The Dutch Safety Board has published an urgent Safety Alert following a recent flare explosion fatality. The incident happened on board a Dutch sailing ship in the Pacific Ocean.
Complying with the flare’s requirements and instructions, the experienced sailor fired the flare. The flare did not launch as intended, but exploded immediately leading to the flare explosion fatality. Continue reading “Safety alert issued after flare explosion fatality”
When Thai-flagged oil products tanker Smooth Sea 22 (IMO 9870991) suffered an explosion and a subsequent fire on 17th January, few realised that the event would expose a case of potential ship-identity fraud.
On January 24th the International Maritime Organization was reported to have declared the ship’s IMO number to be non-valid after it emerged that the ship that was masquerading as 2018-built ship was in fact built in 1986 and was suspected of previously being known as the 4,4821 gt Hai Zhou 168 (IMO 8514045), and before that as the Smooth Sea 28. Continue reading “Smooth Sea 22 was not the ship it claimed to be”
During the response to a serious fire aboard the lumber carrier Almirante Storni in 2021, a Swedish Coast Guard vessel intentionally pressed its stern into the bulker’s hull, bending in plating and nearly causing flooding, according to the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK).
On December 4, 2021, a fire broke out in a deck cargo of lumber aboard the wood carrier Almirante Storni at an anchorage outside of the port of Gothenburg, Sweden. The vessel was taking on fuel oil at the time, and the bunkering vessel’s crew saw flames towards the Storni’s bow and raised the alarm. Continue reading “Response vessel damaged the hull of Almirante Storni”
Dick Farrel Camoying, Assistant Vice President, Technical Manager, Skuld Club, focuses on the subject of ships’ purifiers, and says that they are one of the most important pieces of auxiliary machinery.
According to Mr. Camoying, the main purpose of purifierss is to separate water and other contaminants in the oil mixture using the principle of density difference. Therefore, good maintenance of purifiers is important for smooth and accurate operation of the units. Some factors that influence a good working purifier are temperature, feed rate, the type of gravity disc, and oil density. Continue reading “How to ensure optimal efficiency of purifiers onboard”
New scatter diagram and wave spectra defining design environmental conditions will be used for wave load, fatigue, and seakeeping calculations. As part of IACS’ ongoing commitment to safe ships and clean seas, a long-term review of wave data has now concluded with the publication of a revised version (Rev.2) of IACS Recommendation No.34 which provides advice on sea states as well as wave spectrum, spreading, heading distribution and vessel speed.
Accurate Wave data remains of paramount importance as this data is used to represent the ocean environment, underpinning wave load prescription, which in turn, greatly impacts hull structural requirements. Continue reading “IACS develops new wave data scatter diagram”
The biocide, Selektope, is being introduced into marine antifouling coatings to enhance the performance of self-polishing co-polymer (SPC) marine coatings. I-Tech’s team of R&D scientists have been working on the technology for the last five years and say they have discovered new ways in which the first-of-its-kind biocide, Selektope can be introduced to marine antifouling coatings in combination with other biocides with little or no effect on formulation chemistry or performance.
The technology works by improving the dispersion of the active substance via adsorption to paint pigment particles. Continue reading “Antifouling performance is being enhanced”
The International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH) has published its new risk and resilience guidelines for ports, harbors and terminals as well as details of a new risk inventory portal aimed at sharing best practices on risk mitigation and management for ports.
According to ISO 31000 (2018), risk is the effect of uncertainty on achieving the objectives, often quantified as the Likelihood of the occurrence of an event multiplied by its Impact (L x I). While risk is generally perceived as a negative thing, we should keep in mind that it can just as well be a positive outcome, linked to a certain likelihood (i.e. an opportunity). Continue reading “Risk and resilience guidelines for ports, harbors and terminals published”
A new event focusing on smart yachts from 24m (79ft) and above is scheduled to be held from March 23-24 at the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM).
The 1st Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous is being organised by M3 (Monaco Marina Management), a Monegasque consultancy specialised in eco-marinas, and follows on from the success of its Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous held in advance of the Monaco Yacht Show 2022.
With this new event, M3 wants to promote sustainable solutions for superyachts, Continue reading “New ‘smart yacht’ forum planned for Monaco”
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) calls for efforts to be sustained worldwide as maritime piracy and armed robbery attacks reached their lowest recorded level in almost three decades.
The IMB’s annual piracy report recorded 115 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2022 – compared to 132 in 2021 – with half of them occurring in Southeast Asian waters, particularly in the Singapore Straits, where incidents continue to rise. Continue reading “IMB Piracy Report January-December 2022”
As part of this project, the two partners, The European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) and the Euopean Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) wanted to investigate the increased use of digital tools on board and the possible benefits and /or improvements to shipboard safety and welfare. As a result of the survey, there are a number of recommendations made which are summarised at the end of this article. But to summarise, the use of digital tools onboard is positively perceived.
The research starting point was a desk-based exercise to map out and analyse existing research findings. To get detailed insights as regards life on board, and the impact of increased digitalisation, the research targeted those with first hand experience through online surveys. Continue reading “New report reveals that the use of digital tools onboard is positively perceived”
Not long ago, a Gard member’s vessel was detained at the load port because the density of the solid bulk cargo being loaded exceeded the maximum allowable cargo density for that particular vessel. Recently, Gard was also approached by another member because the master of a capsize bulk carrier had refused the charterer’s request for alternative hold loading due to serious concerns about the ship’s safety.
The above instances appear to have come about due to a lack of knowledge of the CSR-BC Class Notations. Continue reading “Bulk carrier safety: be aware of vessel structural limitations”
In its most recent “Good Catch” series, the American Club has shared a case where a ship was detained due to an ISM deficiency, arising from poor wiring.
Since there was no electrician onboard, the vessel’s third engineer was sent to investigate why the vessel’s forward anchor light was out. He found the wiring in extremely poor condition. The insulation was missing in some areas and heavily cracked in others. The wire itself was shorted out against the side of the deck penetration. He made repairs using some wire he had in his tool belt and a lot of electrical tape. He then reported that the problem was fixed. Continue reading “Poor wiring results in ship’s detention”
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