1. Croatian bulk carrier distressed, towed to safety, Yangtze estuary
Bulk carrier SPLIT, anchored on outer Shanghai Anchorage in Yangtze estuary, reported anchor dragging, requested assistance, early in the morning Nov 12. The ship, loaded with with 41000 tons of steel, was at anchor since Nov 2, probably experiencing some mechanical malfunction. MRCC Shanghai sent salvage ship DONG HAI JIU 118, SPLIT was taken on tow in challenging conditions of strong northern wind and rough seas, and towed to safer waters of Luhuashan Anchorage, where she was anchored in the evening same day. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/11/12/croatian-bulk-carrier-distressed-towed-to-safety-yangtze-estuary/
2. Norwegian research ship disabled by fire, part crew evacuated, Atlantic
Fire erupted in engine room of Norwegian research ship POLAR MARQUIS on Nov 11 in Senegal waters, where the ship is carrying out research works. Fire said to be extinguished, of 55 personnel and crew on board 30 were evacuated, the ship was disabled and taken on tow by research ship OCEAN MERMAID (IMO 9742443). As of 1230 UTC Nov 12, caravan was under way sailing in SE direction, port of destination unknown, with some 3 tugs escort. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/11/12/norwegian-research-ship-disabled-by-fire-part-crew-evacuated-atlantic/
3. Pirates attacked Italian supply ship, two crew wounded, Mexico
Italian offshore supply ship REMAS with 35 people on board was attacked by some 7-8 armed pirates in two fast boats on Nov 11, in Gulf pf Mexico, N of Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico. Pirates boarded the ship, in following skirmish two crew, both Italians, were wounded, but luckily, wounds aren’t life threatening. Pirates managed to loot the ship and the crew, and fled. Injured seamen were transferred to hospital, REMAS moved to Ciudad del Carmen anchorage and anchored. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/11/12/pirates-attacked-italian-supply-ship-two-crew-wounded-mexico/
4. Silver bullet to hit us all
A silver bullet hits shipping, killing everything on its’ path, in form of new research commissioned by campaign groups Seas At Risk and Transport and Environment. Well, some research, I’d say! it’s much more of a demolition ball, used for dismantling old buildings, than of silver bullet. The whole “research” is your typical UN stuff. 49 pages of impossible to read mumbo-jumbo, called to prove the validity of speed reduction, and countless benefits it will bring. The most important issue is of course, CO2 emission reduction. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/11/12/silver-bullet-to-hit-us-all/
5. Euronav Picks Malaysia Port for Low Sulphur Fuel Hub
Belgian tanker operator Euronav signed a service agreement on Tuesday making Malaysia’s Linggi Port its supply base providing low-sulphur marine fuels and other services for ships plying East-of-Suez routes, the port operator said. “Linggi has a massive advantage, (being) right next to one of the busiest […] https://gcaptain.com/euronav-picks-malaysia-port-for-low-sulphur-fuel-hub/
6. IMO Working Group to Consider Proposals for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from ShipsAn International Maritime Organization working group will meet this week to consider proposals to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
In 2018, the IMO agreed to a historic initial strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The initial strategy envisions reducing the total annual GHG emissions from ships by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2008 levels, which simultaneously pursuing efforts to phase them out entirely. https://gcaptain.com/working-group-to-consider-proposals-for-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships/
7. ITF Calls for Urgent Action to Fight Piracy in Gulf of Guinea
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has called for urgent global and regional cooperation to fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region amid the growing number of attacks in the region.
The call for comes comes after two vessels were targetted in the Gulf of Guinea last week.
The first incident took place November 2 when pirates kidnapped nine crew members from the Norwegian-flagged MB Bonito while the vessel was at anchor off the coast of Benin in West Africa. Just two days later, four crew members were taken hostage off the coast of Togo from the Greek-flagged Elka Aristotle. https://gcaptain.com/itf-calls-for-urgent-action-to-fight-piracy-in-gulf-of-guinea/
8. COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Names Its Latest Pulp Carrier
China’s shipping company COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers has named its newest 62,000 dwt pulp carrier.The naming ceremony for COSCO Jin Xiu was held at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Dalian) shipyard on November 6, 2019. Featuring a length of 201.8 meters and a width of 32.26 meters, the newbuild has a cargo hold capacity of about 72,500 cbm. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/286307/cosco-shipping-specialized-carriers-names-its-latest-pulp-carrier/
9. Finland to Build Another Hybrid Electric Ferry
Finnish state-owned ferry operator Finferries has ordered a new hybrid electric vessel for Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. As informed, the environmentally friendly ferry will be deployed on the Föglö route and operated by local company Ansgar AB. Traffic on the Åland Föglö route is expected to commence on April 1, 2022. https://mobile.worldmaritimenews.com/archives/286296/finland-to-build-another-hybrid-electric-ferry/
10. IMO2020: “The Biggest Challenge Will Be Optimal Bunker Management”
As of 1 January 2020, the sulphur content of marine fuels may not exceed 0.5 percent. How are the ship crews preparing for the transition? We visited the “Cartagena Express” in Hamburg to find out. At the largest container handling facility in the Port of Hamburg, the 2,800-metre-long Burchardkai quay is bustling with activity. In one-minute intervals, container gantry cranes are hoisting boxes weighing tonnes onto the 333-metre-long “Cartagena Express”. The ship operates on our SWX service, which connects Europe and South America. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/IMO2020%3A+“The+biggest+challenge+will+be+optimal+bunker+management”
