Zodiac Maritime Agencies News

Flurry of cargo fixtures push Australia, Brazil rates to highest since December. Freight rates for large capesize dry cargo ships on key Asian routes are likely to hold steady next week near four-month highs if owners continue to reactivate idle tonnage on upbeat cargo demand, ship brokers said on Thursday. "If more idled ships are put back into the market there may not be the support from cargo demand to push rates up any further," said a Shanghai-based capesize ship broker. "Rates from Western Australia to China are still below $4 per tonne. Owners are offering $7 per tonne for Brazil to China, while charterers are bidding $6.50 per tonne," the Shanghai broker said.

CSAV Tyndall is an 8600 TEU containership built by Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries (DMHI) and is part of a series of four containerships delivered to Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd. (UK) between 2013 and beginning of 2014. These projects are the biggest containerships ever built in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea area. The vessel measures 299.9 x 48.4 x 14.5 m and has a maximum speed more than 25 knots powered by a MAN B&W licensed main engine rated at  64,485 HP. The ship was built under the supervision of Lloyd’s Register and registered in Monrovia, Liberia.

The Container Ship Safety Forum (CSSF) has been launched as a global business-to-business network that aims to improve safety performance and management practices in the container shipping industry. Founding members CMA CGM Group, Costamare Shipping Company S.A., E.R. Schiffahrt GmbH & Cie. KG, Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft KG, Maersk Line, Rickmers Shipmanagement and Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd., have joined forces to improve safety performance through collaboration.

Zodiac’s bulk carrier Cape Flamingo was the focus of a wind energy monitoring project, as the project partners investigated the potential to improve fuel efficiency. In 2012 Lloyd’s Register’s Strategic Research Group joined forces with Totempower Energy Systems to support Zodiac Maritime Agencies in assessing the potential for wind-generation devices to be placed onboard commercial ships. Last year, a fully autonomous wind-monitoring system, designed and assembled by Totempower, was installed on the Zodiac-managed bulk carrier Cape Flamingo. Sensors were installed in locations where the best wind conditions and the most relevant environmental data (wind speed…

Lloyd’s Register’s Strategic Research Group has joined forces with Totempower Energy Systems and Zodiac Maritime Agencies to assess the potential of wind-generation devices onboard commercial ships as the maritime industry steps up its pursuit of viable carbon-alternate fuels. A fully autonomous wind-monitoring system designed and assembled by Totempower has been installed on the Zodiac-managed bulk carrier Cape Flamingo. Sensors were installed in locations where the best wind conditions and the most relevant environmental data (wind speed, direction and turbulence) could be expected, with consideration given to the potentially most effective locations for onboard wind generation.

The United Kingdom’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has recently approved the first two Ship Security Plans for UK flagged vessels. It expects these to be the first of many before the implementation date of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) on 1st July 2004. The first verifications of ships security systems have been scheduled for early November. The plan approved was for the vessel CMA – CGM Normandie. This has been carried out as a joint exercise between the operators of the vessel, Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd, and their security advisers, Maritime and Underwater Security Consultants (MUSC). Zodiac were pleased with the progress and are intending to implement the plan on board the vessel as soon as possible…

Around 60 percent of the fuel oil aboard a damaged container ship grounded off a World Heritage Site coast has been removed, officials said. The 62,000 ton MSC Napoli, listing a mile off Sidmouth, east Devon, was carrying 3,500 tons of fuel oil when she was grounded there the weekend before last. By yesterday 2,105 tons of fuel had been removed, and pumping was continuing round the clock, said Zodiac Maritime Agencies (ZMA) of London. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) senior coastguard Derek Smith said the removal of the oil was the salvage operation's top priority. The decision to ground the Napoli was made amid fears she could go down under tow to Portland, Dorset, following a Channel storm in which her 26 crew were rescued.

Scavengers on the beach in southwest England and carted away motorcycles, wine barrels, car parts and tennis shoes spilling from a container ship damaged in recent storms and listing about a mile off shore. The British cargo ship was deliberately run aground close to the Devonshire resort of Sidmouth, 165 miles southwest of London after it was damaged during a storm Thursday. Its crew of 26 was rescued.French officials said that of the 41,700 tons of merchandise, 1,700 tons were considered dangerous, including battery acid and flammable material. The containers also hold motorcycles, car parts, oak barrels and household possessions being moved to new homes.

Bloomberg reported that a container ship that ran into difficulties in the English Channel is now being towed to the French port of Le Havre, said an official from the company that hired it. An official at Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA in Geneva, which has hired the MSC Napoli, said the ship was under tow. Earlier today, British Broadcasting Corp. reported that a vessel was sinking in the sea between England and France. The U.K.'s Maritime & Coastguard Agency said the vessel wasn't being towed. All 26 crew have abandoned ship and two Royal Navy helicopters have been dispatched to assist in the operation, which is being led by the French coast guard, the Maritime & Coastguard said in a statement on its Web site.