General News

The State of California Clean Coast Act comes into effect on 1 January 2006 and prohibits incineration onboard oceangoing ships operating within three miles of the California coast. The law also prohibits…

Owners have reported encountering difficulties with the new Brazilian ballast water management requirements issued by the Directoria de Portos e Costas (DPC). The new regulations came into affect on October 15, 2005…

IACS Council has unanimously adopted the Common Structural Rules for implementation to Tankers and Bulk Carriers contracted for construction on/after 1st April 2006. At its December meeting the Council received presentations from…

South Korean shipbuilders are paying large royalties on a core foreign technology for manufacturing LNG carriers, causing a big reduction in their earnings. To build LNG carriers, most Korean and foreign shipbuilders…

China Shipping has won a new order for a 8,530TEU container ship with Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding in China for delivery on late 2008. Daehan Shipbuilding in South Korea clinched three 10,000DWT multi…

The option agreement Aker Yards and Tallink had for a large cruise ferry was recently confirmed and the 165 million euro vessel will be built at the Helsinki yard for delivery in…

The revised and expanded Rules for Materials and Components of Germanischer Lloyd (GL) are now available. The Rules define the properties of various metallic materials and lay down the requirements for the…

NorseMerchant Ferries, recently acquired by Norfolkline, has introduced its latest Italian-built passenger/freight ferry onto the Irish Sea ahead of schedule. The ship in question is the 26,500 gt ropax ferry Mersey Viking,…

The surge in liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier newbuildings and the accompanying development of a new generation of these specialized ships has generated interest in alternative propulsion systems. These alternatives are addressed…

SMIT is taking another step in its strategy to expand its harbour towage activities by acquiring 50% of Rebocadores do Brasil S.A. (Rebras). Rebras already owns three 55 tonne bollard pull harbour…