ROTTERDAM PORT WINS ----------PORT OF THE YEAR AWARD

Rotterdam port was awarded 'Port of the Year' in London during the 2013 event of

 "Containerisation International Awards". The award was given by experts. They complimented

 the port of Rotterdam for the significant investments they made to be leading European

 industrial complex and logistics hub. Innovations like the initiatives NextLogic and  InlandLinks

 and the port's sustainable object development also were  praised by the jury and gave their 

contribution to the award. 

The director of Containers, Breakbulk and Logistics,  Port of Rotterdam Authority, Emile 

Hoogsteden was very happy with the award:

Brodosplit signed the contract for the construction of Multipurpose Container vessels

Shipbuilding Industry Split Inc. and the domestic shipping company Brodosplit-Navigation Ltd., have signed a contract for the construction of a two Multipurpose Container vessels.

The special feature of this vessels is that it will use the LNG fuel (liqufied natural gas), which is the cleanest and environmentally friendly fossil fuel. This is so important because the container vessels with LNG fuel will be more attractive in the global shipping market due to new national and international regulations that will prescribe the permitted quantities emissions (NOx, SO2 and CO2), which is gradually introduced into a new seas (first U.S. and Baltic).

Brodosplit container vessel will have a low speed 2 stroke "dual fuel" (LNG/HFO) engines that have higher efficiency (lower energy) and work at lower rpm (low speed engines), resulting in lower maintenance costs and longer life span . Now, in the world is made ​​only one container vessel with a 2 stroke "dual fuel" engine. Also can use diesel fuel, and in emergency situations has the ability to drive with the cooking oil from food sectors, as well as all other oils or fuels. According to that, coantainer vessels from Brodospolit shipyard will have four to five times lower cost per mile than the other ships of this class, and 30-50 times less will pollute environment. Thanks to more efficient consumption and superb efficiency, investments in the 2 stroke "dual fuel" engines will be paid out after two to three years of exploitation. Extremely important in this project is that the engines will be made by the Brodosplit diesel engine factory, under the license of the MAN, as well as the special tanks for LNG fuel will also produce in Brodosplit shipyard.

Source: Brodosplit Shipyard

AdvanFort Chief Engineer Attempts Suicide

Indian media is reporting this morning that the captain of the maritime security vessel, Seaman Guard Ohio, which has been detained by Indian authorities,  attempted to hang himself in his stateroom.  He was saved by his crew before he was able to carry out his plan.

Captain Dudnik Valentyn has been through a lot.  In 2011, he and his crew aboard the MV Bilda spent 11 months under the watchful eye of Somali pirates after their vessel was hijacked on New Years day.  This latest personal tragedy once again puts himself in a situation that he may feel hopeless to fix and perhaps quite unjustified.

The below graphics via windward  Maritime Analytics Services Company depict the track of the Seaman Guard Ohio before it was detained by Indian authorities.Analysts at Windward point out that for the past month, the Seaman Guard Ohio has bee conducting patrols approximately 50 to 60 nautical miles south of India for the past month.

On the 9th of October, the vessel started to head toward shore and anchored near Tuticorin Port (Tamil Nadu state), where it had previously anchored a month ago, before leaving to its last patrol activity. It anchored 13 nautical miles offshore, just outside India’s territorial waters.

On the 12th of October, the Seaman Guard Ohio began sailing towards the port.

AdvanFort president Will Watson commented in a recent phone conversation that the vessel was directed into port while the vessel was beyond the 12 nautical mile territorial waters limit.  He notes that the hard turn to port in the second image above indicates the turn made when Indian authorities called the Seaman Guard Ohio on the radio requesting them to come in to port due to bad weather from Cyclone Phailin.

When the ship came closer, Indian authorities then arrested the entire crew, claiming they had violated Indian territorial waters.  Watson notes that India has claimed that a pair of islands off the coast extends the territorial waters of India and that the Seaman Guard Ohio was thus inside the 12 nautical mile limit when it was detained.  AdvanFort’s legal council disagrees with India’s claims, noting that these uninhabited “sandbars” do not extend India’s territorial waters and that their territorial waters should be measured from the shoreline of India.

At face value, it seems like India may be trying to avoid getting egg on their face by insisting that the ship was inside territorial waters when it was detained.

Is this a legitimate claim by the Indian government or state-sponsored piracy?  Regardless, this is truly a sad situation for the seafarers on the Seaman Guard Ohio, and an industry as a whole, who’s mission is to protect the very people that are now being held.

The entire crew is currently being held in an Indian jail, with the exception of one individual who is in the hospital.  AdvanFort is currently reaching out via all diplomatic channels to try and resolve this issue.