New Recreational Craft Directive launches in 2016

There is a new Recreational Craft Directive coming in early 2016
There is a new Recreational Craft Directive coming in early 2016

There is a brand new Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) applicable from the 18th January 2016.

After this date the old Recreational Craft Directive 94/25/EC (which was amended to become 2003/44/EC) will be repealed. There is a further one year transitional period whereby certificates to both Directives will be accepted (until 18th January 2017) and there is also an extra period (till 18th January 2020) for small and medium sized enterprises to comply with stage 1.

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Poor procedures means no let up in navigational claims reports The Swedish Club

swedishAccording to The Swedish Club, half of the costs of hull and machinery claims handled by the Club have arisen due to navigational claims such as collisions, contacts or groundings – a figure that has remained steady over recent years despite improved technology and the widespread implementation of Safety Management Systems.

The Swedish Club, in its latest Loss Prevention publication, Navigational Claims, has revealed a number of interesting findings relating to claims made for hull and machinery damage between 2004–2013.

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Air pollution from marine vessels in the US High Arctic set to rise

logoMarine vessels are a significant source of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, including CO2, NOX, SOX, particulate matter, and black carbon, which impact local air quality, human health, and the global climate. Since the record low Arctic sea ice extent recorded in September 2012, policy attention has increasingly focused on strategies for addressing shipping activity in the Arctic and the associated environmental impacts.

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Fairline Boats to unveil three new models at Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show

The 2015 Miami  Yacht and Brokerage Show will see Fairline Boats unveil three exciting new models to the US boating public following a strong year in 2014
The 2015 Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show will see Fairline Boats unveil three exciting new models to the US boating public following a strong year in 2014

The 2015 Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show will see Fairline Boats unveil three exciting new models to the US boating public. Fairline will reveal detailed plans for two highly anticipated new 53ft models at the show – and debut its fastest model yet, the Shadow Sport (S).

Offering customers the design flexibility demanded by a global audience, Fairline’s new Targa 53 GRAN TURISMO and Squadron 53 models will be built on a common hull, following on from the success of Fairline’s recently launched 48ft models. The new models follow the same strategy and benefit from the same state-of-the-art technologies and industry-leading production systems as the groundbreaking 48ft range.

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Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme goes live

The Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme is live and open for business
The Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme is live and open for business

The Missing Seafarers Reporting Programme is the flagship programme delivered to the international and maritime communities by the Human Rights at Sea (“HRAS”) organisation. It is a privately funded programme delivered through the generosity of international donors having been conceived by the HRAS Founder in September 2013.

The vision is to primarily support seafarers, fishermen and their families by the registration of seafarers and fishermen missing at sea through a secure, independent and international on-line platform. That platform is known as the Missing Seafarers Register.

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Nautical Institute puts communications under the spotlight in issue 8 of The Navigator

Issue 8 of The Navigator magazine by the Nautical Institute is available to read now.
Issue 8 of The Navigator magazine by the Nautical Institute is available to read now.

Communicating effectively on the bridge, between ships or to the shore is the topic under discussion in the eighth issue of The Navigator – the free publication from The Nautical Institute. The 12-page magazine, aimed at marine navigational officers at all stages in their career, is now being distributed to SOLAS vessels around the world.

Editor of The Navigator, Emma Ward, said: “Miscommunication or the use of poor information is a leading cause of accidents at sea. In this issue of The Navigator, we aim to encourage readers to adopt effective communication techniques onboard ship. We also want to open a discussion about best practices across the industry.”

The new issue looks at the importance of different methods of communications at sea and examines the difference between data and information. There is an interview with a serving third officer and a brand new letters page offering insight into a number of maritime issues from members of the magazine’s readership.

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Dublin Port Company opens new Alexandra Quay Container Terminal

Dublin  Port Company has officially opened its newly completed Alexandra Quay Container Terminal
Dublin Port Company has officially opened its newly completed Alexandra Quay Container Terminal

The opening marks the completion of the third and final phase of the development of the new facility. This third phase will enable the terminal to cater for an additional 80,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) per annum bringing the terminal’s total capacity to over 400,000 TEU per annum.

The initial two phases of the project created new runways for three rows of rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTGs), a type of large mobile crane used for stacking shipping containers. The third and final phase added a fourth runway for RTGs and deepened and strengthened the quay wall to allow bigger container ships to be loaded and discharged with modern high speed ship-to-shore gantry cranes.

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South Asia still the preferred end of life location says NGO Shipbreaking Platform

South Asia still the preferred end of life location says NGO Shipbreaking Platform. Photo: NGO Shipbreaking Platform
South Asia still the preferred end of life location says NGO Shipbreaking Platform. Photo: NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has released a complete list of all ship owners and their ships sold for breaking last year.

Out of a total of 1026 ships dismantled globally in 2014, 641 – representing 74% of the total gross tonnage (GT) scrapped – were sold to substandard facilities in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh where ships are dismantled directly on tidal beaches. None of the South Asian yards comply with international standards for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.

End-of-life ships contain toxic materials such as asbestos, heavy metals, PCBs, oil residues and organic waste within their structures – these pollutants can not be contained or safely removed on a tidal beach. The demolition of the largest movable man-made structures is hazardous and must be conducted in a controlled manner using adequate infrastructure such as cranes as well as necessary health and safety provisions – in 2014 the Platform reported 23 deaths and 66 severe injuries due to accidents such as explosions, workers crushed under steel plates and falling from heights on the South Asian beaches.

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NDA promotes ambitious plan to develop Indian inland waterways

Article reprinted from the Times of India

NDA promotes ambitious plan to develop Indian inland waterways
NDA promotes ambitious plan to develop Indian inland waterways

Union transport and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari said the NDA government would come out with a bill to promote Indian inland waterways transportation which would be economical and hassle-free as compared to other modes of transportation.

At present, the country has five waterways and any addition could be made only through a bill in Parliament. The Union government has identified 101 rivers across the nation where the waterways traffic will be initiated especially to move cargos.

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World Shipping Council advises to prepare for Container Weight Verification

The World Shipping Council warns to prepare for Container Weight Verification changes and legislation coming in July 2016
The World Shipping Council warns to prepare for Container Weight Verification legislation coming in July 2016

At the end of 2014, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) that will require every packed export container to have a verified container weight as a condition for loading aboard a vessel.

This requirement will become legally binding on July 1, 2016.

All parties involved in the international transportation of maritime containers – including shippers, freight forwarders, packers, NVOCCs, carriers, and marine terminal operators – will Continue reading “World Shipping Council advises to prepare for Container Weight Verification”

Fincantieri lays keel for the Seven Seas Explorer

Fincantieri has laid the keel for the luxurious Seven Seas Explorer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Fincantieri has laid the keel for the luxurious Seven Seas Explorer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The first building block for Seven Seas Explorer was placed on 21 January 2015 during a special keel laying ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy. The keel laying signals a significant milestone in the construction for what will be the most luxurious ship ever built, and brings the vessel one step closer to its July 2016 maiden voyage.

In a ceremony befitting of the world’s most luxurious ship, a sleek black Rolls Royce Phantom transported the three symbolic coins to the keel laying event. Upon arrival, a dapper butler emerged with a red velvet pillow carrying the coins to be welded into the keel, including a rare 1921 U.S. silver coin known as the Peace Dollar symbolizing the safe passage of Seven Seas Explorer; a 1959 silver Italian Lire representing the year the Fincantieri shipyard was established; and a commemorative coin specially minted for this occasion.

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Rotterdam World Gateway runs first test

Rotterdam World Gateway has now actively started commercial activities
Rotterdam World Gateway has now actively started commercial activities

On the evening of Saturday 17 January, the first commercial test vessel was handled at the Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) terminal. In total, more than 150 containers were discharged. This made Rotterdam World Gateway’s first commercial container handling reality. After discharge, approximately half of the containers were loaded onto a barge on Sunday 18 January.

This first vessel marks the start of commercial activities at Rotterdam World Gateway. In the months ahead, Rotterdam World Gateway will be receiving commercial test ships more regularly, allowing the terminal to further increase volume and functionalities. In the second quarter of 2015, Rotterdam World Gateway will be ready to welcome the first weekly liner service.

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