A NewsLink service for Dole Chile

Thursday, December 4, 2014

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SAFETY
REPEAT OFFENDER BANNED FROM
AUSTRALIAN PORTS
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority
(AMSA) has issued a direction to an
Indonesian flagged container ship not to enter
or use any port in Australia for three months.
The direction for the multi-purpose vessel is
a result of repeated detentions and a history of
machinery and equipment malfunctions and
breakdowns.
The direction, made under the Navigation
Act 2012, will expire on February 18, 2015.
The concerned vessel has been detained by
AMSA on three occasions since July 2013,
prompting serious concerns that the vessel is
not being operated or managed to meet
applicable standards.
The vessel is required to rectify deficiencies
identified during the inspection before
departing Cairns.
This is the second vessel banned from
Australian ports since the revised Navigation
Act came in to effect last year.
Australia is a signatory to IMO and ILO
conventions and AMSA takes its
responsibilities for ensuring compliance with
all international safety conventions seriously
with respect to securing compliance of ships
visiting its ports.
Source: AMSA

DNV GL issues summary on

IMO requirements
In an effort to keep the seafarers updated on the
new and retroactive requirements from
IMO/ILO, DNV GL has issued a list of the most
important requirements entering into force from
July 1, to January 1, 2016.
The full information is available in
"Requirement Explorer" accessible through
DNV Exchange and in "Rules Pilot", which can
be accessed via the DNV GL website.
The DNV GL recommends that this
information could be accessed by technical,
safety, quality and operation departments of
shipping companies.

UK P&I Club introduces

self-assessment scheme
The UK P&I Club is trialling a new
self-assessment scheme for its entered ships. The
scheme is designed to help the club's shipowner
members take a more hands-on role in
identifying and controlling the risk of accidents
on their vessels, which in turn could help to
reduce their insurance premiums.
The trial is the latest development in the club's
new claims-based approach to ship inspections.
Launched four years ago, the new approach
focuses specifically on measures needed to
control the most likely accidents on a ship as
determined by the Club's unrivalled database of
12,000 major claims.
Using 'bowtie' risk diagrams, the database
reveals seven primary hazards and 76 common
threats which, if not controlled in one or more of
450 ways, could result in a major claim. For
instance, a primary hazard for cargo ships is
carrying cargo at sea. Water ingress is a threat
and, if not controlled by measures such as
watertight hatch covers, the shipowner will be
sued for wet damage.
According to Loss Prevention Director Karl
Lumbers: "Our bowtie approach has proved very
popular with Members, with our inspectors
being able to help them identify and control
threats much more effectively. We have now
modified the approach so that Members can start

using it and benefiting from it directly."

Initially, the club will provide self-assessment
facilities for up to 20 members, whose crews
will score the effectiveness of 450 shipboard
controls from 1 to 5.
Each Member's scores will be analysed by the
club, with the effectiveness of each control
being benchmarked. A formal risk assessment
report will be provided to the member showing
the overall risk percentage. Claims prevention
advice will be made available to discuss any
particular findings in the assessment.
"Where a members' assessment of a ship
reveals little difference in scoring with a gap
analysis conducted by the club, there will be a
reduction in the mandatory surveys required by
the club on that ship," said Lumbers, adding:
"All that will be required is for the member to
submit assessments of the ship every two years."
"We hope the self-assessment scheme will
enable participating members to harness the
wide experience gained by the club in many
years of claims handling to the benefit of their
own businesses. Additionally, we believe
members will find that this practical and simple
system will encourage crewmembers to take
more pride in their professionalism and their
ships," he added.

Operators warned of pirates off

Port Gentil

Third mate injured in

compressor explosion

The Swedish P&I Club has issued an alert on its

website, warning shipowners and operators that
pirates have been spotted in Gabonese waters off
Port Gentil.
TCI Africa Port Gentil has already forwarded
the information to the local authorities in Abuja,
Yaounde, Libreville and Brazzaville.
In a statement, the port authorities said: "We
are fully conscious that the sea is large,
however, it may be useful for Masters to know
that the pirates' mother vessel is described as a
fishing boat, about 30m long with a blue hull
and white frames."
The club clarifies that pirates could be
targeting large tankers, the statement added.

A 34-year-old Filipino, third mate, has

reportedly sustained injuries and burns on his
face an upper body in the explosion of an air
compressor on board a Panama-flagged bulk
carrier on December 2. A Chilean transport ship
assisted in the medevac of the Filipino at Paso
Tortuoso, 180km southwest of Punta Arenas.
Fortunately, the Chilean ship, which was
returning to its home port in Valparaiso, was
equipped with a team of medicos and had good
medical facilities. Doctors and nurses
successfully stabilised the patient. On December
3, the ship docked at the Capitan Guillermos de
Asmar wharf to take the injured to the
Magallanes Clinic in Punta Arenas.
There were no details available on the cause of
the accident. The investigation is in progress.

PAGE 2 - Thursday, December 4, 2014

SHIPPING DATA

HALDOR TOPSOE'S ECO-JET

SOLUTION BAGS AWARD

BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 1100 GMT
Dry Index
BDI
1079 -40
Capesize Index
BCI
1677-221
Panamax Index
BPI
1108 -11
Supramax Index
BSI
984 -3
Handysize Index
BHSI
498 +3

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Wed Cls)
Fgn Currency
in USD
Britain (Pound)
1.5688
Canada (Dollar)
0.8800
China (Yuan)
0.1626
Euro
1.2310
India (Rupee)
0.0161
Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000081
Japan (Yen)
0.008346
Norway (Krone)
0.1419
Philippines (Peso)
0.0224
Poland (Zloty)
0.2964
Russia (Ruble)
0.0187
Singapore (Dollar)
0.7617
Ukraine (Hryvnia)
0.0658

USD in Fgn
Currency
0.6374
1.1364
6.1503
0.8123
61.9300
12347.00
119.8200
7.0490
44.6500
3.3700
53.4251
1.3129
15.1905

Crew stranded for 2 weeks on

damaged vessel
Twelve Ukrainian sailors have reportedly been
stranded for two weeks onboard their damaged
general cargo ship at the port of
Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
According to available reports, the crew were
contacted eight months ago to pick up some
construction material from Turkey on another
vessel. A month later, the crew were urged to
sail again and promised to be paid all their dues.
However, the crew claimed there remained
unpaid for eight months.
When, the crew threatened to go on strike, the
owner promised to pay fully as soon as they
delivered the cargo to the port of
Dnepropetrovsk.
About two weeks ago, the Moldova-flagged
ship reached Dnieper, but ran aground,
sustaining a 5m and 80cm wide hole. The ship
started taking in water. However, the crew
managed to control the water ingress and the
vessel reached Dnepropetrovsk where it
anchored.
According to the crew, the owner accused
them of damaging the ship and the cargo and
that their money will be written off on account
of repairs. When asked, the owners' spokesman
said that they had told the crew that they would
be paid after the vessel reached Kherson for
repairs.

HI-TECH

SRI introduces new app for

seafarers
The Seafarers' Rights International (SRI) has
launched a new app for seafarers, who are facing
legal problems. The new app, which has already
cleared three months of user testing, will assist
with immediate information concerning the
rights of seafarers across the world.

Haldor Topsoe A/S has bagged the Danish

Engineering Product Award 2014 for
developing new ECO-Jet solution.
The product is a newly developed
catalytic process capable of reducing
emission of harmful substances such as
soot, hydrocarbons and heavy metals from
ships powered by bunker fuel.
The ECO-Jet process, the first ever of its
kind, reduces up to 95% of soot emission
from ships using bunker fuel.
The Danish technical journal Engineering
Weekly Ingenioren, which annually
presents the award, honours technical
products with significant news value based
on substantial technical expertise.
Professor Lene Lange, Chairperson of
the Engineering Weekly awards committee,
said at the award ceremony: "When they
put out to sea, large ships using bunker
fuel emit harmful black smoke and this
smoke represents a major source of air
pollution locally and globally. With Topsoe's
new process, we have an operational
technology in place that is able to reduce
emissions of soot and heavy metals. The
process has interesting environmental
perspectives and, for Topsoe, promising
commercial perspectives as well."

Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of SRI

said: "Seafarers need tangible support 24/7.
There are many good companies and maritime
administrations who provide seafarers with
assistance and support with regard to their
human rights. However, where that is not the
case, this app will provide a lifeline for
seafarers. The app has been designed to operate
offline so that seafarers can access information
at all times. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad,
Android and Blackberry devices.

ENVIRONMENT

Earliest sea ice in China for 10

years
Liaodong Bay in northeast China's Bohai Sea on
Wednesday has been partly frozen, according to
the National Marine Environmental Forecasting
Centre.
Ice covers about seven sea miles in the bay,
the earliest date that sea ice had appeared in the
area in 10 years, according to the centre.
The acreage of sea ice in Bohai Sea will rise to
10 to 12 sea miles with an average thickness of
5cm in the following week due to dropping
temperatures.
Ice also covered the shallow estuaries in the
north of the Yellow Sea, also the earliest in 10
years.

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WORLD TRAVEL
MOST VISITED TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
ACROSS THE WORLD
Travel+Leisure has collected information
from various government agencies,
industry reports and reputable media
outlets to list the ten most visited attractions
in the world.
1. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul (Annual
Visitors - 91,250,000): The 15th-century
bazaar's vaulted walkways now house
hand-painted ceramics, lanterns, intricately
patterned carpets, copperware and gold
Byzantine-style jewellery. If all that
shopping gets overwhelming, break for a
succulent doner kebab or strong cup of
Turkish coffee before you tackle another
section of the giant bazaar.
2. The Zocalo, Mexico City (Annual
Visitors - 85,000,000): Formally known as
the Plaza de la Constitucion, the enormous
Zocalo thrums with activity. It hosts military
parades, cultural and political events,
concerts, exhibitions, fairs and public art
installations.
3. Times Square, New York City
(Annual Visitors - 50,000,000): Flashing
lights, Broadway shows, megastores and
the sheer spectacle are the draws for this
attraction. Pedestrian-only areas with cafe
tables, which were introduced a few years
ago, have made it easier and more
appealing to hang out here.
4. (tie) Central Park, New York City
(Annual Visitors - 40,000,000): This
iconic park draws almost every visitor to
the city. It stretches across nearly 850
acres of prime Manhattan real estate and is
an oasis for both tourists and locals alike.
4. (tie) Union Station, Washington
(Annual Visitors - 40,000,000): This busy
station shuttles some 12,500 passengers
daily in and out of the city but it also
handles millions of tourists who pass
through to take in the impeccably mixed
architectural styles throughout the colossal
building.
5. Las Vegas Strip (Annual Visitors 30,500,000): In 2013, 77% of Vegas
tourists chose to stay at hotels right on the
four-mile-long Strip that makes it easy for
tourists to catch the Bellagio fountains in
action, shop, gamble, eat and
people-watch.