COS Weekly News - 22 January 2010

Friday, 22 January 2010 00:00

COS News – Week ending 22 January 2010

Issue No. 90

 

 

 

DELTAPORT BERTH 3 OFFICIALLY OPENS

It was a big week for Global Container Terminals (TSI) with the official opening on Monday of Berth 3 at Deltaport. The new berth is 430m in length and increases the terminal’s throughput capacity from 1.2 million to 1.8 million TEU.  Three container ships were alongside for the event, namely Shanghai Express, San Francisco Express and Ever Eagle. The new berth is significantly the first in the Americas to be equipped with three dual hoist quad cranes of 80 tons capacity each.

 

 

ISU ADVISORY ON OLYMIC MARINE SECURITY ZONE

Mariners are advised that an Olympic Marine Security Zone will be in effect around Ballantyne Pier from 10 January – 5 March 2010. This zone is clearly delineated and extends 50 metres outside of the floating marine security barrier. No unauthorized marine vessels or activity will be permitted inside this zone.  The zone will be patrolled by Olympic marine security vessels which may include diving operations. Mariners are further advised to avoid this security zone and navigate with caution when approaching security vessels.  Olympic Marine Security can be contacted on VHF channel 9/16 using the call-sign “Olympic Marine Security” or at 604-915-5814.  View Advisory.

 

 

MONA LISA SET TO ARRIVE AT SQUAMISH TERMINAL NEXT WEEK

The cruise ship accommodating VANOC workforce, the Mona Lisa, is scheduled to arrive at Squamish Terminals on Tuesday, January 26 at approximately 8am. The best location for media to capture the arrival of the Mona Lisa is the Squamish Oceanfront (property located east of Squamish Terminals).  Please note that the arrival date and time is subject to change and updates will be provided at www.squamishterminals.com.

 

The Mona Lisa will be docked at the Terminal from about January 26 to March 23, 2010, and will temporarily house as many as 1,100 workforce from Canada and around the world. In keeping with VANOC’s commitment to sustainability, VANOC workers will be transported on buses to and from the Terminal to their venue shuttles.

 

 

VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE – DOCUMENT CERTIFICATION

Between February 12 – 26^th the Vancouver Board of Trade office hours will be 7:30 am until 2:30 pm.  Vehicle access on Canada Place Way will be restricted to Olympic vehicles only.  Pedestrian access to the building remains unchanged.  A portion of the 900 and 1000 blocks of West Cordova will be set aside as a temporary loading zone to facilitate quick drop offs and couriers for businesses in the area.

 

 

PRINCE RUPERT HEIGHTENS SECURITY FOR WINTER GAMES

The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) will, as a precaution during the high profile winter Olympics in Vancouver, adopt a heightened security posture from 12 to 26 February.  In effect, the PRPA, working with our terminal partners, will activate and man the access control points on Scott Road leading to Maher Terminals, and the Ridley Island access.  The security gates will be manned 24/7 from 12 to 26 February. 

 

Marine workers will have to be in possession of a valid Port ID or two pieces of government ID to access Maher Terminals or the Ridley Island terminals and businesses.  Commissionaires will be manning the gate providing direction and coordinating access with the Port and terminal operators as required.  Vehicles will have to stop at the access gates and present ID to gain access.  Only personnel with legitimate business will be permitted access.  In effect the public will not be allowed access to the viewing area or Ridley Island during this period.

 

A Port Security Committee meeting is planned for Wednesday, February 10^th to finalize plans before implementation.

 

 

CBSA ADVISORY – ARRIVING SHIP CREW

Canada Border Services Agency has advised that the Agency continues to see persons arriving by plane under the false pretense of joining a vessel in BC.  If members come across any suspicious correspondence re ship arrivals and/or crew joiners, please advise Shawn Beaver at Tel: 604-696-3130.

 

 

MOVEMENT OF IN-BOND GOODS

Following meetings with Canada Border Services Agency, the region has agreed to continue using the C-6 to move goods in-bond between release points.  CBSA advises that “the C-6 will be maintained as was in the past, but the Marine carriers will now be submitting the C-6 for movement.  The C-6 must carry a statement of indemnification that the marine carrier’s bond (9000 CCN) will be the coverage for the movement to the inland sufferance warehouse where the container repairs, or freight blocking and bracing will take place, and the movement back to the terminal or to the intermodal yard for the movement of the freight inland.” 

 

 

VESSEL MOORING ARRANGEMENT PLANS

The Pacific Pilotage Authority (PPA) is seeking an electronic copy of each vessel’s mooring arrangement plan.  The plans will assist the marine pilots in determining safe working loads, positions and types of mooring equipment available on the vessel.

 

 

TRANSLINK BUS PASSES

The Chamber of Shipping has joined Translink’s Employer Pass Program to offer regular monthly pass holders a 15% reduction in fares.  COS will work with member companies that wish to sign on for the program starting March 2010.   The enrolment deadline for the March start date is February 12^th.  For more information please contact Bonnie Gee at 604.628.6132.

 

 

 

Government News

 

PM SHUFFLES CABINET

On January 19^th the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper announced the follow changes to the Ministry in preparation for the Speech from the Throne and the implementation of Phase II of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

 

§     Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board & Minister for Asia Pacific Gateway (formerly International Trade)

§     Lisa Raitt, Minister of Labour (formerly Natural Resources) 

§     Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade (formerly Public Safety)

§     Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources (formerly Public Works and Government Services Canada)

§     Rona Ambrose, Minister Public Works & Government Services (formerly Labour)

§     Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety (formerly Treasury)

§     Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs & Minister of State Agriculture (formerly National Revenue & Minister of State Agriculture)

§     Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of State (ACOA), Minister of the Atlantic Gateways

§     Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State Seniors (formerly Small Business & Tourism)

§     Rob Moore, Minister of State Small Business & Tourism

 

 

CUSTOMS NOTICE 09-023, RELEASE OF CAED 2010

CN 09-023 informs exporters that the 2010 version of the Canadian Automated Export Declaration (CAED) software has been released.  CAED participants should upgrade to CAED 2010 by downloading the software from the CAED Web site.

 

 

 

Other News

 

FIRST RELIEF SHIPS ARRIVE IN HAITI

After leaving Haliax one week ago, Canadian warships arrived off the north and south coasts of Haiti on Tuesday and began sending crews ashore to deliver relief supplies, collect bodies and clear roads. HMCS Athabaskan was off shore at Leogane, a devastated town west of Port-au-Prince on the north coast while HMCS Halifax anchored off Jacmel, a town of 40,000 on the south coast. The ships will indefinitely shuttle back and forth to Kingston Jamaica with relief supplies.

 

 

In total some 20 relief ships have now arrived. The ro-ro container barge Crimson Clover was the first vessel to dock at Port-au-Prince’s only remaining pier, carrying 2,200 tons of food from the US. In addition, the Francis Garnier, a French landing ship that has been used for humanitarian operations for 30 years, docked today with a complement of 60 marines and a collection of equipment on deck. A UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Largs Bay has also been allocated to the immediate relief effort.

 

   

            RFA vessel Largs Bay

 

 

WRIST SHIP SUPPLY ACQUIRES KARLO CORPORATION GROUP

Wrist Ship Supply, one of the world’s leading ship supply companies, and part of the Wrist Group, today announced the acquisition of World Ship Supply, West Coast Ship Supply, East Coast Ship Supply and Karlo Corporation – collectively known as One Source North America - the largest ship supply organization in North America. The move represents the largest deal in the Wrist Group’s corporate history, and provides the organization with a major footprint into the US and Canadian markets.

 

 

ALPHALINER PREDICTS PEAK IN CONTAINER VESSEL LAYUPS IN 2012

 

An updated forecast from research specialist Alphaliner expects that around 11% of the global container fleet will continue in lay up before reaching a peak of around a peak in early 2012. Currently 1.44M TEU of containership capacity is anchored or formally in layup despite super slow steaming of many fleets in an effort to soak up excess capacity. Forecasts are based on trade growth of 5% this year, increasing to 7.5% in 2011 and 10% thereafter. Currently 562 container ships are idle.

 

 

2010 P&I RENWALS

Owners of dry cargo and container ships are looking at a 4.66% increase in the cost of protection and indemnity (P&I) reinsurance whilst tankers can expect a “break”. The table below provides a best estimate of renewal premiums by sector.

 

 

The 13 clubs in the International Group P&I cartel collectively buy the world’s biggest reinsurance contract and then parcel out the cost to their shipowner members according to the four broad ship categories their tonnage fall into. This year’s changes in the allocation reflect that the modest level of dry cargo reinsurance premium has fallen behind the level of claims.

 

 

EUROPEAN UNION ADOPTS “PRAGMATIC” DREDGING POLICY

With far reaching positive implications, the EU Court of Justice has ruled “there is no legal distinction between maintenance dredging and capital dredging as far as their environmental impact is concerned”. The net result is that repeat maintenance dredging can be classified as a single project and only a single environmental assessment is therefore required. Europe’s ports and the dredging companies had warned that multiple environmental assessments would otherwise drive up costs and generate endless delays to vital dredging needs.

 

 

2010 YEAR OF THE SEAFARER

In naming 2010 as the Year of the Seafarer, the Secretary General of the IMO has declared three primary objectives.  These are firstly to increase awareness among the general public of the indispensable services of seafarers. Secondly IMO wants to seafarers to feel recognised and appreciated and thirdly to improve the regulatory world in which seafarers operate.

In this context, the IMO has also this week highlighted continuing frustration over seafarer criminalisation. Examples of the injustice such as Prestige and Hebei Spirit, are those where Masters and crew become scapegoats for accidental oil spills that are clearly not of their making. Discoveries of drugs both onboard and attached to the outer hulls of vessels have also led to some of the worst injustices against seafarers. In Venezuela, despite there being no evidence of guilt, four officers from the vessels B. Atlantic (now detained for two years) and Astro Saturn (detained for sixteen months) await constantly postponed trial after caches of cocaine were found clamped to the hulls of both ships.

 

Meanwhile, the European Commission is to invite industry leaders to take part in a taskforce designed to come up with ways to reverse the serious decline in European seafaring. Ship owners and unions are to be invited to join academics and legislators to brainstorm the problem.

 

 

ICS DEMANDS INTEGRATED ANTI-PIRACY COMMAND

In order to reduce inconsistencies of approach, the International Chamber of Shipping has called for a single unitary command structure for navies engaged in counter-piracy work in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Current naval forces include those of NATO, the EU, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Australia, often working independently. ICS has described “deepening frustration at the seeming impotence of the world's navies to guarantee safe passage for merchant shipping”. The loaded VLCC Maran Centaurus was released by Somali pirates last weekend for a ransom fee of $6m which is believed to be a new record high. A helicopter is reported to have dropped most of the money on the deck of the vessel. Singapore this week assumed command of the largest group of multinational counter piracy forces from the U.S.

 

 

 

Market Update

The Baltic Dry Index closed on Thursday on 3170 points, down a shade from 3235 points last week and 3149 points the week before.

 

                                         Cape Size         Panamax            Supramax          

Index                                    4095                 3607                    2462

Last week                             4142                 3847                    2545

Spot time charter             $38,800/day       $28,800/day        $26,000/day

Last week                       $39,200/day       $30,900/day        $26,600/day

 

Given devaluations of up to 40% on dry bulk new builds scheduled for delivery in 2009, many will be delayed and some are certain never to appear. The dry bulk demand side is expected to increase 8-9% in 2010 and 6-7% in 2011 which is probably sufficient to maintain reasonable rate stability.

Tankers: Last week’s unexpected gains have leveled off but so far at least have not gone into decline. However, this is likely only a matter of time as the heaviest of the Northern winter energy demand is likely behind us.

 

Upcoming Events

 

THE 21st INTERNATIONAL TUG & SALVAGE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION

VANCOUVER, BC – MAY 17 – 21ST

The world’s largest gathering of tug, towage and salvage experts will take place at the Westin Bayshore Hotel.  For more information on the program, visit https://www.tugandsalvage.com/ITS2010_Home.asp.

 

 

Jan 21               Business of Shipping Course

Jan 26               ISSC Board of Directors Meeting @ 12:00

Jan 27               PACMAR/NANS Meeting @ 10:30

Jan 28               COS Owners Committee Meeting @ 12:00

Jan 28               VMAA Seminar on Bill C-7 @ 12:00

Feb 3                COS Board of Directors Meeting @ 11:30

Feb 9                COS Ship & Port Operations Committee Meeting @ 12:00

Feb 10              COS Liner Committee Meeting @ 10:00

Feb 18              COS Navigation Services Committee Meeting @ 10:30

Feb 18              COS Owners Committee Meeting @ 12:00

 

 

Ship of the Week

                           USNS COMFORT

 

The Baltimore based U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort anchored off the coast of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday this week to provide much needed medical resources to treat those severely injured in the earthquake.  In addition to a crew of 60, the vessel carries a standard 550 person medical staff, however this is currently being supplemented by a further 350 to provide for round the clock operations. Even before arrival, the first patients were helicoptered onboard, a 20-year-old man suffering from a spinal fracture and bleeding in the brain and a 6-year-old boy with a fractured pelvis.

 

Comfort is one of the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command’s two hospital ships. Comfort’s sister ship, the USNS Mercy is berthed in San Diego. Both ships are maintained at 5 days notice for deployment and with 12 operating rooms are capable of supporting 1,000 beds. Both Comfort and Mercy were originally built as tankers in 1976 prior to conversion to their current role in 1987.

 

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