Acomarit News

A U.S. oil majors' Internet tanker venture is merging with a shipping dot-com in a bid to become the first live online chartering exchange for the industry. SeaLogistics, which is backed by five oil groups, is merging with OneSea Direct, which has several major shipowner investors, to combine their efforts in web-based tanker chartering, the two companies said. SeaLogistics currently involves U.S. oil companies Texaco, Chevron, Koch Industries, L.G. Caltex and Coastal Corp. OneSea includes support from leading shipping companies such as A.P. Moeller, Bergesen, Teekay, I.M. Skaugen, OMI Corp., Osprey, Leif Hoegh, Worldwide, Acomarit, and V.Ships.

A tanker carrying 500,000 barrels of gasoline, the Bear G, is expected to start a journey back to the New York Harbor November 10 after completing repairs to a leaky hold in a Canadian port, the ship's manager said Tuesday. The vessel was denied access to the New York Harbor by the U.S. Coast Guard last week due to the internal leak until permanent repairs were made. The Bahamian flagged vessel, chartered by New York-based Novarco Ltd., arrived at the Statia Terminal, Point Tupper on Cape Breton Island in Canada November 6 to begin the repairs, according to Geneva-based Acomarit, the ship's manager. The ship is expected to occupy the berth at the terminal "until Friday 10 November at which time it is anticipated that Bear G will reload her cargo and proceed to" the New York Harbor…

Repair work on a tanker carrying 500,000 barrels of gasoline which was last week denied entry into New York Harbor due to an internal leak, could take two days, a spokesman for the vessel's operator said. Questions remained, however, on when and where the work on the ship, the Bear G, would take place, said Pat Adamson, spokesperson for Geneva-based Acomarit. "The work could start today, but there are many issues about regulatory jurisdiction and so on," said Adamson. "It is never as easy as deciding and getting to work." The Bear G, chartered by New York-based Novarco Ltd., was held up 12 miles off the New York Harbor by the U.S. Coast Guard last week after it reported a 600,000 gallon (14,300 barrels) internal leak from a hold, probably due to a failed gasket.

A tanker carrying 500,000 barrels of gasoline, denied access to the New York Harbor due to safety concerns, will make repairs to a leaky hold at sea before coming into port, the ship's manager said. "The current plan involves the vessel moving into a lightering position, discharging the remaining cargo from no. 2 hold, transferring the gasoline ... gas-free the relevant spaces and carry out the required repairs," said Geneva-based Acomarit in a release. "Thereafter, reloading the gasoline and proceeding to the discharge port." The Bahamas flagged ship, Bear G, arrived off New York on October 31, but was denied access to port by the U.S. Coast Guard because the leakage of gasoline posed an 'undue threat,' officials said.

The return of a New York-bound oil tanker carrying 500,000 barrels of gasoline that was denied entry to the Harbor, has been delayed by about three days, a spokesman for the ship's manager Acomarit said Monday. The tanker, Bear G, left Nova Scotia Monday morning after repairing an internal leak, which was seen as an explosion risk by the U.S. Coast Guard. The ship, originally scheduled to arrive at New York Harbor on October 30, was denied entry until permanent repairs to the leaking hold were made. Bear G went to Point Tupper, Cape Breton Island in Canada to do the repairs and was expected to begin its journey back to New York on November 10. "Some of the work may have taken longer than expected," said the spokesman. "But the work is complete and the ship is back at sea.

In an unpublished decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that plaintiff mooring master failed to prove the court had personal jurisdiction over a foreign ship management company. In the instant case, plaintiff asserted that he was injured while transferring from one ship to another on the high seas off Galveston when the crane that was carrying him failed, dropping him into waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The ship management company is incorporated in Switzerland and headquartered in Bermuda. It has no offices or business operations in Pennsylvania, where this suit was filed. This suit is one of at least five filed in various U.S. courts by this plaintiff involving this incident. All have failed due to lack of personal jurisdiction.

Acomarit, a Scotland-based ship management company, has reportedly set up a Brazilian-based company to service tankers operated by Brazil state oil group Petrobras.

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.