onOn Jan 28, 2012, the "Alexander von Humboldt" arrived under full sail in the Canary Islands with Captain Harald Meyer in command. After a few days of provisioning and crew changes she departed again for Barbados on the next leg of the voyage. She is now crossing the Atlantic and this part of the journey is expected to take 26 days. Her progress can be followed on www.sailwx.info (search for Tall Ships, then select the name Alexander Von Humboldt). Another provisioning and crew change will take place in Barbados and here Captain Ulrich Lamprecht will take over the command and guide the “Alexander von Humboldt” to Freeport which is estimated to take ten days. Captain Lamprecht will also take on the responsibility to train the all-Bahamian deck crew upon arrival in Freeport, where the German deck crew will be replaced as soon as possible. A welcome for the arrival to her new home in Freeport Harbour is planned for March 14th at noon.

The Coast Guard approved a salvage plan on Feb 3 to remove both the "Delta Mariner" and a section of the Eggner Ferry Bridge that remains on its bow. Salvage operations wre anticipated to begin Feb 4. Foss Maritime, owner of the "Delta Mariner", has brought in numerous support vessels and technical salvage equipment in anticipation of debris removal operations. The Coast Guard is working closely with Foss Maritime to ensure the safest and most efficient salvage of the ship. The goal is to free the ship from the bridge span debris and assess damages so it can be repaired and put back into service. The Coast Guard Cutter "Obion" and a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and crew from MSU Paducah remained on site to ensure safety of salvage operations. The Coast Guard was working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and Marshall County Police. Report with photo: www.wpsdlocal6.co...

The Authority of Big Port St. Petersburg has published the ice bulletin and a map of ice cover prepared by “St. Petersburg Center of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring-Regional” (CHEM-R) in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland as of the end of January. According to the bulletin intensive ice formation continues in the eastern part of the Gulf. A solid 15-30cm-thick shore-fast ice is observed in the waters of the Neva Bay with 10-20cm-thick close pack ice stretching to longitude of Moshchny Island. lighthouse and further to the west 8-10 nm there is open pack ice. There is sea ice crust at longitude of the island of Hogland and first stages of ice formation. To the west of Beresoviye Islands ice crust formation is observed, with very close pack ice, partially with pressure ridges at longitude of Sommers Island. There is formation of 15-30cm-thick shore-fast ice in the area of Zelenogorsk and Sestroretsk.15-20cm-thick fast ice is also reported in the Vygorg Bay. In Proliv B'yërkëzund and in approaches to it – 10-20cm fast ice. In the bays of Luga and Koporskaya – 10-20cm-thick close pack ice (ranging from 8 to 10pts). In the next few days frosty weather with rapid ice formation will persist in the eastern Gulf of Finland. The thickness of ice is expected to increase by 2 or 4 cm. Formation of fast ice will continue in the Luga Bay, as well as frazil and grease ice to longitude of Viirit Islands.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) unveiled its brand new fleet of six patrol craft today to further enhance safety in Singapore's port waters. As one of the world's busiest ports, Singapore welcomes some 130,000 port calls annually. Helping to keep our port waters safe and pollution free is MPA's team of Port Inspectors who patrol our busy waterways round the clock to enforce MPA's regulations on navigational safety and marine environment protection, and respond to any marine incidents. The Port Inspectors are supported by a fleet of MPA patrol craft and the launch of the new fleet of six patrol craft with enhanced features and functionalities will help the Port Inspectors carry out their duties more efficiently and effectively. In line with MPA's commitment to cleaner shipping and the protection of the marine environment, the new patrol craft are fitted with low-emission engines and a streamlined hull design that is coated with environmentally friendly marine paints. The new patrol craft are also capable of reaching a top speed of 20 knots with reduced energy consumption. A user-friendly navigation system that integrates electronic sea charts, radar information, Differential Global Positioning System, vessel identification markers and echo sounders into a single display are installed onboard the craft to allow the Port Inspectors to assess the sea situation at one glance. Commissioned at a total cost of S$19 million for a five year contract, the six new craft were designed and constructed specifically to suit MPA's needs. The innovative hull design allows the craft to manoeuvre safely through the channels in Singapore's waters. In addition to featuring technical improvements to enhance operational performance, the new patrol craft also includes features to enhance the comfort level of the ship crew and Port Inspectors, who stay long hours at sea. Some of these features include the installation of specially formulated polyurethane polymers layered with isolation materials to reduce the level of noise in the wheelhouse and ergonomic chairs. (Please refer to Annex A for technical specifications of the new craft.) At the inauguration ceremony held at Marina South Pier this afternoon, MPA's new patrol craft put on an impressive showcase of their oil spill response and emergency response capabilities. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, MPA Chief Executive, Mr Lam Yi Young said, "I am confident that with our new patrol craft, we will be well placed to ensure safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment in our port waters, even as the Port of Singapore continues to grow as a premier global hub port." The six craft were built by Lung Teh Shipbuilding and are owned and operated by Tian San Shipping for MPA's exclusive use during the five year contract.