International News

Albwardy Marine Engineering and Damen Shipyards create a new brand identity

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Alberwardy marine Engineering DocksAlbwardy Marine Engineering and Damen Shipyards Sharjah have officially brought both brands together under one umbrella – Albwardy Damen. The newly-named venture, it says, will continue to provide its services with the same values as before – putting safety, quality and reliability at the forefront of its offering. The change represents the venture’s drive to maximise the efficiency of its operations and enhance its leading position during these challenging times for the maritime industry.

The United Arab Emirates based shipyard will continue to construct newbuild steel and aluminium vessels as well as provide the same trusted ship repair services to its marine and oil & gas customers in the Middle East. The announcement coincides with the 3 year anniversary of Damen Shipyards Sharjah.

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Failure of a Master Pear Link prompts BMA to issue a safety alert

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An example of the Master Pear Link that failed
An example of the Master Pear Link that failed

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has issued a safety alert regarding the catastrophic failure of an HN330 320 IND Master Pear Link supplied by Survival Systems International UK Limited and the subsequent tender boat fall from its stowed position.

The incident
A tender boat onboard a cruise ship registered in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas suddenly fell from its stowed position into the water. The immediate cause was a catastrophic failure of the link that connects the fall block to the release gear/hook.

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First changes to MLC 2006 since it was adopted come into force

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Logo of the Maritime Labour Convention MLC 2006The first amendments made to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), which ensure better protection to seafarers has entered into force on 18 January 2017. The amendments were originally approved by the International Labour Conference in 2014 prior to implementation.

The 2014 amendments require that a financial security system be put in place to ensure that shipowners ensure compensation to seafarers and their families in the event of abandonment, death or long-term disability due to an occupational injury, illness or hazard. Mandatory certificates and other evidence will be required to be carried on board ships to establish that the financial security system is in place to protect the seafarers working on board.

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Steps to be taken when bringing laid up vessel back into service

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The Shipowners P&I Club has a survey requirement when it comes to laid up vessel, which is deemed to be key, especially if a vessel has been decommissioned for many months.

Of course the extent of re-commissioning work depends on whether the laid up vessel was under hot or cold layup, the length of time the vessel was laid up and the extent of maintenance carried out during the laid up period. So there are many steps to be considered when preparing to re-commission the vessel after a layup. The following is a non-exhaustive guide for layup reactivations.

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AMSA to develop new safety standards for shipping liquid hydrogen

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A Liquified Hydrogen Flammable Gas holding container
Photo credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Australia and Japan at the headquarters of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra which will allow liquid hydrogen to be shipped in bulk for the first time.

Ship containment systems are being developed in Japan that will be capable of safely transporting liquid hydrogen in bulk from Australia to Japan as part of a pilot project scheduled to commence in 2020.

Bulk gas cargoes are carried under the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) which is a mandatory code under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention.

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MAIB releases its report into the loss of life onboard Joanna C during cargo operations

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Photograph of the vessel Johanna C taken by Marc Piché, shipspotting.com
Photograph of the vessel Johanna C taken by Marc Piché, shipspotting.com

On 11 May 2016, the chief officer on board the UK registered general cargo ship Johanna C fell from a large steel cargo unit that was being repositioned in the vessel’s forward hold. The chief officer was moved ashore and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but he died shortly after arrival.

The investigation identified that:
• It was inherently unsafe and unnecessary for the chief officer to stand on top of the cargo while it was being lifted; the risks of standing on a load under tension were not recognised.
• The chief officer lost his balance and fell onto the deck following the sudden and unexpected movement of the cargo and/or its lifting slings as the cargo was lifted.
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Amercian P&I Club publishes a book as it prepares to mark its centenary

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The American P&I Club celebrates its centenary in February 2017
The American P&I Club celebrates its centenary in February 2017

The American P&I Club was founded in New York nearly a century ago in February 1917. To celebrate its first 100 years, a book entitled The American Club: A Centennial History has just been published. The book tells the story of the Club across ten decades of maritime and marine insurance history both within the United States and across the world. The book, authored by Richard Blodgett, a former Wall Street Journal reporter.

When the American P&I Cub was formed war was raging in Europe. At that time, P&I insurance was offered primarily from clubs in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. In consequence of UK government trade-related sanctions which had been imposed on certain US shipowners in 1916, the American P&I Club was established to provide a reliable source of coverage in the United States.

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Fully electric propulsion on a passenger ship becomes possible

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Picture of a generic cruise shipThe Norwegian explorer cruise line, Hurtigruten, is to build its two new expedition ships using a new and environmentally sustainable hybrid, electric propulsion technology from Rolls-Royce. The MS «Roald Amundsen» and MS «Fridtjof Nansen» are about to be constructed at Kleven Yard in Norway.

In addition to the hybrid power solution, the vessels will have the latest of automation and control systems, including the Rolls-Royce Unified bridge, the first delivery of two azipull propellers using permanent magnet technology, two large tunnel thrusters, stabilisers, four engines, winches and power electric systems. And of course the Rolls-Royce ship design.

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Acoustic emission testing technology enables improved crack, corrosion detection

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Photo credit ABS. Acoustic emissions wiring. George Wang
Photo credit ABS. Acoustic emissions wiring. George Wang

ABS has published and issued guidance notes on structural monitoring using acoustic emissions. This guidance presents best practices for planning and executing acoustic emission testing.

“A primary goal at ABS is to improve safety without interrupting operations,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “These new guidance notes provide a framework that will help companies perform acoustic emission testing in support of continuous health monitoring for their assets.”

Acoustic emission testing is a passive nondestructive examination technology that has been successfully applied to detect and monitor crack propagation, corrosion activity, cavitation erosion and leaking in structures made of steel, aluminum, composites and other Continue reading “Acoustic emission testing technology enables improved crack, corrosion detection”

IMO Polar Code comes into force from 1 January 2017

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The IMO Polar Code regulations come into force in January 2017
The IMO Polar Code regulations come into force in January 2017

As the potential for marine traffic in Polar regions increases, there is a clear need for modern and effective regulation. With this in mind, a significant step towards that goal was achieved in May 2015 when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) formally adopted the remaining parts of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters – known colloquially as the “Polar Code.” The IMO Polar Code will come into force on 1 January 2017.

As part of the new directive, the IMO Polar Code is mandatory for all ships certificated under Chapter 1 of SOLAS, both new and existing, operating on international or domestic voyages within the IMO defined boundaries of Arctic waters and the Antarctic area. Polar waters generally cover the areas north of 60°N or south of 60°S, although there are slight deviations for Arctic waters intended to include the Continue reading “IMO Polar Code comes into force from 1 January 2017”

Hyperloop One: new concept will ship freight underwater – no joking!

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Hyperloop One is conducting feasibility studies that would cause disruptive changes in the way good are shipped port to port
Hyperloop One is conducting feasibility studies that would cause disruptive changes in the way good are shipped port to port

One of the strangest and potentially most far reaching stories of the year must surely be the desire of Hyperloop One desire to explore the feasibility of shipping freight underwater. Far sighted? Yes very, but it seems the whole idea is not as daft as it may seems on first reading about it.

Developed by Hyperloop One, just one of the companies involved in the Hyperloop vision, this aquatic version sees the opportunity to radically change how goods arrive at ports and terminals, dispensing with the well-trodden idea of port-to-port container shipping.

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New developments in professional standards for marine surveyors

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Seawork 2014 saw the issue of an updated UK Workboat (Brown) Code following comprehensive updating by an industry technical working group (TWG) over a long period of time, supported by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). Further detailed work has been carried out by the TWG since then and the official launching of the Workboat Code Edition 2 is expected shortly.

The new Code has been enthusiastically supported by the UK workboat industry and it is hoped that this will be recognised and adopted internationally in the same way as the UK Large Yacht Code (LY3), thus countering criticism aimed at UK commercial vessel standards (i.e. those in MGN 280 (M)) by some EU Flag States, which spurred the development of the new WB code.

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