General News

Operators have several ways to meet IMO`s latest Solas requirement for venting cargo tanks. Incidents like the rupture of an over-pressurised tank in a VLCC caused IMO to look again at the…

French Classification Society, Bureau Veritas, has launched VeriStar Machinery, a risk-based classification system which covers main machinery, safety and pollution prevention items, plus other areas of ship`s equipment and facilities. It integrates…

With the world GDP growing at only 2 per cent during 1998, the container ship industry is under constant pressure to reduce costs and improve efficiency. No part of shipping is so…

Transas has introduced two types of liquid cargo handling simulator: one for oil tanker operations and the other for operators on LPG vessels. Main features include the layout of the tanks, pipelines,…

IMO has approved a draft Assembly resolution including a deadline of 2008 for the complete prohibition of organotins acting as biocides in antifouling. Tributyltin (TBT) is one of the most effective organotin…

The latest range of satellite phones from O`Gara Satellite Networks feature interchangeable antennas to allow them to be used at sea, on the road or as a portable unit, says the company.…

Aratere is a flexible rail/vehicle ferry fitted with the first example of a special mooring system developed in New Zealand. Launched on September 8, 1998 at the newly privatised H J Barreras…

Philippines yard Keppel Batangas put its new graving dock into operation recently with the docking of locally owned passenger cargo vessel Super Ferry 8. The new drydock measures 200 x 38m with…

The IMF has assured the Danish Ministry of Economic Affairs that money made available to Korea has not been used to subsidise shipbuilding. In March, the IMF`s Nordic-Baltic office was asked if…

The A&P Group won significant repair contracts for three of its yards during November. A&P Falmouth started repair work on the Landing Ship Logistics (LSL) vessel Sir Percivale in December for the…

PSC in Cyprus has found 28 forged and two genuine certificates it believes have been issued following the presentation of forgeries. Capt Andreas Constantinou, Cyprus` senior surveyor, says suspicion was aroused by…

Class societies BV and LR have been given notified body status to issue the EU`s new type-approval certification on marine equipment. Their status covers the following categories: life-saving appliances; marine pollution prevention;…

Greece`s Minoan Lines has signed a contract with Korean yard Samsung Heavy Industries for two fast 28,000g passenger/car ferries. The cost of each vessel is approximately $75 million, and the contract includes…

Busy times continue at Australian fast ferry builder Austal Ships. The yard has secured an export order for an 86m vehicle/passenger catamaran for bareboat charter to Danish government-owned BornholmsTrafikken. The charter will…

The smallest of the South Korean yards, Hanjin Heavy Industries, has won an order for three post-panamax container ships for Mediterranean Shipping Company. The yard will build the 4,050 TEU capacity vessels…

The Decca BridgeMaster E series of marine radars from Litton incorporates an adaptive video processing system called Vision, which is designed to provide hands-free clutter suppression and gain control. With Vision, the…

Warsash Maritime Centre believes that it is the application of knowledge and the transfer of skills that count in crew training. The UK`s Warsash Maritime Centre, which has carved a leading role…

A pilot digital chart service which provides coverage of international shipping routes by combining official vector and raster data is to be launched by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) early next…

While trade for pure reefer vessels is in the doldrums, the expansion of capacity on container ships for refrigerated boxes continues. The point has now been reached where the refrigerated carrying capability…

The PC Maritime range of PC-based navigation software is now available from navigational chart supplier and correcting agent Kelvin Hughes. Navmaster Office is a planning tool, designed for tracking ship`s routes and…