A NewsLink service for Dole Chile

Monday, December 1, 2014

SAFETY STUDY
SAME OLD STORY
Cumulative fatigue and lone watchkeeping led
to a potentially disastrous grounding.

NARRATIVE
A 30-year-old 79-metre cargo vessel was on
passage one winter morning. The wind was
around Force 4 from the west and visibility
was good. She carried a cargo of 1,900
tonnes of ferro silicon, which can emit
flammable and toxic gases when exposed to
moisture. The Safety Manning Certificate
stated a regular crew of six, but she had an
extra AB/rigger to help with the maintenance.
Only the master and chief officer took bridge
watches, alternating six-hour shifts. The CO
also supervised cargo operations. At 0235H
the CO, who was on watch alone on the
bridge, made the course alteration for a
channel transit.
The ship was sailing at eight knots and on
autopilot. The CO made made minor
adjustments to keep her on track. Both doors
were closed on the bridge, making it extremely
stuffy. At around 0300H the CO fell asleep in
the chair. The vessel drifted north of the track,
set by the tidal stream, although still on a
constant heading. No watch alarm was fitted
on the bridge and the CO did not wake up until
0432H when the vessel impacted a small
rocky island at 9.8 knots, helped by the flood
tide. The master who had been woken by the
impact, contacted the coastguard using VHF.
The ship suffered extensive bottom damage.

New BIMCO measure to solve unpaid

bunker claims launched
The Baltic and International Maritime Council
(BIMCO) has rolled out a new measure meant to
safeguard shipowners from time charterers who
are unable to pay for bunkers ordered on time
due to financial constraints.
Called the Bunker Non-Lien Clause, the
measure will serve as a safety net for shipowners
against time charterers who fail to settle their
debts over bunkers ordered because of
bankruptcy.
Currently, shipowners often bear the brunt of
time charterers going out of business because
aside from sustaining losses for the unpaid
balance of contract, their vessels also end up
under subsequent arrest by bunker suppliers who
are pursuing claims for unsettled bunkers.
Industry experts view the new measure as an
attempt to address existing challenges faced by

shipowners. It will also help assure them that

time charterers will notify suppliers before
purchasing bunkers and that the former will only
finalise such deals on their own account.
This way, owners need not worry about having
their vessels falling under the control of bunker
suppliers.
BIMCO Legal and Contractual Affairs chief
officer Grant Hunter said he expects time
charterers to support the new measure. "If the
financial standing of a charter is in doubt, they
may be more reluctant to accept the
responsibilities and liabilities imposed by the
clause - acting as a warning flag to ship
owners," he stressed.
Hunter likewise added that vessel skippers can
reject the delivery of tankers if charterers fail to
comply with the clause.

Declining oil prices delight

tanker operators

Pirate gangs still holding 30

captives in Gulf of Aden

The lowered oil prices have caused tanker

operators to expect bigger profit margins in the
coming months.
The development has brought further
confidence to traders to ship more crude around
the world.
According to Ardmore Shipping Corp chief
LESSONS
executive Anthony Gurnee, the current situation
in oil markets has given bigger chances to
- The dangerous combination of fatigue and
lone watchkeeping contributed to the accident, conduct long-haul arbitrage operations, meaning
which could have been worse given the
that the vessels can execute longer voyages
hazardous cargo aboard.
- The chief officer had been working a 6 on, compared to previous months.
Since June, oil has gone down more than a
6 off routine for around three and a half
months. The cumulative effects of these
third of its value as United States crude slipped
watches, exacerbated by the cargo work
below USD70 per barrel on Thursday as Saudi
during the vessel's regular port visits, were a
Arabia dismissed output reduction calls from
recipe for fatigue. If ever you do feel the first
fellow members of oil cartel Organization of the
signs of sleep approaching, think about what
simple measures you could take to try to
Petroleum Exporting Countries.
minimise the chance of an unplanned nap
Due to the recent developments in the fuel
catching you out. Still, the most effective
market,
the rates of very large crude carriers
solution to fighting fatigue is sufficient and
appropriately organised manning. Perhaps an have gone up five times compared to previous
rates between June and November.
additional mate to reduce the watchkeeping
burden would have been a more sound
Midsized Suezmax tankers also enjoyed the
investment than another AB.
new trends as prices rose 80% and smaller
- The ISM Manual did not state the
requirement for a lookout and no watch alarm Aframax tankers doubled its rates as well.
The event has forced analysts to revise their
had been fitted. Source: UK MAIB
current-quarter estimates of shipping firms.

Pirate gangs in the Gulf of Aden and waters off

Somalia are still holding 30 hostages in illegal
captivity, the New Zealand navy officer who has
just ended command of a multinational
anti-piracy task force said Monday.
Commodore Tony Millar, who had
commanded the Combined Maritime Task
Force's Counter-Piracy Task Force 151
(CTF151) since August, said the number of
hostages had fallen from more than 700 "a few
years ago," PNA and Xinhua reported.
Millar said CTF151 had operated successfully
under his command, with his staff of 13 New
Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) personnel
overseeing 12 ships and three patrol and
surveillance aircraft from seven different navies.
"Due to the cooperation of Combined
Maritime Force, NATO, the European Union
and other nations operating independently, no
successful pirate attacks occurred during our
time, although there were dozens of reports
concerning suspicious or aggressive behavior,"
he said.
"These could easily have turned into attacks if
the counter- piracy forces were not 'on the beat'
and immediately ready to respond," Millar said
in a statement.
Millar handed over command of CTF151 to
the Royal Thai Navy in Bahrain before his
return to New Zealand.

PAGE 2 - Monday, December 1, 2014

SHIPPING DATA

BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: November 28
Dry Index
BDI
1153
Capesize Index
BCI
2151
Panamax Index
BPI
1120
Supramax Index
BSI
986
Handysize Index
BHSI
491

-34
-196
+21
+2
+4

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Fri Cls)
Fgn Currency
in USD
Britain (Pound)
1.5629
Canada (Dollar)
0.8753
China (Yuan)
0.1628
Euro
1.2443
India (Rupee)
0.0161
Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000082
Japan (Yen)
0.008421
Norway (Krone)
0.1424
Philippines (Peso)
0.0223
Poland (Zloty)
0.2975
Russia (Ruble)
0.0199
Singapore (Dollar)
0.7671
Ukraine (Hryvnia)
0.0668

USD in Fgn
Currency
0.6398
1.1425
6.1434
0.8037
62.2350
12265.00
118.7500
7.0224
44.9200
3.3600
50.2036
1.3035
14.9740

New Directory of Worldwide

Seafarer Centres Launched
The new edition of the ISWAN Seafarer Centre
Directory has been printed and is now being
distributed to nearly 400 seafarer centres around
the world. Thanks to a generous grant from the
ITF Seafarers' Trust, ISWAN has been able to
update the directory in hardcopy and online at
http://www.seafarerswelfare.org/seafarerscentre-directory, with an added geo-map of
centre locations. The directory is also available
as a downloadable pdf.
The directory includes 429 bona-fide seafarer
centres, all operating for the welfare of seafarers.
It lists available facilities, contact details and
opening hours, and it continues to be extremely
valuable to seafarers looking for their nearest
centre. Many centres are able to offer free or
cheap Wi-Fi, refreshments, recreational facilities
and friendly supportive staff; all of which can be
a great comfort to seafarers who have been at
sea for long periods of time.

OFFSHORE

Sudan eyes policy revamp to

boost gas development
The Sudanese government is set to overhaul
investment policies in line with its goal of
developing the country's natural gas sector to
boost power generation.
President Omar al-Bashir said the government
is now amending the constitution to pave the
way for new opportunities for foreign investors
in extracting natural gas. Sudan, which has an
estimated gas reserves of some three trillion
cubic feet, is also determined to start importing
fossil fuel, he noted.
Sudan lacks port terminals to bring in gas or
liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports for
industrial consumption, said a report from the
US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

According to the president, a state-run

company that will facilitate gas imports has
already been set up while a gas pipeline from
Port Sudan to Khartoum will soon be
constructed. "We will work to increase the
production of gas inside Sudan and ... to open
the doors to investment," al-Bashir said.
Sudan currently relies heavily on hydropower
facilities to accommodate the country's
electricity needs. The EIA had said that the
government will be able to save more funds if
the country starts deriving energy from its gas
reserves.

PIRACY

Angola vows to enhance

anti-piracy support
Angola has pledged to further back the
International Maritime Organisation in the
prevention and suppression of piracy and other
illegal maritime-related activities in the Gulf of
Guinea.
In a statement, Angolan permanent
representative to the IMO Miguel Gaspar
Fernandes Neto said that his government will
continuously support moves by the maritime
security body in stopping the rise of piracy and
illegal activities around the world's waters. The
official, who attended the 94th session of the
Maritime Safety Committee in London, said that
Angola condemns the illegal acts, such as
piracy, armed robbery and trafficking of arms,
drugs or persons, saying that they are a
significant security threat in the gulf.
Fernandes Neto also hailed the efforts of
nations in the gulf for holding off the threats to
maritime security in the region. He also
announced that the Angolan government will
contribute USD100,000 to the West Africa
Maritime Security Trust Fund.

INCIDENTS

52 missing after South Korea

ship sinks in Bering Sea
Rescuers searched Monday for 52 people
missing after a South Korean fishing ship they
were working on sank in the Bering Sea, an
official said. At least one person died, The
Associated Press reported.
Authorities rescued seven crew members and
recovered one body, but weather and water
conditions were complicating the search for the
others, the official, from the South Korean
fisheries and oceans ministry, said on condition
of anonymity because of office rules. The crew
included 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South
Koreans and one Russian inspector. The ship
sank in the western part of the Bering Sea, near
Russia.
The ministry official said it's believed that the
ship, which was catching pollock, began to list
after stormy weather caused seawater to flood its
storage areas. The official said the 2,100-ton
ship was 35 years old.

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PORT OF THE WEEK

PORT OF SALALAH
The Port of Salalah in the Kingdom of
Oman is one of the world class
transshipment hubs in the West Central
Asia Region.
Situated right at the major East-West
shipping lanes, Salalah enjoys an attractive
strategic location in the heart of the Indian
Ocean Rim and caters to some of the
world's largest ocean going vessels.
Every port in the world has to keep pace
with fewer but much larger shipping lines
and the concentration of cargo into bigger
vessels that are able to utilize just a few
key hub ports.
The web site of the Port says "it takes a
port with location, technology, innovation,
productivity and a dynamic management to
succeed today."
Expansions continue and with focus on
growth, innovation and commitment to our
customers, the Port of Salalah is prepared
for the future.
The complex is said to provide the
region's best location in order to access the
Middle East the Indian Subcontinent, East
Africa and the Indian Ocean Island with
over 2.5 billion consumers.
The Port of Salalah is situated in Dhofar
in the southern region of Oman, located 15
km south of Salalah.
Tidal range averages one to two metres.
However, during monsoon season (June to
August), waves are up to 4.0 metres at
max.
The prevailing winds are southwesterly
and 15-20kn during the period of June to
August.
From November to March, the mean
temperatures is about 24C-34C,
moderating in March to May at
approximately 20 to high 30
The Port of Salalah HSSE department
plays a big role in ensuring the Port
compliance to international standards.
Safety is a priority at Port of Salalah.
Safety is a line responsibility and is
supervised by each department manager
under the supervision of the HSSE
manager.