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Ore carrier Owari Maru recognized for contribution to marine weather forecasts

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Ore carrier Owari Maru recognized for contribution to marine weather forecasts. Image: NYK Line
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NYK-operated Owari Maru, an ore carrier, was awarded the Meteorological Agency’s Director-General Award on June 1 for the contribution the ship has made to meteorological business development by observing marine weather conditions and transmitting observation results over an extended period of time.

Every year, Japan’s minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, together with the director-general of the Japan Meteorological Agency, commend vessels that have participated in observing and reporting marine weather conditions, and NYK-operated vessels have now been awarded the Meteorological Agency’s Director-General Award for three consecutive years since 2018.

Owari Maru, which was recognized this year, has been in operation since 2007, annually transporting about 1.6 million tons of iron ore mainly from Australia to Japan.

NYK will continue to provide information on marine weather conditions to help ensure ship safety.

Vessel Particulars

Length Overall: 319.58 meters
Breadth: 54.00 meters
Designed Draft: 18.10 meters
Gross Tonnage: 113,928 tons
Deadweight Tonnage: 229,013 tons
Ship Management: Hachiuma Steamship Co. Ltd.

 

Observation of Marine Weather Conditions

Because oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface, they greatly affect world weather. However, meteorological data on oceans is limited, which creates “blind spots” in the meteorological observation of the world.

Meteorological data collection by vessels sailing oceans helps compensate for the shortcomings of meteorological surveys. Not only is data collection encouraged by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), data collection is also stipulated in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention) of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The underlying concept is that vessels navigating oceans help collect information on weather conditions in the oceans, and in exchange, oceangoing ships receive weather data from meteorological agencies around the world.

The method for ships transmitting weather data is standardized. Observation results of wind direction, atmospheric pressure and temperature, water temperature, the height of sea swells, and the types and heights of clouds, are all converted into numerical codes. This information is then distributed throughout the world via WMO’s international weather-data communication network. Based on such information, meteorological agencies around the globe compile meteorological data, such as weather charts, which are then fed back to traveling vessels.

Even vessels equipped with computers and other state-of-the-art devices need to be warned of dangerous weather conditions, such as typhoons and thick fog. On the other hand, even cutting-edge weather-forecast technology using the most sophisticated computers is of little use in the absence of meteorological data for vast oceans around the globe.

It may be said, therefore, that our day-to-day life on land, not to mention the safety of oceangoing vessels, benefits immeasurably from the meteorological data that are collected through this win-win relationship between land and oceans in the observation of weather conditions.

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Delivery of the fourth CLEANBU vessel

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Delivery of the fourth CLEANBU vessel. Image: Klaveness Combination Carriers
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Klaveness Combination Carriers ASA took delivery of the MV Baleen from New Yangzi Shipyard in China. The MV Baleen is the fourth of in total eight contracted CLEANBU combination carriers.

The CLEANBUs are unique vessels both in terms of design, their unprecedented environmental performance, operational and technical efficiency. These vessels have up to 40% lower CO2 emissions per ton mile transported cargo compared to standard vessels, in line with IMO’s 2030 targets for shipping.

With the delivery of the MV Baleen, Klaveness Combination Carriers will operate a fleet of 13 combination carriers. KCC has fixed-price options to contract an additional four CLEANBUs for delivery in 2022.

The start of trading of MV Baleen will be delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and quarantine regulations impacting the mobilization of crew. She is scheduled to load her first cargo of caustic soda during 2nd half of September.

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MOL introduces FOCUS project part Ⅲ: virtual ship visit application ‘Fleet Tour’

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MOL introduces FOCUS project part Ⅲ: virtual ship visit application ‘Fleet Tour’. Image: MOL
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Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced the release of the “Fleet Tour” virtual ship visit application using the Ricoh Theta, a 360-degree camera and the Theta 360.biz a virtual tour production service, both from Ricoh Company, Ltd. This is part Ⅲ of the FOCUS Project, following the “Fleet Viewer” application, which monitors vessel operation data, and “Fleet Performance” application that tracks vessel performance.

Ship management companies and operators can browse 360-degree onboard images and videos from anywhere using PCs and smart phones, and intuitively experience various places on the ship as if they were visiting in person.

MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd., an MOL Group core dry bulkship management company, has already adopted the application, in move to enhance the quality of their ship management services.

The MOL Group works to enhance safe operation by comparing fixed points in important areas such as the deck, cargo holds, and the engine room, and horizontally developing group-wide expertise and marine engineering know-how through addition of special notes on photographic images, in cooperation with MOLSHIP and other ship management companies that are familiar onboard operations and procedures.

MOL Group land-based employees have limited opportunities to visit all areas onboard giant vessels over 300m long, especially in relatively short in-person visits. This makes it hard to intuitively grasp the ship structure through drawings and conventional planar images. But the “Fleet Tour” application addresses such issues. In addition, the MOL Group expects this to be particularly effective as an ICT-based approach to vessel inspection, considering the difficulty of conducting in-person ship visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the FOCUS project, MOL continually strives to expand the development and adoption of applications that use in-service fleet operation data, with the aim of creating applications that grow along with users’ needs. The company seeks to offer stress-free transport services with greater safety and reduced environmental impact.

MOL introduces FOCUS project part Ⅲ: virtual ship visit application 'Fleet Tour'

MOL introduces FOCUS project part Ⅲ: virtual ship visit application ‘Fleet Tour’. Image: MOL

MOL introduces FOCUS project part Ⅲ: virtual ship visit application 'Fleet Tour'. Image: MOL
MOL introduces FOCUS project part Ⅲ: virtual ship visit application ‘Fleet Tour’. Image: MOL

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Castor Maritime Inc. announces vessel acquisition

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Castor Maritime Inc. announces vessel acquisition. Image: Castor Maritime
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Castor Maritime Inc., a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels,
announces that it entered, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, into an agreement to purchase a 2010 Japan-built Panamax dry bulk carrier for a purchase price of $12.75 million from an unaffiliated third party seller.

The acquisition is expected to be consummated by taking delivery of the vessel sometime in the
end of the third quarter / beginning of the fourth quarter of this year and is subject to the
satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions.

Petros Panagiotidis, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Castor,
commented:

“We are very pleased that we have been able to utilize further our recently raised capital by
agreeing the acquisition of our fifth vessel, in a very short time since the acquisition of our
fourth. We are making swift progress on our expansion and renewal plan that we set in place
last year and are actively continuing to assess the various opportunities presented to us. Our key
goal continues to be the further expansion of our fleet and the deployment of our readily
available liquidity in the most prudent and favorable way for our shareholders.”

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