Palm Jumeirah’s Anchor Marina to Open in December

Island Global Yachting, the luxury marina developer and management company, has announced that Anchor Marina, the first marina on Palm Jumeirah, is on schedule is to be open in December 2008 in Dubai.

IGY has also confirmed, in an innovative move that marks a change in the way berths are made available, that it will be launching an exclusive online auction site to lease berths to owners and residents of Palm Jumeirah. Anchor Marina, delivered in partnership with Nakheel, represents one of IGY’s most prestigious projects. The marina’s 590 berths will provide private yachts, between 10-30m in length, modern infrastructural elements such as spacious concrete pontoons in conjunction with some of the most modern technology available to boat owners, including LED illumination, underwater lighting, wireless internet connections and bespoke concierge services. To reflect the prestige that is associated with Palm Jumeirah, great care has been taken to ensure that the structure and quality of service experienced at Anchor Marina will position it one of the world’s most well-appointed marinas.

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Navy to Christen USNS Carl Brashear

The Navy will launch and christen dry cargo/ammunition ship the USNS Carl Brashear on Sept. 18.

The christening ceremony for the newest ship in the Lewis and Clark (T-AKE) class of underway replenishment ships will be held at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. Designated as T-AKE 7, the new ship honors Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate (Master Diver) Carl M. Brashear (1931-2006), who joined the U.S. Navy in 1948. USNS Carl Brashear is the seventh ship of the Navy’s T-AKE 1 class. The T-AKE program calls for up to 14 ships, the first 11 of which will serve as combat logistics force ships and the last three of which are expected to be part of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future). As a combat logistics force ship, USNS Carl Brashear will directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel, and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea. The ship is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea and can carry and support two helicopters to conduct vertical replenishment.

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Several ships leave Jeddah port due to lack of wharfs

Several ships left the Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) after waiting for three or more days for permission to enter.

“About six cargo ships left the Ghatis area outside the JIP without getting entry permission. The vessels had waited there for three or more days. The ships were not given permission because there were no free wharfs and there was a shortage of workers,” said the source. “The ships did not want to pay higher waiting charges — the charges would have risen manifold due to prolonged waiting and unloading delay had the ships waited any longer.” He added that a container ship, unlike a cargo ship, has to pay $80,000 for a single day’s waiting. The situation has worsened because of the lack of wharfs to accommodate the large number of ships waiting for entry. Shipping agents in Jeddah fear the crisis may continue until the end of the year, as the need for imported goods increases. On the other hand, Khaled A. Bubshait, president of the General Ports Authority, attributed the present crisis to the Kingdom’s rapid economic progress and an increased need for imported goods. As a solution to the worsening situation, the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce recently announced a number of measures such as the construction of more wharfs and container terminals, more anchoring space and the hiring of more workers.

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