Yachting Industries News

Maritime digital payment solutions provider ShipMoney announced a new client agreement with SeaDream, enabling the luxury yachting company to ensure its crews are able to manage their finances wherever they are in the world.By using ShipMoney’s digital maritime payment solutions, SeaDream’s crews now have access to their wages in real time so they can transfer money, make scheduled payments, buy goods online and check currency exchange rates before committing to a transaction…

Testing, inspection and certification firm Bureau Veritas announced it has finalized the acquisition of HydrOcean, a French engineering company specializing in hydrodynamic digital simulation for the maritime industry. HydrOcean was established in 2007 to provide design support for the construction of ships, offshore structures, racing yachts and marine energy systems, with a focus on assessing and optimizing hydrodynamic performance. Bureau Veritas said HydrOcean’s services and simulation tools help reduce the risks, time and costs associated with ship design in a market driven by sustained demand from the shipping, offshore and yachting industries, and the emerging marine renewable energy sector.

Equipment noise can quickly spoil the ambiance of even the most luxurious craft. Such problems are a thing of the past for lovely 130' Lady Kath, according to her captain, Bill Hipple. A new Marine Exhaust Systems G-19 water drop generator muffler significantly reduced genset exhaust noise, creating more peaceful days and nights for all onboard. After the installation, Lady Kath's 65 kW naturally aspirated Northern Lights generator exhaust was only 74 dBA. This allows normal tone conversation.

The outcome of last month's mandatory cash offer was that 99% of the Dockwise shares became committed to Boskalis. On 8, February 2013, Boskalis Holding B.V. (the Offeror), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boskalis, launched a mandatory cash offer for all issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Dockwise (the Shares) at an offer price of EUR 18.50/ NOK 137.65 per Share cum dividend (the Offer). With reference to the offer document dated 8 February 2013 (the Offer Document), holders of Shares who have validly tendered and transferred (geleverd) their Shares for acceptance pursuant to the Offer prior to the expiry of the Offer Period will receive the Offer Price in respect of each Share tendered on 20 March 2013.

Dockwise Ltd. has 6 new contracts, letters of intent and contract extensions with a total value of almost US$ 60 million. Dockwise, headquartered in Breda, the Netherlands, is a leading marine contractor providing total transport services to the offshore, onshore and yachting industries as well as installation services of extremely heavy offshore platforms. The company also operates a fleet of 25 purpose built semi-submersible vessels (including Dockwise Vanguard, White Marlin and  Finesse). The contracts include a material change order for a Vanguard contract delivering the customer a later loading window and 5 shorter term contracts for execution in 2012 and 2013. These assignments include the mobilization of two drilling rigs and the transportation of a yacht- hotel.

Dockwise, through subsidiary Dockwise White Marlin B.V., now controls 93.63% of the outstanding shares of Fairstar Heavy Transport N.V. Following various trades Dockwise purchased approximately 10.2% in Fairstar, increasing its holdings from 83.4% to 93.63%. Shares were bought from ODIN and certain other shareholders. Dockwise, headquartered in Breda, The Netherlands. is a leading marine contractor providing total transport services to the offshore, onshore and yachting industries as well as installation services of extremely heavy offshore platforms. Dockwise shares are listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under ticker DOCK and on NYSE Euronext Amsterdam under ticker DOCKW.

Dockwise Ltd. announces near USD 85 million backlog additions in new contracts, bringing total for this quarter to approximately USD 102 million. Dockwise was awarded fifteen short term contracts, mainly for execution in Q2 and Q3 2012. The projects include twelve jack-up rig transports for various owners to different regions. On longer term assignments, Dockwise reached a final agreement on a large extension of scope for an existing oil & gas offshore transport. The extension adds to the initially signed LOI for the project which was already included in the Q1 2011 backlog. The changes involve vessel modification and additional outfitting scope for the transport originating in the Far East. Project scheduled to be executed in 2015-2016 timeframe.

ISS GMT  is responding to industry demand for greater digital control over bookings with new online tools and resources for the processing of airline travel, hotel accommodation, ground transfers, visa and passport assistance for marine industry customers. The new service, available at www.flyissgmt.com is designed to meet the time pressures of customers as they travel the world, and their wish to interact digitally, especially through mobile devices. Additional new features include web booking templates, online reservation look-up and check-in, as well as links to weather, travel advisors, time, currency and metric conversion tools. Customers can also one-click to be immediately connected to live support with an ISS GMT agent.

New team offers diverse range of experience from cruise and marine industries. In Fort Lauderdale FL, on September 20, 2011, ISS GMT President Tim Davey announced the promotion of Chris Podolsky to the position of General Manager of North America. Cruise industry air/sea veteran Podolsky previously held the position of General Manager of Operation for North America at ISS GMT and now adds the full financial responsibility and accountability for the continued growth of the North American office to his portfolio.

The potential for sea tourism and its significance as a key factor in the development of the economies of Greece, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea region will be examined in depth during the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, scheduled to take place 21-22 June 2011 at the prestigious Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens. The forum will focus on three key areas of sea tourism: cruise shipping, the yachting industry and inter-island and passenger shipping. The first Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum comes at a time when this form of tourism is showing rapid growth globally…

Inchcape Shipping Services is to acquire Global Marine Travel, effective 31 May 2010. Global Marine Travel is a specialist travel agency and related service provider to the marine, offshore and yachting industries providing a global travel solution to its customers from its head office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and from offices in Vancouver and the Philippines. The business will be re-branded as ISS GMT and will continue to operate from North America and Manila.