EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

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1 Number 135***DAILY SHIPPING NEWSLETTER***Sunday THIS NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY : VLIERODAM WIRE ROPES Ltd. wire ropes, chains, hooks, shackles, webbing slings, lifting beams, crane blocks, turnbuckles etc. Binnenbaan VB RHOON The Netherlands Telephone: (+31) (+31) (a.o.h.) Fax : (+31) Internet & info@vlierodam.nl Celebrity s CONSTELLATION departed from Zeebrugge bound for Dover Photo : Piet Sinke EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 1 07/31/04

2 Bomb bulker cleared THE Turkish-flagged bulker Cenk Kaptanoglu, held at anchor on the US East Coast since noon on 22 July after the ship s captain was arrested and charged with making a false bomb threat, was cleared on Saturday and was allowed to proceed into Philadelphia to discharge its cargo of 13,000 tonnes of steel. A new master was placed on the vessel by Istanbul-based operator Kaptanoglu Group, while its previous master Yidiram Bayazer Turmer awaits a bail hearing in a Wilmington, Delaware jail. Turmer, 46, is charged with making false statements to a federal officer and filing a false bomb threat, two felonies that could bring up to 15 years in federal prison. Angry over being delayed by a Coast Guard inspection early on Thursday, Turmer told the boarding party there was a bomb on board that would explode upon arrival at port, the Coast Guard told Fairplay. "We take all threats of violence seriously and will do everything in our power to protect the American people," said Commander Spencer L Wood, acting Captain of the Port of Philadelphia. Weer feest met HAL-schip Amerikaanse glamour met Hollandse tintjes op de Westerdam Door Hans Roodenburg Liefhebbers van de modernste cruiseschepen konden zaterdag in Rotterdam opnieuw hun hart ophalen. Voor een bezoek van één dag arriveerde in alle vroegte de Westerdam, het nieuwste cruiseschip van de Holland America Line, in zijn thuishaven. Scheepsfanaten buigen zich over de vraag welk schip mooier is: de Queen Mary 2 of de Westerdam. Het vlaggenschip van de Britse rederij Cunard is in ieder geval het grootste en het duurste cruisevaartuig van de wereld. Aan de silhouetten zullen niet veel verschillen te zien zijn. Alle cruiseschepen hebben ongeveer dezelfde opbouw: een luxueus appartementencomplex met voorzieningen dat op een scheepsromp is gebouwd. De verschillen aan de buitenkant zitten in de kleuren, de vorm van de schoorsteen en de afmetingen. De Westerdam is 56 meter korter dan de 345 meter lange Queen Mary 2. Daardoor is ook de passagierscapaciteit minder: 1848 varende toeristen aan boord van de Westerdam en 2620 op de Queen Mary 2. Die verhouding is ook terug te vinden in het aantal bemanningsleden: 800 tegen De grootste verschillen zitten in de inrichting van het schip. Niet zozeer in de standaard-appartementen (met 60 vierkante meter kunnen we ze geen 'hutten' meer noemen), want die zijn op elk nieuw cruiseschip altijd even luxe als een kamer in een vijfsterrenhotel. Geheel anders zijn de aankleding en indeling van de restaurants, zalen, lobby's, winkels, zwembaden en bars. Hier kunnen de architecten zich onderscheiden. Wat mooier is, blijft subjectief: Britse stijvigheid of Amerikaanse glamour? De Holland America Line is zijn Nederlandse 'roots' niet vergeten. Op de Westerdam is veel Hollands terug te vinden. De interieurs van alle dertien cruiseschepen van de HAL zijn ontworpen door de Nederlandse architect Frans Dingemans van bureau VFD in Utrecht. Een aanbeveling is voorts in de cruisevaart dat de maritieme bemanning, voor zover het om de officieren gaat, grotendeels uit Nederlanders bestaat. En alleen al het feit dat de Holland Amerika Lijn in de vorige eeuw in Rotterdam groot is geworden, zal bij nostalgische scheepsfanaten de Westerdam een streepje voor geven. Topman A. Kirk Lanterman van de Holland America Line gaat prat op de Rotterdamse geschiedenis van de rederij, die in 1978 naar de Verenigde Staten verhuisde en later geheel in handen kwam van Carnival Corporation, de moedermaatschappij die twaalf cruiserederijen exploiteert.,,wij zullen altijd blijven volhouden dat wij van origine een Nederlands bedrijf zijn. Tradities houden wij in ere. Nog PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 2 07/31/04

3 steeds hebben wij een sterke band met Rotterdam. Ook behoren veel Nederlandse bedrijven tot onze vaste leveranciers.'' De Westerdam is het derde schip (na de Zuiderdam en de Oosterdam) uit de nieuwe super-deluxe Vista-klasse van de HAL. De Oosterdam heeft eind juli vorig jaar samen met de nieuwste Rotterdam, het vlaggenschip van de HAL, enkele dagen aan de Wilhelminakade gelegen toen het 150-jarig bestaan van de rederij werd gevierd. De twee schepen trok honderdduizenden kijkers. De Vista-schepen zijn allemaal gebouwd op de Margherawerf van Fincantieri bij Venetië in Italië en kosten per stuk bijna een half miljard euro. Investors discuss laid-up Norway HAMBURG-based investors Dierk Koch and Klaus Peemöller, together with Munich-based consultant Treugast, are in talks with Hamburg city authorities about mooring the laid-up cruise ship Norway alongside as a floating hotel, leisure centre and casino. Negotiations are also said to be underway with the ship s owner and operator, NCL, about the 76,000gt vessel s sale. If Hamburg gives its approval, Treugast would undertake a feasibility study. Left : The NORWAY laid up in Bremerhaven Photo : M & H Barth However Hamburg is still seeking a suitable berth and is demanding a guarantee that would leave it free from financial burdens. Similar plans by a Bremen state-owned tourist company were dropped when Lloyd Werft warned of the high maintenance costs. Hamburg is competing with Amsterdam and Le Havre for the ship, but members of the 55 crew still on board have told Fairplay they expect the Norway to be towed to the Far East for employment as a Casino by Star Cruises. Operations were ended a year ago after a boiler explosion. Midnight Express sails for US The Midnight Express, a former heavy lift ship converted into a pipelayer, has sailed for the US after the installation of pipelay system equipment in Holland. Owners Torch Offshore said the former 8,638-dwt Smit Express (built 1984) had departed from the shipyard at Schiedam on the evening of 27 July. The Midnight Express has sailed for Mobile in Alabama in a journey expected to take about 20 days with an estimated arrival date of 16 August. On arrival the pipe handling system, the automatic welding system, and the gantry crane rails and racks will be installed and final rig-up of the vessel will take place. The ship is expected to commence sea trials towards the end of September 2004 and should be ready to enter the active fleet at the start of the fourth quarter of PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 3 07/31/04

4 Everything scheduled to take place in The Netherlands did so without any problems and on time, said Torch chairman and CEO Lyle G Stockstill. In fact, the contractors exceeded our expectations and managed to complete an expanded scope of work in the original time frame, he added. The conversion project has been blighted by a number of problems, which have seen the cost of the project balloon by 20% from the earlier cost estimate of $90m. Problems have included the devaluation of the US dollar against the Euro, extra costs at the shipyard as well as equipment upgrades and the extra costs associated with this. Vrachtschip ramt museumboot Foto : Nico Ouwehand Sleepboot de Elbe van de Stichting Maritieme Collectie Rijnmond is vrijdagmiddag in de Wiltonhaven in Schiedam zwaar beschadigd geraakt. Het uit 1959 daterende schip werd door nog onbekende oorzaak midscheeps getroffen door een op korte afstand afgemeerd vrachtschip van rederij Jumboship. Door een gat in de scheepswand liep de machinekamer van de sleper vol water, waarna het schip begon te hellen en dreigde te zinken. Toegesnelde sleepboten van Kooren en bergingsschepen konden dit voorkomen. Tijdens de aanvaring waren er geen mensen aan boord van de Elbe. Rechts : de FAIRPARTNER Foto : Jas Louwen PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 4 07/31/04

5 Hoewel de exacte toedracht nog wordt onderzocht, meldden ooggetuigen dat het twee jaar geleden door Jumboships in de vaart genomen vrachtschip Fairpartner bezig was met het testen van de motoren, waarop het 143 meter lange schip zich plotseling in beweging zette. De circa 75 meter afstand naar de afgemeerde Elbe was in no time overbrugd, waarna de net boven de waterspiegel uitstekende bulb zich aan stuurboordzijde in de sleepboot boorde. Hierna keerde het vrachtschip weer terug naar haar plek aan de kade langs constructiebedrijf Huisman Itrec. Voor Hans Hoffmann, kapitein van de Elbe en tevens voorzitter van de stichting die deel uitmaakt van het Havenmuseum in Rotterdam, is de schade aan het schip een forse tegenvaller. Hoffmann nam de ravage in ogenschouw op het moment dat boosdoener Fairpartner alweer ogenschijnlijk onschuldig op afstand van de sleper was gebracht.,,over de schuldvraag hoeven we niet moeilijk te doen,'' constateerde Hoffmann nuchter.,,maar het bezorgt ons wel een terugslag en toch ook een financiële klap, al zullen we daar wel uitkomen.'' Foto : Nico Ouwehand De 58 meter metende zeesleper Elbe is sinds twee jaar eigendom van de stichting en in die tijd verbouwd tot museumschip. Voordien voer het zestien jaar lang als vlaggenschip van Greenpeace, nadat het oorspronkelijk was gebouwd voor Leen Smit & Co. Toen de Elbe in 1959 in de vaart werd genomen gold het als een van de sterkste sleepboten ter wereld. Het schip kwam recent nog in actie tijdens het 25-jarige bestaan van het Sleepvaart Museum. Onlangs werd het schip nog voorzien van een nieuw radiostation dat officieel werd overgedragen door burgemeester Opstelten, die ook zitting heeft in het comité van aanbeveling van het Havenmuseum. No Limit en ontplofte tanker Charlotte komen van dezelfde werf Het zandschip No Limit, in tweeën gebroken in de IJmuidense Middensluis, en de chemietanker Charlotte, dit weekend geëxplodeerd in Duitsland, komen van dezelfde werf. Beide fonkelnieuwe schepen werden afgebouwd op de werf Veka in Werkendam. De inspectie verkeer en waterstaat, dat het ongeluk met de No Limit onderzoekt, noemt het 'heel merkwaardig' maar spreekt verder van 'toeval'.,,wat ons betreft is er geen enkel verband. We gaan ook geen onderzoek instellen bij Veka'', zegt woordvoerder Fred van Zijl van de inspectie. Wel wordt het bureau bezocht dat de bouw van de No Limit begeleidde.,,alles van het ontwerp tot aan het plaatwerk heeft onze aandacht. Over twee weken zal ons onderzoek waarschijnlijk klaar zijn.'' Van de Charlotte ontploften zaterdag op zondag twee van de tien tanks. Het schip was afgemeerd in Essen. Het dek van het schip werd vernield. De romp bleef intact. Een 30-jarige man uit Hoogeveen, kapitein van het schip, kwam om het leven. In het nabijgelegen Oberhausen sneuvelden de ruiten. Staalplaten van tonnen kilo's weden honderden meters weggeslingerd. Het Duitse openbaar ministerie zei zondag tegen de Duitse omroep WDR dat de kapitein zijn tanks ontluchtte op een plek waar het niet mocht. Hij had net nafta gelost. Directeur Peter Versluis van Veka PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 5 07/31/04

6 hoorde maandag van de Duitse waterpolitie dat tijdens het luchten aan boord werkzaamheden plaatsvonden.,,we zijn zeer begaan met onze klanten. Ik ben dus wezen kijken'', aldus Versluis. De eigenaar van de Charlotte, Danes Rederij uit Hoogeveen, heeft nog niets gehoord over de oorzaak.,,ik ben druk bezig het stoffelijk overschot naar Nederland te halen'', aldus Harry Danes. Versluis sluit uit dat het ongeluk met de No Limit iets te maken heeft met de Charlotte.,,Het is een heel ander ongeval. De No Limit was een uniek schip. De Charlotte is er een uit een serie van vijftien. Momenteel bouwen we nog vijf van deze tankers op onze werf. Het is allemaal erg toevallig.'' Het casco van beide schepen werd goedkoop gebouwd in Oost-Europa maar wel op een andere werf. De No Limit komt uit het Poolse Block. De Charlotte uit het Russische St.-Petersburg. In Werkendam bij Veka werden ze afgebouwd. De No Limit was nog geen maand oud. De leeftijd van Charlotte was drie maanden. De familie van de verongelukte kapitein (vrouw, kinderen van 1 en 2 jaar en zijn vader) zijn inmiddels weer thuis. Ook een 68-jarige Nederlandse stuurman is weer in Nederland. Een Tsjechisch bemanningslid raakte bij de explosie lichtgewond. CASUALTY REPORTING EXPLOSION ON SINGAPORE-FLAG TANKER KILLS SIX CONFLICTING press reports have come in regarding an accident on a Singapore-flag ship off Sri Lanka which has killed six crew members. Although there is some confusion about the name, the vessel appears to be the Setia Jaya, a 1981-built handysize chemical tanker. According to reports two engineers were among the six dead following an explosion on the vessel when it was in international waters close to the south-east coast of Sri Lanka. The Isle of Man-flag tanker British Pride rescued 15 people from the Setia Jaya had been on passage from to Indonesia from the Maldives. SHIPYARD NEWS PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 6 07/31/04

7 The SCANDI PATAGONIA seen here dry in Buenos Aires, the vessel is working for DOF in southern Argentina near the Magellan straits Photo : Kees van Beveren Izar blasted by 560M subsidy fine THE future of Spanish shipbuilder Izar appears even bleaker today after the imposition by the European Commission of a 560M ($680M) fine. The ruling brings the total amount to be paid back in respect of illegal subsidies to 1.1Bn, pushing Izar further towards bankruptcy. The 560M was approved by the former Aznar administration which, it is claimed, siphoned off for the merchant shipbuilding sector subsidies originally allocated for military construction. In May 2003 Izar was ordered to repay 375M to the Spanish government. Izar s parent group, the industrial holding company SEPI, told shipyard unions of the situation yesterday. The ruling has underlined the government s determination to dissolve Izar and set up a new company, but unions said they remain opposed to splitting the merchant sector from the military. Union leaders meet on 7 September to decide on whether or not to take industrial action. A spokesman for the general workers union UGT told Fairplay he didn t expect the government to come up with a salvage plan until September. German merger smoothed by orders MERGING the German shipbuilder HDW with ThyssenKrupp yards in Hamburg and Emden could be smoothed by bringing forward 7Bn ($8.5Bn) worth of newbuilding orders to be placed by the government in Berlin. The government is looking to link the merged company with French defence specialists DCN and Thales. How the order for seven frigates plus two submarines for the German navy is to be financed is an issue for top level discussion in Berlin. With Germany s defence budget declining PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 7 07/31/04

8 and the country s shipbuilders needing orders in the medium term, an innovative finance scheme would mean placing orders in 2006 rather than in 2008 and requiring the yards to fund construction work. ThyssenKrupp sources declined to comment on suggestions that the order is connected to the creation of a European shipyard grouping. IG Metall union has criticised proposals for such a European group as having dramatic consequences for jobs. Herma Shipping plans new shipyard HERMA Shipping, the Philippines tanker operator with an interest in shipyards, is planning to set up a facility in Batangas that will target both domestic and foreign ship repair work. Sources at Herma said the move to Batangas is a logical choice as the port is becoming an attractive alternative to Manila. The company is also keen to venture into shipbuilding. Herma president Hermie Esguerra commented: The sooner we transfer to Batangas the more opportunities we will have to service all vessels calling at the port for their dry-docking. Herma, which already runs a shipyard in Mariveles in Bataan, is currently designing the yard and its operational structure. It also operates one of the largest fleet of domestic tankers in Philippine domestic trade. ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES THIS SECTION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY : TOTAL VESSEL MANAGEMENT K.P. van der Mandelelaan MB Rotterdam (Brainpark) - The Netherlands Telephone : (31) Fax : (31) mail@workships.nl Telex : wosh nl The OOCL NOVOGROD which was delivered during July 2004 under the name BELUGA STIMULATION is seen here making one of her first trips for OOCL Photo : Wim Kosten PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 8 07/31/04

9 Geest maakt binnenvaartdienst permanent De GEEST EXTERNO op weg naar Rotterdam Foto : Jan Verhoog Geest North Sea Line heeft besloten de tijdelijke binnenvaartdienst tussen Rotterdam en Duisburg permanent te maken met twee keer per week een afvaart in beide richtingen. Geest begon die dienst in juni omdat de shortseareder veronderstelde minder hinder van de congestie in de Rotterdamse haven te hebben als men het voor- en natransport per binnenschip in eigen beheer zou nemen. De proef is zo goed bevallen dat Geest de dienst nu voortzet. Little boxship tonnage available THE summer lull in the boxship charter market continues with little tonnage becoming available. According to Braemar Container Shipping & Chartering: The main movement in the market this week has been in the lower mid-sizes where rates in the 1,100 TEU sector have now hiked up to $15,500 a day for one year s business. And while it had been feared recently that ocean carriers were unwilling to enter into fixtures of more than one year, recent activity suggests some confidence has returned to the market. Meanwhile, charter extensions currently being undertaken by ocean carriers confirm that tramp owners can expect a continuing upward movement in rates for Handy-sized ships. For example, Maersk Sealand has extended the 1,122 TEU Ocean and Weisshorn for three years at a rate of $15,900 p/day, while also taking the 1,576 TEU Harmony for two years at $21,000 a day; SITC Container Lines fixed the Claus Peter Offen-owned Santa Isabella (1,742 TEU) for two years at $25,000 a day. Other fixtures recently undertaken include the 750 TEU Herm which has been secured by Sea Consortium for its Mediterranean feeder services at a rate of $10,180 p/day for a 12-month charter. Mitsui OSK sets up new NZ subsidiary Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) president Akimitsu Ashida has announced the setting up of a new subsidiary Mitsui OSK Lines (New Zealand) Ltd, from Aug 1. Since MOL started direct services between Japan and New Zealand in 1959, the company has developed a range of ocean shipping businesses with Seatrans NZ Ltd as its exclusive shipping agency in New Zealand. However, MOL decided to establish a wholly owned exclusive agency to promote its expansion strategy and ensure stable operations of container ships, car carriers and bulkers, it said in a statement. The new subsidiary will expand MOL's global network and increase business under the control of Mitsui OSK Lines (Australia) Pty Ltd, which covers Oceania and the South Pacific PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 9 07/31/04

10 Costa fixes Ancona COSTA Crociere has chosen Ancona on Italy's mid-adriatic coast as its main transit and boarding port for 2005 season cruises, dropping Ravenna which had been used as a test port. During next summer's season, the 1,500-passenger Costa Classica will be calling at Ancona every week as part of seven-day cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Port Authority said the ship will be calling at quay number 15, which will have completed a 1M ($1.2M) refit. "We have chosen Ancona as a regular port of call because it is in an area offering many historical and cultural attractions", commented regional sales and marketing VP Mario Martini. "Furthermore it is a very comfortable boarding and landing port for guests from the centre of Italy. For 2005 we estimate that Costa Classica will bring 40,000 passengers to Ancona." Royal Caribbean upbeat on outlook after Q2 profits jump Company forecasts a rise of 10-11% in net yields for Q3 and 1-3% for Q4 Norwegian-American cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruises posted a sharper gain than expected in second-quarter profits, helped by higher prices, and hiked its 2004 earnings guidance. Its shares surged more than 8 per cent. The world's second-biggest cruise company after US Carnival gave a bright outlook for the full year and said the 2005 booking season was off to a good start as the global tourism market recovers from a weak 2003, when travel was discouraged by war in Iraq and the Sars virus. 'The booking environment continues to be strong as evidenced by widespread improvements in pricing and occupancy,' Miami-based Royal Caribbean (RCCL) said in a statement. 'The marketplace is demonstrating characteristics that we haven't seen since prior to 2001,' it said. Royal Caribbean struggled along with its rivals in a weak global market after the September 11 attacks in the United States. Net profit rose to US$122.2 million in April-June from US$55.7 million in the same period a year earlier and beat an average forecast for US$119 million in a Reuters survey of eight analysts. It was within the range of forecasts of US$105-US$136 million. RCCL shares were up 8 per cent to 310 crowns at 1355 GMT, outperforming a firm Oslo bourse. The share has traded in 2004 between a low of 231 crowns hit in January and a high of 328 crowns in March. RCCL raised its full-year 2004 earnings guidance to US$2.25-US$2.40 per share from an earlier US$2.10-US$2.30 and lifted its forecast for growth in net yields to 7-9 per cent this year over 2003 levels, from an earlier 5-7 per cent. Second-quarter earnings per share rose to US$0.59 from US$0.28 a year ago, beating the analysts' average expectation of US$0.57 in a Reuters poll mainly among Norwegian analysts. One Norway-based analyst said the US consensus estimate had been lower at US$0.53 and that Carnival's above-forecast results in June suggested that Royal Caribbean's report would be strong. PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 10 07/31/04

11 Net yields, a key measure reflecting ticket prices and occupancy, rose 12.6 per cent from the year-ago period. The company forecast a rise of per cent in net yields in the third quarter and of 1-3 per cent for the fourth quarter. 'They give a very strong guidance for the third quarter,' said First Securities analyst Jarle Sjo. He said the third quarter is by far the most important in the cruise business. 'I find that more impressive than the yield increase in the second quarter, because the comparison is with last year when the Iraq war had the biggest impact on the second quarter,' said Mr Sjo, who rates the stock a 'buy' and has a target of 375 crowns. Second-quarter revenues grew 26 per cent year-on-year to US$1.14 billion. 'The increase in revenues was primarily due to a 12.4 per cent increase in capacity coupled with cruise ticket prices, occupancy and onboard revenues,' said RCCL, which has 29 ships in service in the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines. Wilh Wilhemsen motors The Wilh Wilhelmsen Group today reported its best quarter in history with a $37m net profit for the period ended 30 June. The BOHEME seen here departing from Zeebrugge Photo : Piet Sinke Describing the results as considerably better than last year, Wilhelmsen said all the operations in the group fared well. However core liner and car carrying activities shone brightest, achieving a 50% improvement in profits. The group logged a total net gain of $55m for the first six months of the year, compared to $32m in first-half Gross revenues were up from $830m, to $948m. Earnings per share rose 70% from $1.34 to $2.28. The group said subsidiary Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines experienced extremely high cargo volumes in virtually all the trades its served during the period. Traffic from Asia to North America and Europe showed a particular boost, while strong markets in Europe/North America and Oceania were maintained. The company benefited from both rising volumes and better tonnage utilisation. Only North Atlantic traffic failed to please, and rates remained low. Car-carrying joint venture Eukor also saw sharp increases in volumes as principal clients Hyundai and Kia Motors moved to expand exports of their latest models. However declining domestic car sales continued to dampen shipments from Korea. Overall Wilh Wilhelmsen s 40% stake in Eukor contributed $5m to the group s results after a goodwill amortisation of $26m. WWL and EUKOR have a total of 33 newbuildings set to come onstream between 2004 and PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 11 07/31/04

12 NAVY NEWS ABS WARSHIP RULES AUTHORISED THE next generation of warships and support vessels built for the US Navy will be constructed according to technical guidelines developed by the country s class society American Bureau of Shipping. The ABS Guide for Building and Classing Naval Vessels was authorised earlier this month by the ABS Naval Technical Committee. ABS says: The document marks a milestone in the cooperative effort between ABS and the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to develop technical criteria for non-nuclear surface combatants. The multi-year project involved representatives from ABS, NAVSEA, the Naval Warfare Centers, other Navy commands, shipyards, design agents and academia. Glenn Ashe, Vice President of Government Operations, ABS Americas. adds: These Rules are currently being used in the design and construction of both the next generation destroyer DD (X) and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a high-speed multimission platform ship. These will be the first naval combatants to be classed with ABS. Rhenus Midgard AG verkauft Schlepper an Bremer Reederei Im Zuge der Konzentration auf ihr Kerngeschäft hat die Rhenus Midgard AG in Nordenham, rückwirkend zum 1. Juli 2004, ihr Schleppgeschäft, vorbehaltlich der Genehmigung durch die Gremien, an die Unterweser Reederei GmbH (URAG) in Bremen verkauft. Alle 14 Besatzungsmitglieder der beiden Schiffe wurden zu unveränderten Bedingungen übernommen. Die Schlepper "Midgard I" und "Midgard III" mit 20 und 27 Tonnen Pfahlzug, deren Übergabe nach Dockung am Mittwoch erfolgte, tragen jetzt die traditionellen URAG-Namen "Geeste" und "Brake". Für die URAG ist mit dieser Übernahme ebenfalls eine Stärkung ihres Kerngeschäftes in der Seeschiffsassistenz sowie die Wahrnehmung von Synergieeffekten verbunden. Damit verfügt die traditionsreiche Schleppreederei an der Weser jetzt über 15 Einheiten mit Pfahlzügen zwischen 20 und 75 Tonnen. Zwei Neubauten mit je 75 Tonnen Zugkraft werden noch in diesem Jahr abgeliefert. Beschäftigt bei der Reederei sind 254 Mitarbeiter, davon fahren 174 Mann auf den Schleppern im Schichtbetrieb MOVEMENTS THIS SECTION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY : MULTRASHIP Towage & Salvage Scheldekade EH Terneuzen The Netherlands Tel : Fax : Internet commercial@multraship.nl PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 12 07/31/04

13 Thomson s EMERALD was seen in Rhodos Photo : Carlo Schriek The Pusher tug MAAS seen here with the loaded E 3004 enroute from Antwerp to the Waalhaven in Rotterdam. Photo : Hans de Jong Maritime pictures PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 13 07/31/04

14 The RELUME completed her trails and departed from the Rotterdam area Photo : Hans Lingbeek AIRCRAFT / AIRPORT NEWS Airline traffic may grow more than expected in 2004 Growth seen to exceed 10%, with H1 passenger traffic rising 20% Airline passenger traffic on international routes may grow by more than 10 per cent in 2004, more than forecast earlier, helped by economic growth, an airline trade group said. 'International passenger traffic growth in the first half of 2004 substantially exceeded our expectations,' International Air Transport Association chief executive Giovanni Bisignani said in an e- mailed statement. First-half passenger traffic, measured as the number of travellers multiplied by the distance flown, rose 20 per cent because of increased demand, a strong recovery from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and economic growth, the Montreal-based association said. The passenger load factor, or proportion of seats filled, was 73 per cent. Cargo traffic grew 13 per cent. 'The increase has been clear just from looking at traffic figures so far' from Lufthansa AG and Air France-KLM Group, said Uwe Weinreich, an airline analyst with Munich-based HVB Group. Frankfurt Airport's owner Fraport AG 'already raised its guidance for the year, and we believe that airlines are calculating internally for a big increase in long-haul traffic'. Frankfurt Airport, Europe's second-busiest airfield, may handle as many as 5 per cent more passengers in 2004, Fraport said on July 14. PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 14 07/31/04

15 The company had earlier forecast an increase of as much as 4.5 per cent. Air France-KLM Group, Europe's biggest carrier, reported a 12 per cent jump in June passenger traffic, while Lufthansa, Europe's third-biggest airline and Frankfurt Airport's biggest customer, posted a 19 per cent increase. Traffic on European airlines has risen 11 per cent so far this year, led by 23 per cent growth to Asia, industry figures show. Mr Bisignani's statement was more upbeat than his forecast on June 7 that carriers worldwide may lose as much as a combined US$3 billion on international routes this year if average crude oil prices stay at US$36 a barrel. The price of crude for September delivery rose as much as 54 cents to US$42.38 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was up one per cent at US$42.25 at 1.10 pm London time on Wednesday. Airlines are recovering from US$30 billion of losses in the past three years, when terrorism, war and the Sars virus cut travel, forcing some carriers, including United Airlines' parent UAL Corp, to seek bankruptcy protection. Jet fuel prices, which usually account for about 16 per cent of airlines' costs, reached US$48.65 a barrel on May 17, the highest since Thai Airways to buy 14 planes by 2010 in route expansion plan THAI Airways International, Thailand's biggest carrier, said it plans to buy 14 aircraft by 2010 to fly to more destinations in the US and Europe. The company will buy six long-range planes, with a capacity to seat 500 people each, and eight medium-range aircraft, chairman Thanong Bidaya said in a statement in Bangkok, without giving details. 'Newer and modern planes will help Thai Airways achieve its goal of being the top carrier in Asia,' Mr Thanong said. The company is negotiating with aircraft manufacturers, he said. Thai Airways has added flights to Europe and bought new planes because of resurgent demand after last year's slump triggered by the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in the region and the war in Iraq. In October, the Bangkok-based airline added two Boeing planes, which can carry more than 400 people. The carrier flew 1.41 million passengers in June, 37 per cent more than a year earlier. Flights to North America were 84.2 per cent full last month, up from 82 per cent a year ago. The new planes will also be used to start non-stop flights to the US following Singapore Airlines, which started such flights last month.. PHOTO OF THE DAY.. PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 15 07/31/04

16 The sheerlegs MATADOR and TAKLIFT 3 lifting the ELBE whilst a patch of 3,5 x 3,5 mtr is attached to cover the hole Photo : Nico Ouwehand SMITWIJS TOWAGE B.V. Westplein 5b 3016 BM Rotterdam The Netherlands Telephone: Telefax: SmitWijs@SmitWijs.com PSi-Daily Shipping News Page 16 07/31/04