Seacom News

Ships will have to obtain a permit from Yemen's Houthi-controlled Maritime Affairs Authority before entering Yemeni waters, Houthi Telecommunications Minister Misfer Al-Numair said on Monday.Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's offensive in Gaza.The near-daily attacks have forced firms into long and costly diversions around southern Africa…

Portico Shipping, the international cargo terminal in Portsmouth, UK, is taking delivery of by 4 x Terberg TT223 two wheel drive Terminal tractors in March 2020.These units will be supplied with rotating seats to facilitate improved driver comfort and operational efficiencies.This equipment, including the Seacom trailers, is being supplied by Terberg DTS UK, which is the UK arm of the Terberg Group.Established in 1869, they specialize in building terminal, RoRo and yard tractors and related vehicles. These are supplied to markets such as ports, distribution centers, industry, road/rail and airports.This investment signifies Portico’s commitment to invest in plant and equipment which will help to streamline operations within the terminal…

Dukane-Seacom has awarded Mackay Marine a worldwide distributorship for its voyage data recorder (VDR) acoustic beacons. These devices are attached to a ship’s VDR and activated in the event a vessel is submerged, after which the beacon will be the primary signal locator for a sunken ship. Mackay Marine will be Dukane’s primary distributor for the U.S.; selling and installing Dukane acoustic beacon’s directly from Mackay’s 15 U.S. locations and through independent maritime dealers. Inventory and distribution will be coordinated from Mackay’s Miami office. Outside the U.S., Mackay has distribution rights through its 15 international locations and network of 90 marine service agents, with the exception of Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Technology is central, not merely an add-on, to ship manager brand value. Ship managers who operate vessels on behalf of their owner clients, are the lynchpin of international shipping. As the industry has gone through rounds of relentless cost cutting, at times of increasing regulatory scrutiny, and commercial pressures for high standards, third party managers have filled the need for raising quality, while maintaining tight cost controls. The rise of third party managers in the 1980s and 1990s…

Mitsui OSK Line made a firm commitment to install Bridge Navigational Watch and Alarm Systems (BNWAS) on board its ships ahead of regulatory requirements. The company has taken the opportunity of the drydocking of 17 of its vessels so far this year to install the Martek Marine Navgard BNWAS. MOL said it was likely that all of its existing vessels would be fitted with BNWAS before the end of 2011. Under the terms of the revised SOLAS regulations new passenger vessels and cargo ships greater than 150gt have had to implement BNWAS since July 2011. However, existing passenger ships and cargo vessels greater than 3,000gt can wait until July 2012 before BNWAS becomes mandatory…

Mitsui OSK Line has made a firm commitment to install Bridge Navigational Watch and Alarm Systems (BNWAS) on board its ships ahead of regulatory requirements. The company has taken the opportunity of the drydocking of 17 of its vessels so far this year to install the Martek Marine Navgard BNWAS. MOL said it was likely that all of its existing vessels would be fitted with BNWAS before the end of 2011. Under the terms of the revised SOLAS regulations new passenger vessels and cargo ships greater than 150gt have had to implement BNWAS since July 2011.

Martek Marine has secured a contract to supply its Navgard Bridge Navigation Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) to Seacom Electronics, the UK subsidiary of global ship management services giant V.Ships. Southampton-headquartered Seacom has placed an initial order for a Navgard BNWAS compliance package comprising a Navgard panel with two weatherproof external resets, an internal reset, three cabin alarms and four high intensity audio visual alarms. Martek will also deliver items including an illuminated push-button reset for the bridge, a bridge wing reset button, officer cabin alarm and a high intensity corridor audio-visual alarm. The initial contract is expected to be followed by orders for further packages to be installed on V.Ships’ vessels during the next three years.

According to a July 23 BBC News report, the first undersea fibre-optic cable, operated by African-owned firm Seacom, connects South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique to Europe and Asia. The cable, which is 17,000km long, took two years to lay and cost more than $650m. The cable was due to be launched in June but was delayed by pirate activity off the coast of Somalia. (Source: BBC News)

According to allafrica.com, the construction of the 42650 ft. Sea Cable System connecting the South and East Africa countries of South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania with India and Egypt has commenced. SEACOM Limited and its supplier -Tyco telecommunications, a business segment of Tyco Electronics Limited and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology and marine services are carrying the project. SEACOM attained full and unconditional financial close on November 9, 2007. SEACOM and Tyco Telecommunications brought the construction contract for the full delivery of the system in force on November 13, 2007.

A day-long nationwide strike called by Bangladesh's opposition parties last Tuesday (Nov. 16) dealt a fresh blow to the country's shipping sector, already hit by political unrest in the country, officials and traders said. "Fifty ships including 11 carrying about 150,000 tons of foodgrains were stranded at berths and at the outer anchorages on Tuesday," said Mohsin Sarkar, traffic director of Chittagong Port, which handles 80 percent of the country's exports and imports. More than 10,000 tons of ready-made garments and frozen foods were awaiting export at the port on Tuesday, he said. Sarkar said cargo handling has slowed and the maximum "stay time" for a ship has shot up to 15 days from earlier five days due to frequent strikes.