UK News

Environment Agency set to increase boat charges

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The EA is the second largest navigation authority in the UK and is responsible for more than 1,000km of navigable waterways.
The EA is the second largest navigation authority in the UK and is responsible for more than 1,000km of navigable waterways.

The Environment Agency is to increase the cost of boat registrations on its waterways from 2019 which it says will help ensure a sustainable service and cover maintenance.

It said that the new charges for 2019-21 will be invested in waterways enjoyed by around 29,000 boat users, helping to meet the shortfall between the cost of running the service and the income currently generated from annual boat registrations.

“We realise an increase in charges is never welcome news but it is essential to keep the levels of service and maintenance which boaters tell us is needed,” said Mark Ormrod, EA national manager for navigation.

“In addition, we are exploring new income streams to make our Continue reading “Environment Agency set to increase boat charges”

Cley Harbour rejuvenated after many years of disuse

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Photo credit: Chris Taylor
Photo credit: Chris Taylor

Norfolk’s Cley Harbour has received its largest traditional working sailing vessel for more than 60 years, marking its return to activity after falling into disuse.

The Coastal Exploration Company owned 30ft open wooden gaff rigged whelk boat Salford came into the harbour to deliver a cargo of North Norfolk beer from Barsham Brewery to the Cley Windmill.

Simon Read, chairman of Cley Harbour committee said: “This is the largest traditional working sailing vessel to visit Cley in over 60 years and will be mark a key moment in the rejuvenation of Cley Harbour.”

The clinker-built traditional Norfolk fishing boat has remained in and around Norfolk’s waters since it was built in the 1950s and was recently in the filming of Continue reading “Cley Harbour rejuvenated after many years of disuse”

Workboat apprenticeship scheme tackles skills and crewing challenges

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Training providers including 54 North Maritime and Red Ensign are drawing up plans to run courses for the scheme
Training providers including 54 North Maritime and Red Ensign are drawing up plans to run courses for the scheme

The National Workboat Association (NWA) has finalised its Workboat Crewmember Apprenticeship standard as the industry faces growing skills and crewing challenges in the thriving workboat sector.

This scheme is aimed at addressing industry concerns about falling numbers of young people entering the industry at ground level, exasperated by experienced seafarers leaving the industry, often by retirement.

As well as tugs and ‘multicat’-type vessels the definition of workboat in this context includes: offshore wind personnel transfer vessels, survey craft and pilot vessels, all sectors experiencing growth involving increasingly sophisticated and technically demanding vessels but still requiring seamanship skills that have been around for generations. The new apprenticeship standard has now been finalised, paving the way for the scheme to be rolled out by training providers across England and Wales.

The Workboat Crewmember Standard and assessment has been Continue reading “Workboat apprenticeship scheme tackles skills and crewing challenges”

How to conduct a safe bunkering operation

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A number of safe bunkering measures are required for each bunkering operation. These can be divided into four stages and checks
A number of safe bunkering measures are required for each bunkering operation. These can be divided into four stages and checks

The UK P&I Club has published helpful guidance to ensure safe bunkering operations. The Club said that bunkering operations are routine and critical, high risk operations which require to be carefully planned and performed.

Causes of bunker spills
Although the most of the bunker transfers are carried out without incident, very occasionally, things can and do go wrong. The UK Club notes that only a minority of cases do bunker spills occur because of failure of the hoses or pipelines, while the majority of spills result from a tank overflowing.

But these are not the only causes. Common causes of bunker spills can be summarised as follows:

– Improper set up of pipeline system valves: Potentially causing either overpressure, or flow of bunkers to an unintended location;
– Insufficient monitoring of tank levels during bunkering: All tanks, not only those Continue reading “How to conduct a safe bunkering operation”

Bavaria Yachts is relying on 100 percent Made in Giebelstadt for future success

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The future development of Bavaria is taking clear shape: The yacht builder, respected worldwide for its good price/performance ratio, will once again build its boats one hundred percent in Germany. Bearing the seal of quality “Made in Giebelstadt”, both sailing and motor yachts will be manufactured and handed over to customers in Franconia. The R55 motor yacht, previously produced in Croatia, will for the first time be hand-built at the company’s headquarters in the first half of 2019. The moulds and tools are currently being transported from Croatia to Germany and installed in Giebelstadt.

“We want our outstandingly well trained and committed employees to develop and build all our yachts primarily under own management. The workforce identifies strongly with Bavaria Yachts; it is the key feature of our company,” explains Managing Director Erik Appel, who has been Chief Operating Officer of Bavaria Yachts since December 2017. “This is why we intend to further increase our permanent staff and simultaneously reduce the proportion of temporary workers. This will help considerably to bring down Continue reading “Bavaria Yachts is relying on 100 percent Made in Giebelstadt for future success”

Safety warning about working in enclosed spaces after the loss of life on a fishing vessel issued by MAIB

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This urgent bulletin has been issued after working in a refrigerated saltwater tank resulted in a fatal accident on board fv Sunbeam (FR487) at Fraserburgh, Scotland.

Initial findings
At about 0900 on 14 August, Sunbeam’s crew arrived at the vessel’s berth ready to begin work. The vessel’s refrigeration plant had been shut down after landing the final catch at Lerwick, and its RSW tanks had been pumped out and tank lids opened in preparation for deep cleaning. At some time between 1200 and 1350, Sunbeam’s second engineer entered the aft centre RSW tank and collapsed.

Continue reading “Safety warning about working in enclosed spaces after the loss of life on a fishing vessel issued by MAIB”

Sunseeker is set to move into metal boat production

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The new 49m tri-deck yacht will have an interior that can be styled to each owner’s taste.
The new 49m tri-deck yacht will have an interior that can be styled to each owner’s taste.

Sunseeker International is set to partner with Dutch based ICON Yachts to produce aluminium boats.

The first boat, due for launch in 2021, will be a 49m yacht and will capitalise on the demand the boatbuilder is seeing for larger vessels.

“We know there is demand there for larger Sunseeker yachts as the 155 Yacht proved,” said Sunseeker International sales director, Sean Robertson. “The decision to stop building that model was a commercial one based on space and capacity and certainly not due to lack of demand, so we knew we needed to rethink our approach to this size of vessel and have spent considerable time looking at various opportunities.”

He added: “A move into metal also means there is no Continue reading “Sunseeker is set to move into metal boat production”

Princess Yachts is experiencing a revolution as it launches the R35

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Around 20 R35s will be built each year, each using the latest technologies that have been developed through working with BAR Technologies.
Around 20 R35s will be built each year, each using the latest technologies that have been developed through working with BAR Technologies.

Princess Yachts’ latest launch is its R35, a 100% carbon fibre craft whose hull weighs half a tonne less than a comparable GRP boat explained executive chairman Antony Sheriff.

The launch of the R35 follows on from the boatbuilder recording its highest ever revenue in the history of the company in 2017 and increasing the size of its workforce by 50% over the last two and a half years.

“Innovation, design, high levels of build quality and better perceived,” said Antony. “it’s all condensed into one boat, the R35. It’s about beauty and comfort.”

He added: “This boat is symbolic of the revolution that’s happening within Princess. It’s been a very exciting run over the last few years.”

Around 20 R35s will be built each year, each using Continue reading “Princess Yachts is experiencing a revolution as it launches the R35”

Serious eye injury during maintenance of fresh water steriliser caused due to lack of PPE

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It was reported that the injured engineer was not wearing any face or eye protection when carrying out the work, despite the ready availability of this equipment in the engine room.
It was reported that the injured engineer was not wearing any face or eye protection when carrying out the work, despite the ready availability of this equipment in the engine room.

In the UK P&I Club‘s latest ‘Lessons Learned’ feature, Capt David Nichol references a case about a serious eye injury caused to an engineer who was engaged in carrying out routine maintenance of a fresh water steriliser. The investigation and outcome identified that the injured man had not been part of a proper risk assessment and consequently had not been wearing any face protection.

The incident occurred while two of the vessel’s engineers were performing maintenance on the U.V. steriliser of the fresh water generator in port. The work involved replacing a U.V. lamp and its associated tubular quartz glass sleeve within the cylindrical steriliser casing.

After the old lamp and sleeve were removed and the new sleeve installed, the engineers decided to hydrostatically test the steriliser unit to verify that the sleeve was correctly fitted and not Continue reading “Serious eye injury during maintenance of fresh water steriliser caused due to lack of PPE”

Safety digest with twenty four case studies published by MAIB

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The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), based in Southampton, UK, has published its latest safety digest that features 24 case studies of accidents and incidents it has investigated.

The information is published to inform the shipping and fishing industries, the pleasure craft community and the public of the general circumstances of marine accidents and to draw out the lessons to be learned. The sole purpose of the Safety Digest is to prevent similar accidents happening again. The content must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available. The articles do not assign fault or blame nor do they determine liability. The lessons often extend beyond the events of the incidents themselves to ensure the maximum value can be achieved.

In his introduction to the Safety Digest, Andrew Moll, MAIB (Interim) Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents says,
“Anyone who knows me will already be aware that I like simplicity. There is seldom anything simple about a marine accident, but to my mind there are usually three recurring components: an underlying weakness or vulnerability in the system (which includes the people); a trigger event or additional stressor Continue reading “Safety digest with twenty four case studies published by MAIB”

TT Club issues advice on dealing with container fires

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To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods.
To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods.

According to TT Club, container fires are a far more regular occurrence than most people would realise. Statistics show there is a major container cargo fire at sea roughly every 60 days. So, tackling fires and subsequent investigations are complex and vitally important activities.

With increasing container ships size increases the risk of a fire incident increases too. Despite some regulatory and technical advances, the fact is that the ability to respond to a cargo-related fire at sea has not progressed as needed in recent times.

To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods. The gas released from a CO2 system can displace the oxygen in the hold and smother the fire. However, for CO2 to be effective, the hold must be closed to retain the gas and prevent oxygen ingress.

If an incident has taken place in a container stowed on deck, water will be the only option available . Nevertheless, it is unlikely to extinguish a fire inside a container in the short term.

In addition, crew members should seek Continue reading “TT Club issues advice on dealing with container fires”

The dangers of carrying nickel ore cargo and the associated risks are highlighted by The West of England P&I Club

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Photo credit: Shipspotting
Photo credit: Shipspotting

The West of England P&I Club has warned operators and others involved of the dangers of carrying nickel ore. Carrying nickel ore can be dangerous, because of the risk of liquefaction of the cargo on passage when the moisture content is higher than the cargo’s Flow Moisture Point (FMP).

After a number of ships being lost, with liquefaction of their nickel ore cargoes suspected of being the cause, the West of England Club published a Notice some years ago addressing the Dangers of Carrying Nickel ore. This Notice is still in forced and was re-issued as No.13 2017/2018 – Dangers of Carrying Nickel Ore from Indonesia and the Philippines – Mandatory Notification Requirements (re-issued).

The Club reminds operators of the risk of liquefaction with this cargo, as showcased by the loss of the ‘Emerald Star’, which claimed the lives of 11 seafarers in October 2017.

In addition, the Club has been informed of Continue reading “The dangers of carrying nickel ore cargo and the associated risks are highlighted by The West of England P&I Club”

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