Chemical /Oil Products Tanker Straitview seen preparing to leave Liverpool docks on 28 January 2014. 

Currently operated by Nordic Tankers AS, Denmark she was built as Sureyya Vardal by the Dentas Shipyard in Tuzla as Yard No. 79. The vessel was launched on 8 April 2007 and completed on 31 August 2007.

She is powered by a MAK 6M25 (1499kW) engine giving a service speeed of 11 Knots.

She has a length of 88m with a 13.5m beam and 5.54m draught, GT = 2,490,
NT 1,064 and DWT 3,550.

Shortly after I took this photograph on 8 February 2014 whilst  transporting approximately 1,300m3 of Soybean Oil from Liverpool she suffered mechanical failure whilst approaching Brest and requested assistance at 0215 hrs. The French registered offshore vessel Alcyon was dispatched and she was towed to Brest in 30 knot winds and waves in excess of 4m eventually reaching a safe anchorage on Sunday morning (9th).

MMSI - 256765000
REG -  MT, Valetta
IMO - 9391127
Call Sign - 9HBX9
Chemical / Oil Products Tanker
Built -  Dentas SY, Tuzla, TR
Yard No. - 79
L  88m W 13.5m
GT - 2490
Built -2007
Liverpool, 28 January 2014

Wind farm support vessel SC Buzzard photographed on 28 January 2014 in Liverpool alongside offshore accommodation vessel Wind Solution.

She is a CTruk 20T MPC multi-purpose catamaran and was built in 2012. She has an overall length of 18.5m, breadth of 6.1m and 0.86m draft which increases to 1.26m when fully loaded. GRT = 31.12.  

Since her delivery in November 2012 she has worked on CWind contracts on the London Array and is currently working on the Gwynt y Mor Offshore Wind Farm.

Designed to operate in coastal waters she is powered by twin Cummins 610hp engines driving Rolls Royce FF41 Waterjets, this gives her a cruising speed of 23 knots and a maximum speed of 28 knots. At cruising speed this gives a range of 700 nautical miles.

Accommodation on board comprises personalised suspension seating for 12 passengers.

Space is also provided for a single 10ft container with a maximum loading of 20t.

She is operated by Netherlands based comany Sima Charters BV which commenced operations in 2000. 

MMSI = 235095882 and Call Sign 2GAX3.

Self Discharging Cement Carrier Eviacement I photographed in Barcelona on 29 May 2012.

Built by the Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co. Ltd, Imabari, Japan as Yard Number
2060 in 1978 she became Eviacement I in 1998 after previously been called Sumise Maru No.5. 

She has a length of 93.31 m overall (88.00 m between perpendiculars) with a beam of 15.6m and 6.41m draught. GT = 3,025 t, DWT 4,844 t and NT 1,060 t. 
 
Powered by a 1x IHI (Shikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd) 6PC2 - 5L- 4 stroke single acting 8 cylinder 400 x 460mm diesel engine (2,574 kW / 3.500 hp) she has a fully loaded service speed of 11.5 knots via a single controllable pitch propeller. She also has a 310KW bow thruster.

Auxillary power consist of a single 580 kW 450 Volt 60Hz shaft generator with 2 x Yanmar (Turbo) 6 RAL-HT diesel engines coupled with 2 generators (each 240 KW 450 Volt 60Hz). 

With three separate holds she can accommodate 3,902m2 of cement at full capacity and is able to load via a mechanical system up to 600t/hour. Discharge is via a pneumatic system and up to 400t/hour through 14 inch hoses although this will depend upon the height and distance from the ship of the shore silo.

At the time I saw her she was owned by Eviacement One Maritime Company, since July 2013 she has been owned by Lagaligo Lines, Makassor, Indonesia.

She is currently registered in Indonesia and called Kamrbria.

MMSI - 373123000
REG - PA, Panama
IMO - 7810454
Call Sign - 3FLO5
Cement Carrier
Built - Kurushima, Imabari, JP
Yard No. - 2060
L 93.31m W 15.6m
GT - 3025
Year - 2010
Barcelona, 29 May 2012

Since I  wrote about her in my 6 July 2013 blog Dyckburg has been renamed Alex-Y and is now registered in Lome, Togo.

She has been a common site on the docks for a couple of years having been originally detained on 9 September 2011.

Since December 2013 I believe she has been under new ownership and will be leaving Liverpool shortly to trade in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.

Link back to my original story below.

http://www.shipspottersteve.com/1/post/2013/07/dyckburg-detained-in-liverpool.html

Her updated details are as follows.

MMSI - 671444000
REG -  TO, Lome
IMO -  9195913
Call Sign - 5VCO2
General Cargo Ship
Built - Damen Galati, Galati,  RO
Yard No. - 966
L 105m W 15m
GT 3660
Year - 2002
Liverpool - 13 January 2014

An early morning photograph of the research vessel Fugro Saltire photographed in Liverpool on 28 January 2014. 

She is a purpose built DNV classified DP2 deep water ROV carrying vessel
capable of providing offshore construction and subsea support as well as inspection, repair and maintenance services.

Sister ship of Fugro's Geo Celtic seismic vessel she was built by the Bergen
Mekaniske Verksted shipyard in Bergen, Norway as Yard Number 161 in 2008 and is based on the Foland Ship Design. 
 
Owned by E Forland AS she is under long term contract with Fugro Subsea Services. 

She is 111m long with a 24m beam and 9.603m draught. GRT = 9,603, NT 2,881 and DWT 6,275. 

The ship is equipped with four Rolls-Royce Bergen Diesel Engines (15,750KW) and two auxiliary engines driving Marelli Generators. The bow is equipped with one retractable 1,400kW Azimuth and two 2,000kW Brunvoll tunnel thrusters, there are also two 1,400kW Azimuth thrusters at the stern. Cruising speed of the ship is 16 knots with an endurance of between 60 and 90 days 

She is also equiped with a Hydramarine 150Te AHC knuckle-boom crane designed to deploy a payload down to 3000m in addition to a Hydramarine10T auxiliary subsea crane able to reach 1,000m below sea level.

Two Fugro FCV3000 150HP ROV's can be deployed via hydraulically operated doors on either side of a central ROV hangar. A working moonpool measuring 7.2 x 7.2m with removable cover is situated immediately aft of the hanger area overlooked by the deck operations room.

The vessel has a nominal deck area of 1,030m2 of which 960m2 is timbered with a designed deck loading of 10T/m2 enabling a high degree of cargo and load flexibility. She also has a helideck designed to accommodate Sikorsky S61 / S92 helicopters with a maximum landing load of 12,800kg.

Accommodation on board comprises cabin space for 105 crew (37 single and 34 double cabins). In addition to on-line and offline survey rooms facilities include a hospital, fitness centre / gymnasium, client offices, conference rooms, a 50-seat amphitheatre, internet café, saunas and two lounge areas.

Safety equipment on board includes twin 105 Person Lifeboats and six number 35 person inflatable life rafts.

Fugro Subsea Services which is based in Aberdeen, Scotland specialise in providing ROV support vessels, trenching systems and remote engineering servicesprimarily  in the North Sea, Mediterranean and West Africa. They are part of the Subsea Services Group which operate Worldwide. 

MMSI - 258401000
REG - NO, Bergen
IMO - 9377016
Call Sign - LHOD
Research Vessel
Built - Bergen, Laksevaag, NO
Yard No. - 161
L 111m W 24m
GT - 9603
Year - 2007
Liverpool 28 January 2014

I took this photograph of the General Cargo Ship Balder in Liverpool docks on 13 January 2014.

The picture was taken at range on what turned out to be a cold overcast afternoon with my new camera and I am quite pleased with the results.

Built by Damen Bergum in the Netherlands in 1986 as Yard Number 8222 her keel was laid on 31 August 1984 and she was launched on 27 September 1985 before being completed in January 1986.

She is 82.50m long with a 12.5m beam and 4.58m draught. GT = 1,790, NT = 899 and DWT 2,800.

Originally named Jacqueline she was renamed Jutta R in 1986, Jacqueli (1990), Handorf (1999) before acquiring her current name in 2006. She is currently owned by Balder Shipping based in Riga, Latvia and managed by SIA Aquarius Ship Management which started operations in 2001 managing dry and general cargo vessels.

She has been strengthened for heavy cargo and is equipped for transporting containers. With a single 55.85m x 10.1m x 6.19m hold she can accommodate 3,491m3 of grain or 142 TEU.

Her main engine is a Wartsilla Model 6 FHD 240B Four Stroke Single action Diesel Engine (880KW) driving a single 250rpm rated propeller giving a service speed of 11 Knots.

MMSI - 304854000
REG - AG, St.Johns
IMO - 8505549
Call Sign - V2PI6
General Cargo Ship
Built - Damen Bergum, Bergum, NL
Yard No. - 8222
L 82.5m W 12.5m
GT - 1790
Year - 1986
Liverpool 13 January 2014 

Photographed in the Port of Livorno on 31 May 2012 Giuseppe Cucco
is a Grab Hopper Dredger owned by La Dragaggi SRL.

She was built by Strasbourg F&C as Yard Number 759 in 1977 and has a length of 55m, beam of 10m and a 1.5m draught.

Powered by two Schottel 487hp engines she can make 9 Knots with a
range of 1,300 nautical miles.

Equipped with an Hitachi EX1100 hydraulic excavator she can dredge up to 16m below sea level with a 2.5m3 grab bucket and 4.5m3 of sand or 5.0m3 of mud with a clam shell bucket. Hopper dimensions are 30m x 7m and the vessel has a loading capacity of 1,200t. 

Accommodation is provided onboard for four people in four air-conditioned single cabins.

La Dragaggi SRL undertake activities including dredging works, land reclamation, beach nourishment, environmental clean-ups, maritime
maintenance and construction. The company dates back to around 1870 when a 25m wooden barge was used as a river and coastal vessel for the transport of farm products, sand, bricks and other materials. Around 1900 the company started transporting building products before moving into dredging and other activities after the Second World War.

MMSI - 247265200
REG - IT,
IMO - 8942747
Call Sign - IWYU
Dredger
Built - Strasbourg F&C, Strasbourg, FR
Yard No. -  759
L 45m W 10m
GT - 540
Year - 1977
Livorno, 31 May  2012

Another ancient historic site we visited whilst we were in Athens on the 6 June
2012 was the Temple of Zeus.

This is adjacent to  the Arch of Hadrian (which is the subject of another one of my blogs) and is a colossal ruined temple located South-East of the Acropolis and about 700m South of the centre of Athens, it was dedicated to Zeus who was the King of the  Olympian Gods.

An earlier temple once stood on this site which was constructed by the tyrant Pisistratus around 550BC, this building was demolished by his sons Hippias and Hipparchos after his death and construction started in about 520BC on the new temple which sought to surpass other famous temples in existence at that time.

The Temple was intended to be built of limestone on a platform measuring 41m by 108 m. It was to be flanked by a double colonnade of eight columns across the front and back with twenty-one on the flanks surrounding the main room (or cella) which was to house the cult image of Zeus. 
 
The work was abandoned in 510 BC when Hippias was overthrown leaving only the platform and some column elements completed, the temple remained in this state for over 330 years. 

It was not until 174 BC that the project was revived by Antiochus IV Epiphanes who placed the Roman Architect Decuimus Cossutius in charge. Decuimus changed the design to have three rows of eight columns across the front and back of the temple with a double row of twenty on the flanks. The columns
would be 17m high and be 2m in diameter, the building material also changed to
Pentelic marble. Unfortunately the project ground to a halt again in 164 BC with
the death of Antiochus leaving the temple half complete.

Serious damage was inflicted on the partly built temple in 86 BC by the Roman General and Statesman Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138 BC- 78 BC) during the First Mithridatic War. Sulla lay siege to the city throwing up enormous siege works that isolated Athens from its port and from the surrounding countryside, eventually undermining and bringing down a large section of the city wall he attacked and sacked the city. Sulla also seized some of the incomplete columns and transported them back to Rome where they were re-used in the Temple of Jupiter.  

Another attempt was made to complete the temple during reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus but it was not until the accession of Hadrian in the 2nd century AD that the project was finally completed over 600 years after it had begun.

During Hadrian's reign a building programme was undertaken that included the completion of the Temple and the surrounding area. A walled marble-paved precinct was constructed around the temple which was adorned with numerous statues depicting Hadrian, the gods and personifications of Roman provinces.  A colossal statue of Hadrian was also erected behind the temple by the people of Athens in honour of the Emperor. Within the cella a colossal statue of Zeus was also erected.

During the Roman period it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

The temple's glory was relatively short-lived however as it fell into disuse 
after being pillaged and again badly damaged during a barbarian invasion in AD
267 when a Germanic people called the Heruli easily captured the city despite
the walls being rebuilt and  extended to counter such a threat.

The temple following the invasion may never have been fully repaired. If the temple had still been in use in whole or in part it would have certainly closed down in AD 425 by the Christian Emperor Theodosius II when he  prohibited the worship of the old Roman and Greek gods. Material from the building was in the 5th or 6th Century incorporated into a basilica constructed nearby.

In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire the temple was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city
and by the end of the Byzantine period had almost been completely destroyed.

View of the column which fell during a storm in 1852.

Fifteen columns  remain standing today and a sixteenth column lies on the ground where it fell during a storm in 1852. Nothing remains of the cella or the great statue that it once housed.

It is still however an imposing sight and well worth a visit.

Photographed 6 June 2012