Crucial safety flaw is key finding of investigation into Bourbon Rhode sinking and fatalities

The Bourbon Rhode investigation report has revealed a potentially serious safety flaw
The Bourbon Rhode investigation report has revealed a potentially serious safety flaw

An accident investigation report by the Luxembourg authorities into the sinking of the vessel Bourbon Rhode with the tragic loss of four people on 26 September 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean has revealed a serious safety flaw of significance. The Luxembourg authorities have released an urgent safety bulletin as a consequence.

The Bourbon Rhode, an anchor handling tug, sank on September 26 in the Atlantic Ocean during a transit voyage from Las Palmas to Guyana.

The Bourbon Rhode was equipped with a system called shark jaws, which is installed in the aft Z-Drive compartment to secure chains or Continue reading “Crucial safety flaw is key finding of investigation into Bourbon Rhode sinking and fatalities”

ABS issues ballast water management for yachts guide

A yacht on the sea - A ballast water management for yachts guide is freely available to read
A ballast water management for yachts guide is freely available to read

ABS has published a ballast water management for yachts guide now that they are now required to comply with the IMO International Convention for the Control and management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) which requires an approved ballast water management system.

As all vessels, yachts are included within the definitions of the BWM Convention according to Article 1.12, whereby a “Ship” means a vessel of any type whatsoever operating in the aquatic environment.

Specifically, the ballast water management for yachts guide highlights that new vessels (keel laying date after September 8, 2017) are r Continue reading “ABS issues ballast water management for yachts guide”

Life saving appliances service schedules should be maintained warns Survitec

A man maintaining and checking over air tanks and life rafts
Survitec says the service schedule of life saving appliances should be maintained

With an increasing number of vessels returning to service following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Survitec is advising that ships’ life saving appliances are maintained according to their original service schedules in order to avoid delays.

Operators must have a valid safety certificate in place before their vessels can return to service after lockdown and while some flags have allowed three to five month extensions, there are concerns that there will be a backlog of equipment requiring service, which could render the vessel unable to return to service until certificates of compliance have been issued or extensions approved.

Survitec singles out the cruise and ferry segment, which is set to return to service in the fourth quarter, as posing a particular challenge Continue reading “Life saving appliances service schedules should be maintained warns Survitec”

With a spate of marine accident what price human life at sea?

Container ship sinking at seaOf course, we have always known that the sea can be and is a treacherous place at times; but the past few weeks have seen a spate of distressing incidents and accidents, seemingly occurring on an almost daily frequency and resulting in the loss of life with substantial damage to vessels and cargoes around the world. Before I became involved in my role as CEO of IIMS, I was blissfully unaware of the sheer number of lives lost at sea, as indeed are most members of the general public. The reason for that is simply that most marine accident, apart from the really major ones, never make the general news agendas. When I tell my friends and family about the tragedies that routinely happen at sea, they are disbelieving.

The personal distress I have felt having seen details of one marine accident after another dropping into my inbox has compelled me to write a blog Continue reading “With a spate of marine accident what price human life at sea?”

MB92 Barcelona has reorganised its operations department in drive to increase efficiency

Jordi Ariet of MB92 Barcelona (pictured) has announced a reorganisation of the business
Jordi Ariet of MB92 Barcelona (pictured) has announced a reorganisation of the business

Refit, repair and maintenance shipyard MB92 Barcelona has announced the reorganisation of its Operations department in order to increase efficiency and cater for the important workload since the launch of the new 4,800T shiplift last year. It follows the departure of Miquel À. Lliteras, Shipyard Manager, who after 21 years, has decided to start a new professional adventure.

The new Operations structure comprises HSE, Project Management, Project Administration and Operations Management, and will be headed by Jordi Ariet who has been with the company for more than 15 years. Jordi, who trained as a marine engineer, began his career at MB92 Barcelona as a Project Manager and progressed through the company before becoming Project Director in 2011 and Director of Continue reading “MB92 Barcelona has reorganised its operations department in drive to increase efficiency”

Bunkering Technical Reference on Methanol guidance issued by Lloyds Register and Methanol Institute

Procedures for safe bunkering of methanol are included in the new Bunkering Technical Reference on Methanol by Lloyds Register and Methanol Institute
Procedures for safe bunkering of methanol are included in the new Bunkering Technical Reference on Methanol by Lloyds Register and Methanol Institute

UK-based classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Methanol Institute (MI) have released a Bunkering Technical Reference on Methanol. The new guidance outlines the procedures required for the safe bunkering of methanol and incorporates dedicated checklists to assist shipowners/operators, ports, bunker suppliers and other stakeholders with safe storage and handling, it said.

LR notes methanol is already in use as a marine fuel on several vessel types. Compared with traditional heavy fuel oil options, its sulphur-free characteristics and lower GHG emissions than conventional fuel can support owners with efforts to meet IMO2020 regulations, it explained.

Continue reading “Bunkering Technical Reference on Methanol guidance issued by Lloyds Register and Methanol Institute”

Transport Malta draws attention to the dangers of sheathed steel wires

Transport Malta HQ - The dangers of sheathed steel wires onboard ships
The dangers of sheathed steel wires onboard ships

Following three incident investigations, Transport Malta has issued a safety notice to draw attention to the dangers of sheathed steel wires onboard ships. Their concern surrounds the restricted access to the wire rope for a thorough inspection and the possibility that corrosion might exist.

It is recommended that all concerned must check the condition of all lashings, lifting slings/strops and other loose gear as specified in the manufacturer’s instructions for the use, size and construction of the wire. This advice is in addition to a recent warning by Tokyo MoU, highlighting the dangers of sheathed steel wires on board ships.

The Transport Malta notice also highlights that all Flexible Steel Wire Ropes (FSWR) and Extra Flexible Steel Wire Ropes (EFSWR) should conform to the design requirements recognised by a relevant International Standard.

Companies should consider means to ensure that the inspection of lifting slings or the FPD encased in plastic sheathing and Continue reading “Transport Malta draws attention to the dangers of sheathed steel wires”

ABS updates Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures guide

ABS Guide: Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures
ABS Guide: Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures

ABS has released its updated Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures guide, which incorporates updated approaches for addressing fatigue including new S-N curves and guidance regarding fatigue strength based on fracture mechanics.

Fatigue assessment is a process where the fatigue demand on a structural element is established and compared to the predicted fatigue strength of that element. One way to categorize a fatigue assessment technique is to say that it is based on a direct calculation of fatigue damage or expected fatigue life. Three important methods of assessment are the Simplified Method, the Spectral Method and the Deterministic Method. Alternatively, an indirect fatigue assessment may be performed by the Simplified Method, based on limiting a predicted (probabilistically defined) stress range to be at or below Continue reading “ABS updates Fatigue Assessment of Offshore Structures guide”

The elephant in the room: What do remote surveys mean for the marine surveying profession?

Are remote surveys the future for the profession?
Are remote surveys the future for the profession?

Many things have changed in the past few months and not all of them good as we have learned to cope with tragedy and a new way of living courtesy of the pandemic. COVID-19 certainly has a lot to answer for, but out of the situation that was forced upon the profession, a new way of surveying is fast emerging, particularly in the area of commercial ships and offshore assets. I refer to remote surveying, actually not new, but probably unimaginable to most of us just a few years ago; and a shock to the system of more traditional surveyors and those sceptics amongst us too undoubtedly. They are suddenly fashionable – the talk of the town it appears – and the pandemic has fuelled the latent demand for remote surveys.

Can a vessel really be successfully surveyed remotely? The answer is, of course, yes, but how detailed are remote surveys and what depth of Continue reading “The elephant in the room: What do remote surveys mean for the marine surveying profession?”

Ignition of gas vapor onboard barge Alaganik the cause of fatal explosion reveals NTSB Report

Barge Alaganik: Photo courtesy of Alex Fefelov for The Cordova Times
Barge Alaganik: Photo courtesy of Alex Fefelov for The Cordova Times

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation report on the explosion and subsequent sinking of barge Alaganik in the Canal Passage, off Alaska in July 2019, which resulted in one fatality. The investigation identified ignition of gasoline vapor from a fuel cargo tank as key cause of the accident.

On 7 July 7 2019 an explosion occurred on the barge Alaganik as it was moored port side to the end of the Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska. The vessel was serving as a platform for pumping fish cargo ashore from fishing vessels and tenders that came alongside. It also provided diesel fuel and gasoline to the fishing vessels. No cargo operations were ongoing when the explosion occurred.

Despite the efforts of shore-based responders to fight the ensuing fire, the vessel eventually sank in 60–80 feet of water. The Continue reading “Ignition of gas vapor onboard barge Alaganik the cause of fatal explosion reveals NTSB Report”

Italian Coast Guard rescues seventeen from burning yacht

Screencap of the burning yacht from the news
Screencap of the burning yacht from the news

Dramatic footage shot by the Italian coast guard showed a burning yacht sinking below the surface of the Mediterranean off the coast of Sardinia. Coast guard officials confirmed they had rescued 17 people from the vessel, which left a plume of smoke behind as it disappeared into the water. Two coast guard boats and a helicopter were involved in the operation.

According to Italian news agency ANSA, the 50-metre burning yacht, the Lady MM, was heading from Capri to Sardinia when a fire broke out on board. The seventeen people, which included eight tourists from Kazakhstan and nine crew members, had already abandoned the ship and were in a smaller boat when the coast guard arrived.

Continue reading “Italian Coast Guard rescues seventeen from burning yacht”

Four new White Papers by GMCG Global give a glimpse into the post-pandemic maritime world

'The evolving role of the designated person ashore' guide - Four new White Papers by GMCG Global that look at the maritime world post COVID-19 are freely available
Four new White Papers by GMCG Global that look at the maritime world post COVID-19 are freely available

The global maritime world has changed and four new White Papers by GMCG Global outline the realities and new ways of working following the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the world’s shipping industry comes to terms with the issues of post-pandemic operations, new health and safety operational parameters and the realities of the IMO’s global sulphur cap, there are still concerns about how the maritime world will cope with this accumulation of business pressures.

These White Papers by GCMG Global are freely available from the company’s website or can be downloaded from the individual links Continue reading “Four new White Papers by GMCG Global give a glimpse into the post-pandemic maritime world”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

Show details
Performance & Marketing Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. This also helps us optimise our marketing campaigns. User data sent to Google Analytics may be used for ad personalization and measurement of our ad campaigns. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Show details