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  FLASHLIGHT - September 2005           Edition No: 45

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

Quote of the month ...

I'm living so far beyond my income that it could be said that we are living apart!
E E Cummings.

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The 2005 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum will be held at the Shangri-la Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday/Friday 24/25 November.

CPD Certificates, accepted by all Marine Surveying Professional Institutes, will be issued upon request
Those interested in attending should contact Ms Astor Tsang at Asia Conferences: marine@asiaconference.biz
The programme may be viewed at http://www.asiaconference.biz/confinfo/ciindex.htm

 

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CONTENTS (for full stories, select a headline)

At the Bow

FLASHLIGHT is a free monthly emailed newsletter circulated to more than 5,000 people involved in marine surveying around the world.  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.  It is a collation of articles relevant to our profession taken from various publications together with contributions from readers.  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 readers this month:
Peter Rygaard Andersen, Trigonal Ltd, London.

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Spindrift

News in brief

Alcohol move: following a series of accidents in its waters, Germany's government is planning to press the International Maritime Organisation to introduce tough new drink_drive' rules for shipping. It has drawn up a risk assessment to support its case for stricter limits for seafarers on all ships and a total ban on alcohol use by ferry crews, and hopes the measures will be considered by the IMO's maritime safety committee early next year.

War dispute: shipowners have challenged a decision by underwriters to designate the Malacca Strait as a war risk area, attracting higher premiums. In talks last month, owners urged the London insurance market's Joint War Committee to reconsider the decision, claiming that it was based on 6 misguided' information and had been introduced without consultation.

Malacca smog; the Malaysian port of Klang was closed last month and ships sailing through the Malacca Strait were given navigational warning after a thick smoke haze from Indonesian forest fires cut visibility in the area to less than 100 m in places. The smog was blamed for the grounding of a containership on the approach to Westport.

Wharves protected _ the Port of London Authority has welcomed a government decision to back proposals to protect 50 wharves on the river Thames from non_cargo handling use. The PLA said the measures will ensure that the Thames remains a successful working river'.

Russian rescues: engineers from the UK marine services company James Fisher were part of a team that helped to rescue seven Russian submariners who were trapped when their vessel became entangled in fishing nets of the cast coast of Russia last month.

Cargo warning: marine insurers have raised concerns about the quality and safety of cargoes being loaded in Chinese ports. In a circular to owners last month, the American P&I Club warned of moisture problems affecting shipments of Fluorspar and steel.

Spanish training: Spain has raised the level of professional training necessary for seafarers to be able to work onboard Spanish vessels. New laws reflect EU conditions on the recognition of certificates of seafarers from non_ member states. The training and certification of non_EU seafarers is now assessed and evaluated by the European Maritime Safety Agency as a part of plans to standardise the criteria for the employment of seafarers outside the EU.

Turkish alert. a security alert was issued last month following fears of a potential terrorist attack in Turkish waters on cruise ships with Israeli passengers. Four ships were diverted from scheduled calls at the port of Alanya and ordered to Cyprus in response to a warning of a specific threat. A Syrian man was later arrested in SE Turkey and appeared in court on charges of membership of an illegal organisation

and planning to blow up Israeli cruise ships.

Canadian checks: Canada's transport minister has announced trials of an aerial surveillance programme intended to detect illegal discharges from ships in the country's Arctic waters. The expanded patrols will run until the end of the shipping season in October and a decision on future operations will be made after the trials are assessed.

Coal protests: Australia's biggest coal_exporting port, Newcastle, was forced to close during a climate change protest staged by the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior. The demonstration was staged to urge Australia to abandon the coal trade and tackle climate change by moving to a clean energy economy.

Mosquito alert: health officials in the New Zealand port of Auckland raised the alarm last month after Asian Tiger and Yellow Fever mosquitoes and their larvae were discovered during an inspection of a cargoship that had arrived from Fiji and the Wallis and Futuna Islands.

Electronic switch: the US Navy has announced plans to replace its traditional paper charts with a special version of the electronic chart display and information system developed by Sperry Marine.

Fine for stepping ashore

The UK Club issued a warning to masters, owners and operators of the continuing need for total compliance with crew visa requirements in the United States last month after a ship's agent was fined when crew members stepped ashore to begin loading stores and water in the port of Houston.

The ship was operating with a crew of Thai seafarers who were ordered by the US Customs and Border Protection Service to be detained onboard because none of them had US visas.

However, several crew members were spotted by a Customs officer as they stepped onto the dockside to begin loading the stores and provisions and hooked up the fresh water pipe from dock to vessel _ all of which took less than 30 minutes. The crew returned onboard and stayed there for the remainder of the ship's stay in the US.

Customs issued notice of an intention to impose a $26,400 fine on the agents under the Immigration and Nationality Act for failure to detain an alien crew.  A written defence was made on behalf of the shipowner and the agent pointed out that the violation was inadvertent, with the actions taken concerning the immediate needs of the vessel.

The Customs and Border Protection Service acknowledged the circumstances and the lack of specific intent to violate the law. They refused to withdraw the fine but reduced it to $4,400.

In a newsletter issued last month, the UK Club pointed out that 'aliens' from 25 countries have been identified as warranting additional monitoring in the interest of US national security. 'Crew members from these countries may well be ordered to be detained onboard as high risk requiring appropriate security,' it stressed. 'Extra measures should be taken by owners, operators, masters and agents to prevent crew members gaining entry illegally into the US, such as providing guards'

Owners launch bid to improve tanker industry's image

Started last  month in Greece last month tanker owners have launched a new campaign to change public and political perceptions of their industry.  The so_called Poseidon Challenge aims to portray the tanker industry as a responsible, sustainable and respected one.

Put together by the independent tanker owners' organisation, Intertanko, the initiative highlights the sector's attempts to improve safety and reduce accidents.

'The tanker industry understands that its reputation has been tarnished by previous incidents and the way that some of them have been handled' Intertanko said.  It recognises that a large part of the impressive investment by shipowners in the modernisation of the world's tanker fleet has been driven by regulation rather than by industry initiative.'

The owners' body said it was determined to demonstrate its commitment to 'continuous improvement that is evidenced by facts and by statistics but barely recognised by the world at large'

'Quality of service and the protection of the environment are paramount' said Intertanko chairman Stephen Van Dyck. 'This is a team effort. No participant should see himself as isolated from this joint effort towards a goal in which everyone believes. Continuous improvement should be considered as everyone's challenge, not just that of the shipowners and operators.'

Intertanko said it wants to involve key figures from different parts of the chain of responsibility _ including builders, owners/operators, charterers, class, insurance, ports, flag and port states, and regulators _ in the initiative.

The owners said they could show a consistent reduction in the number of oil tanker accidents and spills. Intertanko also stressed that 90% of vessels carrying oil out of Baltic ports were now double_hulled, compared with 401/o a few years ago.

Bid to free relief ship crew fails

A GANG of Somali pirates appeared last month to have reneged on a deal brokered by the United Nations to free 10 hostages taken from a ship delivering relief aid.

The 992 gt Semlow was hijacked in June while sailing to the Somali port of Bosaaso on charter to the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver a cargo of rice.

The pirates originally demanded a US$500,000 dollar ransom for the hostages, including eight Kenyan crew members, a Sri Lankan master and a Tanzanian engineer, but later claimed the hijacking had been a mistake.

Following protracted negotiations, the WFP said that a dal had been reached for the safe return of the St Vincent flagged ship, its crew and the 850 tons of rice it was carrying _ on the condition that the rice would be distributed in central Somalia, where the pirates come from.

But the ship failed to dock at the port of El Maan by the agreed date and the contact with the pirates appeared to have been lost.

The WFP has suspended all shipments of humanitarian assistance to Somalia in response to the hijacking.

'Eye in the sky' to fight piracy

Shipowners have welcomed a decision to set up an eye in the sky to combat piracy and attacks on shipping in the Malacca Strait.  Agreed last month by the chiefs of defence forces in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, the joint aerial surveillance of the Strait is intended to

supplement the joint waterborne patrols established last year.  The three countries also backed a system of 'hot pursuit' to enable the sea patrols to enter neighbours' territorial waters.

Welcoming the announcement, the owners' organisation BIMCO said it appreciated 'the delicate nature of the coordinated fight against piracy for the three states involved, which includes issues relating to national sovereignty and territorial integrity between the countries as well as in relation to other governments'.

BIMCO said the effective action against piracy required cooperation between countries and said the three states had demonstrated 'good leadership' in the agreement.

But it also warned: 'In order to achieve the desired results it will be important to ensure that the necessary resources and commitment are made available. Strong and progressive leadership is also required to ensure that the piracy capability in the region is not exploited by persons having terrorist objectives'.

Italy has agreed to shipowners' calls to send a warship to the Indian Ocean to protect the country's merchant vessels following two pirate attacks in a week off the coast of Somalia.

The Italian defence ministry said it had decided to send the escort ship after attacks on the product tanker Cielo di Milano and the ro_ro Jolly Marrone. Both vessels were around 120 miles off Somalia.

Gas tanker cargo mixing alert

Gas tanker and terminal operators have issued a warning about the dangers of 'co_mingling' propane and butane cargoes on board liquefied petroleum gas carriers.

In a special bulletin issued last month, the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) warned that the practice could have 'serious consequences' _ such as the release of cargo vapour.

Co_mingling of propane and butane has been conducted onboard vessels for some time, but SIGTTO says the practice has only become widespread in recent years.

It warned that instructions to co_mingle LPG cargoes often appear to be issued without taking into account whether crew members have any previous experience of such an operation, and often no operational guidance is given.

The guidance is mainly aimed at owners and operators of fully refrigerated LPG vessels, which do not have the pressure capabilities of fully_pressurised and semi_pressurised vessels. SIGGTO also raises concerns about employing the practice on semi_pressurised vessels.

The guidance warns that 'a mismanaged co-mingling operation can have serious consequences and, although fortunately very rare, there have been instances of vessels 'cargo tank relief valves lifting whilst alongside due to excessive tank pressures caused by the co_mingling operation. The lifting of relief valves may lead to an unacceptable

release of large clouds of heavier than air cargo vapour, which has serious consequences.'

SIGGTO says traders are instructing ships to carry out the mixing during loading, on passage, or when discharging, often without any appreciation of the hazards involved.

Insurers meet to consider claims surge

Marine insurers have expressed concern at a discernible upward swing in the claims graph _ and a particularly marked increase in collision cases.

The incidents _ which are thought to reflect the recent boom in shipping markets and the increased utilisation of ships _ are to be discussed later this month at the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) annual conference in Amsterdam.

IUMI is warning that the marine insurance market is 'at a critical point' with the upturn in the industry having attracted new players to the international insurance market bringing the threat of more aggressive underwriting.

IUMI president Patrick de La Morinerie warned of a possible 'flood of claims' when the current shipping boom ends and vessels that have been kept m service for long periods are drydocked.

Poor quality bunkers could jeopardise new ship emission rules

SHIPPING companies could face problems in complying with new rules on sulphur oxide emissions because of a global decline in bunker quality, a P&I club has warned.

The new MARPOL Annex VI requirements impose a global cap of 4.5% sulphur content in hunkers and will lay down an even stricter limit of 1.5% in designated S0x emission control areas, or SECAs.

The first SECA _ the Baltic _ is due to come into existence on 19 May 2006, and a SECA covering the North Sea and Channel will start in autumn 2007. Others are currently under discussion.

However, the North of England Club said last month that it has seen a steady increase in the number of claims relating to bunkers over the past year and warned of growing industry concern about bunker quality.

Tony Baker, manager of the Club's risk department, said: 'We anticipate problems with availability of the low_sulphur fuel required in the first SECA, both in quality and geographically.' He also expects a 'significant cost premium to be associated with the low_sulphur bunkers.

The Club is urging owners to take precautions when stemming bunkers and in particular to obtain a representative sample, sealed and signed by the supplier and the officer in charge of bunkering operations.

Tycoon faces jail for buying bogus licence

Kjell Inge Roekkeop, top dog at Kvaerner ASA of Oslo _ a holding company with close ties to Aker ASA with major investments in oil and gas, fish processing and shipbuilding, is one of the richest men in Norway but he is also now a convicted felon, facing 90 days in the slammer due to impatience.

The megabucks tycoon is a lover of the high life and wanted to skipper his luxury yacht himself. But he didn't want the inconvenience of going to maritime school and spending 100 hours to study for those annoying exams. What to do? If you're a busy industrialist with cash to spare, the solution is simple. Buy yourself a certificate.

A sympathetic Swedish civil servant issued Mr Roekke a bogus licence for a fee of as much as £11,000. Mr Roekke converted the licence into a Norwegian ticket and, voila, a master mariner was born. Mr Roekke, 46, is a free spirit with a flamboyant lifestyle that includes speedboats, a fleet of sleek private planes and one_time ownership of Wiimbledon football club.

But the judge at his trial in Oslo was unimpressed. Mr Roekke was found guilty on three counts: corruption, aiding and abetting to falsify evidence and for having skippered a large pleasure craft without a valid licence.  In addition to mandating three months in jail, the court

imposed a fine worth £8,500 plus nearly £2,600 in costs.

He also lost his licence.

(With thanks to the NUMAST Shipping Telegraph)

Tanker reveals appalling conditions

THE Liberian registered products tanker Oil Ambassador was detained by the UK?s Maritime & Coastguard Agency at Purfleet on the river Thames on 31 August after failing to meet port state requirements. An MCA statement said its inspector had found the ship?s radio equipment was defective, the cleanliness of the engine room and galley were poor and

fire doors didn’t work correctly. A further inspection on 2 September revealed serious deficiencies in on-board safety management, and the vessel was detained because the crew were unable to operate the planned maintenance system and could not conduct a satisfactory emergency drill. Other deficiencies listed prior to departure included cockroach infestation, cold room over temperature and dirty, provisions were rotten, no hot water in the galley and accommodation and widespread deck corrosion. Pat Dolby, head of the MCA?s Inspection Branch, said the case revealed the poor conditions that some seafarers have to suffer. The 1981-built, 22,300dwt Oil Ambassador is owned and operated by China Chance Shipping of Hong Kong, which also operates two crude oil carriers, the Higher Fidelity and the Xinhai Shun Fa.

Malacca co-operation welcomed

INDUSTRY officials have welcomed an agreement between 34 maritime states to ensure safe navigation and security in the Strait of Malacca as a ?significant step forward?. The agreement was signed yesterday at the conclusion of a two-day meeting hosted in Jakarta and organised by the IMO. All states involved in the new accord have pledged further co-operation and support for the littoral states of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia to ensure the strait remain safe and open to international shipping. The final draft sets out a framework for joint security training programmes and security exercises. According to industry representatives present during the discussion, the agreement, dubbed ?Jakarta statement?, is significant not just for the practical support it offers but the shift toward greater co-operation that it represents. For the littoral states to discuss this issue so openly along with 30 other states is real progress considering the political sensitivities here,? Intertanko?s regional Asia-Pacific manager John Fawcett-Ellis told Fairplay.

African navies agree on security

THE Secretary of the Nigerian Navy, Cdr O Ibrahim has proposed that Nigeria and South African naval forces take on the role of providing security in African waters. Speaking at a ?Sea Power for Africa? symposium held in Cape Town recently, Ibrahim said South Africa and Nigeria were the only countries in sub-Saharan Africa that had ?balanced? naval forces capable of out effective naval patrols to combat piracy and other security issues. The chief of the South African Navy V-Adm Refiloe Mudimu said there was agreement on ensuring a joint response for the protection and safety of all mariners using African waters for trade and livelihood. ?We face major challenges such as poaching, piracy, human trafficking, hijackings and other forms of crime at sea.? Ronnie Kasrils, South African minister of intelligence services, observed: ?The destiny of this continent has for centuries been determined by the sea powers of the world, not by the people of the continent.? He said South Africa would begin to take on a greater role in ensuring Africa?s security and its future and its navy would ?be there? to support other African navies. ?Our future fleet planning will take into consideration what capabilities we will need to be best able to operate with our neighbours.? The Egyptian head of naval staff R-Adm H Mameesh confirmed that Egypt would in future deploy patrol ships south of the Red Sea if necessary to support East African countries.

Singapore to set up bunker panel

SINGAPORE is setting up an advisory panel to look into establishing what the Maritime and Port Authority calls an 'acceptable procedure' for bunker sample testing and reviewing test results. The move follows a recent controversy over sample test results, which were at variance in terms of sulphur content levels. Fuel testing major DNV Petroleum

Services, which is headquartered in Singapore, had noted that sulphur content in some Singapore samples had exceeded ? albeit marginally ? the Marpol Annex VI limit of 4.5%. Re-tests of 'official' samples at another Singapore-based laboratory, that of SGS Testing and Control Services, however showed sulphur levels to be below 4.5%. MPA also told Fairplay it had obtained clarification from DNVPS that only two of the 12 samples the lab had tested were Custody Transfer Samples based on Singapore's bunker code under which seal numbers have to be recorded in Bunker Delivery Notes. DNVPS for its part clarified to Fairplay that the labels of the tested samples were authenticated with signature from the supplier's representatives involved.

Safety challenge for boxship design

DESIGNERS and builders of container ships will have to embrace new safety features in the years ahead in order to bring down accident rates among stevedores. Mike Compton, chairman of the safety panel of ICHCA International, told delegates at Hamburg’s boxship conference today that new IMO rules pertaining to the secure stowage of containers can be expected to come into force in two or three years time. The IMO’s code of safe practice for cargo stowage and securing (CSS code) is to be revised as a result of a submission by the UK to the MSC in May, Compton pointed out. Safe access to cargo during loading and discharging has been compromised over the years through the minimising of deck areas for highest possible intake of containers, he argued. This led to appalling accident rates among stevedores, which in turn prompted some terminal operators to launch safety programmes. Steve Durham, senior safety manager at Hutchison Ports UK in Felixstowe, explained that the UK’s premier container port was able to bring down accident rates during lashing operations by one-third through a wide-ranging accident prevention programme launched in 2002.

Poor checks encourage cargo fraud

FAILURE by oil refiners and bulk liquid commodity traders to monitor inventories can result in losses totalling tens of millions of dollars, says John Minton, managing director of marine consultant and surveying company Minton Treharne & Davies. Speaking yesterday at the IUMI conference in Amsterdam, Minton said that in the past ten years, shortage claims amounting to more than $500M had been investigated, highlighting several examples of theft and fraud perpetrated over  periods of two or three years because no checks were made on deliveries of oil or oil products. ?Nobody knew what was going on because nobody was checking inventory,? he declared, explaining that a key shortcoming manifest in the investigations is that marine underwriters often ignore the small local partner in transactions, for instance those involved in storage arrangements. Claims predominantly arise from fraudulent actions of the small local partner, he said, adding that in all cases the loss came as a big surprise at the end of a long period. Minton recommends that an independent party with a full understanding of the deal should monitor bulk liquid operations.

(With thanks to Fairplay Daily News:  news@fairplay.co.uk)

Failure to check certificates lays door open to fraud

SOME flag states are checking so few of the certificates of competence presented to them that they are leaving the door wide open to fraud, the Seafarers' International Research Centre's (SIRC) recent symposium in Cardiff was told.

A study carried out by Dr Nik Winchester of SIRC has revealed a checking  rate as low as 10 per cent in certain countries. It also uncovered evidence of forged certificates and the bribery of maritime officials, among a variety of other problems.

Investigating the verification practices of five flags of convenience, he said it was claimed that between 15 and 100 per cent of applications for endorsements were checked with the issuing authorities. In reality the figure was as low as 10 per cent and, overall, hardly a quarter were verified.

A similar warning about fraud was made at an earlier conference by Captain Robert Fay, a senior vice_president at International Registries, which operates the Marshall Islands register. Attempts at deception were widespread despite increased efforts to stamp them out, he said.

Even certificates issued by flags on the so_called white list of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) were no guarantee against fraud. Some manning agents and training facilities had been discovered to be operating a "document factory" which was issuing certificates to unqualified seafarers.  "If an agent promises to provide crew members at such a substantially lower cost than average that it just seems to be too good to be true, be careful because it probably is."

In Dr Winchester's view, one way to combat fraud would be to set up a centralised database containing copies and details of certificates. This would make policing the complex global system of jurisdictions and certification "a simple and everyday process". He also called for

certificates _ especially ancillary ones _ to be issued in a harmonized format, with common security features to make visual checking more effective.

Those organisations issuing certificates should communicate better with each other. Officials charged with verifying documents should be given training in the various types of certificate and their security features, and a "culture of verification" should be established, rather

than checking only when there are grounds for suspicion. Seafarers themselves have a role to play, too, in this process, according to Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos, IMO's secretary general. In their own interests and those of the marine environment they should be "encouraged to take whatever steps are necessary to draw the attention of the authorities to any instances of fraudulent certification which come to their attention."

(With thanks to 'The Sea' published by the Mission to Seafarers.

pr@missiontoseafarers.org and www.missiontoseafarers.org)

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Contributions

The following is taken from the letters pages of the NUMAST Shipping

Telegraph

LET SEAFARERS SHOOT BACK

PIRACY in our days has started as an outcome of overpopulation, poverty and unemployment.

Imagine a young man, living in an overcrowded kampong with his 10 brothers and sisters in one room with no hope nor plans for the future, no proper education, no goal to set for himself. Every day, however, he watches them slowly passing by _ those beautiful, brightly painted ships of all nations with prosperity oozing from every porthole. Then it's only natural for him to think: 'If only 1 could snatch just a little bit of that wealth...'

So, if one day he and a couple of his friends actually suit the action to the word, it's a 11 very understandable _ but it remains against the law. Meanwhile, criminal syndicates have noticed how extremely easy it is to get possession of valuable goods and persons (ransom) and slowly the individual groups of desperate young men are now being trained and

armed to form well organised task forces.

To do something about the miserable social situations which prevail in many Asian countries is not a task for Jack the sailor, but what he CAN and MUST do is to take care of the safety of himself and his fellow crew members.

Millions of words, thousands of articles, conferences and discussions have already been spent on this subject. But the outcome of ail this blah, blah, blah is virtually nothing_ whilst the solution to the problem is so obvious and simple: place on every ship in the Merchant Navy at least one riot_gun, gauge 12 (pump_action or semi_automatic) with 50 rounds of buckshot ammunition.

One should bear in mind that pirates usually approach their prey by means of small fast boats . To shoot straight from these small craft is almost impossible due to the rolling and pitching in the wake or stern_wave of a merchant ship.

On the other hand, a marksman onboard the trading vessel has a stable deck under his feet, is protected by 8 mm iron bulwarks, has an excellent large field of fire and will shoot slightly downwards.

Instead of a large number of small pellets, the buckshot cartridge contains nine round leaden balls, each 9 mm in diameter. The effect of this kind of ammo on a small craft is devastating. One direct hit on an inflatable rubber craft will result in its instant destruction.

Large vessels with a freeboard of 3m or more are difficult to board from small craft. Grappling irons with ropes or climbing poles must be used by the pirates.  The moment they pop their head over the railing they can be shot by the marksman without any danger to the latter.  As soon as their fellow pirates become aware that their first assailants have no heads anymore, the attack will be aborted, regardless of the number of armed pirates waiting below.

Every expert will confirm this scenario. The reason why most of the vessels in the MN do not (yet) have guns onboard is the fear that this might escalate into a spiral of violence. Well we don't have to be afraid of that any more _ we are right in it.

I put in a request to my ship owner to supply my vessel with the above_mentioned weapon. After a long period of hesitation he turned down my request, arguing that the trading area of my vessel _ Baltic, Atlantic,

Mediterranean, Black Sea _was not considered to be a risk or hazard area. Well, for the moment he has taken a sensible decision, only my vessel is not going to the hazard areas... the hazard areas are coming to my vessel!

When 1 have to drop anchor close to the North African coast 1 don't sleep any more. Our dear Mediterranean fellow_man from Morocco or Algeria also reads papers and watches television and it's only a matter of time before he will realise that 'what they can do in the Strait of Malacca, we can do here as well'.

It is then of the utmost importance that the very first attempt to board and hijack a merchant ship in, for example, the Strait of Gibraltar is quenched in bloodshed. Which means: shoot every pirate but one. This last survivor shall be allowed to tell the media about his fruitless attempt to board a merchant ship, automatically highlighting the efficiency and strong defence of the MN.

All this may sound very bloodthirsty, but desperate cases call for desperate remedies. I am convinced that this violent and drastic way of dealing with the problem will be far more effective than the interminable discussions and hollow phrases of politicians, committees and the preposterous instructions and guidelines of IMO (ISPS).

1 also realise that nothing will be done because this is still a so-called 'faraway from my bed item'_ but most of all because we, West Europeans, are s******g our pants at the mere thought of making a real fist against this threat.

So I shrug my shoulders and on the day next year that I will retire, I will say to all those hesitating gutless indecisive coward officials, managers and dignitaries who will be responsible for the death and mutilation of many a sailor: 'Stuff it, I'm out'.

Tim Th. Van Der Vliet, Master mariner The Netherlands

ED:  Readers views on the above would be much appreciated.



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Midships

Need for more resources

Life is all about compromises and this is particularly so with respect to the allocation of Government resources.  Tradeoffs often have to be made to keep all aspects of Government operations ticking over.  Those areas with a higher profile will often receive more than those that don't, otherwise democratically elected Governments will suffer the consequences from the electorate.  Shipping safety is one of the 'don'ts' in that it is 'out of sight and out of mind'.  It is only when a major disaster occurs on somebody's beaches that it comes to the fore.  Thus many Governments spend as little as possible on Port State Control (PSC).

Recent checks on foreign flag vessels visiting UK ports revealed deficiencies on almost 75% of those inspected, eleven being detained with three still being held.  These sad statistics are being repeated around the world in countries that take their PSC duties seriously.  The Tokyo and Paris MOUs were brought about to prevent duplication of inspections and inconvenience to shipowners.  By coordinating their operations and deriving statistical probabilities, the various states have been able to make efficient and effective use of limited resources.  However, only a small percentage of vessels visiting their ports are inspected. Our experience of Asian ports is that there is a clear need for more resources to be dedicated to PSC operations as these inspectors are now the world's policemen, helping to improve ship safety.  What a shame that this aspect of port operations could not be included in ISPS which then might have had a remote possibility of having some effect.

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Scuttlebut

ISPS (affectionately referred to by many as the ISSPISS Code!)

Conflicts continue to develop with respect to the implementation of the ISPS Code.  Each month, we will be listing some of the ways that the code interferes with normal ship operations which in some cases could be considered as hazardous together with transgressions of interest.

We would be pleased to hear from our readers similar incidents.

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MANY smaller ports are failing to comply with new security rules, a recent sur_vey suggests. While large ports are seen as generally meeting the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security code (ISPS), others have failed to make the necessary investment in systems and equipment.

The survey was carried out by Bureau Veritas (BV) classification society among its shipping company and port clients. The findings contrast with figures from the International Maritime Organisation showing that 94 per cent of countries signed up to the Safety of Life at Sea convention have approved security plans covering 97 per cent of port facilities.

Other concerns thrown up by the survey included controls over people coming aboard ship and the variation in the application of security measures. However, as examples of the severity with which the rules could be applied, notably in the US, BV's communications manager, Mr Philippe Boisson, said some ports had denied shipping company representatives access to their vessels. In others, seafarers were prevented from going ashore even on medical grounds.

In one recently reported case in Houston a shipowner was given a heavy fine, reduced only following strong protests, after crew members without visas stepped off their ship for a few minutes to load food and water. Financial problems surrounding introduction of the new security code were highlighted recently at a US conference, where smaller western hemisphere nations expressed a wish to meet their ISPS obligations but said they lacked the cash to do so. The Barbados representative said "the strong must help the weak" in the search for security Executives from US domestic ports also complained about low federal funding for security.

Evidence of vulnerability even in ports where security measures are in place has been revealed by an exercise in a number of UK ports. "We were able to get into operational centres and restricted areas of the port, " said a senior executive of the company carrying out the test. "And that was not by using any advanced circumvention methods. They weren't needed. It was just too easy. " As far as ships are concerned new information from the US Coast Guard shows that compliance with ISPS requirements has been very high. Only 2.5 per cent of foreign flag vessels calling at US ports during the first six months were in serious breach of the code.

Australia, meanwhile, is reported to have abandoned its plan to establish a 1,000_mile security zone to guard against terrorism because it lacks any legal means of enforcing it. Instead, ships will be asked to volunteer information about their identity, position and course when they come within 500 miles of the country's coast.

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A Classic Case

THE US has just issued its latest port security funding figures prompting concern that terrorists might identify those ports failing to receive adequate safeguarding.

ED:  It appears that the failure of ISPS permeates both from the top and the bottom!

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Insurance News

In the latest issue of its StopLoss Bulletin of the London P&I Club, the Club reports on a case involving a vessel loading maize and wheat bran pellets. On board the vessel, four 500 Watt quartz halogen cargo lights, positioned high up under the weather deck of the vessel, were operated by four separate switches mounted on a single control box.  The box was situated in a mast house between the two holds into which cargo was being loaded.  Each hold was lit by two of the halogen lights. A number, written in faded red ink, poorly identified the light that each switch operated, and it was easy to assume that the switches operated the lights in only one hold. Maize was loaded into one hold, with the forward hold lights buried under the surface of the stow. The vessel then shifted to another terminal and started loading wheat bran pellets into the other hold, during the hours of darkness. When the hold lights were turned on, all four switches - including those operating the already-full hold – were activated. It was only much later, after loading, that smoke was seen coming from the hold into which the pellets had been loaded, and smouldering fires were discovered directly under both lights in each of the holds.

The Club urges members to ensure that crews are made fully aware of safety procedures concerning the operation of lights. Investigations also revealed that lower wattage lamps may also give rise to fires if in direct contact with grain cargoes.

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Wig & Gown

None this month.

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Education and Training

Top marks for sea college

A DISTANCE_learning scheme for seafarers has become the first college in the UK to be awarded a grade 2 (good') bythe govemment's Adult Learning Inspectorate.

The Marine Society's College ofthe Sea was praised for the'high quality services'it ofers to adult learners in the British Royal Navy and Merchant Navy.  The college provides a range of courses, from GCSEs and A_Levels through to postgraduate level. Vocational diplomas are also avAable, in subjects such as marine surveying and port management. Students often study while at sea, and can even take their exaxninations onboard ship.

Over 350 distance learners _ aged from 16 to 60 _ are currently enrolled with the College of the Sea. One satisfied customer is RFA seaman Danny Wilson, who has achieved the qualifications he needs to progress his career to officerlevel.

He said:'1 was no good at school. But when I enrolled for GCSE English and Maths with the Marine Society 1 found studying really interesting. My tutors were great. They were helpful, friendly and patient.'

The college aims to price its courses as cheaply as possible, and also ofFers discounted textbooks. Its qualifications are accredited by a number of nationally and internationally recognised bodies, such as the AQA exam board, the National Sea'ftaining Centre and the Open University.

For more information, go to the Marine Society and Sea Cadets website at www.niarine_society.org.uk/education

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Epistles

None this month.

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People

BMT, the design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has appointed Peter French, currently the group?s operations director for Europe and the Far East, to replace Roger Swann as chief executive. The move takes effect from 1 October and follows Swann?s decision to step down for health reasons. French has been with BMT since 1990 and ran the

group?s Asia Pacific division before becoming operations director. Andrew Tyler, managing director of BMT Defence Services, will become operations director Europe and Asia and also becomes chairman of Defence Services.

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Books and Videos

Two new books on the Second World War:

Somerville's Force H, by Raymond Dannreuther, published by Aurum Press (ISBN 1 84513 020 0).  Price GBP18.99

The U Boat War, by David Westwood, published by Conway Maritime (ISBN 1 84486 001 9) Price GBP20.00.

******

The Liner: Retrospective and Renaissance, by Philip Dawson (ISBN 0851779837) Price GBP30, published by Conway Maritime Press.

The right kind of boy - A portrait of the British sea apprentice 1830-1980, by David Thomas, publishers Phaiacia press, Carmarthenshire

(ISBN 0954198115) Price GBP27.50.

Keepers of the Sea - The Story of the Trinity House Yachts and Tenders, by Richard Woodman, Publisher Chaffcutter Books (ISBN 0 9532422 8 5) Price GBP25 + postage and packing.

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Conference Reports

Your editor will be attending the 37th Annual NAMS National Marine Conference West in Seattle from 2-5 October and hopes to be able to report on proceedings in next month's edition.

(ED: If you intend to attend a conference which you believe would be of interest to our readers, we would be grateful to receive a short synopsis.)

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IMO Conventions

IMO approves fuel tank regulation

At the 53rd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) a ne draft MARPOL Annex 1 regulation on fuel oil tank protection was approved.

The directive applies to all ships (and major conversions) with an aggregate oil fuel capacity of 600 m3 and above.  it also sets out requirements for the protective location of the fuel tanks and performance standards for accidental oil fuel outflow.  A maximum capacity limitation of 2500 m3 per oil fuel tank is included in the draft regulation.  It also calls for Administrations to consider general safety aspects, including the need for maintenance and inspectin of wing and double bottom tanks or spaces, when approving design and construction of shiops in accordance with regulations.  Other highlights from the meeting included amendments ot update the Nox technical code, an agreement to consider the development of amendments to MARPOL to prevent the risk of pollution during oil transfer operationis between ships and sea as well as the adoption of guidelines for uniform implementation of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (The BWM convention).

(With thanks to MER)

******

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.

For those of you who might also be interested, UK M Notices are available at:  www.mcagency.org.uk

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Future Events

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

SCMS holds a series of Buffet Lectures each year. The lectures cover a wide range of subjects that are of interest to Members and their guests.  They are held in London usually starting at 18:00 hrs. The winter programme will be published on the SCMS website http://www.scmshq.org  Those interested should send an email to sec@scmshq.org to be included on the announcement list.  CPD certificates are available for those attending.

Friday 30 September 2005.  SCMS Annual Dinner.  HMS President (RNR Headquarters Building) 72 St Katherines Way, London E1 9UQ.  Information from:  sec@scmshq.org

2-5 October 2005, 37th Annual NAMS National Marine Conference West, Red Lion Hotel, 1415 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA, USA.

5-6 October 2005 Seatrade London International Maritime Convention, ExCeL, London, UK.
More info: www.seatrade-london.com

5-7 October 2005, Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, 2005 Conference, The Hilton Hotel, Auckland.
Full details can be found at
http://www.mlaanz.org/www/index.cfm?itemID=72

13th October 2005  -  IIMS Scottish Small Craft Seminar at Royal Northern Yacht Club, UK.

26-29 October 2005.  SAMS Annual Conference and Educational Symposia, at the Wyndam Condado Hotel, 999 Ashford Ave, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Call SAMS for registration packet +1 800 344-9077

24/25 November 2005.  The 2005 Asian Marine Insurance and Surveying Forum.  Shangri-la Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Information from: marine@asiaconference.biz

28 Feb - 2 March 2006.  China Maritime, Exhibition and Conference, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong,
Info:  Baird Publications, marinfo@baird.com.au

9-11 April 2006, 44th Annual NAMS National Marine Conference East, Loews Annapolis Hotel, 126 West Street, Annapolis, MD, USA.

6-10 March 2006, World Maritime Technology Conference, IMarEST, London. More info:  www.imarest.org/events/

15th/16th May  -  IIMS European Surveying Conference 2006 (Antwerp)
15th May 2006  -  IIMS Annual Dinner (Antwerp)
16th May 2006  -  IIMS Annual General Meeting (Antwerp)
15-16 May 2006.  IIMS European Conference, AGM & Dinner, Antwerp, Belgium.

16 - 18 May 2006.  Roro 2006.  Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium.
Info:  www.roroex.com or email:  melissa.skinner@informa.com

 ******

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/

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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.marinesurveyor.com/condor/
Condor Maritime Services (K) Ltd, Mombasa, Kenya, East Africa.

www.npl.co.uk/ncs/
National Physics Laboratory - National Corrosion Service

AIS information:
www.AISlive.com  (does not include SE Asian waters)

Canadian Coastguard:
http://www.cgc.gc.ca

International Bunker Industry Association
www.ibia.net
Good information and a good newsletter.


Admiralty and Maritime Law Guide
www.admiraltylawguide.com
Focus on US law, but still interesting


Houston Marine Insurance Seminars
www.houstonmarineseminar.com
Lots of papers and presentations to download


IMO Country/Port/Terminal info and contact numbers:
http://www.tdconcepts.com/


Tactical Defense Concepts (TDC) - a good section on security alerts and analysis: Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)

http://www.ds-osac.org/
(OSAC was established in 1985 by the US Department of State to foster the exchange of security related i nformation between the US Government and the Amercian private sector operating abroad.  Administered by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, OSAC has developed into an enormously successful joint venture for effective security cooperation.  Through OSAC, the American private sector, including colleges and universities, is provided timely information on which to make informed corporate decisions on how best to protect their investment, facilities,personnel and intellectual property abroad.)

Those of you who use Equasis may also be interested to hear of three other web pages with similar information:

www.parismou.org/
www.tokyo-mou.org/
www.uscg.com

www.shiptalk.com/
-  Designed by seafarers for seafarers. Deck, engine, catering, hotel or concession, seafarers past and present, all are welcome. Seafaring is a global profession and we extend the hand of friendship to seafarers of all nationalities.
-  Ever wondered where your old shipmates are now? Why not leave your details and search for your old shipmates. Shipmates, will keep you in contact with seagoing friends new and old.
-  Money Matters is inspired by those conversations you have at sea, in the bar, on the VHF and ashore, on the subject of money. What you get paid and where the best opportunities are for time onboard versus leave versus salary versus benefits. Make "money matters" work for you.
-  Blow your whistle, and warn other seafarers of the way it is when signing on with certain manning agents or ship owners. By sharing our experiences we can improve the life at sea for you and your fellow shipmates. Ship talk is always straight, honest and direct, so say it the way it is.  Deep Sea, Short Sea, Offshore and Cruise, check out these links for issues which affect you.
-  Crew List become your own agent and advertise your professional services on crew list.

www.shippingfacts.com
-  Provides basic information about the structure of the shipping industry, its contribution to the world economy and its safety/environmental performance.  The site also contains links with more detailed sourcdes of information about the industry.

www.imarest.org
-  Website of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology.

www.nepia.com
- A fully searchable,  and provides full details of the club and its ships. It also features a new service from  the club's risk management department, called , which summarises shipping industry developments and offers links to primary sources, including the Maritime Advocate. Newsnet is updated weekly, or sometimes more frequently.

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.

www.femas.net/default.htm
- The Federation of European Maritime Associations of Surveyors and Consultants

www.iims.org.uk/ - International Institute of Marine Surveyors

http://www.lloydsagency.com
- General access to the directory of the world network of Lloyd's Agents.

www.mariners-l.freeserve.co.uk
- Merchant Navy records on UK MN vessels and information merchant seamen, logs, agreements and crew lists, MN apprentices and deaths at sea

www.marinesupportonline.com
- Marine Support On Line

www.marinesurvey.org/
- Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors

www.nams-cms.org/
- National Association of Marine Surveyors

www.sas-intl.com
- Safety at Sea International

www.scmshq.org/
- Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors

www.sname.org/
- Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

[Top]

From the Poop Deck

A couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word.  An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the wife sarcastically asked, "Relatives of yours?"  "Yep," the husband replied, "In-laws."

******

The hereafter

A young man is out with his girlfriend one evening, driving down a country lane when the car stops.  "What's the matter?" asks the girl, "Have we run out of petrol?"

"No." responds the boyfriend.

"Has the engine broken down?"  she asks.

"No." responds the boyfriend.

"Do we have a flat tyre?" she asks.

"No." responds the boyfriend.

"So, what's the problem?" she asks.

"The hereafter."  he responds.

"What's the hereafter?"  she asks.

"Well,"  he says, "If you're not here after what I'm here after, you'll be here after I'm gone!"

******

A man walked into a supermarket with his zipper down. A lady cashier walked up to him and said, "Your barracks door is open."

Not a phrase that men normally use, he went on his way looking a  bit puzzled. When he was about done shopping, a man came up and said,  "Your fly is open."

He zipped up and finished his shopping.

At the checkout, he intentionally got in the line where the lady was that told him about his "barracks door." He was planning to have a little fun with her, so when he reached the counter he said, "When you saw my barracks door open, did you see a Marine standing in there at attention?"

The lady (naturally smarter than the man) thought for a moment and said "No, no I didn't. All I saw was a disabled veteran sitting on a couple of old duffel bags.

******

It's Saturday morning and Bob's just about to set off on a round of golf when he realises that he forgot to tell his wife that the guy who fixes the washing machine is coming around at noon. So Bob heads back to the clubhouse and phones home. "Hello?" says a little girl's voice. "Hi, honey, it's Daddy," says Bob. "Is Mommy near the phone?" "No, Daddy. She's upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Frank." After a brief pause, Bob says, "But you haven't got an Uncle Frank, honey!" "Yes, I do, and he's upstairs in the bedroom with Mommy!" "Okay, then. Here's what I want you do. Put down the phone, run upstairs and knock on the bedroom door and shout in to Mommy and Uncle Frank that my car's just pulled up outside the house." "Okay, Daddy!" A few minutes later, the little girl comes back to the phone. "Well, I did what you said, Daddy." "And what happened?" "Well, Mommy jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran around screaming, then she tripped over the rug and went out the front window and now I think she's all dead." "Oh, my God! What about Uncle Frank?" "He jumped out of bed with no clothes on too, and he was all scared and he jumped out the back window into the swimming pool. But he must have forgotten that last week you took out all the water to clean it, so he hit the bottom of the swimming pool and now I think he's dead too." There is a long pause. "Swimming pool? Is this 854-7039?"

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Disclaimer:  Articles and reports reflect the views of the individuals who prepared them, and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.  Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate, the editor makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness of such information.  The editor accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss, damage or other liability arising from any use of this publication or the information which it contains.  The contents of the publication are the responsibility of the editor alone.

News, views, enquiries, suggestions, articles and letters for inclusion in future editions of FLASHLIGHT may be sent to:

Mike Wall
Tel:  +852 2259 3150
Fax: +852 2259 3151
Email: mikewall@pacific.net.hk

 
     
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