5 months trading Asia, OOCL

4 - 12 months trading, Maersk

4 months trading Far East, Cosco

Sweden Coast Guard was informed at 2225 LT May 13 2012, that cement carrier Malta Cement ran aground in Morko area, in position 59 00N 17 43E. Vessel loaded with 3700 tons of cement is hard aground, there is a hull breach and assumingly, some leak. Divers were to survey the vessel, to work out a salvage plan. As of noon May 14 vessel is in the same position with two tugs standing by. Photo of the grounded Malta Cement by Sweden Coast Guard Air Patrol. See photo at www.odin.tc/news/...

The chemical leak on board the "California Senator" in Port Botany has been made safe in the afternoon of May 14, 2012. The ship had docked in the morning coming from Fremantle with a 1000-litre storage drum leaking nitric acid in the hold. The ship's captain had called ahead on May 13 to warn authorities. Firefighters scrambled aboard about 1 a.m. to decant the contents of the drum and contain the leak. One ruptured container inside was located. Contents have all been emptied, all the contaminated products have been removed by a contractor. The area has now been neutralised and made safe. A 250-metre exclusion zone had been set up around the ship during the day as fire crews checked other drums for leaks. Report with photos: southern-courier....

The "European Seaway" is to become an accommodation vessel for the wind farm industry. The company has converted the roll-on roll-off vessel to serve technicians working offshore in the North Sea. Earlier in May 2012 the ship started a three-month charter with Centrica Renewable Energy Limited after having hull access doors, cranes and boarding ladders installed during a short refit at the Arno shipyard in Dunkerque. Cabins were upgraded and the charterers' managers have been provided with onboard offices. It is the first contract the Dover-based firm has secured in the wind energy market. For the charter period the ship will be anchored seven kilometres off Skegness. Technicians will live on board while undertaking maintenance and operations activities at the Lynn and Inner Dowsing Wind Farm Array. The addition of access doors and specialist boarding and lifting equipment complements the ship's huge vehicle decks, which make ideal storage space for containers, spare parts and equipment for the maintenance of wind turbines and their huge supporting structures. The ship is being supplied to Centrica on a time charter basis, which means she will be manned by P&O deck, technical and catering crew, who will provide hotel services to Centrica staff.

An endangered humpback whale slammed head on into the "Sapphire Princess", killing itself and causing major delays in travel plans. The ship's crew felt no impact. It was unknown how or when this could have happened, as we were not aware that any whales were sighted in close proximity to the ship when the whale was discovered. Princess Cruises are fully cooperating with the investigation but at this point it appears that the animal did collide with the vessel. All passengers and crew were safe and are continuing the voyage with the "Sapphire Princess.” All passengers received a coupon for their next voyage. The dead whale was pulled into deeper water and dumped.

The search for the seven crewmmembers of the "Rio Turbio" still missing after the ship capsized on the Parana River near the northeastern city of Zarate continued overnight. Divers had rescued only one crew member from the vessel on May 12 with slight injuries. However, the time factor and the conditions of the collision jeopardised chances that the missing had survived. 16 divers were searching for the missing, but that all of the ship's compartments were flooded. The search also involved nine coast guard ships and a helicopter. Police meanwhile have arrested three of the 12 crew members of the tug "Ava Payagua" which was subject to judicial inspection. Report with photo: www.nst.com.my/la...

New York City police officers linked up with the "Norwegian Gem" that was already underway in the waters near the Verrazano Bridge to get to a 60-year-old man who needed medical treatment in the evening of May 12, 2012. The man had become disoriented after falling and hitting his head. A police boat went alongside the cruise ship, and the man was transferred. He was taken to a hospital on Staten Island, where he was in stable condition.

The 3,"Carnival Freedom", had to undergo an extensive cleaning after the ship arrives back in Port Everglades on May 13, 2012, in the morning. Carnival Cruise Lines sent out an email to all the passengers of the cruise strating ofn that day that embarkation would not begin until 1:30 p.m. so the ship can be thoroughly cleaned. The ship was scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale, FL at 4:00 p.m. for a 6 night cruise stopping in Key West, Grand Cayman Island, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Passengers have reported that virus like symptoms have spread not only on this current sailing, but also on sailings as far back as April 21, 2012.