Shipping

Eco-Ship Drive Green Highway launched by K Line

Posted on by News Hound
The new environmentally friendly, eco-ship, Drive Green Highway launched by K Line
The new environmentally friendly, eco-ship, Drive Green Highway launched by K Line

Solar Frontier announced its CIS solar panels were installed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line), on its newest environmentally friendly transport ship.

K Line’s new ship, a car carrier named Drive Green Highway, integrates advanced energy efficient technologies and design improvements to reduce its impact on the environment. It is the first of 8 similar vessels that will be built under K Line’s “Drive Green Project”, and was launched in early February at a ceremony in Nagasu Port in Kumamoto, a coastal city in southern Japan.

Continue reading “Eco-Ship Drive Green Highway launched by K Line”

MAIB issues safety warning about close fitting jacketed synthetic fibre ropes

Posted on by News Hound
Photograph showing LNG carrier Zarga at sea by Fotoflite.com
Photograph showing LNG carrier Zarga at sea by Fotoflite.com

The MAIB has issued a second safety warning after a mooring line failure on board LNG tanker Zarga resulted in serious injury to a deck officer.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is carrying out an investigation into the mooring line failure on board LNG tanker Zarga while alongside South Hook LNG terminal, Milford Haven on 2 March 2015, which resulted in serious injury to a deck officer.

Close fitting jacketed synthetic fibre ropes with low twist constructions are more prone to failure under normal operating conditions than other mooring rope constructions. This is especially the case where the diameter to diameter (D:d) ratio between a ship’s deck fittings and its mooring ropes, is less than that recommended by the rope’s manufacturer. The nature of the close fitting jacket precludes visual inspection of the rope’s core for signs of degradation. Operators of vessels using close-fitting jacketed synthetic fibre mooring ropes are strongly advised to contact the rope’s manufacturer/supplier to:

Continue reading “MAIB issues safety warning about close fitting jacketed synthetic fibre ropes”

Mega ships: boom or bust?

Posted on by News Hound
Are mega ships the way forward? The debate rages on
Are mega ships the way forward? The debate rages on

Ship breakers are watching the evolvement of mega ships with much interest – not in admiration, but as a future source of metal recycling.

If we’re to believe the big container lines, who justify ever larger ships as the remedy for their financial woes, why are so many of them still losing money?

In the size race, Maersk Line led the pack with its Triple-E vessels of 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). But nearly all of its chief rivals, including Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM, Evergreen Line and China Container Shipping Lines, have been catching up with their own mega-vessels. Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) recently announced an order for six 20,150-TEU ships, and Maersk, among others, is likely to match that.

Continue reading “Mega ships: boom or bust?”

Advice issued about the routine fumigation of agricultural products on ships

Posted on by News Hound

Cargo-FumigationNorth P&I Club has published a new free-to-download loss prevention briefing warning its members of the hazards associated with routine fumigation of agricultural products on ships.

The warning follows an explosion of pesticide gases on a panamax vessel, loading corn at Paranagua, Brazil, at the end of December 2015. This resulted in significant structural damage and was one of number of similar incidents reported during the last five years in Brazil and the USA. According to North’s loss prevention director Tony Baker, ‘The application of fumigant on vessels carrying cargoes such as grains, seed cakes and logs is common practice. However, failure to disperse the fumigant pellets properly has led to self-heating problems.

Continue reading “Advice issued about the routine fumigation of agricultural products on ships”

EU releases new operational guidelines for ships in need of assistance

Posted on by News Hound

The European Union has released new operational guidelines for ships in need of assistance at the Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas (SEARICA) Intergroup meeting in European Parliament.

The guidelines were developed by a committee comprising of Member States’ competent authorities with additional support from industry stakeholders.

It aims to promote better integration and coordination among the maritime authorities involved in response to an incident concerning a ship in need of assistance.

Continue reading “EU releases new operational guidelines for ships in need of assistance”

Warning about potential dangers of new technology on ships

Posted on by News Hound

North P&I Club has warned its members that despite the enormous benefits of digital technology on and around ships, there may also be some downsides. In addition to its recent warning on cyber threats, the club highlights some less obvious risks from the digital age in the latest issue of its loss prevention newsletter Signals – including video calls, emails, mobile devices and even 3D printing.

Loss prevention director Tony Baker says, ‘While many ships now offer technology such as satellite video calling to keep crews in touch with loved ones back home, care should be taken to ensure this does not make matters worse. For some seafarers, having easy access to friends, family and their ongoing domestic problems could lead to increased anxiety compared to the traditional clean break of departure.’

Continue reading “Warning about potential dangers of new technology on ships”

New measures proposed following accident caused by leaking hatch covers

Posted on by News Hound
Swedish P&I Club makes new proposals following an accident caused by leaking hatch covers
Swedish P&I Club makes new proposals following an accident caused by leaking hatch covers

The Swedish P&I Club has issued its Monthly Safety Scenario for February 2016 that relates to an accident caused by leaking hatch covers. As a result it recommends preventive measures.

About the accident
The vessel comprised loaded up wire coils. When loading was complete the crew taped across the transverse beams of all the cargo holds with Ram-Nek. During the vessel’s transit it sailed through heavy weather that lasted for about two days. During this time the vessel was pitching and rolling and the cargo hatches were covered in water.

Continue reading “New measures proposed following accident caused by leaking hatch covers”

Measuring methane gas levels in cargo holds

Posted on by News Hound

The West of England P&I Club has issued loss prevention bulletin to advise how to measure methane gas levels in cargo holds when uploading coal cargoes.

Some coal cargoes can produce methane (CH4). Since methane is a flammable gas, the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code requires vessels loaded with coal to monitor the concentration of methane inside the cargo holds via external sampling points. Portable gas detectors are carried for this purpose. However, in the Club’s recent experience it would appear that some crew members may not be aware that the readings for methane may be incorrect if the amount of oxygen inside the hold is low.

Continue reading “Measuring methane gas levels in cargo holds”

World’s first marine wireless charging and mooring concept developed

Posted on by News Hound

An agreement has been signed between Cavotec Group and Wärtsilä to jointly develop the world’s first combined induction charging and automatic mooring concept.

Cavotec provides automated mooring systems for various types of vessels, as well as shore power and reel systems. Wärtsilä has developed a wireless charging system based on inductive power transfer. By combining the strengths and expertise of the two companies, an integrated wireless charging/mooring concept will be developed for use in Wärtsilä’s ship designs.

Continue reading “World’s first marine wireless charging and mooring concept developed”

Merchant Shipping Directorate of Malta issues new guidelines for Maltese registered ships

Posted on by News Hound

Transport-Malta-noticeThe Merchant Shipping Directorate in Malta has reviewed the guidelines for ascertaining the seaworthiness required in terms of article 12(a) of the Merchant Shipping Act for vessels that are registered as Maltese ships. As a result new guidelines that come into force from February 2016 have been published.

As a rule, merchant ships of 25 years and over will not be registered, while, applications for the registration of other ships will be considered subject to:
the ship being either in class or in the process of being classed with a recognized classification society;
the receipt of an up to date class survey status report or, information on the validity of the current statutory certificates including details of any pending recommendations, exemptions granted, acceptance of equivalents or otherwise, related to both class and statutory certificates;
Continue reading “Merchant Shipping Directorate of Malta issues new guidelines for Maltese registered ships”

North P&I Club publishes loss prevention guide on bulk cargoes

Posted on by News Hound
North P&I Club has released a new loss prevention guide on bulk cargoes
North P&I Club has released a new loss prevention guide on bulk cargoes

The 175 million GT, ‘A’ rated North P&I Club has published a major new guide for the international shipping industry on how to reduce losses when carrying bulk cargoes by sea. The 280-page Bulk Cargoes: A Guide to Good Practice adds to North’s comprehensive portfolio of guidance provided about different cargo types and is the first to be made available in both print and e-book formats.

Bulk Cargoes explains the basic rules to be remembered on every occasion during loading, carriage and unloading of bulk cargoes. It describes where various regulations, recommendations and general guidance can be found, and discusses procedures, preparations and good seamanship practice for appropriate and safe carriage of cargoes in bulk. It also describes the problems and recommended procedures associated with particular types of bulk cargo and sets out the points to be remembered during passage planning and the voyage itself.

Continue reading “North P&I Club publishes loss prevention guide on bulk cargoes”

IMO World Maritime Day theme for 2016 is ‘Shipping: indispensable to the world

Posted on by News Hound
The recently launched World Maritime Day logo
The recently launched World Maritime Day logo

​The World Maritime Day theme for 2016 is “Shipping: indispensable to the world”.

The World Maritime Day  theme was chosen to focus on the critical link between shipping and global society and to raise awareness of the relevance of the role of IMO as the global regulatory body for international shipping. The importance of shipping to support and sustain today’s global society gives IMO’s work a significance that reaches far beyond the industry itself.

Continue reading “IMO World Maritime Day theme for 2016 is ‘Shipping: indispensable to the world”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine