Workboats

AMSA release video: Creating a safety management system for fishing vessels

Posted on by News Hound
AMSA release video
AMSA release video

AMSA has produced an excellent short video explaining how to develop a safety management system for fishing vessels. Watch this 16 minute video for easy to understand steps, real-world stories and experiences of why an effective safety management system (SMS) is essential when working in the fishing industry.

Fishing for Safety has been produced via a collaboration between Southern Rocklobster Limited Clean Green Program and AMSA, as part of a broader ongoing project: Southern Rock Lobster Clean Green Program—revision, digitisation and extension across the supply chain. Continue reading “AMSA release video: Creating a safety management system for fishing vessels”

Pacific Knight: Poor stability assessment leads fishing vessel to capsize with one fatality

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Starboard quarter of the Pacific Knight. Photo credit: Mike Jones
Starboard quarter of the Pacific Knight. Photo credit: Mike Jones

The National Transportation Safety Board issued an investigation report on the capsizing of the fish tender ‘Pacific Knight’ while at anchor off Alaska in July 2018. The investigation identified several contributing factors to the capsizing, including poor stability assessment by the captain, vessel modifications, overloading and slack water in the tanks.

On July 25, 2018, about 0630 local time, the commercial fish tender Pacific Knight capsized while at anchor about 11 miles south of Dillingham, Alaska. Continue reading “Pacific Knight: Poor stability assessment leads fishing vessel to capsize with one fatality”

Seawork 2019 a success despite unseasonal weather conditions

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Nusrat Ghani MP (pictured right) with Mercator Media's CEO, Andrew Webster
Nusrat Ghani MP (pictured right) with Mercator Media’s CEO, Andrew Webster

Three days packed with equipment launches, contract signings and vessel handovers came to an end on Thursday 13 June as the 22nd edition of Seawork closed on an unseasonably cold and wet but successful business high.

Seawork was delighted to welcome Nusrat Ghani, UK Minister responsible for Maritime, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Maritime Security, Skills and Apprenticeships, who made a return visit to officially open Seawork 2019.

The Minister stated, ‘Seawork is one of the highlights of the maritime calendar, showcasing an industry that contributes over £3 billion to Continue reading “Seawork 2019 a success despite unseasonal weather conditions”

MAIB report on the fatal capsizing of Laura Jane fishing vessel is published

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At 1311 on 7 May 2018, the single-handed fishing vessel Laura Jane capsized off Mount Batten Breakwater in Plymouth trapping its skipper in the wheelhouse.

The vessel remained afloat with a few centimetres of the wheelhouse protruding above the water. Two RNLI lifeboats arrived at the scene within 15 minutes of the capsize and Laura Jane was towed to the nearby Batten Bay beach, arriving at around 1400.

The skipper was extracted from the wheelhouse by two of the RNLI crew who broke a wheelhouse window to get access to him. He was immersed in water, was unconscious and not breathing.

Attempts to resuscitate him by the lifeboat crew and paramedics from the emergency services were unsuccessful.

He was then airlifted to Derriford Hospital, where he Continue reading “MAIB report on the fatal capsizing of Laura Jane fishing vessel is published”

Fire onboard a fishing vessel caused by mechanical failure says NTSB report

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Photo courtesy of Trico Seafood
Photo courtesy of Trico Seafood

NTSB has published its report into the circumstances that led to the fire on board the commercial fishing vessel Ole Betts Sea, on 18 March 2018 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The fire burned for 16 hours and the vessel eventually sank about 18 miles northeast of the island of Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, Florida. No pollution or injuries were reported. The ship was a total loss valued at $200,000.

Before getting under way on March 13 for the voyage that was to turn into disaster, the captain performed a pre-departure check of the vessel and its gear.

He also checked the items listed on a post-voyage work-list form, which was submitted to Trico’s shop foreman at the end of the previous 3-week voyage.

He found all in good order, and the Ole Betts Sea departed its Fort Myers Beach berth.

Continue reading “Fire onboard a fishing vessel caused by mechanical failure says NTSB report”

The future of fish farming vessels is here now in the form of a fully electric workboat

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‘Astrid Helene’ is a fully electric salmon farm workboat designed and built by Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted, Norway. Owner/ operator Northern Lights Salmon saves the planet from up to 90t CO2 and 900kg of NOx particles annually – the average emission of a diesel powered fish-farm workboat.

There are no longer any diesel fumes on deck either. For crew, the fumes could be quite annoying – particularly if the wind was blowing it in their direction. Now, there is just clean air.

Fully electric work boats such as Astrid Helene will play a key role in the industry’s future: “Electric work boats are perfect for fish farming. Continue reading “The future of fish farming vessels is here now in the form of a fully electric workboat”

Poor maintenance the key cause leading to sinking of Ms Nancy C says report

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Photo by Frank Kammerer, towboatgallery.com
Photo by Frank Kammerer, towboatgallery.com

The NTSB has published its investigation report into the flooding and sinking of the towing vessel ‘Nancy C’ on Lower Mississippi River, near Dyersville, Tennessee, in March 2018. The investigation has identified poor maintenance as the principle cause of the incident.

On 6 March 2018, about 1630 local time, the uninspected towing vessel Ms Nancy C was moving and positioning cargo barges while operating in Everett Lake, a tributary of the Mississippi River, when a deckhand discovered water in a void at the stern of the vessel. While the captain and deckhand attempted to dewater the vessel, it sank in 15 feet of water. Both crew members disembarked to a barge prior to the sinking without injury. Damage was estimated at $667,306.

Continue reading “Poor maintenance the key cause leading to sinking of Ms Nancy C says report”

Wärtsilä moves towards remote guidance for vessel repair and maintenance

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Wärtsilä’s remote guidance service also proved successful during a demonstration in the TT-Lines office
Wärtsilä’s remote guidance service also proved successful during a demonstration in the TT-Lines office

Wärtsilä has successfully tested its remote guidance service, so claiming to have created ‘an entirely new dimension in vessel repair and maintenance operations’.

Through real-time communication using voice-controlled Augmented Reality (AR) wearables and remote guidance software, ship crew members, field service engineers and shipyard personnel can communicate with shore-based experts anywhere in the world.

The tests were carried out onboard the Huckleberry Finn, a RoRo ferry operated by TT-Lines, while sailing between Trelleborg, Sweden and Travemünde, Germany.

Simulated remote guidance service situations were carried out on the ship’s navigation equipment on the bridge and on the shaft line seals and bearings in the engine room.

Continue reading “Wärtsilä moves towards remote guidance for vessel repair and maintenance”

IMO Sub-Committee finalises draft amendments to ventilation requirements for survival craft

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During the meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee, a correspondence group was established.
During the meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee, a correspondence group was established.

The IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment held its 6th Session from 4 to 8 March 2019. The meeting focused on improvements in ventilation conditions of survival craft that will be achieved by finalising draft amendments to the LSA Code on ventilation requirements for survival craft and draft amendments to the ‘Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances’.

Mainly, the Sub-Committee discussed the draft amendments to the LSA Code, relating to ventilation requirements of totally enclosed lifeboats.

In the meantime, the meeting made progress in developing draft amendments to the revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances regarding the ventilation of survival craft, aiming to ensure a habitable environment is maintained in such survival craft.

Continue reading “IMO Sub-Committee finalises draft amendments to ventilation requirements for survival craft”

Safe loading practices highlighted in fishing vessel sinking

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Around 0900 on 9 April, the mate, who was on watch, noticed that the vessel was not fully returning upright when it was heeled over by the swell
Around 0900 on 9 April, the mate, who was on watch, noticed that the vessel was not fully returning upright when it was heeled over by the swell

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has published an investigation report on the sinking of the fishing vessel ‘Western Commander’ off Triple Islands, Dixon Entrance, British Columbia, in April 2018. The report highlighted issues related to safe loading practices and proper risk identification.

In April 2018, the vessel was under contract to sea urchin buyers to transport urchins for 11 different harvesters. From 4 April to the morning of 6 April, the vessel remained at anchor in Parry Passage due to inclement weather.

Around 0900 on 9 April, the mate, who was on watch, noticed that the vessel was not fully returning upright when it was heeled over by the swell. Water was coming over the port railing and remaining on deck, and the vessel developed a port list. At some point, water had entered the port forward fish hold. In an attempt to Continue reading “Safe loading practices highlighted in fishing vessel sinking”

Vessel stability compromised by weight creep says USCG advice note

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Photo credit: A crewmember from Ocean Rover
Photo credit: A crewmember from Ocean Rover

The US Coast Guard has published its Findings of Concern with essential information it wishes to share about unsafe conditions that investigators have identified as causal factors in a casualty that could contribute to future incidents. The Findings of Concern follow the sinking of a fishing vessel in February 2017.

In February 2017, immediately after 27 days of cod fishing, a 98-foot commercial fishing vessel carrying 200 crab pots with a crew of six departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and proceeded towards St. Paul Island to drop off bait with the intent to transit to the Opilio crab fishing grounds.

The vessel got underway despite multiple National Weather Service (NWS) marine forecasts indicating areas of freezing spray throughout the vessel’s planned route.

Continue reading “Vessel stability compromised by weight creep says USCG advice note”

New workboat code edition 2 is published by MCA

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Following collaboration with a number of interested parties to gather industry feedback on the draft MSN for the Workboat Code: Edition 2, the MCA has now published the new Code. This Code applies to small workboats used commercially that operate at sea and to pilot boats of any size operating either at sea or in categorised waters (i.e. inland). It applies to United Kingdom vessels wherever they may be at, and to non-United Kingdom vessels in UK waters or operating from UK ports.

The workboat code edition 2 amends the original Code, “The Safety of Small Workboats and Pilot Boats – A Code of Practice” introduced in 1998, and applies to small workboats and pilot boats, the keels of which are laid, or are at a similar stage of construction, on or after 31 December 2018. This is defined in the Merchant Shipping Notice issued in accordance with the regulation 3(1) of the enabling regulations. From that date, this code supersedes the original Code, and also the use of Marine Guidance Note MGN 280(M)1 “Small Commercial Vessels and Pilot Boat Code of Practice” for small workboats and pilot boats and the Workboat Code Industry Working Group Technical Standard published in June 2014.

Continue reading “New workboat code edition 2 is published by MCA”

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