20-April-2015
Canadian Coast Guard tugboats from Montreal on Tuesday came to the aid of the Polish state-owned bulker giant Polish Steamship Polsteam controlled 2011 built handysize bulk carrier 30K DWT MV Juno which grounded on Monday in the US section of the St Lawrence Seaway. Polish Steamship Polsteam controlled 2011 built handysize bulk carrier 30K DWT MV Juno was en route to Toronto with a cargo of 19K metric tons of sugar when it experienced a steering problem and ran aground near the Thousand Islands International Bridge system on the south bank of the waterway in New York State. Traffic was delayed on the navigational channel while US Coast Guard assessed the next move. Officials from US agency the St Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation had previously boarded the Polish Steamship Polsteam controlled 2011 built handysize bulk carrier 30K DWT MV Juno to investigate. US Coast Guard confirmed on Tuesday that the Polish Steamship Polsteam controlled 2011 built handysize bulk carrier 30K DWT MV Juno was taking on water in a forward ballast tank and was listing to the port side with 18-feet of water in the forward peak of the vessel. The cause of the grounding was still under investigation early on Tuesday afternoon, although it had been determined early that up to that time there had been no loss of freight, no spillage of fuel and no injuries to crew members. Nor had there been contact with bridge in the accident.
14-April-2015
Personnel from Saudi-led coalition warships are conducting weapons inspections on at least five cargo ships off the coast of Yemen, a development that could worsen the country’s already severe food shortage crisis. Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday a ban on navigation in Yemeni territorial waters and authorized coalition naval forces to inspect and approve vessels before allowing them to proceed, although merchant ships are reportedly granted free passage once cleared. AIS tracking shows that at least five fully laden bulk carriers are currently anchored outside the port of al-Saleef, all carrying food cargoes critical to Yemen’s supply chain. Humanitarian organisations have warned that delays could exacerbate the situation, with the UN humanitarian agency OCHA noting that even before the latest conflict escalation, nearly half of Yemen’s population was already food insecure, and over 90% of the country’s food supply is imported. Among the vessels affected is the 2007 built 58K DWT supramax bulk carrier MV Lycavitos, which remained outside Yemeni waters for nearly a week before receiving clearance from the Egyptian navy to proceed to al-Saleef port. The supramax bulk carrier MV Lycavitos is owned and operated by London-based Greek shipowner and operator Helikon Shipping Enterprises Limited, a long-established shipping firm founded in 1961 with offices in the United Kingdom, Greece, and China. Helikon Shipping Enterprises Limited originally began as an agent for tramp trade operators and has since evolved into a specialist in the management of modern supramax, ultramax, and kamsarmax bulk carriers, as well as MR tankers. The Athens-based operations of Helikon Shipping Enterprises Limited operate under the name Helikon Shipping (Hellas) Inc., and the shipowner and operator currently manages a fleet with a strong focus on newbuildings placed on long-term time charter contracts with reputable charterers. After receiving clearance, the supramax bulk carrier MV Lycavitos was subsequently approached by another warship within Yemeni waters, which demanded verification of its clearance status. Helikon Shipping Enterprises Limited has confirmed that it now expects an additional berthing delay of six to seven days at al-Saleef and warned that shipowners may exercise their rights under the charterparty to decline calls at the port if security conditions deteriorate further. In a related development, the 1998 built 2,226 teu containership MV Andre Rickmers was also unable to discharge at the Houthi-controlled port of Hodaida earlier this week due to safety concerns. Coalition naval forces then denied the Rickmers-owned vessel entry into Yemeni ports, forcing it to return to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
8-April-2015
Athens-based Lou and George Kollakis-led shipowner and operator Chartworld Shipping Corporation has been officially identified as the purchaser of two (2) capesize bulk carriers from NYK Line, each fetching $9.5 million apiece. Greek shipowner and operator Chartworld Shipping Corporation has acquired 2000 built capesize bulk carrier 171K DWT MV Chitose and 2000 built capesize bulk carrier 172K DWT MV Onoe.