South Pacific

VARD to Build World's Largest Superyacht

Norwegian shipbuilding and design group VARD announced it has secured a contract to build the world's largest superyacht.At 33,500 GRT, with a length of 222 meters and a beam of 27 meters, the $600 million superyacht Somnio was unveiled Monday as the first ever residential "yacht liner", featuring 39 luxurious apartments for a select, secret group of ultra-wealthy travelers.Captain Erik Bredhe, co-founder of Somnio, is overseeing the project. He said, "Somnio, meaning 'to dream' in Latin…

Ponant to Acquire Paul Gauguin Cruises

Adding access to exciting itineraries and experiences for passengers of both brands.PONANT, the world leader of luxury expeditions to locations that only small ships can navigate, has announced its plan to acquire PAUL GAUGUIN CRUISES, the renowned specialist in sailings to exotic ports in French Polynesia and the South Pacific. Like PONANT, PAUL GAUGUIN combines exceptional itineraries with luxury hotel services and fine cuisine to create memorable experiences at sea. Following the acquisition…

Cachet Covers & a Boy's Fascination with Ships

Like many boys, Charles. F. “Bud” Kirby, Jr. loved ships. He had drawings, models, pictures, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks. And, as his son, Don, recently learned, he had cachet covers of submarines.Bud would send stamped envelopes to the Electric Boat Company that he had addressed to himself in Watertown, Mass. These envelopes would be stamped with a commemorative cachet and then appropriately cancelled at Groton, Connecticut, where the EB shipyard was located, or on the ship if it had been commissioned.Each ship has its own post office, and its own cancellation stamp.

Bellingham Marine Opens Plant in Fiji

The island nation of Fiji is thriving in its seventh straight year of economic growth. From textiles to sugar, one of Fiji’s fastest growing sectors is manufacturing. The country has now expanded into pontoon manufacturing with the announcement of the partnership between Bellingham Marine and Marine Structures and Consultancy (MSC) Limited. Two of the country’s best-known marine service operators, Hall Dredging and Bob Oldham, recently took control of MSC. Both have worked on Bellingham projects over the years and maintain an excellent working relationship with Bellingham Marine New Zealand (BMNZ).

Sailor Who Traveled World on Yacht Releases Captivating Memoir

In the late 1980s, a middle aged business executive chucked his glitzy California lifestyle to drift and blend in the jaw-dropping beauty of the South Pacific islands. However, things did not go according to plan when his yacht was stolen and burned on a desolate Mexican coast. The story continues in Captain Skip Rowland’s adventurous memoir “No Return Ticket,” which recounts how real people faced down unreal circumstances and lived to tell the tale. Rowland and his motley crew, featuring his girlfriend and son, cross paths with a vagabond freighter…

Huge Yacht Carrier Headed for South Pacific

New policies making it easier for foreign-flagged vessels to explore the coastlines of Australia have lead DYT Yacht Transport (DYT) to schedule its largest semi-submersible yacht carrier, the 686-foot (209-metre) Yacht Express, to deliver yachts to the South Pacific. The trip coordinates with the end of the Mediterranean charter season, starting in Genoa (Italy) in November to accommodate private luxury yachts and charter vessels departing from the Mediterranean Sea. Operating with its unique float-on/float-off method…

Volvo Ocean Race on Cyclone Pam Alert

Cyclone Pam continues to delay the restart of the Volvo Ocean race with organizers grounding the six yachts in the race until weather associated with the deadly system stabilizes. The organizers are being cautious with the sea state in the wake of the cyclone an immediate concerns. Race management and operations team have a round-the-clock watch system of personnel on Auckland's viaduct to monitor the weather and its effect on the boats. “We now don’t expect the impact in Auckland to be as high as first feared,” said Volvo Ocean race meteorologist, Gonzalo Infante.

Cooper Yacht Debuts Cooper 800 Yacht Tender

Cooper Yacht proudly announces the debut of the Cooper 800 yacht tender. Founded in the Netherlands in 2009, the mission of the company is to offer ultimate style and comfort in a multi-functional vessel at a reasonable price to the consumer. With three models on the market in Europe, Asia and South Pacific, Cooper Yacht now enters the U.S. market with the Cooper 800 yacht tender. With an efficient hull shape, the Cooper 800 travels at a speed of 16 knots with a 54 HP inboard Yanmar Diesel engine consuming 1.1 Gallon/hour, which is standard on the vessel. Options from 29Hp to 125Hp are available.

WindStar Cruises to Implement Adonis

Adonis AS (Adonis) said that Windstar Cruises will be implementing Adonis Personnel Manager (APM) and Payroll for all its Human Resources (HR), time and attendance, crew management and payroll activities. The Adonis solution will enable Windstar to host and consolidate these processes using a central HR database, which will improve efficiencies and coordination between their vessels and their shore side crew in Seattle. Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of small luxury cruise ships that travels to 50 nations…

Carnival Expands in Australia

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced plans to expand in Australia, one of the fastest growing markets in the cruise industry. With Australian cruise passenger numbers having increased 130%in the past five years and projections of 800,000 cruise passengers in 2013 growing to one million by 2016, P&O Cruises (Australia), one of Carnival Corporation’s 10 brands, will add two ships to its fleet in 2015. With a total of five ships, P&O Cruises will establish…

Tall Ship Delivers Adventure and Cargo in the South Pacific

Circling the world five times as part of her famed 30,000-mile circumnavigation voyages, the tall ship Picton Castle has often been called upon to deliver critically-needed goods, including medical supplies and thousands of pounds of donated books and educational materials, to remote island communities. For Captain Daniel Moreland, founder of the award-winning sail training program, these impromptu cargo missions are valuable teaching moments – an opportunity to learn how to safely load…

Call for Entries: Safe Affordable Ferry Competition

Registrations are now being accepted for the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA)’s annual student competition for the design of safe affordable ferries to serve developing nations. Ferries are to be designed according to specifications of a particular developing and emerging market nation, this year: Bangladesh. The top prize is $5,000 with additional prizes of $3,000 and $1,000, with winners invited to an award ceremony. Those interested in registering should contact the WFSA, though email at [email protected] to receive further information and a registration identification number. The registration period closes April 1, 2013.