The P&I Club, Steamship Mutual, has received a number of enquiries concerning the carriage of containers on vessels not primarily designed to carry containers on deck and/or inside cargo holds, such as bulk carriers and general cargo vessels. The Club is aware of at least one instance where carriage of containers in this manner on a bulk carrier has resulted in a container stack collapse within the hold, necessitating a return to port in order to restow the containers.
Steamship Mutual has issued this guidance concerning the risks presented by such operations and to draw attention to the need to ensure Continue reading “Safe loading and carriage of containers on vessels other than purpose-built container ships”
The Merchant Shipping HSOSC Regulations 2021 and accompanying code of practice apply to HSOSC of less than 500gt, allowing no more than 60 persons to be on board subject to a vessel’s safety certification. This mirrors the International High Speed Craft Code (HSC) for vessels over 500gt.
At about 0800 on 31 May 2020, the 12m wooden-hulled recreational boat Globetrotter sank in 5m of water during a sea-angling trip off the coast of Fleetwood, England. Its owner made a Mayday call shortly before he, his son, and a friend all entered the water. None of the sea anglers were wearing lifejackets or buoyancy aids, but they were able to use Globetrotter’s two lifebuoys to help them remain afloat.
National Park Rangers on Loch Lomond can now be seen but not heard as they cruise the water on a new fully electric boat. The zero direct emissions vessel is the latest addition to the National Park Authority’s marine fleet and is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. Unlike the distinctive hum heard from a traditional diesel powered boat, the electric maintenance boat is almost silent as it moves across the loch, creating less disturbance to surrounding wildlife and zero water pollution. The boat is three times more efficient than a traditional petrol or diesel boat.
The international freight transport organisations of the Cargo Integrity Group are calling for urgent action from actors in global supply chains to reduce the risk of pest transference through international cargo movements. The five partners in the Cargo Integrity Group, known as CIG, recognise the vital importance of focusing on the threat of invasive pests to natural resources across the world, and of the urgency in crafting risk reduction measures that address the situation.
