MARITIME NEWSWednesday, March 19,

2014

International maritime news for seafarers

EU supports maritime administrations in Western & Central AfricaThe EU is funding a EUR 1.2 million grant contract, signed between IMO and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) to support training and capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing flag State implementation and Port State Control (PSC) in Western and Central Africa, with a view to upgrading the region's maritime administrations and preparing its States for the mandatory IMO audit scheme.

IMO will be executing the two-year programme, identifying the individual countries' needs in terms of enhancing their capacity to carry out their flag State responsibilities. There will also be a focus on port State control, such as training for ship inspectors, in order to support the functioning of the Memorandum of Understanding on PSC for West and Central African Region (Abuja MoU), which is an inter-governmental organisation comprising the maritime administrations of countries abutting the Atlantic coast of Africa.

It is anticipated that the project will lead to the maritime administrations being audited in accordance with the IMO Audit Scheme, which is expected to become mandatory in 2016 following the adoption and entry into force of amendments to the relevant IMO instruments, IMO reported. The focus of the capacity-building activities will be on compliance with the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code), which provides the global standard to enable States to meet their obligations as flag, port and coastal States.

It is also expected that the projects will result in enhancing the effectiveness of the Abuja MoU on PSC. The overall support programme for the maritime transport sector is intended to contribute towards Africa's economic growth, connectivity and the promotion of regional integration, and will seek to complement other maritime transport programmes on the continent. Although it has a strong focus on Western and Central Africa, it may also be extended to other ACP regions.

The contract was signed on March 10 by IMO, the ACP Secretariat and the European Commission, with a start date for implementation on March 15, 2014. It reflects the joint

EU-Africa Strategic Partnership adopted in Lisbon in December 2007, which calls for capacity-building in the fields of safety standards and regulations.

SAFETY STUDYACCIDENT DURING MOORINGA routine mooring by the crew of a livestock carrier quickly became dangerous when a swell lifted the vessel, resulting to injuries to one of the officers.

FACTSA livestock carrier came alongside port to load 2,400 head of cattle. From the forecastle, the ship was tied to shore with one long spring line and three fore lines - one short and two long. All the lines were hawser-laid and were made fast on bollards. There were also four lines aft, arranged similar to the forward lines. Loading began in daylight, with the master instructing the crew to keep the ship in the same position alongside port during the loading operation. In his briefing to the crew, the master said that a severe swell was possible when the wind was coming from the north-west.

The shore crew led the cattle from the lorries to the ship's loading dock, while the crew then led the cattle to the stable deck.

After a couple of hours, the vessel began to move vertically due to a swell. Two of the lines forward snapped. The master in the bridge radioed the second officer to tell him about it. He went to the forecastle with an AB.

Mooring operations from this position are normally performed by two ABs, while the 2O supervises and communicates with the bridge via radio.

The 2O and AB were about to secure the last line when a swell suddenly lifted the ship. The AB had put on the stopper and the 2O was easing out the line by the mooring winch. Due to the sudden pull on the line, the AB was not able to hold the line around the winch drum, which tightened and hit the 2O causing severe injury (give details)

FINDINGSA safety meeting after the accident revealed that the 2O may have had limited experience with operating the winch. There is no indication that there were any technical failures besides the broken lines.

As the 2O stated that he was not aware how the line hit him, it was believed that he was either handling the line or he was standing too close to the winch drum at the time of the accident.

The pull on the mooring line caused by the swell was foreseeable before the replacement of lines was started.

It was determined that the 2O and the AB should occupy a safe zone when conducting a similar operation in the future, to avoid an accident. Source: DMAIB

Crimea nationalises port terminalsThe integral property complexes of enterprises, previously under the control of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, located on the peninsula, have been nationalised, according to a decision of the state council of Crimea.

Following ports have been included in the list - the Kerch ferry crossing, the Kerch commercial seaport, the Kerch fishery seaport, the Feodosia commercial seaport, the Yalta commercial seaport, the Sevastopol commercial seaport, the Sevastopol fishery seaport and the Yevpatoria fishery seaport.

Ukraine's oil and petroleum product terminal in Feodosia, capable of handling 12mt of petroleum products annually, has been transferred to the Republican property, the state council stated.

The development came a day after 96.77% of Crimean voters chose to join Russia in Sunday's referendum on the status of the Ukraine's autonomous republic.

SAF deploys fifth task groupThe Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have deployed (for the fifth time) a task group to support international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden.

The 151-strong SAF task group, headed by Colonel Cheong Kwok Chien, comprises the Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable-class stealth frigate, RSS Tenacious, with a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval helicopter on board.

During its three-month deployment, the group will operate under the ambit of the multinational Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral (RADM) Ng Chee Peng, at the send-off ceremony held at Changi Naval Base on Tuesday, reiterated SAF's steadfastness in fulfilling its commitment to support international counter-piracy efforts, with Singapore being "a responsible member of the international community and a maritime nation".

He stressed the importance of the mission to safeguard shipping and the continued freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden.

He said, "These piracy attacks disrupt key sea lines of communication and maritime trade, as well as affect the safety of seafarers. This has a direct impact on countries such as Singapore that are dependent on maritime trade."

ENVIRONMENTSulphur oxide emissions regulations - USThe UK P&I Club has advised operators trading to the US to be aware that on August 1, 2012, the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA) came into effect.

Ships operating within 200 miles of the US coast are required, pursuant to MARPOL Annex VI and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), to burn low sulphur fuel oil and to document compliance.

Although the US Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were authorised by APPS to investigate potential violations, it was unclear when such investigations might begin - especially in light of EPA interim guidance acknowledging that, despite best efforts, some ship owners and operators might not be able to obtain complaint low sulphur fuel oil before entering the North American ECA and encouraging voluntary disclosure of such non-availability of compliant low sulphur fuel oil.

During the 18 months since the North American ECA came into effect, many ship owners and operators have filed Fuel Oil Non-Availability Reports (FONARs). Although filing of FONARs was encouraged, the EPA advised that voluntary disclosure of an inability to comply with MARPOL Annex VI and APPS does not mean a ship is deemed to be in compliance. Rather, voluntary disclosure of FONARs was to be only one factor considered by the US when determining what action to take against a non-compliant ship owner or operator.

Recently, the EPA served substantial document subpoenas on several ship owners and operators that had previously filed numerous FONARs, the UK P&I Club said in a press release. These subpoenas have been served in connection with further investigations into potential MARPOL Annex VI and APPS violations. APPS expressly authorises the US Coast Guard and EPA, upon receipt of evidence of a potential violation like a FONAR, to issue subpoenas for documents and testimony. Compliance with these

subpoenas can be enforced by a federal court; non-compliance could lead to a fleet-wide denial or revocation of permission to enter US waters.

INCIDENTOne dead, eight missing after ships collide off TokyoOne Chinese crew member was confirmed dead and eight others were missing after a 12,630-tonne Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel collided with a South Korean container vessel at the mouth of Tokyo Bay early Tuesday.

The Panamanian-flagged vessel, which was carrying steel coils, sank after the collision.

Twelve of the 20 Chinese crew aboard the Panamanian-flagged vessel were rescued but one of them was later reported to be dead.

"We are continuing to search for the eight others still missing," a Japan's coastguard official said.

Two helicopters and one plane as well as 17 patrol ships have been sent to the collision site, he added.

According to available reports, the South Korean vessel was manned by six South Koreans and eight crew from Myanmar.

Two Koreans sustained minor injuries while lowering the lifeboat. All the other crew members on the container ship were unhurt.

Crewtoo launches online maritime jobs boardFounded by KVH Media Group, part of KVH Industries, Inc, (Nasdaq: KVHI), Crewtoo social media site has launched an online maritime jobs board as a direct response to requests from its members, who have continuously pinpointed recruitment asone of their main priorities.

Crewtoo, the world's largest online network dedicated to seafarers and has more than 100,000 members, premièred the service on Monday in Stamford, Connecticut, at Shipping 2014, the annual shipping conference and exhibition of the Connecticut Maritime Association.

"We believe that Crewtoo gives us the perfect platform to help seafarers and maritime recruiters alike," Mark Woodhead, Managing Director of KVH Media Group said in a press release.

HI-TECHWartsila Ship Design unveils WSD PSV SeriesWartsila Ship Design (WSD) Singapore has unveiled a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) design package aimed at ship owners and shipyards in the Asia-Pacific region, in conjunction with Asia Pacific Maritime 2014 event.

The WSD PSV series of four vessels, consisting of the WSD 600, WSD 750, WSD 800 and WSD 1000 designs in the deadweight range of 3000-5200 dwt, gives ship owners the opportunity to select the hulls best suited to their needs. The WSD PSV series designs can be customised to suit different operational requirements of the owner. The WSD PSV series, which was developed based on proven designs, is suitable for worldwide operational requirements, and optimised for the Asian shipbuilding process.

The primary benefits of the WSD PSV series include proven vessel designs based on the ship owners' intended requirements, guaranteed vessel operational performance, and a fully integrated equipment solution.

"Sustainability and efficiency are top of mind for owners and shipyards today. Fuel efficiency, emissions management, lifecycle costs and reliability have become basic expectations when a vessel is ordered. Owners and yards get all these benefits with the WSD PSV series, coupled with designs that have been developed for the Asian shipbuilding industry," Jan Othman, Managing Director, Wartsila Ship Design Singapore, said in a press release.

"With cost efficiencies determining activity - including what kind of vessels to build and where to build them - ship owners and shipyards should take advantage of the total solution offering that comes with the WSD PSV designs. Wartsila Ship Design has a unique value proposition for clients in Asia, with capabilities to develop and deliver high-end designs with competitive building costs from our Singapore office. Wartsila's one-stop proposition and strong local presence of Ship Design offices in Asia - combined with our extensive expertise in marine technologies - makes our value proposition attractive," he added.

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