San Martino photographed in Salerno on 8 June 2012 with a cargo of large rocks. These were presumably being delivered to or loaded from the construction site in the background.

She is a multi-purpose pontoon equipped with a Liebherr HS 895 120t crane making the vessel suitable for dredging, on deck freight transport and other operations.

Overall length is 49.0m with a 12.9m beam and 3m draught. 
 
Load capacity is 700t.

She is powered by twin Cummins KTA19 (2x600kW) diesel engines and can make 10 knots.

I took the photograph from the deck of the Serenade of the Seas after we had just got back from a trip to Pompeii via a taxi just outside the port.

MMSI -247225600
REG - IT,
IMO - 8742575
Call Sign - IKVX2
Dredger / Multi-Use Pontoon.
Built -
Yard No. -
L - 49.0m W -12.9m
GT - 343
Year - 2008
Salerno, 8 June  2012

Passenger Vessel Eros in Le Treport harbour on 10 August 2013.

She can accommodate 116 passengers and undertakes trips along the coast where visitors can admire the sand and shingle beaches and cliffs of Treport and Mers-Les-Bains.

She is the largest of three vessels operating trips out of the harbour.

Her registry is DP.362357, she is 22.57m long and has a GT of 34.95. Call sign is FS 2429 and MMSI 227010090.

Photographed on 20 April 2011 heading towards Langkawi Port.

This vessel is typical of some of small cargo ships I saw whilst in Malaysia. 

The picture was taken from a dive boat which took us at speed to a remote island South of Langkawi where we spent the day snorkeling.  

Vladimir Noskov photographed in Liverpool on 3 September 2013.

She was launched on 25 December 2008 and is the eleventh ship of the 005RSD03 Project being built at the JSC Onega Shipyard.

The ship was named after an honoured workman of the White Sea & Onega Shipping Company.

005RSD03 project vessels have a GT of 4182 and DWT of 5467 tons, they are 108.3 m long with a 16.5m beam and 3.6m draught. The ships are designed for carrying general cargo such as wood, bulk, grain and large-sized cargoes as well as containers. The range of the vessel is up to 4000 nautical miles and she  is designed to operate in the inland waters of Russia and other states for
providing cargo delivery without intermediate unloading.

In total she has three cargo holds with a total capacity of 7,833м3, she can also carry containers (TEU225 165 hold /60 deck). The hold is designed to accommodate 7.5 t/m2 of distributed load, permissible loads on the hatch covers are 5t/m2 for hatches 1 and 3 with 6t on hatch 2.

She is powered by either 2 x 1020 kW 6M20 MAK or 2 x 1040 kW 6L20 Wartsilia diesel engines driving fixed nozzled pitch propellers giving a service speed of 10.3 Knots. Auxiliary units consist of three Volvo Penta D9-AUX (240 kW) diesel-generators in addition to a Volvo Penta D74-T (90 kW) emergency
generator.

Normal crew complement is 9 although accommodation onboard is available for 11 via nine single and one double cabin.

The JSC Onega Shipyard was founded in 1944 and is located on the shore of Onego Lake in Petrozavodsk.The yard has been building this type of vessel since 2003 and have the capacity to build at least three ships of this type each
year.

MMSI - 273340230
REG - RU, St.Petersburg
IMO - 9519236
Call Sign - UIJJ
General Cargo Ship
 Built - JSC Onega Shipyard, Petrozavodsk, RU
Yard No. - 11
L 108.33m W 16.7m
GT - 4182
Year - 2008
Liverpool, 3 September 2013 

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai class Bulk Carrier Elvira Bulker photographed in Liverpool docks loading scrap metal on 25 November 2013. 

Built by The Hakodate Dock Company in Japan as Yard Number 843 she left the builders on 22 September 2011 for her maiden voyage to Longview, Washington, USA to pick up logs for export to China.
 
She has five holds and is able to accommodate 40,452m2 of grain (Hold 1 = 5,492m3, Hold 2 & 3 = 9,067m3, Hold 4 = 8,943m3, Hold 5 = 7,883m3).
 
Each hold is covered by a folding type weather-tight steel hatch cover with Hatch 1 being 12.75m x 13.60m and hatches 2 to 5 all being 19.55m x 19.60m. She is also equipped with 4 x 30 MT Electro Hydraulic cranes.

She is 175.53m long with a 29.40m beam and a 9.64m summer draft.

Main engine is a Mitsubishi 6UEC45LSE diesel giving a service speed of 14.4 knots. 

After I saw her in November she has been to (amongst other places) Gibraltar, Odessa and Piraeus, at the time of writing this blog a couple of days ago she was back in colder waters on her way across the Irish Sea bound for Belfast. 

She is owned and operated by J. Lauritzen A/S which is based in
Copenhagen and supported by offices in Singapore, Stamford and Shanghai.

The  Company was founded in 1884 and provides through Lauritzen Bulkers worldwide dry cargo ocean transportation through a fleet of approximately 125 vessels. 
 
They also have two other divisions Lauritzen Kosan and Lauritzen Offshore which work in the petrochemical and liquefied petroleum gas industry and offshore industries respectively.

MMSI - 235088471
REG -  UK, Douglas
IMO - 9424132
Call Sign - 2EVJ4
Bulk Carrier
Built -  Hakodate Dock Co. JP
Yard No. - 843
L 175.53m x 29.4m
GT - 19812
Built -2011
Liverpool, 25 November 2013

Maersk Responder photographed catching the early morning sunlight on 10 December 2013. She was berthed in the River Mersey close to the Cruise Ship Terminal, she has since relocated into the main dock complex.
 
She is an R Type Cable Laying Field & Subsea Support Vessel operated by Maersk Supply Services. 
 
They operate more than 60 vessels manned by approximately 200 crew and supported by over 200 onshore staff Worldwide. 
 
Their fleet includes craned offshore support vessels, anchor handling tugs, platform supply vessels and sub-sea support vessels. Works undertaken include working in ultra deep areas, supporting rigs, anchor handling and mooring, subsea and ROV support, trenching operations and other activities.

She is 105.8m long with a 20m beam and 9.1m Summer draught.
 
Deadweight is 8071 and Gross Tonnage 6204.
 
She can accommodate 68 personnel including crew.
  
Main engines consist of two MAN B&W Alpha 8L32/40 with a total BHP of 10,440 driving 2 x MAN Alpha CPP propellers. This gives a maximum speed of 14.2 knots. Forward thrusters comprise a 1,000 BHP Azimuth and 1,200 BHP tunnel thruster with a pair of 1,200 BHP tunnel thrusters aft.
 
Bollard pull is 110T.

Deck equipment comprises a 60T A frame, two 8T capstans and a number of cranes including an AHC crane able to lift 50T at 1500m, two cranes (capable of lifting 5t at 11m to 2.5t at 20m reach) and a smaller crane (capable of lifting 5T at 11m to 2T at 22m).

She can accommodate 68 persons total including crew.
 
MMSI - 219916000
REG  - DK, Nordby
IMO - 9215206
Call Sign - OZYW2
Field & Sub-Sea Support Vessel
Built - Volkswerft, Stralsund
Yard No. - 436
L 105.8m x 20m
GT 6204
Liverpool, 10 December 2013

Comar Primo is operated by Italian Company Nolimar which was founded in 2009. 

They undertake dredging operations, the construction of piers and docks as well as other activities.

Comar Primo is a single hulled motor barge/crane pontoon with a full bridge located in the aft superstructure. She has a length of 33.24m with a 16.03m beam and 2.335m maximum draught and was built by Watanabe Shipbuilding in Nagasaki, Japan as Yard Number 331 in 1973.

Powered by two IVECO AIFO SPA 4S 8 cyl engines (2 x 283KW) she can make 5.0 knots via twin fixed pitch propellers. 

With a deck loading of 9.8kN/m2 over a 18m x 14.3m area she can  accommodate a maximum load of 40tons.

She is seen here hard at work in the Port of Livorno on 31 May 2012.

MMSI - 247154200
REG - IT, Naples
IMO - Uncertain
Call Sign - IQVX
Dredger
Built - Watanabe Shipbuilding, Nagasaki, JP.
Yard No.- 331
L 33.24m W 16.03m
GT - 498
Year - 1973
Livorno, 31 May 2012

Split Hopper Barges Roar R and Helge R photographed in Liverpool on 2 September 2013.

They are owned by Rohde Nielsen who are based in Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The company was established in 1968 by Captain Jens Rhode Nielsen and operate worldwide as a marine dredging contractor, they specialise in beach nourishment (replacement or preservation of sandy beaches), land reclamation, port development, dredging, off shore  trenching and back filling as well as a number of other activities.

They operate a fleet of 39 specially built and highly manoeuvrable vessels whose shallow draughts enables them to work close to shore. 
  
Roar R and Helge R have been purpose built to transport sand and silt from any area being dredged to the dumping or unloading site.

Both vessels have the same basic details and were built in 1979 by Drobeta-TS in Romania.
 
They are 60.3m long with a 11m beam and a 1.2m draught which increases to 3.56m when loaded.
 
Gross tonnage is 910 and net Tonnage 281.
 
The hold can accommodate 940m3 or 1737 tons of material and they are powered by CAT C18 ACERT main engines (2 x 339 kW at 1800 rpm) giving a speed of 8 knots when the vessels are in ballast and 6 knots  when fully loaded.

The vessels were named after Helge and Roar who were sons of King Halfdan.

The story/saga from Danish Myths and Legends goes that the King was murdered by his brother Frode who then tried to eliminate Roar and Helge too. The boys both escaped and later arranged for Frode to die in the fire of  his burning home. After the brothers are crowned Kings Roar becomes the King of  Lejre whilst Helge goes roaming and raiding as a Viking. Roar is later attacked
and killed whilst Helge is at sea, when he returns Helge kills his brothers
slayers.  

Roar R
MMSI - 246819000
REG - NL
IMO - 7906801
Call Sign - PBYZ
Split Hopper Barge
Built - Drobeta-TS, Drobeta, RO
Yard No. -18348002
L 60.3m W 11m
GT 910
Year - 1979
Liverpool, 2 September 2013

Helge R
MMSI - 246818000
REG - NL
IMO - 8861711
Call Sign - PBSW
Split Hopper Barge
 Built - Drobeta-TS, Drobeta, RO
Yard No. - 19353006
L 60.3m W 11m
GT 910
Year - 1979
Liverpool, 2 September 2013

MTB Blade Runner Two photographed from the side of the Red Funnel Ferry on 2 November 2013 just before we departed East Cowes for Southampton.
 
MTB or Marine Transfer Barge Blade Runner Two is owned by Vestas Wind Systems UK and operated by Blade Runner Shipping Ltd.

She is a highly maneuverable, shallow draft, twin ended, self propelled open deck cargo ship. She is designed to transport wind turbine blades measuring up to 65m in length as well as associated wind generator equipment and other specialist oversized cargo.

Built by Aveco (Teeside) Limited and launched on 16 April 2003 she is 75m long with a 9.50m beam and 0.75m draft. GT is 416 tonnes and NRT (Net Registered Tonnage )124 tonnes.

Her loaded draft of only 0.75m makes her ideal for accessing small rivers, in-land waterways and estuaries.

Her deck is designed to accommodate loads up to 2.5 tonnes/m2 although she does have strengthening up to 5.0 tonnes /m2 between raised bulwarks at three locations along the length of the deck. Maximum cargo weight is 180 tonnes over a usable deck area of 550m2.

Her main engines consists two D12-41M 9litre Scania Diesel Engines driving Schottel SPJ-57RD pumpjets. This gives a normal running speed between 7.5 and 8.7 knots. Auxillary power is provided by a Kubota BV2203 Diesel driving a 15kVa three phase generator.

Blade Runner Shipping operate out of the Eastern Docks in Southampton and East Cowes on the Isle Of Wight and offer shipping services within Southampton and Portsmouth waters including operations generaly ranging from Lymington, West of Southampton to Chichester in West Sussex.

MMSI - 235009804
REG - UK, Southampton
IMO -  9287754
Call Sign - VQO8X
Open Deck Cargo Ship
Built - Aveco Teesside, Middlesborough, UK
Yard No. - av/02/110
L 75m W 9.5m
GT 416
Year - 2003
East Cowes, 2 November 2013