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Poor maintenance the key cause leading to sinking of Ms Nancy C says report

Photo by Frank Kammerer, towboatgallery.com
Photo by Frank Kammerer, towboatgallery.com

The NTSB has published its investigation report into the flooding and sinking of the towing vessel ‘Nancy C’ on Lower Mississippi River, near Dyersville, Tennessee, in March 2018. The investigation has identified poor maintenance as the principle cause of the incident.

On 6 March 2018, about 1630 local time, the uninspected towing vessel Ms Nancy C was moving and positioning cargo barges while operating in Everett Lake, a tributary of the Mississippi River, when a deckhand discovered water in a void at the stern of the vessel. While the captain and deckhand attempted to dewater the vessel, it sank in 15 feet of water. Both crew members disembarked to a barge prior to the sinking without injury. Damage was estimated at $667,306.

Continue reading “Poor maintenance the key cause leading to sinking of Ms Nancy C says report”

Reducing the risk of incidents due to systemic failures booklet published

Reducing the risk of incidents due to systemic failures bookletThe guide ‘Reducing the risk of incidents due to systemic failures’ is based on the partnership between Bureau Veritas, TMC Marine and the London P&I Club. It offers guidance on decreasing onboard systemic failures and highlights the challenges in shipping with the aim of preventing injury, loss of life and damage to ships and cargo.

Essentially the booklet focuses on enhanced onboard systems so that they are in line with the requirements of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code’s Safety Management Systems to reduce risk and develop a culture of continual improvement.

The publication provides an insight into systemic failures on board ships in response to a global trend of increases in system deficiencies related to the requirements of the ISM code.

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UK MAIB issues amended guidance to MGN 564 on marine incident reporting

Report a marine accident page on the MAIb websiteThe MAIB investigates marine casualties involving UK vessels worldwide and vessels of any flag in UK territorial waters with the aim of preventing further avoidable accidents from recurring in the future. The UK MAIB has published amended guidance on marine incident reporting – what who and when an incident should be notified – with modifications made to MGN 564.

Who must report

The master/skipper, or senior surviving officer of a UK ship must notify the MAIB of any marine casualty or marine incident.

The master/skipper of any ship must notify the MAIB of any marine casualty or marine incident if:
– the ship is within UK waters and carrying passengers to / from the UK, or
Continue reading “UK MAIB issues amended guidance to MGN 564 on marine incident reporting”

MCA safety bulletin issued for all mariners who use GPS equipment

Man steering a ship - Credit: Vic Drosso
Credit: Vic Drosso

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has issued a special safety bulletin to all mariners that use GPS to prepare for a rollover event that will occur on 6 April 2019.

On April 6 navigation data from some older GPS systems might become inaccurate due to the ‘week number’ rollover event.

This could cause stand-alone GPS receivers and systems using GPS chips, to produce data that is 19.7 years either in the past or future, therefore generating errors in both the GPS position and time. However, if onboard equipment has been installed after August 1999, or has regular firmware updates from the manufacturer, there should be minimal Continue reading “MCA safety bulletin issued for all mariners who use GPS equipment”

Guidelines on cyber security onboard ships

Image of a fingers steeling a passwordShips are increasingly using systems that rely on digitisation, digitalisation, integration and automation, which call for cyber risk management on board. As technology continues to develop, information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) onboard ships are being networked together – and more frequently connected to the internet. This brings the greater risk of unauthorised access or malicious attacks to ships’ systems and networks. Risks may also occur from personnel accessing systems on board, for example by introducing malware via removable media.

To mitigate the potential safety, environmental and commercial consequences of a cyber incident, a group of international shipping Continue reading “Guidelines on cyber security onboard ships”

Campaign for greater container safety must focus first on dangerous goods

Fire crews tackle a container blaze onboard Maersk Honam in 2018
Fire crews tackle a container blaze onboard Maersk Honam in 2018

The recent reports of container ship fires has once more focussed those in the container supply chain on safety issues related to the incorrect processing of dangerous goods. The nascent Cargo Integrity campaign initiated by the international transport and logistics insurer TT Club has, as a consequence, gained renewed impetus.

The recent fire aboard ‘Yantian Express’, details of the final judgment on the ‘MSC Flaminia’ explosion in July 2012, and the ongoing investigation of the ‘Maersk Honan’ fire are currently making headline news. Then just days ago news has come in of ‘Grande America’ sustaining a container fire in the Bay of Biscay and subsequently sinking. These perilous incidents not only frequently cost lives, millions Continue reading “Campaign for greater container safety must focus first on dangerous goods”

Windfarm crew transfer vessels are getting larger

MHO Gurli and MHO Esbjerg are operated from the third deck, where the wheelhouse and workstations enjoy uninterrupted vision of the turbine tower and surrounding working areas.
MHO Gurli and MHO Esbjerg are operated from the third deck, where the wheelhouse and workstations enjoy uninterrupted vision of the turbine tower and surrounding working areas.

Tasmanian high speed catamaran designers Incat Crowther recently announced the delivery of the 39m Multipurpose Crew Transfer Vessels ‘MHO Gurli’ and ‘MHO Esbjerg’.

The vessels were built by PT Bintang Timur Samudera in Indonesia and delivered to MH-O & Co to be operated in European waters for Orsted in their Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm.

The vessels, designed by Incat Crowther, are the largest Wind Farm Support Vessels to enter service to date anywhere in the world. They draw on Incat Crowther’s experience with larger offshore fast catamarans operating in the oil and gas industry.

The platform was specifically designed to deliver exceptional seakeeping, stability and comfort, whilst accommodating a highly redundant quad-engine / quad-jet propulsion package.

Continue reading “Windfarm crew transfer vessels are getting larger”

Wärtsilä moves towards remote guidance for vessel repair and maintenance

Wärtsilä’s remote guidance service also proved successful during a demonstration in the TT-Lines office
Wärtsilä’s remote guidance service also proved successful during a demonstration in the TT-Lines office

Wärtsilä has successfully tested its remote guidance service, so claiming to have created ‘an entirely new dimension in vessel repair and maintenance operations’.

Through real-time communication using voice-controlled Augmented Reality (AR) wearables and remote guidance software, ship crew members, field service engineers and shipyard personnel can communicate with shore-based experts anywhere in the world.

The tests were carried out onboard the Huckleberry Finn, a RoRo ferry operated by TT-Lines, while sailing between Trelleborg, Sweden and Travemünde, Germany.

Simulated remote guidance service situations were carried out on the ship’s navigation equipment on the bridge and on the shaft line seals and bearings in the engine room.

Continue reading “Wärtsilä moves towards remote guidance for vessel repair and maintenance”

AkzoNobel opens ground-breaking R&D innovation campus

The new facility in Felling is located around 25 miles away from AkzoNobel’s €100 million paint manufacturing plant in Ashington, which opened in 2017.
The new facility in Felling is located around 25 miles away from AkzoNobel’s €100 million paint manufacturing plant in Ashington, which opened in 2017.

A trailblazing lab complex which can test new products in conditions that mimic the world’s most extreme environments has been officially opened by AkzoNobel in the UK.

Located in Felling, the €12.6 million R&D innovation campus fuses the site’s 115-year history of product development with state-of-the-art facilities designed to keep AkzoNobel at the forefront of the coatings industry.

A creative nerve center for the foremost scientists and technical experts in the world of coatings, the focus will be on continuing to deliver cutting-edge innovations and products for the marine and oil and gas industries.

It brings the total investment in the Felling site since 2011 to €31.6 million.

“As the birthplace of the International brand, we’re immensely proud of our Felling site, which has supplied products for some of the world’s most iconic buildings and structures,” says Jean-Michel Gauthier, Managing Director of the company’s Marine and Protective Coatings business. Continue reading “AkzoNobel opens ground-breaking R&D innovation campus”

The British boating sector has grown for the seventh consecutive year

The increase in exports has been attributed to the strong global economic growth over the last year and a weakened sterling as a consequence of Brexit.
The increase in exports has been attributed to the strong global economic growth over the last year and a weakened sterling as a consequence of Brexit.

The figures produced by British Marine show a 1.7% growth in revenue, with the marine industry contributing more than £1.1bn of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy and supporting more than 33,000 direct employees.

Leisure marine exports in 2018 surpassed £1bn for the first time since 2013, an increase of 16% compared to 2017.

Half of the exports went to the Eurozone and wider EU, however the USA is a growing sector accounting for 25% of British exports, an increase of 30%. In addition, Asia has seen growth of 20% and South America 39%.

“These latest figures illustrate that the British boating sector has continued to prosper, despite challenging conditions and the ongoing uncertainty about Brexit,” said Lesley Robinson, BM CEO.

Continue reading “The British boating sector has grown for the seventh consecutive year”

IMO Sub-Committee finalises draft amendments to ventilation requirements for survival craft

During the meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee, a correspondence group was established.
During the meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee, a correspondence group was established.

The IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment held its 6th Session from 4 to 8 March 2019. The meeting focused on improvements in ventilation conditions of survival craft that will be achieved by finalising draft amendments to the LSA Code on ventilation requirements for survival craft and draft amendments to the ‘Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances’.

Mainly, the Sub-Committee discussed the draft amendments to the LSA Code, relating to ventilation requirements of totally enclosed lifeboats.

In the meantime, the meeting made progress in developing draft amendments to the revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances regarding the ventilation of survival craft, aiming to ensure a habitable environment is maintained in such survival craft.

Continue reading “IMO Sub-Committee finalises draft amendments to ventilation requirements for survival craft”

Safe loading practices highlighted in fishing vessel sinking

Around 0900 on 9 April, the mate, who was on watch, noticed that the vessel was not fully returning upright when it was heeled over by the swell
Around 0900 on 9 April, the mate, who was on watch, noticed that the vessel was not fully returning upright when it was heeled over by the swell

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has published an investigation report on the sinking of the fishing vessel ‘Western Commander’ off Triple Islands, Dixon Entrance, British Columbia, in April 2018. The report highlighted issues related to safe loading practices and proper risk identification.

In April 2018, the vessel was under contract to sea urchin buyers to transport urchins for 11 different harvesters. From 4 April to the morning of 6 April, the vessel remained at anchor in Parry Passage due to inclement weather.

Around 0900 on 9 April, the mate, who was on watch, noticed that the vessel was not fully returning upright when it was heeled over by the swell. Water was coming over the port railing and remaining on deck, and the vessel developed a port list. At some point, water had entered the port forward fish hold. In an attempt to Continue reading “Safe loading practices highlighted in fishing vessel sinking”

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