Maritime News Thread

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021693#Comment_121021693

Due in just before noon.

Currently listed as Berth 46 on Dublin Port website, which seems a bit odd

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012613#Comment_121012613

they're saying they've lost their berth in Liverpool - is this the whole story? Has another company outbid them for the berth?

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021863#Comment_121021863

One of the bulk loading berths? Strange indeed.

It could be a ruse for security reasons or perhaps they want handy access for people going to and from the stadium. Either way, not very glamorous lodgings!

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021791#Comment_121021791

For a US defence tender? No, not really. In fact the last ship of the class was over 2 billion dollars.

Yes, she's comparable in size to a typical car ferry, but you're paying for the ultimate in materials, armoured sections, highly sophisticated electronic systems throughout; sensors and electronic warfare equipment, missiles, fire control and combat information systems, countermeasures and all the hard and software to handle 8 or 10 helicopters or 4 tilt-rotor craft.

Even the new Irish multirole/extended patrol vessel of one quarter the size, will be €300 million at current prices.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022334#Comment_121022334

Still a shedload of money for 1 ship. And is that rust on the hull or something else?

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022287#Comment_121022287

Dublin Port have 46 listed as an alternative cruise ship berth in documents as well - so could well be planning to berth there

Yakov P. Golyadkin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022361#Comment_121022361

Probably rust, it's an ongoing issue with the US navy

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/06/navsea-comments-on-rusty-u-s-navy-ships-and-new-paint-coatings/

Yakov P. Golyadkin

Crawling into port now

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021791#Comment_121021791

US Work practices are very inefficient. Its worth watching the videos of these ships being built. Much hammering and torching to get things that should fit to fit. Lost time, overtime, because key machinery breaks down. Add to that the monopoly the yards have over DoD, there is no real competition for work, and with lobbying, the DoD pay whatever the yard demands. By comparison, the Dutch Karel Doorman, which is similar in role and capability, hit the water at just about €350m including its integrated mast.

It says a lot that the US does not export its designs like other navies do. Even Canada went to the UK for its next class of frigate. Sure they sell them off to some 3rd world navy when they have worn them out, but nobody is willing to pay the US yards the asking price, except US Governments.

They use the Jones Act to their advantage, and like the 2nd Amendment, nobody dare touch it.

odyssey06

Cruise ships runs aground off Greenland

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/09/13/rescue-mission-underway-after-luxury-cruise-ship-runs-aground-in-greenland

Dohvolle

It was towed off by a fishery protection vessel yesterday. No damage reported.

AndyBoBandy

Pretty extraordinary scenes off the coast of Cork yesterday when the Irish Army Rangers stormed the MV Matthew, which was not cooperating with instructions by the Naval Services to stop, and was steaming out towards international waters... They arrested her and brought her to Cork where they found 2.2 tons of Colombian Marching Powder!!!

https://twitter.com/thejournal_ie/status/1706773597329486022?s=46&t=oDtWal0bd4EVRHG4lzZF_A

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121163778#Comment_121163778

I wonder how the trawler stuck up on the Blackwater sandbank is getting on in this weather???

HeidiHeidi

A 14m ketch being towed in by Clifden and Achill lifeboats - fairly manky weather for all concerned! AIS giving it as 34kts SE - yuck!!

AndyBoBandy

and an apt name....

Atlantic Dawn

Interesting doc on RTÉ radio about a cargo ship called Skyhope...

https://www.rte.ie/radio/doconone/1411831-skyhope

Flipperdipper

Anyone got any information on this ? It's showing as a SAR aircraft but speed 0 knots. It was south of the Saltee Islands yesterday evening.

Atlantic Dawn

I see on Afloat that the Celtic Voyager has been sold to a company in Canada, it was the first purpose built marine research vessel for Ireland, it went for auction in September. It's currently docked in the Azores on the way across the Atlantic.

https://afloat.ie/marine-environment/marine-science/item/61411-marine-science-vessel-celtic-voyager-sets-sail-to-canada

Tabnabs

A lucky escape for an Irish owned tanker that came under sustained attack from Yemeni terrorists.

Incidents in the Red Sea are increasing after the Houthi rebels issued a statement saying that they would expand their efforts to include any vessel they believed was bound for Israel or involved in trade with Israel. U.S., UK, and French naval forces are all reporting encounters with at least one tanker attacked today, December 13, and in a further escalation the attackers took to a small boat while individuals identifying as “Yemeni authorities” continued to demand that vessels divert.

U.S. Central Command confirmed an attempted Houthi attack on the Marshall Island-registered chemical tanker Ardmore Encounter (49,500 dwt) while sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The shipping company confirmed to the Associated Press that the vessel had been approached and fired upon but said the crew was safe and the vessel was proceeding with an escort from a U.S. warship.

The incident began at 0830 when the tanker, which is transporting a cargo of jet fuel from India to Europe, first reported being approached by a small boat. United Kingdom Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports there were three armed persons onboard and that the incident was approximately 50 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen. When the small boat was within half a nautical mile of the tanker armed security guards aboard the vessel fired warning shots and the attackers reportedly shot at the tanker.

After the small boat moved away from the tanker, the vessel received a radio call from the “Yemeni authorities” ordering it to sail toward Yemen. Associated Press is citing unnamed U.S. officials who said coalition forces advised the vessel to continue on course while two missiles were also fired at the tanker. Some reports said one missile was shot down while the other fell into the sea. The captain of the Ardmore Encounter reported that they saw an explosion 200 meters astern.

The destroyer USS Mason was dispatched to assist the tanker and as it was proceeding to the area reportedly tracked a drone traveling in the same direction. The U.S. vessel shot down the drone and escorted the tanker out of the danger zone.

"The UAV was heading directly towards the Mason and was shot down in self-defense. There were no injuries to personnel and no damage to any vessels," U.S. Central Command said in a statement late Wednesday. 

UKMTO, which coordinates with the Royal Navy and issues warnings to commercial shipping, released a second alert after it received reports of small boats operating in the Arabian Sea off the Omani city of Al Duqm. They warned that five to six small boats with powerful outboard motors that could likely attain 25 knots were following the unidentified merchant ship for at least 90 minutes. The boats were reported to have a machine gun mounted near the bow but the boats cleared the area without approaching the vessel that reported the incident to UKMTO.

France’s Marine Nationale also reported yesterday that its frigate FREMM Languedoc, which has been in the area around the Red Sea since December 8, has again also taken down a drone. The vessel on December 9 shot down two drones and then on December 11 assisted the Norwegian tanker Strinda, which was attacked. The Languedoc shot down another drone which they believed was attempting to attack the tanker after the vessel had already been hit by the missile. The Languedoc also positioned itself to protect the tanker preventing according to the statement an attempt to hijack the vessel.

The increase in activity in the Red Sea area comes as the White House reports President Joe Biden is actively working with U.S. allies to create a multi-national naval task force. Unconfirmed reports indicated that the U.S. is proposing that the warships would escort merchant vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the danger zone near Yemen.

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/tanker-approached-and-shots-missiles-fired-as-incidents-increase-near-yemen

Dohvolle

It seems now having the smallest connection to anyone from Israel is enough to justify being targeted by Houthi. Given the way shipping is managed internationally, that's about every ship at sea. Many of the cruise lines use Israeli security staff, for example.

neris

Red Sea becoming a no go zone for cargo ships heading for the Suez

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67758126

Tabnabs

This is a great read regarding the naval chaos in the Red Sea.

https://twitter.com/johnkonrad/status/1737956292436615453

Dohvolle

I've been following Sal's updates on youtube almost daily now. Its a very fluid situation.

Can't help but wonder though, if all the big lines hadn't flagged out to Flag of Convenience states back in the 90s, would this situation be easier to manage? The Houthi are targeting anything coming from, going to or connected to Israel. It is hard to find any line these days that does not have an Israeli connection, even the Emerald tanker (head office in Cork) could be linked to Israeli investors.

Pre FoC, the flag state could declare "the xxx Navy will protect its fleet at all costs from attacks of this nature". And the Flag state would also regulate anything else that went on aboard, such as crew competency. Unfortunately the Marshal Islands, Panama, Liberia or Malta do not maintain large navies with the capability to protect all the merchant vessels under its flag, and care not one jot for what happens to Ships under their flag, as long as the brass plate operation pays its annual fee.

Numast etc was warning the Merchant Shipping trade about this to anyone who would listen in the 1990s. Only the USA (with the Jones Act) keeps controls over its merchant fleet, and has the naval fleet capable of maintaining an international presence. The Chinese Navy are present in the Red sea also it seems, but have made no effort to protect merchant ships from attack, not even its own huge Post Panamax Container fleet.

HeidiHeidi

An unusual spot for 4 ships (and possibly a 5th), all destined for Dublin Port, to anchor? What's wrong with the usual anchorage on the south side of Dublin Bay?

Ghost Train

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121539413#Comment_121539413

Maybe the weather, you don't want to anchor where you might be quickly blown towards land if something goes wrong. Or just a more sheltered spot for this weather

Dohvolle

You get a nice lee from the Wicklow mountains near Bray that you won't get closer to the harbour entrance. Also, far less chance of getting dragged onto the Kish bank or similar.

HeidiHeidi

Mmmm.... maybe.

But I've spent a lot of time over the years in Dublin Bay, and I've seen ships at anchor in the official anchorage in all sorts of weather (way worse than what we're having today/this week).

And I don't ever recall seeing ships at anchor off Bray. I don't think you'd get much more shelter there in the current winds than you would on the official anchorage.

Anyway, it just struck me as strange.

AndyBoBandy

Do ships have to pay a fee to anchor in the Dublin Bay anchorage?

Im guessing yes as otherwise why does the W.B. Yeats loiter just off Lambay Island on its off days instead of just going to the anchorage for the few hours it needs to vacate the berth in Dublin for the other Irish Ferries ships…

so maybe it’s so save a few quid for the owners?

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121540441#Comment_121540441

That might have something to do with it.

But a bunch of them at anchor off Bray is something I've never seen before - and I do remember one ship on the anchorage for months on end because the company had gone bankrupt, or some such story - the sailors were effectively prisoners on board.

I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for it, but I'd love to know for sure!

ETA - there's another two that haven't anchored, but one is doing laps just north of Wicklow, and the other one has been hanging around and has just been across to Wales and back.

All waiting for the lads in Dublin Port to finish the Christmas dinner?

loyatemu

I live in Greystones and there are ships anchored off Bray Head from time to time, sometimes for several days. Here's a pic from today

I don't see how they could enforce a fee for anchoring in Dublin Bay though, surely if you're outside the harbour you can drop anchor where you like (provided you're not in a shipping lane)