The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has issued two new marine guidance notices on MGN 547 and MGN 552 in recent days.
MGN 547: Solid bulk cargoes – safe carriage of bauxite.
The purpose of this Marine Guidance Note is to advise the industry of the circular issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers, CCC.1/Circ.2, on safe carriage of bauxite and raise awareness of the possible dangers of liquefaction associated with carriage of bauxite.
Research reveals that the UK remains the undisputed leader as far as maritime professional services are concerned
The UK’s Global Maritime Professional Services: Contribution and Trends report, produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers looks at the contribution and trends of the UK’s maritime professional services sector and provides a wealth of new data and insights drawn from survey responses and interviews with maritime industry specialists.
This sector includes areas such as marine insurance, law, finance and shipbroking, which play a vital role in facilitating the functioning of the global maritime industry.
The new iconic and eye catching Glider Yacht on its sea trials
The Glider Yacht, the brainchild of the company’s founder, Rob McCall, has taken to the water for its official sea trials, although it is not officially unveiled until the forthcoming London On-Water, Yacht and Boat Show on the 4th May.
Managing director Richard Inwards said: “Gliders are unlike any other yacht in existence. With their unparalleled design and technological capabilities, they promise to be one of the most luxurious, high performance craft in the world.
Sunseeker announces it will use the vacuum bagging technique on its yachts
Sunseeker International is to join the other big boatbuilders and start using PRO-SET epoxy and vacuum bagging techniques on its yacht decks.
It made the decision following a new case study by West System International (WSI), which revealed that the technique would provide optimal finish across all of its yacht decks.
The luxury yacht builder will now use PRO-SET ADV-170 Adhesive and vacuum bagging as standard for pre-fabricated teak deck installation across some 200 boats a year.
Article by Jonatha Saul and reprinted from the Reuters web site
If Britain votes to leave the European Union, the country’s shipping sector faces years of disruption as trade agreements get reworked and currency volatility leads to higher costs at a time when the industry is battling its worst global downturn.
Shipping sector contributes some 10 billion pounds annually to the UK economy and directly employs 240,000 people in multiple areas including maritime services such as ports, transportation, as well as ship broking and marine insurance.
Sealine has announced that the launch of the Sealine F530 will finally take place at the Palma Boat Show from April 28 to May 2 after a delay.
The hotly anticipated new model is the largest to be built since the British brand was bought out by the Hanse Group in 2013 and production relocated to Greifswald in Germany.
Initial renders emerged in June last year and the Sealine F530 was originally due to be launched in late February at the Istanbul Boat Show, but this plan has been pushed back by two months.
Shackleton. Endeavour. Falcon. These are just some of the names suggested for the UK’s next world-class polar research ship as part of a campaign that has been launched for the public to put forward names for the state-of-the-art vessel to be built in the North West of England.
Set to set sail in 2019 and backed by £200 million of government funding, the polar research ship will be built at the world-famous Cammell Laird shipyard on Merseyside.
Gill Smith of Moore Stephens. The company says that the budget has some surprise developments which are likely to be of interest to the shipping sector
Moore Stephens International Limited, a global accountancy and advisory network with its headquarters in London, has said that the UK Budget 2016 contains a number of surprise developments which are likely to be of interest to the shipping sector, as well as a radical set of measures which it is hoped will assist the offshore maritime oil and gas sector.
The Government announced a further reduction in the rate of corporation tax, which will be 17% from 1 April 2020. There are also significant reductions in the rates of capital gains tax. From 6 April 2016, the higher rate of capital gains tax for individuals will be reduced from 28% to 20%, and the basic rate will be reduced from 18% to 10%, although an additional 8% will apply for carried interest and for gains on some residential property.
In addition, Entrepreneurs’ Relief will be extended to apply to long-term investors in unlisted companies. Under these new rules, a 10% rate of capital gains tax will apply for gains on newly issued shares in unlisted companies acquired on or after 17 March 2016, provided they are held for at least three years from 6 April 2016. There is a separate lifetime limit of £10 million of gains.
At 2109 on 3 January 2015, the pure car and truck carrier Hoegh Osaka was rounding West Bramble buoy in The Solent when it developed a significant starboard list causing some cargo shift and consequent flooding.
With the list in excess of 40°, the ship lost steerage and propulsion, and subsequently drifted onto Bramble Bank, grounding at 2115.
Hoegh Osaka had sailed from the port of Southampton, bound for Bremerhaven, at 2006. A pilot was embarked and there were 24 crew on board. Following the accident, all crew were successfully evacuated from the ship or recovered from the surrounding waters. There was no pollution. A major salvage operation successfully refloated Hoegh Osaka and it was subsequently taken to a safe berth in Southampton on 22 January.
The Clesse regulator product number BP1803 is subject to a recall by the company
Following extensive field sampling and testing, Clesse Industries has taken the decision to implement a recall on its regulator product family BP1803 because of concerns about the potential of regulator failure in certain operational and environmental conditions.
Used with propane and butane LPG cylinders, the recall involves all directly cylinder mounted, wall mounted single cylinder and two cylinder manual changeover versions manufactured between June 2010 and September 2015.
Speaking on behalf of Boat Safety Scheme, who are backing the recall, BSS manager, Graham Watts, said:
“Please treat this recall seriously and make the checks. Clesse has provided support for anyone concerned with a dedicated website and a toll-free recall helpline: 0800 088 5545.”
MDL’s Chatham Maritime Marina, situated on the River Medway in Kent, is investing £500,000 in a state-of-the-art expansion plan which will include the addition of 54 new berths.
This exciting new development, due to open in April 2016, will also see a brand new pontoon in the marina which will lie adjacent to notable vessels at The Historic Dockyard.
The Historic Dockyard is a truly stunning 80-acre site with important buildings, museum galleries, historic warships and is described as the finest example of a Dockyard of the Age of Sail anywhere in the world.
At a recent meeting of the Lake District National Park Authority, it was decided not to adopt the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) following the Marine Accident Investigation Board’s (MAIB) recommendation, as the scheme is not an effective comprehensive method of addressing the important issue of boat safety.
A media statement released said;
While we support many of the scheme’s initiatives, these alone would not necessarily ensure public safety. Our reasons for not adopting the Boat Safety Scheme include:
• The BSS inspection is not a full condition survey and does not provide a fit for purpose evaluation
• It is not a mandatory condition to install a carbon monoxide or smoke detector on-board a boat under the BSS scheme
• The BSS inspection is only conducted every four years. This would not necessarily ensure safety of users
• For the BSS to be adopted it requires byelaw changes. Byelaws are designed to address local issues and must not attempt to address issues that are of national concern.
The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has issued two new marine guidance notices on MGN 547 and MGN 552 in recent days.
