Government

Yacht registration tax relief to end before 2019 in Spain

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As a result, given that the regime will come to an end on 31st December 2018, yacht owners benefitting from the regime must now choose one of a number of different options in order to keep their yachts in Spanish waters.
As a result, given that the regime will come to an end on 31st December 2018, yacht owners benefitting from the regime must now choose one of a number of different options in order to keep their yachts in Spanish waters.

On 31st December 2018, the Spanish Yacht registration tax relief, which was established in the General Budgets Law passed on 4th July 2018, will come to an end.

The provisions for the Spanish Touristic Registration tax regime are laid down in Royal Decree 1571/1993. It is a sort of Temporary Admission customs regime whereby non-Spanish residents could register a yacht under Spanish flag exempt from VAT (Non-EU residents) or Matriculation Tax (EU residents but not Spanish).

Matriculation Tax is a tax applicable to leisure yachts, new or used, when registered under Spanish flag or when they are intended for use in Spanish territory by individuals or entities residing in Spain or holding establishments located in Spain. The tax levied is 12% of the yacht’s value.

According to the preamble of the Spanish General Budgets Law 2018, the regime would no longer Continue reading “Yacht registration tax relief to end before 2019 in Spain”

CRT to create regional teams to improve customer service

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Richard Parry, CRT CEO (pictured right)
Richard Parry, CRT CEO (pictured right)

Canal & River Trust will move resource from its centrally based roles into its six regional customer-facing teams to improve customer service and engage with local communities.

The changes will be made as part of the trust’s waterways and well being strategy and will see operational management roles adapted to meet the requirements of the new regions.

Richard Parry, CEO, commented: “The Canal & River Trust has been repositioning as a charity for the waterways and well being, with a new structure that has seen us move from ten waterways to six larger regions, with some activities previously managed centrally now devolved to these regional teams, and a reduction in senior manager numbers overall.

Continue reading “CRT to create regional teams to improve customer service”

Loss of propulsion led FRPD 309 to collide with loaded barge

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The FRPD 309 sustained damage to the shell plating and forepeak tank forward of the collision bulkhead. In addition, the port anchor was disconnected from its housing and became wedged in the Evco 60's hull
The FRPD 309 sustained damage to the shell plating and forepeak tank forward of the collision bulkhead. In addition, the port anchor was disconnected from its housing and became wedged in the Evco 60’s hull

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released its investigation report into the collision of the dredger FRPD 309 with the loaded barge Evco 60, on 5 December 2017, in the Fraser River.

The incident

On 04 December 2017, the dredger FRPD 309 departed a shipyard in Delta, BC, to begin dredging in the Fraser River. The vessel is a conventional trailing arm suction dredger, with the bridge and accommodation located forward and machinery space located aft. Before departure, the crew had carried out pre-departure checks, a safety meeting, and emergency drills.

After arriving at the dredging location, the vessel started dredging sand and sediment from the river bed into the hopper using the 2 trailing arms and a dredging pump. When the hopper was filled, the sand and sediment was pumped ashore via a pipeline. The master left the bridge, handing over the command of the vessel to the officer of the watch (OOW). Two engineers, 2 deckhands, and a pipe operator were also on duty.

As the vessel was turning and the pipe operator was raising the trailing arms to the deck level, the vessel experienced Continue reading “Loss of propulsion led FRPD 309 to collide with loaded barge”

Complaints received by the Canal & River Trust are on the up

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Of the other complaints, there was one about the routing of HS2, as well as others in some way related to land or property.
Of the other complaints, there was one about the routing of HS2, as well as others in some way related to land or property.

252 complaints were received by the Canal & River Trust in 2017/18, according to the latest Waterways Ombudsman report.

The report show that the number of complaints is above the average of 225 over the past five years. During the year the Ombudsman received 35 enquiries about the Trust, down on 39 last year. Fifteen new investigations were opened, which was one more than the previous year and the number of completed investigations was 14, three lower than the previous year.

Of the 14 investigations completed, one was upheld, while in a further four investigations the complaint was either upheld in part, or elements of it were upheld. Goodwill awards were proposed in three cases, although in one case the complainant did not accept it.

Wide-ranging complaints

There was a very diverse range of complaints. The majority were about Continue reading “Complaints received by the Canal & River Trust are on the up”

Unique identifiers for human-powered vessels can be exempt

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AMSA recognised that requiring a unique identifier for every human-powered vessel and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres, may not be practical for some operators, particularly operators with a high number of unpowered vessels that are replaced frequently.
AMSA recognised that requiring a unique identifier for every human-powered vessel and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres, may not be practical for some operators, particularly operators with a high number of unpowered vessels that are replaced frequently.

From 1 September 2018, owners of human-powered and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres can be exempt from having to get a unique identifier for each vessel, if a certificate of operation covers the vessels.

Alternatively, owners may choose to continue to apply for a unique identifier for each vessel and remain exempt from having a certificate of operation. The unique identifier does not need to be displayed on the vessel.

AMSA recognised that requiring a unique identifier for every human-powered vessel and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres, may not be practical for some operators, particularly operators with a high number of unpowered vessels that are replaced frequently.

Exemption 1 allows greater flexibility around the unique identifier requirements for human-powered and small sailing vessels covered by a certificate of operation

The change to Exemption 1 means that owners of human-powered vessels and sailing vessels less than 7.5 metres will have now have Continue reading “Unique identifiers for human-powered vessels can be exempt”

AMSA stresses the importance of marine incident reports

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Cargo ship keeling - Photo credit: Reuters
Cargo ship keeling – Photo credit: Reuters

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has experienced a steady increase in incident reports from 1,721 in 2013 to 3,017 reports in 2017. This is a 75% increase over a five-year period. For the period from 1 January to 30 June 2018, AMSA received 1,611 incident reports.

Key points to note

– During 2013-2017, the number of ship arrivals to Australian ports has increased by 21%.
From the 1611 incident reports in January-June 2018, the vast majority of occurrences (78%) concerned some form of technical issue.
– Among the technical issues, the most predominant occurrences relate to power, propulsion, and steering. This includes, for example, issues with a vessel’s main and auxiliary engines, and the steering gear and rudder.

AMSA uses incident data in combination with other sources of information, such as inspection and survey reports, research findings, accident investigations, and our day-to-day interaction with vessel crews, owners, and operators. This helps us gain a better understanding of Continue reading “AMSA stresses the importance of marine incident reports”

MPA Singapore has issued advice on how to conduct effective marine incident reporting

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Once this is ensured, the owner, manager and shipmaster of the affected Singapore-registered ships should alert MPA of the incident immediately or at the latest, within 2 hours.
Once this is ensured, the owner, manager and shipmaster of the affected Singapore-registered ships should alert MPA of the incident immediately or at the latest, within 2 hours.

MPA Singapore issued a marine notice to inform operators of Singapore-registered ships on the procedure of reporting of any marine casualty, incident or security-related incident involving Singapore-registered ships.

To begin with, the following can be considered to-be-reported marine incidents:
– the death of, or serious injury to, a person;
– the loss of a person from a ship;
– the loss, presumed loss or abandonment of a ship;
– material damage to a ship;
– the stranding or disabling of a ship, or the involvement of a ship in a collision;
– material damage to marine infrastructure external to a ship, that could seriously endanger the safety of the ship, another ship or an individual; or
– severe damage to the environment, or the potential for severe damage to the environment, brought about by the damage of a ship or ships.

As noted, the general principle in any incident is that urgent steps on the ground, in accordance with ships’ and companies’ approved plans, must first be taken by Continue reading “MPA Singapore has issued advice on how to conduct effective marine incident reporting”

BMA releases safety bulletin following nitrogen cylinder fatality

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The examination showed that the damaged nitrogen cylinder had suffered significant corrosion at the point of failure.
The examination showed that the damaged nitrogen cylinder had suffered significant corrosion at the point of failure.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority issued a safety alert regarding the potential serious risk for safety on board a ship where nitrogen cylinder are used as a stored kinetic energy system for launching lifeboats. This alert was issued after the authority obtained information from an ongoing maritime incident investigation conducted by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, New Zealand.

The vessel had hydraulically powered davits with six power packs, three on each side of the vessel. A stored energy system consisted of a piston accumulator and a bank of four high pressure (180-210 Bar) nitrogen cylinders were fitted to each lifeboat launching davit.

In February 2017, one of the nitrogen cylinders of a stored energy system onboard exploded while being topped up to maintain the correct pressure. A crew member died as a result of the explosion. The findings of the investigation indicate that significant corrosion affected the structural integrity of the cylinder.

The remains of the exploded nitrogen cylinder and other three cylinders from the same Continue reading “BMA releases safety bulletin following nitrogen cylinder fatality”

Cargo must be stored according to the Cargo Securing Manual

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All cargo, whether carried on or under deck, should be stowed and secured in accordance with the vessel’s Cargo Securing Manual as approved under Regulation 5.6 of Chapter VI of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention.
All cargo, whether carried on or under deck, should be stowed and secured in accordance with the vessel’s Cargo Securing Manual as approved under Regulation 5.6 of Chapter VI of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has published a marine notice, reminding vessel owners, operators, masters and surveyors of the importance of stowing cargo in accordance with the approved Cargo Securing Manual arrangements and regulations.

All cargo, whether carried on or under deck, should be stowed and secured in accordance with the vessel’s Cargo Securing Manual as approved under Regulation 5.6 of Chapter VI of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention. This includes the way in which cargo is secured and the weight distribution of cargo within the stow.

In Australia, Chapter VI of the SOLAS Convention is given effect through Marine Order 42 (Carriage, stowage and securing of cargoes and containers) 2016. Continue reading “Cargo must be stored according to the Cargo Securing Manual”

ISO updates guidelines for sea anchors on survival craft and rescue boats

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A sea anchor is a vital component to a rescue boat, reducing the likelihood of it drifting away or spinning around, and keeps it steady in the wind.
A sea anchor is a vital component to a rescue boat, reducing the likelihood of it drifting away or spinning around, and keeps it steady in the wind.

As more people are heading out to sea over summer, safety both onboard and overboard is under the spotlight. For this reason, an ISO has been updated for the effectiveness of sea anchors for rescue boats known as ‘ISO 17339:2018, Ships and marine technology – Life saving and fire protection – Sea anchors for survival craft and rescue boats.’

A sea anchor is a vital component to a rescue boat, reducing the likelihood of it drifting away or spinning around, and keeps it steady in the wind. The updated ISO for the performance and safety of sea anchors brings them in line with the IMO’s International Life-Saving Appliance Code.

The International Life-Saving Appliance Code prescribes the carriage and use of sea anchors for survival craft and rescue boats, yet the revised recommendation on testing of lifesaving appliances does not provide requirements of performance and testing procedure for the sea anchors. This document addresses those areas, which the IMO recommendation does not address, in order to enable consistent implementation by maritime Administrations.

The new ISO addresses the performance and testing of Continue reading “ISO updates guidelines for sea anchors on survival craft and rescue boats”

USCG issues fated duck boat’s COI in an unusual move

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The COI reports operational limitations which may have been exceeded while the voyage took place.
The COI reports operational limitations which may have been exceeded while the voyage took place.

The US Coast Guard released the Certificate of Inspection (COI) for the ‘Stretch Duck 07’, the amphibious tour boat that sunk in Table Rock Lake, Missouri on July 2018 with the loss of 17 lives.

The COI reports operational limitations which may have been exceeded while the voyage took place. The limitation included limits on permissible weather and surface conditions.

It also indicates that the boat’s stability letter was issued on March 2009, and its last “drydock” was carried out in January 2017. Its operations were to occur in Table Rock Lake and nearby Lake Taneycomo, and it was not permitted to operate on the water “when winds exceed thirty-five (35) miles per hour, and/or the wave height exceeds two (2) feet”.

In addition, the US Coast Guard established a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) after the sinking of the Stretch Duck 07 boat in Branson, Missouri on July 19. An MBI is US Continue reading “USCG issues fated duck boat’s COI in an unusual move”

Warilda: The Hospital ship sinking that shocked the nation remembered 100 years on

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His Majesty's Australian Transport (HMAT) Warilda was transporting hundreds of wounded soldiers from the French port of Le Havre to Southampton
His Majesty’s Australian Transport (HMAT) Warilda was transporting hundreds of wounded soldiers from the French port of Le Havre to Southampton

A Southampton-based maritime charity will lower its flag to half-mast today (3 August) to commemorate the sinking of hospital ship (HMAT) Warilda 100 years ago, which caused outrage across the nation when it was torpedoed in the English Channel, killing 123 people.

His Majesty’s Australian Transport (HMAT) Warilda was transporting hundreds of wounded soldiers from the French port of Le Havre to Southampton when, despite being clearly marked with the Red Cross, it was struck by a single torpedo from a German U-boat.
Upon impact the ship’s starboard propeller was disabled, the engine room flooded and the steering gear obliterated. Unable to steer, the Warilda continued moving in a circle at 15 knots – making it difficult for those on board to escape in lifeboats.

The ship remained afloat for almost two hours before sinking into the channel.

Survivors were taken to Continue reading “Warilda: The Hospital ship sinking that shocked the nation remembered 100 years on”

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