Operational And Equipment News

Jumbo Shipping has renewed its MSA (Managed Service Agreement) contracts with Radio Holland,The renewal of the MSA contracts concerns four vessels and has been established for the next four years.Jumbo renewed the MSA contracts with Radio Holland to minimize the hassle of managing multiple suppliers by outsourcing all NavCom service work to Radio Holland technicians, Radio Holland said. Where the previous contracts focused mainly on radar and gyro equipment, the new contracts…

The cruise ship MV Crystal Serenity, owned by the US-based Crystal Cruises, is scheduled to set sail from Seward, Alaska to New York on a 32 day, 1,500 km journey through the Northwest Passage via Canada and Greenland on August 16 with with 1,000 passengers on board. The Cruise ship will sail the legendary route 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle, first completed successfully by Roald Amundsen more than 100 years ago. The wildlife charity WWF has accused Crystal Cruises of putting at risk “the very thing that tourists would come to see” – a pristine wilderness and home to endangered species such as polar bears and walrus. Crystal Serenity will be accompanied by UK’s ice-strengthened polar logistics and science vessel RRS Ernest Shackleton…

Insights: Morton S. Bouchard  III - President and CEO, Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. When it comes to iconic, East Coast mainstays of the U.S. maritime industry, probably one of the first names that come to mind is ‘Bouchard.’ Likewise, Morton S. Bouchard III, who has served as President of Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., the nation’s largest independently-owned oceangoing petroleum barge company since 1996, also needs no introduction to Marine News [and Marine Link] readers.

Unique   (UH), a division of the Unique Maritime Group (UMG), received its second order this year for its diving daughter craft system called the HYDRACraft. Unique Hydra has spent the past 12months engaging with clients to understand their diving daughter craft operational and equipment requirements and developing a purpose built vessel which includes a fully integrated dive system. Diving Daughtercraft systems are used in diving operations where the conventional diving DSV is not able to position itself close enough to an FPSO or Offshore Platform.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, presents a new addition to its Hatlapa product range: the steering control system, Hebe. It will be offered as an integrated part of the company’s Hatlapa range of steering gear solutions and its inclusion will deliver operational and equipment compatibility benefits for customers. The name Hebe for the steering control system follows the tradition of naming Hatlapa’s steering gear products after Greek gods and goddesses, Hebe is the goddess of youth.

‘Addressing the Challenges of New Frontiers’ is the topical theme for the International Marine Contractors Association’s (IMCA) Annual Seminar being held in Singapore November 6-7, 2013. The program for the 18th seminar in the annual series is now online at imca-int.com/events/imca-annual-seminar.aspx, and registration is open. Open to members and non-members alike, the seminar features keynote addresses, presentations, workshops and discussions on diving including key developments and advances in diving equipment and operations; marine and subsea operations including DP operations; marine operations, technology and equipment; offshore surveying in remote and harsh environments; ROV and AUV resources and developments in technology.

American P&I Club advises the US Coast Guard (USCG) will require compliance with new Alternative Planning Criteria (APC) for certain vessels operating in Western Alaska. Last year the Alaska Marine Exchange published proposals for new Alternative Planning Criteri which have now been finalized. Historically, it has not been possible for tank owners operating in Western Alaska carrying oil to comply fully with the vessel response planning requirements of the Oil Pollution Act 1990. In consequence, the USCG allowed waivers in respect of these requirements. That has now changed: with effect from May 14, 2012, oil tank vessel owners and owners…

The USCG seeks comment from the public on proposed regulations to implement the Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 (PVSA). The PVSA, among other provisions, established a new class of uninspected passenger vessels that are at least 100 gross tons and carry no more than 12 passengers for hire. In an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), the USCG asked for comments on what type of operational and equipment requirements should be proposed for these uninspected vessels. The notice seeks information on the type of safety equipment this new class of uninspected passenger vessel carries, the construction standards it currently meets, and licensing and experience requirements for vessel owners, operators and charter brokers, among other issues.