Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani, the first Muslim woman to speak from the House of Commons despatch box, will make a keynote speech on a new initiative for women in the maritime sector at Seawork 2018.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State will also tour the show, meeting exhibitors and women in the commercial marine industry. The opening will take place at 1000 on the first day of Seawork (Tuesday 3 July) at the Golden Arrow Restaurant.
Leading classification society, ClassNK, has released its 2018 annual report on Port State Control (PSC). The report aims to assist ship operators and management companies in maintaining compliant operations by providing information about ships detained by PSC as well as deficiencies that were found on board from many port states in 2017. However, surveyors will find the examples and images of the deficiencies illustrated in the report of key interest too.
In line with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, PSC inspections ensure that vessels departing the port meet international standards and have proved to be highly effective in eliminating substandard ships that are in operation. They oversee not only the Continue reading “ClassNK publishes its annual report on port state control with illustrated deficiencies found”
Following two deadly and harrowing incidents involving inland navigation vessels in Russia and Indonesia in recent weeks that have claimed the lives of almost 200 people, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has expressed its deep concern regarding the industry’s procedural and safety compliance, noting that these accidents could have been prevented.
In the first accident, a catamaran, carrying passengers over its capacity, capsized in the Volga River after colliding with another boat, killing 11 people. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the boat’s captain, who was also the owner of the vessel, was drunk and likely to blame for the crash.
The second incident involved the capsizing of a ferry carrying three times its passenger capacity on Lake Toba, Indonesia, leaving over 190 people dead or missing. The vessel was reportedly operating illegally with Continue reading “Fatal inland accidents in Russia and Indonesia were avoidable claims ITF”
In a recent study the Swedish Club has warned that vessels propelled by medium or high speed diesel engines have a claims frequency two and a half times higher than slow speed engines with an average claims cost of about $650,000.
Statistically, a vessel will suffer between one and two incidences of main engine damage during its life time, according to the club. However, the incidence rate varies by vessel class (and engine type).
“Our research shows that bulkers and tankers are the best performers for claims cost,” said senior technical advisor Peter Stalberg. “Most of these vessels have slow speed engines. Conversely passenger vessels/ferries have the highest frequency of main engine claims – 0.066 claims per vessel and year. Often these vessels have multiple medium speed engine installations.”
Stalberg advises that when shipowners have Continue reading “Low speed diesel engines save on claims is the finding of a recent Swedish Club study”
Capt Zarir Irani (pictured right) took over the role of IIMS President from Adam Brancher (pictured left) in a simple ceremony at the Annual General Meeting on 26th June held at Heathrow Airport, London, UK.
IIMS would like to express their thanks to Adam, who travelled to the event in London especially from Australia, for his sterling work over the past two years. He was presented with a miniature President’s medal as a memento and a tippling stick in recognition of his service.
In his final address as President, Adam reflected on how proud he was to have held the position for the past two years and as he looked Continue reading “Capt Zarir Irani takes over as President of the International Institute of Marine Surveying”
To raise awareness, the Standard P&I Club has published a 36 page guide about fire risks on ferries. This type of ship presents particular risks due to the cargo onboard, including cars, lorries and refrigerated containers. All of these have combustible material and are fire hazards in their own right.
– Electrical defects, such as overloaded electrical equipment, damaged cables and poorly formed connections. – Electrical faults in vehicles, especially when engines are hot/running. Reefer containers are major sources of fire.
– Mechanical failure, such as ignition from overheated bearings or a catastrophic engine failure.
– Uncontrolled release of oil or flammable liquid coming into contact with a hot surface, or the release of a low flashpoint fuel, such as petrol vapour, coming into contact with a source of ignition.
– Dry, readily combustible materials (such as wood, paper, textiles) coming into contact with an ignition source, – such as a lighted cigarette, sparks or conducted heat from burning or cutting, highintensity lights or defective electrical equipment.
The Port of London Authority (PLA) has ordered the UK’s first hybrid pilot boat from Goodchild Marine in bold move to help meet climate targets.
The ORC 136.HY is a parallel hybrid pilot boat, which will combine both diesel and electric power and has been designed to be completely emission-free when operating in electric mode.
The PLA has placed the order as it starts to deliver on the commitments in its recently published Air Quality Strategy for the tidal Thames – also the first of its kind for any UK Port.
Among the 18 proposals for action is a commitment to encourage the installation of green technology.
Goodchild Marine Services Limited, a family-run business in Burgh Castle, near Great Yarmouth – whose ORC flagship range lends itself to incorporating hybrid power – is partnering with Continue reading “PLA place order for the first UK hybrid pilot boat”
Hydrex has developed a flexible mobdock repair method that enables the underwater replacement of all types and sizes of shaft seals. This technology has been successfully used by Hydrex diver/technicians for over a decade. It allows ship owners to keep their vessel sailing, saving precious time and money.
Damaged stern tube seals will cause an increasing amount of oil leaking or water ingress as the damage worsens. By replacing the seals when the damage is first discovered, Hydrex keeps the down time low. The ship can keep its schedule as seal repairs can be performed during cargo operations. This is done by creating a dry underwater working environment around the shaft.
It is not always straightforward to replace seals, because there can be quite a bit of variation in the configurations of the stern tube itself. There can also be complications with the liners, which can be worn down and show ruts. All this is routinely handled by Hydrex teams on the jobs.
In this article you can find a short summary of some of the recent Continue reading “Flexible mobdock repair method for underwater shaft seal repairs developed by Hydrex”
AMSA, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and regulator, has announced that from 1 July 2018 all domestic commercial vessels that are required to have a certificate of survey will need to be surveyed in accordance with the frequency and requirements in the new marine order 503, and Part 2 of the Marine Surveyor Manual. This includes ‘grandfathered’ vessels, which to date have been surveyed in accordance with the National Standards for the Administration of Marine Safety (NSAMS) 4, the USL Code, or other survey processes.
These changes implement the outcomes of the Decision Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) under the National System for Domestic Continue reading “Major survey regime change and shake-up announced as AMSA takes control of domestic commercial vessels in Australia”
Several problems can arise when transporting steel cargoes by sea reports North P&I. The more common issues can be broadly categorised as mechanical damage, or rust-related problems. Indeed, in many cases the damage occurs before it is even loaded onto the carrying vessel. North of England P&I Club has elected to publish a briefing document providing best advice leading to the minimisation of the risk of cargo damage.
Common issues that can result in damage to the cargo include poor handling, substandard stowage and securing, water ingress into the hold and improper hold ventilation.
Pre-shipment condition: It is not uncommon for steel cargoes to Continue reading “The appointment of a suitably experienced surveyor is vital to avoid steel cargo damage says North P&I”
The Methanol Institute has welcomed the findings of the Sustainable Marine Methanol (SUMMETH) project, which has backed the increased use of Methanol as a marine fuel.
The research concluded that there are no obstacles to the efficient use of Methanol in a converted diesel engine and that smaller vessel conversion projects are feasible and cost-effective, with levels of safety that easily meet existing requirements.
Switching to Methanol would offer immediate environmental benefits, including close to zero SOx and particulate matter emissions and significantly lower NOx emissions compared to conventional marine fuels or biodiesel.
Continue reading “Green light to adopt Methanol given as a sustainable marine fuel”
Hazards associated with dangerous goods stowage on containerships were identified on a range of boxship designs, a study conducted by Maersk Line and ABS has revealed.
The Danish shipping major giant selected ABS to lead a comprehensive Hazard Identification (HAZID) study in the aftermath of the Maersk Honam fire on March 6, 2018.
The workshop, which was launched in an effort to identify and evaluate potential hazards from dangerous cargoes stowage, identified hazards on a range of containership designs, many which are not fully addressed by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
Continue reading “A study by Maersk and ABS finds hazards affecting the safety on containerships”
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