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Tuesday 26 April 2011

Hellespont opts for Navig8 pool

Hamburg-based Hellespont Group has agreed with Navig8 Chemicals to enter four IMO2 tankers into the Brizo8 Pool. The ships in question are the Hellespont Centurion, Hellespont Challenger, Hellespont Charger and Hellespont Chieftain. All are 17,000dwt, built in 2009 and 2010 and are managed by Hamburg-based Hellespont Ship Management GmbH & Co KG. Hellespont has also time chartered two 2010-built 17,000dwt IMO2 tankers, Hellespont Commander and Hellespont Crusader, for one/option one year to Ardmore Shipping Ltd of Ireland.

Phrixos Papachristidis, managing director of parent company Hellespont Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, says, “We are pleased with the charters and pooling arrangements with Ardmore and Navig8 and look forward to working with both companies.”

Navig8 manages a fleet of 135 vessels, running 7 Pools ranging from 13,000 dwt Chemical Carriers to VLCCs out of offices in Singapore, London, Westport, Dubai, Oslo, Shanghai and Seoul www.Navig8group.com

Established in 1946, Hellespont manages vessels from offices in Hamburg, Piraeus and Singapore and has its own crewing company in Manila. Today the group manages a fleet of 26 vessels including crude, product and chemical tankers, platform supply vessels and one bulk carrier. www.hellespont.com

For more information:

Phrixos Papachristidis
+ 49 40 87 97 98 0
ppb1@hellespont.com

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Wednesday 20 April 2011

Back to the future

A great deal has been written about Forward Freight Agreements (FFAs), but very little comes near the alternative definition offered by the shipping team at Moore Stephens in the latest Devil's Dictionary entry in its Bottom Line newsletter.

Here it is explained that FFAs are a form of gambling, like insurance. The idea that they provide owners and charterers with a measure of protection against the inherent volatility of freight rates is poppycock.

In a typical FFA trade, the seller bets that the market rate on a given day will be lower than the contract rate, and the buyer bets that it won’t be. Whoever loses is obliged to pay the difference between the two rates multiplied by the number of days in Lent divided by the distance from the earth to the sun. (In the event of a tie, a game of conkers will decide). The award made to the loser under such a contract is called a ‘Sweet FA’.

FFAs are grouped together with other scams under the generic heading of ‘derivatives’, which also includes swaps. Most of these, especially all of them, are derived from the practice of swapping cigarette cards featuring footballers. As a rule of thumb, one Jimmy Greaves is worth two Johnny Haynes.

‘Sleeving’ is another FFA wrinkle whereby one party (The Guilty Party) will, at the request of another party (The Innocent Party) enter into a specific FFA trade with a third party (The Labour Party), in which there can be only one winner.

A party political broadcast will follow.

http://www.moorestephens.com

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Wednesday 13 April 2011

Pants on fire

Like me, you may have missed the recent online video seminar about how to create a culture of academic integrity by cracking down on cheating.

This suggested four ways for teachers and principals to deal with people found cheating in the examination room – (a) tell the person to keep their eyes on their own paper, (b) ask the person to turn in his or her paper, (c) note the point that the cheat has reached in the exam and then ask several students to exchange seats, or (d) just ignore it.

The correct answer, apparently, is (c), although at our school there was a fifth way of dealing with cheating – (e) hook the wretched person out of the room by his ear, take him to the headmaster, and then thrash him to within an inch of his life with the cane.

There tended to be very few repeat offenders, although one boy in our class was suspended for twice bringing half a lemon into the examination room and squirting it onto a piece of paper on which he had written the model answers in what he fondly believed to be ‘invisible ink’.

Of course in our day we didn’t have online video seminars, so teachers couldn’t weigh the merits of making “student-to-student orientations”, couldn’t ask students to “distribute the honour code at a mandatory orientation”, and couldn’t help to “leverage unique insights” and “build momentum for change”.

The only good thing about this sort of language is that it discourages cheating, because nobody in their right mind would dream of copying it.

chris@merlinco.com

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MARINE LUBRICANTS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

As shipping turns to slow steaming to reduce costs and faces increased emissions control measures, the process and challenge of procuring marine
lubricants has taken on greater complexity and significance, according to Total Lubmarine, one of the world’s leading global supplier of marine lubricants and greases.

The North American Emissions Control Area (ECA), which will be effective from 2012, will impact 50% of maritime traffic, forcing ship owners and operators not typically operating in ECAs to begin use of lower basicity cylinder lubricants required for lower sulphur fuels.

This increasing trend is likely to create issues for ship owners and operators when leaving ECAs, as lower BN lubricants are not best suited to operation with higher sulphur fuels outside ECA boundaries.

Moreover, the use of lower basicity cylinder lubricants within ECAs runs directly counter to the lubrication requirements for slow steaming or other conditions outside ECAs, which conversely require owners and operators to run specific lubricants.

With rising bunker prices and growing charterer pressure to reduce costs, slow steaming looks set to stay. Most container vessels have cut cruising speeds from 22-25 knots to 18-20 knots, but in the case of extra slow steaming, to as low as 8-12 knots, which significantly increases stresses and strains on a two or four stroke marine engine.

Patrick Havil, Global Marketing Manager, Total Lubmarine, said: “We know that ship operators are under pressure to deliver against current and impending Sulphur Oxide (SOx) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) regulations, reduce bunker fuel costs through
slow steaming and meet safety standards to protect both their workforce and the environment.

"At the same time they need to maintain a clear competitive advantage through
reliable, consistent operations and ensuring profitability. Faced with this, the industry needs a new generation of marine lubricants that not only offer significant cost savings and better performance, but are also compatible with different levels of sulphur, and the great demand for slow steaming.”

Total Lubmarine has been addressing these issues for some time now and has developed the complete solution to this two-fold challenge. Talusia Universal has been tested more extensively than any other lubricant on the market today, against both high and low levels of sulphur heavy fuel oil (HFO), and has been validated by customers using distillates and slow steaming.

Havil continued, “We’re confident this product will effectively future-proof all vessels and is a significant step forward for the industry. Talusia Universal is the only lubricant compatible with fuel at all sulphur levels, meaning that the need to switch lubricants when moving in and out of an ECA is completely removed. Based on this, we are already developing the perfect lubricant for the 2015 market that will give optimal performance with the highest sulphur content HFO right down to lower sulphur content fuels.”

Total Lubmarine provides the shipping industry with leading marine lubricants and greases, associated with first-class service. To earn the confidence of its customers, it commits itself to meeting their expectations. It offers a complete range of marine lubricants to meet the needs of the international shipping industry, based on technologies developed by the Total Research Centre at Solaize, tested and approved by all the major marine engine manufacturers.

Dedicated and motivated local logistics teams are able to deliver lubricants in more than 1,000 ports. A highly qualified technical service team is ready to assist customers throughout major ports worldwide.



www.lubmarine.com

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Monday 11 April 2011

RINA presents Minoan Lines with ISO certification

LEADING Greek passenger vessel operator Minoan Lines Shipping SA has achieved environmental and health and safety certification for its company-wide operations in accordance with ISO standards.

At a ceremony at Minoan Line’s headquarters in Piraeus, Greece, on April 7, 2011, Ugo Salerno, chief executive of international classification society RINA, presented ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certificates to Antonis Maniadakis, chief executive and managing director of Minoan Lines.

Mr Salerno said, “At RINA we are committed to working with quality and safety-minded shipping companies, helping them to achieve international certification for their activities. Minoan Lines is a good example of that.”

Minoan Lines operates a fleet of modern passenger ferries, all classed with RINA, which occupy a leading role in the ferry sector serving Greece and Italy. It is committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, reliability and environmental awareness throughout its entire operations.

RINA is one of the oldest classification societies and certification companies in the world. Established in Genoa in 1861 to serve the marine industry, today it spans the globe as a multinational and multi-faceted company, sharing its knowledge and experience through a wide range of services which help industries and the community to improve their businesses and quality of life. RINA’s services cover the environment, energy, transportation, logistics, safety, quality and social responsibility.
www.rina.org

For more information: Claudia Filippone Press Co-ordinator RINA +39 010 538 5643
claudia.filippone@rina.org

To download a photo of the presentation by Mr Salerno, go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/RINA

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Tuesday 5 April 2011

Expert advice

News that the Supreme Court in London has abolished immunity for expert witnesses will come as a blow to many us who had imagined that we knew our stuff.

For many years, experts in shipping were considered to be chaps from out of town, with slides. They were paid well, too, in the mistaken belief that free advice is worth what you pay for it. Removing the immunity traditionally enjoyed by such people could prove to be the thin end of the wedge.

The fear of being proved wrong has traditionally been enough to deter all but the most confident of experts. But now that the bar has been raised by the courts, expert witnesses will have to have the sort of confidence displayed by the American physicist Henry Rowland, who has been described as “the father of modern spectroscopy”. (‘Spectroscopy’ may or may not be a word, but certainly shouldn’t be).

While testifying as an expert witness in one particular trial, Rowland was asked during cross-examination what qualified him to serve in such capacity. "I am," he said, "the greatest living expert on the subject under discussion."

Later, a friend expressed surprise at this remark, and asked Rowland what had persuaded him to make such an extravagant claim. "Well,” he said, “what did you expect me to say? I was under oath.”

chris@merlinco.com

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RINA continues growth

GENOA-based verification, certification and ship classification group RINA had a satisfactory year in 2010, maintaining growth despite the difficult global climate. Turnover was 205 million Euros and EBITDA 40 million Euros.

“2010 was a demanding year but rich in satisfaction,” says Enrico Scerni, President of RINA Spa. “We have made our company more solid, strengthened our presence in growing markets and laid the foundations for the lasting growth of the group. Operational excellence, innovation, customer focus and the international know-how continue to be the pillars that have enabled us to reach the positive current results and represent the starting point for our future strategies.”

“Despite 2010 proving to be another complex year where we encountered a slump in the investments with a consequent reduction in large infrastructure projects which we are involved in, we achieved significant results,” says CEO Ugo Salerno. “The increase in turnover and EBITDA are thanks to intense work by teams right across the group and to whom we extend out most sincere appreciation.”

At the shareholders meeting held today the accounts for 2010 were approved and a new board of directors was nominated. Enrico Scerni, President, Gianrenzo Prati, Vice President and Ugo Salerno CEO were confirmed in their posts. Others members are: Angelo Ansaldo, Enrico Buschi, Umberto D’Amato and Paolo Pierantoni.

The members of the Board of Statutory Auditors have been confirmed: Giovanni Grazzini, Francesco Illuzzi and Giuliano Termanini. Alberto Alberti was also confirmed as secretary of the Council.

RINA is one of the oldest classification societies and certification companies in the world. Established in Genoa in 1861 to serve the marine industry, today it spans the globe as a multinational and multi-faceted company, sharing its knowledge and experience through a wide range of services which help industries and the community to improve their businesses and quality of life. RINA’s services cover the environment, energy, transportation, logistics, safety, quality and social responsibility.

www.rina.org

For more information: Claudia Filippone Press Co-ordinator RINA +39 010 538 5643 claudia.filippone@rina.org

Friday 1 April 2011

Liberia issues first Maritime Labour Convention Certificate

THE Liberian Registry has carried out the first ship inspection for compliance with the ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), ahead of its entry into force.

The inspection was performed on board the 7,000 teu containership UASC Yanbu, owned by D Oltmann Reederei GmbH & Co KG of Bremen, Germany, and managed by Anglo Eastern Ship Management Limited, at the port of Hamburg on March 29, 2011.

Commending Anglo Eastern Ship Management Limited and the ship’s master and crew for their professionalism in maintaining a high standard of working and living conditions on board the ship, the inspector, Capt Wolfgang Werner, representing the Liberian Registry, recorded no deficiencies, and the Liberian Administration will now issue the Maritime Labour Certificate accordingly.

Liberia led the way in ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention and the administration has professionally trained nearly one hundred of its global network of auditors, located in all major and most minor ports, to provide effective and efficient MLC inspections and verification of Liberian-flag ships.

The Liberian Administration has provided shipowners and operators with detailed guidance on complying with the requirements of MLC. And the registry has received a large number of requests from Liberian-flagged vessels for voluntary compliance with MLC ahead of its entry into force.

To download a photo to illustrate this story, please go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/LiberianRegistry or email chris@merlinco.com

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records.
www.liscr.com

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