Achelous class repair ship

The Achelous class repair ship was a class of ship built by the US Navy during World War II .
As the US gained experience in amphibious operations, it was realized that some sort of mobile repair facility would be useful for repairing the damage that frequently occurred to smaller vessels such as LCVP's (Landing Craft Vehicle/Personnel). The Auxiliary Repair Light (ARL) ship was designed to meet this need, and the Achelous class was the only class to receive this designation.

Achelous class vessels were based on the same hull as LST's (Landing Ship, Tank) which at the time were being produced in large numbers. This hull was thought to be ideal for a ship specializing in the repair of light craft, since it was not overly large and had a shallow draught which would enable it to maneuver into small harbors, rivers and inlets where it could service damaged boats and effect other repairs on location.

The conversion from an LST to an Achelous class ARL was done mainly by converting the large interior tank deck into a number of different shops and storerooms. Two large cargo booms were added forward, and a large 60-ton A-frame boom added amidships. The wheelhouse/chart room deck was expanded, and a conning tower added.

The ship's company consisted of the usual LST crew of deck, engineering and communications departments but in addition it had a supply department, plus a repair department consisting of machinery and engine repair, carpentry, electronics repair, and hull repair divisions, giving a ship's complement of approximately 250 officers and men in total.

During World War II, the Achelous class vessels worked mostly on repairing damaged landing craft, but many continued in service after the war, working again on landing craft during the Korean War and on river craft during the Vietnam War.
In all, 39 Achelous class repair ships were built between 1943 and 1945.

China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company

( COSCO) is one of the largest liner shipping companies serving companies all over the world. It is a government owned company of the People's Republic of China.
According to the company, it owns over 130 vessels (with a capacity of 320,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and calls on over 100 ports worldwide.

It ranks sixth largest in number of container ships and ninth largest in aggregate container volume in the world.

The Group contains 6 listed companies and has more than 300 subsidiaries locally and abroad, providing services in freight forwarding, ship building, ship repair, terminal operation, container manufacturing, trade, financing, real estate, and IT. The Group owns and operates a variety of merchant fleet of some 600 vessels with total carrying capacity of up to 35 million metric tons deadweight (DWT).

They are the largest dry bulk carrier in China and one of the largest dry bulk shipping operators worldwide. In addition, the Group is the largest liner carrier in China.

Marine Insurance

Marine Insurance, insurance that generally applies to the risk associated with the transportation of goods. The first marine insurance company in the United States, the Insurance Company of North America, was established in 1792 and covered American clipper ships and their cargoes. Today that company still insures against perils on the high seas, but now the coverage is for oiltankers and huge cargo ships.

Over time, marine insurance has become a mixture of broad property coverages, divided between land risks (inland marine) and sea risks (ocean marine).
Inland marine insurance covers domestic risks associated with some element of transportation. It has been broadened to include perils incidental to transportation of property and now deals mostly with personal and commercial property of a mobile nature. Its most familiar form is the personal articles “floater,” which offers an opportunity to insure many valuables, such as jewelry, furs, silverware, and fine arts, in a single policy.

Ocean marine insurance is broken into three basic types: hull (involving loss or damage to the ship); cargo (involving loss or damage to cargoes); and protection and indemnity (involving liability of shipowners to others).

Hull insurance affords protection to owners of all types of ships for loss or damage to their waterborne property. Typical perils insured against are stranding, sinking, fire, and collision. The hull policy offers an unusual coverage under its collision clause, which provides liability insurance for loss or damage to the other vessel involved in a collision, as well as to its cargo.

Cargo insurance is available for shippers of goods moving by sea or air in international trade. The terms of insurance can be specific (for example, loss or damage resulting from sinking or fire) or “all risk” and can be underwritten for a single transaction (special policy) or on an open-ended contract (open cargo policy) for the international trader. The open cargo policy is the most common form used and usually covers the cargo “warehouse to warehouse,” thus including exposure to those risks that are associated with land transportation as well.

When a ship is imperiled at sea because of fire, storm, or other danger, all efforts must be made to keep the ship afloat. Such efforts often cause damage to portions of the ship or cargo. To prevent inequity, each owner assumes a share of the property damaged or lost as a result of actions taken to save the ship.

This method of apportioning losses is known as general averaging.
Protection and indemnity (called P & I) insurance protects the vessel owners against their liability for damage to cargo in their care and custody; death or injury to passengers, crew, cargo loaders, and others; damage caused to piers, docks, underwater cables, and bridges; and, more recently, damage caused by pollution.

Other forms of related coverages are included in ocean marine insurance, such as miscellaneous liability policies for owners of piers, docks, marine repair facilities, marinas, and shipyards. Policies on yachts can be underwritten by an ocean marine insurer (usually for larger pleasure craft), providing property and liability insurance in one policy. Powerboats and smaller pleasure craft are more often insured by inland marine insurers. Builder's risk insurance is available to cover damage to a ship under construction.

Common exclusions found in marine insurance policies are loss or damage resulting from strikes, riots, civil commotions, and war. These risks can be, and frequently are, insured through use of endorsements for additional premiums.

Ocean marine insurance rates and policy forms are not regulated by any government authority. Coverage can be tailored to suit the individual needs of ship and cargo owners, and rates are based on the underwriter's experience and judgment in a competitive worldwide marketplace.
Underwriters consider many factors in setting terms and rates for a risk.

Factors common to all marine policies are the underwriter's experience with a commodity or vessel, the cargo owner's or shipowner's loss history, and current competition in the industry. Important factors relating to the ship include owner management, crew experience, trade routes, ports frequented, and age and maintenance of a vessel.

Marine and Other Forms of Transportation Insurance

Boats and their cargo and passengers face many risks on unpredictable and powerful waterways. Marine insurance, one of the oldest forms of insurance, covers damage to and losses of boats, ships, marine workers, cargo, and passengers. Both businesses and individuals may purchase various forms of marine insurance.
Insurance for commercial ships or boats at sea, docked in a port, or on some inland waterways—as well as their cargo or passengers—is known as ocean marine insurance. There are four main types of ocean marine insurance:

(1) hull insurance
(2) cargo insurance
(3) freight insurance
(4) marine liability.

Hull insurance covers damage to a ship itself. Cargo insurance covers losses to a ship’s physical cargo. Freight insurance covers shippers against a loss of freight (payment for the transportation of cargo).

Marine liability covers damages to people and property from collisions and other incidents.

Businesses involved in transporting cargo or passengers by land or by air can purchase coverage similar to that of marine insurance. Insurance policies for commercial transport of cargo by land or air are commonly known as inland marine insurance. However, because of the increasing importance of the passenger airline industry, specialized property and casualty coverage, known as aviation insurance or aircraft insurance, has developed to cover aircraft and their cargo or passengers.