Chang Yung-fa, Photo By Pan Suofei/ColorChinaPhoto

According to Forbes, the net worth of Evergreen’s Founder and Group Chairman, Chang Yung-fa, is in the range of $1.6 Billion, and he is listed number 782 among the world’s billionaires.

Born in Penghu, an island chain off the western coast of Taiwan in 1927, he entered the shipping business directly after high school in Taiwan and over the years he progressed through the ranks to that of Captain.

In 1968, he struck out on his own to establish Evergreen Shipping with a single secondhand 15,000 ton vessel, Central Trust.  Over the next few years, his one ship quickly multiplied to a fleet of 12, and shortly thereafter, his now global, and rapidly growing fleet was calling on ports worldwide on a regular basis.

Employing over 27,000 employees and more than 220 offices/agents worldwide, the Evergreen Group now comprises about 30 major corporations worldwide, 3 of which are listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

In a report by Taipei Times today, Chang Yung-fa announced he would bequeath all the assets listed in his name to charities, and not his children, as a way of giving back to society and having his money perform good deeds long after his death.

During a tea party with reporters, Chang defined true wealth as being able to help people and give back to society.

“Money is something that should be circulated around the world and not enjoyed exclusively by one individual,” he said. “A lot of people think that earning a lot of money constitutes wealth. For me, working hard to earn a lot of money is certainly not a bad thing, but the happiness from earning a lot of money is fleeting because of the pain you feel when you lose it.”

“But if that money is used for good deeds, it’s wonderful to see people get back on their feet because of the help you’ve given. The happiness gained from doing a good deed always remains in your heart,” Mr. Chang said.

Chang also said that young people should depend less on their parents. They should fight for their future themselves and learn to shoulder responsibility.

Keppel N Class jackup rig

Keppel Offshore & Marine and ConocoPhillips today announced a joint project that they claim could potentially yield major breakthrough’s in offshore Arctic drilling.  The project aims to design the first-ever ice-worthy jackup rig to operate in one one the harshest marine environments, the Arctic Seas.

Keppel says the jackup rig will feature dual cantilevers that will help the rig perform drilling operations within a limited time window and will be self-sustaining for 14 day stretches.  The jackup will also be equipped with a hull designed for towing in even the harshest ice conditions including impacts from multi-year ice floes and ridges.

“We are glad to partner with ConocoPhillips to jointly design this ice-worthy jackup rig for the Arctic Seas,” said Keppel’s Dr Foo Kok Seng.  “The features of this jackup rig make it a cost-effective and promising drilling solution for the Arctic Offshore. In leveraging the combined expertise, resources and research findings of Keppel O&M and ConocoPhillips, we believe that this joint project will achieve significant breakthroughs in offshore Arctic drilling.”

In a press statement, Keppel highlights its established track record in designing and building rigs for harsh environments including three KFELS N Class rigs (pictured) for work in the North Sea.  The N Class jackups are compable operating in harsh weather conditions in water depths ranging from 400-500 feet, which are 40% deeper than traditional units in benign waters.

In 2008, Keppel O&M’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Keppel Singmarine broke into the Arctic market, having successfully delivered the first pair of icebreakers built in the tropics of Asia to LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft.

Keppel and ConocoPhillips expect the joint design project to be completed by end 2013.

A friend recently asked me to write a supplemental to his book Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life. Specifically he was interested in how to escape a big city when disaster hits. The following article, which first appeared on the author’s website, won’t tell you how to survive disasters, for that you are going to have to read the book, but it will will give you an idea how to escape disaster via the sea:

Click To Read More About Emergency

It was early 2002 when the telefax on the bridge of my 564’ exploratory drillship started spitting out an urgent broadcast to all Americans living in India: The US embassy was being evacuated of all civilian contractors and non-essential personnel. I was very young the last time these warnings proved deadly. The Iran Hostage Crisis happened in 1979, but years later, when I learned about it in school, I was shocked by one simple question our teacher asked: How could 74 Americans be so stupid? The embassy had been taken over once before, earlier that year, and the State Department had issued plenty of warnings urging Americans to get out of the country. So why did the 74 risk their lives and stay? Is any job worth the risk of torture and death?

Just over 20 years later, my embassy was urging me to evacuate the country while a voice in the back of my head attempted to put my brain in high alert by flashing the pictures of those hostages in my brain.

But I didn’t run.

The threat that year was aimed at India, a nuclear standoff between the country and it’s bitter rival Pakistan. Some experts predicted the tension between the two countries had passed the point of no return and nuclear war was imminent. On July 4th 2009, while building a ship in South Korea, I found myself in the same situation again when North Korea began launching missiles in our general direction. The embassy was not evacuated this time but many civilian contractors left the country.

And again I stayed.

The reason for standing my ground was not self denial, rather it was that my feet were not affixed to the ground; I was floating on a ship.

The key factors to surviving an nuclear attack, as taught in Chemical Biological Radiological Defense (CBRD) training taken by most US mariners, are time, distance and shielding. You want to maximize the distance and the amount of heavy material between you and the impact zone while minimizing the amount of time you spend in the area. And for this, a ship is your best option.

Modern ships are constructed of heavy steel which provides a strong physical barrier between you and fallout contaminates. Ships can also be sealed shut by heavy watertight doors which prevent not only water from entering, but also air. To let workers breathe and prevent mold from growing within the hull, ships force air through ventilation ducts and down into large cargo compartments. But in the event of a nuclear attack, the ventilation can be secured which makes the internal rooms essentially large air tanks.

The amount of oxygen in these “tanks” is limited to a few days, so it’s still important to get far away from the center of an attack. During 9/11, authorities immediately shut down all trains and bridges then secured the air space making it impossible for most residents to leave. There was only one way off Manhattan–by boat. And in just 9 hours that day, over 500,000 people were evacuated from the island by an armada of ferries, boats and small ships. To date it remains the second largest evacuation of history, surpassing another maritime success: the World War II evacuation of Dunkirk.

Leaving on a ship is both fast and effective so it should be considered a primary means of escape for all who live near the water.

This method has a few other advantages. Even if you don’t live on a populated island like Manhattan, when Shit Hits The Fan, the roads will quickly become congested in one direction, away from the city, but should be clear for those heading towards the water. Ports also contain a high degree of trained professionals, equipment and resources for handling disasters. They are self-contained, meaning, if all emergency personnel are called into a disaster zone, the port authorities will always stay behind to keep the port open for incoming military relief vessels. With police occupied elsewhere, city streets will be open to looters, but behind the high fences of a secured port, the police will likely have little to do beyond manning the perimeter.

Prior to 9/11 the perimeters of a port that were open to visitors, most had fences. But a simple lie could get you past private security guards. Today the fences have an extra layer of razor wire and gates are manned by heavily armed police and military guards. You can still enter though, if you have a Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC) and seamen credentials. Both are available to every American Citizen.

The process of obtaining these credentials start at a Coast Guard Regional Exam Center (REC). Located throughout the country, these offices are government help desks for people looking to begin a career at sea. The process is not for everyone. The Coast Guard is a military organization and will take your fingerprints to conduct an FBI background check, but if privacy is not your primary concern, then getting seamen’s papers is a simple process of filling out a few forms and waiting for your documents to arrive. The seaman’s papers look like a passport and are accepted as such in many maritime countries. The TWIC card is issued by the TSA and looks like a drivers licenses, allowing you into any port in the country. It also provides special privileges in airport security lines and at small airports nationwide.

Once inside a port you will need to know which ships are departing soon and which may be detained by Coast Guard units. It’s important to have a handheld VHF radio. Available for around $100, a good VHF will give you access to channel 16, the communications frequency of the Coast Guard, and the port’s working channel. It will also pick up NOAA weather and emergency broadcasts as well as reports from vessels already out at sea.

The remaining problem is getting aboard a ship. One option is a program provided by the US Maritime Administration, known as MARAD. The Mariner Outreach System is a government database of mariners who are willing to help in the event of a national crisis. Registering for the program is simple and comes with no obligation. And there is one major advantage: If a crisis happens, you will be called to help move ships out of the port. MARAD also has programs for volunteers interested in emergency management but your best option is the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The auxiliary is best known for providing boaters awareness classes and assisting yachts within the confines of a harbor, but all members have access to two critical things: boats and uniforms. The uniform of the auxiliary looks very similar to that of a navy officer and will pass as such to all but the trained eye so walking up the gangway of a ship, in uniform and willing to help, is an excellent way to get a free ride out of town. And if the big ships won’t let you aboard, you can commandeer a boat to assist in the evacuation efforts.

If government cooperation isn’t an option for you, consider volunteering at the port’s seaman church. Each major port has a recreation room and kitchen sponsored by a local and national religious organization which give foreign seaman a place to relax and make phone calls home. In the event of a terror strike, these organizations will be busy getting bibles and last minute supplies to the ships departing. They are also an excellent hub of information about each ship and the people who work aboard them.

Useful Information Links:

• Navy CBRD Manual
• Getting Seaman’s Papers, FAQ
• Getting A TWIC Card
• Mariner Outreach System (MOS)
• Seaman’s Church
• Coast Guard Auxiliary

If survival is important you I highly suggest you read  “Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life“ , which was a New York Times Bestseller and includes survival tips not found in any other book….  and stay tuned for Emergency the movie which is rumored to be starring Robert Downey Jr.!

Have a tip on survival at sea or suggestion for improving this post? Then please share it in the comments section below.

Damen PSV 3300

Norwegian shipowner World Wide Supply (WWS) has ordered another two PSV 3300 CD’s with Damen Shipyards. The two platform suppliers are added to the four that WWS announced to be built in December 2011. The extra vessels will be delivered end of 2013 and operated by Remøy Management AS.

Mr. Ståle Remøy, Managing Director of Remøy, says:

“We are glad we have been able to achieve another two ships from Damen of this modern design. With the special wave piercing bow and the extremely slim waterlines, these ships will have an increased operational window, higher transit speed, reduced fuel consumption and increased crew comfort. The living quarters are developed according to strict demands for noise reduction, which also improves comfort and safety for the crew. We have a lot of faith in these new vessels and are looking forward to service the offshore market.”

The PSV 3300 CD design, one of Damen’s new offshore support series, is developed to service oil and gas rigs safely and economically, especially in adverse weather conditions.

Jan van Os, Product Director Offshore, says:

“We’ve aimed for a ‘workhorse’, a PSV with excellent seakeeping qualities, low maintenance and in line with the latest Clean Design and Environmental Protection requirements of the major classification societies. Also, it should be an efficient vessel for the crew to operate and to live on when at sea. As to maintenance, it should be low. For example, we’ve reduced the number of angles to achieve this. This has resulted in long smooth lines, which has a positive effect on the durability of coatings, reduces the formation of rust etc.”

The PSV 3300 is designed according to Damen’s E3 principles: Environmentally friendly, Efficient in operation and Economically viable. Hull shape, coatings, the location of oil tanks, refrigerants, recovery of waste heat and engine emissions have all been thoroughly researched and (re-)designed accordingly in order to create cost efficient, emission friendly offshore supply vessel.

K-Pos DP Simulator Basic Trainers. Image: Kongsberg

As gCaptain first reported in August, American Maritime Officers’ (AMO) union training facility, STAR Center, has announced plans expand its simulation training programs to include Dynamic Positioning training, furthering the maritime union’s sphere of influence within the Gulf of Mexico drilling industry.

Today, AMO has revealed some more details about the program, including its launch date of March 2012, in addition to enrollment requirements and the selection process.

AMO says that STAR Center will offer Basic (Induction) and Advanced (Simulator) DP courses that will satisfy classroom requirements for full Nautical Institute DP Operator certification and adds that its officers will have the ability to sail aboard AMO-contracted vessels with full DP classification to earn the required sea time for certification.

“The demand is expanding rapidly for officers with DP certification and unlimited licenses that include the STCW Officer in Charge endorsement,” said AMO National President Tom Bethel. “With the premier training available at STAR Center, AMO is poised to be a leading source in DP markets facing a growing shortage and a deepening need.”

For the program, STAR Center teamed up with Kongsberg Maritime Simulation to acquire a dual-redundant Advanced K-Pos DP trainer, in addition to six Basic K-Pos trainers.

The advanced trainer includes an instructor station and bridge simulator based on the Kongsberg K-POS DP22, a dual redundant DP system designed for all DP applications with a full range of functionality. The system is designed to satisfy class notations equivalent to DP Class 2, including dual redundancy, no single-point failure; failure detection; fault isolation; switchover to hot standby; and comparison of sensor data between computers.

Brian Long, Director of STAR Center in Dania Beach, FL, previously praised their choice to go with Kongsberg systems, as the company “dominates the industry in the Gulf of Mexico”.

In addition to the Basic and Advanced DP systems, STAR Center will also receive four DP Models, three of which will be twinned with three Polaris “ownship” models for use on STAR’s existing Full Mission bridge. DP models include a supply vessel, a semi-submersible, a tanker and a drill ship.

Of course, AMO’s move into the Gulf has not come without harsh criticism from current Gulf workers for fear of driving down wages.

AMO insists that the program is primarily geared to provide flexible manning options for operating companies under existing contracts with AMO and to provide an array of options for vessel managers looking for individual officers to fill key positions or an entire complement of skilled and certified officers.  One of AMO’s manning strategies includes the hiring of officers through a partnership with PRONAV Offshore Services, seeking to fill vacancies for senior officers looking to sail aboard drill ships.

AMO says that initial plans for the program call for four basic DP courses and four advanced DP courses at STAR Center in 2012, and additional courses will be scheduled based on the needs of AMO members and contracted operating companies.

Additional details about AMO’s DP training parameters and requirements can be found HERE.

Craig Dwayne Cormier, 36, along with a coworker, was caught in crossfire and shot in the head while on a boardwalk in the eastern state of Sucre, Venezuelan authorities said in a statement.

Officials said the man who open fired on a group of people, killing Cormier, has been arrested.

Violent street crime is rampant in Venezuela, which according to the nonprofit Venezuelan Violence Observatory posted a record number of homicides last year with at least 19,336 people killed. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime has said that the murder rate has more than doubled in the nearly 13 years since President Hugo Chavez took over. It remains a hot topic ahead of the October presidential election.

The attorney general’s office said Cormier had arrived in Venezuela just two days before the shooting to repair a boat named Turquoise, which serves an offshore oil rig owned by state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela, or PdVSA. An InterMoor spokesman wasn’t available for comment when the office was reached after business hours.

InterMoor is part of the Acteon group of companies, which provide oil and gas field services.

-Kejal Vyas, Dow Jones Newswires

The hull structure of a semisubmersible, minus the topsides structure, image courtesy Drydocks World

DUBAI (Dow Jones)–Drydocks World, Dubai’s shipyard arm, is considering the sale of its entire Southeast Asian ship-building and repair operations in an effort to advance the restructuring of $2.2 billion of the company’s debt, three bankers familiar with the situation said.

The bankers said that auditors have conducted an analysis of the Asian assets and are currently reviewing a wide range of candidates interested in purchasing some or all of the operations. They said that Drydocks is preparing to draw up a shortlist of potential bidders, which include ship repair and ship building specialists.

“The company is pursuing a sale of the Southeast Asian business, there are plenty of candidates that have expressed an interest,” said one of the bankers familiar with the talks. Drydock’s Asian operations consist of four shipyards in Singapore and Indonesia, specializing in rig building, shipbuilding, repair and conversion.

In a statement, Drydocks didn’t comment specifically on whether it plans to sell its Southeast Asian business but said it “will continue to explore opportunities and seek to develop the best path forward to its operation.”

“The company has said and from inception that it will re align and rationalize its operation,” the Drydocks statement added.

Drydocks purchased the Southeast Asian assets in 2007 for about $2.2 billion, backed by financing from a wide syndicate of local and international banks. Drydocks, like a number of government controlled companies in Dubai, borrowed heavily to purchase assets just before the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008. Though its shipyard in Dubai has been thriving, the performance of the Asian businesses has been disappointing, bankers said.

Talks on restructuring the company’s debt have been underway since mid-2010, but progress has been slow. Last year, the Dubai government turned down a request that it provide a guarantee for the debt.

HSBC, Standard Chartered, Lloyds TSB, ING, DBS and Mashreq are the members of a coordinating committee leading the restructuring talks, one of the bankers said, while McKinsey is acting as an advisor to Drydocks.

Bankers said that the sale of the Southeast Asian assets would provide cash to help pay back the Drydocks debt, but it could also raise difficulties in that the company is likely to only get only a small fraction of what it originally paid for the assets in any sale.

The company and its bankers would need to discuss how to bridge the gap between what it can fetch for the Asian business and the original purchase price, the bankers said.

Moreover, valuing the Southeast Asian assets is complicated because potential bidders have signaled interest in different parts of the business. It is also hard to assess the value of the vessels that are currently under construction in the company’s Southeast Asian shipyards, they said.

But a sale of the Asian business, while far from certain, would mean the company’s focus will shift again to the Dubai-based shipyard, which is considered much more commercially viable and therefore could gain easier access to funding for now and once the debt restructuring talks are completed.

Drydocks is a ship-building and repair company based in Dubai and owned by Dubai World, which in turn is controlled by the government of Dubai. Dubai World finalized a $25 billion debt restructuring in 2011 that didn’t include Drydocks.

Drydocks chairman Khamis Juma Buamim was quoted in December as saying that the company hopes to complete a deal on its debt restructuring by the end of March, and is considering joint ventures in Asia to improve the business.

But bankers said that a complete sale of the assets is now the company’s priority. “Establishing joint ventures is still the way forward in the scenario a sale doesn’t materialize,” said one of the bankers familiar with the talks.

-By Nicolas Parasie, The Wall Street Journal

Amidst the fears of Global Economic Turmoil, the ship breaking yard in India at Alang in Bhavnagar District in Gujarat state is all set to demolish 400+ vessels, in financial year 2011-12.

New vessels ordered in year 2006-2007-2008 are all set for deliveries by 2012, adding Global Shipping capacities by 25%, whereas on the flipside, freight-rate reductions and the global economic slowdown will result in a large number of ships to be destined for India’s ship breakers.  According to Bloomberg |UTV, they anticipate more than 180 million gross tons of the global shipping fleet, mainly comprised of vessels older than 20 years, will be made available for demolition.

Regulatory issues in Bangladesh and a high cost of breaking ships in China makes Alang a favorite destination for ship breaking.  Significant economic factors play into this as well considering India’s current  ban on iron-ore mining, and an infrastructure that is particularly suited for the consumption of scrap steel.

The depreciating Indian Rupee is becoming a factor however, as it is now becoming more and more cost-prohibitive to purchase vessels for demolition, in particular, non-Indian ships.

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M/T Samho Dream

The shipping industry has certainly seen better days, which for some shipowners, has put them in a financial bind.  A recent example is the VLCC Samho Dream which was recently sold at auction after the owner defaulted on it’s bank loans.

So what happens with the crew in that situation?

In Thome Ship Management’s December newsletter, they talked with two of their captains on that very subject, here’s what Captain Jeevan N Thombre of MT HERO 1, and Captain Lakshman Kumar of MT Leander had to say:

Both vessels, being part of the same fleet, were arrested on 12 August 2011.

1. What happened when the vessels were arrested?

Captain Jeevan N Thombre (JNT): Once arrested, a security guard was placed onboard our vessel. He was joined by a Solicitor and an officer from the Sheriff’s office. In accordance with the High Court of the Republic of Singapore, a warrant was issued against the vessel and a copy of the warrant was given to me and a copy was displayed on the bridge.

2. What does it mean when the ship gets arrested?

JNT: It simply means the ship is not allowed to move from its present position. A security guard is kept onboard to make sure the vessel does not leave the port and no one is allowed to visit the vessel without prior approval from the sheriff’s office.  However, there were no restrictions for the crew. Shore leave / Sign-on sign-off can be carried out after getting approval from the sheriff’s office.

Captain Lakshma Kumar (LK): It also means that the Owner, Master and Managers all have no authority to make any decision over the ship, crew and even the supplies of provisions.  Fortunately our own Owners/Managers have taken the initiative to request for provisions, bunkers and urgent stores at a fortnight interval applying through the Sheriff’s Office for approval.

3. What did you do onboard while the ship was arrested? How did you pass your time?

JNT: Although the ship was arrested, we were still carrying out our routine jobs and trying to keep the vessel ready for trading at any time when required.

LK: For me, other than carrying out my usual duties, most of the time I was trying to find ways to boost the morale of my crew. I assured them that no one is going to lose any money working with Thome. I have been working with the company for a long time and I have never experienced any irregularities in the settlement of monthly wage or final BOW. For this tenure though, they might expect some delays in getting their MPO/Allotments.

4. How was Thome supporting you as the Captain when the ship was under arrest?

JNT: Thome supported me as the Captain to sort out all the requirements for the safety of the ship and the crew.

LK: Thome has been supporting me as and when I require their assistance that is why I am with them for the last 10-11 years and proud to be part of them.  However in this kind of situation, I know their hands are tied as everything requires the approval of the sheriff or the solicitor.

5. What advice would you give to other captains in the event their ship was under arrest?

JNT: Keep up the morale of the crew

LK: I agree. Let your crew understand that you are in the same predicament as the Master is part of the crew as well and help your crew meet their basic needs (i.e. wages owed, food and fresh water and bunker).

Headquartered in Singapore, Thome Shipmanagement is a niche provider of personalized, high quality, and specialized shipmanagement services.  Thome manages vessels and and provides officers and ratings under the flags of Singapore, Bahamas, Panama, Liberia, UK, Marshall Islands, and Indonesia, as well as the NIS and DIS registeries.  

A Maltese-flagged cargo ship caught fire yesterday while stuck in heavy ice in the Azov Sea.  The vessel, the M/V Captain Ivan Vikulov, sent a distress signal to maritime authorities in the Ukraine Sunday morning requesting assistance.

The icebreaker, Kapitan Moshkin, along with a helicopter were dispatched to the scene to rescue 14 Russian crew members on board. 10 crew members were evacuated by helicopter as 4 remained onboard to fight the fire. The four were later forced to retreat to the icebreaker as the fire engulfed the vessel.

The news agency Interfax has reported that the fire has been extinguished and that the vessel is currently at anchor some 50 km off the coast near the village of Strilkove. Interfax also reported that the Captain Ivan Vikulov was heading from Algeria to Rostov-on-Don but has been blocked by ice since January 28.