Pirates Kidnap Crew from Containership in Nigerian Waters
Six crew from a German container vessel have been kidnapped in Nigerian waters, a shipping company said on Tuesday. Four of those taken are Filipino, and one is a Ukrainian national, according to the Philippines department of labor and Ukrainian foreign ministry. Kidnapping for ransom is a common problem in parts of Nigeria. A number of foreigners have, in the last few years, been kidnapped in the Niger Delta, source of most of the crude oil which is Nigeria’s economic mainstay.
97 German Ships Beached in South Asia in 2016
It may seem a big surprise for a country whose industry is proud of green technology and engineering solutions, but Germany is responsible for the worst shipbreaking practices among all shipping nations when one compares the size of its fleet to the number of ships broken irresponsibly, says the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. In 2016 German owners, banks and ship funds had 97 ships rammed up on the beaches of South Asia out of a total of 99 vessels sold for demolition, meaning 98 percent of all obsolete German ships ended up on a beach. In addition, close to 40 percent were broken in Bangladesh, where conditions are known to be the worst. Among the owners bringing the most ships to the beaches are Hansa Mare with 12 ships, Alpha Ship, F. Laeisz and Peter Doehle with seven each, and Dr.
Hellespont Strengthens German Base
The Hellespont Group strengthened its global base in Hamburg, Germany, by buying out the two minority partners in its Hamburg-based shipmanagement company and reshaping its corporate organization. The 25 percent each minority interests held by HCI Capital AG and Peter Doehle Schiffahrts KG in Hellespont Hammonia GmbH & Co KG have been bought out. Hellespont Hammonia has been renamed Hellespont Ship Management GmbH & Co KG, and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hellespont group parent company, which has been renamed Hellespont Deutschland GmbH.
Sperry Marine to Supply IBS for New Container Ships
to supply integrated bridge systems (IBS) for 12 new container ships. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Marine. proprietary Voyage Management System software. communication station with Fleet 77 Inmarsat terminal. adjustments for loading dynamics and weather conditions. machinery. high-resolution flat-screen technology. training.
MAN B&W Win Engine Orders for Container Vessels
. The MAN B&W Diesel Group has won orders for engines from the successful 48/60B and 58/64 medium-speed series for eleven new container vessels at three Chinese shipyards. The recently ordered diesel engines are intended for the propulsion of container feeders from the German shipping companies Werner Bockstiegel, Hermann Buss and Peter Doehle. To date, a total of 101 MAN B&W engines, at a capacity of approx. one million HP, manufactured at the Augsburg location, have been ordered from China; 48 engines at a capacity of 400 000 HP during the course of this year alone. This gives the MAN B&W Diesel Group a dominant market share in medium-speed propulsion engines in China. These eleven engines will propel feeder vessels at a capacity of between 900 and 1 100 containers (TEU).
Sperry Marine to Supply for Container Ships
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Sperry Marine business unit has won orders from the China Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to supply integrated bridge systems (IBS) for 12 new container ships. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. “The state-of-the-art bridge electronics suite is designed to enhance navigation safety by integrating all of the ships’ navigation and steering control systems,” said John DeMaso, president of Sperry Marine. The new ships, which are being built for Chilean ship owner Compañia Sudamericana de Vapores (CSAV) and German ship owner, Reederei Peter Doehle, will be fitted with a complete IBS featuring Sperry Marine’s proprietary Voyage Management System software.
Second in Hellespont Product Series Named
The second in the series of six panamax product carriers under construction for Hellespont Hammonia was named at New Century Shipbuilding Co Ltd (NCS) in Jingjiang, China. Hellespont Progress follows the first in the series, Hellespont Pride, named in July. The sponsor of the Hellespont Progress was M Matsui, wife of the President and CEO of The Sanko Steamship Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan, charterers of the vessel. The ceremony was attended by representatives of HCI Capital AG and their placement partners EFC AG, the lending bank Hypovereinsbank, Hamburg shipowner Peter Doehle Schiffahrts-KG, and the classification society, ABS. The 73,400 dwt Hellespont Progress is 750 ft. (228.6 m) and is 38,000 grt on a scantling draft of 46.9 ft.
