Lynx News

Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Agency's new Lynx Catamaran recently went on sea trials off the coast of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.Designed by Chartwell Marine and built by Goodchild Marine Services, the newbuild, Protector, has an overall length of 16.2 meters and a beam of 6.5 meters. Powered by Volvo Penta D8 IMO Tier III compliant engines, the vessel delivers a top speed of 22 knots and a service speed of 18 knots.The vessel will protect inshore fisheries from Haile Sand Fort in the north to Felixstowe in the south…

Some 200 workers from 27 nations are building a hybrid sailboat on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica designed to carry 350 tons of goods, hoping to demonstrate that in the 21st century it is possible to transport cargo without polluting the environment.Inspired by the historic Finnish trading schooner Ingrid of the Aland Islands, the firm Sailcargo Inc says it designed the vessel named Ceiba “to be the first of its kind in the world.” It will rely mostly on wind power with two auxiliary…

Centuries-old maritime craftwork and advanced technology help carbon-free seaborne trade.It was a chance meeting that changed two lives. It may also change the way the world thinks about maritime shipping.An accomplished sailor, Danielle Doggett loves tall ships—the large wind-powered sailing vessels that carry passengers and cargo. Her fascination with the big ships started in her teens, sailing on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes and eventually on the St. Lawrence II, a 72-foot two-mast brigantine built in the 1950s for youth sail training.

Ocean Yield said it has taken delivery of the kamsarmax dry bulk vessel SBI Lynx which it purchased and is leasing back to Scorpio Bulkers on a 12-year bareboat charter.In February, Scorpio announced it agreed to sell and lease back SBI Lynx along with Ultramax vessels SBI Cronos and SBI Achilles to Ocean Yield for $62.8 million total.The Ultramax vessels were handed over to Ocean Yield in March. SBI Cronos will be on bareboat charter for nine years and SBI Achilles for of 10 years.Scorpio maintains several purchase options during the charter period and upon the expiration of each agreement.

The provider of marine transportation of dry bulk commodities Scorpio Bulkers has agreed to sell and leaseback two Ultramax vessels (SBI Cronos and SBI Achilles) and one Kamsarmax vessel (SBI Lynx) to Ocean Yield ASA for a total financing consideration of $62.8 million.Upon completion, which is estimated to take place in the first quarter of 2020, the company’s liquidity is expected to increase by up to $33.6 million after the repayment of outstanding debt.The company will also be able to drawdown on an additional tranche of up to $4.5 million in aggregate for installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems (“scrubbers”) on the three vessels.As part of the agreements…

South Korea's military said on Tuesday it plans to expand the deployment of an anti-piracy unit now operating off the coast of Africa to the area around the Strait of Hormuz, after the United States pressed for help in guarding oil tankers.Attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran last year prompted U.S. officials to call for allies to join a planned maritime security mission.While South Korea, a key U.S. ally, will deploy its forces to the area, including the Gulf…

Twenty-seven people have been rescued from an Italian-registered cargo ship that caught fire Monday night in the Bay of Biscay, about 150 miles southwest of Brest. The Grimaldi Group owned combination container roll-on/roll-off (ConRo) vessel Grande America was sailing from Hamburg to Casablanca when its cargo of containers and vehicles caught fire around 8 p.m.After attempts to battle the flames proved unsuccessful, the entire crew of 26 and one passenger disembarked into heavy seas aboard a single enclosed lifeboat and were rescued by the crew of British Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll…

With a net profit of USD 0.8 million, Scorpio Bulkers shows positive results in the second quarter of 2018 compared to a net loss was USD 13.4 million for the the same period in 2017.Total vessel revenues for the second quarter of 2018 were $60.6 million, compared to $37.7 million for the same period in 2017.The shipping company, which owns and operates dry bulk carriers, took delivery of the SBI Lynx, a Kamsarmax vessel, from Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding  last month.During the second quarter of 2018, the Company drew down the entire $12.8 million available to it under the $12.8 Million Credit Facility, for which the SBI Lynx serves as collateral.In June 2018, the Company received a commitment for a loan facility of up to $30.0 million from ING Bank N.V.

Subsea services provider Bibby Offshore said it has secured a fixed term framework agreement with independent oil and gas operator Spirit Energy.Awarded in April, the two-year agreement, which follows on from a previous five-year agreement, will see Bibby Offshore carry out inspection repair and maintenance (IRM) works, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inspection and subsea survey operations across a number of North Sea structures and pipelines.The project will utilize Bibby Offshore’s diverse fleet capabilities, including its multi-role diving and ROV support vessel, Bibby Sapphire, a Quasar M

Iskes Towage & Salvage, the leading maritime service provider based in the port of IJmuiden, Amsterdam, has taken delivery of two Damen ASD Tugs 2810. The vessels were built at Damen Song Cam Shipyards, Vietnam, and delivered last year to Damen Shipyards Gorinchem, the Netherlands, as part of the group’s strategy to position stock vessels for rapid availability in Europe. This on-demand availability was a significant factor in Damen winning the contract, with both tugs being delivered within two weeks of the contract being signed. Named Phoenix and Lynx, the tugs are essentially standard versions of this best-selling model. 28-metres in length, they have a bollard pull of 60 tonnes, a top speed of 13 knots, and excellent manoeuvrability and seakeeping.

BMT Group subsidiary BMT Asset Performance has appointed Paul Haycock as Business Development Lead for Surface Systems. Haycock joins BMT after 35 years in the Royal Navy, serving on a variety of ships and in a diverse range of environments. A Warfare Officer and Lynx Helicopter Observer, Haycock’s sea time has ranged from Minesweepers on Fishery Protection duties to Frigates and Destroyers as a Bridge Watch Keeper, Ships Communications Officer, Flight Commander and Second in Command.

Amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) arrived Aug. 21 at Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore and is moored across the pier from the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56). While in Singapore, America will provide messing and berthing services to McCain crew members and to support damage control efforts on board. America will also support ongoing searches for 10 missing Sailors. Ship Repair Facility divers are on scene as well to assess the damage to the hull. McCain was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore early in the morning on Aug. 21 (as reported 6:24 a.m. Japan Standard Time) and arrived at Changi Naval Base in the afternoon.

U.K. Royal Navy warship HMS Defender provided escort duties for transatlantic ocean liner RMS Queen Mary II through the Gulf of Oman. The Type 45 destroyer, dwarfed by the enormity of the cruise liner, is equipped with an array of weaponry and radar tracking systems to ensure the safe passage of the luxury ship through potentially dangerous sea lanes. This was the second time in two days the Portsmouth-based warship had escorted a ‘High Value Unit’ through the area, The Navy said.

South Korea is moving ahead to introduce refurbished S-3 Viking anti-submarine warfare (ASW) planes to counter threats from North Korea, Yonhap reported quoting a military source. The proposal to incorporate 12 former U.S. Navy Vikings into service was approved late last month by a military program review group,  say sources. The latest development comes after the Navy proposed taking over 20 Vikings that have been kept in storage since 2009 to shore up the country's detection and attack capabilities against Pyongyang's submarine fleet. The twin-turbofan powered planes served as the primary ASW platforms aboard U.S. aircraft carriers. Such planes can augment South Korea's 16 four-engined P-3 Orion aircraft fleet as well as helicopters like the Lynx and Super Lynx.

A British warship shadowed a Russian frigate through the English Channel on Tuesday, taking over monitoring from French surveillance on the frigate's voyage northwards. HMS Argyll, a navy ship maintained at high-readiness, deployed a Lynx helicopter and used sensors to locate and monitor the Russian warship Yaroslav Mudryy, which was en route to the North Sea from the Mediterranean. "Under the NATO agreement whereby alliance nations co-operate to monitor activity, the Royal Navy took over from French surveillance," Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a statement. An MoD spokesman estimated that a Russian warship was escorted through the Channel every few months.

Nearly 60 kilograms of heroin were seized by sailors and Royal Marines from 'HMS Somerset', who intercepted a drug-smuggling dhow in Middle East waters, informs UK MOD. The boarding crew found the dhow, a type of vessel common to the Middle East and Indian Ocean, during an operation for the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-terrorism Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. HMS Somerset’s Lynx helicopter was launched to intercept the dhow and guide the boarding team to its exact location. Once on board, the Royal Navy team worked tirelessly for 23 hours to find the contraband’s hiding place, stashed under a false deck. The drugs were then brought on board HMS Somerset, where they were tested for purity before being destroyed.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) conducted a bilateral maritime exercise, reports Channel News Asia. The 12-day Exercise Malapura involved about 600 personnel from Singapore Navy and Malaysia. Both navies carried out joint planning and training at Changi Naval Base (CNB), and conducted drills in conventional naval warfare and maritime security in the Malacca Strait. The Defence Ministry said Singapore's frigate, a missile corvette, a patrol vessel and a naval helicopter were part of the exercise. The RSN participated in the exercise with a frigate (RSS Stalwart), a missile corvette (RSS Victory), a patrol vessel (RSS Sovereignty) and a Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk Naval Helicopter.

Bibby Offshore announced today that its Asian Division, Bibby Offshore Singapore (‘BOS’), has secured a contract with the Moattama Gas Transportation Company (“MGTC”). MGTC, a joint venture between Total (operator), Unocal, PTT-EP and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, has appointed BOS to provide ROV pipeline inspection, remedial work and associated project management on its South East Asia asset offshore Myanmar. Bibby Offshore will supply its DP2 ROV support vessel, Bibby Spring.

NYK Lynx, a containership operated by NYK Line, rescued one person from a sailing yacht in distress 260 nautical miles off the Galapagos Islands. The yacht had been adrift for two weeks after encountering trouble with the main engine. On May 8, NYK Lynx set out from Callao, Peru, on a course toward Manzanillo, Mexico. But while sailing through the Pacific on May 11, the ship received an alertfrom a yacht. NYK Lynx immediately set a course for the yacht — maintaining contact the entire way — and successfully rescued one person in good health in the early morning of May 12. The sailor is due to disembark NYK Lynx at the port of Manzanillo on May 15. Ship management: Columbia Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.

Royal Navy warship HMS Argyll has seized £21 million worth of cocaine after a 12-hour pursuit across the Caribbean, informs the Ministry of Defence. Sailors then transferred the cocaine to a US Coast Guard vessel. After receiving information that a suspicious-looking vessel had been spotted by a maritime patrol aircraft, HMS Argyll, which is on counter-narcotics operations in the region, deployed to intercept it. Argyll’s Lynx helicopter confirmed the vessel was acting in a way typical of being operated by drug smugglers, and her sea boats were sent across to capture the crew and contraband. Once on board, members of a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment and Royal Navy sailors discovered nearly 600 kilos of cocaine wrapped in bin bags.

Deep Sea Supply is pleased to announce multiple contract awards with an international major subsea contractor for a total duration of approximately 1000 vessel days. The three PSVs of PX105 design "Sea Spider", "Sea Springer" and "Sea Spark" have been awarded contracts for ten, ten and four months, respectively. The AHTS "Sea Lynx" has been awarded a contract to be performed in two phases; first phase 40 days and second phase 250 days. Commencement is expected to be November 2014 for the three PSVs and phase 1 for "Sea Lynx" and May 2015 for phase 2 for "Sea Lynx". In addition to the firm periods described, the contracts also contain option periods.

Aberdeen-based subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore has invested close to £30million in the past six months increasing its international fleet of subsea support vessels by 40%. Most recently, the company signed a contract to charter EDT Jane, a newbuild remotely operated vehicle support vessel (ROVSV). The company now boasts a fleet of eight vessels and 15 Remote Operating Vehicles (ROV). This dedicated ROVSV with full survey and inspection spread will be mobilized from April 2014 as part of a 180 day charter,  with options to extend for an additional three years.

Bibby Offshore Singapore (BOS) said it has successfully completed a call out contract with PTT Exploration & Production Co Ltd (PTTEP). The project involved a short notice mobilization, and saw the BOS-operated DP2 ROV Support Vessel, the Bibby Spring perform subsea inspection services to PTTEP’s Bongkot Field assets in the Gulf of Thailand. The work was successfully completed within PTTEP’s restricted timeframe. Darren Morgan, Managing Director of Bibby Offshore Singapore,said, “The team work tirelessly to ensure we deliver on time and within budget.