Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#MaerskBananaBoats – The excellent high adrenaline Oscar nominated film 'Captain Phillips' about the pirated containership Maersk Alabama (1998/14,120grt), saw a fleetmate of the US flagged vessel dock to unload bananas in the Port of Cork, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Maersk…

#CleanFuels- The EU's parliament and council are to discuss in a meeting today the so-called "trilogue" on the Clean Fuel Strategy to reach a compromise and find a solution on the outstanding issues. If necessary, another trilogue is foreseen in…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Industry Sentiment: Improved shipping optimism -Current market conditions were described as 'positive' by 69% of shipping industry respondents to the latest Norton Rose Fulbright annual…

#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…

#Lockout1913voyage – Ben Maye (1979/548grt) the small cargoship chartered for last year's Lockout 1913 food-supply commemorative voyage as 'S.S. Hare' from Liverpool to Dublin continues to retain her Manx name despite her sale to new owners, writes Jehan Ashmore. The…

#CattleCarrier- Express I, the first serving Irish-Libyan livestock-carrier for nearly two decades as previously reported on Afloat.ie a year ago, is currently detained by the UK's Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), leading to calls to the Department of Agriculture to revoke…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Container Market: World fleet supply growth to slow in 2014 - Global containership fleet growth is to moderate to its slowest rate in over a…

#P&SReview - Over the last fortnight Jehan Ashmore has reported from the shipping scene where Arklow Shipping's latest newbuilds are a Dutch built 4,800dwt general cargoship and a South Korean built 34,500 dwt tonnes bulk-carrier. As reported above, the Dutch…

#ShipRudder- A German-owned containership Arslan II (1991/3,125grt) that is understood to have got into difficulties due to rudder problems along Arklow Bank in mid-January, currently remains in a Dublin dry-dock, writes Jehan Ashmore. An initial tow of the Arslan II…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Container Market: Sustainability on the horizon - The container market is forecast to become more sustainable in the coming years as supply and demand continue…

#ArklowNewbuilds – Arklow Bank is to be followed by the second of six new 'B'class 4,800 deadweight tons multi-purpose cargoships, with Arklow Bay to be launched early next month, writes Jehan Ashmore. As previously reported, the newbuilds are on order…

#ArklowNewbuilds - Arklow Shipping's latest newbuilds are a general cargoship and bulk-carrier completed from Dutch and South Korean shipyards respectively and together they raise the fleet total to some 44 vessels, writes Jehan Ashmore. Arklow Bank is understood to be…

#storm – With more than a quarter of a million homes without power this evening as the current extreme westerly weather event sweeps across Ireland with all-destructive force, you'll scarcely spare a thought for the sailors on the North Atlantic…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Container Market: Growing global container exports -Global container exports increased 5.3% year-on-year in December according to Container Trade Statistics' latest release as the global container…

#ShippingReview - Over the last fortnight Jehan Ashmore has reported from the shipping scene where the European Union is making great efforts to shift freight movements away from land transportation to sea. Entries are now open for the European Sea…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Innovation: "Sails" tested for energy-efficient cargo shipping - A new wind-power project which would see cargo ships using sails to aid in propulsion could cut…