POSH (Singapore) takes delivery of two OSD Azistern tugs

Two Azistern 3270 tugs designed by Offshore Ship Designers (OSD) have been delivered to their new owner, PACC Offshore Services Holdings Limited (POSH Singapore), the leading Asia-based international offshore support vessel operator.

Posh Husky and Posh Hardy were built at Paxocean Shipyard in Singapore. They are classed by Bureau Veritas, and fly the Singapore flag. The 488 gt vessels have a LOA of 31.62 m, a bollard poll of 72 tonnes, and a maximum speed of 13 knots. They can accommodate ten crew members in six single and two twin-berth cabins.

OSD managing director Michiel Wijsmuller says, “POSH(Singapore) has a young and diverse fleet of over one hundred vessels servicing various sectors of the offshore oil and gas value chain, and we are delighted that it has supplemented its portfolio with the addition of these two new OSD-designed tugs.”

Offshore Ship Designers Group (OSD) is a global one-stop resource delivering naval architecture and marine engineering skills to the shipping and offshore energy industries. It draws on an experienced global workforce to provide high-quality feasibility studies, conceptual and detailed designs for tugs and offshore support vessels of all types. OSD is based in IJmuiden, The Netherlands, and has offices in the UK and Singapore. www.offshoreshipdesigners.com

For more information:
Merijn Brusselers
Offshore Ship Designers
+31 (0)255 54 50 70
brusselers@offshoreshipdesigners.com

Busy and encouraging renewal for London P&I Club

Moving into the new P&I policy year, the London P&I Club is in good shape after a busy renewal period.

Instances of corporate consolidation and strategic management changes led to the termination of two entries at the renewal. But overall the club saw a high level of support from members, with additional ships being entered from owners based in Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and elsewhere. There were also entries from nine new members, including owners from China and Turkey. Further, the club saw growth in its fixed premium portfolio, especially on the charterers side.

Ian Gooch, chief executive of the club’s management team, says, “Organic growth along with the addition of a range of new members is consistent with one of the club’s key strategies, aimed at the careful spreading of our member base. While the terminations are likely to mean some reduction in entered tonnage once we’ve finalised the numbers, the bigger picture is that we’ve seen a renewal where we’ve built on progress that we made in attracting members during 2016/17, in line with our planning. It was a tough renewal but we expect to be reporting a positive result for 2016/17 and it means that the club is in good shape heading into the new P&I year.”

www.londonpandi.com

Liberian Registry launches innovative new website

The Liberian Registry has further strengthened its industry-leading role for technological innovation by relaunching its website in an ultra-user-friendly format. Among other things, owners and managers of the 4,150-plus vessels in the Liberian-flag fleet will have direct access to an online application system for ship liability certificates and an extensive and user-friendly online library featuring official guidance and vessel registration forms.

Innovative features of the mobile-friendly www.liscr.com website include a new Annual Fee Calculator and a China Port Tonnage Dues Savings Calculator. The latter affords owners and managers access to details of the preferential tonnage tax dues made uniquely available to Liberian-flag ships under an Agreement on Maritime Transport between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Liberia. There is also a new, enhanced Vessel Registration Forms and Procedures facility, providing a user-friendly interface for clients searching for specific vessel registration documentation.

The new website includes a range of user-friendly and innovative features, including an Inspector/Auditor Search Tool, a Vessel Certificate Verification Tool, an MLC Certificate Search Tool, and a Seafarers Look-up Tool. It also features a portal to an online application system for Ship Liability Certificates via the Liberian Registry’s state-of-the-art web-based interface, WayPoint. Clients will also be able to apply here for international convention certificates.

An enhanced Online Library provides access to an extensive archive of the Liberian Registry's Marine Notices, Marine Advisories, Policy Letters, Forms and Procedures, and Vessel Registration Documentation. Users can search by key categories, tag-words or from a general search word facility to locate the information and documents they need. They can also order publications online, and review dates of upcoming requirements and IMO meeting notes.

The website’s user-friendly interface and homepage features a Maritime Events Calendar and a ‘What's New’ feed, providing an overview of the Liberian Registry's most recent developments, products and services. A News Feed, meanwhile, features recent press releases, links to news articles, blog entries, and recent seminars and conferences attended by the Registry. At the click of a button, users will also be able to subscribe to corporate and maritime newsletters, marine notices and advisories, and regulatory updates. In addition, there is a new BLOG feed, and access to the latest registry news.

Allison Wilson, Public Relations & Communications Manager of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “Speedy, innovative and user-friendly access to information is a fundamental requirement in any successful industry. The newly enhanced LISCR website is designed to provide the owners and managers of Liberian-registered ships with instant access to the information and service they need, wherever they are in the world, at any time of the day or night, so that they are able to operate safely, profitably and in compliance with international rules and regulations.”


The Liberian Registry has long been considered the world’s most technologically advanced maritime administration. It has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment.

www.liscr.com

Royal blessing for De Ruyter Maritime and Logistics College and Multraship

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands reopened the renovated De Ruyter Maritime and Logistics College in Vlissingen, Holland, on 3 February, 2017. He then went aboard the emergency towing vessel Guardian, operated by leading towage and salvage specialist Multraship, which works closely with the college.

De Ruyter Maritime and Logistics College trains students as helmsmen and marine engineers, among other things. The renovation means they now have modern teaching facilities, including new radar and bridge simulators. The refurbished college premises embrace a number of nautical features, including two rooftop classrooms in the style of a ship’s bridge. The exterior, meanwhile, symbolises the shape of a container terminal.

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander performed the reopening ceremony by moving a ship’s telegraph to ‘Full Speed Ahead’. Multraship vessels, berthed in front of the school, saluted the king with their ships’ horns and water-cannon fountains.

De Ruyter College has worked alongside Multraship for decades. The company offers traineeships to students to allow them to gain the required practical experience. The King undertook a brief trip aboard the towing and salvage vessel Guardian, taking the opportunity to speak with the crew and trainees working on board the ship. The Guardian has been hired by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment for ten years to provide emergency assistance to ships in trouble in the North Sea. This arrangement takes place under the direction of the Dutch Coastguard.

The King’s visit preceded the college’s annual Shipping Day, held on 4 February, during which prospective students and interested parties were able to familiarise themselves with training and career opportunities in the maritime and logistics sector.

Multraship is a leading Dutch towage and salvage company. It is a division of the Muller Maritime Group, which has been engaged in the shipping industry for more than 230 years. The company's core activities include harbour towage, salvage & wreck removal, ocean towage and support to offshore energy & dredging industries. Multraship operates and manages a large fleet of tugs, salvage vessels, floating sheerlegs and other craft equipped with modern towage, salvage and fire-fighting equipment and manned by experienced and highly-trained masters and crew. www.multraship.com