Southampton Port News

Associated British Ports (ABP) has taken delivery of a new fast response RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) installed with the CXO300 diesel outboard engine from Cox Marine. Designed to be both fast and agile, the patrol craft Swift has already entered service in Southampton, one of the UK’s busiest ports. Built by Berthon, Cox’s UK distributor based in Lymington, the 7.8m Commercial Grade RIB will be used by the ABP Southampton team to enforce harbor by-laws and to carry out other harbour duties by its safety security patrols.

DP World has bought back British ferry and shipping freight operator P&O Ferries for 322 million pounds ($421 million), more than a decade after it sold it.DP World acquired the British shipping and logistics company in 2006 but soon sold off some assets, including P&O Ferries to its major shareholder, state holding company Dubai World.DP World announced on Wednesday it was buying the company, and a spokeswoman later told Reuters it had bought it back from Dubai World.Dubai World was at the heart of the emirate’s financial crisis at the turn of the decade and was forced to restructure around $

A Southampton-based maritime charity lowered its flag to half-mast today to commemorate the sinking of a hospital ship 100 years ago, which caused outrage across the nation when it was torpedoed in the English Channel, killing 123 people.His Majesty's Australian Transport (HMAT) Warilda was transporting hundreds of wounded soldiers from the French port of Le Havre to Southampton when, despite being clearly marked with the Red Cross, it was struck by a single torpedo from a German U-boat.Upon impact the ship’s starboard propeller was disabled…

A new off-dock empty container storage yard is to be opened at DP World London Gateway Port. The five acre yard will be operated and managed by Solent Stevedores, an award-winning stevedoring company with a broad range of bulk and general cargo handling and storage services at ports in Southampton, Jersey, Immingham and London. The facility will be located on Berth 7, outside of the terminal’s ISPS perimeter but adjacent to the port’s main gate. A number of associated container services will also be offered by Solent Stevedores from the site. Work to develop the yard will commence next month, with it then due to become operational by the first quarter of 2018.

A fire has broken out out aboard the U.S. car carrier Honor in the English Channel while the vessel was en route to Baltimore from Southampton on February 24. “The 21 crew are still on board the vessel and they are safe and well,” said Andy Jenkins, Commander for the U.K. Coastguard. The vessel’s fixed firefighting systems were used to attack the fire and the cargo space has been sealed. The ship’s crew continue to monitor the cargo area. The ship has full maneuverability and has turned back toward Southampton, where it is planned to anchor to the Southeast of the Isle of Wight. U.K. Coastguard said it is monitoring the situation closely and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has been notified of the incident.

AIDA Cruises’ new flagship AIDAprima docked in Britain’s Southampton port for the first time on the morning of April 27, 2016, as part of a four-day short cruise. AIDAprima will become the first cruise ship to depart from a German port all year round, from May 3 onwards visiting Southampton on Mondays as part of seven-day cruises to Western European cities from Hamburg. From April 30, 2016 Hamburg will be the departure and arrival port for seven-day round trips to cities such as London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

As announced in November, Nick Ridehalgh, Associated British Ports (ABP) Director Southampton, is stepping down from his role and from ABP, with his last day Friday, 8 April. Alastair Welch, who has extensive experience of the transport sector, including Heathrow’s Terminal 4 and London Southend Airport, will shortly be joining ABP as Director, Southampton. ABP Chief Executive James Cooper said: “I would like to thank Nick for his service to ABP and the Port of Southampton and wish him well for the future. “Alastair brings extensive operational, business development and customer service skills and experience to ABP. Alastair, who starts at ABP on Monday…

Hoegh Osaka’s list is now at 5 degrees, enabling salvors to turn the vessel in the correct direction and transport it from Alpha Anchorage to Southampton Port. The ship is scheduled to arrive at Berth 101 at approximately 7 p.m. local time, the U.K Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) estimates. During the towing operation, a temporary restricted airspace will be placed 1 mile either side of the navigation route and up to 2,000 ft. There will also be an exclusion zone around the vessel of 1,000 meters ahead and behind and 100m either side. Officials will hold a press conference later tonight. Speaking will be Hugh Shaw, SOSREP, Bram Sperling from Svitzer…

The vessel Hoegh Osaka is stable on Aplha Anchorage as salvage operations are ongoing, the U.K Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) reported. The list vessel’s had been reduced to 25 degrees as of 10:30 a.m. this morning, and all water has been removed from the car decks. MCA anticipates that ballast operations will further reduce the list to 15-20 degrees today, at which point Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigators will board the ship to gather information for their investigation.

Salvage work continues at the site of car carrier Hoegh Osaka, the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said, reporting that salvors have reduced the vessel’s list from its original 52 degrees to 39 degrees on the evening of Monday, January 19. Operations to remove clean water from the vessel’s lower car decks continue as the weather on scene remains favorable, MCA said. The vessel will stay at Aplha Anchorage until the list has been reduced to around 15 degrees, some ship’s systems have been reinstated and weather conditions are suitable.

The Secretary of State’s Representative for Intervention and Salvage (SOSREP) visited the salvage site of the Hoegh Osaka yesterday to view operations, which according to the U.K Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are progressing well. MCA noted that weather has been favorable and is forecast to remain so, although the salvors are still working in challenging conditions. De-watering operations have completed, and preparations are underway to begin pumping the remaining water in the car decks into the empty fuel tanks on the ship.

A cargo vessel is grounded in the Solent, a major shipping route off the south coast of England, Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency said on Sunday. The Hoegh Osaka car carrier began listing after leaving Southampton port on Saturday evening and the 25 crew were rescued by helicopter and lifeboat, the coastguard said. There were no life-threatening injuries. The ship's owner, Hoegh Autoliners, said they were assessing the damage. "The crew have confirmed that the vessel is not taking in any water and they are presently in a stable position with current list," Hoegh said in a statement. "Höegh Autoliners are fully co-operating with all the authorities at this time to ensure the vessel remains safe.

Late on Jan. 7, ABP notified the Maritime & Coastguard Agency via Solent Coastguard after concerns were raised that a vessel Balu C was not being managed correctly on its passage into a berth at the port. The Master of the Balu C, Valery Semenov, was breathalysed by the Police upon arrival into Southampton Port, and he was found to have 94 microgrammes (mg) in 100 millilitres of breath. In the case of breath, 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres is the legal limit. Therefore Semenov, a 52 year old Russian national was nearly three times that legal limit. The Balu C is a 2008 built general cargo ship registered in Antigua and Barbuda. Her deadweight tonnage (carrying capacity) is 8,045 tonnes. She was on passage from Amsterdam to Southampton with a cargo of grain with a crew of 12.

A&P Southampton is preparing for a busy period after successfully winning contracts to refit several car carriers in their dry dock this Summer. The first to arrive was the 28,070dwt Tristan, owned and operated by Sweden's Wallenius Lines which underwent a 15 day repair. Whilst in dry dock, the vessel underwent various work including hull blasting and painting, mechanical and electrical works, boiler and other general repairs. Following the Tristan, A&P Southampton has stemmed several other car carriers from worldwide companies including NYK Ship Management and the Grimaldi Group for dry dock and repairs during the Summer period. All of the visiting companies…