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Donaldson News

03 Mar 2022

New Deputy Chief of the Contracting Office at NSWC Dahlgren Division

Michael Brian Donaldson (Photo: NSWC Dahlgren Division)

Leadership has added a new face in the contracting department at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). Michael Brian Donaldson assumed the role of deputy chief of the contracting office (DCCO) in December, with management responsibility for a team of more than 110 contracting specialists, contracting officers, cost analysts, policy analysts and other contracting professionals.The contracting department at NSWCDD executes several thousand contract actions in a typical year, with a collective value of approximately $950 million.

16 Aug 2015

Russians Explore Sunken USN Ship

Northern Fleet divers salvage weapons and equipment from the American ship “Thomas Donaldson”, which sank after a German submarine attack outside Murmansk in 1945. Divers from the Northern Fleet’s search and rescue department in 2014 started an operation to bring weapons and equipment from the American vessel to the surface. Last year a Sherman tank was raised. It has been restored and is now displayed at a museum in Safonovo outside Severomorsk, barentsobserver.com reports. The Liberty-class ship “Thomas Donaldson” was part of an allied convoy and carried more than 600 tons of cargo as part of the Lend-Lease program. In1945 the ship was hit by a German torpedo and sank by Kildin Island outside the Kola Inlet.

11 Aug 2015

Unique Gun Salvaged from Barents Sea

Divers Northern Fleet raised from the bottom of the Kola Bay, an American anti-aircraft gun, which lay there for 70 years. Earlier it was reported that the specialists of the search and rescue (UPASR) Northern Fleet (NF) completed the preparatory work in the area of the death of an American military transport ship "Thomas Donaldson" (type "Liberty"). During the Great Patriotic War, the ship participated in the composition of the Arctic convoy JW-65, who drove the Soviet Murmansk under the Lend-Lease ammunition, military equipment and other goods. In March 1945, "Thomas Donaldson" was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank near the entrance to Kola Bay (Barents Sea) at a depth of 60 meters. Diving operations on the vessel began in 2014.

23 Jun 2015

Seatronics Appoints Donaldson as V.P.

Seatronics Ltd, an Acteon company and part of its survey, monitoring and data business, has promoted Derek Donaldson from vice president Asia Pacific to vice president global operations. Donaldson enters into a new position within the Seatronics Group management structure, reporting directly to the Seatronics Group managing director, Phil Middleton. Donaldson and Middleton will together support regional vice presidents in managing and developing the global Seatronics business. Donaldson will be based in Singapore and will continue to manage the regional office, whilst maintaining a global presence. Donaldson said, “I joined Seatronics because of the quality of the team.

10 Apr 2015

Semco Maritime strengthens Management Team

The international contracting and engineering company Semco Maritime has strengthened its Aberdeen team with three new appointments to support its continued growth. Brian Donaldson takes up the role of business development manager, with Colin Stewart and Gustav Ferrao appointed as assistant accountant and senior systems engineer respectively. Donaldson is a mechanical engineer and a member of the Institute of Measurement & Control. Donaldson's primary focus is to grow Semco's business in the UK, particularly in regards to Aberdeen based clients. “It is exciting to join Semco's team at this important phase in the company’s development,” said Donaldson. As assistant accountant, Stewart will support the Aberdeen-based finance team with the accountancy operations of Semco's UK facilities.

12 Feb 2015

Topaz Announces Leadership Changes

Jay Daga has been named Chief Financial Officer of Topaz Energy and Marine, an international offshore support vessel owner with operations in the Middle East, Caspian and West Africa. Daga will take his position with immediate effect, having been with Topaz for 15 years in a number of finance positions, most recently as Deputy CFO. Topaz noted that Daga led its two latest capital raising initiatives being the company’s $350 million corporate bond issue in 2013 and its recent $75 million equity injection by Standard Chartered Private Equity. Topaz also confirmed the departure of Chief Operating Officer, Roy Donaldson, who joined Topaz in 2005. Geoff Taylor will act as interim COO while the search for a successor is underway.

28 Dec 2014

8 Foreign Flagged Ships Detained in UK

Eight foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during November 2014 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection. During November, there were 6 new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port. 2 vessels remained under detention from previous months and 5 vessels were released during November. A total of 3 vessels remain under detention at the end of November. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s Inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

14 Jul 2014

Trans-Tasman Sea Kayaker Airlifted to Safety

Trans-Tasman kayaker Scott Donaldson has been successfully rescued from his kayak 83 kilometres off the Taranaki Coast, south-west of New Plymouth, says Maritime NZ. The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand organised for the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter to fly to Scott’s location and winch him aboard.RCCNZ Senior Search and Rescue officer Kevin Banaghan says weather conditions were deteriorating, and Scott had declared to his support crew in the morning that his situation was unsafe. Once on scene, the helicopter pilot talked to Scott by radio, then a swimmer from the rescue service went into the water. Scott then jumped into the sea from his vessel; and both were safely winched into the helicopter.

11 Jun 2014

Ten Ships Detained in the UK in May

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced that ten foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during May 2014 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection. During May, there were four new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in UK ports. Six vessels remained under detention from previous months. Five vessels were released during May. A total of five vessels remain under detention at the end of May. 1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson's Inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

30 Sep 2013

Offshore Service Vessels

Singapore’s Jaya delivers new deepwater PSV.

Flexible fuels, Bold designs ... Eastern Shipbuilding Group has arguably been one of the more progressive and aggressive U.S. builders of high-spec Offshore Service Vessels in recent years, winning a number of high-profile contracts for operators globally. Eastern recently delivered M/V HOS Red Dawn and christened M/V HOS Renaissance, both for Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC. HOS Red Dawn (H201) – now delivered – was launched on February 15, 2013. HOS Red Rock (H202) was launched April 19, 2013, and is currently at Eastern completing final outfitting, regulatory and DP-2 trials.

05 Aug 2013

Topaz Expands Caspian Presence

Caspian Provider, a 6,300 BHP platform supply vessel operating in Topaz’s Caspian fleet

Topaz Energy and Marine, an offshore support vessel owner with primary operations in the Middle East and Caspian, announced that it has secured new multi-year charters in the Russian Filanovsky project for nine of its offshore support vessels amounting to approximately $20 million. The vessels have been deployed to offshore contractor Saipem and will support the development of the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Northern Caspian Sea. The vessels will provide anchor-handling and tug services as well as transport of supplies and personnel.

10 Jun 2013

Seatronics Relocates to Larger Facility

Photo: Seatronics

Seatronics Pte Ltd, an Acteon company, has moved its Singapore operations to a facility with triple the capacity of the previous within the recently upgraded Toll Offshore Supply Base. The new location offers nearly 1,000 square meters of specialist engineering and electronic preparation workshops and warehousing space. The new facility includes a state-of-the-art cable molding operation, extensive hydraulic test facilities, CTD and Sound Velocity calibration equipment as well as a training room which can accommodate up to 20 clients on a variety of course topics.

29 Oct 2012

LR CEO on UK's Reckless Attitude Towards Its Shipping Industry

Keynote speech by Richard Sadler, CEO Lloyd’s Register, at the annual Donaldson Lecture to the Lloyd’s Market Association. "I have always been fascinated by the assertion of Martin Stopford, the respected Clarkson analyst, that merchant shipping is the biggest poker game in the world. Since hearing it, I increasingly believe that working out the odds of ensuring consistent prosperity is so difficult that it is more like the game of roulette. In roulette, the odds are designed so that, over time immemorial, the punters will always lose 5.28 cents of every dollar they wager. Let’s hope shipping proves a better bet. As an island society, we are almost totally dependent upon maritime transport for food and energy supplies. Could there be two more critical commodities?

12 Aug 2012

New Charters, AHTS Acquitions by Topaz

Topaz signs over $65 million of new charters and announces the acquisition of two AHTS. Renaissance subsidiary, Topaz Energy and Marine (“Topaz”), a UAE-based oil field services company, has been awarded two new long term charters, totalling over $65 million, in the GCC and the Caspian Sea, two of the company’s major operating areas. It also confirms the acquisition of Topaz Rayyan and Caspian Reliance, two Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel (AHTS). Topaz Rayyan, will be deployed in Qatar on a seven-year, $50 million charter, for an international oil company (“IOC”). The vessel was built in 2006 and was previously owned by Sanko Steamship Co Ltd in Japan. The second AHTS, Caspian Reliance, is to be deployed in the Caspian Sea with a firm contract value of $13.9 million.

06 Jul 2012

Babcock Reports Progress on UK Aircraft Carrier Construction

Photo credit Babcock

A further milestone has been reached in the assembly of the first of the UK’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers by Babcock at Rosyth, Scotland, where the massive Super Block 03 (SB03) has been moved 90 metres north to meet Lower Block 02 (LB02) in a major hydraulic skidding operation, as part of Assembly Cycle B (the second of the three assembly cycles) which has now begun. The aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabethand HMS Prince of Wales –  by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA)…

27 May 2011

Topaz Expansion to West Africa

Topaz Energy and Marine (‘Topaz’), a leading oilfield services group, has secured a two vessel contract offshore Nigeria for the duration of 2011. The award constitutes a new market entry for Topaz in the strategically important and buoyant West African offshore sector. Topaz has mobilised two Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels (AHTSV), Topaz Johor and Topaz Jurong, for an eight month contract to support operations in the Atlas, Mira and Brittania fields, offshore Nigeria, on behalf of AXXIS Petroconsultants Ltd.

18 May 2004

Corps Cited for Spills on Rivers

More than 33 oil spills from nine dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers have prompted the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) to take enforcement action against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ecology issued a notice of violation today that lists the state oil spill and clean-water laws that have been violated. It also cites the Corps for insufficiently training and preparing staff to respond to oil spills, and it describes the potential that exists for further spills from the nine hydropower dams the Corps operates on the river system. Spills were reported for the following dams from 1999 to 2004: Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day, Chief Joseph, McNary, Lower Monumental, Ice Harbor, Little Goose and Lower Granite.

01 Mar 2002

JRC Demonstrate AIS To MCA

The Japan Radio Company (JRC) have successfully demonstrated their Automatic Identification System (AIS) to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at Southampton. Although several other manufacturers have been claiming to have models, they were not in fact to the IMO universal standard and would not work with existing Coastguard equipment. The JRC model does however work which will ensure that AIS is available for the start of the mandatory fitting under the new Chapter V of SOLAS in July. This is a significant event for MCA as the Agency has been pressing for AIS since Lord Donaldson’s Report ‘Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas’ was published in 1994.

08 May 2002

AIS: When & Where? Here & Now!

The events of September 11, 2001 will continue to have lingering effects on the world indefinitely. The most visible remnant in the maritime world is the drastically heightened sense of safety and security, as officials in countries around the globe seek to secure their borders from the threat of attack — either direct or covert — via ship. Many of the issues currently on the legislative fast track were already in the works pre-September 11. False crew documentation, enhanced vessel tracking and beefed-up harbor controls were much-discussed topic in previous years. As is the case more often than not, though, a disaster of some proportion is inevitably the impetus in moving from discussion to action.

30 May 2002

Panel Will Assist Canada’s Transport Minister With Review of CMA

Transport Minister David Collenette announced the appointment of an expert panel to assist him in conducting a review of the Canada Marine Act (CMA). Richard Gaudreau will serve as Chair, and Allan Donaldson, David Gardiner, and Frank Metcalf will serve as panellists. The announcement was made at the National Marine Conference in Toronto, which is being hosted by Collenette. "This expert panel will consult with stakeholders across the country in order to identify ways to streamline and enhance the Canada Marine Act," said Collenette. The CMA established the first single, comprehensive piece of legislation to govern many aspects of Canada's marine sector.

18 Aug 2000

News Briefs

Nichols Brothers Boatbuilders are building a highspeed catamaran ferry for San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation district. Designed by International Catamaran Designs (INCAT) of Sydney Australia, this will be Nichols Brothers 27th U.S. built highspeed catamaran. The vessel will be 139 ft. overall with a 34-ft. beam and draft of 9 ft. The individual hulls will have a beam of 9 ft.. A 37-knot speed is predicted with four 16-cylinder Cummins KTA50-M2 main engines delivering 1,600 hp each at 1800 rpm. Each IMO emission certified engine will drive a Hamilton model 571 water jet through a ZF Marine BU 460D marine gear. Electrical service will be provided by a 125 kW generator set powered by a Cummins Marine 6CT8.3DM engine.

15 Sep 2000

Dead in the Water

Financial conditions at troubled Premier Cruise Line have obviously worsened, as the company is effectively out of business following the seizure of its five ships. In the process, thousands of vacationers have been left stranded. On Thursday U.S. investment bank Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette seized the company's Big Red Boats and other ships. Premier chief executive Bruce Nierenberg said DLJ held mortgages on five Premier ships, that the company was behind on debt payments, and DLJ had taken control of the ships with an eye to selling them in order to recover $49 million in debts. A spokeswoman for DLJ, which controls a reported 80 percent of Premier after restructuring $180 million of debt…

05 Oct 2000

Cammell Laird Expected To Set Bond Price

British shipbuilder Cammell Laird Holdings Plc is expected to price its high-yield bond issue at around 11.5 percent, sources familiar with the deal said on Thursday. The bond issue of 125 million euros ($109 million) of 10-year senior notes, non-callable for five years, will be launched early next week. Cammell Laird will use the proceeds to repay existing debt and part-fund acquisitions. The company has recently been expanding into the U.S. and Europe, signing a long-term deal with the French port of Marseilles and an initial agreement with U.S. firm Cascade General Inc. The bond issue, lead-managed by Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette comes after Cammell Laird raised about $20 million through a share placing in August.