A scathing report extending to more than 400 pages by the US Navy into the fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard in 2020 has concluded that the loss of the ship was “completely preventable” and that there were major failures within the military chain of command that allowed the fire to destroy the warship.
The blaze broke out on the USS Bonhomme Richard on 12 July, 2020, and burned for four days. The report identifies 36 sailors, including five admirals, as having contributed to the loss of the ship. The report concluded that there were “four categories of causal factors that allowed for the accumulation of significant risk and led to an ineffective fire response: the material condition of the ship, the training and readiness of the ship’s crew, the integration between the ship and supporting shore-based firefighting organisations, and the oversight by Continue reading “A catalogue of failures left navy personnel unprepared to fight USS Bonhomme Richard fire reveals investigation report”
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Quarterly Report on Port State Control (PSC) provides information to owners on deficiencies identified on ABS vessels during inspections carried out by the various PSC regimes globally during the 3rd Quarter of 2021.
Each year a number of people die while participating in recreational boating, an activity pursued for enjoyment, or for the benefit of friends or family. Each accident is tragic and has its own unique set of circumstances, but the common factors across these accidents can help highlight ways that similar deaths may be prevented in the future.
The ro-ro ship should carry a Cargo Securing Manual, while the decks of a ship intended for road vehicles should be provided with securing points. The arrangement of securing points should be left to the discretion of the shipowner provided that for each road vehicle or element of a combination of road vehicles there is the following minimum arrangement of securing points:
Lloyd’s Register, the world’s largest yacht classification society, is calling on the industry to step up enforcement of safety at sea rules.
ICOMIA has released an updated Sustainability Guide which was previously known as the Environment Guide. Highlighted in blue are the areas that have changed or had new information added in this edition.
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has commissioned a study to consolidate information on the subject of continuous Underwater radiated noise (URN) from shipping, in order to derive recommendations for a future multi-stakeholder strategy within Europe. The 103 page report is now available to read.
Inmarsat in partnership with Thetius has published a new report pinpointing the impact of Covid-19 in helping to force the acceleration of global maritime digitisation. The report, ‘A Changed World: The state of digital transformation in a post-Covid-19 maritime industry’, captures a sector fast-tracking IT based solutions from November 2019. It also characterises Covid-19 as a “universal disruptor and catalyst for digital transformation”.
As long ago as 1999, the US based naval architect, Eric Sponberg, raised the alarm within the recreational boating community with his outspoken article entitled ‘Recycled Dead Boats.’ To quote his actual words, he said: “The industry has ‘shot itself in the foot’ by building boats out of such a durable and almost indestructible material as fibreglass (GRP.)”
