Clemenceau off to breakers
Klyne Tugs (Lowestoft) Ltd has delivered the former French aircraft carrier Clemenceau to the Able UK TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility at Able Seaton Port on the river Tees to be broken up. The operation was a straightforward commercial towage operation undertaken by the anchor-handling tug Anglian Earl.

Pirates captured by multi-national task force
The growing number of warships patrolling the pirate-infested waters of the western Indian Ocean are beginning to make an impact. In an action during early February, boarding teams from the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), serving as the flagship for Combined Task Force 151, a multi-national task force for counterpiracy operations, apprehended a boat of suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

Southampton's longest
Despite the economic downturn having a major impact on the container business, one of the newest vessels in the Moller-Maersk fleet, the 98,268gt Maret Maersk, entered the Solent in February to become the longest boxboat ever to call at Southampton. The container ship is 367m long, 42.8m in beam, and has a capacity of 7,668TEU.

Challenging series of sailing races ahead
This year will again see two race series for tall ships - the annual Sail Training International race-cruise-race, which will take place in the Baltic, and the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, the first transatlantic race since 2000. For the first series, the fleet will gather in Gdynia, race to St Petersburg, cruise from there to Turku and then race to Klaipeda. The second series will start in Vigo and take in Tenerife, Bermuda, Charleston, Boston, Halifax and Belfast.

LDA propose SeaFrance merger
After SeaFrance announced plans to cut a third of its 1,700 workforce and operate between Calais and Dover with just three vessels, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs confirmed proposals to take control of SNCF's wholly-owned subsidiary and merge it with its own expanding LD Lines ferry operation.

Armorique maiden voyage lost
Bad weather in the Western Channel on 10 February forced Brittany Ferries to cancel the Roscoff-Plymouth maiden sailing of Armorique, although the €110 million vessel was able to enter service with the evening's scheduled 2200 departure from Plymouth. The 1,200-passenger/600-car Armorique called at Plymouth on 31 January for berthing trials during a delivery voyage from STX Helsinki and went to Brest for final interior work.

Wightlink pair enter service
Wightlink finally brought Croatia-built sister ships Wight Light and Wight Sky into service between Lymington and Yarmouth on 25 February, although as late as the previous day while 1970s-built veterans Cenred and Cenwulf made their final sailings, environmentalists tried to block the new vessels through a court action.

An Epic newbuild for NCL
Built by STX Europe at St Nazaire, NCL's F3 150,000gt newbuild is to be christened Norwegian Epic. The design of the 4,200-passenger ship is revolutionary in that it will not have a main dining room or theatre, all cabins will be uniquely designed with rounded 'wave' edges, and a range of trendy public rooms will include the cruising world's first Ice Bar. A second ship is not now to be built after a dispute with STX.

Balmoral's brush with Biscay and bugs
Fred. Olsen's Balmoral (1988/43,537gt) faced severe weather in the notorious Bay of Biscay after leaving Dover on 17 January on a ten-night 'Sunshine and Souks' cruise. Waves 60ft-high and gale-force winds were encountered before the 1,360-passenger ship arrived at La Corunna, where two passengers were hospitalised, one a casualty incurred on boarding at Dover.

Biggest ever on Mersey
In early January the double-hulled ULCC BW Bauhinia (158,569gt) became the largest vessel ever to enter the Mersey. She discharged some of her cargo of Girasol crude from Angola at Europoort and then sailed for the Mersey with approximately 82,000 tonnes of crude still on board, for discharge at Tranmere Oil Terminal.


Lay up berths in demand
The river Fal in Cornwall has long been recognised as a good deepwater anchorage for laid-up ships. Since 2000, however, demand for lay-up berths has been small, although the cargo vessel Tamamima was a long-term resident for some years.

Brazil to build AHTS vessels to Aker designs
STX Europe, the former Aker Yards, has provided the design work for three AHTS vessels to be built in Brazil by an STX Europe subsidiary for offshore operator DOF ASA. Delivery of the vessels is scheduled for the end of 2010, mid-2011 and the end of 2011. Two of the ships will be built to Aker's AH 12 design.

World's largest LNG carriers
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has become an energy source in great demand around the world and ships built to transport it have been getting progressively bigger. At the end of last year the largest LNG carrier built to date, the 345.3m (1,130ft) by 53.8m (177ft) Mozah, entered service following her completion by South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries.

Last but not least
In a rare departure from naval tradition the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush has been commissioned before delivery. The US$6.2 billion nuclear-powered ship was built at Northrop Grumman's Newport News shipyard, but towed to Naval Station Norfolk for the ceremony when 97 per cent complete. The move was made to allow the outgoing Commander-in-Chief to officiate at the acceptance of the ship named in honour of his father, naval aviator and former President, before leaving office.

Home debut for Daring
The lead ship of a new class of six destroyers arrived at her homeport of Portsmouth for the first time on 28 January. Much has been written about the step change in combat capability the new Type 45s will provide with their state-of-the-art combat systems and newly-christened Sea Viper (Aster) missiles. However, they do not have an anti-ship or land-attack capability.

ROK solid
South Korea is continuing apace with the modernisation of its naval forces, with fresh orders for new submarines and frigates. Hyundai Heavy Industries has been awarded a $107 million contract to build the lead ship of a new class of 2,300-tonne patrol frigates to replace the older Ulsan class frigates and 28 Dong Hae and Pohang class corvettes.

World's first hybrid 'green tug'
US tug operators Foss Maritime introduced the world's first true 'hybrid' tug on 23 January in the Port of Long Beach. Named Carolyn Dorothy and already dubbed 'the Prius of tugboats', the vessel was constructed by the Foss shipyard in Oregon to an established Dolphin class ASD design. The tug's powerplant is brand new and significantly reduces harmful nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and carbon emissions. The vessel also consumes less fuel, and is quieter than its conventional predecessors.

New tug fleet takes shape
A new tug fleet being formed by Svitzer to serve the entire needs of the new LNG terminals and existing oil berths at Milford Haven is rapidly taking shape. When complete, the fleet will include nine brand new tugs and six new line-handling vessels, making it one of the largest and most powerful tanker handling fleets in the world.