VLCC with 2M bbls in the hands of Somali pirates

Captains,

A third VLCC has become a victim of piracy. A South Korean destroyer caught up with it in the Indian Ocean, but now what? Recent naval actions to recapture pirated ships have been successful. A fully loaded VLCC introduces particularly challenging limits for the rescuers, however. Hopefully all will end well in this case.

RADM W

06 Apr 2010

A SOUTH Korean warship today caught up with Samho Dream, the VLCC that was hijacked by pirates over the weekend.

“The destroyer Chungmugong Yisunshin arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 am [Seoul time] and is now operating in its vicinity," a Korean foreign ministry official told the country’s Yonhap news agency today.

The warship is keeping a close watch on the 319,360dwt vessel, the report said. Government officials earlier said there would be no attempt to intercept or board the hijacked vessel lest the crew be endangered.

The Korean-operated tanker has 19 Filipino and five Korean crew members. It was seized in the Indian Ocean on 4 April while en route from Iraq to the US. The tanker’s cargo of 2M barrels of crude, worth up to $170M at current market prices, is owned by Valero Energy of San Antonio, Texas, and destined for a refinery on the Gulf of Mexico, according to IHS Global Insight.


Meanwhile, a Dutch warship has recaptured a German-flagged box ship soon after its hijacking in the Indian Ocean, EU NAVFOR reported today.

The 12,612dwt Taipan was hijacked yesterday about 500 n-miles off Somalia, forcing its crew to stop the ship’s engines, hide in a secure strong room and alert the anti-piracy force.

EU NAVFOR sent the light cruiser Tromp to find Taipan. Marines boarded the ship, took control and detained the suspected pirates onboard.

Lookout for the North Atlantic right whales

Captains,

NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Species is committed to preventing ship strikes. Their web site has more information.

RADM W

An excerpt from a recent NOAA press release follows:

Reducing Ship Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales (NOAA)
With only 300-400 in existence, North Atlantic right whales are among the most endangered whales in the world. Their slow movements, time spent at the surface, and time spent near the coast make them highly vulnerable human activities, especially being struck by ships.

To report a ship strike, contact the NMFS Regional Stranding Coordinator in that area.
Recent right whale sightings
Right Whale Sightings in the Northeast U.S.
Right Whale Sightings in the Southeast U.S.

Speed Restrictions

All vessels 65 ft (19.8 m) or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in certain locations (SMAs) [pdf] along the east coast of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard at certain times of the year to reduce the threat of ship collisions with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

119 Haitians repatriated

Captains,

Be on the lookout for desperate migrants on overloaded, unseaworthy vessels on the high seas. This vessel, full of Haitians, was intercepted Sunday. The migrants were safely repatriated in accordance with international law.

RADM W

MIAMI - The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca repatriated 119 Haitian migrants to Cap Haitien, Haiti Friday, after they were interdicted at sea Sunday.

While on a routine patrol, Coast Guard Cutters Tornado and Key Biscayne crewmembers located a grossly overloaded 65-foot Haitian sail freighter northeast of Matanzas, Cuba.

The crew of two Coast Guard cutters arrived on scene and distributed personal floatation devices to the 119 Haitians before safely transferring them between the two cutters. Senaca received the migrants on Wednesday to conduct the transit to Haiti for repatriation.

140' CGC Penobscot Bay heads back to Bayonne NJ

Captains

Thanks to the 140' Cutter Penobscot Bay from Bayonne NJ, cargo valued at $100 million transited the icy Great Lakes this year.

RADM W

CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay is scheduled to depart here after spending the winter breaking ice on the Great Lakes. Capt. Lorne Thomas, Chief of Staff of the Ninth Coast Guard District, will oversee a brief recognition ceremony, Friday, at 10 a.m.

The 140-foot ice breaking cutter, whose original homeport is Bayonne, N.J., was temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes Region to augment the eight other Great Lakes-based ice breaking cutters with Operations Coal Shovel and Taconite, the Coast Guard's two major ice breaking operations here.

“Their presence (in the Great Lakes) ensured the Coast Guard provided the best level of service and kept commerce moving during the winter season,” said Cmdr. Kevin Dunn, Chief of Waterways Management for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

Penobscot Bay began Great Lakes operations on Jan. 2, 2010. The cutter participated in operations that cleared paths for more than 25 commercial freighters, and solely facilitated the safe navigation of 12 vessels. They spent more than 200 hours breaking Great Lakes ice, including more than 70 hours of preventative ice breaking to keep tracks and channels open for navigation. Overall, their efforts facilitated the safe transit of nearly one million tons of cargo valued at more than $100 million.

Hope for Haiti

Captains,

This commercial venture announcement is a good sign that Port au Prince will not only be restored, but perhaps flourish.

RADM W

27 Mar 2010

Port-au-Prince, devastated by the earthquake, is now looking at development. Photo: NASA

Earthquake struck Port-Au-Prince has revealed plans for new jetties and increased depth, along with state-of-the-art container terminal facilities.

Responding to the desperate need for new and expanded port infrastructure to serve earthquake recovery efforts, as well as to address the long-term shipping needs of the country, Haiti-based WIN Group and South Florida-based Santé Holding have announced an agreement to re-develop Terminal Varreux, SA in Port-Au-Prince, the largest privately-owned shipping terminal and port facility in Haiti.

Terminal Varreux currently consists of multiple berths connected to liquid and dry bulk pumping pipelines. The facility was damaged during the recent earthquake, but quickly repaired in order to allow crucial tanker shipments of fuel to Haiti, as Terminal Varreux receives and stores more than 70% of Haiti’s fuel.

The redevelopment plans include a new port, additional jetties and a state of the art 150 acre terminal open to all maritime lines looking to efficiently service Haiti.

The expansion will include a modern container and break-bulk shipping terminal and ancillary facilities. The agreement also includes remediation and expansion of existing piers.

Preparing for a worst case

Captains,

Shell Oil provided the industry leadership along with the State of Maine and U.S. Coast Guard for this year's largest maritime spill exercise in the U.S. RADM Joe Nimmich was the New England On-Scene Coordinator. I acted as the National Incident Commander - a role that would normally be held by the Commandant or Area Commander. The exercise was a great chance to demonstrate contingency plans that have been maintained since the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 became effective. My job was to coordinate national support from the Department of Homeland Security, EPA, NOAA, and other agencies. I was impressed with the realism on the water and in the Portland command center as well as the national attention in Washington D.C.

RADM W

Portland ME 3/25/2010 Update: A large-scale oil spill response exercise involving more than 600 people is wrapping up in Maine.

The so-called Spill of National Significance Exercise aims to test the preparedness of oil spill clean-up vessels and numerous federal and state agencies in responding to a massive oil spill at sea.

The exercise has been centered in Portland, where vessels on Wednesday responded to a simulated spill in the harbor while hundreds of people in an onshore command center monitored the vessels and worked on the logistics of coordinating a response.

The drill wraps up today with officials participating from Maine, Boston, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C.

The exercise is held every three years. This is the first time it was held in New England.

The U.S. Coast Guard vessel Shackle, right, passes by the Maine Responder during an oil spill cleanup drill in Portland Harbor on Wednesday. The scenario had an oil tanker leaking 2 million gallons of crude into Casco Bay after being struck by another vessel.

Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Nasty barge explosion, but no deaths

Captains,

This week's "close call" involved two guys welding on an oil barge. No gas free certificate. No hot work permit. The two guys were lucky. The barge is a total loss.

RADM W

INGLESIDE — The Coast Guard reopened the Intracoastal Waterway on Friday and was developing a plan to remove a barge that exploded there the day before, a Texas General Land Office official said.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Coast Guard crews are responding to a barge explosion that occurred at Superior Docks in Ingleside, Thursday.

Two men were treated for minor injuries and released. Bystanders rescued one man, who was thrown into the water when the barge exploded.

A watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a call at 3:12 p.m. from the captain of a tugboat, who reported he had just witnessed a major explosion at Superior Docks. The witness stated that the blast was so strong, it blew his boat’s windows out.