Larger at the time than either the Suez or Panama canals, the St. Lawrence Seaway was officially inaugurated on June 26, 1959 by young Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. The latter had overcome initial strong opposition in Congress to the colossal project.
Widely regarded as one of the engineering marvels of the 20th century, the marine highway’s 13 Canadian and two American locks have so far facilitated the movement of 3 billion tons of cargo.
The Seaway notably allows ocean vessels to deliver general and bulk cargo into the industrial heartland of North America.The Great Lakes-Seaway waterway connects more than 110 commercial ports in Canada and the United States. Photos Seaway archives
After two years of travel restriction, Indonesia is finally going to welcome back cruise ships. On September 17, for the first time in two years, Laperouse, a 130 meters long cruise ship with 70 tourists onboard travelling from Australia, will dock at Bali. Before Bali, the ship was at the Port of Kalabahi, East Nusa Tenggara.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020, the Indonesian government has closed the borders and barred foreign tourists in a bid to stop the virus from spreading. In recent months, however, with Covid-19 turning endemic and infection rate going down, the authority has reopened the borders to tourist to rejuvenate the tourism sector.
Laperouse ship. Photo credit: Wolfgang Berthe, IMO department of public information.
Prasetyo, director of Indonesian port strategy, Pelindo, said: “Indonesia is going to again welcome large-scale foreign tourist arrivals. The arrival of Laperouse is very important for us, considering that we just opened up tourism and this is the first cruise ship we have in two years. Hopefully, more cruise ships will arrive soon.”
Pelindo, the state-owned port operator, has engaged actively with all stakeholders, seeking feedback and suggestions, to boost maritime tourism. For 2022, Pelindo has confirmed 39 cruise ship visits and for 2023, 125 confirmed visits.
For Laperouse’s arrival, Pelindo has, since two weeks ago, coordinated closely with Benline Shipping Agents and Tour Operators Cruise Asia, to ensure a smooth docking and arrival. Pelindo wanted all the tourists to feel safe and welcomed.
Benline thinks Indonesia can be at the forefront of maritime tourism. Matt Joly from Benline said: “On the occasion of the arrival of Laperouse, this is a milestone for Indonesia and we will do our best to make sure everything is running ok. We want to make Indonesia the number one for cruise ship visit in Asia.”
The Cruise Ship Tourism Program, under the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, runs from July to the end of the year. Minister Sandiaga Uno said beside Bali, the program, with all new rules and regulations in place to help facilitate cruise ship tourism, will be extended to Batam, Bintan Island, Surabaya, Belitung, Labuan Bajo, and Bau-Bau (Southeast Sulawesi).
Sandiaga exhorted all stakeholders to make sure all related infrastructure is ready to receive foreign tourists. In the meantime, Pelindo is working to improve inter-island connectivity to attract tourists to stay longer and visit more islands. Arif Suhartono, president director of Pelindo, said it is a priority to invest in the development of more port infrastructure and connectivity so that Indonesia can compete in the global stage.
Suhartono added that as an archipelagic country, the maritime and port sectors are key to Indonesia’s economic growth and it makes sense to invest in developing all related infrastructure. Indonesia is an important maritime hub in the region and Pelindo, moving ahead, will invest in occupational safety and health, sustainability, latest technology, and world-class training, Suhartono said.
An investigating commission formed by some members of Italy’s parliament has published a report indicating that a third vessel was involved in a maritime incident that left 140 people dead in 1991.
The recently concluded parliamentary inquiry into the April 10, 1991 incident involving the Ro-Pax ferry Moby Prince and the oil tanker Agip Abruzzo stated that the presence of another vessel was a key factor that resulted in one of Italy’s deadliest maritime disasters since the end of World War II.
The report said the third vessel suddenly appeared directly ahead of Moby Prince as the ferry was manoeuvring to depart Livorno on a scheduled voyage on the said date.
Moby Prince made an abrupt left turn to avoid colliding with the unidentified vessel. However, the manoeuvre caused the ferry’s bow to strike the tanker Agip Abruzzo, which was at anchor at the time.
Moby Prince‘s bow eventually penetrated right through to one of Agip Abruzzo‘s cargo tanks, causing some of the light crude oil contained within to spill into the water and onto the ferry’s deck. The spilled oil then caught fire, and the ferry was engulfed in flames within minutes.
All but one of the 141 people who were on board the ferry perished in the incident, with many of them dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. The tanker’s crew, meanwhile, were all successfully rescued.
The subsequent rescue operation was also reportedly hampered by coordination problems. Additional government investigations over the years showed this factor to be among the main causes of the slow emergency response, which then led to further loss of life.
The parliamentary report could not identify the third vessel with certainty, though the report itself was approved unanimously by the members of the investigating commission.
The report also concluded that the area off Livorno where the incident occurred was experiencing calm seas and good visibility at the time.
The probe into the Moby Prince disaster was reopened by Italy’s parliament in July last year. Legislators decided on this action upon realising that the initial investigations conducted in the immediate aftermath of the incident did not identify its exact causes and therefore did not result in any convictions.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) and Ferry Sunflower Limited (President: Mitsujiro Akasaka; Headquarters: Oita-shi, Oita Prefecture) today announced their intent to conduct a trial use of the “Berthing Aid System,” which is under development by Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (President: Yukio Furuno; Headquarters: Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Prefecture) using the large-scale car ferry Sunflower Gold, which plies the Kobe-Oita route.
The “Berthing Aid System” measures the exact distance and angle between the hull and the pier, based on information obtained from LiDAR and satellite compasses, and displays the results on multiple screens. This system was developed to improve the safety and efficiency of berthing operations, which were conventionally conducted visually by crewmembers based on their experience.
In this trial use, MOL and Ferry Sunflower will verify the usability of the system, such as the ease with which crewmembers can understand the displayed measurement results when looking at the system screen. The two MOL Group companies also aim to support developing and commercialize a system considering safety from crewmembers’ point of view by exchanging opinions with the ferry captain and crewmembers.
The MOL Group continually develops and applies technologies and systems that reduce the risk of accidents and enhances vessel operating safety not only within the group but also throughout the ocean shipping industry.
MOL also conducted a sea trial of the “Berthing Aid System” in the MOL-led “sea trial of autonomous sailing on a commercial containership and car ferry” (January-February 2022) (*), as part of the unmanned ship project MEGURI2040, backed by The Nippon Foundation. In this trial, based on the results obtained from the “MEGURI2040” demonstration, the two MOL Group companies are simplifying the system installation on the vessel to improve the usability of the system in advance of its commercial implementation.
Royal IHC is proud to announce that its portfolio of standard Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSDs) is expanding with electrical counterparts for each of the Beaver® types. The Beaver® E will be available from stock soon.
For nearly 60 years, Royal IHC has continuously developed its Beaver® range of standardised CSDs to become the highly efficient dredgers they are now. By launching the Beaver® E, we further support the dredging industry with the sustainability challenges of today: operating in a more environmentally responsible manner and reducing emissions.
Credits: Royal IHC
The Beaver® E is a fully electrically powered version of the standard Beaver®. In addition to the unique features of Royal IHC’s conventional CSDs, the Beaver® E offers a number of added benefits in terms of sustainability, efficiency and reliability. With zero emissions plus limited noise and vibration disturbance, the Beaver® E fully complies with the latest environmental regulations and is suitable to work in the most sensitive environments.
Furthermore, the Beaver® E is more energy efficient and the electrical components require low maintenance. With an identical dredging and hydraulic installation, the diesel-powered main ponton can just be exchanged for an electrical one. All current standard Beavers® types are available in an electrical version and are suitable for every common dredging project.
Catina Geselschap, Director Dredging Standard Modular Vessels, commented: “Royal IHC wants to play a leading role in designing, building and providing sustainable solutions to our customers in the maritime industry. We have an existing track record in fully electric Cutter Suction Dredgers and are now taking the next step by adding this electrical Beaver® as a stock product to our portfolio of standard modular vessels.”
Storylines is building a luxurious residential cruise ship that will indefinitely travel worldwide starting from 2025.
However, a passenger must be prepared to trade their comfortable multi-room house for a tiny studio condominium where they will need to sleep on a Murphy bed.
The 18-deck MV Narrative, the start-up’s first luxury residential cruise vessel, that will travel all over the world indefinitely.
Credits: Storylines
The ship and its 1,000 occupants will not begin such a unique lifelong journey until 2025, but the vessel’s 547 floating condominiums are capturing the wallets and, of course, the hearts of interested buyers.
In August, some floor plans are almost sold out, Katie Drew, Storylines’ VP of marketing, informed Insider.
The 741-foot cruise vessel is lined with 11-floor plans that are semi-customizable.
The price of the residences ranges from a $1 million 237-square-foot studio home that can be compared to NY apartments to a palatial four-bedroom, spanning almost 1,970-square-foot, a two-floor house that will run potential buyers about $8 million. The 237-square-foot home is not a conventional $1.1 million condo.
A guest will still have access to furniture such as storage units, a closet, and a TV, per the Storyline brochure.
Instead of a divider or bedroom that separates the living room from the former, the studio apartment has a queen-size Murphy bed. This means the bed can be easily stored in the wall when it is not used.
Remote employees depending on the Narrative’s WiFi, can either use the workspace of the vessel or lease the vessel’s private offices. But if they would instead work from home, they could use the two chairs and table across from the beds.
A small bar separates this public living space from the bathroom. While the bathrooms lack a bathtub, the neutral washroom has modern furnishings and a bright vanity that can easily rival a bathroom found in any multimillion-dollar condo.
And the studio home’s price does not include the “living fees” incurred monthly. The rate is approximately $2,600 per person in a dual-occupancy unit, per the firm’s brochure.
But in the Narrative, the monthly fees and sticker price does not include a home at sea.
As the Narrative happens to be “all-inclusive,” the cost will also cover the homeowners’ daily drinks and food at the 20 restaurants and bars the ship boasts.
Besides, guests will also have access to onboard medical staff, gorgeous pools, and a marina with water toys.
The ship also boasts a bowling alley and a 10,000-square-foot large wellness facility that Storylines says is the biggest of its kind at sea.
And throughout the vessel’s journey worldwide, residents will spend several days at lovely international destinations such as Istanbul, Kotor, and Palermo.
So, to some, paying almost $1 million for such a tiny home may seem unreasonable.
But for travellers who are never likely to get exhausted from exploring different countries, the ability to circumnavigate the planet every three and a half years while staying on a luxury cruise vessel is worth each penny.
Innovez One and Aventra Group have signed a strategic partnership to develop an advanced and innovative analytics dashboard that will enhance digital Port Management Information Systems (PMIS), giving ports better visibility on their operations and supporting strategic decision-making.
The joint platform, Port Management Insights (PMIn-sightsTM), will use historical and real-time data (coming from sensor-based IoT technology) to improve the operational efficiency of port, towage and pilotage operations, building on both companies’ expertise with machine learning automation and artificial intelligence (AI). An analytics dashboard will integrate data from several sources and applications, facilitating data sharing and enabling managers to see all information in one place.
Moreover, this partnership will enable the two companies to develop a data library of use cases, and create tailored advanced solutions to support port management.
Grant Ingram, CEO of Innovez One for the UK and Europe, commented:
“We are excited to partner with Aventra Group to help deliver state-of-the-art digital solutions for more ports around the world. As a growing number of ports embrace digitalisation as the foundation for their sustainable future, we are proud to be delivering even more value through user-friendly solutions that help them improve efficiency, make robust decisions, and reduce their emissions.”
Juan Jose Gil, CEO & Executive Director of Aventra Digital, said:
“We are very excited to be joining forces with Innovez-One to contribute to the acceleration of Ports’ Digital Transformation. The digital era is the era of collaboration where leading companies bring in their best strengths to build unprecedented value. This partnership will equip ports to run smoother with an in-depth understanding of their operations while uncovering all the potential for improvement.”
Chantiers de l’Atlantique has chosen Gasum as expert supplier of LNG bunker fuel and technical adviser to perform the initial bunkering of the first LNG fueled cruise vessel built in its premises.
The choice of Gasum as partner in the preparation and performance of this state-of-the-art delivery recognizes Gasum’s unique expertise in supporting shipyards performing initial bunkerings of newbuild LNG fueled cruise vessels.
The energy company Gasum has successfully performed the initial bunkering of the first LNG fueled cruise vessel to be completed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, bunker operation that was performed on the 10th of September 2022 in the Port of La Rochelle. The LNG was delivered by Gasum’s LNG bunker vessel Kairos.
In addition to delivering LNG, Gasum has supported Chantiers de l’Atlantique in the technical preparation of the delivery, including obtaining the relevant permits and authorisations. This delivery marks a new milestone in the extension of the Gasum LNG bunkering network and underlines its ambition to grow geographically, offering its expertise to customers wherever such is requested.
Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said:
“With the LNG fueled newbuild program undergoing, Chantiers de l’Atlantique has proven its capacity to embrace new technologies and to remain at the forefront ot the shipbuilding industry. Choosing Gasum is a choice of confidence in its unique experience and track record in supporting yards with technical advice and LNG supplies.”
Grégoire Hartig, Sales Manager, Gasum, said:
“With this delivery to Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Gasum confirms its position as leading partner for shipyards engaged in the construction of LNG fueled vessels, supplying LNG and delivering decisive technical support in the preparation of initial bunkerings. This new partnership underlines also Gasum’s ambition to extend the geographical reach of its reliable and high quality service in west and south-west Europe. In addition to LNG, Gasum has become a regular supplier of Liquefied Biogas (LBG), supporting the ambitious decarbonization agenda of a series of customers.”
Five people lost their lives on Saturday in New Zealand after a small charter boat they were on capsized, the authorities reported, in what could be a collision with a whale.
Another six individuals who were on the boat were rescued.
Police mentioned that the 8.5-meter boat overturned when it was close to the Island town of Kaikōura in the South. Police said they were continuing to inspect the actual cause of the accident.
A Kaikōura Police Sergeant named Matt Boyce mentioned it was a devastating event.
The thoughts are with all those involved, including the deceased and their beloved family members, the local communities, and the emergency services staff, Boyce mentioned.
He mentioned that the police divers were able to recover the bodies of the deceased individuals. He added that all six survivors were examined, and they are stable. One was transferred to a hospital in Christchurch as a precautionary measure.
Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle informed The Associated Press that the water at the accident site was dead calm when the accident happened, and it was assumed that a whale had surfaced from underneath the sailing boat.
He said there were a few sperm whales in that area and some humpback whales that travel through.
He said that the locals had helped with the ongoing rescue efforts all through the day, but the mood in the town was “sombre” as the water was so cold, and they feared for the outcome of any victim who had fallen overboard.
Mackle said he had previously thought about the possibility of a boat colliding with a whale, given the significant number of whales found in that region.
He said it plays on one’s mind that it could happen, adding that he had not heard of such accidents earlier.
Mackle informed me the boat was a charter vessel typically used for fishing. News agency Stuff‘s report mention that the passengers belonged to a group of bird enthusiasts.
Kaikōura is a trendy destination for whale watching. The seafloor is known to drop away precipitously from the coast, making for deep waters close to the shore. Several businesses offer helicopter or boat trips so that the tourists can spot the whales, dolphins, and other kinds of sea creatures up close.
Police said they were still trying to inform the relatives of those who lost their lives in the accident and could not yet publicly name all the victims.
Vanessa Chapman informed Stuff that she and a group of friends had watched the rescue efforts progress from Goose Bay, located close to Kaikōura.
She further added that as she reached the lookout spot, she saw an individual atop an overturned boat waving arms.
She reported that two rescue helicopters and a third local one circled before two expert divers jumped out. She informed Stuff that the individual atop the boat was successfully rescued, and a second individual appeared to have been pulled from the water.
The compliance agency dubbed Maritime New Zealand said it had sent two investigators to the scene and was expected to conduct a thorough investigation once the recovery operations were over.
Tracy Phillips, the Principal Investigator, reported that the agency offers heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of those who have passed away.
The technology group Wärtsilä will supply the propulsion machinery for four new fishing vessels being built at Karstensens Shipyard in Denmark. These orders emphasise Wärtsilä’s leading position in delivering propulsion solutions for the fishing sector, and strengthen even further the company’s close relationship with the Karstensens yard. The orders were placed in March 2022.
The 75 metre-long purser/trawler vessels are being built for different owners. Two are for Icelandic fishing and processing companies, namely Skinney-Thinganes and Gjögur, while the other two are for Norwegian owners, Veibust Fiskeriselskap and Ronald Ervik.
Credits: Wärtsilä
Each of these vessels will operate with the highly efficient Wärtsilä 31 main engine. Wärtsilä will also supply the gearbox fitted with ‘take-me-home’ functionality, the controllable pitch propeller (CPP), the propulsion shaft lines including seals and bearings, the shaft generator, and Wärtsilä’s ProTouch propulsion control system.
The Wärtsilä 31 has been recognised by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine. Its output power has been increased to 5200 kW, thus enhancing its performance even further.
“We are very familiar with Wärtsilä’s propulsion offering and have opted for their products on many of our newbuild projects. In particular, the Wärtsilä 31’s efficiency and reliability is ideally suited for fishing vessels operating in these challenging North Atlantic waters,” says Kent Damgaard, Director, Karstensens Shipyard.
“Wärtsilä has a long-standing relationship with Karstensens Shipyard and we are proud and pleased to be again selected as the propulsion provider for this series of modern purser/trawlers. Repeat orders are always a good indicator of customer satisfaction, and are a validation of our focus on efficiency, reliability, and environmental sustainability,” adds Jens Karlsson, GM Sales, Large Projects, Wärtsilä Marine Power.
The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard during 2023, and the vessels are expected to be ready for delivery in 2024.
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