IIMS News

New IMO procedures for maintenance and inspection of lifeboats from January 2020

Posted on by News Hound

The IMO is amending the procedures for carrying out the periodic servicing of life-saving appliances, and is also amending the requirements for authorisation of service suppliers/providers carrying out the periodic servicing.

IMO Resolution MSC.404(96) amends SOLAS Regulation III/20.11, which contains requirements for periodic servicing of launching appliances and release gear, to mandate the requirements included in Resolution MSC.402(96) ‘Requirements for Maintenance, Thorough Examination, Operational Testing, Overhaul and Repair of Lifeboats and Rescue Boats, Launching Appliances and Release Gear’.

IMO Resolution MSC.402(96) effectively supersedes and mandates the requirements previously included in MSC.1/Circular.1206/Rev.1 and also MSC.1/Circular 1277. Continue reading “New IMO procedures for maintenance and inspection of lifeboats from January 2020”

Sugar beet pulp prone to ignition when moistured and heaped reveals investigation report

Posted on by News Hound
Image courtesy of www.shipspotting.com
Image courtesy of www.shipspotting.com

The Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty issued an investigation report on vessel “Ventura”, to look for the causes that resulted to the vessel’s cargo tanks and cargo being burnt down, highlighting that sugar beet pulp is prone to ignition when moistured and heaped.

Specifically, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged multipurpose vessel called “Ventura” began its journey from Liepaja in Latvia heading to Casablanca in Morocco on December 18, 2015.

The vessel was transmitting about 4,811 mt of sugar beet pulp with no added molasses. The vessel sailed by the Kiel lighthouse at 11.00, and at 12.00 smoke was noted onboard the vessel and triggering the fire alarm.

Continue reading “Sugar beet pulp prone to ignition when moistured and heaped reveals investigation report”

Combustible furnishings contributed to extent of fire on Grand Sun says accident brief

Posted on by News Hound

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a Marine Accident Brief about the fire on the offshore supply vessel Grand Sun, noting that substantial use of combustible wood paneling and drapery contributed to the extent of the fire.

The Grand Sun was transiting the Chandeleur Sound in the Gulf of Mexico, about 15 miles from the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, on October 8, 2018, when she caught on fire. The four crewmembers aboard attempted to fight the fire but were unsuccessful. They remained on the stern of the vessel until they were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. The fire burned itself out, and the vessel was later towed to port. No pollution or injuries were reported. The vessel, valued at $1.6 million, was deemed a constructive total loss.

Continue reading “Combustible furnishings contributed to extent of fire on Grand Sun says accident brief”

USCG warns of potential crushing hazard underneath retractable pilothouses

Posted on by News Hound

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued an alert to towboat operators about safety hazards associated with retractable pilothouses. These specialized hydraulic systems are sometimes used on towing vessels designed for low air draft restrictions.

Retractable pilothouses give towboat operators on waterways with fixed bridges the ability to lower the house and pass underneath, then raise the house to get a clearer view over their barge tows. While useful, when a pilothouse is being lowered, it presents a crushing hazard to personnel below. Some retractable pilothouses may also be operated in an “emergency mode” that increases the rate of descent and provides less time for workers to recognize the situation and get clear of the danger zone.

At present, there is no explicit requirement for the hydraulics systems operating these retractable pilothouses to be fitted with fail-safe features. Absent a fail-safe device, the failure of the hydraulic cylinder or other system component may not provide enough time for a crew member to recognize the hazard, exit the danger zone and avoid a catastrophe. Some retractable pilothouses may also lack any alarms that would warn of emergency mode operation, increasing the risk to personnel. Continue reading “USCG warns of potential crushing hazard underneath retractable pilothouses”

Overtightened container lashings are as dangerous as loose ones – how tight should they be?

Posted on by News Hound

Gard P&I Club has reminded the industry about the importance of getting container lashings correct. Lashings should be spanner tight. Slack lashings on container bays are not desirable for obvious reasons. But should the crew apply excessive force or use tools to increase the mechanical advantage on the lever that allow them to over-tighten the lashings?

The answer is no. Overtightening can result in the lashing rods coming under excessive strain which can increase the pre-tension by a few tonnes leading to their failure when under load. Stevedores and crew should only spanner tight the lashings. Caution statements highlighting this must be included in the Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) which should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines in Continue reading “Overtightened container lashings are as dangerous as loose ones – how tight should they be?”

Dyena provides vessel trials data for naval architects

Posted on by News Hound

The global maritime data tracking and shock measurement specialist, Dyena, has launched a version of their monitoring system aimed at supporting Naval Architects who are involved in running vessel trials.

Dyena OFFSHORE Premium records detailed information on a vessel’s motion, position and performance, through various parameters including pitch, roll, yaw and accelerations in 3 axes. With sampling up to 1000 Hz, all data is recorded alongside GPS data to include SOG, COG, time and position. With upto 2 years memory capacity, the system provides high resolution data for development and long-term trials.

Continue reading “Dyena provides vessel trials data for naval architects”

Canal & River Trust increases boat licence fee by 2.5%

Posted on by News Hound

The annual increase in boat licence fees for 2020 has been set by the Canal & River Trust at 2.5 percent, but other changes implemented at the same time will include the first stage of a phased introduction of higher charges for wider craft.

The boat license increase, based on a standard inflation index, will see the cost of an annual canals and rivers licence for a typical ‘go anywhere’ 57ft narrowboat rise on 1 April 2020 from £985.79 to £1,010.43. But at the same time, the first of a series of extra increases for widebeam craft (announced following the 2017 licensing review) means owners of craft more than 2.16m (7ft 1in) wide face an additional increase of 5%, bringing the price for a 57ft widebeam up to £1,060.96.

Continue reading “Canal & River Trust increases boat licence fee by 2.5%”

Aaron & Melissa II: Clogged bilge system and poor weather led to sinking

Posted on by News Hound
Aaron & Melissa II
Aaron & Melissa II

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a Marine Accident Brief about flooding and sinking of the fishing vessel Aaron & Melissa II approximately 70 miles southeast of Portland, Maine, while transiting to fishing grounds during a storm with gale-force winds.

The Aaron & Melissa II sank about 0800 local time on November 14, 2018. All four crewmembers abandoned ship and entered an inflatable liferaft when attempts to dewater the vessel proved unsuccessful; they were later rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Petty Officer Michael Kelly, a rescue swimmer with the U.S. Coast Continue reading “Aaron & Melissa II: Clogged bilge system and poor weather led to sinking”

CMA CGM launch alternative propulsion research initiative

Posted on by News Hound
The Jacques Saade (image courtesy CMA CGM)
The Jacques Saade (image courtesy CMA CGM)

At the French Maritime Economy Conference in Montpellier, CMA CGM CEO Rodolphe Saadé stressed his firm’s commitment to LNG as a marine fuel but left the door open to new propulsion technology.

“With the choice of liquefied natural gas, the CMA CGM Group is a pioneer in the energy transition of the maritime industry. To meet the challenges ahead, we must go even further and work together: maritime, air and land carriers, logisticians, energy companies and motorists, in Europe and around the world,” Saadé said.

To illustrate its position, CMA CGM released a new promotional video on the Continue reading “CMA CGM launch alternative propulsion research initiative”

TAIC trawler fire report cited issues with structure and safety standards

Posted on by News Hound
TAIC trawler fire report
TAIC trawler fire report

The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has released its report into the accommodation fire on board fishing trawler Dong Won 701 in April 2018, citing issues with the structure of the vessel and crew firefighting efforts.

The fire started in the vicinity of a rubbish bin next to the desk in the First Engineer’s cabin on the officers’ deck while the vessel was moored at the port of Timaru. The crew tried but couldn’t put out the fire. The fire eventually took eight days for Fire and Emergency NZ to extinguish, and destroyed the accommodation structure on the vessel. Continue reading “TAIC trawler fire report cited issues with structure and safety standards”

Towboat sinking blamed on ineffective hull maintenance says NTSB report

Posted on by News Hound
Towboat Miss Roslyn
Towboat Miss Roslyn

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a Marine Accident Brief about the capsizing and sinking of the fleet towboat Miss Roslyn, citing the company’s lack of effective hull inspection and maintenance program.

On October 9, 2018, at 1630 local time, the Miss Roslyn was traveling downbound at mile 142 on the Lower Mississippi River near Reserve, Louisiana, when she began to flood and list to starboard. The three crewmembers abandoned the towboat onto a moored fleet barge and a Good Samaritan vessel. The Miss Roslyn capsized and sank on her starboard side. Continue reading “Towboat sinking blamed on ineffective hull maintenance says NTSB report”

Global marine insurance market 2019 analysis published by IUMI

Posted on by News Hound
IUMI analysis of the global marine insurance market
IUMI analysis of the global marine insurance market

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has released its 2019 statistical report, IUMI Stats, noting that while the market seems to have bottomed out in 2019, major losses are beginning to return.

There were nine major cargo vessel fires in 2019 which resulted in loss of life, injury and environmental damage. These fires had a strong economic impact, causing high costs to both the hull and cargo sectors. Recent statistics from the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers (Cefor) show that the larger vessels are most Continue reading “Global marine insurance market 2019 analysis published by IUMI”

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