Displaying items by tag: SPP Shipbuilding

9th August 2013

Ardmore Shipping Exercise Option for Pair of Eco-Tanker Newbuilds

#ArdmoreExpansion – Cork based Ardmore Shipping say they have begun the execution of their product and chemical tankship fleet explansion plan, according to MarineLink.com

The company has put the plan into effect by exercising options on a further two 50,300-dwt IMO 3 eco-design product tankers ordered from SPP Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, South Korea. ("SPP").

This extends the series from SPP to a total of eight new ships with deliveries beginning in January 2014. The two-ship package has a cost of approximately $68,500,000 inclusive of ballast water treatment systems.

Ardmore expects to take delivery of these vessels from SPP in the second and third quarters of 2015.

Recently, Ardmore raised $140 million in an I.P.O. having successfully secured funding for fleet expansion via the IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. For more on this development the IMDO has a report.

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Expanding Fleet at Ardmore Shipping

Cork-based specialist tanker company Ardmore Shipping is to increase its existing fleet over the next two years, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The company has announced that it has taken over the contracts for two newbuild vessels from Hellespont Group and in a separate deal, has agreed to charter another two vessels from Hellespont.

The newbuilds contracts are for a pair of 17,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt) chemical tankers which will be IMO II classified. The 144m twins have a beam of over 22m and a draft of 9m and they will be around 9,000 gross tonnes.

Both the newbuilds were ordered from the Hamburg-based Hellespont in 2009 and are the last in a series of eight tankers being built by the Sekwang Shipbuilding facility in South Korea. The newbuilds are expected to be delivered in April and July 2012.

In the second separate deal Ardmore Shipping has agreed to charter the Hellespont Commander and Hellespont Crusader (photo) which are also 17,000 dwt IMO II chemical tankers for a one year period with an option to extend the charter for a further year. The 2010 built vessels will enter the Navig8 Brizo-8 chemical tanker pool for trade and commodity chemicals.

Anthony Gurnee, CEO of Ardmore Shipping Ltd, commented: "We are very pleased to have taken on the contracts with Sekwang Shipbuilding for these two newbuild vessels, which will join our fleet next year, and with our charter agreement for the Hellespont Commander and the Hellespont Crusader."

The chartered vessels join the Ardmore Shipping which brings the fleet to six ships which include: Ardmore Centurion, Ardmore Seatrader, Ardmore Seamaster and Ardmore Seafarer.

When the two newbuild vessels enter service in 2012, Ardmore Shipping will still be in expansive mode as they have ordered two 51,000 dwt double hull IMO III chemical/product tankers for delivery in 2012 and 2013.

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Tanker Newbuilds for Cork-Based Global Operator

An order for two 51,000 dwt chemical products tankers from Ardmore Shipping, to a South Korean shipyard, are to be delivered next year and in 2013, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The contract for the double-hulled newbuilds, classified to IMO 3 specifications, was signed last August with SPP Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. With the entry of the vessels, this will mark the first time Ardmore Shipping Ltd has ordered new tonnage. This is impressive considering the company was founded only last year and with a rapid rise in expansion through the acquisition of four vessels.

Ardmore Shipping Ltd manages the activities of the Ardmore Shipping Group, which is engaged in the ownership and operation of chemical and products tankers trading on a worldwide basis. The Irish registered company runs its global fiscal operations from the group's head-office based in Cork.

Like the existing fleet, the newbuilds are also to be registered in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, a republic nation in the Pacific Ocean. The Micronesian nation of atolls and islands attained independence 25 years ago under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

Last month, two vessels entered service for the company, the Ardmore Centurion (2005 / 28,987 dwt) formerly the Elisa, is to date the company's only joint chemical and products tanker. The second December debutant was the slightly older, Ardmore Seatrader (2002 / 47,141 dwt) a products tanker, formerly the St. Georg. In fact both vessels were handed over within a 12-hour timeframe and on opposite sides of the world.

When the second newbuild is completed in 2013, this will bring to three the number of chemical and product tankers in service, with the Ardmore Centurion, which was also built in South Korea but at the STX Shipyard Jinhae. The Ardmore Seatrader, built by the Onomichi shipyard in Japan, now forms the third product-only tanker, out of the four-strong mixed vessel type fleet.

This leaves the two remaining product tankers, the Ardmore Seamaster (2004 / 45,840 dwt) which entered service in October. The vessel was the former Formosa 12 and was also built in Japan but at the Shin Kurushima shipyard. She will be employed under a long-term charter to D/S Norden of Copenhagen.

The last vessel of the Ardmore Shipping Group fleet, is the Ardmore Seafarer (2004 / 45,744 dwt) which entered service in July. The former Zoa Express, was completed at the Minami-Nippon Usuki shipyard in Japan. She was re-named in honour of the Ardmore's seafarers and in recognition of 2010 as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Year of the Seafarer.

Interestingly that in the Year of the Seafarer, in particular for the welfare of the crew of the Ardmore Seafarer, she came under the threat of pirates!... While on route from Dar Es Salaam to Fujairah the vessel was attacked by the pirates, 1,000 (nm) nautical miles off Somalia and some 500 nm off the coast of India. Thanks to quick and decisive actions, Captain Benamu and his crew evaded capture, ensuring that the pirates were unable to seize control of the 179m (length) X 32m (breadth) vessel. To see a photograph of this vessel click the link HERE

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

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