World's most luxurious boat builders to showcase latest designs in Dubai

Dubai will reaffirm its position as the region's leading showcase for luxury yachts and high-end craft, when the Dubai International Boat Show 2008 takes place at the Dubai International Marine Club - Mina Seyahi from 11-15 March.

DIBS will welcome over 800 participating companies and nearly 400 boats to this year's event, the highest number since the show was launched in 1992. A total of 10 superyachts will be talking pride of place at this year's event. Companies from every part of the industry, from boat-builders through to marine equipment, suppliers and service providers, are set to exhibit. The prestige and international positioning of this premier marine event, combined with the strong local demand for luxury boats, has propelled DIBS into a position where many of the world's leading boat-builders are competing for space. DIBS has become one of the world's primary show-grounds for superyachts, the outstanding 23 metres plus (82 feet) luxury craft that have come to represent the highest-end of the marine leisure market. Four of the worlds largest yachts - including the magnificent 160m Platinum - are now owned by individuals and organizations based in the Middle East. DIBS is sponsored Dubai Maritime City.

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Russia and India agree about aircraft carrier price

Russia and India have agreed to increase refit costs for the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, currently undergoing reconstruction at a shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkangelsk oblast.

The costs of modernizing the aircraft carrier will be announced in late March the Indian defense secretary Vijay Singh said. Vijay Singh, who has just returned from inspecting the Admiral Gorshkov, berthed at the Sevmash shipyard in north Russia for the last 12 years, said there would be "a substantial increase" in the "reworked estimate" for the modernization work on the carrier. "It should be completed by mid-2010. After that, it will undergo 18 months of extensive sea trials by the Russian navy to ensure all systems are working properly," he said. The defense secretary did not mention any figures but New Delhi is willing to pay another $600-800 million for the 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier. India contracted the $1.5 billion Admiral Gorshkov for its navy in 2004. Moscow has since demanded an additional $1.2 billion, which New Delhi replied was "exorbitant."

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Two Big Shipyards to be constructed in Pakistan

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir says there is a plan to construct two big shipyards in Pakistan.

One each at Gwadar on Balochistan coast and other at Korangi Creek in Karachi. Speaking at keel laying of first small-cum-utility ship at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works KSEW, he said these shipyards would be "fairly big ones. A great deal of work is going on in this regard." Admiral Tahir said it would be his desire to try and reactivate KSEW. Naval Chief, who is also Chairman, KSEW Board of Directors said he is doing whatever he could in this connection. "We also have the support of government and its functionaries for such a program," he stated.
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Macduff Shipyards design steel hulled trawler 'Daystar' BF 151

The latest design by Macduff Shipyards is the steel hulled trawler 'Daystar' BF 151, built for Colin Mitchell from Gardenstown and Steven West from Fraserburgh.

Arranged as a twin rig trawler the hull is a modified version of 'Amethyst' BF19, 'Uberous' FR50 recently built by the same yard. Layout and deck arrangements were refined to suit the owners’ requirements, including an additional bulkhead on the fish handling deck to isolate the winch area. The fish handling area was insulated and lined. The vessel will operate from Fraserburgh through Westward Fishing Company. The layout is conventional and the hull form double chine with bulbous bow and bulbous skeg forward of the propeller. The keel is arranged in box form to carry ballast, and profiled bilge keels are fitted. The steel deckhouse is fitted rail-to-rail athwarships and is weather tight. The rest of the deckshelter is non-weather tight and is constructed of steel aft of the deckhouse and aluminium alloy forward of the deckhouse. The main engine is a Mitsubishi S6R2 MPTK rated 400kw at 1350 RPM with a Reintjes WAF374 reverse reduction gearbox with 6.12:1 ratio, driving a 2000mm dia nozzle propeller. This combination gives a shaft speed of 220 RPM, which will increase towing efficiency. Macduff Diesels supplied the Mitsubishi engines.

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UK coastguards to strike next week

The first strike in the history of the UK coastguard will be held on 6 March for 24 hours.

At the centre of the dispute is the view that coastguard pay rates have fallen well behind those of other emergency services. The strike is about pay and up to 700 employees of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency will participate. It will affect the operations at 19 UK search and rescue centres and have an impact on emergency calls. It will not affect staff called out to cope with emergencies. The staffs are members of the Public & Commercial Services and the Prospect unions. The vote of the PCS members was 91% in favour of strike action. The key issues are actual pay levels and the fact that coastguards have slipped back in comparison with other emergency services such as police and ambulance. The base salary of a coastguard watch assistant is £12,097 ($23,974) which is around 25-30% below other emergency services as far as comparisons can be made. This dispute has running for 18 months already. If it is not settled, further one-day strikes will be held.

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Catamarans 24-metre 'Rottnest Spirit'

Perth operator Oceanic Cruises has taken delivery of the latest high-speed catamaran ferry from the shipyard of Sabre Catamarans, Australia.

At 24 metres in length, it is slightly larger than the 22-metre vessels performing in seas around the globe, yet its home is in the West. Aptly named 'Rottnest Spirit', the 209 passenger vessel operates between the Pier Street Jetty in the heart of Perth, with passenger pick up points in iconic Fremantle, before plying the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean to picturesque Rottnest Island, a voyage of just over 10 nautical miles. The new owners of Oceanic Cruises, Tim and Tammy Shuttleworth have ordered a second vessel , currently under construction at Sabre Catamarans yard in Spearwood. Rottnest Island is a popular destination for day trips, lazy days vacationing and for many thousands of visitors each year, for bicycling. 'Rottnest Spirit', or 'Spirit' as she's affectionately known by her crew, is fitted with a crane and luggage crates and has been designed to accommodate bikes comfortably. With all three Rottnest ferry companies having changed hands in recent months, the Shuttleworths are flagging their intention to pick up both the pace and standard of service to tourists and locals alike.
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