MGN 646 has been published by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency
The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has published a marine guidance notice MGN 646 to provide clarification concerning the applicable engine standards for vessels operating on inland waterways, in accordance with the MARPOL Annex VI requirements that apply to vessels operating on tidal Category C, and D waters, as well as at sea.
Requirements of the Non Road Mobile Machinery Regulation (NRMM) apply to vessels operating on Category A, B, C and D waters.
Destroyed Marina – Image credit: Phillip Stephen Masterson
On Friday 2 March 2018, Storm Emma hit Holyhead Marina in Anglesey, Wales with near-hurricane force winds. In the aftermath of the storm 89 vessels (including yachts, leisure crafts, houseboats and commercial vessels) were lost, in addition to multiple pieces of machinery and a RNLI mooring pen, showing the liability of marinas. The destruction of the marina also caused significant pollution with 3,000 litres of oil and 40 tonnes of polystyrene debris being recovered along the Anglesey coastline.
The claims brought by the various parties amounted to approximately £5,000,000. In turn, Holyhead Marina attempted to limit their liability to SDR 500,000 (approximately £550,000) under Section 191 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (“the Act”), which allows the owners of any dock or canal to limit their liability under certain conditions.
EU delayes Inventory of Hazardous Materials obligations until the 30 June 2021
Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) is a document package that shows the quantities and locations of hazardous materials onboard a vessel. Once on board the IHM should be updated when changes occur on board until the end of life of the vessel.
The European Union (EU) has given some support on the obligations under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation to have the IHM on board by the 31st December 2020. This is due to the multiple challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The European Commission (EC) has suggested to EU member states to apply a harmonised approach for six months after the entry 31st December 2020 into application of the IHM-related obligations for existing EU flagged ships and non-EU flagged ships calling at EU ports or anchorages. On this basis Members will have up until 30th June 2021. Continue reading “EU delayes Inventory of Hazardous Materials obligations until the 30 June 2021”
Dangerous Goods containers among 1,900 lost and damaged containers from ONE Apus
On the 1st December 2020, the Japanese flagged containership, ‘ONE APUS’ lost a number of containers, some of which are believed to be Dangerous Goods containers, as a result of severe weather conditions on the night of Monday 30th November 2020 at 2315LT approximately 1600NM North West of Hawaii, USA.
Survey to examine economic, social and health benefits of boating
British Marine is inviting members, the wider leisure marine industry and end-consumers to take part in a survey for a major new report alongside the Canal & River Trust examining the economic, social and health benefits of boating and watersports in the UK, and the contribution they make to wellbeing.
Within the industry, the physical and mental health benefits of being on or near the water are already well-known. However, with Government increasingly factoring well-being into their decision making, this piece of research will demonstrate with empirical evidence the contribution that being on the water makes to societal wellbeing. Continue reading “New survey set to examine the economic, social and health benefits of boating in the UK”
World Health Organisation offers free Covid-19 management courses
The World Health Organisation has developed two free Covid-19 management courses. The first, Promoting Public Health Measures in Response to Covid-19 on Cargo Ships and Fishing Vessels, will enable learners to describe the public health measures that may protect seafarers throughout their journey to the vessel, on the vessel, and on the way home. It also looks at preventing and managing an outbreak of Covid-19 disease on board a cargo ship or fishing vessel.
This course is primarily for seafarers, shipowners, unions and associations, and competent authorities for health and transport and can be accessed online.
Funding campaign launched to save the oldest floating Clyde-built vessel in the UK
The Scottish Maritime Museum has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for vital repairs to, what it believes, is the oldest floating Clyde-built vessel in the UK.
Built by John Fullerton & Co. at Paisley, the 1872 cargo coaster MV Kyles is a rare survivor from the 19th century, a transformational period on the River Clyde when shipyards embraced the possibilities of steam power to become important to shipbuilding.
Kyles, which is moored on Irvine Harbourside at the Scottish Maritime Museum’s main site, reaches its 150th birthday in 2022. But a hard working life, being adapted for different roles across the UK by 24 different owners, has taken a huge toll. Essential repairs are now needed if this historic vessel is to remain part of Scotland’s living maritime heritage. Continue reading “Funding campaign launched to save the oldest floating Clyde-built vessel in the UK”
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is working with fellow Oxfordshire-based firm, OXIS Energy Ltd, on the production of ‘cleaner, greener energy’, designed for an all-new 40ft electric battery-powered luxury boat.
The craft, from Yachts de Luxe (YdL) of Singapore and designed by Jean Jacques Coste, will be the world’s first ever battery-powered luxury boat to be powered by Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) cell and battery systems technology. The objective is to achieve a range between 70 and 100 nautical miles at cruising speed – setting new standards for range in electric boats.
WAE will be responsible for the state-of-the-art 400 kWh battery system, which comprises ultra-light, high-power/high-energy density Li-S cells – provided by OXIS Energy Ltd – and the battery management system (BMS). The design and manufacture of the cell modules, the BMS and its installation will be carried out by WAE at its dedicated battery facility in Grove. Continue reading “World’s first battery-powered luxury boat using Williams Advanced Engineering tech”
Shipowners creating a series of four podcasts about preventing yacht fires
Since 2014 the Club has experienced 17 yacht fire claims. Of these claims, it was established that 10 were directly a result of an electrical fault, and 1 indirectly. These claims have the potential to demand a high quantum, with one such claim currently sitting at just under US$ 3 million. It is not just the financial implications of these incidents as yachts suffering from fire or smoke damage deprive their owner use of their asset. This Podcast mini-series has been created to generate awareness surrounding the causes of yacht electrical fires and provide guidance from industry experts on how these incidents may be avoided.
The guests and speakers each have different specialisms within the yacht industry, such as flag State, underwriting, and surveying, offering a variety of different perspectives and opinions to the discussions. Shipowners hopes that you find these podcasts informative and encourage further circulation of these materials to assist the common goal of mitigating incidents of this nature. Continue reading “Shipowners creating a series of four podcasts about preventing yacht electrical fires”
Fire on RoRo linked to accidental fuel spill says accident report
Transport Malta has published an investigation report into the engine-room fire onboard the Maltese-registered RoRo cargo vessel Eurocargo Trieste, following departure from the port of Livorno in November 2019. The investigation identified an accidental fuel spill onto a hot surface as the most likely cause of the incident.
At around 0123 on 21 November 2019, ro-ro cargo, motor vessel Eurocargo Trieste had left Livorno for Savona, Italy. There were 25 crew members onboard and the vessel was laden with trailers.
At around 0220, shortly after dropping off the outbound pilot, a fire broke out around the starboard main engine. The engine-room crew initially tried to fight the fire but soon had to vacate the space. The crew members were then mustered, and the firefighting team tried to enter the engine-room to fight the fire.
A new 32 page cargo and cargo hold ventilation guide has been published
Standard Club, Intercargo, and DNV GL, the world’s leading classification society, have collaborated to launch a new cargo and cargo hold ventilation guide to provide vessel masters and crew with an understanding of different ventilation requirements for bulk cargoes.
In today’s market, ships carry a wide variety of dry cargoes, all with different ventilation requirements depending on the cargo characteristic, voyage, and the weather conditions. Proper ventilation is essential to preventing damage to the cargo and to ensure the safety of the crew and vessel in bulk carriers.
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2020 aims to keep this issue in the minds of surveyors and the public
MAIB recently published a safety bulletin about the tragic deaths of two sailors on board Diversion due to carbon monoxide poisoning. As we continue our investigation it is vital that we remain alert to the silent danger carbon monoxide poses to the maritime community and the steps we can take to protect ourselves.
Over the past ten years MAIB has investigated six incidents involving carbon monoxide poisoning resulting in the tragic loss of ten lives. The majority of these incidents occurred on board motor cruisers used for recreation. In this time safety action has been taken and MAIB has made 12 safety recommendations focussed on preventing further, needless loss of life.
