Kingfisher News

This week Esgian’s Week 50 Rig Analytics Market Roundup notes developments in the semisub sector including that Shell has decided to exercise its option on Stena Don in the North Sea but not on Deepsea Bollsta in Namibia. Meanwhile, a new contract for the Transocean Barents will see it operate in the Black Sea, and jackup Shelf Drilling Perseverance will move to Vietnam.ContractsShelf Drilling has secured a contract award for the 400ft Shelf Drilling Perseverance jackup rig with PetroVietnam Domestic Exploration Production Operating Company Limited (PVEP POC).

Australian operator SeaLink Marine & Tourism announced the internal promotion of David Hay to the newly created role of Executive General Manager – Business Operations. Hay will commence the new role on October 4.SeaLink Marine & Tourism’s fleet of 113 vessels connect travelers to 16 islands around Australia and includes tourism and hospitality experiences in multiple capital city harbors and major rivers, as well as two island resorts on K’gari (Fraser Island). Contracted essential transport services with governments and private clients include ferry services for passenger…

Vernon, B.C. based Bryton Marine Group, parent company to a group of aluminum boatbuilding firms, announced it has hired Stuart McVitty as chief operating officer.McVitty will be responsible for developing performance goals and long-term operational plans as well as maximizing efficiency through extensive process analysis and intercompany collaboration. He will work with the CEO Byron Bolton and the senior management team to implement the strategic vision and values of the company.Family…

A containership that lost power and went adrift off Canada's East Coast has been towed to Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Canadian Coast Guard said.The Panamanian-flagged MSC Kim departed Halifax on March 3 en route to Montreal, but went adrift on March 9 after it suffered engine problems off Port au Port, Newfoundland and Labrador. No injuries or pollution have been reported.The offshore tug Atlantic Kingfisher secured a towline with MSC Kim on Thursday morning and towed the vessel…

MPI Offshore, an offshore installation service firm owned by Van Oord, last week accidentally dropped three wind turbine blades into the sea, while conducting scheduled maintenance at Vattenfall's Ormonde wind farm in the Irish Sea, off the UK.According to the Kingfisher incident report, MPI Offshore's MPI Adventure jack-up vessel last week jacked up alongside Ormonde B01 wind turbine and dropped three 61 m turbine blades weighing 126 tonnes in total, and a blade clamping tool weighing 3000-3100kg overboard.A notice to mariners dated October 18 said that the dropped items were in the water adjacent to MPI Adventure near the wind turbine generator B01…

The Bolton Marine Group has acquired Daigle Marine, one of the nation’s leading commercial boat builders. Founder, Steve Daigle and co-owner, Bob Kristmanson have completed the private sale of Daigle Marine to The Bolton Marine Group.As a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bolton Marine Group, Daigle Marine, based in Campbell River, will operate as a separate company with the continuity of the management team, highly skilled work force and physical facilities. As Managing Director, Torry Wannenwetsch will lead the entity. Steve Daigle and Bob Kristmanson will remain active in the business through a transition period.Founded in 1985, Daigle Marine is a respected custom aluminum boat builder.

Family, friends and colleagues of Capt. John Foley, Master Mariner and Great Barrier Reef “Grand Pilot” gathered together at St. Augustine’s Church, Hamilton, Brisbane on June 26, 2015 to farewell John and commemorate his life. For a man who achieved so much in his lifetime, Captain John Foley was remarkable for one thing above all - his modesty. Well spoken, polite and scholarly, Captain Foley was a fountain of knowledge on his favorite place, Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, his ‘office’ being one of the most challenging sea passages on earth.

Stolt Tankers B.V. has agreed to acquire three 5,800 dwt fully stainless steel parcel tankers from Odfjell Tankers AS. The ships, which were built in 1997-1998 and are sister ships of three tankers currently operated by Stolt Tankers, are expected to join the Stolt-Nielsen Inter-Europe Service by the end of August 2015. Further terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Commenting on the purchase, Hans P. Feringa, President of Stolt Tankers, said, "We are pleased to have acquired these well priced, high quality assets, which enhance the scale efficiency of our fleet of European regional parcel tankers. The three ships are highly specialised, with 20 duplex stainless steel tanks, ICE class 1A and fitted with nitrogen generators.

Stolt-Nielsen Limited (Oslo Bors: SNI) announced  that Stolt Tankers B.V. has agreed to acquire three 5,800 dwt fully stainless steel parcel tankers from Odfjell Tankers AS. The ships, which were built in 1997-1998 and are sister ships of three tankers currently operated by Stolt Tankers, are expected to join the Stolt-Nielsen Inter-Europe Service by the end of August 2015. Further terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Commenting on the purchase, Hans P. Feringa, President of Stolt Tankers…

A team of researchers led by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries have discovered two significant vessels from World War II’s Battle of the Atlantic. The German U-boat 576 and the freighter Bluefields were found approximately 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Lost for more than 70 years, the discovery of the two vessels, in an area known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, is a rare window into a historic military battle and the underwater battlefield landscape of WWII.

BRP has signed an agreement to provide Renaissance Marine Groups’ KingFisher Boats with Evinrude outboard engines. The welded heavy-gauge aluminum boats, manufactured in a state-of-the art facility in Vernon, British Columbia, are known for their custom-built quality. “This partnership is exciting for BRP. Showcasing our Evinrude E-TEC technology and innovations alongside a leader in heavy gauge aluminum boats allows us to continue expanding our presence in the industry, and reinforces our commitment to providing a superior consumer experience across multiple segments and markets,” said Alain Villemure, vice president and general manager of BRP’s Marine Propulsion Systems division.

Offshore Marine Management Ltd (OMM) to keep the fishing community advised about the new 96 fibre subsea telecom cable linking Ireland and Wales. Offshore Marine Management Ltd (OMM), the UK’s independent services provider to the renewables, telecoms and hydrocarbon industries, is to provide fisheries liaison services to Emerald Bridge Fibres Ltd (EBFL), a joint venture between Geo Networks Ltd (Geo), and Ireland’s wholesale telecom provider ESB Telecoms Ltd. OMM was responsible for the delivery of the marine phase of this challenging project, which provides a 96 fibre subsea telecoms link between Portmarnock, Ireland and Porth y Post, Wales.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the debris and a male body about 22 east of the entrance to the St. Johns River. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aircrew reported the debris, including two large pieces of a vessel; 10 life jackets; flares; and an oil sheen. It is unknown if additional people are in the water or otherwise in distress, but the Coast Guard is responding as though there are. Continuing to search the area surrounding the debris field are a…

The Unified Command, consisting of the Texas General Land Office, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Eagle Otome's owner, opened the Sabine-Neches Waterway on Jan. 27 to limited traffic after moving the tank vessel Eagle Otome to the Sunoco oil terminal in Beaumont on the evening of Jan. 26. "The Unified Command has been working closely to get the waterway back open as safely as possible," said Coast Guard Capt. J.J. Plunkett, captain of the port and federal on-scene coordinator for the response. Three tugs escorted the Eagle Otome, while two boats carried boom to prevent further spillage and a fire fighting barge was on scene to prevent any fires. Two pilots were on board the ship to further ensure its safe transit to Beaumont.

A lone bugler played as Union Jacks and national ensigns were lowered marking the end of service for the final four Osprey-class coastal mine hunters. USS Kingfisher (MHC 56), USS Cormorant (MHC 57), USS Blackhawk (MHC 58) and USS Shrike (MHC 62) were decommissioned Dec. 1, during a ceremony aboard Naval Station Ingleside, Texas. "Just as a commissioning signals a bright future," said Lt. Cmdr. The ceremony also marked the date the ships' names would be struck from the registry of active Navy ships. And, their ensigns would fly no more, stated Rear Adm.

A British sailor failed in a risky attempt to help a French solo rower who has been facing a communications breakdown in heavy south Pacific seas since the Iridium global mobile phone company went bankrupt. Ellen MacArthur, sailing in the region called the "screaming 50s," changed course to try to bring rower Jo Le Guen a replacement communication system, her sponsor Kingfisher Challenges said. MacArthur, 23, and her crew reached Le Guen's 29 ft. (9 m) craft Keep It Blue in harsh weather conditions with just over two hours of daylight left. Icy squalls with winds reaching 30 knots and turbulent seas made transferring a bag containing a portable Magellan e-mail unit extremely hazardous, the sponsor said.

ONYX Special Services, soon to be Veolia Environmental Services, will be adding a DP2 ROV support vessel to its fleet, servicing the Gulf of Mexico. The RSV Toisa Vigilant will be supporting the 150 hp Triton XLS17 and the 100 hp Triton XL ROV. The Toisa Vigilant will be mobilizing the ROV's as well as a 35 ton knuckle boom crane during the last week in April 2006. We will be ready for service early May 06. There will also be a stern launched 50 ton heave compensated winch / A-frame installed at a later date. The Toisa Vigilant joins the DP2 Dive / ROV vessel Kingfisher, as well as the dive support vessels, Sir Lancelot and the Shinnichi Maru.

MetalCraft Marine Inc., of Kingston, Ontario, is nearing completion of its second Hydrographic Survey Craft for the Canadian Government's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Canadian Hydrographic Service. The 30 x 10.3 ft. vessel will carry three transducers, the largest being a state of the art 332 mm Multi-beam Transducer by Kongsberg-Simrad, Model EM-3000. The total Multi-beam system is worth approximately three times the value of the vessel, which was sold for $129,000. The Canadian Hydrographic Service, Central and Arctic Regions is responsible for updating and validating Canadian navigational charts for all inland and Arctic waters, including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

For more than 175 years, Columbian Rope Company has continued to be a driving force and a leader in the rope and cordage industry. During Columbian's existence, a goal of excellence has been achieved, as evidenced by the rate of repeat clients, who continue to inquire about Columbian's products. With four locations (two in the U.S. and two in Mexico), Columbian Rope enhanced its product base when earlier this year, it became a member of Chicago-based Unicord International — a member of the Unicord Companies. How Did This All Start? In 1903, Edwin Metcalf, a preacher's son with entrepreneurial ambitions, left Massachusetts for Auburn, N.Y. Throughout his travels Metcalf managed to purchase the Osborne Implement Co., an 80-year-old manufacturer of Farm Implements and Bailer Twine.