Marine News

Crankcase breach of port main engine leads to fire says new report

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Photo credit: NTSB. Inboard side of Leland Speake's port main engine at the lower engine room level
Photo credit: NTSB. Inboard side of Leland Speake’s port main engine at the lower engine room level

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation report into the engine room fire onboard the towing vessel Leland Speakes on the Lower Mississippi River in February 2018.

A catastrophic failure and crankcase breach of the port main engine caused the fire.

On 21 February 2018, at 0740, the towing vessel Leland Speakes was pushing 21 barges upbound on the Lower Mississippi River when a fire broke out in the engine room at mile 520.6, south of Greenville, Mississippi.

The nine crew members onboard tried to fight the fire but, unable to control it, abandoned the vessel to a skiff dispatched from a Good Samaritan towboat. Continue reading “Crankcase breach of port main engine leads to fire says new report”

Improper operation of crane leads to fatal accident

Posted on by News Hound
The investigation found improper operation of the shoreside crane was the direct cause of the mishap.
The investigation found improper operation of the shoreside crane was the direct cause of the mishap.

The US Coast Guard has published its report into the crane accident in the Coast Guard buoy yard in Homer, which resulted in the death of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Kozloski.

The investigation found improper operation of the shoreside crane was the direct cause of the mishap.

On 31 January 2019, at the USCG Cutter Hickory buoy yard in Homer, Alaska, numerous crewmembers were carrying out several yard clean up, maintenance and repair and organization tasks before a planned underway period.

A two person team was operating the Shuttlelift crane car, the Mishap Crane (MC), to move four distinct loads of Aids to Navigation equipment from the top of Container Express boxes to a location on the ground where they were subsequently moved via forklift to alternate locations. Continue reading “Improper operation of crane leads to fatal accident”

Report finds fire onboard cargo vessel was due to lack of compliance with SMS

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The NTSB has published its report on the fire that took place on board the cargo ship Chipolbrok Moon on 23 May 2018. The fire occurred while the ship was moored at the Industrial Terminal West in Greens Bayou in the Port of Houston, Texas.

The incident
On May 21, the Chipolbrok Moon arrived at Industrial Terminal West in Houston. After the ocean voyage and before offloading the cargo, the steel sea fastener tabs used to secure the turbine components had to be removed by cutting, using an oxygen/acetylene torch.

The next afternoon, a marine chemist tested the atmosphere in cargo holds no. 2 port, no. 3 port and starboard, and no. 4 starboard for oxygen content and presence of flammable vapors to determine if it was safe to carry out hotwork.

Continue reading “Report finds fire onboard cargo vessel was due to lack of compliance with SMS”

Over 50% of flag states could be removed from STCW White List

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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).

Continue reading “Over 50% of flag states could be removed from STCW White List”

Join IIMS in Brisbane for an essential two day workshop on 1 and 2 August

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Members and non members from Australia and New Zealand are invited to attend the IIMS two day workshop that has been arranged in Brisbane on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 August 2019. IIMS is grateful to Kedge PYT Ltd for their generous support.

And if you are unable to be there in person, or distance is an issue, you are welcome to join us as an online only delegate via the Zoom platform.

The venue is:
Novotel Brisbane Airport, 6-8 The Circuit, Brisbane Airport QLD 4008, Australia

The cost for both days to include refreshments, tea, coffee and buffet lunch is just AUS$ 275. Attendance at the event earns 5 CPD points. Continue reading “Join IIMS in Brisbane for an essential two day workshop on 1 and 2 August”

BIMCO elects first woman President

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The world’s largest shipping association BIMCO has elected Şadan Kaptanoğlu, managing director of HI Kaptanoglu Shipping, as its new President.

“It is a great privilege for me to chair the BIMCO Board of Directors in this crucial time of change for shipping. The environment and climate change are key public concerns and getting the shipping industry to embrace this reality – and delivering the solutions to meet the world’s environmental expectations – will be my priority,” Kaptanoğlu says.

She underlines that BIMCO is both the oldest and largest global association representing shipowners and has the depth of resources and Continue reading “BIMCO elects first woman President”

Unsafe transfer of cargoes of wood pellets increases the possibility of fire

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Photo by Steve Pomeroy, Empire Shipping Agency, Vancouver, B.C.
Photo by Steve Pomeroy, Empire Shipping Agency, Vancouver, B.C.

Peter Hazell, Assistant Vice President and Head of FDD Skuld, has looked at former coal fired power stations that have started to burn biomass as feedstock in order to enhance sustainability of fuel sources. This results in increased shipments of wood pellets intended to be burned.

Most of these shipments are completed without incident but there are significant hazards associated with the carriage of wood pellets that surveyors should be aware of.

Generally, to have safely transfer wood pellets the Club advises always to follow standard enclosed space entry procedures.

The wood pellets can include a binder additive but not all do so. Each of these types can self-heat when in bulk form.

Continue reading “Unsafe transfer of cargoes of wood pellets increases the possibility of fire”

Ineffective inspections and surveys contributed to fatal explosion on a barge off Texas says report

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An explosion and fire aboard the articulated tug and barge ‘Buster Bouchard’ was the result of a lack of effective maintenance and safety management of the barge by the owner company, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed in its report into the incident.

On 20 October 2017, at 0430 local time, the crews of the articulated tug and barge (ATB) Buster Bouchard/B. No. 255 were preparing to get under way from anchorage to proceed into the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, when an explosion and subsequent fire occurred on the bow of the barge.

Two barge crew members who were on the bow were killed in the explosion. The fire was extinguished about 1100 on the same day.

Continue reading “Ineffective inspections and surveys contributed to fatal explosion on a barge off Texas says report”

Small Craft Surveyors Forum Annual Seminar at Seawork announced

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Members of IIMS are reminded that the annual Small Craft Surveyors Forum will take place at the Seawork Show at Southampton on Wednesday 12 June from 1330 to 1630 in Conference Room 2.

The event is free to attend and open to all marine surveyors no matter what their affiliation. This year’s schedule looks good and is sure to draw a strong attendance.

Although a free seminar please reserve your place online  so we have numbers for Health & Safety reasons, chairs and catering.

Programme of presentations

1330 Welcome by Seminar Chairman John Wills, IMarEST

Continue reading “Small Craft Surveyors Forum Annual Seminar at Seawork announced”

IIMS London Conference 2019 in June looming large, open to real time and online only delegates

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Herringham Hall, Regent’s University welcomes delegates for the first day of the IIMS London Conference 2019 on 17 June

The speaker schedules and presenters are fixed and finalised for the forthcoming IIMS London Conference being held at Regent’s University on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 June.

This year for the first time, you can join the Conference as a real time delegate in person, or hop on via Zoom as an online only delegate from the comfort of your office or home.

So what might you learn? The first day is aimed unashamedly at marine surveyors in the commercial sector, but day two will be of interest to all.

Day one (17 June) – Herringham Hall, Regent’s University
Continue reading “IIMS London Conference 2019 in June looming large, open to real time and online only delegates”

Remote surveying techniques are on the rise

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Remote surveying techniques are becoming increasingly popular. Image courtesy Martek Marine
Remote surveying techniques are becoming increasingly popular. Image courtesy Martek Marine

New technologies such as drones, climbers and robot arms are rapidly entering the marine survey and inspection arena. And, in turn, major classification societies are embracing the so-called Remote Surveying Techniques for their class surveys. If you are looking for the reasons why, it is easy to answer – safer and less intrusive surveys!

Without requiring confined space entry, Remote Surveying Techniques are considerably less expensive than other methods. Likewise, they’re far safer than traditional methods of inspection that involve sending inspectors/surveyors into unsafe conditions. Analytically, the pros of Remote Surveying Techniques in conjunction with class surveys are as follows:
– improve efficiency of inspection techniques
Continue reading “Remote surveying techniques are on the rise”

The long awaited report into the loss of Stellar Daisy is published by the Marshall Islands

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The Maritime Administrator of the Republic of the Marshall Islands has released its long-awaited report for publication on the investigation into the 2017 loss of the Stellar Daisy in the South Atlantic.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Stellar Daisy, a 266,141 DWT very large ore carrier, sank on March 31, 2017, approximately 1,700 nautical miles from Uruguay while underway from Brazil to China with a cargo of iron ore for Vale. Of the 24 crewmembers on board, only two were rescued. The other 22 are missing and presumed deceased.

The wreck of the vessel was only located last February in 3,461 meters of water.

The investigation determined that the likely direct cause of the foundering was a rapid list to port following a catastrophic structural Continue reading “The long awaited report into the loss of Stellar Daisy is published by the Marshall Islands”

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