MARITIME NEWSWednesday, April 2, 2014

International maritime news for seafarers

Oil tanker attacked in Strait of HormuzAccording to fresh reports from the IMB, an oil tanker was attacked by six assailants in the Gulf of Hormuz on March 30. Assailants armed with machine-guns fired two shots at the tanker's bridge and accommodation in an effort to force the vessel to slow down. However, the vessel sounded emergency alarm and activated fire hoses, forcing the skiff to turn away. No injuries have been reported.

The attackers and the tanker have not been identified so far.

Separately, the NATO Shipping Centre also reported that six persons in a skiff armed with machine-guns attacked a vessel. However, it was unclear if both sources were referring to the same incident.

The Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet could not immediately confirm the reports.

Heavily armed pirates using high-powered speedboats have operated in the nearby Gulf of Aden for years, preying on ships and at times holding them for weeks before releasing them for large ransoms paid by governments or shipowners.

However, the number of pirate attacks has diminished since international warships began patrolling waters off the Horn of Africa.

But such attacks are rare in the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, a key gateway for global oil supplies.

Iranian speedboats had sometimes swarmed around US warships passing through the strategic waterway.

The Pentagon has gradually strengthened its naval forces in the Gulf region in the past year after Iran at one point threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz. (with inputs from AFP)

SAFETY STUDY

WHO'S IN CONTROL?A newly-arrived set of crew, a malfunctioning engine telegraph and a master who wanted to test his ship's manoeuvring characteristics in an enclosed harbour are a perfect recipe for disaster.

NARRATIVE

During handover, the newly-arrived crew were told that the main engine's automatic bridge control system was unreliable and that it was safer to operate the engine and gearbox manually from the engine room, particularly when manoeuvring in confined waters. The ship's managers had not been informed about the situation.

The main engine was tested 'ahead' and 'astern.' The pilot was informed that the vessel was operating correctly with no defects. The master advised the pilot that he preferred not to use the tug because he wanted to gain an understanding of the vessel's manoeuvring characteristics.

After the mooring ropes were let go and the vessel cleared the dock, the master set the telegraph to 'dead slow astern' to move the vessel to the centre of the basin. When the vessel approached that position, he moved the lever to 'stop.' But this did not check the vessel's speed astern. The ship started to close a dredger on the opposite side of the basin, so the pilot told the master to go 'ahead'. The master moved the lever to 'slow ahead' and, afterwards, to 'full ahead.' But the vessel continued astern. The dredger radioed the cargo ship, whereupon the pilot confirmed that the vessel was going 'ahead.'

Less than a minute later, the stern of the cargo vessel struck the dredger's starboard side and pushed the dredger into another vessel alongside her. The cargo vessel continued astern until 'stop' was ordered. All three vessels involved were damaged.

LESSONS

1. Engine room ergonomics, the provision of shaft speed and direction indication, means of communication, crew familiarity and the potential for human error must all be taken into account when operating propulsion systems.

2. When manoeuvring, it is important that all orders are acknowledged and followed. Mistakes happen but, if quickly spotted, accidents can be prevented.

3. Reporting defects to ship managers and authorities such as classification societies and ports is critical to safety. If a defect is not reported, it is likely not to get fixed and could easily stand a vessel into danger.

4. An enclosed dock is not the ideal place to familiarise with a vessel's handling characteristics. Source: UK MAIB

Libya frees 3 nationals seized on rogue oil tankerThree Libyans, who seized a tanker illegally loaded with oil, have been set free by the prosecutor general. They were accused of forcing the captain and the crew of the tanker to enter Al-Sidra Port and load Libyan oil. The US Navy intercepted and boarded the tanker in the eastern Mediterranean and successfully escorted her back to Libya.

The Egyptian-flagged vessel was manned by 21 crew, belonging to various nationalities. Intense negotiations are reportedly ongoing between the Libyan authorities and rebels to allow normal functioning of terminals blockaded by rebels.

The weak Tripoli government's failure to stop the tanker plunged Libya into one of its biggest crises since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled by a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

The ship's escape after authorities had repeatedly vowed to take all measures to stop it underscored the weakness of the central government, which has struggled to rein in heavily armed former rebels.

Rebels pressing for autonomy for Libya's eastern Cyrenaica region have been blockading oil terminals in the east since July. (with inputs from AFP)

USCG audio recording sheds light on Texas oil spillThe US Coast Guard (USCG) has released an audio recording, which reveals that the masters of both the colliding vessels in the Houston Ship Channel were aware that they were very close to each other. Despite that they failed to avert collision, which resulted in 168,000 gallons of oil being spilled into the water.

According to investigators, both vessels communicated too late to avoid the March 22 collision.

The collision forced the closure of the nation's busiest seaports for several days, stranding some 100 vessels. The clean-up process is still going on. In the meanwhile the thick and sticky oil has reportedly killed many dolphins, sea turtles, sea birds and other wildlife.

The captain of the smaller vessel, which was towing two barges carrying nearly a million gallons of marine oil, responded to the warning by attempting to back out of the channel at full speed.

With less than a mile of visibility because of heavy fog and as the vessel towing the oil-laden barges backed up, the smaller ship's captain radioed the approaching carrier, saying, "I'm looking at you now and it don't look good."

Moments later, one of the barges was sideswiped by the larger vessel, resulting in a puncture that sent a stream of dense, sticky oil into Galveston Bay. It then spread into the Gulf of Mexico and southward along the Texas coast. (with inputs from AP)

British submarine joins MH370 huntBritish Trafalgar class submarine HMS Tireless has reached the southern Indian Ocean to join the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, local media reported Tuesday quoting the Ministry of Defence. Another British vessel, coastal survey ship HMS Echo, is to take part in the mission soon, Xinhua reported.

RESCUETanker rescues 3 US sailors 50m off PanamaThe USCG along with a help of 600-foot Liberian-registered tanker successfully managed to rescue three sailors aboard a sinking sailboat approximately 50 miles south of Balboa, Panama.

The sailboat, which was on a voyage from California to Panama, was reportedly taking in water for several days.

Soon after receiving the distress signals, the USCG used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system and issued a safety alert requesting vessels in the area to assist.

A ham radio operator with the Panama Air force also assisted with communications and co-ordination of the rescue.

"The EPIRB was the key to saving these lives. We appreciate the quick response from fellow mariners and Ham radio stations in this case, but without that initial signal from the EPIRB we may never have known about this distress. We urge all boaters to get an EPIRB, and register it with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration," said Captain Michael Eagle, Chief of the 11th Coast Guard District Response.

Greek Coast Guard rescues more than 300 immigrantsGreek Coast Guard rescued more than 300 undocumented migrants who were stranded for several hours on a vessel off the southern Aegean Sea island of Crete, according to an official announcement issued on Tuesday.

The rescue operation, which started early Monday when the 32m vessel issued a distress signal in moderate weather conditions ended successfully by sunset, the press release said.

All passengers were transferred safely to a Greek tanker, which rushed to the area along with other five vessels upon instructions by the Greek Shipping Ministry.

They included cargo ships, a US warship from Crete's naval base and a Greek Navy frigate with personnel who provided first aid to the immigrants. Initial estimates from Greek authorities, based on accounts of the first migrants rescued, had put the total number of persons on board the vessel to 408, including some 100 women and children, Xinhua reported.

ENVIRONMENTNo immediate US tsunami threat from Chile quakeUS officials said they've found no threat of a tsunami along the coasts of Alaska, California, Oregon or Washington after a major earthquake near Chile, with danger to Hawaii limited to potentially strong currents at beaches.

Bill Knight, a scientist at the National Tsunami Warning Centre, said early data show that by the time waves generated by Tuesday night's magnitude-8.2 quake reach the West Coast, they'll be too small to pose any threat.

Director Chip McCreery of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said officials don't expect a major tsunami threat to Hawaii. But the centre issued an advisory saying swimmers, boaters and others at beaches might see strong currents and sea level changes.

Chilean authorities ordered an evacuation of coastal areas there in case of a tsunami. (AP)

NSRA releases forecast on ice conditions in Arctic SeasThe official information on the expected ice conditions in the Arctic seas for the navigation season of June to August 2014 has been released by Russian Federal State Institution, the Northern Sea Route Administration (NSRA).

The forecast includes the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation, covering the internal sea waters, the territorial sea and tracks suitable for navigation.

The navigation season for transit passages on the Northern Sea Route (NSR), which is a historically existing Russian national transportation route, starts approximately at the beginning of July. The navigation season on the NSR lasts through to the second half of November.

SHIPPING DATABALTIC EXCHANGE

Market snapshot: 1100 GMTDry Index BDI 1316 -46Capesize Index BCI 2505 -68Panamax Index BPI 897 -45Supramax Index BSI 1068 -22Handysize Index BHSI 632 -10

EXCHANGE RATES

New York (Tue Cls) Fgn Currency USD in Fgn in USD CurrencyBritain (Pound) 1.6629 0.6013Canada (Dollar) 0.9063 1.1034China (Yuan) 0.1611 6.2062Euro 1.3794 0.7250India (Rupee) 0.0167 59.9250Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000088 11314.00Japan (Yen) 0.009643 103.7000Norway (Krone) 0.1671 5.9835Philippines (Peso) 0.0224 44.7400Poland (Zloty) 0.3306 3.0200Russia (Ruble) 0.0285 35.0775Singapore (Dollar) 0.7941 1.2592Ukraine (Hryvnia) 0.0909 11.0030

HI-TECHRenewable biofuel reduces emissions without hampering engine performanceThe latest tests conducted by the Maritime Administration (MARAD) have proved that renewable diesel fuel reduces emissions without hampering engine's performance.

The tests of advanced renewable biofuel technology were conducted onboard the training ship State of Michigan.

The MARAD statement stated that the tests compared various aspects, including operational, vibration and air emission differences between regular ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel and a 76/33 blend of ULSD and Amyris Renewable Diesel (ARD) fuel, which is derived from sugar.

The study determined that ARD reduced air emissions without any significant difference in engine's performance.

The project was part of a MARAD initiative to conduct "at sea" tests of advanced renewable fuels and assess its impact on the ship's engine.

Eniram launches new product for LNG sectorEniram Limited has launched another fuel-saving product based on the established Eniram vessel platform.

While formally launching the product, the company's VP marketing said that Eniram Vessel Performance Manager (VPM) is a comprehensive energy management tool.

The VPM will allow users on LNG carriers to analyse and track the total energy efficiency of their vessel in real time.

"With VPM a deep and complete understanding of a vessel's energy management is now possible. This is a major shift in the industry, yet VPM for LNG is only a first step for Eniram: as today's gas carriers, with countless complex systems, are among themost advanced pieces of floating engineering marvels in the world," he added.

"We believe that thanks to our unique data platform, Eniram is the only player right now in the industry who is truly able to make sense of all this," the VP said.