It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Strike at Las Bambas mine to end on Thursday
Reuters | November 28, 2023 | Las Bambas is one of Peru’s largest copper producers, accounting for around 2% of global supply. (Image courtesy of MMG Instagram.)
A workers union at Peru’s large Las Bambas copper mine, owned by China’s MMG Ltd, began a two-day strike on Tuesday to demand greater profit sharing and better transport conditions, said the union’s secretary general Erick Ramos.
The mine is one of Peru’s largest copper producers, while the country itself is the No. 2 producer worldwide.
The strike, originally organized for an indefinite period, will end on Thursday at 5:30 a.m. local time, Ramos said on Tuesday afternoon.
“The labor authority declared the strike improper and, in order to avoid reprisals against the workers, it was decided to shorten the duration of the protest,” Ramos said in an interview with Reuters.
“The company does not want to consider our demands, and the relationship between the company and the union has broken down,” Ramos added.
Representatives for Las Bambas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ramos said in an interview that the union is demanding additional compensation after being informed by the company that “profits will be halved this year” and therefore there would be fewer benefits for employees under the profit-sharing scheme.
Slightly more than half of the 2,000 workers employed at the mine are part of the union, according to Ramos.
Las Bambas put out 221,160 metric tons of the red metal from January to September this year, nearly 22% more than the same period a year ago, according to Peru’s mining ministry.
Production at the copper mine has been recovering after a stoppage earlier this year caused by anti-government protests blocking an access road.
Las Bambas has a history of work stoppages due to protests by nearby Indigenous communities calling for more benefits from the mine.
(By Marco Aquino and Kylie Madry; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Sarah Morland and Aurora Ellis)
Workers at MMG’s Las Bambas mine go on indefinite strike
Reuters | November 28, 2023 | Las Bambas mine in Peru is considered the world’s ninth-largest copper mine. Its production, however, has been curtailed by ongoing protests. (Image courtesy of Minera Las Bambas).
A workers union at Peru’s large Las Bambas copper mine, owned by China’s MMG Ltd, on Tuesday went on strike for an indefinite period, said the union’s secretary general Erick Ramos.
Las Bambas workers are demanding greater profit sharing and better transport conditions.
The mine is one of Peru’s largest copper producers, while the country itself is the No. 2 producer worldwide.
Las Bambas put out 221,160 metric tons of the red metal from January to September this year, nearly 22% more than the same period a year ago, according to Peru’s mining ministry.
Ramos said in an interview that the union is demanding additional compensation after being informed by the company that “profits will be halved this year” and therefore there would be fewer benefits for employees under the profit-sharing scheme.
Slightly more than half of the 2,000 workers employed at the mine are part of the union, according to Ramos.
Representatives for Las Bambas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Production at the copper mine has been recovering after a stoppage earlier this year caused by anti-government protests blocking an access road.
Las Bambas has a history of work stoppages due to protests by nearby indigenous communities calling for more benefits from the mine.
(By Marco Aquino and Kylie Madry; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Sarah Morland)
First Quantum says two contractors died in Zambia
Reuters | November 27, 2023 | Kansanshi, one of the largest copper mines in Zambia. (Reference image by mwmbwls, Flickr.)
Canada’s First Quantum Minerals said on Monday two people died at its Zambian operations last week.
The miner said a worker from its contracting partner, Reliant Drilling, died at First Quantum’s Kansanshi operations following a fall of ground due to an underground dewatering decline on Thursday. In a separate incident on Friday, a contractor was killed in a light-vehicle accident at Sentinel mine, First Quantum added.
First Quantum has been facing massive protests since the Panama government signed a new contract for the company’s Cobre Panama mine, amid allegations of corruption and lack of transparency in the negotiations.
The company has denied any wrongdoing.
(By Arunima Kumar; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Australian company revives its push for a controversial coal mine in Alberta
Emma Graney - The Globe and Mail | November 24, 2023 | Alberta rockies. Stock image. A company whose application for a coal mine in Alberta was rejected two years ago is back – with a new name, and an updated request to explore its lease in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Northback Holdings Corp., formerly Benga Mining Ltd., is a subsidiary of Australian mining giant Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd. It is again eyeing a potential mine at Grassy Mountain, submitting applications to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) for a 105-day exploratory drilling program and a request for a water diversion.
Northback told The Globe and Mail in an e-mail that those activities would collect technical data and allow it to assess the merits of miningthe metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel.
Grassy Mountain is on the site of an old mine that closed about five decades ago. The new, open-pit mine that Benga proposed for the land forecast production of 93 million tonnes of metallurgical coal over a 23-year life.
A joint federal-provincial regulatory panel rejected Benga’s Grassy Mountain application in 2021, finding that the project would likely result in significant adverse effects on the environment and on some First Nations, which outweighed any economic benefits. The Alberta Court of Appeal denied the company’s request to appeal that regulatory decision.
Northback’s push to develop Grassy Mountain comes at a time of renewed focus on coal mining in Canada, with Teck Resources Ltd. agreeing to sell its coal business to Swiss commodities trading giant Glencore PLC and two Asian steelmakers in an $8.9-billion transaction.
Critics question why the AER is entertaining the company’s applications, which it filed in August, when Benga’s plan for the same site was rejected two years ago.
Environmental groups, local ranchers and those living in the Oldman River watershed, downstream from Grassy Mountain, have a long list of concerns about the impact of coal mines in the eastern slopes.
The main one is water. Southwestern Alberta is in the grip of severe drought. Water levels are at unprecedented lows with shortage advisories issued across the region.
Laura Laing and her husband, John Smith, operate Plateau Cattle, a third-generation ranch outside Nanton, and graze their cattle on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Some of the streams and tributaries that help feed their operation have dried up, and this year – for the first time in its history – the ranch was unable to harvest even a single bale of hay.
“Coal is a thirsty business,” Ms. Laing said in an interview. But with water drying up, where would an allocation for Grassy Mountain even come from?
“To even think about accepting an application for water diversification for the purpose of coal exploration in the Oldman River basin is just ludicrous,” she said.
It’s not just the quantity of the water that worries her, but the effect a coal mine would have on the quality of it. Selenium can be toxic to fish populations, for example, and runoff of coal-mining waste often releases large quantities of the contaminant.
Northback’s applications have reopened what was a fiery debate in Alberta just two years ago.
In 2021, intense public backlash – including a court challenge and vocal rallying by Alberta country-music star Corb Lund – led more than 100,000 people to sign petitions demanding the government bring back the 1976 Coal Policy land protection rule, which it had scrapped the year prior. While some communities and First Nations support mining for its economic benefits, tearing up the coal policy had made it easier for companies to pursue open-pit projects on formerly protected fragile lands and watersheds flanked by the Rocky Mountains.
The government ended up halting exploration for coal on a swath of sensitive land, cancelled a series of leases earmarked for potential new mines, and struck a committee to consult with Albertans on new coal-mining rules.
An order by then-energy minister Sonya Savage in 2022 extended the ban on coal exploration, and directed the AER to suspend approvals and refuse new applications for exploration and development on other designated land in the foothills – unless they were related to an advanced coal project or an active approval.
Northback points out that the Grassy Mountain project has advanced status. The AER, however, said in an e-mail that it has not yet determined whether Grassy Mountain is an advanced coal project. Only then will it carry out a full technical review of the application.According to the AER, advanced coal projects include those where applicants have submitted a project summary to the regulator to determine whether an environmental impact assessment is required.
If a mine goes ahead, Northback said, “it will be a world leader in mining technology and environmental stewardship.”
When the previous mine ceased operations in the 1970s, the owners made no effort to clean up the site, Northback added. The company said reopening Grassy Mountain would allow it to “implement a world-class reclamation plan to redevelop the land for future use by Albertans.”
Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean said in an interview that he won’t try to influencethe work of the AER.
“I’ve got to have an open mind, because it’s not my decision,” he said.
And while he wouldn’t commit to introducing any further rules to lessen the effects of coal mining, he said, “We can’t risk our environment and our drinking water.”
Ms. Laing says the fact the Grassy Mountain project is being reconsideredhas eroded Albertans’ patience and trust.
“We have a new government in place that has the opportunity to do the right thing, but once again, we’re back in this grey area,” she said. “Coal development is not something that’s going to be accepted in the Rocky Mountains.”
Editor’s Note:
(Nov. 21, 2023): This story has been updated to reflect the fact that, despite Northback’s claim that the Grassy Mountain project has advanced status, the Alberta Energy Regulator says it has not yet determined the project’s status.
AUSTRALIA Sandfire Resources apologizes for Aboriginal heritage damage
DeGrussa copper-gold operations’ plant. (Image courtesy of Sandfire Resources.)
Sandfire Resources (ASX: SFR) said on Thursday it had become aware it had destroyed Aboriginal artefacts at its Western Australia-based DeGrussa copper operations, which were placed on care and maintenance in the June 2023 quarter.
The damage happened in 2017 and 2018 at Sandfire’s Monty copper mine, 900 kilometres (559 miles) north east of Perth. The company attributed the accident to a “series of process failures” during the construction of a satellite mine.
Chief executive Brendan Harris said he was “extremely sorry” and noted his company had informed traditional owners and the state’s heritage regulator.
“Our local communities are of critical importance to us and we will work hard to rebuild our relationship with the Traditional Owners,” Harris said.
The copper miner said it had launched an investigation to determine where its processes failed and to identify where it can improve its approach to historical matters.
Processing at the DeGrussa operations, which comprises the DeGrussa and Monty cooper-gold mines, ended in May this year and activities have been halted since.
The review that uncovered the artefact scatter disturbance was part of the company’s efforts to sell the DeGrussa operation.
The Western Australian mining complex was a success story when it began, as it achieved or surpassed production guidance for 10 years straight. DeGrussa also helped Sandfire evolve from junior explorer to mid-tier copper producer in less than four years. Juukan Gorge on repeat
Mining giant Rio Tinto drew the ire of traditional owners and international backlash in 2020 after the company decided to destroy ancient Aboriginal heritage sites in Western Australia to make room for a mine expansion.
Rio Tinto was ordered to compensate the traditional owners for the destruction of the 46,000-year-old sacred caves and to rebuild them.
The world’s second largest miner had received government permission for the blasts through the 1972 Aboriginal Heritage Act, which had been under review since 2012.
Western Australia passed new Aboriginal heritage protection laws in July this year, but scrapped them just five weeks later as farmers, Indigenous groups and mining explorers all said there was significant uncertainty over how the complicated, proscriptive new laws would be implemented.
In September this year, Rio admitted once again to damaging a rock shelter in Western Australia’s Pilbara region while blasting at a nearby iron ore mine. The company did not issue a public statement for seven weeks.
90-Year-Old Tall Ship Danmark May Shut Down Due to Funding Issues
The training ship Danmark has had its share of unfortunate news over the past two years, and it has more: it may be forced to end operations after next year due to budgetary constraints.
The 1933-built Danmark is a three-masted, full-rigged school ship homeported in Copenhagen. It is owned by the Danish government and run by a maritime academy for use in training ordinary seamen. When under way, it has capacity for up to 80 students at a time.
Danmark serves as an overseas ambassador for the Danish state, and receives budgetary support from the government. That budget has not risen fast enough to keep up with inflation, according to the operators, and the ship may be forced to shut down after 2024.
"It has been too low for a long time. And it continues to be," said program director Pia Ankerstjerne, speaking to Denmark's TV2. "We can see that it will continue with the same funding, and [$440,000-$590,000] are therefore missing. When we dock next year, we simply won't have enough to be able to operate the ship in 2025."
The Danmark has had a difficult run over the last several years. In February 2022, a 23-year-old crewmember fell from the rigging and died during a shipyard period at the port of Assens, according to local police.
Later the same year, in September 2022, the Danmark sustained minor damage when it struck the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul at a pier in Baltimore, Maryland. The sailing ship was under tow by two tugs when she struck some pilings alongside the pier, then made contact with the warship's hull. No injuries were reported, and the LCS suffered only minor damage.
Isle of Scilly Ferry Rejects Takeover Approach from Harland & Wolff
Scillonian III has been running since 1977 maintaining the vital service to the UK mainland (ISSCL)
Harland & Wolff Group has taken the rivalry with the management of the Isle of Scilly Steamship Company up a notch offering to buy the ferry operator after its designs for new ferries were rejected. The famed shipbuilding developed designs for replacement ferries for the company and later proposed possibly launching a rival ferry service after the Isle of Scilly Steamship Company selected a French shipyard to build its new vessels.
The ferry operator reported in a stock exchange filing yesterday, November 23, that it had “received and unequivocally rejected” a preliminary approach by Harland & Wolff regarding a possible offer to acquire the company through a stock acquisition. The company traces its origins back to when the residents of the Isles of Scilly which lies about 30 miles off the coast of England came together in 1920 to form a company to maintain transport services between the island and the British mainland.
Today, the company operates two small prop planes as well as a ferry built in 1977, a cargo ship built in 1981, a small interisland boat to move freight, and an RIB for mail service. The 46-year-old ferry provides a vital link for the islands carrying over 100,000 passengers and tourists annually. The only competition is a small helicopter operation.
The company went public this year with a plan to replace its existing vessels with custom-designed ships for the passenger and cargo services. The ferry company announced it would privately fund the work if the government did not agree to the proposal. They selected France’s Piriou to build the new ferry.
Harland & Wolff contend the route between the Isles of Scilly to Penzance is “significantly underserved,” according to statements from John Wood, CEO of the company. In August, he unveiled their designs for the new vessels and said they were considering a plan with government assistance to launch a competing ferry operation.
Harland & Wolff said in a statement in response to the Steamship Company, that it “believes there is a clear strategic, operational and financial rationale for the proposed acquisition in pursuit of this and is disappointed that the board of ISSCL unequivocally rejected this proposal. The board of Harland & Wolff continues to consider their options.”
The shipbuilder confirmed that it had made an indicative and preliminary approach (typical of how unsolicited takeovers begin in the UK) for a possible cash offer for the capital of ISSCL. It appears to be a thinly traded stock on the Asset Match system with monthly share auctions and a market value of approximately £5.7 million ($7.2 million). Harland & Wolff Group trades in London with a current market value of approximately £21 million ($26 million).
Commenting on the proposal the Steamship Company said its board “does not believe that the approach from H&W is in the best interests of the company’s shareholders.” The shareholders are “strongly advised” to take no action in relation to the preliminary approach from H&W at this time.
Under the UK’s Takeover Code, the confirmation of the approach triggers an “offer period.” Harland & Wolff is now required by December 21 to either announce its firm intention to make an offer or to confirm that it does not plan to proceed with an offer.
Maersk Supply Services Extends Support of Ocean Plastics Clean Up Mission
Maersk Supply Service operates two vessels to support The Ocean Cleanup (Maersk Supply Service)
Maersk Supply Service and A.P. Moller–Maersk are extending their support of the non-profit group The Ocean Cleanup for another year as they work to complete the critical validation of a system that will be used to collect plastic from the world’s oceans. When the technology and system have been validated, The Ocean Cleanup believes it will be able to raise support from the public, governments, and other foundations to significantly scale up its operation from 2025 onwards.
Since 2018, Maersk Supply Service has supported The Ocean Cleanup with maritime capabilities and vessels. The parent company A.P. Moller-Maersk and Maersk Supply Service are providing logistics and marine activities to the non-profit while it has been testing different technologies and working to refine its systems.
The next step for The Ocean Cleanup is to validate the system from an engineering and ecological perspective, allowing it to demonstrate that there is a viable technology available to clean the oceans from plastics. The system validation is expected to be finalized by the end of 2024 and will include an environmental review of the impact of plastic pollution versus the greenhouse gas emissions of vessels involved.
Maersk Supply Service and A.P. Moller–Maersk will provide support to the program which includes project management. The company is also operating two anchor handling vessels as well as undertaking logistics services for waste collection and transportation for recycling. At the same time, the A.P. Moller Foundation will be providing a one-time grant to The Ocean Cleanup.
Robert M. Uggla, CEO of A.P. Moller Holding and Chair of A.P. Moller–Maersk said “The Ocean Cleanup holds an important mission to remove plastics from the oceans, one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Today plastic pollution impacts hundreds of marine species and it contaminates the marine food chain with toxic pollutants. With this in mind, Maersk Supply Service, A.P. Moller – Maersk, and the A.P. Moller Foundation have decided to extend support to The Ocean Cleanup to finalize and validate their technology and system.”
The agreement between Maersk Supply Service, A.P. Moller–Maersk, and The Ocean Cleanup will run until the end of 2024.
Kongsberg & Thoma-Sea Deliver First U.S. Pollock Trawler in 30 Years
The first US-built trawler-processor for Alaskan pollock in over three decades, the 100m long Arctic Fjord, is on track to begin operations for 2024’s pollock A season in the Bering Sea. Like many U.S. shipbuilding projects, it had a strong element of international partnership: it was designed by Kongsberg Maritime and built by Louisiana’s Thoma-Sea Marine.
The vessel, which replaces Arctic Storm’s original 1974-built Arctic Fjord, is equipped for performance and efficiency. Kongsberg Discovery supplied the multibeam sonar, sounder, cameras and gear monitoring systems.
Kongsberg Discovery’s Jess Woodruff says that the equipment boosts the ship's extreme efficiency. “The result is a next-generation trawler-processor that will deliver excellent catches, outstanding environmental performance, and a strong return on investment for this forward-thinking shipowner.”
“It is our ambition to raise the bar with our newbuilds, providing vessels that deliver optimal results for our stakeholders, while minimizing their impacts on the environments where they operate. Efficiency is central to achieving those objectives," said Brett Johnson, VP, Arctic Storm. "We see this as the future of sustainable fishing today."
The Arctic Fjord is a Kongsberg Maritime trawler design. The vessel was Kongsberg’s first contract for a US-built vessel, and it is one of the largest fishing vessels designed by the firm. The Arctic Fjord has a high bollard pull of 110 tonnes for trawling, enabled by a single Bergen 7,200kW main engine and a Kongsberg 4.2 meter propeller.
The vessel was built at the Thoma-Sea yard in Louisiana. It incorporates a wave-piercing bow, which reduces fuel consumption and reduces slamming in rough seas. It has a crew capacity of 152, which means 48 cabins are incorporated into the design - many more than would be found on a Norwegian vessel.
Fincantieri Floats Environmentally-Advanced Cruise Ship for TUI Cruises
Mein Schiff Relax was towed from the building dock for fitting out before her late 2024 introduction (TUI)
Fincantieri marked another milestone in its cruise ship construction with the float out of the first ship being built for Germany’s Mein Schiff operated by TUI. After many years of building cruise ships in Finland, Mein Schiff which is a joint venture between TUI and Royal Caribbean Group, placed the order for the two new ships with Fincantieri, the first time either company has built a large cruise ship in Italy.
The new ship which is named Mein Schiff Relax will be approximately 160,000 gross tons when completed and one of the most advanced technologically with additional consideration for its environmental impact. The new ship is dual-fuel designed to run on LNG or marine gas oil (MGO), and only the second cruise ship Fincantieri has built for LNG. With the ship’s introduction in late 2024, TUI will join the growing list of cruise ship operators including Carnival’s AIDA, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa, and P&O Cruises, as well as Disney Cruise Line, Ponant, Havila, and Silversea Cruises, which are already operating LNG fueled cruise ships. Both Royal Caribbean International and Carnival’s Princess Cruises will also be introducing LNG-fueled ships in 2024.
The new ship will be the largest in the cruise line's fleet (TUI)
Fincantieri highlights that the order for the two cruise ships for TUI’s InTUItion class is based on a prototype project developed by the shipbuilder that consolidates modernity with sustainability. Energy efficiency was at the center of the project, with the vessels being built to also use the next generation of fuels including bio- or e-LNG, when it becomes available.
Other features incorporated into the design include heat recovery from the diesel generators as well as catalytic converters. The ship is also equipped to use shore power when it is in port. TUI highlights that its cruise ships spend as much as 40 percent of their time in port and the new ship will be able to operate emission-free while docked. The ship will also be equipped with an even more efficient innovative waste treatment system capable of transforming organic substances into charcoal through a thermal process.
Construction of the ship began in June 2022 with the first steel cut and she is being assembled at the company’s yard in Monfalcone, Italy. The vessel was given the traditional blessing and christening by a Madrina before the hull was floated and towed from the building dock on Monday, November 27.
Cruise ship being moved from the dry dock to the fitting out berth on November 27 (TUI)
In addition to being Mein Schiff’s first LNG-fueled cruise ship, she will also be the largest at 160,000 gross tons. She will accommodate 3,984 passengers and include a range of new amenities for the cruise line which is focused on the German-speaking market. TUI said the name was chosen to highlight the relaxation and well-being atmosphere and features of the ship which will include a large culinary variety as well as accommodations for solo travelers. The ship will also have a dedicated area for children and families.
TUI is moving aggressively forward with its efforts to reduce emissions. In addition to shore power, it has begun testing biofuel on its existing fleet. The company is also building the final ship in a prior class at Meyer Turku which will be introduced in mid-2024 as the seventh cruise ship of the line. While using a traditional propulsion plant they are also outfitting the vessel to be methanol-ready when it is launched.
Mein Schiff Relax will be the eighth cruise ship for the line and will enter service in late 2024. In 2025 she is scheduled to be cruising in the Western Mediterranean. She is to be followed by a sister ship from Fincantieri in 2026.
Low Air Draft Creates Whale of a Tale for Carnival Cruise Ship
Carnival Panorama with 15 passenger deck and her massive funnel is too tall to reach the shipyard (Fincantieri file photo)
Carnival Cruise Line is facing a “whale tail” of a problem for its cruise ship Carnival Panorama (133,596 gross tons) which is in urgent need of repairs. The cruise ship requires too much air draft to get to the only available nearby shipyard to repair the vessel and get it back into service in time for the busy holiday season cruises.
The Carnival Panorama, which is 1,055 feet in length and has 15 passenger decks, normally operates from Long Beach, California on cruises ranging between five and eight days to Mexico. In mid-November, on the first night of a cruise, she developed what the cruise line described as “steering and propulsion problems.” Passengers aboard wrote on social media that one of the cruise ship’s two engines failed leaving them with half power. Two ports had to be dropped from the cruise and the ship limped back to California.
Carnival initially said the ship would be out of service for four cruises and then extended to six reporting that the Carnival Panorama needed to be drydocked for repairs. The challenge, there are only a relatively small number of dry docks that can handle a 1,000-footer and even fewer available in the vicinity of Southern California that can accommodate an urgent job.
Vigor’s Portland shipyard on the Willamette River in Oregon was available. However, it requires a trip some 95 miles along the Columbia River with bridges between the yard and the ocean. The Carnival Panorama is too tall to clear at least one of the bridges to make it to the shipyard.
Docked in Astoria the cruise ship can not proceed up river because of the air draft and the bridge (Port of Astoria)
Carnival initially sent the cruise ship to Astoria, Oregon where she docked on November 15. According to reports, they were exploring all the contingencies to get the ship to the shipyard located on Swan Island. The solution was to remove a portion of the ship’s massive funnel widely known as the “whale tail” because of Carnival’s distinctive style with two extensions from the main funnel to vent exhaust toward the sides of the ship.
The original plan was to explore removing the portion of the funnel while the ship was docked in Astoria but now Carnival has determined that too was not possible. So, working with Victoria Shipyards in Canada, a new plan was hatched. The Carnival Panorama is making an out-of-season call in Victoria, British Columbia at the deep-water berth at Ogden Point. She arrived in Victoria on Monday evening, November 20. A large crane is being positioned alongside on the dock and crews are erecting scaffolding to remove a portion of the funnel and reduce the required air draft.
Look closely and you can see the scaffolding going up around the funnel (Greater Victoria Harbour Authority)
After the portion of the funnel has been removed, the cruise ship will proceed to Vigor’s yard in Portland, which will undertake the necessary repairs. The cruise ship has two 16,500 kW propulsion pods and five MAN diesel generators. It is unclear which ones need the repairs, but the goal is to get the work done, send the cruise ship back to Victoria to reassemble her funnel and get her back to Long Beach in time to run her December 23 Christmas holiday cruise and December 30 New Year’s cruise. Anxious passengers are holding their breath to see the ship back in service for their long-planned holiday cruises.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority reports it was pleased to assist and work with Western Stevedoring, Victoria Shipyards, Portland Shipyard, Carnival, and the crew of the Carnival Panorama to make it all happen. They even deferred planned out-of-season maintenance at Ogden Point to make the berth available for this unique operation.
Three-Year World Cruise Turns Into Cruise to Nowhere
AIDAaura which was linked to the three-year cruise was delivered to her new owners in mid-November (AIDA file photo)
The much ballyhooed three-year world cruise that was to offer a unique chance to live at sea has turned into a cruise to nowhere. CNN is reporting that it saw copies of a video and statement sent to passengers that the cruise was canceled because Life at Sea, a company set up by Turkish tour operator Miray Cruises, had failed to obtain a ship for the deferred sailing date of December 1.
The concept drew broad attention from the mainstream and international media promoting the idea of living aboard a cruise ship. The reports widely echoed the marketing promotions which highlighted the trip as a “first of its kind experience,” that would ultimately cover over 130,000 miles across all seven continents, 140 countries, and 382 ports. What’s more, the marketing said it was the “first reasonably priced, all-inclusive world cruise starting from only $77,026 per year based on double occupancy.”
The promotions said people could “Live, Work and Explore from their Home at Sea.” They were promised free medical visits, free WIFI, and the ability to invite friends and family to join in. The website also says, “Speak to your Tax Accountant about the advantages of being an international resident aboard a ship.”
According to the reports, 111 cabins had been reserved with CNN saying that people had sold or rented their homes and abandoned most of their possessions. Now they have vague promises from the company to pay for housing till December 1, airfare home, and eventual repayments in installments from mid-December till February 2024 according to CNN.
The report says passengers were informed their idyllic three-year voyage would not be sailing a day after Celestyal Cruises confirmed it had purchased the AIDAaura from Carnival Corporation. Reports are the Greek company paid $60 million for the cruise ship and they took possession before the sale was announced. Observers in Bremerhaven, Germany, immediately saw the new name Celestyal Discovery being painted on the ship and a change in registry to Malta. The 42,000 gross ton cruise ship departed Germany on November 21 apparently bound for Greece where she will be refitted for her 2024 entry into service.
Life at Sea had repeatedly assured its customers that it was awaiting the handover of the cruise ship reporting it was just taking longer than expected. However, by early October they admitted their crew had left the ship and that the handover and refit were delayed. Originally, the cruise was scheduled for a grand sendoff on November 1 from Istanbul, which was later moved to November 11 from Amsterdam or a vague offer to board when the ship reached Freeport in the Bahamas. The final reports said the departure would be November 30 before the company went silent.
Miray operates cruises from Turkey aboard the smaller ship Gemini (Miray)
The cruise was being promoted by Miray, a company based in Turkey that operates the smaller Gemini, a 19,000 gross ton cruise ship built in Spain in 1992 with 400 cabins for 800 passengers. Miray has been running cruises in the Mediterranean since 2021 with the ship and initially said it would be the basis for the three-year world cruise. However, last spring they said they were upgrading to a larger and more modern ship. While never naming the AIDAaura, the ship they were calling Laura was quickly matched to the 20-year-old cruise ship Carnival’s AIDA brand announced it was retiring in September. It is a larger cruise ship with 627 cabins and is designed to carry about 1,200 passengers.
CNN reports that the owner of Miray told them that he runs a small company and could not afford to pay $40 or $50 million for the ship but he had attracted investors. He blamed the attacks on Israel and the war against Hamas as undermining the plan and the investors backing out. He said they looked for another cruise ship but it was not possible to quickly obtain a third one.
Miray held out vague hope the company might try again in the future if it could find another cruise ship. For now, the first-of-its-kind three-year world cruise is instead a cruise to nowhere.
POSEIDON UNLEASHS THE KRAKEN
Black Sea Storm Disrupts Russian Navy's Operations
ONCE IN A 100 YEARS STORM
Heavy waves come ashore in Crimea, Nov. 26 (Anton Geraschenko)
The winter storm that caused multiple casualties in the Black Sea last weekend has also forced the Russian Navy to withdraw its surface combatants back into port, according to the Ukrainian armed forces.
The Institute for the Study of War reports that some of the region's abundant moored sea mines may have gone adrift in heavy weather, adding to the existing risk of encountering drifting explosive devices in the Black Sea. Multiple drifting mines have been reported in the western Black Sea since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and at least one floated ashore as far east as Batumi, Georgia. Several ships have been damaged by mine strikes, including the ill-fated freighter Kafkametler, which went down in severe weather off Turkey earlier this month.
The storm was the most powerful on record in Crimea, and it has reportedly damaged Russian coastal defenses in the Sevastopol region, according to Ukrainian officials. Rail lines used to support Russian forces have also been washed out in several locations.
According to naval analyst H.I. Sutton, satellite imagery appears to show that all of the diver-detection dolphin pens in the harbor at Sevastopol appear to have been washed away. Ukraine's navy has attacked the harbor multiple times using unmanned drone boats, and imagery appears to show that the storm took a heavy toll on the boom fencing system that the Russian Navy installed to keep out small craft.
On shore, 18 people were killed as a consequence of the high winds and extreme blizzard conditions in Ukraine and Russia. About 150,000 households were left without power around Ukraine in freezing-cold conditions, and Russia's energy ministry said that 1.9 million people were without power in Russian and Russian-controlled territories around the Black Sea's periphery.
The severe winter weather has had serious effects on merchant shipping. At least three vessels have been lost in the Black Sea and Aegean over the past 10 days; the Caspian Pipeline Consortium has suspended loading; and multiple groundings have been reported in Italy, Turkey and Russia. Ports in both Ukraine and Crimea have suspended grain exports due to heavy weather, and Russian officials have ordered the closure of the strategic Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Storms Close Bosporus and Drive Tanker Ashore in Istanbul
Crew of the grounded tanker was evacuated with a breeches buoy to shore (KEGM)
The powerful storms that have been impacting the Black Sea region spread to the south hitting Istanbul and the surrounding areas. Shipping in the region was impacted with the governor’s office ordering a suspension. A small tanker anchored offshore was also driven on to the rocks with the fire department, Coast Guard, and coastal security agency working to rescue the crew.
The storm brought with it strong southwest winds and torrential downpours of rain. Flooding was reported across the region with extensive damage to coastal areas and small boats.
The Governor of Istanbul ordered all ferry service suspended on Tuesday, November 28, and it remained suspended on Wednesday morning. Commuters that normally travel around the city and between Europe and Asia on ferries were forced to seek ground transportation to get to work. Traffic on the Bosphorus was also suspended and due to resume as of 16:00 on Wednesday.
During the height of the storm overnight on Tuesday, the captain of the tanker Kadriye Ana was heard on the radio pleading for assistance. The 2,400 dwt tanker had been riding anchor off Istanbul for the past few days. It began dragging its anchor during the storm with the captain pleading that they were going to be driven onto the shoreline.
“We are falling apart,” the media reports was the captain’s last transmission. The vessel, which was loaded with 600 tons of diesel fuel, suffered hull damage with reports saying it was taking water in its engine room. Two government tugs and a rescue vessel were sent to assist along with the local fire department.
The 11 crewmembers were evacuated on the shoreside of the vessel using a breeches buoy. The tugs reportedly worked to hold the vessel in place during the storm.
Today with high tide and improving weather conditions, the tugs were able to refloat the tanker. Pictures showed the vessel listing to starboard but afloat. Reports were that it was being towed to the shipyard in Tuzla for repairs.
