(Past editions can be viewed on http://www.asiaconference.biz)

Question of the month ...
If you don't pay an exorcist, do you get repossessed?
Thought for the month ....
How can an internationally recognised convention lock engineers into the
engine room with no emergency escape in contravention of SOLAS?

The 2004 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum will be held at the Sofitel Hotel, Silom, Bangkok, Thailand, on 25 and 26 November.
Theme: Challenges for the Marine Loss Prevention Industry.
Delegate Fee : USD 595 (2 days)

Those interested in attending should contact Ms Astor Tsang at Asia Conferences: marine@asiaconference.biz

Those interested in giving a paper at the conference should contact Mike Wall at mikewall@so-net.com.hk

• At the bow - Registration is free!  New members.
• Spindrift - Wave alarm. Killer wave. Gas leak. Ship sinks in one minute. Wind turbine risks. Safety makes sense. US fails 78 vessels. US Crew Visas abolished. Singapore wants more. Alarm over tanker raid. Fall in stowaways. Owners bullish. ISM problems increasing. Second bunker tanker missing. Charm causes pollution. LNG manpower survey launched.
• Contributions - Windfarms - A new navigation hazard?
• Comment - Local agents.
• Scuttlebutt - UK MAIB warning on manual release of liferafts. Whistleblower rewarded. Zero tolerance.
• Insurance News - None this month.
• Wig & Gown - None this month.
• Education and Training - Diploma in Marine Surveying. Language course. Film about EU sea jobs.
• Epistles - None this month.
• People - Andy Woodhouse.
• Books - 'The Outlaw Sea'. Handbook for Marine Radio Communication, 4th Edition.
• Useful web sites for marine surveyors.
• Conference reports - None this month.
• IMO Conventions - Updates.
• Future events - Some upcoming events which might be of interest to marine surveyors.
• From the Poop Deck - Language lesson. Murphy was an optimist.

At the Bow

FLASHLIGHT is a free monthly emailed newsletter for Marine Surveyors.It is circulated to anybody who wishes to receive a copy, eg, Marine Surveyors, P&I Clubs, their correspondents, Underwriters, Professional Institutes, Admiralty Lawyers, etc.  Please pass it on to any of your contacts who you feel might be interested in receiving it.  If you do not wish to be included in the circulation list, please contact the Editor at the email address below.  Letters, opinions and articles relating to our profession are welcomed for the newsletter.

New Members this month:

Aat Alessie, Netherlands
Alan Maffina & Craig Southerwood, Australian Reef Pilots Pty Ltd,
Brisbane, Aus.
Arthur Waddington,, Starboard Surveys, California, USA
Barry Liu, Surveyor of Ships, Hong Kong Marine Department.
Brian Jenner, Seawise, Singapore.
Donald T. Rave, Jr., Locust Valley, New York
Hubert Shoei, G+I Marine Surveyors & Consultants Co., Ltd, Keelung,
Taiwan.
Joaquim Rodrigues, Geo-Chem, Gandhidham, India.
John Nixon, Southampton.
Keith Wallis, Hong Kong Standard.
Nigel Arthur, Brothers International Food Corporation, Hong Kong
Nikolay Cheglakov, St Petersburg, Russia.
Reza Muztaba, LR, Guangzhou, PRC.
Richard Eames, Taylor Marine, Liverpool.
S M Hsu, Surveyor, China Corporation Register of Shipping, Kaohsiung,
Taiwan.
Sunil Jaitly, Dubai.
Universe Explorer, currently in Hong Kong.

[Top]

Spindrift

Wave alarm
Scientists have warned that a massive wave more than 500 ft high could be unleashed as a result of the collapse of an unstable side of a volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. They have called for improved monitoring of the site to enable advance warnings to be issued.

Killer wave

A seafarer was killed when a 7 m high wave crushed him as he was securing the pilot ladder as his ship left Melbourne last month. Another crew member on the Hong Kong flagged Aotaoroa Chief suffered a broken leg and was nearly washed overboard in the incident.

Gas leak

Two seafarers were taken to hospital last month after a leak of vinyl chlorine monomer while the Dutch flagged LPG tanker Coral Acropora discharged in the port of Runcorn, Lancashire, UK.

Ship sinks in one minute

Concerns have been raised about commercial pressures after the sinking of an anchor handling vessel which sank in one minute off the Nigerian coast last year. All 11 crew died when the Danish AHTS Stevns Power, formerly the Maersk Beater, heeled over while pulling in the anchor wire from the derrick pipe laying vessel Castororo Otto. Danish Maritime Authority investigators said they had spoken to seafarers with anchor handling experience who had raised concerns about the culture of working faster to meet deadlines.

Wind turbine risks

A series of major trials has been launched in the UK to investigate concerns that wind turbines may have adverse effects on electronic navigation equipment, radios and detection aids on board ships operating near offshore windfarms. The trials form part of a programme of Government sponsored research into the impact on shipping and navigational safety of the plans for major offshore windfarm development over the next decade. It is hoped that a report will be issued later this month.

Ed: See 'Contributions' below.

Safety makes sense - Lawyers

Lawyers have warned that the growing trend to criminalise seafarers and shipping company shore staff has underlined the importance of having sound safety management systems. The trend towards punitive penalties makes it imperative that everyone in shipping runs management systems which are complete, properly maintained and documented. Commercial discussions and agreements also need to be fully scrutinised for anti-competitive elements. Managers must also issue clear, unequivocal guidelines on procedures for both operational and commercial matters. More importantly, they must mean what they say and follow up what is done in their name if they wish to avoid taking personal responsibility for lapses. Good corporate governance and risk management take on a new meaning when the penalty for failure may be more than simply losing your job.

US fails 78 vessels

First reports from the USCG suggest that the rate of ISPS Code failures was lower than expected with the first four weeks witnessing a total of 78 failing ships, 11 of which were denied entry, 15 expelled from port and 52 detained, out of a total of more than 1,530 inspections. The flags with the highest rate of ISPS related deficiencies included Bolivia, Honduras, Russia, the Isle of Man, Cyprus, Antigua & Barbuda, Malta and Panama.

US Crew Visas abolished

The US State Department has announced plans to scrap the crew list visa scheme. The aim is to screen out undesirable aliens in the interests of security. More than 100 protests against the proposals have been lodged by various organisations. The State Department has argued that the security of US demands individual crew visas despite the dislocations that the requirement may cause initially. It said that it could not accept the planned new international seafarers' identity documents as an alternative, arguing that it is likely to take years for such a document to be developed and widely adopted. Under new security rules, all visas issued after 26 October 2004 will have to incorporate a biometric indicator (eg, fingerprints) meaning that crew list visas would have no longer been acceptable after that date. Many believe that, while all understand the reasons for the US tightening security, that they are going over the top, many seafarers suffering as a result.

Singapore wants more

Singapore is pressing for more to be done to protect ports and sea lanes against terrorist attacks, warning that a successful strike would devastate global commerce. Singapore believe that the ISPS Code does not go far enough and its provisions should be widened to take in smaller vessels and increased scrutiny of containers.

Alarm over tanker raid

Indonesian authorities have been urged to do more to combat attacks on shipping after pirates armed with automatic rifles opened fire as they stormed a gas tanker anchored off the country's coast last month.

Fall in stowaways

IMO has reported a one third drop in the number of stowaway cases, receiving only 185 reports last year compared with 265 in 2002. More than one quarter of the cases involved general cargo ships and 17% container ships. Services between West Africa and Europe were the most prone to stowaway incidents.

Owners bullish

The international shipping industry is feeling bullish about its prospects for the next 12 months, having been boosted by strong global trade growth and a balanced fleet supply, as stated in the second annual Deloitte & Touche Marine Money Magazine CEO/CFO corporate strategy survey. The report found definite signs of strong performance based on feedback from major shipping company bosses on their assessments of the industry's prospects, its performance fort the last year and their projections for the year ahead. The survey also revealed that an overwhelming majority of managers were looking at returns on investment of 15% or more.

ISM problems increasing

In its annual report published last month, EU PSC authorities have warned of alarming increased in the rate of ships found in breach of the ISM Code. The Paris MOU highlights a 186% increase in the number of major ISM nonconformities between 2001 and 2003. Coupled with a doubling in the number of SOLAS related operational deficiencies discovered over the same period, the report warns that this is an indication that major incidents are waiting to happen. The MOU report says that the disturbingly large scale of ISM related defects, a total of 3,539 during 20,309 inspections last year provides clear indication that management systems are not working for certain ships. Inspections have also revealed a massive increase in the number of STCW related deficiencies, up from 1,302 in 2001 to 3,284 last year. Problems with seafarers' living/working conditions also increased by 29% over the same period.

The report also argues that the widespread failure to implement decent safety management systems raises big questions about the chances of the ISPS Code improving security.

(ED: This is shameful when we consider the increase in freight rates during the last year. Those helping to increase profits for shipowners are clearly the last to benefit.)

(With thanks to the NUMAST Shipping Telegraph)

Second bunker ship missing

A SECOND bunker vessel has gone missing in Nigeria, according to reports in Nigerian newspaper The Vanguard today. The disappearance of the Jimoh came to light during a Nigerian House of Representatives investigation into the disappearance of the oil bunkering vessel African Pride. The Jimoh was one of 23 vessels arrested by the navy for alleged smuggling of bunker oil. The chairman of the House of Representatives committee investigating the affair indicated that “no stones would remain unturned” in the search for the two vessels. The committee has summoned the Nigerian defense minister Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, Chief of Naval operations Admiral AO Agbitti and the current and the immediate former flag officers of the Western Naval Command, Adms Samuel Kolawole and Antonio Bob-Manuel, to appear before it next week as part of the investigation. The Nigerian president is fully backing the committee and has offered all the support it needs, the report says. Source:
www.vanguardngr.com

Charm causes pollution

THE Cypriot-flagged bulk carrier Atlantis Charm was yesterday evening ordered to proceed to Brest by French authorities who suspect the vessel of causing voluntary pollution off the French coast. The 22,558 dwt Atlantis Charm was seen yesterday with a 15 km long oil slick in its wake, as it was sailing off the Isle de Sein, Brittany. The pollution trace was spotted by a navy aircraft which was assisting the chemical tanker Dutch Navigator, the master of which had died of a heart attack. The Atlantic Charm, which arrived at Brest today, under escort of the French navy patrol vessel Cormoran, was on a voyage from Pasajes, Spain to Muuga, Estonia. The vessel is owned and operated by Atlantis Management of Greece. The vessel will most likely be ordered to pay a bail before being allowed to sail and the ship's master may be asked to appear before a court at a later stage. The Atlantic Charm is the latest in a string of vessels that have been detained by the French authorities for allegedly causing voluntary pollution.

LNG manpower survey launched

THE rapidly growing number of independent tanker operators entering LNG shipping has prompted an industry-wide survey of manpower requirements. The survey is being conducted by the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) on behalf of the Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators (SIGTTO). While the stated aim of the survey is to evaluate the needs of a growing fleet, SIGTTO and the IAMU are engaged in broader discussions about training criteria that could possibly lead to common curricula. SIGTTO is working to maintain LNG shipping’s virtually unblemished 40-year safety record, achieved in a market with only a handful of operators. The LNG trade has recently spawned a new baby brother ? Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The first confirmed order for a CNG vessel is expected to be placed in 2005. The Cover Story in this week's Fairplay magazine looks at latest developments in CNG technology.
(Thanks to Fairplay Solutions: magazine@fairplay.co.uk)

[Top]

Contributions

Windfarms and Shipping - A New Navigation Hazard?

With the exponential depletion of fossil fuels, global warming and pressure from environmental groups there is a clear need to find alternative/renewable energy resources. Hydroelectric power generation has long been a popular source of power but has downstream implications which are not always popular. Nuclear power is popular with Governments but not with environmentalists. Whilst offshore wave energy has been explored, it does not appear as feasible and practical as wind power.

For those countries with large populations, few energy reserves, limited exports and the increasingly higher cost of fossil fuel imports, alternative and renewable energy resources are extremely attractive. After the world oil crisis in 1973 a number of industrial countries took up R&D work concerned with wind turbines, including the USA, West Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, the UK and Denmark. Scandinavia and Spain were amongst the first to use the available technologies to their advantage and, with the possibility of fossil fuel supplies being interrupted together with rapidly diminishing reserves, more countries are considering its use. Consequently, windfarms, consisting of wind turbines, or offshore renewable energy installation) (OREIs), are springing up around the world. There are currently 13 sites planned around the United Kingdom, nine of 30, three of 60 and one of 90 OREIs. Only one currently being operational.

One of the noticeable facets of OREIs is their size. A windfarm positioned 50 miles of the coast is still visible from ashore due to the size of the towers and rotor blades. The larger 6 MW OREI has a tubular tower of 6 m diameter at its base on a support structure having a diameter of 20 m. Current windfarms are 4 nm offshore, about ten sq km in area, and contain 30 turbines, each of which is between 2 to 4 megawatts in output. Future windfarms will be further offshore, up to 24 miles and up to 250 sq km in area. They will contain up to 300 turbines each with outputs of each turbine being between 4 and 6 megawatts

Understandably, with diminishing available space and complaints that they are a blot on the landscape, there are difficulties in finding suitable sites on land. Whilst OREIs are not as noisy as diesel power plants, the blades and generators produce beating and whining sounds respectively.

Most Governments have thus opted for offshore windfarms, there being few people who will protest their erection, the shipping industry having rapidly diminishing influence in such matters. Construction costs are higher at sea, due to more onerous erection and commissioning operations and accessibility for routine servicing and maintenance. However, energy production offshore is higher than onshore, offsetting these costs.

In the early 1980's, initial wind-generated electricity cost as much as 30 cents per kilowatt-hour. Now, state-of-the-art wind power plants are generating electricity at less than 5 cents/kWh. Whilst this is marginally higher than electricity generated by traditional means, costs are continuing to decline as more and larger plants are built and advanced technology is introduced. Worldwide, the international wind industry realised a record year in 2003 with an increase in new capacity of 8,344 MW increasing the global wind energy market to US$9 billion per year. As wind power generating costs fall, estimated to be by about 12% by 2008 and 40% by 2014, wind power will become more attractive to national grids.

Asian countries have been slower to adopt the technology. India has a wind power installed capacity of 992 MW , of which about 940 MW is accounted for by commercial installations and is currently implementing the world's largest wind resource assessment programme. 160 sites have so far been identified in 13 States and survey work is in progress in 24 States.

Hong Kong currently has only one wind turbine which is reported to be for experimental and testing purposes. The two power companies (China Light and Power and Hong Kong Electric) appear to be dragging their heels in implementing renewable energy for Hong Kong, as revealed from the results of Interim Review of the Scheme of Control Agreements. However, there are proposals by other companies to build 60 wind turbines next to the proposed bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai. The turbines need a start up wind speed of about 4m/s, the wind speeds in Hong Kong averaging 6 m/s.

In Australia, a A$200 million wind farm, due for completion in mid-2005, will be capable of powering 60,000 homes. Another A$270 million, 195 MW wind farm, which will be the largest in the southern hemisphere, is being built at Portland on the southern coast of the state of Victoria and due to come on stream in 2005, will generate enough pollution-free electricity for 100,000 homes.

Australia's largest wind farm, is currently a 35-turbine, 52-megawatt development that is spread over a number of grazing properties at Ararat in western Victoria. About 200 megawatts of Australia's power now comes from wind farms and this will be increased considerably when the two new wind farms come on stream next year.

In the Philippines, a 40 MW wind farm project is planned in Burgos, Ilocos Norte and a 25 MW wind farm project in Bangui Bay, Ilocos.

Due to its rapid economic growth, China's energy consumption is expected to rapidly increase during the ensuing decades. Wind power is being developed with the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC) setting a target of 1,200 MW (1.2 GW) from wind power by 2005, but the figure could reach 1.5 GW. Today, the country has 340 MW of wind generating capacity but there are few concrete plans to increase capacity further. In 1999, 24 wind farms with installed capacity 268,000 kW were built nation wide with 125,200 KW generated by wind farms located in the western region. It is estimated that 3.23 billion KW wind energy could be developed in China.

Japan has traditionally not put much focus on generating electricity from wind power as wind speeds are relatively low, and the cost of construction high. However, in the past three years, due to the introduction of governmental incentives, the total output from windmills has been rising dramatically, and the official goal set previously of reaching 300 MW by the year 2010 has already been reached and a new goal has been set to 3,000 MW.

Locating windfarms offshore might seem like the easy choice to reduce protests, but there are other drawbacks. OREIs need substantial foundations to support the mass and take the live loads with larger shear stresses and bending moments experienced. They are generally supported on single large diameter tubular monopiles, effectively a downwards extension of the tower and generally using methods developed from marine construction. Offshore installations require specialist lifting equipment to install and replace major components. Some turbines have been modified for the marine environment, each turbine being equipped with an electrical crane to be able to replace major parts without the need for a floating crane.

There are also the navigational hazards presented by a group of OREIs, which are coming under more and closer scrutiny. Statistics are being used to question windfarm developers claims that collision risks are minimal. The UK Health and Safety Executive report that between 1975 and 2001 there were 557 collisions between shipping and offshore oil and gas installations on the UK Continental Shelf. Eight of these involved passing vessels rather than offshore support ships, one involving the collision between a cargo ship and a jack-up drilling rig had the potential to cause more than 50 fatalities. Combined with the higher incidence of fatigue related incidents on undermanned vessels with inadequate charts and poor crew familiarity around the UK coast the possibility of a collision with an OREI is increased. The developers have countered such arguments with an assessment of the risk being one collision in 250,000 years.

An indication of Governments' attitude is the lack of any policies or guidelines for shipping, despite OREIs being in existence for more than 20 years. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency are working with the Department of Trade and Industry to develop a model to evaluate navigational risk and acceptable proximity to shipping routes. There is also a project to establish traffic routes, types and densities around the UK. The UK, will be the first to publish their guidelines, 'Proposed UK Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREI) – Guidance on Navigational Safety Issues.' This states that up to date traffic surveys of proposed OREI areas should be carried out, including all vessel types and activities, taking into account their proximity to shipping lanes, separation zones, anchorages, safe havens, fishing grounds, spoil grounds, offshore firing ranges, dredging areas or port approaches. Consideration must also be given to the OREI construction and facilities, particularly auxiliary platforms, burial depth of cabling to shore, together with emergency rescue and shutdown facilities. It is also suggesting that there should be prohibited areas around OREIs to certain vessels and under specified tidal or weather conditions and make recommendations concerning day and night navigational markings, AIS transceivers, sound signals, etc. The government's new Energy Bill will regulate OREI up to the limits of the newly designated Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), this limit being in some areas close to the EEZ boundary. Powers to control navigation within and close to OREIs arre included in the Bill.

Seafarers' unions are warning of the risks associated of siting windfarms near busy sea lanes. Experts have told MPs on a transport committee that the construction of 200 windfarms will constrain shipping to fewer, more crowded routes with resulting bunching and pinching points increasing the risks of collision. There are also to the possibilities of the turbines interfering with VHF communications, vessel traffic systems data, GPS, AIS, ground to ship and ship to ship radar. The visual impact has also been raised. 250 OREIs could cause there to be a cluttered horizon, creating problems for watchkeeping navigators in narrow and busy estuaries.

Some ports are also worried about the effects on the sea bed. Research currently underway, is showing that OREIs placed on a soft bottom cause erosion and movement of the bottom which could cause silting of nearby navigation channels.

Mike Wall

[Top]

Comment

Local Agents

Local agents are a key link in the circle of actions required to successfully carry out surveys with minimum disruption to a vessel's operations in a timely manner. I recently had to travel from Hong Kong to carry out a condition survey. Apart for faxing and emailing the agent, I got no sense from him concerning the location and ETA of the vessel. Eventually, I managed to get the information from other sources and arrived at the port to carry out the survey. The agent insisted that he came to my hotel the evening before to have dinner with me and to have drinks afterwards, which I declined, insisting that he should spend the Sunday evening with his family whilst I still had work to do. The following morning, despite requesting an early start, he arrived one hour late to collect me to go to the vessel. He then delayed me further by taking detours to do other things not associated with the vessel. Eventually, I arrived on board and carried out the survey. The last indignity was that he had not arranged a car or taxi from me from the ship to the hotel and I had to walk miles to find one. This man had no idea what a P&I Club survey was and clearly had his own agenda.

I trust that the new course on training shipping agents will include a section on the various types of surveys which surveyors might carry out on board a ship and how to assist them!

Mike Wall

[Top]

Scuttlebut

The UK MAIB has issued a warning after identifying a potentially serious problem affecting manual release arrangements for liferafts. It has warned that ships using senhouse slip release arrangements may experience difficulty when attempting to manual release liferafts in an emergency. Owners and masters should urgently review lashing arrangements to ensure that any manual quick release arrangements can be easily operated and should be replaced if they do not work satisfactorily.

Whistleblower rewarded

A seafarer who blew the whistle on oil pollution offences in the USA has been received a reward of US$2.1 million. The Connecticut based company OMI has been fined US$4.2 million after a court ruled last month that it had illegally concealed the dumping of thousands of gallons of waste oil and sludge during the 1990s. An engineer officer who reported the offences to the authorities was given 50% of the value of the fine under a special pollution prevention scheme.

(ED: Does this mean that we will see a sudden improvement in wages and conditions for crews on those substandard ships which may visit the USA in future? If only the rest of the world were to introduce such schemes
........)

Zero tolerance

Authorities in Hamburg are proposing a no alcohol limit for shipmasters in German waters following a number of booze related accidents.

(ED: The results should be interesting. Some of the Masters I have known would drink a petrol bomb before it went off!)

[Top]

Insurance News

None this month.

[Top]

Wig & Gown

None this month.

[Top]

Education and Training

Diploma in Marine Surveying
Commencing 22nd September 2004, Lloyd’s Maritime Academy in partnership with The National Sea Training Centre are pleased to announce the 2004 Diploma course in Marine Surveying.

The Course which began in 1998, has laid the foundation stones of establishing an official internationally recognised qualification that identifies the marine surveying profession. To date over 1000 participants have taken or are currently taking the Diploma from all corners of the world.

To solve the problem of how you can gain an academic qualification alongside the continuing need to work, Lloyd’s Maritime Academy are pleased to be running this Diploma Course by Distance Learning. The exam, as always, may be taken anywhere in the world to suit your convenience.

The course consists of 10 core modules including:
The Maritime Industry and Marine Surveying, Marine Survey Practice, Effective Writing and Reporting, Naval Architecture for Surveyors, Marine Surveying ? Law & Insurance, Marine Incident Investigation, Safety Surveys, Hull and Structural Surveys and Fundamentals of Marine Engineering Surveys.

In addition exam candidates can choose from a number of specialist modules including: Non-Liquid Cargo Surveys, Liquid Cargo Surveys, Small Craft, Marine Environmental Surveying, Marine Engineering Surveys, ISM Code.

To see how you can benefit from undertaking the Diploma in Marine Surveying visit the web site today
http://www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/marinesurveying, call the distance learning customer hotline on +44(0) 20 7017 5510 or email
ken.lovegrove@informa.com for further details.

[Top]

Epistles

None this month.

[Top]

People

We hear that Andy Woodhouse of PacMarine, Hong Kong, will shortly relocated to Shanghai, PRC, to open the companies new offices there.

[Top]

Books and Videos

"The Outlaw Sea" by William Langwiesche. Reports the latest issues with shipping. I found the book to be an informative book for those readers that have been following the shipping news or were not able to read the whole story. (Thanks to Lorne Gould of NAMS)

[Top]

Web Sites

If your (marine surveying) company has a web site, let us know and we will try to mention it.  Below are some web pages we believe might be useful to marine surveyors.

www.kiwimarine.net
Website for Kiwi Marine Consultants Ltd, Hong Kong.

www.marinecc.com.au
Website for MCC Worldwide Pte Ltd, Australia.

www.shieldhall.co.uk
Web page of the classic steamship Shieldhall,
formerly a sewage sludge ship (Bovril Boat).

www.numast.org
Web site for the National Union of Marine Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers who publish the monthly NUMAST Telegraph.

www.aimsurveyors.com.au
Web site for the Australian Institute of Marine Surveyors.

www.friendsreunited.co.uk
Here you can register some personal information, together with your school/college and the year you left to go on to greater things. You can also enter your nickname in school, which class you were in, your mates' names and what you've done since leaving. You may be one day surprised to receive a message out of the blue from an old school chum.

www.marine-society.org
The Marine Society is a worthy marine charity offering many services to mariners.

www.imo.org
International Maritime Organisation web page. Keep up to date with new conventions.

www.lrfairplay.com
Scroll down the home page until you see the heading 'Free Access' appear on the left hand side. Clicking on the words 'shipping sites' takes you to a search function. You can then search either by company name or by category (there is a 'consultants and surveyors' category, for example) or by country. Or by a combination - so you could search for consultants/surveyors in Australia beginning with the letter 'D', for example.

That pulls up a list; if you then click on the word 'free' in the right hand column you are linked through to the relevant website.

If your readers know of any companies with sites that we do not list (or that we have an out-of-date address for) we would like to have details to update the database.

http://www.acms-usa.com/
The Association of Certified Marine Surveyors

www.equasis.org
Database containing safety-related information on the worlds merchant fleet from both public and private sources. Gives ship's particulars, Class Soc, P&I Club and PSC inspection record. Very useful for surveyors looking for vessel particulars before carrying out a survey.

The Federation of European Maritime Associations of Surveyors and Consultants
International Institute of Marine Surveyors
General access to the directory of the world network of Lloyd's Agents.
Merchant Navy records on UK MN vessels and information merchant seamen, logs, agreements and crew lists, MN apprentices and deaths at sea
Marine Support On Line
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
National Association of Marine Surveyors
Safety at Sea International
Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors
Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

[Top]

Conference Reports

None this month.

[Top]

IMO Conventions

IMO regularly updates its web page with new and amended conventions:
http://www.imo.org/

Here you can browse through the various publications that are available and buy those which interest you. To navigate the publications you can either select one of the categories or use the advanced search.

[Top]

Future Events

If you have a marine related conference coming up, let us know so that we can mention it below,

13-14 September 2004. 14th Annual Ship Management Conference 2004
Embracing the Challenges and Responsibilities of Today's Global Shipping Environment
The Hawaii Grand Hotel, Limassol, Cyprus
www.lloydslistevents.com/

23-25 September 2004 SIBCON 2004 (Singapore Bunkering Conference, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. (Includes bunker dispute workshop)
Info at: www.ibc-asia.com/SIBCON2004.htm

27 - 30 October 2004 - Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors Annual Meeting and Educational Symposia - Delta Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Info at: http://www.marinesurvey.org

10/11 November 2004. Airport, Port & Terminal Security. Olympia 2, London, UK
Info at: www.apts-expo.com

8 - 11 December 2004. MARITIMA, Paris, France.
http://www.reedexpo.com/

3 - 5 May 2005, Cruise+Ferry 2005 incorporating Superyacht V Design, Construction and Operation For Passenger Shipping, Earls Court Two, London, UK. Lloyds List Events. http://www.lloydslistevents.com/
October: 36th National Conference West - Fall 2004. Long Beach. More information as it becomes available at:
http://www.nams-cms.org/meetings.htm

10-12 April 2005. NAMS Spring conference, Strand Palace Hotel, London. This conference will be organized by NAMS and supported by SCMS,IIMS, and IMarEST

Some maritime conference web sites for you to keep up to date:

http://www.cconnection.org/
http://www.reedexpo.com/
http://www.grc.uri.edu/
http://www.wholelife.com/
http://www.ship-technology.com/exhibitions/
http://www.apmaritime.com/
http://www.lloydslistevents.com/
http://www.marineexpo.com/
http://www.seaworkexhibition.com
http://www.toc-events.com/

[Top]

From the Poop Deck

Language lesson

An admiral in the U.S. Navy is attending an international naval conference. At one reception, he finds himself in a group of officers from around the world. One of them, a French admiral, begins complaining that while Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English and expect others to communicate with them.

Then he turns to the American. "Tell me, Admiral," he says. "Why is it that we have to speak English in these conferences rather than you speaking French?"

"Perhaps," says the American, “it’s because the British, Canadians, Australians and Americans arranged it so you would not have to speak German."

******

MURPHY’S LAW (MURPHY WAS AN OPTIMIST!)
- No good deed goes unpunished.
- Leak proof seals ? will.
- Self starters - will not.
- Interchangeable parts ? won’t.
- There is always one more bug.
- Nature is a mother.
- Don’t mess with Mrs Murphy.
- 90% of every thing is crud.
- If you’re feeling good, don’t worry you’ll get over it.
- Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
- All warranties expire upon payment of invoices.
- Where you stand on an issue depends on where you sit.
- Never eat prunes when you are famished.
- Friends come & go, but enemies accumulate.
- If you try to please every one, no-one will like it.
- A short cut is the longest distance between two points.
- You will always find something in the last place you look.
- You will remember that you forgot to take out the garbage when the garbage truck is 5 doors away.
- The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. But that’s the way to bet.
- When in doubt mumble, when in trouble delegate.
- Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral or fattening.
- It is morally wrong to let suckers keep their money.
- A bird in hand is safer than one overhead.
- The chance of a piece of buttered bread falling with the buttered side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
- No matter how long or hard you shop for an item, after you’ve bought it, it will be on sale somewhere cheaper.
- No ? ones life, liberty or property are safe whilst the Legislature is in session.
- The other line always moves faster.
- Anything you try to fix will take longer & cost more than you thought.
- In order to get a loan you must first prove you don’t need it.
- If you fool around with a thing for very long you will screw it up.
- A $300.00 picture tube will protect a 10 cent fuse by blowing first.
- If it jams ? force it, if it breaks it needed replacing anyway.
- Murphy’s golden rule: Whoever has the gold makes the rules.
- Everything east of the San Andreas fault will eventually plunge into the Atlantic ocean.
- Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
- The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming train.
- Celibacy is not hereditary.
- Never sleep with any one crazier than yourself.
- Beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes to the bone.
- To know yourself is the ultimate form of aggression.(Freudian psychology).
- A Smith & Wesson beats four aces.
- Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.
- If every thing is going well, you obviously don’t know what the hell is going on.
- If more than one person is responsible for a miscalculation, no one will be at fault.
- In case of doubt make it sound convincing.
- Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.
- Any tool dropped while repairing a car will roll underneath to the exact centre.
- The repairman will never have seen a model quite like yours before.
- When a broken appliance is demonstrated for the repairman, it will work perfectly.
- A pipe gives a wise man time to think and a fool something to stick in his mouth.
- Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will use it.
- Everyone has a scheme for getting rich that will not work.
- In any hierarchy, each individual rises to his/her own level of incompetence, and then remains there.
- Every one should believe in something ? I believe I’ll have another drink!

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Mike Wall
Tel:  +852 2259 3150
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Email: mikewall@so-net.com.hk