Saigon News

Viking has announced the expansion of its river fleet in Southeast Asia with the new Viking Tonle.Designed for the Mekong River, the vessel will join its identical sister ship, the Viking Saigon, which debuted in 2022, and will sail between Kampong Cham, Cambodia, and Mỹ Tho, Vietnam, as part of Viking's 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary.The ship is under construction and is currently scheduled to debut in October 2025. To meet strong demand for Mekong River voyages, Viking…

Brazilian offshore support vessel service company OceanPact has acquired two AHTS vessels, Skandi Saigon and Skandi Pacific, from Akastor's subsidiary DDW Offshore.OceanPact chartered the two vessels in March 2021 to support Petrobras' operations, with OceanPact having a purchase obligation at the end of the bareboat term."Following the expiry of the charter period, both vessels are now sold to OceanPact for the agreed cash payment of USD 18 million for both vessels, of which…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner DDW Offshore, a subsidiary of Akastor, has entered into bareboat charter and future sale agreements for two of its AHTS vessels with the Brazilian subsea services company OceanPact.Under the charter, DDW Offshore - formerly known as DOF Deepwater,  will supply two AHTS vessels Skandi Saigon and Skandi Pacific for a period of 26 months. As part of the agreements, Akarstor said that a forward sale of the vessels has also been agreed. Under this deal, OceanPact will buy the vessels at the end of the charter period.

Viking announced it has a new ship under construction expected to launch next summer for its cruise tours in Vietnam and Cambodia.The 80-guest Viking Saigon is scheduled to debut for the August 30, 2021, cruise tour departure; the river cruise portion of the itinerary sails between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the new Viking Saigon will host 80 passengers in 40 outside staterooms. All staterooms will have hotel-style beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a veranda or French balcony.

Australia-based shipbuilding group Austal Limited said its Vũng Tàu, Vietnam shipyard launched its first vessel, a 94 -high-speed catamaran for the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCo) of Trinidad and Tobago.The vehicle-passenger ferry, to be named APT James, is the first vessel to be constructed by Austal Vietnam since the shipyard was officially opened in November 2018.The Austal Auto Express 94 is an all-new aluminum catamaran design, with capacity for 926 passengers and 250 cars, capable of traveling at speeds up to 37.5 knots.

CMA CGM Marco Polo, the largest container ship in the world, docked at the major international seaport Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) in the southern Vietnamese province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, commencing a new weekly service to transfer cargo directly from Vietnam to Northern Europe.Important guests, including senior government officials will attended the vessel maiden call’s celebrations jointly organised by CMIT and CMA CGM at the Cai Mep terminal in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province.CMIT is a deep-sea container terminal and market leader for global ocean carriers serving the South Vietnamese economy. Since 2018, CMIT operates with a license to handle container vessels up to 194…

Four new escort tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and constructed at the Triyards SSY facility in Saigon, Vietnam, by contract to Greenbay Marine Services Pte. of Singapore, have been delivered to owner Star Marine Ltd. of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.The four RAstar 3400 escort tugs, named Murjan 1, 2, 3, and 4, will be stationed in the Red Sea port of Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, and managed by Marine Services Co. Ltd.According to the designer, the RAstar 3400 escort/offshore terminal tug designation is reserved for a distinctive class of high-performance ASD tugs…

Cash-strapped shipbuilder Triyards Holdings Limited has received a termination notice for a chemical tanker design and construction deal. The Singapore-based yard group said after Thursday trading hours that its subsidiary Saigon offshore Fabrication and Engineering has received notice of termination for the design and construction of a chemical tanker at a contract value of US$25.5 million. "Pursuant to the Notice, the Buyer will claim for the reimbursement of all sums paid by the Buyer in advance on account of the Contract in an amount of US$5.1 million," said a statement. No reasons were cited for the contract termination. But last December, Triyards had disclosed two other contract terminations due to a lack of funding to complete the vessels by the contracted delivery dates.

Triyards Holdings, the offshore marine division of Ezra Holdings, has swung deep into the red following the termination of two shipbuilding contracts worth some $51 million. "The Board of Directors of Triyards Holdings wishes to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Saigon Offshore Fabrication and Engineering Limited, has received notices of termination of the two shipbuilding contracts dated 26 June 2015 and the addendum dated 10 May 2017 for the design and construction of two units of chemical tankers of an aggregate contract value of US$51 million from the purchaser of the chemical tankers," said a statement from the company. The customer is claiming reimbursements of all sums paid in advance amounting to about US$10.2 million, said the  press release.

Vessel sales for October 2017 (as of November 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York. 10/29 - COASTAL NO.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) on July 21st, becoming the first container terminal in the Cai Mep area, part of Saigon Port, to receive the Vietnamese Head of State. CMIT is a joint venture between APM Terminals, which holds a 49% share, Vietnam National Shipping Lines, with a 36% share, and Saigon Port, with a 15% share. Prime Minister Phuc was welcomed by CMIT acting Managing director Nguyen Xuan Ky, who expressed the facility’s appreciation to the Vietnamese national and provincial governments, and the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport for supporting policies which have led to the success of the deep-water port complex.

Hamburg-based ship manager E.R. Schiffahrt informs it has been appointed by Maersk Line to manage three further vessels. With this new mandate, E.R. Schiffahrt increases the managed fleet for the world’s largest liner company from six to nine.   The new contract comprises the management of three 8,400 teu containerships and includes the crew and technical management, as well as additional services relating to safety/security, environmental protection and energy efficiency.    The 11-year-old container vessels will be bare boat chartered by Maersk and continue to be trading as Maersk Saigon, Maersk Stralsund and Maersk Seoul.   The ship management service began July 13, 2017.

Standardising trade processes and developing Vietnam’s infrastructure will attract more investment from global trade enablers like DP World, according to its Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, who met with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang at the presidential palace in Hanoi recently. During their meeting, Mr. Bin Sulayem expressed his interest in further developing trade relations between Dubai and Vietnam, with the support of simplified and seamless cargo movement processes. He also suggested that the development of roads connecting sea, land and air are essential to boost Vietnam’s future trade potential. He added that with the right incentives DP World is looking for further opportunities to invest in the country.

1822 - USS Grampus investigates and pursues a brig flying Spanish colors. When called upon to surrender, the privateer brig Palmyra from Puerto Rico fires cannon and musket fire. USS Grampus fires back on Palmyras broadsides reducing Palmyras rigging to a complete wreck, killing one and wounding six. The brig surrenders with a crew of 88, one long 18-pounder gun and eight 18-pound carronades. Her officers acknowledge they had robbed the American schooner USS Coquette. 1863 - During the Civil War…

South Korea's largest shipping line Hanjin Shipping has sold its entire 21.3% stake in Tan Cang Cai Mep International Terminal (TCIT)  in Vietnam to its affiliate in order to secure liquidity. The financially-troubled shipping line will raise about  $33m from the sale. The move came after the government and creditors, led by state-run Korea Development Bank, pushed Cho Yang-ho, the chairman of Hanjin Group, to pour more cash to the ailing shipping arm of the company. TCIT is a joint venture company of Saigon Newport Corporation with Hanjin, Mitsui OSK Lines and Wan Hai as partners. Cai Mep in the Mekong Delta is a huge complex of terminals built in the past 12 years. Almost all the terminals in the area have failed to make money.

Throughput at Cai Mep International Terminal, the APM Terminals facility in Vietnam’s Ba Ria‐Vung Tau province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, expanded by 130 percent in the first quarter as new service calls added in 2015 began to impact volumes. The container volume has surged by 130% to 277,303 TEUs for the first three months of 2016, as compared with the same period a year ago. This growth follows an 80% expansion in container traffic at CMIT in 2015 over the year prior, to 724,768 TEUs. CMIT, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, is a deep-water facility located in the Ba Ria‐Vung Tau Province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, and is capable of accommodating larger deep draft vessels of up to 15,000 TEU capacity, now cascading into Vietnamese trade routes.

Cai Mep, Vietnam - With five new services calls added to Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) since May of 2015, container volume has surged by 130% to 277,303 TEUs for the first three months of 2016, as compared with the same period a year ago. This growth follows an 80% expansion in container traffic at CMIT in 2015 over the year prior, to 724,768 TEUs. CMIT, part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, is a deep-water facility located in the Ba Ria‐Vung Tau Province, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, and is capable of accommodating larger deep-draft vessels of up to 15,000 TEU capacity, now cascading into Vietnamese trade routes.

1811 - The frigate President, commanded by John Rodgers, exchanges several shots with HMS Little Belt during the night. Each captain claims the other fired first, increasing tensions between the two countries prior to the War of 1812. 1820 - The frigate Congress becomes the first U.S. warship to visit China when she visits Guanhzhou (now Canton). 1919 - Three Curtiss NC seaplanes leave from Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland, Canada for the first trans-atlantic flight. Only NC 4 makes the flight successfully reaching the Azores on May 17.

Members of the maritime community gathered last evening at the New York Athletic Club to honor three of its leaders: H. Marshall Ainley (President, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association), Ian T. Blackley (President & CEO, Overseas Ship Management, Inc.) and Raymond J. Burke Jr. (Partner, Burke & Parsons). These individuals were given the 2016 “Outstanding Friend of Seafarers” Award by Seafarers International House, a Lutheran, non-profit agency serving merchant seafarers in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island, at the organization’s 16th Annual “Setting the Course” Awards Banquet. * Marshall Ainley was elected president of MEBA in January 2014 and is a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Maritime Academy in Kings Point, NY.

The container ship Maersk Saigon left the fairway and grounded near near buoy 2A at Santos port channel during departure from the terminal. Maersk Saigon was grounded during her departure manoeuvre at the BTP Terminal in Santos, Brazil. The vessel’s crew is safe and no one was injured, says a statement from the company. It is currently safely anchored awaiting inspections to assess possible damage before continuing to its destination. The Maersk Line ship  was operating on the ASAS service and was bound for Port Elizabeth, South Africa when the grounding occurred. No injuries were reported and there is no evidence of environmental pollution. The Port Authority has initiated an investigation to ascertain the cause of the incident and those responsible.

Today in U.S. 1800 - U.S. Marine Corps Band gave its first concert in Washington, D.C. 1883 - Installation of the first electric lighting on a US Navy Ship completed on USS Trenton. 1920 - Radio station built by U.S. Navy and French Government transmits first wireless message heard around the world. At time it was the most powerful radio station in the world. 1951 - First contract for nuclear-powered submarine awarded. 1965 - Launch of Gemini 5, piloted by LCDR Charles Conrad Jr., USN, who completed 120 orbits in almost eight days at an altitude of 349.8 km.

SUDA 450-L3T, a 450-foot (137.25-meter) truss-legged liftboat, designed by A. K. Suda, Ltd. and built by Triyards Marine, Saigon Shipyard in HCMC, Vietnam, reported to be the world’s largest liftboat, is being delivered to its owners, EMAS Offshore of Singapore at the end of 2nd Quarter 2014. This state-of-the-art vessel is a three-legged, self-propelled, self-elevating general service workboat, known as the BH-450, and is suitable for operation in the North Sea. It is an ABS classed with Unrestricted Service…

In another landmark event,the biggest ever vessel to call at the DP World operated Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, arrived this week. The NYK owned Northern Genius, with a nominal TEU (twenty foot equivalent container unit) capacity of 4,300 and dwt of 54,000 sailed up the 54kms new Soai Rap River channel following its opening earlier this year. The Soai Rap channel has made SPCT the deepest Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) port, halving steaming time to two hours, saving on pilotage and bunker fuel. With a draft of 9.5 metres and a tidal rise of up to 3.4 meters, the channel has doubled the size of vessels that can access SPCT, allowing panamax vessels such as Northern Genius to safely berth just 15kms from the city.