jan. 22. The vessel was stuck fast between Enehøje and Barneholm. A canal is to be dug out to free the vessel which has resisted traditional salvage efforts. A pollution control vessel is monitoring the efforts. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Belgian ferry De Zijpe sank in the harbour of Antwerp on Jan 24. As oil is leaking out of the machine the harbour authorities are eager to raise the wreck as soon as possible. The De Zijpe was laid up since 1988 but remained structurally intact. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Norwegian cruise ship Balmoral, which had been enlengthened at Blohm & Voss Yard in Hamburg, developed a list of 2 degrees when the dry dock 17 was flooded for the first time on Jan 17. The vessel was unable to leave the dock on Jan 18 until the problem was solved. It departed from Hamburg to Dover on Jan. 24, almost a week delayed. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

118-m, 5,549-gt Antigua-Barbuda-flagged container M/V North Express (IMO 9141053) lost a propeller blade on the Elbe river near the buoys 16/18 off Neuwerk on Jan 18 at 1900LT. The vessel performed an emergency anchoring and was ultimately towed to Bremerhaven for repairs on Jan. 21. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Inland water craft Eert J from Giesbeek, Netherlands, with a cargo of gravel, ran aground on Jan. 23. The vessel was freed with the assistance of a tug and rescue boat. It resumed its voyage after inspection for seaworthiness. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Cruise Ship Pacific Star was battered by high seas and winds of Cyclone Funa on Jan. 20. The vessel’s rolling caused frantic conditions aboard and five passengers were injured. The vessel returned to Auckland from the eight day cruise from Vanuatu on Jan. 22, one day late. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Passenger M/V Alte Fähre, with 14 aboard, suffered machine failure between Ruegen Island and Hiddensee, Germany, in the evening of Jan 23 between Ruegen island and Hiddensee. The rescue boat Nausikaa was called from Vitte, Hiddensee, and towed the drifting ship into the harbour of Schaprode, Ruegen, where it was berthed. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

79-m inland water craft Berkemar S, was in allision with mooring bridge of the DGzRS rescue ship Wilhelm Kaisen in Bremen on Jan 23 at 1800LT. The mooring bridge structure suffered serious damage. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

99-m, 2,856-gt Dutch-Antilles flagged cargo M/V South Michelle (IMO 7429267) ran aground in the Danish Nakskov Fjord off Enehøje in the afternoon of Jan 22 . The ship had suffered technical problems before when coming from Assens. The pollution control vessel Marie Miljø was called and tugs were dispatched to refloat the ship. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

5,900-dwt Italian chemical carrier Cosmo, built 2003, grounded outside an Italian port in Ancona on Jan. 21. No damage reported. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Port of South Louisiana’s new $1.5 million 57-ft river patrol boat Responder exploded while docked on Jan. 22 at 1345. The explosion tore holes in the vessel and shattered windows. The cause is unknown. The port has hired a surveyor to investigate the explosion, along with the vessel’s manufacturer. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

45-ft tugboat Joe Foss, Seattle area to Depoe Bay, Oregon, with three crew, took on water and sank near Tillamook, Oregon on Jan. 23. The crew donned survival suits and entered into the water before being picked up by F/V Kilchis and later transferred to a 47-ft lifeboat from Station Tillamook River. A HH-60 helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Ore., also responded. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

Tug Martijn-Eva capsized and sank while assisting another vessel at Sluiskil, Netherlands. The crew was rescued by tug Multratug 2, which had been assisting the same vessel. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 26 2008).

33,346-dwt 1985-built M/V Sergiy Skadovskiy (IMO 8725058), enroute from Mariupol port to Black sea with 3100 tonns of grain, intentionally grounded to avoid sinking in Azov Sea, position 45.59.6N 036.47.7E on Jan. 19/20. The cause of water ingress is believed to be collision with ice or another vessel. From our Moscow Correspondent Mike Voitenko (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

50-ft wooden-hulled vessel Restless C took on water three miles off the coast of Westport, Washington, on Jan. 17. A HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew and a 52-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Grays Harbor responded to the scene. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued to see if any vessel in the area could assist. A Good Samaritan quickly arrived on scene and provided a water pump, which enabled the Restless C to keep up with the water. The 47-foot motor life boat crew is escorting the “Restless C” while it returns to Westport Marina on its own power. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

Ferry Sydfyen of Langelandstraffiken, which runs between Spodsbjerg and Tårs, ran aground off Tårs, Denmark, while attempting to enter port on Jan 14 at 1815LT. The ship was towed off the ground by the tug Nakskov Havn 2 at 2200LT. The Spodsbjerg sailed as replacement ferry on Jan.15. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

135-m inland container M/V Trifels, homeport Neckargemünd, ran aground at Linkenheim on the the Rhine on Jan. 18. The vessel was refloated the same day with the assistance of a tow from Dutch inland cargo M/V Fiorano, homeport Zwijndrecht. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

F/V Dolphin ran aground 30 miles southwest of Wrangell, Alaska on Jan. 16. The Coast Guard, Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and Trident Seafoods Corp. are working to address the situation. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

0-ft commercial diving vessel Aquarius III sank at North Arm Marina, near Port Adelaide, Australia, on Jan. 17. The vessel was subsequently refloated and towed to a Port Adelaide slip. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

Sand dredger Ahlsell collided head-on with cargo M/V Rubyn south of Rønne, Denmark, on Jan. 18. Rescue boat Mads Jakobsen from Rønne rescue station was deployed to tow the Ahlsell, which suffered hull damage, into the port of Rønne. M/V Rubyn suffered only minor damages. From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

6,620-dwt, 2000-built Russian Palmali Shipping tanker Marmara Mariner (IMO 9175183), with cargo of heavy oil and gas condensate, ran aground in Kerch Strait, at position 45.20N 036.35E, while passing in South direction, close to buoys 33-34, in Ukraine responsibility zone on Jan. 17. Vessel passage was controlled by Kerch port VTMS (vessel traffic management system). No damages or spill reported. 1,000 tonns of cargo offloaded to Palmali Shipping tanker Reroil-3, and Marmara Mariner was successfully refloated on Jan. 18. From our Moscow Correspondent Mike Voitenko (Sat. Jan 19 2008).

13,815-grt, 2002-built Russian Tanker Usinsk (IMO 9194012), with 19,197-mt of crude oil, collided with FSO Belokamenka in Kolskiy Bay while berthing on Jan. 18 at approximately 1310LT. FSO Belokamenka incurred hole above waterline as a result of the collision. No spill reported. All operations suspended pending repair. From our Moscow Correspondent Mike Voitenko (Sat. Jan 19 2008).