Shipping

Hatch covers and ship holds guidance for safe operation and maintenance – booklet published

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The London P&I Club has published an updated guide on the safe operation and maintenance of ship holds and hatch covers, highlighting some of the common associated causes of damage, loss and personal injury and providing recommendations on best practices and points to avoid.

According to the Club’s data, the cause of large cargo claims by value in dry bulk and general cargo vessels accounts for 33%.

As noted, ISM Code systems should include procedures for loading, unloading, ballasting, deballasting, securing manholes, blanking ballast lines, testing bilge Continue reading “Hatch covers and ship holds guidance for safe operation and maintenance – booklet published”

Lubrication oil filter was mounted poorly resulting in engine failure

Posted on by News Hound
Lubrication oil filter
Lubrication oil filter

Transport Malta’s MSIU has released an investigation report on the main engine failure of the oil/chemical tanker ‘MV Guroni’ while underway in January 2019. According to the report, the lubrication oil filter of the main engine had been improperly mounted, which eventually led to severe damages to the components of the main engine and a complete failure of the main engine.

On 08 January 2019, at 0742, while the vessel was navigating through Skagerrak, an oil mist detector alarm was observed in the engine-room, followed by a Continue reading “Lubrication oil filter was mounted poorly resulting in engine failure”

Is the cargo too wet to load?

Posted on by News Hound
Wet Cargo
Wet Cargo

Do we know enough about the cargo we carry, ask Gard P&I Club. It may be impossible for crew to estimate the particle size but they can look out for signs of high moisture content.

Appendix 3, Art 2 of the IMSBC Code states “many fine particle cargoes, if possessing a sufficiently high moisture content are liable to flow”. There are two main concerns here for seafarers relating to liquefaction. Firstly, the fine particle size of the cargoes and secondly, the high moisture content, i.e. the moisture content is higher than the cargo’s transportable moisture limit (TML).

Continue reading “Is the cargo too wet to load?”

Yantian Express fire likely caused by coconut charcoal official report identifies

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Yantian Express - Photo credit: Smit Nicobar
Yantian Express – Photo credit: Smit Nicobar

The Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) has published its investigation report about the causes of the fire in the area of the deck cargo on board the container ship Yantian Express, identifying coconut charcoal as the likely cause of the fire.

It was during the early morning hours of 3 January 2019 that fire broke out in the deck cargo in the area of cargo hold 2 on board the German flagged container ship Yantian Express. The ship was in the North Atlantic, due to reach Halifax, Canadathe following day. Continue reading “Yantian Express fire likely caused by coconut charcoal official report identifies”

USCG issues advice on tank cleaning and gas freeing operations

Posted on by News Hound
Safety Alert focusing on the dangers related with improper tank cleaning
Safety Alert focusing on the dangers related with improper tank cleaning

The Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis has recently published a Marine Safety Alert, focusing on the dangers related with improper tank cleaning and gas freeing operations. Following several investigations on a tanker barge which exploded during cargo tank cleaning, USCG makes recommendations to avoid such incidents.

USCG has said that if the safety regulations under Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1915 and Title 33 CFR Part 154 are not followed, then cargo Continue reading “USCG issues advice on tank cleaning and gas freeing operations”

Fixed gas detection systems discrepancies on liquefied gas carriers

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USCG advice about common discrepancies with fixed gas detection systems
USCG advice about common discrepancies with fixed gas detection systems

The US Coast Guard has issued advice about common discrepancies associated with fixed gas detection systems onboard liquefied gas carriers specifically, which are a critical safety measure on liquefied gas carriers.

The International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) requires the activation of alarms at specified vapor concentrations.

During inspection on three separate LNG carriers in Boston, Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) discovered issues with the fixed flammable gas detection system Continue reading “Fixed gas detection systems discrepancies on liquefied gas carriers”

‘Book it right and pack it tight’ guide produced by UK P&I Club and TT Club

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‘Book it right and pack it tight’ guide collaboration
‘Book it right and pack it tight’ guide collaboration

At the start of 2020, the latest version of the IMDG Code, Amendment 39-18, came into force. The UK P&I Club has collaborated with TT Club to produce and publish ‘Book it right and pack it tight’ guide – a collaboration 108 page set of guidelines. It offers an insight for all involved and responsible for preparing unitized consignments for carriage at sea.

The ‘Book it right and pack it tight’ guide is designed to support shippers, forwarders, shipping line booking personnel and those who pack dangerous goods into cargo transport units, helping them understand the technical aspects of the Continue reading “‘Book it right and pack it tight’ guide produced by UK P&I Club and TT Club”

Seed cake guidelines published for safe carriage in containers

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Guidelines published for the carriage of seed cake in containers
Guidelines published for the carriage of seed cake in containers

CINS, together with the International Group of P&I Clubs, has published guidelines for the carriage of seed cake (s.c.) in containers. The practices set out in this document are intended to improve knowledge and the safety during the carriage of such cargo and to ensure that it is properly declared, packaged and carried.

In these Guidelines, seed cake includes any type of pulp, meals, cake, pellets, expellers or other cargo where oil has been removed from oil-bearing seeds, cereals or commodities with similar properties.

Continue reading “Seed cake guidelines published for safe carriage in containers”

Cargo lashings insufficient says MAIB report on European Causeway incident

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Cargo lashings insufficient says MAIB report
Cargo lashings insufficient says MAIB report

At 0633 on Tuesday 18 December 2018, the roll-on/roll-of (ro-ro) passenger ferry European Causeway rolled heavily in very rough seas and very high winds during its voyage from Larne, Northern Ireland to Cairnryan, Scotland. Insufficient cargo lashings have been found to be a key factor in the incident.

The violent motion caused several freight vehicles to shift and nine to topple over. This resulted in damage to 22 vehicles, some damaged severely. At least six freight vehicle drivers had remained in their cabs on the vehicle decks
during the crossing and four were found in cabs of vehicles that had toppled over. One driver was trapped and had to be freed by the emergency services when the ship arrived in Cairnryan. Continue reading “Cargo lashings insufficient says MAIB report on European Causeway incident”

Misdeclared cargo needs urgent action says Digital freight forwarder iContainers

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Fire caused by dangerous misdeclared cargo
Fire caused by dangerous misdeclared cargo

On the back of a spate of incidents in which has been the source on fires onboard container vessels, the digital freight forwarder iContainers highlighted that the shipping industry needs to pay attention to increasing misdeclared cargo.

Over the past two years there has been a noticeable, sharp increase in the number of container fires directly resulting from shippers’ dangerous misdeclared cargo.

Klaus Lysdal, vice president of operations at iContainers, has identified this is a vital Continue reading “Misdeclared cargo needs urgent action says Digital freight forwarder iContainers”

Container ship Washington loss of 137 containers: MAIB investigation report published

Posted on by News Hound
Container ship
Container ship

At 0127 on 20 January 2018, the UK flagged container ship CMA CGM G. Washington unexpectedly rolled 20° to starboard, paused for several seconds then rolled 20° to port. The ship was experiencing heavy seas in the North Pacific Ocean while on passage from Xiamen, China to Los Angeles, USA. As the sun rose later that morning, it was discovered that container bays 18, 54 and 58 had collapsed; 137 containers were lost overboard and a further 85 were damaged.

The MAIB investigation concluded that the collapse of all three bays probably occurred during the 20° rolls. The amplitude of the rolls exceeded the container  ship’s estimated roll limits and was almost certainly the consequence of parametric Continue reading “Container ship Washington loss of 137 containers: MAIB investigation report published”

What news of the world’s largest electric ferry six months on from its first commercial voyage?

Posted on by News Hound
Image courtesy of Adrienne Murray
Image courtesy of Adrienne Murray

In August 2019, Leclanché (battery system provider) announced the world’s largest electric ferry had completed its first commercial voyage when Ellen connected the ports of Søby and Fynshav in Denmark.

Six months on, Halfdan Abrahamsen, an information officer from Ærø EnergyLab, tells the BBC: “Ferry shipping in general is very dirty business.” Ships usually use marine diesel or heavy fuel oil, “which is just about the bottom of the food chain when it comes to product from refineries”. But he says, the only oil onboard Ellen is for the gearbox and in the kitchen for making French fries.

Continue reading “What news of the world’s largest electric ferry six months on from its first commercial voyage?”

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