MSC MARIA ELENA

The MSC Maria Elena (IMO: 9304423, Port of Registry: Panama) was built in 2006 by Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries and is with its teu capacity of 9,200 one of the largest container vessels sailing and the biggest vessel of the Mediterranean Shipping Company. The ship is 336 meters long, 43 meters wide and has a deadweight tonnage of 110,000. The Maria Elena is currently sailing on the MSC's 'Silk Express', the Far East/China - Northwestern Europe route.

The MSC Maria Elena will enter Rotterdam this evening and will visit the ECT Delta Terminal. The vessel's last port of call was Felixstowe.

YACHT EXPRESS

The Yacht Express (IMO: 9346029, Port of Registry: Willemstad, Dutch Antilles) is purpose-built with a semi-submersible dock bay that allows yachts of any size to be safely floated on and off as cargo. This 209 metres long, 32 metres wide vessel has a 165 x 31 metres loading deck for luxury motor and sailing yachts. For propulsion the vessel is equipped with two azimuth thrusters with a combined power of 10,200 KW.

The Yacht Express is owned by Dockwise Yacht Transport, based in Fort Lauderdale, USA, a group company of Dockwise Transport B.V., which is located in Breda, The Netherlands and considered the global leader in maritime transports of extremely large and heavy cargoes. She was christened on May 24, 2007 (an auspicious date that will bring luck to anything new according to the Chinese traditional calendar) at the Yantai Raffles Shipyard, China.

The Yacht Express has entered the Port of Rotterdam this morning and will be berthed at the Waalhaven, Rotterdam. There she will unload the two inland casco's she has transported from China.

COSCO GUANGZHOU

Today's Ship of the Day is the Cosco Guangzhou (IMO: 9305570, Port of Registry: Piraeus, Greece) which was one of the largest container vessels in gross tonnage about one year ago, together with her sisters: Cosco Hellas, Cosco Ningbo, Cosco Beijing and Cosco Yantian. Since the introduction in 2005 and 2006 of Maersk's S-class vessels (amongst which are the Emma Maersk, Estelle Maersk and Eleonora Maersk) and the built of several larger CSCL vessels, she is 'just' one of the larger ones. This post-panamax container vessel is 350 metres long, almost 43 metres wide, has a deadweight tonnage of 107,000 and a teu capacity of 9,500. She is currently sailing on the AE1-loop which connects Asia and Europe.

The Cosco Guangzhou is scheduled to arrive this afternoon at the ECT Terminal, Rotterdam, with the last port of call at Singapore. She will leave tomorrow for Felixstowe, Hamburg and Antwerp before returning to the Far East.

SAIPEM 7000

Today's SotD is world's second largest crane vessel Saipem 7000 (IMO: 8501567, Port of Registry: Nassau, Bahama's) with a lifting capacity of 2 x 7,000 tonnes. Only Heerema's Thialf is larger with its lifting capacity of 2 x 7,100 tonnes, however the crane radius of Saipem 7000 grant a lifting capability of 14000 t at 42 meters while Thialf can only lift 14200 at 31.2 meters; for this reason, the Saipem 7000 retains the world lifting records. The Saipem 7000 is 198 metres long, has a free deck area of 9,000 sq. m. and a transit speed of 9.5 knots. The vessel is equipped with 10 azimuth thrusters for exact manoeuvring, ballast tanks with a total capacity of more than 100,000 cu. m. for lowering the vessel into its position and 2 twin Saipem 7000 model fully revolving bow mounted AMHOIST cranes. She provides accomodation for a maximum of 800 persons in 405 fully AC single or double cabins. The Saipem 7000 was previously known as the Micoperi 7000 and is currently owned by Saipem S.p.A, Italy. She was built in 1987 by Fincantieri, Italy.

The Saipem 7000 arrived last night at Keppel Verolme Shipyards, Rotterdam. She will stay in port for about 3 months.

SAVANNAH EXPRESS

Today's SotD is the Savannah Express (IMO: 9294989, Port of Registry: Hamburg) which has a maximum teu capacity of 8,400. The vessel is 332 metres long, 43 metres wide, has a deadweight tonnage of 107,000 and a gross tonnage of 94,483. She was built in 2005 by Daewoo Heavy Industries. The 68,520 KW HSD engine gives the vessel a maximum speed of 25 knots.

The Savannah Express is scheduled to arrive this afternoon at the Port of Rotterdam. The Hapag Lloyd schedule shows the vessel will arrive at the ECT terminal at November 28. Therefor, she will probably anchor off Rotterdam for two days.

CAPRI

Today we have the 59 metres long tri-deck motor yacht Capri. This British flagged yacht was built in 2003 at Lürssen Shipyard, Germany and designed by Glade Johnson. She is equipped with 6 ensuite staterooms to accomodate 12 passengers, several water sports vehicles, a music studio, a gymnasium, cinema room, jacuzzi for 10 and a helicopter deck. She is manned by a crew of 13 persons.

The Capri arrived this morning at Maassluis. More information on the yacht can be found at: http://www.yachtcapri.com

FAIRMOUNT ALPINE

Today's SotD is the anchor-handling tug Fairmount Alpine (IMO: 9344784, Port of Registry: Panama). This 75 metres long, 18 metres wide tug has an engine capacity of 16,320 BHP which is delivered by a Wartsila W6L32. This capacity gives the vessel a 205 ton bollard pull. She was built in 2006 at Niigata, Japan and is owned by the dutch company Fairmount Marine.

The Fairmount Alpine arrived November 1. at Rotterdam towing the Ensco 100

together with the tug 'De Da'. She will go to sea this morning for sea trials and will return into port later this evening where she will take berth alongside her sister, the Fairmount Glacier.

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 is scheduled to arrive later this evening 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.

CSCL LE HAVRE

The CSCL Le Havre (IMO: 9307243, Port of Registry: Limassol, Cyprus) is a 336 metres long, 46 metres wide container ship with a deadweight tonnage of 102,200. She has a teu capacity of 9,580 and 700 reefers. The CSCL Le Havre is propelled by a 93,120 BHP MAN B&W engine, which gives the vessel a maximum speed of 24.7 kts. She was built in 2006 by Samsung Heavy Industries, Korea, is managed by Danaos Shipping Co., Greece and is operated by Allocean Maritime, London.

The CSCL Le Havre is expected to arrive later this afternoon at the ECT terminal, Rotterdam with a last port of call at Le Havre.

ARTHUR MAERSK

Today's SOTD is the Arthur Maersk (IMO:9260445, Port of Registry: Ronne, Denmark). This 'Series S' container vessel was built in 2003 by Hyundai Heavy Industries, Korea and can carry a total number of containers of 9000. The ship is 352 meters long, 43 meters wide, has a deadweight tonnage of 109.000 and is currently sailing on the China - Europe route.

The Arthur Maersk has arrived this morning at the APM Terminal, Rotterdam with a last port of call at Bremerhaven.

CMA CGM DON CARLOS

The CMA CGM Don Carlos (IMO: 9305491, flag: Liberia) is a 8,204 teu capable vessel, delivered in June this year by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. Its sister ship is the CMA CGM Parsifal which was SotD on June 27. The ship is 334 meters long, almost 43 meters wide and has a deadweight tonnage of 100,800. It is currently sailing on CMA-CGM's French Asia Line (FAL) which services a line between China and Europe.

The CMA CGM Don Carlos will enter Rotterdam this morning from Hamburg and will depart within 24 hours for Zeebrugge. Afterwards the vessel will visit Le Havre, Malta and will then set sail to China. The ship will visit Rotterdam again within two months.

RHINE FOREST

The Liberian flagged Rhine Forest (IMO: 7125706) is 237 meters long, 33 meters wide and has a draught of 12 meters. The vessel is a so called LASH ship. LASH, an acronym for Lighter Aboard SHip, vessels each carry about 82 LASH barges. The barges, all of a standard size with cargo capacity of 385 tons, are towed in ports and on inland waterways to various shipping points where they are loaded with cargo and then returned to the oceangoing vessel. They are hoisted aboard by a special shipboard gantry-type crane and transported overseas where the process is reversed. LASH ships do not require special docks or terminals.

The Rhine Forest is equipped with a 500-ton gantry crane to lift and stow 83 barges. Each barge is 18.26 meters long and 9.16 meters wide and has a capacity of 385 metric tons. She was built in 1972 by Cockerill Mechanical Industries, Belgium and is currently owned by LCI Shipholding Inc., New Orleans and managed by Central Gulf Lines Inc., New Orleans.

The Rhine Forest will enter the port of Rotterdam this morning and will berth at the Waalhaven for a few days. The vessel will then leave for New Orleans and will return to Rotterdam in 6 weeks for her last visit to Rotterdam!

For more great pictures of the Rhine Forest see the (Dutch) site of Peter Bolhuis: http://members.lycos.nl/scheepvaart/fourdescphotos3.html

ESTELLE MAERSK

The Estelle Maersk (IMO: 9321495, Port of Registry: Hellerup, Denmark) is, together with its 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. A total capacity of 13,500 teu is also possible when containers are not fully loaded. This capacity is possible by stacking the containers in 22 rows wide. Maersk calculates the teu capacity with loaded containers. The vessel is 397 meters long, 56 meters wide, has a depth of 30 meters and a deadweigth 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 built by Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd in 2006.

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

KAZIMAH III

The Kazimah III (IMO: 9329693, Port of Registry: Safat, Kuwait) is a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with a length of 333 metres, width of 60 metres, draught of 22 metres and a deadweight tonnage of 317,000. She was the first tanker of this type within the fleet renewal program of its owner Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. At present, KOTC operates about 25 vessels of which 8 VLCC's. The Kazimah III was built in 2006 by Hyundai Heavy Industries, Korea.

Since the Suez Canal can currently only accommodate ships with draughts of up to 17.5 metres, the Kazimah III has to discharge some oil at the Ain Sukhna terminal on the Gulf of Suez. From there oil is transported by pipeline to Sidi Kerir Terminal on the Mediterranean, where the vessel loads it again for further transport. The Egyptian government plans to widen and deepen the Suez Canal, so that by 2010 it can accommodate VLCCs and ULCCs. In 2001, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) launched a 5-year program to reduce tanker transit times (from 14 hours to 11 hours) through the Canal. The SCA is also moving ahead with a project to widen and deepened the Canal to allow for transit of larger ships than the 200,000-dead-weight-ton maximum now.

The Kazimah III has entered the Port of Rotterdam this morning for loading at the Euro Tank Terminal (ETT), Rotterdam after discharging at Le Havre.

COSCO CHINA

Today's SotD is the Cosco China (IMO: 9305465, Port of Registry: Monrovia, Liberia), which is a container vessel of 335 meters long, 43 meters wide, and a teu capacity of 8,200. She is currently sailing for E.R. Schiffahrt Germany on the China - Europe loop.

The Cosco China is scheduled to arrive this afternoon at the ECT Delta Terminal, Rotterdam. She is expected to depart tomorrow evening with destination Felixstowe and is scheduled to return to Rotterdam within two months.

AUDACIA

Today's SotD is the recently converted pipelayer Audacia (IMO: 9305130, Port of Registry: Panama). The length of the Audacia including the stinger is 335 metres. She is 32 metres wide, is suited for installation of pipelines up to a diameter of 60 inches including coating, and is intended for operation in all water depths. The Audacia provides accomodation to a crew of 240. She was converted by Keppel Verolme, Rotterdam from a bulkcarrier to a an advanced offshore vessel earlier this year. The vessel is owned by the Swiss-based Allseas Group S.A. which is one of the major offshore pipelay and subsea construction companies in the world.

The Audacia arrived this morning at the Heerema location at the Calandkanaal, Rotterdam.

ELEONORA MAERSK

The Eleonora Maersk (IMO: 9321500, Port of Registry: Svendborg, Denmark) is, together with her sisters 'Emma Maersk', 'Estelle Maersk', 'Evelyn Maersk' and 'Ebba 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. A total capacity of 13,500 teu is also possible when containers are not fully loaded. This capacity is possible by stacking the containers in 22 rows wide. Maersk calculates the teu capacity with loaded containers. The vessel is 397 meters long, 56 meters wide, has a depth of 30 meters and a deadweigth 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 optimize 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 built by Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd in 2006.

The Eleonora Maersk has arrived this morning at the APM terminal, Rotterdam from Algeciras. Tomorrow, the vessel will set sail for Bremerhaven. She will return within two months to Rotterdam.

The Eleonora Maersk seen arriving at Rotterdam at January 24, 2007. Many thanks to Rene Nicolaes of Sea-Ships.com for the photo!

TRANSSHELF

The Transshelf (IMO: 8512279, Port of Registry: Willemstad) is a semi-submersible heavy transport carrier operated by the Dutch company Dockwise that is specialised in heavy transports. The submersible deck space of the Transshelf has a size of 40 x 132 meters. The Transshelf was build in 1987, is 173 meters long, 40 meters wide and has a standard draught of 8.8 meters when sailing and a maximum draught of 21 meters when submerged. She is propelled by two Wärtsila Vasa 18V32 engines of 6,750 kW each. Due to its submersible features the Transshelf is mainly deployed for marine transportation of drilling rigs and offshore platform components.

The Transshelf is scheduled to arrive later today at the Waalhaven where she will be prepared for an upcoming project for the US government near the city of Norfolk.