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| Shipping news from around the Solent area |
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Red Jet 4 in collision with yacht Item Posted: 24/05/13 18:25 A spokesman for Red Funnel said: "Red Funnel Ferries can confirm that it’s Hi-Speed craft Red Jet 4 was involved in an incident whilst leaving it’s berth in West Cowes for the 4:15pm sailing to Southampton. "From eye-witness reports it is believed that an inbound yacht under sail suddenly jibed or broached into the port side of the vessel. "There were passengers onboard the vessel at the time but there were no injuries. "The vessel immediately returned to the West Cowes Terminal and all passengers disembarked safely at the Terminal. "Red Funnel and Cowes Harbour Commissioners are now conducting a full a investigation into the incident." It is understood the vessels involved were not seriously damaged. |
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Southampton braces itself for UK box port oversupply Item Posted: 24/05/13 15:14 DP World Southampton believes customer service levels are key to maintaining market share in the face of oversupply in the UK container port industry. The facility’s head of commercial, Aart Hille Ris Lambers, told Containerisation International that it had worked hard on improving service levels over the last few years to meet the challenge of new capacity coming on stream and flat demand growth. He said DP World Southampton had changed its working culture with a more flexible labour arrangement and had invested in six new cranes and a new Navis terminal operating system to improve productivity. “In the early 2000s we could manage 23 crane moves an hour but we were struggling to get more. Today the average across all ships is 28 moves per hour but bigger ships with big discharge goes over 30,” he said. “We are trying to give a good service to our customers, not only ship-side but also land-side and rail-side. One of our best selling points is our rail connections. Roughly 36% of all cargo goes by rail, which is the highest in UK.” He said that using Southampton’s rail services made economic sense for cargo travelling beyond Birmingham because of the port’s connection to the west coast main line, which runs to the north of the country. Its rail operations are not at full capacity at present and it has room to expand. The port also offers a variety of road connections to Birmingham and beyond, he said. “All of these things are the basic proposition we have in Southampton,” he said. “Other ports have other propositions, but let me put it this way, if they were completely compelling, all our customers would have already left us.” Mr Hille Ris Lambers said that before the global financial crisis, UK container ports were struggling to cope with volumes, but that since then the situation had changed dramatically. Growth has slowed and new capacity such as London Gateway, which is due to open later this year with initial capacity of 1.5m teu, is set to come on stream. DP World Southampton also has a £150m ($226.2m) upgrade project, including opening a new berth, which will increase its capacity from 2.3m teu to 2.8m teu when it is completed in January next year. One port contact said he expected the UK container port industry to be blighted by overcapacity for the next 10 years. Mr Hille Ris Lambers said: “We are confident that we can keep our customers with the service we can give today but we can’t take anything for granted. It’s a competitive market. “We are not the biggest port in the UK but our ambition is to be the best in terms of customer service.” |
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Alphaliner Newsletter no 19 - 2013 Item Posted: 24/05/13 12:55 |
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Item Posted: 24/05/13 12:51 New container ship MOL Quest seen her arriving at Southampton this morning. More pictures on maritimephotographic.co.uk message board link. |
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Item Posted: 24/05/13 09:16 The future use of a former Hampshire power station remains undecided as decommissioning continues. Oil-fired Fawley Power Station, west of Southampton water, closed in April after more than 40 years in operation. In the short-term, the station will operate as a control base for five sites across England generating power from open cycle gas turbines. The first stage of the decommissioning process is set to be completed in December. |
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Item Posted: 22/05/13 19:57 All are welcome - you do not need to be a member. The Isle of Wight Branch of the World Ship Society will be organising an evening cruise to Portsmouth Harbour on a Jenny boat on Saturday, 24th August 2013. There are four cruise ships due to sail that evening and we hope to meet them in the Solent. More details nearer thr time. |
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Item Posted: 22/05/13 18:05 |
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Item Posted: 22/05/13 08:50 |
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Item Posted: 21/05/13 16:34 It has been reported that the Split 3 is aground near St Helens. The dredger had not been damaged is expected to refloat this evening. |
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Item Posted: 21/05/13 07:45 Another one of Ark Royal showing tug change over from harbour tugs to tChristos 23. |
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More pics of Ark Royal final departure Item Posted: 20/05/13 19:42 |
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Item Posted: 20/05/13 18:12 See link on messageboard from maritimephotographic.co.uk for more pictures. Ark Royal left for the breakers today. The Royal Navy's former flagship was decommissioned early following the 2010 defence review and is being towed to Turkey for scrap. As part of a £2.9m deal she will go to the same yard that took her sister ship Invincible. The Invincible Class aircraft carrier saw active service in Bosnia and led UK naval forces during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Formally decommissioned in 2011, the Harrier jets that flew from Ark Royal were sold as spares to the US. New carriers using the joint strike fighter will not enter service for nearly 10 years. A bid to sink Ark Royal and turn it into an artificial diving reef off the Devon coast was rejected as were plans for a commercial heliport in London, a nightclub and school in China and a casino in Hong Kong. The Ministry of Defence said the bids were judged either "not feasible or appropriate", or carried "too much risk". |
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Item Posted: 18/05/13 18:13 Artania seen here entering Portsmouth today. At over 44,000 gross must be about the largest commercial vessel to enter the harbour - unless anyone knows any different. Ex Artemis, ex Royal Princess. |
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Fred Olsen adds ports but drops Portsmouth Item Posted: 17/05/13 16:55 Fred Olsen Cruise Lines will add two new U.K. ports to its 2014/15 season, giving it one of the highest number of regional departure points of any U.K. cruise line. The line will add Tilbury and Avonmouth, but will be dropping Portsmouth, taking the total number of ports to 10 next year. |
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Item Posted: 17/05/13 16:47 Rigging the chain for the Ark Royal tow. Leaving Monday 20th May. |
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Item Posted: 17/05/13 07:13 Oceana made an unscheduled stop at Charlie anchorage this morning due to a generator problem. |
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Item Posted: 17/05/13 07:11 Christos 23 with Ark Royal in Portsmouth this morning preparing for tow to scrapyard. |
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Item Posted: 16/05/13 20:30 |
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Brittany Ferries new high speed route between Portsmouth and Le Havre Item Posted: 16/05/13 16:09 Brittany Ferries’ new high speed route between Portsmouth and Le Havre has been launched. It will operate four days a week, from Thursday to Sunday, until September 16. At other times the Normandie Express will serve the Portsmouth to Cherbourg route. Brittany Ferries has never run a route to Le Havre, and it was historically formerly served by P&O and then later by LD Lines – now called DFDS – which continues to operate the route once a day. But the Normandie Express is not new to Brittany Ferries – it served the Portsmouth to Caen route until last August. |
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Item Posted: 16/05/13 15:37 Tug Christos 23 entering Portsmouth this morning for Ark Royal tow. |
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Item Posted: 16/05/13 08:04 To listen to my live marine radio streams on your phone try VLC player for Android (free). Still in beta but works for me. I use 'SpeakerBoost' for Android (free) in the background to boost the sound level. Unfortunately no balance control yet but I have asked for one. No sure if they do one for iphone but they probably do. |
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Item Posted: 15/05/13 14:44 HMS leaving Portsmouth this morning on her final tour of the UK before returning in June for decommisioning. HMS Edinburgh has made an emotional final trip to its spiritual home. The Type 42 destroyer has dropped anchor in Leith docks where it will stay for six days. During their stay the crew will take part in a parade down Edinburgh's Royal Mile to mark the ship's decommissioning. The ship will be open to the public on Saturday. After Leith, HMS Edinburgh will continue on to Liverpool, where it was built. She is sailing round the UK in a farewell tour, which will end in Portsmouth next month. Around 250 crew are on board but will be redeployed across the Navy at the end of the tour. |
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Item Posted: 15/05/13 14:26 The biggest cruise ship ever to be built for the British market started to take shape today, as Cunard managing director Carol Marlow gave the order for the first section of the vessel's hull to be lowered into a dry-dock in Italy. A 408-ton steel block, already fitted with pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment, was lifted by a giant crane at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard near Trieste Scheduled to sail its maiden voyage in 2015, the 141,000-ton P&O ship will carry 3,600 passengers. It is being built with a near-identical hull to Regal Princess - and sister Royal Princess which will be christened by the Duchess of Cambridge next month - but with twin funnels painted in the trademark buff colour. The interior layout and designs are likely to be considerably different, although details are still a closely-guarded secret. No name has yet been announced, and there has not yet been much in the way of clues. As far as the shipyard is concerned, it remains Hull 6231 for now. |
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High Court throws out legal appeal against ferry operations at Lymington Item Posted: 15/05/13 14:20 Wightlink has today learned that the Lymington River Association’s latest legal challenge to its ferry operations at Lymington has failed. The Association had applied to judicially review the Secretary of State’s decision not to overturn the outcome of the 2011 Planning Inquiry. The Inquiry gave consent for Wightlink to carry out berth works, operate the W-Class vessels and undertake habitat creation works. |
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Item Posted: 15/05/13 10:12 A 1:25 model container ship has been completed by Composite Manufacturing (Design) Ltd (CML) based in Southampton for the Warsash Maritime Academy. Warsash Maritime Academy will reaffirm its place as a world-leading training platform for seafaring pilots, masters and ships officers when it adds the model to its fleet this month. It will be the first container ship to join the existing fleet at Southampton Solent University’s Ship Handling Centre when it is officially launched at a special ceremony. Industry leaders, dignitaries and University staff will be present at the launch and naming ceremony which will be presided over by Admiral, The Right Honourable Lord West of Spithead, at the Centre in Timsbury, near Romsey on Thursday 16 May 2013. Modelled on a real 13,300 TEU container ship that is 365 metres in long, the scaled vessel replicates the most widely used container ship size trading globally by major shipping companies such as CMA CGM Group, Maersk and MSC. The 1:25 scaled model is 14.62 metres long, weighs 12.5 tonnes, has operational power anchors, electric hydraulic steering, bow thrust and main propulsion systems. Transferable water ballasts enables it to operate in light or loaded conditions. One of only three major centres in the world, the Ship Handling Centre provides a world-class training platform for pilots, masters and ships officers, using various manned models, accurately scaled to that of a real ship. Since the opening of this 20-acre lake facility at Timsbury in 2011, the Ship Handling Centre has been operating a fleet of seven scaled models, including a Panamax vessel, twin screw Ro-Ro Ferry, Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), 40,0000 dwt Product Tanker, Twin Screw Shuttle Tanker, Suezmax and an Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) . In addition to the new container ship, WMA is undertaking the build of a sister ship to the popular Panamax vessel, to be named ‘Intrepid’. Due to be operational this summer, it will increase the fleet to nine models. |
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Winds cancel HMS Illustrious return to Portsmouth Item Posted: 14/05/13 07:59 Strong winds have delayed HMS Illustrious’ departure from London. The Portsmouth-based helicopter carrier was due to leave the capital after taking part in days of commemorations for the Battle of the Atlantic. Strong crosswinds prevented the ship from leaving yesterday afternoon. She is now due to leave London at some point today 14th May. The warship is expected to arrive in Portsmouth early tomorrow morning. |
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Item Posted: 14/05/13 07:38 Single cabins are all the rage at the moment. P&O's Ventura has just gained 18 during its recent refit and newcomer Norwegian Breakaway has followed big sister Norwegian Epic by having 59 studio cabins for solo passengers. Some cruise lines have had them all the time and are now realizing that they should be shouting about them. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have even announced that in addition to the stock of 109 single cabins on their fleet of four ships, twin cabins on a number of cruises next year will be available for single occupancy with no single supplement. Helping to achieve this are gentlemen hosts who partner single women on the dance floor and get-together gatherings to help solo travellers to meet and make friends. Black Watch and Boudicca each have 43 single cabins, Braemar has 40, and Balmoral, 64. |
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Item Posted: 14/05/13 05:49 In the 175th year of the port this lecture will look at some of the history of the port during the long and fascinating story of the most famous port in the world. |
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Hovercraft tests new propeller Item Posted: 13/05/13 07:22 Trials are continuing on a new design of propeller to replace the type that broke up on the Solent Express 18 months ago. Solent Express was tested on Ryde Sands several weeks ago, but has not yet been certified by the Maritime Coastguard Agency to return to passenger service. She was withdrawn in November 2011, after the mechanical failure and Hoevertravel said it has planned its 2013 timetable using its two other craft — Island Express and Freedom 90. "The trials will include transits in The Solent and static tests on Ryde Sands. The latter will require an additional hovercraft — destined for an overseas customer — to be present. |
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Item Posted: 11/05/13 16:51 Brittany Ferries executives say the company could fold if the firm’s pleas to delay the date a new anti-pollution fuel regulation comes into force are ignored. The company, which is launching its fastcat service from Portsmouth to Le Havre next Thursday, says the European Union regulation will see its fuel costs soar by 60 per cent. The knock-on effect could mean it can’t afford to run its services from Portsmouth, resulting in the loss of 100 jobs and the £10m berthing costs it pays to Portsmouth City Council every year. The aim of the new rule is to reduce fuel sulphur levels from 3.5 per cent to 0.1 per cent by 2015. Those levels are specifically for the heavily-congested English Channel, North Sea, and Baltic Sea which are Sulphur Emissions Control Areas. Brittany Ferries says it has no problem with the principle of the regulations but the timescale for implementing them is too tight, While it might be able to fit sulphur scrubbers on its ships, which travel between Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to the continent, it said there was no proof the scrubbers will reduce the sulphur content in the fuel. As a result, the companies will have to pay for the more expensive low-sulphur fuel, while they build new ships with new technology that means they can be powered on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Stephen Tuckwell, director of communications and Portsmouth port operations for Brittany Ferries, said: ‘The 2015 deadline will leave insufficient time to invest in alternative technologies. ‘We are already looking at other fuel solutions such as LNG, but there is no supply chain in place and this is only likely to be viable for new ships from 2020. ‘Fuel accounts for a huge proportion of our costs – around £65m a year. If these changes go ahead as planned then we’ll see our fuel costs rise by 60 per cent – to more than £100m a year. ‘We would be faced with no alternative other than to raise our passenger fares and freight rates, which is obviously undesirable. ‘We’d also have to consider reducing services as demand falls and we trim capacity – this could potentially affect any of our ports, including Portsmouth.’ Mr Tuckwell said the cost rises would be ‘unsustainable’, adding that it ‘could well lead to the collapse of the company’. Other ferry firms which operate out of Portsmouth – LD Lines and P&O Ferries, are also calling for the extension. The French authorities have agreed to the delay until 2020, as long as the British government, which has to sign the EU directive, agrees. |
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