The development of the new £300mn deepwater container terminal at Liverpool took a major step forward in March when Peel Ports, owners of the Port of Liverpool, invited bids for its construction.

The terminal, to be opened in 2015, has been given the name Liverpool 2. Liverpool One is the name of the new giant shopping complex in the centre of the city.

The Queen Mary 2 wrapped up her 28 day stay in Australian waters in style by becoming the largest ship ever to berth at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal.

On previous visits she has berthed at the Garden Island navy base but this call saw her alongside in the shadow of the iconic Harbour Bridge and across from the Opera House.

The square-riggers most frequently seen on the British coast during the summer are the Jubilee Trust’s barques Lord Nelson and 54m Tenacious.

In the winter the Jubilee Trust continue their charters with mixed crews of able and disabled people by sending the Lord Nelson to the Canary Islands and the Tenacious to the West Indies.

In December 2011’s issue of Sea Breezes I expressed my admiration of the dynamic growth of freight operator Seatruck to become a major player on the Irish Sea.

These comments coincided with the launch of Seatruck Power at the FSG Flensburg Yard in Germany. On Friday 23rd March 2012 Seatruck Precision, the final vessel in Seatruck’s series of four new ro-ro vessels, was launched at the same yard.