V Ships Group News

The Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG) has merged with the Commercial Vessels Association (CVA).The CVA has been a steadfast advocate for the interests of commercial vessel operators. Specializing in operations on Sydney Harbour and extending its influence throughout regional NSW, the CVA encompasses a diverse range of operators, including ferry services, tour and party boats, houseboats, whale and dolphin watching ventures and fishing charters.The association played a pivotal role in advocating for the Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award…

The first cruise ship to leave Venice since coronavirus restrictions were eased set sail on Saturday, but some local residents protested over the return to normal, unhappy about the passage of giant liners through the historic lagoon city.Hundreds of people rallied on land and small boats fluttering flags saying "No big ships" surrounded and followed the 92,000-tonne MSC Orchestra as it departed Venice port en route for Croatia and Greece. "We are here because we are against this passage but also against a model of tourism that is destroying the city…

The Thames Tideway Tunnel project, London’s new ‘super sewer’, which will upgrade the city’s 19th century sewerage system for today’s eight million plus inhabitants, requires excavation on an enormous scale. Creating a tunnel 25 kilometers in length, and running up to 65 meters beneath the River Thames, will generate immense volumes of spoil, right in the heart of London. To minimize the impact of transporting this on the capital’s roads, Tideway plans to transport around 4 million metric tons of this material by river.

A new specialist Ship Simulation Center, based in Atwell Arcade, Fremantle, was officially opened on Thursday, February 9, 2017 by City of Fremantle Mayor Dr. Brad Pettitt. The Australia Ship Simulation Center, owned and operated by HR Wallingford, has moved into new premises from where it will continue to provide expert navigation consultancy and a dedicated pilot training center for Western Australia and the wider region. HR Wallingford UK’s Chief Executive, Dr. Bruce Tomlinson and Dr.

Anticipating the maintenance of equipment on board ships in order to increase fuel efficiency could be a “real game changer in the future,” said Andreas Zito, chief technical officer of the V.Ships group of companies. Condition-based maintenance, through remote monitoring, is usually considered a way to prolong intervals between maintenance. Now engineers are discovering a correlation between maintenance and fuel efficiency. The idea is to anticipate maintenance in a way that will increase fuel efficiency. “It’s a pretty novel concept,” said Zito, whose company is working with universities and manufacturers in this area. “We are doing some trials and testing, developing some systems. It’s all still at the research and development stage because it’s quite a novelty.

InterManager, the international trade association for in‐house and third party ship managers, has appointed Roberto Giorgi as its new President with immediate effect. Mr Giorgi, who was elected unopposed at the Nov. 17 InterManager AGM in Singapore, succeeds Ole Stene, Managing Director of Aboitiz Jebsen Bulk Transport Corporation, who has completed his two‐year appointment in the role. The appointment of Mr Giorgi is a significant and positive move in the growth of InterManager.

Resurgence Software, Inc. said that V.Ships Group, Ltd. has agreed to pilot the Wave Equipment Optimization System for a portion of its fleet. The agreement, which covers both software and services, will allow V.Ships to do analysis on a portion of its technically managed vessels. The pilot will require the integration with planned maintenance systems including V.Ships' own ShipSure Ship Maintainer system. The Wave system will be used to identify maintenance trends that are not easily identifiable without Wave software's unique set of analysis tools. Increased reliability and efficiency and reduced maintenance costs are not mutually exclusive propositions.

V.Ships announced the appointment of Douglas Robinson as V.Ships Ship Management Divisions' Managing Director for Asia, based in Singapore. He brings to the V.Ships Group a wealth of experience gained from more than 30 years in shipping, marine services, engineering and mining. Having spent 16 years at sea with BP Shipping as a marine engineer, his last three years as Chief Engineer, Douglas Robinson went on to obtain both a Bachelors degree and his MBA, while working for BP's shore organisation in a number of exacting positions in chartering, project and technical management. From 1992-2000, he worked in the Indonesian coal industry for a Rio Tinto/ BP joint venture, where his role as General Manager and Director was to improve performance and efficiencies within the business.

V.Investments Ltd, part of the V.Ships Group, and it’s investment partner, Navalmar, announces that it has acquired the Vlasov Group’s shareholding in the American Stock Exchange-listed shipping company, MC Shipping Inc. Established in May 1989, via an initial public offering sponsored by Vlasov, Monaco-based MC Shipping Inc currently owns a fleet of 13 vessels. The fleet comprises seven liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers from 3,000 to 72,000 CBM, four container vessels ranging from 2,800 to 3,500 TEU and two small multipurpose/general cargo vessels. These vessels are deployed either on a time or voyage charter basis with technical management provided by V.Ships. The Vlasov Group, which also holds a number of investments in the cruise market, held a 48% shareholding in MC Shipping.

The V.Ships Group has formed a new company to further develop its involvement in the offshore industry worldwide. V.Ships Offshore has recently established an office in Aberdeen, with the appointment of Graham Robson as Director. His international experience in management, business development and operations in the upstream sector includes 23 years with the offshore industry’s largest vessel operator, Tidewater Marine, latterly as Manager, International Marketing, in New Orleans. The Group’s offshore industry involvement will include a range of management and crew services for FPSOs, shuttle tankers, drillings rigs, supply ships, specialist and multi-purpose support vessels, and cable layers.

offshore activities of the division. acquisition. headed up by Rishi Trivedi, Managing Director of the offices in Dubai and Fujairah. service quality and competitive pricing. present". added Mr Devine.

The teaming of Austal Ships and Bender Shipbuilding to construct, from the ground up, a world-class aluminum vessel construction facility in Mobile, Ala., highlights the level of investment mid-tier U.S. yards have made in the past five years. Austal, which is well regarded for its fast craft design and construction prowess, will have at its disposal arguably one of the finest plate production facilities in the country, as well as access to a market for its signature craft, which is seemingly poised to boom. The two companies, however found that through a melding of similar ideas — both on a philosophical and financial level — that they could assimilate their cultural and business practices to form what aspires to become the largest aluminum shipbuilding company in the U.S. — Austal USA.

By Regina P. The teaming of Austal Ships and Bender Shipbuilding to construct a world-class aluminum vessel construction facility in Mobile, Ala., highlights the level of investment mid-tier U.S. yards have made in the past five years. Austal, which is well regarded for its fast craft design and construction prowess, will have at its disposal arguably one of the finest plate production facilities in the country, as well as access to a market for its signature craft, which seems to be poised to boom. The two companies, however, found that through a melding of similar ideas - both on a philosophical and financial level - that they could assimilate their cultural and business practices to form what aspires to become the largest aluminum shipbuilding company in the U.S. - Austal USA.

In a move to expand the group’s range of financial services, V.Ships has appointed Jesper Clausen as Managing Director of V.Ships Denmark. V.Ships Denmark, forms a part of V.Investments, the financial services arm of the V.Ships group which is responsible for its investment in MC Shipping, the Amex-listed ship owner, its chartering venture and its advisory and arranging services. Jesper assumes a senior position in building the financial team and in continuing to expand the range of V.Ships Group activities. This move builds on V.Investments’ portfolio of financial services which includes a joint venture with KGAL, AL Ships, GIE financing through V.Ships France, and more general advisory and arranging work performed from offices in London, Singapore and Rotterdam.

The Siba Ships group, which includes the shipping company Siba Ships Spa based in Brescia (Italy) and its newly established subsidiary company Siba Ships Asia Pte Ltd based in Singapore, has closed its 2006 financial year with a major surge in turnover and a profit of more than 6 million Euros, a result which continues the four positive year trend of the group. Mauro Balzarini, chairman of Siba Ships, says that in the course of 2006 the company, exploiting the favorable trend of shipping, pursued an expansion and diversification process which was already in progress. The company strengthened its presence in South-East Asia, a geographical area of continuously growing interest, by opening a new wholly owned company Siba Ships Asia Pte Ltd in Singapore.

Zealand to various key markets across Asia. String 3 from Australia/New Zealand to East Asia/China. Adelaide and Fremantle. strings from Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Nelson and Timaru. options and some of the quickest transits in the various trade lanes. respectively. China.

International Coatings Ltd. and the Marine Contracting Association, Ltd, Bermuda (Marcas) have signed a contract for the exclusive supply of drydock coatings for over 60 vessels. Member companies, Teekay Shipping Corporation, Vancouver, World Wide Shipping Managers Pte Ltd., Singapore, and Marenostrum Ltda. Lisbon, have allocated all of their 2003 drydockings to International Coatings Ltd. V-Ships Group have also placed a significant proportion of their 2003 dry dockings business with International. The contract represents vessels typically including VLCC’s, Bulk Carriers, Container Vessels, Oil Tankers and Product Carriers. Included in the contract is a comprehensive service package professionally supported by over 400 highly trained International Coatings technical service staff…

Canadian Pacific Limited has agreed to acquire the outstanding 50% of the Americana Ships joint venture from its partner, Transportacion Maritima Mexicana SA de CV of Mexico. CP Ships and TMM formed Americana Ships in January 1999 as an equal partnership. TMM has now decided to narrow its strategic focus to concentrate on its other activities. Completion of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected early in the new year. It will confer full ownership of the container shipping services operated under the Lykes Lines, TMM Lines and TMG brands to Canadian Pacific's container shipping subsidiary, CP Ships. The transaction also includes the 27,000 teu container fleet owned by TMM and used by Americana Ships.

Canadian Pacific Limited has agreed to acquire the outstanding 50 percent of the Americana Ships joint venture from its partner, Transportacion Maritima Mexicana SA de CV of Mexico. CP Ships and TMM formed Americana Ships in January 1999 as an equal partnership. TMM has now decided to narrow its strategic focus to concentrate on its other activities. Completion of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected early in the new year. It will confer full ownership of the container shipping services operated under the Lykes Lines, TMM Lines and TMG brands to Canadian Pacific's container shipping subsidiary, CP Ships. The transaction also includes the 27,000 teu container fleet owned by TMM and used by Americana Ships.

Roberto Giorgi, a member of the Board of the V.Ships Group, will take over as Chief Executive Officer of V.Ships Inc., which covers all shipmanagement activities of the Group, effective mid January 2003. Giorgi has worked for V.Ships since 1974, prior to which he was a serving officer on board cargo and cruise vessels. Since joining V.Ships he has managed both the Group’s New York office and Monaco office and been at the forefront of all major developments in recent years. Giorgi’s new appointment will take effect following the planned retirement of Peter Cooney in mid January. Peter Cooney’s experience and talent will not be lost to the Group as he will continue to assist V.Ships in its strategic development in a non-executive capacity.

Ship supply specialist Unitor, has entered into a three-year sole supply contract with MARCAS, the Bermuda-based marine purchasing group. MARCAS’ members, who include the V. Ships Group, Teekay Shipping and World Wide shipping, have agreed to contract with Unitor for the sole supply of chemicals, gases and associated welding products for a minimum period of three years.