starting with EVER LADEN, ETS from Ningbo 9 June, CMA takes slots on Evergreens 'CEM', brands the new offer 'FAL16' Full story: linervision.wordp...

Mega-boxship MSC Renee allided with Berendrechtsluis lock constructions in Antwerp on May 22 13, details unknown. Judging from AIS, vessel was leaving Antwerp for Dunkirk, last European port on schedule, and then head for Asia. Vessel suffered a huge breach some 10-15 meters length 5 meters above the waterline. Vessel docked at Deurganckdok, where it will be repaired is yet unknown.

After its arrival from Fos-sur-Mer on May 20, 2013, at 8 p.m., the "Nexo Maersk" caused an oil spill in the port of Valencia. It spilt to the height of the container cargo on the stern of the ship over its starboard side. Oil booms were laid out lager. On May 22 large areas of the aft were seen blackened. Photo: www.shipspotting....

Carnival Sunshine completed its inaugural 12-day cruise from Venice to Barcelona on Friday, May 17 after emerging from a $155m transformation at Fincantieri’s Trieste shipyard. The former Carnival Destiny gained all of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Fun Ship 2.0 dining, bar and entertainment features, along with some distinctive innovations and an additional 182 staterooms. Carnival Sunshine will continue a summer schedule of nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages running through October.

Hapag-Lloyd will launch its own Levante Express (LEX), a new complementary service, directly connecting ports in Italy, Egypt and Turkey, said in the company's press release. This fixed day weekly service will start mid of June 2013, covering the following port rotation: The LEX service will be operated with three vessels with first sailings as follows: MV Gloria ets Alexandria, June 16, 2013 and MV Vecht Trader ets Cagliari, June 18, 2013. In addition to company's existing network, the Levante Express (LEX) will further extend port coverage in the Tyrrhenian Sea and Levant.

MV Island Crown - a purpose built Walk2Work Maintenance and Subsea Support Vessel is due for delivery from Vard Brevik to Island Offshore end of May 2013, said in the company's press release. The vessel will comply with the SPS code with accommodation for a total of 100 persons. The vessel is outfitted for offshore Inspections, Maintenance and Repairs in addition to general subsea work. Vessel equipment includes a long-reach offshore crane and a permanent heave compensated gangway system for safe and easy access to and from offshore installations.

On 22 April 2013, IHC Merwede delivered the ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA to Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP) in Panama City. The formalities were handled by ACP's Contracting Officer, Mrs Regina Donelson, after a successful trial period of 30 continuous days on the Panama Canal, the equipment manufacturer said in a media release The ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA has been designed and built using the latest technological developments. The vessel will initially be deployed for the expansion and then the maintenance of the Panama Canal. She has been conceived and developed to operate in the Canal's Gaillard Cut, where she will dredge blasted rock and heavy soil.

Bohai Ferry has announced yesterday that the company plans to invest RMB760m to order two roros. Each ship will have a 2,500 m vehicle lane and a capacity to carry 2,300 passengers. Bohai Ferry said 65% of the shipbuilding fund will come from bank loans which will be paid off in five years after the ships start operation. [23/05/13]

A report on the "Tycoon"-wreck which blocked Christmas Island's port for months has found the port operator had not properly assessed the risk of leaving a ship moored in deteriorating weather conditions. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report on the sinking of the freighter said the weather around Christmas Island is known to be unpredictable. But it also says the port operator had neither conducted a document risk assessment, nor made adequate contingency plans for worsening conditions. The freighter was a total loss after he crashed onto the cliffs at Flying Fish Cove in Jan 2012 after its mooring lines failed and broke in half in heavy seas. The ATSB said because of the severe consequences of stranding a ship in the inner harbour, the port should have completed a formalised risk assessment which considered whether it was safe for ships to remain at mooring overnight. The main thing that led to the floundering of the "Tycoon" was the giving way of one of the mooring lines as a result of the failure of the shackle. There were planned inspections but they weren't done in a timely way, so it's an important issue and one that has now been fixed.

The former owners of the "Carrier" have criticised quarry operators for not giving their crew appropriate advice after the ship ran aground in strong winds and large waves on Apr 3, 2012, while loading limestone at Raynes Jetty at Llanddulas. All seven Polish crew members had been winched to safety by helicopter. Following a critical report by the Marine Accident Investigation Board on May 21, the Reederei Erwin Strahlmann stated that the Raynes Jetty can be a dangerous terminal in certain weather conditions. Ships loading expect and need accurate and expert advice from the terminal staff. The MAIB report indicated this was lacking. The company is no longer sending ships to Raynes Jetty since the loss of the "Carrier". The MAIB report had raised questions about the experience and guidance of jetty operators, adding staff allowed the "Carrier" to continue loading despite the bad weather conditions. The jetty is owned by Cemex Ltd. and is used to export limestone aggregates directly from Raynes Quarry. The Cemex Ltd. now was considering the findings of the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau into the incident at Raynes Wharf involving the "Carrier". The investigation also had revealed there was a delay in scrambling rescue helicopters because all four helicopters at RAF Valley were unserviceable and aircraft from Yorkshire had to be launched instead. Reederei Erwin Strahlmann, who are still considering the report, thanked the rescue authorities but voiced their concerns over the serviceability of helicopters. An RAF statement on May 22 said it was extremely unusual for this many SAR helicopters to be unserviceable with such substantial technical faults. However, despite the difficulties encountered, well rehearsed back up plans were rapidly initiated and appropriate SAR assistance was provided as soon as was humanly possible. The Met Office and the Maritime and Coastal Agency said they were considering recommendations made by the MAIB over terms used in maritime weather forecasts. The "Carrier"’s Polish master was said to be unsure of the meaning of some of the terms used. The MAIB said terms like “later”, “soon” and “imminent”, as used by the UK Met Office were not part of the “international meteorological lexicon” and could confuse foreign sailors.