Coastal Service News

In Havila Kystruten AS v Abarca Compania de Seguros AS,¹ in which Watson Farley & Williams LLP represented the successful Norwegian shipowner, an English court has provided helpful and very detailed guidance on a number of issues relating to the parties’ rights to terminate shipbuilding contracts as well as the nature and scope of refund guarantees.BackgroundRefund guarantees are the lifeblood of shipbuilding, providing invaluable security to owners/buyers who must usually cash fund a significant proportion of the price of newbuildings during the construction phase (usually at least 40%)…

Canadian naval architecture and marine engineering firm Robert Allan Ltd. said it has been awarded a contract by Rio Maguari Shipyard (Estaleiro Rio Maguari – ERM), located in Belém, Brazil, to develop the design package for an innovative Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB) for shipping containers along the coast of Brazil. These two ATB convoys will be owned and operated by Aliança Navegação e Logística (ANL), a major logistics services provider in Latin America, and part of the Maersk Group.Robert Allan Ltd.’s engineering team…

On July 31, the coal carrier Ushio, which NYK had ordered from Honda Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. was delivered at the Saiki Shipyard. A naming ceremony was attended by Masato Mizutani, executive officer, head of fuel operation management group of JERA Co., Inc.; Nobuhiro Kashima, managing executive officer of NYK; and a number of related parties.This vessel is the NYK Group’s first coal carrier for domestic coastal transport by JERA. The ship will be operated by the NYK Group's Asia Pacific Marine Corporation based on a transportation contract between JERA and NYK.

Pacifica Shipping confirms it is introducing a second vessel onto its New Zealand coastal shipping service, which is expected to be operational mid-September this year.The vessel will add 1,300TEU extra capacity every week and will complement the existing coastal service provided by Pacifica Shipping’s MV Moana Chief, a 1,700TEU ship, which has been operating since August 2019.Country Manager for Pacifica Shipping and Swire Shipping New Zealand Brodie Stevens, said the service…

Eastland Group has taken delivery of two new harbor tugs, Maki and Ika Nui, for operations in Tairāwhiti (Gisborne), New Zealand.The 21.4-meter-long, 273 GT newbuilds are RAmparts 2100-CL tugs designed by Canada's Robert Allan Ltd. and constructed at Cheoy Lee Shipyards in China. Each vessel has a 11-meter beam (molded), 4.4-meter depth (least molded) and maximum navigational draft of 4.5 meters.The Maki (orca) and Ika Nui (big fish) names were announced in the summer of 2021 after suggestions from the public.

Container feeder operator SAFEEN Feeders, part of the AD Ports Group, announced it has acquired a containership that will join its feeder service fleet in the Arabian Gulf.SAFEEN Pearl, formerly called Vega Virgo, will be deployed in its UAE Coastal Service (UCO) providing connection to UAE ports, including the Group’s flagship Khalifa Port, and the coastal ports of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah.Captain Maktoum Al Houqani, Chief Corporate Authority Officer and Acting Head of Maritime Cluster - AD Ports Group…

Norwegian cruise ship operator Hurtigruten has decided to cancel the remaining of the Antarctica 20/21 season cruises - from January and throughout the first quarter of 2021, citing the impact of the pandemic. It will also reduce the capacity on the Norwegian coast.The decision follows Hurtigruten's announcement in September when it said it would suspend remaining cruises in 2020, with plans to resume operation in January 2021."The Covid-19 pandemic is still affecting large parts of the world and travel restrictions and quarantine requirements are wide spread and changing rapidly. Given these challenging circumstances and that the developments are unpredictable…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $9.5 million in grants to eight marine highways projects across the Nation under the America’s Marine Highway Program. The funding supports the enhancement of navigable waterways and expands existing waterborne freight services in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and American Samoa.“This Federal assistance will provide additional options to reduce congestion on the roads and help the surrounding local communities’ and the regions’ economic recovery…

Shipbuilder PT. Graha Trisaka Industri, in Batam, Indonesia is building a pair of new TRAktor V-3200 tugs for China Petroleum Corporation (CPC), of Taiwan.The shipyard, with support from Robert Allan Ltd., was awarded the construction contract by CPC following an international bid process. A steel cutting ceremony was held for the newbuilds on April 15.Upon delivery, the custom designed tugboats will operate at the CPC liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Shenao in Taiwan.The TRAktor V design by Robert Allan Ltd.

A Chinese tug has been fitted with a space to quarantine crew members as the global maritime industry continues to implement precautionary health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.The vessel, Jin Gang Lun 32, owned and operated by Tianjin Port has been equipped with a 20-foot container fitted to the aft deck as an isolation/temporary quarantine space.The air-conditioned container features large watertight windows and contains basic living facilities including a sofa settee, potable water, WC, safety appliances, medical kit, and receptacles for medical emergency equipment.

New Zealand Port Nelson said that continued growth in cargo volume has contributed to the port's delivering an operating profit of $30.5 million for the 2018/2019 financial year.This is an increase of $3.4 million compared to the $27.1 million reported in 2018. Net Profit After Tax, including a $2.6 million increase in the valuation of investment property, was $15.3 million.In consideration of the steady growth of the region’s exports through the port and the promising returns on investments, Port Nelson’s Chair, Phil Lough, announced an additional $800,000 dividend payment would be made to shareholders, this is on top of the full-year…

Chinese shipbuilder AFAI has launched a new 40-meter catamaran passenger ferry for domestic operator Zhuhai Fast Ferry Company.The new vessel, named Xin Hai Bin, is designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, whose relationship with AFAI dates back to 1982, when the yard built the first Incat Crowther ferries to enter service in China. In 2018, Xin Hai Bin is the 50th Incat Crowther-designed vessel for operation in China.Xin Hai Bin is based on the Incat Crowther z-bow hull form used 2012’s Hai Ju and Hai Yao.

A new 40-meter catamaran passenger ferry has been launched in China to be operated by Sea’s Young in Hong Kong. Designed by Incat Crowther and built by Wang Tak, Shi Zi Yang 7 is a 199-passenger ferry that has been designed and built to compete in the tough domestic Chinese market where speed, comfort and efficiency are paramount, the designer said. The design features an efficient semi-SWATH hull form. Its deck plan keeps superstructure to a minimum, with hull cross structure eliminated where not required. Shi Zi Yang 7’s main boarding zones are port and starboard aft, whereupon passengers enter the main cabin via an area that houses crew mess, bathrooms, luggage racks and a small kiosk. Forward of this, an open cabin features 139 seats.

The Cao Gang 26 is a new RAmparts 3300 ASD tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd., constructed at JiangSu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. in China and delivered to the Owner, Cao Fei Dian Port in Northern China in November 2016. On trials, the vessel met or exceeded all performance expectations, producing bollard pull astern of 60.5 metric tons and a free running speed ahead of 13.5 knots. The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a maximum crew complement of 14, the designer said.

The Cao Gang 26 is a new RAmparts 3300 ASD tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd., constructed at JiangSu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. in China and delivered to the Owner, Cao Fei Dian Port in Northern China in November 2016. The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a maximum crew complement of 14. The Master’s and Chief Engineer’s cabins are located on the main deck, and two six-person cabins are located on the lower accommodation deck. Also included are common W/C’s on the main and lower accommodation decks. The deck machinery consists of a ship assist hawser winch and a pair of independent anchor windlasses on the bow.

More than 1,000 migrants were plucked from overcrowded boats and 16 bodies were recovered in the past two days, Italy's coastguard said on Monday, adding to the already record number of arrivals this year. Coastguard ships recovered some 800 migrants from nine different vessels on Sunday, the coastal service said, and coordinated the rescue of another 230 boat migrants on Monday. As of Dec. 1, Italy had taken in more than 173,000 boat migrants this year, beating the previous record of 170,000 set in 2014. In all, about a half million have come in the past three years. Italy has borne the brunt of new arrivals since the implementation in March of an agreement between the European Union and Turkey to curb the flow of migrants sailing for Greece.

Samskip has completed the acquisition of Euro Container Lines AS, building on a strategy for growth in the Nordic area to make its largest ever acquisitive move in Norway. The ECL acquisition aims to strengthen Samskip’s position in the Norwegian market by enhancing the speed and frequency of services delivering a second-to-none value proposition for its Norwegian client base. In a significant enhancement for regional fishing industry exporters in particular, the acquisition will deliver a substantially improved Norwegian coastal service under the direct control of Samskip.

Inmarsat has launched Fleet One Global, a service designed to offer basic voice and data connectivity to the maritime market. Fleet One Global is part of the Fleet One range of satcoms services developed for flexibility, reliability and simplicity, aimed at customers with low data needs looking for basic functionality, greater cost and usage control, with the reassurance of a trusted global commercial satellite network. The plug-and-play service delivers 100kbps voice and data at one global rate, eliminating the need for ship owners to use a patchwork of different providers. Fleet One Global achieves 99.9 percent uptime worldwide, ensuring that ships are never out of range for voice calls…

Sima Marine, a subsidiary of Dubai-based Simatech Shipping, one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships, has launched coastal container shipping services in India. The coastal container shipping service will operate from Kochi connecting Mangalore in Karnataka, Goa and Mundra in Gujarat. Simatech Shipping is one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships with partners, including 15 of its own. For the exclusive coastal service operations in the country, the Indian subsidiary has also acquired two 1,500-TEU container vessels, Sima Godavari and Sima Narmada, which have already started their operations now. These ships are now sailing with Indian flag to work within the cabotage law.

TRIYARDS Holdings Limited has secured contracts to build two oil barges worth NTD 716 million (equivalent to approximately about US$21.82m) from a new client, CPC Corporation, a Taiwan state-owned oil and gas company responsible for supplying energy to its domestic market. The new contract wins are for the construction of a pair of oil barges intended for coastal service and the supply of bunker fuel to vessels in Taiwan's harbour and coastal areas to be delivered in 2QFY18. Mr. Chan Eng Yew, TRIYARDS’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “This attests to our continued efforts to diversify our orderbook beyond the traditional O&G sector.

India's Largest shipping Company, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) in its continuous efforts to facilitate shipping solutions to the Indian trade has now upgraded the Coastal ports of call on the SMILE Service to include Katupalli and Visakhapatnam on East Coast.The SMILE service is a dedicated SCI Service, having 3 x 1600 teu Indian Flag vessels, catering to the Coastal trade on both the West Coast of India as well as the Gulf Markets. This is SCI’s maiden call at Katupalli (Chennai) and the SMILE service’s maiden call at Visakhapatnam. The SMILE service which already has an established coastal market from Mundra and Pipavav to Cochin / Tuticorin will now have a direct coastal service from Mundra, Pipavav to Katupalli and Visakhapatnam.

The cabotage fleet of Hamburg Süd’s subsidiary Alianҫa has once again gained a new member. Within the scope of a customer event, the new container ship “Bartolomeu Dias” was christened on 14 April 2015 at the TECON Terminal in the southern-Brazilian port of Rio Grande. The ship’s sponsor is Luciana Pereira Quartiero. Her husband, Jacques Maggi Quartiero, is vice president of Camil Alimentos S.A. Also present at the christening in the state of Rio Grande do Sul were Dr Ottmar Gast, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hamburg Süd, and Julian Thomas, CEO for Region South America East Coast for Hamburg Süd and Alianҫa. With a container slot capacity of around 4…

As a part of its tug fleet upgrade program, Tianjin Port of China retained Robert Allan Ltd. in early 2012 to develop several new tug designs to suit its operational requirements. The program involved five tugs of three distinct designs. The recent delivery of the RAstar 3500 class tugs Jin Gang Lun 28 and Jin Gang Lun 29 marked the conclusion of this program. The two latest vessels were constructed by a local shipyard, CCCC Bomesc Marine Industry Co. Ltd. in Tianjin city. Compared to the earlier tugs Jin Gang Lun 26 and Jin Gang Lun 27 which are of the RAmparts series…