Good day Mariners

Hyundai Heavy Industries has signed the largest number of shipbuilding orders this year of all South Korean listed companies, according the Korea Exchange.

The company racked up KRW4.8231 trillion (US$3.9 billion) worth of new orders up to June 16.

courtesy : baird maritime

The Royal Malaysian Navy’s Scorpene submarine KD Tun Razak, which is on its maiden journey home from Toulon in France accompanied by corvette KD Lekiu call at the port here for a four-day visit on Friday.

Malaysia’s Defence Attache in New Delhi Colonel Yusri bin Haji Anwar will be in Kochi in connection with the port call of Tun Razak.

Colonel Anwar, along with Tun Razak’s Commanding Officer Commander Mohamad Azuwan bin Haroun and Lekiu’s Commanding Officer Commander Baharudin bin Wan Mohamad Nor will call on Rear Admiral S.S. Jamwal, Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command, on Friday.

a game of football has been organised between the Indian and the Malaysian Navies

Courtesy : Hindu

Greece is still the largest shipping country in the world in terms of dry/bulk cargo and tanker fleet capacity, despite the growing presence of China which ranks third, just behind Japan.
According to N. Cotzias statistics, Greece is the largest buyer for dry/bulk cargo ship and tankers, and occupies 22 percent of dry bulk/cargo ship use. This compares to Japan and China who occupy 20 perceent and 12 percent respectively, with expectations that China will soon largest buyer in the market.

China currently have 12 percent of global cargo ship fleet capacity, while Greece continues to place massive orders – US$2.6 billion in new cargo ships in 2008 – to maintain its number one spot.

courtesy : Baird maritime

Libya’s General National Maritime Transport Company (GNMTC) has announced plans to break into cruise shipping though the construction of a 1,739-cabin cruise ship for delivery in December, 2012.

GNMTC has signed a letter of intent for the order with STX France after having consulted a number of European builders.

GNMTC, which announced the signing of the letter of intent on its website, said that the new vessel would be comparable to the ‘MSC Fantasia’ and ‘MSC Splendida’, built by STX France for MSC Cruises, but bigger and with greater passenger capacity.

Tripoli-based GNMTC is best known as an operator of crude, product and liquid petroleum gas tankers. It has a fleet of 15 owned and managed vessels.

courtesy : Baird Maritime

The French Navy’s amphibious landing helicopter dock (LHD) ‘Tonnerre’ dock at the port here on Wednesday.

The ship, which is on a training cruise for about 120 midshipmen, was successfully involved in an anti-piracy operation when it was about 450 nautical miles off the Somali coast in early May.

The ship is capable of carrying out a wide range of missions, including amphibious and air support operations, crisis management, command and control and medical support.

LHD Tonnerre, a 21,600 tonne Mistral-class vessel, has the versatility to carry up to 12 medium or 16 light attack helicopters; 110 armoured vehicles or 13 tanks; and troops numbering about 650, depending on its type of mission. In case of need, it can be converted into a fairly big hospital with surgery and X-ray rooms.

coutesy : The Hindu

“Environment Friendly Ships by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries”

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) intends to return to luxury passenger shipbuilding following ten years of no activity in the sector.

Working out of Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works, MHI will employ 700 designers to develop more environmentally friendly ships, particularly luxury liners, despite claims in the industry that shipbuilding will exceed demand three times over by 2015.

Cruise passenger numbers have increased four to five percent, year on year, with expected orders for passenger cruise ships to be 10 to 15 per year, according to the Yomiuri Daily. MHI said it aims to receive US$654 million in orders over the next four years.

MHI will be entering a tight market, now dominated by South Korea, which has built 28.93 million tonnes or roughly 10 million tonnes more than Japan. China too, is increasing its lead over Japan due to its huge domestic demand.

Courtesy : Baird Maritime

Ecovision Asia is celebrating World Ocean Day with the support of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong from June 4 to 8.
The celebration brings together key stakeholders in the Hong Kong community, the Asia premier of the award-winning film ‘Sharkwater’ and the launch of the 10th Annual Hong Kong International Coastal Cleanup Challenge.
World Ocean Day, which falls on June 8 this year, recognises that oceans are “essential to food security and the health and survival of all life, power our climate and are a critical part of the biosphere”.
It was initiated by environmentalist David Suzuki and is now supported by the United Nations.

courtesy : baird maritime

“The Unsinkable Houseboat of India”

All the 4,000-odd boats operating in the State’s inland waterways will henceforth have to comply with the new norms prescribed in the (Kerala) Inland Vessel Rules 2010, for obtaining or renewing licence.

The rules framed by a committee headed by B.R. Menon, Advisor to the State Government on Developing Inland Waterways and Ports, took effect on April 30. With this, the Chief Inspector of Boats (who is from the Irrigation Department) will cease to be the licensing authority for boats. Now onwards, a committee headed by marine engineers and naval architects will inspect the boats and issue or renew licences.

S.K. Pyarilal, former head of the department of ship technology of Cusat, who was a member of the committee which framed the rules, said that houseboats too would have to comply with the new norms.

“Most of the recent boat accidents in Kerala happened because the licensing authority was not competent enough to inspect the vessels and certify their fitness. The officials inspecting boats must have an idea of naval architecture.” There are two fundamental safety aspects for boats — they should neither sink nor capsize. The Kumarakom tragedy was caused by water leaking into the hull, which resulted in the vessel sinking. In the case of Thettaked and Thekkady accidents, the boats capsized.

Based on the new rules laid down Mr Sohan Roy CEO of Aries Group acclaimed that “Safe Botel”, the only houseboat which satisfies all the norms prescribed in the Inland Vessel Rules 2010. It is designed using the latest software and art technology.

Aries Marine has initiated the first state of the art houseboat made of steel. The company has introduced BOTEL (Backwater Operated Tourist Entertainment Launch), an innovative attempt in the houseboat industry. This solar-powered houseboat was introduced for the first time in the India International Boat Show 2005. BOTEL has attained much appreciation during the IIBS 2005, held in Kochi.

Considered as an alternative to the traditional houseboats, BOTEL is a scientifically designed unsinkable vessel. According to Mr. Sohan Roy, CEO of Aries Group, BOTEL is a benchmark in the boating world as far as the safety features are concerned. BOTEL is an indigenous houseboat with a different face cut including great interiors and eco friendly features. The most important feature is that it is the first houseboat in India to be made of steel and is unsinkable even in accidents because of the buoyancy chambers fitted in it. The hull of the vessel is fitted with stabilising keels to prevent undesired rolling in high waters.

The steel houseboat also has easy conveyance to water and is equipped with life jackets, life buoys, inflatable rafts and other life saving accessories. BOTEL is the practical solution for the unrestrained pollution created by the houseboats, leading to environmental problems affecting the ecosystem.

Technically BOTEL is designed keeping in mind the comfort and safety of the tourists

Courtesy : Hindu

“Samsung comes first in its 36 year history ”

Korean heavyweight Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has overtaken Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), if only temporarily, to hold the world’s largest shipbuilding orderbook, according to data from Clarksons Research Services.

At the end of March, HHI was ahead with 8.5 million CGT to SHI’s 8.0 million CGT, but a surge of orders in April pulled SHI ahead for the first time in its 36-year history.

Courtesy : Baird Maritime

Fincantieri and the US cruise group Carnival Corporation have announced a new order to build two prototype ships for the Princess Cruises brand. The contract confirms a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February.

At 141,000 gross tonnes, the two new vessels, which will have a maximum passenger capacity of 3,600, will be the largest cruise ships ever built by Fincantieri and the flagships of Princess Cruises fleet.

Scheduled for delivery in spring 2013 and 2014, these ships, as prototypes, will be two of the most exclusive and innovative in the world.

courtesy : baird maritime

Tensions deepened on Thursday on the Korean peninsula as South Korea accused North Korea of firing a torpedo that sank a naval warship, killing 46 sailors in the country’s worst military disaster since the Korean War. President Lee Myung-bak vowed “stern action” for the provocation following the release of long-awaited results from a multinational investigation into the March 26 sinking near the Koreas’ tense maritime border.

North Korea called the results a fabrication, and warned that any retaliation would trigger war. It continued to deny involvement in the sinking of the warship Cheonan.

An international civilian-military investigation team said evidence overwhelmingly proved a North Korean submarine fired a homing torpedo that caused a massive underwater blast that tore the Cheonan apart.

While 58 sailors were rescued from the frigid Yellow Sea waters, 46 died.

Since the 1950-53 war on the Korean peninsula ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas remain locked in a state of war and divided by the world’s most heavily armed border.

Cortesy : Hindu

The cyclonic storm ‘Laila’ in the Bay of Bengal gained in strength overnight and spun closer to the eastern coast of the country

Satellite picture on Wednesday showed the outer bands of the cyclone circling from north to south tangential to the Kerala coast

The heaviest recorded rainfall in the State during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday was 5 cm at Kunnamkulam in Thrissur district. Many other stations recorded rainfall ranging from 1 cm to 3 cm on the gauge. The prospects are for continued rainfall, because the cyclone is traced to roll up the ridge of the eastern flank of the peninsula drawing moisture from southeast Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the entire Bay of Bengal.

The 6 Rubber Tyre Gantry cranes (RTGs) is the first consignment of the fleet of 15 units which would be deployed as the yard cranes at Vallarpadam. These have been manufactured by TGPC at Abu Dhabi at a cost of 1.7 million dollars a piece and transported in fully assembled condition. The offloading of the cranes would be a roll off operation from the barge after removal of the sea fastening.

The cranes are capable of lifting 41 tons under the spreader and can handle 20,40,45 feet ISO containers from the container yards to the truck and vice versa at a theoretical cycle speed of about 25 to 30 boxes per hour. These cranes weigh about 130 tons and are structurally designed for 2 million lifts.

The crane is operated by an operator from an ergonomically designed cabin with all the advanced safety features. These cranes incorporate high standard safety and reliability. There have been substantial improvement in the design and the cranes are also fitted with the sensors that detect pedestrians and obstacles on the track and prevent crane movement.

The crane management system provides all essential data for fault detection, maintenance and operational data.

“Women break gender barrier in US”
Midshipman Jessica Wilcox, who graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis this month is among the first group of women to be tapped for the elite force, one of the military’s last all-male bastions.

She is ready to break into the fraternity, though it means being submerged for three months at a time in a space no wider than a motor home

The Navy announced last month that it would place women on submarine crews. By January 2012, after 15 months of training, 19 women will be assigned to four ballistic missile submarines.

The women will share a bedroom so small that only one person can stand up at a time.

When they want to use the bathroom — just two showers and two toilets for 15 officers — they will hang a sign on the door that says “women only.” To move from bedroom to bathroom, they will walk corridors so narrow that two sailors cannot pass without pressing against each other.

Inspite of such decision opens a prestigious career path to women and increases the Navy’s recruiting pool for submarine postings there are about 550 retired and active-duty military personnel, as well as their spouses — all of whom argue that submarines are no place for women.

“Cochin Port Trust suffers loss”
Cochin Port Trust employees (CPEO) advises the management of Cochin Port TRust to raise compensation clause against the dredging company for the loss suffered by the port due to non-completion of of dredging work after extension of contract period.

Mr C.D Nandakumar, General Secretary and Labour Trustee mentioned in his letter mentioned in his letter to the Chairman of Coshin Port Trsut to raise compensation immediately based on the original terms from February 2010.

He also added that the dredging contractor was scheduled to complete work of dredging operations to provide 14.5 metre draft for International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) by end of January this year.

The sub. committee extended the time for completion of dredging operation till April 30. But as per the latest information the contractor had not completed the work even after the expiry of the extended date.

Courtesy : Hindu

Second largest Croatian port to be ready in 2013

Vienna-based construction company Strabag has said that construction of a port in Croatia will be completed in 2013.
The new port is located in Gazenica in the Dalmatian city of Zadar. Construction work began in May 2009. The overall
cost of the construction is estimated at US$302 million.

The project has received major backing from the German KfW banking group and the European Investment Bank.

When completed, the port will be the second largest after the port in Split.

Courtesy : Baird Maritime

The government issued a tsunami warning following an earthquake in Sumatra (Indonesia) on Sunday afternoon. Fisheries Minister S. Sarma said in an official release that sea level could rise. So, fishermen should not venture out into the sea and those living on the coast should keep vigil.

“Construction on Asia’s largest cruise terminal ending”
Construction on Asia’s largest cruise terminal is scheduled to be completed in May ahead of receiving two large vessels ‘Costa’ and ‘Legend of the Seas’ in June.
Work on a large harbour to accommodate cruise ships will draw to a close in Tianjin, becoming the largest artificial deepwater port of northern China.

Last year, Tianjin received 50 calls from international cruise liners, a 56 percent year-on-year growth.

Courtesy : Baird maritime

“Cat fight between China and Korea”

Chinese shipyards took full advantage of their low-cost edge over rival shipbuilding nations Korea and Japan. In 2009, China beat Korea to the shipbuilding top spot, having won 44.4 percent of all new orders compared with Korea’s 40.1 percent.

With the world now recovering from the global financial crisis, analysts said that they expected the trend towards building in China to continue. Asiasis commented that this shift was “revolutionary”, since Korea has been at the global shipbuilding top spot for over two decades.

However, while China claims the highest rank in terms of order in take for 2009, Korean builders are more frequently named in the world’s top ten shipbuilders, taking seven spots in total.

For now, Korea continues to hold its own as it focuses on high technology building of vessels such as LNGs, which most Chinese yards are not yet capable of achieving.

Courtesy : Baird Maritime

“Kerala to invest in the ‘business of ports”

The Kerala Government is sailing to emerge as one of the leading maritime States, if the action plan prepared by the Department of Ports for the maritime development of the State is any evidence.
The Government, with its clear vision on the future maritime development, has identified the port sector as a major thrust area to promote industrial activity in the State. By identifying this sector as a potential source of generating revenue, the Government has initiated steps to encourage setting up of new port facilities, support infrastructure and upgrading of existing facilities along with installation of modern and efficient handling equipments.
A committee constituted by the Department of Ports has recommended investment in the “business of ports”, which has the potential to drive the economic development of the State. Business of ports includes development operations of the port infrastructure as also port-related industries, the committee observed.
Before coming out with the action plan, the Committee visited all prominent locations in the State, including non-major ports from Manjeswaram in the North to Vizhinjam in the South and interacted with various trade bodies and stakeholders.
It had also made a study on the canal and inland water bodies to ascertain the possibilities of integrating the movement of cargo through the canals and inland waters with coastal shipping by developing a new mode of water transport in the form of canal-cum-coastal shipping to maximise the movement of cargo by water transportation.

Non-major ports

Dr Jacob Thomas, Director of Ports, told Business Line that the objective of the study is to establish a network of non-major ports along the 580-km Kerala coast for effectively handling major portion of the cargo, which is now being handled by road and rail networks, thereby enhancing the economy of the State and creating more job opportunities.
With the setting up of such a network, he said it would be possible to achieve 25 per cent of Kerala’s total cargo movement through water transportation by 2020.
The Government, he said, proposed to develop the port sector through the PPP mode and separate companies would be established for development and operations by holding 26 per cent stake.
The investment in the port development is expected to be around Rs 2,000 crore in the next three years and the first phase will come mostly as private investment.
At present, there are 17 non-major ports in Kerala, which are under the Government’s control.
These ports have to be developed and sufficient infrastructure has to be provided to handle medium and small-sized vessels throughout the year.
The State has also come out with a policy on ports to increase its share in the maritime trade by setting a target of becoming the top three maritime States in the country in terms of cargo handling in the next 10 years.

Focus on SEZ

Stressing the need to provide more focus on the need to develop SEZ in the port areas, the committee suggested creation of at least four SEZs at Azhikkal, Ponnani, Kodungallur and Vizhinjam by March 2015 so as to create a hassle-free environment for the promotion of exports.
The Committee also recommended to commence the development projects of Azhikkal, Beypore, Ponnani, Alappuzha, Kollam and Vizhinjam ports by January 2011 and complete all stages of the projects in a time-bound manner by 2016.
There is also a need to initiate action for the development of Kasargode, Badagara, Thalassery, Kodungallur and Neendakara ports by January 2011 to facilitate coastal shipping.
The 580-km Kerala shoreline is also an international border having security implications. The coast is proposed to be benefitted under the Kerala Maritime Board soon. For the coastal security, a separate budget allocation has been made in the State Budget for the first time.
Modern coastal security and port security arrangements are also planned, Dr Thomas said.

Three died and six others were injured while repairing a Liberian cargo ship when it caught fire at a shipyard in eastern China’s Shanghai Municipality, said China Shipping (Group) Company Tuesday, the owner of the shipyard.

The local fire department said they received a call reporting the fire at 9 a.m., and had it under control by 12 o’clock noon.

The fire was completely put out shortly afterwards. All the dead and injured were Chinese workers, said local fire authorities.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident, said the company.

COURTESY : CHINA DAILY

“The Nautical Institute Receives the 2010 Samuel Plimsoll Award for Outstanding Service”

The editors of Professional Mariner have announced the 2010 winners of the Samuel Plimsoll Awards for Outstanding Service.

The winner for Outstanding Service by an Organization is the London-based Nautical Institute. It was honored for its support of the professional development of mariners and for its promotion of safety in the maritime industry.

The awards are named after Samuel Plimsoll, a British Member of Parliament who strove to end the dangerous practice of overloading vessels. His efforts culminated in legislation passed in 1876 requiring load lines, or Plimsoll marks, to be visible on the hulls of seagoing ships. The awards honor those who, in the spirit of Samuel Plimsoll, make the world a better and safer place for mariners.

The Nautical Institute demonstrably embodies that spirit in its work. Founded by a group of master mariners in 1971, the institute has striven to help mariners improve their performance by raising training standards and disseminating information crucial to greater operational efficiency and safety.

For example, 20 years ago, the Institute recognized that no operational standards existed for what was then a new technology, dynamic positioning systems. In response, the institute developed a code of practice and a curriculum for training and certifying DP operators. Today schools around the world accredited by The Nautical Institute provide the certification training, while The Nautical Institute itself administers the logbook program that verifies the mariner’s progress on the path to DP certification.

One of the organization’s most notable contributions to improved safety is the program makes it possible for the industry to learn from dangerous incidents and implement changes to avoid accidents in the future. The system encourages mariners to report near misses in which they were involved without having their identities publicly revealed. Those reports are then analyzed by The Nautical Institute and disseminated in its Seaways magazine.

This approach allows mariners to make the reports without fear of recriminations and permits the industry to recognize and correct problems before they culminate in disaster.

For these and other activities to assist and protect mariners, Professional Mariner has named The Nautical Institute winner of the 2010 Samuel Plimsoll Award for Outstanding Service by an Organization.

The award was presented on March 23 at the Connecticut Maritime Association’s Shipping 2010 conference in Stamford, Conn.

The Nautical Institute’s Chief Executive, Philip Wake, said:

‘We are delighted that our work to improve the safety and efficiency of shipping services through professional standards and development has been recognised by this prestigious Award. It is further encouragement for our members and staff to continue their dedicated efforts for the industry and the protection of the marine environment.’

“The longest rail bridge of India built in Kerala”
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) under the Ministry of Railways, was entrusted with the job of CONSTRUCTION OF RAIL CONNECTIVITY FROM IDAPALLI TO INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TRANSSHIPMENT TERMINAL- VALLARPADAM with a target to complete the rail connectivity work by 31st of March 2010. By taking the engine through the completed track on this day, that promise stands fulfilled. We thank the District Administration, Cochin Port Trust, Contractors, the workers, the media and the public for their support for this project.

The final cost of the project, on completion, will be around Rs.350 crores, funded by Govt. of India through Ministry of Shipping.

The total length of the Rail connectivity is 8.86 Km and starts from the existing Southern Railway Network at Idappalli Railway Station and runs parallel to the existing Track for a length of around 3 Km by constructing earthen embankment and Minor bridges / Culverts upto Vaduthala. Then it passes over the longest Railway Bridge in India of 4.62km, and passes through inhabited area of Vaduthala and its Backwaters; cuts across Idyakkara Island, Mulavukadu Island and finally reaches Vallarpadam where a new Railway station is being constructed. This line is a dedicated line ONLY for goods traffic.

The project has the longest Railway Bridge and other 4 small bridges. The bridges are on 1.2 diameter piles and are taken to an average depth of about 55 metres. There are such 1275 piles (1239 on major bridges and 36 Nos on minor bridges) made for the project totaling to about 65000 metres of pile length. The superstructure is of I and U girders. All put together, there are 99 spans of 40 m and 33 spans of 20 m U girder.

A new and novel Railway station was constructed at Idappalli and the new Railway station at Vallarpadam is nearing completion, as this work is linked to the construction of ICTT by Dubai Port.

Adventure has always been second to nature for the Indian Army. The Indian army engineers were the pioneers in introducing sailing both as a sport and as an adventure.

The Indian army engineers have taken a challenge to cruise a total distance of around 3000 nautical miles on “Trishna” that is bereft of any technological wonder devices. THis sailing expedition will travel from Mumbai to Colombo through Male in Maldives across the choppy waters of the Arabian Sea.

Trishna is a 36 feet swan class yacht of a 1970 vintage yacht and has undertaken number of sailing expeditions. This yacht is an asset of the sappers adventure foundation and was procured from own generated resources of the corps of engineers of Indian Army for undertaken expedition by the men from sappers.

Brigadier Sunil Gaopande(chief engineer-navy) would flag off the kochi-colombo leg of the expedition from south jetty, naval base

This expedition is likely to be completed by 20th April 2010 in Mumbai

“Is Titanic to break its own record”
Filmmaker James Cameron has confirmed he will bring Titanic back to the big screen in 3D.

The director recently joked about updating the 1997 blockbuster using the same technology that brought his Oscar-winning epic Avatar to life.

And now he has confirmed he is serious about plans to rerelease the historical film in 3D — but the new version won’t hit theaters until 2012, to mark 100 years since the legendary ship sank.

He tells USA Today. “We’re targeting spring of 2012 for the release (of a 3D version of Titanic), which is the 100-year anniversary of the sailing of the ship.”

Cochin Shipyard to bolster capital base via IPO

A brimming order book, which includes an aircraft carrier, is prompting public sector Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to increase capacity. The shipyard has plans to go in for an IPO to divest stake to raise funds for expansion, which includes a new dry dock. The proposal is to go in for fresh equity of 10%, which would also help increase the capital base of the company.

CSL has currently a capacity to make vessels of up to 110,000 deadweight tonne and the expansion will allow CSL to build and repair vessels of up to 200,000 deadweight tonne.

Expertise of building an aircraft carrier and timely delivery of vessels have helped CSL carve a niche in the market, despite severe competition from the Far East and Southeast Asia for commercial shipbuilding.

Presently, the shipyard has orders worth Rs 4,500 crore,.

That’s not all the yard delivered two of India’s largest double-hull Aframax tankers.

It has been quite a turnaround for them…

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“World shortest man died at the age of 21…”

The worlds shortest man, He Pingping, who was just over 79cm tall (29inches) died at the age of 21 from heart complications. He died on Saturday in Rome, where he was taking part in a TV show.

He Pingping was suffering a form of primordial dwarfism and was recognized as a world record holder in Guinness World Record in 2008 according to (Beijing Reuters)

Born in China’s northern region of Inner Mongolia in 1988 Pingping was admitted to hospital two weeks ago after suffering a chest complaint.

“Jewel of Muscat” arrives at Cochin
Is it humanly possible to recreate ‘time’? Though it seems utterly illogical, that question always incites and excites human imagination, the only thing I know, needs no ‘time machine’ to travel beyond the eternity of space and time. When ‘Jewel of Muscat’ reached the Queen of Arabian Sea, this is the very first thought that hit my mind.
Jewel of Muscat is a stupendous effort to reconstruct a glorified 9th century sailing ship in Oman and retrace the sea trade route between Arabia and the Far East. The ship was made after the enlightening exploration on the past that opened up the mysteries such as the Belitung Wreck, discovered in 1998. The ship was made completely with the techniques and materials that were used during that period in history. The 18 metre ship was built without nails and the planks were sewn together with coconut fibre. The planking on the ship was made from Afzelia africana timber from Ghana and protected by a layer of goat fat mixed with lime. It’s quite amazing when we come to know that these centuries old techniques can keep the ship cent percent water tight. The whole construction was done in a specially made ship yard at a beach in Qantab, Oman. During this adventurous voyage the crew is using 9th century navigation systems. The project is a joint venture of the governments of Oman and Singapore.

“147,000 sq km of China’s sea below clean water standard”
State Oceanic Administration announced Thursday that nearly 147,000 square kilometers of China’s sea was below the clean water standard in 2009, up 7.3 percent from the previous year.

The country’s marine environment, particularly the coastal waters in Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Hangzhou Bay, the mouths of the Yangtze River and Pearl River, was not good, according to the Administration’s bulletin.

The offshore eco-systems have kept deteriorating because of environment pollution, habitat loss, biological invasion and low bio-diversity, and around 76 percent out of 21 offshore eco-systems under monitoring were reported “sub-healthy” or unhealthy in 2009, it said.

The data also showed 73.7 percent of 457 sewage outlets went over their pollutant discharge limits, with those in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangxi the worst.

Also, the total pollutants carried into sea by rivers increased considerably in 2009 compared to the previous year, it said.

Courtesy : China Daily