UK News

Report issued by MAIB on the grounding of Celtica Hav

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Hull damage caused to the Celtica Hav
Hull damage caused to the Celtica Hav

At 1438 on 27 March 2018, the Bahamas registered general cargo vessel Celtica Hav grounded on a stone training wall in the approach channel to the River Neath, Wales.

The vessel had a harbour pilot on board at the time who had control of the steering and speed. Celtica Hav was quickly re-floated and manoeuvred clear of the training wall.

It suffered extensive shell plate damage to the bottom of its hull, which resulted in water ingress to several ballast tanks and flooding in the engine room.

The flooding was contained using the vessel’s bilge and ballast pumps, and submersible salvage pumps provided by the harbour authority.

There were no injuries to personnel and no damage to the environment. Continue reading “Report issued by MAIB on the grounding of Celtica Hav”

Non adequate fire protection on boats is a concern says Sea-Fire

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“In many ways, it is understandable that fire suppression on board is overlooked. The actual percentage of boat fires in relation to boat usage is very small”.
“In many ways, it is understandable that fire suppression on board is overlooked. The actual percentage of boat fires in relation to boat usage is very small”.

Most marine insurance policies state that boats must have adequate fire protection says Sea-Fire’s Richard Duckworth.

But he says many boatbuilders are fitting the minimum protection they can get away with and crossing their fingers it will never be put to the test.

“For the last 20 years, major production boat builders have recognised they have a duty of care to protect their customers and to fit as standard a comprehensive engine room fire suppression system using fully tested and marine approved components,” says Richard.

“Unfortunately, this is not mirrored across all the industry.”

And he said safety and fire suppression should Continue reading “Non adequate fire protection on boats is a concern says Sea-Fire”

RCR cites lack of vessel maintenance as reason for increasing number of call outs

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RCR engineers frequently come across vessels with no smoke or CO alarms that have fire risks and ventilation issues.
RCR engineers frequently come across vessels with no smoke or CO alarms that have fire risks and ventilation issues.

River Canal Rescue (RCR) is urging boaters to pay more attention to vessel maintenance and safety following an increase in the number of call-outs for faults caused by what it describes as a general lack of maintenance.

In 2016, this amounted to 948 call-outs, in 2017 there were 1031 and in 2018 RCR had 1081 call-outs due to lack of maintenance and safety, together with continuing fires and CO poisoning incidents.

“Boaters who fail to maintain their vessels or pay attention to boat safety put themselves and others at risk,” said RCR operations director, Jay Forman.

He said, “With Continue reading “RCR cites lack of vessel maintenance as reason for increasing number of call outs”

Beware the dangers of aluminium dross

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If the product meets the Class 4.3 criteria, it should be declared as UN 3170, noting the application of Special Provision 244 regarding ventilation and protection against water ingress throughout the intended journey.
If the product meets the Class 4.3 criteria, it should be declared as UN 3170, noting the application of Special Provision 244 regarding ventilation and protection against water ingress throughout the intended journey.

The UK P&I Club and the TT Club have published advice following an incident involving a consignment of aluminium pellets (or dross) that was found at the port of loading with the doors and sides of the container blown out. The terminal arranged to test the samples, as there was no evidence that the unit had been dropped during handling.

The test results indicated that aluminium dross is highly susceptible to a reaction with chlorides when moisture is present. The commodity produces gases when exposed to moisture and the build-up of gasses was considered the most likely cause of the container exploding.

The container was damaged beyond repair and it is understood that some lines and ports are refusing this cargo commodity.

According to the UK Club, at the time the material is tested, before filling the container and subsequent shipping, the moisture level is such that the reaction with the commodity does not generate Continue reading “Beware the dangers of aluminium dross”

New SOSREP at the helm to oversee response to accidents at sea

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Picture credit to Maritime & Coastguard Agency/MCA
Picture credit to Maritime & Coastguard Agency/MCA

A former Coastguard with a wealth of experience has been appointed to the vital role of Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) for Maritime Salvage & Intervention, which oversees the response to accidents at sea.

Stephan Hennig had previously been working with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s Counter Pollution Branch since 2012 and was appointed Deputy to the SOSREP in 2017.

The SOSREP is responsible for reducing the risk to safety and the environment arising from accidents at sea. Incidents which were overseen by previous SOSREPs include the Transocean Winner rig grounding off the Isle of Lewis in 2016 and the Hoegh Osaka car carrier incident in the Solent in 2015. Continue reading “New SOSREP at the helm to oversee response to accidents at sea”

Clipper Ventures has acquired the Hamble School of Yachting

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Mike on the clipper venture
Mike on the clipper venture

The announcement follows the setting up of Clipper China, Clipper Ventures’ Chinese sail training division aimed to meet the country’s growing participation in offshore sailing.

“The decision to buy the Hamble School of Yachting is part of a wider strategy to develop our offering within the offshore sailing industry,” said Clipper Race chairman and co-founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

“Clipper Ventures is the world’s leading provider of offshore sail training and Continue reading “Clipper Ventures has acquired the Hamble School of Yachting”

The MCA UK code of practice for intended pleasure craft in temporary commercial use at sea has come into force

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Sailing boats on the water
Sailing boats on the water

A new code came into force on 1 January 2019 allowing pleasure craft to be in temporary commercial use at sea for a number of defined purposes.

The Intended Pleasure Vessels (IPV) Code, which permits the temporary use of  pleasure craft in temporary commercial use such as businesses purposes and as race support without the current requirement for inspection, marks a huge step forward for the UK’s leisure marine sector.

Testing, trialling and delivery of sea-going vessels legally will now be cheaper and easier for boatbuilders, brokers, surveyors, repairers, delivery companies and equipment service providers under the exemptions laid out in Part 1 of the new Code. It delivers an easier and clearer way for businesses to comply with regulation and will have resulting, long-term benefits for the end-user.

As the significance of this Code spans the breadth of boating, from manufacturer to boat owner, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) developed it in partnership with the sector’s leading associations and representatives. These include British Marine, Royal Yachting Association (RYA), Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors Association (YBDSA), British Rowing and British Canoeing. Continue reading “The MCA UK code of practice for intended pleasure craft in temporary commercial use at sea has come into force”

Canal & River Trust finalises sale of BWML

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LDC is the UK’s leading mid-market private equity investor
LDC is the UK’s leading mid-market private equity investor

The Canal & River Trust has finalised the sale of its wholly-owned marina subsidiary, BWML, in a transaction that sees Lloyds Development Capital (LDC) invest in the business, supporting the existing management team.

Stuart Mills, Chief Investment Officer at the Canal & River Trust, says: “We are delighted to have completed the sale of BWML and will be investing the proceeds into other income-generating assets to support our core work of caring for the nation’s canals and rivers.

“BWML is performing well and we believe its prospects for future growth are good. Coupled with the expertise of LDC we believe the business will benefit and, by extension, its boating customers will Continue reading “Canal & River Trust finalises sale of BWML”

Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) management committee set to introduce new CO alarm requirements from April 2019

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Strong support for the changes was demonstrated in the responses to the consultation with 84 per cent in favour of introducing a requirement for suitable working CO alarms.
Strong support for the changes was demonstrated in the responses to the consultation with 84 per cent in favour of introducing a requirement for suitable working CO alarms.

Representatives from the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS), a public safety initiative owned by the Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency, are urging the industry to take onboard safety seriously following the deaths of three inland boaters.

Ahead of issuing the latest advice on carbon monoxide (CO) detection, communications manager Rob McLean has shared that three boaters died in 2018 as a result of onboard fires whilst several more were taken to hospital following fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

In light of this and following a public consultation in the autumn, the BSS management committee has decided to introduce new CO alarm requirements from next April.

BSS manager, Graham Watts, thanked Continue reading “Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) management committee set to introduce new CO alarm requirements from April 2019”

Report published by MAIB on the sinking of fishing vessel Solstice

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The Solstice before the incident
The Solstice before the incident

At 1938 on 26 September 2017, the 9.9m fishing vessel Solstice capsized in calm weather conditions about 7 miles south of Plymouth. The skipper and crewman were rescued from the vessel’s upturned hull about 5½ hours later, but the vessel’s owner was trapped and drowned in the wheelhouse. Solstice later sank.

The scallop dredger had recently been modified to operate as a stern trawler and its owner, skipper and crewman were in the process of hauling a heavy catch on board when the capsize occurred. The net’s cod-end was full of fish, moss and sand, and started to roll uncontrollably along the transom as the vessel heeled in the light swell.

The crew did not have time to raise the alarm before they entered the water. As the vessel was not equipped with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and the crew did not carry Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), they were wholly reliant on family and friends realising they were overdue and alerting the coastguard. Continue reading “Report published by MAIB on the sinking of fishing vessel Solstice”

What future for freight on the UK canal network?

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Cargoes on the Trent, the Aire & Calder Navigation and the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation included coal, stone, oil, gravel and sand. But one by one these traffics disappeared
Cargoes on the Trent, the Aire & Calder Navigation and the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation included coal, stone, oil, gravel and sand. But one by one these traffics disappeared

Four years ago the Canal & River Trust launched a last-ditch attempt to revive commercial freight carrying on the larger waterways before it died out completely. How has it fared since then?

Back in the 1990s, any guide describing the canals and rivers of Yorkshire and the north eastern part of the network would make a point of emphasising how these large-scale waterways were still busy with freight barges loading several hundred tonnes each and helping to satisfy the nation’s transport needs – unlike the small-scale canals of the Midlands and most of the rest of the system, where regular commercial freight had died out a quarter of a century earlier.

Cargoes on the Trent, the Aire & Calder Navigation and the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation included coal, stone, oil, gravel and sand. But one by one these traffics disappeared, not necessarily for Continue reading “What future for freight on the UK canal network?”

MCA releases a notice on the transport of marine pollutants

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The IMO has adopted the amendment 39-18 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code
The IMO has adopted the amendment 39-18 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code

The UK MCA has released a Merchant Shipping Notice regarding the transport of dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form by sea on ships within UK waters and on UK ships.

The IMO has adopted the amendment 39-18 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. It will enter into force globally on 1 January 2019, with a twelve month “transitional period” until 31 December 2019.

From 1 January 2019, until 31 December 2019 dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form shall be Continue reading “MCA releases a notice on the transport of marine pollutants”

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