12TH VOLUME, NO.

12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

BUYING, SALES, NEW BUILDING, RENAMING AND OTHER TUGS TOWING & OFFSHORE INDUSTRY NEWS

TUGS & TOWING NEWS

C OENTUNNEL SECTIONS O N TRANSPORT

Last Saturday 19th March the first tunnel section for the new Coentunnel at Amsterdam went
underway from the building dock in Barendrecht. Early in the evening the transport passed the
Botlekbrug with the pusher Dieni from Mammoet and the Kotug tugs RT Magic, RT Adriaan, RT
Claire and RT Stephanie. The section has a length of 178,50 mtrs and is 30 mtrs width en has a
draught of 9,20 mtrs. The transport was coordinate by the transport leader Bas van Hoorn and the
pilots Peter van de Wiel and Marijn van Hoorn. At 04.00 hrs the tugs connected up and sailed at
06.00 hrs. They passes the bridges between 17.30 and 18.15. On last Wednesday March 23 the
second transport section left the building dock for Amsterdam. (Photo: Marijn van Hoorn)

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

ASD T UGS : T HRUST AND A ZI MUTH LEARNING TO D RIVE A Z-D RIVE

Captain Jeff Slesinger has wrote a book learning to drive a
Z-drive ASD tugs. The books includes: * 120 clear drawings
of the maneuvering principles. * Builds driving skills
sequentially through exercises. * Teaches the tug's
propulsion system and how components interrelate. An
Azimuth Stem Drive (ASD) tug boat is a high-performance
vessel that is responsive, quick to maneuver, and extremely
powerful. This workbook is designed to facilitate learning,
through both intellectual and hands-on presentations. It
teaches a clear understanding of ASD tug maneuvering
principles and assists the reader in acquiring the intuitive
feel for operating the tug. Text and illustrations provide
exercises recommended to build the handson knowledge.
The book covers the basic elements of maneuvering an ASD
tug, through steering, speed, turning, stopping, hovering,
and lateral movement. Each chapter provides questions to test and strengthen the skills. Size: 8
x 11 * 120 illustrations * 192 Pages * ISBN: 978-0-87033-617-l * soft cover * 45.00. For more
information or to order, contact your loca1 bookseller or the publisher directly: Schiffer Publishing,
Ltd. 488O Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310; Phone: (610) 593-1777 or Fax: (610) 593-2OO2

S MITBARG ES TOWED TO R OTTERDAM

The two on the Damen Shipyard
Galati Romania built Stan Pontoon
7524 Smitbarge 12 (Imo 9595096) and
Smitbarge 14 (Imo 9595101) towed
away in the early morning last
Sunday by the Unie van Redding &
Sleepdienst tug Union Diamond and
bound for Rotterdam. The barges are
the third and fourth barge in a series
of four for Smit Shipping Singapore
Pvt. Ltd. Singapore. The two new
barges will be operate by Smit
Transport Europe BV Rotterdam
and managed by Smit Vessel Management Services BV Rotterdam. The barges are built under
yard numbers 1206/523904 and 1207/523905 respectively. They have a length of 75 mtrs a beam of
23.5 mtrs and a moulded draft of 3.51 mtrs. And a grt of 2076 tons and a nrt of 622 tons. Both
barges are registered under de Bahama flag with call sign C6YW9 and C6YX2 and are Lloyds
Register of Shipping Classed. (Photo: Cristian Severin)

N ORDANE TUG LEFT FOR C ANADA ON A HEAVYLIFT ER

Nordane tug Stevns Icecap, which was sold to the Canadian mining company Rio Tinto Alcan in
January, is now under way to Canada on the Dutch heavylift carrier Fairlane. It was loaded on the
deck of Fairlane at Svendborg. Stevns Icecap was officially taken over on March 1 and has changed

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

to Canadian flag and its

name to Fjord ternit.
The tug will be
operating at Port Alfred
together with her sister
tug Fjord Saguenay (ex
Stevns Iceflower),
which was acquired
from Nordane Shipping
in 2009. The tugs,
iceclass 1A, have a
bollard pull of 60 tons
and double Caterpillar
engine plants. (Source:
Shipgaz; Photo: Bent Mikkelsen)

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V ICTORY CHRISTENED

In Sibu (East-Malaysia) the tug

Victory was christened March
19th (Photo : Capt. Richard
Leistra )

Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any

photos or articles that may be of interest to the Tugs Towing & Offshore
interested people at sea and ashore.
Send your press releases, news, articles and/or pictures to
[email protected]
3/23
12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

K AZUMARU THE DAY AFTER

The tugboat Kazumaru sits

among debris in Ofunato,
Iwate Prefecture, in this
the city was largely
destroyed following the 9.0
earthquake and tsunami
that hit the country on
March 11,

A DA D RENAMED I N M ARIAN -V
After some small
modifications and a fresh
paint job, Stemat has
decided to rename the
1984 built Stemat tug "Ada
D" to "Marian V" (Imo
8412821). The tug is
named after a much
appreciated colleague at
the Stemat office in
Rotterdam. The Dutch flag
tug with call sign PDGV is
Bureau Veritas classed and
has a grt of 277 tons and a
dwt of 163 tons. (Photo :
Robert de Waard )

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

S INGAPORE IN C APE T OWN

Last week a well-known tug
entered the Port of Cape
Town. The Ocean Going
Salvage Tug Singapore owned
by Svitzer is the former Smit
tug SmitWijs Singapore. Her
next assignment is not given
at this moment. But maybe
the rig in the background is
waiting for her. (Photo: Aad
Noorland)

N EW EPA T IER 3 C OMPLIANT E NGINES TO BE I NSTALLED ON S IGNET

M ARITIME S ASD T UGS FO R LNG
Signet Maritime Corporation
announced they are the first to
install the Cat C175 ACERT
16-cylinder main propulsion
diesel engines rated at 3417
BHP each on their two
support/escort tugs being built
in Gulfport, MS. These engines
represent the next generation
in technology for addressing
the needs of emissions and
hazardous location applications
and meet offshore emissions
requirements, including EPA
Tier 3, EU Stage IIIA, and IMO
Marine Tier II. The Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3100 class tugs are engineered to provide
superior ship handling, escort, and sea-keeping performance. Slated for an October 2011 delivery,
these highly specialized terminal support/escort tugs will provide marine services for Angola LNG
Supply Services (ALSS) vessels into the Port of Pascagoula. J. Barry Snyder, President of Signet
Maritime, stated, A vital evolution for this decade is the initiation of Tier 3 environmental
protection with internal combustion engines and we are the first to install the new Cat C175-16
EPA Tier 3 engines on ASD tugs. Signet is a strong proponent of using green technology and
protecting the environment; using these new engines will result in lower emissions, improved
performance, and reduced fuel consumption. The new engines accomplish this with the support of
the Cat ACERT technology, which is a combination of advanced electronics/monitoring systems,
increased engine efficiencies through computer aided design, and modernized common rail fuel
injection systems. (Source: Signet Maritime)

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L IGHTHOUSE B OARD SHOULD TAKE OVE R RUNNING OF MCA TUGS ,

SAYS C RICHTON

Donald Crichton has

called on the
Government for further
consideration to be
given to the suggestion
that the Lighthouse
Board takes over the
running of the
coastguard tugs from
the MCA. The Western
Isles Labour candidate
was commenting as the
four coastguard tugs
patrolling the UK are
due to be withdrawn by
the Government later this year as part of restructuring that includes the down grading of
Stornoway Coastguard station. Mr Crichton said: "The suggestion that the Lighthouse Board takes
over from the MCA in running the tugs is a sensible idea and I understand the suggestion has come
from representatives of the Board itself which adds greater weight to it. The Lighthouse Board
collect dues from shipping traffic in UK waters and would be well placed to finance the running of
the tugs which is currently estimated to be in the region of 8 Million for the four annually. The
need for a tug to be based in our local waters is essential. Its withdrawal is inviting an
environmental disaster on a scale that would be unimaginable. The Government needs to think
again on this issue before it leaves our coasts exposed. Giving the Lighthouse Board the
responsibility for the tugs would be affordable and make sense." Commenting on the wider
campaign for the retention of the Stornoway Coastguard station Mr Crichton said: " I want to
reiterate my support for the campaign to retain the local station. Unfortunately I was unable to be
at the march last Saturday as I had longstanding engagements in the Southern Isles. I have
supported the campaign from the off and have attended all the public meetings and met the local
staff. I was one of the first to call for the formation of the taskforce and for it to include our two
parliamentary representatives. I hope the cross party support for this cause can be maintained and
that it doesn't become the subject of political point scoring during the campaign. It would be a dis-
service to the cause and to the local coastguard staff if that became the case." (Source: The Scottish
White Fish Producers: Photo Ruud Zegwaard)

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V AN O ORD PURCHASES THE P USHBUSTER Q UARTET

Dutch dredging and marine

contractor Van Oord BV has
purchased the fleet of four
Damen Pushbusters formerly
operated by Damen Marine
Contractors (DMS). This quartet
of powerful pusher tugs was
designed and constructed by
Damen Shipyards at
Hardinxveld, working in
conjunction with DMS and Van
Oord, principally in support of
major projects being undertaken
in Dubai. Initially six vessels
were ordered in a joint venture
between DMS and Van Oord, under which DMS purchased and operated the tugs and Van Oord
financed the construction of matching dump barges and the Japanese designed Articouple
coupling mechanism. Extensive and highly successful trials were carried out with the first vessel, ,
in November 2008 (MJ Nov 2008) and three more tugs DMS Harrier, DMS Buzzard and DMS
Kingfisher were completed by June 2009. In the meantime, financial difficulties in Dubai resulted
in the Van Oord projects in the area being curtailed. The four completed Pushbusters were
deployed elsewhere and have been working in various parts of the world, as far apart as Finland
and Singapore. The fifth vessel was completed by Damen Hardinxveld but without the Articouple
mechanism and adapted to become the first Damen Shoalbuster 3511. That vessel was named
DMS Osprey and is now operated as part of the DMS fleet. The sixth tug was cancelled. Damen
Shipyards, Hardinxveld and Damen Marine Services broke new ground with the Pushbuster 3511
design. The Pushbuster has the proven ability to operate with a matched barge as a true
Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB) unit, or operate independently to fulfil a range of other
functions. With the tug engaged in the notch of the barge, using the Articouple system, it is
secured by two large horizontal pins protruding from the hull of the tug in the forecastle area and
engaged in a series of holes on each side of the barge notch. This positive connection allows the
tug to pitch but not roll, enabling the tug and barge to behave and handle in much the same
manner as a ship, with added advantages of increased speed, improved fuel economy and good
handling characteristics. All four tugs measure 35.08m in length overall, with a beam of 11.6m
and depth (at the sides) of 5.25m. A double chine hullform incorporates two fixed nozzles set in
shallow tunnels. The massive superstructure, over four decks high, gives the tugmaster an
excellent view forward over the barge being pushed and a birds eye view of the afterdeck,
winches, crane and rescue boat. Each Pushbuster is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 BTA main
engines, developing a total of 4,895 bhp (3,650 kW) at their maximum continuous rating (MCR).
Power is transmitted via Reintjes reverse reduction gearboxes, to a pair of five blade high
performance propellers of 2,700mm diameter, rotating within high performance fixed nozzles. A
bollard pull of 62 tons is available at MCR and the vessels have a free running speed of 11.6 knots.
Thanks to the four high lift rudders they are also remarkably manoeuvrable. Late in 2010, all four
tugs were purchased by Van Oord Other Equipment BV and are now operated by Van Oord.
They have been renamed without the DMS prefix. Blackbird, Harrier, Buzzard and Kingfisher are
reported to be working on project in Bahrain. (Source: Maritime Journal; Photo Hans Hoffmann)

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

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S EAWAY 20 LAUNCHED

Last week at the Keppel Singmarine yard in Singapore is

launched the Anchor Handling, Offshore Support Vessel
Seaways 20. The Seaways 20 is a Robert Allan state of the
art design RAmpage 5500 ZM. The tug has a length of
55 mtrs and a bollard pull of 100 tonnes. She has
notations for oil recovey, firefighting and DP2. The tug is
perfectly suited for Ocean Towage, Offshore exploration
and services, Terminal towage and offshore construction
projects. M3 Marine Pte. Ltd. Mrs Sophia Low (Photo)
was invited during the launching of the vessel.

M ARINE & T OWAGE S ERVICES L TD .

Plantain Marine was started in
1993 with the purchase of a
40ft Nelson pilot boat. When
the company relocated to
Cornwall in 1995 the obvious
place to expand was the
nearby Falmouth Docks. The
fleet of one 40ft Nelson Pilot
boat, used for personnel and
light stores, was increased by
the purchase (and
modification) of a 40ft
wooden fishing boat that had
previously been used for dive

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

charters, to enable the company to carry larger stores. Ensuing years saw the boats change with the
Nelson being replaced by a Talisman 49 and the ex-fishing boat being replaced with a steel work
boat from Southampton. Subsequent years have seen the work and pilot boats change with the
current resident line up in Falmouth of 2 Pilot/Crew boats, 1 Line/Work boat and 1 Tug/stores
boat. In 2006 Plantain Marine combined with the well-established Torbay & Brixham Shipping
Agents and Brixham Pilots under the new name of Marine & Towage Services Ltd. This allowed us
to offer complete marine support to the South Coast and beyond. (Source & Photo: Jan Plug), (red:
for details of the MTS Viscount see TT & O Issue Nr. 09 of March 6)

L EKKO C LUB N EWS

On Saturday, April 16, 2011 Lekko will hold its bi-monthly club days. The meeting is at the Zee-
en Havenmuseum, Havenkade 55 in IJmuiden. You are most welcome from 10.00 till 13.30. Please
subscribe for the National and/or International Magazine and receive the ST-book for free. For
more information www.lekko.org

N ORNE ON TRAILS

Last week the new building tug Norne

commenced technical trails and bollard pull
tests. The on the Kooiman Zwijndrecht
yard built tug (yn 191) for Koerts
International Towing Service has a length of
34,10 mtrs, a beam of 11,50 mtrs and a draft
of 4,25 mtrs. It is expected that the tugs
engines produced, during the trails, a
bollard pull of 82 tons. (Photo: leen van der
Meijden)

ACCIDENTS SALVAGE NEWS

C OASTGUARD MONITOR GR OUNDED SHIP

A 90 metre cargo vessel has grounded on a shingle bank north of the needles. The British registered
vessel, Paula C was reported to Solent Coastguard as grounded at 1.00 pm. Needles Coastguard
Rescue Team is keeping watch over the vessel from the Needles lookout and the Yarmouth RNLI
lifeboat is standing off the vessel. The vessel has pumped off ballast water in order to lighten the

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

ship. Tony Wheeler, Solent Coastguard Watch Manager says: The vessel is likely to remain
aground until around midnight tonight when we hope that it will float off on the high tide. There
are nine people on board. All are safe and well and will remain on the vessel. We are in contact
with the ship and its agent. (Source: MCA)
Update @ 21.30: The vessel Paula-C has been freed from its grounding point at The Needles with
assistance from tug boat Wyeforce. Paula-C has been towed away from the area and is now on
route to towards her final destination, Cowes, under her own power. It was originally thought that
due to low tides, the vessel would not be freed until midnight. Thankfully both ship and crew are
already on-route and are currently passing Totland Bay.

G REEK BULKER O LIVA BREAKS APART OFF N IGHTING ALE I SLAND AND
SPILLS 1500 TONS OF OIL

The stricken Oliva firmly grounded and prior to breaking up in the swells. Picture by Sean
Burns/tristandc.com
The South African salvage tug Smit Amandla arrived off Tristan da Cunha last Monday but was too
late to be of any assistance with saving the stricken Greek bulker, OLIVA, which went aground off
Nightingale Island last Wednesday, March 16 and has since become a total wreck. The sad news is
that Oliva has broken her back on the rocks following increased wave and swell activity and the
job facing those on board the South African tug now becomes one of assisting with the mammoth
job of cleaning up, and assessing how best to minimise any further pollution of the surrounding
islands. Nightingale Island and the nearby Middle Island are already polluted with oil and others
are threatened. Oliva was carrying 1500 tons of bunker fuel when she inexplicably struck the rocks
just south of Spinners Point, on the northern tip of Nightingale. An enquiry will have to determine
just how a modern ship with good navigational equipment could have navigated onto the rocks in a
channel between two islands that is less than one kilometre wide. By Sunday, March 20
environmental teams from Trustan da Cunha were reporting signs of oil coming ashore on
Inaccessible Island, a World Heritage Site and only a few short kilometres away from the wreck.
On Nightingale itself efforts are focussed on cleaning
birds covered in oil, including an estimated 10,000 pairs
of rockhopper penguins on Nightingale and another
100,000 pairs on Middle Island, less than one kilometre
from Nightingale and the shipwreck. Smit Amandla has
on board Estelle van der Merwe, who was involved at a
senior level with SANCCOB at the time of the
TREASURE oil spill near Cape Town (June 2000), and she
will be able to advise the Nightingale cleanup operation.

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

The experience garnered by SANCCOB (South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal
Birds) is invaluable to this remote area of the South Atlantic. Fears are also turning to what effect
the 60,000 tons of soya bean meal on board the ship will have on the islands marine environment,
particularly the crawfish and other crustaceans, and on the effect it could have on the Penguins
covered in oil on Nightingale Island thousands of the birds are affected by the disaster. Picture by
Trevor Glass/tristandc.com
islanders fishing industry. One of the problems facing the cleanup crew is the shear inaccessibility
of Tristan da Cunha as far as obtaining necessary equipment and supplies. Just to clean thousands of
penguins or other sea birds will require much in the way of chemicals that will have to be ferried
in from Cape Town or further afield. The P&I Association said at the weekend that an airdrop by
parachute was one option being explored. The P&I Association is meanwhile attempting to charter
another vessel to get additional cleanup equipment and 15 personnel to the island with as little
delay as possible. Attempts to charter the South African marine environmental patrol ship Sarah
Baartman failed due to issues of protocol such a request must apparently come from the
appropriate British government department rather than the insurers. Graphic pictures of the
shipwreck and the sequence of events can be seen HERE (Source: Port & Ships)

N ORDLAND 1 FREED

J.A. Rederiet have been at the Island of Borkum with their their MPP/Salvage vessel " Susanne A"
to salvage the coaster "Nordland1" which stranded in a storm beginning of february. The Owners
and his insurance company were of the opinion that the vessel could not be salvaged as it nearly
was laying in the lobby of the nearby beach hotels. It was therefore decided to demolish her
directly at the beach, but in the final minute they were tempted to try a salvage solution given by
J.A. Rederiet. The offer given would be a quick solution without pollution risk etc., and the
operation started midday 22nd march and at 20.00 hours the "Nordland1" was refloated. All parties,
including the German Water and Environment authorities, were happy with the operation. See
also : www.ndr.de/regional/niedersachsen/oldenburg/unwetter241.html

S UPERMOON B LAMED F OR G ROUNDING OF 5 V ESSELS .

Between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire Coast, 5 ships ran aground within hours in one of the
worlds busiest shipping lanes. The Solent sandbanks the vessels hit are not normally exposed, but
it is believed that the supermoon phenomenon led to unexpectedly lower tides. Known to affect
the progression of tides, the moon was closest to the Earth as it had been in 19 years when the

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

groundings took place, only 221,567 miles away, leaving it hard to believe the super moon wasnt
the culprit for the low tides. Tides are strongest at new or full moon, and even stronger at lunar
perigee, resulting in a more disparate range of high and low tides. Usually, a supermoon will only
lower tides around 1 inch, but sometimes a sea can lose more a depth of 6 inches, like in the case of
Solent. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) stated that there had been a big tidal range
recently due to the moons proximity. Despite the evidence for the unusually low tide with the
supermoon, its hard to come to a definitive conclusion since tides vary worldwide. Coastguards at
the Needles, which is situation on the west side of the Isle of Wright, received 5 distress calls at
nearly the same time. Included in this was a 2,900 ton cargo ship, Paula-C, (red. See above also)
and a 25-foot yacht. The vessels were required to wait for a higher tide to lift and clear them from
a shingle bank, but did also receive tug assistance. According to a UK coastguard, no one was
injured in the events. (Source: MCA)

OFFSHORE NEWS
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V ROON O FFSHORE S ERVICES TAKE DELI VER Y OF VOS A PHRODITE

We are pleased to announce that Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) have taken delivery of a new
addition to their offshore fleet. The VOS Aphrodite, an anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel
built at the Fujian Shipyard in China, was delivered today, 21 March 2011, in China. She is the
second in a series of eight "A-types" that will be delivered during the next 18 months, following
her sister vessel, VOS Achilles. The "A" vessel type is slightly more advanced than the "H-type" and

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

"T-Type" AHTS vessels that Vroon operates, having a bigger bow thruster (8 MT) and stern
thruster (6 MT). As a consequence, these vessels have better manoeuvring and station-keeping
capabilities. The VOS Aphrodite has a DP-1 notation. The vessel has length of 59.25 mtrs a beam of
14.95 mtrs a engine output of 5,150 bhp and a bollard pull of 66 tons. We wish the vessel and her
crew safe voyages. (Source: Vroon Offshore)

I TALIAN SHIP ' S CREW DETAINED IN T RIPOLI

ROME Italy said Sunday, 20
March, it was checking reports that
Libyan officials had detained the
crew of an Italian ship docked in
Tripoli and prevented the vessel
from leaving port, a day after U.S.
and European forces launched air
and missile strikes to enforce a no-
fly zone over Libya. The ANSA news
agency reported the "Asso Ventidue
(22)" (Imo 9187942) tug of the
Naples-based shipping company
Augusta Offshore SrL has eight Italian, two Indian and one Ukrainian crew members aboard.
Citing unnamed sources, ANSA said armed men, including one believed to be the Tripoli port
commander, detained the crew as Libyan workers aboard were disembarking Saturday in Tripoli's
port. An Italian foreign ministry spokesman said officials were checking the report and that the
company was in contact with the crew. Calls to Augusta Offshore went unanswered Sunday. Italy,
Libya's former colonial ruler, has allowed seven military bases to be used by international forces
enforcing the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone over Libya and said it was prepared to offer fighter
aircraft as well if needed. As U.S., French and British cruise missile and air strikes began Saturday,
Premier Silvio Berlusconi assured Italians that Moammar Gadhafi's regime didn't have the capacity
to strike Italian territory. Nevertheless, the mayor of the tiny island of Lampedusa, which is closer
to the African continent than the Italian mainland, said Sunday he was worried about possible
retaliation. In 1986, Gadhafi fired a missile at Lampedusa, which at the time housed a U.S. Coast
Guard installation, after the U.S. bombed Tripoli and Benghazi in retaliation for what Washington
said was Libya's support for terrorism. The missile fell harmlessly in the sea. Italian Defense
Minister Ignazio La Russia told state-run RAI television that, according to Italian military
estimates, Libyan missiles could strike no farther than 300 kilometers (186 miles). Lampedusa lies
about 355 kilometers (220 miles) from Tripoli. (Source: Associated Press; Photo: Marton
Brentsen) History: The in 1999 on the rskov Christensens Staalskibsvaerft A/S at Frederikshaven
built under yard number 210 AHTS is managed by Scinicariello Augustea Ship Management SpA at
Napoli. The AHTS has a dwt of 3133 tons a grt of 2981 tons and a nrt of 931 ton. She has a length of
75.00 mtrs a beam of 18.00 mtrs and a draught of 6.59 mtrs. The Asso Ventidue has a engine output
of 14,400 bhp with a bollard pull of 170 tons and a speed of 12,5 knots. (History by Hans van der
Ster)
Update: Italian tugboat and 11 crew released from Libya
NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) An Italian tugboat and its 11 crew members, detained in Tripoli
on Saturday 19 March, have been released and are heading north, the ship's operator said
on Sunday. The tug, crewed by 8 Italians, two Indians and a Ukrainian was detained in

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Libya at around 1600 GMT on Saturday, shortly before French aircraft fired the first shots
against forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The detention briefly raised fears
the crew had been taken hostage as Italian aircraft prepared to join the Western air
operation against Libya. Italy has provided seven airbases for use in the aerial attacks on
Libya's air defenses and patrolling of its skies. Augusta Offshore, the tug's operator said in a
statement it had been released at around 1200 GMT. Earlier, the company's chief executive
said it had been operating in Libya for several years, mainly in partnership with Italian oil
giant Eni. "We've provided support to the oil platforms for many years," Mario Mattioli
told reporters. "We're partners with Eni in this part of Africa and the whole situation was
constantly monitored by the relevant authorities," he said. (Source: Reuter; Reporting by
Emilio Parodi and Laura Viggiano; Editing by Louise Ireland)

I SLAND V ALIANT SECURES CO NTR ACT FROM AGR S UBSEA

Island Offshore's Island Valiant has been
awarded a 30 day contract plus options for
deepwater seabed excavation by AGR Subsea
AS. The work will be performed on behalf of
Norske Shell AS and will commence in early
May, and involve seabed levelling and pre-
lay trenching in the hard soils of Europes
third-largest gas field. (Source: OSO; Photo:
Richard Paton)

H AVILA S HIPPI NG ASA - C ONTRACT FOR H AVILA J UPITER

Havila Shipping ASA has entered into a
contract with MLS/Total E&P Norge AS
for the AHTS vessel Havila Jupiter.
Expected commencement is in April. The
contract is for a period of minimum 85
days with a contract value of NOK 25
million, with possible extension up to 140
days. The vessel, Havyard 845 design, was
delivered from Havyard Leirvik in March
2010. Havila Jupiter has bollard pull of 284
tons.

CH O FFSHORE TO UNLOAD AHTS TO SUBSIDIARY

CH Offshore has entered into a memorandum of agreement with Bahtera Nusantara Indonesia, a
joint venture company between the companys wholly-owned subsidiary, Venture Offshore
(VOPL), and Bahtera Niaga Internasional, to offload an offshore service vessel. Under the

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agreement, Bahtera Nusantara Indonesia will buy either the 2006-built AHTS Tourmaline for
US$29 million from CH Offshore; the 2008-built AHTS Coral for US$30 million from Garo; or the
2010-built AHTS Peridot for US$32.5 million from Sea Glory. (Source: Baird)

Advertisement

S WIBER SECURES US$27 MILLION IN NEW CONTR ACTS

Singapores Swiber Holdings has secured various contracts worth approximately US$27 million for
the charter of its offshore construction and support vessels. These charter contracts from leading oil
majors and other oil and gas contractors include the provision of anchor handling tug and supply
(AHTS) vessels, flat top barges, and a construction barge. These various contracts secured in
Southeast Asia reflect the strong and growing demand for offshore construction and support
vessels, commented Mr Raymond Goh, Executive Chairman of Swiber. The Asia Pacific, to which
we have the largest exposure, has especially attracted the interest of oil and gas companies given
the regions relative political stability and growing domestic demand. We believe that stable oil
prices in the long run will motivate oil and gas companies to increase exploration and production
to meet the demand for energy especially in the Asian region and other emerging countries. This
increase in the oil and gas sector is expected to keep our fleet utilisation high. (Source: Baird)

L ARGE PSV MV B EAUCEPHALUS TO BE DEPLOYED IN B RAZILI AN

WATERS

Global Offshore Services Limited

(Formerly known as Garware
Offshore Services Limited) one of
the leading offshore vessels
services providers has bagged a
contract for 4 years in Brazil
worth Rs 194.5 crore. The
companys large platform supply
vessel (PSV), MV Beaucephalus,
owned by its wholly owned
subsidiary, viz., Global Offshore
Services B.V., will be deployed in
the Brazilian waters for approx.
value of Rs 48.6 crore per annum.
The large PSV was delivered to
the companys wholly owned subsidiary in Dec 2010. The PSV is a state of art Havyard 832L SE
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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

Design, Diesel Electric with Clean Notation, DP2, FiFi and SPS Code. Commenting on this
development, Aditya Garware, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Global Offshore Services
Limited said, We are delighted to have this contract which will give a boost to our growth. With
our continuous efforts on seamless and quality services to our customers, we expect to maintain the
growth momentum going forward. Global Offshores total fleet size stands at 13 vessels which
comprises of 6 Anchor Handling Tug cum Supply Vessels (AHTSV), 4 Platform Supply Vessels
(PSV), 1 Accommodation Work Barge (AWB) on BBC, 1 AHTSV on BBC and 1 Large PSV owned
by its subsidiary. The current deployment of the vessel in the Brazilian waters further strengthens
our commitment towards increasing our presence in new geographical markets, added Aditya
Garware. (Source: Business standard)

Advertisement

N ORTH S EA G IANT AT S CHELDEPOORT S HIPYARD

Docked last Friday at Repair and
Conversion Yard Scheldepoort in
Vlissingen (The Netherlands) Europes
largest Offshore Supply Vessel "North
Sea Giant" for under water area work in
respect to pre-delivery of the new
building project. The vessels main
dimensions are 161 meters LOA and 30
meters width. The hull is built in
Turkey and outfitted with underwater
equipment in Spain. The vessel will continue her itinerary to Norwegian Owner North Sea
Shipping after this yards visit. The Yards scope of work consists among others of UW painting and
polishing of the 5 Voith Schneider propellers. We welcome the North Sea Giant in her North Sea
habitat. (Source : Scheldepoort; Photo: Willem Kruit )

GC R IEBER S HI PPING UPDATES NEW BUILDING PROGRAMM E

GC Rieber Shipping has an ongoing new building programme related to fleet renewal within
subsea and marine seismic. A brief status is provided below. The IMR/CSV new buildings H702
and H703 are being built at the Freire yard in Vigo, Spain. The vessels have high manoeuvrability
and station keeping capabilities and are built according to IMO SPS 2008 rules. H702 ("Polar King")
was delivered 22 March 2011 and will after mobilisation work and sea trials of the 150t offshore
crane commence on a 3 year time charter with Technocean. The vessel is expected operational
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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

from late April 2011. Delivery of H703 is expected post-Summer 2011, and is presently not
committed. The two high-capacity seismic new buildings H532 and H533 are owned by the 65%
owned subsidiary Armada Seismic ASA. Armada took delivery of H532 ("Polar Duke") in June 2010
and the vessel is currently being upgraded at the GMC yard in Stavanger to a capacity of 14
streamers. The upgrade is expected to be completed end April 2011 where after "Polar Duke" will
commence on a 5 year time charter with Dolphin Geophysical ("Dolphin"). Dolphin has an option
to extend the agreement by six years. Armada will, as part of the agreement with Dolphin, invest
USD 54 million in seismic equipment (mainly streamers) on "Polar Duke" and has entered into a 5
year lease agreement for the seismic equipment with Dolphin. The USD 54 million investment will
be financed with USD 32,5 million in long term financing from DnBNOR and USD 21,5 million in
pre-paid lease payments from Dolphin. As part of the transaction, and as previously announced,
Armada will provide Dolphin Group ASA with a convertible loan of USD 6.5 million. The loan can
be converted into shares in Dolphin Group ASA at NOK 2,50 per share, subject to Dolphin
exercising its option to charter H533. The H533 is being built at the Factorias Vulcano yard in
Vigo. Late 2010, the yard initiated debt restructuring proceedings in combination with securing a
EUR 21 million working capital facility related to H533 from Banco Popular guaranteed by the
regional government in Galicia and Pymar. Since January 2011 there has been good progress at the
yard and we expect delivery of H533 in first quarter 2012. Dolphin has an option to charter H533
for a fixed period of three years with an option to extend the agreement by eight years after
completion of the fixed part of the contract. Dolphin's option for H533 must be exercised within 1
November 2011. The purchase contract for the IMR new building H7040 being built at the
Batamec yard in Indonesia has been sold to a third party, at cost price. Equipment for the vessel,
furnished by GC Rieber Shipping, was included in the sale. Net cash effect for GC Rieber Shipping
is about NOK 80 million. (Source: BYM Marine)

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P OLARCUS TAKES DELI VE RY OF P OLARCUS A LIMA

Polarcus Limited (OAX: PLCS) is pleased to
announce that Polarcus Alima AS, a member of
the Polarcus Group, took delivery on 21 March
2011 of Polarcus Alima, the fifth 3D seismic
vessel to date to join the Polarcus fleet. Polarcus
Alima is the sister ship to Polarcus Asima,
delivered to the Polarcus Group in August 2010.
The vessel was built at Drydocks World - Dubai
in the United Arab Emirates and following a
short shakedown will transit to India to
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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

commence her first contract. Polarcus Alima is an ultra-modern and Arctic-ready 12 streamer 3D
seismic vessel of the ULSTEIN SX134 design, with an overall length of 92m and a beam of 21m.
Polarcus Alima is also one of the most environmentally responsible seismic vessels in the industry,
with diesel-electric propulsion, high specification catalytic convertors, a double hull, and advanced
ballast water treatment / bilge water cleaning systems. The vessel carries the stringent DNV
CLEAN-DESIGN class notation. POLARCUS ALIMA has a maximum speed of 15 knots and is
capable of deploying 12 streamers of 9,000m length at 100m separation. (Source: Polarcus)

SCI S ET T O A CQUIRE A NCHO R H ANDLING T OWING & S UPPLY

V ESSELS
State-run Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is all set to acquire two anchor handling towing &
supply vessels of 120 T. Bollard Pull capacity each which were earlier contracted by a Norwegian
Ship-owner, the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement. The contracts were terminated by the
owners in January, 2011. Later SCI signed the shipbuilding contracts with Cochin Shipyard in
February, 2011 at New Delhi. These vessels are in advance stage of construction and will now be
delivered to SCI in July 2011 & September, 2011, the statement adds. Shares of SCI are currently
trading down 0.19 percent at Rs. 106 on the Bombay Stock Exchange. (Source: RTT News)

WINDFARM NEWS
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17 M WINDFARM CAT FROM S EA S PEED D ESIGN

Australia-based Sea Speed Design has
completed and released its new 17
meter windfarm catamaran design.
Developed in accordance with
Ireland's Norfolk Marine, the design,
named the Tern Class Catamaran, is
based on Sea Speed's Deep-Sea cat
hullwhich features a deep vee hull
form, high wing clearance and extra
strong structure and plating. This particular design will also include walk around sides, large
forward and aft work decks, a spacious day cabin and below hull berthing for six crew. Large fuel
capacity matched with fuel efficient hulls offer extended range and fuel bunkering capabilities.

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

The wind farm cat will have a speed of 25 knots and will be powered by two Scania 750 hp
engines. The design and kit combination was prepared in accordance with the MCA criteria with
Hull and Engineering to Lloyd's SSC standard for offshore operations, enabling operation in most
countries. Construction on the first vessel for Norfolk Marine is expected to begin this year.
(Source: MarineLog)

MPI O FFSHORE TAKES DELIVE RY OF MPI A DVENTURE

MPI Offshore Limited (MPI) is
pleased to announce the delivery
today, 21 March 2011, in Qidong,
People's Republic of China, of the
MPI Adventure, the first of two
state-of-the art wind turbine
installation vessels to be built at the
Cosco Qidong Shipyard. The
second vessel, MPI Discovery, is
scheduled for delivery later this
year. The MPI Adventure is a wind
turbine installation vessel (WTIV),
designed to transport, lift and
install wind turbines and their foundations. She is the world's most advanced and most efficient
WTIV, in terms of jacking speed, deck space, lifting capacity and positioning capabilities (DP2).
These enhanced characteristics have been achieved without losing the original concept of a
unique combination of tested technologies, pioneered by MPI on its first WTIV, MPI Resolution.
The experience gained from operating MPI Resolution in the offshore wind turbine installation
market since 2003 has proved vital in implementing these enhancements. Key features on the MPI
Adventure include a 1,000-tonne-capacity main crane, plus a 50-tonne-capacity auxiliary crane,
accommodation capacity for 112 persons, a maximum operating depth of 40 metres (at 5.0m leg
penetration and 7.8m air gap) and an ability to jack with 6,000 tonnes of cargo on board. Paul
Gibson, Chairman of MPI Offshore Limited said "This is truly a proud day for all at MPI, Vroon
and the Cosco Shipyard, plus the many other parties who have worked tirelessly for the last three
years to bring about the delivery of such an impressive piece of engineering. I have no doubt that,
once in service, MPI Adventure will soon demonstrate that she really is a class act! She is a
welcome addition to the MPI fleet and will serve to consolidate our position as a world leader in
the construction of offshore wind installations." Following completion of the repositioning voyage
from China and arrival in European waters, MPI Adventure will be engaged in the installation of
foundation components for the London Array Offshore Wind Farm in the United Kingdom. The
London Array is an offshore wind farm under construction in the outer Thames Estuary. The
development is approximately 30 km off the North Foreland on the Kent coast in the area of Long
Sand and Kentish Knock and, when complete, will cover 230 square kilometres between Margate
in Kent and Clacton in Essex. Phase 1, with 175 turbines and a combined capacity of 630
megawatts is planned to deliver power to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. With an
eventual total of 1,000 megawatt capacity, the London Array Offshore Wind Farm is expected to
become the world's largest offshore wind farm. (Source: Vroon)

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

F IRST FOUNDATION INST ALLED AT L ONDON A RRAY

The first of 177 foundations has been installed at the London Array offshore windfarm. The
monopile, weighing around 268 tonnes, was supplied and installed by joint venture company Per
Arsleff Bilfinger Berger Ingeniurbeu GmBH using A2SEAs jack-up barge, Seaworker. The
transition piece was then lifted into place, completing the projects first full foundation
installation. Foundations will continue to arraive and be installed in a pre-determined patter, each
one having been designed and built specifically for its installation location. (Source: OSO)

L YME B OATS LAUNCHES WINDFA RM SERVI CE CAT

The Incat Crowther-designed Santa

Ana is distinguishable by its twin
cargo areas, one aft and one on the
foredeck. The aft cargo area has space
for a 10-foot sea container, and has a
capacity of 10 tonnes. The foredeck
cargo zone has capacity for four
tonnes. The vessel is specifically
designed to interface with wind farm
pylons, allowing transfer of crew and
cargo over the bow, stern or alongside.
To enhance the flexibility of the vessel,
there are crane bases located on the
foredeck, as well as the upper deck outboard. This will allow the operator flexibility to configure
the crane location as necessary for the contracted service. Between these two cargo areas is the
main cabin, featuring comfortable seating for 12 passengers with tables, lockers, a large galley and
lounge, as well as wet room and shower facilities. On the upper deck is the wheelhouse with
excellent vision of both cargo areas. Safety is further enhanced by the addition of pilot-style
windows in the forward wheelhouse roof, which afford the operator the ability to observe the
platform and crew heading up the turbine ladder. Accessed from the main deck cabin, the hulls
feature tank spaces amidships and two twin cabins each side forward. (Source: Baird)

YARD NEWS

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

F INCANTIERI TO BUILD TWO PSV S FOR T IDEWATER

Fincantieri has been awarded a contract to
build two PSV vessels by Tidewater, the
worlds largest provider of marine support
services for offshore industries. The ships,
the first scheduled for delivery before the
end of 2012 and the second within mid-
2013, will be built at Sturgeon Bay
shipyard (Wisconsin, USA), which is
owned by Fincantieri Marine Group, a
company in Fincantieri Group. The ships
are Platform Supply Vessels, used to
provide services to drilling platforms and
to support offshore activities. Innovative
characteristics of these vessels are their diesel-electric propulsion and their ability to operate in
deep seas at Artic temperatures. Designed in accordance with strict regulations regarding fire
prevention and reduction of environmental impact, the 92.5 meter long, 19 meter wide vessels
which will be certified by the American Bureau of Shipping will be able to reach speeds of over
14 knots. Sturgeon Bay is one of four US shipyards in Fincantieri Marine Group and specializes in
newbuilding of commercial ships and shiprepair services. Sturgeon Bay shipyard, as Marinette
yard, is undergoing considerable upgrading with the aim of increasing efficiency. Commenting on
todays announcement, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: This order from the worlds
leading operator in offshore services confirms that our US shipyards are capable of making their
mark also in the civilian sector. Mr Bono added: In this period of crisis the contribution of our US
companies to Fincantieris global results is even more important. Contracts already gained in the
USA include 12 LCS Littoral Combat Ships for the US Navy, ten of which recently ordered with
a 4 billion dollar contract, an oceanographic research vessel (Alaska Region Research Vessel
ARRV) ordered by the University of Fairbanks (Alaska), a further fish and oceanographic research
vessel for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), plus 105 RB-Ms vessels for
the US Coast Guard, forty of which are under construction at Fincantieris ACE Marine shipyard.
Last but not least, hopes are high for the program Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC). In anticipation
of the call for tender for the construction of a new fleet of hovercraft for the US Navy (80 vessels
worth over 4 billion dollars) Fincantieri and the giant of the aerospace industry, Boeing, signed an
agreement of cooperation in 2009. (Source Offshore Energy Today)

Y UEXIN SIGNS FOUR - VESSEL AHTS DEAL

Yuexin Shipbuilding, Martens Marine and the China National Aero Technology Import and Export
Xiamen Corporation held a signing ceremony for four 58.7-metre AHTSs on March 16. Built under
ABS survey, including +Al E OFFSHORE SUPPORT VESSEL, AH, TOWING VESSEL, FIRE
FIGHTING VESSEL CLASS 1,+AMS +DPS-1, the vessels have a moulded breath of 14.6 metres
and a 4.75-metre maximum draught. Power is provided by twin Caterpillar main engines, each
rated at 1,920kW at 1,600RPM, driving a pair of controllable pitch propellers. The vessel can carry
475m3 fuel oil, 230m3 fresh water, 250m3 mud and 187m3 dry bulk, with a 65-tonne designed
bollard pull and 13.5-knot design speed. Electrical power is supplied by two 350kW diesel-driven
generators and two 800kW shaft generators. (Source: Baird)

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12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

M ERIAURA ORDERS MULTI PURPOSE DECK CARGO V ESSEL

Gaiamare Ltd of the

Meriaura group of
companies and STX
Finland Oy have signed a
contract for the
construction of a versatile
multipurpose deck cargo
vessel at the Turku
shipyard. The 105 metres
long and 19 metres wide
vessel will have a cargo
capacity of 5,000 tons on
deck. The vessel is
designed for transportation of demanding project cargo, such as offshore wind farm structures.
Environmental issues are of high priority. The diesel electric machinery is designed to operate on
alternative bio-oils. Designed as a Double Acting Ship with technology from Aker Arctic, the
vessel will move stern first in difficult ice conditions. The newbuilding is also designed to operate
as an oil spill response vessel. In the hull there are tanks with a volume of 2,700 cubic metres.
Equipped with a DP system, the manoeuvrability is excellent due to two electric rudder propellers
and two bow thrusters. The ship will be delivered during spring 2012. (Source: Shipgaz; Photo:
STX Finland)

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Havila Shipping ASA Contract for Havila Jupiter

Havila Shipping ASA Boards approval of 2010 Financial Accounts
MSC Chitra goes to Alang
Italian tugboat and 11 crew released from Libya
Italian ships crew detained in Tripoli

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22/23
12TH VOLUME, NO. 12 DATED 27 MARCH 2011

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