World’s oldest workboat celebrates 200th birthday with Raymarine refit

Built in 1808 ‘Boadicea’, an original Maldon Oyster Smack, is the oldest workboat still afloat in Europe.

This year, celebrating her 200th birthday, ‘Boadicea’ will be sailing the UK waters attending events and races, including the Myst Classic Race next month. Navigating from port to port will be far easier in 2008 as Raymarine has equipped the historic boat with the latest high-tech marine navigation and communications instruments. An ST70 colour instrument system will provide information on boat speed and water depth.  In addition, for navigation and route planning, there is a C Series multifunction display combining chartplotter and GPS (Global Positioning System) information overlaid on electronic “maps” of the sea and coastline to show the vessel’s position at all times. To ensure clear communications can be made to and from the boat, a Ray55E VHF radio has been installed. “Previously we have had to navigate with paper charts and an echo sounder which has been concerning at times,” said owner Reuben Frost. Having spent over 100 years as a commercial working boat, ‘Boadicea’ was acquired by the Frost family who have now owned her for 70 years.

Read More

New container crane to be built at Muuga port

Muuga container terminal will start using a unique crane, meant for processing railway platforms with containers, in September.

“This unique crane is connected to developing railway transit of containers. Since 2007, a container freight train from our terminal regularly travels on the route Muuga-Moscow. The new crane will make the work in this direction even more effective,” explained the chairman of the board of Muuga CT, Sergei Artjomov. The investment plan of terminal Muuga CT foresees not only building and assembling a new crane but also expanding railway infrastructure. Alongside assembling the crane, construction of crane paths and installation of the reloading area of containers are taking place. Terminal Muuga CT has invested nearly EEK 90,000,000 into acquiring and assembling the crane and carrying out appropriate constructions. Sergei Artjomov said that despite numerous problems, the railway transit of containers will expand in the future.

Read More

Negros Navigation linked with Sulpicio takeover

Sulpicio Lines’ grounded passenger vessels may soon be sailing again-under the flag of Negros Navigation (Nenaco), the 76-year-old Iloilo shipping company that is barely out of bankruptcy and rehabilitation.

Officials of the Cebu-based company owned by the Go family are in talks with the owners of the much-smaller Negros Navigation for the sale of Sulpicio’s ropax (roll-on/off-passenger) ferries, which will then be re-outfitted and upgraded to conform to government and shipping industry regulations and pressed into service under the old “NN” banner of Nenaco. The Ilonggo shipping outfit has apparently found a group of investors who are willing to purchase Sulpicio’s fleet, from which Nenaco will cherry-pick the most serviceable and sell the rest for scrap. Because of Sulpicio’s continuing financial troubles, the Nenaco offer could be hard to resist-especially since Sulpicio will have a tough time getting appropriate insurance for its vessels even after it completes an expensive upgrade that will surely be made a prerequisite for the lifting of the grounding of its fleet. Separately, to ensure stronger oversight and greater accountability going forward, Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago said Congress should mandate Sulpicio Lines Inc. and other inter-island shipping operators with vessels that carry more than 100 passengers to apply for and obtain a legislative franchise. Aboitiz Transport System Corp., Sulpicio’s bigger rival, is already a PSE-listed entity. Sulpicio remains a closely held family-owned firm. Securities and Exchange Commission records show that Sulpicio’s governing board is composed entirely of family members.

Read More