SMI Newsdesk Archives

The impact of proposed changes to the Jones Act and the use of foreign flagged vessels in the US offshore sector is already being felt by seafarers according to international shipping recruitment agency Faststream, with companies rushing to replace their non-US crews.

Should the proposals by the US Customs and Borders Protection (CBP) first issued in July 2009 be implemented, they would radically change the interpretations of rules for vessels … Read More…

Drydocks World – Southeast Asia has raised over S$80,000 for underprivileged children in Batam Island, Indonesia, through its annual charity golf tournament held at the beginning of August at the Indah Puri Golf Resort in Batam. This is the second charity golf tournament organized by DDW-SEA.

Over 140 golfers participated this year which is significantly higher than the participation at the inaugural competition held last year. Donations also … Read More…

Cardiff-based Graig Ship Management has established a new company in Singapore. Graig Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd will provide ship management, crewing and other services across Asia. Geoff Hutcheon has been appointed General Manager.

“Singapore is one of the world’s leading maritime hubs and the ideal place for the Graig Group to expand its Asian footprint,” said Hutcheon. “We will be building a significant presence here to provide technical and commercial … Read More…

The International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has urged its shipmanager members to seek legal advice before entering into any contracts with owners relating to the laying-up of vessels.

ITIC says there has been a recent sharp increase in the number of lay-up contracts which it has been asked to review. Some of these agreements are based on amended shipmanagement contracts, where the manager acts as agent for and on behalf … Read More…

Harry Vafias-controlled StealthGas has reported a 60% fall in net income for the first six months of the year, partly blaming weaker markets and losses it incurred on the sale of vessels and on interest rate swap arrangements and foreign currency hedging arrangements.

However, it pointed to a healthier smaller LPG market moving forward and a recovery in charterer’s confidence. It said that because of the way it was structured, … Read More…

Latest figures from the Irish Maritime Development Office ( IMDO) in Dublin, show that since March, there has been an ongoing slight increase in port traffic on a month-by-month basis.

In both May and June, volumes were up by 4% each month. However, the overall figures are still well down on last year’s. But the IMDO warns that Irish ports still have much leeway to make up to … Read More…

The Liberian Registry has taken a lead in the fight against piracy by producing an innovative computer-based programme specifically designed to train seafarers and company security officers in the practices necessary to avoid, deter or delay acts of piracy.

The decision to produce the Best Management Practice (BMP) programme was taken following a New York meeting in May this year of the UN Contact Group on Somalian Piracy, at which the … Read More…

One of the world’s major providers of factory-to-dealer vehicle transportation services, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) is continuing to lead the industry in its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of deep sea cargo movements.

Melanie Moore, Global Head of Environment and Quality, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics said that the company had calculated that it cut CO2 emissions in grams per tonne kilometre (g/tkm) by 6.9% in 2008 compared to 2007 and … Read More…

Limassol-based Intership Navigation has taken its training responsibilities seriously and ordered two 180,000 dwt bulk carriers that will also serve as dedicated training vessels.

According to a report in the daily shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List, each vessel will carry 12 trainees and an instructor on a special education deck. Intership Managing Director Eugen Adami told the paper that the ships would have a complete deck for training, with real simulation … Read More…

Golden Ocean Group Limited has reported “encouraging” signs of market recovery with net income of $101 million and earnings per share of $0.22 for the second quarter of 2009, confirming its “robust” financial position after a considerably unstable start to the year.

With total operating revenues for the second quarter amounting to $85.2m, gains from the buy back of the convertible bond of $96.1m as well as a loss … Read More…

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has released new guidelines for ice-bound navigation in anticipation that “the Arctic Ocean will become a regular sea route for international trade between East and West due to the effects of global warming,” it has stated.

Its new ‘Guidelines for Navigating Ice Covered Seas in Russian Territorial Waters’ have been published as a result of a rapid rise in global demand for energy and an … Read More…

Odense Steel Shipyard is closing down its shipbuilding capacity having run up considerable annual deficits, and despite a continued struggle to stay afloat it has realised the impossibility of attracting orders which are commercially sound, A.P. Møller – Mærsk has announced.

Expansion of shipyard capacities in low cost countries in the Far East has created a competitive situation for the shipbuilding industry which has proved fatal for Odense Steel Shipyard, … Read More…