IACS Annual Review 2023 published

IACS Annual Review 2023 published
IACS Annual Review 2023 published

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), the membership organisation for the world’s leading classification societies, has published its IACS Annual Review 2023. The review includes a broad range of articles highlighting IACS’ work in 2023, with a strong emphasis on the significant advancements made in alternative fuels. This includes the development of a new Unified Requirement on the release of ammonia from ammonia fuelled vessels, and the newly established Safe Digital Transformation Panel that focuses on the safety implications of increasingly digitised ships, together with IACS’ engagement with the industry on existing and emerging technical challenges. Continue reading “IACS Annual Review 2023 published”

What caught my eye: March 2024

Floating sauna in Oslo fjord rescues occupants of sinking Tesla

This is a remarkable story, one of my favourites for ages, which fortunately had a happy ending. What caught my eye specifically were the details of the good Samaritan vessel – a floating sauna – which came to the aid of a sinking Tesla. I must have led a sheltered life as I was completely unaware that such craft existed and that they are indeed popular in Norway and can be hired by the hour! And being a skipper of a floating sauna sounds like a very cool job – never getting cold on the job either! Continue reading “What caught my eye: March 2024”

BMA investigation report: Two contractors collapsed in cargo hold

incident following the arrival of a team of fumigation contractors
incident following the arrival of a team of fumigation contractors

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has published a marine investigation report about an incident following the arrival of a team of fumigation contractors onboard the Bahamian registered bulk carrier Magic Striker.

On the morning of 21 December 2021, the Bahamian registered bulk carrier Magic Striker had nearly completed loading a cargo of corn in Chennai, India, when a team of fumigation contractors arrived onboard. In the early afternoon, two contractors entered the cargo hold, wearing gas masks along with a phosphine gas detector. Continue reading “BMA investigation report: Two contractors collapsed in cargo hold”

What caught my eye: February 2024

A fishing boat with a Second World War secret
Margot Benstock (left) and Irene Weiss (right) in front of Thor
Margot Benstock (left) and Irene Weiss (right) in front of Thor

Some reading this will know why this story struck a chord with me. A 34-foot wooden fishing boat named Thor, which was used to help Jews out of Denmark during World War II, will soon be on display at the Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

After Denmark was invaded by Germany in 1940, the Danish government resisted any anti-Jewish laws. But in the fall of 1943, the Germans announced that all Danish Jews would be deported. Over the next couple of days, the Danish resistance movement, with the help Continue reading “What caught my eye: February 2024”

CHIRP Annual Digest 2023 published

The CHIRP Annual Digest 2023 is available to download now
The CHIRP Annual Digest 2023 is available to download now

Recently published, the CHIRP Annual Digest 2023 is the ninth edition to be released by CHIRP Maritime. The publication covers the reports and cases that were published during 2023 along with additional articles on safety topics.

The Digest extends to 78 pages and celebrates CHIRP Maritime’s 20th anniversary. The publication presents a collection of safety-focused incident reports and insightful articles derived from real-life experiences in the maritime industry. The Digest is organized into themed sections, providing readers the flexibility to explore topics of interest. Continue reading “CHIRP Annual Digest 2023 published”

Testing Times Report

The Testing Times report examines the issues with bunker the bunker supply chain
The Testing Times report examines the issues with bunker the bunker supply chain

The Testing Times report has been written by Thetius on behalf of Lloyd’s Register assesses the vital role of ship fuel oil assessment and quantity verification.

Despite many changes across the maritime industry, fossil fuels remain central to global trade and the ocean economy. Variations in bunker fuel quality have been a pressing issue for some time, and the problem of off-spec and poor-quality bunker fuel looks set to deteriorate further before things improve.

The Testing Times report, written by maritime innovation consultancy Thetius, examines the contemporary issues in the bunker supply Continue reading “Testing Times Report”

NTSB Investigation: Flooding and sinking of towed cargo vessel Carib Trader II

Image credit: Gordon Dalzell, shipspotting.com
Image credit: Gordon Dalzell, shipspotting.com

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an investigation report on an incident where the towed cargo vessel Carib Trader II flooded and sunk in March 2022 in the Bahamas.

The Incident

​On March 6, 2022, about 1620 local time, near the Magallanes Bank, about 25 miles northwest of Santo Domingo Cay, Bahamas, the uncrewed general cargo vessel Carib Trader II took on water and sank while being towed by the towing vessel Capt. Beau, which had five crewmembers aboard. A small debris field was reported. There were no injuries. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $752,700. Continue reading “NTSB Investigation: Flooding and sinking of towed cargo vessel Carib Trader II”

IACS Blue Book edition 2024 released

IACS Blue Book edition 2024 released
IACS Blue Book edition 2024 released

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has released the 2024 edition of its IACS Blue Book.

The IACS Blue Book is an electronic library of all technical resolutions adopted by IACS as a result of its technical work and remains the core reference work for the Association containing, as it does, all previous revisions of IACS publications and historical data. It is updated and published once a year. The publication contains:
– IACS Unified Requirements which IACS members incorporate into their Rules. Continue reading “IACS Blue Book edition 2024 released”

New Zealand regulators prosecutes RoRo operator for maintenance issues

report into the incident aboard the RoRo ferry Kaitaki published
Report into the incident aboard the RoRo ferry Kaitaki published

New Zealand regulators have taken the highly unusual step of filing charges against the operator of a large inter-island ferry after the RoRo ferry Kaitaki, suffered a power failure. The charges now in a New Zealand court came after an extensive investigation by the regulator Maritime New Zealand as well as a critical report from the country’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) which called on Maritime New Zealand to address critical safety issues.

In a preliminary report into the incident aboard the RoRo ferry Kaitaki, TAIC found the operator KiwiRail Continue reading “New Zealand regulators prosecutes RoRo operator for maintenance issues”

The Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance: Annual Disclosure Report 2023

The Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance: Annual Disclosure Report 2023
The Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance: Annual Disclosure Report 2023

The Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance, an initiative backed by the Global Maritime Forum to drive decarbonisation of international shipping through transparency, has issued its second annual disclosure report.

This report is delivered amidst what will be a transformative year for the maritime sector marked by key events: the IMO’s adoption of the revised greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy at MEPC 80 in July, and ongoing challenges like congestion, personnel shortages, inflation, and sanctions linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Continue reading “The Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance: Annual Disclosure Report 2023”

World merchant fleet report 2022: Everything you need to know

World merchant fleet report 2022 published by Equasis

The 110 page world merchant fleet report by Equasis provides a picture of the global shipping fleet in 2022, derived from data contained in the database. The report examines the structure and characteristics of the fleet and its performance. The statistics are grouped into themes which could be of interest to the industry and regulators, as follows:
1. The Merchant Fleet Population
2. Classification Societies
3. P&I Clubs and Insurance Companies Continue reading “World merchant fleet report 2022: Everything you need to know”

Shipping Industry Flag State performance table 2023/2024

The 2023/2024 Shipping Industry Flag State performance table, published by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), indicates continuing positive performance by the vast majority of Flag States which are responsible for the safety and environmental performance of the world’s merchant ships.

It is strongly emphasised by ICS that the age of an individual ship is not an indicator of quality, and that the condition of an individual ship is ultimately determined by how it is maintained.

– The new Flag State Performance Table shows an increase in positive performance indicators amongst smaller Flag States. Continue reading “Shipping Industry Flag State performance table 2023/2024”

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