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WEDNESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2007 Oscar Wilde visits Pembroke DockIrish Ferries' latest acquisition, Oscar Wilde, arrived at Pembroke Dock this morning around 0400hrs for berthing trials. She berthed bow first onto the linkspan. It is anticipated that Oscar Wilde will cover for Isle of Inishmore when she moves to the Holyhead to Dublin route to cover the dry docking of Ullysses. Oscar Wilde previously operated for Color Lines, sailing as the Kronprins Harald. She was built in 1987 by Wärtsilä Marine Yard, Åbo, Finland, for Jahre Line. She entered service on their Oslo-Kiel route, and has remained on this service ever since. In 1990, her registered owners became Color Line A/S (Norway). In 1997, Kronprins Harald was chartered to attend the start of the Whitbread "Round The World" yachting race at Southampton. She was sold earlier this year to Irish Ferries and renamed Oscar Wilde. She has replaced the former relief ferry of recent years, Normandy. During the summer months Oscar Wilde will operate from Ireland to France. Oscar Wilde Chris Jones |
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THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2007 Mustang launch Megan MMustang Marine recently launched the Megan M, a multipurpose pontoon workboat. Owned by Gaerloch Support Services (www.gssplant.co.uk), she joins a fleet of similar vessels. Despite her modern appearance, the Megan M was actually constructed in 1965 for the Port of London Authority as Stoneness, a 33 metre salvage vessel. The Stoneness was found by GSS for sale in Padstow, Cornwall, where her then owners had shortened the length of the hull to meet the requirements for the MCA's under 24 metre workboat code. The conversion was designed by Ian Darley, who has designed two other vessels in GSS's fleet; Laura M and Mary M. The Stoneness was towed to Mustang Marine's yard at Pembroke Dock by the Cardiff based tug New Ross I, owned by Cardiff Commercial Boat Operators Ltd (www.ccbo.co.uk). On arrival, the Stoneness was winched onto the slipway and conversion work started. The vessel has been totally rebuilt, receiving a new superstructure, redesigned bow section, new machinery and running gear, in addition to a new interior and deck equipment, including a 125t Effer crane. The vessel is now powered by 2x800hp Daewoo engines, giving her a bollard pull of 19.5 tons. The vessel is to be based at Fishguard, where she will be working for QinetiQ at the Aberporth range. For a full spec of the Megan M see http://www.gssplant.co.uk/pages/MeganM.asp. Chris Jones |
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MONDAY 22 OCTOBER 2007 HT Blade transfers to Swansea fleetThe Swansea tug fleet will see the return of a former Alexandra Towing Company tug tomorrow when the HT Blade (ex-Deben) arrives on the afternoon tide to join the fleet. She is to replace Ayton Cross, which will transfer to the Clyde fleet. Some details on the vessel are provided below: - Length - 30.64m - Propulsion: 2 Aquamaster units driven by 2x diesel 4tew 6cyl Ruston type 6RK270M, 3860bhp total Chris Jones
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MONDAY 22 OCTOBER 2007 *** Update: THV Mermaid is to be renamed Ocean Observer in Falmouth. MONDAY 7 OCTOBER 2007 THV MermaidThe former Trinity House Vessel THV Mermaid sailed from Swansea for the last time today bound for Falmouth and renaming - no news on her new owners or name as yet. Watch this space...! Chris Jones
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WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2007 Fresh hopes ferry link will set sail once moreThere are fresh hopes that the Swansea to Cork ferry link will soon be sailing again. A number of operators are said to be looking at re-introducing the service across the Irish Sea route. Swansea-Cork Ferries pulled the plug on its service last year, selling the Superferry.
It was expected a new ferry would be in place for the start of the 2007 season, but negotiations to buy a replacement ship collapsed and the service did not resume.
Thirty people lost their jobs with the closure. Source: South Wales Evening Post www.thisissouthwales.co.uk |
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FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2007 Cardiff celebrates centenary of Queen Alexandra Dock Associated British Ports' (ABP) Port of Cardiff today (21 September) celebrates the centenary of Queen Alexandra Dock with an official tree-planting ceremony and the opening of a special photographic exhibition featuring images from the past 100 years of port operations. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra originally opened the Dock in 1907, shortly after Cardiff had been granted city status, and when its coal-exporting industry made the port one of the busiest commercial hubs in the world. A century later, the Dock is still integral to the city and the regional economy, supporting local businesses and providing a gateway for millions of tonnes of goods each year. In the ceremony this morning, Mrs Katie Clark, wife of ABP Chairman Chris Clark, declared the exhibition open and planted a commemorative oak tree by the mouth of Queen Alexandra Dock. This followed a dance by children from Mount Stuart Primary School, who had entered an ABP-sponsored competition to design a poster illustrating how they imagine the port will look in another 100 years. John Fitzgerald, ABP Port Director, South Wales Ports, said: “Both the City and the Port of Cardiff have changed enormously in the last 100 years, both reinventing themselves to suit a regional economy no longer reliant on coal. Today, the modern port – like the city – is in an excellent position to face the many challenges and seize the exciting opportunities of the next 100 years.” Tomorrow, as part of the wider centenary celebrations, the port is holding its Dock Centenary Community Day, from 11am until 4pm, featuring dock tours by road-train and boat, as well as stalls, displays, street theatre, live music, children's entertainment and food. John Fitzgerald added: “The Dock Centenary Community Day will be a fun way to remind local people of the port's part in Cardiff's heritage and its importance in the region's economy today and in the future, while educating visitors to the city who are as yet unfamiliar with its history.” Source: http://www.abports.co.uk/news20075884.htm |
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FRIDAY 24 AUGUST 2007 Flying Spindrift arrives in Swansea Earlier today the Svitzer tug Flying Spindrift arrived in Swansea to cover for the Shannon, which is at present away in dry dock at Milford Haven. The tug, which is now based on the Clyde, was built for Clyde Shipping in 1986 by Richard Dunston Ltd. She is powered by 2 x Ruston 6RKCM's with a total power output of 3100hp, giving her a bollard pull of 40 ton. Chris Jones
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MONDAY 2 JULY 2007 MS Oldenburg visits Swansea a day earlier than expected Oldenburg visited Swansea this morning to collect a party of cyclists who had cycled to Swansea Dock from Bristol to join the ship. The ship departed Swansea Dock lock at 0900, bound for Lundy Island. The cyclists were to visit the island prior to being dropped off in Ilfracombe, from where they will make their way back to Bristol. The arrival date of Oldenburg in Swansea was incorrectly given on ABP's Severn VTS website as Tuesday 3 July. Apologies for any confusion and/or inconvenience caused by our previous news story! Chris Jones
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SUNDAY 1 JULY 2007 Launch of Bristol Channel Shipping Forum A new online community opened for business today - the Bristol Channel Shipping Forum is designed to encourage the sharing of news and information on ships & shipping in and around the Bristol Channel. There are dedicated areas of the Forum for information & discussions related to the Milford Haven, Swansea and Cardiff areas. The web address is www.bristolchannelshipping.co.uk, and registration is free, so sign up soon and support the site. Webmaster |
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SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2007 MS Oldenburg to visit Swansea The Lundy Island supply boat MS Oldenburg is due to arrive at Swansea Dock at 0700 on Tuesday 3 July to collect a charter, and will sail again at 0900. This won't be the first time she has visited Swansea - I understand that she was briefly involved in a Summertime 'cross channel' ferry experiment from Swansea in the late 80's. She berthed at the timber jetty at Pocketts Wharf before the Barrage was built. The ship also visited Porthcawl a couple of years ago, offering a number of day trips from Porthcawl to Lundy Island - sadly these haven't been repeated. Oldenburg, built in Germany in 1958, served the German Railway board until being sold to the Landmark Trust as a supply boat for Lundy Island in 1986, commencing sailings to Lundy Island on 10 May 1987. Whilst mainly employed on a regular Ilfracombe or Bideford to Lundy Island service, she has visited other areas of the Bristol Channel, including the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, Bristol, Clevedon, Minehead, Watchet and, as mentioned above, Porthcawl. Chris Jones
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SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2007 Hurricane (ex Hurricane H, ex Margam) sails from UK waters
Having left Milford Haven, Hurricane (ex-Hurricane H, ex-Margam) was seen in Falmouth Bay by Falmouth WSS member Charles Loughlin on 17 June - Charles photographed her from his boat whilst she lay at anchor. On 22 June Hurricane weighed anchor and left UK waters, heading south. On Tuesday (26 June) she was abeam of Setubal at 2300. We understand that she was due in Gibraltar on Wednesday (27 June) for bunkers - we are awaiting further news of her arrival.
This could prove to be the last time Hurricane and longtime fleetmate Mumbles will meet! Mumbles remains a very active member of the Gibraltar tug fleet - seen below on 11 May 2007 heading out to sea with stores for a ship. NB. Mumbles' port of registry remains Swansea! Chris Jones
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SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2007 Antics on the Antic! Whilst on passage between Dordrecht and Sharpness last week, it is alleged that the First Officer on the small coaster Antic attempted to attack another crew member with a knife. It is understood that he was restrained and locked in his cabin, where it was hoped he could be detained until the vessel arrived at Sharpness, but whilst heading up the Bristol Channel on Tuesday 26 June he escaped. The police were called and taken out to the ship off Barry by the Barry Dock lifeboat, whereupon the First Officer was taken into custody. The Antic arrived safely at Sharpness and has since been detained by the MCA. The two officers on board were Polish and had a crew of 3 Philippinos. The vessel is owned by Anthony Glover and Murray Gibson, who hail from the Lynmouth area under the banner of Seven Seas Shipping, Bideford.
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MONDAY 25 JUNE 2007 First dry cargo of the year for Milford Docks On 9 June, the first dry cargo ship to work cargo in Milford Docks since the turn of the year arrived from Milos in the Aegean with approximately 1,000 tonnes of Perlite for Dragon LNG. We are given to understand that such material is used as insulating material in the refrigeration trade. The ship, the Liliana, arrived from Milos on 9 June and sailed on 13 June for Gdynia in ballast, the discharge taking longer than expected because the haulage straight to the site and the turn round of trucks at the site took longer than anticipated. The ship started life as the Monika, being built as Yard Number 175 at the Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik Cassens GmbH at Emden. In 1990 she became the Ner and in 2001 the Liliana. She is owned by Novemar Ltd, registered in Kingstown, St Vincent and managed by Jan Stepniewski I SKA SP ZOO.
GRT is 910 tonnes, DWT 1,263 tonnes - a single hold GGC. Engine power is 680hp, provided by a four stroke 6 cylinder 170 x 195 MWM driving through a single fixed pitch propeller to give service speed of 9 knots. Derek & Des Davies
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FRIDAY 15 JUNE 2007 Canning sails again! This lovely model of the steam tug Canning has recently been built by Frank Robinson (a friend of WSS member Chris Jones) using a Mobile Marine Models hull. Frank used plans provided with the hull in the construction of the model, which is is powered by a electric motor and is fully radio controlled. The model, which is close to completion, is seen here on its first outing - although Frank tells us she "isn't quite finished yet". He visited Swansea to view the real Canning, which is preserved at the Welsh Maritime Museum in Swansea, as part of his planning for the project. |
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 Maiden voyage of new Canning model © Frank Robinson |
 Canning at Swansea Docks in the mid-1960s Chris Jones collection |
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THURSDAY 14 JUNE 2007 New RIB ranges far and wide The keys to a new specially-built, state of the art £42,000 rigid inflatable which will help Milford Haven's water ranger carry out an increasingly long list of duties have been officially handed over to the Port Authority. Source: http://news.mhpa.co.uk/index.php?id=98 |
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 Left to right: Mark Andrews, Harbourmaster, John Warneford, Water Ranger and Richard Lewis of Quinquari Marine, who fitted out the RIB |
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SUNDAY 10 JUNE 2007 Paddler heads home for birthday celebrations Waverley sailed from Milford Haven last night, having completed this season's visit to the Bristol Channel. The paddler will now return to the Clyde, where there are celebrations planned for this weekend to celebrate her 60th year in service. She is seen here on her last Bristol Channel cruise off the Pembrokeshire Coastline yesterday morning. |
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 Waverley off the Pembrokeshire coast © Alex Brown, MHPA |
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SUNDAY 10 JUNE 2007 Hurricane H sails for Falmouth The Hurricane H is pictured leaving the lock pits at Milford Haven
following her visit to Milford dry dock. She sailed on Friday 8 June, headed for Falmouth Bay, where she is
currently at anchor. |
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 Hurricane H leaving the lock pits at Milford Haven © Dave Barrett, MHPA |
WEDNESDAY 16 MAY 2007 *** Update: Hurricane H will sail from Swansea for the last time at 0730 tomorrow morning, Thursday 17 May 2007. *** TUESDAY 15 MAY 2007 Hurricane H update Hurricane H is due to visit Milford dry dock for a survey prior to leaving the UK. The tug is expected to leave Swansea for the last time on Thursday 17 May 2007. See the Features page, under Hurricane H, for the vessel's history, compiled by Bill Moore. |
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TUESDAY 15 MAY 2007 Deutschland visits Milford Haven |
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Today (15/5/07) the cruise ship Deutschland paid a visit to Milford Haven, becoming the first cruise ship to visit the port this year. The Svitzer tug Avongarth was dispatched to Milford Haven from her usual Avonmouth/Portbury base to assist the cruise ship's arrival and to hold her in position whilst the passengers had a tour of West Wales by coach. |
FRIDAY 11 MAY 2007 Hurricane H sold The long serving Swansea-based tug Hurricane H (ex-Margam) was sold by Svitzer Marine Ltd on 8 May 2007 to Panmar S.A. of Athens, Greece. It is understood that the vessel will sail within the next few days for dry docking, prior to leaving the UK for the last time. We also understand that Hurricane H will remain UK flagged and registered in Swansea under her new ownership. See the Features page, under Hurricane H, for the vessel's history, compiled by Bill Moore. |
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WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 2007 Historic Great Western Railway Coach arrives at Newport Early in 2007 the West Somerset Railway, based in Minehead, set itself the aim of collecting and restoring a set of genuine Great Western Railway (GWR) coaches to haul behind its former GWR steam locomotives. The search for suitable coaches led them to GWR Brake Coach 6705, which was sold out of service in 1967 to an American private collector and shipped across the Atlantic. It passed between several US museums and was last displayed at ‘Steamtown' in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It had no real US relevance and was not even receiving protective attention. The museum decided to offer the coach to the West Somerset Railway Trust. Funds were quickly raised to cover the cost of returning the coach to the UK for safe storage and eventual restoration. |
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 A general view of GWR Brake Coach 6705 standing in Steamtown, Pennysylvania, USA in early 2007, with thanks to the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust www.wssrt.co.uk |
 No 6705 in the hold of MV Fairlift at Newport on 26 March 2007, with thanks to the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust www.wssrt.co.uk |
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| In February the coach was moved to Halifax, Canada and 15 March saw it loaded aboard the heavy lift ship MV Fairlift. After its second Atlantic crossing, the coach was successfully off-loaded at Newport docks on Monday 26 March - a day late, as the ship developed engine problems on the approach to the Bristol Channel. Also aboard the ship were a number of diesel locomotives for the UK operator Freightliner. Newport is no stranger to handling railway locomotives - over 400 have been imported via the port, having been built at Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (formerly General Motors Electro-Motive Division) in London, Ontario. More details on the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust can be found at http://www.wssrt.co.uk. |
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 No 6705 being lifted from the hold of MV Fairlift at Newport on 26 March 2007, with thanks to the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust www.wssrt.co.uk |
 No 6705 back on terra firma at Newport on 26 March 2007, with thanks to the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust www.wssrt.co.uk |
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TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2007 MTS Valour arrives in Milford Haven Falmouth based tug MTS Valour has recently arrived in Milford Haven to work at South Hook LNG Terminal construction site. The vessel was built by Damen Shipyards in 2006 and is of a Damen Shoalbuster 2308 design. A spec sheet can be found at http://online.dms.nl/data/specificaties/171.pdf. She was initially part of Damen Marine Services' charter fleet but was sold within a short space of time to MTS Group Ltd. WSS Swansea member Chris Jones has just returned from a trip aboard fleetmate MTS Taktow and is expecting to be working aboard the MTS Valour at some stage during her time in Milford Haven. |
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MONDAY 26 MARCH 2007 Ayton Cross returns home! Ayton Cross arrived back in Swansea today, having spent the last few weeks in Milford Haven covering the dry docking of the Milford based tugs Millgarth and Anglegarth. Whilst out of the Swansea fleet, her place was covered by Hurricane H, which is currently being marketed for sale. Most members will know her better as the Margam, and she has served Swansea and Port Talbot since being built in 1970 (feature coming soon!). Ayton Cross joined the Swansea tugs on her return to the UK from the CP Valour salvage in the Azores; prior to that she was based on the River Tees. Pictures show the Ayton Cross assisting the Amazon into Milford Haven with the Millgarth. |
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 Ayton Cross, © www.channelimages.com |
 Ayton Cross, Millgarth & Amazon © www.channelimages.com |
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TUESDAY 13 MARCH 2007 Port Talbot Docks handles first steel cargo for nearly four decades Associated British Ports' (ABP) Port Talbot Docks recently handled its first cargo of steel for nearly 40 years when m.v. Celtic Fortune discharged a shipment of reinforcing bar and coil steel at the docks' Talbot Wharf. Transported from Istanbul, the 3,000-tonne consignment of steel was handled for port customers Ready Steel Reinforcements (Ready Steel). A supplier of cut and bent steel reinforcements, Ready Steel has recently developed a new steel-service centre at a warehouse adjacent to Port Talbot Docks. Located at the mouth of the River Afan, Port Talbot Docks was reopened to commercial shipping in 1998 and continues to handle increasing cargo volumes. The docks' facilities provide a vital service to coaster-sized vessels plying coastal UK and European short-sea trade routes. |
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“The very first time I saw Port Talbot Docks, I recognised its potential. With ABP's support, we are now witnessing the start of an exciting era which will benefit not only Ready Steel Reinforcements, but also the local community and ultimately, the South Wales region as a whole.” John Fitzgerald, Port Director for ABP's South Wales Ports, said: “I am glad to welcome Ready Steel's first shipment to Port Talbot Docks. ABP and Ready Steel have worked closely to reinvent the docks so that they can handle short-sea shipping and I look forward to maintaining our relationship with Herman and his colleagues over the coming years.”
Source: http://www.abports.co.uk/news20065640.htm |
MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2007 Port of Swansea welcomes new ferry service Associated British Ports (ABP) welcomed the announcement that HJ Lines is to operate a new freight-ferry service between ABP's Port of Swansea and the Port of Cork in Ireland. The service, which will sail three times a week, will re-establish a direct link between the two ports following the suspension of the ferry service in late 2006. HJ Lines has chartered roll-on/roll-off vessel m.v. Victoria to inaugurate the service from Swansea on Tuesday, 20 March 2007. The vessel – which can accommodate 12 drivers and 65 trailers – will be departing from the South Wales port every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Hugh Johnson, founder of HJ Lines and Managing Director for Air Cargo Wales, said: “The route between Swansea and Cork is a well-established one, particularly for passenger traffic. There is, however, growing demand for increased freight capacity on the southern Ireland/UK freight-market route. There is a fair deal of interest in this service from a number of suppliers and haulage associations in both Ireland and the UK, and I am keen to exploit and develop this lucrative trade link.” John Fitzgerald, Port Director for ABP's South Wales Ports, added: “This is great news for Swansea. As South Wales's most easterly ferry port, ABP's Port of Swansea saves hauliers valuable driving time to their markets and crucially cuts road miles, benefiting the environment. The port is equipped with modern ferry facilities and can accommodate regional freight hubs on its estate. “With his 30 years of international freight-forwarding experience, I am confident that Hugh Johnson will successfully develop this trade route and we look forward to working with HJ Lines and their customers.” He added: “ABP aims to attract greater ferry and cruise-related business to Swansea and continues to work to re-establish tourist traffic between the Ports of Swansea and Cork.” Source: http://www.abports.co.uk/news20065623.htm |
WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2007 Steady growth for ABP's South Wales ports in 2006 Associated British Ports' (ABP) South Wales Ports of Cardiff, Barry, Newport, Swansea and Port Talbot handled 15.9 million tonnes in 2006, compared to 15.2 million tonnes the year before – an increase of 4.6 per cent. The rise in total cargo volumes was driven by a substantial increase in steel imports at the Ports of Newport and Cardiff and forest-product shipments at the Port of Swansea, as well as by new business wins across the five ports. ABP's Port of Cardiff handled some 2.9 million tonnes of cargo in 2006, of which nearly half a million tonnes was steel. Steel volumes were up 26 per cent and look set to increase in 2007 following the signing of a term agreement with customer W E Dowds (Shipping) Ltd (‘Dowds'). The agreement will see the construction of a dedicated steel-handling facility at Cardiff's Queen Alexandra Dock that will handle thousands of tonnes of imported steel coil and other steel products from across the globe. For its part, ABP will invest approximately £200,000 to provide a 25-tonne overhead-gantry crane, other steel-handling equipment and a wireless data-logging system that will track and locate steel coils stored in the facility's 9,000 sq m dockside warehouse. At the Port of Barry, chemical producers Dow Corning Ltd, Vopak and Ineos Chlor Ltd all handled increased volumes of imported liquid bulks through the port. Steel traffic continued to increase at the Port of Newport, with nearly one million tonnes of steel being handled. The port looks set to continue to handle substantial volumes of steel in 2007, following the renewal of a three-year agreement with the Corus Group to ship consignments of steel coil through the port. ABP will invest £500,000 to facilitate Corus's steel-handling operation, constructing a new rail-passing loop, installing modern storage facilities in the port's No. 6 Shed and providing an electronic-tallying system to record the handling of steel cargoes at Newport. Dry bulks continued to be the Port of Newport's mainstay in 2006, with the port handling over 1.7 million tonnes of dry bulks, which consisted of 1.3 million tonnes of coal and over 400,000 tonnes of agribulks. So that Newport can continue to handle such volumes efficiently, ABP invested close to £1 million to resurface the port's Coal Terminal, refurbish the Atlantic Coal Siding and install a rail weighbridge there. One Caterpillar skid-steer loader and one Hyundai 360 excavator were also acquired by ABP to improve cargo-handling efficiency. Port Talbot continues to handle large volumes of iron ore and coal for Corus's Port Talbot steelworks and cargo shipments are expected to increase in 2007. One of only four harbours in the UK capable of handling capesize vessels of up to 170,000 dwt*, ABP Port Talbot welcomed the recent announcement that Prenergy Power Ltd is seeking Government approval to construct the world's largest renewable-energy plant at the port. If approved, the plant – to be powered by wood chips from sustainable forestry plantations in the USA and Russia – could see the port handling up to two million tonnes of biomass a year. Port Talbot Docks also handled 300,000 tonnes of cement for Civil & Marine Slag Cement in 2006, while the port's Steel Works Wharf handled its first cargo in nearly four decades when 3,000 tonnes of reinforcing bar and coil steel from Istanbul were discharged for new port customer Ready Steel Reinforcements. |
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 Sea Star & Hurricane H, © www.channelimages.com |
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The Port of Swansea also welcomed the arrival of m.v. Dollart and her 3,200-tonne cargo of pulp. The arrival of the vessel signified the commencement of regular pulp shipments from Skutskar, Sweden. Over the course of the year, the port handled 22,000 tonnes of pulp destined for the most modern, fully integrated paper mill and conversion plant in Europe, at Baglan Energy Park, Port Talbot. In order to enhance agribulk-handling operations at the port's bulk warehousing and bagging facility, the Port of Swansea recently purchased two Caterpillar telehandlers. Situated at the port's Phoenix Wharf, the facility is operated by ABP for Yara (UK) Ltd – a subsidiary of the world's largest supplier of mineral fertiliser. It handled over 50,000 tonnes of agribulks in 2006. Forest-product volumes handled at the Port of Swansea continued to rise in 2006 as port customer RKL Plywood (UK) Ltd increased the scope of their timber-import operation. In October 2006, the port welcomed the single largest consignment of forest products to be handled in South Wales, when 23,000 cu m of plywood from the Far East were discharged from m.v. Clipper Frontier. RKL Plywood, a port customer since 1999, has a 15-year agreement with ABP to ship guaranteed volumes of timber products through the port. In order to accommodate these volumes, ABP invested £1.7 million to extend the port's Forest Products Terminal and to build RKL's new UK headquarters at the port. Over the course of 2006, 93,000 tonnes of coated-steel gas pipes were shipped from Germany by PBC Shipping Ltd to the Port of Swansea's D Shed Wharf. The pipes will form part of the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline currently being built, which extends from Milford Haven to Aberdulais and Abergavenny, and links Transco's LNG import facility with its gas-transmission system. This business is expected to flourish in 2007, with the pipe-handling operation expanding to the Port of Newport over the course of the year. The Ports of Cardiff, Barry, Swansea and Newport continued to handle increasing volumes of scrap metal during 2006. The four ports handled nearly three-quarters of a million tonnes of scrap metal last year – an increase of 68 per cent following strong growth from port customers Dunn Brothers (1995) Ltd, Celsa (UK) Ltd, European Metal Recycling and Sims Metal Recycling (Sims). Scrap-metal volumes across the region are expected to grow this year following the recent announcement that Sims will construct a waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling facility at the Port of Newport. ABP will invest £2.2 million to support the construction of the new Sims plant. The facility will be built following the signing of a 15-year agreement between ABP and Sims, the world's leading metals and electronic equipment recycler. The planned facility will become operational at the end of the year and will have the capacity to process 100,000 tonnes of WEEE per annum. Sims's new plant will be situated on 12 acres of land, increasing the size of the Port of Newport's recycling facilities to over 36 acres and making it one of the world's leading recycling hubs. |
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John Fitzgerald, ABP Port Director for the South Wales Ports, commented on the region's performance: “ABP's South Wales Ports made significant progress during 2006. The region handled a number of new cargoes and developed existing trades; we also welcomed a number of notable vessels to our ports, such as the cruise vessel Van Gogh and the record-breaking m.v. Clipper Frontier. “This is an exciting time for ABP's South Wales Ports and a lot has been done to achieve this strong performance. We have a number of exciting initiatives in the pipeline, which will help our South Wales Ports deliver further business growth in 2007 and beyond.” Cardiff-based UK Dredging, ABP's dredging arm, had a good year fulfilling the substantial dredging requirements of ABP, as well as of third-party works at a variety of ports including Bristol, Sunderland, the Tyne and Milford Haven, and the ports of Waterford and Foynes in Ireland. 2006 also saw UKD renewing a term agreement with Forth Ports PLC. UKD has announced that it will upgrade its fleet following the decision to purchase a new dredger to succeed UKD's long-serving UKD Dolphin. The 1,742-tonne trailing-suction hopper dredger, at 22 years old, has served the company well. UKD is now in the process of securing its replacement. UKD has also recently renewed a three-year agreement with its customer Forth Ports PLC to continue maintenance dredging works at Forth's Ports of Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth, Methil and Dundee. UKD was first awarded the contract in 2001 and uses UKD Marlin to undertake the work. The vessel – one of UKD's two twin-pipe trailing suction hopper dredgers – is ideally suited to dredge in confined locations, such as Forth Ports' enclosed docks. Established in late 1996 to meet ABP's maintenance-dredging requirements and undertake third-party works, UKD currently operates a fleet of six dedicated vessels: three trailing-suction dredgers – UKD Bluefin, UKD Marlin and UKD Dolphin; two dredging-support and buoy-handling vessels – UKD Seahorse and UKD Sealion, and one self-propelled grab hopper dredger, Cherry Sand. In addition to dredging services, UKD operates a hydrographic survey department specialising in port, coastal and inland surveys across the UK. *dead weight tonnage Source: http://www.abports.co.uk/news20065600.htm |
MONDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2007 Mustang's Match with Incat Crowther Mustang Marine (Wales) Ltd has signed a cooperation agreement with Australian design house Incat Crowther which gives the Pembroke Dock based boat builders exclusive rights to build Incat Crowther designs for customers in the UK and Ireland. Mustang Marine anticipates that demand will be for workboats and ferries in aluminium and steel. Incat Crowther is the result of a merger between Incat Designs (Sydney) and Crowther Designs, two noted designers of high speed catamarans. Incat Designs (Sydney) was a separate entity design office which designed many of the boats built by Incat Tasmania. These were aluminium catamaran fast ferries, examples of which can be found in cross-Channel and other ferry services out of UK ports as well as the River Thames. |
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Incat Crowther managing director Brett Crowther said, “We view our relationship with our affiliated yards as long term, mutually beneficial and supportive in both technical and commercial terms.” The working arrangement is for an initial period of two years, during which time Mustang Marine will be responsible for all direct sales activity in the territory. The two companies may undertake direct marketing activities on a collaborative basis. The traditional market for Incat Crowther designs in the UK is for aluminium catamaran ferries and significant enquiries are currently under discussion for what would be the first newbuild to follow from the new agreement. Mustang Marine can produce vessels up to 35m in its current facilities, has access to other local building facilities and has ambitions to extend the capacity at Pembroke Dock. Source: Maritime Journal, Information No: 22636 |
MONDAY 29 JANUARY 2007 South Wales Ports' dry bulks trade benefits from ABP investment As volumes of agribulks continue to rise, the dry bulks trade handled at Associated British Ports' (ABP) Ports of Newport and Swansea received a welcome boost from a £140,000 investment ABP made in acquiring new loading equipment. ABP recently purchased one Caterpillar skid-steer loader and one Hyundai 360 excavator for the Port of Newport and two Caterpillar telehandlers for its Port of Swansea. The brand-new acquisitions will enable ABP Newport to handle increased volumes of imported dry bulks for a number of customers, including the Hargreaves Group, a leading provider of transport and support services to the energy sector. These commodities include coal and petroleum coke. The two telehandlers will enhance agribulk-handling operations at the Port of Swansea's bulk warehousing and bagging facility, which is operated by ABP for Yara (UK) Ltd – a subsidiary of the world's largest supplier of mineral fertiliser. Situated at the port's Phoenix Wharf, the facility handles over 50,000 tonnes of agribulks annually. John Fitzgerald, ABP Port Director for the South Wales Ports, said: “The provision of up-to-date handling equipment is vital to the high standards of service that ABP delivers across its 21 ports. This recent investment expands our South Wales Ports' loading-equipment pool, helping us to continue to supply a fast and efficient service to our dry bulks customers.” Source: http://www.severnvts.co.uk/news.asp
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MONDAY 22 JANUARY 2007 Welcome tenth anniversary fillip for UK Dredging UK Dredging (UKD), Associated British Ports' (ABP) dredging arm, is set to upgrade its fleet following the securing of funding to purchase a new dredger that will succeed UKD's long-serving UKD Dolphin. The announcement comes as UKD celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The decision to replace UKD Dolphin was taken in late 2006. The 1,742-tonne trailing-suction hopper dredger, at 22 years old, has served the company well. UKD is now in the process of securing its replacement. Established in late 1996 to meet ABP's maintenance-dredging requirements and undertake third-party works, UKD currently operates a fleet of six dedicated vessels: three trailing-suction dredgers – UKD Bluefin, UKD Marlin and UKD Dolphin; two dredging-support and buoy-handling vessels – UKD Seahorse and UKD Sealion and one self-propelled grab hopper dredger, Cherry Sand. In addition to dredging services, UKD operates a hydrographic survey department specialising in port, coastal and inland surveys across the UK.
Over the past 10 years, UKD has undertaken over 300 dredging and surveying contracts, recently completing large-scale dredging works at ABP's Immingham Outer Harbour project. The project – a £35 million riverside development – required the dredging of over two million cu m of silt and clay. In 2006, UKD also undertook third-party contracts at the ports of Bristol, Sunderland, the Tyne, Milford Haven, Forth Ports' Scottish ports and the ports of Waterford and Foynes in Ireland. Jeff Neale, UKD's General Manager, said: “Since its creation a decade ago, UKD has utilised one of the most modern and efficient dredging fleets in the UK to fulfil dredging requirements for both ABP and third-party customers. ABP's recent announcement is the perfect birthday present for UKD and will allow us to continue to offer a cost-effective and reliable service well into the foreseeable future.” John Fitzgerald, ABP Port Director for the South Wales Ports and with overall responsibility for UKD, said: "This announcement is excellent news for UKD and ABP. The purchase of a new dredger will enhance UKD's dredging capability, ultimately benefiting both UKD's third-party customers and ABP.” Source: http://www.severnvts.co.uk/news.asp |
WEDNESDAY 10 JANUARY 2007 Swansea-Cork ferry is suspended The Swansea to Cork ferry will not run this year after the company said a deal for a new vessel had fallen through. It is laying off 30 staff but said it hoped to resume sailings, which run between March and October, in 2008. Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said the move was "highly regrettable" while in Ireland there have been calls for government intervention. The company sold its old ferry last October and bid over £22m for a replacement but the deal had collapsed. Since it was launched in 1987, the service has carried over three million passengers and their cars. A spokesman said the decision to suspend the service throughout 2007 was taken with great regret. "It is ironic that the service has had to be suspended at a time when the market indicators suggest an upturn in ferry travel," he added. "It is our ambition to resume the service in 2008 and we would like to sincerely thank our staff for their commitment to the service and our passengers over the years for their support." Mr Holley said: "From the information we have the service appears to have been a thriving one and that the problem stems from the route owners' inability to purchase a bigger vessel," he said. "It's not clear at the moment what redundancies, if any, there will be in Swansea, however we will work hard to minimise the impact on local staff and suppliers. The council is keen to meet with the operators to seek further information about their plans for 2008 and discuss any ways in which might be able to support them in seeing the return of the service as soon as possible." The Welsh Assembly Government said it was also keen to identify what support it could provide to resume the service next year. In Ireland, tourist and shipping interests have called on the government to intervene and prevent the loss of the service. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6245633.stm |
FRIDAY 5 JANUARY 2007 Pembroke Fisher visits Swansea docks
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Pembroke Fisher is pictured leaving Swansea, having visited the port for some repairs. It is some time since Swansea last saw a tanker visit the dock - fortunately local ship photographer Stuart Shearer from Swansea was on hand to see her departing. |
TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2007 THV Mermaid to be replaced THV Mermaid is now in Swansea and will shortly be advertised for sale. The vessel is being replaced by a newbuild similar to the
ILV Granuaile, which has visited Swansea a number of times in the past. |
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 THV Mermaid, © www.channelimages.com |
 Granuaile, © www.channelimages.com |
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MONDAY 1 JANUARY 2007 Happy New Year! The Swansea & West Wales Branch of the World Ship Society wishes all members and visitors a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year! We hope to see you at our meetings during 2007 - please see the Calendar page for details of events scheduled so far. For further information please contact us. |
FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER 2006 Ayton Cross arrives in Swansea
Ayton Cross seen off Port Talbot. The tug recently arrived in Swansea, after completing its work on the salvage of the CP Valour in the Azores. Ayton Cross has now joined the Swansea Svitzer tug fleet and will be a regular in the area.
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 Remo, © Capt Kevin Jones |
Swansea WSS member Capt Kevin Jones was involved in the CP Valour salvage, working aboard the tug Remo which was chartered by Svitzer Wijsmuller to take part in the operation. During Kevin's time in the Azores he kept his camera close to hand and has many pictures of the salvage. It is hoped that Kevin will give members a talk on the salvage operation in the near future. |
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Former Swansea tug Battleaxe was also involved in the salvage operation and has now been moved to South Africa by owners Svitzer Wijsmuller. During her time based in Swansea the tug undertook many coastal tows, including towing the sections for the new Type 45 Destroyer from Portsmouth to Glasgow. |
 Battleaxe, © Capt Kevin Jones |
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FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER 2006 Heavy lift ship visits Swansea
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Scan Atlantic pictured in the fairway approaching Swansea Lock yesterday (14/12/06). The vessel only made a brief visit to offload some heavy earth moving equipment. |
WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2006 New steel agreement highlights improvements at ports of Newport and Swansea Steel tonnages handled at Associated British Ports' (ABP) Ports of Newport and Swansea look set to rise in 2006 and beyond, following the renewal of a three-year agreement between ABP and Corus Group (Corus) to ship substantial volumes of steel coil through the two ports. The agreement will see Newport and Swansea export thousands of tonnes of Corus's steel coil to destinations all over the world. For its part, ABP will invest £500,000 to construct a new rail-passing loop at the Port of Newport, install modern storage facilities in Newport's ‘6' Shed and Swansea's ‘D' Shed and provide an electronic-tallying system to record the handling of steel cargoes at Newport. ABP enjoys a long-standing relationship with Corus, working closely with the UK's largest steel producer across South Wales. ABP's Port Talbot handles imported coal and iron ore, which is subsequently smelted at Corus's Port Talbot Steelworks. Steel-export operations for Corus at the Port of Newport benefit from ABP's modern cranage and state-of-the-art steel-handling facilities. John Fitzgerald, Port Director for ABP's South Wales Ports, said: “The renewal of this agreement not only highlights ABP's ability to generate guaranteed growth in its steel-handling business successfully, it also reinforces ABP's first-class steel-handling credentials at its Ports of Newport and Swansea. The two ports are well-equipped to handle large volumes of steel, and ABP's investment to upgrade their handling facilities will allow them to export Corus's steel coil products at an unsurpassed level of safety and efficiency.” He added: “The new rail-passing loop will allow two half-kilometre-long trains to access the Port of Newport simultaneously, reducing train-handling times at the port by half. The loop will also increase the efficiency of the port's steel-handling operations and strengthen ABP's commitment to its sustainable development policy, which seeks to encourage a greater proportion of port cargo to be delivered by rail instead of by road – a definite plus point for the environment.” Phil Dyrden, Managing Director for Corus Strip Products UK, said: “Corus's decision to continue exporting steel coil through the Ports of Newport and Swansea reflects the excellent port infrastructure that ABP provides in South Wales. ABP's investment to improve rail links at the Port of Newport also helps Corus to reduce its distribution costs. Corus and ABP have worked closely together in South Wales for many years, and we at Corus look forward to working with them well into the future.” Source: http://www.abports.co.uk/news20065445.htm |
SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER 2006 Cargo ship catches fire in docks Around 70 firefighters were sent to tackle a blaze on a cargo ship in Cardiff Docks on Friday. The 2,500 tonne Turkish-registered vessel was carrying steel into the port when the fire broke out. It is believed to have started in the funnel and spread to the engine room. Six firefighters in breathing apparatus used foam and jets to fight the blaze. The ship's crew was safely evacuated from the vessel and there were no reports of injuries or pollution. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4836688.stm |
WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2006 Special visitors to Swansea dry dock Canning and Helwick were moved from their berth at Swansea Marina to enter Swansea dry dock for repairs on 11 October 2006. The dry dock had previously been closed but was reopened in order to allow the work on the two ships to take place.
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 Canning, © Capt Danny Lynch |
 Helwick, © Capt Danny Lynch |
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