The newest ferry company operating from a Kent port is proposing to takeover a rival to save hundreds of jobs. LD Lines, which operates between Dover and Boulogne and Dieppe, said it would make a formal bid for SeaFrance. SeaFrance, which sails to Calais, this week said it may axe 650 French jobs to
A state-of-the-art rescue boat which played a crucial role in pulling 15 oil workers to safety in the North Sea was on its first “real life” mission. Those involved in designing the autonomous rescue and recovery craft (ARRC) have hailed it a huge success. The vessel was commissioned by BP as part o
Offshore companies are to end the practice of ‘blacklisting’ workers. It is known as NRB – not required back – and the industry has never before admitted publicly that it happens. Unions said staff have been banned from working offshore – in some cases for raising safety concerns – without there bei
Eighteen people have been rescued after a Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter ditched into the sea about 125 miles east of Aberdeen on its way to a BP oil production platform. The helicopter ditched in the sea approximately 500 metres from the platform at about 1915 GMT on Wednesday night. Workers on t
Maersk Oil Qatar has initiated arbitration against UK based supplier SLP Engineering Ltd., Lowestoft. SLP Engineering was in 2006 awarded a turnkey contract for delivery of offshore accommodation platforms for the Al Shaheen field development in Qatar. After a long series of commercial, financial an
A new location in the heart of Palma, introduction of the ‘Bucket Rating’ system, better dock facilities and a change to the prize-giving format are just some of the improvements proposed for this years’ Superyacht Cup in Palma, Mallorca from 24-27 June. Following support from the local Government a
Onyx, the 38,50-metre yacht built by the Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo and designed by Francesco Paszkowski Design is one of the 8 Finalists for Boat International’s World Superyacht Awards within the section “Best semi-displacement or planing Motoryacht in the 30m to 39 m size range”.
Austal has secured its first European defence contract with an order for four 21.2 metre inshore patrol craft – including training and spares support – with the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM). The vessels will be built at Austal’s Australian facilities and are scheduled for delivery by the end of the y
The first berths of South Africa’s long-awaited Ngqura container terminal (NCT) will be handed over to Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) in June this year, the operator has confirmed. Originally slated to open a year earlier, the facility faced a series of delays and escalating costs due to controversy
A jewellery company on Teesside has become the first sponsor of the Tall Ships’ Race, which will end in Hartlepool in 2010. Local firm Mobeus will create the captains’ trophies and the rest of the prizes for the world-famous event. It is expected that more than a million visitors will descend on the
A large fuel oil slick thought to have leaked into the Celtic Sea during a Russian refuelling incident is heading to the coasts of Ireland and Wales. The UK coastguard estimates up to 1,000 tonnes may be on the water, but Russia denies the spill is on that scale. Irish coastguards said the spill, 50
The biggest naval deployment for more than a decade is due to be get under way from Plymouth later. The TAURUS 09 task force, involving 12 ships and 3,300 personnel, will set sail from Devonport naval base. It will engage in training operations in the Mediterranean before deploying through the Suez
The port of Belfast has suffered because of the global economic downturn, according to figures released on Wednesday. The figures revealed that cargo movements in 2008 fell by 5.5% to 16.5 million tonnes. This followed a six-year period of continued growth. Container and oil traffic were each down b
The signing of the contract between the Dutch company Nieland and the Indian Killick Agencies & Marketing was a perfect ending of the seminar ‘Partership & Cooperation in Heavy Seas’. This seminar was organised on February 12th 2009 at the Renaissance hotel in Mumbai and was meant to answer how to c
