The UK government intends to abolish the scheme introduced in 2008 that allowed users of diesel powered private pleasure craft, including yachts, narrowboats and and motorboats to purchase red diesel and pay the duty differential between red and white diesel on the fuel used for propulsion.
The government intends to remove the right of operators of such craft to use red diesel for propulsion and mandate the use of white diesel in its place. Users will be allowed to continue to use red diesel for on-board non-propulsion use where they have a separate fuel tank for this purpose. This means that craft with only one Continue reading “Red diesel propulsion ban consultation opened by UK government”
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency begins a second public consultation today on proposed new technical requirements for domestic passenger ships.
The planned changes aim to make sure older ships more closely match the safety standards of newer vessels.
Feedback on the initial consultation has been used to modify the proposals in the areas relating to lifejacket provision, fire safety and the vessels in scope of damage stability requirements.
Iran in the quot White List quot of Revised STCW Convention
IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 6) considered matters relating to the list of STCW Parties (“White List”) and its review, as required by the STCW Convention. The Sub-committee found that the white list of top-rated flag states would be decimated if requirements to report information were strictly enforced.
IMO holds a ‘White List’ containing countries who have confirmed to the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) to be following the relevant provisions of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention).
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a digest and analyses of twenty five marine recent incidents and accidents with short descriptions about each involving vessels from the merchant, fishing and recreational sectors. The 70 page report can be accessed and downloaded here or at the foot of this page.
In his introduction to the Digest, Andrew Moll says, “I’d like to thank this edition’s introduction writers. I am delighted that Captain Nick Nash, Andrew Locker and Steve Gravells have agreed to write the introductions to the merchant, commercial fishing and recreational craft sections of this digest. All three have written from both their professional and own personal perspectives, and their words are very powerful. If you read nothing else in this issue, I would encourage you to read the section introductions.
The draft SOLAS amendments and draft guidelines/guidance will now be forwarded to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) in June, for approval.
As part of its work to make ships mooring safer, IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 6), which took place on 4-8 February 2019, has introduced new requirements for appropriate and safe-to-use designs of mooring arrangements, a maintenance and inspection regime, as well as proper documentation.
The submissions at the meeting highlighted that mooring operations continue to pose a risk to ships’ crews, but also shore-based mooring personnel.
Maritime 2050 is a long term strategic collaboration between the Department of Transport and Maritime UK
Maritime 2050 is a collaboration between the Department of Transport and Maritime UK, the body for the UK maritime sector. This is the first ever long-term strategy for the UK maritime sector.
Maritime UK Chair Harry Theochari said: “For the first time the maritime sector has a real long-term strategy – setting out what government and industry will do to position the UK as the world’s leading maritime nation over the coming decades in an increasingly competitive global context. The global ocean economy will double in value to $3trn by 2030. Competitor maritime nations are hungry for the prize, and Maritime 2050 will ensure that the UK is best-placed to capitalise.
Picture credit to Maritime & Coastguard Agency/MCA
A former Coastguard with a wealth of experience has been appointed to the vital role of Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) for Maritime Salvage & Intervention, which oversees the response to accidents at sea.
Stephan Hennig had previously been working with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s Counter Pollution Branch since 2012 and was appointed Deputy to the SOSREP in 2017.
The SOSREP is responsible for reducing the risk to safety and the environment arising from accidents at sea. Incidents which were overseen by previous SOSREPs include the Transocean Winner rig grounding off the Isle of Lewis in 2016 and the Hoegh Osaka car carrier incident in the Solent in 2015. Continue reading “New SOSREP at the helm to oversee response to accidents at sea”
The accident was the result of procedural inadequacies and a lapse of supervision.
A crewman from the Liberian registered general cargo vessel, SMN Explorer, died when he was crushed by a falling hatch cover. The crewman was part of a working party stowing cargo slings used for the discharge of the ship’s cargo. The accident occurred when the crewman climbed up the inside of the open hatch cover after its locking pins had been removed.
The accident was the result of procedural inadequacies and a lapse of supervision. The investigation identified that the vessel’s safety management system was immature and the safety culture on board the vessel was weak. Risk assessments had not been conducted for routine tasks and a safe system of work had not been developed for opening and closing the forecastle (fo’c’s’le) stowage space hatch cover.
As a result, given that the regime will come to an end on 31st December 2018, yacht owners benefitting from the regime must now choose one of a number of different options in order to keep their yachts in Spanish waters.
On 31st December 2018, the Spanish Touristic Registration tax regime, which was established in the General Budgets Law passed on 4th July 2018, will come to an end.
The provisions for the Spanish Touristic Registration tax regime are laid down in Royal Decree 1571/1993. It is a sort of Temporary Admission customs regime whereby non-Spanish residents could register a yacht under Spanish flag exempt from VAT (Non-EU residents) or Matriculation Tax (EU residents but not Spanish).
Matriculation Tax is a tax applicable to leisure yachts, new or used, when registered under Spanish flag or when they are intended for use in Spanish territory by individuals or entities residing in Spain or holding establishments located in Spain. The tax levied is 12% of the yacht’s value.
Canal & River Trust will move resource from its centrally based roles into its six regional customer-facing teams to improve customer service and engage with local communities.
The changes will be made as part of the trust’s waterways and well being strategy and will see operational management roles adapted to meet the requirements of the new regions.
Richard Parry, CEO, commented: “The Trust has been repositioning as a charity for the waterways and well being, with a new structure that has seen us move from ten waterways to six larger regions, with some activities previously managed centrally now devolved to these regional teams, and a reduction in senior manager numbers overall.
Training providers including 54 North Maritime and Red Ensign are drawing up plans to run courses for the scheme
The National Workboat Association (NWA) has finalised its Workboat Crewmember Apprenticeship standard as the industry faces growing skills and crewing challenges in the thriving workboat sector.
This scheme is aimed at addressing industry concerns about falling numbers of young people entering the industry at ground level, exasperated by experienced seafarers leaving the industry, often by retirement.
As well as tugs and ‘multicat’-type vessels the definition of workboat in this context includes: offshore wind personnel transfer vessels, survey craft and pilot vessels, all sectors experiencing growth involving increasingly sophisticated and technically demanding vessels but still requiring seamanship skills that have been around for generations. The new apprenticeship standard has now been finalised, paving the way for the scheme to be rolled out by training providers across England and Wales.
The FRPD 309 sustained damage to the shell plating and forepeak tank forward of the collision bulkhead. In addition, the port anchor was disconnected from its housing and became wedged in the Evco 60’s hull
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released its investigation report into the collision of the dredger FRPD 309 with the loaded barge Evco 60, on 5 December 2017, in the Fraser River.
The incident
On 04 December 2017, the dredger FRPD 309 departed a shipyard in Delta, BC, to begin dredging in the Fraser River. The vessel is a conventional trailing arm suction dredger, with the bridge and accommodation located forward and machinery space located aft. Before departure, the crew had carried out pre-departure checks, a safety meeting, and emergency drills.
After arriving at the dredging location, the vessel started dredging sand and sediment from the river bed into the hopper using the 2 trailing arms and a dredging pump. When the hopper was filled, the sand and sediment was pumped ashore via a pipeline. The master left the bridge, handing over the command of the vessel to the officer of the watch (OOW). Two engineers, 2 deckhands, and a pipe operator were also on duty.
