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Maritime News Thread

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  • Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭Bagenal


    seanmacc wrote: »
    The freight traffic would be there alright. There's already a massive lack of capacity on the direct route from Ireland to France for freight. A report I heard about over 30% of traffic going on the direct route to France ends up in Spain. But then again there may be no need to introduce a route to Spain if freight capacity directly into France was increased.

    Long haul ferry routes are a risky venture in this day and age though
    You are possibly correct Sean but would a good deal of the 30% going to Spain be the livestock trucks? If there was a service from Cork the boat would have to be approved for and willing to carry them.
    Dub13 the Brittany Ferries website says 20 hours from Plymouth to Santander.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭seanmacc


    Bagenal wrote: »
    You are possibly correct Sean but would a good deal of the 30% going to Spain be the livestock trucks? If there was a service from Cork the boat would have to be approved for and willing to carry them.

    None of it is. It was going on Oscar Wilde movements and they don't take livestock at all (horses excepted). A large proportion of it is meat and fresh produce.

    Probably the best option for a regular Ro-Ro service to Spain is a freight ship with a decent PC. A lot of the demand would be drop trailer business. They would probably only need to take no more that 30 cars or so during peak season.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Lots of interesting reading in the Ports Policy report published today
    The main features of the new policy are:

    Instead of adopting a ‘laissez faire’ approach, the Government will become a more active or activist shareholder;
    Private investment in the ports will be encouraged;
    Move from a ‘one size fits all’ policy to one that recognises that different ports have different roles to play, now and in the future. In recognising the different roles of each port, this policy determines which are of National Significance and have a national function, and which are of Regional Significance with a specialist significance at national level:

    Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) are designated as: Dublin Port Company, the Port of Cork Company and Shannon Foynes Port;
    Ports of National Significance (Tier 2) are designated as Rosslare Europort and the Port of Waterford Company;
    Ports of Regional Significance: The remaining 14 ports account for 8% of national trade, but many have national significance in terms of specialist services or products. These include the five State companies at Drogheda, Dún Laoghaire, Galway, New Ross and Wicklow. These Ports of Regional Significance will be placed within a local authority-led governance structure with local authorities taking shareholdings in the ports.

    • Future investment in deepwater capacity, when needed, will not occur until it has been subjected to stringent analysis commissioned by the Department, and will be led by the national ports;
    • The commercial mandate of ports will remain. They will be expected to turn a profit, pay a dividend and will not receive Exchequer grants.

    The new policy will allow for appropriate private-sector investment in ports. A new performance oversight system, and a new approach to capacity planning, will be developed to make sure that all ports are fulfilling their potential.

    http://www.imdo.ie/IMDO/newsroom/top-news-story.htm

    http://www.imdo.ie/NR/rdonlyres/70F32679-8CBF-4002-8FBA-F5FF3EF1DAF4/0/NationalPortsPolicy2013Web.pdf

    http://afloat.ie/port-news/port-and-shipping-news/item/21265-new-ports-policy-to-provide-framework-for-maritime-sector-development


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    A bit of cohesion is what was needed. No real point in all the ports competing against each other for work.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    The worlds first shiptunnel is being built in Norway in 2017-2018.
    The Norwegian government has given 1 billion to start of the project.just in the news a few days ago.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stad_Ship_Tunnel

    http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/trondheim/article3286653.ece


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    Surely that story should have been released on Monday? :)

    1.6bn NKR????!!! That's only €200m


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    They've been talking about that project for years. Stad headland is a ferocious area and they regularly have to convoy small boats (leisure stuff) around to keep them safe. Sounds outlandish as a concept, but sure they've more money than sense up there ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    They've been talking about that project for years. Stad headland is a ferocious area and they regularly have to convoy small boats (leisure stuff) around to keep them safe. Sounds outlandish as a concept, but sure they've more money than sense up there ;)

    Its gonna change the course for all shipping along the coast of Norway;)
    Instead of crossing the weather hard stadt,they can go trough the tunnel instead,saves alot of time and money.
    And i am sure its gonna be a huge tourist attraction:D
    Two tunnels are planned,one big takes the hurtigruten sized vessels,and one small for leisure boats,fishing boats etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭Bagenal


    seanmacc wrote: »
    None of it is. It was going on Oscar Wilde movements and they don't take livestock at all (horses excepted). A large proportion of it is meat and fresh produce.

    Probably the best option for a regular Ro-Ro service to Spain is a freight ship with a decent PC. A lot of the demand would be drop trailer business. They would probably only need to take no more that 30 cars or so during peak season.

    Would 30% of the freight carried on the Oscar Wilde make it viable to start a direct route to Spain from Cork.
    It's capacity ( taken from marinetraffic.com)
    Capacity


    PAX: 1458
    Cars: 580
    Trucks: 65
    RoRo Lanes Length: 1220
    So on 4 trips a week (3 to Cherbourg and 1 to Roscoff) carrying it's max capacity of freight = 260 30% of which is 78 one way. I would think that amount would only justify 1 sailing each direction per week, the vessel would need other routes to operate on for the rest of the week.

    As Goldie Fish said theres no point in all ports competing for similar routes.

    You have to take into account also that some of those hauliers are paid on a per km basis and would be very reluctant to use a direct ferry which would result in loss of earnings as they don't get paid for sitting on a ferry.
    It would also be very difficult to operate a dropped trailer service due to cabotage rules.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭seanmacc


    Bagenal wrote: »
    Would 30% of the freight carried on the Oscar Wilde make it viable to start a direct route to Spain from Cork.
    It's capacity ( taken from marinetraffic.com)
    Capacity


    PAX: 1458
    Cars: 580
    Trucks: 65
    RoRo Lanes Length: 1220
    So on 4 trips a week (3 to Cherbourg and 1 to Roscoff) carrying it's max capacity of freight = 260 30% of which is 78 one way. I would think that amount would only justify 1 sailing each direction per week, the vessel would need other routes to operate on for the rest of the week.

    As Goldie Fish said theres no point in all ports competing for similar routes.

    You have to take into account also that some of those hauliers are paid on a per km basis and would be very reluctant to use a direct ferry which would result in loss of earnings as they don't get paid for sitting on a ferry.
    It would also be very difficult to operate a dropped trailer service due to cabotage rules.

    During the Summer season the Oscar Wilde turns down an absolute load of trucks on every sailing, as a result a large amount of the freight has to drive through Britain. Extra capacity to the continent will also make it easier for exporters and the importation of products from the continent. If there is an easier way to import/export to the continent the market will grow. Any route directly to Spain will be mainly drop trailer business, I can't see how cabotage rules can effect this. Already you have drivers sitting on the Oscar Wilde/ Celtic Horizon for 18 hours+. What's another 6?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    tricky D wrote: »
    Further developments on the USS Guardian, from The Guardian no less!


    US navy will dismantle minesweeper stranded on coral reef

    The damage to the ship that ran aground in the Philippines is so extensive the vessel will have to be cut up and removed

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/30/us-navy-dismantle-minesweeper-coral
    The senior officers of the USS Guardian was fired today:eek:
    I guess it had to be some heads rollin after this.


    http://gcaptain.com/senior-leadership-ex-uss-guardian/


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    They're calling it a ship, bit more of a barge really, but a very interesting scheme.

    IHA_20130208_271645.jpg
    The Karadeniz Powership Fatmagül Sultan, which has a production capacity of 205 MW of electricity, will be operated in Lebanon by a sixty-member team of technicians and engineers. The Powership is 142 meters long and 42 meters wide. The Powership houses the electricity generating equipment, the high voltage transformers, a special workshop as well as onboard fuel tanks allowing for continuous power production.

    http://beiruting.com/LeMag/Karadeniz_Powership_FATMAG%C3%9CL_SULTAN_arrives_to_Lebanon_/794


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭seanmacc


    No return for the Isle of Inishfree.

    Off the ICG website.
    Irish Continental Group plc announces that it has entered an agreement for the extension of the bareboat charter of its vessel MV Kaitaki, (formerly MV Isle of Innisfree), to KiwiRail Limited (trading as Interislander), of New Zealand, for a period of four years from 1 July 2013, in direct continuation from the current charter, which was due to expire on 30 June 2013. The charter rate is €3.75 million per annum. The agreement also provides for an option for Interislander to extend the charter for a further period of three years from July 2017, at a reduced rate.

    There was talk of the Inishfree returning to the Irish Sea to facilitate ICG to compete with the Stena Nordica but this agreement has kicked that prospect away. ICG's last interim management statement had already stated that there would be no increase in capacity on their routes.

    Its a shame, anyone who worked with or on the Inishfree speaks very highly of it in terms of speed, reliability and versatility. The fact that Interislander Ferries are so keen to hang onto it despite it being the only ship on their routes not to have a rail deck says a lot about the ship too.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,252 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dub13


    Speaking of the Stena Nordica,surly thats in line to be replaced..?I have used it a few times over the last year and its way to small.


  • Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭Bagenal


    Taken from the IIFA newsletter which I received today

    Irish Continental Group - Freight Report

    The Irish Continental Group plc recently released their Statement of Results for the Year ended 31 December 2012. The report contained a small feature on Freight as follows:

    "The Republic of Ireland's RORO market remained challenging with overall volumes marginally lower than 2011 (194.5 in 2011 down 5.6% to 183.7 in 2012). There also continues to be overcapacity in the freight market particularly on the longer sea routes, which is unsustainable at current market demand. There was some recognition of this in the termination by one operator of a pure RORO service from Heysham to Northern Ireland.

    Irish Ferries carryings, at 183,700 freight units were down approximately 5.6% in the year reflecting this difficult economic and capacity backdrop.

    The extremely challenging economic circumstances in the Republic of Ireland and UK contributed to the lack of growth in the market and the pressure on operating costs for our freight customers remained intense. Irish Ferries remained focused on delivering high quality service combined with real value for regular users of our services. The backdrop of increased fuel costs also made trading difficult for our customers who are consumers of road diesel in addition to purchasing deck space on our ferries."


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Dub13 wrote: »
    Speaking of the Stena Nordica,surly thats in line to be replaced..?I have used it a few times over the last year and its way to small.

    I've heard the most unlikely rumour that Stena are looking at new tonnage for Dun Laoghaire. TBF, the Explorer can't go on forever, but the unique set up of DL massively restricts the options. Unless, the old chestnut of the Stena Charisma is back on the table?

    http://www.stenaline.com/en/stena-line/corporate/about-stena-line/routes-and-vessels/ship-gallery/Stena-Carisma---Express

    But it was a rumour from a good source, so who knows...:confused:


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,462 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    seanmacc wrote: »
    Its a shame, anyone who worked with or on the Inishfree speaks very highly of it in terms of speed, reliability and versatility. The fact that Interislander Ferries are so keen to hang onto it despite it being the only ship on their routes not to have a rail deck says a lot about the ship too.

    Not being cursed also helps :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭seanmacc


    Bagenal wrote: »
    Taken from the IIFA newsletter which I received today

    Irish Continental Group - Freight Report

    The Irish Continental Group plc recently released their Statement of Results for the Year ended 31 December 2012. The report contained a small feature on Freight as follows:

    "The Republic of Ireland's RORO market remained challenging with overall volumes marginally lower than 2011 (194.5 in 2011 down 5.6% to 183.7 in 2012). There also continues to be overcapacity in the freight market particularly on the longer sea routes, which is unsustainable at current market demand. There was some recognition of this in the termination by one operator of a pure RORO service from Heysham to Northern Ireland.

    Irish Ferries carryings, at 183,700 freight units were down approximately 5.6% in the year reflecting this difficult economic and capacity backdrop.

    The extremely challenging economic circumstances in the Republic of Ireland and UK contributed to the lack of growth in the market and the pressure on operating costs for our freight customers remained intense. Irish Ferries remained focused on delivering high quality service combined with real value for regular users of our services. The backdrop of increased fuel costs also made trading difficult for our customers who are consumers of road diesel in addition to purchasing deck space on our ferries."

    I'll call BS on this one.

    The reason Irish Ferries RORO freight carryings are down is down to 2 simple reasons.
    1. The Nordica is taking traffic away. Although the Nordica was around last year Stena have been more efficient at filling her up with freight in the last year. Often there is more freight on the Nordica in the afternoon than Stena's route flagship Adventurer in the evening. As they have more options than Irish Ferries and a lot of hauliers get discounts based on their volumes with the companies more will go to Stena.

    2. Stena are able to offer their freight customers Ferrylink or Landbridge services on their own ferrys from Britain to France making a large amount of traffic want to go with them. Irish Ferries don't presently offer that to freight customers forcing them to go through brokers.

    What Irish Ferries have going for them is a dam fine and reliable vessel in the Ulysess. After Stena's debacle over their drydock cover, the Finnarrow incident and several long weather delays of the Nordica and Adventurer a lot of traffic has swung back their way this year.

    Its funny how when it comes to passenger traffic Irish Ferries and Stena operate like a cartel, where their prices are almost the exact same as each other all year round. They do compete for scraps of freight business.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    private Security guards defending a vessel against Somali pirates.

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e2_1333668975


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    That's a pretty old clip now.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    That's a pretty old clip now.

    Maybe to You,not to me


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭seanmacc


    Ooops!

    Stena Aventurer cancelled out of Dublin tonight. Cancellation came at about 20:00hrs.

    They cancelled Roslare-Fishgaurd earlier today as well.


  • Registered Users Posts: 471 ✭✭The_Wrecker


    Tabnabs wrote: »
    I've heard the most unlikely rumour that Stena are looking at new tonnage for Dun Laoghaire. TBF, the Explorer can't go on forever, but the unique set up of DL massively restricts the options. Unless, the old chestnut of the Stena Charisma is back on the table?

    http://www.stenaline.com/en/stena-line/corporate/about-stena-line/routes-and-vessels/ship-gallery/Stena-Carisma---Express

    But it was a rumour from a good source, so who knows...:confused:

    The HSS Voyager has been stripped back to its rivets! The Explorer will have parts for a few years yet. http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14050:hss-readies-for-breakers&catid=71&Itemid=63


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    It may have parts, but it may not have sufficient load to justify the fuel costs.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter




  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    Deadliest Catch Vs the Canadian Navy :eek:
    Trawler strikes navy ship sending 6 to B.C. hospital
    HMCS Winnipeg struck by American fishing trawler near CFB Esquimalt

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/04/23/bc-navy-esquimalt-ship-collision.html


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭ex_infantry




  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,108 ✭✭✭pedroeibar1


    What an idiot. All crew were on the weather deck - he clearly was trying to squeeze through because he luffed up, then lost way and crrunch! No race is worth that!
    The reason for the delay is not very clear from the article (The journalist’s reporting and English skills are rubbish, he does not know the difference between ‘flouting’ and ‘flaunting’.)
    IMO the prosecution process took longer because the case was brought in a Crown Court (hears indictable offences) as opposed to a Magistrates Court (minor offences), probably because the offence was considered very serious. (Crown/Magistrates are +/- like our Circuit and District Courts). His defence team challenged jurisdiction, trying to get it heard in the lower court. The closing paragraph suggests that they were successful – so a Magistrates Court will be 3 lay people on the bench with advisors as opposed to a judge and jury. There also is a cap on the fine/sentencing.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,538 ✭✭✭✭Poor Uncle Tom


    Anyone at a loose end this weekend coming?

    Maritime Festival for everyone http://dungarvanmaritimefestival.com/

    https://www.facebook.com/DungarvanMaritimeFestival


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