Due to a recent increase in the incidence of deck cargoes shifting in heavy weather, the London P&I Club said it supports a recommendation to appoint a marine warranty surveyor to supervise high-risk marine construction and transportation project operations where appropriate.
“In the past year, LOC has seen many deck cargoes shifting in heavy weather,” Paul Walton, a director with international marine consultant LOC (Hong Kong), said.
Martek Marine has been awarded a ground breaking two year Remotely Piloted Aircraft Services (RPAS) contract from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The services offered will fulfil part of the world’s largest ever maritime drone contract.
Part of a five year EMSA strategy of improving coastguard monitoring and surveillance of maritime activity valued at EUR 67 million, the service provision from Martek Marine not only includes the RPAS, commonly known as drones, but also the pilots, long-range antennae, mission control vehicles and ground crew. Video and drone sensor data will be streamed live to a control centre, to allow EU Member States to make prompt decisions on intervention actions. Continue reading “Martek Marine named on major €67M maritime drone contract”
The North of England P&I Association Limited (North of England P&I) has warned vessel operators that, despite new regulations in Singapore that make the use of Mass Flow Meters mandatory for bunker deliveries, operators should still utilise soundings before and after deliveries.
“The introduction of Mass Flow Meters for bunker operation in Singapore is a welcome development. Unfortunately it appears that although the equipment has changed, the behaviour of some unscrupulous suppliers has not,” said the P&I Club.
The organisation says, with reports that piping irregularities have been identified on some bunker tankers, it is possible that some quantity of bunkers could be syphoned back into the bunker vessel’s tanks during the process of bunkering.
The MAIB would like to consult on a new Marine Guidance Note to replace MGN 458. This note describes the process and the information required for reporting marine casualties and marine incidents to the MAIB.
MAIB would welcome your comments on the proposed MGN which should be forwarded by email to Helen Johnston. This consultation will be open for 30 days and will close on Wednesday 19th April 2017.
This consultation and the comments received will be posted on the consultations page of Gov.uk.
Feature article written by Alan Broomfield MIIMS, who tackles the thorny subject of overplating on steel hulled vessels, in particular Dutch barges and Narrowboats.
It is common practice when in the field surveying steel vessels to find mild steel plates welded to the hull, a practice regularly carried out on leisure vessels as a permanent repair. If any defects are found on the shell of a metal boat during a survey, surveyors are all too quick to recommend that the area concerned be overplated. Marine surveyors who deal with steel vessels will find that very often – Dutch barges and canal boats in particular – are frequently heavily overplated and should remember at all times that such overplating does NOT constitute a repair. It merely hides the defect.
Feature article written by Nick Parkyn
Synthetic rigging (also referred to as composite rigging) is disruptive technology that in time will replace stainless steel wire rigging. Since marine surveyors will increasingly come into contact with this type of rigging, they need to understand this new technology to enable them to carry out surveys on craft which use it.
Many new types of synthetic fibres have been discovered in recent years. Typically, they are initially used in aerospace applications and later become available for other application where high performance is required. Most of the high performance fibres are characterised by impressive tensile properties, which with the exception of carbon fibre significantly exceed their compressive strength. With yacht Continue reading “An introduction to synthetic rigging for marine surveyors”
Feature article written by Capt Michael Lloyd RD**, MNM, FNI
Enclosed space working and entry and the resulting deaths caused by poor procedures and/or lack of knowledge each year is a vexing subject and one that the International Institute of Marine Surveying has highlighted before. However, it seems insufficient progress is being made in this area and the number of casualties remains stubbornly high. Capt Michael Lloyd has become passionate about the subject of enclosed space working and is now something of an authority in the field. In this article, Michael shares his current thoughts on the matter and offers some practical tips and advice for surveyors.
Continue reading “The importance of understanding enclosed space working”
Feature article written by Capt Barry Thompson HONFIIMS
Although the following account refers to a cargo survey the lessons to be learnt from it by a surveyor apply just as much to a yacht or small craft condition survey — indeed to any ‘fit for purpose’ survey.
In 1985 a New Zealand company ordered just over 22,000 tonnes of compound fertiliser at a C & F cost of US$4.2 million. It was part loaded into the geared bulk-carrier Adelina (26,687 dw, built 1977) in Sweden with the balance in Tampa, Florida. SGS, of worldwide reputation, were the appointed surveyors to certify the holds as clean, dry and fit to receive the fertilizer.
Feature written by Derek Ellard of Scruffie Marine
Electric boats operate at a fraction of the cost of conventional fossil-fuel powered boats. They offer maximum torque through the whole rev range and ride in silence with no emissions. This means that marinas and waterways will be cleaner and quieter. No noise and no fumes from conventional engines to contend with. Are electric boats the thing of the future? Derek Ellard of Scruffie Marine, based in North Tamborine, Queensland, Australia thinks so and is involved in building them.
Continue reading “The secret life of an electric launch by Scruffie Marine”
Article written by Nippin Anand PhD MSc Master Mariner FNI
In January 2015, the pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) Hoegh Osaka developed a severe list on departing from Southampton, and was left stranded outside the port for more than 19 days. The official investigation revealed how decision making became the victim of production pressures. The vessel sailed from port without determining accurately the stability conditions upon completion of cargo. It was a routine practice to leave this task to be carried out once the vessel was out at sea; a practice that appears to be common within the PCTC industry. The weights of the cargoes declared at the time of loading were significantly different from the actual weights; a practice that extends even beyond the PCTC industry. The port captain never felt the need to involve the chief officer in the preparation of the stowage plan. The chief officer, on the other hand, did not feel he had the authority to question the pre-stowage plan.
Continue reading “Debunking the myths of the safety management system”
The wreck of the Sewol ferry, which sank almost three years ago with over 300 people on board, could emerge from the water by early, says the South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
The 6,825-ton Sewol tragically sank off Jindo Island on April 16, 2014, killing 304 people onboard, 250 of whom were high school students on a school trip.
Seawork International, Europe’s largest commercial workboat show and conference, is a one-stop-shop for the commercial marine sector, providing a unique opportunity to see the latest solutions for businesses in the commercial marine industry all in one place, at one time, at one easy-to-access location.
Seawork International will return from 13-15 June 2017 at the prestigious Mayflower Park venue in Southampton, UK, for the second year running.
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