The 'Pacific Encounter' received adistress call and rescued three stranded sailors on May 4, 2024. The cruise ship departed from Brisbane on May 3 and was off the coast of New Caledonia when the distress call waa issued from a nearby broken yacht. The three sailors, which included two men and one woman, were sailing from Queensland en route to Noumea when their yacht encountered a broken mast and loss of power. The trio was drifting at sea for three days waiting for a passing ship to receive their distress call and provide assistance. The cruise ship answered the distress call and diverted to assist and rescue the three sailors. The sailors boarded the ship and were in good health after receiving onboard medical assistance. The vessel continued the voyage to Noumea.
News
Beirut
The Port of Beirut (PoB) resumed partial operations on Aug 10 with the first two container ships berthing in the container terminal after the explosion which killed at least 160 persons, injured thousands and made hundred thousands homeless. Out of 16 cranes at the container terminal, 12 were currently operational. The port was gradually resuming operations to ensure the supply of all kinds of goods to citizens. Bassem Al Kaissi, the new Director of the PoB, said that the container terminal will be fully operational by Aug 14. Al Kaissi said that 420 containers were unloaded on Aug 10. The container terminal storage area has been cleaned up and restored to its state before the blast. The container terminal represents 80 percent of the overall cargo movement at the PoB. It is located one kilometer away from the blast epicenter. Container vessels can dock at quay number 16. Shipping movement at the PoB had already plunged by 75 percent due to the economic crisis and has reached 15 percent following the blast. Customs have opened offices in the PoB’s warehouse number 14 which was partially damaged. The customs have become able to carry out the inspection of merchandise- Customs duties are being temporarily paid at the Rafic Hariri International Airport. Tthe PoB is now handling only full containers as groupage consignment requires warehouses which don’t exist now. Amer Al Kaissi said groupage, which represents 15 percent of shipments at the PoB, will be diverted to the Port of Tripoli until the rebuilding of warehouses at the PoB is completed. The first two containerships to berth at the PoB after the blast were the 'Electra' (Gezairi Transport) and the 'Nicolas Delmas' (CMA CGM). The 'Electra', which was carrying 400 containers, was diverted to Tripoli where there was a license to operate but the company insisted to unload it in Beirut when it was told that the PoB has resumed operation. The CMA CGM Group and CEVA Logistics said they are fully operational and ensuring business continuity to serve their customers. The Group has redeployed its employees in its two back-up sites in Beirut Digital District and reinforced its presence in Tripoli. Part of CMA CGM’s vessels has been temporarily directed to Tripoli. Few shipping companies are authorized to operate in other ports such as Tripoli or Saida. BCTC, the Customs and the PoB’s authorities did their best to handle the clearing formalities despite the difficult working conditions. The general cargo area was fully operational on Aug 12 both for imports and exports. This includes wheat and other grains as well as construction steel bars. The cost of rebuilding the port is estimated at around $1 billion.
DARYA SHAAN
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority(AMSA) imposed a 180-day ban on the 'Darya Shaan' for serious safety and maintenance issues. The ship has been detained from entering Australia after the vessel failed to report serious defects in the main engine and the machinery. On April 26, 2024, the vessel docked at Port of MELBOURNE, where it was inspected by the AMSA, and several maintenance issues were identified. The inspection revealed serious defects in the main engine and monitoring system. The engine room alarm system was found faulty and has a defective starting arrangement for the two generators. The maintenance of the vessel was also poor, as evidence from the 19 deficiencies found after the survey. Moreover, the safety management system was also not effective enough in maintaining the vessel safety standards. The AMSA reported that the vessel operator took repeated risks with the vessel, and the safety of the crew and endangered the Australian Marine Environment. The AMSA stated that it would have not detained the vessel under the port state control procedure if only the operator of the vessel, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, had followed the protocol and reported the defects to the authorities.
INTER STEVEDORING 8
Beached at Chittagong 09.05.24 https://www.facebook.com/100011151120942/videos/pcb.10162996443633943/1634650574041064
Kiel
The PORT OF KIEL has redesigned the port apron in Ostuferhafen, which is the freight and logistics centre on the fjord. Where once stood a grain silo, there is now an expanded pre-stacking and stand-by area of three hectares for trucks, trailers and pas-senger cars.The State Premier of Schleswig- Holstein, Daniel Günther, visited the Ostufer-hafen on 12th August to hand over the grant notice coming from the State Programme Economy for 5.44 million Euros: The project to redesign the port apron included dismantling three hall areas of the former grain silo, excavation and road works as well as drainage, lighting and security measures and the connection of the area to the infrastructure. Through the new and generous port apron it has been possible to merge formerly separated pre-stacking areas, shorten distances and gain more space for trucks, busses, trailers and passenger cars. Furthermore, IT solutions have been developed to accelerate the handling processes at the gate, which also allow truck drivers to reduce personal contact.Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at the PORT OF KIEL: “Even under the current circumstances the Ostuferhafen operates in a reliable and safe way. The port of Kiel has proven its systemic importance regarding the transshipment of cross-border freight transport.”In the first seven months of the year 2.1 million tons of cargo have been tran-shipped via the Ostuferhafen (+ 1 %). Additional volumes have been transported by the ferries of the DFDS shipping company to the Baltic States or they have been delivered by the SCA-RoRo-freighters from Scandinavia. Not only general cargo and forest products are unloaded resp. transhipped in Ostuferhafen but also project and heavy cargo, scrap metal and agricul-tural products. The integrated passenger terminal to handle cruise vessels emphasizes the universal character of this port part.