Be aware (and beware) that some lithium battery safety cases are not fit for purpose
If you follow my scribblings on a semi regular basis, you will know that the subject of lithium battery fires is one that concerns me greatly and is a topic I have written a great deal about. A recent performance test conducted by Yachting Pages on some of the leading safety cases revealed some startling and concerning findings.
With more than 1,000 lithium battery fires reported around the world every week, lithium battery safety cases are of paramount importance on board modern yachts and superyachts as well as ships too. Reliable cases can be the difference between safely containing a lithium battery fire and the whole vessel going up in flames and disappearing to the bottom of the ocean.
Yachting Pages, with logistical support from Antibes Ship and Seascope France, has put several of the leading safety cases to the test. The objective was to ascertain how each product performs and determine which one is best equipped to safely contain a lithium battery induced fire.
In a controlled environment at Seascope France’s premises in the South of France, the team ignited lithium batteries within each of the safety cases and observed their ability to contain the fire. Using a range of helpful metrics, technical managers, DPAs, surveyors, and fire safety officers reviewed the performance of each case and provided their opinions. Also present during the demonstration were insurance claims managers, project managers, captains, first officers, chief engineers, charter managers, vessel compliance officers, yacht managers, brokers, and fleet managers, from companies including Edmiston, Burgess, YCO, Bluewater, YACHTZOO, and Arrow Monaco.
The batteries used were commissioned and made by a leading independent battery company known for making batteries for e-surf boards. Most items tested featured a 2.0kWh battery, which is a common size for electric surf and e-foil batteries. The Raclan box tested used a battery rated at 1.7kWh, in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Anyone who decides to purchase one of the reviewed solutions should ensure they only use them in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. Of most concern, however, was the simple fact that some of the products simply do not extinguish the fire!
Take a moment to check out the test results in full before you are asked to give advice or an opinion by a vessel owner. Click to read the product tests and performance reviews. There is also a video showing the tests being conducted which can be viewed on YouTube.
Inland waterways campaigners call on government to safeguard waterways
I wanted to bring this news story to your attention, partly because I approve of their cause to campaign for additional funding to save the UK canal network, but also because it struck me as a peculiarly British event – honking narrowboat horns outside the Houses of Parliament!
The UK canals and riverways are falling into disrepair which is at the heart of the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign. And there could be no better way than to make your point of view heard than sailing a flotilla to the seat of the UK government with horns blaring! A 20-strong flotilla called on the government to safeguard Britain’s inland waterways. The flotilla included a mix of commercial freight vessels, several sea kayaks and 17 privately owned narrowboats, some of which had travelled over 350 miles battling against the severe weather and failing canal infrastructure.
“It has been fantastic to have boats travel from across the country to gather outside the Palace of Westminster,” says Les Etheridge, the organisation’s chair. “Supporting inland waterways is vital in continuing to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy and connect with their local stretch of water.”
Crowds of inland supporters and representatives from the campaign’s alliance of organisations, including Dame Sheila Hancock DBE, and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for the Waterways, Sir Michael Fabricant MP welcomed the flotilla.
Eleven tugs shipped in one mass consignment
It was the unusual image of 11 tugs loaded onto one ship that caught my eye. Such an occasion must surely be rare and, as you will read, this is indeed not a common occurrence for logistical reasons.
The article informs me that Damen Shipyards and BigLift Shipping have transported eleven Damen tugs from Vietnam and China to Europe in a single voyage. And what’s more, this project was completed in less than two months, half the usual six-month planning and organizing period for such voyages.
The operation used BigLift’s heavy lift vessel, the Happy Star, a 156-metre heavy lift ship, equipped with two heavy lift mast cranes each capable of lifting 1100 mt. The Happy Star sailed from Halong Bay, Vietnam arriving in Vigo, Spain to unload one tug, and then continued to Rotterdam to unload the remaining ten. Such mass deliveries are rare due to the logistical challenges of having multiple vessels ready for dispatch simultaneously. The last time a similar event occurred was in 2015, with the Happy Star transporting 22 vessels.
RNLI lifeboat flotilla celebrates 200 years of saving lives
Now as a UK citizen, I know I am biased, but the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is one of the most amazing and inspiring organisations of its kind in the world in my opinion. Their income is derived from charitable donations and each day one or more of their rescue boats will be in action somewhere. I myself have supported RNLI for a number of years and they do great work. This story recently hit my inbox and I could not let it go unnoticed.
More than 40 rescue vessels, including both current and historical RNLI lifeboats as well as international boats, gathered to celebrate the Institution’s 200th anniversary, in itself a remarkable feat of achievement. The mile-long flotilla met in Poole, Dorset, and featured more than 20 historic RNLI lifeboats, the current lifeboat fleet including the most modern 25-knot lifeboat, the Shannon class, alongside inshore lifeboats and the RNLI inshore rescue hovercraft.
“As we commemorate the RNLI’s 200th anniversary this year, it was very special to be able to invite supporters, volunteers, historic lifeboat owners, and international search and rescue partners to this event showcasing our lifesaving work and providing a glimpse behind the scenes,” says RNLI chief executive Mark Dowie.
The oldest RNLI vessel taking part in the flotilla, the rowing lifeboat, the William Riley, went on active service in 1909 and saved 35 lives in 1914 during the First World War. The hospital ship, SS Rohilla, which was carrying wounded soldiers from Dunkirk, was caught in a fierce storm and ran aground. Although being badly damaged itself in the rescue operation, the lifeboat spent 50 hours at sea.
There’s more to come next month.
Mike Schwarz
