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Ocean Village Two debuts
Amidst all the attention Liberty of the Seas received during her visit to Southampton in mid-April (see p.6), another new cruise ship also called at the port for the first time. The 70,310gt Ocean Village Two arrived in port on 19 April, and was named on 24 April becoming the UK's first ship to boast two Godmothers with celebrity sisters Jodie and Jemma Kidd smashing the bottle at the naming.
New lighthouse tender in the North
The new lighthouse tender for the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) arrived at her home base in Oban from her builders yard in Poland on 31 March. The new ship, NLV Pharos, was built by Gdansk Stocznia Remontowa SA yard in Gdansk, Poland and was specifically designed and built for the unique work carried out by the NLB.
Balmoral to be lengthened
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (FOCL) has signed an agreement to lengthen its latest purchase, Norwegian Crown, which is currently under bareboat charter to Norwegian Cruise Lines. FOCL will have the vessel redelivered in November 2007, and has contracted Blohm Voss Repair GmbH, of Hamburg, to extend the vessel by about 30m. As well as expanding space for public areas, this lengthening will increase passenger capacity by approximately 350, bringing the total passenger capacity to around 1,340 in lower beds/berths.
Anchor handler capsizes
Operators of offshore vessels working off oil platforms will be examining data retrieved from the loss of the nearly new type A102 anchor handling tug Bourbon Dolphin, which capsized in the North Sea in mid-April and later sank, taking four of her crew, plus the Captain's son, with her. The 75.2m vessel overturned about 75 nautical miles west of the Shetland Islands on 12 April while working off the oil platform Transocean Rather.
Fire damages icebreaker
The Argentine Navy's icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar (Q 5) suffered an extensive fire 140 miles off the Argentine coast near Puerto Madryn on 10 April while returning from her annual positioning in Antarctica. The blaze was reported to have broken out in the vessel's secondary generators and spread rapidly, consuming the stern of the vessel and destroying two H-3 Sea King helicopters contained within the aft flight deck hangar.
RCI's latest floating city
Royal Caribbean International continued its assault on the world cruise market with the introduction of its latest megaship, Liberty of the Seas, the second of the Freedom class vessels. The new ship called at Southampton as a promotional exercise during her delivery voyage from Finland to the United States. She arrived on the south coast on 22 April to make her first ever port of call, berthing at the City Cruise Terminal.
Swansea-Cork revival
As HJ Lines' new freight ro-ro link between Swansea and Cork opened, Welsh politicians were looking to find ways to bring back the full passenger and tourist vehicle service suspended by Swansea Cork Ferries. With SCF inactive in 2007 after failing to secure a replacement for its only vessel, Swansea Welsh Assembly member Sian James asked what was being done to reinstate a full service and Nick Ainger, Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Wales Office, promised he would hold talks with Welsh Assembly Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies.
DFDS rings changes at North Shields
DFDS Seaways change the deployment of two of the three passenger vessels maintaining services from the river Tyne from 29 May. Princess of Norway (1986/31,356gt) runs opposite sister ship King of Scandinavia (1987/31,788gt) on the route from North Shields to IJmuiden in Holland, with Queen of Scandinavia (1981/33,730gt) taking over sailings to Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen.
North Channel times cut
Major changes on shore for Stena Line's Belfast-Stranraer service are under way. Work has started on a £35 million terminal in Belfast which will come into use next summer before the Scottish terminal of the North Channel service also moves from its existing Stranraer base to a re-developed joint facility with P&O on the opposite side of Loch Ryan at Cairnryan. Crossing times for service using high-speed and conventional tonnage will be cut by 20 minutes and give scope for additional sailings. The development at Fortwilliam is two miles downstream from Stena's existing Belfast terminal at Donegall Quay and will be built on a 32-acre site of land reclaimed from Belfast Lough.
Newbuilds for Oceania and Silversea
Oceania Cruises has ordered two 65,000gt ships from Italy's Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard at a cost of US$500 million each, for delivery in autumn 2010 and summer 2011. The agreement includes an option for a third vessel in 2012. Each will have a length overall of 252m (825ft), breadth of 32m (105ft), draft of 7m (23ft) and accommodate 1,260 passengers.
Sea Diamond sinks
Two people died when Louis Cruise Lines' Sea Diamond (1986/22,412gt), sank off the Greek island of Santorini just before 0700 on 6 April, 15 hours after sustaining a gash to her starboard side on hitting a reef while manoeuvring to moor just a few metres from the cruise tender dock at Thira. The Greek-flagged ship was carrying 1,167 passengers, mostly of German and US origin, and 391 crew. She was due to return to Piraeus the next morning, having only just started her 2007 season of three- and four-day Greek Islands cruises.
Light relief from America to Arklow
Light vessels, it appears, bear some similarity to buses. You do not see one for ages and then three come along together. LV112 Nantucket, the largest lightship ever built, is being offered for sale by the National Light House Museum for the princely sum of $1. Conditions are attached, however, because the 71-year-old vessel will only be sold to a non-profit organisation willing to keep her open to the public. Estimates of approximately $150,000 to drydock and repaint the vessel, plus around $25,000 per year to maintain her, are likely to limit the offers.
Old Lady comes home
Hamburg gave an emotional welcome to the cargo ship Old Lady when she arrived on the river Elbe on 30 January. The 2,139gt vessel was built by Werft Nobiskrug at Rendsburg in 1958 as the Bleichen for Hamburg-based owner H. M. Gehrckens, and has been acquired by Stiftung Hamburg Maritim for preservation.
Svitzer take over Adsteam
Following the final report from the Competition Commission, the proposed take-over of Adsteam Marine by SvitzerWijsmuller is to go ahead rapidly. The only condition placed upon the deal by the Competition Commission was that one of the two tug fleets in Liverpool, one currently operated by Svitzer and the other by Adsteam, must be sold.
Milford's new tug fleet
Towage services in the port of Milford Haven are to be transformed by a fleet of nine powerful new tugs and six line-handling vessels to be introduced by Svitzer Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of SvitzerWijsmuller A/S of Denmark. The new fleet will support two major Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminals and the existing related tanker-handling operations.
For all these stories, plus much more, see the June issue of Ships Monthly, now on sale.
Ships Monthly, 17 May 2007
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