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Dear Shiptalk Readers,

Welcome to this the March 2006 edition of the Shiptalk newsletter.

Please take your time to read what we have to say this month about issues affecting your everyday lives at sea and do let us know if you have an opinion or comments on any of this month’s articles or other issues that you would like to air via Shiptalk.com.

Why not air your news views and opinions on the Shiptalk Forum at www.shiptalkforum.com

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ShiptalkImages.com provides media companies with a helpful image resource for the design and development of online and print media projects.

We are sure we can provide you with the image you have been looking for and if not why not drop us an image enquiry at enquiries@shiptalkimages.com and we will see what we can do for you.

EXPERT ADVICE

Marine Cargo Experts - Expertise the key to new growth (Advertorial)

Marine Cargo Experts Ltd , the marine cargo surveying and oil loss control consultancy based in the North West of England, is expanding its client base and areas of coverage.

Already enjoying increased demand for its specialised services from clients operating throughout the UK , the Middle East , Americas and Western Europe ; Marine Cargo Experts is currently preparing to extend its services to the Eastern European and Chinese markets.

Marine Cargo Experts Ltd was incorporated in January 2005 from the rapid growth in business of the partnership “M.H.Maunder & Co.”.

Malcolm Maunder knew that after 15 years of successful trading , it was time to consolidate the vast experience and skills he and his expert team of colleagues had accumulated and take a measured stride forward.

The key elements that made M H Maunder and Co such a success was its ability to always deliver ‘a personal and professional service’ that exactly fitted the needs of the client.

It’s reassuring to know that this same ethos still drives all Marine Cargo Experts’ services to a worldwide market.

Malcolm Maunder - Master Mariner and Operations Director explains:

“By consistently providing intelligent, pragmatic support on all cargo related issues to a full range of Clients, we have enjoyed considerable success for ourselves and our clients.

Shippers, P&I clubs, Ship owners, Oil Majors, Charterers, Cargo Underwriters and Container Operators have all been able to benefit from our services.

Our main area of expertise is cargo, whether liquid, dry or reefer. We survey, superintend or expedite the movement of cargo, report, investigate shortages, damages and/or contamination, and are proactive in the prevention of losses.

Our approach is generating some excellent returns for our clients.

On average, for petroleum cargoes, we are saving Charterers from losses in the order of 0.35%. We have also made massive savings in demurrage by having an expert ‘on the spot’ who can keep our Clients informed of potential delays.

In one particular oil loading assignment, we were able to save the client 0.6% of his cargo. 0.6% may not sound much, but on a 2 million barrel loading with prices of $65 a barrel, it equated to an amazing client saving of 3/4 of a million dollars.”

Should you require advice, a quote or wish to discuss how the full range of Marine Cargo Experts services can help your operation, you can contact them via:

Note - Marine Cargo Experts are committed to excellence. Emphasis on ability, knowledge and professionalism helps improve the efficiency and competitiveness of their clients. Due to increased demand for its services the company is welcoming applications from like-minded professionals.

If you are looking for further career challenges and feel you can offer the professional skills, experience, attitude and values to help maintain this level of excellence, feel free to get in touch via the channels listed. Experience within Eastern Europe and/or China would be of particular interest.

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Rayfield Mills offers guidance on letters of indemnity (Advertorial)

This year has seen the publication of a new and unique guide to letters of indemnity. Written by Stephen Mills with Ben Roberts , Letters of Indemnity – A Guide to Good Practice will be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of those involved in the shipping industry and in international trade generally.

While the law expects that the documentary aspects of international sale transactions will comply with long-established principles and standards, those engaged in international trade may sometimes find those principles and standards difficult, if not impossible, to apply or achieve in each and every transaction. In their hour of need they will often look to letters of indemnity.

In recognition of the widespread use of letters of indemnity, the guide works on various levels, with a practical guidance section supplemented by a detailed analysis section and footnotes to show the legal foundation of the advice given.

Designed to be used in conjunction with Bills of Lading –A Guide to Good Practice, also written by Stephen Mills , the guide provides an invaluable commentary on the common types of letters of indemnity. It considers the reasons why they are used, the pitfalls, and risks, and some of the legal and insurance issues which arise out of their use. For further information, or to purchase a copy of either of the guides, visit Rayfield Mills’ website: www.rayfield-mills.co.uk

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SECURITY

Pirate crew claim mistreatment

Shiptalk readers will be aware that the U.S. Navy captured a ship last month near Mogadishu with 10 suspected Somali pirates on board and 16 Indian crew members.

The suspects were handed over to Kenyan authorities late in January, and they were charged in Kenya with hijacking the ship, threatening the lives of crew-members and demanding a $450,000 ransom.

As the prosecution opened its case, Captain Akbar Ali Suleiman told a Mombasa court his Indian crew were simply innocent pawns and were mistreated and threatened while being held between Jan. 16-21.

"We went without food for four days, they beat us up every time we tried to free ourselves and save our lives." Suleiman said during cross-examination. "They were asking for $450,000 and satellite phones which we did not have."

After identifying the 10 suspects as the same gunmen who held him and the ship hostage, he said the pirates tried in vain to hijack three more ships using his vessel during that period.

Prosecutors presented an assortment of weapons that included three AK-47s, two anti-aircraft missiles and a revolver as evidence against the 10 men.

Suleiman's testimony came barely a week after the court ruled in favour of hearing the case following an injunction by the defence, which questioned its jurisdiction over the matter, arguing that the suspects were captured in international waters.

The suspects face a possible life sentence if convicted.

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The Somali Coastguard - A new twist

The ongoing trial of the "pirates" captured by the USS Winston Churchill has led to more understanding of the delicate nature of life and politics along the Somali coast. In particular it has seen the emergence of the Somali "National Volunteer Coastguard" (NVCG) as one of the leading protagonists in this war waged on merchant shipping and innocent seafarers.

The NVCG is one of three major factions responsible for the upsurge in piracy along the Horn of Africa, but, unlike its competitors, the centrally located Somali Marines and the Northern-based Puntland Militia, it claims to be a response to the decade-long conduct of illegal maritime activities in Somali waters rather than a cause.

In a rare interview with Mogadishu radio station "Shabelle", Mr. Garaad Mohamed who claimed to be the commander of the “National Volunteer Coast Guard group" threatened to kill anyone onboard ships they capture in the future unless the US releases their comrades unconditionally. He said America has no business in Somalia and Indian Ocean .

“No one has been killed in these hijackings so far but we are now starting to kill anyone we catch in Somalia waters unless our men are freed”. He said.

Somalia has issued a self-proclaimed (and not internationally recognised) 200 nautical mile territorial limit in the wake of the civil war, leaving the country regime-less and its maritime domain transformed into a sea of anarchy because there is no law enforcement.

From within piracy, drug and arms smuggling increased while foreign commercial vessels committed illegal dumping and illegal fishing from abroad.

The NVCG is allegedly attempting to regulate illegal fishing from foreign vessels for the sake of securing Somalia ’s resources for its own people. Many foreign vessels purchase annual fishing permits from local warlords or from the brass-plated Somali Department of Fisheries, allowing them to fish within loosely defined areas.

However, the annual proceeds, which are earned from the permits and can total up to US$70,000 a vessel, are not distributed among the Somali population. Thus the NVCG aims to spread the wealth by commandeering foreign fishing vessels and collecting US$5,000 from a crewman as a "fine," yet there is no evidence that the NVCG distributes its revenues.

Instead, it seems that this income is reinvested into acquiring arms and new boats thereby defeating the purpose of wealth spreading among the people.

One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter, goes the old saying...that seemingly equally applies to pirates. Mr. Mohamed said his volunteer group are doing national duty by dealing with foreign ships that took advantage of Somalia ’s inability to guard its waters. He said the money they receive from these ships is not ransom but penalty for entering Somalia waters illegally. He went on to add that the NVCG has wide support among Somalis all over the world.

The emergence of these armed factions is going to make matters much more complicated in an already dangerous area, as many more gangs will now no doubt emerge, all claiming to be fighting to protect Somali waters. So as you see, one man's pirate is another man's "volunteer coast guard"...

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Hijack…the modern day peril

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released its annual piracy figures for 2005 last month, and the overall result is that the total number of piracy attacks worldwide dropped to 276 last year from 329 in 2004.

This figure represents the lowest number reported to its Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur since 1999, but despite the fall in the number of attacks hijacking and kidnapping has emerged as a major p rob lem.  In total 23 vessels were hijacked, the highest number since 2002, and although no crew members were killed compared to 30 in 2004, 12 were still missing.

Indonesian waters, with almost 30 percent of the world's attacks, were the most treacherous despite a drop in attacks to 79 from 94 the year before.

Attacks in the notorious Straits of Malacca also fell significantly to 12, from 38 in 2004, prompting the IMB to credit governments for increased patrols aimed at curbing piracy.

Attacks also fell in waters off Malaysia , Thailand , Brazil , Venezuela , Colombia , Haiti , Nigeria and Guinea , it said. "The IMB attributes the welcome drop in attacks to increased awareness and anti-piracy watches by shipmasters in risk-prone areas, coupled with an increase in law enforcement patrols and increased pressure on certain governments to act."  The bureau noted a surge in activity in some piracy-prone regions, especially Vietnam , Tanzania and Somalia.

Still, Iraq stood out "as a new world piracy hotspot," with 10 attacks in 2005 after none the year before.  "Opportunists whose main motivation is rob bery and financial gain, and who use extreme violence towards crews in most cases perpetrate these attacks," the IMB report said.  Most of Iraq 's attacks were on vessels anchored near the Basra oil terminal and Umm Qasr off the country's south eastern coast.

Anarchy in the waters off Africa has been a major concern, with attacks and threats off both Somalia and Nigeria.

While the threat posed by Somali warlords has been well documented it seems that Suezmaxes trading out of Nigeria could become the latest target of local militants in an escalation of the violence against oil producers in the West African nation.

Militants made the threats against shipping after kidnapping nine foreign oil workers in a flurry of attacks that forced a 20% cut in Nigerian crude exports.

Associated Press reports said the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had said his group was “poised to attack foreign oil tankers offshore”.

Nigeria is Africa ’s leading exporter of crude oil and the United States ’ fifth-largest supplier, usually exporting some 2.5m barrels per day.

The Nigerian military said it would do “whatever was necessary” to ensure the safety of tanker operators and their ships.

“I don’t know their capabilities, but we’re not leaving anything to chance, " said Major Said Hammed, a spokesman for the military task force in the delta.

He added: “The assurance has been given at the highest level of government that oil tankers are safe in Nigerian waters. That assurance remains.”

A recent militant attack damaged Shell’s Forcados oil loading platform forcing the company to close down the 400,000 barrel-a-day operation.

It seems that while the number of attacks has lessened, the severity of them has increased, as 2005 saw record numbers of vessels being hi-jacked and of seafarers being kidnapped and held for ransom. The IMB's report said 440 seafarers were taken hostage in 2005 in Somalia , Indonesia and Nigeria , the highest number recorded since 1992. Other piracy- prone areas included the waters off Bangladesh , India and Singapore . Ships have also been warned about the waters off Jamaica , Haiti and Peru .

The taking of hostages is a relatively new evolution of the piracy threat, and one that is causing huge concern amongst seafarers, and also organisations striving for their welfare.

There are some answers available , and the spate of hi-jackings and kidnappings has led to the development of an insurance policy to ensure that seafarers are afforded some protection in the event of them being held to ransom.

The new kidnap-and-ransom insurance "CrewSEACURE" will cover ransom money as well as access to negotiation specialists provided by Seacurus.

Captain Brown, Managing Director of Seacurus, added that the creation of the new insurance was also being driven by corporate governance issues "and the need to provide safety and security for their staff'.

'The product is not just about the security of having the cost of a ransom repaid. It is about the access to expert assistance and advice if an incident should happen,' he added.

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HEALTH, WELFARE AND SAFETY

Egyptian Ferry Disaster

Last month saw a tragic disaster in which a ferry carrying about 1,400 people, most of them Egyptians, sank in the Red Sea .

The “al-Salam Boccaccio '98” went down about 80km (50 miles) off the Egyptian coast during an overnight journey from Dubai in Saudi Arabia to Safaga.

The ship was carrying 1,398 passengers and 96 Egyptian crew, a spokesman for the ship's Egyptian owners, el-Salam Maritime Transport, told the BBC, only 415 passengers are known to have survived.

Most of the passengers were Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia , but some were said to be pilgrims returning from Mecca .

It is understood that a fire broke out in the ship’s car deck as it was about 20 miles from the Saudi shore. The crew decided to push across the Red Sea to try to reach Egypt ’s shores 110 miles away, but the car deck eventually flooded and the vessel lost stability.

Some survivors came forward with more reports of crew errors before the sinking, though these cannot be cor rob orated – what seems certain is the emergency response onboard the vessel was not effective and many passengers were left without guidance, lifejackets or access to lifeboats.

Abdul Muhsin Rayan, a 35-year-old from Sohag who had been working in Saudi Arabia , said as smoke engulfed the ship, “From the captain on down, no one gave us any instructions on what to do,” he said from a hospital bed.

In the wake of the disaster there were violent scenes as relatives of lost passengers attacked the offices of the ship’s owners, throwing furniture into the street and burning the company’s sign. Egyptian riot police fired tear gas to restore order.

The relatives were desperate to know whether their loved ones were among the more than 1,000 who drowned, and they claimed that el-Salam Maritime had not released the victims’ names. They also accused Egypt ’s government of mishandling the rescue.

This was not the first disaster to face the owners and the weekly independent paper “Soutelomma” said two other ferries owned by the company had sunk in the past 10 years, without the government properly investigating or putting the company’s owner on trial.

El-Salam Maritime issued a statement declaring it complied “with all the international safety regulations and treaties and (was) certified to make international voyages.” T he a l Salam 98 was in possession of a valid safety management certificate from RINA, the Italian Classification Society, and was also classed with them. The ship had a stability refit in October 2003. A structural survey last year had found there was "nothing significant to report", the company said.

The ferry is understood to be a sister ship of the “ Herald of Free Enterprise” which sank off Zeebrugge in 1987 with the loss of nearly 200 lives. As a result of the stringent rules introduced after the Zeebrugge disaster the al Salam 98 was officially regarded as too unsafe to operate in European waters.

Andrew Linington of Numast, said that under European regulations introduced after the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, it would be illegal to operate either vessel in Europe , and that in effect the a l Salam 98 had been "pensioned off to the Third World ".

"This is a scandal. Passenger ships like it are not permitted to sail in European waters. If a ship is unsafe it is unsafe wherever it operates."

The rules introduced in the late 1990s ensured that "Ro-Ro" ferries were redesigned to increase their stability so that an initial ingress of water was not necessarily catastrophic.

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Psychotic and Violent Seafarers

Shiptalk news recently highlighted an India Times article in which the life of the modern seafarer was examined and where the pressures facing Indian seafarers and the psychological effects of the modern life at sea were viewed.

The report was written in the wake of an increase of violent episodes involving a number of Indian officers and crew, and with the Indian government starting to show real concern over the matter. The article states that Indian seafarers, "known to be docile and respected for their restrained behaviour, are increasingly beginning to show signs of psychotic and violent tendencies on long voyages".

The office of the Director-General Shipping, which tracks the records of seafarers on a yearly basis, admits that something is seriously going wrong.  There has been a rise in the number of unnatural death cases," admits Captain M Saggi, nautical adviser to Government of India.

According to statistics available with the shipping ministry, there are at least three to four cases in a year when a seaman or an officer meets with a violent or unnatural death.

One of the reasons is the strong sense of hierarchy that leaves a seaman or a petty-officer at the mercy of his superiors. Those in the lower grade, in particular, have to listen blindly to orders from their immediate superiors. And unlike the army, where at least you have a court martial, on the ship, the man has no recourse to help," the official said.

You are caught between the sea and the boss. "You either stoop to him or face the consequences," recalled a former seaman who was almost thrown overboard during a fight with his superior officer.

Psychiatrists say sailors do tend to suffer from depression and psychotic p rob lems caused due to loneliness or isolation from the families.

Psychiatrist Harish Shetty says he has heard of cases where people jump overboard to escape their monotonous existence, “but you cannot term all the cases in that category. There are cases where people are just murdered on board," he added.

The solution lies in community-building between shipmates, “there should be a training program for cadets and trainees, to give them a preparedness to face long periods at sea," Shetty says.

So there we have it, life at sea is boring, taking orders is a drag and sometimes your shipmates are a pain in the proverbial…it certainly sounds like my last ship.

For the full article click here

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Beaten to death

The recent global furore over the cartoons insulting Muslims saw rumours of shipboard violence emerge.

The unfortunate death of an Indian fitter onboard the 40,500-dwt Champion Pioneer (built 1990) seems to have been swept up in the general media hysteria surrounding the Danish cartoon protests. Reports in the Middle East highlighted the fact that the ship was Norwegian-registered and jumped to the conclusion that the man's death must have been the result of a row over the controversial depictions of the prophet Mohammed. It has finally emerged that these stories are pure nonsense and have been dismissed from all sides.

It turns out that the full complement of the ship is Indian and Hindu making allegations of a religiously motivated murder wide of the mark, as a religious-inspired conflict over the matter is highly imp rob able.

Despite the likely religious harmony onboard there is still the tragic death of a seafarer to consider. In a scene echoing the concerns of the office of the Director-General Shipping over the increasing prevalence of shipboard violence it seems that the man died as the result of injuries he sustained after being restrained from attacking the master, for an unknown reason.

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The Angel Appeal

The Mission to Seafarers in Dubai , part of the international organisation that cares for seafarers regardless of race or religion in over 300 ports around the world, today launched its charitable appeal ‘The Angel Appeal’. The aim of the project is to raise over US$ 1 million before the end of 2006 to build and equip a boat appropriately named “Angel” to support some of the estimated 140,000 seafarers using the East Coast Anchorages of the UAE each year.

The customised boat, to be built by Albwardy Marine in Al Jadaf, Dubai will provide an Internet Café, a library with both educational and fictional DVDs and books, a medical clinic with a fully trained paramedic, access to telecommunications and pastoral and spiritual support with a dedicated Welfare Officer. The order for the “Angel” was placed yesterday and the estimated time to build the craft is approximately eight to ten months. Consequently the boat should be operational by the end of 2006, which will be a superb achievement to celebrate the international charity’s 150th anniversary.

The service will operate every week for 72 hours at a time, by sailing out to the ships using the East Coast Anchorage, allowing seafarers to step off their ships for a period of rest and relaxation. With 99% of all UAE imports arriving by sea we all have a vested interesting in ensuring the welfare of seafarers. The “Angel” will offer many seafarers support and help who are unable to come ashore.

Commenting on the project, Reverend Stephen Miller of The Mission to Seafarers in Dubai , said, “Far too many seafarers on board ships anchored off the East Coast do not get the opportunity to come ashore. Many of these vessels can be up to 18 miles out and it is too costly for the seafarers or their companies to consider shore-leave”.

“To illustrate the scale of the p rob lem, the East Coast is the second largest Bunker Anchorage in the world with 100 to 150 ships anchored off shore at any given time. As many as 2,000 seafarers could be unable to communicate with family and friends at home for weeks, sometimes months, leading to isolation and loneliness, which the “Angel” is designed to alleviate” he concluded.

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Not for Profit Conference to ask who really cares about shipping’s image

Five years ago 250 people from around the world gathered together in Plymouth for a one day conference called “Shipping dot com: What’s It All About?”

That event has lingered in the memories of many as one of the most entertaining and honest shipping conferences for many years. Well now PYNDA, the Plymouth Nautical Degree Association, are doing it all over again. The organisation’s 35 th Anniversary conference, PYNDA 35, is being held in Plymouth on Friday March 24 th with a day of social events to follow on the Saturday.

Like its predecessor, PYNDA 35 is a not-for-profit conference and will be aiming for a day full of honest debate rather than a day full of sales pitches dressed up as speeches. With this in mind the event will take the form of a Question Time debate with a morning panel and an afternoon panel which will be debating “The Image of Shipping – Who Gives a Ship?”

PYNDA’s Chairman Phil Parry explained: “I have attended lots of conferences on the subject of the image of shipping and do get a bit tired hearing the same old stuff time and time again. I was particularly impressed by Dr.Helmut Sohmen’s speech at the BIMCO General Meeting in Copenhagen last year when he threw down the gauntlet to the industry to do something about our image ourselves. PYNDA’s conference will therefore be asking whether we, the shipping industry, really do give a damn about our image or whether we just intend to go on moaning and blaming others.”

The line up of 12 panellists and speakers for the day includes Capt Stephen Bligh who recently stepped down as Chief Executive of the UK ’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency. He will be examining the motives of politicians’ in a shipping context. Other participants include Peter Swift of Intertanko, Mike Lacey of the International Salvage Union, Chris Fisher, author of the Corporation of London report into the future of the maritime services cluster in London and real live shipowner Michael Everard of F.T.Everard & Sons.

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CHIRP

Are you a victim of the “System”?

In last month’s column we looked at some aspects of an individual’s physiology and psychology and how they might contribute to an incident. We also used some examples from the CHIRP database to illustrate some of the areas which may need to be managed such as fatigue and cultural mix.

Although, as stated last month, “operator error” is often used to explain an incident or accident, the operator actually works within a system and invariably that system may also play a significant part in an incident or accident. So what is a “system” in this context?

There are a number of components to consider; firstly hardware. This is the equipment itself; design, location, etc. There are a number of questions which may be relevant including:

• Is the piece of equipment fit for purpose?
• Has it been designed and installed to promote optimal performance?
• Is it easy to operate? Some people refer to this as “knoblogy”
• Is it easy to maintain?
• What happens to other system components when the equipment fails i.e. a failure mode effect analysis (FMEA)?

The CHIRP database contains some relevant examples:

“This issue relates to the integration of marine engines into the vessel and in particular to the terminal connections for fuel and lubricating oil.

Failure of the threads securing the fuel pressure regulating valve to the fuel manifold adapter caused a quantity of gas oil to be sprayed over the running engine. Fortunately, the engine was stopped immediately and the fuel did not ignite. A combination of engine vibration and side loading from a poorly fitted hose connection is likely to have caused the threads to wear on one side and eventually allow fuel leakage.

When the vessel is being built, pipe work supplied as part of the engine "package" has to be connected to ancillary equipment, e.g. pumps, coolers, filters etc. The point raised is that the engine manufacturer should take a greater role in specifying exactly how their connections are to be made to the engine system pipe work. It is not sufficient to assume that the ship builder is competent to do this.

In service, badly specified and / or fitted connections can lead to premature failure with potentially catastrophic consequences.

The engine manufacturer should specify maximum allowable misalignment, the type, size and securing arrangements for flexible pipe connections/couplings so as to reduce side loading and vibration on the terminal connection. This would ensure that failures due to fatigue cracking and fretting of threads etc are reduced to a minimum.”

Here the “operators” actually saved a situation on a new delivery, which the reporter suggests was caused by bad design and installation processes. Should seafarers be content to “make do” when they are presented with poorly designed/installed equipment in situations where there is a significant risk they will be blamed for any accident which follows or should they try and bring these failures (or potential failures) to the attention of the industry?

Subsequent to this incident report and associated contributions, CHIRP compiled its own report to industry which is currently being considered by a number of organisations and may be downloaded from our website.

Next month we’ll look at another system component; information and data sources and issues caused by their lack of availability, inaccuracy, intermittency, etc.

I hope it is beginning to be very clear that “operator error” is almost always an unsatisfactory explanation for an incident and also, that you will continue to show an interest in this subject.

If you have a concern you wish to discuss in confidence, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Safe sailing,
Mike Powell
Director (Maritime) CHIRP

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LEGAL/REGULATORY

Port State MARPOL blitz

Another year and a new focus for port State…this time the 22 Maritime Authorities (EU Members plus Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation) of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control will start a concentrated inspection campaign focussing on how requirements for preventing marine pollution from ships (MARPOL73/78, Annex 1) have been implemented. The inspection campaign will last 3 months, ending on 30 April 2006 .

In practice the concentrated inspection campaign will mean that during every port State control inspection within the Paris MOU region, the oil filtering equipment and record keeping shall be verified in more detail for compliance with the international standards.

This campaign will be carried out in parallel with the Tokyo MOU on Port State Control.

The inspections shall be mainly focussed on the equipment located in the engine room on board.

Inspections in the past have indicated that illegal by-passes of the oil filtering system (OFE) and illegal overboard connections from sludge tanks have been found regularly. On many occasions the oil record books were not properly kept. In 2004 a total of 3646 MARPOL Annex 1 deficiencies were found in during inspections.

During the campaign Port State Control Officers shall use a list of 13 selected items for inspection, some of which are related to:

• Alarm and automatic stopping devise of OFE
• Discharge to reception facilities
• Sludge capacity for intended voyage
• Illegal by-passes or connections

If deficiencies are found, the Port State Control Officer will conduct an in depth investigation into other aspects of the MARPOL area, including operational performance by the responsible crew.

When deficiencies are found, sanctions by the port State may vary from recording the deficiency and instructing the master to rectify within 14 days to the detention of the ship until all deficiencies have been rectified.

In case of detention, the ship could face the risk of further inspections in other Paris MOU ports and publication in the monthly list of detentions issued by the Secretariat of the Paris MOU.

It is expected that approximately 4500 inspections will be carried out during the CIC. All inspections will be inserted in the SIRENAC database of the Paris MOU and will be recorded on an evaluation form. The results of the campaign shall be analysed later this year and will be submitted to the Committee of the Paris MOU.

For 2007 a concentrated inspection campaign has been planned which will focus on the International Safety Management System – 5 years after its global implementation on board ships.

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Oily Water Advice

The international shipping industry (represented by BIMCO, Intercargo, International Chamber of Shipping, International Shipping Federation, Intertanko and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum) has produced some basic guidance for management and crews, concerning the use of oily water separators, which emphasises the vital importance of strict adherence to International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) requirements.

Peter Hinchliffe, from the International Chamber of Shipping, explained: “The shipping industry is committed to a zero-tolerance approach to any non-compliance with the IMO MARPOL Convention.  The purpose of our leaflet is to highlight some of the issues surrounding the proper use of oily water separators, and to remind company management and shipboard personnel how they can act to prevent MARPOL infringements.”

The guidance advises that every effort must be made to ensure that no one engages in any illegal conduct in the mistaken belief that it will benefit their employer. 

“Every seafarer must be made fully aware of the severe legal consequences, both for the company and the seafarers themselves, of even minor non-compliance with environmental rules” said Peter Hinchliffe.  “But it is ship operators who have ultimate responsibility for establishing a compliance culture within their companies.”

The new industry guidance emphasises the need for everyone to understand that even the most minor violations of MARPOL will, quite rightly, be detected by the authorities.   In addition to large fines – equivalent to literally millions of dollars – both company management and seafarers can be liable to criminal prosecution and imprisonment for any deliberate violation of MARPOL or falsification of records.

The industry bodies behind the new leaflet recommend that the guidance is carefully analysed by shipping company management as a check on their compliance process.

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ILO Superconvention

The ITF for the world’s seafarers and the ISF for shipowners last week hailed the adoption by the International Labour Conference in Geneva of a consolidated maritime labour convention, affectionately known as the ‘Superconvention’.

The ‘Superconvention’ or ‘Seafarers’ Bill of Rights’ was adopted by an overwhelming vote of 314 votes for, none against, with just four abstentions, at the closing session of a conference which brought together more than 1000 government, shipowner and seafarer representatives from over 100 countries for the past three weeks in Geneva. It is the culmination of five years of intensive work to produce a single international social instrument which will be accepted as the ‘fourth pillar’ of the international regulatory system for the global maritime industry, along with the safety (SOLAS), training (STCW), and pollution (MARPOL) conventions of the International maritime Organization (IMO).

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INSURANCE

Insurers take a fresh look at marine credit protection

Seacurus Ltd and Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Ltd announce the launch of CharterSEACURE, a new credit insurance policy designed for the shipping industry that provides certainty of income for fleets operating in the charter market.

CharterSEACURE has been designed to provide cover on a fleet basis. The policy indemnifies unpaid invoices, subsequent periods off hire and any shortfall in the hire amount realised on the re-fixture of the vessel. Seacurus Director Nick Maddalena commented:

“There have been a number of high profile corporates that have commanded a level of certainty with respect to their creditworthiness immediately prior to default; companies like Enron, Parmalat, Andre, Westminster and more recently Daeshin. We are not looking to provide protection on charterers of questionable credit quality; we are looking to provide peace of mind to the better quality operators.”

Historically, a widening difference between long term charter rates and spot rates has led to a degree of uncertainty over charterers’ ability to fulfill their obligations, particularly if they have insufficiently hedged their market positions. CharterSEACURE offers shipowners certainty by providing exclusive access to one of the world’s leading credit insurers and a breadth of cover thus far unrivalled in the shipping sector.

Andrew van den Born, a Director of AJG , adds:

“As a risk management tool 'CharterSEACURE' can be utilized to substitute both credit risk and market risk with a pre-determined and quantifiable premium cost, thereby minimizing the impact of sudden downturns in the industry cycle.”

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WHAT'S ON WHERE?

The Image of Shipping - Who gives a Ship?

Five years ago 250 people from around the world gathered together in Plymouth for a one day conference called “Shipping dot com: What’s It All About?”

That event has lingered in the memories of many as one of the most entertaining and honest shipping conferences for many years. Well now PYNDA, the Plymouth Nautical Degree Association, are doing it all over again. The organisation’s 35th Anniversary conference, PYNDA 35, is being held in Plymouth on Friday March 24th with a day of social events to follow on the Saturday.

Like its predecessor, PYNDA 35 is a not-for-profit conference and will be aiming for a day full of honest debate rather than a day full of sales pitches dressed up as speeches. With this in mind the event will take the form of a Question Time debate with a morning panel and an afternoon panel which will be debating “The Image of Shipping – Who Gives a Ship?”

PYNDA’s Chairman Phil Parry explained: “I have attended lots of conferences on the subject of the image of shipping and do get a bit tired hearing the same old stuff time and time again. I was particularly impressed by Dr.Helmut Sohmen’s speech at the BIMCO General Meeting in Copenhagen last year when he threw down the gauntlet to the industry to do something about our image ourselves. PYNDA’s conference will therefore be asking whether we, the shipping industry, really do give a damn about our image or whether we just intend to go on moaning and blaming others.”

The line up of 12 panellists and speakers for the day includes Capt Stephen Bligh who recently stepped down as Chief Executive of the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency. He will be examining the motives of politicians’ in a shipping context. Other participants include Peter Swift of Intertanko, Mike Lacey of the International Salvage Union, Chris Fisher, author of the Corporation of London report into the future of the maritime services cluster in London and real live shipowner Michael Everard of F.T.Everard & Sons.

To attend what is likely to be one of the more lively debates in the 2006 shipping calendar, please contact Susana Salvante at the Nautical Institute on +44 (0)20 7928 1351 or ss@nautinst.org

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Postponed - CSR Conference

In last month's edition of the Shiptalk newsletter we advised readers of the forthcoming conference that was to look at Corporate Social Responsibility in Shipping. The conference was to be the first of its kind and was due to take place on the 14th and 15th March 2005. Unfortunately for any readers who had planned to attend the conference we have been advised that the event will now be postponed until 19th/20th September 2006.

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