The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has issued a safety alert regarding the catastrophic failure of an HN330 320 IND Master Pear Link supplied by Survival Systems International UK Limited and the subsequent tender boat fall from its stowed position.
The incident
A tender boat onboard a cruise ship registered in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas suddenly fell from its stowed position into the water. The immediate cause was a catastrophic failure of the link that connects the fall block to the release gear/hook.
The recently formed IIMS Large Yacht & Small Craft Working Group is pleased to announce another training event and has been fortunate to secure an opportunity to visit the Dutch superyacht builder, Royal Huisman yard at Vollenhove in the Netherlands.
Royal Huisman has built some of the most iconic, striking and stylish craft to set to sea in recent years. They boast a facility of 30,000 square metres, which houses the modern equipment and infrastructure required for large custom yacht building and refitting. This state-of-the-art facility, set in Holland’s internationally renowned concentration of specialist maritime businesses, includes many advanced design and engineering software programmes for rapid communication with clients and the design team on systems design, engineering and construction processes. Naval architects and designers have access to the people with the experience, expertise and specialist skills that will enable them to realise their vision in the most intricate detail. IIMS has been granted permission to bring a group to the facility and this is a unique opportunity to have a look into their exciting and dynamic world at close quarters.
MAN Diesel & Turbo’s prototype gas fuel pump and vapouriser unit (credit: MAN Diesel & Turbo)
The first of three ethane-fueled engines has been delivered for a trio of ships on order for Germany’s Hartmann Reederei on order at China’s Sinopacific Shipbuilding. They will be pioneers for ethane fueling, believes René Sejer Laursen, promotion manager at MAN Diesel & Turbo.
The ships will each carry 35,000m3 of the gas so have an obvious source of fuel, but Mr Laursen has a bigger vision: “we see potential for all ships to use ethane gas in the future,” he said during a presentation about the company’s multi-fuel engines during the Danish Maritime Days in October.
Britannia P&I Club has reported a recent case where a cargo of pressure boiler parts was physically damaged during transportation in moderately heavy weather en route from Hong Kong to Houston, supposedly due to poor packaging.
The ship encountered high seas and winds of Beaufort scale 9. The master had adjusted speed and course so as to minimise rolling and pitching but despite his actions, inspections carried out by the master in the cargo holds revealed the cargo stowed in hold no. 2 had been damaged.
Denmark-headquartered coatings specialist Hempel is introducing two new coatings; Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 and 17870.
They are being introduced to increase the service life and reduce on-station maintenance requirements of offshore assets. The new high-performance pure epoxy uni-primers presented are claimed to combine excellent corrosion protection with construction flexibility.
Hempadur Quattro XO 17820 / 17870 are part of a series of two-component epoxy primer coatings which provide advanced crack resistance using Hempel’s patented fibre technology. They can be applied in immersed and non-immersed areas of any offshore asset, from offshore platforms and drilling rigs through to support vessels.
The first amendments made to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), which ensure better protection to seafarers has entered into force on 18 January 2017. The amendments were originally approved by the International Labour Conference in 2014 prior to implementation.
The 2014 amendments require that a financial security system be put in place to ensure that shipowners ensure compensation to seafarers and their families in the event of abandonment, death or long-term disability due to an occupational injury, illness or hazard. Mandatory certificates and other evidence will be required to be carried on board ships to establish that the financial security system is in place to protect the seafarers working on board.
A sharp rise in propeller shaft bearing damage has been noted by DNV GL. Photo credit: DNV GL
DNV GL has noticed an increase in the number of reported incidents involving aft propeller shaft bearing damage. With this in mind, they have issued technical advice with their opinion on the contributing factors to this damage. Much of the damage in the reported cases has developed within a short period of time, typically a few minutes to an hour.
Typical damages observed and their consequences
The observed trend is not specific to a vessel type – rather, it reflects operation of the affected vessels in areas with limitations on the draft of the vessel or loading conditions, without suitable precautionary measures to limit the RPM/power of the engine.
The Shipowners P&I Club has a survey requirement when it comes to laid up vessel, which is deemed to be key, especially if a vessel has been decommissioned for many months.
Of course the extent of re-commissioning work depends on whether the laid up vessel was under hot or cold layup, the length of time the vessel was laid up and the extent of maintenance carried out during the laid up period. So there are many steps to be considered when preparing to re-commission the vessel after a layup. The following is a non-exhaustive guide for layup reactivations.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Australia and Japan at the headquarters of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra which will allow liquid hydrogen to be shipped in bulk for the first time.
Ship containment systems are being developed in Japan that will be capable of safely transporting liquid hydrogen in bulk from Australia to Japan as part of a pilot project scheduled to commence in 2020.
Bulk gas cargoes are carried under the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) which is a mandatory code under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention.
Photograph of the vessel Johanna C taken by Marc Piché, shipspotting.com
On 11 May 2016, the chief officer on board the UK registered general cargo ship Johanna C fell from a large steel cargo unit that was being repositioned in the vessel’s forward hold. The chief officer was moved ashore and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but he died shortly after arrival.
The investigation identified that:
• It was inherently unsafe and unnecessary for the chief officer to stand on top of the cargo while it was being lifted; the risks of standing on a load under tension were not recognised.
• The chief officer lost his balance and fell onto the deck following the sudden and unexpected movement of the cargo and/or its lifting slings as the cargo was lifted. Continue reading “MAIB report into fatality onboard Johanna C during cargo operations”
The factors leading to the sinking of Inuk II in Greenland have been released in a report by the DMAIB
On August 14, 2016, the tour boat, Inuk II, sank in the bay of Ilulissat, Greenland. The 23 passengers were safely evacuated, wet and cold, onto another tour boat. However, the accident highlighted issues with the design and emergency procedures of such vessels.
The accident investigation conducted by the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board determined that the incident occurred because a hose connecting the aft deck drain to the discharge pipe was removed and then not mounted again. On the day of the accident, Inuk II was transporting the maximum number of passengers which increased the draught to such an extent that the hull discharge pipe was submerged. Inuk II gradually lost all buoyancy as water flowed into the steering gear/storage compartment and subsequently into the engine room.
VEKA Group set to build the world’s first hybrid trimaran workboat
Workers on drilling rigs and offshore wind farms can hopefully look forward to a more pleasant commute to work with considerably lower risk of seasickness thanks to a special, innovative ship built by VEKA Group. VEKA will be building two trimarans intended specifically for transporting personnel and freight to offshore wind farms. These are the first hybrid trimarans in the world. Transporting offshore personnel takes place mainly by catamaran. These will be VEKA’s first trimarans.
Most of the innovations are intended to make the so-called workboat more stable and more comfortable, thereby reducing the risk of seasickness. For example, the ships have lower windows than is customary, so that the passengers have a better view. The third bow is designed to ensure additional stability and comfort. There are also innovative stabilisers built into the hull.
