Collection of Maritime Press Clippings

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2020 – 147
Number 147 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 26-05-2020
News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.
The CHRISTOS XXII (Ex Smit Enterprise) outbound from Rotterdam passing Maassluis
Photo : Nico Ouwehand ©
5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 1

Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos /
articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore
PLEASE SEND ALL CORRESPONDENCE / PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO :
newsclippings@gmail.com
this above email address is monitored 24/7
PLEASE DONT CLICK ON REPLY AS THE NEWSLETTER IS SENt OUT FROM AN UNMANNED SERVER
If you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore : please send an e-mail to the above e-
mail adress for prompt action your e-mail adress will be deleted ASAP from the server
EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS
The global LNG business bring very rare ships to the Baltic. Last week the Japanese LNG tanker ENERGY LIBERTY
arrived with a cargo of LNG from Sabine Pass (Texas) in USA to Klaipeda in Lithuania. The tanker was built at Tsu
Shipyard in Japan in 2016, actually sails from Japan to the gas supplier TOKYO GAS from Cove Point (Maryland). The
Baltic Sea is normaly not on the schedule for this kind of Transpacific-Gas-Runner. Photo : Frank Behling (c)
COVID-19: Industry figures call for seafarer

access to emergency medical assistance ashore
A COVID-19 Seafarer’s Wellbeing Group of 10 major maritime shipping organisations is working to ensure that crew can
access medical care ashore, despite various country’s lockdown restrictions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
outbreak. “This is the first time, for many doctors, that our medical activities have been limited by the authorities, we
were not allowed to see patients or seafarers in many ports,” said Robert Verbist, president, International Maritime Health
Association at a webinar hosted by InterManger on 20 May.
Fabrizio Barcellona, head of actions, International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), noted that many seafarers have
reached out to ITF stating they couldn’t access medical facilities for non COVID-19 issues or illnesses. “It’s only with the
prompt action taken on behalf of seafarer welfare organisations and regulatory agencies that lives were saved by
receiving much needed medical attention.” The ITF previously released a statement, on 27 April, detailing several
incidents where crew members were refused disembarkation rights and were stuck onboard for several days despite
needing urgent care in port.
Natalie Shaw, director of employment affairs International Chamber of Shipping, concurred that this is a global issue
seafarers face and though there have been several successful cases of disembarking crew with non COVID-19 related
medical problems, industry bodies are more reactive rather than proactive when facing this challenge.
Shaw called upon governments to “act now” in response to this issue, and set a standard so that ports and local
authorities cannot refuse seafarer access to medical assistance. ICS is drawing on experience from it’s previous
involvement with a group of industry bodies in response to Typhoon Haiyan, in supporting seafarers in logistical
challenges.Ironically, Verbist pointed out the risk of infection and spread of disease during the COVID-19 pandemic is
higher from land to ship than from ship to land risk as with previous medical crises. Therefore, it is less likely that crew,
who may not have been ashore for most of the global pandemic, to spread the disease when at ports seeking medical
care. Verbist said work is ongoing to protect crew from contracting the disease, stating, “We should see a ship as a
household and make sure there is no introduction of COVID-19 onboard from the land side to the ship.” The maritime
wellbeing group, made up of InterManager, ICS, ITF, IMHA, ISWAN, ICMA, UK Chamber of Shipping, ECSA, MNWB,
Nautilus International, is working with ILO, IMO, UN, EU to tackle key welfare issues impacting crew during the COVID-19
crisis, including crew changes and repatriation. Source : safety at Sea
Liberia-flagged, 2006 built, JONNI RITSCHER, 22.243 DWT, 1.856 TEU, outbound for Leixoes, passing Kruse Veer.
Photo : Alexander Hoogstrate.(c)

Spliethoff’s PIJLGRACHT inbound for Velsen Grote Hout passing Velzen Zuid
Photo : John Pauwels – Spliethoff Group ©
Esvagt CEO: No Job Cuts and Furloughs

By : Bartolomej Tomic,
The ESVAGT ALBERT BETZ moored in Eemshaven Photo : Jan van Vuuren C/E ob Schokland ©
At these difficult times when companies involved in the offshore industry are cutting jobs across the board as one of the
ways to preserve cash, there's one offshore vessel operator that, while indeed cutting salaries, is keeping the jobs in
place.
Esvagt, the Danish provider of emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV) and service operation vessels (SOV) to the
offshore energy industry, mostly in the North Sea, earlier this month said it would cut executive and staff pay, and delay
investments. The pay cuts and investment delays are a response to the low oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, which
have impacted, per ESVAGT, the ERRV spot market, a large part of the company's business. Esvagt, which owns a fleet
of more than 40 offshore vessels, said on May 12 that the Board of Directors and upper management had agreed to a 15
percent pay reduction, and management 10 percent. It also said that its onshore employees have been offered a

volunteer arrangement consisting of a 5 percent pay reduction, "and there is a genuine understanding from the shipping
company’s over 1,000 offshore employees that in times like these, large pay adjustments aren’t expected." Source :
offshore Engineer
The 2007 delivered 185 mtr long and 32 mtr width ICE POINT inbound for Rotterdam Photo : Krijn Hamelink ©
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BONN & MEES MOVIE !
The SMITBARGE 1 on the move in the port of Rotterdam under tow of the SHADOW & MANTRA
photo : Henk Wadman ©
Gulf Energy granted government LNG import

licenses
by Will Owen, Assistant Editor
Reuters is reporting that Thai Gulf Energy Development Pcl has been licensed by the government of Thailand to import
1.7 million tpy of LNG. Gulf Energy is only the second company in the country to secure such a license – state-owned

Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) being the first. This latest license was reportedly granted as part of
Thailand’s plans to free up its natural gas market and pursue a position as a regional LNG trading hub. Gulf Energy has
also been granted a 300 000 tpy LNG shipper license by the Energy Regulatory Commission. The company will reportedly
use its license to supply 19 of its small scale power projects with LNG. Source : LNG Industry
The yard of Neptune Marine Service BV in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, The Netherlands. This is the former IHC Merwede
Yard and therefor the Merwede Shipyard. Moored in front of the yard is the TSHD MEUSE RIVER. The mentioned
dredger left the yard later for yard trials. Photo : AeroNederland ©
Jan de Nul’s TSHD SANDERUS navigating the Westerschelde Photo : Wim Kosten ©

BIMCO offers detailed overview of Covid-19

implementations
BIMCO says it continues to utilise publicly available sources to provide the shipping industry with a complete and updated
overview of the impact from Covid-19. There is little doubt the major topic making headlines during the current phase of
the pandemic is the challenges related to crew change. For several months, seafarers have been marooned on board
ships due to border closures, lock-downs and other preventive measures imposed by port states and governments.
Since 13 March, BIMCO has provided an overview of the challenges related to crew changes. Initially the overview was
divided into three sections depending on how the restrictions were applied: Depending on travel history; Depending on
nationalities on board; Full prohibition or closure of borders.
While observing a general trend with authorities easing restrictions, BIMCO has added a new section with a list of
confirmed countries that allows disembarkation for the purpose of crew change. Currently, this positive list numbers more
than 30 countries. It is not unusual for port states to refer to applicable International Maritime Organization items, such
as circ. 4204/add. 6 which outlines the importance of undertaking a pragmatic approach to facilitation of maritime trade.
Considering the reports of successful industry initiatives to facilitate crew change on some occasions, the primary obstacle
appears to be the absence of commercial flights. However, facilitating crew change is much more than chartering flights.
Visa restrictions have proven another major obstacle as well as the different protocols and approaches to testing
procedures for airlines and national governments. All incoming information is carefully assessed and BIMCO spends a
considerable amount of time locating the relevant official circulars to provide every detail possible to our members. In this
way BIMCO is playing an active role in the informal exchange between industry stakeholders.
The 2007 built semi submersible heavy lift YACHT EXPRESS entering Valletta bound to Magazine Wharf loaded with 2
from 3 British Built Ferries for Captain Morgan Cruises and a Fairline pleasure yacht on Saturday 23rd May, 2020.
Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com ©
Navy Ship Takes Down Drug Vessel, Seizes 1.5

Tons of Cocaine
The guided-missile destroyer USS PINCKNEY, with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment team,
seized an estimated 3,000 pounds of cocaine in the eastern Pacific Ocean In the May 14 operation, a U.S. Navy maritime
patrol aircraft assigned to the "Tridents" of Patrol Squadron 26 spotted the low-profile vessel. The USS PINCKNEY, with
embarked helicopters assigned to the "Wolf Pack" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75 and the embarked Coast
Guard team moved into position to intercept the vessel.
"This was truly a team effort," Navy Cmdr. Andrew Roy, USS PINCKNEY 's commanding officer, said. "The air support
we received was first class. We were able to safely and successfully conduct this operation due to the outstanding
professionalism of the Navy-Coast Guard team." The USS PINCKNEY is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations
conducting U.S Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South's enhanced counterdrug operations missions
in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific.

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt
the flow of drugs in support of presidential national security objectives. Numerous U.S. agencies from the departments of
Defense, Justice and Homeland Security
cooperated in the effort to combat
transnational organized crime, officials
said. The Coast Guard, the Navy,
Customs and Border Protection, the FBI,
the Drug Enforcement Administration,
and Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, along with allied and
international partner agencies, play a role
in counterdrug operations, they added.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern
Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports
Southcom's joint and combined military
operations by employing maritime forces
in cooperative maritime security
operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional
security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean and Central and South American regions.
Seafarers Need All the Support They Can Get

Today’s market circumstances, amid the mayhem that COVID-19 continues to exert on the global supply chain, seafarers
can easily be seen as “collateral damage”, needing all the support they can get. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker

Intermodal said that “seafarers keep maritime trade going so that the food, raw materials, energy and manufactured
goods on which so many depend can continue moving around the world. At this critical point during these unprecedented
times, people outside the maritime industry can now better understand and realize the role of seafarers in this industry,
it’s wide spectrum and that ninety percent of global trade is transported by commercial seaborne transportation”.
According to Intermodal’s, Christopher Whitty, Director, Towage & Marine Port Services, “it has been three months since
the crew-repatriation issue first arose and despite a major lobbying effort on the part of the shipping industry, there has
been remarkably little progress in terms of actually getting crewmembers home. Apart from the main aspects of the
problem, there is a lot of logistical planning and coordination into this, a key requirement of which is the resumption of
international flights”.Mr. Whitty said that “most countries around the world are trying to get back to what is displayed in
the media as a new normal, in an attempt to restart their economies, but ultimately if the crew changes problem is not
resolved quickly and as a result ships aren’t able to operate safely and support vital trade routes and cargoes, the
respective economies will not have the fundamentals to restart properly. Seafarer labor interests agreed to not stand in
the way of one-month extensions to employment contracts on March 15, on April 15 and and again on mid-May. At the
moment, however, the status quo has not changed and internationally recognized bodies such as the ITF (International
Transport Federation ) are stressing again that if we do not see tangible and significant progress now or the latest by
mid-June, then we will be facing an even bigger problem and multiple threats related to the health and wellbeing of
seafarers at sea and the risks associated with this vague landscape”.Intermodal’s analyst added that “the pandemic
outbreak halted virtually all crew repatriations from ships, so crews have kept working way beyond their original contract
terms, away from their families who are also going through restrictions. The oceangoing shipping industry has been
working aggressively to solve the crew-repatriation issue, urging governments to designate seafarers as “key workers”
and allow them to transit regardless of nationality. The ITF meets frequently with delegates of the International Chamber
of Shipping (ICS), which represents the ship operators; the World Health Organization; the International Maritime
Organization (IMO); and the International Labor Organization (ILO)”.Whitty added that “the International Chamber of
Shipping, which represents 80 percent of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage, and the International Transport
Federation which speaks for two million seafarers, have issued a bipartisan call for action to: Designate a specific and
limited number of airports for the safe movement and repatriation of crews, redefine seafarers as key workers providing
essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic, lift national restrictions designed for non essential passengers and
deliver their commitment to keep supply chains open by taking urgent measures on the issue. Seafarers need to be
supported and enabled in the essential role they play in our societies so that the human factor does not fail and make the
recovery stage from this pandemic more difficult”, he concluded. Source : Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping
News Worldwide
AMSOL’s LOMBOK – on long term charter to De Beers Marine Namibia, carrying out FRC drills in the Lüderitz lagoon
whilst awaiting a berth. Photo : Capt Toralf Grapow. Master Lombok ©

550 KILOS OF COCAINE AT ROTTERDAM PORT

LEADS TO NINE ARRESTS
By Zack Newmark
Cocaine found at the Port of Rotterdam in an empty sea container
A batch of 550 kilograms of cocaine was found in an empty sea container at the Port of Rotterdam last week Monday. As
part of the ensuing investigation, authorities arrested nine alleged drug smugglers at the port over the past week, the
Public Prosecution Service (OM) said in a statement.
"The narcotics were presumably taken from a recently arrived container and transferred to the empty container for
subsequent collection," the OM said in a statement. "In the past few days, nine so-called 'extractors' have been
arrested."Authorities said that extractors typically hide out at the port and locked themselves in, waiting for the right
moment snatch the illicit cargo. The nine people in custody were being investigated for their role in a drug smuggling
scheme, the OM said. Source : NL Times
The ENDURANCE outbound at the Westerschelde passing Breskens Photo : Henk de Winde ©
A Tribute To Shipbrokers
The CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN outbound from Antwerp Photo : Rob van den Houten ©
All shops and offices are closed. Most are at home, relaxing with a glass of wine, or doing something amusing. Not him
though. His fifth-floor office lights are still on and he is on the phone negotiating a vessel fixture with the charterer’s
broker, who is based across the Atlantic.

This scene is nothing unusual in the shipping business. Quite common in fact!
One has to remain vigilant at all times, working whatever “strange” or unusual hours are needed – often from 4 am in the
morning -to search for and locate a suitable vessel or firm cargo. 90 per cent of cargoes are transported via sea routes by
ocean-going vessels and this distinguishes the shipping business as real and tangible.
The ship-broker’s role is a catalyst for shipping cargoes around the globe. It is a unique call.
Too often, competition is fierce and the long working hours, exhausting, especially when many shipbrokers compete to
get the same cargo -and this in a poor freight market -like the one we are experiencing now.
The LILY BOLTON anchored off Gibraltar for bunkers Photo : Francis Ferro ©
In a flourishing market, there is greater demand and desire for more vessels/tonnage capacity to cover increasing
amounts of cargo. Anyone can make good money -even the “cowboys of the market”.
Regrettably, but notably as well, the shipping industry has high peaks, and terrible lows. It is a cyclical and risky business.
Now, once again, we are experiencing a downward spiral, (similar to the ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s and the last collapse in
2008).
This shipping crisis is however very different from previous decades.
Not only are we seeing a sudden oversupply of vessels with a
comparative scarcity of cargo shipping activity, not only a troubled
banking sector with liquidity issues, we are experiencing an
unprecedented global economic collapse due to the Covid-19
pandemic quarantines. Forced social distancing, city lockdowns,
rampant unemployment, major shifts in consumption behaviour, and
a high degree of uncertainty, all greatly impact international trade
and negatively affect market freight rates, especially for dry cargo
and container vessels.
It comes as no surprise. This is a new shipping recession: part and
parcel of the nature of this business. In challenging periods like
these, our hearts pound passionately; we thirst for achievement and
accomplishment, seeking ways to survive and excel through hard
work, innovation, perseverance and patience until the next calm.
It is in these challenging times that shipbrokers -worldwide-
distinguish themselves through focused, enduring hard work and
intelligence, doing more and going beyond just what is expected.
Vessel owners are very concerned about vessel employment
opportunities and the scarcity of options in their desire to keep the
propellers running at all times. Profits are being squeezed to non-existent levels, as the goal now becomes mere survival.
Promptly paying charterers is a major concern for owners as well. A shipbroker must provide proper evidence and
information. Strategic planning and repositioning of vessels is also a matter to contemplate seriously. Shipbrokers who
benefit from personal experience, the well-defined information gained through years of daily hard work, have better
control over their businesses, advising their clients competently and reliably. Well-experienced and dedicated hard-
working Shipbrokers are the only professionals a Ship owner, Charterer, or Shipper can rely on to get the right
information for planning the future or the next fixture. Shipbrokers should be closely following international news, the
geopolitical -and now pandemic effects on world trade and consumer behaviour.Good shipbrokers read financial
newspapers and magazines, editorials, environmental/climate change articles, international trade agreements and reports,
so as to have a clear understanding at all times about how to interpret crucial information and data to understand how
the shipping industry is -or is going to be- affected. As previously mentioned, shipping is a very tangible and real

business. Ships transport millions of tons of cargo from one country to another every day, and it’s YOU, THE SHIPBROKER
who makes it happen!
Professional shipbrokers use their time to the utmost, working intensively for very long hours. This is an International
business.It’s disappointing and frustrating enough when dates change, or when a cargo shipment is postponed, especially
when only poor-paying cargoes are available, in a poor market such as this, making it hard to earn a reasonable
commission just to cover one’s expenses. A successful shipbroker is self-motivated, self-directed, and never lets the
market’s downturns spoil his morale.
The MSC ARINA outbound from Antwerp navigating the Westerschelde enroute Rotterdam
Photo : Arnoud Lievense / www.flyliedutch.nl (c).
No matter how experienced or expert one becomes, they always keep an open and receptive mind to passionately win
clients’ confidence and business! They convey this passion and enthusiasm in every call. Most important of all is the code
of ethics in daily routines!
Discipline and ethics: “his word is his bond” endures and successfully overcomes all obstacles through
honour.
As we have all become more emotional these days due to the recent quarantines, city lockdowns and difficult
developments in the world economy, this article is dedicated as a special tribute to shipbrokers- that crucially important
shipping business “tribe”, without whom sea transportation of cargoes such as grain, corn, sugar, rice, vegetable oils, or
coal etc., -in essence world trade itself- would not be possible.Source: Written by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis, Marasco
Marine Ltd/President/Director, Shipowners Trust International Corporation (S.T.I.C)/President/Director

The MTS INDUS with the TERRA MARIQUE arrived from Teesport moving slowly up river to Schiedam, Mammoet.
Steering tug was the JOSET (ex-Ino 1979-1986, André 1986-2000, Joke 2000-2017, Joset 2017-present).
Photo : R & F vd Hoek ©
Batam Jet Ships made extra trip last Friday, due to

increased Passengers at Sekupang Domestic Port
The BATAM JET 5 approaching the Sekupang Domestic terminal at Batam

Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c) CLICK at the photo to view and/or download the photo!
The number of passengers transported decreased compared to before. The BATAM, JET 6 made a trip last Friday at
11:30 WIB from Sekupang Domestic Port to Tanjung Balai Karimun - Tanjung Samak - Selat Panjang. Batam Jet
Ship Operations Manager, Jeffry At said the operation of the ship was to anticipate an increase in the number of
passengers.Batam Jet's shipping schedule during the Covid-19 pandemic has changed compared to normal days. During
the Corona virus pandemic, Batam Jet ships only depart 3 times a week.Namely Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. For the
ticket price, Jeffry elaborates from Sekupang Domestic port to Tanjung Balai Karimun for IDR 85 thousand, to Tanjung
Samak for IDR 150 thousand and Selat Panjang for IDR 200 thousand. Source: tribun Batam
Australia and Spain Extend Ban on Cruise Ships

In the latest blow to the cruise industry, Australia announced that it is extending its ban on cruise ships, while other
countries around the world also continue to ban cruise ships from arriving in their ports.
Australia’s Minister for Health extended until September 17, 2020 the restrictions that prohibits international cruise ships
having sailed from a foreign port from entering an Australian port. This decision extends the rules first imposed on March
27 that prohibited any cruise ship capable of carrying more than 100 passengers from operating cruises in Australia. In
making the announcement, the Australian Border Force said that it has been in constant contact with the cruise industry,
which the ABF noted has been cooperative and understands the Government’s overwhelming priority to ensure the health
and safety of the broader Australian community.

The CARNIVAL LEGEND moored in Sydney

Photo : Piet Sinke www.maasmondmaritime.com (c)
CLICK at the photo & hyperlink in text to view and/or download the photo(s) !
Most of the cruise ships that operate from Australia departed the area when the restrictions were announced. Several of
the ships are currently among the gathering around Manila transporting crew home.
Other cruise ships that had been sailing from Australia were reportedly being laid up in the area around Singapore.
While the current decision leaves open the possibility that cruises might still operate in Australia’s summer season, which
normally begins in September, it is still seen as a blow to the cruise industry.
There had been some hope that there might be a loosening of the restrictions to permit cruises in the local waters,
possibly even between Australia and New Zealand. One cruise line, Silversea Cruises, has speculated that it might offer

cruises sailing solely around New Zealand calling at ports on the north and south islands. New Zealand’s current cruise
ship ban is set to expire on June 30.
Australia’s decision came just days after Spain also extended its restriction on cruise ships entering Spanish ports. While
Spain has reduced some restrictions on daily life and some travel bands, the restrictions on the cruise industry may
remain in effect until the country’s state of emergency has been lifted. The United States and Canada also jointly
announced that they were extending their joint ban on non-essential travel across their joint border. It had been set to
expire this week but was extended till late June. Previously, Canada’s federal government had ordered its ports closed
until July 1. While there has been no change in the timing of Canada’s restrictions many of the ports believe they will not
see cruise ships in 2020. As previously reported, the health ministers in British Columbia said they are not in favor of
cruises for their province in 2020. On Canada’s east coast, the ports of Halifax and Saint John, New Brunswick both
reported at their respective annual meetings that they are not expecting significant cruise ship calls this year. Source :
MAREX
CHRISTOS XXIII IMO 7382433 a towing a new build from Spanopoulos Shipyard Greece to Leirvik for completion,
transiting west Gibraltar Straits. Photo : Terry Jesty ©
Turkish patrol harasses Frontex vessel, Greek

fishing boat
CLICK at the photo !

A Turkish patrol boat sailed into Greek waters on Thursday and made dangerous maneuvers close to a ship belonging to
the European border agency Frontex and also near a Greek fishing boat, the Shipping Ministry in Athens said. Two Greek
boats from the coast guard and port authority were dispatched from the eastern Aegean island of Chios to investigate the
complaint. They located the Turkish patrol boat that had harassed the two ships, as well as a second Turkish patrol in the
same vicinity. According to the ministry’s announcement, the two Turkish vessels proceeded to harass the two Greek
ships by making similar dangerous maneuvers. The Hellenic Coast Guard released a video of the incident with the Frontex
FESCO launches container train to deliver cars

from China to Europe promptly
FESCO Transportation Group (‘FESCO’) has been expanding its geography of transit services and has launched a container
train for expedited delivery of cars from the Heilongjiang province (China) to Belgium through the Suifenhe
(China)/Grodekovo (the Primorye Territory) and Brest (Belarus)/Malaszewicze (Poland) border-crossing points, the
company says in its press release.
Trains will depart once in a month, the planned amount of transported cargo is 100 TEU monthly. In the future, it is
planned to increase the frequency of departures up to 4 times a month.
The first train with forty-one 40FT containers loaded with 123 cars arrived on 10 May at the destination in Belgium. The
total time en route was 23 days. FESCO has a great experience in transporting containerized imported cars of various
manufacturers SKD kits for assembling cars in Russia, particularly at the Great Wall factory in the Tula region.FESCO has
been operating on routes through the Suifinhe/Grodekovo border-crossing point since 2016, developing intermodal
transportation along the Primorye-1 international transport corridor. In 2018, FESCO launched a transit container train
from Hamburg to Zhengzhou operating on the border-crossing point. In 2019, FESCO launched services from Krasnoyarsk
to Beijing and from the Khabarovsk Territory to Heilongjiang province. Source : Portnews
Message to readers: All banners are inter-active and click through to advertiser web sites
The Inland / Coastal fleet of Van Wijngaarden Marine Service moored at their regular location in Hardinxveld –
Giessendam Photo : AeroNederland ©

Product Tanker Boarded and Robbed off Port-

au-Prince
The product tanker TOSCA STAR was boarded and robbed by armed pirates off the port of Port-au-Prince, Haiti last
week Sunday, according to one of her crewmembers. In an account posted on Facebook, crewmember Claudio Omar
Benitez said that the Argentine crew of the Tosna Star has been stuck on board for months due to the novel coronavirus,
unable to return to their homes. Their ship is currently at the anchorage off Port-au-Prince, and on Sunday, a group of
armed Haitians boarded the tanker by the stern. "They came up aggressive, armed with machetes and knives. They took
the sailor on duty by surprise, taking advantage of the darkness of the moment, they [threatened him with a machete]
and nervously asked him in his language to give them the phone and everything he had in his possession at that time,"
wrote Benitez. The robbers proceeded to do the same with two other crewmembers. An oiler spotted the robbery in
progress and sounded the alarm, waking up the rest of the crew. "For all this, the officers are on the bridge, except for
the captain, who locked himself in his cabin, frightened and in a panic attack," asserted Benitez.
Crew of the tanker TOSCA STAR (Claudio Omar Benitez / Facebook)

After the alarm was sounded, the attackers departed with the stolen goods using small boats. As a precautionary
measure, the bridge team decided to raise anchor and leave the area. "We will never forget this night, nor the sailors who
were attacked," said Benitez. "Their lives as well as the lives of the entire crew . . . will not be the same . . . what else will
happen to us before we can return to our home healthy?" source : MAREX
Registered in the UK the 2016 built container ship HYUNDAI SATURN almost at her loading place Seattle to exchange
boxes. After completion she will proceed to Busan in Korea Photo: Aart van Essen ©
VENEZUELA: Iran Warns USA Not To Interfere

With The Arrival Of Oil Tankers
As the world turns its attention to the Coronavirus pandemic, tensions between Iran and the United States (USA) grow.
On this occasion, the conflict lies in five tankers, Iranian supertankers bound for Venezuela, called Fortune, Petunia,
Forrest, Faxon and Clavel. The fleet has an approximate capacity of 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and alkylate
(TankerTrackers.com), which would be supplied to Venezuela to cover the emergency of gasoline shortages and as raw
material for the distillation of oil in Venezuela. Consequently, Iran warns the United States not to interfere with oil tankers
transporting fuel to Venezuela.
According to the Guardian, this is what Hassan Rouhani mentioned in a telephone conversation with the emir of Qatar as
the fleet of five oil tankers approaches the Caribbean.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned on Saturday of retaliatory measures against the United States if Washington
causes problems for tankers transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela.
“If our tankers in the Caribbean or anywhere in the world face problems caused by the Americans, they [the United
States] will also be in trouble,” Rouhani said in a phone conversation with the Emir of Qatar, the news agency. semi-
official Mehr reported. A fleet of five tankers transporting Iranian fuel for Venezuela, starved of gasoline, is approaching
the Caribbean, and the first is expected to reach the country’s waters on Sunday, according to monitoring data from
Refinitiv Eikon. “Iran will never start a conflict,” said Rouhani. “We always have a legitimate right to defend our
sovereignty and territorial integrity and to serve our national interests, and we hope that Americans will not make a
mistake.”The shipments have caused a diplomatic showdown between Iran and Venezuela and the US. Since both nations
are under US sanctions. USA Washington is considering measures in response, according to a senior US official who did
not elaborate on the options being considered.The United States recently reinforced its naval presence in the Caribbean
by what it said was an expanded anti-drug operation. A Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Thursday that he
was unaware of any operations related to Iranian shipments. Venezuela’s defense minister said his army will escort
Iranian oil tankers once they reach the nation’s exclusive economic zone. Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker in the
Gulf last year after British forces detained an Iranian oil tanker outside of Gibraltar territory. Both ships were released
after a months-long clash.Venezuela recently arrested mercenaries, including US citizens who failed to organize an
operation to kidnap the president, Nicolás Maduro The failed raid provided a propaganda blessing for Maduro, who long
claimed to be the subject of a US-sponsored assassination plot. Source: fullavantenews
The crew of the SEAHORSE enjoying their Sunday afternoon in the new swimmingpool. From left to right: Nolwenn,
Jasper, Reymond and John. Photo : Jan Pieter Honkoop ©

The Offshore Support vessel OCEANIC inbound for Rotterdam passing Maassluis
Photo : Monique Davis-Mulder, Maassluis ©
US suspects pirate attack numbers are underreported

Vessels in Gulf of Mexico urged to develop security protocols to prevent pirates from boarding
The United States government suspects that pirate attacks on vessels and oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are being
underreported, according to the latest advisory from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).
“A significant underreporting of attacks in this area is suspected. These attacks have involved the discharge of firearms,
crew injuries, the taking of hostages and robberies,” the report stated, urging vessels in the area to develop security
protocols to prevent pirates from boarding. MARAD says that a minimum of 20 fishing vessels and 35 oil platforms have
been attacked since 2018 in the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico with at least five attacks occurring in
April. An April 20 report from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) details the latest reported attacks.
At around 9 a.m. on April 4, REMAS, an Italian pipe-laying vessel near Dos Bocas, Tabasco, was approached by eight
armed men in a fast boat, prompting the captain to sound the alarm and lock down the vessel. The men opened fire on
the ship but the captain was able to use his thrusters to prevent the pirates from coming alongside and boarding. On
April 8, around 9:30 a.m., seven armed men in two boats pulled up on another pipe-laying vessel near Dos Bocas and
three of the pirates were able to board but later fled.
The following day at 10:30 p.m. eight armed pirates wearing masks managed to once again board the Remas near Dos
Bocas, the third pirate attack in five months on that vessel, taking crew members hostage and using them as human
shields. The armed men looted the ship, stealing the crew’s personal belongings and navigation equipment. Several shots
were fired but no injuries were reported. On April 12, pirates attacked the MAERSK TRANSPORTER, a Denmark-flagged
supply vessel located north of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, and took several crew members hostage as they looted the
ship. The hostages were released when the pirates left. And on April 14 six pirates armed with automatic weapons and
pistols boarded the barge Telford located north of Ciudad del Carmen and opened fire. One crew member was injured.

After a fourfold increase of reported acts of piracy in the Gulf in 2019, the Mexican navy established four monitoring
zones which will be patrolled through 2024.Last year, Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the United
States Drug Enforcement Administration, called Gulf of Mexico piracy “the wave of the future.” Source: Reforma (sp)
THE WORLD on a previous visit to Falmouth, UK. Photo : David Barnicoat ©

THE WORLD the only residential cruise ship of her type is arriving in Falmouth, Cornwall from Australia to lay up for
some months. The ship which bunkered in Gibraltar recently is slow steaming to Falmouth. THE WORLD will occupy a
lay-by berth at the A&P Falmouth shipyard.
A&P Falmouth did not wish to comment but the owners representative issued a press statement which said “Due to the
ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global public health emergency, deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization,
and to protect the health and safety of its residents, guests and crew, THE WORLD, Residences at Sea was taken out of
service effective 17 March.
All residents, guests and non-essential crew disembarked by 20 March. The vessel has not had a positive COVID-19 case
on board and none of its residents, guests or crew have tested positive since leaving the vessel. The World is currently in
the Mediterranean headed for a lay-berth in Falmouth, United Kingdom and is expected to arrive in late May 2020. A
return to service date has not yet been released. THE WORLD is privately owned and home to approximately 150
families from 19 countries and has an average resident and guest occupancy of 150 to 200 people.
The decision to lay-up the private, residential yacht was not easy, however was deemed essential. Protecting the health
and safety of our residents, guests and crew is our number one priority. We look forward to resuming operations and
welcoming our residents back once we can safely do so by following industry best practices, maintaining our high
standards and working in cooperation with global public health authorities, local port officials and government agencies
around the world.”
Piracy on decline in Nigerian waters

By Maureen Onochie
The Nigerian Navy Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, has disclosed that the Navy has recorded
successful fights against piracy which revealed a decline in the crime in Nigerian waters since 2015. Rear Admiral Ifeola
Mohammed who spoke in Abuja yesterday at a news conference to announce activities marking the Nigerian Navy’s 64th
anniversary celebration, said with the success rate against piracy, the Naval bases cumulatively destroyed 2,287 illegal
refineries between 2015 and 2019. Mohammed said the anniversary celebration would be low key due to the coronavirus
pandemic, hence the Navy would distribute palliatives and donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). He said the Navy
would also commission a COVID-19 isolation centre in Lagos to support the federal government’s fight against COVID-19.

He added that a modified and highly restricted ceremonial sunset would be held at command level on June 1 to mark the
end of the week-long activitie source : dailytrust
The CMA CGM AMBER handling boxes at the Fergusson Container Terminal, Port of Auckland, New Zealand
Photo : James Dawson | National Manager – Shipping Agencies Seaway Agencies NZ Ltd ©
Daily LR2 product tanker earnings fall by USD

100,000 in 12 days
Freight rates for oil product tankers have returned to more ‘normal’ levels following a spike in late April when rates across
all ship sizes reached record highs. LR2 earnings peaked at USD 169,829 on 27 April on the benchmark naptha
condensate trade from the Middle East to Japan.
Rates have since fallen to USD 45,459 per day on 19 May. This remains considerably above the average earnings of USD
18,786 per day in 2019 and remain high given the collapse in the global oil demand caused by the coronavirus crisis. The
spike in rates in late April brought an end to a period of rates steadily increasing since the end of February.
The higher freight rates came on the back of increased demand for storage as well as tonnage being held up due to
delays in ports. Furthermore, even as demand collapsed, some refineries were slow to adjust their production levels with
unneeded oil products being pushed onto the market.Now, past the peak of high rates, BIMCO expects freight rates to
remain low for the remainder of the year as the lower underlying demand becomes unavoidable. The International Energy
Agency (IEA) forecasts that global oil demand will fall by 8.6 million barrels per day in 2020. Source: BIMCO
New ASV charter party to include cap on liability

This is the result of an online meeting of BIMCO subcommittee
The time charter party for accommodation support vessels (ASVs) currently being developed by BIMCO will include a
limitation of the owners’ and charterers’ liability for loss, damage, delay or expense. This is the result of an online meeting
of the subcommittee held on 18 May, BIMCO says in its press release. The inclusion of a liability cap is inspired by

BIMCO’s standard offshore wind farm personnel transfer and support vessel charter party, WINDTIME, in which the
parties can include limits of liability as a percentage of the total sum of hire.
In WINDTIME, if no such sum is stated, the limit is set at 20% of the total sum of hire. The subcommittee has yet to
decide on the specific elements of the cap to be included in the ASV charter party but, as with WINDTIME, the intention is
that it will apply except as provided in the knock for knock and other liability clauses.
“This will be a key aspect of the new form. The subcommittee recognises that it is common in the industry to have a cap
on liability and we will therefore discuss how to implement it in the new form,” says Edwin de Vries, Director at
Wagenborg Projects & Logistics/Wagenborg Offshore and Chairman of the subcommittee.
Deliberating further on the charter period it was agreed to clearly state that the charterers should not instruct the vessel
to commence any services unless they reasonably expect it to be completed within this period. New wording has been
developed on automatic extension, according to which the charter period will be extended for the time required by the
charterers to complete the voyage or the immediate tasks, which are defined as the well, wind turbine or other similar
activity. The subcommittee will be continuing discussions on 17 June and the form will be presented for adoption by the
Documentary Committee on 22 September 2020. Source : Portnews
OMS ZEEZWALUW inbound passing Maassluis

Photo : Cees Kloppenburg Maritime Photo Maassluis © CLICK at the photo !
Essential vessel repowered with Volvo Penta IPS

amid lockdown
Northern Offshore Services (NOS) vessel - The TRAVELLER – underwent a major upgrade that lengthened, repowered
and modernized the crew transfer vessel. Now powered by Volvo Penta’s Inboard Propulsion System (IPS) the vessel is
already back to work. The M/V TRAVELLER purpose-built and designed for the offshore wind industry. However, to
facilitate a larger crew transfer and more efficient travel the M/V TRAVELLER has undergone a huge upgrade.
An essential upgrade

The vessel has been lengthed by 6.5 metres, the interior

has been modernized and the capacity doubled to 24
passengers. Additionally, the M/V TRAVELLER has also
been repowered with Volvo Penta Inboard Performance
System (IPS) and a new control system. The physical
upgrade took place in Grovfjord Mek Verksted AS,
Norway. However, with travel bans into Norway, the
Volvo Penta team had no choice but to support the launch
remotely. “There was no option to postpone the launch,”
explains David Kristensson, CEO at NOS. “This vessel was
needed. The world may be on lockdown but offshore
windfarms provide essential services to many people so
we had to keep working.”
Support from a [social] distance
Due to travel restrictions into Norway, the Volvo Penta team could not get to Grovfjord Mek Verksted AS shipyard to do
the physical installation and launch. However, Richard Johansson, Sales & Application Manager, Marine Nordic and his
team – with the help of Norwegian VPS, Harstad Marina AS – succeeded in setting up the new system remotely from
Gothenburg. “It was complicated but there was no other way during the lockdown,” explains David. “And although there
were a few delays she is now up and running and has gone straight to work off the Dutch coast.”
Volvo Penta IPS: tried and tested
NOS is not new to the major benefits that the Volvo Penta IPS offers operators. In fact, NOS was one of the pioneer
companies who trusted the system, even before Volvo Penta had brought it to the marine commercial market. “Back in
2007, we worked closely with Volvo Penta’s R&D team to test the Volvo Penta IPS,” recalls David. “We have seen the
Volvo Penta IPS is a complete and integrated propulsion system from the helm station to the propellers, which greatly
increases quality and reliability.
“The TRAVELLER operates around the clock – often making 3 hours journeys to and from wind farms and staying out at
sea for days at a time,” explains David. “The North Sea can be a forbidding place with variable and hostile weather
conditions. Our [NOS’s] vessels have to be reliable and comfortable to make sure that the crew are transferred in a secure
and timely manner. The Volvo Penta IPS facilitates all this and more.” The TRAVELLER has been fitted with a QUAD
installation – four Volvo Penta IPS 900 Q2 props – and a new control system. Individually steerable Volvo Penta IPS drives
are linked to the onboard Joystick Docking function. The joystick makes docking at the offshore wind farm turbines –
which is one of the hardest manoeuvres – easier and safer in rough seas. Overall Volvo Penta IPS provides superior
handling, performance, fuel consumption, and lower emissions and noise than a traditional inboard shaft installation.
Collaboration is key
Richard and his Volvo Penta team are currently completing another remote launch for NOS. “It will always be better and
easier to do these launches in person. However, during these times of lockdown it is one way of getting around travel
restrictions and keeping businesses up and running,” says Richard. “In these challenging times we all have to adapt and
find new creative and collaborative ways of working,” concludes David. Volvo Penta, with approximately 3,500 dealers in
over 130 countries, is a world-leading and global manufacturer of engines and complete power systems for boats, vessels
and industrial applications. The engine program comprises diesel and gasoline engines with power outputs of between 10
and 1000 hp. Volvo Penta is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy trucks, buses and
construction equipment.
World’s only floating nuclear power plant enters

full commercial exploitation
It officially becomes the 11th NPP in Russia and the northernmost one in the world
One-of-a-kind floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) AKADEMIK LOMONOSOV has been fully commissioned in Pevek,
Chukotka region in the Russian Far East. Andrei Petrov, Director of Rosenergoatom (Electric Energy Division of Rosatom),
the subsidiary responsible for the FNPP project implementation, signed the relevant decree, Rosenergoatom says in its
press release.
“Today we can consider the floating nuclear power plant construction project successfully completed. We finished our
main task for this year - fully commissioned the FNPP in Pevek, Chukotka region. Today, it officially becomes the 11th
nuclear power plant in Russia and the northernmost one in the world,” Andrei Petrov noted. Earlier, the Far East
directorate of Rostechnadzor, Russia’s technical, nuclear and environmental watchdog, carried out an inspection of the
project. Based on its results, the FNPP received a “statement of conformity”. This document verifies that the FNPP is built

in accordance with all project documentation requirements. Additionally, the project received approval from
Rosprirodnadzor, the executive authority controlling and supervising activities in the field of environmental management.
Receiving these documents means that the FNPP fully adheres to all norms and regulations, including sanitary,
epidemiological, environmental, fire safety, construction requirements and federal standards. The FNPP started providing
electricity to the isolated grid of the Chaun-Bilibino energy center of Chukotka on December 19, 2019. The US POWER
magazine named this event as one of the six key global nuclear energy industry events of 2019.
The FNPP has already generated over 47.3 million kWh of electricity since being connected to the grid. Currently, it covers
20% of the Chaun-Bilibino energy center demand. The FNPP will become the main energy source for Chukotka following
the Bilibino NPP shutdown.The world's only floating nuclear power plant includes coastal infrastructure and the
AKADEMIK LOMONOSOV floating power unit (FPU) equipped with two KLT-40S reactors with an electric power of 35
MW each. The FNPP power capacity is 70 MW while the heat capacity is 50 Gcal / h. The plant’s length is 140 meters, its
width is 30 meters, its displacement is 21,500 tons. The service life is 40 years. Source: portnews
NAVY NEWS
The 3rd frigate of project 22350 RFS ADMIRAL GOLOVKO, a Admiral Gorshkov Class launched on Severnaya Verf
('Northern Shipyard') in #SaintPetersburg on 22 May 2020.

Finland takes steps to increase defence cooperation

with Norway
Finland is working on ways of increasing defence cooperation with Norway, Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen
told the media here on Saturday. Military cooperation with Norway is one of the goals in the programme of the current
Finnish coalition government.
Kaikkonen said the fact that Norway is a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is not an obstacle to wider
cooperation. "It is true that Norway's NATO membership separates us, but it does not prevent cooperation as such,"
Kaikkonen told Finnish national broadcaster Yle.
Finland and neighbouring Sweden have deepened their military cooperation in recent years. Unlike Norway, the two
countries are militarily non-aligned, but have an enhanced partner status with NATO. Kaikkonen singled out the North
Cape area as an obvious scene for joint efforts for Finland, Norway as well as Sweden. He noted that the air forces are
already training jointly in the skies over the three countries in the area.
A report by Defence Ministry staff on developing Nordic operation, also including Norway, will be submitted to the Finnish
parliamentary defence committee this coming week. Kaikkonen said there are no details "to publish now, but perhaps
later this year." Kaikkonen noted the three Nordic defence ministers meet regularly. The last meeting about cooperation
was on Wednesday over secure video connections. The existing Nordic cooperation between Finland and Sweden does
not constitute a formal alliance. In the "military strategic concept" the two countries signed late last year for deepened
cooperation, Finland and Sweden defined "the ability to conduct operations together both during peace and war" as the
core of the cooperation, but operations would be subject to "separate national decisions" source: Enditem
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and RFA TIDEFORCE anchored off Plymouth Photo : Navy Lookout via Twitter
SHIPYARD NEWS
Italy's Fincantieri challenges Bulgaria's patrol

ship tender outcome before court - report
By : Mario Tanev
Italy's Fincantieri has challenged before court Bulgaria's decision to name Germany's Lursen Werft as winner of a 984
million levs ($550.6 million/503.1 million euro) tender for supply of two multi-functional modular Navy patrol ships, local
media reported.The decision to select Lursen Werft as winner of the tender has already received green light by the
government and was due to be sent to parliament for approval, but the procedure was suspended due to the court case,
business news daily Capital.bg reported on Wednesday.

At the first hearing, the Supreme Administrative Court requested from the government to present certain missing
documents related to the tender before the case moves forward, according to Capital.bg. The tender for the contract
attracted offers from Lurssen Werft, Fincantieri and Bulgaria's MTG Dolphin. The two new patrol ships will replace old
Russian-made vessels which can no longer be repaired or modernised. The tender was initially launched in 2017, and
Varna-based MTG Dolphin was selected in November of that year to sign a contract. In December 2017, however, MTG
Dolphin withdrew from the negotiations with the government due to a cut in the maximum financing allocated to the
project. Source : Seenews
Fincantieri was waiting for this moment and now, finally, a new lady is ready to take the stage. After the SCARLET LADY
presentation in February, we are ready to launch the VALIANT LADY, because the challenges we face make us stronger.
We’re picking up where we never left off.
Austal loses out in $795M Next Generation

Frigate competition
by William Gunther
The U.S. Navy announced Thursday that Fincantieri Marine Group has been awarded the $795 Million contract to build the
FFG(X) that replaces the current LCS design. Fincantieri will build the ship at its Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette,
Wisconsin.Austal had been one of four remaining shipbuilders competing for the next generation of 10 frigates.The initial
contract is for the design and construction of the lead ship in the class.According to the award by the U.S. Navy, if all
options are exercised on the contract, the total value would be in excess of $5.5 Billion.
Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said “
"Despite our extreme disappointment over this outcome, we have a portfolio of other opportunities that we continue to
pursue in addition to our backlog of EPF and LCS work that extends through 2024 including EPF variants and unmanned
surface vessels. We have great facilities and an even greater workforce and we are committed to continuing to build
highly capable and cost effective ships for the U.S. Navy,”

Fincantieri Launched The 2nd PPA ‘Francesco

Morosini’ For The Italian Navy
By : Xavier Vavasseur
The launching ceremony of the Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) “FRANCESCO MOROSINI” took place at
Fincantieri’s Riva Trigoso Shipyard (Cantiere navale di Riva Trigoso), in the presence of the Chief of the Staff of the Italian
Navy (Marina Militare) Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.
The PPA FRANCESCO MOROSINI, second of seven units, is set to be commissioned in March 2022. It is part of the
renewal plan of the Italian Navy fleet, approved by the Government and Parliament and started in May 2015 (“Naval
Law”). The FRANCESCO MOROSINI was due to hit the water at the end of March but Fincantieri had to postpone the
launch because of the Coronavirus crisis (during which the company stopped production at all its shipyards). Contacted by
Naval News, a Fincantieri spokesperson said at the beginning of the month that the launch was set to take place in June.
Regarding the third (Raimondo Montecuccoli) and fourth PPAs, Fincantieri ensured that production is “perfectly on time”
and no delay is expected. All production sites re-opened from April 20. Source : Naval News
Piriou Wins Contract To Deliver 20 Harbor Tugs To

The French Navy
By: Martin Manaranche
The French defense procurement agency (DGA) placed an order for 15 harbor tugs (RP30) and 5 coastal
harbor tugs (RPC30) of 30-tonne-class with French shipyard Piriou on April 30. 2020.

Complementary to the class of 10 and 6-tonne harbor tugs, these vessels are intended to assist French Navy (Marine
Nationale) surface ships and submarines, particularly during berthing and departure maneuvers. They will replace 22
RP12 tugs and coastal tugs (RCSV type), with 12 and 26 tonnes of towing capacity respectively. The 2019-2025 military
planning law calls for the modernization of harbor resources for all French Navy naval bases.
The RP30 and RPC30 tugs are 26 meters long and 9 meters wide. Their displacement is approximately 275 tonnes. The
RP30s are operated by a crew of four sailors and the RPCs by a crew of six sailors. They are adapted to the specific needs
of the French Navy and the particularities of its new vessels.
They benefit from an increased towing power of 35 tonnes to be able to intervene on today’s larger and heavier naval
vessels.The gangway of the RP30 and RPC30 is very narrow to allow flank to flank manoeuvres with vessels with a V-
shaped hull.
Finally, they have specific protections below the waterline for manoeuvring with submarines. The RP30s are designed to
carry out operations in port areas on a daily basis, while the RPC30s have a deep-sea navigation capability with food and
fuel autonomy for 5 days of mission.These ships will be assigned to the naval bases of Toulon (7 RP and 1 RPC), Brest (6
RP and 1 RPC), Cherbourg (2 RP and 1 RPC), Fort-de-France (1 RPC) and Papeete (1 RPC). The first deliveries to the
French Navy are scheduled from May/June 2022, at a rate of 4 units per year, with two prototype ships for Toulon and
Brest. The 20 new tugs will work in association with the 29 10-tonne-class tug-pushers and the 7 6-tonne-class pushers
currently under construction respectively by the MERRE and CMM shipyards on one hand and the Glehen shipyard on the
other hand. The RP30 and RPC30 will be built by Chantiers Piriou in Concarneau with the participation of numerous local
subcontractors. They represent an activity of about 40,000 hours per unit. Included in the 2019-2025 military
programming law, this order illustrates, among other things, the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces for the
recovery of economic activity of French companies. Source : Naval News
ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES
Travelling to, from and within the Netherlands:

What are the rules?
By Rachel Deloughry
At the moment, and ever since the safety measures have been in place to prevent further spread of coronavirus, travel
has been confined to only essential journeys until further notice.
As restrictions are being eased, many people are wondering how this will affect them travelling within the Netherlands
and travelling abroad. Lots of people are wondering if there is any chance of (or point in) planning holidays. We have put
together a guide to travelling, in relation to the Netherlands.
Travelling into the Netherlands
Regarding entering the Netherlands, the ban on non-essential travel implemented on March 19 has been extended until
June 15. This means that all travel from third countries to Europe (all EU countries, Schengen area countries and the UK)
is not permitted unless absolutely essential. If your reason for travelling is deemed unessential, you can be refused entry
into the Netherlands.
Exceptional cases would include visiting a terminally ill family member or attending a family funeral, and these exceptions
are intended for first and second-degree family members. KLM and other airlines have amended their timetables and
these reduced schedules will last until July 3, in which only five to 10 percent of the normal number of flights will be
operating.

The particular flights that operate change each week, so if you’d like to ascertain if a certain flight is due to take place,
contact the particular airline in question. Wearing a face mask onboard flights is mandatory until at least August 31, 2020.
On arrival in the Netherlands from most countries, the government does not require that you go into a 14-day quarantine
unless you are displaying symptoms of possible COVID-19.
Travelling within the Netherlands
Travel within the Netherlands is discouraged, unless for essential reasons, such as going to work. From June 1, public
transport will run on its regular schedule again, however, the Dutch government is urging people to only travel by public
transport if there’s absolutely no alternative. The wearing of non-medical face masks will be compulsory for passengers
aged 13 and over on trains, trams, metros and buses from June 1. Failing to wear one could lead to a fine of 95 euros.
On platforms and at bus stops, face masks are not obligatory.
Travelling abroad
The Dutch government strongly advises against travelling abroad at the moment, whether by plane, car, train or ferry.
The essential travel advisory applies to the entire world, including the Schengen and EU countries. This means that, for
instance, travelling by car to Germany or Belgium is equally as inadvisable as flying to another EU country farther afield.
Travel abroad is difficult in any case because travel operators tend to follow government measures, therefore there is a
dramatically reduced number of planes and international trains scheduled.
Planning, cancelling or postponing holidays
Tourists are allowed to travel into the Netherlands from July 1. Holiday parks and campsites in the Netherlands are to
reopen on July 1, so if you’re planning on having a Dutch holiday, there will be many options available by July. Holiday
parks and other recreational sites in the Netherlands are still taking steps to ensure people stay at least 1,5 metres apart.
At the moment, though, the authorities advise against holidays abroad as they are considered non-essential travel. Many
countries have strict rules about denying entry to foreign travellers, but for many foreign destinations, it is too early to
ascertain whether these rules will still be in place this summer, or if countries will relax rules to keep their tourist
industries afloat.
The European Commission has asserted that airlines and travel companies must provide refunds to customers whose
flights have been cancelled for reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic. If you have been offered a voucher in return,
the Dutch government encourages you to accept it in order to reduce the burden on the travel companies, though you
are legally entitled to a full refund. Source : Imexpat.nl
Van Wijngaarden Marine Service KILSTROOM outbound from Rotterdam heading for Grimsby
Photo : Willem Holtkamp - http://fotomaker.jalbum.net/FOTOMAKER/ ©
Norwegian Oil and Gas Production decreased 60 000

bpd
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, regulator, released a preliminary production figures for April 2020,
which shows an average daily production of 2 117 000 barrels of oil, NGL, and condensate
According to NPD, this is a decrease of 60 000 barrels per day compared to March. Total gas sales were 9.0 billion Sm3
(GSm3), which is a decrease of 1.7 GSm3 from the previous month. Average daily liquids production in April was: 1 783
000 barrels of oil, 308 000 barrels of NGL, and 26 000 barrels of condensate. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s oil
production forecasts have been updated in the Government’s proposed Revised National Budget for 2020. This was
presented on 12 May. The update takes the authorities’ oil production regulation into account, as well as delayed start-up
of fields under development and oil production in the first quarter. Oil production in April is 1.9 percent higher than the
NPD’s forecast, and 0.5 percent below the forecast so far this year.
Facts about oil and gas in the Norwegian Sea :
Ø At the end of 2019, 87 fields were in production: 66 in the North Sea, 19 in the Norwegian Sea and 2 in the
Barents Sea.
Ø Four new fields started producing in 2019: Oda, Utgard, Trestakk and Johan Sverdrup.
Ø A further 13 fields were under development at the end of the year.
PLEASE MAINTAIN YOUR MAILBOX, DUE TO NEW POLICY OF THE
PROVIDER, YOUR ADDRESS WILL BE “DEACTIVATED” AUTOMATICALLY
IF THE MAIL IS BOUNCED BACK TO OUR SERVER
If this happens to you please send me a mail at newsclippings@gmail.com to reactivate
your address again
You can also read the latest newsletter daily online via the link :
http://newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/ShippingNewsPdf/magazine.pdf
THE DL OLIVE IMO 9657014 anchored off Tacoma awaiting loading , in the background seen two units of the US Ready
Reserve Fleet from which the one on the inside is the SS CAPE ISLAND (T-AKR-10) and on the outside the SS CAPE
INTREPID (T-AKR-11) SS CAPE ISLAND (T-AKR-10) was originally laid down for commercial service in 1976 as
ILLINOIS, a Type C7 ship for the States Lines. It was launched and then needed to be used for military service
transferred into the Naval Vessel Register (NVR as the USNS MERCURY, as transport ship for vehicles, and other goods.
The ship was returned to Crowley Liner Services of Jacksonville, Florida. In 1993 the ship was permanently transferred to
the navy's roll as a ready reserve ship, and renamed SS CAPE ISLAND (T-AKR-10). The CAPE ISLAND remains laid
up in a ready reserve state so that it may be activated in five days, if called upon. The inside moored SS CAPE
INTREPID (T-AKR-11) was originally laid down in 1975 as SS ARIZONA a Type C7 ship intended for both commercial
or military use. The ship was launched in 1975 and turned over to the Maritime Administration for commercial use and
acquired by the Lykes Brothers and named the SS LIPSCOMB LYKES. On June 8th 1976 she was removed from
commercial duty and reacquired by the United States Navy and renamed USNS JUPITER to serve alongside USNS
MERCURY. On 8 June 1976 she was transferred to Military Sealift Command, and renamed the SS CAPE INTREPID.
Since then the ship has been active in transport roles including a long term attachment to the 833rd transport regiment.
She is currently in reserve status and can be activated if called upon in 5 days as part of the ready reserve fleet. Photo:
Aart van Essen ©

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..
The Royal IHC built TSHD MEUSE RIVER departed from the builders for yard trials assisted by the tug GEPKE III
Photo : Arie Boer ©

Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos /
articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore
PLEASE SEND ALL CORRESPONDENCE / PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO :
newsclippings@gmail.com
this above email address is monitored 24/7
PLEASE DONT CLICK ON REPLY AS THE NEWSLETTER IS SENT OUT FROM AN UNMANNED SERVER
If you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore : please send an e-mail to the above e-
mail address for prompt action, your e-mail address will be deleted ASAP from the server

Collection of Maritime Press Clippings

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Collection of Maritime Press Clippings

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2020 – 147

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 1

EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

COVID-19: Industry figures call for seafarer

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 3

Esvagt CEO: No Job Cuts and Furloughs

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 4

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BONN & MEES MOVIE !

Gulf Energy granted government LNG import

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 5

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 6

BIMCO offers detailed overview of Covid-19

Navy Ship Takes Down Drug Vessel, Seizes 1.5

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 7

Seafarers Need All the Support They Can Get

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 8

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 9

550 KILOS OF COCAINE AT ROTTERDAM PORT

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 10

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 11

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 12

Batam Jet Ships made extra trip last Friday, due to

The BATAM JET 5 approaching the Sekupang Domestic terminal at Batam

Australia and Spain Extend Ban on Cruise Ships

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 13

The CARNIVAL LEGEND moored in Sydney

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 14

Turkish patrol harasses Frontex vessel, Greek

CLICK at the photo !

FESCO launches container train to deliver cars

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 16

Product Tanker Boarded and Robbed off Port-

Crew of the tanker TOSCA STAR (Claudio Omar Benitez / Facebook)

VENEZUELA: Iran Warns USA Not To Interfere

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 18

US suspects pirate attack numbers are underreported

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 19

THE WORLD on a previous visit to Falmouth, UK. Photo : David Barnicoat ©

Piracy on decline in Nigerian waters

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 20

Daily LR2 product tanker earnings fall by USD

New ASV charter party to include cap on liability

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 21

OMS ZEEZWALUW inbound passing Maassluis

Essential vessel repowered with Volvo Penta IPS

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 22

The vessel has been lengthed by 6.5 metres, the interior

World’s only floating nuclear power plant enters

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 23

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 24

Finland takes steps to increase defence cooperation

Italy's Fincantieri challenges Bulgaria's patrol

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 25

Austal loses out in $795M Next Generation

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 26

Fincantieri Launched The 2nd PPA ‘Francesco

Piriou Wins Contract To Deliver 20 Harbor Tugs To

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 27

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

Travelling to, from and within the Netherlands:

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 28

Norwegian Oil and Gas Production decreased 60 000

5Distribution : daily to 42.500+ active addresses 26-05-2020 Page 30