You can find links to all the previous editions at the bottom of this post. You are encouraged to participate using the comment link/form at the bottom of the post. If you have photos or stories to tell, do email me at [email protected].
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This Week’s Photos:
This week’s photos come from the website of Washington State’s Port of Grays Harbor:
Since the Exxon Valdez tanker spill, oil imports have increased 67 percent to the U.S., as U.S. oil production has plummeted. For example, Alaskan oil production has dropped over 61 percent since the spill. More North American oil means more jobs for Americans, less foreign oil from unstable regions, and fewer (and less) oil spills.
59° 56′ N compares working conditions on US and North Sea offshore supply boats with “Culture difference, but why?“.
The American arrangements are, I am quite certain, more the rule than the exception worldwide. But I wonder why the business is so primitive in the states, all things considered. Is it part of that glorious American laissez-faire tradition, which is particularly strong in the southeast and in the oil biz? Are Americans more risk-friendly? Has low-status oilfield work just created a downward spiral?
Not mentioned was a comparison of salaries. Another complaint was that the US supply boats were not as luxurious as those in the North Sea. Come to think of it, there was no comparison of the weather conditions either.
In a news release earlier this month, Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society issued a stern warning to any potential buyer of the ship, which he claims was illegally seized. “I have no intention of recognizing the validity of any sale ordered by the Canadian government,” Watson said in the release. “Whoever buys the ship should be aware that we retain the registry and the original bill of sale and we will take back what is ours at the first opportunity. “You don’t steal a ship from a pirate without repercussions.”
They should give it to their Navy to use for target practice.
Orders for new ships have, not surprisingly, collapsed and scrutiny has shifted from what can be bought to what can be cancelled: nothing, it turns out, without great effort. South Korea’s shipyards, the global leaders, have learnt from previous busts. They typically demand 20% up front, a further 60% during construction, and the final 20% payment upon delivery. Walk away and you lose a fortune. These shipyards have good reason to play tough. Along with a loss of revenue, cancellations cause operational chaos.
ECDIS may not be any more accurate than paper charts, especially when using raster charts based on paper charts. Don’t assume that because it runs on a computer it’s more accurate. Over the next few years areas are being resurveyed to create electronic charts following International Hydrographic Organisation standards but they will only cover 800 of the busiest ports.
According to Newspaq, the Danish Pilots Association says that maritime authorities should raise the issue of the Eastern European maritime drinking culture with the relevant countries concerned.
“It is shameful for the profession that such large ships can sail around with dead drunk people on board,” says Gantzholm.
The towing wire was also found to be a used crane runner wire that had been stored for some time. “Crane wires tend to be of a different construction when compared with a towing wire due to their different mode of operation. The use of improper tow wires could be dangerous because of possible shock loading and chafing of the wire while engaging in towing,” the note added.
Some brokers are still not publishing secondhand prices because the market is so thin, but those that are have marked prices down steeply. A 10-year old, 1,700 teu ship that could have been sold for around $28m in early 2008 may be worth just $11m today, a plunge of 60%. This puts owners in a real predicament as they are left holding rapidly depreciating assets.
Of course, they only become toxic if companies stop making payments.
Measuring 983 feet long — more than three football fields — and 122 feet wide, the MSC Catania was able to enter the port because it was only loaded at 13 percent of capacity.
Jenny, who has died aged 92, was a legend to generations of sailors who visited Hong Kong; despite the colony’s constant change, she remained the same incomparable institution for most of her life.
Jenny led a side party of girls who attached themselves to ships when they arrived in Hong Kong, taking over the domestic economy and husbandry of each vessel. They washed and ironed, cleaned ship, chipped rust and painted, attended as buoy jumpers, and, dressed in their best, waited with grace and charm upon guests at cocktail parties.
Residents of the tiny French-owned islands of St-Pierre-Miquelon are pushing for the return of direct freight service with southern Newfoundland.
Few goods, including building materials and even fresh produce, have made it St-Pierre-Miquelon since the Cap Blanc cargo ship sank in December, killing four crew. The Cap Blanc had been transporting a load of road salt when it capsized in foul weather.
The French government said Wednesday it will file a letter of intent with the UN laying claim to a larger swath of the seabed for its St-Pierre-Miquelon territory, just south of Newfoundland.
The roughly 6,000 inhabitants of the North Atlantic archipelago want to develop their economy by expanding their access to the seabed, which is potentially rich in gas, marine and oil resources.
This story has over 400 comments already. This threat alone looks like a good enough reason for the Canadians to do nothing to make resupply of the islands any easier. The French-controlled Islands in Canada were first covered in Maritime Monday 81.
“80% of all galley equipment is being stored in Accommodation area, far away from seemingly not very interested eyes of USPH inspectors. With inspections being fairly predictable, roughly every 6 months, as the time comes close, galley personnel drags majority of everyday utensils to their cabins and in nearby corridors. What stays in galley pot-wash areas are huge items that occupy space on shelves and give impressions of fullness.”
I think a lot of folks arriving at the show were wondering what sort of collective mood that they might encounter. Speaking for myself only, I can report an upbeat crowd that was eager to do business and optimistic that the uptick in the economy might just be around the corner. You heard it here first.
Russian shippers looking abroad – LACK OF port capacity and corruption in Russia is forcing the country’s shippers to do business elsewhere, British consul general for Russia William Elliott told Fairplay today at a London Ports and Terminals Groups meeting.
Some Russian businessmen are opting to pay higher prices to use foreign ports such as Tallinn in Estonia, which offers greater efficiency and is usually ice-free.
But Elliot added that it should not be assumed that foreign ports are taking business away from Russia, as insufficient capacity – particularly for containerised cargo – is a major problem for the country. Only 16% of Russia’s throughput is containerised, putting it “out of kilter with the rest of the world”.
According to Elliott, the Russian government has earmarked £14Bn to raise standards at the country’s ports over the next five years. But whether ports will actually receive these funds in light of Russia’s growing economic problems is uncertain. “The government is nervous that it may need that money,” said Elliot. – Fairplay Homepage(Used with Permission)
“I’ve never heard of a crisis that does not end,” CEO Eivind Kolding told Fairplay in Copenhagen yesterday, adding: “For sure it will come to an end. Consumers just need to gain confidence, then we will have an upturn.”
The Maersk Line boss went on to underline the importance of focusing on customers to ensure companies stay profitable in the current economic climate: “People forget that in a downturn, but now the customer is needed even more.”
Priorities for Maersk include maintaining its market share and being more efficient in watching costs.
“We need to keep all costs down, that’s our focus,” said Kolding.
He even stuck to a positive approach about the loss predicted for Maersk Line this year.
“It’s too early to tell,” he said, adding: “I don’t think anyone has a clear view of this.” – Fairplay Homepage(Used with Permission)
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Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week’s edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email stories and photos to [email protected] for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest areas of coverage.
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Previous Editions: As linked below or click on the tag ‘Maritime Monday’ for all gCaptain editions.
By Greg Torode, Eduardo Baptista and Tim Kelly HONG KONG, May 5 (Reuters) – When China sailed one of its two active aircraft carriers, the Shandong, east of Taiwan last month as...
Odfjell Oceanwind says its innovative floating wind turbine foundation solution Deepsea Star™ has been chosen for the groundbreaking GoliatVIND wind park project in the Barents Sea. A consortium comprising Source...
By Alex Longley (Bloomberg) — Key figures in the insurance industry said rising Russian oil prices are making it harder for them to know if they can lawfully cover Russian cargoes. ...
April 28, 2023
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