Daily Archives: August 1, 2017

Private equity firm Bridgepoint Development Capital (BDC) has just sailed away with Europe's largest online cruise travel agency.

The firm's portfolio company Cruise.co has agreed to acquire Germany's Kreuzfahrtberater in a deal worth 25m (22.33m), creating a combined company with cruise sales of around 250m.

BDC is banking on a major expansion in the cruise market over the next few years, with a total of 65 new ships set to enter the market. Virgin and hotel group Ritz Carlton have also recently announced they will make debuts in the space.

Read more: All aboard: The world's largest cruise port operator has unveiled its IPO price

Both [Cruise.co and Kreuzfahrtberater] share a passion for the sector, have great staff and the technology required to deliver great service, said Cruise.co chief executive Seamus Conlon.

This transaction allows us to diversify our business by moving into a new large cruising market and represents a major step forward in Cruise.co achieving its strategic aim of becoming the leading pan-European cruise online travel agency.

The UK ocean cruise market totalled 1.89m passengers in 2016, while the German market boasted 2.02m.

Read more: Londoners could save thousands of pounds by swapping their flat in the city for a year-long cruise

BDC has owned Cruise.co for around a year, having paid 52m for the company. The business was formed 10 years ago when Seamus Conlon led a management buyout from Miami-based cruise company Carnival Corporation in 2007, when its turnover was 18m.

Kreuzfahrtberater is particularly strong in its technology offering, and has more than 60 staff. Its three founders will reinvest significantly in the combined business.

The new company will operate four websites Cruise.co.uk, Cruises.uk, Kreuzfahrtberater.de and Seascanner.com which together will have combined annual traffic of more than 37.5m visits.

Read more: Vehicle rental company backed by Bridgepoint to announce takeover of Coca-Cola truck provider

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Sailing the high seas: Bridgepoint Development Capital has just created Europe's largest online cruise travel agency ... - City A.M.

LOG exports at Eastland Port resumed on Monday after heavy seas in Poverty Bay and a surge in the harbour prevented loading operations for three days.

The strong southerly swell got up to 5.5 metres out in the Bay at times over the weekend.

The log ship Jerico Beach took on part of its load last week before it left the port on Thursday and went to anchor out near Young Nicks Head, a port official said.

Four log ships were at anchor in the bay over the weekend.

It was pretty unpleasant out there for the crews too, because of the big seas. The Diana came in on Monday and should complete her load of logs at about midday today.

We hope to get the Jerico Beach back in then to complete her consignment.

The big seas have reduced the port's July log tally.

LOG exports at Eastland Port resumed on Monday after heavy seas in Poverty Bay and a surge in the harbour prevented loading operations for three days.

The strong southerly swell got up to 5.5 metres out in the Bay at times over the weekend.

The log ship Jerico Beach took on part of its load last week before it left the port on Thursday and went to anchor out near Young Nicks Head, a port official said.

Four log ships were at anchor in the bay over the weekend.

It was pretty unpleasant out there for the crews too, because of the big seas. The Diana came in on Monday and should complete her load of logs at about midday today.

We hope to get the Jerico Beach back in then to complete her consignment.

The big seas have reduced the port's July log tally.

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Logs flow again after high seas - Gisborne Herald

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MV Hennery anchored off Karachi before sailing to India.

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ICG officer says the contraband may have been brought on board near Karachi.

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Heroin worth Rs 3,500 crore was recovered from the ship on Sunday.

The dramatic high-seas drug bust, which turned out to be India's largest narcotics haul, may be connected to Pakistan, initial investigation conducted by the Indian Coast Guard has indicated.

On Sunday, two ICG ships apprehended a merchant vessel off the coast of Gujarat, seizing around 1,500 kilograms of heroin valued at around Rs 3,500 crore.

The ship - MV Hennery - was Panama-flagged but had anchored off Karachi port in Pakistan before sailing towards India.

While the ship's ultimate destination remains unclear, preliminary interrogation of the ship's captain, has revealed that the ship's crew was in touch with four people in India - two from Mumbai, one from Kolkata and one in Tamil Nadu.

According to a senior Coast Guard officer privy to the investigations, the ship had possibly anchored off Karachi to pick up the drugs. It remains unclear how the contraband was exactly brought on board the ship.

"The ship after starting from Abu Dhabi sailed towards Karachi but anchored at some distance off Karachi. The reason behind this could be that the drug contraband was uploaded," the officer said.

After picking up the heroin, the ship set sail for the Indian coast. All the while, the ship's eight-member crew - all Indians - was in touch with people in India. "The master of the ship was constantly in touch with two men from Mumbai. The master also contacted two more persons from Kolkata and Tamil Nadu. It is suspected that these four persons were contacted for the sale of the contraband", the ICG officer said.

However, soon after the ship Indian waters, it was apprehended by security agencies. The Indian Coast Guard, based on an intelligence input, with the help of two of its ships and a helicopter intercepted the vessel around 400 kilometers off the Gujarat coast.

The heroin recovered, the vessel was then taken to the Porbandar port and its Indian crew was placed under custody.

Investigations, including by the Narcotics Control Bureaus of Gujarat and Maharashtra, into the drug bust, which is India's largest ever, are ongoing.

WATCH | Vessel with narcotics worth over Rs 3000 crore intercepted off Gujarat coast

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High-seas drug haul: Ship carrying Rs 3500 crore of heroin anchored near Karachi before sailing to India - India Today

1 Aug 2017, 11:38 a.m.

Red Bend's Neville Squire is home from his tall ship sailing adventure - read about his adventure.

For 16-year-old Red Bend boarder Neville Squire, the chance to sail on STS Young Endeavour was an opportunity too good to pass up.

With the encouragement of one his house coordinators from Red Bend Catholic College, the Year 11 student from Broken Hill applied and was selected for Voyage 09/17 and joined the square-rigged tall ship in Sydney.

From the start of the eleven-day journey, Neville said he loved exploring the New South Wales coast.

I was initially attracted to the challenge of being out on the open ocean, climbing and rigging a tall ship, he said.

Its all desert our Broken Hill way, so it was my first time sailing a ship.

The experience was really great.

I got a bit sick at the start, but it passed in a few days and I found my sea legs.

During the voyage, the twenty-two members of the youth crew learnt how to sail the brigantine; including how to navigate, keep watch, cook in the galley, take the helm and climb the 30 metre mast to work aloft, setting and furling sails.

My biggest challenge was climbing aloft, Neville said.

When I first went up it was nice and calm under anchor and I was thinking sweet this is good, but out on the open ocean it was a different story.

While living in close quarters with other people was new to some of the youth crew, Neville said it wasnt new to him.

Its second nature to me being at boarding school, you get used to living with, regardless if you like them or not. But its great everyone got along like one big family.

Over the course of each voyage the youth crew face a number of personal challenges and towards the end of each voyage, the youth crew elect a command team who take full responsibility for Young Endeavour for 24-hours.

Being on Young Endeavour I learnt that if you put your mind to something and really give it a crack, you can do it.

It was a really good opportunity. I have so many highlights. Seeing the islands and beaches up the coasts and experiencing the mateship between everyone - it was really great, Neville said.

Young Endeavour is Australias national sail training ship and was presented to the Australia by the United Kingdom for Australias bicentennial in 1988.

During her almost 30 years in service, almost 13,000 young Australians have joined the ship and participated in the youth development program delivered at sea by the Royal Australian Navy.

Young peopleaged 16 23 years old can apply for a chance to set sail on the voyage of a lifetime at http://www.youngendeavour.gov.au

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Neville home from sailing the high seas - Forbes Advocate