NEWS BULLETIN - NOVEMBER
2006
|
November 29 |
Acknowledgements: Gary Andrews, Nick Widdows, David Farclough,
Michael Bracken, "River Spy" and
"others". |
CELTIC LINK
KILMORE, supposedly Celtic Link's second ship, remains at Shanghai
but her AIS is now showing destination as Masan, with an ETA of
30/11/06, 09.00. Masan is a city in South Korea which has a shipyard.
Arrival at Dublin still seems a long way off!
FOYLE FERRY COMPANY
Serious questions have been asked over the long-term future of the
Lough Swilly Ferry service.
Its been suggested that the service should go out to tender again
to ensure that Donegal County Council is getting best value for money
for its subvention of the service.
Its emerged the Foyle Ferry Company, which operates the service,
is seeking up to two hundred and twenty thousand euro in subvention from
the Council to help run the ferry in 2007.
In light of this some councillors have expressed a concern over
the ferry's future but Councillor Liam Blaney is more upbeat
MAERSK GROUP
NORFOLK LINE
Union officials have presented a claim for over
€200,000 in 'back-pay' for a group of Polish, Latvian and Russian crew
members aboard MERCHANT BRAVERY.
The claim was lodged by Ken Fleming of the
International Transport Federation (ITF) to Norfolk Lines, the company
chartering the Merchant Bravery freighter in Dublin Port.
He claims some crew members earned as little as
€2 an hour.However, a spokesperson for Norfolk Line said it was the
responsibility of the companies that own and manage the ship to pay the
wages.
Mr Fleming met with company bosses in Dublin
yesterday and threatened to have the ship detained, a power which he has
as an ITF inspector, if the workers were not properly paid.
Last night, a Norfolk Lines spokesperson said
the firm paid a monthly rate to the owners of the ship.
While they were concerned about the low
salaries, it was not their responsibility to pay crew members, he said.
[Irish Independent]
MANXMAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY
Following on from the news in the last news update concerning SS
MANXMAN the following statement has been issued by Chairman Bill Ogle.
"I was advised last week that Manxman was moved into the
Pallion dry dock, on Tuesday. The purpose being to effect urgent hull
repairs. Once again there are rumours that she has been sold for scrap,
this time to either Italian or Egyptian interests. However such a move
would require a Waste Management Licence and an MCA survey. These would
specify extensive and costly hull repair work (which we have built into
the costing schedule) and probably explain why previous alleged sales
have fallen through – in only four years she has allegedly been sold to
Nigeria, Bilbao, Nigeria (again), Rotterdam and Denmark. We are not
complacent regarding this issue and meanwhile are pushing forward as
quickly as possible with the anticipated bid whilst maintaining contact
with MCA and Department for the Environment."
NOMADIC TRUST
Northern Ireland Social Development Minister
David Hanson MP has welcomed the vision for the future restoration of
the SS NOMADIC announced by the Charitable Trust.
At its first meeting the Nomadic Charitable
Trust Board agreed the following vision for the project:
"To restore the SS NOMADIC and make her
accessible to the people of Northern Ireland such that she can play a
role as a celebration of the Titanic and our maritime and industrial
heritage and act as a catalyst for tourism and social and economic
development".
The meeting was presented with an assessment of
the current condition of the ship together with recommendations to deal
with essential repairs and maintenance. Whilst the ship is generally in
good condition the main urgent task is to protect the Nomadic from any
further deterioration from rainwater ingress through leaking
superstructure and the Board agreed to procure a temporary canvas cover
to fit the entire vessel as quickly as possible. This cover will be
designed to enable access to carry out other agreed work pending the
ultimate reinstatement proposal which will be agreed by the Trust in due
course.
The Charitable Trust undertook to try to carry
out initial works to at least make the two lounges accessible to the
public in the short term.
Chairman of the Trust, Denis Rooney, stated
that:
"I am delighted to be heading such an expert
and enthusiastic Board and feel confident that the Trust can meet the
exciting and demanding challenge in making the most of this great
asset." He went on to say that: "Funding will be the key which will
determine how ambitious we can be and we look to the whole community to
support us in whatever way they can".
The Charitable Trust has set up special
committees to deal with key aspects of the restoration project. Roy
Snowdon will head up the Technical Committee which will deal with all
matters relating to the repairs, maintenance and mooring arrangements.
Ian Savage will lead the committee dealing with the concept development
of the project and the business plan. David Scott-Beddard will chair the
Fund Raising Committee.
The Minister for Social Development Minister,
David Hanson welcomed the vision statement of the Charitable Trust and
reiterated that "much needs to be done from a fundraising point of
view." He went on to say that:
"I am confident that the Trust can restore the
SS Nomadic so that her wonderful history will help to promote Belfast
and Northern Ireland as a marketable visitor attraction alongside that
of the Titanic brand."
The SS NOMADIC will shortly be removed from the
Harland & Wolff quay to Barnett's Dock where it will be moored for 18
months. Denis Rooney expressed the Trust's thanks to Harland & Wolff for
their support to date and to the Belfast Harbour Commissioners for their
kind offer of mooring facilities and other support.
PEEL PORTS
The Ravestein SKYLINE BARGE 15 which, until
last week, was acting as a temporary landing stage for Mersey Ferries
was removed on the afternoon of Tuesday November 28, 2024 and towed into
the the docks. The linking bailey bridge had been removed at the end of
last week. Mersey Ferries are now using the Prince's Landing Stage.
SCOTT LITHGOW LTD
MV ARTICA HAV arrived at Bidston for attention
by Scott Lithgow Ltd for emergency bow repairs sustained after the
vessel struck the quay at Silloth. |
November 25 |
|
BRITTANY FERRIES
The management of French ferry operator Brittany
Ferries is preparing for major changes as a result of the retirement of
the company's founder and chairman Alexis Gourvennec, who is reported to
be seriously ill. Gourvennec has called for an extraordinary board
meeting to be held on 1 December, which will decide on a new managerial
organisation.
In his absence, Henri Jacob, 67, a member of
the board of directors since the company was set up in 1972, has been
appointed as temporary chairman.
New appointments will be made at the board
meeting. Charismatic Alexis Gourvennec has been the driving force behind
the company's remarkable growth and observers say it not be an easy task
to find a replacement; for this reason questions are being asked about
Brittany Ferries' future. The company is the dominant ferry operator on
the Western Channel with a fleet of seven modern ferries and two high
speed ships. The company operates seven ferry routes between northern
France, England, Ireland and Spain, carrying about 2.7M passengers and
800,000 cars a year.
DARTMOUTH HIGHER FERRY
The UK's last diesel electric paddle
vessel will be replaced by 2009.
Dartmouth's Higher Ferry will be replaced in
April 2009 by a multi-million pound replacement, doubling its capacity.
The decision to replace the current ferry has been taken by parent
company the Dartmouth to Kingswear Floating Bridge Company after the
Marine Coastguard Agency informed them they would have to replace the
whole bottom of the boat by 2009.
After examining costs and the age of the
current boat, it was decided it would be better to replace it. The
current ferry is now 46 years old, having been built at the Philip &
Sons Noss Shipyard in 1960. It can carry up to 18 vehicles at one time
and takes four minutes to complete a crossing.
The proposed replacement would carry up to 40
cars, and take three minutes to cross the Dart. The new ferry will not
be paddle driven, as the current one is, because it is very inefficient.
The company are looking at a number of options
including propellers, jets, or even a cable drive ferry. With extra cars
travelling across at every trip, there could be a need for extra staff
to satisfy health and safety regulations. Tony Tucker, a director of the
company which is owned by Dart Marina Hotel owner Richard Seton, said
that lots of details still had to be decided.
'We looked at replacing the bottom of the boat
and that would mean it would be taken out of service for up to five
months which is, of course, unacceptable,' he said. 'We have been
investigating a number of different possibilities with the new ferry. We
want to make sure it is future proof and will be able to cope with the
new demands. 'We want to bring an end to long queues for the ferry in
the middle of summer.' The company have employed Pendennis
Shipyard to design and organise the build of the new vessel.
Pendennis Shipyard, Falmouth recently designed
and built the new KING HARRY VII chain car ferry in Truro. The company
has used the costing of the King Harry to estimate how much the new
vessel will cost.
'The King Harry cost £3million,' said Mr
Tucker. 'It carries 32 vehicles at a time. We want to have a vehicle
carrying 40.' The ferry, as a floating bridge, is officially part of the
road network, and the company cannot raise prices without express
permission from the Department of Trans-port. This means a wholesale
passing on of the costs incurred from a new ferry is unlikely. 'We are
looking at this as a long-term investment,' said Mr Tucker. 'Not only do
we have to consider the Department of Transport, but we also have
competitors such as the Lower Ferry, so realistically prices cannot rise
dramatically, if at all.'
DML APPLEDORE
The West Country's
biggest private employer is at the centre of a political storm after its
parent company was accused of letting a £30 million shipbuilding
contract slip out of its grasp.
KBR -
the US-based owner of dockyard management firm DML - now faces demands
to "get out of the country".
DML employs 4,500 people at Devonport in Plymouth and Appledore in North
Devon, making it the biggest private sector employer in Devon and
Cornwall. It has an annual turnover of £400 million.
The 180 workers at the Appledore yard were told last night that DML had
missed out on the contract to build an offshore survey vessel, which had
instead been awarded to a firm in Norway.
Industry insiders last night claimed the controversial flotation of KBR
- which owns a 51 per cent share in DML - had caused delays in securing
the Appledore bid and cast doubt over the future of all new investment.
Observers warned this latest development would further weaken the
relationship between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and KBR.
Last week, US oil group Halliburton went ahead with the stock market
listing of its subsidiary KBR despite warnings from the MoD that it
remained dissatisfied about the future security of the nuclear submarine
base at Devonport. The MoD has threatened to strip KBR of the Plymouth
base if it fails to give sufficient assurances.
The loss of the Appledore contract sparked a furious reaction from local
Tory MP Geoffrey Cox: "I am steaming mad. It's now reaching the point
where there needs to be a major investigation by the Government into the
fitness of KBR to run dockyards in this country. The time has come for
KBR to get out of this country."
The MP for Torridge and West Devon has contacted Defence Secretary Des
Browne demanding an urgent inquiry into KBR's role in the loss of the
contract. "It casts a huge doubt over whether they are fit to own
facilities like the Devonport dockyard, which is currently under review
by the Government. Appledore shipyard has a highly regarded workforce
and management scheme, and a proven track record, and deserves the full
backing of its owners.
"It is simply unbelievable that this company could be so inept and allow
this contract to slip."
He also warned the workforce is "now going to be facing months of
idleness".
The loss of the contract comes only weeks after Mr Cox received
assurances from the board of KBR that the company is fully committed "to
supporting DML in generating a long term successful future for the yard
and its current workforce."
But sources at Appledore told the WMN there had been "difficulties in
getting approval" from KBR to go ahead with the bid for the contract. It
is believed there were delays in getting the costs of the contract
underwritten by the parent company while it proceeded with the
floatation last week.
Shipbuilding industry experts said the contract would have been for
between £30 million and £40 million. Last night, it was unclear how the
loss of the contract would affect the workforce, but insiders stressed
had it been won by Appledore, it would have been "very, very important
in securing the futures" of the 180 staff. [WESTERN MORNING NEWS]
DUBLIN PORT
Dublin Port Company has said the volume of
goods passing through the port in the third quarter of this year was 7.5
million tonnes, up nearly 12% on the same period last year.
Imports increased by 10.7% to 4.8 million
tonnes, and exports reached 2.6 million tonnes, an increased of 14.3% on
the same period in 2005. The total for the first nine months of 2006 is
running 8.4% ahead of a year earlier.
The number of trade cars coming through Dublin
Port in Q3 fell by 9%, however, to 18,519, while ferry passenger numbers
were down 10% to 421,229. Tourist cars were down more than 20% to
85,022. Dublin Port says that while ferry tourism numbers continue to
decrease due to increased competition from the low-fares airlines, the
cruise industry at Dublin Port experienced its busiest year to date. In
2006, Dublin Port Company hosted 75 cruise liners, carrying more than
65,000 passengers and 28,000 crew members. It says this has injected up
to €50m into the local
economy. [RTÉ]
ISLE OF MAN DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORT
DOUGLAS HARBOUR
TRAFFIC FIGURES OCTOBER 2006
Passenger figures
compiled by the Harbours Division for October 2006 at 41,135 show a very
slight decrease on the figure for the same period in 2005 which was
41,160. The year to date figure at 536,706 passengers shows a 2.2%
decrease over the same period in 2005 which was 548,630. During October,
car and motorcycle traffic through
Douglas
Harbour
decreased by 1.0% from 11,681 vehicles to 11,560 vehicles. The year to
date figure at 153,049 vehicles shows a 2.0% decrease over the same
period in 2005 which was 156,122. Scheduled Routes show the
following changes in passenger numbers for October:-
Belfast |
All
plus |
from |
Nil |
to |
258 |
Heysham |
Minus 4% |
from |
24,602 |
to |
23,504 |
Liverpool |
Plus
7% |
from |
15,174 |
to |
16,229 |
Director of
Harbours, Captain Michael Brew commented:
“Allowing for a slightly later school half-term break the traffic
figures are broadly static, although the underlying trend is positive.
The return of Sea Express 1 has had a positive effect on the core
Liverpool route with growth of 7%. Overall, a satisfactory month”.
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY
BEN-MY-CHREE - adverse conditions forecast for the Irish on Sunday
November 19, 2024 led to the cancellation of the 08:45 Douglas to
Heysham sailing and the 14:15 Heysham to Douglas sailing. Several
correspondents have commented that the morning sailing could have
operated with the BEN-MY-CHREE sheltering at Heysham from that
afternoon's severe gales. The evening 19:45 departure from Douglas was
also delayed until the weather abated.
SEA
EXPRESS I - failed to operate her 15:00 / 19:30 Sunday round trip to Liverpool
on November 19 and her 09:00 / 19:00 Saturday round trip to Liverpool on
November 25 due to adverse conditions.
JAMES FISHER / PNTL
ATLANTIC OSPREY - As predictable as leaves
falling off the trees in autumn whenever the Fisher managed PNTL ships are
reported to be on the move there is usually something of a fuss created
which fails to take into account the high standards to which these
vessels are operated. This time it is the turn of ATLANTIC OSPREY which
recently arrived at Vittoria Dock, Birkenhead to attract
unwanted attention!
An international association of local
authorities is warning that a planned shipment of nuclear fuel by sea is
both an environmental hazard and a potential terrorist target.
The shipment in question will be the second to
make use of a converted roll-on/roll-off ferry, the Atlantic Osprey, to
transport MOX (mixed oxide fuel) from Sellafeld, on England's northwest
coast, to the French port of Cherbourg.
MOX is a blend of plutonium and natural
uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium which behaves
similarly to the low enriched uranium feed for which most nuclear
reactors were designed. An attraction of MOX fuel is that it is a way of
disposing of surplus weapons-grade plutonium.
The concerns about the Sellafield-Cherbourg
shipment are being voiced by KIMO--an international association of local
authorities. Originally founded to address the clean up of pollution in
the North Sea, KIMO now has broader aims and over 128 members in 10
countries.
Kimo says that "in the next couple of days" the
Atlantic Osprey, owned by the British Nuclear Group, will transport 1.25
tonnes of mixed oxide fuel (MOX) fuel containing about 90 kg of
plutonium to Swiss utility Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke (NOK).
"The route will pass close to one of the most
densely populated areas in the world and will cross some of the busiest
shipping lanes, therefore increasing the potential for collision and
making it easier for a potential terrorist attack," says KIMO.
"Traditionally MOX has been transported to and
from Japan using purpose built vessels that are of the best available
technology currently in service," says KIMO. "However shipments of MOX
to Switzerland, of which this is the second, are using the Atlantic
Osprey, an ex-roll on roll off ferry. The Atlantic Osprey has a single
hull, single engine and will travel unescorted throughout its journey
unlike the shipments to Japan which travel in purpose built vessels with
twin engines, double hulls and naval armament, with two vessels
travelling together to provide support in case of an attack."
KIMO charges that "the lack of emergency
planning in the event of a marine accident involving nuclear material is
also a serious issue along with the questionable integrity of the flasks
used to transport nuclear fuel. Evidence shows that shipborne fires last
longer on average and at a more intense heat than the safety criteria
used in flask stress."
The potential impact on coastal communities
from an accident or terrorist attack would be "devastating," says KIMO.
"KIMO remains convinced that the transport of
nuclear materials should be halted and that such materials should be
stored at the point of production," says KIMO International President
Councillor Angus Nicolson. "However should these shipments go ahead
Governments should be insisting that the highest standards of ship and
security arrangements are in place to protect their citizens."
Nicolson says that "Best Available Technology
(BAT) should be applied to the ships and flasks used in European
shipments and should be at least to the same standard to the ships that
are used for MOX shipments to Japan. The arrangements surrounding these
proposed shipments are flawed and second rate."
"It is absolutely irresponsible in this day and
age where we are requiring super tankers carrying oil to have double
hulls to protect our marine environment that these dangerous cargoes are
being transported in an ex roll on roll off ferry with a single engine
and single hull through some of the most populated areas of Europe with
no escort," says Nicolson.
British Nuclear Group is owned by the British
Government . It operates the Atlantic Osprey shipments as part of its
spent fuel services.
British Nuclear Group describes the Atlantic
Osprey as a "multipurpose cargo vessel that meets IMO's INF2
classification.
A RO/RO vessel is used for these voyages since
the MOX is contained in purpose-built packages that are then loaded into
a high security vessel that is transported by the ship.
British Nuclear Group says that a "safety in
depth system" is applied that provides a series of barriers to protect
the materials, packaging and transport vehicles.
A transport plan governs all aspects of the
voyage, as it does for any voyage involving nuclear materials. The
overall plan is subject to the approval of the United Kingdom
Government's independent security regulator, the Office for Civil
Nuclear Security (OCNS).
The physical protection measures in the
transport plan are reviewed and take account of a threat assessment
carried out by U.K. competent authorities. The review bodies must be
satisfied that the physical protection arrangements are sufficient to
protect the cargo against theft or sabotage and any other acts of
international terrorism.
The physical protection measures taken to
secure the vessel and cargo against potential threats meet the standards
required by the United Kingdom Government's independent security
regulator, OCNS and are in line with international requirements and
recommendations.
British Nuclear Group says a fully trained and
equipped team of marine and nuclear experts is available on a 24-hour
emergency standby system, required by the International Atomic Energy
Authority (IAEA), to deal with the unlikely event of an emergency
situation.
MANXMAN
It is believed that the last surviving Isle of
Man Steam Packet turbine steamer, SS MANXMAN, has been sold to overseas
interests rumoured to be either Spanish or Egyptian. She was moved into
the Pallion Ship Yard Dry Dock on Tuesday November 21, 2006. Presumably
to prepare her for a tow.
The Manxman Steamship Company has been working
hard since early 2002 to secure the vessel for preservation on
Merseyside. According to recent media reports, the society had
been hopeful of moving the project forward following meetings with
Liverpool City Council representatives. Councillor Mike Storey had stated that she
would "Become a floating ambassador for Merseyside".
However, it appears that the sale and movement
of the ship was not notified to the Manxman Steamship Company which has
been working hard to try and save the historic Cammell Laird constructed
vessel and operate her as a maritime heritage centre and corporate
hospitality venue.
NORFOLK LINE
MERCHANT BRAVERY -UK
Maritime Union RMT has joined Irish sister union SIPTU in calling for an
urgent investigation into all ferry and ro-ro vessels trading in the
Irish Sea after an international Transport Workers' Federation inspector
today discovered workers on rates as low as €2 an hour.
ITF
Inspector Ken Fleming boarded the ro-ro ferry MERCHANT BRAVERY this week
in the Port of Dublin, at the invitation of ratings who said they had
not been paid for more than four months.
The
ITF has gathered evidence that 'double bookkeeping' was employed on the
vessel, chartered by Maersk subsidiary Norfolk Line operating between
between Heysham and Dublin, and is acting to recover all the crews'
wages and report its findings to the appropriate maritime authorities.
[The ship is actually owned by Bravery International Shipping of Latvia
and managed by ADG Ship Management also of Latvia.]
The
22 crewmembers on the Jamaican-flagged vessel are a mixture of Polish,
Ukrainian and Russian seafarers.
The
ITF found one able seaman who should have been earning around $3,200 a
month, in accordance with his first contract of employment, was only
being paid around $1,000 for 365-plus hours a month - or just over €2 an
hour - on a second contract of employment.
Another rating who should have been earning $1,984 on one contract of
was being paid only $850 on his second contract.
"This is what we call 'double book-keeping'," said ITF inspector Ken
Fleming.
"It
appears that the hours of work regulations are being abused on a daily
basis and there is also a question mark over false certificates of
competency. Further investigation by the ITF will follow."
He
added that the ITF was considering the lawful arrest of the vessel on
behalf of the crew members to reclaim wages in accordance with their
first contract.
SIPTU and RMT, who have been campaigning jointly against 'social
dumping' in the Irish Sea, are demanding the fullest investigation by
the Irish and UK maritime authorities on all ferry and ro-ro vessels
trading in the Irish sea.
"This is the shocking reality of social dumping, with crews employed in
UK waters being paid at rates well below the minimum wage, and that is
why we need urgent action to ensure that shipowners can no longer evade
minimum employment standards," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said
today.
"This is another example of the detrimental impact of unfettered global
capital on weak and vulnerable people," said SIPTU general president
Jack O'Connor, who also called for immediate action in accordance with
international law to rectify the injustice and ensure that at the very
least a minimum threshold of decency is applied in the case of these
seafarers.
PEEL PORTS
LIVERPOOL LANDING STAGES
Mersey Ferries
operations have reverted to Prince's Landing Stage following the re
installation of the wire fencing to separate passengers. On Saturday
work was still continuing on the stage preparing the former Steam Packet
Portacabin for use as a Mersey Ferries waiting room.
SKYLINE BARGE 15
is expected to be removed early next week - probably Monday. MERSEY
MAMMOTH lifted off the footbridge on Friday.
MERSEY MAMMOTH
Earlier this
autumn it was reported that the floating crane would be making a trip up
the Manchester Ship Canal to Runcorn. The purpose of this trip is to
remove the old lock gates which have laid against the wall separating
the Ship Canal from the River Mersey opposite Old Quay for some time.
Since the closure
of the MSC Old Quay maintenance and the redevelopment of the Quay for
residential purposes it has been decided to move the old gates along the
canal to the Weaver Lock. As the MSC Floating Steam Crane is out of
service MERSEY MAMMOTH will be undertaking the job.
MERSEY MAMMOTH is
expected to sail up to Old Quay on December 11. On December 12 she will
move the old gates. She will return down the canal on December 13
This unusual
operation should prove interesting for photographers as a good view of
the operation will be possible both from the promenade at Runcorn and
from the Widnes road bridge.
SWANSEA CORK FERRIES
The company which sold its only ship to middle
eastern interests in October 2006 is believed to be looking at COLOUR
TRAVELLER as a replacement. |
November 18 |
Acknowledgements: Gary Andrews, "River Spy",
Edwin Wilmshurst, "Irish Sea Pioneer" and others. |
DML
The American owners
of Plymouth's Devonport Dockyard yesterday went ahead with a
controversial stock market flotation, fuelling fears for the job
security of workers. US defence giant Halliburton faced down a Ministry
of Defence warning not to go ahead with the flotation of subsidiary KBR
- which owns a 51 per cent stake in dockyard owners Devonport Management
Limited.
UK
ministers and officials fear that a stand-alone KBR would not be big
enough to raise the capital investment needed to secure the future of
the dockyard business.
DML employs 4,500 people making it the biggest private sector employer
in Devon and Cornwall. The privately-owned yard is the only UK site
equipped and licensed to refit, refuel and de-fuel nuclear-powered
submarines. It sits alongside the Royal Navy's military naval base.
Devonport is already facing a threat from a review of Britain's naval
dockyards. It will today launch a campaign aimed at proving its case for
avoiding cutbacks.
Earlier this week, the MoD wrote to Halliburton demanding a delay of the
flotation until it had completed its analysis into the financial
security of the dockyard, due to report at the end of this month.
Ministers said that without proof that there would be sufficient capital
to support Devonport, they would have "little option" but to force KBR
to give up ownership of the dockyard, which is an option under the 1997
agreement privatising the dockyard. Halliburton's move to ignore the
threat and proceed with the flotation suggests transatlantic relations
have reached a new low. [Western Morning News]
SS FRANCE
A
last-DITCH effort has been launched in an attempt to save one of
Southampton's
most famous transatlantic visitors, SS FRANCE, from being scrapped.
If the
liner is successful in cheating the breaker's yard it would be another
remarkable twist in a story in which the ship previously narrowly
escaped an ignominious end.
Once the
epitome of French chic on the Atlantic route between
Southampton
and
New York, the liner is languishing at an Indian breakers' yard
waiting for demolition gangs to move in.
However,
in a race against time an organization has been formed aimed at buying
back the liner, later known as SS NORWAY and then
BLUE
LADY, and returning her to Europe where she will be converted
into a hotel, an education centre, museum and tourist attraction moored
on the River Seine.
The
president of the newly-formed Club Le France Prestige, Jean Philippe
Prieur, has issued an urgent appeal to anyone who remembers the ship
when she was a regular visitor to Southampton docks and who would like
to help preserve this unique vessel by purchasing shares in the liner to
save it from being turned into razor blades.
This is
going to be a tough challenge for the organization, based in the
picturesque French Normandy fishing village of Honfleur, as steel now
fetches high prices on the international market making the liner, once
the longest in the world, an attractive proposition to be cut up and
sold.
SS FRANCE,
with her distinctive winged funnels, was once a familiar sight in
Southampton from 1962 on her maiden voyage up to 1974, when rising costs
forced her owners to withdraw her from service and lay her up, abandoned
and awaiting an unknown fate.
In 1979
France, was reprieved from the scrap yard when she was bought and
converted into a successful
Caribbean cruise ship, sailing under the name SS
NORWAY.
A few
years ago
NORWAY
suffered a major explosion in her engine room while alongside
her berth in
Miami which sealed her fate as a cruise ship. There were several
plans to turn her into a floating casino in the
Far East
but eventually a contract was signed with a firm of Indian ship-breakers
for her demolition. "We know that we can still save
FRANCE
from being dismantled,'' said Monsieur Prieur. "There will be
a lot of restoration work, furniture will have to be remade and
thousands of other details to be put right. This ship is a part of
maritime history and we must not lose it.'' Shares in the liner cost 55
euros and all money will be repaid if the scheme is not successful.
[Maritime Clippings]
IRISH FERRIES
ISLE OF INISHMORE - A man died on Saturday
November 18 after falling overboard and going missing for two hours.
The man was travelling from Rosslare in Ireland
to Pembroke Dock in Wales when he fell into the sea at Milford Haven
estuary at around 00.40 on Saturday.
The Angle Lifeboat and a rescue helicopter from
RAF Chivenor were launched to carry out a search of the immediate area.
Shortly after 02.30, the man was spotted in water near the Texaco Oil
Refinery Jetty, which is between 100-200 yards offshore. He was taken by
the rescue helicopter to Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, but was
pronounced dead on arrival.
ISLES OF SCILLY
STEAMSHIP COMPANY
SCILLONIAN IV - the long awaited
£17.5m replacement for SCILLONIAN III and GRY MARITHA could finally
become a reality. Though SCILLONIAN IV has appeared on the Equasis
register (below) since 2002 as "in build" - the ship was never actually ordered.
IMO number: |
9269582 |
Name of ship: |
SCILLONIAN IV |
Call Sign: |
UNKNOWN |
Gross tonnage: |
1800 |
Type of ship: |
Passenger ship |
Year of build: |
0 |
Flag: |
Gibraltar |
Status of ship: |
In Build |
Registered owner: |
ISLES OF SCILLY |
Address: |
Hugh Town, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly
UNITED KINGDOM |
Ship manager: |
ISLES OF SCILLY |
Address: |
Hugh Town, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly
UNITED KINGDOM |
Last update: |
22-07-2024 |
A decision to go ahead with plans for
a new ship and to revamp the Harbours at Penzance and Hugh Town have
been agreed in principal this week with a final decision expected in
January.
The local authority hopes to raise £14m from
loans and the rest from Objective One funding. It will then lease the
ship to the Isles of Scilly Steamship group. The Department for
Transport has also agreed to contribute funds to the project.
LOUGH FOYLE FERRY COMPANY
Celebrations were took place this week on both
banks of the Foyle after the Magilligan to Greencastle ferry scooped a
top award for excellence in Dublin.
Limavady Borough and Donegal County Councils
scooped the top Economic Development gong at the Chambers Ireland 2006
Local Government Excellence Awards.
The local authorities were nominated by
Letterkenny Chamber for the Lough Foyle Ferry/ Atlantic Drift tourism
project, which had successfully ferried over one million passengers by
July 2005.
The awards ceremony took place at the
Burlington Hotel in Dublin and was attended by representatives from both
councils and the Lough Foyle Ferry Company.
Welcoming the award to the North West, chief
executive officer of Letterkenny Chamber Joanne Sweeney said: "We are
absolutely thrilled that once again Donegal and the region is being
recognised on a national stage at an awards ceremony. The Excellence in
Local Government Awards recognise local authorities' work in a range of
categories."
Donegal and Limavady beat off stiff competition
from Cork, Laois and Leitrim County Councils in the Economic Development
category.
The commercial ferry project was initiated by
the two councils in 2002.
As part of the marketing strategy for the
service and the region, both councils were successful in an application
to the North West Region Cross Border Group under INTERREG IIIA for
grant funding and received 612,000 euro for the Atlantic Drift
Initiative, designed to promote the region as one entity.
It brought together both authorities in
conjunction with Udaras naGaeltachta, North West Tourism, Department of
Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Lough Foyle Ferry Company
to promote tourism development and the sustainable growth of tourism
visitor numbers in the region, with the cross-border ferry service as
the catalyst. [Belfast Telegraph]
MARITIME & COASTGUARD AGENCY
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA)
announced on Friday November 17 that eight foreign ships were under
detention in UK ports during October 2006 after failing Port State
Control (PSC) safety inspection.
Latest monthly figures show that there were
seven new detentions of foreign flagged ships in UK ports during October
2006, compared with four new detentions during September. One further
vessel was subject to preventative detention, having failed PSC at an
Irish port and been sent to Belfast for repair. No vessels remained in
detention from the previous month. The overall rate of detentions
compared with inspections carried out over the last twelve months is
just below 4.6%, a slight decrease compared with Septembers twelve month
rate.
During the month of October 157 Port State Control inspections were
carried out in the UK, which brings the recorded total from January to
October this year to 1488 inspections. For those ships inspected during
October a total of 33 vessels had no deficiencies raised against them,
68 had between one and five deficiencies, 34 had between six and ten
deficiencies, 16 had between eleven and twenty deficiencies and 6
vessels had more than twenty deficiencies.
One bulk carrier, one offshore supply vessel, one tanker, four general
cargo vessels and one other cargo vessel were detained in October. One
vessel was registered with a flag state listed on the Paris MOU black
list, three were registered with states on the grey list and four were
registered with states on the white list.
All the vessels detained in September failed PSC for at least one ISM
major non-conformity in addition to other detainable deficiencies. Major
non-conformities were raised against company responsibilities and
authority, resources and personnel, development of plans for shipboard
operations, emergency preparedness and maintenance of the ship and its
equipment. [List].
PEEL PORTS / MERSEY FERRIES
Work was noted to be underway to reinstall the
fencing which was used to subdivide the passenger bridge and separate
the north end of Prince's Landing Stage earlier this year to enable the
Mersey Ferries and Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to share Prince's
Stage once again. The long portacabin which stood alongside the former
IoMSPCo terminal buildings on the stage has now been moved closer to the
river - presumably to provide a waiting area for the ferries
The present temporary stage provided by
Ravestein's SKYLINE BARGE 15 will be removed shortly to facilitate work
on extending Prince's Landing Stage. It had been intended to relocate
SKYLINE BARGE 15 to the site of the sunken George's Stage.
Unfortunately work on removing the sunken stage
which should have been completed by the end of October has been
abandoned for the time being due to technical difficulties brought about
by silting. It is understood that the stage will either have to be
broken up in situ or lifted using a floating sheer leg crane.
Meanwhile construction work on the northern
extension of the Prince's Stage by Balfour Beatty is well underway in
Canada Graving Dock.
NORFOLK LINE
MERCHANT BRAVERY arrived at NSL Birkenhead on
Friday November 17 for propeller blade renewals.
PASSAGE EAST FERRY
The Dept of the Environment has asked for
further information on an application by Waterford County Council for
'strategic status' for a proposed new access road to serve the Passage
East Car Ferry.
County Engineer John O' Flynn told Monday' s
meeting of the Council that he wrote to the department at the end of
August seeking funding for the new road and requesting that it be
designated a strategic road, which is a new category of route. The
Airport Road is the only other road in this category in the county.
The Dept replied to the letter asking a whole
lot of questions in relation to the ferry and its impact on Co Wexford.
Mr O' Flynn in turn wrote to Wexford Co Council asking them for support
for the new road and seeking information in order to answer some of the
questions raised. Local FG councillor John Carey said his information
was that there was no commitment from the landowner involved in respect
of the proposed road.
Passage East village could no longer take the
traffic using the ferry; local people could not tolerate it any longer
and protests had resumed.
The ferry owners, FBD Holdings Plc, made
profits of €87 million last year and they should put up the €7m
necessary to construct the new road, he said. [ Munster Express ]
STRANGFORD LOUGH
FERRY
Regular users of the Strangford ferry are
concerned they could face a detour of over 100 miles by road if the
replacement boat currently in service were to break down unexpectedly.
The concerns have been raised after it emerged
that the ferry's operators - DRD Roads Service - have no dedicated
back-up vessel to cover the route should there be any technical problems
with the replacement boat, which is used if the main boat is being
serviced.
The 0.6 mile stretch of water between
Portaferry and Strangford is normally crossed in just eight minutes,
dozens of times a day, by the £2.7m MV PORTAFERRY II, which carries up
to 28 cars.
But, with the vessel currently undergoing its
annual refit - which could take up to six weeks to complete - the route
is being covered instead by the older vessel MV STRANGFORD, which has a
40% smaller vehicle capacity than the MV PORTAFERRY II.
"I was concerned to discover, at a recent
meeting with Roads Service representatives, that currently there is no
back-up facility in place to offer users of the Strangford Ferry service
in the event of the MV STRAGFORD experiencing mechanical problems,"
revealed SDLP Ards councillor Joe Boyle.
"Whilst serviced regularly, the reality is that
this vessel is 37 years old and was originally deemed to have a life
span of 30 years of service."
Councillor Boyle said he believed the effect of
the MV STRAGFORD succumbing to unexpected mechanical problems could
prove disastrous for local people who rely on the service.
"There is a lot of usage from both sides of the
lough, but particularly the Portaferry side," he said.
"We have a lot of regular users who work in
Downpatrick and Newry. If the ferry was out of commission, then they
would have to drive round by Newtownards.
"The return journey time could effectively
become 2.5 hours for people on an average day, because they would have
to leave home earlier and would get home later."
Councillor Boyle also explained the boat which
would have been used as a back-up to the MV STRAGFORD, the
passenger-only vessel MV ISLE O'VALLA was recently auctioned off without
replacement or a standby contract being put in place.
"It is important to the many regular users that
a facility is maintained with this service in the event of unforeseen
difficulties, particularly with an ageing vessel as the only current
support in place to maintaining the current service," he said.
The effects of losing the ferry service, even
for a short time, are already familiar to many users. Last month, ferry
staff held a one-day strike over pay which, as Mr Boyle explained, had a
pronounced impact on Portaferry.
He said: "It was like a ghost town. Places
which would have been fairly busy were quiet. Business was down because
they couldn't get supplies in."
A spokeswoman for the DRD Roads Service said
that due to "financial constraints", it currently had no plans to
replace the MV STRAGFORD.
She said: "The Department may consider other
options as a back-up in the event of the Strangford breaking down in the
near future. The other options would be procuring a small passenger
vessel or getting a private contractor to provide a standby,
passenger-only service."
According to the Roads Service website, the
ferry service has operated with at least a 99% reliability rate over the
last three years.
In 2003 and 2005, the service lost only one
hour of sailing time through mechanical failure, but lost 5.5 hours in
2004.
|
November 12 |
Acknowledgements: Gary Andrews, Ian Collard,
"River Spy" and others. |
IRISH FERRIES
IRISH FERRIES
PRE-CHRISTMAS WINE CRUISE TO FRANCE
WINE EXPERT ESCORTS IRISH FERRIES PRE-CHRISTMAS
WINE CRUISE TO FRANCE
NORMANDY - Irish Ferries are currently offering
wine lovers a chance to go shopping for pre-Christmas bargains in France
escorted by wine writer, broadcaster and Master Of Wine, Martin Moran.
Departing Rosslare on Friday December 08 for a
round trip fare of EUR99 per person return including berth, the package
will include wine tastings on board, the chance to preview some of the
wines that can be bought ashore plus lots of advice on the bargains
available.
Once in Cherbourg, passengers will visit a
selection of outlets where savings can be as big as EUR10-12 per bottle
for champagne, over EUR10 for spirits, up to EUR8 for wine and where
beer can be cheaper than water.
In addition to the EUR99 return fare,
passengers can increase their carrying capacity by taking a car for just
EUR59 extra when two or more passengers travel together.
Further information and bookings at < www.irishferries.com>
or by telephone to 0818 300 400
ISLE OF MAN DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORT
A wanton act of official vandalism has seen the
concrete "Stabit" which stood beside the Douglas Sea Terminal destroyed.
This concrete construction featured in the Douglas Maritime Heritage
Trail leaflet and carried a marker plaque and a plaque commemorating its
designer a senior
partner at the firm of consulting engineers for the breakwater project -
and a former pupil at Douglas High School. Given the space available
surely this interesting civil engineering artefact could have been found
a new site on the wide expanse of Douglas Promenade?
The "stabit" took its name from the Manx motto "Quocunque
Jeceris Stabit", which translates as "whithersoever you throw it, it
will stand". The landmark weighed 23 tonnes and was one of 3,740
made for the armouring of the sea defences at Battery Pier.
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET
COMPANY
SEA EXPRESS I cancelled her Douglas to
Liverpool round trip on Saturday November 11. Passengers were diverted
to the 08:45 sailing to Heysham with a coach connection to Liverpool. It
was observed that passengers awaiting the coach had a somewhat lengthy
wait before their coach arrived.
BEN-MY-CHREE - the Ben had not been scheduled
to sail on Saturday evening and had been due to play host to a Blue
Riband Club Members' reception. After arrival around an hour behind
schedule due to adverse conditions she put to see again bound for
Heysham to retrieve the passengers from the cancelled 19:00 sailing from
Liverpool. The Blue Riband function being transferred to the Sefton
Hotel.
The MAIB is conducting an investigation into
the brief grounding of the vessel at Heysham on November 03.
www.maib.gov.uk.
JAMES FISHER & SONS PLC
The Barrow - in - Furness based ship owner and
marine services provider has been expanding during November.
On November 01 James Fisher announced the
acquisition of Gjerde Lofteteknikk AS ('Gjerde') for a total
consideration of NOK 8.0 million Norwegian Kroner (£644,400),
payable in cash at completion. The acquisition is being funded out
of existing resources.
This purchase further strengthens James Fisher's growing Offshore
Services activities in Stavanger and Aberdeen and is the fifth
acquisition made by the Company in this sector since 2001.
Gjerde is a privately-owned company situated in Stavanger on the
Norwegian West Coast. In the 8 months to 31 August 2024 Gjerde had
a turnover of NOK 17.6 million (£1.42 million) and pre-tax profit of NOK
1.6 million (£129,000).
Gjerde provides specialist equipment to customers in the Norwegian and
UK sector of the North Sea, designing and customising lifting equipment
and cranes for sale and rental to the offshore rig and subsea market.
Current products provided to the offshore oil services industry by James
Fisher include compressors, steam generators, power packs, winches and
the HydroDigger excavation tool.
Gjerde will become part of James Fisher's existing Scan Tech operations
under its Managing Director, Chris Stevens, who is based in Stavanger.
Gjerde's Managing Director Kare Stokkeland and a staff of 10 will
remain with the Company.
On November 02 James Fisher Defence Ltd, operators of the Royal Navy's
submarine rescue service, has signed an agreement with the Government's
Defence Sales Agency to acquire the operating assets of the UK submarine
rescue service, for an undisclosed amount, in order to provide submarine
rescue services to other nations. The company is working closely with
the Defence Export Services Organisation to market its submarine rescue
services worldwide.
James Fisher Defence Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of James
Fisher and Sons plc (FSJ.L), the UK's leading provider of marine
services. Through its subsidiary, James Fisher Rumic Ltd, the company
currently operates and maintains the LR5 manned rescue submersible, the
Scorpio ROV and ancillary equipment under a contract to the Royal Navy
and has played a key role in the development of the UK's world-leading
submarine rescue capability.
The team, based in Renfrew, Scotland, was mobilised to the KURKS
disaster in 2000 and in August 2005 rescued seven Russian submariners
trapped in the mini-sub PRIZ at a depth of 625 feet off Russia's far
eastern Kamchatka peninsula.
Commenting on the agreement, Roger Chapman, Vice Chairman of James
Fisher Defence, said:
'This marks a significant step in the development and future plans for
our submarine rescue capability.'
He added: 'I would like to commend the professionalism of our team,
which works hand in glove with the Royal Navy and the other naval
authorities as demonstrated in the dramatic rescue last year. The
submarine rescue assets are on 24-hour standby to save the lives of
crews of stricken submarines. We are pleased that we are now able to
offer this service, using one of the only such systems in the world, to
other nations' navies.'
On November 06 Fishers announced the formation
of James Fisher Inspection & Measurement Services to
provide inspection and measurement services to the nuclear, defence and
offshore sectors and has appointed Dr Paul Read as its managing
director, who joins from British Nuclear Group, where he was managing
director of its instrumentation subsidiary, with extensive experience in
the field of measurement and characterisation technologies.
KNOTT END FERRY
The saga of the Fleetwood - Knott End Ferry
continues. Considering its short route length - just a few hundred yards
- this must be Europe's most unreliable ferry service!
Although the vessel was delivered 15 months ago
it has seen only six weeks service and has spent most of its time
out of the water for major repairs. Last month, it was hoped to get the
service back up and running in a matter of weeks but now Lancashire
County Council bosses have decided to delay the big day until January.
Worried at suffering further red faces if there
is another breakdown, they want more extensive tests before they finally
say it has been properly fixed.
"County Hall are insisting on a lot more
stringent tests," said Coun Keith Tebbs, Wyre Council portfolio holder
for living economy.
"They are doing these tests although I am sure
everything is alright. "We don't want the embarrassment starting again.
They want to make sure that when they are running it they are doing it
properly.
"They also want someone to examine the original
design and they want to speak to the people who are operating it to make
sure they are satisfied." Hopes were high when the £300,000 vessel
sailed up the Wyre last August. Lancashire County and Wyre councils had
come to a £500,000 deal to have the boat built and subsidise it for 10
years.
But there were delays while crew were trained
and the Maritime Coastguard
Agency were sufficiently happy to give it a
certificate to operate. However, the bow thrusters which give the boat
manoeuvrability became
clogged with debris as it worked the 300-yard
route across the river. A consultant was called to look at the troubled
craft and eventually new
protective grilles and other parts had to be
specially ordered. Some of the parts were available in this country but
others had to be sent back to the manufacturers in Finland for repair.
Both councils had planned a grand opening
ceremony with the boat being named in a competition involving local
schools.
But such ideas are firmly on the back burner
while the service continues to provide ongoing problems. [BLACKPOOL
TODAY]
MERSEY FERRIES
It was revealed in the local press this week
that salvage and heavy lift company Mammoet have stopped work on
attempting to recover the sunken George's Landing Stage. The job proving
much more difficult the contractors are reported to be sending a report
to the stage's owners Peel Ports suggesting options for its removal.
NORTHWESTERN SHIP REPAIRERS
STENA LYNX III and Alfred Lock gate will
be docking Tuesday or Wednesday next week at Bidston Dry Dock
A special lifting frame will be used on Alfred
lock gate to enable MERSEY MAMMOTH to 'float' it through the
dock system.
|
November 08 |
Acknowledgements: Gary Andrews, Patrick
Taylor, Ian Collard and "others". |
ISLE OF MAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
DOUGLAS HARBOUR SEPTEMBER 2006
HARBOUR TRAFFIC FIGURES
Passenger figures compiled by
the Harbours Division for September 2006 at 56,215 show a 10.2% decrease
on the figure for the same period in 2005 which was 62,661.
The year to date figure at
495,571 passengers shows a 2.3% decrease over the same period in 2005
which was 507,470.
During September, car and
motorcycle traffic through Douglas Harbour decreased by 10.5% from
18,778 vehicles to 16,808 vehicles. The year to date figure at 141,489
vehicles shows a 2.0% decrease over the same period in 2005 which was
144,441.
Scheduled Routes
show the following changes in passenger numbers for September:-
Belfast |
Plus 14% |
from |
1,490 |
to |
1,697 |
Dublin |
Minus 80% |
from |
1,424 |
to |
286 |
Heysham |
Plus 10% |
from |
23,259 |
to |
25,674 |
Liverpool |
Minus 23% |
from |
35,148 |
to |
26,954 |
Larne |
All Plus |
From |
Nil |
To |
78 |
Director
of Harbours, Captain Michael Brew comments:
“September 2006 passenger figures are disappointing, particularly on the
Liverpool route which may have suffered due to the problems experienced
by SuperSeaCat 2. Now Sea Express is operating the route with a return
to normal fastcraft crossing times, traffic should improve.”
MAERSK GROUP
NORFOLK LINE
MERSEY VIKING has been a visitor to Harland and
Wolf again on Monday.
MERSEY FERRIES
Since
the sinking of the George's Landing Stage used by the Mersey Ferries
earlier this year intending passengers have had to walk along the river
front from the ferries ticket office first to Prince's Landing Stage and
later to the temporary "Skyline Barge" stage located north of Prince's
Stage.
However
with effect from Monday November 06 passenger will have a much longer
walk as the footbridge over the former floating roadway cut has been
closed. This is to enable Balfour Beatty to continue with their work in
connection with the Prince's Landing Stage extension and improvements.
Originally it had been intended to have the sunken George's Stage
removed by now. This would have enabled the "Skyline Barge" to be
relocated to a position outside the Mersey Ferries ticket office.
Unfortunately work at recovering the old stage which was first scheduled
for completion in September and then put back to October remains far
from complete - virtually no progress has been made at all!
Of
course it was always known that that bridge across the
floating roadway cut was going to be removed sooner or later as part of
the stage improvement work and if the plans to remove the sunken ferry
stage had been completed on time it would not have presented a problem.
From
November 06, 2024 passenger will have to walk around the Balfour Beatty
construction compound into St. Nicholas Place and then make their way
down to the temporary stage.
Of
course it is quite clear that sooner or later Balfour Beatty are going
to need access to the river front area currently occupied by the
"Skyline Barge" to continue with their work to extend the Prince's Stage
northwards.
PEEL PORTS
Peel Ports, the
operators of the
Port of
Liverpool,
Manchester Ship Canal, Heysham Port, Medway Ports and Clydeport, have
announced multi-million pound investment from RREEF Infrastructure
as the catalyst for a dynamic, high-growth future.
With an annual turnover of £430 million and annual earnings in excess of
£100 million, Peel Ports is the UK's second-largest ports group and one
of the country's most significant transport-related companies.
It operates key
port facilities on the
Mersey and the Manchester
Ship Canal,
the Clyde in Scotland, on the Medway in the South East and in
Dublin and
Belfast.
RREEF is the real estate asset and infrastructure management arm of
Deutsche Asset Management, the global investment management business of
Deutsche Bank, with a range of long-term investments in real estate and
infrastructure assets worldwide.
Tom Allison, chief executive of Peel Ports, described the deal as "one
of the most significant ever seen in the UK ports sector.
"This is
overwhelmingly good news for Peel Ports, for our customers and for our
people. The combination of one of
Europe's largest port operators and a global financial institution
such as Deutsche Bank creates a compelling and powerful partnership.
"We’re confident that we can realise a range of tremendous growth
opportunities and are committed to expanding the business. This deal
will help accelerate those plans."
A
core element of Peel Holdings, Peel Ports has over 2,200 employees
across 14 sites and handles more than 63 million tonnes of cargo a year.
As well as its strategically important port locations, the group also
operates short sea shipping lines serving Northern Europe, the North Sea
and the Irish Sea.
It
also controls the UK's largest port consultancy with contracts across
the globe and haulage/logistics operations covering Britain and Ireland.
Tom Allison said: "It is no secret that a number of financial
institutions and investors have become increasingly focussed upon the
ports sector in recent months. It was clear from the outset of our
discussions several months ago that we and RREEF share common ambitions,
determination and values."
John McCarthy, head of RREEF Infrastructure Europe said: "We are very
excited to be making the investment in Peel Ports which is consistent
with the partnership model that RREEF is looking to apply in the
European marketplace
STENA LINE
HSS
STENA VOYAGER - it appears that the HSS is suffering from technical
which resulted in disruption to the timetabled service in the first part
of the week.
|
November 04 |
Acknowledgements: Gary Andrews, Tony
Brennan, Alex Mc.Cormac, Ed Swain and "others" |
CUNARD LINE
LUSITANIA -
A multi-million euro
exploration and development project for the Lusitania is planned by the
wealthy American owner of the wreck if he gets the go-ahead from a High
Court judge.
Last Friday,
grandfather and New Mexico-based entrepreneur Gregg Bemis made his first
dive on the wreck at the age of 76.
The remains of the famous Cunard liner are lying 300 feet down on the
seabed off the Cork coast almost 12 miles southwest of the Old Head of
Kinsale.
Mr Bemis's exploration proposal, which he estimates will cost about $3m
(€3.6m) is on hold pending the result of a legal action he took against
the Government claiming they are blocking his plans.
He won a declaration of ownership of the wreck in courts in Ireland,
Britain and the US in the mid 1990s. The liner was torpedoed by a German
U-boat in 1915 as it made its way from New York to Liverpool.
It sank in 18 minutes with the loss of 1,195 lives. A total of 764
passengers survived. A mysterious secondary explosion was blamed
for sending the Lusitania to the bottom so fast.
Mr Bemis believes there was a cover-up and wants to probe whether the
liner was carrying munitions. In 1995, however, the Government
placed the country's first underwater heritage order on the wreck.
It only allows Mr Bemis to "look but not touch." [Irish Independent]
DUBLIN PORT
Two
major fires have been reported this week. Early in the week the R&H Hall
Plant suffered a major fire which flared up again towards the end of the
week. On Friday there there was a major fire at the Shell Bitumen
storage facility.
[Photos: Tony Brennan]
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY
BEN-MY-CHREE grounded on a mud bank at Heysham
in the early hours of November 03. She floated off on the tide though
did not arrive at Douglas until 08:10 - 2 hours 40 minutes late. The
08:45 sailing departed late at 09:30, though by the evening she was
almost back on time.
PDF Files of the 2007 timetables are now
available for download from
www.steam-packet.com
LONDON NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY
Relatives of those killed in the Carlingford
Lough disaster have gathered near Newry to commemorate the 90th
anniversary of the tragedy. More than 90 people lost their lives when
two ships collided at the mouth of the lough in 1916.
The London North Western Railway passenger ship
SS CONNEMARA bound from Greenore to Holyhead crashed into the collier SS
RETRIEVER in bound from Garston and sank at the mouth of the lough
on 3 November 1916.
The relatives gathered for a short ecumenical
service at the mouth of the Newry canal. The names of the dead were read
out before a wreath was laid at the permanent memorial to the disaster
at Greenore in County Louth.
There are a number of references to the
disaster on the web [BBC]
and [Irish
Identity] being the most informative.
SEVERN BARRAGE
The prospect of a Severn Barrage has once again raised its head. The
once topical project which was touted during the 1970s looks to be back
on the agenda again according to a report in the Western Morning News:
Ambitious plans to build a ten-mile tidal barrage across the
River Severn to create the
UK's largest renewable
energy project have been unveiled at a meeting of environmentalists and
politicians.
If the scheme to harness tidal power goes ahead it could provide up to 7
per cent of the
UK's
energy requirements and would more than double the UK's output from
renewable energy sources.
The meeting, held in
Gloucester, was told that the barrage, which is planned to
stretch ten miles across the Severn Estuary between Weston-super-Mare
and Cardiff, was needed to provide energy to UK households.
John Redman, spokesman for the Severn Tidal Power Group, the civil
engineering company leading the project, called for a detailed
assessment to be carried out as soon as possible. "If the comforts
provided by electricity are to continue, our systems for providing
energy must be replaced," he said.
The estimated building cost is £14 billion and most of the money could
be raised in the private sector.
The barrage could also have roads and railways running across it, and
would contain locks for ships to pass through.
WHITE
STAR LINE
TITANIC -
The ashes of a woman who believed she was conceived by her eloping
parents on board the Titanic have been scattered at sea following her
death aged 92.
Ellen Walker claimed her mother Kate Phillips fell pregnant on board the
doomed liner in 1912 after running away with married businessman Henry
Morley.
Shop girl Kate, then 19,
escaped on a lifeboat but her lover died along with 1,523 fellow
passengers after the ship struck an iceberg.
Her mother was one of only several hundred of the 2,220 people on board
to survive - and gave birth in England nine months later.
Throughout her life she tried to prove she was the youngest survivor of
the Titanic, but never succeeded in having Morley officially named as
her father.
She died last October aged 92 and her ashes have now been scattered from
an RNLI lifeboat off Padstow in Cornwall into the Atlantic - the sea
where her life began.
Coastguard Ian Fuller, a friend of Ellen, said: "She was a lovely lady
who had a fascinating tale to tell.
"She kept all the cuttings about the Titanic that she could collect, and
I believe she had a cabin key from the ship.
"She fought very hard to get her father's name put on her birth
certificate - she was determined to be remembered as a survivor.
"Ellen was passionate about the work of the RNLI, probably because her
life, and that of her mother, was saved by a lifeboat.
"She has left money to the charity and it seemed fitting that her ashes
should be scattered in this way."
Ellen's mother Kate was a shop assistant in Worcester when she began a
relationship with her boss Henry Morley, who owned a string of
high-class confectionery outlets.
Both families frowned upon the union because Morley already had a wife
and children, and they decided to elope to start a life together.
They caught the transatlantic liner Titanic on its maiden voyage,
booking in under the false names of Mr and Mrs Marshall.
Henry's brother and Kate's parents travelled with the couple to see them
off and it was during the voyage, when they shared a second-class cabin,
that Ellen believes she was conceived.
The ship sank and by August 1912, Kate was back in Worcester - four
months pregnant.
Dr Chris Upton, senior lecturer in history at Newman College of Higher
Education in Birmingham, said Ellen fought tirelessly to have her
heritage recognised.
He said: "When Ellen was born the following January, only her mother's
name was entered on her birth certificate.
"It was her lifelong ambition to have her father's name put on the
certificate, but to do that she needed to make contact with Henry
Morley's family and to request one of them to take a DNA test.
"But Morley's descendants were rather suspicious of her motives and
doubtful of her case - nor did they want to open old wounds, so her
request was refused."
Friends say Ellen, who was known as Betty, kept her father's photograph
on her bedroom wall. She married twice and had a son, Robert Farmer.
Although she lived in London and Worcester, where she died, Ellen always
had strong links to North Cornwall and asked that her ashes be scattered
at sea.
After a short reading by Rev Judith Pollinger on board the RNLI's Tamar
class lifeboat, The Spirit of Padstow, her ashes were scattered just off
Cataclew Point.
Ellen was only told of the drama surrounding her conception by her
mother during an argument as a child.
Speaking in 1996, she said: "When I was 18, I said the most terrible
thing to my mother and I can remember her reply as clearly as if it were
yesterday.
"'Don't look at me like that', she said. 'That's how your father looked
at me, with the same eyes, when I was thrown into that lifeboat'.
"It was an extraordinary moment. She had never mentioned my father to me
before, never even admitted his existence to me.
"Mr Morley sold two of his shops and left the other two to support his
wife and 12-year-old daughter. Then he booked a passage for San
Francisco. I don't know what my grandparents thought.
"Of course, my parents never had a chance to make a new life.
"Only the women and children were allowed into the lifeboats. My father
didn't want her to go and tried to cling on to her.
"But the sailors threw her into the boat. She was the last person in.
"No one knows if my father sank with the ship or made it into the water.
He couldn't swim, but in any case the water was so cold that people died
within minutes."
After growing up in Chesterfield, Ellen later moved to Ealing in London
with her mother and new husband.
She said: "My mother didn't want me to think about Henry Morley at all.
I don't think I even knew my father's name until I was 12 or 13, when
one of my aunts told me.
"Throughout my teens, they continued to mention bits and pieces, until I
gradually discovered what had happened. But the story of the Titanic
didn't mean that much to me. It was just some ship that had sunk."
Aged 14, Ellen was given a picture of her father by an aunt - and began
a life-long quest to have him recognised as her father.
In 1989, Ellen moved to Worcester and aged 78 found a book containing
pictures of people from the area who had died on the ship - including a
picture of Henry.
She said: "I burst into tears. My father's name isn't even on my birth
certificate - there's just a line through the space. Seeing his face it
means more to me than ever.
"I've always been ashamed to be have been born out of wedlock. I was
born without a father but I don't want to die without one."
The British Titanic Society has officially recognised Ellen Walker as
the descendent of a Titanic survivor.
A statement said: "Records show that her mother and Mr Morley were
booked in the same cabin on the Titanic. It certainly appears that
they'd eloped together so he was the man most likely to have been Mrs
Walker's.
father." [Western Morning News] |
November 01 |
Acknowledgements: Michael Bracken,
Kevin Bennett, Jenny Williamson, Ian Liston, Edwin Wilmshurst, "River Spy"
and "others" |
BIBBY LINE
BIBBY RENAISSANCE - the accommodation
vessel which has been laid up at Barrow Docks is reported by a
newspaper to on its way to Merseyside in the near future for refit
to enable its use as a floating prison to relieve the current jail
overcrowding problems.
CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE
ISLE OF MULL will refit at NSL and is
expected to arrive on Merseyside on November 27, 2006.
CAMMELL LAIRD HOLDINGS PLC
Cammell Laird Holdings plc has lost the
long running dispute with Carnival Corporation's Costa Crociere
division
The Italian
arbitration tribunal hearing the case ruled unanimously this week
that termination of the agreement between the two parties had
occurred due to non performance on the part of Cammell Laird which
was placed in administration in April 2001.
The dispute arose
over the performance of a contract for the yard to build and insert
a hull section to lengthen the ship, due to have taken place in
between late 2000 and early 2001.
The tribunal decided
that it was Cammell Laird’s failure to complete the construction in
time and to proceed with the lengthening that prompted Costa to
suspend the $80M contract while the ship was on its way to the yard.
The contract was cancelled in January 2001 and Cammell Laird became
insolvent in April the same year.
IRISH CONTINENTAL GROUP
Irish Continental, the parent group of
Irish Ferries, has seen a 5.2% growth in freight on its Irish Sea
routes in September, bringing the growth over the year to date to
3.5pc.
Car traffic performance in the tourism
market continues to decline, with a fall of 3.8% in September making
a decline of 10.7% for the year to date.
The group's volumes have lagged the market
due to the reduction in fast-craft sailings from three to two on the
Dublin/Holyhead route, resulting in a loss of market share over the
summer, according to NCB Stockbrokers analyst John Sheehan.
"The (car tourism) performance in September
saw the group regain some of this volume," Mr Sheehan said. Roll-on
roll-off freight carryings were up 5.2% in September and are 3.5% up
in the first nine months of the year.
"Year to date growth at Irish Ferries is
6.5pc on Rosslare-Pembroke and 2% on Dublin-Holyhead. Freight
markets continue to deliver strong growth in line with positive
economic trends and increased Ireland/UK integration," Mr Sheehan
said.
While strong freight and weak tourism is no
surprise at Irish Ferries, Mr Sheehan argues that "the relatively
stronger tourism performance in September is encouraging."
ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET
COMPANY
SEA EXPRESS I missed sailings due to
adverse weather conditions on October 26 and 31 with passengers
being diverted via the BEN-MY-CHREE sailings to and from Heysham.
On November 01 SEA EXPRESS I departed
Douglas in find conditions but went "technical" after leaving the
harbour. This resulted in her return to Douglas for attention before
departing around 40 minutes late.
KING HARRY STEAM FERRY COMPANY
KING HARRY VII will be out of service
between November 06 and November 11 2006. The company has
undertake some works the slipways that are dependent on low spring
tides. It was hoped to complete the works during the nights
but tides and the extent of the works will not allow this. The work
also coincides with resurfacing work on the ferries approach roads
being undertaken by Cornwall County Council.
KING HARRY VI the old ferry which was
withdrawn from service earlier this year is currently laid up at
Falmouth Dock Yard and can be seen from the viewing area overlooking
the shipyard.
KNOTT END FERRY
The ill fasted ferry service was branded a
"farce" last week after revelations it will not run throughout the
winter.
Lancashire County Hall bosses revealed the
Fleetwood to Knott End ferry will be grounded because they have no
cash to run a winter service.
The ferry has been out of service for five
months after a new vessel - part of a £500,000 rescue package - hit
problems just six weeks following its launch was launched in April.
The news today sparked a furious response
from campaigners who demanded action into the latest farce which has
rocked the service. Dorothy Ramsden, a member of Preesall and Knott
End Parish Council, was one of the campaigners involved in getting
the ferry service back afloat. She said: "It is disgusting what has
happened. "Everyone was so hopeful when we got the new boat and it
started sailing.
But since then it has been a joke. "Someone
is responsible for this farce. Heads should roll. "For them now to
turn round and say there is no money after promising to run a winter
service - It just isn't funny."
Bob Stevens, landlord at the Bourne Arms
Hotel, Knott End, said: "For the few weeks when the ferry ran our
takings were up. But people don't come on the bus. What use is it?
"We all suspected the ferry wouldn't run in
the winter. "Unfortunately, once again, we've been proved right."
Lancashire County Council provides £52,000 each year to run the
service, a sum matched by Wyre Council.
But it has been dogged with problems ever
since the service was relaunched in April. Just six weeks into its
later, it was suspended when the water jets on the boat were
damaged by silt and rocks from the bed of the River Wyre.
Parts had to be sent to Finland for repairs
and have only this week arrived back in the UK.
Councillor Keith Tebbs, portfolio holder for
Living Environment at Wyre Council, said users could now see the
service restored for a week or so before being pulled ahead of the
doomed winter period.
He said: "We have done our bit, the money
is there in the budget. "I am sure they could have found the cash
from somewhere. "We were going to look at the ferry operation after
one year to review how it was doing.
"How can we do that when it only ran for
six weeks? "It now seems the boat will be fixed and put back in the
water only to come straight back out again."
A spokesman for Lancashire County Council
said: "We had been hoping to secure a grant from Government for the
winter running. "However that has not happened and we have been
looking for alternative cash to keep the ferry running over
the winter.
"At the moment that is not going to happen.
"The issue of the ferry will be discussed at a Lancashire County
Council Lancashire Locals meeting at Fleetwood High School
tomorrow.
MAERSK GROUP
MERSEY VIKING paid a visit to Harland and
Wolff on Monday October 23, 2024 whilst LIVERPOOL VIKING was noted
there on Monday October 30 having arrived on Saturday October 28. RR
SHIELD providing cover.
TWELVE QUAYS TERMINAL TANKER SPILL
Nine fire crews and three specialist units
were called to 12 Quays terminal in Birkenhead, Merseyside, after a
road tanker began leaking phosphoric acid at the Twelve Quays
Terminal on October 26.
Fire-fighters wearing full protective suits
managed to stop the leak, cover drains and place a boom around the
tanker to keep the terminal open. No-one was injured in the
incident.
The leak was caused by a faulty valve on
the tanker and the 2,500 litres of acid contained in it was decanted
into another vehicle.
A spokeswoman said three fire crews were
still at the scene on Thursday morning, being assisted by the
Environment Agency. [BBC]
MARITIME & COASTGUARD
AGENCY
WORLD WAR II
MINE NETTED BY FISHERMAN IS EXPLODED
A World War II mine
which was found by fishermen on October 27 and reported to
Swansea
Coastguard was successfully exploded by Royal Naval Bomb Disposal
experts.
The skipper of
the fishing vessel GIRL EILEEN II contacted Swansea Coastguard on
Friday morning to report that they had suspected ordnance in their
nets. The Coastguard advised the vessel to go to an anchorage in
Swansea Bay which had been agreed by the harbour master. The skipper
was then transferred from his vessel onto another fishing vessel
FULMAR, owned by his twin brother. The two brothers kept a watch on
the GIRL EILEEN II and the mine until, later on in the day, when the
Royal Navy dive unit were taken out to the vessel by the Mumbles
RNLI Inshore Lifeboat. They inspected the 12ft ordnance and
confirmed that it was a live World War II mine. The mine was then
carefully lowered back down onto the seabed.
Swansea
Coastguard made broadcasts throughout the night, to all shipping,
warning of the danger. The Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Unit returned on
Saturday October 28 and exploded the bomb on the seabed at midday.
MERSEY FERRIES
The
2007 Manchester Ship Canal details are now on the Mersey Ferries web
site. [click
here].
A
new 45ft-high, three-storey structure has been proposed to replace
the existing "tent" style terminal at Liverpool's Pier Head. It
appears that the existing Shanghai Palace Restaurant may have to be
demolished for the plan to be completed. However, according to the
restaurant's owner - Joe Farley - he knows nothing about the scheme!
An artists impression reveals that the
structure, which is around the same height as the present tent, will
have a balcony overlooking the Pier Head and a glazed viewing area
overlooking the River.
NORTH DEVON
FERRIES
A North Devon web designer is launching a
campaign to bring ferries to Ilfracombe and open the region to trade
and tourism with South Wales and Ireland.
Marten Gallagher, who lives in Bideford and
runs Annery Kiln Web Design, has set up
www.northdevonferries.co.uk to provide the story so far and
offer an online survey to gauge support locally for a ferry service.
"It would be a huge boost for the area if
the idea is moved forward," he said.
"I am Irish, but getting from here to South
Wales and then Ireland is always a pain in the neck - one of our
'local' airports is Cardiff."
Marten was contacted by Chris Marrow, a
marine consultant and experienced ferry operator, who has been
working on the possibility of ferries from Ilfracombe to Swansea and
Minehead to Barry for some time.
They decided an online survey would be the
best way to find out what people thought and the information would
also prove valuable to support any future funding bid.
"North Devon really needs something more
than ordinary tourism to rely on and the ferry idea is so obviously
just sitting there waiting," said Marten.
"People can go online and enter general
comments, but it would be useful if they could take the time to fill
out the survey - constructive views would be more than welcome."
Chris Marrow said he didn't think there was
enough awareness of how many people actually wanted to see a ferry
service.
"I spoke to the director of Swansea Cork
Ferries, who said whatever we put on in Ilfracombe would not be big
enough within a couple of years - he was convinced there was a
viable market. [North Devon Gazette].
NSL / SCOTT LITHGOW LTD
No4 Dry-dock - THORNGARTH and SCAN WARRIOR
departed October 25, 2024No
5 Dry-dock - MDHC dredgers have been at work preparing entrance /
approach for RFA Fort George due to arrive for refit later this
month.
Bidston Dry Dock PHILIP departed October
25 following reclassification.
Mersey Ferry 'Daffodil' due to dry dock to
continue to finish off 2006 dry-dock works started in April.
PENINSULAR & ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION
COMPANY
According to a report in a local newspaper
truck drivers from Northern Ireland have been experiencing the big
itch recently after some of them discovered their vehicles were
infested with bed bugs.
The news first came to light after a
Portadown haulier contacted the Stephen Nolan Show to complain about
a problem he claimed originated on a P&O crossing.
The ferry company, however, defended its
actions, saying the problem was nipped in the bud. "I started to
scratch and I couldn't stop. My God, the bites were itchy," the
lorry driver said.
"Then some of the boys started to find
insects in their lorries - they're wee flat bronze coloured things
with a black spot and they only come out when it's dark.
"Everyone has been talking about it for
some time now. A friend of mine was eaten alive after his lorry was
swarmed with them."
The 29-year-old, who asked not to be named,
said he believed he caught the bugs on a P&O crossing between Larne
and Cairnryan.
"I make that journey up to six times each
week. In July, P&O said there was a 'small problem', so the
commercial drivers lounge was closed - and completely refurbished,"
he said.
"I wouldn't like to see it if there was a
big problem. The company has a duty of care to freight drivers and
hauliers, so why weren't we told sooner?"
He added the financial repercussions have
been serious for both himself and his colleagues. "This is the third
time I've had to fumigate my lorry - it costs £500 a go. The
professional pest control people have to rip out the interior of the
lorry each time," he said.
"I earn a reasonably good wage for my wife
and two children, but something like this can wipe out a man's
livelihood."
A spokesperson for P&O Ferries yesterday
said there was a "possible pest control issue" on the Larne-Cairnyran
route at the end of July.
"This area was immediately closed and
treated and we then took the added precaution of completely
refitting all fittings and furnishings in the Commercial Drivers
Lounge. This area was subsequently reopened to commercial drivers in
late August."
He added that there had been an inspection
on Monday. "Once again both external experts, Rentokill Initial and
Environmental Health Officials from Larne Borough Council, gave the
EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER and the EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY vessels a complete
clean bill of health," he said.
Further information suggests that the
problem was isolated to EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY and was caused by some
drivers, believed from be from Eastern Europe bringing contaminated
bedding into the drivers' lounge.
SAFEHAVEN MARINE
The Cóbh based builder of high performance
off shore craft has secured contracts from Dublin Port and the Port
of Liverpool this autumn.
The company is constructing two Interceptor
42ft pilot boats for the Port of Dublin due for delivery in Spring
and Autumn 2007.
The Port of Liverpool has ordered a Wildcat
40 twin hull craft as a new survey vessel.
For full details of these new orders [click
here]
SEALINK - DUKE OF LANCASTER
Unconfirmed reports have started to
circulate suggesting that the former British Railways vessel DUKE OF
LANCASTER which has resided on a mud berth at Mostyn for may years
has been sold to a local scrap dealer and will be broken up by
Christmas. Given that the vessel will likely have a high
asbestos content on wonders if the cost of safe removal will
outweigh the actual scrap value.
STRANGFORD LOUGH FERRY
Services were suspended for one day on
Friday October 27, 2024 as a result of industrial action by crews
protesting at rates of pay.
The Strangford skippers are on a basic wage
of £14,000 + allowances. The main comparator pays £29,000 basic, a
shortfall of around £6,000. Amicus is seeking a fair wage for their
members employed on the Strangford Ferry. The skippers have a legal
responsibility for the safety of the passengers and crew when
sailing in one of the fastest and difficult currents at the entrance
to Strangford Lough. They operate the ferry for 16 hours each day,
364 days per year and are proud of the service provided to members
of the public.
Despite Strangford Ferry management
acknowledging that the rates of pay, especially for skippers, fell
substantially short of that paid by other companies no action has
been taken to address this. Instead, a further review is being
undertaken. Whilst Amicus members co-operated with this, the
continued delays are a cause of extreme frustration. They believe
the management team are not listening to their concerns and the
publication of an interim report for the latest review seeks to
incorporate a proposal that was rejected in July last year.
Steve Tweed, Amicus Regional Officer, says,
"Negotiations have been on-going for over 3 years and our members
have demonstrated magnificent patience. However they now don't
believe their concerns are being taken seriously and to demonstrate
the strength of feeling they have, reluctantly, taken the decision
to protest with a one-day strike.
WHITE STAR LINE
NOMADIC - restoration of the last nautical
link to the TITANIC has got underway. The SS NOMADIC - used to ferry
passengers to the ill-fated liner - was towed to Belfast in July.
Over the weekend it was stripped of the
artefacts of its last incarnation - as a floating restaurant in
France. The government has spent almost £700,000 just buying and
getting the ship back to Belfast.
A charitable Trust has been set up to
oversee and raise funds for NOMADIC's restoration and Roy Snowden of
the Nomadic Preservation Society said that would decide on the
ship's future.
"I know that figures of up to £7m have been
expressed but it depends on what the NOMADIC Trust feel what the
future of the vessel is going to be," he said.
"Whether or not to restore her to a full
working ship with sea-going capacity, or not to put engines in her
at all, but just treat her as a tourist attraction."
Since the NOMADIC's return thousands of
people from all over the world have been asking when they can come
and see her.
Campaigners say there is no doubt she will
prove her worth as a tourist attraction.
The NOMADIC's return to Belfast was almost
a century after it was built by Harland and Wolff, the company which
also built the TITANIC.
It was commissioned by the famous White
Star Line and used to take first and second class passengers out to
TITANIC at Cherbourg in 1912.
The TITANIC entered legend when it sank
with the loss of more than 1,500 people on its maiden voyage from
Southampton to New York, but the NOMADIC's story continued.
It saw out the end of the century as a
floating restaurant beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris before being
sent for storage in Le Havre. [BBC]
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