Seoul warns ships away

SEOUL warned ships today to avoid 29 areas around its coast, starting on 6 December, as 40,000 Japanese and US troops began joint exercises today.
One exclusion zone is about 11km off Daecheong Island, in waters claimed by North Korea that are about 160km from the South Korean mainland. The drills will include live firing from navy ships off the island, a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
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Source: Safety at Sea

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Piracy pulse is jumping

PIRACY is still increasing in the Indian Ocean and East Africa, consulting company Drum Cussac said today.
The anti-piracy consulting house based in Dorset, UK, noted that piracy dropped in the Gulf of Aden from September to November levels but said levels in the other regions jumped by 60%, reaching an all-time high.
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Source: Safety at Sea

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Korea’s box volumes hit record high for November

The volume of container cargo handled at South Korea's seaports rose to a record high for November thanks to a rise in export and import traffic, reported Yonhap.
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Source: Cargonews Asia

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Phone Mast

The UK P&I Club has issue an announcement in light of recent marine accidents involving distraction of the Navigational watch through the use of mobile phones.
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Source: Shiptalk

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HMM orders two supramax bulkers

Hyundai Merchant Marine was revealed to have ordered two 59.8K dwt supramax bulkers lately.
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Source: Maritime Press

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SCI to place newbuilding orders

India’s largest shipping company by fleet, the state-run Shipping Corp. of India (SCI), will later this week place orders for two 300,000 dwt VLCCs with options for two more. It will also place orders for three 6,500 TEU container ships.
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Source: Motorship

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Italian bulkers to get Northrop Grumman IBSs

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received orders to supply advanced electronic navigation systems for two new 37,000 dwt bulk carriers to be built in Korea for Italian shipowner d’Amico Dry Limited.
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Source: Motorship

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Parakou returning to same Chinese yard

Hong Kong: After a three year hiatus Parakou Shipping of Hong Kong is ready to put pen to paper on a number of newbuilds. Parakou, better known as a charterer, is ordering four 35,000 dwt handysize bulkers at Nantong Chang Qing Sha Ship Engineering for delivery in 2012.
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Source: Seatrade Asia Online

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Whistleblowers awarded USD 125,000 each

Turkish Atlas Ship Management has pleaded guilty in a US District Court in Tampa to federal charges of making false statements and knowingly failing to accurately maintain an oil record book, reports the US Department of Justice.
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Source: Shipgaz

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Another drunken captain caught in Danish waters

Denmark has seen another case of a drunken captain running aground with his ship.
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Source: Shipgaz

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Wärtsilä designs new multipurpose standby vessel

Sartor Offshore and Wärtsilä Ship Design Norway have cooperated in developing a new offshore vessel that will serve Statoil in the North Sea.
“We are proud that Statoil have chosen our design for the new vessel, which in addition to standby operations also will serve important additional functions such as emergency tugs, fire fighting and platform evacuations”, says Tor Henning Vestbøstad, Sales Manager in Wärtsilä Ship Design Norway.
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Source: Maritime & Energy

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European engine makers to continue joint research project

MAN Diesel & Turbo and Wärtsilä Corporation, have agreed to pursue a large joint research project, the HERCULES-C project, as a continuation of successful predecessor HERCULES programs for the research and development of marine engine technology.
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Source: MarineLog

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Powerful Turbines Ordered for Bison Wind Farm

Siemens Energy will supply 15 of its 3-megawatt wind turbines for Minnesota Power’s Bison 1 wind power plant near Center, North Dakota.
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Source: Break Bulk

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Postpone "24-hour rule", shipping industry tells EU

European shipping industry and shipper bodies have called on the European Commission to delay the planned introduction on January 1 of a “24-hour rule” concerning the declaration of containerised cargo coming into or leaving the European Union.
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Source: Baird Maritime

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Mexico announces mega-port project

The Mexican government has announced plans to start construction of its long-delayed mega-port, Punta Colonet, which it says will be beneficial to Mexico's economy.
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Source: Baird Maritime

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Safety officials issue warning after explosion on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

British safety officials today are warning cruise lines and other companies that operate ships with large electric motors to check their machinery in the wake of a little-publicized explosion earlier this year on Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2.
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Source: USA Today

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Off Limits: How Did a Cruise Ship Passenger Release an Anchor?

Last Sunday morning, cruise passenger Rick Elhert, still dressed in the previous night's formal attire, entered a restricted area of Holland America's Ryndam, donned work gloves and proceeded to release the stern anchor.
According to an FBI affidavit on the incident (posted on The Smoking Gun Web site), Elhert was arrested for "attempting to damage, destroy, disable, or wreck a vessel" and attempting "to cause damage to a ship which is likely to endanger the safe navigation of that ship." Elhert could face up to 20 years in prison for the charges and a $250,000 fine for each charge.
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Source: Cruise Critic

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10 missing after Panamanian-flagged ship sinks off south China coast

Ten Chinese sailors were missing after their vessel flying Panamanian flag sank off the coast of China's southern province of Guangdong Saturday, local authorities said.
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Source: Xinhua

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In the Gulf of Aden, a pirate ransom becomes the cost of doing business

An armed Somali pirate keeping vigil on the coastline near Hobyo, north-eastern Somalia with the hijacked Greek cargo ship Filitsa anchored just offshore. The vessel was released in February 2010, approximately a month after this photograph was taken. Photograph: Mohamed Dahir/AFP/Getty Images
It is seven o’clock on the morning of 12 November and a merchant ship, carrying general cargo plus a 29-strong crew, is sailing 680 nautical miles east of Salalah, Oman. The ship’s master is suddenly alerted to an approaching vessel, but the warning comes too late. The tanker is hijacked by pirates and the crew is taken hostage.
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Source: Maritime Sun News

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Dutch builder adds second boatyard

Netherlands-based Mulder Shipyard is building a second yard near its current facility, the company announced.
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Source: Trade Only

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