Maximum scheduling flexibility through Extended Dry Docking (EDD)
A new Extended Dry Docking (EDD) option for container vessel, general cargo ships and multi-purpose dry cargo vessels has been introduced by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) to acknowledge longer lasting coatings.
GL offers owners and operators the chance to extend the dry-docking period from five to seven-and-a-half-years. This option provides maximum scheduling flexibility while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. Owners who previously would have had to look for an available dry-docking facility each five years can now have their ship inspected at dock-side.

The Paris MOU has introduced a New Inspection Regime (NIR) which shifts from a target of inspecting 25% of individual ships calling at each member state to a shared commitment to achieving full coverage inspection of all ships visiting ports and anchorage in the Paris MOU region.

30 July 2010 until 06 August 2010
Uncertainty prevails, directionless, and above all, no clear sign that we have left the worst past?us. However optimism is here as there is some momentum in the Supramax markets and some extra steam in the Capesize markets as more cargoes and more demand are there especially after the second half of week31 went through.

Infomarine On-Line Technical Library

File	Description	File size
Cotzias 2010 Week 31 Report 06 Aug.pdf	WEEK31 ‐ Dry Cargo Market “Highlights” – 30‐July‐2010 until 06‐August‐2010	550 Kb

The vessel suffered an explosion while outbound near the Strait of Hormuz, early last Wednesday.

Masahiko Hibino, the company’s tanker safety head, told Bloomberg in Tokyo that the vessel was anchored off Fujairah.

He declined to comment on the cause of the blast on board the VLCC, which was initially thought to be as a result on an ‘attack’.

M.STAR (Marshall Islands) London, Jul 28 
A press report, dated today, states: Crude oil tanker M.Star (160292 gt, built 2008)  was damaged in an explosion near the strait of Hormuz today, causing a minor injury to one crew member,  the company said.

Emerging Indian maritime industry got a shot in the arm with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) becoming a full-fledged member of the International
Association of Classification Societies (IACS)

The IACS Council accepted the full membership application of IRS during the first day of its 61st Council Meeting in Hamburg last week. With this IRS joins the elite class body whose current 10 members collectively class over 90% of the world fleet.

Genco Shipping & Trading Limited (NYSE:GNK) is to acquire 16 Supramax vessels, including two newbuildings, from Setaf SAS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bourbon SA, for an aggregate purchase price of $545 million. Genco intends to retain 13 of the vessels, 12 of which are expected to be delivered to Genco in the third quarter of 2010, with the remaining vessel scheduled to be delivered in the first quarter of 2011.

ABS has enhanced and expanded its Rapid Response Damage Assessment Program (RRDA) that provides 24/7 technical support to enrolled vessels involved in a casualty.

Effective July 1, owners of all new ABS-classed tankers, bulk carriers, large gas carriers, containerships and tank barges will be offered free enrollment of these vessels in the program and fee-free service for the first year. The normal charge for developing the electronic model of the vessel that is used for conducting the damage stability calculations will be waived.

BP Plc says its containment cap on a seabed oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico has ramped up to collecting 11,100 barrels a day, according to the company's most recent tally.

As the global energy giant slowly increases that rate, it is moving to re-use equipment installed for a failed "top kill" attempt to siphon more of the leak and to interrupt containment efforts if a hurricane blows through the Gulf.