SS ROBIN in London, July 25, 2012. Photo © Juliana Barrett

Britain’s Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a grant of just under £1 million to the SS ROBIN, which will allow the ship to re-open to the public.

Floating above the water on purpose-built pontoon, SS ROBIN returned to her London home last summer after a three year restoration program. The HLF award will now see the final touches put in place to restore this exceptional vessel to her former glory and create a new cultural landmark for London.  A visitor’s center will be housed within the pontoon and an exciting program of activities, events, training and volunteering opportunities will be kick-started for people of all ages.

One of only three UK National Historic Ships ‘Core Collection’ vessels based in London (along with CUTTY SARK and HMS BELFAST), SS ROBIN is one of 1,500 coastal cargo steamers built between 1840 and 1956 at the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Company on the River Lea.

Being of international significance and the only surviving example of her type, she represents a pivotal moment in the history of industrialization, engineering and technological development.

SS ROBIN at Millennium Mills, Royal Victoria Dock, London, July 25 2011. Photo © Juliana Barrett

Sue Bowers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for London stated:

“SS ROBIN, to be moored in the Royal Victoria Docks, will serve as a living reminder of the capital’s seafaring roots, history and traditions in an ever changing landscape regenerated for London’s Olympic year. Visitors will also be able to gain a fascinating insight into the ship’s past dating back to 1890 as her archive and collections of some 4000 items including original documents, maps, plans, and navigation tools are made publicly accessible for the first time.”

In addition to capital works, which include conservation of the engine room and crew accommodation, physical dockside access and historical interpretation within the pontoon and vessel, the Visitor Center will provide dedicated work stations, video diary booths and research spaces so that the public can make full use of SS ROBIN’s archives and collections.

Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales stated: “This is fantastic news. East London is the future of this great capital and this magnificent ship is a symbol of the Docks’ powerful resurgence. London’s Olympic bid book said the most enduring legacy of the Games must be the regeneration of the entire community for the direct benefit of everyone who lives there. For centuries, London’s East End has been one of the poorest areas in Europe. The Games have provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the lives of residents for generations to come. The Docks represent a crucial part of the borough’s physical and social regeneration as we approach London 2012.”

Nishani Kampfner, CEO & Co-Founder of the SS Robin Trust, explained the importance of HLF funding for the historic ship: “Securing HLF funding was absolutely critical for the Trust and we are delighted with the grant award. The grant will provide much needed financial support to ensure that SS Robin re-opens to the public in her new evolved role of heritage site and training centre. The funding will be used to create an authentic and memorable experience for visitors which will include exploring and opening up the hidden and fascinating stories of London’s shipping and seafaring roots onboard SS Robin.”

SS ROBIN will be visible to visitors attending sports events at the ExCel Exhibition Center, hosting a number of sports events during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and capital works are expected to be complete by late 2012.

Special thanks to Juliana Barrett

MV RABAUL QUEEN arriving in Kimbe Port, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea on March 16 2009. Photo by Michael Pennay (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0).

Update 4: February 3 – The PNG Maritime Safety Authority says 246 people have been pulled from the sea, vessels and aircraft are still searching. The Authority’s Captain Nurur Rahman said that people can survive for 3 or 4 days in the warmer water, and they will continue searching until they have exhausted all options.
The search has been hampered by high winds and heavy swells, making it difficult to spot survivors.

Queen Elizabeth II, who as head of the Commonwealth is Papua New Guinea’s head of state, sent  a message of sympathy to Papua New Guinea via  Governor-General Michael Ogio, her representative in the country. An investigation is launched in to the sinking.

Update 3: February 2 – The owners of MV RABAUL, Papua New Guinea-based Rabaul Shipping Company, (previously referenced as Star Shipping) stated that there were indeed 350 passengers and 12 crew aboard the ferry when sank between Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the coastal city of Lae on the main island.  By nightfall, 238 survivors had been rescued by ships battling 16-foot (5-meter) swells and high winds.

Update 2: February 2 – A revised number of those rescued now stands at 219 survivors rescued by five ships. The original number of 350 passengers and crew has been called in to question, the number may be lower, according to officials.

Update: February 2 – Over 230 survivors have been rescued from the sea off Papua New Guinea’s east coast after the ferry MV RABAUL QUEEN sank Thursday. Officials believe as many as 350 people may have been on board.

The 1983-built, 259 gross ton, Papua New Guinea-flagged passenger/ro-ro ferry MV RABAUL QUEEN is believed to have sunk in bad weather off Papua New Guinea with as many as 350 people on board. The operators, Star Ships, said it lost contact at about 6 AM on Thursday (local time) after a distress signal was sent by the ship while sailing between Kimbe and Lae in the eastern part of the Pacific nation.

PNG’s National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) said the ship had capsized but it was awaiting more details from officials on the site. “We don’t have any accurate information as of yet. A search and rescue team went out early this morning but they haven’t got back to us yet,” a spokeswoman said.

Star Ships added that some survivors have been found, many more were in the water in life jackets.

Australia’s foreign office said it “has responded to a request for assistance by arranging for aircraft to overfly the area, and will respond to other requests”.

Two helicopters and a ship had been dispatched to search the area in addition to the two search and rescue vessels sent out by the NMSA. There is no further details on casualties.

Star Ships, one of PNG’s largest passenger ship operators, runs a regular service to the the islands, including New Britain’s Kimbe.

Update: February 1, the U.S. Coast Guard has received a salvage plan submitted by Foss Maritime, owners of the stranded DELTA MARINER.

Local divers have confirm that debris from the bridge was not in contact with the ship’s hull and importantly that the hull did not sustain any significant damage.

Foss will be using an Echoscope that uses sonar to create a three dimensional image of the ship’s hull, debris field, and the lake bottom. this is expected to reveal where all the bridge debris lies and, once the plan has been accepted, remove the remaining bridge sections from the foredeck and to move DELTA MARINER to a repair facility.

MV DELTA MARINER. Photo © The Boeing Company

Foss’ M/V DELTA MARINER, which carries rocket components to Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg (California) Air Force Base for the United Launch Alliance has collided with the Eggner Ferry Bridge at U.S. Highway 68 and Kentucky Highway 80 late Thursday.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the three-story-high Motor Vessel Delta Mariner struck span “E” of the bridge around 8:10 p.m. Thursday. That span of bridge is 322 feet long.Officials said the bridge is closed to traffic, causing vehicles needing to cross the Kentucky Lake reservoir and the Tennessee River to be detoured for dozens of miles. The Coast Guard also blocked access to boat traffic at the bridge site.

Four vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collision at 8:10pm Thursday, January 26. No injuries have been reported. High water levels may have played a role in the crash, the ship has passed under the bridge many times over the previous 10 years without a problem. Some reports stated that the navigation lights on the bridge were not lit.
M/V DELTA MARINER is a 312-foot long and 8,000 horsepower supply ship, which transports space-bound hardware, including the common booster cores, for the Boeing Delta IV rocket program. She is designed to navigate shallow inland waterways as well as the open ocean.  This specialty transport ship  hauls rocket components approximately 550 miles from the Boeing factory in Decatur, Alabama down the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway to Mobile Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico. The ship either rounds the Florida peninsula en route to Cape Canaveral or transits the Panama Canal en route to the western range Delta IV launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

M/V DELTA MARINER was launched on December 16, 1999 on the Pascagoula River, built by Halter Maritime for Foss Marine of Seattle, Washington.

Two bills, Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) being debated by Congress right now. While I am firmly against internet piracy, I believe these bills, if passed, could fatally damage the free and open internet.

An Ocean with no ship news!

In reaction to these over broad and badly written bills, Wikipedia and  user-generated news site Reddit and the blog Boing Boing are also taking part in the “blackout”.

For more detail, see this pro and con article on CBC:

SOPA, PIPA: What you need to know By Stephanie Condon

Opponents of SOPA and PIPA include WordPress, Google, Yahoo!, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, LinkedIn, eBay, Mozilla Corporation, Roblox, Reddit,the Wikimedia Foundation, and human rights organizations such as Reporters Without Borders,the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and Human Rights Watch and others.

COSTA CONCORDIA

January 19 — Third update:  After a day delay caused by a slight shift in the position of the wreck, rescue efforts resumed aboard the wrecked COSTA CONCORDIA off the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany.

As of today the number of people listed as missing stands at 21, with 11 confirmed dead. Captain Schettino remains under house arrest on suspicion of multiple manslaughter and Costa reportedly has suspended him and withdrawn an offer to pay his legal costs.

Dutch salvage company SMIT, is planning to begin extracting thousands of gallons of fuel oil to avert possible environmental damage. There is concern that the ship could slide into deeper water.  Stormy weather forecast for the area tonight.

In yet another strange turn of events, the Italian media have also shown images of a Moldovan woman on TV who claimed she was on the bridge after the ship grounded, and defended the captain’s actions, investigators are now trying to reach her. It was said the she did not appear on the manifest.

Lloyds, reporting on recent traffic flow in the area, said the COSTA CONCORDIA was the only cruise ship to have come close to Giglio, all others steering a course far from land.

January 17 — Second Update:  Mickey Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation, parent company of Costa Cruises, issued the following statement in the aftermath of the discovery of five more bodies on board the COSTA CONCORDIA:

“We are deeply saddened by the reports of additional deaths following the grounding of the Costa Concordia. On behalf of the entire Carnival Corporation & plc team, I offer our heartfelt condolences to all of those families affected by this tragedy.

Our immediate priority continues to be supporting rescue and recovery efforts and looking after our guests and crew members, along with securing the vessel to ensure there is no environmental impact.  My senior management team and I have been in continuous contact with the Costa executive team in Italy and we have our senior level technical experts on the ground to provide additional support for this tragic and highly unusual incident.

While this is a terribly sad time for everyone involved, we want to recognize the tremendous efforts of Concordia’s crew, who along with the Italian Coast Guard and authorities, helped to evacuate more than 4,000 passengers and crew members from the ship in very difficult conditions. And we continue to offer our deep gratitude to the Italian authorities for their support and ongoing efforts.”

January 17 — First Update:  With calmer seas and several holes now blasted into the keeled over ship’s hull assisting rescue and recovery efforts, another five bodies were pulled from the wreckage of the COSTA CONCORDIA.  The confirmed deaths now number eleven, with twenty four people still unaccounted for.

Meanwhile, audio transcripts of the Italian Coast Guard reprimanding and demanding that the captain, Francesco Schettino, return to the foundering ship to oversee the evacuation of some 100 remaining guests, have also been released.  Yesterday, Costa Chairman Pier Luigi Foschi attributed the disaster to “human error” on the part of the captain, who “did not follow the authorized route.”  Schettino remains under house arrest on suspicion of multiple counts of manslaughter and abandoning ship.

January 16:  The death toll from the loss of COSTA CONCORDIA rose to six today as divers found the body of another passenger.  The man, in a life-jacket, was discovered by rescuers in a passageway in part of the ship that remains above water.

The number of people missing also rose by two, to sixteen, as two women previously recorded as evacuated have since failed to contact relatives, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Fire crew chief Cosimo Pulito said rescuers had only so far searched about a quarter of the vessel and that most of the above water spaces were clear and some underwater areas had been searched.

On Sunday, reports surfaced that residents on the island of Giglio said they had never seen the COSTA CONCORDIA, which makes a weekly pass of the island,  come so close to the Le Scole reef on Giglio’s eastern coast and recalled that cruise ships usually stayed over five nautical miles offshore.

Local officials have expressed concern that the ship’s fuel could spill into the pristine waters around the island, which is in a marine reserve. However, there was no sign of pollution as of yet and fuel pumping may soon empty the fuel tanks that were filled before the voyage commenced.

There is also some concern that if the rougher weather should cause a swell, the ship could potentially break free from the rocky slope on which the hull is resting and fully sink. The rescue mission continues under these very dangerous conditions. Diving leader Rudolfo Raitere stated: “The swell could break the ship free.  If that happens it will slip to the bottom of the sea. We need to keep working as quickly as we can.”

Italian authorities are holding the Captain under suspicion of manslaughter and abandoning his ship. According to Italian navigation code, a captain who abandons a ship in danger can face up to 12 years in prison.

Screen capture of former ARTSHIP (the white vessel) departing Mare Island, supplied by MM reader Chris V. Jan 15, 2012, courtesy David Tudman.

SS PACIFIC STAR (ex ARTSHIP, ex GOLDEN BEAR), after being sold for $1, is now under tow to ESCO Marine in Brownsville, Texas, where she will be scrapped.

Following an auction on November 7, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. on the steps of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, the judge’s order now reflects that:

“No opposition to said sale having been filed, and good cause appearing, ORDER CONFIRMING SALE OF VESSEL, signed by Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on 12/21/11 ORDERING that the sale of vessel SS PACIFIC STAR (ex ARTSHIP, ex GOLDEN BEAR), Official No. 239932, to ESCO MARINE, INCL is hereby CONFIRMED; no challenges or objections to the sale were made as required by Local Admiralty Rule 570(g), and no other impediment existing, the sale stands confirmed as of course; as the entire purchase price has been paid, the Marshal is INSTRUCTED to prepare and deliver to ESCO MARINE, INC., or its nominee designated in writing to the Marshal, a bill of sale conveying title to such vessel to ESCO MARINE, INC., or such nominee, free and clear of any and all liens and encumbrances.”

SS PACIFIC STAR departed Mare Island, San Francisco Bay, for scrapping at Brownsville Texas on Sunday, January 15, 2012 in the early morning hours.  The 72 year old vessel is the last surviving American-built cargo-passenger liner and served heroically in World War Two as an armed attack transport before becoming a training ship and ultimately an unrealized exhibition ship.  She has been laid up at Mare Island since 2004.

In ship historian Peter Newall’s words, “COSTA CONCORDIA (snip) the largest passenger ship to be lost in peace time, with passengers aboard, since TITANIC, 100 years ago”.

Today another survivor, a senior member of the ship’s crew, was brought out of the overturned hull. The man is reported to have a serious leg injury.  Also today, two more bodies were discovered, bringing the death toll up to five.

Questions abound concerning the tragic accident unfolding in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vessel’s track broadcast from the night of the accident seems to indicate the ship was heading on a straight course at about 15 knots, then perhaps following the moment of impact, there was a slowing and turning north.

Reader David H. records that, “From 20:23 to 20:37, it (COSTA CONCORDIA) was on course 285 at 15.5 knots. Next 18 mins. roughly course 350, slowing to 11 knots.”

Hull damage, COSTA CONCORDIA, sent in by reader attributed to photographer Robert Vongher

Reviewing the many photographs and video shot of the hull, are we looking at a huge rock scooped up by the ship and stuck in the damaged port side?

MaritimeMatters reader, Bob Graham asks, “Did the CONCORDIA possibly strike an uncharted “pinnacle rock” just after her northbound transit of the island and the mainland? Lying in areas of ostensibly deep water such protuberances go undetected until ‘discovered,’ often by accident.”

It appears the CONCORDIA was turned back, towards the lights and possible safety of Giglio, before conditions rapidly worsened, leaving passengers to struggle as attempts were made to overcome the severe list and bring the ship close to shore.

While the investigation ramps up, the media has focused on Captain Francesco Schettino (detained by Italian police), the “black box” (removed by authorities yesterday), and the question of which came first: the power failure causing the ship to drift onto a reef, or the striking of the reef which caused the power to fail. Was the ship off course? What led up to the sudden uncontrollable list to starboard and what of the honeymoon couple trapped in their cabin for 24 hours following the accident?

A comment about lifeboats from a reader William, who says, “The CONCORDIA follows a modified design plan to Carnival’s Conquest class of which I am a former ships staff officer. (I served on board and was on the newbuild of the CONQUEST, itself, as well as a number of other Carnival vessels)”.

William continued, “While the ANDREA DORIA was a different matter all together, on board modern ships, including the CONCORDIA, there are exactly Double the number of lifeboats required to evacuate everyone specifically, so that if a ship is listing too much to launch from one side, they move to the other side — which is exactly what happened here. Even if the boats are totally unusable for some reason, there are sufficient life rafts ready to launch on both sides. (most crew members are actually assigned to evacuate on life rafts so that guests can have the safer life boats, which is why you see some rafts deployed)”.

The inquiry following this harrowing shipwreck will surely answer all these questions and perhaps also answer one I that have been asked repeatedly, “How could this happen?”

Thanks for Ezra Pendleton, Peter Knego, Robert Vongher, Shawn Dake and all MaritimeMatters commentors

COSTA CONCORDIA on Jan 14, 2012

Today, the Dutch salvage firm SMIT is reported to have been contracted by the owners of COSTA CONCORDIA to pump fuel oil from the capsized ship at the entrance of the port of Giglio, Italy.

SMIT has several experts at the ship to coordinate, with local assistance, the removal of fuel.

To prevent an environmental disaster, thousands of tons of fuel will need to be pumped out of the ship’s tanks as soon as the search and rescue phase is concluded.

SMIT is one of the world’s largest marine salvage firms with a long and successful track record for salvage and has offered to salvage the entire COSTA CONCORDIA, however, no such agreement has been reached at this time.

SMIT was most recently on the news when the company was called in by Norwegian hull underwriters to support the firefighting operation alongside at Alesund, where the passenger ferry NORDLYS had suffered a serious engine room fire, when the ship suddenly heeled over 20 degrees. Before the ship reached the critical 25 degrees, Smit was able to right the ship, which is now under repair.

Update: According to Italian media reports, two people were discovered alive on board the ship late on Saturday night. Rescuers have managed to speak to a man and a woman but cannot not yet reach them. The survivors are stranded two decks down on the half-submerged ship.

After sunrise on January 14th, the extent of the disaster was clear: The 2006-built COSTA CONCORDIA, one of the largest ships of the Costa Crociere fleet, lay on her starboard side off the west coast of Italy less than 700 feet from the small island of Giglio.  Reports have now reduced the number of dead to three* people killed and the numbers of the missing vary. Divers have been searching around the wreck and the black box records were retrieved before sunset. The cause of the accident remains unclear since the experienced crew had made the same voyage many times and the sea was calm.

Amazingly, most of the complement of 4,200 people on-board, 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members were able to escape the sinking vessel.

Today, Costa issued the following statement: “It is a tragedy that deeply affects our company. Our first thoughts go to the victims and we would like to express our condolences and our closeness to their families and friends. In this moment, all our efforts are focused on the completion of the last emergency operations, besides providing assistance to the guests and the crew who were on board in order to have them going back home as soon as possible. The emergency procedures started promptly to evacuate the ship. The slope, gradually taken over by the ship, made the evacuation extremely difficult. We would like to express our profound gratitude to the Coast Guard and all the forces co-ordinated by the Coast Guard, including the authorities and citizens of the island ‘Isola del Giglio’, who have been involved in the rescue and assistance to guests and crew members. The company will fully co-operate with the relevant Authorities in order to determine the causes of what happened.”

Costa Cruises issued the following for friends and family members may use the following country-specific contact numbers to reach them:

Italy 848505050

U.S. 800-462-6782

Austria 00438109006565

Germany +4940570121314

France +33155475554

Spain +34934875685

Portugal +34914185951

UK 08453510552

*an earlier version of the story reported eight deaths.

Appearing like a dream, spirited back from the beach of doom, OCEAN DREAM (ex SEAWARD, SPIRIT OF LONDON, SUN PRINCESS, STARSHIP MAJESTIC, SOUTHERN CROSS, FLAMENCO I, NEW FLAMENCO) was reportedly sold for scrap and had been laid up for over a year off Singapore, yet survives in a new livery sporting a dragon on her bow.

OCEAN DREAM (ex SPIRIT OF LONDON...). Photo courtesy James Ming 2012.

This photograph was emailed by a reader confirming her sailing from Haikou Xiuying Cruise Terminal in January

Launched in Italy as SPIRIT OF LONDON, she was to have been Norwegian Caribbean Line’s SEAWARD but the unfinished hull was sold to P&O and in 1972 was completed. Later when Princess and P&O combined, she became SUN PRINCESS.

In 1988 she was sold to Premier Cruises to become the red hulled STARSHIPMAJESTIC, a colour retained when bought by CTC Lines in 1994.  In 1998 she appears once more with a white hull for Festival Cruises as FLAMENCO I. After Festival Cruises collapsed, she was bought by Cruise Elysia and renamed NEW FLAMENCO, Club Cruise acquired the ship and she served as an hotel ship in New Caledonia until Club Cruise shut down in 2008.  The ship was sold for scrap and laid up off Singapore until now.

Her operators are listed as Runfeng Ocean Deluxe Cruises and she will be operating cruises from Haikou, China to Vietnam.