ALFRED N

The Alfred N (IMO: 8900438, Port of Registry: Panama) is a bulk carrier owned by General Ore Carrier Corporation IV Limited, Panama and managed by Neu Seeschiffahrt GmbH, Germany. The vessel was built in 1991 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali, Italy. Her sister vessels are the Arthur N and Faith N. The Alfred N is 325 metres long, 54 metres wide and has a maximum draught of almost 21 metres. All these dimensions ensure a deadweight tonnage of 260,826. The Alfred N will enter the Port of Rotterdam later this evening with a last port of call at Tubarao, Brasil. She will be berthed at the EECV terminal and will stay there for about 5 days discharging iron ore.

Source: Bernd Dahlmann (http://www.ship-world.de/)

CHRISTIAN RADICH

The Christian Radich (IMO: 5071729, Port of Registry: Oslo, Norway) is a sailing vessel of the type Windjammer. She was built in 1937 by Framnæs Mekaniske Verksted, Norway. This tall ship is 73 metres long overall, 9.7 metres wide and 37.7 metres high, provides accomodation for 88 passengers and has a sail area of 1360 sq.m., which consists of a total of 27 sails. This gives the vessel a maximum speed of 14 kts. From 1999 and on, the ship has been on the charter market as well as sailing with paying trainees to foreign ports on summer trips, participating in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race and large sail events in various European ports. She is well known through the international release in 1958 of the Cinemiracle widescreen movie Windjammer.

The Christian Radich is scheduled to enter the port of Rotterdam this morning. She will berth at the Parkkade, Rotterdam.

COSCO BEIJING

The Cosco Beijing (IMO: 9308508, Port of Registry: Piraeus) is one of the largest container vessels nowadays, together with her sisters: Cosco Hellas, Cosco Ningbo, Cosco Yantian and Cosco Guangzhou. Only the in 2006 and 2007 built Maersk PS-class vessels (amongst which are the Emma Maersk, Estelle Maersk and Eleonora Maersk) and three in 2006 for CSCL built containervessels are larger in gross tonnage. The vessel is 350 metres long, almost 43 metres wide, has a deadweight tonnage of 107,000 and a teu capacity of 9,450. The Cosco Beijing is currently sailing on the AE1-loop which connects Asia and Europe.

The Cosco Beijing has arrived this morning at the ECT Terminal, Rotterdam, with the last port of call at Singapore. The vessel will leave tomorrow for Felixstowe, Hamburg and Antwerp before returning to the Far East.

TAIGA

My apologies for the bad picture, but I was unable to acquire a better one. Despite the small photo, the Taiga (IMO: 9339973, Port of Registry: Panama) is one of the largest ships currently sailing. She has the biggest deadweight and cargo hold capacity as Malacca-max type (A ship with maximum draft passable through Malacca Strait, Malaysia) tanker and is able to efficiently transport the crude oil with a specific gravity of high frequency use. The vessel is 333 metres long, 60 metres wide and has a maximum draught of 20.9 metres. These dimensions give the vessel a deadweight tonnage of 311,141 and a cargo tank capacity of 354,751 cubic metres. She is propelled by a Mitsui-MAN B&W Diesel Engine 7S80MC x 1 engine and ship has the newest bow form, stern hull form, high efficiency propeller and Mitsui Integrated Propeller Boss with Wing (MIPB-Wing) achieving energy saving. She was built this year by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Japan and is currently owned by Fortis Maritime S.A.

The Taiga has arrived this morning at the MET terminal with the last port at Angola.

HERMOD

The Hermod (IMO: 7710214, Port of Registry: Panama) is a 154 metres long, 86 metres wide, 42 metres high crane vessel capable of a tandem lift of 8,100 tons up to 39 metres in tandem. The main hoist lifting height is 92 m above work deck. She has a gross tonnage of 73877, provides accomodation for 336 persons, has a helicopter deck which is suitable for a Sikorsky 61-N and is propelled by two electrically driven, controllable pitch propellers of 4,400 kW each aft and two electrically driven, retractable, controllable pitch thruster of 1,470 kW each forward. Power supply by seven diesel driven main generators of 2,765 kW each. The vessel has static and dynamic ballast systems both fully computer controlled. Ballast pump capacity 8,000 cubic meter/hour. Dynamic ballast water handling 500 t/sec.

The Hermod will arrive this morning at Rotterdam accompanied by the tug Fairmount Summit.

EVELYN MAERSK

The Evelyn Maersk (IMO: 9321512, Port of Registry: Copanhagen, Denmark) is, together with her sisters (amongst which are the 'Emma Maersk' and 'Eleonora Maersk'), the largest containership ever with a total teu capacity 11,000 teu (of which 1,000 forty foot reefer containers) according to the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group. Rumours are that a total capacity of 13,500 teu is also possible. This capacity is possible by stacking the containers in 22 rows wide. The vessel is 397 meters long, 56 meters wide, has a depth of 30 meters and a deadweight of 156,907 tons. Amazingly, all this size and capacity requires a crew of only 13. The specially designed Wärtsilä diesel engine delivers 80,000 kW. A waste heat recovery system is installed to optimise the use of the energy produced, so that the engine can deliver up to 90,000 kW. The vessels in this series will also establish new standards for safety and environmental responsibility. Environmentally-safe silicone paint, for example, is used on the hull, below the water line, reducing water resistance, and thereby fuel consumption, by 1,200 tons per year. The ship was launched at Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd on March 3rd 2007.

The Evelyn Maersk is scheduled to arrive this afternoon at the APM terminal, Rotterdam from the port of Algeciras. The vessel will then set sail for Bremerhaven on the APM AE1 line. She will return within about 7 weeks to Rotterdam.