IIMS News

Mega ships: boom or bust?

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Are mega ships the way forward? The debate rages on
Are mega ships the way forward? The debate rages on

Ship breakers are watching the evolvement of mega ships with much interest – not in admiration, but as a future source of metal recycling.

If we’re to believe the big container lines, who justify ever larger ships as the remedy for their financial woes, why are so many of them still losing money?

In the size race, Maersk Line led the pack with its Triple-E vessels of 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). But nearly all of its chief rivals, including Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM, Evergreen Line and China Container Shipping Lines, have been catching up with their own mega-vessels. Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) recently announced an order for six 20,150-TEU ships, and Maersk, among others, is likely to match that.

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Big year ahead for IMCA’s CMID Vessel Accredited Inspector scheme

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IMCA’s CMID users saw a host of improvements in 2015 with the release of version 9 of the document and the launch of the accredited vessel inspectors (AVI) scheme.

The feedback from the user community on version 9, its expanded question sets and re-introduction of supplements has been very positive. The only area of concern surrounds the desire of some users for the option to produce reports which are not watermarked, for vessel inspections which, for whatever reason, cannot be uploaded to the eCMID database.

In an effort to improve both quality assurance and security integrity in the system, the Joint Industry CMID Steering Committee made the decision to watermark all versions of the CMID that were not uploaded to the eCMID database. In fact, a number of inspectors have reported that their clients have registered vessels on the eCMID database in order to get a ‘clean’ report – thereby meeting the aim of this Continue reading “Big year ahead for IMCA’s CMID Vessel Accredited Inspector scheme”

Nimbus launches an electric leisure boat 305 Coupé

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Nimbus has launched an electric leisure boat 305 Coupé
Nimbus has launched an electric leisure boat 305 Coupé

Nimbus, the Swedish boat builder, has announced the launch of an electric powered leisure boat. The 305 Coupé E-power is based on Nimbus’s successful diesel-powered 305 Coupé. The boat is extremely quiet and the loudest noises are made by the lapping of the waves and the voices aboard. The boat is primarily intended for use on the waterways of Europe and meets their strict environmental regulations.

‘We have worked pro-actively on environmental aspects in all parts of our operation at Nimbus for a long time and we take our responsibility for the environment very seriously. We have documented our environmental work within design, production, choice of Continue reading “Nimbus launches an electric leisure boat 305 Coupé”

Franmarine finalises in-water hull cleaning system Envirocart

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envirocartThe settlement of marine organisms on vessels underwater surfaces increases drag, fuel consumption (with increased greenhouse gas emissions) and can facilitate the translocation of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) into Australian and New Zealand waters. To minimize this threat, in water hull cleaning was banned in Australia and New Zealand in 1997.

In 2011 the Department of Fisheries – Western Australia (DoF) sought a suitable service provider to trial an in water hull cleaning system capable of cleaning and encapsulating marine biofouling from vessels over 40 metres as a counter measure to minimise the treat of introducing AIS into Australian waters.

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Report on IIMS ultrasonics small craft training day

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Some of the group pictured who met at Watford for the IIMS small craft ultrasonics training day
Some of the group pictured who met at Watford for the IIMS small craft ultrasonics training day

A group of 20 plus IIMS members and non members braved the worst that storm Imogen, which was blanketing the south of the UK on Monday 8 February, could throw up for the first small craft training day of the year.

The group met at a hotel in Watford just a stone’s throw from Ralph Kitts’s yard, P&S Marine, where the afternoon’s practical use of ultrasonics testing equipment took place.

John Excell, IIMS Chairman of Small Craft Surveying, welcomed guests and scoped out the day ahead. He introduced veteran marine surveyor, Jeffrey Casciani-Wood, who put his many years of experience to good use Continue reading “Report on IIMS ultrasonics small craft training day”

AMSA to adopt the large yacht code for superyachts

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AMSA to adopt the large yacht code for superyachts in Australia from 1 March 2016
AMSA to adopt the large yacht code for superyachts in Australia from 1 March 2016

From 1 March 2016 the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will adopt the Large Yacht Code for superyachts and training vessels of 24 metres or more in length in a first for the Australian yachting community.

Marine Order 52 will change the way large yachts in Australia are regulated in line with international norms. AMSA Chief Executive Mick Kinley said the change recognises that large yachts, also referred to as superyachts, operated commercially for sport or leisure do not fall naturally into a single class.

“Australia shares the view of the United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency (UK MCA) that prescribed merchant ship safety standards may be incompatible with the safety needs of large yachts given the nature of their operations,” Mr Kinley said.

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Advice issued about the routine fumigation of agricultural products on ships

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Cargo-FumigationNorth P&I Club has published a new free-to-download loss prevention briefing warning its members of the hazards associated with routine fumigation of agricultural products on ships.

The warning follows an explosion of pesticide gases on a panamax vessel, loading corn at Paranagua, Brazil, at the end of December 2015. This resulted in significant structural damage and was one of number of similar incidents reported during the last five years in Brazil and the USA. According to North’s loss prevention director Tony Baker, ‘The application of fumigant on vessels carrying cargoes such as grains, seed cakes and logs is common practice. However, failure to disperse the fumigant pellets properly has led to self-heating problems.

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Phantom T5 ROV deep sea drone makes its debut

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The new Phantom T5 ROV from Deep Ocean Engineering (Photo: AJ Cecchettini)
The new Phantom T5 ROV from Deep Ocean Engineering (Photo: AJ Cecchettini)

Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc., based in the USA has revealed its newest addition to its family of underwater drones, the Phantom T5 ROV.

The applications for use of the Phantom T5 span a broad spectrum of industries, but include port security, vessel inspection, salvage and SAR.

“The Phantom T5 open-frame architecture makes mechanical integrations a breeze, while the dedicated expansion bulkhead connectors, used for both power and telemetry, are provided as standard. In addition, an optional tool skid allows the customer to ‘bolt on’ their sensors or tools by plugging into the expansion bulkhead connectors for nearly limitless, task-specific, expansion possibilities” said John Bergman, Deep Ocean Engineering, Vice President of Engineering.

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MAIB report on collapse of a mezzanine deck on board ro-ro passenger ferry published

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The report relates to the MAIB’s investigation of the collapse of a mezzanine deck on the Wightlink ferry St Helen, at Fishbourne ferry terminal, Isle of Wight, on 18 July 2014. The passengers and vehicles on board the cross Solent roll-on roll-off passenger ferry St Helen were in the process of disembarking at Fishbourne ferry terminal on the Isle of Wight when the vessel’s starboard forward mezzanine deck collapsed. The deck collapsed because one of its steel wire lifting ropes parted. The lifting rope parted because it had not been routinely lubricated and the mezzanine deck had not been properly maintained.

A crewman and 11 cars, with their seated passengers, were on the deck when it collapsed. The crewman suffered a minor head injury and was temporarily rendered unconscious; several passengers suffered minor impact related injuries. The mezzanine deck was structurally damaged and was later removed from the vessel.

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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada issues investigation report on the foundering of self-propelled barge

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Image courtesy of TSB Canada Investigation Report
Image courtesy of TSB Canada Investigation Report

On 14 March 2015, the barge Lasqueti Daughters with 17 people on board, departed Campbell River, British Columbia. Partway into the voyage, the sea conditions deteriorated. Water began shipping on board via the spaces between the bow ramp, the bulwarks, and the main deck, and then downflooded into the forward storage compartment. The Lasqueti Daughters flooded but remained afloat, was abandoned, and was eventually towed to shore and intentionally beached. There were no injuries. The vessel was declared a constructive total loss.

The investigation revealed that the vessel had not been inspected nor was it certified as required by the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (CSA 2001) and its regulations.

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Baleària orders giant LNG fuelled ‘smart ferry’

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An impression of the new LNG fuelled Baleària vessel that will be the largest ferry operating in the Mediterranean from 2019.
An impression of the new LNG fuelled Baleària vessel that will be the largest ferry operating in the Mediterranean from 2019.

Baleària, the ferry company head quartered at Denia, Spain, is to build a 232.2 m x 30.4 m LNG fuelled “smart ship” at Spain’s LaNaval shipyard.

It will be the largest ferry operating in the Mediterranean and among the largest in the world and is scheduled to start operations in 2019. It will have a capacity for 1,600 passengers (70% of whom can be accommodated in cabins), plus 340 vehicles.

Baleària decided to use liquefied natural gas and solar power as energy sources to “reinforce the idea of ​​the pleasure of travelling compatible with the respect for the environment,” said Baleària Chairman Adolfo Utor.

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EU releases new operational guidelines for ships in need of assistance

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The European Union has released new operational guidelines for ships in need of assistance at the Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas (SEARICA) Intergroup meeting in European Parliament.

The guidelines were developed by a committee comprising of Member States’ competent authorities with additional support from industry stakeholders.

It aims to promote better integration and coordination among the maritime authorities involved in response to an incident concerning a ship in need of assistance.

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