Ship Working

BIW Awarded $20.7m Modification

Bath Iron Works Corp., (a General Dynamics Company), Bath, Maine is being awarded a $20,753,902 modification under previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-2307) to exercise an option for 233,426 man-hours for Lead Yard Class Services for the DDG 51 Class AEGIS Destroyer Program. This work will provide technical assistance to the Follow Yard in the interpretation and application of the detailed design developed by BIW Corp., the Lead Yard contractor. DDG 51 Class services include: liaison for follow ship construction, general class services, class logistic services, class design agent services and class change design services for follow ships. Work will be performed in Bath, Maine, and is expected to be completed by Jul. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

TOPAZ Explores Investment in Azerbaijan

A Topaz delegation consisting of Board Directors and Senior Management were in Azerbaijan in the Caspian region to hold discussions with State Oil Company Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). The aim of the meeting was to explore areas of mutual interest and opportunities for investment in the Caspian region. To support the growing offshore oil & gas market Topaz plans significant investments in the building of new offshore support vessels in the Caspian region in the next few years

SECNAV Energy Conservation Awards Announced

The Secretary of the Navy announced the Energy Conservation (ENCON) ship award winners for FY2003. These award winners represent Navy ships who have been singled out for outstanding execution of energy conservation measures and consistent reduction in energy consumption. Energy conservation awards were also announced for Navy shore activities and Marine Corps bases. During FY 2003, Commander, Pacific Fleet (COMPAC) and Commander, Atlantic Fleet (COMLANT) ships

France Telecom Launches New Service

France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications is enhancing its range of value-added services with a satellite-based VPN (virtual private network). The VPN solution for the Fleet family (Fleet-33, 55 & 77) enables maritime users to connect securely to their corporate business network on land, via either ISDN or MPDS transmission mode. It is based on a fixed public IP address that the user can request in order to simplify connections with its business network.

Vale’s Valemax Ships Regain Admittance to Asian Ports

Vale SA of Brazil said it has increased access of its Valemax iron ore carriers to Asian ports. The company even docked one of its ships in China where a ban on the giant vessels has been in effect for more than a year, Reuters.com reported. Reuters reported on April 18 that the Vale Malaysia docked at China's port of Lianyungang April 15 and left April 17 after unloading its cargo, but the 402,285 deadweight ton (dwt) ship, one of the world's largest bulk freighters, was only partly loaded

PPG Adds to its Sigma Syladvance Range

PPG Protective and Marine Coatings (PPG) has launched Sigma Syladvance 700, a high performance antifouling designed specifically for ships working at medium to high rates of operation and  medium speeds. Based on the Sigma Syladvance 800 premium antifouling product, Sigma Syladvance 700 extends the product offer by means of an “entry-level” Sigma Syladvance making premium technology available for a different set of requirements.

LR: Shipping Is Safer, But Work Still To Be Done

"In spite of the significant advances that have been made in recent years, shipping can and should become safer than it is now. To help achieve this, the scope of the activities covered by classification societies may well become wider and more varied in the future." This was the message from Willem de Jong, managing director of the Marine Division of Lloyd's Register (LR), in his keynote speech, which opened the proceedings at the Shiprepair & Conversion exhibition and conference held in

Can the Hinge Ship Work?

Hinge-Ship is a patented concept designed to combine the advantages of both deep draft and shallow draft shipping within the confines of a single vessel. The concept, if proven viable, could help to further the mandate of shaving valuable time from the transportation of goods from "point A to point B," as it would literally eliminate the need for storage at transshipment points and the transfer of cargo to other vessels, and all of the time and cost inherent in both.

Does Chapter 11 Work for Foreign Shipping Companies?

In the past two or three years, we have seen a wave of shipping companies file Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in the United States.  This latest wave started hitting the street in about 2011 and has included such names as General Maritime, Omega Navigation, Marco Polo, TBS International, B&H, and OSG.  The timing is no mystery to anyone who has been following our industry, and I do not think it is too controversial to suggest that what we are seeing now are the continuing effects of

International Logistics from Washington to Korea

On a journey that would take more than five weeks, six 32-foot transportable security boats (TPSBs), two pick-up trucks, six boat trailers, and 15 five-ton storage containers traveled more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Everett, Washington to Pohang, South Korea.  Coast Guard Port Security Units 311, 312 and 313 mobilized 80 tons of gear and more than 100 personnel to participate in one of the largest, international military exercises on the Korean peninsula