Pleasure craft safety equipment recommendations

Advisory safety equipment for pleasure craft
Advisory safety equipment for pleasure craft

For pleasure yachts of less than 13.7 meters in length there are no statutory requirements for safety equipment other than those required under SOLAS V. Safety equipment is an important part of preparing a boat. It is advisable that all pleasure craft skippers check that their vessel is properly equipped.

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recommends it is essential that you properly equip your boat prior to going on the water and that you ensure that the craft is Continue reading “Pleasure craft safety equipment recommendations”

Coastguard: Research in the UK reveals many don’t know to dial 999 for coastal emergencies

Lands End Coastguard Rescue Team
Lands End Coastguard Rescue Team

Last year, countless lives were saved because someone knew to call 999 in an emergency at the coast and ask for the Coastguard. But shockingly, research carried out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) shows in some parts of the UK more than half still don’t know who to call when the worst happens at the coast or at sea close to the shoreline.

To help get the message home, the Coastguard has recreated and shared the kind of thank you messages it receives from those people who are alive today because Continue reading “Coastguard: Research in the UK reveals many don’t know to dial 999 for coastal emergencies”

Misdeclared cargo needs urgent action says Digital freight forwarder iContainers

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”

Hire Boat Code consultation opened

British Marine and the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities (AINA) have launched the much-anticipated consultation on the proposed changes to the existing Code for the design, construction and operation of hire boats, better known as the Hire Boat Code.

The proposal of changes to the Code considers the many advances in boat design, regulation and operation which have occurred since the first Code was published back in 2008, ensuring the licensing framework is fit for the future.

This includes changes to the responsibilities for hire boat operators, hirers and hire boat licensing authorities of sailing boats over 6m LOA and powered boats of all lengths, as well as amendments to key technical standards. Importantly for some hire boat operators, this may incur significant one-off cost implications. Continue reading “Hire Boat Code consultation opened”

Canal & River Trust increases boat licence fee by 2.5%

The annual increase in boat licence fees for 2020 has been set by the Canal & River Trust at 2.5 percent, but other changes implemented at the same time will include the first stage of a phased introduction of higher charges for wider craft.

The boat license increase, based on a standard inflation index, will see the cost of an annual canals and rivers licence for a typical ‘go anywhere’ 57ft narrowboat rise on 1 April 2020 from £985.79 to £1,010.43. But at the same time, the first of a series of extra increases for widebeam craft (announced following the 2017 licensing review) means owners of craft more than 2.16m (7ft 1in) wide face an additional increase of 5%, bringing the price for a 57ft widebeam up to £1,060.96.

Continue reading “Canal & River Trust increases boat licence fee by 2.5%”

Towboat sinking blamed on ineffective hull maintenance says NTSB report

Towboat Miss Roslyn
Towboat Miss Roslyn

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a Marine Accident Brief about the capsizing and sinking of the fleet towboat Miss Roslyn, citing the company’s lack of effective hull inspection and maintenance program.

On October 9, 2018, at 1630 local time, the Miss Roslyn was traveling downbound at mile 142 on the Lower Mississippi River near Reserve, Louisiana, when she began to flood and list to starboard. The three crewmembers abandoned the towboat onto a moored fleet barge and a Good Samaritan vessel. The Miss Roslyn capsized and sank on her starboard side. Continue reading “Towboat sinking blamed on ineffective hull maintenance says NTSB report”

Dangerous goods on containerships: New safety guidance for stowage

Container ship fires originating from dangerous goods
Container ship fires originating from dangerous goods

Containership fires are a growing concern. Fires, originating from dangerous goods in containers, whether wrongfully declared or not, occur with alarming frequency. Such fires endanger the lives of the crew, harm the environment and cause damage to cargo and property.

The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) has published a new safety guidance for the stowage of classified dangerous goods onboard containerships. The “Safety Considerations for Ship Operators Related to Risk-Based Stowage of Dangerous Continue reading “Dangerous goods on containerships: New safety guidance for stowage”

Bunker spill: Lessons learnt

UK P&I Club discuss bunker spill
UK P&I Club discuss bunker spill

Stuart Edmonston, Loss Prevention Director at UK P&I Club, discusses a poorly planned bunkering operation, which led to a bunker spill, and advises on the lessons that can be learnt from this incident.

A bulk carrier was to bunker 215 metric tons of intermediate fuel oil from a supply barge. The bunkers were to be received in a pair of empty topside tanks, each with a capacity of 200 cubic metres. According to the company safety management system procedures, bunker tanks were not to be filled in excess of 85% capacity which corresponded to a minimum ullage of 55cm. Continue reading “Bunker spill: Lessons learnt”

Canal & River Trust issues a strategy update

Canal & River Trust issues a strategy
Canal & River Trust issues a strategy

The Canal & River Trust has released its latest annual update detailing progress over the past year against its strategic action plan.

In October 2015 the Canal & River Trust published its water resources strategy, ‘Putting the Water into Waterways’, setting long term aspirations for the next five years as well as looking ahead to 2050 to understand longer-term pressures and challenges regarding water supply and use.

Drought conditions have persisted in 2019 with restrictions being re-imposed on Continue reading “Canal & River Trust issues a strategy update”

Inland Waterways value to the UK highlighted in report

UK Inland Waterways
UK Inland Waterways

The value of inland waterways across the UK has been highlighted in a new report by the Inland Waterways Association.

The review brings together previously written reports and studies to evidence the many benefits that a waterway can bring to an area with the aim of influencing planners and policy makers.

“As budgets are stretched and funding is being cut, it is all the more important to have clear information at your fingertips when speaking to members of the local council or developers who are looking to impact on inland waterways,” explained Continue reading “Inland Waterways value to the UK highlighted in report”

The securing of containers on deck on a container ship

There are six different ways in which ships move in the sea, primarily pitching, heaving and rolling.

Lateral rolling motion represents the greatest challenge for stacks of containers. If containers are to be transported safely on the deck of a container vessel, they must be firmly connected to the ship. This is done with the aid of what are known as twistlocks. These twistlocks are inserted into the corner castings of the containers. These corner castings have elongated holes in which the rotating lug of the twistlock engages, locking the containerstogether. In addition, the bottom two layers of the stacked containers are connected to the ship with lashing rods. Initially, it was common practice to stow stacks of containers on deck in such a way that the individual stacks were connected to each other Continue reading “The securing of containers on deck on a container ship”

Sea Mist: Accident investigation report on man overboard fatality from single-handed fishing boat

Sea Mist
Sea Mist

At about 1225 on 27 March 2019, the skipper/owner of the single-handed creel boat Sea Mist, became entangled in a back rope while shooting creels and was hauled overboard. No-one witnessed the accident. However, the skipper’s son, who was nearby on his own fishing vessel, Ocean Lee, saw Sea Mist circling shortly afterwards and raised the alarm. At 1321, Sea Mist’s skipper was recovered from the water by the crew from a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat. He was declared deceased on arrival at hospital.

Sea Mist’s skipper was working alone on deck without a personal flotation device Continue reading “Sea Mist: Accident investigation report on man overboard fatality from single-handed fishing boat”

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