Transhipment Services Australia Orders Damen Crane Barge
Transhipment Services Australia (TSA) has ordered a transshipment crane barge from shipbuilding group Damen, who says it will be able to deliver the new the Crane Barge 6324 directly from stock to fulfil the order in a period of only four weeks.TSA has been contracted by Metro Mining to provide transshipment services for its Bauxite Hills Project located along the Skardon River on Cape York Peninsula, north of Weipa in Far North Queensland. With a presence in three sites across Australia…
Smit Lamnalco Takes Delivery of Two Tugs
Shipbuilder Damen said it has delivered the third and fourth units in a four-vessel contract to leading towage company Smit Lamnalco. All four vessels are Damen’s ASD Tug 3212 class with a bollard pull of 80 metric tons. The order was placed in November 2017 and, with stock boats available, the first two were delivered in June and these latest arrivals in October.The SL Thunggun and SL Irrong have arrived at Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory and will shortly be heading east to the Weipa bauxite mine on the Cape York Peninsular, Queensland.
$45 mln to bolster Reef Protection
The Australian and Queensland Governments are investing $45 million in an Australian first to improve water quality and reduce sediment run-off across the Great Barrier Reef. The $45 million Great Barrier Reef Gully and Streambank Joint Program will deliver a cohesive program of restoration work in key catchments including Burdekin, Fitzroy and Cape York. The joint program between government, the private sector, research institutions and conservations groups includes scientific investigation to understand the nature of gullies and the restorative activities required to fix them. Other work will include physical remediation, mulching, revegetation, fencing, native grass seed production and grazing land management improvements.
Safe Cruising Down Under with Australian Reef Pilots
According to the Australian Reef Pilots (ARP), Australia is now the fourth biggest cruise market in the world. Part of the boom in cruising has to do with more specialty cruise ships coming to the region. The smaller size cruise ship segment seems purpose-designed to transit the remote waters of the Kimberley coast. However, larger-vessel cruise companies are now expressing interest in touring this remote and rugged north-west region as well as the Great Barrier Reef. In fact, the number of cruise ships using ARP’s services has increased by more than 89 percent since 2010.
Austal Delivers Final Cape Class Patrol Boat
Cape York, the last of eight new Cape Class Patrol Boats for Australian Border Force (formerly Australian Customs and Border Protection) has been delivered by shipbuilder Austal Limited under a $330 million design, build and in-service support contract. Austal was awarded the contract for eight Cape Class 58-meter aluminum monohull patrol boats in August 2011. Austal Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bellamy said all eight Cape Class Patrol Boats have been delivered on-time and on-budget from the shipbuilder’s team at Henderson shipyard.
Smit Lamnalco Acquires PB Towage
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. announced that Smit Lamnalco, a 50% owned associate, has substantially strengthened its position in Australia through the acquisition of PB Towage Australia (PB Towage). PB Towage is the second largest player in Australia with activities along the Eastern coast stretching from Melbourne to the Cape York Peninsula. Following this transaction, Smit Lamnalco will be active in 8 ports in Australia with a total of 29 vessels offering a combination of harbour towage, terminal and FPSO-related services. The acquisition follows the Boskalis strategy to develop its position in the towage market through partnerships such as Smit Lamnalco and to grow through regional consolidation opportunities.
This Day in Naval History – July 19
1812 - USS Constitution escapes from British squadron after 3 day chase off New Jersey 1886 - Atlanta, the first steel-hulled American cruiser armed with breechloading rifled guns, is commissioned. 1897 - LT Robert E. Peary departs on year long Arctic Expedition which makes many important discoveries, including one of largest meteorites, Cape York. 1918 - Armored cruiser USS San Diego sunk off Fire Island, NY by a mine laid by U-156. 1940 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs second Naval Expansion Act. (Source: Navy News Service)
