IIMS News

Clipper 2015-16 round the word race schedule announced

Posted on by News Hound
The Clipper 2015-16 round the word race start date and schedule has been announced by Robin Knox-Johnston
The Clipper 2015-16 round the word race start date and schedule has been announced by Robin Knox-Johnston

The highly anticipated Clipper 2015-16 Race Start will set sail on Sunday, 30 August 2015, from the South of the UK.

The Race Start date and updates to the race route were revealed to more than 250 international crew members at today’s 2015-16 Crew Brief Day in London by Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Race Director Justin Taylor and Deputy Race Director Mark Light.

Race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston says: “We are delighted to reveal that the Clipper 2015-16 Race will depart on Sunday 30 August 2015. We have just 235 days to wait until the historic tenth edition race series starts and one of the world’s most unique and challenging adventures gets underway.”

Continue reading “Clipper 2015-16 round the word race schedule announced”

SE Asia tanker hijacks rose in 2014 despite global drop in sea piracy

Posted on by News Hound
Tanker hijacks rose in 2014 despite global drop in sea piracy. Photo: German Navy
Tanker hijacks rose in 2014 despite global drop in sea piracy. Photo: German Navy

Tanker hijacks off South East Asia’s coasts caused a rise in global ship hijackings, up to 21 in 2014 from 12 in 2013, despite piracy at sea falling to its lowest level in eight years, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed. Pirates took 442 crewmembers hostage, compared with 304 in 2013.

IMB’s annual piracy report shows 245 incidents were recorded worldwide in 2014 – a 44% drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011. Somali pirates were responsible for 11 attacks, all of which were thwarted. However, IMB warns shipmasters to follow the industry’s Best Management Practices, as the threat of Somali piracy has not been eliminated.

Worldwide, 21 vessels were hijacked last year, 183 were boarded, and 13 fired upon. Pirates killed four crew members, injured 13 and kidnapped nine from their vessels.

Continue reading “SE Asia tanker hijacks rose in 2014 despite global drop in sea piracy”

Findings of IMO’s study into reducing the administrative requirements of maritime regulations released

Posted on by News Hound
Findings of IMO's study into reducing the administrative requirements of maritime regulations released
Findings of IMO’s study into reducing the administrative requirements of maritime regulations released

Through resolution A.1043(27), the 27th Assembly in November 2011 adopted a process of periodic review of administrative requirements in mandatory instruments, and acknowledged that releasing resources from administrative tasks for Administrations and industry alike, contributes to the Organisation’s goals of efficient regulation of safety and security of shipping and the prevention and control of pollution by ships.

The Ad Hoc Steering Group for Reducing Administrative Requirements (SG-RAR), established by the Council at its 108th session in 2012, evaluated the responses received in the public consultation and developed recommendations on how to alleviate administrative burdens that have become unnecessary, disproportionate or even obsolete. The recommendations were presented to the 113rd Session of the Council on December 3rd, 2014.

Finally the IMO has published its report into the conclusions of the public consultation that has been undertaken on the reduction of administrative burdens in maritime regulations.

Continue reading “Findings of IMO’s study into reducing the administrative requirements of maritime regulations released”

Danish Maritime Authority launches new ship survey

Posted on by News Hound

dma_logo_ukFrom 1 January, the Danish Maritime Authority has started to survey all Danish passenger ships in a new way. Shipping companies are positive towards the new passenger ship survey which will, to a greater extent, involve the crew and the daily safety work.

In cooperation with a number of passenger ship companies, the Danish Maritime Authority has developed a new way of surveying passenger ships. The project has just been evaluated and the involved companies and crews have received the new survey method well.

Continue reading “Danish Maritime Authority launches new ship survey”

US West Coast ports at gridlock says Pacific Maritime Association

Posted on by News Hound
Pacific Maritime Association says US West Coast ports are in a state of gridlock
Pacific Maritime Association says US West Coast ports are in a state of gridlock

Eight months since contract talks began, and after more than two months of ILWU-staged slowdowns that have methodically reduced terminal productivity at the five largest ports on the West Coast, operations are approaching complete gridlock Pacific Maritime Association reports.

Since late October 2014, the ILWU has crippled what were fully productive terminals in the Pacific Northwest and Oakland, and exacerbated a difficult congestion issue at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by intentionally withholding dozens of essential skilled workers each shift for the past 10 weeks.

Continue reading “US West Coast ports at gridlock says Pacific Maritime Association”

British Marine Federation says growth continues in the UK leisure marine sector

Posted on by News Hound
British Marine Federation says leisure marine industry growth is set to continue
British Marine Federation says leisure marine industry growth is set to continue

According to new statistics published by the British Marine Federation at the 2015 CWM FX London Boat Show, the UK leisure marine industry sector continues to grow.

For the third consecutive year, the industry posted growth in 2013/14, with total revenue in the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry totalling £2.93bn (a 1% increase on 2012/13).

Continue reading “British Marine Federation says growth continues in the UK leisure marine sector”

MCA issues M-Notices

Posted on by News Hound

The following M-Notices are now available electronically on the MCA website:

MGN 473 (M+F) Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work)(Employment of young persons) Regulations 1998: Implementation of EC Directive 94/33/EC

MSN 1819 (M+F) Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (2014 No. 3076)

MGN 510 (M+F) Use of exhaust gas cleaning systems. (Prevention of air pollution from ships)

Port of Dover hits record level of freight vehicles

Posted on by News Hound
The Port of Dover has recorded record levels of freight traffic in 2014. Image courtesy of Port of Dover
The Port of Dover has recorded record levels of freight traffic in 2014. Image courtesy of Port of Dover

The Port of Dover recorded its highest levels of freight traffic since 2007 with throughput in 2014 reaching 2,368,182 vehicles as of Wednesday 16 December 2014. As the Port handles £89bn worth of trade each year, traffic is expected to maintain the present rate of increase between now and the end of the year, meaning 2014 will be a record breaking 12 months for the Port with a total in excess of 2.4 million freight vehicles.

In 2007, the Port of Dover recorded record freight traffic volumes with 2,363,583 vehicles using Europe’s busiest 24/7 roll-on-roll-off ferry port. This year has already seen more freight than 2007, is predicted to see at least 2% more traffic than the previous record and on any one day the Port of Dover now handles up to 160km of freight.

Continue reading “Port of Dover hits record level of freight vehicles”

MCA publishes revised M Notices

Posted on by News Hound

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has announced that the following M Notices are available electronically.

MSN 1734 (M) Approval of Marine Equipment (EC Notified Bodies) Amendment 8

MSN 1735 (M) Type – Approval of Marine Equipment (UK Nominated Bodies) Amendment 8

MSN 1819 (M+F) Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (2014 No. 3076)

MIN 497 (M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC): Proposed amendments

MIN 498 (M) Seafarer Training and Certification: Using Yacht Sea Service towards Unlimited Merchant Navy Certificates of Competency Applications

Ships face lower sulphur fuel requirements

Posted on by News Hound

Ships trading in designated emission control areas will have to use on board fuel oil with a sulphur content of no more than 0.10% from 1 January 2015, against the limit of 1.00% in effect up until 31 December 2014.

The stricter rules come into effect under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution form ships (MARPOL) Annex VI (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships), specifically under regulation 14, which covers emissions of Sulphur Oxides (SOx) and particulate matter from ships. These requirements were adopted in October 2008 by consensus and entered into force in July 2010.

Continue reading “Ships face lower sulphur fuel requirements”

Alang shipbreaking workers operate in poor conditions

Posted on by News Hound
A new study says that Alang shipbreaking workers continue to work in appalling conditions. Photo courtesy of The Hindu Business Line
A new study says that Alang shipbreaking workers continue to work in appalling conditions. Photo courtesy of The Hindu Business Line

The working and living conditions at the Alang shipbreaking yards in India, remain alarmingly poor, argues a new study published in the Economic & Political Weekly, a well known Indian Social Science journal. The research was commissioned and financed by the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) and was coordinated by Dr Geetanjoy Sahu from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). TISS’ findings are based on intensive field work in Alang from April 2013 to May 2014 including interviews with 300 shipbreaking workers as well as stakeholders from the industry, trade unions and authorities.

The study finds that the “costs to workers’ health and the environment are alarming” while the profit margins for both the yard owners and the contractors providing the labour force are extremely high. Dr Sahu reports that the approximately 35,000 unorganised migrant workers at the Alang shipbreaking yards continue to live in shanty dwellings without adequate facilities for drinking water, sanitation and electricity. The authorities have set up only 12 showers and six toilets. As a result, “workers are forced to defecate in the open”.

Continue reading “Alang shipbreaking workers operate in poor conditions”

AMSA announces Domestic Surveyor Accreditation Scheme workshop dates

Posted on by News Hound

The Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will be running a series of Domestic Surveyor Accreditation Scheme (DSAS) workshops in Queensland during early February 2015.

The DSAS is a scheme being implemented by AMSA, as the National Regulator, to ensure surveyors are competent to conduct and provide survey reports for domestic commercial vessels under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012.

Continue reading “AMSA announces Domestic Surveyor Accreditation Scheme workshop dates”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine