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Displaying items by tag: Newbuild tanker

#NewbuildTanker- Ardmore Shipping Corporation this week have announced that its latest newbuild Ardmore Seafox, was delivered by SPP Shipbuilding Co Ltd.

The Sacheon shipyard in South Korea handed over the 49,999dwt product and chemical newbuild on 25th June 2015.
Ardmore Seafox increases the number of Ardmore vessels on the water to twenty with a total tonnage of 819,519 DWT.

She follows Ardmore Sealion which was also delivered bySPP Shipbuilding Co., Ltd but at their Goseong shipyard in Korea.

Technical management of the Ardmore Seafox will be provided by Univan Ship Management Ltd.

Commenting on her delivery, Mark Cameron, Ardmore Shipping's COO, said: "We are pleased to take delivery of this sister ship to the Ardmore Sealion and we extend our thanks to SPP Shipbuilding for their hard work and dedication throughout the build process. The addition of the Ardmore Seafox realises our continued commitment to incorporating high quality, modern and efficient vessels to our fleet.

As with the Ardmore Sealion, the Ardmore Seafox is a high quality eco-design Ardmore vessel, fully equipped with a variety of fuel-saving measures including Skysails technology and offering the highest standards of performance for our customers. With an average age of under four and a half years, the Ardmore fleet is among the youngest in the industry.

This is the second of four newbuild vessels to be delivered from SPP Shipbuilding this year and we look forward to continuing to work closely with SPP Shipbuilding on the remaining two vessels in the series due for delivery in the second half of this year. We wish the Ardmore Seafox and her crew safe seas and fair winds as she goes on to fulfill her long and successful service within the Ardmore fleet."

Published in Ports & Shipping

#TankerNewbuild- Newbuild oil products tanker, Kestral Fisher docked in Dublin Port today, she is the second of a pair of 7,072dwt vessels operated by James Fisher Everard of Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria, writes Jehan Ashmore.

In June she entered service and her call to Dublin today sees her alongside No.1 Oil Berth, one of our such berths. It is understood she arrived from a Norwegian oil refinery at Slagen on the Oslofjord.

Likewise, her elder sister King Fisher (See Photo) as previously reported in March, are of the '8000' design launched from Damen Shipyards facility in Galati, Romania. They were outfitted in the Dutch group's Bergum yard in Harlingen.

Kestral Fisher was christened by Michelle Hartnup and was delivered to Dutch owners De Opfeart Beheer. Likewise she too is operated on an open management basis by James Fisher Everard.

Each of the 104m double-hulled 8,363m³ newbuilds have 10 epoxy coated-tanks. This will enable the newbuilds to carry gasoline, diesel oil, lubrication oil and jet fuels to ports and oil refineries throughout Ireland, the UK and north-western Europe.

They have accommodation for captain and ten-crew, plus a guest cabin, all of which are single and en-suite.

 

Published in Ports & Shipping

#TankerNewbuild- A newbuild oil products tanker, King Fisher departed Dublin Port this morning, she is a 7,072dwt vessel operated by James Fisher Everard of Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The double-hulled 8,363m³ (10 epoxy coated-tanks) is of the '8000' design and her sister, Kestral Fisher, were outfitted by Damen Shipyards Bergum yard in Harlingen and handed over in June. Both the 104m x 17m newbuild hulls were built by Damen Shipyards facility in Galati, Romania.

Likewise this Romanian shipyard built the hull for the ILV Granuaile, the aids to navigation tender that was towed to The Netherlands for outfitting before entered service in 2000 for the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

In a two-ship order deal, Kestral Fisher which was delivered to Dutch owners De Opfeart Beheer, will too be operated on an open management basis by James Fisher Everard. As a direct reference to the newbuilds trade, the pair's sponsors who both work for the oil industry, were Petra Gaensbacher who christened the King Fisher and Michelle Hartnup for the Kestrel Fisher.

The Dutch-flagged newbuilds will carry gasoline, diesel oil, lubrication oil and jet fuels to ports and oil refineries throughout Ireland, the UK and north-western Europe. They have accommodation for captain and ten-crew, plus a guest cabin, all of which are single and en-suite.

James Fisher Everard tankers are frequent callers to Dublin Port, among them Cumbrian Fisher which was christened at the port in 2006.

As previously reported, on Afloat.ie, she undertook lifeboat-practice drill exercises off Dalkey Island in 2011. A running mate, Galway Fisher appropriately calls to her namesake port and frequently to the Whitegate Oil Refinery in Cork Harbour.

Unlike the open management of the King Fisher and Kestral Fisher, the company previously had another pair of tankers also built by Damen Shipyards Bergum, the Shannon Fisher and Solway Fisher. The fleet of the company range from 3,000 to 14,000 tons.

 

Published in Ports & Shipping

Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!