New CotaiJet Hong Kong-Macao ferry launched, then halted by legal dispute

Las Vegas Sands announced in early December that it had initiated its high-speed ferry service between Hong Kong's Macao Ferry Terminal at Shun Tak Centre and Macao's newly opened Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal.

Later on the service was suspended due to legal wrangles for a week and a half later. The operators were forced to suspend their new, high profile, high-speed ferry service due to legal challenges to their right to operate the Macao government-granted concession. The first CotaiJet, dubbed 'The Grand Canal Shoppes', departed from Macao to complete her inaugural voyage to Hong Kong, where she docked at Hong Kong's Macao Ferry Terminal at Shun Tak Centre. The CotaiJet three-vessel service at launch featured 20 sailings per day, ten each from Hong Kong and Macao, with service beginning at 7:00 a.m. each day. Each custom-built catamaran has the capacity to carry more than 400 passengers and operate at top speeds of approximately 42 knots.
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Gulf Craft delivers super yacht Majesty 130

Gulf Craft, the Middle East’s largest boat and yacht manufacturer, is delivering its top-of-the-range super yacht the Majesty 130.

Following successful completion of sea trials, the largest super yacht built in the Middle East is currently on its way to Australia. The proud owner of the 130 foot Majesty Yacht is an Australian businessman who selected Gulf Craft to build the Majesty Yacht which sleeps eight and features four cabins as well as quarters for six crew members plus a separate cabin for the captain. The Majesty 130 is the largest vessel in the Majesty Yachts class, which begins at the entry level Majesty 44. Featuring a twin set of 2000hp MTU engines; the super yacht has a fuel capacity of 33,500 liters with the capacity for extended ocean voyages with a maximum range of 3,000 nautical miles. The yacht will sail to her destination port in Queensland, Australia, via Oman, India, Maldives and Singapore.
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Goss plans wooden boat trip to Oz

Sailor and adventurer Pete Goss is getting ready to hit the water again, by sailing to Australia in a 36ft (11m) wooden fishing boat.

His trip will follow in the wake of seven Cornish seamen who completed the journey in a Cornish Lugger, called Mystery, more than 150 years ago. Mr. Goss is building a similar vessel in honor of the original boat. Devon-born Mr. Goss, 45, who now lives in Torpoint, Cornwall, has called his boat Spirit of Mystery in honor of the original vessel. In 1997, he became an MBE for the dramatic rescue of a fellow competitor in a round-the-world race. He said the project was something he had wanted to do since he heard about the voyage of the Mystery.

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CMA CGM makes US$307 million China deepwater port debut at Haicang

CMA CGM is to invest in the construction of a US$307 million deepwater container port at Xiamen's port of Haicang.

The investment, the French company's first in a Chinese port terminal, will strengthen its position in Xiamen, which it plans to establish as its transhipment hub for the whole of southern China. CMA CGM has a 30 percent stake in the consortium that is to build the new terminal, alongside Xiamen Haicang Investment and Hong Kong-based port infrastructure specialist New World Services. The French group said that the project will be finalized shortly, with the objective of bringing the new terminal into service in 2009.
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New oil and gas fields in Asia-Australia's Kipper to start 2011

A number of new oilfields are expected to start production in the coming years across Asia.

This is a partial list of the biggest known developments. All data are from the fields' operators, unless otherwise stated with an *. Output figures are production targets. Fields that have started are marked "S-". Fields, whose developments are pending approval, are indicated with Oil figures are in barrels-of-oil per-day (bopd). Gas figures are in million cubic feet/day (mcfd). The largest fields, with an oil output of 25,000 bopd or more, and gas output of 100 mcfd, are listed first.
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Captain's fat powers eco-friendly record bid

A New Zealand-built boat that runs on biodiesel - and the fat of the captain - is set to kick off an attempt to break the world speed record for circumnavigating the globe in a motorboat next year.

He 24m Earthrace, skippered by New Zealander Pete Bethune, will set off from Valencia, Spain, on March 1 and traverse the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Panama and Suez canals in its more than 24,000 nautical mile journey. Bethune will be attempting to break the current world record of 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes, established by the Cable and Wireless Adventurer boat in 1998. He has said he believes his trip could help promote biodiesel as a viable alternative to petroleum diesel. One attribute of the Earthrace boat is that it has the ability to "submarine" through waves, going up to 7m underwater, enabling it to maintain a higher average speed through big seas.
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Australia to watch whalers

Australia will send aircraft and a ship to watch Japanese whaling vessels off Antarctica.

The customs vessel that will shadow the Japanese fleet will not be armed. "It will be surveillance, not enforcement, or intervention," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said today. The Australian Antarctic Division would do the aerial surveillance, collecting video and photo evidence. The customs vessel Oceanic Viking would carry out surface surveillance in the Southern Ocean for 20 days. The Federal Government had sought advice over whether it could launch international legal action against Japanese whalers. Australia was also leading a formal diplomatic protest to the Japanese Government. That advice was expected early next year.
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